Austin titled his email to us, "Transfer Calls! Transfer Calls! Everybody Shout, Its transfer calls and my heart." Yeah, that last word got me. I knew it was about time to have heart trouble, but dang. I am not worried about his heart and how it is functioning, its a normal thing for Austin, but I am worried about how his heart is breaking. He is one sad, little boy who has had reality slap him in the face. I am encouraged that he is learning in face of this adversity.
**Also, Austin wants everyone to know they can email him, he just has to write back in letter form. His email is hill.austin@myldsmail.net
Dear Mom,
Thanks for the
pictures and emails family. I love to see pictures of everyone! Mom is your
hair red??! I couldn't tell because the picture was pix elated but you do look
good! You have lost more weight then I saw you before I left! I love hearing
from everyone and how everything is doing! Sounds like it has been crazy. whats
going on with all of you, sounds like your getting old or something. Dad's
knee, your hip and elbow. I'm praying for all of you and I hope everything goes
well! I love you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures. I love those
chamacos in the pictures haha. Ok so this week has been different and hard. We
were able to attend the temple on Tuesday because of the end of the transfer
which was awesome! The Oakland temple is huge and amazing inside. wow.
We also had follow-up new missionary training. I am now not considered new
anymore!
Update on investigadores and so forth:
Carlos Jemeniz: He is doing amazing. We came to family home evening at the
church on Monday even without us inviting him! He is so talkative and gets
along with the members. There have been people that have thought he was a
member! We had a lesson with him at the chapel too on Thursday with Modesto the
ward mission leader. We did a practice baptismal interview and helped him see
what is was going to be like. He absolutely blew it out of the water. he is
perfect! He is also going to share the gospel with his friends and get them to
meet with us this week. I am excited to see what happens. He is so funny and
his son carlitos is awesome! He speaks English so I talk to him. Carlos's wife
is American which is funny but yeah shes a less active member but since carlos
has been coming with us she has returned to church and is excited for carlos
and they want to be sealed in the temple so shes shaping up! Its so awesome to
see!
Carlos Valenzuela: This is the investigator that has a grandson that was having
a lot of health problems. Well not much to say because we had to drop him last
night. He stopped answering our calls wouldn't be there for our appointments and
finally we were at his house with Pablo and he told us to leave he didn't have
time anymore. So we dropped him. Its hard to drop people but its part of our
purpose because we cant waist time on people that wont listen to us.
Familia Martinez (family of 3): Well....we kind of dropped them too yesterday.
They weren't showing up to appointments anymore and calls were dropping. We
could never get in contact with them. We finally called him and left a message
and he called us back but it was past time that we allowed to use phones at
night. We called him the next day and I kind of botched the phone call and he
hung up. I felt horrible... So my companion just decided we were done with
them.
Wendlyn Mendoza!: Well she is an old investigator of like 2 years or so. We
stopped by i think last last week and she invited us in and wanted to listen
again. This week we had a really good lesson with her and she had a lot of
questions about baptism. I was really excited about it. She couldn't come to
church because she was going to 6 flags with her daughters but were seeing how
this week will go. She is not to committed to commitments but well see what
happens she is really our only progressing investigator other than Carlos
Jimenez.
Gabriel the Honduran: We were walking down the road and we hear,
"ELDERS" and he waved us over. We started talking to him and he had
met with the missionaries before but nothing happened. He was super talkative
and loved to prove to us that he was from Honduras. He had to show us his
drivers license from there. That's whats so amazing about my mission, I get to
teach people from every country. Tell Justin I'm teaching someone from his
mission! Well see how it goes with him were meeting with him tonight just a pass
by and then this week so well see.
Marta Barajas: So this is the lady what is on vacation..I think that's what I
said. But anyways shes back but she has been really busy with school. Its going
well though with her because her husband calls us to cancel the appointment but
sets another one up and tells us that she read what we invited her to read. So
on Saturday we went to her house just to pass by and see but she wasn't
there. We then started heading down the stairs from the apartment and a guy asked
us if we wanted cervesa (Beer) we of course said no but then started talking to
them. Lo and Behold he was marta barajas husband. We had never met him before
until then. We started talking to him and he was telling be about what her wife
tells him and he was somewhat interested. he accepted an invitation to meet
with him but well see.
So my shirts. Uhhh haha so we got a text from one the the members, Adiak Sosa.
