Kaka-Freakin-Ta!!!

Dear family and friends,

Mixed feelings about this week... On Tuesday we met with our recent convert who is a widow with 3 little children. As we lectured, she talked about how hard it is for her to be able to pay for her children's schooling. She works all day only to receive enough money to provide for her children the next day. Listening to her share her struggles really made my companion and I feel bad about the situations a lot of people in this country are forced to deal with. Later that week we saw her on the road and she was very upset... When I asked what was wrong she told me that a fire had burnt down her home just a couple hours after we left. All her belongings were lost in the fire. Her and her kids were staying at a local's home. She showed us the area where she and her kids were sleeping and it was nothing but rough concrete, and a pillow. She lost her phone in the fire so she couldn't call me or any other member. We were able to calm her down and get her to meet with Bishop for help. I got approval from my President to donate some mission mattress that weren't being used. I pray the Ward will do everything they can to come together and help this family. I know this Sister will be able to overcome this trial and become stronger because of it. The only thing she saved was a triple combination Book of Mormon that we gave her after her baptism as a gift. She chose to save her Bible over her expensive phone or her children's expensive school uniforms.... She has her priorities straight.

On top of all this, my good friend, who is a Bishop in Liberia recently lost his wife while she was giving birth to their baby leaving him with 3 children to care for. This country really isn't an easy place and this last week surely reminded me of that fact. I know that the Lord has great things in store for these people as they continue to move forward with faith during the hardest of times. I'll be praying for these kind families and I won't forget the examples they've set as faithful members of the Church.

On a more positive note... We attended a baptism on Saturday for Elder Jensen and Elder Bonou's candidate and it went very well!! Her name is Doris and I actually gave them the referral! Last week we were going to do a double baptism but since we didn't have a residing Stake member... We were only able to do my candidate, Nathan. Since Elder Jensen and his companion helped us with the service last week... I promised him I'd get my district to attend and help with their service. It was amazing and super powerful! I gave a talk about the Holy Ghost and Elder Bonsou baptized. We all went to get Ice cream afterwards and it was a perfect way to say farewell to the awesome Zone I was able to be apart of:)

I'm going to miss my favorite companion, Elder Roundy. Together we not only made a good companionship but we made a good friendship. He's a great missionary and if I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of my people now that I'm gone. I will also miss my friend Elder Aspuria. He's the best missionary here and will do great things for the mission.

Transfers came and... I'm in Kakata!!! We found out I was leaving on Wednesday when Elder Roundy was called to train. I was so upset because I didn't want to ever leave my people here in Paynesville!! On Friday we went in town for his trainer training and that night, I got the call that I'd be transferred deep in the bush! I'm companions with Elder Eaton from Utah. He's such a cool guy and I can tell we will have a great time together. He got to Liberia in September with Elder Packer. I'm living with my dope Zone leaders, Elder Montenegro and Elder Dube!!! Elder Dube from Zimbabwe was in my last zone and he is such a good guy. He told me he will teach me his native language! It's literally just clicking tongue and making weird noises... I will try:) Elder and Sister BAird, the senior couple living in Kakata picked me up and drove me and Elder Dube to our apartment. They only live a few minutes away from us. Our apartment isn't bad. I mean it's definitely not as good as my last apartment but I've lived without AC before.... I can do it again.

I will miss Paynesville and all my people there. Pinky and Cherish have become like sisters to me and I will forever be grateful for everything they do for the missionaries. It was very hard saying goodbye to them. They wanted my President's number so they could call him and beg him to reconsider.... I was tempted to give it to them haha! We all cried together as I said farewell. They even had me sing to them which was very special. They're my family and I love them so much!! I will also miss my friend Brother Jeremy and Brother Melvin. Both of them are preparing to serve missions and Jeremy was recently called as the young men's 2nd counselor!! Its always great when your converts get callings in the ward:) I will miss all my people!!! Ahhh this is so hard!!! My goal is to make similar relationships with the people here in Kakata. Let's do this!:)

I love and miss you all! Its very difficult to email here since its in the bush but I'll try my best to send pictures. 

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger

The Spirit of Africa

Dear family and friends,

This week was very successful! We have 2 baptisms planned for the 20th of April and this last Saturday, we held a beautiful baptismal service for Brother Nathan. I love seeing the work go forward and it's a privilege to be apart of it here in Liberia.

We wont be able to watch General conference until the end of this month but I will soon go into the office and download the audio. I heard it was a spiritual weekend and a lot of inspired words were spoken by our Prophet and Apostles. I'm excited!

Missionaries aren't really supposed to pull pranks but on April 1st, Elder Roundy and I set Elder Teichert and Elder Aspuria's alarms to go off every hour on Monday morning haha! Elder Aspuria is 25 years old (7 years older than me) and I cant imagine what he thinks of us... children. Haha he's a good sport and he even sometimes provokes the childish activities like throwing balls at me while i'm trying to cook. I don't doubt I'll miss this when I'm 50 years old and behind a desk.



Elder Aspuria is the best missionary here and I'm grateful for the time I've had with him in Paynesville.

