Pictures from New Year's, New companion, & house mates

The above is from New years eve; we helped a less active make bollitos.. which is fried yuka.

i helped grind it and then we rolled it and stuffed them with cheese.

please just look at how precious these kids are.

the first pic with the two kids is they saw me taking pics of my companion with the bollitos and they wanted a picture and the litle boy is her grandson.

he was my little buddy. he kept like petting my skirt because it was soft and while i was grinding the yuka he sat with his back against my leg drinking his bottle ha... so precious. 

Companion Hermana Dibble

 

Serving the Lord-January 5 2015

New years was really tranquilo for me but it was fun.

New years eve we helped Teresa (a less active member) make bollitos which is fried yuka. she told us the next day that she had sold all of them that night! i think to think it was because of us ha.. .but who knows?

we ate pizza, chicken, and salad with our branch president and some other leaders and then went home. waiting till 12.. said felicidades and crashed in our beds ha. The next day we had a zone activity to the waterfalls which is super super super far away and we were all a little exhausted from staying up late and getting up early to go. however it was really fun and super pretty! 

Teresa came to church yesterday and that was so cool! she is very poor so works a lot but we helped her peel yuka saturday so she could go to church on sunday and she came with us! yay! it was a good sunday. sundays always exhaust me but im gld today is pday for that reason ha. 

anyway im sorry this email is shorter this week. but it was a good week. I am happy and working and sweating in the DR heat but the work is true.

We have good days and we have hard days and i had a few hard days this week but i am thankful that I have the gospel in my life and know that I have a loving father in heaven. Were never alone even when we feel we are. I love this gospel, I know its true and that it is the greatest blessing we could ever give. 

Im thankful to be sharing it with those are  willing and to be serving others... but most importantly serving heavenly Father (mosiah 2:17)

 

con mucho amor!

hermana hildman

I hope you all had a great and a happy new year! Dec 30 2014

For our christmas activity we as a zone went to a nursing home and visited with the citizens there and sang christmas songs. That was a sweet experience. I visited with a man name Claudio for a long time. :)

 

Christmas was good. Christmas eve we were invited to an investigators home and had lasanga, rice, papeles, food... i cant remember it all. but it was good. Christmas day we made a potluck lunch and played games then skyped/talked to our families and that was weird haha... but it good. The time went by really fast. 

 

As a house we made a gingerbread house. hermana Dibbles parents had sent it to here. (we ate it the next day ha.. yumm)

I met an LA dodgers baseball player. He´s a brother of one of our investigators. hes superrrr tall and hes only 18! shoot... 

We had some good lessons this week. My favorite one is with one of our investigators named Erick. Hes 14 and has a baptism date for the 17th of January. 

We talked about the vision of the tree of life that Lehi has in the book of mormon. It was really cool. We explained what certain things represented and it CLICKED in his brain. I literally saw the lightbulb go on in his head. He got all excited and was asking questions and understood! He really wants this Gospel for his family too. His family is really nice and I still dont know them very well but they dont seem super interested... which makes me sad. and it made me sad to say Erick so excited and then make the comparison in the vision that lehi wanted to share the fruit with his family and some partook but some didnt. 

 

Life is tough. Missionary work is tough but I know that God lives and that Hes always here to help us. He can help change us into better people if we let him. 

 

My companion has a quote written in her scriptures that I love that goes:

¨He cannot work on what He does not have. He cannot have you, unless you give yourself to Him¨

 

God cant change us, help us with our weaknesses if we dont let him.. if we dont turn to Him..
 

I have a lot of nooks and bangs in my personality i hope to smooth out and I know I can only do so if I pray and ask God to help me. He really is our father in heaven and He can really do anything. I know He lives, I know He loves us.

 

con amor, Hermana Hildman

 

ps. Have a happy new year!! 

Merry Christmas from San Juan - Dec 22

Merry Christmas everyone! 

Hey everyone,

I am in San juan with Hermana Dibble. I am back in the south. its really beautiful here. definitely different. It has city feel and country feel. They have a downtown and then... OUT of town ha. Its really pretty though and pretty cool... like temperture wise. Theres a lot of sun but the clouds roll in around 3 or 4 and it cools down really nice. 

Hermana Dibble is from idaho too. Shes from Hayden.. which is northern idaho.. closer to spokane. Shes about the same height as me... im just a hair taller than her. Shes 19. Shes the youngest of 8... woof ha. (4 are her step siblings.. but she grew up with them). Im her second companion so thats an adjustment period because im not like her trainer and thats all she knows. BUT... we're making it work. She has 4 months. Her spanish is pretty good and shes not afraid to speak which is awesome. :)

As for the rest of the house. Im the oldest.. as far as being in the mission goes. I have 11 months. Hna dibble has 4, hna kantoa (who i lived with in OCOA!!!! ) has 8 months, and hna angeles has 4 months. Shes from mexico. Our house is pretty fun. We live right by the church. WE live across from a bakery whos a member and he gives us free bread. he gave us a big bag this morning. :)

As for everything else, I am really excited for Christmas. It doesnt quite feel like December with all the heat but nonetheless... it feels like it because Im focusing my thoughts more on Christ. 

I am really thankful to be serving as a representive as Jesus Christ and sharing about Him. He really is our Savior. He really is the biggest gift we could have ever received. He lives. His Atonement is real. His Atonement, His great sacrifice, is for everyone. He understands exactly how we feel because He suffered all pains and afflictions, sicknesses and for our sins (Alma 7:11-12) so He could sucor us. He knows how to help us. We just have to turn to Him and use His atonement.

