June 12

Hi!!

The VC is really starting to pick up here, we have a plethora of tour buses everyday, sometimes announced and others not so much, each day we wake up not knowing how the day is going to pan out. I love it, I meet people from all over the world, and hopefully strengthen their testimony so they have an increased desire to share the gospel back home. Do you remember Lindsay Taylor from my track team? Her cousins came in the other day and we had a nice little chat about Rigby, I see a lot more people that I know then I thought I would. The other day we took a tour with a group of people from Pittsburgh, PA they knew my friend Carson! We had a nice chat about him as well! Most of the boys from high school are home now, that's weird. 

Sister Hatch is super anxious about leaving, but I am just as anxious for her to leave! I still have things to learn! It's hard to say what will happen with transfers. Seeing how we have a new mission president, none of us know his style at doing things, with President Sorensen it was easy to tell what his game plan was. We meet President Vallinga on Jun 28. So soon. President Sorensen leaves the 27. We have mission tours on Thursday, down in Cleveland. I'm so excited to go back to the city. 

Back to the work. So the other sisters in my district were teaching this girl named Alice (pronounced Alyse). She is so amazing, totally prepared to hear the gospel. Someone referred her when they came into the VC. Anyway, they started teaching her and it turns out she was suffering from Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She is 17. Everyone loves her, seriously a best friend the moment I started talking to her. She is in one of the pictures from the Luau, sitting next to me. Blonde, short hair. She committed to baptism on June 9. This last Saturday. The reason why I am telling you this story starts on Friday night. We had to work sites both Friday and Saturday so we just stayed the night at the Edman's to save on miles. No one was home when we got there, so we just got ready for bed and family prayer. Still no one was home. I was up laying on my bed reading the Book of Mormon, and Sister Hatch on the floor. Sister Edman came up and had tears in her eyes and I knew what she was going to say before she said it. "Alice passed away this morning." We went downstairs to talk to the training sisters, and discuss what needed to be done with things regarding her baptism, it wouldn't be happening. We sat there and talked about this and how we were all so grateful for the plan that Heavenly Father has prepared for us! The center of that plan is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which covers not only our sins, but sorrows and disappointments as well.  I love this gospel so much. It never ceases to amaze me how true it actually is. Everyday I feel like it just makes more and more sense. Why wouldn't I want everyone to have that same happiness and peace? "Perfect love casteth out all fear." I love the people I serve everyday. I want them to know it. It's been hard for a lot of the missionaries here. We all loved her so much, but we still go on. Realizing now more than ever how important it is that we keep the work moving along. 

We are making progress with Sister Marx. Brother Marx received the priesthood this past week and so we along with sister Marx went and sat in on the ordination in priesthood. I felt out of place, but Sister Marx didn't want to sit by herself. After it was over she had the biggest grin on her face. I'm telling you, the powers of Godliness are manifesting themselves, and through ordinances in the gospel people will be converted. Her saying is now "WHEN I get baptized, not IF..." Boo yah. Moses is still doing awesome. We met with him in the park on Sunday night to teach him the restoration. This is how our conversation went (imagine his part in a cool Kenyan accent):

Moses: Can I be honest with you?

Us: Yes!!

Moses: I wasn't going to open the door for you. I saw you coming down the road and had decided not to open the door.

Sis. Hatch: Why did you?

Moses: I was weirded out that you were going door to door. But for some reason I found myself opening the door, AND talking to you. Then you guys mentioned Jesus Christ  and the Mormon Bible and I gave you my phone number and told you, you could come back.

Sis Hillman:What were you thinking when we were talking about the Book of Mormon?

Moses: That ya'll were crazy. After you left I was like, oh man those girls have all of my info, and I just prayed in front of them. But I still wanted you to come back. What was I feeling anyway?

Sis Hatch: That Moses would be the confirming witness of the Holy Ghost.


Oh man this boy is solid. He really has the best questions.


But really life is good. Sorry I ran out of time. Hopefully more questions answered next week! Love ya!


Love,

Sister Hillma