Dedication

Dear Family,

We worked really hard this week. Big surprise there.... Just kidding but this week was awesome. Mom, you said something about the fourth semester starting, that is insane! Random fact that I find hilarious is that today starts week for of school here in Argentina and the kids have only gone to school 4 days of the last 3 weeks and will only have school on Friday this week. All the teachers are on strike until the government gives them a pay raise. All the parents and children are getting restless but hey, who can complain about having an extra month of Summer?! 

And Maddy, I don´t even care if you become every ones favorite Aunt but make sure you just enjoy all the time you have with our nieces and nephews. I cannot believe that Seth got a job!! Tell him he needs to write me again! 

The leafs are changing and falling and along with that comes the change in temperature which has left both Hna. Cooley  and I talking like dying cows but actually people listen more carefully to see if they can disypher what we are saying. We found this awesome guy from Haiti. By the time everything was cleaned up from the baptism we only had like 30 minutes left to work so we hit the streets to reach the daily goals and saw miracles. 

But the highlight of my week was when I was working with Hna. Flores in her area. They have been teaching a 17 year old for about 2 months and they haven´t been able to get permission from her father for baptism. Hna. Flores and I started the intercambio on our knees praying for the opportunity to talk to her father. As we entered her house she told us he wasn´t there. We taught the lesson and toward the end he entered the house and headed upstairs with the word ´´chau´´ or goodbye.... Hna. Flores brought up the story of Ester and the spirit was so strong. We prayed together and we asked her to take the steps of faith to invite her father to listen to us. As she asked how she was going to do that we heard him start to practice is guitar. So we invited her to ask him if we could listen to him play. She was terrified but stood and with steps of faith asked him to enter the room. She entered again followed by her father who is an excellent musician. During the first two songs she sat her back to him with her head down. I recognized his second song he played (turns out listening to the Herb Albert CD on repeat on Saturday morning cleanings did help me prepare for my mission) I was so grateful for the confidence that comes from hope and the knowledge that God will fulfill his promises. His response to my question was ´´I will support my daughter in her decision¨. I don´t think I will forget the facial expression of T.....We invited him to listen to what we were teaching his daughter and he said next time. And ended with a final song. I couldn´t help but radiate the happiness that I could see in T... eyes her held was held high and I couldn´t help but think of all the modern day Esters all around the world.

Love you all! And remember it takes steps of faith to accomplish those things that are most important. 

The gospel is true.

Life is wonderful!

Hermana Amanda Ray Hill

Amanda's Letter

March 17, 2014

Dear Family,

This week was insane! I fell in love with Malargue. It is the furthest city south of the mission. I am so sad I didn´t bring my camera. I haven´t seen a sunset that beautiful in years. I was working with Hna. Jasso who is a new missionary and is super full of fire. Malargue is way small and we had to walk at least 3 kilometres just to get to our first appointment but that evening has been one of the best in my mission. We took the young women's president from the branch who comes from a family of 12 and went from finca to finca (a kind of farm...) and taught family after family. It was a big leap of faith for the Hermana to finally share what she sincerely believed and it was very well received. Her niece from our first visit asked if we were walking and offered us her truck. So she came with us to all of the rest of our visits and by the end of the 5 hours was asking what she needed to do to be baptized. She drove us back to town and she drove out of the way to make sure she knew how to get to the church on Sunday. Oh it was beautiful. I was excited to keep working in Malargue but we got a call that night and ended up traveling back to San Rafael at 1 in the morning. 

Hna. Cooley and I were both exhausted and fell asleep on the 4 hour ride. I remember jerking awake and immediately grabbing my bag and it wasn´t until I was off the bus when I realized how blessed we were that we didn´t keep on sleeping all the way to Mendoza (another 3.5 hours). Who knew the spirit was an alarm clock too!

On Sunday we had 3 investigators that beat us to church and T. ended up making some really good friends. I just love her! She got to the church at 8:20!  This week we taught her the Word of Wisdom and she told us that she coffee wasn´t strong enough to be bad for her. And when on for the next couple minutes about how there is no way God would ask her to give it up. After she finished her rant we asked her to pray in that moment to ask God if that is what He wanted her to do. She started her prayer and immediately said, ¨I know I need to give up coffee, and know that you can give me the strength´´. She hasn´t drunken coffee since. And she is coming with us to visit some menos activos this week. If you can include Familia Millard in your prayers that would be great!

This upcoming week will be really crucial. And we had lots of change in the zone including new sisters! Hna. Hatch is back in my Zone which is so great. Just love her to death! Quite literally.... as she is ending her mission soon. 

Raquel and her family is doing great. The ward is helping her out a ton. She has helped me realize how much I have been blessed with and the sincerity we should all have. Basically, if you can´t tell, I have fallen in love with San Rafael! I love it here! I never want to leave!! 

Love you all! Heidi, I wish you the best luck on your mission! I promise I will write you when I get home!! Until then, you can read the plethora of letters your family will write!!

The gospel is true.

Life is wonderful!

Hna. Hill

I´m loving it!!

