Pictures April & May 2015

Mother's day weekend May 11th 2015

So this last week my old companion hermana Olsen.. well now its kaitlin olsen ha.

She came back to visit with her family and took the 6 of us out to eat. Hermana Martinez another hermana who lives with us was also her companion so it was cool to visit with her. We ate at Chilis. that was crazy. 

 Also yesterday, was an eventful day. One of our investigators Jose came to church again! He is a member of the 7 day adventist church. Hes really awesome and super sweet. 

I gave a talk and it went well... and then after church we were able to call/skype out moms. It was good. 

I feel like my weeks go by so fast. We're already halfway through the transfer. shoot. I love my companion Hermana Alas though, shes super sweet and is always serving me. 

I apologize from my scattered emails. This week was good. In my personal reading i am reading in Alma and reading about Alma and Amulek is so neat to read as a missionary. They had so much success but so many trials too. Missionary work is a hard but such a wonderful work. I love to be part of it. I have hard days but the good days are so good. I was able to focus much more in the work this last week. My days are getting closer but this is 4th quarter... this is where i need to work the hardest ever. Give it all I got. 

I love missionary work. I love the DR.

 

I know that Heavenly Father is always listening to your prayers... dont give up. Keep working hard. 

have a great week. i love you all! 

 

Hermana Hildman

Short but sweet - May 4th 2015

I am sorry that this email is going to be short. However it was a good week. We had a less active came to church on sunday named Pasqual. It was a big surprise. I guess he hasnt come in a very long time and he promised he would go. I didnt think he would though. And he did. He really is a sweet old man.

 I truly have a testimony of how divinely led the mission is. We are with certain companions, in certain areas, in specific times... there truly is no accident. Everything is so divinely led by Heavenly Father. Its tough to sometimes remember that but I know its true. Heavenly Father loves us and as we trust Him and serve Him by serving His children He uses us and transforms us into someone better, stronger...  

I love you all and know that you are all passing through your own personal struggles... but dont lose faith. Trust in Heavenly Father. He is truly there. He loves you. 

Have a great week!

con muchisimo amor,

Hermana Hildman

My first week in Quisqueya - April 27th 2015

Well its weird to be in the capital again. Its hotter too. So im getting a little more dark ha.

 

I love my new comp. hermana Alas is from El Salvador and is a sweetheart.

 

I am in a ward again so thats weird ha but I am excited. Where we live we are surround my members. Its like the mormon block. Its cool though. 

 

We work a lot in callejones which are like houses on top of other houses... more poorer. We have some solid people though and its cool. We had 3 investigators come to church. Church was relaxing didnt have to worry about teaching everything. One of my old MTC teachers is in my ward and she remembered me. I was her last group. Crazy.

 

Anyway, Im sorry my letter is all scattered but I had a good week. We are working hard and giving all our all. I live in house of 6 again and we all get along. what a blessing!

 

I kind of feel like im in america. I have a taco bell, burger king, wendys, krispy kreme, etc... all in walking distance. and i see a lot more cars and white people. I dont know if its preparation for going home... but its making me more sad as the weeks are getting closer to ending.

 

i truly love the DR and to be part of the marvilous work. I miss all of you but I know will miss all of this too. I will miss all the fresh fruit, the crazy loud music, colmados, sun, tranquility, the spirit from testifying, seeing peoples lives change...

 

I will really truly miss being a missionary. It has been such a wonderful pleasure to serve the Lord. I can testify that He lives and that truly this is His work. I have felt the Spirit testify through and to me. I know God loves us and despite all the hardships and loneliness we often feel... He is right there through it all. He cares so much for us and wants all the best for us. 

 

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

 

con amor, 

hermana hildman 

Well I´m off to a new adventure April 20th 2015

So we received transfer calls and just as we suspected I am leaving dear San Juan. I am off to the capital, an area called Quisqueya. It´s a richer area than where i was before in the capital. Different work for sure. We will see how it wil be. My new companion is Hermana Alas and she just finished training. Shes from El Salvador I believe. I will let you all know next week. 

