Miracles!! And meeting the "Black Dragon"

Dear Family of mine,

Thanks mom for the advice and the news about my defibrillator. I didn't think about all that happening and how it would have effected the battery. I have been drinking a lot more and also I have been resting as much as I can and also I have not been running in the morning. Faith without works is dead right, so don't worry mom I will be exactly obedient with these counsels so I can make it to the end. Sounds like a lot is going on back at home . The backyard looks so different! 

What has happened in Oakland lately? Well... MIRACLES! This week has been such a miracle full week and its about to get better starting tomorrow. 

Monday: So last Monday we were able to teach one of our less-actives Sister Pocasangre. We taught her about how prayer and fasting is going to help soften the heart of her husband. Her husband was one of our investigators (Edwin) who was progressing so much but she is telling us how everything has gone A-wall with him. He wants to leave her if she tries to get married to him and he is now working double and so she never sees him. We had a strong member with us brother Lopez that shared about his experiences how he had to change his work so that his wife could get baptized. 

That night we taught Edgar  and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and focused on repentance. We read from Enos 1 and it was just for him. It was a powerful lesson and we invited him to pray to repent. Marvin his friend roommate was laughing at us when we would ask questions. We read in Enos about his soul hungering and so he prayed. We asked Edgar what he hungered for spiritually and Marvin  just busted up laughing. It was really bad because the spirit left quickly when we did that but Edgar being awesome told him to be quite and answered our question and it was really deep. He really has the desire to change and to be baptized. 

Tuesday: Today we had our Mission Leadership Council. It was so long; we started at 9 and ended at 3. It was really good though because President got down to business on what we need to change in the mission to help the new missionaries (leadership wise) and also to raise up the baptism level. We all got to give in put on what we feel like needs to be trained on this month. It was a good council and we were able to all pitch in and assess the needs of the mission. 

That evening we taught one of our less-actives victor about the temple. We then taught Consuelo Rios. That lesson was really good. We taught her about the plan of salvation and also about how we are going to help her do missionary work to involve her husband and her daughter. She is on fire though, she is reading, she prayed and knows that the church is true and we are trying to invite her to be baptized but we have the problems with her family coming, her injection and then her husband and daughter being baptized at the same time. She is progressing so much. I love teaching her though. That night we had our stake coordination meeting and it was a bit quite without President Meredith and Brother Fairchild. We were able to discuss the stake and the zone but it just wasn't the same without those two key players. 

Wednesday: So today was good but also a little hard. This morning we had out Zone Council for our district leaders. We presented all the information that we relieved the day before to all the district leaders, and then discussed in the same format as the council yesterday on the needs of the Zone for the training plan for our Zone meeting. It was really good to have a council like that and have the district leaders share their  insights and feelings. We were really able to analyze the needs of the Zone. Elder Watson was their who is the assistant, being on exchanges and was able to add in a lot of good input. It was a good council and we are excited for this month.

That afternoon we found a new investigator, Roberto. We were going to a lesson with a potential investigator but he wasn't their for his appointment. We knocked again and his brother answered and he let us right in. We began to get to know him and teach him and he began to tell us that he smokes and hasn't been able to stop and wants to. We taught the restoration and really focused on the power of the Book of Mormon and the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how that could help him. After we had talked about the Book of Mormon, I was bold and invited him to be baptized right there and then with a date. He said yes but the date he wanted to learn and work a little more before committing to it. He said yes but it wasn't a clear yes. It was really great though, the Lord really prepares His children and we just need to be bold in inviting.

That night we had a lesson with Edgar at t he VC but he didn't show up. We waiting there with the member but never showed up. We started to get a bit worried because he has never missed an appointment before or been late. We called him and no one answered and so we wanted to run down to find him but we had a lesson in 15 min. We went to that lesson but no one was home. We found one of our less-active members and were able to teach him for a bit. He is super excited about wanting to come back to church and committed to us to help us with appointments so we now have someone more to work with. When we finished we ran down to Edgar in West Oakland and he was home. NOOOO! It was so sad, we went up to his door which was open and he saw us and we asked him how we was doing and he just said that "Todo es un disastre!" Everything is a disaster. We then saw the beer...... We went in and sat down with him and we could tell he was a bit buzzed but not enough that we couldn't teach him. The member we had with us was really supportive. We talked with Edgar and just listened with love and understanding. Apparently it was a long hard day at work and he got home late and missed our appointment and felt bad about it and felt a bit depressed so he bought a pizza and a few beers and drank. We supported him and reminded him of the power of repentance and of the Atonement. He understood but it was just hard. We set another appointment with him and then we left. The member stayed there to support him because Edgar says that he feels lonely, and has no friends. It is understandable with his situation and where he lives but he knows a lot of the brothers in the ward.

