North Carolinian Phrases, Exchanges & Challenges

Wheat pancakes on Sunday morning with Elder Zeagler 

This week I´ve heard all sorts of North Carolinian phrases! "Dang it woman! Open your door!" (wouldn´t open up, but were home)-- "I´m going to beat you with a wet mop!" (we bought a mop today and he realized what his mom always said about how she´d beat him with a wet mop) -- "Dang it, Nancy! (a name written on the back of my chair), "Now we´re cookin´with grease!" (anything that is going good) -- "I´ve really fogged up this time!" (stepping out of the A/C to humid hottness of NC with glasses on)

It´s been pretty interesting to hear how different things can be even from a few thousand miles away. We´ve had a bit of a hard week just with not finding anyone new to teach and having Raúl´s baptism fall through. We don´t even know why, exactly. We went to see him on Friday but he wasn´t there, so I called him and asked him if everything was OK and he said that he wouldn´t be baptized this week. We still haven´t been able to see him. We´re doing what we can to work hard in the ward, to get all the members excited and build their testimonies because when we have a strong testimony, or we really love somthing, we want to share it with everyone. We´re trying to work with the leaders first but they´re not budging to well. Little by little.

The ward area is pretty small, but we have a membership of over 400 members. Only 100 +/- attend on a regular basis. This week we focused a lot on the less actives and I was surprised to see that a few went. Little by little we are "Going to the Rescue" as President Monson has counseled. I feel just as content with an inactive family returning as I do baptizing a new family. It´s something that I haven´t understood until this time in the mission.

We did exchanges with Elders Miramontes, Richardson, Calderón, and Holmes this week. A couple of Elders who were waiting for their visas (Miramontes and others in the mission) got the call on Tuesday night that they had finally recieved their visa and they left Wednesday night. After four months, they are finally in their officially assigned mission.

Well, I regret to inform you that nothing else too interesting happened this week. It´s still fun to see how Zeagler reacts to everything that to me is old. We´ll keep learning.

Love you all. I´ll try to make this week a litte more informative and interesting.

Loves,

Elder Hillbilly

(Ma)Oh that is funny!! ¡Te amó mi hijo! Mamá

MORE TRAINING BLOOPERS!

MORE TRAINING BLOOPERS

E. Zeagler and I continue to learn together. It`s been pretty fun lately because he`s like an energizer bunny who just doesn`t stop until he`s in bed, asleep. Every second he`s just like, "We have to find more people! We have to place more copies of The Book of Mormon! We need to talk to EVERYONE!" I just smile and say, "OK. Let`s go!" It`s been a while since I`ve had a companion who actually WANTED to do everything he could to find new people and be obedient. It would be pretty fabulous to finish the mission training. It`s just so much easier to do what`s right because they don`t have old missionary habits. Doing what Preach My Gospel says is the only thing they know so they can`t go against it. It`s also been pretty funny because I`m reliving the Spanish bloopers again. He`s said some pretty funny things this week. All of which I don`t  remember, nor would it make sense in English. 

Raul was supposed to be baptized this weekend but he wanted to wait one more week and he got pretty sick. As of right now, it`s planned for next Saturday. We`ll just have to see what happens. He`s a good guy, he just lacks a little. 

We started teaching Vicente, an older guy in his 60`s who the Elders started teaching a few months back. He`s been coming to church each week and everything, but he hasn`t been baptized yet because he still has some addictions that he has to get rid of. He, too, was supposed to be baptized this coming week, but he drank coffee again and won`t be able to. It`s good that he drank because we realized that he still isn`t converted and doesn`t really understand what SINNING and REPENTANCE are. It`s kind of despairing because each week in the Sunday school class he asks the same questions and is just looking for someone to justify his sins in his situation. It`s been a tough time teaching him, but that`s how we all grow. I hope that we can assist him in understanding what the Gospel really means. 

