Amanda's Letter

June 21, 2014

Dear Family,

So I leave to Mendoza after church tomorrow and won´t get back to Wednesday so President told me I could use a half hour and he made me promise that I would at least use a couple to tell you I am fine and happy!

I absolutely love San Luis which sounds weird because I am right in the middle of one of the most European provinces in Argentina. Everyone is white, there are no ascequias (open sewer), hardly any dogs on the streets, no garbage, I haven´t seen any robings yet, and only one dead animal on the side of the street. I live in the middle of centro, like outside my door is a Peruvian farmers market and the giant screen that the government puts up for the Mundial. You think I am kidding but look at the pictures!

It also feels like a European mission. We were at a bus stop  and the first person I tried to talk to took my Mormon.org card from my hand crumpled it up and threw it on the ground and walked to the back of the group of people. Not a single person let us in their house for my first two days here. But we had three miracle lessons yesterday and contacted a way good referral from the bishop this morning. I remember my first week in San Rafael. It sounds rough, but so far I haven´t minded it. It is so easy to distinguish who wants to listen and who doesn´t. I honestly haven´t minded it so far. I am really lucky that I have an amazing companion. We get along really well. The other sisters in my apartment are hilarious and love to cook. They are both from El Salvador and I love Papusa so I am happy! And I am working with two of my favorite Elders in the mission in my ward. They really work, and even though we are all ending soon every single of us really wants to not only be here but give it everything we got. You better be excited to read my family letters this week. I can just foresee all the miracles. OH I am so EXCITED!!! 

I love San Luis!

I love this work!

I love my life!!

And being the first day of summer I guess this letter would be incomplete without.... HAGS!!

Hermana Hill

The crossroads with the Holy Ghost

Dear Fam,

We have an awesome group going up to Zonda with us today so that will be way fun. Will send pictures for sure next week. 

You would think that by now I would know what to write in family letters but I got nothin. 

This week I have thought a lot about agency. How Satan's plan from the very beginning was to take away our ability to choose. As we follow Gods plan we are given more and more choice. Perhaps it is the culture, but I feel like the classic parenting style here is taking away freedom so the only option is choosing good, but somehow children manage to choose wrong. The absolute strongest families I have seen are those who have taught their children all they could and leave them at the crossroads with the Holy Ghost. And when I came to that realization I changed slightly how I teach. It is crucial to ensure that investigators know how the spirit feels and then let the gentile Spirit guide their footsteps instead of my forceful hand. I just wish they could see the blessing that comes from living within guidelines of our Father in Heaven. 

The mission is so strange you can be so incredibly happy and then within two hours can be filled with so much sadness. For example, yesterday at church was Fast Sunday and we called down the blessings for our investigators to come to church. Tons of less actives came but no one was home when we went to pick them up (sadness). So we went to Relief Society and Sunday School with no investigators but G. ended up coming to bless her child and brought her whole family to come and watch.(Happiness) I was so happy as Hno. Q. stood up to bless this precious little baby after the sacrament. The spirit was strong and L. (the youngest of the Kim Family) got up and bore her testimony and from the podium invited her family to get up as well. I just couldn´t handle all the tender mercies as God showed me the progression of so many as they stood to bare their testimonies. (pure joy) Hno. Q. left church to pick up Emmanuel who was attending another church at the time, he is so awesome.(bliss) I left church on a spiritual high and knew that this family too had felt the spirit and were so prepared for the restored gospel.

 Just a couple hours later we got off a micro that we had barley caught after a controversial birthday lunch where the newly activated member and her devout Evangelical son-in-law didn´t see eye to eye on religion, and broke our fast eating super vinegary cow intestines. We had a leadership meeting that wasn´t as efficient as I would have hoped and I left frustrated and late to our next appointment. We got to the house and we were greeted with open doors but with the sad news that his wife had just barely left and the sad knowledge that even though we had prepared a spirit-filled lesson we could not enter the house to teach it. We left and decided to see if we could walk faster then the bus that only passes once every hour and had just dropped us off. As I walked the long road back to civilization with profound and not so profound thoughts filling my mind. The happiness seemed to be reduced by the surrounding darkness. Each footstep was heavy and forced and hurt from my feet who reminded me I couldn´t keep wearing my whole-y shoes, or my back that wasn´t exactly happy with the extra gospel principal books I was lugging around.  When we finally reached city limits and could walk side by side by my companion it was a wake up call that I wasn´t alone nor could I assume that I was the only one who was about ready to burst with thoughts. Hna. Barney and I had an amazing conversation that was interrupted constantly as we talked to those around us, but by the time we reached home I was so incredibly grateful for the infinite and eternal truth I knew, my family that has gone before, and those I have by my side. And in that moment I was so grateful for all those before me who in that crucial moment at cross roads listened to the still small voice of the Holy Ghost and amidst the darkness, chose light. 

