I Have Joy in My Soul Today

GOOOOOOD DAY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. 

WOOOWWWW AND THERE GOES THE CAMBIO. WHAT IS HAPPENING? ANOTHER MONTH! 8 MONTHS IN THE MISSION WHERE IS THE TIME GOING?

Ahhhhhhh welll cambios are in and I am staying in Talca (shocker)! Hermana Revolo is heading off to Rancagua and I am........TRAINING! YES. TRAINING. HOW? I HAVEN'T A CLUE. MAYBE PRESIDENT IS GOING NUTZ. hahaha No, but really I am going ot be training a newbie. I don't know who it is until tomorrow so more to come about my new compi in the next email. 

This week went by seriously so fast. Well this cambio went by so fast. We have been so dang busy there has been absolutely zero time to think about anything. We've been super busy with services, general conference and finding new people to teach.

About Loreto, she is doing well. She just has so much fear and not enough faith to find an answer. It's been really hard becasuse both my companion and I can see that she really is the person that is getting in the way of her own progression. But we have been fasting and praying for her to just get it one day and take all the lessons we've taught and really accept a baptismal date and choose this eternal family over the stupid world. But the Lord is really doing all he can to teach me patience. Because with Loreto we need a lot of it. He is also teaching me how love really is the best motivator.

This week we also have been serving a lot of our menos activas. Which is honesly about half of Chile. There is a true statistic in Chile that 1 out of every 4 contacts we do here is a menos activa. My companion and I are witnesses of that truth. Oh boy this conference was so for all of the millions of menos activas in Chile Rancagua mission. Thank you apostles for addressing that problem..

Conference this weekend was SO DANG INCREDIBLE! HOLY COW WHY CAN'T EVERY DAY BE CONFERENCE. It was so INSANELY GOOD.  I now have a new favorite apostle and I just love the joy that comes straight from living the gospel.

It is so insanely amazing how much joy comes from the gospel. I really felt that joy as we were leaving conference this weekend. My companion and I got in a collectivo(Chilean bus) to head home with huge smiles on our faces. We both looked at each other and I asked my compi what her deal was and all she said was "tengo gozo en mi alma hoy" (I have joy in my soul today)

Ah it's so true. We can feel JOY through Jesus Christ. 

So have joy in your lives and follow our Savior and Redeemer.

Lots of love,

Hermana Hilburn

God is really a God of miracles

BUENAS DIAS AMIGAS

This week has gone by seriously so fast and I honestly can't tell you what happened. haha the weeks are all just falling together and I am just loving life here in TALCA CHILE. 

But really this week did go by so fast and it was just a tonnnnn of work. We basically contacted the whole week and were in search for new investigators. We've had to kill off about half of our interior becuase they weren't progressing so this week was a search and let me tell you it was a good one.

My companion and I put some goals for the week in order to have the spirit with us in every moment of everyday to really find the people that have been prepared to hear the gospel, and God put 4 new people in our track!!! We got to teach and help all these people and it was just so incredibly good. 

This week has also been a little roller coaster con Loreto. I've been just so dang nervous because everything is like walking on eggshells with her. All week I  was just praying for help. Praying for so much love to help her and praying to feel this love and to get the fear out of me. Literally prayed in every prayer to be able to help her quit smoking and prepare herself for baptism. So Hermana Revolo had an amazing idea of doing a calendar to help her stop smoking completely 2 weeks before her baptism. We prayed to know the goals that were achievable and to really help her fight the temptation to smoke. Every day we put the number of signs with scriptures, hymns and all that jazz to get the temptation off her mind. 

She went to church this Sunday and I still was just feeling so nervous to talk to her. I just kept praying to have this love for her and to know what to do and how to help her, so after church we had a lesson with her. We explained the calendar to her and she wasn't too excited about it. She was nervous about not being able to complete the goals and failing. Both my comp and I were a little puzzled because we didn't know what to say. Then it hit me like a ton of stinking bricks.....the strongest feeling of love and compassion I have ever felt for anyone.

I just started crying and told her how much we love her. How much we pray for her and how much her Savior loves her. God answered my prayers and gave me the charity and love I had been praying for all week. The spirit was so strong and she agreed to do everything in her power to meet the calendar and to be baptized.

I am so extremely grateful for this experience. Ahh there is nothing better than feeling the true love of our Father in Heaven. I am so extremely grateful for this time I've had on my mission to really learn about this love Heavenly Father has for me. I've learned to love every single stubborn, difficult, bossy Chilean with every piece of my heart. 

God is really a God of miracles. When we live his commandments and do everything in our power to do his will he will always make up the rest.

Ahhhhhh what a good day to be alive friends. I just want you to all know that there is always light in darkness. We really can do and be anything with the help of our loving Savior.