Hugo is a young man who went to church last week. He`s been a little depressed and not really knowing if God exists or not. When he was 8 mos old his Mom was hit by a car and killed, and she had just enough time to roll him off to the side of the road. His dad remarried and when Hugo was 10 years old, his step mom was killed in a bus accident. He feels guilty because both times they were with him. He began reading the BOM, but we haven`t seen him since last Wednesday. He didn`t go to church and we don`t know if we can go to his house because he said that his dad was a little crazy sometimes. I know that there IS a plan and that it can`t be frustrated. 

It`s been so crazy thinking that I only have 5 months left. I want to keep working so hard because time just doesn`t last. There is so much to do and so little time to do it. I know that I will never be able to serve 2 years like this again. Maybe later with the wifey and all, but it`s just not the same. Now is the time. Help the missionaries at home. I know that they`re already spoiled and all, but help them make their missions successful, please. :) 

Love you all. The house looks good and hopefully you can finish everything sooner than later. Tell everyone hello for me. 

Loves, Elder Hill 

pic- I was going to record a role play that we were doing but I accidentally hit the camera button. Zeagler says that it shows how our companionship is-- I`m goofing off and lost and he`s studying hard. 

Elder Ziggy & I´m officially gifted in the gift of the interpretation of tongues because I can understand Spanish, English, and North Carolinan!

Elder Matt Hill & Elder Brandon Zeagler

Well, I didn´t put the nickname, but a couple of people have called Elder Zeagler "Elder Ziggy" and it´s funny because he says that´s what they called him in NC. Speaking of that, I´m officially gifted in the gift of the interpretation of tongues because I can understand Spanish, English, and North Carolinan! There are sometimes that I just tell him to tell me in spanish because I just don´t understand what he´s saying. I tell him that it´s because he needs to speak spanish more to learn, but I just don´t get what he says sometimes. It´s pretty funny. He´s a good kid and everyone tells him that he has a "baby face!" Haha! We took a taxi today and the taxista told him in English that he has a baby face. After two years of stressing out and not sleeping, he´ll lose some hair and wrinkle his face a little. No worries. 

Paola was confirmed yesterday, so that was fabulous. She´s been getting to know the JAS (YSA) lately so she´s feeling more comfortable. Her brother, Raul, will be baptized this Saturday. He´s the one in the green suit from her baptism and her mom´s name is Maria de los Angeles. I saw on the blog that you didn´t have it. 

Saturday night we felt like we had to go down a certain street and we didn´t pass anyone the entire street until the end. A lady with some grocery bags walked by us and we just said hello. After she had passed, Zeagler said that he felt sick and thought that she was the one. So, we turned around and sped walk to catch up to her. We finally got there, presented ourselves and started talking. Long story short, we found out that she has been praying to know what to do with her family because she has problems with her husband. She started two years ago looking for God in her life and lately she´s felt an unquenchable thirst to get to know WHO God is. She´s not from our area, but she´s definitely one of those from D&C 123:12. I read that scripture to her on the street and she opened her eyes wide and at the end of everything said thanks for contacting her. 

Sunday night we were standing outside of our entrance to the street of our house (it´s a privada... whatever that is in English) and while I was reporting to the ZL´s, E. Zeagler was contacting people and even though they didn´t want anything, he just kept talking in his new spanish and testified. It´s fun to be with a new missionary. :) I´m learning how to trust more in God than in my own experience and knowledge. I was unconsciously praying for the opportunity to train a white man and I actually had a dream about it before transfers, so I wasn´t too surprised. 

This week we moved houses. We don´t live near as many drunk people and other problems, and we have a kitchen. I haven´t had a kitchen since La Quebrada, but hey, I take hot showers so I don´t have anything to complain about.

Well, keep working hard on the house. Sorry it´s been such a problem, but it will be worth it in the end. Just always keep God first and everything else will fall into place. Love you all! Keep the missionary work alive! Preach to everyone you know! When I get home I don´t want to go to the movie or even hear a cell phone until I´ve talked to everyone I need to talk to about the church! It´s going to be a while! I thought this week that I only have 4 transfers left, and like 5 months. It´s crazy, and I want to make the best of it. This is what Sis. Call wrote in her letter today..... 

