Happy Monday & EVERY Member a MISSIONARY!

ELDER HILL WITH RAUL, URIEL, GAEL, LORENA AT MEXICO CITY TEMPLE!!

Happy Monday! 

Yesterday was pretty awesome to be able to see the worldwide zone conference, as Elder Holland called it, about missionary work. It was good to have the Apostles and Prophet talk about how we need to have more faith in the work of the Lord and to work better together as members and missionaries. A lot of people still feel like missionary work is only for missionaries and that they as members don´t have any part in it. FALSE! It´s so much better to work through the members because in a ward my companion and I might only be two, but with the ward we can be two hundred and two. I started thinking about what kind of member I want to be when I get home and whether I will be one of those members who is always giving referrals because I am truly converted to the Gospel or one of those who says that their neighbors know that they are members and that´s sufficient for them. The latter, however, is not God´s way of acting. Let us all be anxiously engaged in a good cause. I felt the spirit so strong yesterday and I realized yet again just how important my calling as a missionary is and how important it will be for me after the mission to keep going. Just as Elder Holland told the missionaries in a talk once- when Christ called us as missionaries it was forever; members forever; disciples forever. I was a missionary before coming to this world, I am a missionary in this world, and I will yet become a missionary in the Spirit World to come. 

 

ELDERS HILL y NUNEZ, RAUL y LORENA y FAMILIA (last year!)

It´s hurricane season and even though we are pretty inland, we still receive the effects of the storm. The rains have been pretty hard lately from the hurricanes down near Veracruz and the Gulf. It´s kind of fun, but getting everything bundled up in the backpack so it doesn´t get wet is a little challenging sometime. Oh, and I totally forgot last week to say Happy Father´s day to everyone it applies to! 

We had transfers today, but Elder Palacios and I stay the same. It will be a good opportunity to change. The both of us will stay in the Mexico City North mission so that´s kind of fun. 

On Friday, I went to the temple in D.F. to see the sealing of Raul and Lorena and their kids, Uriel and Gael. I was told by the missionaries in La Quebrada that it would be at 2pm. We got there at 1:30p to be early and they told us that they were already in the sealing session because their appointment was at 1:00p. So, we had to wait outside until they came down from the sealing room and when Raul saw me in the changing room he was kind of shocked. They told me that they had just been sealed and asked if that was why I came. I explained what had happened and they understood. We ate in the cafeteria and went to take pictures outside afterwards. Funny thing, I took my camera in the temple inside my suitcoat (because I didn´t take my backpack) and I spaced it and pulled it out in the cafeteria to show some pictures of last year and how we have changed. I got in trouble by one of the workers and he told me to put it away. So, we took pictures and said our goodbyes. We returned to our area on the bus and it was kind of sketchy because lately there have been a lot of muggings going on. I had to tie my camera to my belt loop and put it down my pants because I didn´t want it to possibly get stolen...not so comfortable. 

We helped the Pinedo family paint part of their house this week to cover up all of the ash and everything that was damaged in the fire. I´ll attach some pics. 

Well, I hope that everything goes great this week. Find a friend who needs to come to Christ-- whether it be a non-member, less active, or fully active Bishop-- we all need to help our brothers and sisters. That´s one thing I realized coming on the mission-- my home teaching families were always active and with callings, so I thought it not too important to visit them. Well, we visit them so that they don´t become less active! I´ve matured now. :) 

Alejandro is progressing well. He has his baptismal date for the 21st of July. He told us this week that he really wants to change because his girlfriend really wants him to change and he wants to be with her. Yet another story of how a woman can make a change in a man. Anyway, he´s really enjoying the church and all that comes with it. He has already received a lot of answers that it is true and he is set on getting baptized and inviting his girlfriend to listen, too, so that maybe one day they may be sealed. Pretty good kid if I might say so myself. 

Have a fabulous week! Love you all! 

Elder Hill 

fotos 

-Hno. Pinedo going on the mission so he was endowed on Friday and we ran into them at the temple. 

- the burned room and the painted part 

cheesy missionary humor from Elder Richardson (Ogden, UT) 

Our district with the assistants Elder Dove and Elder Hyde

After the sealing. Compared to last year´s pic when i left La QB I think i´ve grown.... 

- fountain pic

temple with pinedo (ps- that´s the suit i gave him... i didn´t even recognize it when i saw him.)

¡RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY y 18 MESES!

ELDER HILL STANDING IN GIANT RAIN PUDDLE

We´re officially in the rainy season here in the State of Mexico. This time last  year I was in Tezontepec and it didn´t really rain there, but it pours pretty much every night. At home we say, "It´s raining cats and dogs!" but here we say, "The heavens are falling!" One afternoon everything flooded in our colony and there were public works trucks and firefighters out trying to unplug the drains and everything. The next day it was all gone. 

