Yes, it is Good!

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!  Thank you mom :)  I'm so grateful that you went around to every single table and made Brendan take a picture with everyone.  I love it.  It means so so much to me.  I was going through the pictures saying how much I loved everyone in them.  I'm so grateful.  

 

I actually had a funny experience about Brendan's homecoming yesterday as well.  It was like as close as I could be to being at the homecoming at the time.

 

There is one American in the ward, her name is Sister Windsor (I know, her name sounds very English, but, hey, so does mine).  Missionaries don't know her super well because her husband is a non member and a bit anti.  But we decided to call by last week and talk to her.  I asked where in America she was from.  'Iowa.'  'Really, no way... I have a friend serving in Cedar Rapids!'  'That is exactly where I'm from... tell him not to eat at the Village Inn.'  Anyway, that was about the extent of the conversation, except I told her his name was Elder Cannon.  Anyway, yesterday she came up to me in church and told me that she had asked her friend about Elder Cannon, and that her friend had went and talked to Brendan last week at church.  I obviously wasn't there for the conversation, but this is what Sister Windsor made it sound like.  Her friend, 'My friend in England has a sister missionary in her ward that knows you...'  [Blank stare] 'You know, England, the Queen, Big Ben...?'  Then Brendan realized it was me and got excited.  Anyway, the conversation in Iowa according to Sister Windsor went on from there, but I couldn't believe it.  God works in such a mysterious way.  Why would the only American have a friend in the exact same ward as Brendan, and the day I found out about it be the day he gave his homecoming address?  I can't believe it.  I love it.  I love the Lord.

 

By they way, I'm sad Katie wasn't at the Homecoming, I'm glad she is doing well.  And Chelsey and Andrea looked really pretty, I said that about both of them when I saw the picture.  And Josh still looks just like his sister.

 

I CAN'T BELIEVE that Jake and Emily are getting married!!!! :)  I'm so extremely excited about that, I can't wait.  Actually I can, because I'll be here anyway, but I'm so excited.  I really wanted them to get married so then I could still be friends with Jake as a married person.  They need to send me an invite, please everyone who sees them tell them that they need to send me an invite.  Jake and Emily as married people, I love it.

 

I'm glad to hear that Sister Low is coming up on Saturday!  She's amazing, you are going to love her.  She is pretty much like me, except different.  We are quite similar, though, at least I think so.  Does she know about my blog?  You should tell her :)  Also, I'm glad you rang Sister Maughan, I'm so sad I didn't get to say goodbye to her.

 

Miracles have been happening this week here in Swinton.  The Lord blesses me with so many miracles.  Sometimes I get discouraged and down, but I really know that the Lord is blessing me.

 

Prisdy's baptism was on Friday.  It was so amazing.  We got there and the font wouldn't fill.  So Mama Helen stood in the kitchen filling up pans and kettles and jugs of water while Sister Beaty and I ran back and forth dumping it in the font.  Lesra baptised Prisdy and he was so nervous.  He is amazing, I love Lesra.  I'm pretty sure that Lesra is what dad would be like if he was Jamaican and a nonmember for most of his life.  So really Lesra and dad aren't really alike, but I think they could be if their circumstances were similar.  Also, Prisca made it into a birthday party with all of Prisdy's school friends.  They were running around and all their nonmember white parents were a bit upset that they hadn't been informed that it was a baptism, because they just thought it was a party.  I tried giving a few of them our details, they weren't too interested :)  After the baptism and confirmation Prisca and Patricia had prepared a giant African feast, it was amazing. There was jello-fry (African rice, it doesn't have jello in it, but it also isn't spicy, so it was nice) and some kind of skewered meat (Prisca told me it was beef... I thought it was goat.)  All the ward was just hanging out and eating, and the kids were running around crazy, and I loved it.  I love that family- they are amazing.

 

We have one super solid investigator.  His name is Martin Gbamy and he is the 9 year old sons of members.  He is so excited about his baptism on 31 March- he can't wait!  I wish all investigators were so excited and knew so much :)  He is great.  His parents are from Guinea, which is right by the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Lionne... West Africa.  I'm learning my African geography :)  I've always loved Africa so much, and I'm blessed to have so many African friends.  The Lord know us so well.

