To Whom Shall We Go?

Friends and family,

This was a good week. We broke my record again in street contacts made, talking with 244 people! In this area, we have not contacted fewer than 200 in any week. That feels good. We also have taught three people for a couple of weeks - Elba (la madre) and Marco and Mariana (sus hijos); all are adults - and they are very interested! And yesterday they came to Church and loved it! And they have a baptismal date set for the 15th of February! And that will be Elder Luque's last weekend in the mission! You can't get a much better weekend than that for your last: a triple baptism. Qué suerte. No, ¡qué bendición! I can see so clearly that they were prepared by the Lord to receive us. They are certainly diamonds in this rough area.

I have felt very strongly this week the importance of the Book of Mormon, as the keystone of our religion and especially in my own conversion. I have felt so close to that book of late, and I have begun to love it as a living friend, along with the Bible. The story in the end of John 6 describes quite well how I feel. In verses 67-68, Jesus had just finished giving a sermon on the plan of Salvation and His personal role in it as our Savior, and many people were offended, and walked no more with Him. I apply what He says next to myself: "Then said Jesus unto [Elder Hill], Will ye also go away? Then [Elder Hill] answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." Of all the things I can testify regarding the Book of Mormon, I can say this with the most surety: it contains the words of eternal life. I know that the invitation from President Nelson this past General Conference to read the Book of Mormon is from God, and that we must comply with the words of the ordained mouthpiece of God. By His voice, or by the voice of His servants, it is the same. I know that if we prepare ourselves for this coming Conference as He invited us to, it will indeed be utterly unforgettable. I can say that with the gift of prophecy, as I already have to the members here in Dorrego: I can see it as if it were already past: this Conference will have an outpouring of the Spirit heretofore unseen. But we need to prepare ourselves to be able to receive it. God is moving His work forward, and we need to keep up.

With heaping loads of love, piled up to overflowing,

Elder Hill

Fotos:

• Esta tarde con Flia. Afaro de San Luis, amigos de Élder Luque de su tiempo en Merlo
• El asado riquísimo que yo hice [Élder Hill mintió; Hno. Afaro lo hizo]
• Jugando con una cámara de un celular de la Flia. Afaro
• El mejor de todos
• El bigote que nunce tuve (con Andrea y su bigote)
• Mamá, me afeité, te lo prometo
• La Flia. Lucero de Cementista que visitamos ayer; también almorzamos con Flia. Espejo; todo fue porque Élder Luque se va en tres semanas y también tenemos la área de Cementista en común

 

Intercambios

Family and friends,

This week, I left the area twice for intercambios, going to Gutierrez with Elder Ismael on Wednesday and to Santa Ana with Elder Bryner on Friday. Both were pretty good experiences, and I feel like I helped a lot. In Santa Ana especially, I feel like I helped, because the people we taught all seemed to have amazing questions that I was able to answer extremely clearly and coherently. I felt like my knowledge was suddenly unleashed, and it felt so good. Recently, I have really felt the power of my mantle as a missionary, and I know God is with me. I have even noticed that, despite how much I miss the Temple and how long I have not been able to attend it, I have remained very spiritually strong, receiving the same blessings I would have received had I stayed home to go to the Temple. This calling is real, and I know it.

Honestly, not much more happened of particular note that I can think of, aside from having contacted 205 more people in the streets. We have to do a lot of that because nobody accepts us in their homes. But I'm very happy, anyway. I am flourishing.

Love,

Elder Hill

P.S. I lied, I remembered something more. While in Gutierrez, I saw a plant outside the apartment of the elders, and Elder Ismael told me it was poisonous. I guess I didn't register what he had said, because later when we passed it I just randomly plucked a piece off a leaf and chewed it. My mouth ended up burning for about an hour, which I completely deserved. It was a pain very similar to the pain of peppers, but it felt more acidic and panged with a prick, almost like hundreds of knives in my mouth. At least I spat it out, so it didn't destroy my entire digestive system. So yeah, that was an adventure, and I'm counting my many blessings. Mom, I promise I won't randomly eat any more plants.

