10-22-12

¡Oye! ¿Cómo estaí choro?

That's how all the fligtes (gangstas) here talk. I don't know if google translate will give you a proper translation of that or not.  Haha.  

This past week has been really good for me! I hope the same for you! Everyone looks really good in the videos, especially Kurt. It's fun to see how everyone is still the same, goofy person (that's probably mostly directed at Dad haha).

On Saturday, we had the coolest opportunity to have Elder Bednar come and speak to us. I got a good seat only a few pews from the front! Instead of him giving a talk, he turned it into a guided discussion but also gave us the opportunity to ask him questions! My mind went completely blank when that happened so I didn't ask him anything haha. The best way I have been able to describe that meeting is to first, imagine feeling the Spirit like getting splashed with a bucket of water, now, the meeting was more like jumping into an olympic sized pool of the Spirit haha. It was really powerful and I learned a lot more about missionary work and life.

I have some days in which Spanish still feels hard, but then I have some where I feel like I have almost no problem with conversing. I naturally talk to people now and I don't need Elder Smith to translate for me. So, once I get a Latino companion, I'll be fluent in no time haha. I love Elder Smith though so when that happens it'll be hard to move on to another companionship.

That skitzo investigator we have has gotten a lot more tranquilo (calm) over the past few weeks. Coming to church and talking to us has done him a lot of good, and we still haven't even taught him a lesson! He has come to church every Sunday and actively participates in class. Despite the good things that are happening for him, he still is kind of crazy and I don't know how far he'll really go, but I do believe that he can go the distance if he really really really wants it.

Our primary investigator is doing very well. He is incredibly smart and soaks up everything we teach him and then he seems to do his own studies outside of what we teach and commit him to do. It's good and bad because he looks at anti-mormon stuff too, but he seems to take it all in well and he loves being with people from church. He definitely feels the Spirit I'm sure but he hasn't let himself come around to accepting that entirely yet. He's such a good guy though and I'm 99% confident that he's going to stay strong as he is right now and once he receives a spiritual confirmation, he'll get baptized. We're pushing hard with him though and his friend who originally invited him to church is pushing him hard too. He has a lot of good infuences around him. :)

Another newer investigator we have (I can't remember if I told you about him) is 17 and a very good kid. If Elder Smith and I keep teaching him and he really has a desire to know the truth (which I think he does), then he'll get baptized. We're going to have a Noche de Hogar with him tonight. He has definitely felt the Spirit too, but we might need to help him recognize it.

We're contacting a lot, although I really want to find more people. We have a 13 year old, a mom who did service in Africa with Latter-day Saints, this one man who likes talking to us inside our apartment complex, and we just met a very promising man when we ate lunch today.

For P-day today, we went to a place called Santa Lucia, which was super rich and pretty. It also felt weird to be walking around the city in street clothes! Haha.

I miss you all like usual and I'm always giddy to read what's happening at home and update you on how I'm doing. 

That's all I can write for now. I'll talk to you next week! 

Muchisimo Amor,

Elder Hill

P.S. Can you let Kelly and Susan know that I'm thinking about them and I hope they're doing well? Thank you! 

10-8-12

Thank you so much for the happy birthday video! :) President and Hermana Wright called me this morning and sang me happy birthday too. Elder Smith helped me celebrate today by making really good homemade tacos (I also made myself partially uncooked pancakes for breakfast, Kurt, thought you'd be proud of that, and Mom you're probably proud that I was able to make pancakes!). Conference this weeked was amazing! I was able to watch the whole thing in English with all the other American missionaries and with an American family. 

I'm doing a lot in the work here! Yesterday, we went to see a family right after General Conference and talked about the temple with them. I told them that I could see them dressed in white in the temple being sealed, and I think it gave them some motivation. :) I'm seeing how love makes such a difference in people's lives and I'm doing what I can to show Christ's love through who I am. Although I can't express it very well through words, I'm expressing it through kind acts of service, a laugh, a smile, an "hola" haha. I'm confident I will become the missionary the Lord intends for me to be, but I need to work harder. I feel a little more like an equal in my companionship with Elder Smith now. I know the ropes and I offer every bit of support I can give him. He has told me he's grateful, and it's the least I can do for all that he is doing for me.  I can have very good conversations now, but they just aren't natural, and I still have too much of an American accent!  My goal is to completely lose my American accent when I speak Spanish.

