Week 3. Out with the old, in with the new!

WELLL HELLLLOOOO AGAIN FAM AND FRIENDS. What a week. What a life. What a gospel we have. So lucky! So blessed!! So livin la vida loca.

Ok well this week kinda felt really boring but really don’t worry there was some spice that occurred.

So out with the old in with the new, we got all new missionaries because we sent out the first batch last week!! and it was a sad and happy thing. It was sad to see all our beloved friends leave but we were happy to welcome some new ones in. Hermana Christensen and I had to move rooms which was sad because we had to move into an old elder room. And let me tell you, my inner neat freak came out, and it came out hard. It was nasty but my comp and I got together and cleaned it. The only problem was we couldn’t fix the broken shower, that creates the freaking River Jordan all over the floor when you use it but its all good. We just get to do a little more cleaning to keep up every day, but all is well. Our new roomies are from Chile, Peru, Argentina and Oregon, so it’s a party and a half.

New people meant new teachers as well, and man was I sad to say goodbye to our old ones because they were sent straight from heaven. But don’t you worry because my teachers now might be even better. Our morning teacher is David Archuletta. you might have heard of him before. He’s so cool. jk its not really him but it looks exactly like him, and he sings like an angel. So I pray everyday to lock my heart, because oh man he’s a beauty. But he’s also an amazing teacher. He has already told us so many cool things and man I’m just one happy camper.

One of the things we do as a district with our new teacher is a group teaching. and HOLY COW ITS SO AWESOME. (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO USE AN EXPLNATION POINT ON THIS THING BTW SO CAPS LOCK) We all get to teach an investigator as a group and wow, it’s miraculous watching. We get to teach him and stuff and its soo cool because we are like all connected through the spirit. It’s incredible. I’ll be thinking what we should say and someone will then say it. like so awesome. ah. dope sauce friends.

I’m just happy to be here. At first I was really having a hard time because I was like man I’m far away. But I feel so much comfort from all the millions of awesome people I’ve meet so far. Also it doesn’t hurt anything to be on temple grounds 24/7. Like I walk past the temple at least 5 times a day. How cool is that. We don’t get to go this week because the temple is closed for cleaning but it’s alright because I get to look at it and feel the awesomeness everyday.

Well just wanted to share a little thing with y’all. I have never felt the power of prayer so much in my life. I am like so excited to talk to my Heavenly Father every chance I get. Whenever I’m feeling down and feel like I can’t do it I just pray and feel better. I also know my Heavenly Father loves all his children because every time I teach I feel just a portion of his love and I just am like, YEAH HE LOVE US. One of those pump up church is true moments.

Well I love you all so much and send me stuff still. I’m still a dumb human who doubts herself all the time and I love hearing from all you guys. It’s such a pump up. ah. Well I hope you guys have an awesome week.

Oh and if you have the chance, watch or read Elder Holland’s talk from October of 2009 "Safety for the Soul" it will change ya life.

LOVE YOU ALL. CHILE IS AWEOSME, CHURCH IS TRUE.

Hermana Hilburn

PS  I love the MTC president and his wife and they have the sweetest down syndrome daughter and she’s like my best friend here. We got to talk to her mom about having her and she is so incredible and told us she is just a little slice of heaven. She knows how special she is to Heavenly Father and I can feel that as well. I just love her and the president and his wife, they are angels.

Gotta Love this Artwork 

 Exciting P-day fun at McDonald's

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

Hermana Ollerton will be serving in Concepcion

 Herman Hilburn's District in the Santiago MTC

 One of Hermana Hilburn's favorite Latino roommates

Kristen being Kristen. Good thing we know she is happy:)

Hola! First Week Down

HOLLLAAA FAMILIA COMO ESTA?????

So hello. Wow have I been here for 6 days? or 6 years? Because I’m not sure as of right now!! hahaha I’m kidding mostly. But wow so much has been happening this week!! Like where do I even begin??? I wrote some notes down when I was in class because I knew I would completely panic when I got here and I did. But I went to the fastest computer and it has a charger so all should be good. Okay, so wow so much to tell!!!!

Okay the CCM (which is what the Chileans call it) is one cool place. We are staying in the habitants quarters or something like that that. It is right across from the temple and it is just so awesome. The days are so long and I swear the first couple went so slow but now I feel like I’m adjusting and its all good!! 

We have classes all day from 10am to 9:30 and it now goes by very fast. I’m with my district all day so it’s always a party. haha My district is all going to Rancagua and there are 9 Hermana’s and 2 Elders.... I know… poor elders but it’s okay because they handle it very well.  They are pretty much Chileans. All of the sisters are seriously so awesome. we probably have every single type of personality there ever was in the group but that’s what makes it so interesting!! At the CCM there’s only 2 other groups of greengos. Yeah the rest are latinos and its a party and a half. haha It’s always one of my goals to talk and sit next to them but they aren’t always receptive but I have tried for so long and now I feel like I’ve made some friends with them!!! Even though I know most just make fun of me. But I can handle it so it’s a ton of fun

The food is surprisingly delicious. Whenever they serve it I get a little nervous and I’m like oh no but it always tastes good, and they always have ice cream after so even if it doesn’t taste that great it’s all good because you are getting enough calories from ice cream. So obviously the church is true.

We get to teach 3 investigators each day and its so cool. We have to plan and prepare door approaches and lessons and wow it’s a lot of fun. That is probably one of my favorite parts because there’s such a strong spirit with you when you get to teach others. It’s totally awesome! My companion and I teach so well together and she’s seriously sent straight from Heaven. 

I love being a missionary and learning how to incorporate the spirit in everything you do. I love learning how we understand the spirit and how we receive promptings it’s just so awesome! 

For one of the lessons I was so nervous because the man we were going to teach was an atheist and didn’t want us to come in. We knocked on the door and started talking with him and then he brought up how his family is really close. Then I swear the spirit was screaming at me telling me to talk to him more about his family. I was then able to testify how I know families are eternal. He then started to act very curious. We then told him all about the plan of salvation and how it was possible for families to live together forever. I could see a change in him and I couldn’t hold back the tears. It was the perfect thing to happen that day because I had really been feeling down. I was doubting myself and nervous about the language  but a that moment when I was testifying in the most simple spanish possible, I felt so relieved, I felt so much peace and that peace hasn’t left me since. I am just so grateful for this gospel and for my knowledge of my Savior. I’m grateful I can just give up such a small time in my life and devote it to serving my lord.  

I just know Heavenly Father knows me so well and so he shows me in little ways everyday. He has put me with a companion who is seriously so awesome. Her name is Hermana Christensen and she’s from the factory (utah) but she is the greatest person I know!! It’s only the first week and I seriously love her so much. I have felt my relationship with my Heavenly Father grow so much because of how often I communicate with him. Man I just am so excited to get out there and find those people. Yes I know this is my first week and I am so far away from being ready but I know this is where I’m supposed to be.

Okay well I’ve really turned into that stereotypical missionary that has become all preachy but I just really wanted to tell you all!!! I am grateful for this gospel. It gives me so much peace. Sorry this email is so thrown together I am just so worried I’m going to run out of time. haha I promise my next one will be better!! hahah well I love you all so so much. 

Church is true ladies and gents and I’m here in Chile so don’t forget about me! haha be awesome. Do the right thing and pray often.

Love

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana Hilburn and her companion Hermana Christensen