8.29.2012

August 21

What a crazy, CRAZY week it has been. Sister Marx's baptism was amazing. I am so grateful I was able to be apart of it! Elder Hicks had to baptize her twice because her foot came up but she didn't mind being dunked twice. She looked really happy. She always reminds me. In one year from today, it really will be the happiest day of my life. I can't wait for you all to meet them. They said they will be coming out for conference, I hope it works out. They are still both out of a job. Pray for them. She was confirmed on Sunday it is so fun to see the powers of godliness manifesting themselves. 

There are a lot of things happening in our area. John is doing awesome. He came to church and went to the missionary fireside, his baptism is scheduled for the 14 of September. There is a good chance that we will be moving it up however. He gave up coffee without us even asking him, this included giving his coffee maker away to his neighbor, and he gives us referrals all the time! He is GOLDEN, even more Golden than Moses, who is still in Kenya but will hopefully be back before I get kicked out of Mayfield at the end of this transfer!

Sounds like life back home is no less busy, can you believe it is already time for school to start again. Yes, all of my guy friends have returned home from their missions, the last one I believe got home last month. I'm glad you were able to see Jordan, I miss her. I don't hear from many of them, you kind of get lost on your missions but whatevs I get letters from my old companions who have gone home :)

That makes me sad that Uncle Dean passed away. He was getting up there in age, so atleast he can rest now and I am sure he is happy! What a great plan Heavenly Father has provided for us. He really does love us. I know that to be true. 

We went to the Temple to take a tour today for Preparation Day it was fun. Bill was our tour guide. 

I hope all is well at home. I love and pray for you often! 

Love,

Sister Hillman

August 14

Hello Once Again,

As I am writing this, there is an incredible rainstorm outside the window. The Ohio has definitely cooled down a bit! I love the rain here, because we are so close to Lake Erie we get some deliciously heavy rain, and that is something Ohio is in desperate need of, it is starting to look brown, kind of like Idaho. The leaves are already changing and can I just say it is going to be a beautiful fall! 

 I think you are right though. I think that as we put Jesus Christ as a priority in our life that everything else just seems to have a place. I see evidences of that everyday! He does magnify our time when we use His time wisely. 

Good news! Sister Nelson and I are staying together at least one more transfer, which is good, I don't want to leave her and I am not ready to leave Mayfield. I love the people here. More than I ever thought possible. Sister Marx is getting pumped for her baptism. Don't worry I have made the promise to come back, I will make sure I save enough money for the plane ticket. Or just as for an extension of my mission :) But we found out this morning that the person who is baptizing her is being transferred, we have to make different arrangements. He was really bummed. We serve with 3 sets of missionaries in our ward. So the reason you thought that it was just one of us was because it was that way in the Mayfield ward and then we merged with Shaker Heights. Make sense? Probably not. But anyway we all get to know each others investigators really well and Sis. Marx just became really attached to Elder Ingersoll. So we will see how this goes, there are many other options. Hopefully pictures and more news on Tuesday after! I am sooo excited for her. I didn't realize how much work went into making a baptism happen, but it is much easier round 2! 

So cool story. We started teaching a man named John Dahlen. He lives in the apartment complex that we are always at to visit some of members, and he always walks by and waves so one day we asked if he would be interested to learn more. He said most definitely! He came to church on Sunday, he rode the bus and then because it didn't go all the way to the church building he started walking. It's about a 3 mile walk, luckily our Assistant WML picked him up on his way. But he was so excited to come to church. He was even wearing a suit! We committed him to be baptized on September 25, he said that was to far away so we changed it to Sept14!!! Sooooooooooooo Coooooooollll, and definitely prepared! There is so much work going on here in Mayfield! The Lord does bless those who serve him! 

The VC has slowed down immensely. We probably only average about 1 tour a day, so we are in the call room a lot! We have chat once a week. Hopefully they give us more time this next transfer! It's fun. Oh did I ever tell you...Charles AND his son were baptized! So cool. I am teaching a lady right now over the phone who wants to be baptized but wont until her mom dies...so it's sad, hopefully the spirit will be able to change that!  

I love you!

Sister Hillman

8.10.2012

August 7

August already? Wo, wo, is me! This week just flew by. I can't believe it is already transfers next week. I think they will probably keep us together this transfer. We have a lot going on in our area and rarely do they take someone away from training, but I'll find out Sunday night what our fate is :)

It has actually been a really great week out here. It hasn't been too beastie hot. We went and did some service for a member the other day with the other Elders and Sisters in our ward. It was fun, but it was like 90's and it was only 10 a.m. we were all sweating pretty bad! It was lovely. Then we went and mowed Margaret Douglas's meadow for her. Do you remember her! I like doing service, especially in our nice yellow shirts. Stylin.

