What is our aim? Victory!

Dearest Family,

I just love you all so much. Hannah was right in her email to the family, we are just so blessed. Today and yesterday were days of reflection. Who would have thought that the past several years would have led to this? I didn´t think it was possible to love so much. My family, but also the people here. Let me explain. 

This week we had exchanges and I stayed in my area and Hna. H.... my companion for the day has one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn from her and more fully feel God´s love for his children. We carried a viejitas groceries and began to listen and she explained her situation, valued her faith, but also felt her sorrow. As we reached her humble home she thanked us and I asked her if I could ask her a question. She answered the question as tears began to fall. I was able to testify that she was a daughter of God, and while holding her frail hand I told her I was her sister and she would never be alone in this life. As I testified about the plan of salvation and our purpose on earth I learned several things from the words I was speaking. I just wish I could tell all the world about the restored truths upon this earth. For this is the only thing that truly comforts the afflicted, lifts the hands that hang low, and truly heals through the peace of truth. 

I have tried to adequately study the power of covenants. Particularly the power of and meaning of the Abrahamic Covenant. Exaltation vrs. salvation. The new and everlasting covenant which binds our families in this world and the next. The more I understand the more my desire to share this truth grows. The more I love all those around me and all of you! 

I am doing amazing here, and learning so much! Love you all!

Hermana Hill

That is the last time we take directions from a squirrel! (we lost our area map...)

Dear fam!

Questions: Is the catholic church starting to baptize by immersion? Will you send me conversiones to the metric system...

 To join the rest, I too found ice cream on Mom`s birthday. It cost me 30 pesos and finally after daily planning I got it out and accidentally dropped it breaking the container and spilling its contents onto the floor, but don´t worry we salvaged it. It only meant we had to eat it all in one sitting, but the sisters in my pension didn't mind one bit!

So this week has been crazy. The zonda came through which is this really warm wind that likes to knock down the giant trees that line all the roads. School was canceled and everything closed. We were not allowed to leave our pension unless we had planned appointments, lucky for us that was one of the few days where we had a crazy amount of lessons planned. I think I would have gone crazy having to stay inside all day. And everyone let us in too. It was great! Guess being cooped up in a house all day humbles people. 

Our ward mission leader is Hno. L..... He is a 73 year old man that was baptized 2.5 years ago. He loves coming with us to lessons and has the biggest heart! He still crys every time he talks about his wife. He always says the only reason he is still alive is so that he can do the work of the Lord until he has enough money to go to Buenos Aires and do the saving ordinances for him and his wife. He reminds me a lot of Elder Richard G. Scott. Just so sincere and genuine. 

I had an eye opening experience this week, so spiritual! Our 5th lesson to fall through on Saturday was our investigator who had her date to be baptized next Saturday, she dropped us telling us she new the Book of Mormon was true but her Father being an Evangelical pastor, it would be too hard to get baptized and she asked us never to come back. As I walked away discouraged I began to pick apàrt my day or my missionary style to see if there was something contrary to the teachings of Christ. I began to pray as we walked asking God if I was doing something wrong. And if not, why I am I not seeing the success that comes from giving my all! I was reprimanded by the spirit as the thought came strongly "This work isn´t about you." All of a sudden I saw a glimpse of the bigger picture. I did not come on my mission for "success", I came on my mission to invite and help other people to Christ, and sometimes I forget that we have a loving Heavenly Father, and elder brother, Jesus Christ, who love these people more than I do. And They want these people of Argentina to return Their presence more then even I do. My role as a missionary is to open my mouth, bear what I know to be the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and then wait upon the Lord. If I am honoring my covenants, keeping the commandments I will never have a reason to be disappointed. For this work isn´t about me, it is so much bigger, so much better and yet I have been called of God to be a part of it! Man, I am so lucky!

Love ya! 

Hna. Amanda Ray Hill

O and my address is (hint hint!)

Sister Amanda Ray Hill

Mision Mendoza Argentina

Cabildo Abierto 161

Godoy Cruz 5501

Argentina 

I found the cutest puppy! Man having all these scary dogs everywhere still has not healed my desire to have a dog... 

This is the sunrise I get to see outside my window during personal study

Godoy Cruz

Dearest family! 

Well I am finally in Argentina and i love it! The other day I just had to stop and take it all in.... I love it! I am the only american in my pension, so hopefully i will learn castellano faster. I felt so bad. On our trip down hear I spoke the best spanish and ended up translating for everything but to be completely honest when we landed in Argentina I could not understand anything. Not only do they  shhhh the double L but they shhh any Y, and leave out any S´s. If that makes any sense... But I made by all right. And mendoza is so so much better. I can pretty much understand everything, except for my companion.... Just kidding kind of. She just came back from San Juan where they also shhhh all r´s. She is from buenos aires. She is great. She walks crazy fast! I love it!

Man, I don´t know where to start. so much has happened this week. First off, Dad, what wards/branches did you serve in. Everyone is asking me! I am serving in the city. Godoy Cruz to be exact. We share the area with some office Elders but with the amount of people coming in and out of the mission they are mainly stuck in the office so we get the area to ourselves. They just had a white night (lots of people get baptized) the week before I arrived so we are finding. I recognize that I am blessed to know as much spanish as I do but I just want to communicate freely. I got pretty frusterated Saturday but fasted Sunday and had a RRee awesome Sunday. 