The Gospel is True.

Life is wonderful!

Hermana Hill

Amanda's Letter

Dear Family,

I am glad to here mom is back home from the hospital! Take that ICU!!! You´ve got nothing on her!! 

This week we saw loads of miracles. But I had a moment this week that rivals for top experience of my mission. So while I was in Colorado there was a less active father who had a daughter serving a mission. I grew to love the family a lot and I really had nothing to do with his change, we just had him come teach lessons with us all the time,  but during the 9 weeks I was there I was able to see him come back to the church. There were few moments in my mission that have more sincere from his wife giving me a hug with tears rolling down her face as she read to me the letter from her daughter who was serving a mission when she found out that her Dad had received a temple recommend and that they could be sealed the day she returned from her mission. Ever since that experience I have made sure that I keep tabs on all the missionaries families to make sure they are very much spiritually alive when their children return from missions. 

Well the Familia K.... was baptized about a year and a half ago and their oldest son is serving his mission. They haven´t been coming to church but the family is amazing. This week we had the whole family come with us to teach another recent convert lesson and the families clicked, pero de 10!! The Marinero family asked Hermano Kim why his family joined the church. I wasn´t quite sure what he was going to say because about 6 weeks ago he told me he wasn´t quite sure if God existed but he bore such powerful testimony of the change that comes when one is living in harmony with the gospel. The familia marinero began to cry and we had a mini testimony meeting. The spirit was strong and I know it testified to everyones heart. At the end Hermano Kim borrowed a  guitar and we all sang How Great Thou Art at the top of our lungs. I just wish I could have sent all of this to their son. This Sunday when I arrived to church the Familia Kim hadn´t gotten there yet and I called and they didn´t answer. I was sad they didn´t wake up but at the end of Relief Society (we have church backwards here, sacrament at the end) the presidenta welcomed Hermana Kim, and Hermano Kim to Relief Society (it had been a long time since they got their so early that they had both come into the RS room) It made me so happy! So grateful for the changing power that comes with the spirit. 

I love my comp! Hna. Barney! I knew her before the mission so that is way fun! We found our Robles family this week. Father is less active. Mother super receptive with two cute kids. 

I am fasting from English so it is weird to be writing so much English. Spanish is still a struggle. I still speak wrong. I can understand everything and I talk too fast. But I still don´t know the rules. Guess I should have had more Spanish lessons while doing the dishes with you, James! Oh and I am a huge RIVER fan!! And it is not because they won it all either. 

The Gospel is True.

Life is wonderful!

Hermana Hill 

Triumph: Try with a little umph!!!

Dearest Family,

I had the strange desire to write this in the form of a poem but not think will be happening... What rhymes with family? Clearly the length in the mission is directly correlated with the loss of creativity. 

Good thing I talked with ya´ll last week cause this week my voice is a mix between batman, and that frog voiced kid from little rascals. Its getting cold and managed to catch a little gripe. It was able to work fine though, just hope no one gets the wrong impression and a long with all the other misinterpretations about our faith is that they all their ´´homely Mormon women (mark twain)´´ talk like men too.  I did get a fever for a day or two and woke up in the middle of the night due to moaning. I thought the unrealistic thought of ´´the nerve of Hna. Sagers to wake me up!!´´ but then I came to the sad realization that the awful guttural noise was coming from my own throat. I am up to three blankets at night.... Its getting cold (yes, mom, I am thinking about turning off the fan)

Dad, this monday I decided to print off all your articles from the Ensign and downloaded your articles and humored myself listening to some strange man trying to be my Dad. I came to thinking, can you send me ´´Dealing with Differences´´ from that fireside that you gave with Mom before she died. That way I can listen to the both of you. And also Dad, you inspire me!! I love the way you write! I found myself crying during personal study the next day and now I am 5 paragraphs into memorizing The Family: a proclamation to the world. I love you so much. I am so grateful for the temporal sacrifices you made to be one of my best friends!! 

