Read, Pray and Do the Little Things...

OH HAPPY DAY TO BE A MISSIONARY IN CHILE SERVING THE LORD AND HIS BELOVED CHILDREN UP IN CHILE!

Well this week was a super AWESOME ONE. We have been just finding machines and contacting up a stormy to get the good word out!! It's incredible seeing the change in my companion and how when we first got here she was so afraid to talk to others and now I'm not even the one telling her to do it she just does!! We both have grown and done everything we could, studying in our free time, practicing while walking to appointments and sharing our testimonies so we could grow and be the missionaries our Savior needs us to be and he has been with us every step putting the words in our mouths leading us to His prepared people and having the best time doing it!!!

Then I had the MOST LIFE CHANGING INTERCOMBIO THIS WEEK WITH HERMANA GARCIA IN RECREO!! Okay so back story. My companion a couple of transfers ago told me a story about a lady named Patricia who has been having EVERY SINGLE HARD TRIAL THAT ANYONE COULD EVER HAVE. When she told me her story I cried and was a so grateful I didn't serve there because I would have no idea what to say to this lady. Then 4 months later I'm in that same sector and we just happen to have a cita with this lady. OH I GOT SO NERVOUS and we said a prayer and I just begged for the words of how to help her with her pain. We went to home and she told us that she had gone 5 days with out smoking and was going to church this Sunday and we were able share with her a scripture that is in Mosiah 2:41 

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.  

As we read this beautiful scripture I have never felt that promise burn so strong. This sweet lady, because she was starting to live the commandments of God, again would be blessed with all the things she needed. That her Father in Heaven knew what she has been going through and that He loves her and becuase she is keeping the commandments she will recieve the blessings and help she needs. 

I just love the promises that are found in the scriptures, because I know they are true with all my heart. The Lord gave me the confidence I needed to help her understand the love He has for her despite the trials she has faced.

also this week we had a SUPER AWESOME stake conference that just BLEW MY MIND like out of the water!  So good. The stake leaders challenged EVERYONE to read the Book of Mormon in 6 months and see how much closer we become to our Savior Jesus Christ.. and I wanted to stand up and say AMEN TO THAT because I have truly felt that promise in my life.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and truly helps others come unto Christ and leads them throughout their lives. I know with out a doubt that our Father in Heaven has restored His gospel once again on the earth because He loves us and wants us to return to Him. 

It truly is His work and His glory and I'm happy to be working in it.

Read, pray and do the little things.... LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Hilburn and her new Companion

Chilean Treats

New Area, New Companion and More Happiness

Well it's true, I think I am truly THE happiest missionary in the whole wide world. I LOVE Garneros with my whole heart and Hermana Cabana my trainee EVEN MORE!!

So a little about Graneros. IT IS ZION. We have been finding people so prepared. The members DO THEIR CALLINGS and GIVE US REFERENCES. I felt like I was in a dream when I got here the first week because there's a BISHOP that is a REAL BISHOP and has a huge desire to help. Like what??? That exists? After being in a struggling branch I FEEL FREE HERE IN GARNEROS HOLY COW!  It's so incredible and the sector is super awesome. The best part is that literally every single day we leave our house and it smells like CHOCOLATE, becuase there is a huge nestle chocolate factory. It's legit. I'm so pumped. We are going there one day to see if there's a chocolate river inside! HAHA

AND MY COMPANION!!!

is so dang cute. We are learning so much together. She is so humble and teachable. I feel like we where meant ot be together!! She's so awesome and fun! She is from Argentina and doesn't have the annoying shaa accent so EVEN BETTER!! haha

Our sector is OH SO GREAT. We are just seeing miracles left and right!!! One experience I want to tell you about is the sweetest family we just found this week and HOW INCREDIBLE Gods plan is!! So my comp and I were looking for some Antigua investigators and went to the house of whom we thought would be the people we were looking for but instead came out a young dad with his sweet daughter who has down syndrome. Me FALLING IN LOVE SO FAST WITH THE DAUGHTER started talking to them and she invited us in like 5 times. But her dad said the mom wasn't there and that we could come back the next day. We did come back the next day and they are SO PREPARED! They told us that when she was born they felt a little abandoned by God and strayed away from Him for a time but as their other daughter grew up she would always ask about God. So this year they started looking for a way to  become closer to Him and then BOOM WE SHOWED UP. Can you say MIRACLE!!!!?  It was such a sweet moment along with many other ones this week.

