This Week

 

 

 

Hello Family! :)

 

Oh my goodness.  What a crazy week.

 

I remembered I wanted to say this to you, so I'm going to say it at the beginning, even it is sounds like a weird start.  Before I marry my husband, I need to look at his Preach My Gospel.  Not because I need to look at how many baptisms he has had, that is completely irrelevant.  I need to look at what he has learned from his mission.  PMG is very very good, and can be regarded as scripture, so I need to see his PMG before I'll marry him.  Also, dad needs to talk to his mission president.  I'll give you a list of questions, dad :)  Grill his mission president.  Also, congrats on your second role in a church film.  Has the first one been published online?  You should send me a link :)

 

Okay, that has been really important to me for a while, so I'm glad I just told you.

 

This week has been fantastic.  I love my mission so much.  My mission has changed my life, and I dare say saved my life.  It is soooooo important to me.  I'm so excited for Katie, Jenny, and Carrie and that they get to start this process so soon.  They are so blessed to be able to serve, and to still have 18 months ahead of them.  I wish I had 18 months ahead of me... but already knew what I now know :)  If you are reading this and have any opportunity or inclination to go on a mission... GO ON A MISSION.  I'm not being a cliche missionary.  It will change you, and you will love the you it is changing you into.  Seriously- go on a mission.  I have no idea who I'm telling this to, but I just feel so strongly about it. 

 

It was the baptisms of Wini and Leah this Saturday.  It was the most smoothly ran baptism I think I have been in charge of.  Actually, Tong's was quite smooth as well.  The only thing that wasn't that great at the baptism was the pianist.   Because guess who it was.  Yup.  Me.  I played the piano for a baptismal service.  If you would have told me that a year ago I probably would have laughed in your face.  It wasn't too bad, but I don't think I had ever played a grand piano before. I would like to have a baby grand someday, I'm not sure why, but I think it would be lovely.  Also, I am going to learn the guitar when I get home.  That is like my only definite secular plan is to learn the guitar. 

 

I asked Leah how she felt after the baptism and she said it felt like there had been a rock on her [chest] and it was gone.  I thought that was a perfect description of what the Atonement feels like.  It is like you have this thing in your heart and it doesn't belong there, and you want to get rid of it, but it is like those annoying weeds that you just can't pull out.  But Christ can.  And when He does your heart like feels with light.  I love it, it is amazing.

 

We also had the opportunity to go to a concert at Avenham park.  It was at this park in Preston that the first baptisms in the UK took place 175 years ago, so they had a special celebration for it.  It was great, I saw so many members and missionaries that I loved there.  I saw some members from Swinton and it felt like home.  Sister Reamon told me to come back and stay with them someday and she'll make me Philippine food again :)  I saw the Swinton Elders and the Elder that replaced E. Ashcraft was like, 'Sister Hull, you are legend...'   I was like, 'What?'  He said, 'You are legend in the Swinton ward.  Everyone talks about you and misses you.'  That meant so much to me.  I love that ward so much... and I would still love them so much even if it wasn't reciprocal... but it feels nice that it is reciprocal and that I'm not the only one missing them.  Swinton Ward is like my home.

 

But I feel like Liverpool ward definitely has the potential to be my home as well.  I am so blessed to serve in this ward, I can't even tell you.  Every missionary in the mission wants to serve in Liverpool, and I feel so blessed that I am serving here with Sister Gong.  Heavenly Father really is looking out for me and I know that He loves me.  I know that He loves all of His missionaries and gives them just the right circumstances that they need to learn and to grow.  Hallowed be His name.

 

I love you.  Thank you so much for your support.  This mission is so important to me.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

PS  The family pictures are great :)

I Love You

Hello Mom!

Yes.  Sister Smith will be arriving on August 8, I think.  Elder Cai told me that her first name was 'Jasmine' though... IDK.  I know the approximate arrival of all the Chinese sisters- and I can guess where they are going.  She will be coming with one other Mandarin trained sister, and will probably either be trained by me in Liverpool, or serving with my companion of 3 weeks in Liverpool.  How do I know this?  Well, I don't for sure, but the Lord knows.  And He has already started telling President.  And President told me in interviews.  We have 4 Chinese speaking sisters coming in the next 2-3 transfers, and I know I'll be training at least one of them.  This part I don't know, but I have a feeling I might be serving with Chinese speakers for the rest of my mission.  Which I would love.  Because I love Chinese people so much... like so much.  So that is cool.  You can tell Jeff that I will know her soon.

