My Life is so Blessed

Dear Mom,

Before I forget, thanks for telling me about Mitt Romney.  I'm really surprised he took Iowa, I remember Brendan telling me ages ago that it didn't seem likely.  Usually whoever takes Iowa gets through.  Oh.  I miss politics.... sooo bad.  All the church members keep talking about Romney, and I really can't join in.  I'm just like, 'Oh yeah, I heard he was running.'  The other day, though, was the hardest.  Someone was watching a speech by Obama, and at first I thought it was State of the Union, and I was staring at the screen, until I realized that I could watch tele, nor was SoftheU on yet... :(  The political race is going to be a bit hard for one American girl living in the UK.  Remember 2008 I made you record all the debates, and then my friends had a party the night of elections.  I didn't think I would miss politics as much as I do... but thankfully the Lord compensates and I don't think about it much.  Although my ears do perk up when someone talks about David Camren, just because I want to know.

Jordan's first email... haha.  I'm glad he is settling in and that the food is so amazing :p  The food in Preston was amazing, made by a chef everyday, and since he was only cooking for 50 people instead of like 3000, it was pretty good.  I hope he settles in well and that his journey to Peru goes nicely.  I can't believe it.  Jordan is on a mission.  I'm on a mission.  And everyone else is coming home from their missions.

What exactly is going on with his suitcases?

The ugly sweater pictures... haha.  Dad is so silly.  And your sweater is pretty 'rad' itself.  What a fun party.  Mary and Bob are so clever.  I had to tell Sister Suaybaguio that I had Phillipino friends... she asked if they spoke Tagalog... and I said, 'Nope, I don't think so...'  I think Mary moved when she was only like 3 or something, right? 

I'm so glad you got the cards.  I was worried they were lost in post space.

Swinton is getting a lot better.  The members are very kind here.  I got an email from President today saying that I should miss Stafford, and he was glad that I do... and that I'm probably going to miss all of my areas.  Then he asked me what I need to learn from that.  So that will be something I will ponder for a while.  It's so weird, before I left I was like, 'I'm going on a mission so I never have to say goodbye again!'  Win-ner.  And I thought I was educated.  I was saying goodbye to people I would see again.  Now I'm saying goodbye to people I may never see again...in this life... and that is not so fun.  But, yes, Swinton is lovely.  And it is huge.  It isn't an actual town, it is like a suburb of Manchester.  They call them Estates, I think.  Also in our area is Salford, Clifton, and some others I can't remember.  So, yeah, you probably won't find it on the map.  I'm not even sure what side of Manchester I'm on, but I think it is the North side.  Meh.  Not sure.

Speaking of... I would love it if you sent me some family temple names as well :D... and I did recieve all the Christmas cards, and the one of our family is hanging on my wall.  It is bigger than the one I brought with me, which was funny.  I'm glad you chose to print that picture on the card, though, I didn't like how I looked in some of the other ones.  And on the note you made me sound all cool.  Stop.  Ever since I was with Sister Low I've been working on my pride... ;)

Hm.... the new 10th ward.  It only effects 3rd and 6th ward.  I hope Andrea is in my ward when I get home!  Yay!  Well, dream come true, because I'll be in the YSA ward again.  Excepting if she is married when I get home.  Who else in in 6th ward... Heather.  But I doubt it will combine with us, because we aren't very near to them.  We'll probably be with all the new subdivisions, so our ward will probably have to split again.  Here's a guess.  The Randall family will still be in our ward.  10 pound on that.  Just kidding.  Missionaries don't bet.

We have progressing investigators!  I can't believe it, I never saw this in Stafford.  Her name is Prisca, she is originally from Congo, so she speaks French as her first language, and her and two of her children are dated to be baptised on the 21st of January.  It has been such a blessing for me to teach them, because honestly I'm teaching lessons that I've never taught before... no one ever progressed that much.  It is such a blessing.  Her children are adorable.  Her youngest son, Louise, is 1 and soooo cute.  I love him, and he loves the bubbles I got for Christmas.  And hand sanitizer.  And my camera.  This family is such a blessing in my life, and for my mission.  I'm starting to see that change can happen.  If something is good Prisca tells her children, 'It's good for God.'  She amazing.  And a member referal and former investigator.  Miracles happen.