Fotos:

• Relámpagos
• La planta maldita
• Intercambios con Elder Bryner
• "Tito", una de esas personas que Elder Luque conoce
• Flia. Rodriguez (el padre es el Obispo) en La Favorita, con Zorro en el televisor
• Elder Luque y Cerro de la Gloria, esta mañana cuando visitamos La Favorita para visitar algunas personas que Elder Luque conoce de allí

Unforgettable

Family and friends,

This week has been pretty good. On my first day as zone leader we contacted 65 people in the street, which is more than my best day with Elder Ericksen. We also ended the week with 220 contacts in total, which broke my record for a week. I'm feeling pretty good. The members here are all as facetious in their joking as I am, so I'm in heaven. I also went to the meeting for all the zone leaders that we had in Godoy Cruz this Friday, and it was a spiritual explosion. It was awesome. Also, I thought I would mention that my zone is the smallest in the mission, and only has four areas which constitute only one district, which is really weird, but it works. So I went from being the district leader of the smallest district in the mission to being the zone leader of the smallest zone in the mission! That's awesome!

I have been feeling strongly recently that preparation for this coming General Conference is very important, and last night I even shared an FHE lesson about it, checking up on the preparation of a family in our ward. We went over the talk of President Nelson again, and I want to remind you all of a couple things he invites us to do. He said we should reread the account of the First Vision in the Pearl of Great Price and seek the spirit of the Restoration. He also said we should read the Book of Mormon along with the "Come, Follow Me" book, to appreciate the first fruits of the Restoration and the precious doctrines of that book; and to ponder both what the Book of Mormon has done for us and what our lives would be like if our knowledge from its contents were suddenly taken away. That last part particularly led to a good discussion in the FHE last night. I also want to mention something I found with respect to following the Prophet immediately, without delay. In the book of Helaman, Samuel the Lamanite prophesied to the Nephites in Zarahemla that if they did not repent their descendants would be completely destroyed in four hundred years. They eventually repented when Christ came, and they worshipped Him in all humility; but then their descendants were destroyed anyway, four hundred years later, as prophesied. Why? They repented! What did I miss? They did not repent immediately, as they were told to. Thus, the curse predicted remained upon them. That is brutal, but it teaches an effective lesson: we must obey the Prophet immediately. I leave this simple invitation with all you who read my letters: read the Book of Mormon and ponder in your hearts the message it contains; follow the counsels of the Prophet to prepare yourselves for this Conference, and you will have an unparalleled and unforgettable experience. I promise it in the name of Jesus Christ.

With so much love,

Elder Hill

Fotos:

• En la Plaza Independencia
• Elder Johnson está muerto
• Elder Johnson se va a la casa
• Mi vieja zona

(No subject)

Friends and family,

This week was interesting, and I was exhausted the whole time. We had intercambios with Malargüe, working in Balloffet, and that was fun. I was with Elder Leites, a brazilian; Elder Ericksen was with the nuevito, Elder Davey. It was a great time with them, and we got a lot done.

The rest of the week we kept working as normal. Then, on Friday morning, I felt an urgent need to update the area book and the teaching records, especially because Elder Ericksen lost his agenda with all his notes and thus wouldn't be able to do it, so I did that instead of studying that morning. Turns out that that was a revelation, because that night we found out that we would receive transfers the next night (Saturday), because the transfer was cut a full week shorter, at the last minute. I finished up the records the next morning, also in place of my normal study, and everything was ready for me to leave, as I felt I would.

Then we received transfers Saturday night, and it was exactly as expected: me iba. I was to go to Dorrego, Mendoza, as zone leader! And right now, I am writing this letter in the same computer lab that I used while in Cementista! And my new companion is Elder Luque de Brazil, who is on his last transfer and also served in Cementista! This is all so cool! And, also amazing is that Elder Ericksen is staying there in Balloffet as senior companion, district leader, and trainer, all for the first time! I think he'll do a good job of it and grow a lot. I hope the same for myself, especially as I will be taking over as senior zone leader next transfer. I'll just be praying a lot, is all.

I don't have a lot more time, but I wanted to tell you all that I know God holds us up when we are weak. I say I know because I have seen too much evidence, and I know it for certain, now. I cannot deny it. God is real, and He loves us so insanely much - for that matter, it is rather insane, because He loves sinners. But God is a fan of seeming paradoxes that appear contradictory to the minds of men. I know He loves us.

