Hermana Kristen Hilburn: Hard Things Make You Better

HOLLAAAAAA FAMMMIILLLLIIIAAAA WHAT IS UPPPPPPP! I CAN'T EVEN CONTAIN JUST THE GOOD VIBES RIGHT NOW. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHY BUT I'M JUST A HAPPY CAMPER THIS DAY.

Okay so I just want to say right now that when things get tough, they will get better. I can testify of that statement because the beginning of this week had to be the hardest of my whole mission. I've been in this area Talca my whole mission and we have not had a single baptism. We've had 1 fecha and it fell and hardly any investigators. We have been working so hard for so long to find absolutely no fruits to our labors and it really got to me this week. We had 10 citas at the beginning of this week, 7 of them fell, one of the people Cecilia called us to basically "break up" with us and say she didn't want any more of the gospel, we haven't been able to find Andrea for almost a week and a half now and it has been so cold. We had to say goodbye to our mission president and Friday I got super sick and couldn't work. We were just feeling sooo sorry for ourselves and really just lost all that was important to us this week as we were only focusing on the bad and none of the good. I could see where we were going so I told Hermana Blake we should probably fast. So as we started our fast on Saturday... the week started to turn around in a way a little unexpected...

So Saturday we had a service opportunity with Yolli and her mom finishing paining her house. As we were leaving, a thought came into my mind to ask Hermana Blake if she had the keys, but being stupid I didn't say anything until I heard the door slam and lock. She didn't have the keys and as I was looking for the phone in my purse, I didn't have the phone. So we were a lil stranded but decided to head to our service activity and call the elders from Hermana Yollis phone. So we were on our way to the service and a man literally jumped out of his car to talk to us and asked us if we could give his son a blessing. We took his name and number and headed to the service. We called the elders... and them being elders..... ugh didn't answer. So we were just like alright we are going to pray and hope for something cool to happen. As we were riding to lunch LOW AND BEHOLD THE ELDERS ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN OUR SECTOR. Me being the pshycho human I am screamed ELDERS ELDERS STOPPPP. They were able to contact the other Hermana's who live with us and told them to get back to the house after lunch to let us in so we could change and go back out ot work. So after we were done with lunch we waited outside our house for our roomies for about and hour and a half. I had to go potty so bad but we were just waiting and talking and planning for our day. When the Hermana's got there Hermana Goodman thought at first that she didn't have the keys and I started laughing so hard I peed my pants. Literally. So you all know I am still the same old Kristen. We later continued working and searching for new poeple and just put our all in. We found some awesome poeple and we are so excited to work with them and see where they go!!!!

So this week was just a li'l crazy. We hit some lows but we also were happy to be working and serving the Lord. I think the Lord is stretching me right now. He's teaching me and it's hard and sometimes I want to cry and give up but after the trials I know it is always for the better. This whole mission thing has just been a crazy world of hard. It is so hard when investigators don't want to progess or go to church. It is so hard to watch people in pain from illness. It is so hard to get the door slammed in your face. It is so hard talking in a foreign language. It's hard to be out in the cold all day working for people who sometimes dont' want you there. but you know what I keep thinking. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HARD!

This life is hard. We all go through hard things but the hard things are what make us better. If I had all investigators who were just like, BAPTIZE ME NOW, I wouldn't need to fast, pray and recieve revelation for them because they would know what to do.

The hardness is the plan we chose when we were in heaven. We didn't take the easy way out we chose to learn and to grow through difficulties. We chose to be in a little pain so we could have an eternity of glory AND HOW COOL IS THAT.

The best part is that Heavenly Father knew how hard it was going to be for each one of us so he sent us a way we could get through the hard times and be triumphant and that's through his loving son Jesus Christ and the gospel he established for us and the spirit of comfort and peace we recieve through that divine gospel.

I just want you to all know how grateful I am for that gift that I reviewed when I was 8 years old. I feel like it's taken me 10 years to see how amazing this gift is. But now I am starting to realize the peace that comes through the holy ghost. " y por el poder del espiritu santo podreis conocer la verdad de todas las cosas¨¨and through that gift I know my Savior lives and that my Father in Heaven loves me so dang much.

I know he has such great things in store for me and I might not be lucky enough to see the fruits of my labors right now but with how many seeds I've been planting, I know in the celestial kingdom, if I am just so lucky I will be able to see them then.

I love you all so much and I love this gospel with all my heart. I know with every part of me this is the same church Jesus Christ established when he was on the earth. I know that Joseph Smith was the worthy and honorable man we needed to restore it. I know that we are lucky enough now to have that gospel in our lives if we choose to have it. I know that the gift of the espiritu is the greatest gift we can recieve and thats why I'm here; to give that gift to others.

I hope you all have a great week and realize the gift you all have.

Love

Hermana Hilburn