Ben will leave Argentina

From Lani Hill:

We have not received an email from Elder Hill since March 16th.  He and his companion have been in their apartment since a couple of days after that.  He will be coming home temporarily, but we're not sure when that will happen.  He'll have a 14-day isolation period at home, then will probably be reassigned to a mission here in this country.

On March 16th in a video call, Ben told us that all the missionaries were given extra money to purchase food and supplies for 2 weeks, from a list provided by Sister Panzacchi (the mission president's wife).  The missionaries were told to box up all the extra things they bought and put them away for an emergency.  But no one guessed it would be so soon!

Sister Panzacchi also asked every missionary companionship to send her many pictures of their food and supplies AND of their sparkling-clean apartment.  Ben and Elder Thornton were happy that they had done a deep-clean of their apartment a few weeks earlier, without being told.

We spoke with Ben on the phone today.  He and Elder Thornton are sad that all of a sudden, everything they were working on with investigators had to come to a crashing halt.  He said it's kind of discouraging.  But he's willing to do what he is assigned to do.

"I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son" (Malachi 3:17)

Family and friends,

So, this was an interesting week. I think you all probably know why. We did weekly planning on Thursday morning, as usual, and everything was normal; and then we found out that night that all Church meetings are suspended until further notice. All of those carefully-made plans went straight out the window in an instant. We really had not even heard anything about the viral plague until that point. We had heard of its existence, as well as some half-hearted alerts, but nothing more. Even now, we don't see much panic, but that's even more confusing to me. Now we have heard much more news, and we see that the entire globe is shutting everything down, but Argentina is reacting very slowly - that is, it seems (from what I've seen on the news) that the government is working on controlling the situation, but the people barely care. People are worried, but they're not doing anything about it: there's no panic here. Which is SO funny to me. They're just sleeping the siesta, not caring. As usual. It's really funny.

Regarding changes for the missionaries, there is nearly nothing that has changed. We are meant to stop shaking hands and to keep our distance from people who are coughing, wash hands, etc. Other than that, we change nothing in our work until further notice.

But Sunday was interesting, as it was my first time having the Sacrament at home. Considering we were just two people, and we would go through the bread and the water really fast, I proposed that we use a bit more bread and a bit more water for each of us, so that we could ponder on the ordinance more; then we had a small moment of silence after each of the emblems. I think it may have been the most spiritual moment I have ever had with the Sacrament. I remember eating the bread and feeling the body of the Savior nailed to the cross to pay for my sins; as I drank the water, I gazed at it, feeling His love in every fiber of me. I know my Savior died and rose again for me. "With His stripes, we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). I know the truth of that scripture more profoundly with every passing day.

Upon hearing of the gravity of this current pandemic, I reread a favorite scripture of mine, Doctrine and Covenants 43:25: "How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!" This experience we are living now is a call to repentance, and we must heed. God told Joseph Smith TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO that His coming was at the doors: welcome to the modern day, when His coming legitimately is just a couple "signs of the times" away. I say again, welcome to the modern day. I have seen so strongly the fulfilment of the last phrase of that scripture, "but ye would not": we have been given so many blessings; He has "[poured us] out a blessing, that there [is not] room enough to receive it" (Malachi 3:10). And yet, we have been lazy. There is no more time to be lazy; it's time to be perfected in Christ. But, above all, I know that these signs are a blessing, because, as Jesus taught, the faithful will see these signs and know that He is near. As says the scripture, He cries with the voice of mercy and glory, and would save us with an everlasting salvation. This is no castigation, it is a blessing to the faithful. His coming is nigh, and I testify it boldly to the world because I know it is true. This is the true Church of the true God, and I will be forever grateful for the immense and immeasurable blessing of having known the Truth Eternal, even in my youth. I await with so much excitement the coming of my LORD.

With so much love,

Élder Hill

Fotos: me olvidé de llevar mi memoria conmigo, entonces ustedes tendrán que esperar hasta la semana que viene.

Mine is thine

Family and friends,

This was another fun week, and I did some intercambios with elders in my zone. One of them, Elder Herrera, from Chile (see foto), was an interesting companion. He has a speech impediment, and very often words simply stop coming out of his mouth and his face convulses, trying to force them out; if I understand correctly, half of his brain is damaged, and that causes his ailment. It was an interesting day, but I was actually very impressed and significantly inspired by him. I couldn't help thinking of how incredibly much faith he must have had to serve a mission with such a huge impediment. And his bishop and stake president considered him able, so I am very impressed. It was a cool day for me. He has a very good heart.

