I love you

Dear Mom,

 

I opened the email from you with the pictures of you and Sister Low and I started CRYING!  Sister Low was at my house!  I can't believe it!  The only cognition's I have of S. Low is in England, and it is so crazy that she is now home and that she came and visited you.  I love it.  And I hate it a bit because it feels like everyone I love really is at home now.  I'm so glad she is coming back up to go to the Temple with you, and that she is going to read my blog from the time I'm with her... I can't remember what I said ;)  The Lord knew I needed her as a trainer, 100%.  I told President the other day that I have such a strong testimony of missionaries and their trainers, because no one trains right after they just finished training in the same area.  No one.  Not even Elders.  President just said, 'I know.'  Well, Sister Low did, and it was because I needed her.  And now you can probably tell why.  She's amazing, and she better not get married before I get home because I need to be there!

 

Here is another miracle.  Today is transfers, and Sister Beaty and I are still together.  Surprise Surprise.  Anyway Sister Do Cour and Mama Helen are going to transfers to say goodbye to Sister Suaybaguio.  I wanted to go so bad, but I felt compelled to go to the Temple, and we couldn't fit both in.  I was really sad, but really happy that I was getting to go to the Temple.  I wondered if I made the right choice, though, because I'm pretty sure that I will be able to go to the Temple before I see S. Suaybaguio again.  We get to the car park of the Temple today, and there is S. Suaybaguio, standing in the car park with the other sisters and Elders that are going home today.  I jumped out of the car (pretty much while it was still moving) and ran over to her.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't think I would be able to say goodbye.  We were both nearly in tears because we were both so happy (and sad).  She is a great missionary. 

 

And that means I've said goodbye to all of my companions until I go home.  How weird is that?

 

By the way, President sent me an email from Sister Low saying that Spencer, who she and I taught together, is still going to our church in London, although he hasn't been baptised yet.  Amazing!  Seriously, when we taught him the Plan of Salvation I felt the Spirit so strong, it was amazing.  I realise now that the Spirit was so strong because he was tapping into the knowledge he already had about the Plan, and that was allowing the Spirit to flow freely.  What a miracle.  We needed him at that time- the Lord knows us so well.

 

This week has been a roller coaster.  I can't believe it.  The mission flies by.  Last week we had our Training Camp for the new missionaries and their trainers.  It was really great.  There are so many missionaries in this group!  And they aren't the new missionaries anymore.  Something President told me at the beginning of my mission that I told all the new missionaries (and some of them remembered) was, 'Sister Hull, you can't be a 17 month missionary after only 2 months!'  I believe I responded with, 'But I want to be!'  We can't be the best, but we have to be our best.  It is absolutely vital.

 

This was absolutely adorable.  The other day I approached an African woman, who was pregnant and had a two year old son.  She was trying to head home because she had just been to the doctor (her baby will be born next week) and she seemed really tired.  She was telling us she was heading home, and in reality, she had a lot more valid excuse than most people give us.  But her young son, who was holding her hand, grabbed my hand with his other hand, and I started walking home with them.  I was talking to his mom about the church, and her family, and he was just happily plodding along, holding on tightly to my hand.  She invited us to come back in a couple of weeks, after the baby was born and they are settled.  When we got to the door of his house, the little boy wouldn't let go of my hand.  He motioned for me to go inside, and started trying to drag me to come in.  I kept telling him, 'We'll come again when you have a new baby at your house... don't worry, we'll come again.'  He wasn't appeased.  Finally his mum told him, 'They will come back another day!'  He was still not happy, but he let go of my hand, and they went inside.  First of all, it was adorable because I love African children sooooo much.  They just melt my heart.  Second, he wanted to hold my hand so bad.  And third of all, I think he still knows how to listen to the Light of Christ, because he really wanted us to come into his home.  It was amazing.  We'll go back in a couple of weeks with some cookies or something. 