I am a witness of His love and I am SO EXTREMELY PUMPED TO SEE THE MIRACLES IN THIS LOVELY PLACE. 

ALSO I AM SO PUMPED TO LISTEN TO PROPHETS AND APOSTLES AHHHHHHHHHHHH... 'BOUT TO BE A GOOD ONE FOLKS!

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL!

HERMANN HILBURN

Gotta have some mirror selfies

Hermana Hilburn with Rodolfo(He is a member in the ward and Kristen and her comp are teaching his wife Loreto)

Chilean Independencia!

WELLLL THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO COMMENT ON ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE HOME FRONT SO I'M JUST GOING TO SAY ONE WORD.

FEEELIIIIICCCCIIIIDDDDAAADDDEEESSSS AAAAA TOOOODDDDOOOOOSSSSS.

AHHHH IF YOU THINK YOUR WEEK WAS GOOD JUST TAKE A GOOD LISTEN OF MINE.

WE PUT A FECHA BAUTISMAL WITH LORETO, the spouse of Roldofo. It has been seriously such a miracle working with this lady. When we first met her she literally didn't want a thing at all to do with the church and now she wants to quit smoking and be baptized. Wow! God is seriously working so hard to have this family be a forever family. I am so extremely grateful to be a part of this whole experience. Ahhh I could cry. I know she will get baptized and I do not know for sure if I'm going to be here when it happens but it doesn't even matter for one second because I'm so happy either way.

Also this week we had a special conference with an area seventy, Elder Packer. It was seriously one of the most powerful reunions ever. Seriously insane. The mane focus of the conferencia was get up and get to work, take the step and just do it. I literally had such a strong desire to stand up and yell, "do it! like Shia LaBeouf", and run out of that place and invite everyone to be baptized. It was such a powerful meeting, the spirit was so strong and it was so insanely fun to see all my favorite hermanas. Han Christensen, Hna Jansack and all of my homies from the ccm. aahhhhhh such a great week seriously.

Then this weekend was the Independence day in Chile and man do these Chileans know how to party. There was literally not a person in the street both Saturday, Sunday and Monday because all were hung over in their houses being so insanely of the world. So we had to stay in and do nothing in the house. But we had a ward party Saturday and a nice luncheon with some members Sunday.

So it was a nuts week and super awesome. I feel so insanely blessed to be here. Sometimes when I have too much time to think like this weekend I'm like dang, wonder what the fams doing with that cute sobrino(nephew) of mine, but then I get a little slap in the mind telling me that it's all good because I'm exactly where God needs me.

I love my Father in Heaven who has blessed me so insanely much in my life. I'm so grateful for the experiences I've had here in Chile. I'm so grateful for these people who have truly blessed and changed my life for the better.

Hope you have a great week friends and family and always remeber that GOD IS SO SO GOOD AND HE LOVES YOU!

PEACE AND BLESSINGS

HNA HILBURN

So happy to see Hermana Janzick

So many wonderful Hermana's

Happy reunion with another favorite and first companion while in the CCM, Hermana Christensen

Some very fun Independencia celebrations!

Special dresses for the big celebration!

Almost like twins:)

Hermana Hilburn has to throw in a funny pose

Beautiful Chilean little girl

A little flour on their faces

Sunday dinner at a member's home

Loving All the Miracles

Wellll how do ya all do!!!!? What a week of CRAZZZZYYYNNEEESSSS!

OKAY. JUST WANT TO START OUT WITH, WE ALL KNEW IT WAS COMING SOONER OR LATER....

HERMANA HILBURN VS DOG AND DOG WINS.

Yes that's right. I got bit by a nasty Chilean devil dog.  Well actually it was a clean nice house German Shepherd that got a little too excited when I was talking English to him. But don't worry I'm such homies with the  mission nurse that she said I didn't need to get the rabies shot and I was going to be okay. But we all knew it was going to happen sooner or later.. haha

But this week was so so great. I got treated and got to do divisions in my old sector in Independencia and I got to see all the people that stole my heart. Like Hermana Patty and Cristian and Marlen and all those lovely people. I know |God loves me so so much because he let me see all the people that I got to help.Great news on Patty and Cristian.. they are going to church and Cristian is recieving the lessons!!!! The missionaries put a fecha bautismal con el and he said he was going to pray about it so MIRACLES DO EXIST.

