It’s been a while since I’ve done a missionary Monday so today is the day!
As of Wednesday of this week, she only has 9 months left and I can’t believe how fast it’s gone.
After 6 months, she was finally transferred out of her original area. She loved it, but was also ready to move on. She said goodbye to the quad she lived with and the missionary she trained. The area will always hold a special place in her heart.
She even enjoyed her weekly river dancing lessons from some friends not of our faith.
She was excited to learn her new area was only a half hour from the Sacred Grove and Palmyra, New York and her companion was just the friendship she needed.
Its been an adjustment to live in a gloomy/rainy area. The last couple weeks of summer have been so awesome and sunny and she’s dreading heading back into the gloomy/wet season. She’s also realizing her hair doesn’t cooperate very well in the humidity and she’s learning new hairstyles for her wavy hair.
They soon learned they both played tennis in high school and were happy to borrow racquets from members in the ward so they could spend their exercise time on the court. When Hallie sent us a video of her playing with her companion, I watched it over and over again. Tennis was such a passion of hers for so many years, she had expressed multiple times just how much she missed it. The simple act of watching her play again made me a little emotional. There was a spark in her I hadn’t seen in a while and I was so happy for her.
When the Stake President found out they both played tennis, he invited them to the courts several times to play with them. Later that morning, Steve received an email, “Just sending a note to say how grateful we are to have your daughter serving as a missionary in our ward and stake. She is an excellent missionary, a great person, and a skilled tennis player! We have a history of tennis in our stake and Sister Pothier fits in very well.”
Animals are drawn to her. Unfortunately, the feeling isn’t reciprocated and yet she always finds herself surrounded.
The’ve won the cleanest car award more than once and were happy to accept their gift cards.
They’re learning life skills, such as how to get rid of weevles and dealing with fly infestations. She can laugh about it now but waking up to hundreds of flies in their apartment wasn’t very funny.
P-day fun. Hallie is on a pickleball winning streak and I’m not sure the elders appreciate her skills. But they know she comes to compete.
The had a busy fourth of July and dressed the part. They were lucky enough to join the stake president and his family to a baseball game that evening, complete with baseball caps full of ice cream and fireworks.
She is taking advantage of her proximity to Palmyra – knowing she could be one transfer away from the other side of the state. She’s gone to the temple with new members and she’s taken plenty of friends to visit the Sacred Grove.
She’s even had a few visitors from home – and a familiar face is one of the greatest gifts.
The Alstons visit their grandparents in Palmyra every summer and they were in town when Hallie was in Palmyra for a zone conference and were happy to meet up and even grab lunch together.
Even more special was Steve’s sister and brother-in-law who made a huge effort to see Hallie. This area gets so many visitors for obvious reasons and her mission leaders are so great to allow missionaries to see friends and family when they’re in town. Hallie was beaming on our call the next day after their visit. We asked if it made her homesick and she said not at all. And I believe her. She did follow that up with letting us know she didn’t want to see us – that would be too hard, but everyone else is great!
She’s doing so well. This has been a season of growth and discovery and it’s been so good for her. I love her closing message of her letter this week:
I heard a statement this week and loved it! It says, “Don’t do missionary things, do Christlike things”. I think sometimes we get caught up in the things we’re asked to do as missionaries and forget the why behind it. If we do Christlike things instead, that will be something we carry on beyond the mission!!
