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:)

New Sector

Wow throw me in a blender because this week was CRAAAZZZYYYY.

It's only been a week in my new area and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT HERE. 

Our new ward has never had Hermana's and they are SO EXCITED TO HAVE US.  We have been recieving so much help over this week and I have never been so grateful for the love and support we have recieved from the members here.

Our sector is HUGE. One day it literally took us an hour to walk to lunch. But don't worry we will be recieving bikes today in the evening. But it's so awesome and so pretty and the people are so dang nice and it's just a good ole sector.

So we have been literally starting from scratch. We don't have a single investigator, single family we've been working with before absolutely nothing. It's been really hard because each day we have been a little clueless on where to go and what to do. We were both a little lost, not understanding why we needed to move sectors, why so sudden why why why? That was my attitude until we hit Relief Society on Sunday. We had a lesson that absolutely changed my whole life. 

My comp and I had been fasting for help and guidance and I know for a fact that Heavenly Father sent it through this class. We had a lesson on the talk, "Do You Believe" from this past conference. It started out with a story about this woman whose son was in need of  medical help and was being airlifted to the hospital. She had served a mission, served in callings, all things in the gospel that made her feel as if she believed. But when it really came down to it, when she really needed to know if there was life after death, if there was such a thing as eternal families, she thought for a second, searched her soul and discovered, yes. She really did believe. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I started thinking do I really know? Do I really know this is the true church? Do I really know Jesus Christ lives and he suffered for our sins? Do I really know that God loves me and he will help me in times of need?

Let me tell you all, now I know.

I know God loves us and he helps us in every way we need. He wants us to grow. He wants us to be happy. He wants us to live in celestial glory with our families and with our Heavenly family. I know God has a plan for us and I know he needs me here. I don't exactly know why or how but I am happy and willing to find out. I know that he has prepared a way for each and everyone of us. 

Sorry I don't have too much to inform you on how the week went but it was a roller coaster of being lost and doing all we can to find those who need us.

But now I know. I know this is His work and he leads and guides us every single day.

HAPPY AS A CLAM TO BE SERVING THE MAN!

HAVE A GOOD ONE

HERMANA HILBURN

PS SHOUT OUT TO MY POP'S FOR BEING THE BEST DAD EVER AND TURNING THE BIG 50 ON TUESDAY!

Beautiful New Sector

This was copied from Kristen's Mission President's blog. Sister Harris shares an experience she had with two Sister missionaries. She never mentions their names but put a picture of them next to the story: 
I had a great experience with the sister missionaries. They had two appointments, one at 6 p.m. and one at 8 p.m. When we arrived at the 6 p.m. appointment, no one was home. The sisters did not skip a beat. They pulled out their planners and checked the list of investigators and less active members, and we started contacting. It was interesting to watch these two sisters work. They would pause for a moment, then one would say, “I think we should go this way.” We would go that way and try a few houses, and then one would say, “I think we should go over here,” and away we went.  Contacting in Chile is interesting. All the houses have an iron fence and gate in front of them, and very few doorbells. The missionaries go to the gate and from the bottom of their diaphragms they holler, “Ha-lo!” Then the dogs bark and we wait. After about three “Hal-los” if someone is home, they will usually come out the door and speak to us through the gate. After several houses and no invitations in, it began to rain. We tried another house and a very sweet elderly couple invited us in. We had a heartfelt discussion about the Gospel for about 30 minutes. It turned out that this couple had been taught by the missionaries previously. They were sweet and interested and agreed to have another visit later in the week. By the time we left, it had stopped raining. We went to the 8 p.m. appointment and they were not home either. So back we went to the street. A woman was carrying several bags from the grocery store and the sisters offered to help her carry her bags. We each took some bags and followed her to her home. She had us in and connected immediately with the two sister missionaries. She also has been taught by the missionaries previously, and invited them to come back later in the week for a discussion. It was amazing to watch these two sisters at work. They were faithful, teachable, humble yet bold in sharing their message. An evening with two failed appointments resulted in two new investigators and appointments for later in the week.

Sister Harris(The new Mission President's wife) 

Emergency Combos

Well. How ya'll doing!!!!! Just your missionary from the Chile Talca mission sending my love all the way from...... A DIFFERENT SECTOR!!!

That's right. Special cambios came. And they came fast. It broke my heart and then I'm gone. Well actually we leave tomorrow but same thing. But before I go on I just want you to all know my comp and I are okay, we just have to be taken out of our sector because a creepy man keeps following us. We aren't sure exactly what he wants but president said that it's probably best to be put into another sector. But it's seriously so sad because these past couple weeks have been so hard. We have been just searching and searching for people to teach and have barely entered any houses to teach anyone. But this week we had such an incredible week and now we have to leave!!!! It's such a bummer. 

This week we contacted into a lady who was just right about to be baptized into the Jehovah Witnesses. But the day we contacted into her she was starting to have doubts. Something holding her back and she didn't know why. Then we came knock, knock, knocking and everything just turned upside down. We taught her the first lesson and I literally can't even describe the spirit that was in that room. It was absolutely incredible. We helped her realize that her commitment was with a church of man and not with God. We invited her to pray about the church and if this was the true church. And she said she was going to pray and call us. And it wasn't just like a oh yeah.... I'm going to call you... it was like a yeah, when I recieve an answer you guys will know. So we are just so excited to recieve that call!!!!