OH AND SPEAKING OF OTHER MIRACLES. WE INVITED LORETO TO BE BAPTISED AND SHE SAID YES. She said she feels like this is what God wants her to do and that she just needs to pray to make sure. We were both so happy and bawling and didn't want to leave her house. THen wer realized how late we were to our English class that I was teaching and hurried on our way. But don't worry we made it in time to find we had...3 students. But hey we still got to teach them a little bit about the celestial lang..;)

Then Saturday night at about 9:50 I got a call from the bishop asking if I could give a talk this week. Oh yes, the next day. But I was so excited because I was going to write a talk especially for Loreto. So even though I had only 45 minutes to write this talk before bed I did it. I wrote the talk on conversion and prayed all night that I would have the words Loreto needed to really know for herself that this was the true church and that the blessings she would recieve were far more great than the friendships she would have in the church.

And what do you know LORETO SHOWS UP AT CHURCH AND LISTENED, FELT THE SPIRIT AND EVEN CRIED A LI'L.

Ahhhhhhhh the church is so true. Even though I was super nervous to give the talk I loved the opportunity to give a talk for someone else. It was the first time that I had given a talk and really hoped for the words to say to help someone else.

It was a great week. We have truly been working so hard to help God's children here in Piducco. I can't even begin to count all of the many blessings I've recieved on the mission. It has literally been the hardest thing I've ever done. But I will never forget the lessons I've learned, the testimony that's grown within me and the true joy I've felt through serving God's children here in Talca Chile.

I just wanna let you all know that I know that this really is the true church. I know with everything that's within me. If I deny it now I'm going straight to outer darkness because I really do know that this is Christ's church restored on the earth.

I know He loves us so dang much and all the happiness He wants to offer us is just sitting like a fruit on a plate right in front of our faces. SO EAT THAT FRUIT AND HAVE THAT HAPPINESS.

Church is true homies and helpers:)

If you don't know. Pray.... Duh..... :)

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Cook and Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Hilburn's Mama in Piducco

It's starting to get HOT in CHILE

First Ever Capilla Aberita! (Chapel Tour)

First week of cambio 5 and we are off to a great start!!!!

Well to start out with personal stuff. I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON THIS WEEK.  hahahahh I know it's the 7th month that I'm in Chile and that's a little lame but I have an excuse. I started in English then started in Spanish then went back to English, but I finished it in English and now starting again in Spanish. I just wanna share with you all a little bit of my testimony and how I came to know the truth of that great book. In the CCM I was a loco brain and I doubted everything I ever knew. One day when we were in class I was like I have never done what Moroni 10 challenges us to do. I have never meditated and prayed about the Book of Mormon. So that night I really did just that. I really meditated and I knelt down and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true or not and I recieved the most clear answer in the world that it is really the words of God and if I read it all I will come to know.

So this week as I finished the Book of Mormon after 7 months I really can say that I know that this book is true. I read it, I pondered it's message in my heart and I prayed with faith in the name of Jesus Christ and I know it's true. I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON and it has brought me so much direction and peace throughout my mission. I am so grateful for that wonderful book and hey,,,, if you haven't read it you are missing out on Gods top seller and top rated book. So read it!

Ahhhhh but other than that goodness this week was super awesome. We had our fist capilla abierta? idk if you guys know what that is but it's basically bringing a visitor center to a capilla(chapel tour). Literally the most special thing in the whole world. We were tour guides and we taught the first lesson with banners and pictures in under 7 min. I was so nervous because I didn't think it was possible but it turned out so dang well. The spirit was so strong, I was in tears almost the whole time. So ahhh so incredibel. I felt like a real time temple square missionary. Well minus all the makeup and perfect shoes. But it was  A Maze Ing!

Also we had a ward talent show put on by yours truly the obra missional and it was a HIT. HOLY COW. THIS BARRIO PIDUCCO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO PARTY. The missionaries and our ward mission leader did a skit that we planned literally when the curtain was closed and it turned out pretty well .(thank you senior year musical! Shout our Mr. Holmes) We had the whole crowd laughing and it was super fun. But the best part was that we had 2 family investigators there. Loreto, her husband and son and a less active lady named Rut and her children.

Loreto is the one that I told you all about the other week. She has A LOT OF FEAR.  She's afraid of everything. She is just a nervous Nancy to try anything new but we told her it would be a good way to feel more comfortable in the capilla. So she came to the activity but she didn't go to church the next day but lil by lil right????

Rut is a menos activa but none of her sons are members. Her oldest son Jaime wants to learn more and find out for himself what is the true church.

I'm learning even more patience in this change. I didn't think I could even learn more from the last change but here I am. I understand that God's timing is different than mine and I'm working every single day to accept and trust Him.

Well everyone I love you all so so much. I also love the people here in Rancagua to the moon and back. The mission is really teaching me so much about how much God loves all of his children. He loves each one of you and if you aren't sure of it, just pray and you'll feel it.

Have a good one and do good things.

