tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78146295374567818822024-03-05T12:32:40.660-08:00Sister Abbie HillsAbbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-29523242393735699362014-03-26T12:26:00.001-07:002014-03-26T12:33:39.622-07:00March 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
Photos~</div>
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From an email dated March 10, 2014:<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white;">We went on a field trip of sorts with the Gospel Principles class to visit the temple. It was such fun and everyone loved it! Juliana and Néfi went together and you could tell from the look on his face that Néfi was remembering all the good times that he had in the Church and the times he went to the temple before. Juliana LOVED that temple and didn't stop talking about the peace that she felt there. Pray for them...they are having a really hard time right now. Truly the temple is the House of God and His Spirit dwells therein."</span></i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-22007608560386371822014-03-26T12:21:00.004-07:002014-03-26T12:21:43.583-07:00February 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sis. Hills celebrated her birthday on the 16th~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And here are a few more photos~</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From an email dated February 17, 2014:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white;">My birthday week was seriously a week of miracles. Sister Duarte and I had some pretty incredible experiences. The first one was with Aulda and her neto, Fabrício. She had already been taught by the other missionaries about two or three years ago. She is pretty amazing and already knows that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. We had some pretty interesting lessons with her about forgiveness and repentance. Her family has suffered a lot because one of her daughters decided to leave her kids and marry some guy from Goiania. Now this daughter is super religious and doesn´t have anything to do with the kids. It´s really unfortunate. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>On Monday night, Sister Duarte and I went to visit some people with Renata (she´s pretty much the coolest Relief Society president and ward missionary). We met a man named Charles who said that he didn´t believe in God, but gave us his address so that we could talk to his wife/girlfriend. (They aren´t married, but call each other husband and wife. It´s a Brasil thing.) When we went to visit Julieli, the wife, she originally said that she didn´t believe in anything either. Both Sister Duarte and I wanted to just leave, but the Spirit told us to ask her about her life and listen. She has had a super rough life. She was abandoned by her mom when she had 13 years old and went to live with some guy she didn´t even like. She was involved with drugs and never finished middle school. Now we are helping her to find some ways to finish her schooling and gain some training to help her. Charles doesn´t really want anything. He just says he doesn´t believe anything he can´t see and that the only thing he believes in is the power of the human being. How unfortunate. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>On my birthday, we just worked and worked. It was raining all day long. We got super soaked. The streets here are cobblestone so the water just runs and runs. The streets turn into rivers and it is just beautiful. We joke that only "eleitos" are in the streets on a rainy Sunday. We had the weather and a soccer game working against us, but still managed to find some people to teach. I don´t think I will forget this birthday! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>Com Amor,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>Sister Abbie Hills"</i></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-30121518344916137362014-03-26T12:15:00.002-07:002014-03-26T12:15:25.348-07:00January 2014<div style="text-align: center;">
Photos from January 2014~</div>
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From an email dated January 13, 2014:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white;">We has a really great training for all of the Sisters in the São Paulo Interlagos mission. It was all about the potential that we have and how we can use our divine nature as women to help people to come unto Christ. Que legal, neh? Honestly, each one of us has a purpose and a part in our Father´s eternal plan. Never doubt this. If we lack knowledge as to what that is, then we should just as Him. He tells us in James 1:5 that if we lack wisdom we should ask Him and He will give it to us freely. FREELY! This doens´t just go for knowing that Christ is our Savior or that the Book of Mormon is true, this is if we lack whatever kind of wisdom. Do you have a question about where to begin studying for your test? Ask our Heavenly Father! Or maybe a question about who you should date? Ask our Heavenly Father. I promise and know that He will always answer. Because He loves us, and we are His children."</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-75384037294462921272014-03-26T12:10:00.001-07:002014-03-26T12:21:48.587-07:00December 2013<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Photos from December 2013~</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq35QnUDTymtfkFmWZaVSUc2vaM093J-ou8W95Qm6gX-UhsORjw52ZdaUkrVJowWfNNoItzMI0BHlXKzNkfcuBzjyng36s-w61-0bi1nW4RBKugmDzM4oO0wSIW0j70WHcoM_kDwSshP3w/s1600/Imagem+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq35QnUDTymtfkFmWZaVSUc2vaM093J-ou8W95Qm6gX-UhsORjw52ZdaUkrVJowWfNNoItzMI0BHlXKzNkfcuBzjyng36s-w61-0bi1nW4RBKugmDzM4oO0wSIW0j70WHcoM_kDwSshP3w/s1600/Imagem+005.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From an email dated December 16, 2013: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white;">I cannot express in words how much I have felt the love of the Savior during this past week. I am so incredibly blessed to be able to participate in this wonderful time when the Lord is accelerating His work here on the Earth. I will admit, last week I felt a little discouraged and doubted my potential and the veracity of my calling. But the Lord is so merciful and showed me how much He loves me and wants me to be here to help His children return to His presence. The promise that Elder Ballard made that if we extend a hand for just one between today and Christmas is true. Millions will feel the love of the Savior, and most importantly each individual. I know I have felt His love so much as I have worked this past week.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>I am sending tons of photos this week because it was truly a blessing in my life. I have come to appreciate even more the Atonement of the Savior. In the garden, he literally suffered for each one of us. My mission president said to me that it was very personal. He saw our faces and accepted to suffer for each one of our sins individually. Even the people who he knew wouldn´t repent. What love and devotion can we forget?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><i>I am so glad that you all had such a wonderful opportunity to share the Savior´s love through music. The song of the righteous is a prayer unto our Father and He always hears our prayers :)"</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-71379012301996864202014-03-26T12:06:00.002-07:002014-03-26T12:21:55.434-07:00November 2013 & An Apology<span style="font-family: inherit;">I (Mynnette, Abbie's sister) have been SO BAD at keeping this up! My goal is to at least add the pictures each week and a little blurb! Please forgive me as I catch up! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are highlights and photos from November!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3C-_5oI5ULERNKgOUZd-cffhdw8CnNfNM_OdOE9mHrDC9acljlGdrwHOr1n29XTv4Uh5ojz8_K9opA1Z3P7AEDrYaI2uvn7Ipj8MdW1nskh7rtvENi-qwrwAXPsvPC15JYExqXpU6b2-/s1600/DSCN2228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3C-_5oI5ULERNKgOUZd-cffhdw8CnNfNM_OdOE9mHrDC9acljlGdrwHOr1n29XTv4Uh5ojz8_K9opA1Z3P7AEDrYaI2uvn7Ipj8MdW1nskh7rtvENi-qwrwAXPsvPC15JYExqXpU6b2-/s1600/DSCN2228.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnkYkfmyI9sWYIRh5zvInMjVY-8Gf89WZg7JV_xMpI9mfliFggpEs-ovKiGcFljtXOvej286UsMgzBu_7lyVCH5jS35tpNpmgPOd6y50_7tZkNwX8qkXFRtxNLXv5lttZkoDlOE46qMZr/s1600/DSCN2239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnkYkfmyI9sWYIRh5zvInMjVY-8Gf89WZg7JV_xMpI9mfliFggpEs-ovKiGcFljtXOvej286UsMgzBu_7lyVCH5jS35tpNpmgPOd6y50_7tZkNwX8qkXFRtxNLXv5lttZkoDlOE46qMZr/s1600/DSCN2239.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From an email dated November 18th: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21.299999237060547px;">This week I reached 3 Nefí and the ensinamentos de Cristo quando Ele estava aquí nas Americas. Oh my goodness I love my Savior so much. This week, because of the lesson in Relief Society about service, I was especially struck by the scripture in chapter 12 verse 41:</span><span class="" style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">And whosoever shall compel thee to </span>go<span style="line-height: 22px;"> a mile, go with him twain. The citação from the lesson is the follow</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">ing: "</span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Cultivate a spirit of charity; be ready to do for others more than you would expect from them if circumstances were reversed. Be ambitious to be great, not in the estimation of the worldly minded, but in the eyes of God, and to be great in this sense, </span><span class="" style="border: 0px; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Love the Lord our God with all your might, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.”</span><span style="line-height: 18px;"> You must love mankind because they are your brethren, the offspring of God. Pray diligently for this spirit of philanthropy, this expansion of thought and feeling, and for power and ability to labor earnestly in the interest of Messiah’s kingdom."</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>God bless and stay strong!</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Sister Hills</i></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-42656277542696326642013-11-17T14:13:00.000-08:002013-11-17T14:13:00.414-08:00Plans for the holidays<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">All this talk about plans for the holidays sound super fun! The people here have started putting up Christmas lights as well...but it´s really hot so it is a little confusing. These band and choir concerts sound like a dream. I am currently helping our ward choir prepare for the dedication of our new chapel on the 8th </span><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1384726231_0" style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">on December.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #454545; font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> I am so incredibly excited. We are going to have an open house the week before and are making convites to hand out to all of the neighbors and nossos pesquisadores. . . . .</span><br />
