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!

6 Weeks and 1 1/2 Weeks!!! Time is Going Fast!

Isabella's Letter

 this last package no i have not recieved yet but the other one from xmas i think just got lost the one with the brownie mix im a tad sad bc it had a sweater. this saturday just four of the 6 were baptized which i am still very happy for the very sad thing was that they didnt come to their confirmation on sunday because of a carnaval dance festival which just totally made me feel like a crummy teacher and missionary i have to find even more patience tonight we are teaching them and i am so disappointed because i felt i made it so clear that they were promising God they would obey his commandments. then to top it off none of my 8 recent converts made it to church either for the same reason. in potosi they are very very observant to their traditions if they would have been taught the commandments like they have been taught traditions potosi would have been translated. the chapel was so empty. but gotta look on the bright side i get 6 more weeks YEAH! and im going to work hard. chris i got another letter from you :) i think its awesome you are assistant. and you have a cell and a car whoa! take care love you all hna florido

Christopher's Letter

Hi,

This week has been very, very busy. I have barely slept some days.
But it has been one of the most wonderful transfers of my mission.
We magicaly baptized a family this weekend, too. That was the best.
They are named Arnold and Diana. And they are different than your
typical Honduran. They have succesful online adevertising businesses.
Their daughters name is Natalie and they give us lots of food (and Diana
makes the best flan in all of the world!).

The funny thing is that Elder Delahunty, my companion, was assistent
the last change. He began teaching this family, I finished teaching them
And we both baptized them. I dont think we ever thought that we would
do something like that when we were in the MTC. Ha.
My companion is Elder Perez from Quequetenango, Guatemala. He likes driving fast.
One of the perks to being assistent is I will get to know all of the mission.
All of it, even the places where they dont send white people. Haha.
This month. Wow.
What a blessing.
Today, I have been thinking about some things I would like to do (that I maybe
didnt want to do before). One is I want to study in the fall in BYU, but I cant
because the deadline was a few weeks ago. So, I would like to study in the
semester after the fall semester. Would you find out about that for me please?
Secondly, I would like to get my teeth fixed. There is a place in Provo where
they do everything very naturally. I forget what it is called, but I would like to
get braces or something of the sort to straighten my teeth and make them
pretty. I have learned that your appearance is everything here. What I want
to know is if we can use your insurance, mom and dad? 
Thirdly, I want you to know that I love you and the time is going by way too fast.
I hope you know how greatful I am for helping me financially on the mission.
It has been really special. 10,000 dollars (and more) is worth the conversion to
the gospel. Haha. 
Anyway, I love you so much!
Until next week!

Carnaval Fun in Bolivia and Assistant to the President in Honduras!!!

Isabella's Letter

so we went to go teach our recent converts and then we had a full blown water fight, it was the best ever by far times a thousand. it all started by little reichell saying hna you wouldnt get too mad if you got wet right i said no why? and she a burts a little water ballon on my head and then i threw a bucket of water and before you know it we were just drenched totally drenched and then we told hna nevarez to come out and she said no i know were this is going and i said come on i need to go home and change im freezing (it was hailing while we played) and when she came out a bucket of water flew ha ha ha. so this week we were able to find a lot of families and we placed 13 baptismal dates and we had 6 attend church it feels so good. what feels even better i get to stay one more general conference here in bolivia yay! love you all have to go hna florido

 



Christopher's Letter

Dear Mom and Dad,

So last week we had our changes and I got moved. On Sunday night,
they called us and announced to us those who would be leaving... but
not where we would be going. I had already packed expecting to leave,
but as E. Juarez and I got home on Monday night, I received a phone
call from Presidente Flores unexpectedly at 10:00 roughly. We talked
about the visits we had with Elder Martino and the investigadors that
we visited and I felt really nervous talking to him because it was strange
that he had called, but he can do that right. He IS the President.

After talking for 4 or 5 minutes, he says,"Elder Hill, the Asistents called
you right?" "...No, they didnt. Why?"

To which he sighed unpleased like they were supposed to call me, and then
said,"Elder Hill, I have something to tell you. Are you ready? ... You are my
new Asistent Are you excited? Oh, and I need you to be in the office tomorrow at midday for a
meeting with the new missionaries."

So... in other words, I am the new asistent to President Flores, which is
neat. We give trainings to missionaries, make report for the whole mission,
we have a cell phone and we have a Toyota Hylux. And it is a lot different
than walking on dirt paved roads and knocking on doors.

We work from 4 pm to 9 pm in our area, which is called Roble Oeste, which
is the most well off economically speaking. Millionares live there. The area
seventy live there. One of them teaches the priesthood class actually, which
is neat to be taught by one of the seventy on a weekly basis. Haha.