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Hilburn's ward mission leaders home and daughter

Some pretty land in Chile

Happy Hermana's

Some of the great ward members

Ward talent show

Staying in Talca

This week was a fast one that's for shizzle!  I swear it was yesterday when I was writing you all!!! But nope, here I am again. ahhhhh how time flies when you're saving lives.

hahah So cambios are in and I AMMMM,... 

STAYING IN TALCA WITH HERMANA REVOLO!

I am so extremely grateful. I'm seriously seeing milagros up the wazzzooo and don't ever want to leave. haha This week was awesome! 

I went to Conti for intercambios and it's this cute little beach town 3 hours away. It was so fun because I was with one of my fave misssion pals Hermana Garcia from Mexico and we just had a blast. Running away from barkng dogs and finding people who have been prepared by God to hear our message. It was super awesome.

There are just so many things that happened in the week it's hard to narrow it down. But a few things that happened is that we found 3 more investigadores and we have plans this week to put fechas with them. They are incredibel and it is so amazing how Gods been preparing these people all this time so we could touch their hearts exactly when they needed it. 

I love this gospel and I know it's true. It's been a crazy ride here in Talca but I'm so excited to see all the miracles God has in store for me and my companion. Sorry this is a short one but I forgot my journal and I can't remember what happened this week!!! Just know I'm having a blast and I love Chile more than Nutella! Have a great one friends and fam. Stay faithful to the end!

Hermana Hilburn

HEEEELLLLLLOOOO FRIENDS AND FAMILY! GREETINGS FROM MIRACLE CENTRAL IN PIDUCO.

Well I am extremely happy to be emailing you all from this awsome place. This week I think God was hitting me with a stick trying to get me to learn, but I think I learned and I'm on the right road to keep learning, growing and progressing and living and loving life. ahh okay.

So this transfer I think I have learned more about myself and the character of God more this week than any other week.

Not sure if you guys could tell but I was in a little bit of a Funk after special cambios and wasn't really sure what the heck I was doing here and so confused as to why I had to leave a place I loved so much and worked so hard in to come to a white washed  area that I didn't know a soul in. So this funk I was in was pretty noticible and I think it was really affecting the work. So God knew I needed to change so he sent me on a division wiht an amazing cordinadora(I'm guessing this is the sister trainer leader) who really helped me get my butt into shape. 

I was telling Hermana Maestre, my coordinator, how I was feeling and how I was really having a hard time in understanding what God's plans for me were. She is such an incredible person with the strongest testimony in all the world. She is a convert of 3 years and the only member in her family. She is truly here to serve the Lord and knows that this is His work. So she started to ask me questions; trying to help me realize what I needed to do. We came to the conclusion that I neeeded to ask God. I needed to get an answer from him as to what I'm supposed to be doing here. 

So I did just that and when I prayed I couldn't get this family we met the first night, out of my head. I wasn't sure at the time if it was my head or an answer, so I kind of brushed it off and went to bed. 

The next day we went to the noche de hogar that we had planned for them and I cannot even begin to explain to you the incredible spirit that was in that room. This familia is a part member family and the dad is a member but the mom and son are not. The mom never ever has been open to missionaries but she for some reason felt like she needed to let us in. She began to tell us that she felt a need to open her heart. All of these years she has been so shut off to change but after our noched de hogar son ella, ella empezo a pensar en su familia. y que ella quiere por su futura. Whoops I literally didn't mean to do that. Wow. Anyway she said that we were angels sent to help her family be a family eterna. Then after this incredible day we found 5 new investigators, another family and another mujer GENIAL. ahhhhhhhhhh it was so incredible.

But through all this the thing I really learned is faith. I had been lacking in so much faith it was insane. I didn't have any faith in my Father's plans. I didn't have faith and so obviously he couldn't do miracles. Well I had to learn the hard way but I'm so grateful I did. Wow!  I am learning every single day that God loves us so much. And all we have to do to receive his blessings is just have faith in Him and follow His commandments.

This gospel brings so much dang happiness I could cry. I know I am missing out on a lot of things love, and a lot of people I love are growing up and moving on, but I am so extremely happy to give all that up for a year and a half to serve the God I love even more. 

The only thing we have to give to the God that has given us everything is ourselves. 

I'm here trying every day to give myself to the God I love so much so I can do his will and help his people.

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL SO DANG MUCH. I am so gratreful to be here working for the big man loving his children.

Well I also love you all so much. And stop moving on without me!......Okay you can, but at least inform me about it:) okay?!!

Have a good one. Love you tons

Hermana Hilburn

This sector is huge which means we get to go across the freeway everyday.

Love Hermana Maestre. Hermana Hilburn's Coordinadora(sister training leader)

Biking to a lunch appointment 45 minutes away.

This was painted just for Hermana Hilburn

GB-Granite Bay! All the way in Chile

Our house is in front of a casino so lots of bright lights:)