Con muchísimo amor,

Elder Hill, líder de zona

Fotos:

Intercambios con Malargüe

Jugando Risk con Malargüe

¡Ustedes pasaron el Nuevo Año conmigo!

Hielo que cayó del cielo

Flia. Lorca; Hno. Lorca es el líder misional del barrio

Otro franken-pizza

Carolina y Gabriela Rodriguez, muy buenas personas que enseñamos

Beatriz Quiroga

Flia. Ortubia del barrio

Talía Martinez

Sergio Martinez

Sheila Siri, que se bautizó justo antes que llegué

Comimos mucho anoche

Mi último momento con Elder Ericksen

Elder Luque

Ring In the Christ

Family and friends,

As this year ends, I am completely astounded at how quickly it has flown by. I am so overjoyed to be able to stay here in Argentina for another year, but I miss you all, as well. Thank you for making home a place where I want to be, and thank you for the support that so many of you have shown me from all the way over there.

Elder Ericksen and I obliterated our record of highest number of people contacted in a week, getting 215 where the previous record was 134. A great way to end the year. And 215 is perfect because the hymn "Ring Out, Wild Bells" is a hymn for the New Year, and it's number 215 in the Church's hymnal. That may or may not have been intentional.

Honestly, I don't have much more to say, just that I love you all, and I miss you, but I am also happy where I am. Thanks be to God for a wonderful year that has given me a clean heart and pure hands.

With endless love,

Elder Hill

"As gentle as feathers, the snow piles high.

Our world gets rewritten and retraced every time.

Like fresh plates and clean slates, our future is white;

New Year's resolutions will reset tonight."

 - "Snow", Sleeping At Last

"Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,

The flying cloud, the frosty light:

The year is dying in the night;

Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

"Ring out the grief that saps the mind

For those that here we see no more;

Ring out the feud of rich and poor,

Ring in redress to all mankind.

"Ring out a slowly dying cause,

And ancient forms of party strife;

Ring in the nobler modes of life,

With sweeter manners, purer laws.

"Ring out the want, the care, the sin,

The faithless coldness of the times;

Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes

But ring the fuller minstrel in.

"Ring out false pride in place and blood,

The civic slander and the spite;

Ring in the love of truth and right,

Ring in the common love of good.

"Ring out old shapes of foul disease;

Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;

Ring out the thousand wars of old,

Ring in the thousand years of peace.

"Ring in the valiant man and free,

The larger heart, the kindlier hand;

Ring out the darkness of the land,

Ring in the Christ that is to be."

 - "In Memoriam", Alfred Lord Tennyson

Fotos:

• Con Elder Jones en Alvear, 24 de diciembre
• Festejando la Navidad
• Un otro cubo que me compré (un Skewb)
• Un Gear Cube que me compré
• Una sandía que llevé en mi bici; pesa 12 kilos
• La Luna al lado de Venus

Mosaically Obedient Dyslexic Woman Evades Leprous Gringo

Family and friends,

Thank you all who sent your holiday wishes! I really appreciate it a lot. Also, happy anniversary to my dear parents and to Shirley and Forrest! ¡Felicidades!

This week, a couple of funny things happened which are worthy of mention. Firstly, I made the stupid mistake of making a smoothie with loads of fruit and two entire lemons in it, including the rind. It was terrible. But hey, at least it fixed any bad breath I may have had. There was also a moment when Elder Ericksen somehow used children as a measurement of time, referring to duration of marriage, which was really funny because it doesn't make sense. His parents are about the same age as mine, but they only have four children, and the way he said it made it logically sound to say that my parents are more than twice as married as his. That was extremely funny to me.