I've also been able to meet a recent convert named Patrick.  He is amazing.  He was bus contacted (a holy grail in the EMM... bus contacting is hard), but was really interested.  He is in the military, and he realized he needed the church when he found out that his wife was killed in Afghanistan (she was also in the military).  He has such an amazing testimony, and has already been tried a lot since he joined the church, but is coming up strong.  Wow.  He amazes me.  He went to walk around the Temple one day, and on the way home gave a lady working at KFC a pass along card with his phone number on the back.  She rang him recently and said she is getting baptised soon.  It will be right before he goes back to Afghanistan for his final tour (it will be 9 times, and he has been to Iraq 5 times... he is a medic and helicopter pilot, and they are rare, so he goes a lot) so he will be able to go.  He is going with an American unit this time, so there are going to be a lot of members with him... like 40 or something, so that is really good.  When he comes home, he is going to visit his missionary in Utah.  I told him that he should go and visit all of you as well... he is entertaining the idea.

My life is so blessed because of my mission.  I feel discouraged sometimes, but I know that God is there for me.  President Hinckley said that every good thing that happened in his life could be traced back to the decisions he made on his mission.  I really feel like my mission will be the same for him.

I love the Lord.

Loves,

Sister Hull



Sister Hull and Sister Maughan


 

2011 Christmas in the Mission Home

Surprise Birthday Party for Sister Sauybaguio

Prisca's Children (don't they look smart because the boys took out their earrings for the picture)

This Week....

Hello Everyone,

 

I love you all.  I hope you are well. 

 

The other day when I was studying during personal study I had this analogy come to me, and I shared it with Sister Suaybaguio, and she has since made me share it with everyone else.  It really helped me understand things, and since sharing is caring I suppose I'll send it to you as well.

 

Life is a brick wall.  It is very thick, and there is absolutely no way we can get through it.  God is on the other side of the wall, and somehow we know about it, but we can't see Him.  It is too high to see and too thick to go through.  We bang on the wall, we hit the wall, we run into the wall.  We get some scraps and bruises from trying to get through the wall, but there is nothing we can do about it.  Some dust might fall off of the wall, but that is about it.  We are seperated from God.

 

The Saviour has the power to put a hole in the wall.  He invites everyone to come through it.  Some people refuse to even look at it.  They see the few scratches they recieved from trying to get through the wall, and say, 'I was hurt, and so I don't believe there is any hole in the wall.'  These are those people who don't believe in God because they've prayed before and it wasn't answered they way they wanted it to be, or they see all the bad things in the world and don't recognize all the good. 

 

The second group of people see the hole, and try to get through it.  It is kind of jaggedy, and they get a lot more cuts, and a lot more bruised, but they do push through it.  They are very injured and very hurt when they get to the other side, but they do make it.  When they get there, though, they look around for God but can't find him.  They don't recognize Him.  These are those people in other churches who realize what Jesus Christ has done, but they don't know the power of the Atonement because they don't have the proper authority to recieve the ordinaces of salvation.

 

Hopefully we are all in the last group.  We look at the wall, and it is kind of scary.  We know we will get hurt, because we have before, but we also know that we could get hurt a lot worse.  But we realize that the Saviour is standing there with His hands outstretched.  We walk over, take His hand, and he begins to lead us through the wall.  We do get hurt, we do get bruised, just like the people did without the Saviour.  But the Saviour, he has the Balm of Gillead, and that can heal us.  It doesn't magically cure us, but as he applys it to our wounds (and our hearts) over time it heals, and we become new.  When we reach the other side of the wall, we are perfected, we are healed.  And we are still holding Christ's hand.  He takes us to the Father, places our hand in His and says, 'Here she is, Father, here is Jasmine.  I brought her to you.  She got hurt, but she followed me, and now I've brought her to you.'  Then Heavenly Father takes us to live with Him.

 

I know this is possible.  I know that the pains, trials, and mistakes we make in life can be healed through the Atonement of our Saviour.  He is full of grace and mercy, and the only way to overcome spiritual and physical death.  I'm so thankful for Him, everyday of my life.  I couldn't make it through this mission, or my life, without Him.

 

If you are not relying on the Saviour, stop.  He doesn't ask you to kill yourself before you ask for His help.  If we don't allow Him to help us, we won't recognize Heavenly Father when we reach the other side.  And that would be a mistake.  I promise you that if you turn to Jesus Christ, your life will be changed, and you will be so thankful.

