Señor Don Gator was a Cat‏

Family,

 

Felíz día del Padre!!!!!! Dad, I sure love you a lot and am so grateful that you are such a good example to me. I have seen and heard of a lot of not so pleasant things that happen to families when the father isn´t the kind of person that he should be and it´s so comforting to know that I have the BEST DAD IN THE WORLD! (P.S. Thanks for the update about my bro Manu. Good thing I´m not there to watch the NBA finals because all my main men are playing, I don´t think I´d be able to pick a team! I think you´ve got me convinced about Durrant and OKC. Nothing better than a good scripture reading bball player....) Sooooooo moving on to more missionary like things...Congrats to Cajin!!! Wow, I can´t wait to hear about the crazy experiences you are going to have in ROME! You will be such a great missionary!

 

Well it has started getting real cold here so I´ve been making good use of my bufandas. The cold with the humidity gets right into your bones, but it still isn´t as bad as winters in Logan...yet. This week, Victor went to church with his two kids, Alexander (9) and Antonela(6). At first, Alexander wasn´t all that thrilled to go, but after Primary, he didn´t want to leave! Victor is awesome, he has such a desire to change is life, to be a better dad for his kids. So it was perfect that they all went to church together on father´s day. We also went to pick up some other investigators and when we knocked on the door, one of their friends, Miguel, answered. We had never met him before, but he said his friends were sleeping and they wouldn´t wake up, but he ended up coming with us. He´s 20 and is from Peru and has been here for about 10 months.

 

Don´t have a lot of time but know that I love you and I love the obra and am happy to be here learning so much that my brain is going to explode!

 

Love, Hna Hill

 

P.S. Can you send me the cheesecake recipe?

P.P.S. When does Kenzie get home from the mish?

Hello familia de mi corazón!

Primeramente.......Feliz Cumpleaños, Kay boo!!!!! Uh oh, I just discovered the emoticons........<-------un abrazo para todos! Kaylee, I have a letter for you that I wrote a long time ago that you probably won´t get until like Christmas because, well, I haven´t sent it yet. But just know that I love you and hope you had a great birthday! Wow, everyone is all over the place! I wish you all the best in all of your endeavors, you are always all in my prayers. Sisters, remember that even though I´m not there to hear all your stories, I´m just a letter away! 

Sunday was pretty great. At first a little frustrating because of all the investigators we had talked to and planned to pass by in the morning to pick them up to go to church, most of them slumbered away. These Argentines love their sleep! But the good news is that Mercedes was confirmed! She felt the spirit so strongly and is so happy to have received the Holy Ghost. All that day, the lessons just happened to be about the Holy Ghost and the blessings and guidance we can receive if we remain worthy. Awesome thing number two is that Familia Perez went to church! They are a less active family who hasn´t been to church for like 7 years. We always visited them and invited them, and finally they went. They have a son who is going to turn eight next month and the father is going to prepare himself to be able to baptize his son and they want to prepare to be able to see the rededication of the temple. Also, there were two other inactive families who we have been visiting who went to church. It´s amazing how by teaching these families more about the temple, they are having more desires to return to church and enjoy the blessings of the gospel.

You know how I said that as a mission, we are reading the Book of Mormon before the temple rededication? I was mistaken and we actually are reading it in two months, so I will be finishing about July 4th (speaking of....Mercedes sister who is a member and lives in the U.S. is coming to visit July 4th. I hope I´m still here! Did I tell you that we got to talk to her on the phone? The other day we went to Mercedes house for lunch and her sister just happened to have called right before we got there. We were able to talk to her and she was rrrre happy and thanked us for helping her sister. It was really cool to talk to hear and hear how content she was ) Where was I going with this.....? I can´t remember. But how are you all on your reading of the Book of Mormon? Good? Great!

The other day we had zone conference. President Gulbrandsen talked a lot about the sacrament and what it represents. To be honest, when I was younger I always thought it was boring when people gave lessons or talks about the sacrament. I really didn´t understand what it meant at all. I knew that I should think about Christ and his atonement, but here in the mission I am learning so much more. of what a gift the sacrament is, how we are literally receiving the atonement of Christ by partaking of the sacrament and that we need to make an offering every week...a broken heart and a contrite spirit. The sacrament is ESSENTIAL to truly repent. We really can´t have the spirit with us if we don´t take the sacrament with desires to offer a sacrifice, to change something in our lives that needs to be changed that can only happen with the help of our Savior, through the atonement. I love 3 Nephi 18, when it talks about how when we take the sacrament, we are filled. I know that we are filled spiritually with the Holy Ghost. I have been trying harder to really prepare myself to take of the sacrament, to think about the things that need get rid of and offer them as a sacrifice to the Lord during the sacrament. I challenge you all to do the same...to take a little bit of time Sunday morning, or Saturday night and say a prayer. Ask the Lord to help you to make the sacrament the most important part of your week. Tell Him the things you´re want to change, and ask for His help. I know that he will answer your sincere prayers.

