20 Months!!!

So, I was living in the hottest area of Honduras for 4 days and
Wow... I feel burnt to a crisp.  For half a week I was living
in Comayagua as a Zone Leader, more or less.  And I was
always sweating, like hotter than the Vegas sun.  My feet
radiated with heat and my toes seemed to suffocate in the
covering of my shoes. The nice thing about all the bodily
persperation was that... I didn´t stink.  Haha.  I have found
a trick for not stinking in the arm pits.  Haha!  But.. it´s
a secret.  Shh!

Also, while I was in Comayagua, robbers ripped the door
lock off of the metal door and broke into our house, robbed
my camera, money and an iron.  So, the sad thing is that
I lost photos for from about 8 to 10 months.  I am not sure
what I will do about that, but I don´t want you to worry.
I´m not worried. 

One of the most beautiful parts of the mission is Agency
and receiving answers to your prayers from God.  I love
the promise of Moroni 10:3-5:
"And when ye shall receive these things, I exhort you
that ye ask God, The Eternal Father, in the name of
Christ, if these things are not true, and if ye ask with
a pure heart and true intention, having faith in Christ,
he will manifest them unto you by the power of the
Holy Ghost.  And by the power of the Holy Ghost, ye
shall know the truth of all things."

We are never obligated to do something, rather, we are
expected to act for ourselves.  One of the skills I am
learning about Leadership is Agency, the will to act,
take choices with faith and with the Holy Ghost, even
if you make mistakes.  By mistakes we learn.  Think,
pray, plan and act.  We can´t have fear of taking decisions,
but rather we must prayer and ask for a confirmation
of the Holy Ghost if it is right.

D. Todd Christofferson said,"The Holy Ghost is who
gives you power to speak in hostile enviornments... and by
him it is promised that ye shall not be confounded before
men."  I feel that I want to be less afraid of taking decisions,
of being a perfectionist. God will guide us, if we let him,
and if we are obedient to him.  In Family Home Evenings.
In maintaining our health.  In reading and praying with
true intention.  In paying tithings and offerings.  In taking
the Sacrament worthily.
Anyway... that was my spiritual thought I had.  

I am having lots of wonderful experiences and learning about
being a leader.  I have learned that what gives you power is:
1) keeping your promises and doing what you say.  2) Your
example.  3) Knowing what to do by the Spirit and by the 
light of Christ.
I´m sure you´d like to hear more about my life, not my spiritual
insights.  Just know that I love you all.  Thank you for all that
you do.  See you soon.

Elder Hill.

8 Days till She Dies! and Time is moving Fast!!

Isabella's Last Letter

i will be home in 8 days! i was so nervous when i got the news that i threw up in my mouth a little and the rest of the days after Ive had a loose stomach but now I'm getting excited, here in the mission field we call the end of our mission dying some make jokes like, how many days do you have left? 8! wow no wonder you smell or no wonder the flies are buzzing and the elders here seem to know me enough NOT to make those comments because i might just start tearing up. i have loved my mission, there have been very difficult times but wonderful times and through both of those experiences the sweet and the bitter i have learned how much the Lord has love and patience with me. when i teach someone with love or when they need a loving rebuke, when they fall down and then get up again, when they finally understand the commandment and repent and humbly obey, and all the times i have lived those same things in my life i just am brought to a deeper understanding of why a mission is the best opportunity to know the Savior and obtain a tiny glimpse of how He rejoices and struggles with me too. i am so grateful for my mission. and i am grateful for the opportunity i had to make a small difference amongst the children of God and my brothers here in Bolivia. because if them i love this land, their particular way of living and i hold dear to my heart all the experiences the Lord has granted me here. when i get home there will be a lot of adjusting and there are probably things i will wish i would have done better but i know that the mission has trained me for the rest of my mortal life and also the here after. i pray the Lord to keep me faithful to my covenants and make of me a better disciple of Christ and someone worthy of the celestial kingdom. i am so grateful that i was allowed to stay 30 or so days more. i have planted seeds of the gospel during these days and have also baptized. i am not going to lie i wanted to spend one more general conference here in the mission field there is nothing better than taking investigators and having them look spiritually nourished and satisfied by the talks of the 12 apostles and the living prophet, but am now getting excited to see them myself in person i know i will receive instruction regarding my life. i love you and i will be home soon!

I love love this girl and cannot wait for her arrival!  She arrives at the SLC airport on March 27th at 11:40 pm.  Please join us in welcoming her home!!!  I got to talk to her this past Friday (twice)!  It was wonderful and I cannot wait to here her stories, adventures, and share with her how proud we are of all she has done in serving the Lord and Returning With Honor!