We also taught a guy named Joven Cristval and he came to church this Sunday. He's this little awkward shy boy that started going to church with his girlfriend. We thought for a long time that he just wanted to talk to us only for his girlfriend. But we found out in our lesson it's because he really likes his girlfriends' family and wants a family with more love. His mom walked in screaming at him during our lesson and told him that his religion couldn't come into the house. But we are leaving him in the good hands of the elders. They understand how important he is to Heavenly Father and how badly he needs the gospel in his life.

So with all that coolness happening this week you can imagine how hard it is to leave this sector. Man it's been so rough these past couple weeks but we have been working so hard to help the people here. Now we have to get thrown into a white wash in another city in Talca, called Piduco. But it's good we are going together!! So even though we are bummed to leave, Hermana Revolo and I have been praying for help like crazy. Seriously. We are so nervous to be thrown into a new sector three weeks into cambios in a ward who hasn't ever had Hermana's. We are also praying that the elders will be able to maintain our sector and help our investigators while working in their sector.

Ahhh it's nutzo. But I'm so excited. I really just feel right now like, send me where ever Heavenly Father. I've really learned that the mission is not at all about us. The baptisms we have are not ours. The members that we work with aren't just there to be our friends. All is for our Heavenly Father. Even though it's going to be so hard, I know that Heavenly Father needs me and my companion in Piduco. He needs us to help someone there and we have done our part here in La Florida.

I know it!!! and I know he loves us and he wants us to be safe.

Well I love you all to pieces and I love being a missionary. I love serving my Father in Heaven every second of the day. Even though it's crazy at times and we don't understand why things happen or what exactly Heavenly Father needs us to do, it all is such a greater plan than we can see.

Don't forget that he really does have a plan for each and everyone of us. He really does care so much about us and wants us to grow. He knows exactly what will help us grow into the person he wants us to be.

I love you all and hope this weeks a good one.

Pray my compi and I won't get lost too much this week in a white wash area and that we will be able to help the peeps in PIDUCO!

CHOW

Hermana Hilburn

Hermana's Rock

Sad we have to leave this area

This family will be missed

P-day fun

Paint Ballin' with our zone

Been out 6 months!

Crazy Weather and Crazy Contacting

WELL HOW DO YOU ALL DO!!!!

THIS WEEK WAS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.! Wow I've never worked so hard in my whole life. Every single night my compi and I went to bed just dead tired. We woke up a little more refreshed and did it all over again. But let me tell you.... GOD JUST WORKS MILAGROS WHEN WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.

So we literally didn't have a single investigator when I got here. This place hasn't had a baptism in 3 years and I was super discouraged. I thought great. Another 3 or so cambios with no success. But then I was like wow, no we aint gonna think like that! We are going to turn this place upside down.

So my compi and I made a goal to have 100 good contacts with information and with citas this week. After we fasted and prayed for help from Heavenly Father and we put our shoes on and went to work. AND LET ME TELL YOU. We didn't get 100 contacts but we CONTACTED EVERY SINGLE PÈRSON WE SAW AND IT WAS NUTS AND SO AWESOME. We entered houses, we taught lessons, and it was raining all week so we didn't get wet!!! God is good.

We also got to go on divisions with the mission president's wife this week. She is so dang cute and knows way more spanish than I did my 3rd week. She was just so encouraging and amazing to be with and she had no idea what she was doing but she was so willing and reaady to try. She is such a good example and so sweet and it was such a blessing.

We also had a reunion this week with president and the whole gang from Rancagua. It was a training session and he was so cute teaching us about healthy eating and exercise and how we need to take better care of our bodies. But it was a good reminder that we have to take care of our bodies because our spirits can't be good if we don't feel good.

Then we had a ward activity this week and we brought a menos activa. Well her story is actually a little nutz. She was a member but her family took their records off the church records because of something that went down and they are all anti mormon. But we found her one day contacting and she told us that she has missed having the church and Heavenly Father in her life. So we just knew it was such a miracle we found her just contacting. It was such a good week. But what I'm seriously so happy about right now is that Hermana Blake my old companion, told me Yolli's mom and dad both went to church this past Sunday. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for this family. Patty is a menos activia and Christian isn't a member. When we first found them they wanted absolutely nothing to do with the church. But we really saw God change them through this difficult time in their lives. Ahhh when I heard they went to church I was so happy I couldn't hold back the tears. I have to admit I was a little bummed I couldn't be the one to help them through this exciting path but I don't even care. I did my part and I know I was just a stepping stone for them and their family and I am so happy to be a stepping stone.

It's been so hard the mission. I've been a stepping stone basically the whole time I've been here with no one progressing, but I've learned that if God needs me to be a stepping stone to help a family be eternal, I need to be more than happy to help and I am. Ahhhh I love this work so much. My feet hurt, my back hurts, I'm tired all the time, and the people aren't that nice all the time. But absolutely none of that even matters. I get to help families be eternal. I get to bring peace and joy to families who are hurting and need help. It's the greatest work anyone could do and it's the work of the Lord. He is so here with me every step of the way. I don't fully understand all the time why things happen or why it's so hard. But I have a lot of faith that he knows me and He loves me. 

AND HE LOVES ALL OF YOU SO DANG MUCH and even the people in Talca Chile.

Stay fiel(faithful)

Hermana Hilburn

We love this new Mission Presidents wife. She is Awesome!

This cute girl is in our ward and comes with us to appointments all the time

Tired girls