 “What you lack in talent can be made up with desire, hustle, and giving 110 percent all the time.”

Jesus could do missionary work in many different ways, but he allows us in this short time, to know Him, to develop talents and abilities, gain attributes and make changes.  It is a time to become more like Him, and realize for yourself that you can do and be more than you once could have imagined.
How do you feel when you see the converts you have come to love dressed in white before their baptism? They are the reason you are here.  They are the ones that help you be a better man or woman, to magnify your priesthood, to love unselfishly, and understand a little better the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Where do we get the energy to do all this?  Sometimes you feel so tired; sleeping hours seems like minutes, the hills, heat, rain, cold, shoes with pebbles in them, etc.  The answer is simple: Jesus Christ long ago did this for us.  He took our burdens and put them on His shoulders, He suffered for each of us.  Now we must do the same for others, and be the kind of missionary who is striving to become like Jesus Christ.  Abrazos……..Hermana Call

Love, 

Elder Hill 

Bienvenido! Trainer and new companion! A greenie TARHEEL!!!

6 August 2013

Dear Griggs Family,

This letter is to inform you that your son, Elder Matthew M. Hill, has been called to fill the assignment of Trainer in the Mexico Mexico City North Mission. He will have the responsibility to train, lift, inspire and elevate his new companion, Elder

Brandon Zaegler , to a level acceptable to the Lord.

“And if any man among you be strong…let him take with him him that is weak, that he may be edified in all meekness, that he may become strong also.” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:106 emphasis added)

I cannot over emphasize the impact a Trainer has on his companion. We congratulate you on having such a fine son and thank you for having helped prepare such an excellent missionary. Please continue to pray fervently for him so that he will continue to seek, find and follow the guiding influence of the Lord.

Sincerely,

President J. Dana Call Mexico Mexico City North Mission

MISIÓN MÉXICO CIUDAD DE MÉXICO NORTE Calle Mira Lirio # 69 Col. CumbriaCuautitlán Izcalli, Edo. de México 54740

Hermana Call y Presidente Call with new missionaries

Elder Zaegler and new greenies arriving in MCN
Welcome to Mexico Elder Zeagler! We are so happy you are arrived!

Here we have Elder Zeagler with his trainer Elder Hill.  Good luck to
the two of you.

Abrazos.......Hermana Call

UMMM this next photo looks too familiar!

this is the goodbye photo..but the one I wanted was from the blog..think it is this blog's profile pix

papa y mama; adiós, mi hijo de oro.....

Pray for Companion, Transfers, Word of Wisdom & Be Grateful to Your Police Officers!

ELDERS' PALACIOS y HILL COM MARCO, (EX AGENTE DE POLICIA)

So, as I thought, Elder Palacios was transferred to Chilpa, in Tepalcapa. He was tired of being with me, but some day he´ll thank me. He´s a good kid and I hope that he finishes his mission until the end. Please pray for him so that he doesn´t have negative thoughts of wanting to go home. I still don´t know who my companion is because he gets here tomorrow. I´m going to be training again and I´m not sure if he´ll be spanish speaking or pure gringo but I´ll let you know this week.

ELDERS' HILL, PALACIOS, ? Y PAOLA Y LA MADRE?

EDGARS FAMILIA Y ELDERS' HILL Y PALACIOS @ BAUTISMO

We had Paola´s and Edgar´s baptisms this week. Edgar was baptized on Saturday by his girlfriend´s dad and was confirmed on Sunday by the same. They are both good families, it´s just that one could be so much better with the gospel. Edgar´s parents are softening their hearts little by little and I know that some day soon we will be able to teach them. It´s a family that looks like they are members.... but they aren´t yet. Paola was really excited for her baptism and told us that she felt like she was floating all day after her baptism. That´s how we should all feel all the time when we have the Spirit. It´s something that I yearn for in life is always being worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Paola will be confirmed next week, and her brother, Raul, will be baptized and confirmed the 17th-18th. Their mom was really interested in the church after seeing the baptism and the only person that we have left to convince to let us teach is the dad. Little by little. Please pray for these families so that they will accept the Gospel so that these baptisms aren´t just two or three, but entire families that can one day be sealed in the House of the Lord for all time and eternity. 