Well I'm so happy to be here and I just feel such a strong desire to shout at the top of my lungs the peace that comes from the gospel!! That there is a living Christ and that He loves us and that His sacrifice is real and really can change us. I am a living, walking, breathing example of that change!! He has changed my heart to want nothing more than to serve Him. He has brought me peace, forgiveness, understanding and JOY AND I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MY HEART. I know that things get better and that He has a perfect plan for us to follow, if we really submit to Him and walk in His ways, we will find peace.

Well friends and family I know my Savior lives. I know He loves us and His work is HASTENING, faster than anyone can imagine. His peace is real and His joy is true.

Have a great week and remember He lives!! Search for yourself how this statement can change you! because it's changed me.

Hermana Hilburn

Saying Goodbye to Santa Cruzzzz....

Well you heard it! Transfers are in and I'm out! My heart BREAKS JUST A L'IL BIT, but "I will goooo where you want me to go!!! And the new place is.....

GRANEROS RANCAGUA!!

A cute little branch on the outskirts of Rancagua. I will be serving there as a trainer and not sister training leader!!!

AND I'M SO EXCITED. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve my companion and all the good ole Chileans. Man I just love the mission and for the incredible people God has put in my path to help me grow and learn and for me to help them grow and learn. What a blessing it is!!!

Sorry this is going to be a short one but so much on the mind. So many things happened and I left my journal at home. BUT just know I'm a happy helper who is just grateful for the Lords peace in my life. I can't even begin to say how grateful I am for the devine love and joy our father can give us and also for the strength He gives me in every moment of weakness. I know that He has been by my side every step I've taken here in Chile. 

I love you all and I'm grateful for the love and support that I receive. I hope all is going well and there will be MORE NEWS  NEXT WEEK FROM THE NEW SECTOR WITH MY NEW COMPI AND ALL. BUT HERE' S A MILLION PICS SO I HOPE THAT THAT MAKES IT UP TO YOU ALL. 

I Love you all!

Hermana Hilburn

A Little Beach Time for our last p-day together

Many happy and sad goodbyes this week

The Cool District

So many Lovely Chileans from Santa Cruz

There was an earth quake in Chile..So we needed to get stocked up on water

Really going to miss this awesome comp!

So Grateful for this Gospel

WELL the weeks are seriously just flying by I can't even begin to believe all that is going on and everything is moving so fast. But it has been a week of growth and I am just ever so grateful for the spirit and for the gospel in my life.

This week we had a special reunion with president and the assistants and we talked about the restoration and how INCREDIBLE AND TRUE IT IS. We learned so much.

But I just want you to know that the church really is true. That even though we fault faith sometimes, we are weak and we don't always know what to do it is true and our Savior really did suffer for our sins and our infirmities. He knows everything and he's the only one who can really help us. I know this through the power of the holy ghost and I konw he can really heal us. He has healed me and He has been with me every step of the way. I love my Savior with all my heart and that is why I will serve Him till the day I die. He is my Savior and redemer and I can't wait for the day I see Him face to face. 

Keep strong, do the little things and stay true to yourself and to God!

Hermana Hilburn

Happy Hermana's

Lovely Chilean's

Chile Is Beautiful

Loving Our Investigators

Easter fun!

Winter in Chile :(

Beautiful Sunrise

OKAY I LOVE IT HERE IN CHILE AND IT WAS JUST SUCH AN AMAZINGLY FAST GREAT WEEK!!

So this week was a lot of work. In and out of appointments and running here and there and it's just been INCREDIBLE becuase we found a new lady and put a baptismal date with her and she's incredible and I just love PATTTYYYY!!!!!