I love you all un montón!

Hermana Hill

P.S. I don´t know if you´ve heard but they made a law or something that people can't exchange pesos and dollars here. I could make millions by selling dollars. Some random guy on the street even offered to buy dollars from me jaja.

Helping the Feresin family move

Just do it Almagro!

Hna Sosa made a delicious cake for my...(11 meses :S)

Amelia y Doris

Hangin' out with the chicas in la sociedad de socorro

Abasto, the mall here in Almagro

¡Tàpese la nariz!

Family,

I love you and thank you for your letters! I love hearing what you´re all up to. Thanks for making me laugh my head off hearing about those crazy kids in your primary class and the photos of Easton. Guess what? This weekend we had the baptism of Mercedes! I feel bad that I never have time to tell you all the details. But let me just say it was amazing. She first heard about the church when she was 18, and now at age 52 she finally made the most important step of her life. She is so happy that she made the decision to be baptized. After the baptism, she shared her testimony saying how we marked a chapter for her to read (3 Nefi 11) and how as she read one verse in particular, she knew that she needed to be baptized. I thought it would have been one of the verses where Christ was teaching the people about baptism, or when the people were able to feel the prints of the nails in his hands and feet, but, no, it was the scripture about how contention comes from the devil. She said all of this time she has been contending within herself and she knows it comes from the adversary. Isn´t it interesting how we can apply the scriptures to our lives and how one scripture can take on a whole different meaning for one person? We love her so much and are so happy for her. Well here´s what´s going to happen. I´m going to send you a whole bunch of pictures okay? Sweet!

Cool paintings

My buddy

Hay que ser fuerte

Mercedes con Elder Bravo (from Chile).  He is the one that interviewed her, and she wanted him to baptize her.  Funny story:  So on Saturday we did a little practice of her baptism with one of the ward members, explaining to her that she needs to bend her knees, lean back, and plug her nose.  But we forgot to refresh her memory on Sunday.  As she was, like, already in the water, Elder B said, plug your nose!  But...it was too late.  After the baptism, we went into the bathroom so she could change and everything, and she was laughing her head off because she hadn't plugged her nose and Elder Bravo told her as she was practically under the water!  Haha.  The most important thing is that she was baptized, and next Sunday she will be confirmed a member of the church :).

She's so cute and little!

Colores

Best picture of the day

Hope you don't mind if I take a few souvenirs home with me...

El estadio!

Some cool guy?

Boca Juniors

Hola muchacho

Some famous soccer player?
And I call myself a boca fan...

Estrellas

Hna Sosa con mas estrellas

Bet dad wants to go play some bball right hrrr

Cool mural

Hna Sosa made gelatina

Vamos a la playsha

Hola querida familia muy linda!

Gracias por sus emails! Les quiero muchísimo. No tengo muuuucho tiempo porque hoy vamos a caminito (el lugar con las casas de colores). Bueno, espero, porque la verdad es que no sé como llegar....Vamos a preguntar muchas personas y usar mi librito con mapitas y los colectivos. Con suerte, vamos a llegar! Oh, y también, vamos a tratar de ir al estadio de la boca!!! 