 

I love you,

 

Sister Hull

 

PS

Everything is fine here in Swinton.  It is so different from Stafford, so much bigger.  I get quite homesick for Stafford, to be honest.  I knew where everything was and where pretty much every member, and a lot of less actives lived.  Here in Swinton, I'm not sure that I will ever know my way around.  It is basically just another bit of Manchester City, which is huge and so it is hard to seperate the area  from the other missionaries areas and things.  But it will be okay, I hope.  I've only been here a week, and it took me longer than that to learn Stafford, so I can't expect myself to know Swinton in my first couple of days.

 

There is a lot more bus contacting here, which is not my favourite thing in the whole world.  In fact it is one of my more least favorite things to do on the mission.  Imagine bus contacting for one and one half hours on the way to district meeting..  Well, you probably can't imagine it.  It's terrifying, and awkward.  I'm sure I'll get use to it at some point, but it's  hard. :P

 

I'm glad to hear that Jordan got to the MTC alright.  I'm sure he was very ready to get there and get started.  Sometimes you just have to jump off the highdive and into the pool.  Once your in the pool you just have to not drown for the first little while, until you can swim.  That sounds like a really bad impromtu speech analogy.  Speaking of which, there is a couple here in charge of taking care of the YSA.  They say some of their calling is simply to teach the YSA how to speak to each other, because they don't talk!  Imagine.  I told Sister Cannon that my friends had no problem with that.  It was getting them to stop talking.

 

Is Jordan going to send all his emails to me as well?  Because I can't go on his blog.  That would  be completely disobedient. :)  And I refuse to be disobedient.  If not, forward them to me... pleaseeeeeeee. :)

 

I love you, mom.

 

Everyone, share the gospel with someone this week.  Write and tell me about the miracles you see.  Because you will see miracles.  Loves.  JH.

 

PPS  Did you ever get my Christmas card? 

Cute Picture

Sister Maughan and Sister Hull
December 2011

Transfers

TRANSFERS

Can you believe it?  I'm in my second area... with my third companion.  I can't believe it.  I'm kind of in shock.

I'm in Swinton now... serving with Sister Suaybaguio.  Swinton is a suburb of Manchester, so I'm a lot closer to the proper city, and probably technically in the England Manchester Mission :)  I'm in the Manchester Zone which everyone seems to particularly love, and serving in Swinton, which everyone also loves.  When Sister Maughan heard where I was going she said, 'Everyone loves Swinton, I've never heard anything bad about Swinton...'  Which is true, and doesn't seem to happen all the time.  I'm also serving with Sister Suaybaguio, who is from the Phillipines.  She has 2 transfers left, and everyone loves Sister Suaybaguio... lot's.  She is an amazing missionary and has a very sweet personality.  I have so much to learn from her.  It will be quite exciting, I'm sure.

Here is my new address:

Sister Hull

8 Park Street

Church View

M27 4UP

Swinton

United Kingdom

Kind of long, isn't it?  The flat is so huge, I can't believe it.  Everyone told me that the Stafford flat was small, but I didn't believe them.  This one is so large, I could run around in circles.  I probably will.  Just kidding.  But maybe. 

I'm really excited about this new opportunity, but I'm also rather nervous, if I'm honest.  Change is really hard for me, as you all know.  I just feel so silly that I hate change and I came to a place where you can up and move, or your flatmate will, every six weeks.  Plus daily your life is changing, mostly in a good way, but it is still really hard sometimes.  I miss the familiarity of Stafford.  But I was too much in my comfort zone, and that is why I had to leave, you know?  Missions are meant to stretch you and try you so that you can be refined.  That's what they tell me anyway.

Anyway, I've been in Swinton for all of 2 hours tops so I really don't know much more about it.  The past two days since I talked to you have been great.  On Monday we went to the Hills for Boxing Day and got to walk around Sandon Hall, which was neat.  Yesterday we just did missionary work.  We talked to people about the gospel.  We were able to set some appointments and I feel like I left Stafford in a good place.

Well, I'll let you know how it goes.  Mission life is quite exciting.  You have to love it or leave it.  And I refuse to leave it. 

Loves,

Sister Hull

Only....6 more sleeps til Christmas :)

Hello Mom!

