Dear Family,

This week has been so good! So many things have happened and I have learned so much it’s been such a blessing. It was so good to be able to talk to all of you on Christmas. I love you all! So yeah this last week was good. Monday on Christmas Eve we didn't have any appointments because we can’t knock and our investigators were out of town. What happened though was we spent most of the day driving the Zone Leaders around because they didn't have a car. We ate at IN and Out Burger with the district though which was great. We  had to pick up all the Christmas packages for the Zone. We did go to dinner with the Zone Leaders at a English families home. That was good, felt back at home a little. After that we drove all the way down to Danville to take all the packages to the district leaders down there. We spent the night doing that. Here is a picture of our Christmas Eve. (See attachment) The people trained dogs to help people with handicaps.

Christmas day after the call we ate at 3 families homes. It was great! It was a different Christmas for sure, a little weird, but I enjoyed it. On Wednesday we taught the family that has the 4 baptismal dates. They still hadn’t read. It was a horrible lesson too because they asked us "What is the difference between your church and the catholic church." We were able to answer it but what happened was the member just said, "It just depends on the faith of everyone." That threw the whole lesson off course. We couldn’t get it back. We ended the lesson though good with the stress on reading the Book of Mormon to find out what is the difference. They just don’t read!!! Thursday was great also. We had district meeting. I asked the sisters to give the training on how to help investigators attend church. They did so well, they were nervous but it was good to give them that opportunity to learn and to teach. That afternoon we spent it at Pepboys getting an oil change and things. I did contact and shared the gospel with the lady that was attending us. I felt good about that! We taught Brother Valenzuela that night which was a great lesson! We told him that we had been looking for some work for him and found some job applications. We also really helped him set goals to read the Book of Mormon everyday! His fellowship really helped him set a goal on reading! On Friday we found some seriously golden people. One of the ladies says that she reads the Book of Mormon every night in English and sometimes in Spanish haha. She is Latino but she’s amazing! We will be visiting her this Wednesday hopefully. 

Yesterday was amazing. Our investigators didn’t come to church though so they lost their dates sadly. They aren’t really prepared yet, don’t read or come to church. We did visit brother Alvarado which we found just last week. He was amazing. He wasn’t able to come to church because he went to Oakland but we taught him that night. He said he read the pamphlet and the spirit was so strong in that lesson. AT the end we invited to pray and read the Book of Mormon. I then was impressed to invite him to be baptized with a date. I did and he accepted it, and it is solid. He had some doubts but we resolved them and he will be working for the 2 of Febrero ( can’t remember how to spell it in English). We also taught a less-active family. the spirit was SO STRONG in that lesson. We taught t hem the restoration and we focused a lot on the Book of Mormon. They accepted to read it and pray about it again. The dad began to cry at the end. The mom cried when she ended with a prayer. it was so powerful! Wow. 

So on Saturday I got a call from President. I was a little nervous. He told me that I had been called to serve as a Zone leader in the Oakland Zone. He asked me if I would accept it. I was like "YES!" I was so happy! he then told me that my new companion was going to be Elder Bradford. (He was Austin's trainer.) That was so awesome! I am so excited but nervous. It’s the biggest Zone in the mission. The rest of the weekend that was on my mind the whole time. I will be going to Zone Leader Council this Thursday which I am really excited for. I am really humbled though with this call. I have changed a lot this last weekend and it was interesting because the days before that for some reason had the biggest impression that I was going to be called as a Zone Leader. I will move next Tuesday, the 8^th.

Also, last night I did indicator calls. It was amazing because I focused so hard on the needs of the missionaries. I have been really striving lately to be better and to receive more revelation. One of the investigators of the sisters didn’t come to church because of a problem with her husband. As I thought and prayed the thought came to my mind to ask them if helping the wife regain trust with the husband would fix the problem. The sisters were quiet and said, “hmm yes, we never thought about that. We’ll do it.” Also the Elders’ investigator called her husband for permission and will be baptized this next week! I am doing the interview this Thursday! This is the Lords work, we are only his servants and we must seek his inspiration. I have grown so much the last couple of days. 

Thanks Family! I love you All! Time to get working!! 

Love Elder Austin Hill