This Monday I realized, being the last week of the transfer, that this might be the last week I had to work with Hna. Sagers. We made some awesome goals and worked incredibly hard this week. We found so many potentials. The line kept coming to my head from my memorizing ´´Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of Heavenly Parents, and as such, each has a Divine nature and destiny.´´ I was overwhelmed with the love I have for not only you guys back home, but all my brothers and sisters. 

Mom, know my prayers are with you. Keep me updates on the surgery! I didn´t realize how serious everything was. You guys sounded so nonchalant on skype last week! 

Love you all!

Hna. Hill 

1. Need I say more.

2. At your request mom, here is a normal faced picture as well...

Amanda's Letter

Dearest Family,

Feliz 5 de mayo!! I celebrated by stilling some Mexican candy from Elder Garcia yesterday during leadership meeting!! Love spicy candy!! And I got my hands on some legit Mexican spices for tacos. Hay carramba!! 

Oh, what time is Ryan calling yáll for mothers day? Don´t want to crash the party, I will call on Saturday for cinco minutos and we can figure that all out then. All I ask is answer the phone... (not like the airport Mom, just kidding! I love your guts!) 

This week was weird. We had consejo and we ended up spending about 2.5 days in Mendoza. I got really good at medical translating though. Right when I was filling confident with my Spanish they through me another whole line of vocabulary. And before you get the idea that I am dying of some exotic parasite you should know that 1. this is Argentina and their is hardly anything exotic. 2. That would be my companion whose suffering from parasites 3. Really the nurse has been in the U.S. for the last couple of weeks so I ended up translating everything to help her catch up. Next day was President Avila last zone conference so we only really worked 3 days this week. 

I have this really complex thought process that I will try to write down. During Zone conference an Elder I had worked with at the beginning of my mission got up to give his last testimony. When I had worked with him he was not exactly obedient and it was sad for me to see him waste so much of his mission. But as he stood to speak I was amazed by how much he had changed in the last 4 or 5 transfers. The spirit testified powerfully, and taught with his heart. At that moment I realized that he would be returning a hero. He had served a full mission, and from what I could see, he would leave reconciled by the grace of our Savior and, thus, would leave perfect. 

This week ´´give us this day our daily bread´´ really caught my attention and as I was thinking about this and in relation to the manna that the children of Israel gathered daily I couldn´t help but think of this Elder, and who we are really comes on a daily basis. It goes both ways. It doesn´t matter how disobedient you were yesterday you can repent and receive your daily bread for that day. And it doesn´t matter how hard I work I cannot save my bread for tomorrow. With the sound of the alarm I must wake and give my all, yet again. It was slightly disheartening at the moment I came to that realization. That the work never stops. That there is never a break. That even when I am released I still need to stand in the face of opposition and I know that if I keep doing what I am doing I will never receive a break. So why do we jump out of bed when the alarm rings? Why to we continue to serve when we are rejected? Why to we continue to cry with those that mourn knowing that they probably will choose to cry even if there are reasons to laugh? Why do you continue to love your children even though they never listen to what you say? Because we show our love to God by being obedient. Because the faith to build must be followed by the diligence to maintain. Because we know that in order to live (spiritually) we must collect our daily manna. And in order to live joyfully now and for forever we must be spiritually alive.

The gospel is true. I testify of that. And because it is true, life is wonderful.

Love,

Hermana Hill

Amanda's Letter

I wanted to use the subject ´´Even falling on your face is a step forward´´ but felt like the other was a little more inspiring!

