Coming to the Savior One Imperfect Step at a Time

This week was rough. My very first transfer we dropped lots of our investigators who were not really progressing in faith in order to find the people the Lord had prepared to accept and act upon this gospel. Oh that week was full of miracles!! We did the same thing the end of last week and beginning of this week, and worked a full to find people to teach. My companion is amazing and we really talk to everyone! But we just haven´t found the people ready to accept this gospel. 

On Thursday we had Elder Nuñez come a speak to us. It was so powerful! and he spoke of the miracles that come with complete devotion. I felt the spirit testify of its truth and know that if I align my will with Gods I too can feel of those blessings, I guess the problem is aligning my stubborn will with Gods! Haha!  This week I have shared Enos a lot and explained the necessity of trusting in Gods promises when we ask with sincerity to our Father in Heaven. And all of sudden I realized that I needed to listen to my own message. (You have got to hate and love those realizations) The rest of the week covered lots of analyzing  and correction, and trying lots of different methods. It was difficult because it was snowing and raining most of the week and no one was outside and strangely no one really want to come unlock their gates for us to come inside... They just shake their finger at the window. But don´t worry, I don´t even know how many dogs we have invited to listen to our message. But a random plus to the fact that no one is outside while it is raining is the fact that you can sing ¨´Singing in the rain¨´ as loud as you want and the only one who laughs is Hna. Rodriguez.

I guess I have heard so many returned missionaries tell miraculous stories of the miracles that happen when everything is going wrong. I am sick of everyone telling me that it is nothing to do with me but that my area is a dead area and ready for the miracle!  I just really want to teach someone how crucial this gospel is and help them as they take steps to return to their Savior. Just watch, my letter next week will be jammed packed full of miracles! Its funny how much happens in one week. 

Love you all! Keep sending the prayers coming my way.

Hermana Hill

I found a roof!! This is my area!

Mais les yeux sont aveugles. Il faut chercher avec le cœur

Dear Fam!

My new companion is Hna. Rodriguez from Chile and she is so great! I am so excited to see what will happen this transfer. I try not to be a jerk and be kind when I put her on the spot but she has taken it in stride and now I put her on the spot all the time. She is also my first companion who will take the time to correct all my spanish, including my Buenos Aires accent which will infinitely help me gain relationships with Mendocinos. She comes from a family of four and the 4th missionary. She is teaching me so much, and I feel like if we can master using our time effectively, nothing can stop us!! Such a great feeling!! 

The weather has destroyed street contacting. Wednesday it was 33 degrees C. and now it is on and off snow. The wind is freezing and everyone stays inside. Drives me crazy. Also because of the weather church attendance was crazy low, but spirit was really strong. I am amazed by the faith and conversion of some members. 

Found an awesome family this week. Our first lesson they invited us over to dinner on Saturday. For the first time in my life I had an investigator call me to remind me of the appointment we would have with them on Saturday. It was pretty amazing! On Saturday I found out that they have not only heard the missionary lessons before but have a book full of Elders saying their goodbye´s to the family. Hopefully we can help them finally take the step of becoming members.

I have so much more to say but no time. 

Dad, I met someone who served in your zone while you were zone leader in Las Heras. His name is Elder Call, came back to visit his mission with his daughter who also served here. (HInt hint!! Just kidding!!) Do you know the Rostelli´s? Man, this world is small. 

Jordan, I could be wrong but I think you know my companions older brother Mario Rodrigues. 

My companion knows a Friend who is serving in Concepcion. And I Katie I randomly met Nate who was in Nursing Lab with you up at Idaho. 

Well that's all folks.

Love ya! 

The gospel is true.

Life is wonderful!

Que Dios les bendiga

Fam,

That storm looks like a blast! I sure hope you took the opportunity to go tubing down Skyline! I love reading Mom and Dads take on the week it always cracks me up! Dad loved the pictures! 

To answer Mom´s question as to what did I learn this week- When evacuating a car double check that it is in park. Let me explain. I went on exchanges again this week, and while in Dorego I heard lots of screaming and yelling and turned to see a frantic taxi driver chasing down his empty car. Luckily his window was down and was able to put his emergency brake to good use as he jumped halfway through the window with legs flailing!! It was hilarious! 

Speaking of this exchange, I worked with Sister Anderson. Turns out she knows Brother and Sister Reed really well. Let them know she is a super dedicated missionary and is doing great! 

Transfer calls came this morning and all Hna. Adorno´s bags are packed and she flies off to Buenos Aires tomorrow which blows my mind. I get to pick up my brand new missionary on Wednesday. Which was surprising to me because only 5 new sisters are coming in. But rumor has it that some sisters are coming from the US and that my companion from the MTC is one of them!! I am so excited to see her!!

Today we had a couple difficult days, but at the end of the day there were always miracles! One of them, finally finding L...... I talk to just about everyone but there are always certain people who you know you should be talking to. L.... was one of them. We had a really powerful conversation on the street but for multiple reasons her house is extremely difficult to get to. I have some great stories to tell but don´t have nearly enough time to tell them. After specific prayers we were able to find her and now we see her all the time and every time she see´s us she tells us about what she is reading in the Book of Mormon. What a gem!

