HELLLLLOOOOOO FRIENDS AND FAMILY BACK IN AMERICA!!!!! ITS YOUR FAVE MISSIONARY COMING AT YOU HOT FROM CHILLLLEEEE THE GREATEST PLACE ON EARTH. Wow I have absolutely no idea where to start because this week was by far the greatest one since I've been here. Keep reading cuz this letter is about to be hot fire.
Let me begin with giving you a little insight on how my mornings go every single day. So those of you who know me know I hate all dogs in the world except my own. (shout out Coop, I love you). But in Chile, there are nasty dogs everywhere you walk. So we go to a park every morning to excersize and I swear the dogs there have an underground club and they all talk about me and plot their next attack. So my comp and I decided we wanted to be fit humans and run in the mornings. Bad idea! We started running and this group of terrifying dogs straight up started chasing me and I just couldn't handle myself. I swear something in my body went crazy and I just sprinting so fast to find shelter. But it was probably not missionary approved shelter because I grabbed an elder and threw him in front of me. I swear the whole park went silent, because I touched an arm of an elder. It's okay because I repented and the atonement is real. But it's all good!! I didn't die and the dogs I think are now afraid of me. I also prayed so hard that they would break up there little gang and leave me alone and let me tell you prayers are answered!!! Even though it's a dumb small thing I know my Heavenly Father watches out for me and the other missionaries. There has already been so many instances where I've really seen that.
So I also had this amazing experience this week.
Friday was kind of a rough day. I just felt so discouraged and down and for those who really know me, whenever I am down about even 1 thing, my world is falling apart. But I decided I was just gonna push through and everything was going to be okay. So around 7:30 some elders came in and told us Elder Bednar... yeah ELDER BEDNAR AND APOSTLE OF GOD! was in the chapel next door. So of course me being the nosy person I am had to go find out for myself the truth. So we walked out and saw body guards outside and nice cars all lined up around the CCM.
So I FREAKED OUT because I wanted to meet him so bad but I knew we weren't really supposed to be thinking about it because we had to teach an investigator. So I just suggested we all say a prayer and study for our investigators and whatever happened would be Gods will.. So my comp and I did just that. We studied and planned for our investigator and we taught him and the spirit was so strong and the lesson went so well. He was so receptive and it was so awesome to teach a lesson like that. Then after we were done we went back to our classroom and started to plan for the next day. As we were planning I heard our cute mission president's wife yell, "who wants to meet Elder Bednar?"
I JUMPED out of my chair so fast and ran over to her and she told us we needed to be quite reverent and that we might not get to meet him because he had so much to do. But I was soooooo okay with that, cause there was still a small chance we would. We were all waiting on the ledge just getting ready to watch him drive away and his car pulled up to us and he got out and started shaking alllllll of the missionaries hands. YES ALL OF OUR HANDS.
I literally can't even describe how cool it was becasue the second he got out of the car, I was hit with the spirit. You could just feel his goodness and it was so undeniable. He started shaking all of the Latinos hands and he wasn't really saying much but when he got to me. He stopped(probably because he was like, why is this girl crying so hysterically) and then he said ¨"Hermana Hilburn" (I'm like basically struck dumb at this point), "where's home for you?" and I literally threw up, "California" and then he was like "oh, what part?" and then I was like "Granite Bay, Roseville, Rocklin, Loomis" every area around us trying to relate with him and he said "no way!!! I'm going there next month!!" and I just was smiling so hard. The whole time we were talking I was shaking his hand, so I was a little nervous I was violating the don't touch the elders rule, but President was watching and it was an apostle so I assumed it was good: Man I just can't even describe to you how incredible it was!
I just know my Heavenly Father loves me and knows me. This man of God was so in tune with spirit he could just tell by just looking at me that I needed his love. I know that he is a prophet of God and ahhhh it was so amazing meeting him.
I know this gospel is true and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with others. It has blessed my life so much I cannot even begin to describe how grateful I am. I know Christ suffered in the garden for all the sins, afflictions and pains of the world. I find so much comfort in knowing my Savior knows exactly how I feel. He knows me and I love him.
Well I just want to leave with you my motto of the week:
"Be the kind of missionary that when you wake up in the morning, Satan goes, "oh crap she's up"
So excited to be here and I love you all so much. Have a great week everyone and remember how much I love you!!!
Hermana Hilburn
All of Hermana Hilburn's Roomies