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1384724490909_11256" style="font-family: comic sans ms, sans-serif;">It is so weird to think that<span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1384726231_1">this Sunday</span> I will have FOUR months here. Que benção! ALSO WE ARE GOING TO THE TEMPLE ON QUINTA-FEIRA AND THEY HAVE THE NEW FILM AND I AM SO EXCITED I AM GOING TO DIE. Not really, but I will definitely have a review for you all next week!</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1384724490909_11255" style="font-family: comic sans ms, sans-serif;">Here in good old Brasil we have a real problem with helping the people be baptized and come unto Christ. They don´t get married. Or they get married and don´t separate legally and live with another person. I was thinking about why we are not having a lot of success helping these types of people. Then it hit me...I need to strengthen my testimony of the law of chastity. So that´s what I did. I read two awesome things this week that really opened my eyes as to WHY the Lord prohibits qualquer relacionamento sexual outside of casamento. We Believe in Being Chaste by: Elder David A. Bednar in April 2013 </span><a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/we-believe-in-being-chaste" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1384724490909_11254" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2862c5; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1384726231_2">http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/we-believe-in-being-chaste</span></a> and A Família: A Proclamação ao Mundo <a href="http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1384724490909_11264" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2862c5; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1384726231_3">http://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation</span></a> Needless to say I gained a greater testimony of the importance and the gift of our bodies here on the Earth and why Heavenly Father gives us commandments to protect this gift.</div>
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Funny Story! So this week we were contacting a referência and were waiting outside their house when their car drove up. Out popped a little senhorinho in a suit and tie. We talked to him for a little bit and he asked if we have a Bíblia with us (of course we did). He asked us to read Marcos 9:38-43. It talks about one who was casting out devils in the name of Christ and that the disciples shouldn´t deter him and then talks about protecting children. He said that these scriptures meant that what we were doing was wrong and proceeded to talk for about a half an hour. In the end I told him about the Restauração do Evangelho and that our propósito was to help people increase their faith, not to tear it down. In the end it was really funny, but I felt sad for the little senhorinho.</div>
Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18119662307411079356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-320794437762182472013-11-17T14:07:00.000-08:002013-11-17T14:07:44.069-08:00Pizza in Brazil<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>November 4, 2013</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #454545;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sister Goncalves reached her 1 yr mark!! :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So we had pizza</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">and guess what?! Pizza crust is filled with chocolate here! Could it get any better?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also a random horse [was] in front of our investigators house, because apparently thats normal (as well as seeing it later throughout the day on different streets )</span></div>
Sherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18119662307411079356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-78081798017933929082013-10-07T11:07:00.003-07:002013-10-07T11:07:28.319-07:00Update: October 7, 2013<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Meus Caridos Pais!</span><br />
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Eu amo vocês muito e oro por vocês cada dia! </div>
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This past week was fun and exciting, but incredibly difficult. We had the treinamento dos novos missionarios this past terça-feira (Tuesday). Presidente Pinho is MARAVILHOSO! I had a really good conversation with my friend, Sister Doman, this week. We talked about talents and differences in personalities. In 1 Coríntios 12 it talks a lot about comparing the Church with the human body. Each part has a specific function and a body would not be a body if every part was a foot. Sabe? Ok. The Lord has need of EVERY one of His children. </div>
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This week we went to an asilo (old folks home) as a service activity for the Relief Society. Sinceremente, it was really sad. These people have next to nothing and some of them arent even old. Their families put them there because they have special needs. They sleep in a huge room with about 30 twin size beds. The residents there became muito feliz quando nós cantamos para eles. God loves all of His children, and eu sou muita grata for the opportunity that I had to serve them.</div>
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In my personal study this week I am reading in Mosías. I noticed something that I had never noticed before. In the story of Rei Noé, toward the end in chapter 22 I think, there is a man named Gideão who is trying to kill the king, but the lamanitas come and attack the city so he spares the life of the king. Fast forward two chapters and this man, Gideão, is pleading with Rei Lími to not take his people to war. This is after they have been in captivity for a while as well. I love this. The Gospel can truly soften the hearts of every person who will give head to the boa palavra de Deus. </div>
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Maria Eliegene was not baptized this week, but her baptism will the 12th of Outubro. She is a delight, sinceremente. She is a former member of the Igreja Universal so she likes to clap her hands and say things like <As tres forças divinas!> She has such incredible faith in the Savior. </div>
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Carlos Gabriel was uma referencia dos Élderes. He is 13 years old and loves soccer and the internet. However, God truly prepared him and he should be baptized this Sunday. He already knew lots of the members from school so we had Uriel (membro) come with us to talk about O Livro de Mórmon. I love working with the members here. They are so willing to help!</div>
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We taught a super-special family this week. Cledi, Luciano and Ingrid are friends of a few of the families in our ward. They came to church TWO times before we had a chance to teach them. Here in Brasil, that practicalmente NUNCA acontece. We taught the lesson sobre a Restauração do Evangelho and it was so beautiful. The pai, Luciano, cried during the lesson. Cledi and Luciano têm dois filhos: Ingrid (9, and reminds me of Claire) and Gustavo (6). Ingrid and Gustavo stopped their parents car once because they saw me and Sister Hamburgo enter the supermercado. They are FOFO DEMAIS! (too cute) The parents and Ingrid are going to be baptized on the 19th.</div>
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Sister Hamburgo and I fizemos contato na rua com um casal: Amanda e Robson. They are super great and get this: they are already married LEGALLY! In the rua when we made contact Amanda said that she had been waiting on a blessing in her life. She suffers from ovarian cists. The one she has right now is 33cm. She has a lot of pain. She and Robson are really young, but they love every time we talk about the gospel. They said that they always feel peaceful and we said that it was because of the Spirit. They are going to be baptized on the 20th. </div>
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Com Amor,</div>
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Sister Abbie Hills</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-12088148423929984772013-10-07T11:04:00.003-07:002013-10-07T11:04:26.842-07:00Update: September 23, 2013<br />
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This week we had a lot of joys and a lot of trials. One of the recent converts of Sister Hamburgo and Sister Gonçalves has been missing for over a week now. Her name is Nayara and she has some difficulties mentally. Pray for her! </div>