I didn't actually vote... I'm embarrassed.  I know, my first time since becoming 18 that I didn't participate in the political process.  I even vote for silly things.  But I didn't have enough stamps, and by the time the next P-day came and things.... I didn't vote.  Don't tell my future, politically informed, children :)

We had another very busy week.  It was crazy, as always.  Liverpool is really so blessed.  I didn't really believe it when everyone told me, I was like, 'Yeah, yeah, Liverpool...'  but it really is.  Why is it blessed?  I'm not exactly sure, but I think that it is probably because the members are so involved in missionary work.  They bare testimony about missionary work and rebuke those who don't do it, and pray to have their own missionary opportunities, and sometimes feel guilty when they can't help us.  I've never seen anything like it before.  It's really good.

Our investigators are really progressing.  It is such a blessing.  The Elders that whitewashed out left the area is in such a good place and the investigators they were teaching are really sincere and want to learn.  It has been such a blessing to step in and be able to watch the work move forward. I know it is definitely not about me... I understand that more than ever before.  The work is about the people and how the Lord wants to help them progress.

One of our investigators is named Vincent.  He wants to study Law here and is preparing to take the English test.  His mind is so analytical, he reminds me of many people I know back home.  But I see His sincere desire to know if God is there, and because of that sincerity he is receiving really obvious, really specific answers to his prayers.  He is really good and seems to trust me more since he found out that I studied the same course.

The area is so blessed.  I'm so thankful for it.  I know that the gospel is real, and that the church is true.

I love you so much.

Loves,

Sister Hull

What a week

Hello!

This week has been so busy.  Seriously, I can't remember the start of the week.  The end was the most exciting part, that is for sure :)  I got to do something that most other missionaries don't get to do.  In fact, there was only three other missionaries in the UK that got to participate.  It is so funny, actually.  Sister Gong and I, and the Chinese speaking Elders went to the YSA Convention.

Isn't that funny?  Most of the YSA thought it was funny.  They were looking at us like, 'What are you doing here?  You aren't single and/or available....'  Elder Cai said, 'It really is just mote and beam anyway... we could look at them and be like, 'What are you doing here... you've had like 7 chances at these things before to get married...?''  Anyway, the reason why we were there is because the Chinese people were the majority minority group (the biggest non-English group).  Over the course of the three days we had something like 25 Chinese people participating from all over the UK.  Most of them were from Liverpool, but they Preston Chinese came down, and some from Newcastle-upon-tyne, and one from Hull (I think...) and one from London.  It was great. Loads of fun.  The reason why we were there as missionaries was to help them to be able to integrate and to mingle.  To be honest, Chinese people are very shy, particularly when they are not talking to people who speak Chinese.  And so a lot of times their friends in whatever ward they are in are the other Chinese people and the missionaries.  So it was our job to help them mingle and make English friends.  And it was really fun.  We had some really good times, and were able to do a lot of good, I think.  They all felt really good, and I think will be more open to reaching out- because that is one of the most difficult parts of helping the Chinese in the gospel.  It was a good week.

Random.  Before I forget.  There is an Elder in my district named Elder Bahr from Cedar City.  I didn't think anything about it, but when he learned that I lived in Logan he told me he lived in Tremonton until he was 6.  I asked what Stake he was in trying to find out if it was anywhere near our grandparents.  Then for some reason he was just like, 'My dad is Michael Bahr.'  I was like, 'Your father is Michael Bahr?... are you serious?'  I told him, 'I know your father, and your father knows me and my family...'  And went on and on.  Yeah.  So Michael Bahr's youngest son is in my district.  Also.  There is a Chinese recent convert in Liverpool ward that was baptised in Melbourne Austrialia.  I asked him if he knew Elder Blake... he was like, 'Adam Blake? ... He was the missionary who baptised me!'  What? I told him that Elder Blake went to my school and that when his foot was hurt we went to a party together.  Anyway.  The world is very very
small in the church.  You are always meeting someone that knows someone that you know.  So strange.

Anyway, our investigators are really good.  We have two dated for baptism, Wini and Leah.  Wini has been taught for months, and was taught with her boyfriend for a while, but now he is back in China and
she is getting baptised.  She isn't super confident about everything, and Sister Gong is sure that Satan is working very hard on her because her and her boyfriend could be an eternal family.  We are going
tonight to resolve her concerns and help her feel more comfortable about being baptised.

