Hermana Kristen Hilburn: Week 2 Down!

HOLLLLAAAAA MY HOMIE G's BACK IN AMERICA!!!!

Just want to start off by saying sorry for last weeks email.. haha It was a rough week and I was overwhelmed but all is well now!!! It's crazy trying to get used to things here but it's getting so much easier and awesome! So smiles allll around. This week was just super totally radfest awesome!! haha It was great and I'm one happy lil missionary. The only thing that is sad is that all the Latinos that got here when we did are heading off and leaving this wonderful place. They only stay for 2 weeks because they don't need to learn a whole language, haha so they are off and I'm so sad!! I'm going to miss them so much. I got super close with a couple of them and it kills me that I won't probably see them until the next life. But they are so great and going to bring so many people a ton of joy in there lives. I'm also sad because we will be switching teachers and I really don't know how I can possibly get more amazing teachers than the ones I had. But hey, I'm sure they will be great.

It's awesome to feel my testimony growing and being surrounded by so many cool people makes it pretty easy. Even though my testimony is changing, don't you dare worry, I am still the most awkward person in the whole entire world!!! haha One of my favorite teachers' name is Hermano Verra and he's just a lil goofster. He's always teasing me and I'm always teasing him. It's all fun and games and I love him!! So every time we have language practice he makes up sentences and we have to repeat them and translate them for practice. So it was my turn to translate and so I was feeling pretty confident in the Lang and I was like okay I'm ready. So he says a sentance and I thought about it and I was like thinking thats a lil weird for a teacher to say to a student, but he's goofy so I was like okay. So I thought he said, "it would be a blessing to be my girlfriend." When I said that everyone looked at me so strangely and I knew right away that was not at all what he said. Stupid me got a few words mixed up and what he really was saying was, it's a blessing to be your teacher. So I mean I guess I was kind of close but... hahah but the language is coming along!!! I am getting it slowly and I'm starting to understand so much more. We just taught an investigator last night and he told me that my Spanish was pretty good. So I'm feeling pretty okay right now!!

Another funny thing that happened this week was I met an Elder from Bothell Washington and his name is Elder Birrel. We were just talking and he knows Kyle and Grace!! Our companions were talking and I swear 3 teachers saw we were all talking and they all started to trickle on in to you know... make sure we were all keeping to ourselves and not flirting. It is sooooooo funny because I have no idea why they even would wonder with me, NO BOYS NO PROBLEM. So funny but there's been some problem with some of the Latinos being a lil to affectionate with the opposite sex so they just had to make sure we were following the rules. And we were, Don't worry. haha

I've had so many cool experiences with investigators but I really just want to tell you about one!!! My fave teacher ever's name is Herman Diaz and he is just so cool. He only teaches us like once a week but it's so awesome learning from him. He gave us a scenario of this man who was baptized and stopped going to church 2 weeks after. He told the bishop he wanted nothing to do with the church. Of course we still went because we were asked. I was so nervous for some reason because I was like, this guy doesn't want us there, he doesn't have a testimony, why should we go? But my comp who's awesome was like Hermana Hilburn, we were asked to go and we have to find out if there is something he needs. So we knocked on the door and he just peaks it open. He didn't want to talk to us but we jsut asked him how he was doing and if there was anything we could do for him. He then told us he wasn't good enough for this gospel and we should just go away. He was then about to shut the door on us because my companion and I were both speechless. But then I had such and overwhelming feeling of love I just had to tell him. So I just word vomited all in English about how much my companion and I loved him and how much his Heavenly Father loved him. I seriously felt I went on for like 20 minutes just telling him to never feel that way because no matter what his Father in Heaven loved him and for whatever reason he was sharing just a portion of that love with me so I could help.

Even though this wasn't a real investigator I have never felt a more real feeling of the spirit. It was telling me exactly what this man needed to hear and I was just the instrument in that moment. After we were done my teacher asked me why I said those things. I just explained how I couldn't not express the feelings I was feeling. He then told me that's exactly what I was supposed to do. Follow the spirit no matter how much doubt you may have.

ahhhhhhhh I'm just so grateful. I'm so grateful to have a knowledge of my Saviors love for me. It's jsut so awesome and I can't wait to share with others. Even though the food here is kinda scary, the rooms are a lil nast and I'm constantly tired, I lvoe it. Because I know deep down in my heart that all those things don't matter and I'm here to serve my Father in Heaven.

Well I love you all so much and still keep me in your prayers because I truly felt them this week!!

Also I could always use words of encouragement. Even though I'm a missionary I still am stupid sometimes and miss home and doubt myself. hahah Dang Satan.

Well keep on keeping on family and friends. My motto this week has been, "If you have a bad thought, tell it to go to heck," because that's exactly where it came from. oh and then pray to be strengthened." hahah love you guys and the church is true!!!!

Hermana Hilburn