 

This is a funny story I forgot to tell you.  Sister Maughan had a dream a while back that we were having a special Zone Conference.  This zone conference was a very special, historical, one for the England Manchester Mission.  Not only was it special for the England Manchester Mission, but also for the church because it was a special Multi-Mission Zone Conference.  It was here in England, but it wasn't combined with Leeds and Birmingham, now, it was combined with some very special other missions... they flew every missionary in from these missions: Chile Rosorno (Elder Peter Maughan served there), Iowa Des Moines (Elder Cannon), Austrialia Brisbane (Elder DeFriez) and Canada Winnipeg (Elder Brendon Mansfield, of the Stafford Branch, whom we never met, is serving there).  I'm a bit blurry on the details of what happened at this Multi-Mission Zone Conference, but I'm pretty sure it was great.  I hope Bolivia Cochabamba will also be invited :)

 

Speaking of, I can't believe it was Jordan's farewell talk yesterday!  That is so insane... life changes so quickly.  I totally do remember being right there... the day of the farewell is pretty good because you just feel an outpouring of love, but the days after are a bit of a beast.  I'm glad that I get to speak with him before he leaves... it seems like someone planned it ;)  I'm sure it was planned.  Sister Maughan has been teaching me this Christmas about the Spirit of Compensation.  It is really how Heavenly Father compensates us for those things (and mostly people) we are missing.  Sometimes as missionaries we try to hold on really really tight, and not forget, because it will be horrible to forget... but then we just get homesick.  Heavenly Father helps us hold on really tight, but He compensates us so we don't have to feel *as* homesick.  We really get to use the Atonement as a balm to soothe our troubled hearts.  I know that is true because I have felt it... and I know that Jordan will be able to feel that as well.

 

It's super scary going into the MTC... but it is possible.  I remember the night before I was set apart I told Katie that I didn't have any faith.  She told me, 'You are going to get on that airplane.  That is faith.  You don't have to do anything else right now.'  And it is so true.  Faith is an action word.  We have to take that first step.  The moments Jordan walks into the MTC will probably be some of the hardest of his life, but as he takes that step, Heavenly Father acknowledges that, and compensates.  When he thinks he'll never be able to learn the lessons in Spanish, he'll need to study a bit harder, and Heavenly Father acknowledges that, and compensates.  We really can't do anything without Heavenly Father's guidance and Jesus Christ's atonement.  I know that is true.  I've tried, I was trying my whole life until now, I think, and now I realize how much I was failing.

 

Jordan's going to be an amazing missionary.  He has such a sweet testimony of the gospel.  It is pure, simple, and yet profoundly logical.  He also cares for others deeply, and when he does that he has no desire whatsoever to hurt them.  And he doesn't really get upset easily, which is a beautiful quality to have pre-mission.  Because when some 16 year old kid tells you that he doesn't believe in God because he is 'educated'... it is upsetting.  But Jordan won't really have to deal with that, because he'll just bare testimony. 

 

I'm so glad to hear that so many people were able to attend his farewell.  Missions really make you realize how many people care about you, and how profusely loved you are.  I realize by how many people came to my farewell, how many write and send me things, and how many prayers are offered that I am so loved.  I really don't know what I did to recieve that, and I don't know that I can ever hope to reciprocate it, but I am so thankful.  I can't even express how blessed I am.  I feel like I was such a jerk most of the time, but you loved me.  Wow.

 

We are going to have a fabulous Christmas.  The members have been showering us with love, and so our tree is stocked with gifts and cards.  We are going to the Preston's for a Christmas meal on Thursday (that is when they will hand out the packages), and then to the Dowds on Christmas Eve, the Notts on Christmas Day (and obviously the Deans that evening) and the Hills on Boxing Day.  We have already been invited to the Sherrards for New Years Day, but I may or may not be here because transfers are the Wednesday in between.  I just can't believe how they have helped us.  It is so amazing.  We have been hand delivering Christmas cards to the members and they have been letting us in to teach them, and to feel of the Spirit in their homes.  I love it.  It has definitely been my compensation, because Stafford Branch is my family this Christmas.  And Oh MY GOODNESS.  You don't realize what it feels like to have the Spirit in your home until you move to England.  There is a profound difference in the feeling of members homes and investigators homes.  It is like night and day.  Seriously.  I never realized it at home because all of our family and friends have the Spirit there, and so it is just a constant, you know.  But I'm so excited to spend the holidays in their homes... it will be like my heart is healing itself.