Leah is really good.  She hadn't been taught very much by the Elders but she quickly gained a testimony of God.  She is very confident and excited about being baptised.  She feels so good about her baptismal
date and gets very very involved in things and really reaches out and makes new friends and things.  She took the Word of Wisdom surprisingly well (tough commandment for Chinese... tea...) and
everything is falling into place for her to be baptised on the 7th of July.

We have quite a few other investigators... Vincent, Van (a girl), and Will are the most progressing.  Will is very awkward, but came to like the entire YSA conference.  We couldn't tell if he was having any fun, but he really seemed to enjoy it and make new friends and things, which was good.  He is great.

We also have some really good recent converts that are great and love to help and things.  It really is a blessing.

We had one investigator drop us last week. She couldn't take the Law of Chastity, which is really weird for a Chinese girl.  She thought pornography was healthy for marriage.  Plus someone led her to a bunch of anti stuff.  So that is really sad, but it must not be her time.

I have to tell you.  I was waiting at the YSA conference, and I knew that WeiDi and Shen Chen were coming, so I was watching for them for quite a while.  When I finally saw them, I ran to them with this like
huge smile on my face.  I wanted to hug them so bad, I was so excited to see them, my friends.  I just felt so much joy at seeing them again.  I really feel like it was a small part of how we will feel when we see everyone we love in the Celestial Kingdom again.  I'm very grateful for that feel, and for Charity which the Lord teaches me daily.

I really enjoyed both of your emails this week.  I want so much to be an Eternal Family.  I'll never, no never forsake :)  I love you.

Have a beautiful week!

Loves,

Sister Hull

I love who I'm becoming.

Hello!

I didn't know about Katie's mission call!!!!  She didn't tell me???  Goodness, that is strange.  But LUBBOCK TEXAS!!!!  That is so perfect for her, in all honestly.  I really thought she was going to Georgia, so a Southern mission feels really good for me for her.  I think it will be so perfect, she'll love the people so much.  I know that mission calls are 100% inspired by the Lord and that she will love the
people she serves.  I love everyone here in England so much... well, maybe not *everyone* but give me a break.  Some of them were a bit creepy via text.  Katie will be great missionary.  And one of my
friends here in the mission is from Texas... maybe he can go fellowshipping with her!  When does she report?

In other news IT IS YOUR ANNIVERSARY!!!!!  FYI, world, my mother and father have been married for 24 YEARS.  Okay, that is so cool.  You know how many people can say that there parents are still married, yet alone say that they have been married for 24 YEARS.  Probably like 3%
of the Western culture countries (we have to recognize that Chinese culture is different... but it is becoming more westernized, which isn't that postive for families.)  But I just can't believe how blessed I am that you are married and have been married for so long, and will continue to be married forever.  I was so excited about it that I studied D&C 132 this morning (I think that is the one I studied... the one that is all about eternal marriage...).

Anyway, I'm very excited.  I'm excited because I was so blessed to be Born in the Covenant.  Not very many people can say that when they look at the world.  I'm blessed because I was already sealed to you
when I was born.  I'm blessed because I still have all of my grandparents, and they are all still married and they are all sealed and we are bound to them forever.  Can you believe it?  I'm so blessed.  There are so many people who can't look back on their family and say that they are sealed to everyone as far as family history can go by the Priesthood.  We are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise, and I love it.

I'm grateful that you made it a priority to get married in the Temple. I'm grateful that you honor your covenants, and that you began to have children.  I'm grateful that I was born first.  I'm grateful that
you were young (and I'm going to say... both of you couldn't have really known what you were getting yourself into...) but you still choose to follow the Lord and begin your family- even though you were
in school- and even though we didn't have loads of money- and even though there are so many excuses that YSA and Married Students are making today.  Because, guess what.  18 June 1988 was one of the most
important days of my life- even though I wasn't born for 2 more years.  It was important because it meant that I would be coming to an eternal family in the making- and that if I followed your example, and
we worked together we would be a Celestial Family.  And that is still our goal.

I've been thinking about it a lot, particularly because all the conference talks seems to be talking about protecting the family, and I want to give my children the exact same thing you gave me, Jordan, Jenika and Jaden.  I want to give them parents, sealed in the Temple.  I want them to be BIC as well.  I want to give them a mother anddfather that Love the Lord, Love each other and love them.  I want to give them covenant keeping parents.  And that is one reason I'm so grateful for my mission, it is teaching me to be a covenant keeper.

