This is how you do it when you run out of money to pay for a dryer. Classy.

Kamille and I. She is SOOOOO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!! I will miss her

Laura, Steph and I. Man I love them!!!!

Sister Wu and I bought Halloween costumes at Value Village (or the V.V. Boutique).

Freak out week

This week has been a stress case.  Everyone's stomachs are in knots and no one can get rid of it.  Seriously, my district leader called us to ask if we felt weird because everyone else in the district had a knot in their stomach.  He thought it was weird... and then I informed him it was TRANSFER WEEK next week, and everyone was freaking out.  But really, everyone!  This is going to be a HUGE change in the mission.  Only 11 out of about 70 companionships are staying the same.

 

Where am I going? I'm opening an area for sisters in the middle of nowhere... Moose Jaw, SK, here I come!  Who's my companion?  Sister Rush.  She only has two transfers left, and as such I'll probably kill her... (That just means I'll be her last companion before her mission life ends... Don't worry.)

 

I'm already in love with Moose Jaw, and I've decided I'm going to love Sister Rush.  Sometimes she gets a lot of gruff because she's really intense, but I've already decided that I'm going to love her so that's that.  We'll be intense together and show Moose Jaw who's boss.

 

The weird thing is how many people called it.  Elder Hatch, my district leader, told me he would be mad if I didn't go there and open it, which is a huge compliment considering that's where he served for the summer before coming to the city and he loved it.  He's served in several areas, but that's the area he calls home.  When I told him he guessed right, I asked why he chose me for Moose Jaw and he said "You'll just fit."  Ok...

Elder Rivera guessed it too.  Even freakier, he guessed my companion.  I thought he was joking... and I think he was kind of joking too, but here we are.  How in the world?

 

My lesson of the week came when I went on exchanges... or rather when I came back and talked with the APs Lyons and Briscoe about my exchange.  It was the weirdest day of my mission for sure.  I went to the London area, but we had to go to the Gateway sister's place to shower.  After we had gotten ready, I was told that I would go on ... And then the sister from London and a sister from Gateway sat on the couch all day while I was in a tri-pan with the other gateway sisters but we took the London appointments.  Sound weird????? That's because it was.  Sound against the rules?  That's because it was....  The north zone is a weird, weird apostate world...

Anyways... lets just say, I talked with the assistants afterwards and they helped me realize that even if someone else is supposed to be the leader, I can stand up and do what's right.  If something seems weird, that's probably because it is weird and I should stand up and say something.  I also learned that before you ask someone if something is right, ask yourself.  Your conscious, when pure, will tell you the truth!  So apply it.  If someone asks you to do something and it seems odd, ask yourself, and then stand up for what's right! Be courageous!

 

Sweetest moments of the week:

A ward member gave a talk this week and shared how much Sister Wu and I had helped her realized she had a testimony. :) :) :)

Also, an investigator texted us randomly and told us we helped her to have faith and thanked us.  Yes!!!!!!!

 

My computer is deciding it wants to give me 15 less minutes this week so I have to go!!! :(

 

Much love,

 

Sister Hill

 

 

PS. Sister Wu is staying YSA and training

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST!!!

PS.  My Chrismas Wishlist includes:

 

NEW MUSIC.  I AM DYING.  Please send me some Christian folk bands. Oakridge boys or something like that. Maybe some alison Krauss.  If Cheri Call ever gets a new Cd send it.  Actually, send the old ones, like her first two CD's and her Christmas album please!

Also beautiful movie soundtracks!  Anything classical.  I AM SO sick of piano guys.

Sheet music that's not too complicated but beautiful.

 

That's all I can think of right now.  Be creative. 

 

Love ya.

Sister Hill, Brooklyn, and Sister Wu at Stake Conference

Classic Elder Rivera and Sister Harding

"This is NOT a TAXI."

Once upon a time Sister Wu and I went to visit a potential investigator in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, probably a shadier side of town.  It was also seven at night so probably a bad idea. 
 

Anyways...We always pray before we go into a lesson, even if it's just to drop by to set up a future appointment and see what happens.  I was praying when I heard the car door open on the driver's side and thought, "Why is Sister Wu opening the door in the middle of the prayer?", but when I opened my eyes, Sister Wu's door was still shut.

 

Utterly confused I looked at the seat behind her and THERE WAS A MAN TRYING TO GET INTO OUR CAR!!!!!  Sister Wu's face was just shocked, so I realized I would have to do the talking.
 