Alejandro is a 23 year old 'kid' we found this week thanks to a referral from Raul. He´s been pretty mixed up in drugs and not so great of friends but he wants to change his life around and be better. When we first showed up to Raul´s house we had planned on teaching the Plan of Salvation to Carina. He said to us 'hold on, I invited a friend.' We were surprised, and then entered Alejandro. We decided to just go along with the lesson how we had planned. Interesting to note that the very questions that Alejandro had were the questions that this subject answers. We had a great lesson and he accepted the invitation to be baptized. To be continued.... 

Raul and Lorena Guzman will be sealed this Friday! It´s super exciting to see hear that, and I´ll let you know how it goes next week. My how time flies. Speaking of flying,  here´s a neat little story for you....  

ELDERS' HILL y NUÑEZ y RAUL, LORENA y FAMILIA

There was a group of turkeys that wanted desperately to learn how to fly.  As they watched the sky, they saw other birds soaring on the winds, and were envious.

"We're birds, too," they said, "There’s no reason we shouldn't fly."  So, they asked the mightiest bird in the sky, the eagle, if he would teach them how to fly.  He agreed, and invited them over to his home the following afternoon.

The eagle was a great teacher, and the turkeys were quick, enthusiastic learners.  Before long they were lifting off and landing, and by the end of the day everyone was able to fly and soar on the wind.  They thanked the eagle, clapping him on the back and expressing their gratitude.  Some even hugged him.

Then they all went home, just the way they had come…..walking.

ELDERS' PALACIOS y HILL IN RAIN JACKETS

Let´s change what we need to change. We all have a great potential, being sons and daughters of God. Sometimes we experience great feelings and we learn great things, but until we apply them we will just keep walking along the same path. 

Love you all! 

Elder Hill 

Hey there, 

Thanks for what you could send. It will be fine. I´m not sure what suits Dove is talking about. 

He´s in a different area. I´m giving away my black pinstriped suit to a kid who´s going on a mission in a few weeks but his room caught on fire last week and pretty much all his stuff was burned to charcoal. I´m sure you´ll understand. :) We´re going over today to help them paint the house. 

I gotta go. Love you. Tell the family hello. 

Elder Hill 

(MA)Find out how much a NEW nice suit is. Ask Dove or ask around. Says they are cheap, he and Hyde or Holmes both got one, ask them. I totally understand and will replace! LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK!!

CHANGE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW y BRONCHITIS!

Karen, Roberto y famlia y Elder Palacios y Elder Hill

 So my new companion is Elder Palacios from Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico. He is from the same "generation" as we say here, or rather, we entered the mission field the same day. I´m with him because that´s how God wanted it, really. I was supposed to train a new elder from Guatemala but for some reason he missed the plane. President had to make a few changes with the transfers that he had made and I was put with Elder Palacios for at least three weeks. He´s been having a little bit of a hard time lately as far as being excited about the work. He´s been victim of a lot of misunderstandings that make it hard for someone to move on when he´s 'black-marked'. From the very first lesson that we had last Monday night until now, everything has been working together for his good. Members talk about their mission and experiences that they have had and it has all been directed at him even though they don´t know it. We are all children of a Heavenly Father and He loves us and answers our prayers. Sometimes he does it in ways that we don´t expect. I kind of got scared today when I read what President Call wrote me:  "Remember he is a choice son of God who needs our help. His eternal life depends upon it."  I´m not worried too much because Heavenly Father is pretty much doing everything. I´m just here as an instrument. (LOL, I have to laugh thinking about it now, Hermana Call in her letter to Elder Hill telling him he was going with them and would be a, well, here it is:…’just love them!”)

You're coming with us!  Were you surprised?  You won't be telling me goodbye yet!  Congratulations, you will be an awesome District 

Leader.
Just love them!
Adios........Hermana Call

We had stake conference yesterday and they talked a lot about the family. I´ve seen too many broken up families in the mission and I understand why they would talk about it. In PMG it says that the family is the most important social unit in this life and in all eternity. "The most important work that you can do will be inside the walls of your own home", "No success in life can compensate for failure in the home." Repentance is possible for those who desire it. The choices that we make today do not only affect us, rather many others; the consequences to our actions are not just for now, but for all eternity. Choose to do the right today because who can guarantee another tomorrow? I´m not a perfect missionary nor man, but I´m on the path to improvement. We are all in this together, so let us help our fellow man in having the truth, hope, peace, and assurance of a better life that we have.

This week we found a Doctor Erasmo who is looking to know which church is true. He has the desire and we have the answer. He accepted a baptismal date for the 29th of June. I´ll keep you posted. 