A little over 90 percent of the ward is inactive and I am so excited to start working with less actives. This area has so much potential. I am so blessed and I am so excited because I am almost for sure going to stay here next transfer because my companion is headed home. I just hope I get a native companion so I will be forced to only speak the language. Actually it feels so weird to be writting in English, I guess that is a sign of improvement. 

I feel like this letter is all over the place but I will close with a couple of stories. 1. first off, though I was warned by a friend everyone starts to laugh when I introduce myself. Hill which is pronounced gil here means :stupid, dim witted, or idiot. The ward was laughing out a storm. Elder and Sister Aines asked if I wanted to add my mothers maiden name so it was less embarrassing but I have found that it breaks the ice real fast and my companion keeps telling me that she has never had so much success.

2. We walk a lot and I try to say Hello to everyone unless we are close to the plaza then it is hopeless. I cannot help but laugh at peoples reactions. Everyone is so surprised! I have actually had people stop and say they are so sorry that they don´t remember there name. Perfect! 

The A... showing off their dresses for the baptizm. Still Sad I won´t be there! So excited Hna A...Is finally getting baptized.

First day in the field

me and my companion 70 years from now...

Arrived Safely to Mendoza!

Dear Hill Family,       

We are happy to inform you that your Missionary has arrived here in Mendoza alive and well!

Following a short orientation and a dinner with President and Sister Avila, the new missionaries were then brought to the mission home to eat dinner, recuperate from the flight and have a brief testimony meeting.

Today they will meet their trainers, receive trainings from the assistants to the president, and have their first individual interview (in Spanish!) with President Avila. After this they will be off to their first assignment area. I am putting with this email a few pictures we took the first day in Argentina and you can even follow the blog of the mission at http://argentinamendozamission.blogspot.com.ar/

May the Lord continue to bless you and your family for all that you do in order to support your missionary.

                                                                                   

Sincerely,                                                                           

Elder Spiker

Secretario

Misión Argentina Mendoza

Don't Cry For Me Argentina

Fam!!

So I will be super brief. First off, I got my Visa this week. I leave in 7 days for Mendoza, Argentina. Crazy. It was interesting because I have never been to the new mission office at all. There was a meeting in Fort Collins and I was asked to stop by the mission office on my way home to pick up some things for our Zone. I was there for maybe 15 minutes and within those 15 minutes the phone rang and I didn't pay attention until I heard my name and then as I walked to the front office I saw that Sister Jensen had grabbed my file (yes.... I have a file...) I said, "Hey thats my picture" and she said, "Oh, you got your visa!" On one sense this is excellent timing, on the other aspects it is interesting that I leave now. (Hannah, your letter on the Lords timing was excellent "timed") Regardless, I am very excited to go! So, don't send me letters for the next week. I will send you my address when I get to Argentina.

This week was amazing. Me and my companion taught a lot this week. We are finally going on splits this upcoming tuesday which has been a dream for me sense week one on my mission. To have so many appointments that you need to split up to teach them. I tried to really challenge my trainee this week. On Saturday we went to South Collyer (little mexico) and walked up and down the streets and we decided we wouldn't leave until she committed three people to baptism. It was awesome and her spanish is improving so much. It is an interesting experience, because when I came out on my mission I spoke better spanish then my trainer and had come from the MTC that pounded committing to baptism after you feel the spirit. I think I surprised my trainer when I committed the first 5 people we talked with. And now it is so much fun to see my companion do kinda the same thing. I set up the lesson and then turn to my companion. Man! Though her spanish is broken she is so powerful! I will be sad to leave her, but we will end on an amazing week.

The very first week in this area I attended the Spanish group and realized that is what needed to be mended before I left. I guess I feel like that was how I could help the ward. And reality I could not do my work as a missionary until the group made a couple changes. I guess I was expecting at least another 3 weeks to put more of my insane ideas into play. Our bishop has helped so much and when I came to PEC this week and offered three more solutions to the problem we were trying to mend. We discussed them and I was afraid nothing would be done until after I left for the bishop is leaving tomorrow for a couple weeks. Then I could no longer follow up and was worried the problem would continue to grow. So I explained the many prayers, fasts, and desire that had gone into these solutions and asked that we start that very day. It was beautiful. We helped translate for the bishop as he spoke to the spanish group and there was not a dry eye in the small group by the end of the discussion. I have both faith and hope that this is the beginning of a big change. I am so grateful for the spirit, and for people who have the courage to follow through with those promptings. Aka the people of this group, bishop and auxiliary.

Well I am off!!

Did Madi get her visa to Argentina?

Love you all so much!

-Hermana Hill 

La Cucuracha, La cucuracha.... El no puede caminar (probably because he ate so blasted much!)

Greetings Family,

What is this news of Jordan having a girlfriend? Living proof that God answers Moms prayers. Just Kidding, but in all sincerity she sounds awesome.

