Cher Famille,
Sounds like everythings going great back home. That's sad about that monkey. He did always look like he was so tired of living there anyway. I wish I was there to sign Max's cast. That's awesome that Mitch is playing the trumpet. That's the perfect instrument for him. I hope he gets really good before I get back. I'm going to send a package off soon.
Everything is going good here. We've got some investigators that are really good. We have two investigators who love the Book of Mormon and have already read more than the chapter we gave them to read. I really hope they can progress further. There's also a cool family that's been investigators for 8 years or so and the wife is from Brazil and the husband is french and they have one daughter. They have invited us over for dinner for three weeks in a row now and I think they are progressing. They love to ask us how to say stuff in English. I started reading the Portugese Book of Mormon along with the English to try and pick up a tiny bit.
Elder Krause is awesome and way funny. It was pretty hard to see people last week and one of our investigators said he didn't want to discuss anymore so it's been good to be able to laugh and joke about it with Elder Krause.
It has been so incredibly hot this last week. Even the Guadeloupiennes are saying it's hot so that says something.
I'm running out of time, sorry. I will try to write a better email and send a picture next week. Love you ! Bye.
elder hill
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
9/21 To Family
Dear family,
Next week I will send some pictures for sure.
This week was awesome but pretty weird at the same time. It's my first time ever changing companions and I had to be the one that knows the area now. It seemed like I was forgetting about alot of people or missing appointments but I wasn,t and everything worked out awesome! We went to this new area that I had always seen on the bus and I always wanted to go there but never got the chance. When we started tracting there we got to teach two lessons within 8 houses and we found a couple people that we're going to see this week too. We also have a ton of members really excited to work with us in a city called Saint Francois. You can probably find some great pictures on the internet of a place called Point de Chateaux in Saint Francois. Next week were going to another waterfall so I should have some cool pics.
I would like some music actually! It would be really cool if you could get a cd of classical piano. Try and get a cd of Chopin songs actually. Any motab cds are great.
My companion has been out for one more transfer than me and he is awesome. He is so funny and a good missionary too. His name is elder Krause and he is from San Diego. He is pretty smart and he studied bio chemistry before the mission.
I'm hoping to baptize this family that's been coming to church for 8 years or so but they can't get baptized because the dad doesn't like paying tithing. They're named the Lepennec's and they love having us over for meals and they ask us tons of questions about America and just about us. The mom is actually from Brazil and she speaks Portugese. They have a dog named chance that always tries to eat toads and Sr Lepennec says "c'est pas possible chance! laisse le crapeau!" They're way cool.
I am compeletly legal on october 7. Maybe I will go to french guyana!
Love you fam! I'll send you pics next week, desolée!
Next week I will send some pictures for sure.
This week was awesome but pretty weird at the same time. It's my first time ever changing companions and I had to be the one that knows the area now. It seemed like I was forgetting about alot of people or missing appointments but I wasn,t and everything worked out awesome! We went to this new area that I had always seen on the bus and I always wanted to go there but never got the chance. When we started tracting there we got to teach two lessons within 8 houses and we found a couple people that we're going to see this week too. We also have a ton of members really excited to work with us in a city called Saint Francois. You can probably find some great pictures on the internet of a place called Point de Chateaux in Saint Francois. Next week were going to another waterfall so I should have some cool pics.
I would like some music actually! It would be really cool if you could get a cd of classical piano. Try and get a cd of Chopin songs actually. Any motab cds are great.
My companion has been out for one more transfer than me and he is awesome. He is so funny and a good missionary too. His name is elder Krause and he is from San Diego. He is pretty smart and he studied bio chemistry before the mission.
I'm hoping to baptize this family that's been coming to church for 8 years or so but they can't get baptized because the dad doesn't like paying tithing. They're named the Lepennec's and they love having us over for meals and they ask us tons of questions about America and just about us. The mom is actually from Brazil and she speaks Portugese. They have a dog named chance that always tries to eat toads and Sr Lepennec says "c'est pas possible chance! laisse le crapeau!" They're way cool.
I am compeletly legal on october 7. Maybe I will go to french guyana!
Love you fam! I'll send you pics next week, desolée!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
A little about Guadaloupe
Guadeloupe
Facts:
* Population is about 406,000
* This island is owned by France and is part of the European Union. It’s currency is the euro
* French is the official language but many of the inhabitants speak Creole
* Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 during his 2nd voyage.
