A better week… 1/27/14

First of all i want to thank y'all for your prayers and the support! I have felt them and can see them working! This week has been so much better and i'm trying to have a better perspective on everything. We actually had two amazing miracles this week. We've been needing some new investigators lately, some more people to work with. So what do we do, we tract and go on a less-active hunt. Usually we hate tracting because people slam doors in our faces or they're not home. But tracting was actually good this week. The time seemed to fly by and my companion and I would use the time to get to know each other more. On saturday, our big miracle day, we were tracting in a neighborhood next to our apartments, we had 15 minutes left and we hadn't had a decent or strong contact yet, so we were anticipating one. We knocked on the last door and a man named Marcos answered the door. He invited us in, miracle! and we sat down with his family, (his wife Ariana, and two little kids). We found out that they were from Brazil and his brother who is still in Brazil is a mormon. So they've heard a little about our church but not much. They were very interested and asked us right off the bat what our conversion story is. Never had that one before! After we shared our story Marcos shared his and so did his wife. I like them already! They explained that they are wanting to be more involved with their faith, not just going to church and such. We said, well that's why we're here! They seemed very interested and said we are more than welcome to come back and discuss more. Miracle!!!! 

After that we went and visited a less active in our ward named Evril Poche, a young woman from Kenya! She was so nice and explained that she is a nurse and works alot, when she has time she likes to go to the singles ward. Well that was a relief so she is still kinda active. But she has a friend living with her named Magdeline who is also from Kenya. She asked us. "what do you believe, what is the process for me to become a mormon?" Another Miracle!! Well that's a very good question and may take some time to answer!! We simply stated that we believed in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, meaning that we now have the same primitive church that Christ had organized when he was upon the earth. She became interested also, and explained that she has been at least in three other religions and she will gladly look into more. She sees that the mormons are good people and she wants to be like us. We asked for her contact information and if she would like us to come and do lessons with her. She was all in and is excited! so are we!!!! They offered to make us some kenyan food so im looking forward to that!

We had stake conference this weekend. It was AMAZING!!  The presidency shared their conversions stories which were so spiritual and inspiring. Then President nickels spoke and he is hilarious! But he pretty much did a throw down. The whole conference was about missionary work and how we can get involved. He asked that they pray specifically for our investigators and the missionaries in their wards by name. We had a member afterwards txt us and say he wants to commit to praying for us and our investigators, but bless his heart, he said i need to know who you are first and who your investigators are. What is this?! He's awesome:) members here are totally stepping up and trying to do their part! i love it. 

We went to Dexter's funeral on thursday. Im gonna miss that old man. We didn't see maxine there sadly. But every family member came up to us and thanked us for visiting and singing to him. The funeral was over in Kennesaw and we saw Kennesaw mountain which is a landmark for one of the civil war battles. WE are going to get permission to go over and see it. On our way home we were driving and i looked around and realized that we were driving right through marietta square!! It is so fun and cute! There is a gone with the wind museum and a bunch of antique shops! We gonna see if we can go there on a pday too. It's like 8 minutes away from us! We did stop for like 5 seconds to take quick pics. I know the other sisters are going to be jealous, they wanted to go there so bad. 

Well i hope everyone has as wonderful week! Jack happy birthday!!!! can't believe that kid is 5. And happy birthday to Kade, hope he has a good one this week. 

Love y'all and take care!!! 

Love, Sister Hulme

Sister Sorenson and I

Marietta Square

Frustrated… 1/20/14

Well i don't quite know where to start. This week has been probably the most challenging so far on my mission. I hate to say that because there will probably be more like it.

Yesterday a sister in our ward informed us that Dexter had passed away, an old man (nonmember) we have been visiting, and he and Maxine were in a bad car wreck. Maxine is a less active and she came to church for the first time two weeks ago. We adored them and will miss dexter so much. Maxine is living with her daughter right now until she gets better. I hope to see her soon, we miss her so much! We wanted to be able to teach Dexter, but he couldn't rememeber or comprehend things enough. But now he has the chance to hear the gospel and be taught! It's a comfort to know about the plan of salvation and the blessings it has.

We haven't seen our top investigators all week, Dorian, and Lisa Rodriguez and her family. Dorian has been super busy with work and school, but we were able to visit with her sunday afternoon. We left a bit discouraged and disappointed. She informed us that she doesn't have time to take discussions or come to church, and she wasn't interested in being baptized any more. My heart sunk and i just wanted to tell her that this should be her top priority! But something just told me that she is not ready or prepared. We are still going to stay friends with her and say hello from time to time, she was okay with that. But it was really hard to have her drop us. I hope she'll come back someday.  