He is a returned missionary of about 2 months. He said, So I heard about your
shirts and I bought you a couple you can come pick up from me tomorrow at
dinner. I was like oh well thanks. yeah he bought me 4 long sleeve nice shirts
and took us to dinner. I felt so bad but he was so nice and would not let me
pay him back or anything. He is a really nice guy!
Transfer Calls, Transfer Calls, Everybody shout, its Transfer calls!!!
Yup we received transfer calls Saturday night. Our district leader Elder Mower
leaves tomorrow which is so crazy! We are getting a new elder in our district
and also a sister. Elder Bradford and I are staying in Concord same area and
everything. He is also the new district leader so were excited about that. I
get to see how its all run out here now. So yeah not much is changing. Also I
guess the twelve apostles like missionaries to stay in areas for up to 9
months. So I'm guessing I will be in Concord for a while. I love it here
though. The members are awesome! Oh so the three chamacos, Javier, Margarito
and Marcial I guess are trying to find a house to rent. They all want to get
out of their apartments and get a place until they get married. They crack me
up! They had us as were tracting look for houses for rent. We found one and
they are thinking about renting it. Its so funny and they said they will have
carne asadas and all sorts of stuff to get missionary work going! We are a
little nervous to put these three together though. We found Marcial and Modesto
working on refacing kitchen cabinets outside their apartment. They were working
hard and then we asked where margarito was and he was inside just taking a nap.
Hes like 60 years old. He is so awesome! He then comes out and is like Elder
Hills! He then started saying he was the jefe (boss) and telling the other two
to work harder it was so funny.
Mormon helping hands! We did the Mormon helpings hands service project on Saturday morning at Heather farms!......park. Its was really fun, the whole
zone was there and we laid sod most of the time. It was a lot of fun!
Sunday....So.. yeah you probably know whats coming. First don't worry because
nothing happened. Saturday I felt great! Sunday I felt like I felt during the
summer and all that hospital stuff. I could not even focus during church and my
heart was going nuts. We had dinner at pablos and I ate a pepper which I
thought was going to put me into cardiac arrest haha. It was so bad. We did
some quick contacts there and then we headed home. I couldn't do it and I had
to sleep. I slept from 7 to 9. I was out.
From all of this I am learning a hard
lesson. My companion and I talked about it for a while. I know I have to rest
and I want to because I know what will happen if I don't, but I feel so guilty
and bad because I'm not working. I want to get out there and work and share the
gospel and I feel like I am not a real missionary sometimes. I was thinking
about it a lot and prayed about it and I came to the conclusion that I can't
change any of this. This is how my mission is going to be. But I learned
that instead of working hard and long, like normal missionaries, I am going to
have to learn to work smart and effective. I did a lot of studying about it and
prayed and read my patriarchal blessing quite a few times. I feel better but I
feel like I'm not serving the Lord as I should. After studying and things, I
learned a lot about me. I was thinking about how a miracle it is that I am even
out here serving like I am. I am learning that with what I have I am going to
have to learn to be effective. I'm relying more on the spirit and the Lord on
finding people because I don't spend as much time doing it as other
missionaries. This is really teaching me to trust the Lord and have faith. I am
learning to rely on the spirit more. I am seeing how its going to be hard, but
this will teach me lessons that I won't learn anywhere else. I am not a physical
capable person (missionary), but I have the desires to help people and want to
and I know the Lord will help me. Its been a good week but hard because of all
this. I am happy and working hard. We are seeing how the next couple weeks are
going to go because its starting to get hotter and hotter. That is wearing me
out faster and faster. But I am learning a lot. Right now I am learning how to
teach for understanding. I want to be able to teach so simply and plainly that
people won't be confused and that the spirit can teach and testify. I really do
want to be a true servant of the Lord and I am striving for it. I am letting
the Lord teach me lessons even if they are tough.
I hope everyone is doing well! I love everyone! Mckenzie sounds like you are
happy and doing well. Keep winning and doing well at soccer I love you! Alex
your awesome! I talked to someone yesterday named Alex and I told him about you
and It made me happy! You are going to be an amazing missionary when you go.
Hope your doing well, I liked the choir pictures! Mom I love you and I wish you
could do that 5k. I would be there for you! I hope your elbow and hip gets
better. Ill pray for you! I am excited for the garden and hope that all goes
well without me haha. Excited for the package! Love all of you! Dad hope you
get feeling better with your knee. I'm praying! Also don't work too hard. I
know your a hard worker! I love you dad. Be slow on the knee!
Well I'll talk to everyone next week! hope everything goes well. don't worry
about me! I am doing well! Love everyone!
Elder Hill
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