"Um.. what are you doing?"  The man stares at me in confusion, his arm still grasped on the door.

I continue. "This is not a taxi."

 

The man still confused leans to get in and I say MUCH louder, "SIR, THIS IS NOT a TAXI," to which he finally waved his arms, shut the door and Sister Wu immediately locked it.

Probably needless to say the man was half drunk and stumbled away and Sister Wu and I decided to not visit that potential investigator at that time. 

 

Don't worry! We learned our lesson(s):

 

1. Don't go to downtown Winnipeg at night.
 

2. ALWAYS lock the car doors.
 

There are probably other lessons to be learned but I'll spare you the lecture.

 

Instead, I'll lecture you on something that is becoming more and more apparent to me as I am on my mission.  That is, the war that is going on in each of our lives every. single. day.  It starts when you wake up in the morning, and doesn't end, sometimes invading your dreams.  It is not a war of swords, but a war of thoughts, ideas, words, and eventually actions.  It is the war for our salvation.  The war for peace.  The war for joy.  The war for growth.  The war for truth.  The war for love.

 

Every moment of everyday is a battle.  What are you going to think about?  Who are you going to follow?  What are you going to fight for?  How are you going to act?  Why are you going to act that way?

 

These are questions that need to be considered. Too often we find ourselves on the slippery slope to desctruction, not sure how we got that far in the first place. If you are someone, or somewhere you should not or don't want to be, repent and change.  It will be worth it. Decide NOW to be firm.  Do you have a particular temptation that taunts you at every turn?  Decide NOW that you won't give in to temptation.  If you want peace, then choose right.

 

Don't let Satan win.  Don't give in.  Don't budge.  Live for peace.  Live for love.  Live for the glory of God.

 

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day.…

“Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

“And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” (Eph. 6:11–18.)

 

Funny Moment of the week:

 

During the announcements in district meeting, I realized we never said the opening prayer.  I turned to Sister Wu and told her, and she said, "Oh you're right." So she raises her hand to tell everyone.  When Elder Hatch finally calls on her, "Yes Sister Wu...", and she announces that no one said the opening prayer, there is a pause and then everyone else besides us goes "What?! Elder Blackburn just said it!!!"  Sister Wu looks at me, and I just bust up laughing.  HARD.  Honestly, I thought no one said the prayer, but there you go.  Oops.

 

Love,

 

Sister Hill

I have started a few photo collections. Let's start with bears:

What we did on PDAY: Elder R and I with the whipped cream plague.

Samosa. An Indian treat.

Idli with cilantro chutney. A Sri Lankan/Southern India dish.

Phillipino food from the Cardona family in the North

Salmon Burger from CHOP :)

The LOVE MAIL collection: Elder Peterson and Elder Kendall

Sister Hill found Elder Poulson's pink, heart-covered, Dolci and Gibanna scented letters from his lovely lady at the office.

Sangeeta and I outside CHOP

PHOTO COLLECTION​S

I don't have too much time to write this week.  Nor do I have too much to say except Brooklyn and Kamille are our only solid investigators we have at the moment and I appreciate them.  So here are some photos I've been collecting over the past transfer.  (Sorry.  This means you have to check the blog, not just the email).

 

The first photo is of my neighbor Sangeeta.  She is the sweetest.  We taught her a couple lessons, but she's not really interested, so now we're just friends.  I love her tons.  We're here only friends in Canada besides her husband, and she doesn't have a job or a way to get out, so we just visit her after lunch sometimes.  I know she really needs it, and it's fun for us too.

 

Let's just say, her husband is the head chef of the CHOP in Winnipeg.  And lets just say they are opening a new lunch menu this month and they needed volunteers to try it out.  So he volunteered us to try.  We didn't mind.  Thus the pictures of the salmon burger and the resaurant.  It was a few weeks ago, and it was a wonderful PDAY:)

 

This week though, was another adventure entirely.  So far I haven't had anything too bad on my mission, food-wise.  Someone did feed us really chewy soya-meat once.  And another time someone fed us halwa, which is burnt flour, water, sugar and oil and it was nasty!!!!!!!

Of course she fed us two HUGE servings.  And gave us left overs.... Don't worry.  We fed those "really good" leftovers to the St. James sisters.  :) HA!

 

MUCH LOVE!!!! Keep living worthy of the spirit, pray for it, and listen to it.  It changes everything!