I know God lives. He is our Father in Heaven. Change is a hard thing but really when we trust God He will help us where we lack. Just this morning my companion shared what she read in the book of mormon andi really liked it. She read 2 Nephi 7. I like verses 7-9 (im gonna highlight the parts i like best about the verses)

7 For the Lord God will help me, therefore shall I not be confunded. ......

 8 And the Lord is near, and he justifieth me. Who will contendwith me?.......

9 For the Lord God will help me.....

God helps us where we lack if we trust Him and are obedient. I am seeing that. I am not a perfect missionary, I can not speak spanish (nor english for tht matter ha) perfectly, im not a perfect teacher, or companion... but when we do what we can... Heavenly Father helps with the rest.

I love you all!

Merry Christmas! 

Transfers dun...dun...dun... Dec 15 2014

soooo transfers came.. as expected.

however the transfers that came were not expected.

 

My comp Hermana Molina is training as well as the other dominican in our house.

SO... that means Hermana Beukers and I are leaving.

Im leaving!
 

Last lunch together as house mates & companions

 

woof... packing was stressful but its all good now.

Beukers is heading to capital capital Piantini... where the temple is.

and Where am i going?

guesses...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

the south!

wayyyy south....

Im going to San Juan.

Its the farthest hermanas go.

my new companion is Hermana Dibble. she just got done with training so she only has like 2 months... and today i hit 11 months.. so this is the first time ill be the older companion.

that'll be weird. but im excited. 

if i remember right i think she is from Idaho. Ill let you all know next week. 

I head off that way bright and early tomorrow.

 

This last week we had the Christmas conference as capital. It was on my birthday and we were there like all day. it was fun. very spiritual but also had a lot of fun too. our mission president and his wife talked about how they had gone to israel and seeing the sights there. talking all about Christ. having walked where He had walked.

 

then all the missionaries did a short skit with their zones. it was fun. some kinda went a little crazy... but it was fun.

ate food and visited with missionaries. i got to see one elder who started in ocoa right before i left there and it was fun to be able to talk to him.. especially since hes latin and i know a lot more spanish than i did.

Sister of the Capitol

 

we helped paint a house on saturday and that was fun..

 

my brain always blurs for transfers but it was a good week.

we as a house were kinda sicky but its all good. i think were all the better side now.

im excited for these transfers. im a little nervous. ive been with hermana molina for so long its going to be weird to be with an american again... well anyone but her. shes really become like my best friend. shes gonna be a great trainer. im excited for her. 



 

My companion and dear friend

The mission really is great. Its hard but there are a lot of great times.

im sad to leave this area but im grateful i have had the opportunity to be here and to know these wonderful people. 

 

The church is true wherever you go... even if the people arent. the church still is.

im thankful tohave the testimony that i have and to help others feel and have this great security i have from the gospel. I know God lives,. I know it. He loves us and when the going goes rough He never leaves... 

 

I love you all!

 

until next week!

 

con amor,

Hermana Hildman

Happy Birthday Dec 9th

Dearest McKenzie,

 Today is your 21st birthday!  Oh man where did the time go?  It seems like yesterday you were only 2 sitting at your little table reading books upside down.  Oh how I miss those days if only for a little while. :)  I am so proud of you and the beautiful soul you have become. Your first thought is always someone else. When you where home it was always your little brother Logan, grabbing extra cookies or cupcakes and bringing home for him.  I can almost here you two downstairs wrestling or giggling about something. It always made my heart swell when I could hear you. Now as I look at the pictures you send home I see you are always smiling.  Again it makes my heart swell as I know you are happy and enjoying serving the kind people of the Dominican!  I count myself very lucky to have a special daughter as you. You always make the people around you better by either making them happy through your sweet spirit, or your beautiful smile, and definitely through your kind heart!  My prayer for you this day is that you feel the love that all of your friends, family, and ward family have for you on your special day. We love you McKenzie and look forward to hearing about all the wonderful experiences Heavenly Father has bestowed upon you these past 10 1/2 months and the 71/2 to come!  Happy Birthday Love you Sis.

Mom



Always making faces she usually has everyone else doing it as well.

Beautiful spirits to go with beautiful smiles

 

 

Forever Best Friend

Always best buds

 

Abigail!!! Dec 8th

Abigail got baptized!!! It was a little hectic day. Last minute our baptism got combined with another one but it was good. Abigal was so happy. I was so happy. In a lot of the pictures i look asian from smiling so hard.

 

It was super neat, at the baptism Abigails best friend Wendy (who got baptized 4 months ago) shared her testimony. Wendy talked about how they had gone trhough a lot of things together and that when she had joined the church (wendy) her life change 100% better. She then inited her best friend to listen too. 

 

The Gospel really is the best gift ever to receive or give.

 

As missionaries we have been handing out these cards that have a link to a christmas video by the church. (christmas.mormon.org)

Its only 2 1/2 min long but its really neat. Ive seen it 3 or 4 times now. It really helps us remmeber Jesus Christ. "El es la Dádiva". I want you all to take the time to watch it. and then share it with at least 5 people. you can use facebook or email it. its really special and short.

 

Christ really is teh best gift we could ever have received. I know Christ lives . I know He gave His life for us. He loves us. God, our Heavenly Father, loves us. That is WHY He sent His only Begotten Son (John 3:16)

 

There are many things I still dont understand or know teh answers to, but this i do know:

 

     God loves us and if we turst Him... do what Hes asked (follow the commandments- be baptized, go to church, pray, etc).. He will bless us now but more importantly in the end.

 

 

love you all!

Have a great week!

 

love hermana Hildman

 

(ps this saturday is transfer calls.. so ill let you know next week what happens(