Changes!!!

Christopher's Letter


Buenas!

This week I have made a lot of changes in my life.  It is a week of repentence.
I have learned a lot about the sacrament and the remission of sins this week.
They´re the most important things in one´s life, to be reclaimed from the
engulfing waves when we decided to go sailing in stormy weather.  I know that
God lives without a doubt and I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah,
the redeemer of our sins. I know that because I have tested His words.  There
is no other place to be redeemed from any wrongdoing.  I have learned that
anyone can be saved by saying I´m sorry, but through the power of the priesthood
one can be reborn, can truly come clean through washing one´s garments of
the blood of Christ.  I know that only in this church exists the priesthood, which
I know is the power of God, and thus this is His church.  And as much as all of
the pieces of the puzzle fit together perfectly, in the world logically it doesn´t
make sense with so much knowledge and opinion.  But it works, if we trust,
like a child trusts that we will give to them
of what they need and when the parent gets angry, a child just wants things to
be better - just wants to have peace.  I know that I just wanted peace.  I know
that God lives and Jesus is the Christ, because I read their words and tested them.
And it works.  All I can say is that it works...  It´s all real.


So, this week I changed houses, areas, companions and old habits.  I went from
Monterrey to La Flor del Campo.  Monterrey had 4 areas that were all very different:
One was based on a hill that was more or less dangerous, the other was flat and
filled with gangs with whom I made friends, the other in which we lived was filled
with people who had lots of money and beautiful homes, and the other was of dirt,
rock filled roads, littered with garbage, dirty children and women who don´t wear
much for clothing because it´s hotter than Arizona in the middle of the summer -
also the most poor of them all.  La Flor is like the latter of the four.

So, this area is HUGE.  Gigangtic.  There are, I would say, 2 or 3 thousand persons
in this area, but it´s like the size of 1/4 of Roy.  It´s really small, but filled with people
like a five pound bag of rice every person being a grain of rice. And there is a an area
where if white people enter, they don´t leave.  So... we don´t go there. Haha.  Also,
I have gotten rid of my rash and my sunburn. Soy sano.  I´m healed.  Thank you so
much for your prayers and those who fasted in behalf of us.

This week I have though a lot about being a father and my children, how I might teach
them, because we are teaching lots of teenagers in this area.  I´ve thought a lot about
what our home will be like.  And I´m almost more excited to leave the mission to be
part of the church as a member.  I honestly never want to leave the mission.  It saddens
me to think that I almost have 7 months.  In no time, I´ll have a year and I don´t want 
to "lose" this sacred time.  But I want to work so much in the church, with young men
and women, with the missionaries, help with the primary and sociedad de socorro.  To 
make friends with everyone and bring them to church.  To teach others what I´ve learned
about the sacrament.  To be a husband, and go to the temple with my sweetheart.  To
try to live by the standards of missionaries with her.  There´s nothing more than one needs
but understand that everything is found in the church of God.  Everything.  Nothing goes
unnoticed of uncounted.  If you have a question, there is an answer.  And I´m so very
happy to be part of this churhc.  I wish that I had been all along, but I understand repentence
and even the worst of my errors or those of others, I know are forgiven.  As the scripture
says, though your sins may be red as crimson scarlet, they´ll be white as snow. 

I remember once Isabel and I found a cup in Savers or Ross that said,"there´s nothing that
chocolate and prayer can´t fix." I think that those are the two things I´ll always keep
in my life.  Haha.  This week I ate, like, 3 to 4 pounds of cacao.  No joke.  To help with
the protection of the killing sun here.

I just want you to know that I´m very happy.  I love you and miss you, but I don´t want
to see you for 1 year and 5 months.  To be in the bosom of my God, there´s no other
place I would rather be.

Once, Dad, you told me that you loved God more than Mom and Me, and I was so
upset that you said that then.  Now I understand.  I´m finally getting to know our
father.  He lives, and I am so humbled to be his son and to feel of his love for me.
I don´t know much, but I know that he lives and has established this church for
everyone one of us.  And how great is it to be apart.

I love you, Dad. I love you, Mom.  Here´s a big hug and kiss. I love you all. 

Sincerely, Elder Hill

We have not heard from Izzy today...hopefully soon!!!