 We ate on Sunday with Marco and Maria. Marco was the first baptism that we had in this area when I got here. He used to be a police officer and he pulled out his bullet proof vests and his club thing. Well, taking advantage of the opportunity, we took pictures. It was fun because he got excited about it, too, now that he´s retired. Be grateful for you police officers because it´s totally different here. 

A member told us something the other day that I really hadn´t thought about too much. It relates to the word of wisdom. She said that everything that God has created is what gives us strength and energy. Every thing that man has created just artificially fills us up and seems to give us energy. For example, an apple will forever be more healthy and energetic than a twinky. On the spiritual side, everything that God has created and asked us to do is what gives us true happiness and real health, while what man thinks is best just fills the space and imitates, but has no lasting value. I love learning and I love the fact that I realize more and more each day the importance that God plays in our lives, and the importance of doing what He asks. 

Love you all. Be good and be safe! 

Elder Hill  

baptism of edgar

baptism of Paola 

bulletproof vest from a member. 

WHAT EXACTLY AM I GONNA DO WHEN I GET OFF MY MISSION???

 --I¨m thinking about Gold Cross but I´m not sure if they are going to be accepting EMT Advanced or if it will just be basic and paramedic. 

--Can you see if their will be openings in the UT air national guard for medic or security forces when I get home? 

-- How much does it cost and how long does the police academy last? 

-- West Valley fire academy? Dates and Information for the next year?

-- Lakeview ER almost done? I talked to the director last year and she offered me a job, but I was leaving on the mission. She told me to find her when I got home. 

I think that´s good for now. I get home Jan 22 and I start school in fall semester. 

Not urgent. Love you. 

Elder Hill 

If Man Were Constant, He´d Be Perfect & The Blessings DO COME, but Only AFTER We Are Obedient, Faithful, and Diligent.

Elders Hill and Palacios SOAKING wet!

Aloha! 

Paola and her guinea pig

It´s been such a long week that has gone by so fast! I know that sounds like an irony, but it´s true. I can´t differentiate or remember anymore what happened last week and what happened last month! It was a good week as far as the work goes. We´ve been finding new people and putting baptismal dates. It looks like within the next month, we should have around 7 baptisms. It´s pretty exciting because we just keep increasing our numbers because we are working hard. Alejandro drank again this week so we´re not really sure what to do with him. Raul and Paola cancelled pretty much every appt we had last week and we haven’t really seen them. We have an appt today so we´ll go see how they are. Paola should be getting baptized this week as well as Edgar. Edgar´s family is a little frustrated with him because they think that   he´s just doing it for the girlfriend but he really does like church and says that he wants to be baptized. We still have to verify but it looks like we´ll have two baptisms this week! I had my second temple recommend interview as an endowed member and it´s a good feeling to be able to qualify to enter the house of the Lord. I´m grateful for the mission and the understanding that I´ve been able to gain so far. I can see how it will be a blessing for the rest of my life. 

We started teaching Lupe (Guadalupe). She´s Vicente's daughter and she has the problem of just being shut in her room all day and all night on the computer and the chat rooms. Vicente is an old investigator that has also decided to be baptized and his daughter, who used to ignore everyone and even more the missionaries, has accepted to change her life and help her family. It´s been tough because she´s really quiet and awkward, and I like to talk a lot, and I don´t know what to say. I started telling spanish jokes in one appt and since then, it´s been a little better. She´s opening up more and we are starting to see a little more light in her life. It´s something that she really needs. 