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I passed the two month mark! It is crazy how fast time flies! We went out with various members this week and I am so thankful for their help. We taught a woman named Regina the first lesson. She is super fun and loves to talk. Unfortunately, she moved somewhere in our area and we havent been able to find her. </div>
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Boas notícias! Maria Eliegene is going to be baptized this Saturday. She is a super sweet old lady who is the mother of a recent convert in our ward. She has a lot of faith and has been baptized three times in different churches. I just love talking to her. </div>
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We met a wonderful woman and her family this week. Joana is the mother of three children: Lucas (14), Livia (11) and Daniel (4). Daniel is autistic, but so smart. He doesnt talk and has been sick this past week. We went by with a woman in our ward named Gina, who is a convert of about one year. She was absolutely fantastic and helped Joana make food and held Daniel for her so she could talk. Lucas and Livia are good kids. They all were going to go to church, but Daniel had diarreia so that didnt work out. Joana is so great and has suffered a lot being a single mother. The light of the gospel has definitely made her more happy.</div>
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We went to the temple this week. It was so wonderful. I got to see some of my friends from the CTM. I love going to the temple so much. I always come away from it feeling renewed and peaceful. </div>
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Thanks for all of your prayers and I love you all so much!</div>
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Com Amor, </div>
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Sister Abbie Hills</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-52645392033715550912013-09-16T14:03:00.001-07:002013-09-16T14:03:25.736-07:00Photos from Baptism <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7LDmqJ3HbWSijfPPAXlqQBVpYxMqIR2F-GM9bZtR-A1pDm3WLfJTtPDsdjX0g0TvqsLmZBDL0FYp3DYVkF0ZfFLexH9zWIa4f43vySx-NIr1BYp1k7iDPFOtJWjrg6-odQn1PfBD8PEj/s1600/DSCN2112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7LDmqJ3HbWSijfPPAXlqQBVpYxMqIR2F-GM9bZtR-A1pDm3WLfJTtPDsdjX0g0TvqsLmZBDL0FYp3DYVkF0ZfFLexH9zWIa4f43vySx-NIr1BYp1k7iDPFOtJWjrg6-odQn1PfBD8PEj/s320/DSCN2112.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XEeEzUq2sZRSuhSblSZ5wqPnTMJZ6qsUE11C5eVyMDSo2qHP29hYNsLAPeuGzO3bFbUuT_c7A-iYaiZGIhFHLYSoHFlxnhIV5ZnxIeFlD8RjJcusDwGGKqP0q74l63RcFNr6Uv2EtOMV/s1600/DSCN2134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XEeEzUq2sZRSuhSblSZ5wqPnTMJZ6qsUE11C5eVyMDSo2qHP29hYNsLAPeuGzO3bFbUuT_c7A-iYaiZGIhFHLYSoHFlxnhIV5ZnxIeFlD8RjJcusDwGGKqP0q74l63RcFNr6Uv2EtOMV/s320/DSCN2134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Wow, that was weird typing the word baptism in English. We had four baptisms this weekend. The first picture is of Juliana and her friend Karina. The second is of Sabrina. The third is of the rapaz (young man) in the striped shirt, Jefferson. I am so blessed to be able to help my irmãos here in Jardim Lucélia come unto Christ.</span><br />
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Jó 23:10</div>
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Sister Abbie Hills</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-76475217469459616012013-09-16T14:00:00.002-07:002013-09-16T14:01:47.778-07:00Update 9-9-2013<div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 21px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Eu amo você muito! I love you and thank you for all of your prayers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Learning português is going very well. The problem is actually communicating how I am feeling with my companion. She is very nice, and I have learned a lot from her, but I feel like she nevers listens to any of the suggestions that I attempt to make. It has gotten me pretty down, but I love her and want to work well with her so we can do the work of the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of the work, we are having a baptism this week! Sabrina is 16 and is so wonderful. The Lord truly prepared her. We are blessed that there are so many youth in our ward that are willing to help with the lessons and giving encouragement. We are also teaching her mother, Sandra, but we cant set a baptism date because she is currently living with a guy who is 17. That is our biggest problem here: No one is married! I so desperately want to help these people enjoy the blessings of an eternal family, but they have to have the desire. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We are also teaching a senhorinha named Salete. She is around 60 and doesnt move very well on one side because she had a stroke. She has a baptism date set for the 21st, but she needs to stop smoking. She came to church with us yesterday and had a wonderful experience. She also shared an incredible story with us. After she had the stroke, she couldnt move from her bed to make food or anything. She prayed and pleaded with the Lord and she said a large man came to her house and told her to stand. He helped her stand up and she has been walking around to this day. How marvilous! The Lord blesses us with angels all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week Sister Hamburgo and I studied a lot about how to recognize the Spirit. The scriptures I loved most that we read were in Morôni 7:13-20. Anytime we get a prompting to do something good, it is the Spirit and we should do it! Also we read in 1 Corinthians 12 about gifts of the Spirit and it goes right along with your sentiment about everyone being needed in the Church. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love you guys and pray for you all often!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Com Amor,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-75029268473950351032013-09-16T13:58:00.001-07:002013-09-16T13:58:29.574-07:00Visit to the Campinas Temple: August 19, 2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jbQ-SZW00BkvHl6VOmDl1ux1520Yp1g7mk6Zs5pgpiT2OJBFCrHWEyprmEBOYWL6xQWSB6C8VLyAyGJ5dR7ZhVmVslqevKaGydgq6rcGwlS6xjMiHucciUOci6Qzur64diUGOuu2KoUk/s1600/DSC00578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jbQ-SZW00BkvHl6VOmDl1ux1520Yp1g7mk6Zs5pgpiT2OJBFCrHWEyprmEBOYWL6xQWSB6C8VLyAyGJ5dR7ZhVmVslqevKaGydgq6rcGwlS6xjMiHucciUOci6Qzur64diUGOuu2KoUk/s320/DSC00578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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Dear Family,</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">This week the temple in São Paulo was closed for cleaning, and we have had the opportunity to have the missionaries visit the beautiful Campinas temple. It is a little further away than our temple in São Paulo. It is a smaller temple set high on a hill, which is seen from a distance as we enter into the Campinas area. The missionaries have really enjoyed the visit. We thought you would like this photo.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">We have an amazing group of missionaries here in the CTM at this time. It is such a blessing for us to be able to serve with them. Thank you for your continued support with emails and letters. They are much appreciated.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Sincerely,</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Sister Degn</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-49380209141274844202013-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:002013-09-16T13:54:08.239-07:00Update<div style="text-align: center;">
***Sorry things haven't been posted on time lately. </div>
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It is due to computer issues.***</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Minha Mãe!</span><br />
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Eu amo voçê muito! Eu estou no campo agora! (I am in the field now.) I havent met our investigators in our area yet. Our area is Jardim Lucélia. Minha trenadora (my trainer) is Sister Hamborga and she is from Recife. We live in a house with two other sisters: Sister Gonçlaves and Sister Henriques. The past two days we havent done a lot of teaching because we had a mission conference and a transfer meeting. All of my roommates are Brasilian so no more inglês for me! God is so good and is helping me to understand and remember the language very well. I am so grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be here in Brasil. I know that this is the Lords work. He is the one who accepted my desire to serve Him. I chose to serve here in the pre-earth life.</div>
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Com Amor</div>
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Sister Abbie Hills</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-3389092052631481022013-08-19T13:07:00.000-07:002013-08-19T13:07:04.567-07:00Weekly Update<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">
This week has been super awesome. In the past TWO weeks I have sung "How Can I Keep from Singing" in a small group, "Eu Sei que Vive Meu Redentor" as a solo and played the piano for "Este e O Cristo". God is definitely helping me to use my talents. We went to the city center on Wednesday and handed out copies of the Book of Mormon. One guy was very emotional and in return gave us a book on ghosts in Sao Paulo. We didn't keep that book. Another we gave it to him and passed by him later and he was ALREADY reading it! Que legao! (How cool!) So my favourite experience this week has been with our investigator, Pedro. We have been trying to get him to pray for the past four lessons and he has a difficult time with it because his wife and son recently died and left him alone with another son and he feels like God has abandoned Him. BUT we have been very patient and loving and he FINALLY prayer with us! I don't think I have ever experienced that kind of joy in my life. </div>