Sister Hill

Elder Johnson, Sister Hill, Sister Crawford, Sister Pelletier, and Sister Fellows

Saving a Soul

I swear... someone in the library is coughing up a hair ball.... A large one....That is the setting in which I begin this letter... ANYWAYS

 
 

It is disappointing as people who seem so ready disappear from our teaching pool, but it's ok. The ones that are ready are so ready, and the ones who are not are not, and they kind of sift themselves out. Don't worry, Brooklyn is still going strong. Both she and Kamille (our ward mission leader's girlfriend) watched conference and loved it.
 

This week was truly humbling. I don't think I've been involved in truly saving someone's life until we met a referral from one of our investigators on Friday. We have been dropping off food at her house for three weeks now after we volunteer at the food bank. We usually just drop it off and run, but this week we decided to hand deliver it. To our surprise, she was home and she let us in. After shooing all of the people out of the house, she sat on her couch and preceded to tell us one of the saddest stories I have ever heard in my entire life. She has bordline-personality disorder from a life of distrust of others. Both of her parents, abused her, drugged themselves and her up since the time she was three. Both of them have cancer and are now in jail. (Probably lung cancer: It smelled like a casino in there). She decided to become a teenage mother to create a normal family situation, but the system took her daughter away. Regardless, her whole life she has had to be the mom for her siblings as well. She told me about things that her younger siblings have done, and choices they've made and I just wanted to cry--they are 15 and 12 and have done things no grown person should ever do, let alone a middle school child. She has to unspeakable things to make money for her family, and she has attempted ending her own life several times. She is the sweetest, nicest, and most loving person. She is just trying to love, forgive, and do what is right, yet she has no self-esteem. I never realized before how powerful the knowledge that we are children of a perfect, loving God is. Nor do I think I ever realized the power and safety of Christ-centered families and homes.

 

Want to know the scariest thing? That could have been me. She is only twenty. I could have been born in her shoes. I could have faced all she faced. WHY DID I GET HANDED SUCH A GOOD LIFE??????????????? I don't know. But I do know that Christ has been in her shoes. I don't think I've understood the atonement as powerfully as I did sitting in that young woman's home. If Christ just suffered what she alone suffered, that would have been an insurmountable task. And yet, He did so much more. I know someone that can take all of that pain, and absorb it for her. All of that anguish, all of her suffering can be swallowed up in the Savior that loves her. Christ is waiting to cradle her in His arms. 2 Nephi 1:15 But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.
 

This experience made me realize/remember why I am going into recreation therapy. Writing papers is fun, creating things is fun, teaching people is worthwhile, so is healing bodies, but healing a soul... To me there is no greater cause.
 

Please turn to Christ, and let Him heal your souls. I realize everyday, my own nothingness. I teach, but really the spirit is the teacher. I find, but really God is putting people he has already prepared in my path. I work, but He has created my body, given me everything that I have, the air I breathe and the food I eat. Please, let go, just hand back what is really God's anyways and let Christ heal your soul.
 

I love you, and I will try to expand my love more and more each day.

Sister Hill

MUD. See funny Moment 5

Planner cover Elder Mohlman Drew for me. Isn't it good???

My life is a GONG SHOW.

Gong show. (n). A group of people that when together acts ridiculous and is HILARIOUS.

This week was probably the funniest week of my mission.  Even though Elder Erickson isn't serving in our area anymore.  Man, Sister Wu and I never realized how much we would miss that kid.  He moved on the world of Assistants to the President leaving Elder Mohlman, Sister Wu and I behind.  Him and Elder Mohlman and us sisters would compete ALL THE TIME.  But oh well.  Now the Gong Show consists of Me, Elder Mohlman, and Sister Wu, while Elder Simister (Elder Mohlman's new companion) looks on at our silliness in probably pure confusion.

So the funny moments of the week in a countdown:

 5. On Thursday while street contacting I fell in some seriously thick mud at this construction site by our apartment. As I was walking through the construction site, covered in mud, this Irish man that lives in our apartment building came by and started yacking at me NON-STOP. Then this construction worker sees whats going on and hands me a dry rag while I'm still listening to this man. Then he hands me a wet rag, and this man is STILL talking to me. Meanwhile Sister Wu is in the backgroung coordinating the rag situation. It was so nice of the construction workers. I didn't mind talking to the man; it was just really funny timing. My purse is still muddy... I should probably wash that instead of stealing Sister Wu's bags. (Or Begs in Canadian).