Basta con el castellano. Well this week has been super crazy and good. We have been working our buns off looking for new investigators. Our first week together included a lot of searching and walking and people cancelling appointments, or not being there when we showed up and it kind of seemed like we weren´t going anywhere. But this week we are beginning to see the fruits of our labors. On Saturday and Sunday we had stake conference. It was great because even though it wasn´t in our church, here close, Amelia, Raul, Mercedes, and Eros went. Amelia is practically a member....she goes to every single activity, is BFF with every member, pays her tithing, etc. She is only lacking the most important step--baptism. It is going to take a lot of faith because she is still having problems with her eyesight and can´t read very much. But I know that the spirit will touch her heart and she will be know that faith is not a perfect knowledge. We are also teaching Raul, the cutest 83 year old man there is. He is roommates of a member in our ward, Daniel, and they have started reading the Book of Mormon together every day. Mercedes is a lady who has been investigating the church for a long time and the missionaries here had visited her before. Her sister is a member and lives in Virginia and has always tried to help her have the desire to join the church. Right now she is progressing a ton. Eros is 13 and lives with Adriana and her family. His mom died when he was little and his dad lives in another city. He is living here so he can play soccer. After the conference, Presidente Gulbrandsen and Presidente Catala came over to us and began talking to him and telling him how he was going to be a missionary in the future. He had a huge smile on his face, it was really cool. A couple months ago during one of our meetings with all the missionaries in the stake, P. Gulbrandsen received a revelation and told us that this stake-Congreso-will be a place where people who are prepared will come from all over to be baptized. We are seeing that it is being fulfilled...William and Joel had both moved here after just a little while, and also Eros has only been here for about two months. We also found an investigator, Gustavo, who moved here from Peru about three weeks ago. I know people here are prepared and that if we work hard and follow the spirit we will be able to find them. So many people are searching and I want to do all I can to help them find what they are searching for. Oh, also it was awesome because P. Gulbrandsen shared the story of Hna Sosa´s mom in the conference, and P. Catala didn´t know he was going to share it. He had Hna Sosa and P. Catala stand up and P. Catala began sobbing. It was a really special moment that no one there will forget. Wow, my companion is famous! She really is awesome and so humble and willing to work. I´m grateful to be here with her here in Almagro! I´m way too blessed. En serio. Okay ttyl. Chao chao!

Hermana Hill

Run to Daddy!!!!

Famileeee familaaaa famileeee familahahahahahaha....

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Papá! :D!!!!!!! Okay I decided that I love every
picture that I get that is of dad. Well, I love them all really. But
dad is such a big goof. Love the birthday hat! But mostly, I love the
guy wearing the birthday hat jaja. Thank you for everything, padre. I
hope you receive my card in the mail soon :)

Sounds like the stake conference was BOMBA! What a great opportunity
to listen to all those leaders of the church. I know that they are
chosen men and women of God and that by listening to and acting on the
words of our church leaders we will be extremely blessed. This
Saturday and Sunday we will have our stake conference. I´m super
animada. We´ve been working our colas off this week searching for new
investigators that will be able to enjoy stake conference, and further
on, the temple. The people who we are looking for right now will have
the opportunity to prepare to receive a temple recommend to be able to
see the rededication of the temple! We have such a huge responsibility
to find them and to help them to have this once in a lifetime
experience. Speaking of stake conference.....So my companion Hna Sosa
is RE CAPA. Mom, you said you thought I had been on divisions with her
before but I think you´re thinking of Hna Salas. Hna Sosa has only
been here for three months, so she just got done with her training.
And now it´s her turn to train me! Haha. She is from La Pampa,
Argentina, a little south of Buenos Aires. But anyway, let me tell you
how her family joined the church. One day when her mom was 18, she
fainted in the street. There just happened to be two Elders closeby
who helped her to the hospital and called her parents. Later on in the
week, they passed by to visit and "see how she was doing" (code word
for baptize the entire family haha). And, yup, her whole family-of
nine-were baptized! Before leaving on her mission, her mom told her
that the Elder that baptized her was a Stake President in the our
mission, but she couldn´t remember which stake. Guess what? It just
happens to be Presidente Catala, our stake president. Yesterday,
before church, we had a meeting with all of the missionaries of the
stake and the stake and mission president. After the meeting, she
talked to Pres. Catala and told him that he baptized her mom. There
were tears in both of their eyes. It was cool to see the happiness
that it brought to both of them and that the blessings of serving a
mission continue even years and years later. Speaking of blessings of
a mission, Camila and Tiziana were confirmed yesterday. They coudn´t
be more great. Camila is even going to seminary at six in the morning,
and just a month ago, she didn´t like getting up early for anything.

In conclusion, the mission is great. We have to work really hard this
week to find new investigators but with a lot of fasting and prayer
and diligence, vamos a hacerlo con la ayuda del Señor. Les amo, siguen
esforzandose de leer el Libro de Mormón. I´m proud of you, kids!

Love, Hermana Hill

Hermanita Sosa!

Thx 4 tha scrfs n slprs!