Christopher's Letter
4 Months to Go!!!

Hi mom and dad,

I am feeling very strange today. Things are all happening so fast.
There lies only a week and a half left in this change, which could
mean having another companion and supposedly 30% of the mission
is changing. But the last time, I believe 90% of the mission was
reorganized. Also, Isable is going home next week. March is almost
over and I will only have four months to work. How do you all feel
about it? Haha. I imagine that you feel quite happy. After so much time,
it will be nice to see each other. Hey! I also didn´t know that you were going to change the carpet. That is wonderful.

I want to tell you about a family that is going to get baptized the
next week. They are the Shrum Turcios Family. The father
is Bill Shrum, who is 70 years old, from Maryland and he never
liked going to church
...any church, that is, because he had some bad experiences
when he was younger. For many years he rejected any kind
of missionary, but now he received us. A month and a half ago
he began attending church with his wife, Francisca, who is
Honduran, and with his granddaughter, Suani, who is 13 years old.
They all love the church and love understanding the doctrine.
Francisca is catholic and it is hard for her to leave her religion.
They both have felt the spirit and tell us sincerely that they love us.
It is very special to teach in English and Spanish at the same
time. Bill has diabetes and poor vision, but strives to read the Book
of Mormon (in small print) even for five minutes a day. And his
wife is beginning to read, too, even though it is something hard
to understand. Their faith is beautiful. And I love them very
much. One interesting detail is that their house is a block from
where the temple is (I think I told you, but our area is the surroundings of the temple. : ) ). So, they will be able to walk to the temple a year after their baptism and also the chapel
is on the same grounds as the temple. How special it is to be
able to teach around the temple. I love it very much.
I miss very much your hugs. There is nothing like being held
and holding someone, were you feel so comfortable that you
could maybe fall asleep.

I love you, mom and dad. Thank you for everything.
I haven't given the money to him yet, but I will do that.
And I will give the letter to him as well. Also, Elder
Petersen is the general secretary. If you want, I will
take the picture and send it to you on Monday.

...

Te amo. Que disfrutes los abrazos de tus padres y
tus hermanos y tus amigos. A ti sabes que te abrazo de
lejos también. Sé que va a estar muy gozosa. Sigo
trabajando. ¿Cuentas los días todavía? No sé cuantas
son, pero recuerdo cuando eran más que 700... ¿Te acuerdas
de lo nos decíamos en ese entonces? Recuerdas como
se sentía cuando pensábamos en 2 años o 700 y algunas días?
A veces se sentían pesadas... Jaja. Hemos hecho los cambios
y tú hablas como Sur Americano y yo como Centro Americano.
Como los escucho, suenan como pirates. Jaja. Pero, no sé
cómo se suenan ahí... como índios? Espanchua o Que-spañol.

En Kiché, de Guatemala, cómo está se dice:
"¿la uts a wach?"
"uts." (...quiere decir bien.)
Tal vez podemos viajar un día a los pueblos del
mundo y prestar servicio médico y aprender
las idiomas que nadie sepa... y aprender a decir
te amo en lenguas indigenas.

Bueno, pues.
Te amo y ciao.

Responsibilities: To Love, To Serve, To Teach, To Listen!!!

Isabella's Letter
hi i did get my packages i just wrote too much to my president it has been a really good week we taught a lot of lessons and got in contact with the father of some kids we were teaching and we couldnt get a hold of him bc he is a truck driver. it went really well. and the family got confirmed. im sorry that i didnt write last time my parents had many questions for me. also i love the shoes so much so much that i dont want to use them. and my companion wants to buy the cardigan from me but i cant its too nice its going to be part of my interview wardrobe i have so much to say i met a deaf dad and his son is a member and ahh there is no time but janice i am so taking a sign language course the deaf need the gospel too. i love you write more next time. chris i love you. i hope that god keeps you safe

Christopher's Letter
Hi mom and dad,

Being with President Flores in the last few weeks has been an incredible
learning experience. I get to see him interact with his children and wife.
I don´t know if I wrote about this the last week. I feel like I am having
dejavú. His wife got sick a few weeks ago with gall bladder stones and
had to have surgery. We were asked to pick his kids up from their house
in the truck and take them to the hospital. And I saw how he is in his home.
It is hard to express all the things I learn, but it is truly beautiful. I am
learning to be strong, to be myself always and to always always always
ask God before doing things, which I didn´t alwasy do before. We always
pray, but this is a level of asking revelation from God always. What does
he want?