 

We have a dated investigator!  My first proper one, which is amazing.  His name is Chris M, and we street contacted him, but he wouldn't set an appointment with us, but went and looked online and found Sister Davis' blog (the one you were looking at before I left) and wanted to be taught.  It's really funny because he knows all of this missionary rules and things, and makes sure we tow the line.  We were teaching him the other day at the University (<3 universities!) and our member fellowshipper's, Nathaniel, lecturer came up to us and started talking to us and stuff.  Nathaniel was mortified that we were going to get thrown out or something, but I was thinking that universities, if anything, are a public forum, meaning you have the right to talk about anything there.  But I didn't know the UK laws on public domain.  Anyway, the professor wasn't mad, he just thought we were interesting.  He finally asked, 'Am I bothering you?... sorry to interrupt.'  Chris was like, 'yeah, actually I'm thinking about becoming a Mormon, so I need to talk to them.'  It was so funny/great.  He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He is going home for the holidays, but wants us to set up for the Elders to teach him while he is gone.  He even found the church's phone number for where he is going.  He is great, albeit a little shy.

 

We had our Branch Christmas Party.  We had a time getting Chris there, but we eventually did, and he just started socializing.  It was like he didn't need us to introduce him.  We of course, did, but we had a fun conversation with the 'Bachelor Table' where all of our investigators, recent converts, and a less active were.  The bachelor table had Bachelors' ranging in age from 25-80.  Also from 1 to 92.  (Chipmunks roasting on an open fire... ;P).  Also, President Dowd was Santa's helper, which was so funny.  And Sister Hill was and elf.  The kids were so funny.  The Deans son, George, was like wrestling his father to try to get to Santa, and Ismai had her named called, but there was another Ismai, and so the second time, when it was called for real, she didn't trust Santa.  It was like, 'I've been burned by you before...'  She is two.  So funny.  Love 'em :)

 

We also had our district picture at our last district meeting.  Sister Maughan and I told everyone to wear Christmas colours.  So the did.  Most of the camras were being dumb and so the picture quality wasn't very good.  But all the Elders' were like, 'Whoa, these are so good!'  Sisters, 'um, the quality is horrible...'  Elder, 'But we are all MATCHING!!!'  Yes we are, Elder, yes we are.

 

I realized just barely one of my Christmas traditions for the past three years, has been working at Lee's.  Sister Dean got a job in a deli and we talk regularly about what a great job it is.  And we are both completely serious.  It was a really great job for me, I miss it sometimes.

 

I can't believe White Christmas is over.  I completely, from start to finish, missed it.  That is so weird to me.  I have a hard time believing everything is still going on at home, because I've never seen home without me in it.  Not saying the world should self-destruct, but I just can't imagine it, you know?  So strange.

 

I just want to keep typing.  Ahhh.... I get to talk to you next week :)  It's going to be so good... and a little bit weird.

 

I forgot my list for the shout-out.  I remember I opened both of my grandpa's, and Andrea signed hers as Damien Bellos.  I'll try to remember next week.

 

Have a beautiful day.  I love you all sooooo much.  All of the chocolate England couldn't hold my love for you.  Even all the chocolate in my flat couldn't :) (A lot of chocolate... and I do like chocolate quite a bit more here, but it is still A LOT of chocolate.  I'll probably end up eating most of it, though.)

 

Loves,

 

Sister Jasmine Hull

3 Nephi 1:11-13

 

PS Did you recieve my Christmas card?  I hope I put enough post on it :)

Life is Good

Mom!

 

Oh I love the paper chain, and homesickness is to be expected this time of year.  Luckily, Sister Maughan went through it all last year, so at least I have a companion that understands.  I guess that will be me next year.  Weird.

 

I can't believe Jordan's farewell talk is so soon.  Seems like yesterday.  I got a letter from Brendan last Monday and it sounded like he had just barely heard my farewell talk, so it probably was just yesterday.  When you give that talk you just look around at all the people that really love you, and you can't help but cry.  At least I couldn't.  I saw you and the family sitting in the middle, friends to the side, coworkers in the very front, and random spurts of people whom I absolutely love intermixed with our supportive ward.  It was amazing.  I can't help but feel blessed that I am so loved... there are a lot of people who aren't, and it is heartbreaking.  That is why we need to learn to love the Saviour most, so we can show them how to, because He is the only one that will never be far away from us.  Jordan, your talk will be great.  No fear.  Rock it in Bolivia. 