Dear Family,

I am at a period of my life on my mission that really I am in love with everything. The weather is perfect (for the most part), I have an awesome companion, we found 3 families last week (and mom I think you completely misunderstood me, there were 80 people in sacrament meeting JAMAS have I ever had anywhere close to that number of investigators at church) give me a couple more weeks... Just kidding. But I love my mission a lot. And I have always been blessed by miracles during my mission and whenever I get a new companion they are always really good at recognizing all the miracles and reminding me of how blessed we really are!

One specific miracle- we were walking and decided to talk to EVERYONE (1st best way of finding people). During the siesta we were walking quickly and we got lost (2nd best way to finding people) we stopped a lady who was watering her lawn (illegal, but the police sleep during the siesta too) and as we talked to her she asked, ¨are you guys christian?´´ and we answered in the affirmative she invited us in telling us she was looking for a church. Though she lives alone we contacted her family that live around centro and on Sunday the whole back row was filled with honest seekers of truth.

This week I started the Book of Mormon again. It is so true! I love that book!! By theme for this week is Hebrews 10 -
35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

 36 For ye have need of ^apatience, that, after ye have done the ^bwill of God, ye might receive the ^cpromise.
 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man ^adraw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
 39 But we are not of them who ^adraw back unto ^bperdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

I have been amazed at the power that comes from the words of the scriptures. After consejo I really wanted to purify my heart and remembered the peoples desire, after King Benjamin's sermon, to do good continuously and as I studied King Benjamin's sermon this week I found that the change was wrought about my the better understanding of the character of Christ, and what he did for us.  What the atonement really means. How powerful it is to know of that infinite and eternal sacrifice. How powerful it is to know and be a witness of Him at all times and in all things and all places. And though I do not fully understand what He has done, it has changed my heart. How blessed we are.

Thank you for the updates on Grandma. Say goodbye for me, give her a big hug, kiss, send my love and remind her of all those times I snuck into her room in the super early morning to talk to her and even though I would wake her up she still loved me.

Love you all!

The gospel is true, and life is wonderful!

Hna Hill

Argentina Mendoza!!

What!!!! Kaylee got her mission call to Argentina Mendoza!!! When does go into the MTC??? That is so exciting!! And I should probably send shout outs to Maddy Buhman and Sierra Wise! So proud of my little girls. Who knew that Lacrosse makes SICK missionaries! Obviously the LORD. 

 

I had to say goodbye to the Hna. Sorensen. I got the Hna. Cooley this week. We will work hard. It was hard because we I wasn´t able to work for three days this week because of transfers, consejo, and the fact that San Rafael is ridiculously far from Mendoza. But we had over 80 people at church this week. And we had an activity that 26 women came to (not counting children) to learn how to make torta de Helado! People brought investigators and it was a huge success seeing as though we have about half generally in Relief Society.

 

R..... came to church with her 4 children this week. I was surprised and grateful. And was so proud of the ward. They loved her SO much! She felt so welcome and we didn´t sit by her in any of the meetings which always makes you feel good as a missionary. And they ended up serving the cake we made at the activity to the whole ward after church.

 

I feel like so much happened this week, but I don´t know what else to write. The gospel is true, and life is wonderful. I feel like this transfer has so much penitential and it will probably be my last transfer in San Rafi, so my plans of baptizing the whole city will have to be exhilarated to the max!! Jaja!

 

Love you all!

Hna. Hill

 

And Dad sorry for going through all that trouble to switch deferments. I promise it won´t happen again. 

Dog Eating Grapes! Oh there are grapes everywhere. Thats what you get for being in wine country.

My beautiful mountains. 

You love without service but you can´t serve without love!!

Dear Family,

I will be brief (not Ryan short, don´t worry). 

This week was another pretty rough week but I decided last p-day that I was going to be go-lucky happy. It rained straight for 4 days, and am one of the 2 missionaries in San Rafael (of the 22) who love the rain! It may have helped that I have the coolest rain boots ever. This meant that Hna. Sorensen made me carry her on my back over some really big rain puddles which I didn´t entirely mind. And on Friday on the way back from area 3 I jumped in 22 awesome puddles. I should have taken pictures but didn´t. Supposedly it rained more yesterday then it did in the complete last year in San Rafael, but that came from some Argentines and they like to exaggerate a little bit. 

We got a call and had to travel up to Mendoza for Visa stuff and ended missing almost two days of work. Which was disappointing because we had some big plans. And due to the rain only one investigator came. But it was one we dropped a couple weeks ago and this was a big step for him so hopefully he will get baptized soon. 

We had a miracle Tuesday. We are rarely at the church. But Tuesday we were waiting with a member for a less active to come with his almost wife who is not a member to do a church tour and they didn´t show up. We asked if we could leave the member with a prayer. As we said Amen, we heard the door open to find a mother of an investigator. Even though we invite her to every lesson she generally is too busy or leaves during the lesson. But she came in sat down and started to cry telling us she didn´t know where to go but knew that she could find peace in our church. We had a member already there and shared with her a powerful lesson. It is difficult for lots of missionaries to work during the siesta because it is ridiculously hot and everyone is asleep but I have found that the majority of the miracles I have been able to witness have happened during the siesta. 