We had zone conference Thursday. We didn´t learn anything new, other than the fact that the missionary dress standards have been modified. We can now wear sweaters without a suit coat so that´s pretty sweet. It will be good when it starts getting cold outside. Everything we else was just helping us get the desire to do the things that we already know. It´s sad that as humans we just forget or tend to slack off and stop doing what we know. Someone once said, "If man were constant, he´d be perfect."

Well, congrats on the new house deal! It looks like a big chore but it will be good. The blessings DO COME, but only AFTER we are obedient, faithful, and diligent. We have to believe in something we don´t see, but that we know will eventually happen or reveal itself. 

Love you all! Be good and be safe! 

Elder Hill  

 Go betweens on Monday~Ma & Mateo

I already have a mormon.org account. I´ll have to fill it out next week because we were in the office too much time today and I don´t have time before our appt. Renting or qualified to buy? 

I thought so, but you are not on it. When are transfers? Buying :)!

I´ll check it next week. Transfers next week. I´m sure Palacios will leave

Hey, I have to go but I´m glad that you were able to get the house and all that. Just work hard and be diligent in what you know is right and more blessings are in store. 

Sorry for being such a spoiled rotten brat and for being disrespectful. Good thing I came on the mission, if not, my poor wife would have had to put up with me and my immaturity. 

Love you. Tell everyone hello for me. 

Elder Hill 

PIX: paola and her guinney pig

In the car and one time we were soaking wet

little shower cake thing (learned in utah)
with Raul & Carina
David & familia
Jacqueline and kids, Alison & Minely

Everyone Suffers Sometimes & Open My Eyes More on the Sabbath...Keep it Holy!

Elder Palacios w/ boy of investigators familia

Elder Palacios y Elder Hill with ???

Things seem to be getting more and more difficult as the time goes by. People say that everything gets easier after the first year, but not right now! I love my companion and everything, but it´s getting tough. Up until June 3 I thought that I was going to make my whole mission without having a "difficult and/or disobedient" companion. I know that there is something to learn from it, but it´s sometimes hard to see the sun through the rain cloud.

It was also a hard week for some of the members and the investigators. There are a lot of severly sick members in the ward right now and I feel like it´s because they need to be humbled to remember that God gives them everything and that he can take it away just as easily. Alejandro hasn´t been drinking so that´s good. He´s still progressing towards baptism. On Tuesday morning one of his neighbors was found dead. She had committed suicide shortly before her husband and 3 kids had gotten home from playing soccer. Alejandro saw her and it is marked in his head that he needs to take advantage of the life that God has given him and to not drink or destroy his body. The next day he had two friends shot and killed not too far from here because they were involved in drug trafficking. It´s a really sad situation, but Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways to bring to pass His plan.

There is a family here in the ward who has helped my open my eyes more on the subject of keeping the sabbath day holy. The dad has a calling, their sealed in the temple, he works for the church, but they recently signed up their son for a football league that plays on sundays. They sometimes go to church in the morning and then go to the game but they usually just go to the game. The son broke his collar bone during training and can´t play anymore but they go to the games still. They say that it´s a family time and that they are united but what they don´t realize is that if the brother doesn´t show up to church, he´ll lose his job. By losing his job, the marriage will have problems. If the marriage has problems, the kids will have problems. Pretty soon the prophecies will be fulfilled about those who dont´t keep the sabbath day holy. In true to the faith, conference talks, preach my gospel, and other manuals, the prophets have said that we don´t buy, sell, work, or participate in recreational activities on Sunday. IF we do, we will suffer the consequences. The saddest part is that we tried to help them see the problem but they don´t accept it. They justify their sins. I´m grateful for the mission because there are so many things like this that I am seeing and will change in my life when I get home.

I hope that you´re all doing well with the move. Let me know where you end up and all that fun jazz. Just look for the good in the trial. If we´re always focused on the negative, that´s how our life will be. Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Love you all.

Love,

Elder Hill

Hung Over In Church (Investigator) Addictions-- Stay Away From Them!