I also gave a lesson last night for Family Night with a couple of families in the ward, and I focused on the commandments of God to continue learning, and especially the commandment of "ask, and ye shall receive". I had never thought of that as a commandment before, but I realized that the wording shows that it is, and that changes the meaning for me. We also discussed DyC 93:39, regarding Satan taking away the light of the people through their disobedience. To finish up, I read to them JS-History, verses 13-17, and related everything else to that, showing the consummation of the entire topic in the First Vision. In short, I can simply testify that God wants us to ask, and He commands that we do it. I even learned something fascinating from the JST version of Matthew 7, where Jesus taught that if we knock on our Father's door, He will not only answer and give us bread instead of a rock, and a fish instead of a serpent, but will welcome us into His home, saying that what is His is ours. That is like the ending of one of my favorite hymns ever, called My Shepherd Will Supply My Need: "O may Thy house be my abode... There would I find a settled rest, while others go and come; no more a stranger, nor a guest, but like a child at home." I am full of joy at the thought of being a member of the household of God, not just in visit, about to depart again, but as His eternal child. All that is required of us is to ask, to knock, to seek Him.

"Come in, my son; for mine is thine, and thine is mine" (JST Matthew 7:17).

With unending love,

Elder Hill

Fotos:

Caballos, para vos, Hannah

La montaña hermosa

En la cumbre del mundo

Yo y mi compañero

La vista

La Virgen

Yo con el cartel del cerro

Estoy bien, no os preocupéis

Los cinco élderes y el obispo que fuimos a Cerro Arco

Élder Herrera

 

 

 

 

Cerro Arco

Family and friends,

This past week was a good week. However, I don't have a lot of time, so I'll talk about the most exciting thing that happened this week, which was Cerro Arco. We talked with the zone last week to tell them our plans to hike the mountain called Cerro Arco, which has large antenna towers on top; I believe I have already sent a picture of it before, but y'all will obviously receive a few more, anyway. A couple of people told us they wouldn't go, but that's normal, so we started the week. Everything was normal, and it was a very good week, and we blessed a lot of people, et cetera, et cetera. We got to Sunday. We got to Sunday night. This was last night. Ev. 'Ry. 'One. Bailed. After making many, many phone calls, we managed to organize a trio (because everyone was so lazy that they didn't want a trio to mess up their laziness-doing) and we salvaged one more elder from the pandemic apathy of the zone to come with us today.

We had organized the trip with the bishop of the Las Heras Ward here in Mendoza, who gave us a bunch of pastries because he works in a panadería. We trudged happily up to the top, took pictures, then trotted, still happily, back down. It was a good time, and I really enjoyed it. I loved being in nature again, finally.

Just know that I am very happy, and that all is well here, though we are not stopping just because things are fine. I am enjoying my life very much.

With much love,

Elder Hill

Les mando fotos la semana que viene, porque se me acabó el tiempo.

¡Éxito!

Friends and family,

This week was WONDERFUL. I have been having a great time with Elder Thornton because he has the same kind of humor and personality as I do, so I'm getting along with him as well as I did with Elder Ericksen. It's funny how hard it is for people here to say his name; it usually comes out as Torta, which means "cake". We worked really hard this week, which felt very good. We still contacted 121 people, and found a couple of families that don't go to church and had great lessons with them, and ministered to a couple of members, and on top of all that we even found eleven new people to teach. All of that is SO cool, and I feel ridiculously good. I'm so happy to be working as a missionary.

I think one of the things that satisfied me most this week was cleaning our apartment and sorting everything in it. We have weirdly huge piles of clothing left from other missionaries, and I organized all of that; I also swept the floors completely clean and towel-mopped them (which was sorely needed), while Elder Thornton cleaned the insane amounts of mugre ("filth") out of the bathroom and off the oven and stove. Dang, we both feel so very liberated after so much work. We barely slept this week to get it all done, and we are pleased. After all that work, I felt like we should dedicate the apartment, so Elder Thornton dedicated it. I feel a peace there, now. It's not just a temporary abode, it's a home for us. It's the first time I've felt that in a mission apartment, and I like it a lot.

I was also honored with the opportunity to dedicate the home of a member yesterday. We had discovered earlier in the week that their home had never been dedicated, so we said to the father that we could accompany him that Sunday (when we had lunch with the family) to help him in that process. He agreed, but when we got there he said he understood his place as the patriarch but wanted me to do it. I was humbled by that. I remember I said something special in that prayer: that that home be a place of refuge, and that the Millennial Reign begin within its walls. I had seen a quote recently from a prophet (I don't remember which), saying that if we truly accept the real, full principles of the Gospel, and become disciples of Christ, the Millennium will already have begun in that heart, family, or home that accepts Him. That is inspirational; when I ended the prayer, I saw that the father stayed kneeling, clearly touched. That was a beautiful experience.