Lisa and her family have been busy also. She had texted us and said they were going through a lot and had to settle things down before meeting us again. I really hope they are ok. She is still interested though and we are keeping our hopes up! We plan on visiting them the end of this week. It's been so long since we last saw them, so i'm looking forward to this weekend. Keep them in your prayers!

We have been doing a lot of tracting and less active hunting. We're pretty much starting fresh and getting a clean slate, but we still have some investigators we're holding onto. It takes a lot of hard work though.

But on a good note, I finally biked!! we just stayed around our apartments because it was my first time. We live on the top of  hill though and it was as beast! I enjoyed it though and we'll probably bike more. Time seemed to go by faster, and it was a good workout!! so biking is a plus!! 

Thank you everyone for all you do. I hope all is well! Love y'all!!

Love, Sister Hulme 

Transfers! 1/13/14

Well this week we had transfers. It was so hard to leave sister Debry and SIster Anderson. I am staying SAndy Plains, which im so grateful for! THis place is truly zion. But it is very weird being in just a two companionship. I thought it would be quiet, but actualy my new companion Sister Sorenson is not quiet at all.  She is from Idaho Falls. Yay another idahoan! She has been out for about 11 months now. I was excited to hear that, thinking that Sandy Plains will have someone who is experienced and can really help me. It's been good.

   We finally met with Pam on Friday. It was soooo good to see her! She and her family have been gone for like 3 weeks. SHe has been reading though and has been taking notes. SHe's doing so well.We finally taught her the Plan of Salvation, which we had tried to teach her for weeks! WE also asked her to be baptized and she said she would think about it. It's hard here in the south because they don't understand why their baptisms aren't valid. WE try to explain that it's not bound in heaven without the priesthood power. She seemed to understand that but i don't really know what she was thinking exactly. Im just really bummed because she told us she would like to try and make it to church this last sunday, so we got a ride for her family and everything. THen last minute saturday night she ditched out and said she was leaving again to see her mom. we plan on seeing her tomorrow, and hopefully ask about her decision on baptism. The other bad thing is that she is moving closer to her mom around January 25. Pray that something will happen and she'll have to stay so we can help her!!! I informed her that there are missionaries everywhere and probably where her mom lives. She said she doesn't want other missionaries cause no one can replace us. That means a lot but still makes me sad. Hopefully things will continue to progress this week and she'll find an answer. 

Lisa and her family actually had a death on her husbands side so we haven't been able to meet with them all week. I'm excited to meet with them again because we are going to talk about the plan of salvation with her too. I think that will give them comfort and bring them hope. WE've committed them to baptism, just not a date. She's still having hard time coming to church. Her daughter who is 9 years old though informed us that she went to church with her grandparents, another church, and it just didn't' settle right with her. When she reads from the children's book of mormon she feels like it is right and she likes it. She's a 9 year old. And that testifies to me that the spirit is real, He testifies of the truth to everyone!

Our other investigator Dorian.. well i just don't know where to really start with her. SHe is still on date for february 8. We had planned a lesson with her this last saturday, but she wasn't home so we had to cancel that. We stopped by her home that night and she said she'd come to church. WEll she came to church but she was so tired and exhausted, and she made sure to show it. AFter church we saw her when driving home (she lives in our apartments) and stopped by, and we told her we'll see her at 2:30 for a lesson. She said ok, hopefully i'll still be awake by then, i'm so tired i want to take a nap! So we asked if we could come by later tonight if that was better, but she decided 2:30 was better. So we went by at 2:30, but she came out and said she still had chores to do and hadn't taken a nap yet. So she ditched out on our lesson. THen to top it all off she said she doesn't know if she can make it to church because she always has so much to do. That really upset me so i briefly told her that i know its hard to keep up with everything, but when we put the lord first , things will work out. She'll be grateful if she attends church. She just said ok.. so hopefully  we'll see her at church. I'm not letting her go that easy! I just felt really discouraged about dorian yesterday and i had a hard time staying positive. 

  We visited Sister Goobs, Narysa Roberts, last night though and she has been fellowshipping dorian. We explained everything about Dorian, but Narysa really brought me peace and said just what was needed. I tend to blame myself for a lot of things and get discouraged easy. BUt she reminded me that The Lord takes time with everyone. She just needs some time to figure things out. Narysa took months to convert and she said it was hard. BUt overtime she became spiritually mature and realized how important the gospel is. Hopefully Dorian will too. Poor girl just has a lot on her plate. SHe is being raised by her 25 year old sister and is pretty much deprived. She is just trying to stand on her own two feet and be responsible, but she doesn't really know how to go about it all. I want to help her and be there for her, but sometimes you have to do things on your own. I'll always be there for her and pray for her. 

