Letter 6 "Count Your Blessings"

Monday, September 1st, 2014  Santa Domingo, Ecuador

Dear Family and Friends,

I´m going to start out by telling you to be grateful for what you have.
This is a completely different world over here. I´m also going to tell you that this has 
been the hardest week of my entire life. I have been tried and tested over and over. 
Every day is a new adventure but it´s not easy. All the things that I had in the 
MTC or at home I don´t have except for one thing: 
The gospel of Jesus Christ.

I live in Santo Domingo and it is super humid and very hot every day.
My companion is Elder Huisa, from Peru, and he doesn't speak any English. 
We are working hard still, and I continue to just push through each day. 
Something my Grandpa Wells said that a big part of faith is to just 
keep moving forward. That´s exactly what I´m doing with the help from the Lord. 

Never have I ever prayed so hard and so much in my life for so many things. 

The streets here are dirty, there´s no carpet anywhere, there is garbage all over the roads,
and most of the day I walk on dirt roads and through grass. It is a completely different experience.
We also don´t have any hot water. ANYWHERE.

However, When you are discouraged, and called to bear, count your many blessings--
name them one by one and you´ll be surprised what the Lord hath done.

My testimony is that God is our loving Heavenly Father.
Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and We have a living prophet today,
Thomas S. Monson,who leads and guides the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints today.

So If you're feeling down, just keep moving forward!

Sincerely,
Elder Hall