President Flores gave me an assignment: that I will do an exchange with
one of the groups of zone leaders for a week long, but I will have to pray
to find out which of them the Lord wants me to be with. He said,"Elder Hill,
Sadly you won´t have the opportunity to be a Zone Leader in the Mission
And so I want you to go and do an interchange with one of the zone lideres
for a week to gain experience and find out how you can help." So, we´re going
to do just that. I found out that I am going to be the assistent to the President
until I finish my mission, which is interesting. I will receive the new Mission President and there is a lot of work in the future.

This week we had a baptism and completed a family. It was really beautiful the
baptism.

I got my package. I wrote you a letter by hand about how much I loved it.
Thank you.

I hope you know and feel that I love you. Thank you for paying for our missions.
I will pay it back to you... but not in money, but you will have to wait until after
the mission. Ha.

I love you.

Chris.
....

I love you, too.

Manuel a recent baptism and a family complete!

A Missionary was sick and they had to spend from 12 to 4 in the morning at the hospital!

The first Mango of the season!  Chris says, "Yay!

Miracles and Distractions

Christopher's Letter

Dear Dad and Mom,

This week lots of things happened. I got to know Catacamas! Which is really dangerous apparently.
One of my old companions told me that when he was there, there were gun fights in the streets all of
the sudden. Northamericans are not permitted to go there... But I did! Haha. It was really, really
pretty there yet very hot, like the love child of the Brazilian Rain Forest and the Sahara desert. And
we saw in the market a local seller of meat... without a refrigerator. They had long cuts of muscle
of cow and pig and... armadillo... maybe (they do eat that here). Haha. And they were hanging out in the sun, as if they
were hanging clothes out to dry.

We got to know all of the largest cities of Olancho that day. This week we are going to go to La Paz,
Intibuca, and Comayagua. We are visiting these places because my companion and I and the
Medics are doing house checks. It is neat becase I will get to see all of the areas that I was in
and get to know the entire mission first hand.

As assistents, we can go wherever we want, wherever we want, whenever we want as long as its
directed by the Spirit. It is really interesting to be in charge of 160 missionaries. It is like being
the replacement parents for President Flores and his Wife.

In other news, we are having lots of success in our area as well. This Sunday, we had 4 families
in church. It is a blessing from God really, because we dont have as much time as other missionaries
in that we dedicate from 9 to 4 to bless and inspire changes in the mission, and from 6 to 9 we
work in our area. We are trying our best to bring about miracles to inspire other missionaries.
Now we are working not only for us, not only for the investigators, but also for the missionaries.
I like learning about being a leader. It has been the best blessing of my mission.


So, how are you? Tired of working yet? How is the Spanish ward? I think I will attend a Spanish
ward, too, when I get home. Have you sewn any more, mom? Or have you played the guitar, dad?
I havent been able to practice playing the piano mucho. I can read music now, but just the top line.
Reading them both is really hard. Ha. How are the dogs? And how are grandma and grandpa?
Tell them that I would like to learn how to do Family History with them. Also, I was thinking that
maybe Uncle Jared or Northrop Grumman or somewhere from someone I know, I could try to work
I dont know what I want to do. There was an Elder that told me about Third World Development
and that somewhat interests me. But I feel like being a doctor is a really good idea, too. I will
have to think more about that when I return.

Also, Danielle said she was going to get married... what happened with that ? And how is Zack and
his wife? And Mandy and her husband? And aunt Debi? And how are Mike and Jeff and their
families? And Jen and Jared? And Ted and Jenny? And Amy and chuck? And... everyone?
Tell them I love them. I want to get to know them when I get home.

So, to tell you a little bit about the miracles we have seen...
I have like, 2 and a half weeks and something really wonderful is that
we are teaching half member families, and the fathers are the nonmembers.
I have discovered that the most powerful tools are prayer and sincere testimony.
And being direct with everyone, honest, to the point. So, there is an investigator
who is named Mario Soto. In our first appointment, he said, look I will be honest with you.
I am Catholic and I want nothing to do with the church. I dont want you to waste your
time, but no. I bore my testimony to him and shared my experience of returning to the
church. I invited him to investigating and studying the church with me and he said, ok.
The funny thing is after two visits and teaching the doctrine simply and directly, he wants
to get baptized and learn about the restoration of the gospel of Christ. It is funny how
the spirit touches people. He looks like a different person and has a light in his eyes.
When we are open, god lets us have beautiful experiences like that. Miracles.

Anyway, I love you all.
Thank you for the money.

With love,
Elder Hill

 

No Letter came today from Isabel!  No pictures either!!  I will post again as soon as we here from her!!!

 

This Mom wonders if her son, Elder Hill has any idea the miracle he is and the miracles the Lord has brought about in his life!!!  I hope I recognize this boy of mine in a short five months when he arrives at the airport!!!  I love and miss Chris and Isabel so very much!