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<br />Love you! -- 1 Corinthians 10:13</div>
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Sister Abbie</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-39225856003786651582013-08-09T11:05:00.000-07:002013-08-09T11:08:14.326-07:00Weekly Update & A Photo<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1r7ntMLzGUbNQf9ozaW1UDSkfMY6eN88C7CzeV8h-JTz9pNtlvwB_a7uTE1KJ3Sq3kRPb5GU5NWDWMfTiitteZiknWRn8-oFIMFOHD7rej7es1kM6NxQy3IXu7Wd4Vj5hvtJawJ-prUT/s1600/DSC00500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1r7ntMLzGUbNQf9ozaW1UDSkfMY6eN88C7CzeV8h-JTz9pNtlvwB_a7uTE1KJ3Sq3kRPb5GU5NWDWMfTiitteZiknWRn8-oFIMFOHD7rej7es1kM6NxQy3IXu7Wd4Vj5hvtJawJ-prUT/s320/DSC00500.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sis. Hills in the furthest left woman. This was taken<br />in front of the Sao Paulo Brazil temple.</td></tr>
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I love Brazil. Sao Paulo is probably the coolest city ever. There are tons of neat building that would never get built in the US cuz they're defnitely not stable, but they're cool. The food in the CTM is a lot of meat and rice and beans. Also the fruit is DELICIOUS! You would love it.</div>
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Here's my daily schedule:</div>
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6am -- Rise and Shine</div>
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7am -- Desjejum (breakfast)</div>
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7:30 -- Estudo Pessoal</div>
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8:30 -- Tempo com Instrutor</div>
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11:30 -- Estudo com Companheira</div>
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12:45 -- Almoco (Lunch)</div>
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13:30 -- Tempo com Instrutor</div>
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16:30 -- Estdo Idioma</div>
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17:15 -- Jantar (Dinner)</div>
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18:00 -- TALL (language study)</div>
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19:00 -- Actividade Fisica</div>
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20:10 -- Estudo Adicional</div>
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21:00 -- Lanch (Snack)</div>
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22:00 -- SLEEP</div>
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My companion is Sister Moore. She's 25 and from Pennsylvania. The Portuguese is going really well. Some because of my Spanish but mostly because of the Lord blessing me. The gift of tongues is REAL. We go to the temple on Fridays and it's the Sao Paulo temple. We only get to do Initiatories and Endowments.</div>
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I want to tell you something I learned while teaching one of our investigators. So I have always loved the story of Enos. He is awesome and the fact that he prayed for so long is inspiring. My thought that I had was about how God answers prayers. God didn't answer his prayer until after he had prayed ALL day and ALL night. How hard would that have been to have prayed for so long and not have gotten an answer after the first hour or two. But, Enos endured and received wonderful blessings because of his faith in Christ. I know that this is true for all of us. Sometimes it seems like God is not answering our prayers, but we need to keep faith and just keep praying.</div>
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We had some pretty cold days, but my cardigans were enough to see me through. I am so glad Maren is a dress person. It's honestly a lot easier to be modest with them. I am so thankful that Nate was able to find a place to live. I pray for you guys all the time. I am so glad the Lord is blessing you for your tremendous sacrifices. I know I am so grateful to be here. I know it's what the Lord wants me to do. </div>
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Love you all! -- Job 23:10</div>
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Sister Abbie Hills</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-12889041714705214592013-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:002013-08-09T11:07:31.842-07:00Preparation Day Email!<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Meu Mai e Pai!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">My p-days starting next week will be on seista-feira (fridays). I am loving the CTM and the Portuguese is coming along very well. This is surprising because I tried to speak Portuguese before the mission and it was horrible. The gift of tongues is definitely real. I am so grateful to have taken Spanish because I am able to help others in my district with grammar and word conjugations. Sao Paulo is sooo big and the house are really cool. We went to the temple today and I had the opportunity to listen to the session in Portuguese. It was awesome. I'm not one hundred percent sure about the temple names. I think I have a ton more in one of the drawers in my old room. Please give them to other people in the family. Our district has four Sister and three Elders. My companion is Sister Moore. She is 25 and from Pennsylvania. We don't have anyone from Utah in our district, but we have Elder Hardman (who's gonna be in my mission) from England and Sister Richardson from Scotland. Everyone is pretty nice and the teachers are fantastics. Our main teacher, Irmao Nascimiento, is from Sao Paulo and served a mission in Japan. How cool, right? We are practicing teaching Irma Monique, who is playing Diana. I am loving it. I love how the gospel is being taught through Preach My Gospel. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Love You All, </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22px;">Sister Hills</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-38552926469682885792013-07-17T14:32:00.000-07:002013-07-17T14:47:03.565-07:00Safe Arrival<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtA6KHpl0B-fK-YV-AxF4kIN0klv762kTpvOc_wU293qoCLi58zhenxGV9hy_J6kiXrNUlAFQRhkMmsHogvFa7eeGMw079cn3f182_LrGe1BClqvhpKQmM8bNMNjPrE92mNwwKEuBKuxW/s1600/Report+to+MTC+in+Brazil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtA6KHpl0B-fK-YV-AxF4kIN0klv762kTpvOc_wU293qoCLi58zhenxGV9hy_J6kiXrNUlAFQRhkMmsHogvFa7eeGMw079cn3f182_LrGe1BClqvhpKQmM8bNMNjPrE92mNwwKEuBKuxW/s320/Report+to+MTC+in+Brazil.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sis. Hills is the second from the left in the front row.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sis. Hills reported to the Brazil MTC earlier today. She arrived safely and looks so happy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is the email received from the MTC:</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear Parents,<span style="color: #1f497d;"></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time. We promise to take good care of your missionary.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Wednesday<span style="color: #1f497d;"> </span>or Friday, depending on individual assignments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “<span class="ecxyiv1080657166apple-converted-space"> </span>There is no mortal man that is as interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the Gospel as is the Lord who sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children".</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Please accept our love,</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">President Ralph Degn and Sister Mary Ann Degn</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px; text-transform: uppercase;">ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . . . </span></b><span style="line-height: 18px;"> <b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px; text-transform: uppercase;">DO NOT SEND PACKAGES </span></b><span style="line-height: 18px;">to the Brazil Missionary Training Center.<b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"> </span></b>All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving not the MTC.<b> </b>If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package can not be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="line-height: 18px; text-transform: uppercase;">WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. </span></b><span style="line-height: 18px;">Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please <b>DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS,</b> <b>or other private carriers</b>. The cost to get this type of correspondence is exorbitant.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-90610345209690717532013-07-14T13:22:00.002-07:002013-07-17T14:28:27.153-07:00Farewell Talk<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Testimony and Conversion</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Becoming a Disciple of Christ</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The purpose of missionary work is to invite people to come unto Christ, to gain a testimony of Him and of the Church and to help them become converted unto the Lord and become a disciple of Christ. I am blessed to have been called to perform this work with my brothers and sisters in Brazil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">President Joseph Fielding Smith said that a testimony "is a convincing knowledge given by revelation to [a person] who humbly seeks the truth." This can be a testimony of any truth, but in Helaman 5:12 it says <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/hel/5?lang=eng">"...it is...foundation"</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">David A Bednar, in his talk from October 2012 General Conference "Converted unto the Lord," taught, <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/converted-unto-the-lord?lang=eng">"Seeking...latter days."