We had to get home quick. In the middle of the lesson, the front door was open and we hear this "BOOM!!!!". A bomb went of outside in the street and directly after all the cars' alarms sounded. Yes it was The eve of the 4th of July. We ran to our car having to dodge bombs and artillery fire. It is so crazy down here.  We got home safe though. We could barely sleep with all of the fireworks and noises outside. 

Thursday (The fourth of July): We had our district meeting this morning and it was really good. We put into practice the council again and assessed the needs of the district and what we needed training on. Elder Bradford and I selected 2 things for our companionship: Keep our lessons less than 45 minutes and to EXPECT MIRACLES. It was a really good evaluation of ourselves and what we can do to improve. One of the Elders in  our Zone told me, "Missionary work wouldn't be possible in Oakland without having miracles." That is true. 

After the district meeting we went to our appointment with Edgar. It was good, he said that he felt horrible about what happened but not about disappointing us but about having sinned. He said that he wants to change, to repent and do better. It was really powerful to see his desire to repent. We read again in the Book of Mormon in Enos about how we can pray to ask for forgiveness and invited him to do that that night. he is back, and everything is fine. He lost his date because of that but we hoped to reset it soon. For dinner we had a BBQ with one of our members that was the owner of the apartment complex and so she had a BBQ for all the tenants. It was great food, hamburgers and hot dogs. Good American food finally. 

William was there and was cracking jokes about us again. We were able to talk to a lot of the people there and we left quite a bit of pass-along cards with them. That night we taught Edwin one of our less committed investigators. We can never set an appointment with him because of his work schedule and so we usually find him just sitting outside of his apartment complex because he doesn't have a key. We sat outside and taught him the second half of the restoration but it was almost impossible due to all of the fireworks, rockets, bombs going off. Oakland takes fireworks to the next level. That night we found a new street that is filled with Latinos. E 19th st is where its happening. We went down there to contact a bunch of referral we received from our English class. We found one of them named Alondra and that was a special contact. She shared with us that she has 7 children but had lost one a few years back when he was just a little boy. We shared about the plan of salvation and it was special for me to share about how I know my family is eternal. She really felt that. We set an appointment for the next week because she works so much. We talked to a bunch of people though on that street. We then started our first 48 hour exchanges. I stayed in my area with Elder Fong from Hong Kong. The week is just about to begin. 

Friday: So we started off the day just trying to contact some more referrals but no one was home. We did contact two ladies that we visiting from Mexico. The one lady who was the daughter of the other one was really interested. We talked to her about the family and how it can be happy and eternal. She didn't quite understand that, which isn't surprising, but they were telling me that they lived right next to the temple in mexico where they are from and really like it. They also see the Elders down there a lot. The thing that really got the daughter was when I testified that we had a living prophet that guides us and helps us to have happier families. She just looked at me and said, "There really is a living prophet?" I said yes and that she could come to know also. The mom wasn't quite so interested but the daughter was, I could feel that the spirit had touched her. We left them with The family Proclamation. 

We then had a lesson with one of our less-active members, Norma. She has bright purple hair but she is such an amazing missionary member. We taught her, her son and her friend from Alcoholics Anonymous. I taught about the Atonement, and repentance from Alma 36 and how we can be forgiven and how we can be filled with joy. I love the experiences I have to teach people about the joy of the Gospel, but it is hard when they don't get it. After the lesson we had quite the experience. We went to Fruitvale Avenue to contact a referral that we had received. We parked on one side of the street and when we got out of the car we found the other Elders in our District. It was funny, but that isn't the experience. 

We parked and crossed the street to the house. We couldn't find the address and so we walked up the street to the cross walk and then I hear some guy yell, "Hey you Mormons hate black people." I looked back and he was staring at me." I began to talk to him but the best part was his partner who was sitting in a chair next to him. This guy stands up and he was tall and has this big robe on. He looks at me and says, "I AM THE BLACK DRAGON! LOOK!" and he took of his robe and he just had some boxing shorts on. He showed me all of his dragon tattoos he had on. At the same time the other guy is still saying that I hate black people because I am from Utah. 