 

Another miracle.  A little over a week ago Sister Beaty and I taught a YSA from Bulgaria named Nick.  He was sincere and interested and after we taught him I told her, 'I really think he is going to get baptised.'  The YSA ward Elders taught him this week, and since they are also the assistants they could follow up with us on him.  Elder Boswell called and said that Nick is so solid.... kingdom builder solid :)  He accepted a baptismal date of 14 April and probably attended church yesterday.  He told the Elders that what the sisters said was right, he read, prayed and received an answer that the church was true.  Miracles.  Hopefully we'll be able to attend his baptism :)

 

Also.  Last night during our weekly call in I was telling Elder Hengst how frustrating numbers are, blah blah blah... which I have done to every district leader pretty much since I was brave enough to talk to them.  Anyway, he told us that he set an appointment with someone at church yesterday that Sister Beaty and I had invited to church... but we didn't recognise him because we pretty much invite everyone to church.  But he had a pass along card with our names and number.  Wow.  Planting seeds.  The Elders took our potential investigator (which is okay, because if I remember right he recently got out of prison...) but we still planted the seed.  In Stafford I thought planting seeds was a stupid way of saying you are doing something when you are not.  But that isn't true.  Seeds are planted and they are important, and I'm grateful that I'm able to see results of that here in Swinton.  Miracles.

 

 

I LOVE MY MISSION!!!!  I'm so eternally grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to send me here.  It means the world to me that He wanted to take the time to refine me.  I love Him.  The Lord is the most important person in my life.  I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't have said that before my mission.  It is embarrassing.  But I'm so grateful that I have been able to learn how to put Him first and that everything else will fall into place.  I LOVE THE LORD.  I can't say it enough.

 

Thank you.  I love you.  I know God is blessing our family, and I know that He will continue to do so.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 



A cute coloUrful Dalek




Prisdy's Baptism



 

Sister Dean Conversation

Hi Mom!

 

That is so fun that you talked to Sister Dean.  I love their family so much.  Their home was a bit of a refuge for me when I first got on the mission.  I knew I would be safe there, and that I would feel the Spirit there.  I hope you can meet them someday.  We'll have to come back in a couple years.  Someone pointed out that I need to come back for Prisca's son, Ryan's, baptism.  He is five right now.  That could perhaps be perfect :)

 

I'm okay, mom.  I'm dealing with some emotional things, but what's new.  I deal with them even when there is nothing going on in my life.  Add to it a billion stressors on the mission... Yeah.  It's cool.

 

Jenny is going to SLC!!!!  I can't believe it.  Jenny and I have already been to her mission together- twice!  haha.  I'm going to move down there so I can feed her and go teaching with her.  She  can have a member present at every lesson... a member that doesn't speak spanish.  Actually I probably won't go down there, but I'm very excited.  I'm also excited to hear that Katie has opened her papers... super excited.  She says she wants to come to the EMM so we can be companions... that would be great, except we would just sit around eating custard.  Maybe she'll get called to Leeds and then I can convince President to let me go to the MTC to see her.  That would be great.  And Brendan comes home this week, which I cannot believe.  What is my life?  Two years.  Wow.

 

We had a funny experience this week.  We had a man who told us that he doesn't believe in God because of all the scientific proof.  That is not too shocking, everyone says that.  But then he went on to say that the star over the stable  was probably a UFO, and the way Mary had a child without a man is because she was abducted... and then you can imagine what happened next.  What?  So crazy.  He said that there was an important programme about it on at midnight so we should watch it.  Even if we had tele I wouldn't have watched that.  I almost started laughing at him during the middle of the conversation, it was so funny.

 

We have been planning Prisdy's baptism.  She turns 8 on Friday and will be baptised that day.  Even though Prisca has only been a member for a little over a month, it will be a child of record baptism, which is such a blessing to Prisdy.  I'm so excited.  I'm so grateful that I was a COR baptism :)  And that my children will be.  Super great.