I learned a TON from Conference that I'm going to integrate into my life. I'm going to serve more, show people the Lord loves them, show them that the Atonement is without a doubt real, use faith and reason to work miracles, convert myself to His gospel more so I can say without hestitation at the pleasing bar, "Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." I love the Gospel. I thought about how although we are all over the world (family and friends), I felt so close to all of you during General Conference. I felt so much sacred honor and responsiblity whenever someone spoke about missionaries during General Conference. That's me! I'm one of the Lord's servants! He directly spoke to me on Saturday and Sunday in my opinion.

I love you everyone. :) I never have enough time to write you everything I want to say, but I think about you and I pray for you always.

Some quick responses to letters I received this week:

Grandma and Grandpa Hill: Thank you for the birthday email! I love you!!!!!!

Emily: Thank you for your letter!!! I'll try to write you as soon as I can, but that might not be for a while. I love you Emily!!!

Ashton: I got your letter too!!! I'll write when I can as well and I'll beat your drawing. Your river rock battle comrade of unimaginable Elderness, Seth.

L-dawg Yoshimoto! Thank you for your letter!! I'm not being very fly right now by responding by email. But I'll write you when I can!

To all those who have written me and I haven't responded, I'm sorry! I'll try to write when I can but missionary life is incredibly busy! You're in my prayers and I am incredibly greatful. Your love and support mean more to me than you know. :)

Okay I gotta go now. 

¡Les quiero muchisimo!

Seth's birthday package

Seth and Elder Smith taking a snack break!

Seth's mission area!

Watching General Conference! (Well, actually Music and the Spoken Word).

10-1-12

 

Hola hola!

Saturday night, I we got our calls to see if we were being changed. The AP said, "Elder Hill.........se queda [stay put]." So, I'm in Los Plátanos for another change! Elder Smith is still my companion too. I've completed my first change in the field! I've made a lot of progress in the past six weeks, I've learned to be more patient with myself, to always strive as hard as I can, and to always smile and be grateful for the blessings the Lord has given me here.

 

We have an investigator with a baptism on the 14th. He's 12 years old and his name is Byron (not Bryon). I'm excited for our investigators to watch General Conference. We contacted another investigator and taught him the first lesson. He is very tranquilo [laid back] but has a strong belief in God so we hope to help him grow his testimony of the Restored Gospel. He's actually coming to our Noche de Hogar [FHE] tonight!

 

I haven't received the photos and the package yet, so we'll see if it comes this week. I have my fingers crossed! Thank you for the video you sent me, Mom and Dad. It was nice to see you. I tried to make a video but it was too big. I'll try to have something ready by next week. I actually didn't take pictures this week so you'll just have to enjoy the ones that I tried to send last week haha. That was a good picture of Kurt by the way. Sundays haven't changed haha. I also received a letter from the Zappe's a few weeks ago but forgot to thank them! Thank you Zappe family! Also, thank you everyone who's thinking about me, praying for me, or at least checking the blog.

 

Spanish is fine, I feel like I made some big steps this past week. I'm much better with conversing with people and don't struggle too much. I still have such a far way to go though haha.

 

On the way to the internet café, we ran into a couple that stop to talk to us! They said the see Mormon missionaries a lot and have wanted to talk to them. They live near our apartment so we're going to pass by sometime this week. The Lord's hand is in the Work here! I'm so grateful to be here and that the Lord is using me to work miracles in other's lives and that He is constantly qualifying me for this calling. I went on divisions [splits] with the stake president last night and I learned a lot from him--I'm always learning.

 

Life is good here! I hope you are all well!

 

Love,

         Elder Hill

This was the picture of Kurt Seth was referring to.