Saying goodbye to the Ramirez Sanchez family was tough. But it was a great sunday. They all attended church yesterday. Loriel in a white shirt and tie and has a calling now! Lorenzo is getting the priesthood! and Lorenny came. She will get baptized soon i know it. She knows its true. Yesterday we had exchanged gifts and they gave me and Hermana Kantoa gifts. I gave them some gifts as well and Lorenzo (the dad) said he wasnt going to open it. He said whenever he looks at it he´ll think of me. 

 

 I really love this family and its hard to say ¨see you later¨s . But change is part of the mission and I have learned to really appreciate them because without them i would never have gotten to know the people i have.

This last week of the transfer was a hard one but a refining one. I know Christ lives and that He suffered for us. We are never alone through our trails. Never ever. 

 I love you all and testify that this Christ´s church. Keep praying, keep working hard, and keep the commandments.

I love you all.

 

Have a great week!

 

con mucho amor,

Hermana Hildman

 

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and enviethnot, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easilyprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.    (Moroni 7:45)

 

New Beginnings April 13 2015

Alright so this highlight of the week for me was the baptism or Loriel and Lorenzo.. aka the familia Ramirez Sanchez.

They are so so so great. I love them so much. Rosa bought my comp and I  plaid shoes. She later asked the other hermanas for their shoe size and bought them some too. 

She said you guys are far away from your family so were your family here. 

I just about cried. I love her. We now refer to her as Mama Rosa. 

 

The baptism was awesome. Rosa shared a message and Lorenzo started crying. She talked about how now theyre preparing for the temple to be an eternal family.

Lorenzo and Loriel shared their testimonies and it was so cool.

Loriel said he didnt like the mormon church before but that when we came to visit there was something different about us. He felt good and when he came to church he was filled with a positive energy.

Lorenzo shared about how we first met him in the corner with a friend of his and he was telling us to visit his wife and daughter because they liked the mormon church. He never thought he would be the one joining. He said there is no such thing as coincidences. I second that.

I unfortunately was not able to attend the baptism of Carmen but I am thankful I was able to be there during the process. This work is true. It is the work of salvation... the most important work out there. I am no perfect servent but I really want to do God´s will and help everyone. We truly are brothers and sisters. I know that God lives. I know.  

Life brings so many changes and change is not easy... but I know as we rely on Heavenly Father and His plan... everything will be alright.

Transfers are coming up this next week and I dont know what will happen if I am going or staying... but most likely will not be with hermana Larson anymore. It makes me sad to think about it because she has become one of my best friends and a sister. I love her. She has helped me become a better person and we have seen a lot of miracles happen here in San Juan.

I love this church and I am so thankful for it in my life.

¨Time brings change and change takes time¨- mindy gledhill

no matter what happens, God´s in it.

I love you all and know God loves you too.

Have a great week and talk to you all next week Monday!

with much love... muchísimo amor 

 

Hermana Hildman 

Well I hope you all had a wonderful easter! April 6th 2015

Well I hope you all had a wonderful easter!

 

Our week was a little strange. I kind of fell ill one morning but received a blessing and felt fine going out in the afternoon. So it was a strange thing but all is well now.

A lot of people celebrated easter here. They celebrate a lot by chilling in kiddie pools, drinking, eating sweet beans, and with lots of family. I was explaining to Rosa about some of the traditions we do in the states... and hiding and coloring eggs seems like such a strange concept to me now. 

Anyway, Rosa shared with us sweet beans and i actually do like them. chaka though i dont like as much.. but not bad.

It rained a lot this last week which was kind of nice because its really starting to warm up down here. One day it just rained like ALL day... and we were stuck in one of areas which is just dirt roads and it was like mini rivers... and i totally fell and got so muddy. Luckily we were by Rosas and she gave me a skirt... but i felt like an old domincan woman because i was mixing patterns. I had a lined blouse with a flower skirt... oh it did not match at all haha... but it was nice to have a clean skirt and i only needed it for another hour.

 

We also had general conference and it was so wonderful to hear such wonderful council. They talked a lot about marriage and family and really they are such important topics. (plus when they mentioned the temple in Haiti i almost cried... i love haitian people so so much)

I truly love the gospel and know its the only thing that can help us in such a chaotic world we live in. 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful upcoming week and know that Heavenly Father loves you!

 

con amor de la República Dominicana

Hermana Hildman