Can´t believe Covey and Annie are married!!! I got their announcement this week and it was funny because Hna. Sorensen visa waited in the mission when he was AP. And then she showed me all the notes she had taken from different conferences where they had spoken. Thanks for the pictures!!! 

Well I am off!! I love you all!! And I am keeping Grandma in my prayers!!

The gospel is true.

Life is wonderful!!

Hna. Hill

Let us not take counsel from our fears

Dearest Family,

I was brought to tears as I read emails today. I want to particularly like to thank Abby, Mom, and Becky. It brought back a flood of memories. I am so grateful for the people who have influenced, and continue to influence me to do good! I am grateful for the influence Mark has had on our family. And know that I was praying for you all especially the Mulfords this week. 

This week was rough. We tried to find, and find, and find, but didn´t have much success. We had planned a día blanca for the 22nd of February, and were hoping for at least the minimum of 9 baptisms of the 15 we are preparing. But yesterday we ended up dropping the I....... family (which broke my heart), which were 4 of the secure baptisms, and no one attended church this week. I have been very blessed in my mission and it had been the first time that no investigators have come to church in many months. With that we will have to focus really hard on Camila, Sergio, Lydia, Karen, and Lourdes who have the required amount of Assistencias but I don´t know  if they will be fully prepared by the 22nd. But we will do all we can and leave it to the hands of the Lord. 

Pray for Lydia, she is down to 5 cigarettes a day, (came down from 40), but she needs to move out of Enzo´s house this week, and they have nothing, but she is fairly determined. And yesterdays lessons was super powerful.

We had an awesome ward activity this week. I took Aspen Foolies to a new level and we had a blast. Also I brought Nutella and basically I am every ones favorite missionary. ....not that I wasn´t before..... Jk. But only 1 investigator made it and no one brought friends, but it was a blast and I am confident that if we do another one in two weeks everyone will bring the neighborhood children. And mom sent me peanut butter cookie mix so the food will not lack there. (Thanks for your inspiration, Mom) P.s. we always try to bring members to lessons and as we analyse who would be best we generally come up with the same three people and as I was thinking how awesome it would be to have my family in the ward I was serving in. Not only would we probably double the population of San Rafael, but the fellowshiping would be ridiculous! So though I can´t have you here in Argentina with me. So help me, you better be fellowshipping where you are!! 

Hna. Sorensen sends home 14 pictures a week, and I think I have probably sent home 14 pictures my whole mission. But I will send a couple. 

1. LOOK NUTELLA!! put to good use.

2. Turns out sending me to barter at the market in Ecuador at age 10 was not a bad idea. Turns out I still have the old touch!

February!

Dear Family,

First off, I went to Mendoza and they had my Christmas package waiting for me.... So apparently the one that is in Buenos Aires is a different one. And I would advise you not to send anymore packages. And I doubt there has ever been a missionary in the world that has send that, but NOTHING is getting through. But my Christmas package was wonderful! Hna. Sorensen and I had a blast and I had two intercambios this week so they enjoyed everything as well. Funny thing is that I brought home a package for Hna. Sorensen and she got a calender too, and uno, and tons of candy! It was hilarious. But I got an ultimate Frisbee so clearly you guys win!! And thank you so much for pictures. Everyone I have shown thinks I have a gorgeous family! I would have to agree!

Second, everything is changing here and fast. When I went to Mendoza the taxi I took cost almost 40 pesos. Two months ago it cost just over 20. Bread is now at 18 pesos a kilo. Everyone is loosing jobs, especially here in San Rafael. My heart has been broken again and again this week. San Rafael is a smaller town. Its main source of income is tourism (has beautiful places like Nuihil, Valle Grande) and fruit. This past winter was strong and froze/burned all the fruit. Not very many people are traveling because of the economy and there is no fruit. In this past week there has been a huge influx of people on the street. 

Last night I couldn´t get C...... out of my head, she was way out of the way but we stopped by at about 8 last night and we helped her pack all of her boxes. Just broke my heart. It is a rough situation for all. And I feel like when you are in these situations of turmoil it is so easy to ask why. To question out of faithfulness you are put in difficult situations. The active members of the ward are suffering as well. I just wish we had more time to visit everyone who needs help. We have taught many lessons this week but people are not progressing. I just wish I could help people understand the blessings of obedience. Mosiah 2:41 has climbed to be one of my most favorite scriptures. 

We dropped lots of people this week. Which always is hard. Saturday we were focusing on finding and prayed hard on Friday to find a family of 4 the following day. Saturday was rough. Nothing and it was warm. But we continued working hard. Walking during the siesta and talking to EVERYONE!! We were not let in at all! But at 8:45 we found our family of 4. A grandmother with her 3 grandchildren. God answers prayers. We recieve testimonies after the trial of our faith. Do what you know is right and the blessings follow.

I love you all. Send your prayers this way. 

Your favoritest, smartest, funniest daughter, Duh! (I know I am missing a couple adjectives)