The picture is of a family here in the ward. The sister is Karen, husband Roberto, littlest kid- Santiago, and I don´t remember the other one. 

Love you all. Be the best that you can be. Being the best doesn´t mean you compare yourself with others, it just means that you are progressing towards who God wants you to me. 

Elder Hill

(MA) YOU are just the BEST KID EVER!!

Elder Holmes, Elder Dillan Dove, Elder Hyde & Elder Matt Hill~District Leaders?

Other pic-- Elder Holmes, Elder Dove, Elder Hyde, Elder Hill in the offices Monday. 

Here´s your answer about the cabin, house and all that´s going on. It´s an excerpt from President´s letter this week, from HNA CALL--There´s a mormon message on the lds.org homepage that you could watch. I 

haven´t seen it yet but it might help. I think this is the one he meant, "Enduring in Faith."

The other night I was trying to decide what to do about a certain family situation that is going on.  When I went to bed, I was reading in 2 Ne. 32:5: “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.”  I was able to put aside the concerns I had and know that "the Holy Ghost will show unto you all things what ye should do."  The Book of Mormon promises that “the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:3).  Elder W. Rolfe Kerr of the Seventy said: “So we see, brethren and sisters, that the words of Christ can be a personal Liahona for each of us, showing us the way.  Let us not be slothful because of the easiness of the way. Let us in faith take the words of Christ into our minds and into our hearts as they are recorded in sacred scripture and as they are uttered by living prophets, seers, and revelators.  Let us with faith and diligence feast upon the words of Christ, for the words of Christ will be our spiritual Liahona telling us all things what we should do” (Ensign, May 2004).     Take care……..Hna. Call

Hey, I forgot to tell you that I got hit with a pretty nasty bronchitis this week. I had to buy a $500 peso antibiotic that´s super strong so 

I´m feeling better now but it was some pretty nasty nastiness with coughing up... well... you know.

(MA) OH MY! Isn’t that about half of your money!? I will send u some money and stuff. Or should I out some $ in your acct?

Yeah it´s half of my money. It´s easier if you could put money in my account instead of sending stuff. It´s cheaper to just buy things here. If you can´t don´t worry about it.

Love you. Gotta go. Keep your chin up and find the words of Christ that can help you grow and change. 

Emergency Transfers, Faith, Diligence & Patience ~ Don't Take Your Eye Off of the 'Ball'

ELDERS' LARSEN & HILL,  SAYING "HASTA LUEGO"

 Elder Larsen and I got a phone call late Saturday night and they told us that we have emergency transfers on Monday! We couldn´t really believe it because we only have three weeks together and I´ve never had emergency transfers before so it´s a little crazy right now. I´m just getting to know the members and the area but I think all is well. I´ll be training a new missionary, I think his name is Elder Barrios from Peru, but, I still don´t know. I´ll have to let you know next week what´s rollin' here in Jardines.  Elder Larsen is going to Tepalcapa and he´ll be with a new companion. 

Raul and Carina are still going to the church and loving it. They told us yesterday that they don´t know why they took so long to go but now that they are here, they´ll not be leaving. Carina also told us that before when the missionaries knocked on their door she didn´t open because she didn´t know who they were. She told us that when we showed up she just felt an urgency to open the door. When we got up to her staircase she had already opened the door. They were meant to be found at that moment. 

I found something the other day when I was studying and I really liked it. I was studying about goals and what it is that we have to do to make our goals in life and I came across Alma 32:40-43--- 

"40 And thus, if ye will not nourish the word, looking forward with an eye of faith to the fruit thereof, ye can never pluck of the fruit of the tree of life.

 41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with   patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life.

 42 And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure; and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst.

 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you."

In order for us to fulfill any goal in life we need to be focused on that goal and work diligently toward it. If we "take our eyes off the ball" as they say in football then we simply won´t catch it. We are living in the last days and we simply can´t afford to be distracted by anything when it comes to the things of eternal life. For swiftly the night comes and then we may not be here tomorrow to fix the things that we need to fix today. Alma 34:33-- we cannot say that tomorrow we will repent because we cannot guarantee nor bargain with God that we live tomorrow. It is all in HIS control and we must live in accordance with HIS will. This scripture applies to so many things in life. How does it apply to you right now? 

Piña Loca

Elder Larsen and I said our "hasta luego" at church and we ate with our ward mission leader and they gave us each a "piña loca" so that was good. 
It´s like a pineapple cored out, filled with a lemon like slush, and chili thrown on top. I´m not a fan of the chili, but it wouldn’t be loca if it 
weren´t with a little Mexican flavor! 

Well, be good! I´ll talk to you next week when I know more about what´s going on! 

Loves, 

Elder Hill