 

Sister Beaty is getting in the groove of things.  It is so hard to be a trainer, not because there is anything wrong with S. Beaty, but because I'm prideful and an attention seeker, and so I tend to take the limelight and not let her talk.  But I'm really improving and making sure that she has opportunities to speak... whether she wants them or not :)

 

Well, not much time.  The MANCHESTER UNITED Zone was a zone activity today, so we need to head off soon.

 

I love you so much.  I'm okay.  Please keep praying for me, though.

 

Christ Lives.

 

Loves,  Sister Hull

PS  With special dates coming up... ;)... I just wanted to remind everyone to send packages to the Mission Office.  Also, if the return address is crossed out on the back of one of my letters to anyone, it's okay, that is still my addy.  The postmen here sometimes get it mixed up, and I have had 2 letters delivered to me!  Not only is that not cool because everyone at home won't get their letters, but it is a total letdown to get a letter from myself :)  LOVES!

I am grateful for you.

Dear Everyone :)

Sorry, short letter today, most likely.  We aren't able to email from our normal library, and this one doesn't allow for as much time, you know?  You proably don't know :)

I haven't heard about Jenny's call yet :P  I'm just going to assume that she is coming here, and I'm going to train her. Kay cool.  I did love Sister Douglass's first email, I'm glad she is enjoying the MTC, because it is good.  Actually it is like the weirdest paradox, because it totally rocks and at the same time is the worst place on earth.  I cried a lot in the MTC.  Missions get better when you are in the field.

I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED <3 the picture of Jordan and his companion.  Sister Beaty said, 'It looks like his companion is 10 year old!'  Soooo funny :)  I also loved his tie and bag quite a lot.  I wish there were more culturally diverse things to buy here in England.  It seems like America is taking over here so they mostly have a bunch of the same stuff.  The food is good, though.  I didn't know exactly when Jordan was going into the field, but I'm excited to hear that it will be this week.  He'll love it, I know that he will.  His trainer will be fantastic, they'll be best friends.  At least I hope so.  He will really enjoy it :)

I want a bunch of South American merch.

Did Katie Spackman get married to Cade?  I forget his last name, but I know that she was waiting for a Cade...

The work is amazingly hard.  It is always a lot of pressure, but it brings forth the blessings of Heaven.  Sister Beaty reminded me that Elder Ballard said to the new missionaries, 'Welcome to the work of Angels.'  Wow.

President recently said, 'You are in the right time and the right place to change your life... and the lives of others.' 

The gospel is real.  It is the saving work for both the living and the dead.  Luckily right now, I get to work with the living.  There are about 5 million people in the Greater Manchester area, and we just need to find them.  But the Lord and His angels are preparing them right now.  Hopefully we street contact one of them tonight :)

I love you more than words can tell.  Not just an expression.

Loves,

Sister Hull

PS I love hearing about all the callings in the family.  I love to hear what you are all doing at church... and everything else, but I can just relate a lot more to church right now :)

Another Week. Wow.

Hello!

 

Oh my goodness!  I'm SO excited that you got to talk to Sister Low.  Sister Low is one of my very best friends in life, and I miss her so much.  There was actually an experience that happened last week and I was like, 'I just need to talk to Sister Low!'  That is so exciting that she called you... I'm glad she was complimentary, because I was hard to train, I think :)  You'll have to take some pictures when she comes up and send them to me.  That will be so weird.  I can't believe she is in Utah.  It still gets to me sometimes.  Missions are the weirdest things.

 

I'm also super glad that Jenny got her call!  Although I'm sad that you didn't tell me :(  I can't wait to hear, she better have already written me!

 

I heard last week that Whitney Houston died.  I would like to say 'I can't believe it!' but I can.  Poor thing, she didn't know which way was up at the end there.  I think I own more of her albums than any other artist, if I'm honest.  I wish I could have watched her funeral (I would have watched the whole thing, and you know it, I remember crying at MJs) but I wish more that she is being taught by missionaries on the other side.  I'm sure they have already taught her the Restoration and have made a follow up appointment :)

 

Your primary children sound adorable.  I love them.

