Monthly Archives: August 2013

The Call, June 23, 2013

John brought the mail in.

No letter today. Everyone says that the letters come on Thursday. It didn’t come today so we probably won’t get it until next week.

John checked the mail the next day. He checked the mail on Saturday.

As he walked in the door, I glanced at him. He tried to hide his excitement, but his face betrayed him. He tried to hide the mail at his side, but the big white envelope betrayed him.

The letter had come!

Shall we open it now?

Yes!

John slit the envelope open and pulled out a booklet and a typed letter with the following letter head:

The Church of Latter-Day Saints

Office of the First Presidency

47 East South Temple Street

Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-1200

June 18, 2013

My eyes were half way down the page before my brain registered that the information that I was looking for was in the first paragraph.

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Philippines Cebu Mission.

That’s so far away!

We looked at each other, and when we could breathe again, all we could say was, “Wow!”

Then we read the rest.

Your primary assignment is to labor as a member and leader support missionary. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Monday, August 26, 2013. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel…Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

We looked at the signature at the end.

Thomas S. Monson

President

Thomas S. Monson, Prophet, Seer, and Revelator. It isn’t often that someone holds a letter from a prophet. It isn’t often that someone is personally addressed by a prophet by name. It is isn’t often that someone receives a direct call from the Lord through a prophet by revelation.

As we finished the letter, we received confirmation that the call was from the Lord and that the Philippines was where the Lord wanted us to serve.

We began calling our children to share our excitement.

Leaving!

3 Replies

Travel Itinerary

John & Verla Hall >

Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 9:57 AM

We have received our travel itinerary. We will be traveling from Salt Lake on 2 September and arriving in Cebu on 4 September.

Mission Mail

2 Replies

We Would love to hear from you!

Sun, Aug 11, 2013 at 6:15 PM

Below is the mailing instructions for both enveloped mail and packages.

Mail Service: Letter mailing instructions

Tell your family and friends to send letters to the mission office until you can notify them of the address of your first assignment in the mission field:

Elder John Hall

Sister Verla Jeanne Hall

Philippines Cebu Mission

Temple Complex- CJCLDS

Gorordo Av, Lahug

Cebu City

6000 Cebu

Phone: 63 32-230-1240

If your family ships with a private courier, they will need the mission office telephone number indicated above.

Please use padded envelopes whens sending CD’s, thumb drives, or other small items. These items, when placed in a flat envelope, damage postal equipment and can be damaged during transit.

Merchandise: Clothing, food products, and merchandise should be sent direct to the package mailing address above until you can notify your family of your address in the mission field. However, clothing or other dutiable merchandise often does not reach its intended destination or, if it does arrive, may be subject to customs duties that the missionary will not be prepared to pay. Small packages of nominal value may be sent through the United States Postal Service. Photographs and tapes may be included in these packages. Merchandise sent through commercial mail carrier is extremely expensive and may be subject to customs duties, but this is the best way to send credit or debit cards.

Medical or optical supplies: If you need to send prescription medications or optical supplies, it is best top use U S Postal Service. Packages sent through UPS, DHL, or Federal Express cannot be forwarded which may delay delivery. Not all medications can be sent through the mail.

Pouch Mail Instructions:

The Church provides pouch mail service to your mission. Items sent by pouch mail use the Untied States Postal Service (USPS) from your location to Church headquarters, where they are forwarded to the missionary by a private courier along with other Church mail. Pouch leaves Church headquarters each Firday. Items received after the pouch has been sent will be held for the next week. Only postcards or one-page correspondence (no envelopes) written on one side of the page may be sent through the pouch. Notebook or other light-weight paper will not process through the USPS machines. Photographs are not acceptable.

Pouch mail may also be used by missionaries to send letter home to the US. Letters sent by the missionary through the pouch are given to the mission office and require U S first-class postage. When the letter arrive in the US through the pouch, it will be sent via the USPS from Church headquarters to its destination. Stamps will not be provided at Church headquarters. Letters without postage will be returned to the sender or discarded, if a sufficient return address is not included. letters should be addressed with a complete US address.

Items restricted from the pouch may be sent through the USPS or a private courier. Cash is not acceptable for conveyance by any courier. Please consult with the USPS or the courier of your choice to determine allowable items, as they will vary by delivery location.

Invite your family and friends to use pouch mail. Items not complying with the following instructions will be returned to the sender or discarded if the complete return address is not included.

Letter folding instructions: Lay the letter blank side down. Fold the bottom of the letter about one-third of the way up the page and crease. Fold the top of the letter to the bottom of the first fold and crease. Secure the long side with two pieces of tape about one inch in form each end, but do not seal the ends. In the top left corner write your name and complete return address. Affix first class postage in the top right corner. In the middle write the missionary address as follows:

Elder John Hall

Sister Verla Jeanne Hall

Philippines Cebu Mission’ POB 30150

Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150

The Journey Goes On – John and Verla Hall

Monthly Archives: August 2013

The Call, June 23, 2013

Leaving!

Mission Mail

Called!