So I think every missonary can attest that as a missionary WE JUST LOVE OUR INVESTIGATORS. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE PROGRESSING AND ARE AWESOME- hahahha so I also learned a lot about LIFE AND LIFE LESSONS WITH THIS WOMAN SO I LOVE HER EVERMORE.

So first life lesson I learned with Patty was that GOD KNOWS BEST EVEN WHEN WE THINK WE KNOW BETTER. In our lesson with Patty this week EVERYTHING WENT WRONG. Our video didn't work and I was starting to get worried. I was like well, "fetch we are really screwing up now" but then after the TV broke, I fell off the chair and her dog kept barking, we were then able to find the perfect moment after 30 min of trying to bring the spirit in and teach the restoration. At the end of the lesson she says, "OHH SO THAT'S WHY HE'S IMPORTANT, BECUASE HE BROUGHT ALL THE TEACHINGS BACK TO ITS PERFECT FORM. It was so cool, like she understood perfectly! Then we were able to invite her to baptism and she said, YES! EVEN IF I HAVE TO DO IT IN SECRET. Oh how grateful I was that we kept going and working to teach her this lesson even after we had a hard start. I love Heavenly Father and His timing and that if I wait just a little bit longer and be patient He is always there and always has my back. 

I just am so grateful for the gospel in my life and for the peace that each and everyone of us can recieve when we follow His perfect plan. I have truly felt His peace and joy in my life serving His children here in Chile. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!

Hermana Hilburn

Sweet Miracles Falling from the Sky!

AHH ONE HAPPY SPIRITUALLY FILLED HUMAN BEING HERE OUT IN CHILE. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I LOVE CONFERENCE AND THE STRENGTH IT GIVES TO EACH ONE OF US IN THE MOMENT WE NEED IT MOST. 

HOLY COW. THE CHURCH IS SO TRUE.

Ahhh but really I'm just so extremely happy after this wonderful weekend of listening to our beloved prophet and his wonderful apostles. What a blessing to be a member of the Lords church in these days and so grateful for my wonderful Savior and his perfect plan for every single one of us.

So ABOUT THE WEEK. LITERALLY THE FASTEST WEEK EVER. I hate how fast time goes by, it makes me so sad because I really just want it to go slower ugh but this week was JAM PACKED WITH AMAZING EXPERIENCES.

So one cool experience: 2 weeks ago we were coming home from a meeting in Rancagua and I sat next to a lady and her son and in a matter of seconds we became best friends and she told me EVERYTHING that was going on in her life. We talked, cried and I shared the great news of the gospel with her and she left us with her adress and told us to come by the next week. So yeah we made an appointment for this last week and came to find that her address was an hour drive by bus that is at the very edge of our branch boundraies and that it would be 10 miles which is like 15 dollars for us to get there. But we decided she was worth the drive and the money becuase this lady was a precious daughter of God. So we got up with the elders found the special bus and headed out to the land of LOLOL (yes thats the name of the city) and we taught this lady and it was the sweetest lesson and she was so grateful we came all that way to see her. It was such an incredible experience because I could really understand when the Lord left the 99 and found the one. Sacrificing our time and money was the best decision I have ever made to bring the gospel to a daughter of a king. More to come with PIA next week!!

Then also this week I did an intercambio with a hermana that tore like 7 ligaments in her knee and is now in a wheel chair. I pushed her around and WOW I JUST WAS BLOWN AWAY WITH THIS HERMANA. This girl was in a wheelchair on her one chance to serve a mission and even when I asked she did not complain for one second.  WE ROCKED THE FACT SHE HAD A WHEELCHAIR AND WE USED IT AS AN EXCUSE TO TALK TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT LOOKED AT US WEIRDLY. Everyone was so blown away with the amazing attitude she had even though she had felt such extreme amounts of pain. Ahhh I love all of the incredible hermann's I get to serve and help becuase they are really truly helping me.

I can't even beign to express the amount of gratitude in my heart for my father in heaven, His devine son and for the gift He has given me to choose my attitidue amd my decisions. I really loved a talk from this conference (mom if you could attatch the talk with the asian dude that would be rad) who told us even when it's raining we should look up in praise to the Lord all mighty. This hermana was such a huge example to me of doing just that  and I was blessed this week to learn from her. 