4. On Friday night Sister Wu and I went on a companionship inventory date to eat Pho.  My soup came with bean sprouts and these really spicy peppers.  Not your typical jalpenos.  Sister Wu being such a tom-boy says to me, "I'll pay you ten bucks if you eat one." When I said no, she asked "Will you give me ten bucks if I eat one?"  to which I agreed.  OH MAN.  She was crying like a baby, downed her water, then downed my water, then I ordered her a bubble tea to calm it.

But there was still another pepper.  That's when Elder Mohlman comes in.  Both he and Sister Wu have been pretty sick so we decided to give him the other pepper when we saw him next to "help clear his sinuses". ;)  He agreed and Sister Wu pulled this tiny pepper out of this napkin folded over twenty times.  It looked pretty sketchy, especially for missionaries in a church building, but that was pure accident.  Anyways, last night he went outside to the parking lot and ate it.  And I thought Sister Wu was crying!  No way Jose.  Elder Mohlman almost didn't get it down, and then the waterfall ensued.  It was pretty dark, but you could still see the glistening on his Ginger-haired head.  Then the poor kid drove home.  I'm amazed he could see with all that water in his eyes! :P

3. Once upon a time at Instafruit (the Tate version of Institute) I was talking to Elder Mohlman. He was wearing glasses that day for some reason. Anyways, we're talking in the gym and the next thing you know one of the five Mikes in our ward shot a basketball that rebounded right into the back of Elder Mohlman's head. That was funny enough but then his glasses shot out from his head like I was watching a 3-D movie and exploded! His lenses popped straight forward, his frames snapped symetrically in three peices and I laughed for like 5 minutes straight. Yeah, it was sad... BUT SO FUNNY.

2. There is a young man from our ward that helps Sister Wu and I teach English class sometimes addressed us after class this Saturday. "Um... Sisters, come here...  I was wanting to ask you about how to invite a girl to church."  :) We offered to help him practice, and basically it turned into a gong show and lots of dating advice.  It was hilarious because we helped him practice/role play in the foyer while a couple of Elders watched on.  They were there for fellowship, but lets be honest: they were soaking up every peice of advice Sister Wu and I gave the guy in our ward.  Sister Wu was the girl as they practiced, and I couldn't help but laugh every thirty seconds as I watched.  Good times.... I love serving in the YSA.

1. Also this week, a man Sister Wu and I know shaved his mustache, so Sister Wu being Sister Wu asks him, "How does it feel to have no mustache anymore?"  He looks around and says "Come closer" Sister Wu leans in.  "No, closer."  Hesitantly Sister Wu continues in.  He is recently divorced and told her, "I've had this mustache for 30 years.  My wife told me that I have a weak upper lip, and that I should grow a mustache to make it better...What does it mean to have a weak upper lip?"   SOOOO AWKWARD.  Sister Wu knows what it means but decided to act naive.... smart plan.

Other adventures of the week include losing our keys to EVERYTHING after and hour and a half of street contacting in the rain.  Good thing the Saint James sisters live in our apartment building.  Don't worry, we eventually got it sorted out.

Sorry these are probably the most unexpected and unorthadox missionary emails ever.... but I can't help but revel in a good story.

So speaking of good stories, Sister Wu and I got two new and marvelous investigators: one via street contacting, and one was a former investigator that happens to be our ward mission leader's girlfriend.  Both of them are super lovely and have great potential.

Yesterday was a great day.  We had the Canada Winnipeg Mission Fireside as well as a wonderful fast and testimony meeting.  Here are some quotes from my friends that spoke.
This is from George, a Chinese man who was baptized last year and started coming out with the missionaries a lot.  I just love how he puts things as he explains his experience as a member missionary in a lesson: "I not persuade or convince them, they just find out for themselves... Pure things come out from their insides, and they don't fake it... We need to cherish the pure stuff coming from our inside... We have the most wonderful thing around us, so be strong."  I LOVED IT.  That is teaching by the spirit in a nutshell.  It is people figuring out for themselves why the gospel is so great.  The Holy Ghost finds that pure stuff that is already in each of us and pulls it out and maginfies it.  This is not a bunch of hullabaloo.  This. IS. REAL.

Next I loved the follwing quotes from the fireside:

"If you turn to Christ during those trying times He will turn it into a refiners fire.  If you turn away from Him you'll break."--Sister Rush

"My name is Elder Simister... like they... said..." (That one isn't important I just thought it was funny...) Anyways he went on to say: "What do you expect when you wear the name of Jesus Christ; do you expect it to be easy?"  I think he was quoting his best friend, but it was good.

Well that's my crazy week!  Thanks for stalking/checking up on me.

 

I love you,

Sister Hill