I wrote lots of emails this morning and now I don´t have nearly as much time as I hoped to tell you about how awesome this week was. And it just gets better! I woke up this morning at 6 to a text from E..... sincerely apologizing for not coming to church yesterday and that she promised she would go to sleep earlier so that she could fulfill her commitment to us the following week. (got to love texts like that) We also live above a bakery so I get to wake up every morning to the smell of freshly baking croissants. Though a blessing it is also a curse. Its like when you walk through the mall and come across the pretzel store and you know its a waste of money and time but your mouth starts to water and it looks really tempting. It is a good thing I am learning lots of self control on my mission. It has been said, you cannot say ´´Lord, I am your servant´´ until you can say ´´I am the master of my soul´.

Well this Saturday Hna. Sagers and I sat down at a plaza to start our fast when some kids playing soccer over shot the goal and I ran over to kick back the ball. I looked at my companion and she yelled ´´Fine, 5 minutes´´ with her permission I decided to show up the 13 year old with my mad goalie skills. I dropped by bag next to the goal post and I am proud to say that not a single goal was made and got three different houses who the boys said had just had baby´s (one of the best way to get referrals because they KNOW everyone and will tell you where everyone lives) I ran back to the bench and we started our fast. I was excited for the day we had 3 solid lessons in a row and all with different members. I opened my bag and my heart sunk when I realized that the phone had disappeared and when I looked to the kids playing soccer they had all magically disappeared. Mad that the phone had gotten stolen I was determined to get it back. So something you should know about Argentina. Just about everyone sleeps siesta in San Juan. Only people from about 7-22 are awake. And because the police generally take their nap too it is a perfect time for..... well, no good.

I walked over to one of the older groups who were smoking, I am not quite sure what and asked if they knew where the kids lived and explained that they had just stolen my phone. I loved one of the guys response ´´Are you serious? Kids these days!´´ but they were so nice! One whistled a guy on a bike and in the space of about 3 minutes they had gathered all the kids together and told them they needed to give our phone back NOW or else.... One kid told us what house to go to and the whole clan came with us to knock and ask for Fede. He quickly returned the phone!  It was awesome. It made me think twice about the labels we put on people. The whole experience was super funny. 

Had an awesome exchange this week. I went to Pocito which is in the middle of NOWHERE! I did not get a single rejection the whole time we were there. The people were so humble and willing to change. That is what I thought missionary work was like and always imagined myself in that kind of pueblo but I have grown to love cities as well. Well I should say I am growing to love them. 

We got an awesome new ward mission leader this week and I am super excited for the fire he will bring. But I have a feeling I would be able to stay in Rivadavia for very long. But long enough to get the work pumping. 

We went to Ullum last P-day. I have some super funny pictures of me frolicking in the flowers and me being me but they are all on Hna. Sorensens camera, and I still wish to get married someday, so for now these pictures will have to suffice!

The little things

Dear Family,

The internet is awful today so hopefully this will go through.

This week had its ups and downs. But obviously had more ups then downs. Guess who I was able to do intercambios this week with?!?! Hna. Sorensen!! We killed it! They are in the finding process (like us all) but we found 6 stellar investigators. We pulled a San Rafael and called down the blessings of Heaven. I was also taught a beautiful lesson.  So packages are not getting through to Argentina but E´ C. Came back from General Conference with a suitcase full of stuff for Hna. Sorensen. I was really touched when he dropped by the pension after driving 11 hours just to drop of the package. When Hna. Sorensen realized the sacrifice the busy member of the 70 had made for her she asked why, he then said, ´´Anything for the family of an old companion.  He did the same when we were serving¨  I do believe I have made some of my lifelong friends here on the mission.

This week I realized the importance of enjoying the journey. This week Hna. Sagers and I had a rough day. No one was home, well that’s not exactly true, lots of people pretended not to be home which is always worse. But there is this gorgeous field and we took 5 minutes to watch the sunset. I was overwhelmed by all of God’s love for us. While we were there a young family must have had the same idea and had a good conversation with the family.

This week I studied the atonement and found that as I did so I couldn´t wait to leave the pension to do work. Horarios have changed and we can leave at 9:30 and there have been huge miracles as you are out of the pench by then.

I have to send you the sweetest picture! S….. also gave one of the most powerful testimonies I have heard at a baptism and the confirmation was also very sweet. I am so grateful  I was a part of her baptism.

The Gospel is true!

Life is wonderful!

Hna. Hill