 

Dustin and Lesli are having another baby!  I'm so excited.  Imma going to want to hold that baby when I get home.  After holding no babies or cute little children like Lewis, I'm going to want to hold that 4 month old baby really tight.  I'm excited :)  I hope it is a boy, but I will love either one sooooo much.  Tell them congradulations from me!

 

We had an amazing Zone Conference this week!  Oh my goodness, it was so good!  I love Zone Conferences so much, they teach me so much.  I love sitting at the feet of President and listening to him speak.  I feel like I'm his favourite missionary, but I have a feeling that most missionaries in the EMM feel that way :)  I love how some people can do that.  I can't yet.  We had a training by the Assistants from the scripture in Jerimiah which talks about hunter and fishers, and it was so good.  It really changed my urgency level the next day.  I was running around like a crazy person talking to everyone and their dog (sometimes English people listen better if you talk to their dogs first).  It was so good.  I love being urgent, the work just goes by so much faster.  Amazing.

 

On the investigator front we are kind of lacking.  I'm not sure why, but it is hard because I want to Sister Beaty to see miracles!  Perhaps, like myself, the Lord wants her to appreciate the little miracles before seeing the big ones, you know?  After being in Stafford, Finding Central, everything looked like a miracle to me here in Swinton!  Each area has its issues, but there are miracles to be had in each one.  And by the way, I love Stafford!  Not many new missionaries like their first area, but I sure do.  The members there are some of my greatest examples on the mission.

 

We had tea with a family named the Winters.  They are amazing.  Such a good example.  Sister Winters served her mission in Texas and Brother Winters in Leeds.  They both have so many stories and things and said they talk about their missions all the time.  I love it.  I want my husband and I to be like it when we grow up (okay, they are like maybe 30, not that old, but still).  The members in Swinton are amazing.  We have 5 tea appointments this week.  I'm going to get fat.  It's so weird, because before my mission I ate at resturaunts so much (by choice, I admit that- you did cook, mom) so I've had a lot more home cooked meals since I've come here.  I miss Costa Vida a bit, but roasted dinners are nice.  Roasted parsnips are very nice.  Mama Helen told me on a p-day she would teach us to make roasted potatos and parsnips so I can make them for you someday!  Yeah-a.

 

By the way, everyone needs to go and make a profile on mormon.org.  Go do it.  Right now.

 

I love my mission.  I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and that is why I love my mission.  They are amazing.  Life is good when we follow them.  Ah!  I love my mission!  I know that the church is true!

 

I love you all. 

 

Sister Jasmine Hull

PS  If you want to know what missions are actually like, you need to read Elder Sam Bennion's letters.  He is so descriptive.  I think I could describe like that in person, but on a computer it is hard for me.  Love it.  I miss all of them, by the way.  Yup.  JH.

Great Pictures

The Elders (Palmer and Elison) and Sister Suaybaguio at Mama Helen's with Sister DuCour and Aaron.  They were saying goodbye, because they were all transferred out



Sister Beaty, myself, Sister Low, Sister Rothmund and Sister Mauch.  This is Sister Low's mission 'posterity.'



My email

Hello Everyone!

 

I love you all... I hope you know that :)

 

I'm so glad to hear about everything that is going on at home, everyone seems to be doing really good things with their lives.  Who knew how much could happen in 6 months!  I won't recognize the place when I get home. It does seem a bit like a fairytale land right now.  Oh, I love Cache Valley.  Everyone who is preparing to leave, embrace the bubble while you still can, because you'll miss it.  I'm so thankful for the experiences I'm having here, and for the contrast I see with the things going on at home.  I know so many good good people.