The last funny thing I'll mention is what the title references: Mosaically obedient dyslexic woman evades leprous gringo. We have been complaining too much as a companionship about how illogical and rude everyone is, so we made it a goal to give everyone a stupid excuse to lighten the mood. One day this week, an older woman completely rejected even the card that I offered as a free gift, just waving me off and passing by. I was a bit bummed, because it bothers me when people do that, for obvious reasons. But then we developed one of the silliest possible arguments for her behavior: she obeys the law of Moses and therefore avoids lepers, they being unclean; she obviously misread my intention, so she's obviously dyslexic because she didn't read correctly, and thought I was a leper, so she completely passed me by without a second glance, because she misread my actions and thought me unclean. Hence, the newspaper heading: Mosaically Obedient Dyslexic Woman Evades Leprous Gringo. I'm really happy with it. Good for you, Jewish lady.

I had the opportunity to work in a hospital this Friday with Zona San Rafael, singing hymns for the people in the morning and then returning in the afternoon to play with little kids to help them pass the time enjoyably. The second half of that was honestly one of the best times I've had in my mission, because I love children so much. See pictures. We also sang hymns in the morning in Kilómetro 0, the center of the city, and it seemed a lot of people appreciated it. It was a good day, and I was very happy.

I have also been thinking of a children's song recently called "I'll Give Him My Heart", and I think it describes well what I want to give for Christmas. With all my heart, I want to give everything to Christ, but you all already know how exceedingly difficult that is. But just know that I know that Christ was born for us to be a perfect sacrifice, by His own choice. I really know it. I am so immensely grateful for Him, and I testify of Him to you all. Have a very merry Christmas, all, and know that God and His Son love you all infinitely. A good shepherd cares for his sheep; would not The Good Shepherd care for His sheep even better? and would He not care even more perfectly for His children? I know He would, and He does.

Love,

Elder Hill

Enviaré fotos en la Navidad

Tuvimos un bautismo!

Friends and family,

I performed my second live baptism this past Saturday, and I am nearly as happy as Beatriz always is. Seriously, she is always absolutely bubbly with energy and happiness, and it is extremely impressive. She will do good things for this ward. See attached fotos.

Also, last night we attended the setting apart of the bishop's son as a missionary (which they invited the whole ward to), and it was a great experience, short and sweet. It seemed that the new missionary and his parents appreciated our presence, which made me feel good.

We also had our missionary Christmas this past Tuesday in Mendoza Centro, and it was great! We were counseled a bit on being better disciples, especially because all rules are going away with the new missionary guidebook that we will be receiving soon. I am really excited for that change because I want to obey high standards because they're mine, not because I have to. But I know this will be a challenge for everyone, nonetheless, probably especially for the mission president. He said that when the mission presidents heard in their own conference about it that there would be no more rules, all of them keeled over backwards, nearly dying of fright. But I feel like it's the right thing, and I am glad that God trusts us enough to give us this freedom.

From that conference we received gifts! We got Christmas hats and stockings and heaps of candy and alfajores, which I obviously ate all of in two days. We also did a gift trade between the missionaries, in which we simply put all the gifts on a table and we filed by picking one out of the pile for ourselves. I got a couple of little keychains that I really like. One is an onyx heart that says "San Luis" on it, which is one of the provinces in our mission. I was also very surprised by a package that Elder Ericksen received from his parents that had a gift in it for "Elder E's companion"! It was a pair of Christmas socks and a tiny travel chess game, though I traded that for Elder Ericksen's travel Battleship because I already have travel chess. But it was a very joyous time.

Honestly, I am very happy this week, and I am so glad to be out here. I am far away from so many people I love so much, but I find myself with no regrets. I would not change it for anything. And, the most surprising, I am already halfway done! As Elder Ericksen told me, they say that the mission lasts a year and five minutes. I've gotten past the year, and now I officially have only five minutes left. I'll be home soon enough. Know that I love you all immensely, but I am happier where I am, for now.

With much love,

Elder Hill

Fotos:

Élder Avila, mi primer compañero (se va a la casa después de este traslado)

Élder Mazzeo, mi segundo compañero

Élder Cardozo, mi tercer compañero

Élder Becerra, mi cuarto compañero (también se va a la casa después de este traslado); apariencia de visita por Élder Stinger

Élder Ericksen, mi compañero quinto y actual

Élderes Ricks y Steck

Mi regalo

También mi regalo

Noodle + Nutella = Noodtella

Abominación

Con Beatriz Quiroga

Beatriz, otra vez