I could very possibly be transferred this Monday. This is my 3rd transfer here in Duport Road and I would like to stay another but whatever happens next is revelation from the Lord. We will find out this week.

1 year ago, I received my mission call and Liberia instantly became a massive part of my life. I would have never guessed that Liberia would impact my life as much as it has this past year. The Spirit of Africa is truly amazing and I echo the words of Elder Bednar when he says that the Gospel in Africa will be what changes the rest of the world for good.

I love you all.

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger

By D' Grace Of God

Dear family and friends,

Lots of people who know about Liberia also know about the amazing story of Joel Willie who lives in my area here in Paynesville. The story is incredible and my companion and I were able to find and meet Joel! He invited us into his home and we visited about all the amazing things this man is doing for his country. If you want to read the story, you can find it online at  https://bydgraceofgod.com/ By purchasing one of his picture books, you're helping children in Liberia receive backpacks and other supplies for school. Check it out!

Our Bishop gave us a referral named Joseph last Sunday and we were able to teach him on Tuesday morning after our interviews with President. There's always two types of referrals... Not serious and serious. Joseph is as serious as it gets! He's a family man who loves God and knows that there's something missing in his life. After visiting the church, he feels that it has what he's looking for. I assured him that the Gospel is what he is looking for and I promised that the Book of Mormon contains the fullness of it. He's a very smart and kind guy and I can't wait to continue working with him. 

Elder Aspuria and Elder Teichert recently gave us another very serious referral named Anthony. He had already been taught the first two lessons and yesterday after service, we taught him lesson 3, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After teaching him about the importance of baptism... we invited him to be baptized on April 20th. He agreed! We will continue helping him as he prepares for this special day. This week we will extend the same invite to Brother Joseph. Very exciting!!

We will have a baptism this Saturday for Brother Nathan. My Zone leader, Elder Pan will join me in my area and he will interview our candidate this coming Friday. I'm very proud of Nathan. We've been working with him for a while and he's come a long way. 

We have finally been authorized to call home on Mondays which is super cool! Only problem is it costs 5USD to call for 50 minutes so... I'll probably only call twice a year. Oh wait... That's how it's always been;) We have been authorized to use Facebook messenger as another resource to message family and friends on Mondays! Obviously this makes things a lot easier and if you wanna chat... you know where i'm at:) FB: Trey Hallenberger

Hope everyone is doing well! Love you all!!

Love, Elder Hallenberger

Liberia!

No email from Elder Hallenberger this week but he wrote this in a letter to his sister, Jadyn, who is doing a report on the country of Liberia. I (His Dad) thought it was worth sharing. :) 

Liberia is made up of 15 counties. I live in Montserrado. Most of the mission is in this county but Elder Packer recently opened up an area in Sinoe county and earlier... Elder Tamfoumou opened in Bong county. I hope to open a county sometime in my mission because I feel it would be cool.

In Liberia they speak English but its very different. When I first arrived I couldn't understand shit (Not a bad word here). It's called Kalokwa (Liberian English). Chances are.. A Liberian can't understand you either because you are speaking Sereeze (American English). For example, when they are hungry they say, "Myteesha" which means... My teeth are sharp. When they are full they'll say, "Mygufu" which means.. My gut is full. When they greet people they say... "Ya Hello-o!" "How ya spend tha day?" or "How da body?" In Liberia it is VERY common to greet EVERYBODY you see. All day here I say... "Ya Hello-o!" Of course its not just about what you say... Its how you say it. Kalokwa contains a lot of mumbling and quick talking. "How da body" would sound like "lksdfjhsdkmmhhk"

On top of the Kalokwa... There are dialects for each tribe. My tribe is Kru because when I first arrived a ma told me I'm Kru. She said my Kru name is Blamo meaning... First lover. Haha yeah I know. Good morning is... "Dewah" Good afternoon is "Ponganie" and the general greeting is... "Bongodolru"

There are a lot of soups here that are special to each tribe. When they say soup they really mean.... a bowl of rice with some type of substance on top. My favorite is Casava. The one special to my tribe is Palm Butta but... That one can give my stomache hard time! Toboggie is the WORST!!! Literally tastes like a spoonful of baking soda. It will send any white man crying back to the apartment. Stay away from toboggie.

A lot of people here don't have it easy. It is a fourth world country. When I left on mission it was the 3rd poorest country in the world but now... Its unfortunately the 1st. Elder Kimball, (one of the senior missionaries who started the mission after the Ebola crisis) told me that Liberia was on the path to being the wealthiest country in West Africa but when the civil war happened... The country suffered. After the war, Liberia unfortunately was hit with the Ebola virus. During this time, the country was in quarantine. This all made Liberia very weak and poor.

Many men walk around today with one leg or one arm. Its not a birth defect... Its always due to the war. If you believed in Christ... The rebels would cut off your arm or leg. Its very sad and the future of Liberia is much brighter than the past.

Obviously there's much more to tell! Like the word for prostitute is... Obijo. I know that because in Paynesville... They walk around everywhere. On a weekly basis ill be asked to....

Liberia is special and the people here are just amazing andI love them so much! Dont really wanna leave tbh.