 

I love my mission.  I asked Sister Beaty the other day, 'How can something so hard make us so happy?' and it is 100% true.  I'm not sure why.  There are always problems in the mission.  You really become sort of a life blood to the ward, so you know things before anyone else does, and you need to inform the right people, and try to take care of it before it gets out of hand... it's really like being a secret agent :)  But then you are dealing with investigators/potentials that have all kinds of problems that you have never seen before or heard before.  And your running around like a crazy person, trying to help everyone understand how the Lord can solve their problems, and as you are running, or riding the bus, you are talking to anyone in your path, or knocking on whatever door is closest, and say, 'WE'RE SHARING A MESSAGE!!!' and they tell you no, or go away, or their in a rush, and you are like, 'You're in a rush?!  What about me!?' and then you have meetings and trainings where the assistants and zone and district leaders give you more commitments to follow, and you are like pumped because you are so excited to try something new because it is bound to bless someone because they are your leaders and they are inspired.  Then you get another phone call from another member wanting to know they answer to another question, so then you have to ring everybody else to find out what you can tell who and what someone needs to know.  So you go home for an hour for tea and the food is nasty because you didn't have time to prepare it, but you've wasted all your time preparing it, so you throw a sandwich down, and run back out into the rain to knock on someones door, and they say something completely ridiculous, and you start to laugh.  Then you finally get to teach a lesson to someone, and they are able to feel the Holy Spirit and begin to weep, and you are like, 'I'm a 21 year old little girl, why does the Lord trust me so much?'  Then you get home and plan for the next day, which takes up until about the time you go to bed, and then you kneel down on your knees, which have constant bruises from all the kneeling and praying you are doing, and you begin to tell Heavenly Father about your day, and you can't help but say, 'Thank you so much for my mission!  It is the blessing of my life!'   And you are so sincerely grateful, and you love talking to God, and sharing with Him jokes and funny experiences and recieving revelation that blesses you and could bless everyone around you.  You hop in bed, and your legs ache and you can't help but think how nice it feels for them to hurt, because that means you've been working hard, and you fall asleep until the alarm goes off the next morning at 6:29 am.

 

I love my mission so much.  I'm not exactly sure why.  I know we need to devote our lives to the Lord, and I we are so blessed on our missions because that is seriously all we are doing.  We are living day after day in His service and giving of all of our time to Him.  Of course He is going to bless us for that.  How can He not?  The Lord is the ultimate covenant keeper, and so when He says something He is bound by His word.  Not only that, He is bound by eternal law- He has to give us the promise blessings when we obey with exactness because otherwise He would cease to be God.  And because he is perfect, He will never cease to be God, or to bless us. I love Him so much. 

 

Miracles happen everyday in the mission.  I didn't realize it at the beginning of my mission, because I didn't know what miracles looked like.  But they do happen.   Like yesterday, we were sitting in Relief Society and Bishop Towler motioned for us to come into the hall.  There was a woman there trying to meet her friend, who is an investigator, but didn't come.  We began to talk with her, and share with her about Jesus Christ, and how we had no idea how she was feeling (she seemed to be having a hard time), but Christ did, and He could help her.  She began to cry, and to thank us.  She wouldn't set another appointment with us, but we gave her our number, and she knows when and where church is.  But the most important part is that she felt the Holy Spirit, and it comforted her in her trials.  And that is a miracle to be apart of.

 

I know that this is the saving gospel.  It isn't choose your own adventure when it comes to religion.  There is truth, and truth provides us with joy.  God Lives.  Jesus is the Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of the world.  Find joy.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

 

 

PS  Sister Hadley stayed in Stafford, and is now serving with my favorite Phillipino companion :)  We are pretty sure that when Sister Suaybaguio leaves next transfer Sister Hadley will train.

I'm glad to hear how all my friends are doing.  Thanks for keeping me updated on everyone, it means a lot :)

 

LOVES  SisterJH

6 months

Oh mom.  Thank you for your email.  I'm so sorry I was so late to respond.  For the past two days I've been like, 'I need to email my mom, she is going to freak out!'  I hope I didn't worry you too much :)

 

The reason it has taken so long to reply and why my life is completely crazy?  I'm training a new missionary.  Seriously.  I've only been out here 6 months and the Lord thinks I should be a trainer.  My life is insane.  Yup.

