Sierra de la Ventana, MIRACLES!!!

Hola Familia y amigos!!!

Sí, I´m writing this SUPER late, I know… We had a SUPER SUPER SUPER P-day!! WE went as a zone to a beautiful place called Sierra de la Ventana. A 6 hour hike- steep, rocky, windy, uncut. We had to go up with a guide! It was wonderful. I feel revived! Almost to the level of feeling like i just left the temple! It was beautiful, one of the only mountains in this area. It was quite the adventure! I have lots of amazing photos, but i´ll have to show them all to you after the mish, sorry, cause it´s too hard to send them all now a days! Dropbox is no longer authorized. But know this: IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! We felt like we were in Utah haha it was a hike harder than most of what I've been on there. I could go on and on and on. I´m so grateful for the beautiful creations of our father in heaven. He has given us so much! I feel extremely good. I hope that gives my mom a little comfort, seeing as I'm writing SUPER late today… like, it´s worth it okay? ;) (you´ll relieve me when i say it´s windy when you see my hair…. We were almost knocked over by it! It was awesome!!!)

This week, Luisa was a light- truly!!! Its been pretty rough recently finding people to sit down and have a lesson with, but you know what? IT´S OKAY!!! We were able to spend lots of time with Luisa this week. We got to help her clean and fix her house, we took her to the doctor, AND we had a family night! We taught her again that she can pray to know if these things we´re teaching her are true, and guess what she said?! “I already know that it´s true! I can feel it when I read the Book of Mormon and go to church! I pray to thank God for bringing this to me” …I feel like I don't even have to write anything more about that. It was an experience so beautiful!!!! She and her family are going through SO much, so we don't know exactly when she´ll be able to be baptized and come to church every week, but I pray with all my heart that God continues to bless her by her feeling close to Him.

I know that God is real and powerful. He has all in his hands- what do we have to worry about?! I feel at peace knowing that He knows each of us, and has a plan for every one of us- that doesn't take away our personal ability to choose, rather, it enhances it and His grace makes up the difference for every hard and unfair part of this life. On Tuesday this week we had zone conference, and with all these experiences and all that I've learned, my heart will be full for a very long time. And don't worry, I´ve written everything in my journal to get to feel this way again and again in the future. For those of you that are enjoying the beautiful weather up north, take a minute to go outside, just bask in the majesty of God´s creations, and let the peace that he gives enter your heart!! He´s got this!! Don´t worry!!! I realized that over and over again this week. “you cant find people to teach? Don't worry about it!” “You don't understand? Don't worry about it!” If it´s not okay, it´s not the end. Because with God, everything will be right at the close.

Love you all so much!!! I hope you have a WONDERFUL week!!!!

Hermana Hill

Ponder The Path of Thy Feet

Buen día de la bonita Ciudad Bahía Blanca! Where we recently have been washed and frozen- SO MUCH RAIN!!! I´m so grateful for my rain boots and coat and umbrella- they’ve held up even though I use them almost every day. 

This week has been SO great! On P-day last week we played Volleyball with the zone! With the help of a series of new rules, we can play sports now! Yay! AND we have the entire day of Thursday to do community service! We can also drink Coca-Cola- the elders are stoked. I´m super excited about the opportunity to do planned service projects! This week we cleaned the house of a little lady named Mercedes :) She never had children, and her husband died. Her brother lives with her, but never is home. We visit her a lot, and although we have done little jobs for her before, like ironing and the dishes, we had half a day to talk and run errands and deep clean. It was lots of fun!

This week it was a little hard to get investigators to church. Argentina is electing a new president, and voting is mandatory. The only day to vote- SUNDAY! Boo. But even with all that, our great friend Andrea and her son Jeremias made it to church! They haven’t been able to go to church and haven’t wanted to go to church for quite a while now, especially with the health and behavior of little Jere. Andrea sometimes is a little embarrassed with him in church, but she doesn’t need to be!!! He brings so much joy to all of us. Especially because we played toss the balloon together in Relief Society ;) For those of you that don’t remember, Jere has Down syndrome, and is a little light to the universe! I´m so grateful that the members of the ward could come together to help them get there without problem!

I just want to say, PLEASE invite and help others to church. There are people that want to go and are just too embarrassed to ask for help! I learned this week how important it is to know everyone in the ward, and to greet them all. And it´s even MORE important to greet the people that are visiting. Not just because saying hello and getting to know someone is a great thing to do, but because usually, we have NO IDEA how hard it really is for them to get there. And when nobody even says hi... dang. It doesn’t matter how you look, how they look, how they smell, whatever. Be sure to say hello to the missionaries and let them introduce you to the investigators. Just get to know them! They´re terrified and know that the missionaries aren’t going to be there forever, just the people of the church. They go with big expectations, and with lots of questions. "If this is the true church, it better feel like the true church. Where nobody judges you and you have friends" That’s what an investigator told us this week- haha yep so there you have it! You have no idea how hard it is to get people to go to church for their first times.... oh my gosh... haha I had no idea before really how difficult it can be. So smile at everyone! In the street, in church, at school! everyone needs friends in this world!! Especially good friends with standards high that will help them choose the right. End rant.