</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Doing these things (asking, seeking and knocking) requires faith. It is important to remember the teaching in Alma 32:21 that <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32?lang=eng">"faith..."</a> This is a lesson that I have remembered again and again as I have sought knowledge upon which to build my testimony. Faith is not having a perfect knowledge. We do not know everything and we will probably never know everything. But that is okay. I have been very fortunate, in developing my own testimony, that I have applied the "spiritual scientific method" also found in Alma 32. When being taught a new principle or after gaining a new piece of knowledge, I have notice the selling inside that either strengthens or depletes my testimony. Recognizing that when something I have heard causes me confusion I know that it is not from God, but if I strengthens my faith it is from God. If it is from God then I act upon the knowledge that I have received.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In gaining my own testimony, some principles cam more easily to me than others. If I had a doubt, however, I would usually turn to the scriptures and to the Lord for answers. When I felt doubt or was upset about something, I wish I had had Elder Jeffrey R Holland's talk from April 2013 General Conference "Lord, I Believe" to help guide me. Elder Holland teaches a poignant lesson using the story of the man who came to Jesus to have him heal his son. Elder Holland teaches, <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng">"when facing...walk by faith."</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, in coming to the current state of my testimony and conversion, I now recognize that I have often put up spiritual pavilions, as taught by President Henry B Eyring in October 2012 General Conference. These pavilions cast great shadows over my path. President Eyring asserts <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/where-is-the-pavilion?lang=eng">"Many of us...His will and His time."</a> When faced with struggles in our personal testimony and bumps on our road to conversion, remember that it is never God who removes Himself from us, but rather us removing ourselves from God. We would do well to remember the lesson taught in <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/ether/12?lang=eng">Ether 12:6</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We all experience a trial of our faith. This is necessary to help us grow and progress on our path to conversion. Neil L Anderson taught in his talk from October 2012 General Conference "<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/trial-of-your-faith?lang=eng">These fiery...comes into view.</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There have been two fiery trials that stand out in my life that have definitely helped me to become more converted unto the Lord. When I was 16 I left to work at a Boy Scout camp about two hours away from home. I only knew two people at the camp and was a little homesick, but overall I was having a lot of fun. One night after writing in my journal and reading my scriptures, I received a call from my dad saying that my grandpa was dying. This was extremely devastating to me at that time. I love my grandpa; he was always very kind to me and told the best stories. Over the past year, after putting him in a nursing home, we had watched him degenerate and it was heartbreaking. I was inconsolable. I then heard a voice in my mind that told me that if I kept the commandments I WOULD see my grandpa again. I had never felt so much peace. I knew that was true. Families are forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The second trial came a little over a year ago. I was dating a guy I had known for four year and he and I cared about each other a lot. However, this guy was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and did not have a few of the same standards. I wanted nothing more than for him to be baptized and to be a worth Priesthood holder. I shared all he would allow with him about the gospel. I gave him scriptures and taught him how to pray. I moved to Jackson Hold, Wyoming to work for the summer and things in our relationship just got harder. One night, having no friends and no one there I heard a voice telling me that it was time to break up with him. I had done all I could do for him. It was not up to me and my timing; it was up to the Lord and His timing. This lesson is one that has recurred as I have been waiting for five months to leave on my mission. There are many prayers for good things that may not come because everything is done in the Lord's timing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These two trials of my faith wrought in me a change of heart. I was not the same person after these experiences. I became determined to try harder and to become the person God wanted me to be. I was experiencing a change of heart. Returning to Elder Bednar's talk, he continues "<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/converted-unto-the-lord?lang=eng">The essence...testimony.</a>"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This change can be seen in Peter, a disciple of Christ. In <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/matt/16?lang=eng">Matthew 16:15-18</a> he testifies of Christ prior to receiving the Holy Ghost. This is Peter's humble testimony at the beginning of his path to conversion. In his talk, "The First Great Commandment," Elder Jeffrey R Holland provides insight as to what occurred next on Peter's path. After the death of Christ, Peter returns to his boat and takes up his prior profession of fishing. He is unsuccessful until a stranger appears on the shore to give him some advice. Here Elder Holland tells the stranger commands "<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/the-first-great-commandment?lang=eng">Cast the net...what they did to me.</a>" Peter then went and followed the Savior's admonition to "feed his sheep and save my lambs." After the day of Pentecost and the baptism of three thousand souls and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, Peter then testifies in <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/acts/4?lang=eng">Acts 4:8-12</a>. This is in beautiful contrast to the simple testimony, which only grew after Peter forsook all to follow Christ. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After we are converted, we are likewise called, as Peter, to become a disciple of Christ. We are called to follow the admonition to "feed my sheep." Elder Robert D Hales in his talk "Becoming a more Christian Christian" taught "<a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/being-a-more-christian-christian?lang=eng">As Christians today...I'll be what you want me to be.</a>" </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have help my brothers and sister in Brazil to come unto Christ. I add my testimony to that of an African martyr, whom Henry B Eyring quoted, and his poem "The Fellowship of the Unashamed."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I am part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">The decision has been made—I am a disciple of His. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.</span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.</span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">My face is set, my is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, hired away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversity, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">negotiate at the table of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have preached up, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ.</span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">I am a disciple of Jesus, I must go till He comes, give till I drop, </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">preach till all know and work till He stops me. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">And when He comes to claim His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. </span><br style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; text-align: start;">My banner will be clear!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I know these things are true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Job 23:10</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills</span></div>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-27543364747575021402013-07-11T21:22:00.001-07:002013-07-17T14:28:34.393-07:00My Sister Missionary Photos<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Missionary Photos</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Only one week to go and I just barely got my sister missionary photos done. My old friend from Primary on, Sammi Meikle, took them for me. They are set in the stunning Old Town area of Wichita. I love this city and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited to invite my brothers and sister in Brazil to come unto Christ.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWWDqDQ100o5nyWv0BWkhPGIjC7ZqcL46kjZ6TMJ92gHbis4NU8kmx5IkB1gbS5DRnzGOtdAMa7SfYieUJ7t5eYqBF9TsFq93DnUVHJ7j9Kp2GiZMWCKQoXOqq6Itb5VnuMHWe9Pyxi-F/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWWDqDQ100o5nyWv0BWkhPGIjC7ZqcL46kjZ6TMJ92gHbis4NU8kmx5IkB1gbS5DRnzGOtdAMa7SfYieUJ7t5eYqBF9TsFq93DnUVHJ7j9Kp2GiZMWCKQoXOqq6Itb5VnuMHWe9Pyxi-F/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pregar Meu Evangelho</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSMbCoQyfeVxp3ZeWQCVJFePE_VCM4KhyJZTa-HjxMCjxiWYX0BnwSqbKCVRMy-SKHkdANqxLInCGf2Ui3mMKvlYw8o2GwC4rcXLtCcYcHBvNe1ac6MtQnYRl_96AkQmFnHMatUqNpAMW/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSMbCoQyfeVxp3ZeWQCVJFePE_VCM4KhyJZTa-HjxMCjxiWYX0BnwSqbKCVRMy-SKHkdANqxLInCGf2Ui3mMKvlYw8o2GwC4rcXLtCcYcHBvNe1ac6MtQnYRl_96AkQmFnHMatUqNpAMW/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I love this outfit...and the red door.