* Tourism is its key industry
Church:
There are 6 LDS Church branches in Guadeloupe and about 400 members
* Abymes (church-owned chapel)
* Basse-Terre
* Capesterre
* Gosier
* Lamentin
* Moule
Missionary Work
As of June 2009 there were 14 elders serving in Guadeloupe and one senior couple - Elder and Sister Collings
History:
Among the first converts in Guadeloupe was the Claire Dinane family. Dinane came into contact with the Church because of his duties as a customs officer where he met Latter-day Saints. His family soon moved, but a nucleus of members had joined the Church through contact with Dinane. The Guadeloupe Branch (a small congregation) was organized in June 1982, but was discontinued several months later due to the apostasy of a member of the Church.
In June 1984, West Indies Mission President Kenneth Zabriskie sent French-speaking missionaries to Guadeloupe who had been transferred from French-speaking missions in Europe. Through their efforts the Grande-Terre Branch was organized by Elder Ronald E. Poelman of the Seventy (one of the governing bodies of the Church) in August 1984. The branch was strengthened by Dusan Kolvic, a Yugoslavian refugee who learned of the Church in France, but was not baptized. Kolvic’s work as a policeman for the French government required a transfer to Guadeloupe, and one evening he was dispatched to arrest a drunkard who was attacking two missionaries. Kolvic later joined the Church and served as branch president from 1986 – 1988. Because of Guadeloupe’s connection to France, there have been several members from France who have lived on the island for a few years and brought valuable experience to the Church there.
Facts:
* Population is about 406,000
* This island is owned by France and is part of the European Union. It’s currency is the euro
* French is the official language but many of the inhabitants speak Creole
* Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493 during his 2nd voyage.
* Tourism is its key industry
Church:
There are 6 LDS Church branches in Guadeloupe and about 400 members
* Abymes (church-owned chapel)
* Basse-Terre
* Capesterre
* Gosier
* Lamentin
* Moule
Missionary Work
As of June 2009 there were 14 elders serving in Guadeloupe and one senior couple - Elder and Sister Collings
History:
Among the first converts in Guadeloupe was the Claire Dinane family. Dinane came into contact with the Church because of his duties as a customs officer where he met Latter-day Saints. His family soon moved, but a nucleus of members had joined the Church through contact with Dinane. The Guadeloupe Branch (a small congregation) was organized in June 1982, but was discontinued several months later due to the apostasy of a member of the Church.
In June 1984, West Indies Mission President Kenneth Zabriskie sent French-speaking missionaries to Guadeloupe who had been transferred from French-speaking missions in Europe. Through their efforts the Grande-Terre Branch was organized by Elder Ronald E. Poelman of the Seventy (one of the governing bodies of the Church) in August 1984. The branch was strengthened by Dusan Kolvic, a Yugoslavian refugee who learned of the Church in France, but was not baptized. Kolvic’s work as a policeman for the French government required a transfer to Guadeloupe, and one evening he was dispatched to arrest a drunkard who was attacking two missionaries. Kolvic later joined the Church and served as branch president from 1986 – 1988. Because of Guadeloupe’s connection to France, there have been several members from France who have lived on the island for a few years and brought valuable experience to the Church there.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
9/8 To Mom
Hi mom,
I am doing great this week! That's great that the Orem house sold. I hope they like my painting job! Hannah's friends sound really cool. Everyone looks so different already! I got the package on Saturday and it was crazy to see all the pictures. It was a really good package and the drawings are the best. I wish I had peaches too. They have peaches here but I don't know about squash or zucchini. I eat pretty good. I do eat alot of fruit that people just give us when its in season. I bought a cutlas so I can cut open my own cocos now. My six month mark is this week. It's also zone conference. Last Saturday I got to do a baptism in the ocean. It was a child of record so it didn't count for us but she picked me to do it. Her name is Ashley and she has a little brother and three other little sisters who are all so crazy but also the coolest. Their mom is a single mom and it's pretty hard for her.
Stan and brandy are the coolest! I loved when they lived down the street from us. You will have to say hello for me and give them hugs. I'm doing great. Thanks for prayers. Love you!
-elder hill
I am doing great this week! That's great that the Orem house sold. I hope they like my painting job! Hannah's friends sound really cool. Everyone looks so different already! I got the package on Saturday and it was crazy to see all the pictures. It was a really good package and the drawings are the best. I wish I had peaches too. They have peaches here but I don't know about squash or zucchini. I eat pretty good. I do eat alot of fruit that people just give us when its in season. I bought a cutlas so I can cut open my own cocos now. My six month mark is this week. It's also zone conference. Last Saturday I got to do a baptism in the ocean. It was a child of record so it didn't count for us but she picked me to do it. Her name is Ashley and she has a little brother and three other little sisters who are all so crazy but also the coolest. Their mom is a single mom and it's pretty hard for her.