This week my companion shared another great talk with me from President Monson called in Spanish "Examinar la senda de sus pies". https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/ponder-the-path-of-thy-feet?lang=eng

Where do you want to go, and what are you doing to get there? The world is filled with a ton of options, and some are sneaky and aren’t going to help you at all. Thinking about this and where I’m at right now really helped me this week. Acting how I am, will I be able to be the kind of missionary that I want to be tomorrow? At the end of my mission? After my mission what will I say about today? I can´t wait for the mission to change me, I have to change myself for the mission. It all can start TODAY! I love the mission so much- I'm going to make the most of it :)

Love you all tons and tons!!!! Have a wonderful week!!! (...sorry this was so long... more time to write = more rambling... I´ll work on doing a quality check from now on...)

Ciao!!! Besos!

Hermana Hill

What Month Is It?!?

Buenos Días mis Queridos Locos!

Weekly weather update: The trees are in bloom... um, what?! Yes. Yes they really are! We´ve had a few days of uncanny heat, and it´s been WONDERFUL! we left the house without tights!! A miracle. But today, it´s back to winter :) Argentina doesn’t know what it wants. 

HAPPPPPYYYY BIRTTTHHDDAAAYYY JOEY BROTHER!!!!!! Que los cumplas muy feliz!!! I saw some pics of you at your scout camp and died laughing and crying because I miss you and love you. Keep eating blue things- it complements your face ;) Love you dweebster! But really- can I say again that i love you?

And now... for the moment you´ve all been waiting for... how are the people of Pueyrredón? Well, after a week of playing Hide and Seek with our investigators (they´re master hiders. like seriously. They’re winning. and we don’t really want to play anymore...), we FINALLY found Jenifer!!!! She had a horrible week. Her phone broke, her baby got sick, her uncle died out of the blue. We found her miraculously on Friday, when 2 women were outside the apartment building and we could sneak in to knock her door (there are no doorbells in her apartment). (She told us that next time we can throw pebbles at her window btw haha). She invited us in and we talked. We taught her lots about the plan of salvation, and with her questions she found out what she needed to know and was able to find peace. She then told us- "I finished the questions the other day! But I couldn´t do one of them because i dint have a bible" SHE DIDNT JUST READ THE PAMFLET, SHE DID THE ADDTIONAL STUDY IN THE BACK. And her answers were beautiful. We explained baptism, she asked "What do I have to do to be baptized?" and she came to the church on Sunday with her baby boy all bundled up. (Seriously he´s so fat I love it!!!). She loved the church! And today she´s going to go to institute with a friend she found at church!! I´m so happy for her and I pray with all my heart that she can continue in her path to find God´s will for her. She really wants to know, and i know that God will bless her for that. She faced so much recently, but she´s conquering satin in every step she takes. She related to us that she´s grateful that she met us, so that she could have the comfort of knowing God is with her in these hard times. So many people see these problems that they get after talking to us as a sign that they shouldn’t talk to us, but she chose to see it the other way. She said she felt something strong and bad when she first started looking at the questions, and that her mind felt fuzzy and unable to think, but she used all her strength to pray, and a peace came to her mind and heart. She is such an example to me!!!! 

(There´s a political march outside right now... rights for women I think. Don’t worry, they’re peaceful, there’s just a lot of drums and soccer-fan trumpet things.) 

Speaking of what month it is, I LOVE THE MISSION!!!! ...and I´m going to enjoy it with all my heart! The time really does fly.

This week, my dear companion shared with me a talk by Elder Holland and her thoughts about it. In the talk, Elder Holland describes the moment of the Atoning sacrifice of our Savior in Gethsemane. Christ only asked of his apostles: "tarry ye here, and watch with me" (Matt 26: 36-46)- to abide with him in this moment most difficult. They slept through it, 3 times. The sacrament is our chance to abide with the savior in special reverence of his sacrifice. The savior often made reference to his sacrifice, but it was done in only one instance, not every day. We too must often remember his sacrifice, but there is only one special opportunity that we are given to abide with him- i hope we make the most of the time we are given to go to church! to take of the sacrament. It´s SO SO SO important- and so often it is forgotten and underestimated. It kills me when people forget the importance of working in the church, and I’m destroyed when people forget or don’t recognize their need of the sacrament- remember 2 Nephi 31:19-21. We ALL have an important work to do in this life! YOUR INFLUENCE MATTERS.  And Service matters, for your salvation and that of others. Examine your lives for more ways to abide with the Savior. Do service, read the scriptures, pray! Moroni 7:48

I love you all so so much!!! Have a wonderful week!!!!!! Abrazos!!!

Hermana Hill