  And last of all, we had some terrible news. THe old couple Maxine and dexter, whom we love to visit and sing for, were in a terrible car wreck saturday. Maxine came to church for the first time in years last week and was looking forwards to coming again. I believe Dexter was going to try and come with her this time. He is a non-member. They are in a trauma hospital in Atlanta.. i don't know if they'll make it. But it breaks my heart. They are the sweetest and funnest people to visit. Please pray for them! They say they are lonely at the hospital nd i wish we could go visit them. 

  Thank you everyone for your prayers and support. It always means so much to me. I hope the new year is going well! Until Next week, Take care, Love y'all!

One of my favorite pics in the whole world.  Gosh, I miss these sisters!

We had a good-bye party--that's sparkling cider.  :)

Happy New Year 2014 1/6/14

Well our new year has been great so far! we had a good new years eve, until some bums decided to scare us and light firecrackers on our doorstep at 10:00 at night. You've never seen sister Debry and I run so fast to the other room! I  jumped on top of the dryer and hid in the corner forever. I forgot what it was like to have that adreline rush! We knew who it was, two boys who are basically 30 years old and don't have lives, one actually served a mission. The elders texted us and forewarned us, that they heard from those boys that they had a bet who could kiss one of us in the next two weeks first. Well i'm glad they warned us, we are staying away from them for sure. We saw one of them in church on Sunday and that was weird, you could tell that he felt awkward and knew he messed up somewhere. I'm so glad that this didn't end up in Emergency transfers though. I didn't want them to ruin my stay in Sandy plains. But no worries we have the spirit of the Lord with us and we still act like missionaries.

  We just got our transfer calls and SIster Debry is going to roswell, sister anderson is going to lawrenceville, and i'm staying here! i'm soooo happy, I love sandy plains. My new companion is sister Sorenson. Don't know anything about her yet but i'm super excited. The only thing i'm not excited about is that i have to drive now. and me and cities, especially georgia roads, are not a good mix! we'll see how this goes. Thanks mom for the gps, that's going to help tremendously! Sister Debry is going to let me drive before  wednesday so i can get back into practice. I feel like it's driver's ed all over again! Pray that i can drive!

This week with our investigators has been really good. We have been meeting with Dorian and she is now on date for  the 8th of February!!! she is very excited and absolutely amazing!! haha every time i hug her she comes literally up to my waist, and she's 18. but she's a fireball and is doing so well. We also met with Lisa and her family. they are the family we tracted into and want a church to go to... well they want religion. She is really nervous about going to church but its her end goal. WE will get them there. WE had a lesson with them on the plan of salvation and she and her daughters responded so well! Her one daughter who is 9 said she went to church with her grandparents for the first time and it didn't' feel right. She likes to read from the childrens picture book of mormon. Lisa enjoys our scriptures of the day that we send out in a txt and she does her daily studies around that. She always has a few questions and she is progressing so well. If only we can get them to church. The dad, Jason, is still a little apprehensive about it all. He explained to us that He didn't go in God's house and God didn't go in his. BUt he sees how important this is to his family and he wants what is best for them. He has been sitting in our lessons and at the end of our last lesson he even volunteered to pray! and he prayed right!!! At the end of the lesson i asked each family member if they would follow christ's example and commit to baptism, everyone said yes, even Jason! He said he would take baby steps, but its was an answer and we are taking it! I studied this morning on how the gospel blesses families and i have such a testimony of it as i witness Jason and Lisa's family. THey are growing so close as they read and pray together and they are becoming happy. They feel the spirit in their home and the savior's love. Oh i just love that family!!!!

So we also have some other good news! Karina, who was our last baptism, is engaged to the man who baptized her, Grant Wagner!! They are getting married october 18, and sealed in the temple december 30!!!!!!!!!! And we will still be on our missions so we can go with her! It will be the best reunion for us all, i'm already looking forward to that date. So we are very excited. THey chose the soonest date possible to get sealed in the temple. If you are a convert then you have to wait a year before going to the temple. SHe has such a testimony of the gospel and she wrote us the sweetest card explaining that without our help she wouldn't be this happy. She has gained an entire family through the gospel, not only from the wagners but in the church. SHe feels all that love and support and is very blessed. I can't believe how far she has come! she is incredible:)

Well i hope y'all have a great new year! i have a challenge for y'all....i don't know if i've already committed ya but that's ok.Will y'all commit to bringing one soul unto Christ by next christmas this year?? And i promise that if you do this you will experience so much joy!!! doing the Lords work brings so much joy into your lives,(D&C18:15-18) but more importantly it will bring him and that soul joy. We can all start within the walls of our own homes. The Lord promises blessings when we do his work. Conitnue to be great and i love y'all so much! 

The Musick family.  They have taken us in and shown us so much love.  They are my favorite!

We just raked up a mess of leaves and it was cold! But the manual labor felt good.

Me, Sister Goobs, and Dorian