My suit is black and really nice. I will have to send you a picture next week.
This week has been full of changes and we will have to see what the next week
is like. I love you all.

Yesterday we had a lesson with a family that has been putting off baptism which
was so powerful. They talked about how they wanted to be perfect by their own
account, their own actions. I talked about that we cant depend on ourselves to
be perfect or clean. God can only do that. We dont have the power to do that.
The spirit was so strong and even they were crying at the end of the lesson.
The Bishop invited them to get baptized on Thursday, and I know that they will.
I will have to tell you more next week. We are really busy.

With lots of love,
Elder Hill

Feeling the Spirit

CHRISTOPHER'S LETTER

Dear Dad and Mom,

So, to answer your questions first. My suit is going fine, but it is going to cost a little more than I thought. It is... Ahh, I won´t describe it. I´ll just send you a picture. And no, I had no idea that there was an earthquake here. I didn´t even hear about it. And, mom, don´t worry about the violence here. It is always happening. Always, but always when we are far away or in the house. In other countries you go to sleep listening to lullabies; in Honduras, you hear the sweet soothing sounds of gunshots. Haha.

So, the setting apart was really beautiful. I really liked it. That is how I imagine you, Dad. Like a strippling warrior. It makes me feel like for 20 some odd years we were asleep. Satan didn´t want us to have a good relationship at all. Mom and Dad, would you make goals of what you would like to do as a family when I get home? Something I would like to do is Family Home Evening, visit historical sights of the church, do service together, go and work in the temple... learn about my ancestors with you so that I can tell my children. I would like that a lot.

What else... Oh, so, Wednesday Elder Martino and President Flores left to visit with us. We visited 3
families from 6:00-9:00pm. The one thing that I will say that I learned is how well Elder Martino knows Jesus Christ... And has inspired me to get to know Christ better, more personally. When he talked, he didn´t speak about Joseph Smith, about anything but the Savior. If you were there, you would be brought to tears by the spirit that accompanied us. We planned a lesson for our first appointment, and we also had "what if" plans, like, if the investigator didn´t read the assignment we left him, what would we do, etc. etc. And the interesting thing was that one of the "what if" plans, we hadn´t told to Elder Martino, nor to President. But Elder Martino taught most of the first lesson and the interesting thing is that what the spirit indicated to us to teach, he was inspired to teach as well. It was a very special experience.

Elder Martino said in one of the lessons that he had never seen Jesus Christ, but in the meeting we had
with him, he gave his testimony as a Special Witness of Christ... which makes me wonder what is a special witness. It says that an Apostle is a speical witness of the resurrected body of Jesus Christ, but a Seventy is a witness of? I don´t know.

I have to finish, but I love you all. Next week, you´ll find out where I went, what my suit looks like.
Pleeeease send the soap. Please. Please. The Soap here dries my skin and makes me itch. And I might need a little money to pay for the rest of my suit and some other things I need here. I need new socks, sandals, belt, and some other things. Sorry, but thank you.

I love you all.
Bye!

This was the most delicious tres leches I have ever eaten. It was, with all "humility", haha, my invention:
tres leches con chocolate!!!

photo of President Flores, Elder Martino and la familia that is going to get baptized this week

 I don´t know if I sent this photo, but a family we baptized gave me a painting of the countryside
and it has two misionaries tracting in a pueblo.

my companion taught me to eat watermelon (and every type of fruit) with salt, hot pepper and lemon
I always wanted to have a mexican companion

ISABELLA'S LETTER

well i dont have new pic today. one cool thing that happened is that a
while back we did and invasion and we were knocking for the elders in
san clemente and i prayed to have the spirit put words that meant
something to the people where we knocked. and there was this little
shack that i thought it looks like a junck yard but my hand was
already knocking so i waited. this old blind man named primo answered
and i started just saying that God loved us so much that he had
provided a way for our dead to be reunited with us for all eternity.
and he was so excited. he wanted to know more, i felt the spirit so
strong that i made a point to tell the elders i thought he was golden.
he is he is recieving the missionaries and the elder is sitting next
to me ordering a brail book of mormon in spanish so that this man can
gain a testimony and be saved. i love this work! i have been reading
over my diary and re writing part of it that got water damage and it
reminds me of all the lessons i have been taught be my Lord. its
beatiful. im the only soul i really have control to save. this week i
have been sick with a cold and in bed for a very long time but i hope
the president still lets me stay. Chris i dont know what i want to
know from honduras but i love to hear how people from other places
speak so maybe kids talking old people singing i  dont know. also tell
me your dreams if you have any yeah? yay! well love you all!