Love, Elder Hallenberger

Fun In The Sun

Dear family and friends,

This last week was very successful! I'm absolutely loving the work and my awesome companion, Elder Roundy makes it all the more fun and enjoyable. He's a great and humble missionary. I hope to stay with him for another transfer.

Our investigator, Dave is still working towards a marriage license. Since he works all week, we are only able to see him on Sundays after service. The Sisters at the Hawaii visitor center have been so helpful! They originally gave us his contact and every other night they take the time to read the Book of Mormon with him. I've been keeping in touch with them and they are always excited to hear about his continuing progression. 

On Thursday, we had a zone conference about physical and spiritual safety. We watched a couple of the new safety videos that the church recently released for missionaries and President Clark gave us an amazing instruction about how we can always keep ourselves safe from spiritual danger.

We did a role-play exercise where we practiced the beginning of teaching investigators. Our 'investigator' was our AP, Elder Pollmann. Role-playing usually makes me feel awkward and nervous but luckily, Elder Pollmann was a great actor and he made it easy for us to teach him. He also gave us helpful advice and criticism. I guess I just usually go with the flow, wing it, or simply say what feels right when I teach so when I am being.... analyzed... I panic and wish I wish I had a script. It wasn't too bad though:)

We had an awesome district council on Friday morning! Elder Roundy asked me to conduct the discussion so I decided to talk about how we can more naturally share our testimonies.. on mission and at home. I figured it would be a good topic because we as missionaries share our testimonies multiple times a day. I used the help of an article from the recent Liahona... It gave 5 simple key points to remember when sharing a testimony. Keep it simple, fit the conversation, be prepared, share experiences, stay centered on the Savior, and invite to act. We talked about each one and how we can better apply it to our daily lives as missionaries and disciples of Jesus Christ. We seemed to learn a lot from each other's input.

The work is sweet! Liberia is hot but rainy season will begin soon. This morning a man reached for my wallet but I smacked his hand and gave him the glare until he walked away. Typical morning in Liberia:)

Love you all! 

-Elder Hallenberger

Loving Liberia!

Dear family and friends,

This week has been awesome! Elder Roundy and I make a great companionship and the unity allows us to be successful and have fun! The same goes for the newly changed district. The unity allows the Spirit to always be present!

Elder Roundy makes a great district leader! We went in town on Thursday for his training and on Friday morning, he conducted a profound district council where we learned from each other. I love district council because it allows us the opportunity to spiritually uplift ourselves after a week of uplifting others. I'm excited to continue working with the awesome district I've been assigned.

We are still finding a considerable and exciting amount of success in our area! We have a baptism planned for the 30th of March and many more to come. Like I said before, a lot of our investigators are waiting for marriage licenses so they can be baptized. This is one of the main problems a missionary will find in Liberia. I'll continue praying and being patient. I may not be the one to baptize these people but at least they are on the path of progression.

The work is going great and I love it here in Liberia! Thanks for your support! I love you all! 

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger

The Biggest Transfer!

Dear family and friends, 

In my area, we get a lot of referrals from members so we hardly ever have time to contact. We have a ton and I'm dedicated to get them all knocked out before I leave. Pinky and Cherish gave us a referral for their brother in Accra Ghana. It's been two weeks since I sent out the referral and the Accra missionaries STILL haven't seen him! If they take any longer... I may need to take another trip to Ghana and do it myself:)

Me, Elder Packer and Elder Booher

Well things are changing again! It seems like just yesterday I got my new companion, Elder Booher. He has been such a great companion and I'm so grateful for everything he has taught me and the success we had together. He left yesterday to be Zone leader in Harbel!

Elder Packer and Me

Elder Packer also sadly left our apartment. Im super excited and proud of him! He and Elder Johnson left this morning to their new area 8 hours away in Greenville! They are opening the apartment and area. They will have to take a plane to Zone conference!! President has been trying to open Greenville for a while now but since it's so far away and in the middle of nowhere... It took some time. I believe a special task like this is only reserved for the very best of us and I have no doubt that Elder Packer and Elder Johnson fit the part. I'm going to miss them and I know they'll do great things in Greenville:)

Aspuria, Me, Elder Roundy, Elder Dea in the back

Elder Aspuria and I are staying put in the Celestial apartment with our new companions! My companion is the District leader, Elder Roundy from Utah. He's such a dope guy and I can't wait to get to know him more! He loves fishing and singing country music so... We'll have a good time:) Elder Aspuria's new companion is Elder Teichert from Utah. He's super fun guy and it seems like our district will remain... The best in the mission:)

I was able to see Elder Dea again when he helped drop off my companion. He seems very happy and it was nice to see him again.

My goal this transfer is to work harder than ever before. The Lord has really blessed me with Elder Roundy because he really has a good energy that will help us reach our goal. I'm happy and excited for this transfer! It seems like things are better than ever here in Liberia! Plus, I bought Elder Jensen's guitar and Elder Teichert said he'll teach me what I need to know so life just got a whole lot better:)

Love you all! Thanks for the support!

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger 

Below is a video that Pinky Pajibo sent of Elder Hallenberger cooking.