Sis. Marx is still way stoked about her baptism, hopefully we can keep her on the right path, we made her a countdown chain with something to do everyday that will help her prepare for it. She has her interview tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have more of a report tomorrow. So we got a interesting/hilarious phone call from Brother Marx the other day. They didn't make it to church because they had to take their dog to the emergency vet, so they called us and talked to us a little after. But anyway this is our conversation:

 Bro. M: Sister Hillman you will be so proud of me!

Me: Why? What did you do!?

Bro. M: Are you sitting down?

Me: Yes!

Bro. M: I blessed the Sacrament (before you get excited, remember he didn't go to church Sunday).

Me: What do you mean?

Bro. M: Well I felt bad that we didn't get to take it today, and I was like "hey wait I have the priesthood, I'll just bless it in my kitchen." So I just said the prayer in the Doctrine and Covenants and use the priesthood. 

I didn't really know how to respond. They totally tried to do their own sacrament. It was such a sweet gesture and their hearts are definitely in the right place. It is something we never even thought to explain to him. So funny. We explained that it had to be authorized and everything done in order and it seemed to make sense to him after we explained it.  I love them soo much!

The picnic last night was fun. All of the sisters got a game of Volleyball going with the CofC volunteers so that was fun. They are such a great group. I don't know how many members they have here. They only have one church building and it's not very big, so I would guess not a lot. They have missionaries that they send out as well. But I don't know much about what they believe. I am learning though. I really serve in the best, and most fun mission ever.

We went on a hike for pday today. I have a large list of things we need to do when we come back. We might need a few weeks :) 

Love,

Sister Hillman




July 31


Wo is Me! Where does time go, I feel like I was just sitting at the computer typing my email to you last week and here I am again. What a busy week it was, but a very fun one. The biggest event is that Sister Marx accepted baptism, she has a date for August 18, it was the 17th but she got a little anxious and drank some coffee so we had to put it back one day. She is sooo excited, she has wanted to be sealed to Bro. Marx since we started teaching them but would never commit to a date. This is huge. So if we do have a family reunion out here we should plan it around the later part of August so I can come and see them be sealed in the temple. Bro. Marx went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead on Saturday and loved it. He said he had never felt the spirit so strong. He is doing awesome, he is still learning so that is good! 

Pioneer Day was a fun event. It was Pday so all we did was run errands and get groceries. We had a little party out at the Morley Farm, about a mile from the VC, with President and Sister Vellinga and all of the senior couples. We had a BBQ and played some flag football, and the Kirtland Game, it's where you act out different people that were here. It was really cool. Elder Edman gave a little spiel on the pioneers of the past and how, by serving in Kirtland we are part of the legacy, he then explained that we are also pioneers building up the Kingdom once again. We ended by singing Come, Come Ye Saints. What a beautiful song. It was a good night. Next Monday we are having a picnic with the Community of Christ  up at the temple so that will be fun. There is work that goes on here I promise! 

I will send you a brochure of Kirtland on Thursday that is the next time I am there. The farms that they work at are not working no. They are just open for tours. The John Johnson Home is very cool. It is down in Hiram, that's where Joseph Smith was tarred and Feathered, which isn't cool but it is still a very wonderful place. We are suppose to have a training meeting down there soon so it will be nice to get all of the sisters down there. 

I can't believe Brittany knows Elder Anderson, that is crazy! Oh man I feel like you are getting all of the really awesome pictures of me. Speaking of pictures, can I just tell you how much I love being a missionary at a Historic Site, we get to go places and take pictures of things that no one else does. We went on a mock tour to help Sis. Nelson learn the rooms better and ended up taking some fun pictures, I doubt anyone else has ones like these, and you'll only get them if you have the badge :) LOVE IT!!!!

I keep hearing about all of the fires. You are all definitely in my prayers. We get some pretty legit storms out here with Lake Erie being so close. I have never seen rain like this and the lightening storms are beautiful! I love this place! It is still nice and toasty however. So in training meeting this morning they talked about dress and grooming standards and how the still applied in this lovely weather we are having, it's hard but definitely possible. I will probably be sending some clothes home that are not mission approved. A lot of the sisters have to get rid of their skirts and shirts. So sad. I wear my black and grey skirt A LOT!!!


I love you,

Sister Hillman