District Leaders

Yesterday we went to pick up Alejandro to go to church with us. We got to his house at like 8:30 and his mom told us that he had just gotten home from partying. We decided to wake him up and take him to church. He woke up, showered fast, and was throwing up before he got dressed. We got to church just in time for Carina´s confirmation which was a nice experience. After the first hour, Alejandro was a little bit on nerves and feeling sick. He told us at the end that he was feeling better and that it was a blessing because he would normally be throwing up in the street all that time that we were in church. Addictions-- stay away from them. 

Carina and Raul are doing well. They are already planning their sealing for next year. Well, not planning it but they do talk about it quite a lot. Raul and Paola (brother/sister) didn´t go to church but they are doing well. Paola told us that she feels that she was already prepared for us and when we began to teach her, she felt a familiar ring to what we were teaching. She´s what we call an "elect". D&C 29:7 I believe is a reference for that. 

Nothing else really happened this week. Time is going by so fast that I can´t remember. We found out that there is a sister in this ward who has always been really gossipy and she started spreading rumors about me! She doesn´t have much to rumor about but I guess that´s why they are rumors, because they´re not true. She´s on the waiting list for a good little "regañada" (mom’s translation=scolding) from the scriptures. DON´T GOSSIP! Oh, and yesterday President Call called us and asked us to go to the offices this morning. My companion said that when he called last night, his heart skipped a beat. It was just for a little interview and nothing interesting happened. 

Well, I really can´t remember what else happened this week. I´ll keep better track and inform you next week. Have a fabulous week, fam, and we´ll talk on Monday. 

Love, 

Elder Hill 

Baptisms and Bowling!

Carina & Raul's familia

Yesterday we had Carina´s baptism so that was pretty neat. We have been waiting quite a while to be able to do it and they chose yesterday so that they could bless their baby and have the baptism on the same day. It was cool because Raul blessed his baby, his brother blessed his daughter Alison, and then Raul baptized Carina after church. It was a great thing to see all of their family come from DF and from other parts to support them in the baptism. Carina´s parents aren´t receptive to the church or anything, so I´m not sure they know that she was baptized. We felt a strong presence of the spirit there after the baptism and Raul shared his testimony. They will definitely be in the temple next year to be sealed. 

Elder Palacios, Carina, Raul y Elder Hill

 Today we went bowling as a district. It was fun because we haven´t been able to do anything for a while for certain situations that come up each week. We bowled 3 games and I had to put the example for the district and win two of the three. On the second game I taught the Hermana Chalacan (from Ecuador) how to bowl and she mastered it on the last game and won us all. That´s what I get for sharing my talents! :) 

Elder Hill's District: Elders' Hill, Richardson, Calle, Palacios,
Hermanas Chalacon y Marin

This week we found Paola and Raul and they are pretty good investigators. I know that there are a lot of people here waiting to know the Gospel and we have to find them. They are bro/sis and they will probably want to get baptized together and I think it will be in august so that Raul can stop smoking. We talked to Alejandro yesterday and he was still hung over from the parties Friday and Saturday. He said that he does want to change his life, and I know that it is hard, but he just keeps falling. We´ll talk to him today and see how he is doing.

Other than that, we didn´t have a whole lot of noteworthy events this week. I went to a training meeting on Wednesday and we ate Domino´s pizza, Thursday was the zone meeting, and on the 4th I was on exchanges with Elder Richardson. I think that by the end of a hard day´s work we had both forgotten that it was the 4th because we didn´t do anything special. I reported to Elder Shumway that night and they told me that they bought pizza to have a little party and then I realized that it was the 4th. Oh well, I guess for next year I´ll just party it up triple time to make up for the two years of being a Mexican. 