This week has been amazing. This is the first time on my mission that the desire of my companion has matched my own. Needless to say we got loads of work done. I broke my personal record of lessons taught in a week and my District Leader was pretty surprised when we reported numbers last night. The ward is catching the wave and I am happy to announce that this week, for the first time we went to an appointment and they already had a non-member family waiting for us to be taught. I am hoping everyone in the ward will feel that and that will continue to progress.

So I decided to restructure the way I had been previously doing missionary work and have loads of member present lessons. Before the lesson we talk with the member and invite them to invite the investigator over for dinner for the following lesson. It has made the world of difference. The only downside is that I had 2 dinners 3 different times this week and on Sunday we had meals at 2:30, 5:30, 6:30 (was just dessert), and though I assured the C.... that I was full they gave me a plate of Carne Asada (my favorite), aroz, frijoles, y napalos (cactus) at 8:45 at night. But I willingly ate it as we talked to this new family they have been helping prepare.

We already have 6 member present lessons set up for next week including one tonight. We have invited a recent convert family to come help us teach P...... and D...... I am so excited! We are going on splits as well with two stellar Laurels from our ward. I just wish that some of the Laurels spoke Spanish. Looks like we need to activate them.

DAD! Oh random, but yesterday we were helping this man move a crazy heavy salt water fish tank when I saw "Strengthening Families" in his bookshelf. Afterwards I showed him the kitchen sink chapter and realized that you mention me 3 times in that essay. Living proof that I am your favorite child!

The work is swell! And on the move! I am so blessed to be working with a such a missionary minded ward. I am so grateful for my companion!  This is the best time of my life, and what is even cooler is that it is also the best time FOR my life! Why in the world am I so lucky?!?!

Oh I just remembered. We taught everywhere we could. It has been pretty warm this week, it was weird to go from 103 to me wearing a winter coat the following day though. One of the lessons we taught was outside of a bright purple trailer. It was on Main St. (busiest street in Logmont) and it was poring! When we got out of the car and we saw an older couple inside the trailor. We waved and they opened the window. As we began our greetings we also testified of the truth and told them we were here to teach them about how their families could be together forever. They welcomed our invitation but explained it was not their trailer and couldn't let us inside. So we stood in the mud as they knelt down by the window and we shared a simple but powerful message. As we left we could not help but laugh at the circumstances.

Love you all!

Les queiro muchisimo!

Sister/Hermana Hill

Know This That Every Soul Is Free

Querido familia,

Hannah!! You are having a boy?!? Congrats!! Now you can finally name him A-girl-duh. 

I too am becoming a mama this week! (The term for training a new greenie). I was surprised because in the Denver North Mission they didn't allow Visa waiters to train. So either they are super desperate, or I am awesome. For the sake of personal affirmation we will stick with awesome. I am staying in Longmont which is great. It will be hard to see Sister Seaborn go. We learned a lot together. But I am not going to lie, I am super excited to train. 

This week our mission met President Brown for the first time, and I am so thrilled to be working under his stewardship. I was amazed by his demeanor. His wife is a gem as well. Before my mission I did not fully realize the caliber of people I would have the opportunity of working with. I mean I am at awe at the bishop of my ward, particularly sitting in during PEC, and Ward Counsel. His heart is so big. My zone leaders are top notch. The church truly is defined by its leaders and the better I know the leaders the easier it is to see the truthfulness of this gospel.

It was the first Sunday of the month and Brother P. got up and bore his testimony. I couldn't help but cry. He was semi-inactive 6 weeks ago and dropped off his daughter at the MTC the Wednesday before we arrived. He now holds a temple recommend, and accepted a call to be a ward missionary. His approach is to take people up in his plane and teach them the gospel. And in his own words "and the best part, is they can't get away when their hundreds of feet in the air!" He is telling his daughter this week that he has a temple recommend. I can't even imagine how excited she will be! Too bad she will have to wait to get home to be sealed to him.

I went on exchanges with Sister Loux this week and it was amazing. We were lucky to be in my area.  I have never taught so many lessons in one day. We got out of a lesson about 10 minutes before we were supposed to meet to switch back. So we decided to run and try to contact one of our referrals. We have tried to contact them 3 times and when we knocked on the door a J...... answered the door and we asked if we could set up an appointment. But she said no. I testified of the truth and asked if we could share a message now. She let us in and we one of the most powerful lessons of the Plan of Salvation. The only problem is that Sister Loux doesn't speak Spanish, she is a visa waiter for Brazil. But she said the closing prayer in Portuguese. The spirit was crazy strong. And Sister Loux told me afterward she doesn't care if she goes to Brazil, she just wants to be switched to a Spanish area. 

I am going to end, but this week was full of the spirit. I have never been so specifically led in all my life. I still need some definite fine tuning, but I have an eternity to learn. 

Love you all tons! And keep your prayers coming my way. 

Les quiero muchisimo!!

For Preparation Day we went to the stake center and had a huge nerf dart fight with PVC pipe. It was awesome! Looks like my practicing from using a blow dart gun in Ecuador finally came into use!

 We had a 4th of July awesome lunch thing.