 

We thought everything would stay the same here in Swinton for next transfer, because both us and the Elders were training.  But Elder Hengst has been called as a Zone Leader and as such transferred.  So we will be getting Elder Ashcraft in Swinton as Elder Sutton's follow up trainer.  It is so crazy, because E. Ashcraft was my Zone Leader when I was in Stafford, and he always made reference to Sister Maughan and I about Utah State, because all three of us went there.  They released quite a few leaders to be regular senior companions, which I think is great, because it will train the next generation of missionaries to be leaders.  'Go Aggies.'

 

It sounds like Jordan is doing great.  He has already had his first baptism!  Oh my goodness!  I have to say, I expected it since he got his call- our missions are completely different!  I also can't believe he teaches 4-5 lessons a day.  We are lucky (like seriously, luckily blessed) to teach that many in a week.  But each to their own.  I have to admit, one of our shortcomings as missionaries in the EMM is that we can get prideful and pretentious.  I do, anyway.  Even though other missions are having loads of success and tons of numbers we are like, 'Well the first missionaries came here, and the apostles and President Hinckley, and blah blah blah.'  Okay, so yes they did.  But one of my companions said (I can't remember which one it was) that one of the assistants said something that was basically (not word perfect), 'Just because a missionary doesn't serve in the EMM doesn't mean they aren't urgent, or exactly obedient or that they aren't a great missionary.  The Lord needs ALL of His missionaries to be great, and in every mission in the world there are amazing missionaries.'  That is so true.  We are all on the same team, the Lord's team.  And any time any missionary succeeds anywhere in the world, whether it is a baptism, whether it is a lesson, whether it is an appointment set on the street, or a mormon.org card passed out, at that time EVERY missionary succeeds.  We are so blessed by the efforts of every other missionary.  None of us could do this work without the others.  I have met a few people from Brasil and every one of them has heard of the church.  Score one for the missionaries in Brasil- and thereby the missionaries in England, and Japan, and Russia, and Pocatello.  We each need to just go and do our job, and that will bless someones life, and that will bless a missionaries life.  I love it.

 

I've realized that the Plan of Salvation is a part of who we are.  The church isn't trying to take over our lives, the gospel is our lives.  It is ingrained in who we are, and it makes us each the person we are today- and the immortal we can become in the future.  The Plan isn't just a drawing of circles and lines on a page, it is multidimensional and all around us, and in us.  We are living the Plan of Salvation right now.  We are making the choices that will lead to the consequences in the furture.  And Jesus Christ is the one who enables the Plan.  If it wasn't for our Lord and Saviour the Plan would have ended when Eve took the bite of the fruit in the Garden of Eden.  But because of Jesus Christ we can overcome both Spiritual and Physical death.

 

I have realised recently that the thing that hurts the most is separation.  Of anything, or any state, the state of being separated from someone you love is the worst thing ever.  We realised that a lot as missionaries, because we have to say goodbye to everyone we ever knew, and then come and meet new people, only to say goodbye to them as well.  But not just that.  The separation of family at death, the separation from God because of sin.  I dare say the physical separation from God that comes at birth.  It all hurts.  A lot.  We don't like to be separated from those we love. Christ wept when he was separated from his friend Lazarus, and to feel the complete misery of the world he had to be separated from His Father. But that is why the Atonement is so amazing.  It overcomes both the physical and spiritual separation that we all had/have to go through.  Because of His Atonement the Plan of Salvation is possible and we will see those we love again.  I have no doubt that I will see Grandma Neeley again, that I will see best friend from kindergarten (whose name I don't even remember), I will see my YSA investigators from Stafford- even the foreign ones.  I know I can, and will because of this plan.  I know that I will see God again, and my one true desire is that when I do my Saviour will be at my side as my advocate.  I love Him.

 

I love you.  I know it is bad to ask for things for my birthday, but if I could ask for anything, I would ask that each of you (and I mean everyone who reads this blog- no matter how well I know you) send me your testimony, send me what you know about God, about Christ, about the restored gospel.  I would love to hear it so much.  You don't have to worry about writing a novel- just send me what you know.  Because I know that God loves you.

 

I love you.  I miss you.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

 



The Swinton District.  Elders Hengst, Sutton, McFadgen, Palmer and Sisters Hull and Beaty.  We are wearing Manchester Red.