Hola familia+mi amigo/as
I love you.. so much..
This week was a good one. I'm really loving the Holiday season... Christmas is the best! We've been rocking Christmas music since Thanksgiving for heavens sake.. this week we got the susan Boyle CD... pretty good.. no complaints, 'cept I still don't believe it's really her, she doesn't sound old at all.. ANYWAYS..
This is probably going to sound like a scatter brained journal entry. But that's just how my brains have been working recently. In church on sunday, I had to speak (found out Saturday night.. with no computer).. So I threw together a talk on the subject of 'John 3:16' and I twisted it to be "If God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten, what are YOU giving".... with a sub-twist of "Please be more loving to eachother and our investigators.."... I think it was inspired. It really was a cool experience speaking, elder Fukuyasu who has been speaking English for 3 years now, spoke as well.. for like 16 minutes, so I had to cut mine down to about 8 minutes.. it was pretty cool overall, to feel confident in speaking to a ward of strangers (well.. not so much strangers anymore.. they were making faces at me while I was speaking and sitting..) haha.. The church is true in this ward.
I had a few really profound moments here this week.. some serious conversion process 'wows' we've been tryin to help Brother pipkin make his date of the 23rd.. really urging him to lean upon God to be able to overcome his smoking problem.. he has to be clean from friday till the 23rd to be elligible ... We were talking to him in our lesson. Fuku asked him "Do you believe that God can help you with this"... he kinda paused a second got choked up and said "I really do, a month or so ago I would say no, but now.. I really do."... it was a moment I've seen before.. but this time the spirit really punched me in the face... I realized, man.. This man wouldn't be here at this time, if I didn't pursist at the beginning.. Such a humbling thought- The Lord has blessed me so much.. it's immense. ---- So far I think he's done well, He came to all 3 hours of church, announced he was getting baptized on the 23rd in Elder's quorum. :) I love the gospel and the wonderful spirit herein. :)
It has been a crazy couple of weeks.... A few part member families were our focus this last week.. we had a really powerful lesson with the Yost family, spoke about the book of Mormon, and our lesson with the Ethridge family was less than powerful or good. haha... It was a bit hostile, Fuku wasn't used to that.. I've hit it a lot so, it didn't really affect me, I just think it's sad to see them or rather him (the rest of the family is active) reject truth that will bless his life. He used the excuse that we were 'naive' ... haven't experienced 'life kicking you in the face'... I think he really just isn't ready.. I tend to think a person who thinks it's more important to make money than to unite with his family for eternity, is the naive one. haha... All in all.. it was a truth of church prover.
The Gospel was well and prevelent in my life this week... I love the restoration.. I'm grateful to live in a time when I can have the truth. I'm so happy to see my savior in my life. He's shaping me and changing me... I'm humbled to know he loves me enough to keep trying.. I'm a bit of a trouble maker. The church is true- The book is blue. I'm a missionary :)
LOve you ALL!
-Elder Hill :)
p.s. quick comment- turns out Elder Fukuyasu isn't as american as I thought, he doesn't understand a LOT of words that are very funny.. I'll explain someday in a more appropriate situation.. haha.. hahahahah.... veterinarians.. oh man.. LOVE YA!