 

I'm sure dropping him off at the MTC will be fine.  Countless mothers have done it before you ;)  They have all seemed to survive...barely. :D  The airport was nice, and I met Elder McCoy, my district leader, there.  That was fun. And Sister Hadley, who is in my mission and now serving with Sister Low.  Yeah, the airport was good.

 

We do get to go to the Mission Home.  Newcastle Zone goes on December 22, so that will be fun.  That is when they will dispurse the packages... and we'll have something under our tree!  We have a tree!  Claire lent it to us :)  Also, for district meeting tomorrow we are dressing in Christmas colours for our district photo :)  Fun fun.

 

Josh is home.  I can't believe it.  I have to admit on Tuesday I got a letter about him coming home from Andrea, and I started bawling that night.  Not quite bawling, but I was really sad.  I just wanted to give him a big hug and say, 'Welcome Home Joshie!'  But I hope he is safe and well, and I expect I'll hear reports soon.

 

When does Kaia report?  If you can you should send me her address :)  I'd like that.  I also can't believe James is going to India!  It totally fits him, though.  Wow. everyone is growing up.

 

We were unable to teach the family again.  They dropped us.  President was encouraging, though, and said that they are now in our area book, and someone will find them.  They have started their journey.  Sister Maughan reminded me that the father, Daniel, prayed for the first time in *years* and if we opened that line of communication for them that is good.  We'll see... in heaven.

 

I didn't know Jenika had a solo in White Christmas.  It's not in the movie, and I guess I don't remember the play very well.  That is really good.  I haven't heard her sing much, but it sounds like she is good :)  I'm glad Sydney Yorgason tried out for Oz with Jaden, I told her mom about it ages ago before I left.  Also Maddie, so that will be super fun :)

 

Jordan is almost 19!  Holy Cow!  I can't believe it, we were just little running around the couch in the old house... like yesterday.  Jordan can make me laugh more than nearly anyone else, and I'm going to miss that.  But he'll be doing great things, and I will speak to him on Christmas and then again on Mothers Day 2013 :)  And via email.  That will be super fun.

 

Buyback!  Oh my goodness, I miss finals week!  I thought finals were so hard!  They've got nothing on a mission, although I do think I stressed more about them than the mission.  I wish I could take a final on Health Care in Great Britain.  I'd win.  Story for another time.

 

I have *not* surpassed you.  Don't you ever say that again.

 

I did recieve my ointment and my arm is healing quite nicely.  It looks much better.  It was really bad, but I took a picture of it so you can see is someday.  And I *love* the tights... oh my goodness, do I love those tights.  They are so warm :)  Love em.

 

Our investigator, Chris, came to church!  After some incidents and having to cancell his lesson, he thought we had dropped him.  He said he would 100% be at church and that he wanted to get baptised!  What?  His baptism will probably have to be sometime in January as he is going home for Christmas next week, but he seems pretty excited and serious about it.  He is the one that has been reading Sister Davis' blog, so that is really neat.  We'll see what happens :) ... [Makes me nervous about my blog... it is like a living testimony that anyone can access...!]

 

I was thinking about the scripture, 'After all that we can do...'   A lot of times we stress ourselves out, trying to do absolutely everything before we let the Saviour in... we are like, 'Nope, I have to do everything I can do before I let you help me!'  But that is not how it works.  Relying on the atonement is *ALL* that we can do.  There is no other way to salvation or exaltation without Jesus Christ and His atonement.  None.  So all that we can do is rely on Him.  And we might as well rely on Him for everything, because he makes it so much simpler.  I know that is true.  I love Him.

 

Have a wonderful week.  Everything will go great, and soon you'll have two missionaries!  Jordan will be a brilliant missionary, he is already so prepared.  I remember Jake telling me, 'It's a steep learning curve... but you can do it.'  I'm just so glad he was honest with me.  It is hard, but the Saviour compensates... if you let Him.  You are all amazing.  Share the gospel.  Love you tons (or loads).

 

Loves,

 

Sister Jasmine Hull

 

 

 

PS  Paper Chain Shout Out!  (Imagine me Shouting your name, mkay?)

 

Chelsey! (PS, I know what your wish was in Venice... ;)).

Karli!

Reggie Nyman!

Fyre!

Kali!

The Gatherum Family!

Jenny Bragg! (PS When do you turn your papers in?)

Holland!