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8r-rxbqRmVA_OwpXsGXdSIrOcJaPo1Q4tYd30FNl6eTBYYEVj537jW4X7Dds5mYswKeVhgodH4ZqD1nwfTC9CqOr4mDxNB2RJLJCvdUvcmXQOp3cHDa6qHN8Kds8huLKQF7UhXlyO-8S/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix8r-rxbqRmVA_OwpXsGXdSIrOcJaPo1Q4tYd30FNl6eTBYYEVj537jW4X7Dds5mYswKeVhgodH4ZqD1nwfTC9CqOr4mDxNB2RJLJCvdUvcmXQOp3cHDa6qHN8Kds8huLKQF7UhXlyO-8S/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+3.jpg" width="206" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pregar Meu Evangelho</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7kgZvR28G96-gWujO8MDJTynNU-_FU__m6v-5lfr4wmqivZwMxOwhzoZi2YyRnPgEndUMQJhacTRv9DVKoeuvueaX2MV694PMV5OUbtmiIqsXW8fu8QdBWwV_r0LAGSosuuZ6hxesH78/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7kgZvR28G96-gWujO8MDJTynNU-_FU__m6v-5lfr4wmqivZwMxOwhzoZi2YyRnPgEndUMQJhacTRv9DVKoeuvueaX2MV694PMV5OUbtmiIqsXW8fu8QdBWwV_r0LAGSosuuZ6hxesH78/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+4.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is my saucy face!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8pyN4lTSuLh0PGCb5jgcwUHdNzx_0ya5hK-K7L_68V_CWqQsqIC2tTtHlXK3lBTRwhmMEJME3b0rxA0Hdiva30ZQMCUDnt3vAmTv0p4TK2wruDS0VSZp540eLxUWm2Rh0D9DMVnIM8ER/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8pyN4lTSuLh0PGCb5jgcwUHdNzx_0ya5hK-K7L_68V_CWqQsqIC2tTtHlXK3lBTRwhmMEJME3b0rxA0Hdiva30ZQMCUDnt3vAmTv0p4TK2wruDS0VSZp540eLxUWm2Rh0D9DMVnIM8ER/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+5.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy to preach the gospel.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPMGhQ-Kdz2dIOWoQMDhin7cG__H0Bm_t3wHXvNd2WqBuiaQDBBH040sHj6MTCk80vKFNcZHQvtYEXroAhLf9Xzze7X0GZdX7gwmGuPPR0X1KylWvK3SYtdBePIFaSGjMiHjIx53WP0F1/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My favourite picture.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPMGhQ-Kdz2dIOWoQMDhin7cG__H0Bm_t3wHXvNd2WqBuiaQDBBH040sHj6MTCk80vKFNcZHQvtYEXroAhLf9Xzze7X0GZdX7gwmGuPPR0X1KylWvK3SYtdBePIFaSGjMiHjIx53WP0F1/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqbrBBuNhsnuRORt5_ADDnx0XIDrvyka3puMU_cwYsoVST_8qwGOtzkJ0c12I1e1VoLKRMcvzvuiuuIGmX1YsH9czmdaM8SEzRI7UY04f8YiN9u7wlCQHwxTTm_yt07ofR2i2GdMnU96o/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKqbrBBuNhsnuRORt5_ADDnx0XIDrvyka3puMU_cwYsoVST_8qwGOtzkJ0c12I1e1VoLKRMcvzvuiuuIGmX1YsH9czmdaM8SEzRI7UY04f8YiN9u7wlCQHwxTTm_yt07ofR2i2GdMnU96o/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+7.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ugh, this outfit is the best.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGPUqRo0s3i1joDYt7DpSfrl6ZdEVoSWg793lVgCttJvjEQ29uLGAsit2FO0BRW5U5C3X0-NXkw9Wf3t4RwYzDusCsGOY6ZCF81MWohbeHx-auqtleze5tzYIxy9_Gq4bCFhEX0X4KXjj/s1600/Sister+Missionary+Pic+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGPUqRo0s3i1joDYt7DpSfrl6ZdEVoSWg793lVgCttJvjEQ29uLGAsit2FO0BRW5U5C3X0-NXkw9Wf3t4RwYzDusCsGOY6ZCF81MWohbeHx-auqtleze5tzYIxy9_Gq4bCFhEX0X4KXjj/s320/Sister+Missionary+Pic+8.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Liahona</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Job 23:10</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills</span></div>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-38571165137012112222013-06-27T22:16:00.004-07:002013-07-17T14:28:40.631-07:00The Long Visa Wait<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Disclaimer: I am not a very patient person.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That being said, I was under the impression that obtaining a Visa to a foreign country would be a piece of cake. I was <u>dead</u> wrong. When I received my call to serve in the Brazil Sao Paulo Interlagos mission, I had no idea that being able to do so would involve so much paperwork.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i-DTjfT6rKIqMYCD8OeOVs7Z6gpDc_THNPI1esMqv7KQnyO0fxbysxoNQazD-mwBlsQ3DQ-rJOjOlZWQMecgxnk5S9Z17uBdfeKvWCuHF7_JAnNgD9QLSQL_iCLYDpUM5uvWdo4gZvTB/s379/read.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3i-DTjfT6rKIqMYCD8OeOVs7Z6gpDc_THNPI1esMqv7KQnyO0fxbysxoNQazD-mwBlsQ3DQ-rJOjOlZWQMecgxnk5S9Z17uBdfeKvWCuHF7_JAnNgD9QLSQL_iCLYDpUM5uvWdo4gZvTB/s320/read.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The most beautiful sight in the world.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some tips to avoid problems with Visa applications:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Have a passport before submitting your missionary application. Unless you submit that you have no interest in serving in a foreign country, then don't. But, save yourself four weeks of waiting to start your Visa by obtaining a current passport.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Read over the application process very carefully. Then read it again. Then have your mom (or another parental figure) read it. Anecdote: to be a missionary in Brazil you have to be an ordained minister of sorts. This means that you have to provide details and records about your religious training and certificates of everything from your baptism to seminary graduation. Yeah. It's kind of a bear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Make sure to look over everything after you have completed it. When I was getting my police clearance from City Hall, I assumed that they had filled out the form correctly. WRONG. They marked that I was male. Which I am not. If my mom hadn't made me check over all the documents for errors, I may not have gotten my Visa.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Have faith and pray. This is probably the most important part of the process. For the past two weeks I have been obsessively checking the status of my Visa. It was only about a week ago that I started praying that it would come in. What?! Silly me; pray early and often and miracles will be wrought.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwCqvE4lQnn66-j-G5GnkiDCS_EBwBQU-HuWODMaQ61Vus8tOsETXQRob-3lDPAqYmXI7vybDirhEGgnG0fZ5JRu3OPbDrYKFl2g_hd3VQk-a9ozzZrLNO-PIEl9fxi2zbE0hv0CBrwUG/s269/Countdown3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwCqvE4lQnn66-j-G5GnkiDCS_EBwBQU-HuWODMaQ61Vus8tOsETXQRob-3lDPAqYmXI7vybDirhEGgnG0fZ5JRu3OPbDrYKFl2g_hd3VQk-a9ozzZrLNO-PIEl9fxi2zbE0hv0CBrwUG/s269/Countdown3.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been ready for this since February.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know it. I can't wait to serve the Lord and help my brothers and sisters in Brazil to <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/omni/1.26?lang=eng#25">"come unto Christ."</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Job 23:10</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills</span></h4>
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Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-12995649562508466612013-06-02T20:39:00.003-07:002013-07-17T14:28:46.539-07:00Learning to Teach<h3 style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question—unto what were ye ordained?</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To <u>preach my gospel</u> by the Spirit, even the Comforter which was sent forth to teach the truth.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Doctrine and Covenants 50:13-14</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have had very unique opportunities in the past year that have helped me to learn a little bit about how to teach. As a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I will teach people the restored Gospel and help them to <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/10.30?lang=eng#29">"come unto Christ."</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">At the end of my senior year of high school, I opted to join the <a href="http://www.lds.org/topics/relief-society?lang=eng">Relief Society</a> instead of continuing in the <a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/young-women/getting-started">Young Women's</a> program. However, in April I was called to teach <a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/primary/getting-started">Primary</a>. I was asked to teach the 10 and 11-year-old class (of which my little sister, Maren was a part). I had only six weeks left in Kansas before leaving to work in Jackson Hole, but I accepted the calling anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That year, the children were learning the teachings of the Book of Mormon, and when I started teaching they were already in the book of Mosiah. This opportunity was a little bit challenging. First, I was used to teaching boys how to swim, not teaching almost-teenagers doctrines of the Church. Second, the age that I was assigned to teach is an in-between period where you can't teach them like children or adults. Lastly, I was not fully prepared. At. All. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried so hard to be the "cool" teacher that sometimes I don't think my class fully grasped the doctrinal concepts that I was attempting to teach. I focused a lot on hand-outs and games. The one thing I did learn was how to adapt lessons for different ages. Pre-teens are hard to teach. The scriptures use difficult language for them to understand, but they need to get used to it. I used a mixture of scripture reading and using the Book of Mormon videos online to show them what they read. My lessons were definitely for audio-visual learners. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My second opportunity came not as a teacher, but as a learner. When I went to the Teton High Adventure Base in Jackson Hole, I had never been in a canoe in my entire life. Period. However, sometimes the best ways to teach someone is hands-on. At least that's how it was for canoeing and later C.O.P.E-ing. I watched and listened and failed, but kept going until even I was amazed at how far I had come. Watching and listening are two of the most important aspects of teaching, whether you're the teacher OR the learner. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In my adventures as a C.O.P.E instructor, I learned another valuable lesson. Not everyone learns the way that I do. I am an audio-visual learner. Others are not. I can't tell you how many times I would talk through and show a group how to do a certain obstacle and then they would just stare at me like "Huh?" Most of the time I had groups that would just jump right in and try it without giving much thought as to how to work things out. This usually didn't work. I also had groups that would talk things to death. This. Was. The. Worst. In relation to the gospel, over-thinking and getting in over your head are super common when first starting the conversion process. However, some people learn this way. We can't force anyone to learn in a way that is not conducive for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, I worked as a paraprofessional at Wasatch Elementary school during this past school year. I got to work with two different age groups: first and fourth graders. I was in charge of helping the under-performing first graders with their reading and math. This was <b><i>soooooooo</i></b> hard. Some days I just wanted to say to the kid: "Let's just quit while we're ahead." Other days I was so excited about their progress I couldn't contain it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The most important lesson I learned is summed up in the following conference talk by President Thomas S. Monson:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/uqKTZ1_y5Js/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/uqKTZ1_y5Js&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/uqKTZ1_y5Js&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Isn't that great?! Everyone has the capacity to change into a wonderful person. I saw this in my first graders and even in some of my punky fourth graders (I still love them). It was hard sometimes to remind myself of this fact: Everyone is a child of God and has the potential to become like Him. This is true for the worst reader to the snarkiest fourth grader.</span><br />
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The best part of all of this is that even though I've learned a lot about teaching, I know I still have a long way to go. But, if I put my faith in the Lord and teach what and how He would have me teach, I know that I will not fail in His eyes.</span><br />
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Job 23:10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills </span></div>
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<a class="bookmark-anchor dontHighlight" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7814629537456781882" name="14" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #486fae; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></a></h4>
Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-49684292661760782332013-05-27T09:52:00.002-07:002013-07-17T14:28:52.228-07:00The House of the Lord<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.lds.org/church/temples">Temples</a></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I grew up in a beautiful, small suburb in Kansas called Derby. Unfortunately, as a Latter-Day Saint, the main draw-back of this town is that the closest temple is about three hours away. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but when the temple is that far away you only get to go twice a year. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the wonderful Oklahoma City Temple that I went to twice a year since I was twelve:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxKSarEYRBaDjMx0LlM9DWc1Udr8NH8JRAJN03ls442TsjjEMucbqM7tsrnYZ46sxyeSi2C0V7-A8tpva9zudnAEW3NDxuHaHYhJobx-s8z_08f4LvsNI9Ej-vb_z_Fb1AOIQ_EkagfON/s1600/OKC+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHxKSarEYRBaDjMx0LlM9DWc1Udr8NH8JRAJN03ls442TsjjEMucbqM7tsrnYZ46sxyeSi2C0V7-A8tpva9zudnAEW3NDxuHaHYhJobx-s8z_08f4LvsNI9Ej-vb_z_Fb1AOIQ_EkagfON/s200/OKC+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Beautiful, no?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Part of leaving on a mission is that you receive what is called an Endowment. So the endowment is a special, sacred ceremony that we (members of the LDS Church) perform only inside the temple. It is not some sacrificial, demonic ceremony that many people believe it is. Only LDS members who are worthy (ie. have abstained from alcohol, sex, drugs etc.) and who have completely repented of past sins are able to participate in this wonderful ceremony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So after you receive your call as a missionary, you are eligible to receive your own endowment. Scheduling when I was going to do this presented a slight problem. I was attending BYU in Provo, Utah and most of my family still lived in Derby, Kansas. Because I am not going back to Kansas until June, I wanted to receive my endowment in Utah. However, my wonderful parents flew me out to Kansas so that I could receive my endowment in the temple that I had gone to while I was growing up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not gonna lie, receiving my endowment didn't completely change my life. It definitely made some alterations as to how I see the world. I cannot say exactly what was taught in the temple, and nor would I want to. But here are some beautiful realizations that occurred to me after I received my endowment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. God loves us so much more than we could ever comprehend. <a href="http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/john/3?lang=eng">John 3:16</a> doesn't even cut it. Not only did he give His Son for us, but He gave us our lives and a beautiful world to live in and literally every earthly possession we have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Every person is loved by God and should be loved by us. Okay, I knew this already. But, I have realized how important it is to make a concerted effort to <i>LOVE. </i>I get annoyed really easily, and I think unkind thoughts about people. However, since receiving my endowment I have been making real strides in making sure that my actions AND thoughts reflect only love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. This world is <b><u>not</u></b> about things. Once again, I knew this. How much I actually agreed with it is beyond me. I agree 100% wholeheartedly with this now. My life before was focused on adventures, entertainment and saving for frivolous things. Now, I am more focused on living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, getting an education and preparing to be a mother and wife in an eternal family. Nothing else matters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I love the temple so much, here are some other temples I have attended/visited:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCKaaLc42SEAd2DRzLdYmaDixoqYBZ_0L9EZl-J9RQwSP5K3C4_L655W0Vj6-5qJENsSZ6OyU78DpHFYuD7EAM4RE_ycj5YsiV3DY9QC9Ft-vY8-3pSZgQAD-LAaHJrnh2nlkw5xU5uas/s1600/Bountiful+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCKaaLc42SEAd2DRzLdYmaDixoqYBZ_0L9EZl-J9RQwSP5K3C4_L655W0Vj6-5qJENsSZ6OyU78DpHFYuD7EAM4RE_ycj5YsiV3DY9QC9Ft-vY8-3pSZgQAD-LAaHJrnh2nlkw5xU5uas/s200/Bountiful+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Td2u_086PjFkxL9L0ddTQ0p6N84CGis_Lgic7qllg8fopdsIQXanNcJCOaNT-9Vm5r0cLqo8SF1hX4VbthzUdmPlHSq-uwA7cbrCKSjCkLhC1VuK1cmngretfdXekEZGkD5w-djeacJt/s1600/Mt+Timp+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Td2u_086PjFkxL9L0ddTQ0p6N84CGis_Lgic7qllg8fopdsIQXanNcJCOaNT-9Vm5r0cLqo8SF1hX4VbthzUdmPlHSq-uwA7cbrCKSjCkLhC1VuK1cmngretfdXekEZGkD5w-djeacJt/s200/Mt+Timp+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Bountiful, UT Temple Mount Timpanogas, UT Temple</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUJkGORzC3qEHoBKbSa0kk_-GD8h28UD6LXtcC-DbcjmzW0BNqlLIe3J6f3q01_yMvSdqa08-8svalTSxOzatufhG5nqbwg8q-nvZaLOa5DOAQc4DRl1AHBQt_Jh4krCmi9QGDygHpPIa/s1600/KC+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyUJkGORzC3qEHoBKbSa0kk_-GD8h28UD6LXtcC-DbcjmzW0BNqlLIe3J6f3q01_yMvSdqa08-8svalTSxOzatufhG5nqbwg8q-nvZaLOa5DOAQc4DRl1AHBQt_Jh4krCmi9QGDygHpPIa/s200/KC+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjJCOYewqtH3lawrTNl6BAoPRW-VciNz60-mNBPtJZrTI943ye34jCtM6lEm_u3nhSYtrh-XlhcPc6172UnL_8qX_t8Uow6IjPnlEn06bGIJA9dvkPDqvf-35wJU4KnWwYeB4f9znwDAc/s1600/Manti+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjJCOYewqtH3lawrTNl6BAoPRW-VciNz60-mNBPtJZrTI943ye34jCtM6lEm_u3nhSYtrh-XlhcPc6172UnL_8qX_t8Uow6IjPnlEn06bGIJA9dvkPDqvf-35wJU4KnWwYeB4f9znwDAc/s200/Manti+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kansas City, MO Temple Manti, UT Temple</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPh9kyEMDQclLdgoDdxQG0z-VvEOdYgDdKTsa1nrWLtS9PFMrIRz0bOdb6bMc8f2bGeEE5VKLQXZIpRWTyHZxacxFTKf_3skhAV8Yf8QiPfpDyrLBY1m-9apX-q5RDAejwoh3Wg8xiQEr/s1600/Nauvoo+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfPh9kyEMDQclLdgoDdxQG0z-VvEOdYgDdKTsa1nrWLtS9PFMrIRz0bOdb6bMc8f2bGeEE5VKLQXZIpRWTyHZxacxFTKf_3skhAV8Yf8QiPfpDyrLBY1m-9apX-q5RDAejwoh3Wg8xiQEr/s200/Nauvoo+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdG5WCI9aL4uleXTKzXZn8b-tTLZMoJSM649y8-mMUnhs7-e620dvpF4nzHvR1i5hPVqRCsYaVJNq4GiPc0cBcpDOUCtW3SRgHqSI0FGc0P7dawBJsAu_wHbQW01Um5lCanYufm1jxnU5/s1600/Oquirrh+Mountain+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhdG5WCI9aL4uleXTKzXZn8b-tTLZMoJSM649y8-mMUnhs7-e620dvpF4nzHvR1i5hPVqRCsYaVJNq4GiPc0cBcpDOUCtW3SRgHqSI0FGc0P7dawBJsAu_wHbQW01Um5lCanYufm1jxnU5/s200/Oquirrh+Mountain+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> Nauvoo, IL Temple Oquirrh Mountain, UT Temple</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwwffToLDPiH-QUhw5xxbZMqZquaN_vAXGxEaWPOjFmuYEWSneXkEEbdf6aOckf-rEjPOqzwRUEoIgn2Yc1sfX6Zmhd8RF9AhNZlNw2giEdOAoSqT7_2nQwqYk7G1Z1-xSOd99qorL-Jf/s1600/Provo+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwwffToLDPiH-QUhw5xxbZMqZquaN_vAXGxEaWPOjFmuYEWSneXkEEbdf6aOckf-rEjPOqzwRUEoIgn2Yc1sfX6Zmhd8RF9AhNZlNw2giEdOAoSqT7_2nQwqYk7G1Z1-xSOd99qorL-Jf/s200/Provo+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oORHCsTMWa7Bn4cx3ysQqFY1ywQtxMO1NiL8_G4tzcv3kPzSmoieoPQLxJQgbDkWPrcWOudtwahBVU5IgHIKM8thsr7twYDomC6rwaIQxaXSiYLv8wFLjHqLrqr4neWSH7GqmfW3a9R1/s1600/Salt+Lake+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5oORHCsTMWa7Bn4cx3ysQqFY1ywQtxMO1NiL8_G4tzcv3kPzSmoieoPQLxJQgbDkWPrcWOudtwahBVU5IgHIKM8thsr7twYDomC6rwaIQxaXSiYLv8wFLjHqLrqr4neWSH7GqmfW3a9R1/s200/Salt+Lake+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"> Provo, UT Temple Salt Lake City, UT Temple</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD4qm29ozlFcRM-YLHDzFNF-B4-gx_mRHOtkKrOrJKUlb01TCr4pZb1oVCSeDeJak6eCmt2CRE5jS6cMI9o5QplzJVYV5HOmCfrpISFYGufqkSaVtH_NhAHmJK8GnlBPhFRFrvjzL9xsp/s1600/Winter+Quarters+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD4qm29ozlFcRM-YLHDzFNF-B4-gx_mRHOtkKrOrJKUlb01TCr4pZb1oVCSeDeJak6eCmt2CRE5jS6cMI9o5QplzJVYV5HOmCfrpISFYGufqkSaVtH_NhAHmJK8GnlBPhFRFrvjzL9xsp/s200/Winter+Quarters+Temple.