I then try to hand a temple pass-along card to the guy who was saying I hated black people, and I get Karate chopped. The "Black Dragon" guy makes a whacking noise and karate chops the card out of my hand. I just looked at him and said, "Sir, can I just leave this card with you." Me being persistent, I get another card and try to hand it to the other guy and again I get karate chopped and the card goes flying out of my hand. That time though the Black Dragon jumps up and goes to my companion and asks where he is from. My companion says he is from Hong Kong, China and the Black Dragon asks if he knows Karate and Elder Fong said no. The Black Dragon then says well you should.

 He points very hard at my companion's chest and asks what is in their, and my companion said "umm my heart". The Black Dragon replied and said no it is your spirit, remember nothing can overcome your spirit. By this time I am trying to leave but this guy keeps giving me knuckle hits and getting in our way. I finally was like, "Sir, we need to leave thank you and here's your card." We then finally got away. That was crazy. 

We then had a quick dinner at Wendy's before we went to the lesson with Giovanni and Rafael. This lesson was full of miracles. We walk in and find the third roommate their. We sat down and talk to them about their trip to the VC and they said that they absolutely loved it. The new roommate Rene said he felt such a peaceful feeling and then showed me all the pictures on his phone of the Christus and the other displays. It was great. I taught them the restoration again because of the new roommate but it was good because Giovanni our investigator and rafael the less-active helped me teach Rene. It was a lot of peer-pressure type of inviting and things but it was a powerful lesson. Giovanny and Rene said that they are going to read and pray about the book of Mormon. Rene told me at the part of Joseph Smith that he feels the same way and has the same question. He asked me, "So If I pray before I read and then after I read the Book of Mormon and ask if its true I'll receive an answer?" I told him yes he would. He gets it! He understands the restoration so well and he feels just like Joseph Smith. It was powerful. The Lord again is preparing his children. That night we spent more time on the E 19 street contacting referrals and talked to a lot of people. I was getting really tired of talked so much Spanish. My mouth was getting dry haha. Our appointments that night fell through though and so we were kind of running around trying to make contact with our investigators. 

Saturday: Today was a lot of finding time. We hit the streets right of the bat down on E 19th Fruitvale and E 17 street. We put up a ton of the English Class fliers and talked to a lot of people. We found this gautamalan lady that we swear was a drug dealer. We had tried to talk to her the night before but she just gave us this stern look and ran off. She has a black green skirt on and is super short. As we walked up and down the street we kept seeing her trying to hide from us. One time we saw her exchanging something with a ghuy and when we got closer she tried to run and the money dropped everywhere and so she was scrambling to pick it up and then hid in a group of people. I didn't think we were that scary or maybe she thought we were the police or something. It was weird, but Elder Fong and I were laughing the rest of the day about it. 

We ate dinner with one of our really strong members the Vega family. They are just a couple and recently sealed in the temple. We ate some really good Honderous food.  We watched one of the video clips from the Broadcast with them and invited them to pray daily for missionary experiences. We then went to our awesome lesson with The garcia family and Edgar in the garcias home. Rosa garcia my recent convert has een ggoing through some tough times, the whole family. The dad Adrian lost his job here and so has been working in Sacramento and so it looks like they are going to move their the first of August. We understand but Veledia dn Rosita are so cute. I can come back when they get sealed. 

So Edgar canceled on us because of work and so we just taught the Garcias. After that lesson wtih them and the cutest prayers in the world from Veledia. "Bendice a los Elderes y que los cuiden." She is so sweet. We ran over to Edgar right before we went home and he was home. We was sitting in his room playing his keyboard organ. We went in and taught him for about 15min and it was a powerful short experience. I got bold with him but also he did too with me. He showed me Ephesians chapter 1 heading and said that he knows the church is true because it says it right there.  It says that the gospel will be restored in the LAtter-days.  I aksed him if he believed if the church had been restored and he said that he knows it is true and that that was another sign. He told us that we wants to be baptized and wants to change. I then boldy invited him to be baptized for the 28th of July and he accepted and said he is going to do it. In his closing prayer he told the Lord that he wants to change, wants to be clean and to help him to prepare for his baptism. He is so amazing. We then ended the epic 48 hour exchanges. 

Sunday: Today was great. We did a lot of our weekly planning because we couldn't do it on Friday with exchanges. Consuelo came to church today and stayed the whole three hours! She loved it. Edgar didn't come though which is getting to be a problem. His wife isn't cooperating. That night though we tried to get Consuelo to the baptism to see it but her daughter made it a little hard. It was good though. We then finished out weekly planning with the assistants at the mission home. Great week! 

I am doing well! I love you all and this week is going to be great. Another 48 starts tonight and I am leaving this time so we will see lots of miracles.

Love, Elder Hillito