Just let the record show that I am better than "well", better vivified than "alive", and weirder than a half-turtle that doesn't exist. I am unique, and I own it, and I am simply immensely happy to be here.

With love from the fake argentino,

Élder Hill

Foto: Yo y Elder Thornton (Ben said later that this photo was taken in the clerk's office at the church)

Quadruple Baptism

Friends and family,

This week was quite insane, because it was the last week of Elder Luque's mission and we also suddenly realized four baptisms this last weekend! We only contacted forty-four people in the street, but we had a quadruple baptism! On Tuesday morning last week, we simply reminded Elba and Mariana (Marcos suddenly moved to Neuquen, so he wasn't there) about their baptism that they had agreed to for that weekend, the 15th, and they accepted the date! We hurriedly prepared them for all that, sought out the clothing, and organized the event for the rest of the week. That same night, Tuesday, we talked with a couple we are teaching and asked them about their children's baptism, or, the baptism of their two children of sufficient age to be baptized, Agustín (10) and Abril (9). They said they were okay with their baptism being that Saturday! So we did it! I baptized Elba, Elder Luque baptized Abril, Elder Toledo (Elder Luque's companion before me, now Assistant to the President) baptized Agustín (having taught their family before), and Elder Wood (another elder from Gutiérrez) baptized Mariana as his first time performing the ordinance. It was a wonderful experience.

Something even more interesting to me was that Elba and Mariana didn't want any pictures, originally. They always said that they didn't want them, so we said we wouldn't take any; but then suddenly right before the service, Elba requested that we take pictures so that she can send them to Marcos in Neuquen, so he can feel the desire to be baptized, as well. That was her logic. That felt like a miracle to me. It seems she knows that what she did is good. I hope we can help her continue growing her testimony.

Now, Elder Luque is about to leave Argentina and return to Brasil, and he is both excited and sad, as expected. I am now with Elders Soto and Thornton; the former is from my group and a member of my zone whose companion has not arrived yet, and the latter is my new companion. He's a capo, and I'm excited to work with him.  (Ben later added, "Capo" is basically used to say "cool.")

Thank you all very much for your support. I always appreciate it. I love and miss you all!

Your friend in Sudamérica,

Élder Hill

Fotos:

• Elder Steck en una Conferencia de Zona
• Mariana y Elba y sus bautizadores
• Todos los bautizados y los bautizadores
• Agustín, Abril, y su familia y sus bautizadores (Élder Toledo a la derecha)
• Elba y Mariana y sus élderes maestros
• Flia. Medina en el barrio

The Day of Rest, the Sabbath of the Lord

Friends and family,

This week was very wet. It was the single wettest week in my whole mission, with about the last five days being overcast and misty all day, with periodic showers. It is still overcast now. Rainfall has been extremely sorely needed in this province for months, so I am counting the many blessings.

We had a Tormenta Blanca in Dorrego this past Wednesday, which, if you don't remember, is when the whole zone comes to work in one area for a few hours. I was with Elder Ismael during that time, working near the pensión, and I did fifty contacts in the street that day by myself! Also this week, in total, I did 121 of them, which is a personal record. 

I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday about the Day of Rest, and it went very well. Many people thanked me and said they learned a lot from me. I used as my main source of information and quotes the Institute book of the Old Testament, in the chapter on Exodus 20 - yes, there's an entire chapter of commentary on that one chapter. The Ten Commandments are surprisingly deep. I recommend that book to everyone, because I have learned so much from it. (It's available in the Gospel Library under the section for Institute, in case you're interested.) I talked a lot about the fact that the Day of Rest, as says a quote from Elder Spencer W. Kimball in the book, is a day when we are excused from the first commandment Adam received after the Fall, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground" (Genesis 3:19). Sunday is an exception to that rule, and it is to be used for the work of God. As says Isaiah 58:13-14, if we observe the Sabbath day with full purpose of heart and mind, we will delight in Jehovah, and will participate in the inheritance of Jacob; and what is the inheritance of Jacob? It is exaltation. What a promise! But also, what a high standard the scriptures set for the Sabbath! It is beautiful, but it is also difficult. I challenge all of you to sanctify that day, devoting it to the Most High, so that you can find delight in the things of God. There are blessings beyond imagination awaiting us, if we would just accept the rest that God wants to give us.

With lots of love,

Élder Hill

Fotos:

• En Consejo de Líderes este martes pasado; jugando ajedrez con Hna. Turley de Alvear, con la presencia honorable del Élder Ricks
• Mirando la lluvia a través de nuestra puerta
• Todos los líderes en el Consejo. (Note from Lani:  Ben is in the back row, about 1/3 from the left.)