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Winter Quarters, NE Temple</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the temple I will attend on my mission:</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4_jwB6CsBQ-W5cfrS7bshLOUdj3icH7oh6Z7fFv9Q4tbqHcm9f3jJ87-FFXWi4eNW21TMmAyitKpXzpqbCfGR76poZNWFNbpUlUz3a9LzDZ4IlH06Tw_DElpTW9hedNod3JK8cQSWmz0/s1600/Sao+Paulo+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4_jwB6CsBQ-W5cfrS7bshLOUdj3icH7oh6Z7fFv9Q4tbqHcm9f3jJ87-FFXWi4eNW21TMmAyitKpXzpqbCfGR76poZNWFNbpUlUz3a9LzDZ4IlH06Tw_DElpTW9hedNod3JK8cQSWmz0/s400/Sao+Paulo+Temple.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">São Paulo, Brazil Temple </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Job 23:10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sister Abbie Hills </span></h4>
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Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7814629537456781882.post-72886455647219058552013-05-26T09:52:00.002-07:002013-07-17T14:27:58.870-07:00My Mission Call<h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">To understand my desire to go on a mission, I have to start when I'm 17. At this time, the age for sister missionaries to serve was 21. It was Stake Conference and our visiting General Authority (a member of the highest levels of leadership in the LDS Church)was Elder Shayne M. Bowen. He held a special meeting with the youth of the Derby, Kansas Stake (a unit of members of the LDS Church based on geographical location). He recounted a heart-wrenching story of his service in Chile during the 1970's in a time of political instability. He and his companion (a native Chilean) were arrested and kept in a holding cell by a government that was infamous for having people "go missing." He told us of the prayers and faith he had that eventually, with Divine assistance, allowed him to go free. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">After this meeting was the general meeting. In his talk to the entire stake on missionary work, Elder Bowen said "the best way for a young woman to prepare for motherhood is to prepare for a mission." I don't know why, but that statement change my entire attitude about serving a mission. Prior to this, I had always thought 'Oh I'll go if I don't get married first.' My thoughts then changed to 'I will prepare for a mission, and, if I get married first, so be it.' This conviction wavered a little until last summer while dating a recent convert, whom I had met at a Boy Scout High Adventure Base, who encouraged me to think more seriously about a mission by saying that "[I] remind [him] of the sister missionaries at Temple Square." Really? I reminded someone of a <i>missionary</i>? Even after we broke up, I still had mission on the brain until.....</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">October 2012</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I was still recouping from the aforementioned break-up and I was at my sister, Anika's, house to watch the Saturday morning session of General Conference (a televised gathering of Latter-Day Saints to listen to the General Authorities and our Prophet). The conference started as usual and our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, was giving his "Welcome to Conference" spiel when this happened: </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">My world was rocked! Could I really serve the mission I had been preparing for in a mere four months?! I thought and prayed and cried and called my parents. I decided that I would wait until after I was done working at the elementary school before I would leave on my mission. Then, I had four months before I could even submit my mission papers (sort of an application). </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">February 2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">It had been an arduous journey of physical exams, shot records and listening to everyone and their dog get their mission call. On Valentine's Day, I was having a party with my friends (we're all single haha) and my friend, Carly, and I get a text from our Bishop. OUR CALLS HAD BEEN ASSIGNED! We pretty much freaked out and everyone stared at us. Two days, later I turned 19. I had a lovely day shopping and eating at City Creek Center with some friends and seeing "Beautiful Creatures" with Zoe.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Flash forward to Wednesday, February 20, 2013. I was enjoying a normal day working at the elementary school. I knew my mission call would probably get there on Friday and I had already made arrangements to gather a few people at that time. Then I got two texts: one from my sister and one from Carly. "Did you get your call?" "Ahh, my call is here!" Umm, WHAT?! I entered major freak out mode, which mostly includes me sweating and looking pleasantly surprised on the outside. After car pool duty, I raced home and called my roommate, Michelle, to check the mailbox. I reached the apartment when she reached the mailbox. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Then I had it in my hands, which it quickly left to sit on a table. I called my friend, Maggie, over to help her with family history like I had promised. She was making fun of me being so scared of it. She felt it and assured me I was going foreign. (I later realized this is because foreign calls come with a passport application in them.) Still, I called all my family and went down impromptu to my sister, Anika's, house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Then it was time. My family in Kansas was on Skype, my sister Cici and brother Tim were on the phone and Anika's family (including my adorable nieces) were surrouding me as I opened my call...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">So, let me preface this. I had been dreaming of where I wanted to go on my mission ever since the previous October. I knew I wanted to use the Spanish that I had learned and I wanted to go to Europe. Thus, I wanted to go to Spain. The longer I waited, though, the more I just wanted to serve. I didn't care where I went. I did, however, preferably not want to go to Idaho or Brazil. Idaho because I thought it was boring (until I found out that my favorite place is in the Pocatello, Idaho mission: Jackson, Wyoming). Brazil because I had met several missionaries who had come back from Brazil who I found really annoying. Neither one of these reasons were really adequate. Eventually I was reconciled with the latter if I could be near the ocean. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Okay, so my call:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">Dear Sister Hills (Sister Hills that's so cool!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">You have hereby been called to labor as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You have been called to serve in the Brazil Sao Paulo Interlagos mission. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Portuguese language. You will report to the Sao Paulo, Brazil MTC on July 17th. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I was in shock! My mission is by the ocean in Brazil, the one place I had reconciled to go! My brother-in-law, Tyler, was ecstatic! He served in the mission directly to the north of mine. My mom was nervous. Sending the first of her daughters on a mission to Brazil. It's not exactly known for being pleasant. The most pressing thought in my mind over the next few days was: Portuguese, Brazil, BEANS?! Yes, haha, I worried about eating beans. </span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">I later found out that a guy who I had went to high school with and a guy from my home ward, who I had previously dated, were currently serving in the EXACT SAME MISSION. What are the odds? I guess this mission needs strong missionaries from Derby, Kansas. I am delighted the Lord saw me fit to serve there too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Job 23:10</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Sister Abbie Hills</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">*Elder Bowens gave a great <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/because-i-live-ye-shall-live-also?lang=eng">talk</a> recently</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">**President Monson's <a href="http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng">announcement</a> that changed my life</span></div>
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Abbiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06860220814450780362noreply@blogger.com1