¡Muchas Hermanas Llamados A Servir! (Many Sisters Called to Serve!)

Jessica Dixon,  Merrisa Woodbury,  Kaitlyn Clifford, Megan Fowers and Emily Farnsworth

(Hope I get this right) Marianne Asmus, Jasilyn Brinkerhoff, Elizabeth Billings,  Rachael Gehmlich & Kaylee White

Ali Lloyd with her mission call to Sydney, Australia. (Connor, Ali, Anne, Trevor & Lynn Lloyd)

 ¡Felicidades a todas mis mejores amigas y los llamamientos que cambiarán sus vidas para siempre jamás! Espero que les vaya bien en todo lo que hagan y sé que el Señor les ayudará en todo aspecto de traer salvación a Sus hijos. ¡Qué lástima para ellas que no hablarán español, pero todo está bien!  Loosely translated: Congratulations to all my best friends and the calls that will change their lives forever! I hope to do well in everything you do and I know the Lord will help you in every aspect of bringing salvation to His children. Too bad for them that do not speak Spanish, but all is well! 

As I had said during the last General conference I felt the Spirit so strong when President Monson announced the new age requirements and I new that it was an answer to thousands of prayers throughout the world. It is great to hear of all of the prayers being answered and being carried out. I know that the mission will forever change your lives and everything in your lives- from your career, how to raise your family, how to serve the community, and so much more. 

Elder Martin y Elders en distrito y Elder Hill

This week we had zone conference and we talked about how important having a testimony is. King Lamoni and his father were converted because they obtained a true conviction that what was being taught was true. Salvation is to know the one and only true God; to know His Son; to know that all that we are doing in this Church is true and that it could not be invented. A lie will eventually end and contradict itself, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, swept every clime, and sounded in every ear. It is true and nobody- no matter how hard he tried- could convince me otherwise. This week an inactive sister stood at her porch and told us that everything we did was false, but I have the knowledge from God that she is wrong. 

If someone says in their talk in Sacrament meeting that "We all know the story of..." and you don´t know that story- study it. Find out. Pray about it. If you don´t know WHY Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world- STUDY and PRAY to know why because no man can be saved in ignorance. I am finding that out for myself as each day goes by. 

Yo sé que estoy en lo correcto, ¿y tú? ¿Tú lo sabes? o nada más sigues como borrego al redíl? 

Se lo dejo en el nombre de Jesucristo, amén. (I know I'm right, are you? Did you know? or just follow like sheep to the fold?

I leave it in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.)

Ananías went to church yesterday and he brought his daughter. She didn´t want to go in at first, but we gave her  piece of candy and she was more than happy to go and do whatever she was asked. They both enjoyed it and we hope that they come back. 

Flor and her family are a special family. They have so many spiritual experiences that would be unbelievable had I not the knowledge of God that I do. It´s simply amazing. I am honored to be able to teach them and help them to understand WHY everything that has happened to them in the manner that it has. 

Daniel's papa, Elder Martin, Daniel's hijo, Daniel y Elder Matt Hill

 We also baptized Daniel. His dad is a member but has been less active for a while and his mom isn´t a member so he hasn´t been baptized until now. That was cool to see. 

Elder Hill's casa en Querétaro

Be good. Love, 

Elder Hill 

There is Sunshine in Our Souls AND ¡Un Año en la Mísion! (1 Year on the Mission)

The weather this last week has been "cold" and a little different. It was between 55-60 F during the day and everyone was walking around in fur coats and beanies meanwhile my companion and I were enjoying the spring like weather! It´s also been a little more cloudy than normal, but there has been sunshine in our souls. Out of nowhere, the blessings began to come this last week. We have about 15 referrals from members and lots of other people that we are trying to contact as well. 

Flor is a single mom who used to go to the Christian church and was really involved there until some things happened and she starting to separated herself from there. She has a friend who is a member and she shared the gospel with Flor and we went to see her. We taught her about the Restoration and she has lots of questions and doubts, but she likes it. She went to church yesterday and loved it and has a baptismal date for 9 February. 

Enrique is a self-referral from Mormon.org and is interested. He´s 43 and has had several bad experiences with other churches that have led him to investigate our church. He sent his information back in July but the missionaries never checked the referrals page that we use. He is reading the Book of Mormon and is willing to be baptized when he receives his answer from God that the Book is blue and the Church is True. 

Pascual and his wife Paola, daughters Paulina and Daniela are a family that contacted us when we went to look for someone who ended up not being home. Pascual was sick with early stages of kidney failure and wanted something in English to read so his wife talked to me on the street. We made an appointment and brought English pamphlets and the Liahona. They all went to church yesterday and dressed like members! Everyone thought that it was a family visiting. They´re pretty cool and are progressing well. 

Kelloggs Factory in Matthew's area of Querétaro, México

 Read the Liahona

I found a quote this week that I like-- 

"Live each day as if you were going to live eternally, for you surely shall." President Gordon B. Hinckley

 Click here to read: Pillars of Truth ~ Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley Jan 94 Ensign First Pres. Message

Querétaro Area

All too often we think that we should live like we are going to die tomorrow, but what would the difference be if we thought about how all of the choices that we make here will all be of eternal consequence. Repent not at your deathbed, but as President Uchtdorf said in conference- that we need to make the daily decisions so that when we are dying we don´t have regrets. Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through His Church, and all will be well. Click here to read: Of Regrets and Resolutions ~ Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf Conference Oct. 2012

Have a FANTASTIC week! 