I really do love my Lord and Savior and His work. I love that the best way to mend a broken heart, to heal any wound, to cheer yourself up is looking out and serving Him who has given us everything. I know the power of service and it's power to change us. 

I hope you all have a great week and are able to really take a moment and just think of all the blessings we have. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. I love these stubborn Chileans with all my heart. They have really impacted my life for the better and have pushed me to be the person the Savior wants me to be.

SO LOOK UP EVERYONE. AND ENJOY THE RAIN!!!

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Solano

CTR and cute Chilean Children

This is how Hermana Hilburn looks after a run

Change CAN Be a Good Thing!

Well I just wanted to say SO SORRY FOR NOT SENDING AN EMAIL LAST WEEK. Because I know how lame that is but I was in a lil depression because my very best friend and companion Hermana Christensen got TRANSFERRED. Super lame I know but all is well because I'm with another hermana from my MTC group, HERMANA BARNET!

She is INCREDIBLE. JUST ONE WEEK WITH HER HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. Hermana Barnet is from Farmington, Utah and has the strongest desire in the world to work and to serve and wow has it been a treat to be with her. She really is determined to share the gospel and serve till the very end. She's even been good at helping me do my work outs and eating healthier. Who even knew it would be possible right}?? I really do love her because she is like the EXACT OPPOSITE OF ME. She has all of the INCREDIBLE qualities that I want and she's gonna help me develop them. I'm so excited for this transfer and for the amazing blessings we are going to recieve and the wonderful people we are going to meet. HERE WE GO:)

Well this week was a little crazy and a little sweet becuase we have a brand new missionary living with us thats being trained and WOW ITS SO INCREDIBLE THE ENERGY AND THE JOY OF MISSIONARY WORK THAT CAME WITH HER. Also the fear and the doubts that come from new missionaries and this week was such a sweet one because I was able to help her out with the, "I know how you feel" talk. But it was especially incredible because this week her companion got super sick and they had 3 citas in their second sector that they were trying to working in. Which I've only been to once. But she was unable to leave and for whatever reason I said I could lead their sector for them. The sector I've been to once with a new missionary that doesn't speak Spanish. But we got on our knees, said a quick prayer and went out to work. and WOW DID WE SEE SO MANY MIRACLES. God literally just put person after person in our way to talk to. We were able to find our way around and were able to talk about a few of the goals and fears this cute little Hermana had. It's INCREDIBLE THE PLAN OF OUR FATHER who knew how much Hermana Wittningham needed a friend and a day full of miracles to turn the week around. Oh how I love my father in heaven!!

Well this week I completed 14 MONTHS HERE IN THE MISSION AND I JUST CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE HOW FAST THE TIME HAS GONE. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for this time that I've had here serving my father in heaven and for his huge impact in my life.

I just want to end with my testimony right now because I am so grateful for the leaders in the church that literally are so in tune with the spirit that they answer all my questions and help me so much. I have really learned how grateful I am for the spirit of the Lord in my life. This week I was studying a lot about Gods timing and how sometimes we do have to just push through some of the difficult times we have. As I was reading and searching for this answer as to why. I received so many answers. Most of them where to keep pushing forward with faith and hope. 

I love my Savior who has been with me in EVERY SINGLE STEP OF THIS REFINING ROAD.  I have seen His hand literally lifting me up and rubbing my back when I've felt down. I've seen His mercy and grace in the life of others and most of all in my own life. I'm so grateful for the peace He brings and the joy that comes through sharing his love with His sons and daughters here in Santa Cruz, Chile.

Thanks for all the love and support friends and family. I love you with all my heart. Even though these Chileans have my heart you are always a good second best. Jokes:) haha love you you all.

Hermana Hilburn

Matching Dresses!

New Companion Hermana Barnet

P-day trip to the museum

Love it! Same name as Hermana Hilburn's trainer

Elders and President Harris doing some push-ups