Stan and brandy are the coolest! I loved when they lived down the street from us. You will have to say hello for me and give them hugs. I'm doing great. Thanks for prayers. Love you!
-elder hill
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
8/23
Dear baby Sophe,
I love you! thanks for writing me! my favorite color is sea green. Your school sounds awesome. You probably look so cute with your haircut and a uniform. I hope you have tons of fun playing with Jier and working out! I love you.
Dear Brockly,
Dude don't worry about those refs! They probably need glasses anyway. I hope you're hitting hard, but don't get hurt. Your teacher sounds awesome, does she give you candy? Love you Brock! Keep working hard and being good!
Dear Family,
I'm so glad to hear from you and to hear that you had such a good family home evening. Right now I look back on the big spiritual experiences like that that I've had in my life and I am so grateful for them. Those are times when God is letting you know that He is there and that He lives. I can't express how important it is to seek after experiences like that.
Things have been going great this week. I went on an exchange with one of the zone leaders. The whole time I was with him he had hunter like instincts in searching for service opportunities. We helped some people rearrange their shop, we helped a lady clean a cooler and carry out to the a car, and we helped this lady carry a bunch of empty beer cases to a garbage can. It was awesome. I've never felt like that before on my mission so far. His name is Elder Snow and he is a good missionary. He is really funny and can make everyone laugh. I think a lot of your prayers were answered last week. I am doing so much better at talking to everyone and laughing with them. It was a really good week this week.
Greg's letter is hillarious because it's almost exactly like out here. There is only the nasty box milk and no tortillas. It is really really hot right now and I have a tiny little bit of athletes foot on one of my feet but it's going away. Last week a cyclone I guess passed by the island but it didn't hit us. There were the biggest waves I've ever seen in my life, it was so cool.
We have an investigator that is going to be baptized.
We weren't able to set a date with him yet and he didn't come to church yesterday because he had to go tell the priest at his previous church about it... he said. But he is a good person. We met him when he randomly showed up at church one week. He said he talked to missionaries one time. We couldn't find anything in the area book about him but last night I found a pass along card on the ground that was from the missionaries that were here about a year ago and they had written his address and last name on it. So it just goes to show you that maybe one of these days someone that we shared a little message with then never saw again will come to church in a year and want to be baptized.
Thanks for writing me and sending me a package! love you!
-Elder Hill
I love you! thanks for writing me! my favorite color is sea green. Your school sounds awesome. You probably look so cute with your haircut and a uniform. I hope you have tons of fun playing with Jier and working out! I love you.
Dear Brockly,
Dude don't worry about those refs! They probably need glasses anyway. I hope you're hitting hard, but don't get hurt. Your teacher sounds awesome, does she give you candy? Love you Brock! Keep working hard and being good!
Dear Family,
I'm so glad to hear from you and to hear that you had such a good family home evening. Right now I look back on the big spiritual experiences like that that I've had in my life and I am so grateful for them. Those are times when God is letting you know that He is there and that He lives. I can't express how important it is to seek after experiences like that.
Things have been going great this week. I went on an exchange with one of the zone leaders. The whole time I was with him he had hunter like instincts in searching for service opportunities. We helped some people rearrange their shop, we helped a lady clean a cooler and carry out to the a car, and we helped this lady carry a bunch of empty beer cases to a garbage can. It was awesome. I've never felt like that before on my mission so far. His name is Elder Snow and he is a good missionary. He is really funny and can make everyone laugh. I think a lot of your prayers were answered last week. I am doing so much better at talking to everyone and laughing with them. It was a really good week this week.
Greg's letter is hillarious because it's almost exactly like out here. There is only the nasty box milk and no tortillas. It is really really hot right now and I have a tiny little bit of athletes foot on one of my feet but it's going away. Last week a cyclone I guess passed by the island but it didn't hit us. There were the biggest waves I've ever seen in my life, it was so cool.
We have an investigator that is going to be baptized.
We weren't able to set a date with him yet and he didn't come to church yesterday because he had to go tell the priest at his previous church about it... he said. But he is a good person. We met him when he randomly showed up at church one week. He said he talked to missionaries one time. We couldn't find anything in the area book about him but last night I found a pass along card on the ground that was from the missionaries that were here about a year ago and they had written his address and last name on it. So it just goes to show you that maybe one of these days someone that we shared a little message with then never saw again will come to church in a year and want to be baptized.