¡Buen Día, Familia!

¡Tanto tiempo! It was so good to see you all yesterday. Hope everyone had a great mother´s day, I know I did! Mom, just so you know, all of these baptisms were for you :) Oh, I got the package. Thanks a BILLION! Hna Peralta loved the ring by the way! And don´t worry I will send all of your love to the wonderful people of Almagro. Okay not a lot of time but here are some really great pictures in no particular order.

Duh! I almost forgot to tell you about transfers! I am still here in Almagro :) And I am here with Hermana Sosa!! She is from Argentina and is awesome. We´re going to work a FULL. Love you! 

With Elisa (aunt), Fernanda (cousin), and Gabriel (mission leader).

Lovely.

I call this one "la escalera" Gustavo (cousin), Joel, Obispo, the sisters 

Everyone plus Adriana, their mom. "Estamos animados!"

Elders...

Familia Choquemesa (the aunt and cousins of Joel.  They are the bessst

Vitali, Camila, Tiziana, Kevin (you talked to him yesterday, haha)

Thought you'd get a kick out of this one.

Book of Mormon Stories

FAMMMMM!

Hola. Papá, ¿qué significa "kia orana"? Hannah, ¡que linda que sos! You look so much older! Must be the lack of braces. Are you really 16? Such a big girl! Hope that kid you went to prom with is a classy guy. Or else............I'm gonna darle una piña. I love spanglish so much, you are all going to darme una piña when I get back with how much spanglish I'm going to hablar. Hehe. Well this week has been increíble!!! Update ya. 

We have had some really great lessons with Adriana, Camila, and Tiziana. They are TOO awesome. On Sunday morning,  before ward council, we called them to make sure they were all awake and ready to go to church. They said they were good to go. Flia Bustios was going to go pick them up in the morning so they could all go together. Church started and everything, and none of them were there, so we called Hna Bustios and she sounded a little frantic and said they were on their way. They ended up arriving for the second class because it turns out Hna Bustios had accidentally slept in. Adriana said she was so nervous when Hna Bustios hadn't arrived because they were all anxious to go to church, and she knew that her kids woudn't be able to be baptized if they didn't go, and she couldn't remember exactly how to get there. She said that as they were waiting, they began to read the Book of Mormon. Then after a while, Hna Bustios passed by to take them. That day was testimony meeting, and Tiziana went up with another girl from primary and they read the story of Ammon-the story they learned in Primary that day. We'll have to explain to her the purpose of testimony meeting, but it was still very brave of her :) Joel is also progressing a ton. He wants to be baptized, but wants to make sure he will complete with all of the commandments and do everything correctly after he is baptized. He realizes how important baptism is and really wants to make a change in his life. Amelia is also de diez. She's already BFF with all of the members. She is always taking notes during church and during the lessons we teach her, it's so cute. 

Last week we had a special conference with President Gulbrandsen. We all received a Book of Mormon in our native language to read before the temple is re-dedicated. We also received three colored pencils. One to mark every time it mentions or refers to Christ, one for all the times it mentions our missionary purpose (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, endure to the end), and one to mark all of the scriptures that strengthen our personal testimony. I LOVE IT. This morning I read 1 Nephi 8. It's always been my favorite chapter. I KNOW that we will always be happier if we are holding fast to the iron rod. Really. Who cares what the large and spacious building is saying (or, rather, the people in it. Buildings can't talk...) Bueno, you told me that I don't have to sugar-coat everything in my letters so I will tell you something that is hard for me. It's hard for me to see SO many unhappy people! And the reason that most of them are unhappy is because they are so lost. They are lost in the large and spacious building or the mist of darkness, or the river. Some people would think that it would be easier to walk in the broad path, instead of the straight and narrow. But, really it's so much easier to not get lost when the path is really tiny. When the path is too big, we wander all over the place, with out knowing which way is straight...which way leads to the tree of life....the love of God....Jesus Christ. I KNOW that the gospel brings true happiness. I KNOW that the way to show that we are willing to follow our Savior is through baptism, and always continuing to have faith, repent, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.

I love you all a million and can't wait to do some skype-age with you this Sunday!

Hna Hill

P.S. Hna Jones, I can't really think of anything. ¿Quizás medias gruesas? ¡Invierno viene ya! Pero, realmente no pienso que necesito algo en particular. Sólo las lupitas si puede. Le voy a mandar una carta hoy :)