Be of good courage. I know that the move isn´t something easy, but it will all work out in the end. If it´s not okay, it´s not the end. There IS a plan, but the battle sometimes is aligning our will with the Lord´s. Do what is right and God will bless you. This I know. 

pics 

Elders' Palacios, Hill y zone

--zone conference a while back 

-handsome Elder bowling 

 the district Elders Richardson, Calle, Palacios, Hill, Hermanas Chalacan and Marin

Love you, too. I know that it isn´t easy but just accept the change. Accept that it is a time to learn something new. This life isn´t forever and we need to learn all that we can if we are to be Gods and not angels. You´ll look back on this life and say, I´m so glad I went through all that. Just have an eternal perspective. It´s not the end of the world. Change is the only constant. 

Gotta go but I´ll keep praying and hoping that you can find a place to go and that it will be a better circumstance. 

Love you all, tons. 

Sincerely, 

Elder Hill 

Fotos-las hermanas 

scores from the first game. I scored better the second game. :)

I had to laugh seeing this, as Elder Hill's name is not on here,
however "ROJO" is, meaning RED!

Happy 4th of July & We Pass Through A Trial To Help Other's Later On!

Happy 4th of July! I feel like June was just beginning and I thought that it would go by slow.... nope! Time goes by faster and faster every day! This week was a bit challenging. We had a lot of investigators that we had to drop because they weren´t progressing even though they know that it is true. Sad deal... hopefully one day they will put their fears to one side and trust in God. 

For 5th Sunday we combined the priesthood and RS and talked about missionary work. It was a pretty cool experience because it was my companion, our ward missionary leader, and me who were in charge of the class. We didn´t have a whole lot of time this week to organize it but we went in and presented a powerful lesson on missionary work and the Spirit told us in the moment what we had to say. It happened again at night when we did a ward FHE. We talked about missionary work and how doing our visits (VT and HT) that we can save lives spiritually speaking. Our ward mission leader (Hno. Serrano) is a doctor so we talked about something simple (the Heimlich maneuver) and how we recognize what it´s for and then we presented a lesson on how to recognize the spiritual wounds and what medications we use to heal them and the help our brothers and sisters realize how important the church is. We have a lot of less active or inactive people here.... it´s sad. Out of 1,300,00 member in total in Mexico, only 300,000 of them are active. TO THE RESCUE! 

There was a member who spoke on Sunday who was just awesome. This guy has had some of the worst experiences happen to him, but he has also seen the most spiritual things as well. Once upon a time he was thinking, "Why me?" and his mom told him, "How can you ever give words of comfort and consolation if you have never suffered before?" It struck me- sometimes I don´t realize that I have to pass through a trial in order to help someone else later on who is also having that problem. It sometimes seems like the story of my life.... but it´s gratifying knowing that I can ease someone´s burden because I already suffered. I feel, on a very small scale, somewhat how Christ feels-- He suffered for us so that we suffer not if we only go to Him (D&C 19:16-19). Just as a friend seeks us out to receive help, such should we do with our Savior. 

We all pass through hard times-- some harder than others-- but so that the hard, jagged, and ugly rock that we are as natural men can slowly and patiently be smoothed and improved to be the diamond that God knows we are. Our potential as His children is great, but sometimes we don´t see what we are within. We think that we are the same old jagged rock when we´re meant to be a prized jewel. D&C 58:2-4 and Mosiah 24:13-15 tell us that we all have challenges. 

I know that life isn´t easy, but it never was designed to be that way. I feel that life is easy, you´re doing something wrong. (Not sure what he meant here~When live seems easy, you’re doing something wrong??)

Carina will be baptized next Sunday so I´ll be sure to send the pictures next week! 

ELDER HILL IN FRONT OF MEXICO CITY TEMPLE FOUNTAIN

Love you all! 

Elder Hill

Just remember-- you´re having a hard time and so am I, with my companion. It’s not the same, but learning is learning.

Hey, I have to go now but I hope that you can have a good week and look for the silver lining. I love you and thank you for all that you have done for me. Be good and all will be well. It´s a promise from the prophets. 

Love you. Tell the family hello for me and I hope that all works out well. 

Loves. hugs and kisses. 

Matthew

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.)