"The Gringo and the Little Kiss" and An April Extension!

Christopher's Letter Came First Today

Dear mom and dad,

This week is going to be rather interesting... Wednesday, we have a conference with Elder Martino, from the second quorum of the Seventy... and he is going to leave to visit with my companion and I after the meeting. Yesterday, in the nighttime, there was a gunfight outside of our house (we weren´t anywhere near when it happened, but a member notified us and we entered in our house). While we were at home, President Flores called us and talked to us about the danger in our area, but he, nor we, were very worried. Nevertheless, he talked to us about these 3 hours in which Elder Martino was going to leave with us, which makes sense. Three months ago, President Flores filmed a ward council meeting focused on the mission work in Country, in which we were present. So, he sent this video to the area presidency and now he is going to be coming here. I have always wondered what that would be like to visit with a general authority.

Also, I am going to call the "Sastre" or... I forget what it is called in English. My mind has been erased completely. (It means tailor)
The last week, we made "pan de pan" and it was really, really good. I have pictures to send to you of my district and I making this. We also made a plate of quesadillas with mexican salsa and a white jalapeño sauce and it was really yummy. Today we are going to go to McDonalds. Haha.

I´ll tell you a funny story. So, there is a family we are more or less teaching who are Jehova´s witnesses and they also have a little store outside of their house, where they sell fruit, vegetables, candy and popcorn. On Saturday, we walked by their house and the mom was outside.

 

She said,"Oh my boys(Oooh mis muchos), how are you doing? Are you tired? To where have you gotten lost?" 

And so we talked for a few minutes with her and then she grabbed my companion´s shoulder and mine, like a hug or something.

 

And then!... she asks,"¿Quiere un besito?" In other words she said, "Do you want a little kiss?"  "Uhh...." said my companion, while I replied,"Uh, no, hermana."

 

 And she says to us,"Whaaaat? You don´t want a little kiss?" "No, hermana, it´s just..." And then my companion says,"Ooooh, a little kiss. Yeah, okay, hermana, if you want to give us one, that´s okay." And then she goes to give us a besito, and!.... it´s a little bag of marshmellows.

Here in Honduras the little kisses are small packages of candy. Haha. I had nooo idea. And everytime we pass by her house, she tells the story about "the Gringo and the Little Kiss."

 

Also, thank you for the money for the suit. I really appreciate it. I will send you pictures on how huge it is. I can wrap it around my body twice, like a big towel. And I have claw marks in the legs of two pants, and what looks like bullet holes in the sleaves of the suit. I am learning how to take care of things better. All of the things I have are gifts: my shoes, my shirts, my pants even (because someone spilt bleach on them and they just... don´t fit me very well in the legs. They make me look like a big hipped clown missionary.

Dad, we are doing an activity in the mission right now where we are reading the Book of Mormon and marking 4 things as we read: 1) all of the doctrine, we mark with a green pencil or crayon or marker; 2) the words of Christ, we are underlining with orange; 3) everything about the mission work, we are coloring blue; 4) circle all of the names or "nicknames" of Jesus Christ: Salvador, Cordero de Dios, Dios Fuerte, etc. And it changes the way you view the Book of Mormon. Or at least, for me it has.

Also, my time here is short: 1 week left in Country. At least, that is what the gossip of the mission
says.

Something that I need is more natural soap please, like 5 bars more would be exactly what I need. also, if you want to send more mushrooms in the future that would be really cool. I love Cordyceps. Yum. But! Do you know what is funny? I have not drank young coconut water in a while, like 3 months. I like coconuts.

Anyway, I love you all very much.

 

Isabella's Letter Came this afternoon with NEWS!

so i did get the package it was really nice to hear your voices and to hear jared be jared, and president did already give me permission to stay i just need to talk to him to see if its the 29 of march or the 10 of april. today we went for a mini road trip it was fun but way to long and not very well planned. oh i love the sweater i got thank you its very nice. chris that is so awesome that the family got baptized and that you are meeting an area 70 i wonder what he will say to you. janice im sorry you got bit. and dave your spanish in the recorder sounded so good, did you send more than one package? chris im working on recording to you so yep be patient is that how you spell that? it seems like your district has fun thats awesome. i had a really good district leader two transfers ago and it made such a difference in my work i felt like he had our back and was looking out for our area too. the work goes on anyway. and i have learned how to get along. my area is great this week everyone who had a baptismal date went to church and are excited about their baptism anyway i have to go i love you all take care and remember the package that you guys sent me with the black shoes can you find another pair? and the brown shirt and scrapbook paper that i sent you back like when i was still in the mtc could i get that sent too? please. i love you. hna florido