Elder Hill 

A Snow Day!!?? and Magnify Our Calling(s)

Elder Hill under a Banana Tree!

Hola,

Enchiladas? Looks SO yummy!

I´ve been reading the letters that you sent me and the pictures. It´s funny because we went to costco today because it was in the plaza where we were going to look around. We tried to buy food but they said that you have to have a membership so we didn´t get to eat. It´s not like at home. (Sent him a photo of his Costco card and the #, saying maybe you can show this to them and have them print you a card while you wait for this one.)

So the weather here has been the strangest winter in my whole life. I´m used to tons of snow and coldness.... here it´s dry and hot! It will surely be a winter to remember. We were hoping that it would be more of a "white" winter with more baptisms but it´s been hard lately. We are still transforming from not being able to knock doors or talk with EVERYONE in the street (only if the Spirit indicates us too we can). Few members have the desire to share the gospel with the friends and neighbors because they fear that they aren´t a good enough example, don´t know enough information, or don´t talk to people. That has been our work lately is trying to strengthen the members so that they have the desire to share the gospel. It´s going to take a while because our ward list is 17 pages long with families.....

Querétaro Historical District

Possibly Elder Norman Martin~Historical District

Ananías has been doing well. He hasn´t fallen into temptation to drink or smoke or anything else lately, but he hasn´t been able to go to church which is super important. Brenda just hides from us now so that´s sad. We think that she talked to her pastor because she told us that she was going to mention it to him. We started teaching Guadalupe because her husband is a member but less active because of work. She likes the church but says that she doesn´t know if she can get baptized because of her super catholic family. She said that she would read and pray so we have confidence in Moroni´s promise- that she will receive an answer.

I read in Jacob 1:19 yesterday about magnifying our office. I thought about an experience that we had when we went to visit Hermana Jimenez because we were assigned to eat with her. She told us that in 20+ years, the missionaries had only been to her house twice, including us, because she lives so far away from the center. She started to cry because it meant so much to her. John Taylor once said that we will be held accountable for the souls that could have been saved had we magnified our calling. It makes me that more anxious to be able to find more people to save and help those who are already here stay here.

Destiny showing Matthew how much snow on day 1 of  snow dump

Destiny shoveling behind Josh snow-blowing neighborhood

I can´t believe that there was a snow day. That never happened in 12 years of my school history. Oh well. Enjoy the snow because it´s hot here.

Well, loves to you all! Have a happy snow-filled week.

Elder Hill

Pix--

-One sister has a banana tree in her front yard so that´s cool!

-Pineapples here are 2 for 20 pesos... like $1.80 US

-- Elder Matt Hill

Mexico City North Mission

2013... The World Still Lives & Cockroach Nightmare’s!

Elder Hill at Atlantes..ancient Jaredite ruins

Lot´s of people have mentioned to us that according to the Mayan Calendar the world was supposed to "end" but here we are still. I think that the mayan calendar wasn´t "wrong" just those who interpreted it. The second coming is near... so let us draw near! I still remember enough English to make a rhyme. 

This week´s events were as follows: 

1) Ran into a guy on the street who asked us for a Book of Mormon and of course we were willing to give it to him. When I asked where he heard about the BOM he said that he went to NYC and saw the Broadway play about it and it caught his attention. He said that because it was written by the authors of South Park he knew that some things were simply being made fun of in a crude manner and he wanted to know the truth. We found him the other day and he said that he started reading it, that he would like another one to give to his cousin, and that he wants one in English. Satan must be one frustrated guy! Trying to destroy the kingdom and it just keeps building! 

2) I met Claire Chilton´s nephew. Also, all of the members here ask me if I know their missionary because 99.9% come from Utah. Turns out that I did know a few. I love being from Utah. Just sayin´. 

3) My nightly dreams have turned from knocking doors and talking in spanish to killing cockroaches. The landlord told us to just cover all the holes with something and then they won´t get in the house, but we decided that we wanted to kill them at the source-- the drain access outside the house. We opened it up and sprayed Raid all over and they kept climbing out and running toward the open house door. Bad idea. 

4) A referral that we got from the other elders in the stake is "golden". Ananías is a man who has addictions and is separated from his wife and daughter for the same reason. He hasn´t believed much in God for the last 40 years but he has realized that God loves him in is there for him. He´s changing his life and wants to be better. We´ve only met him once, but we have another appointment today. 

5) Enrique is the son of a family that my companion had been teaching before I got here. He was sick with a strange form of Hepatitis from birth and it was rapidly progressing in the last three months. Last week we taught them about the plan of salvation and how it plays a role in their lives right now. They had him scheduled for a transplant the 8th of January. The other day they called us and had us go to the hospital to see him. He was in a coma and on life support. Shortly after we left he passed away because his heart stopped beating. He was my age. 

Life is precious gift. Make the most of it. D&C 60:13-- let us not waste our time in the mission of life. 

Rosca de Reyes is a tradition to celebrate the three kings day (instead of santa). Two members gave us a piece of their rosca de reyes. My companion got the little doll in one and I got the little doll in the other. The tradition is that we have to make tamales the 2nd of February. The member who gave me my piece already moved out of our ward so I guess my companion gets to make tamales! 

I hope that everyone has a great week and a happy new year. 

Loves, 

Elder Hill