 

I actually have been feeling it coming for a while.  I asked President last week at interviews and training if I would be training this transfer. He wouldn't answer me.  But I think he already knew.  When he called me on Sunday (trainers and whitewashers find out the day before everyone else) that I would be training I wanted to freak out, but the Lord had prepared me and compensated me so all I could really tell President was, 'yes' and that I knew it was coming.  Wow.

 

Yeah, so my new companion's name is Sister Beaty.  She is from Mesa, AZ and has been out in the field for about 24 hours.  She is really great.  She has such a strong testimony of the gospel, but is so nervous to share it.  It takes me back to the beginning when I knew just about nothing.  I still feel like I don't know much, so I can't believe I'm suppose to be teaching her how to be a missionary.  What a blessing and a responsiblity.  I have had such a strong testimony that the Lord puts us with the right trainers since the beginning of my mission, because I know that Sister Low was supposed to train me.  And it couldn't have been easy for her, because she had just barely finish the stress of training and she was training once again in the same area (which is very unusual.)  But she fulfilled her calling, and is now one of my best friends in life, and I'm so thankful for that.  So there must be some reason I'm suppose to train Sister Beaty.  I hope the Lord helps me magnify my calling.

 

(* PS  Sister Low is probably on an airplane right now!  I can't believe it!  I hated saying goodbye to her, it is going to be an entire year before I see her again!  Sad day.  She told me yesterday that she is planning on coming to see you.  I told her I sent you her details.  Also, Sister Maughan is training this transfer as well!  And she whitewashed into my zone, which is amazing- usually only Elders seem to whitewash and train.  She is hard core!  And Sister Suaybaguio went to Stafford, my birthplace!  So many good things are happening for my companions!)

 

Anyway, crazy things are happening in the EMM.  But I love it.  The Elders whitewashed out of Swinton, so I am also the only remaining missionary left in the area after the transfer.  How crazy.

 

It has been six months, I can't believe it.  I have to admit, when I hit 5 months I started crying because I didn't want to go home.  Just being honest.  I'm so grateful I have another year left to grow on the mission.

 

Josie's farewell talk!?  Whaaaaa?  Soon she is going to have some girl like me leading her around Canada and pretending like she knows things.  But Josie has a really strong testimony, so she'll be fine.

 

Jenny's mission call.  I love it.  I hope she is going to Ecuador.

 

Oh my goodness gracious, skies are spacious.  I can't BELIEVE Brendan is coming home next month.  It seems like he just left.  Actually, that is a lie.  It seems like he left forever ago, but that the past 6 months just started yesterday.  Time on the mission goes by so much faster than time at home.  I love it.  I hope to hear from Brendan a lot more when he gets home and isn't as busy (because one thing is for sure, and that is that mission life is the busiest, craziest time ever, even when it seems like nothing is happening).

 

Jenika and Jaden seem to be having great old times.  A bunch of deacons throwing hatchets sounds like an appropriate way to start off the 10th ward right.  I'm glad they had fun and were safe.  Also Jenika looks great at the dance.  I'm glad Kallie and Penny had so much fun dolling her up.

 

Also, your callings sound great!  I'm so glad they are going so well!

 

I know that the church is true!  The mission is the miracle of my life :)  I love it so much!  I know that my Saviour lives, and through His Atonement I can do all things.  Even learn the boundaries of the Swinton ward, if that is required.  I love Heavenly Father, and I know He is real.  I love Joseph Smith.  I love Thomas Monson.  I love President Preston.  I love my mom, dad, Jordan, Jenika and Jaden.  I love my family and friends, wherever they are in the world.  I know that the church is true.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

PS  Mom, you have no reason to worry about me, okay?  There are two women in the ward here in Swinton, Mama Helen and Sister DeCour, and they are taking such good care of us.  When they found out I was training they told me to call them about anything and that everything would be alright.  Sister DeCour said, 'I think your mom would do the same for my daughter.'  Her daughter is serving on Temple Square, and I told her my mom would drive down any second if her daughter needed you.  So no need to worry.  Loves.