We had more then a 100 people in church this week. Which exceeded the bishops goal by quite a  few! Elder M..... said the opening prayer which included that people would continue to make it to church and people kept sneaking in the back. I love Sundays so very much! 

The gospel is true!

Life is wonderful!

Short and Sweet

Dear Family!!

Another nephew!!! So exciting!!! Congrats Jeff and Jenny!! Oh and I loved your pictures of the bounce hourse I feel like Katie looks like Hannah when she was little. I cannot believe how much she has changed!! Wow, I guess time does continue to move on your end as fast as it is moving on mine. 

Seth!! You turn 16 tomorrow?!?! Goodness! That blows my mind, thank goodness I will not be walking the same roads you will be driving! 

I will be super breif, I want to use my time to make some stuff for the ward so I can mass print and not take the time to write by hand, and maybe they will actually be able to read print because my handwritting is probably worse than Seth´s. Just kidding! Love you Seth! 

This week was awesome. The zonda came through one of the other provinces so it brought all the warmth but only a little wind. But it is supposed to snow next week so I will say goodbye to this high 20c degree weather. 

Me and a brand new missionary from Trapiche covered both our areas for 2 days this week and we walked a ton but I have never had so much success. Despite the fact that we covered both areas for two days we still managed to have 39 lessons in our area. For the first time as a missionary me and my companion  ran out of Book of Mormons to give away. 

I read Ryans letter and I think I might add on to the list. If you could send me a thumbdrive at least 8gb if not 16gb so I can put some pictures and stuff (Mom don´t stress out about this next part, make seth do it or something, but I would love tons of conference talks in mp3 format and throw on some picutres this MTC room sounds awesome, and some of my new nephews and updates of all the married children with their families and some of the fam there, on the usb) Don´t judge my English. Oh and Tide to go. I wash my clothes by hand and can never get anything out. 

The Gospel is true, life is wonderful! Keep the prayers coming my way!! 

Dear Family!!

I have another nephew!!! Congratulations Sarah and Corey!! He is beautiful!! 

I should also add a congrats to Jordan, and Mom who graduated, happy birthday to both!! and my condolences that school has started...

This week was freezing (people tell me there is always last storm before spring) I remember laughing at Aunt Marlenes story of wearing every artical of clothing she had when she went to bed. I almost had her beat 4 nights this week. Consequently, there was no one outside at all during the day. And we are talking about the city of Godoy Cruz!! It was rough but it was nice to differentiate between our investigators who truly know the church is true and those who are polite. 

Saturday was cold and we were only let into 2 houses from 10:58am to 9:18pm and one of those houses was our own for lunch.... The other was a Noche de Hogar (FHE) where out of the 12 families we invited 3 came. And when I woke up on Sunday feeling that it was even colder then Saturday my heart dropped thinking of the numbers at church. But quickly repented and prayed in faith. The family we went to pick up couldn´t come and when we arrived at church numbers were few but the M..... family greeted us as we walked into the chapel!!! (the M...... family is a family we have been working with for the past month, the children had been baptized at ages 8 and 12 but the parents had never been baptized. F.... has now done everything he can to work on his divorce so he can now get married to M......) But they have been coming faithfully for the last four weeks. This Sunday their oldest son passed the sacrament for the first time and I was brought to tears as I watched him worthily pass the sacrament to his family. During the sacrament people just kept coming in. A less active family from the Noche de Hogar from yesterday. Hna. L..... came with her two children. All in all there were 4 part member families who came and many less active families who we hadn´t seen in a long time. It was beautiful.

Principios del evangelio was full which I think was rather hilarious because it was the Elders turn to teach but they had to go do baptismal interviews or something, so they turned it over to us. Hna. Adorno told the class I was teaching so I stood up opened the book but as I read the title of chapter 31 I wasn´t entirely sure what ¨Honradez¨ actually meant. I started off the class asking what honradez meant to Hna. Adorno and went from there... But the class went so well! Living proof that God can really work through the ´´the weak things of the Earth´´. 

We have been working a full with the ward missionary plan and trying so hard to work with part member families. I keep on feeling like I need to start preparing these families to enter the temple. I just keep feeling like they are going to announce a temple here in Mendoza. I know they are building one in Cordoba and it doesn´t really make sense..... but I feel like that is what they need to progress further in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We had interviews with president this week. He so amazing!! So full of the spirit!

I am so excited for this upcoming week. we have really been trying to work with members and have awesome lessons set up in members home with their friends!! 

Les quiero muchísimo! Tengan un día re linda y trabajo a FULL!!!

Chau!

Hna. Hill

This cracks me up!! They have handicap spots on their merry-go-rounds. Oh and I cut my hair (don´t worry, I don´t plan on selling my teeth) and everyone tells me I look like Sabrina the Teenage Witch.... I don´t see it.... and for the record I was moving really fast....

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