Thanks for writing me and sending me a package! love you!
-Elder Hill
Thursday, August 20, 2009
8/18 To Von
Papa,
I guess I'm bad at hiding my emotions. I was very, very down last week. But you are exactly right. I read in the first chapter of Preach My Gospel that depression and discouragement come when you don't have faith. Last week was very hard for me. I even began to doubt all that I am doing here and even my testimony a little. I prayed a lot every day. I began to see how much God has blessed me in my life. I began to see all the answers to prayers that I have ever received. And, I had a dream where I saw uncle Matt. He smiled and laughed and we were making jokes and I gave him a big hug. I am totally convinced that God is there and that he hears our prayers. This week at church, we had three investigators attend. My integrity has grown so much here. I am learning more and more each day. I love The Book of Mormon and the scriptures now. Thanks for all that you do for me Dad. I love you a lot.
Elder Hill
I guess I'm bad at hiding my emotions. I was very, very down last week. But you are exactly right. I read in the first chapter of Preach My Gospel that depression and discouragement come when you don't have faith. Last week was very hard for me. I even began to doubt all that I am doing here and even my testimony a little. I prayed a lot every day. I began to see how much God has blessed me in my life. I began to see all the answers to prayers that I have ever received. And, I had a dream where I saw uncle Matt. He smiled and laughed and we were making jokes and I gave him a big hug. I am totally convinced that God is there and that he hears our prayers. This week at church, we had three investigators attend. My integrity has grown so much here. I am learning more and more each day. I love The Book of Mormon and the scriptures now. Thanks for all that you do for me Dad. I love you a lot.
Elder Hill
8/18 To family
Dear mama,
Last week was pretty depressing but it's all good now. No worries. It's just that everything is so different here and I'm not used to listening to atheist people all day telling me all sorts of things.
I dont think I told you last week but it was a new transfer and I'm in the same area with the same collegue again.
I'm close to reaching the six month mark of my mission. I've grown so close to some of the members here. We watched a bunch of church videos today at the church and we saw one about Zions camp. There were really hard things they had to do and Joseph Smith kept receiving revelation to keep them out there and it was a huge trial for a lot of them and there were even deaths. But everyone of the men that was in the
Zions camp was later called to a position in the seventy or the twelve. and Joseph Smith gave a talk and said that none of them would have been ready to sustain a calling like that unless they had shown God that they were willing to make a sacrifice "even as great as Abrahams" and they were prepared by the hardships they endured. A mission is kind of like that in a way. At least for me. President Hinckley said in a talk that "its a hard thing for the shy diffident young men to serve a mission, but how blessed they are for the tremendous faith they have to do it" I'm not gonna lie a lot of things have been pretty hard for me out here. But as I've continued to do the things I've been asked to, there's no doubt in my mind that the Lord has blessed me and guided me.
Thanks for writing me. Sounds like the normal crazy stuff. I hope Brock's okay. I hope your having really good family home evenings every week. Love you.
-elder hill
Last week was pretty depressing but it's all good now. No worries. It's just that everything is so different here and I'm not used to listening to atheist people all day telling me all sorts of things.
I dont think I told you last week but it was a new transfer and I'm in the same area with the same collegue again.
I'm close to reaching the six month mark of my mission. I've grown so close to some of the members here. We watched a bunch of church videos today at the church and we saw one about Zions camp. There were really hard things they had to do and Joseph Smith kept receiving revelation to keep them out there and it was a huge trial for a lot of them and there were even deaths. But everyone of the men that was in the
Zions camp was later called to a position in the seventy or the twelve. and Joseph Smith gave a talk and said that none of them would have been ready to sustain a calling like that unless they had shown God that they were willing to make a sacrifice "even as great as Abrahams" and they were prepared by the hardships they endured. A mission is kind of like that in a way. At least for me. President Hinckley said in a talk that "its a hard thing for the shy diffident young men to serve a mission, but how blessed they are for the tremendous faith they have to do it" I'm not gonna lie a lot of things have been pretty hard for me out here. But as I've continued to do the things I've been asked to, there's no doubt in my mind that the Lord has blessed me and guided me.
Thanks for writing me. Sounds like the normal crazy stuff. I hope Brock's okay. I hope your having really good family home evenings every week. Love you.
-elder hill
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