Grandma Hull!

Jentry!

Kenden!

Hunter!

The Gardners!

Grandma Carol!

 

There are exclaimations because I was shouting... not really, but you know what I mean :)

 

 

 

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  That paper chain was BRILLIANT!!!!  I opened it this last week, and I saw the first few from our family and Katie, and I was like, 'oh, how cute...' and then I started cheating and looking at who else had written, and you must have chased down like every  important person in my life!  I couldn't stop staring at it, and I had to wait a day or two to start it... and I look forward to it everynight.  I'm going to tell you each weeks whose I've read, kind of as a shout out to them :)  Here it is so far:

 

Kallen

Sister Geddes

Heidi

Morgan

Will Weiss

Sister Deb Andrew

Heather

Pam and Brianne

 

Mom, it is seriously so great.  Fabulous job.  I have to admit, it makes me a bit homesick, but I really love it.  It's like I'm assured a letter everyday until Christmas.  Wow.  So great.

 

Tough week.  Gonna be honest.  We set some pretty big goals for Stafford with Sister Low was still here, and it looks like we probably won't be reaching them.  At least not in the timeframe imagined.  It has really gotten me down, because I feel like it is my fault, but what can you do?

 

We went to the Temple on Tuesday!  We did get the names on the Monday so it was perfect.  With the ones Jordan sent we had enough that all the sisters in our zone were able to do my names.  It was really fantastic.  I love the Temple, I just wish I could be there more often.  Sister Maughan and I were the last ones out of the session because I refused to leave.  And we were like the first ones finished.  We had a lovely Christmas dinner for our Zone conference in the Temple Cafeteria.  It was so good.  We were running a bit low on food so S. Maughan and I really had them pile our plates, which was a really good idea :)  Love it.  (BTW, we have plenty of food now.)

 

While I was in the Temple I had an impression that we needed to go to 'Maple Grove'.  I didn't actually even know if it existed inside of our area, but we checked the map and it does.  We have been able to tract it and were able to teach someone on it, so we'll see how it goes :)

 

We taught a family last night, my first time!  The dad is Daniel and the mom is Becky and there kids are Callum (5), Tom (4), Ollie (2) and Sophia (12 weeks).  We meant to teach all of them, but I mostly distracted the little boys while S. Maughan taught the parents.  After a while I had a lapful of Christmas decorations because they wanted to show them all to me.  I was trying to tell them about Jesus, but all they knew about him was that he was 'in the sky' and that they are in a Christmas play about Him.  Callum is in the choir (I thought he said he was a cryer) and Tom is a camel.  Appearently he likes being a camel more than a sheep because he cried last year.

 

The discussion eventually moved to angels.  Tom began to tell me how scary angels are.  Not only how scary, but he showed me the scary faces they make.  Then he told me that if you close your eyes the angels will get you.  Callum informed me, however, that Dr. Who is not real.  He said, 'Dr. Who isn't real, and neither is Jesus.'   I told him that Jesus was real...and he said, 'but He is in the sky...'  I had to clarify that Dr. Who isn't real, but Jesus is... so not ALL things in the sky are pretend.  Tom then went off about a sonic screwdriver.  I asked them what they asked for for Christmas.  Dr. Who dvds, and books, and cybermen, and daleks, and stone angels.  And a TARDIS.  I asked him what size of TARDIS, and he said just a medium sized one.  So that is good, not a real TARDIS.

 

My friends love these kids.

 

Apparently the lesson went really well as well.  Becky really felt the Spirit and was even able to identify another time in her life she had felt it before.  They don't really know what to believe, but are planning on coming to church in two weeks, so that will be great.  And the LOVE their children.  It is so amazing.  To be honest, in England there are a lot of broken families and you can't say that all parents love their children... a lot of parents are children themselves trying to play house or something.  But this family definitely has love, and they want to be together.  Family is the most important thing to all of them.  So we'll see what happens :)

 

I've been studying more about Jesus Christ.  I've heard that we celebrate His birth because of His life.  But I think we celebrate His birth *and* His life because of His resurrection.  If He hadn't loosed the bands of death and sin He would have simply been another great moral philosopher.  I'm eternally grateful that He is not only that but my Saviour and Redeemer.  I love Him.

 

Everyone have a memorable Christmas Season.  'There is so much to be grateful for...'  I'm grateful for all of you.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Jasmine Hull