Anyway, this week was good.  I cried at Zone Conference... again.  Sister Preston came up to me and was like, 'are you okay?' and I said 'no' and just burst out in tears.  President came up and was like, 'Sister Hull, you still have a long time left.' (This was right after the departing missionary testimonies.)  I said, 'but  everyone is leaving me!'  But also I don't feel like I have a long time left.  I'm really starting to feel the urgency of the mission and that my time really is finite.  Our time to serve is so limited.

I love this area.  It is difficult, but in a good way.  It is the right kind of pressure.  We are teaching a ton, and have to run home nearly every night to be on time.  But we need to take all the time we have to help these people progress and understand the gospel, because they have never had the chance before, and probably won't ever have the chance again.

Random thought.  Jordan said he was teaching the Duran family.  One of the Elders in the 'Best District Ever'  (did I tell you about the 'Best District Ever'?) was named Elder Duran.  We said he was Mexican,
but I can't remember if he actually was.  Maybe he is part Bolivian.

I really love who I'm becoming. I love the Lord.  I love you.

Loves,

Sister Hull

Pictures



I really wanted to send you some of these pictures last week, but I just really didn't have time.  Last week was so great, and so sad for me.  The mission is the best thing I have ever done in my life, by the way.

1.  Sister Shen and I at the Temple.  I cannot tell you how blessed I was to go to the Temple with her and the other departing missionaries.  That was such a blessing that it was this transfer I was able to go when so many of my friends were going home.  Sister Shen is one of my best friends... I don't even want to say mission best friends, she is simply one of my life best friends.  She changed my mission and my life last transfer by helping me wake up and realize what I need to improve.  And because I trust her, I listened.  We are holding our arms up because I told her about how when I was little I would always pose and things and she thought it was so funny, so we did it like all the time :)




 

2.  With Elder Ashcraft and Elder Sutton at the Temple.  I love these Elders so much, I'm so grateful that I was able to serve around them.  They are really some of my best friends as well.  After I left Swinton like everytime I would see them I would have this huge smile on my face because I was so excited.  So many jokes.  Like right before this picture was taken I was like, 'I found a skirt with pockets in it...' and Elder Ashcraft was like, 'Why did you just tell us that?'  So funny.  Anyway...

Wasn't the lighting at the Temple so good?  It was like raining the whole day, but these pictures turned out nicely.

3.  Anna's baptism!  I think I forgot to tell you, but Anna was baptised on the same day as Tong :)  I grabbed this picture from Sister Beaty.

4. Our last Chinese meal in Preston.  A few days later when we found out that I and Sister Shen were leaving, Shen Chen started crying, and I started crying and Sister Shen started crying.  A lot of tears that week.

I did it, I made it through the week

Hello :)

 

I don't even know where to begin right now.   There are so many things constantly running through my mind and it drives me crazy because no matter what I say I can never say enough that you can really understand everything that is going on... just like any missionary I guess.

 

Yeah, Liverpool is great.  It is so funny, because my mission has changed me so much.  After I got the transfer calls it was like 2 days later that I remembered the Beatles were from Liverpool.  Now when I think of Liverpool I think of Chinese people.  But, yeah, the Beatles are from Liverpool, aren't they?  I did love them once upon a time.

 

Sister Gong is great.  She is really really good.  I honestly didn't know her that well, we mostly served in different parts of the mission, but it has been so great to serve with her.  She is from China, legitimately.  I think she is like the first Chinese sister to serve in the UK or something like that.  She joined the church when she was doing an internship in Washington DC about three years ago, and as such is the only member in her family.  I think the rest of her family doesn't even believe in God, which is very typical of Chinese families.  She is a great missionary and has a lot of things to teach me.

 

Where we are living is a little bit dodgy, to be honest, probably the most dodgy sister area in the mission.  But most of the time we are working at the Uni so it is really safe with like all the students around and everything.  And, of course, President wouldn't send us anywhere were it was *really* unsafe.  There are Elders he can send there ;)

Working with the Chinese people is completely different than working with anyone else... and I guess it is because of their culture.  I've learned a lot about Chinese culture, so I know what it is, but sometimes it is difficult to comprehend.  But we teach different, we find different, we commit different, we do most things quite differently than I have on my mission... Which is really strange- I feel like I'm being retrained at times actually.  There are creating this Chinese packet for the EMM which has like all the tips for working with Chinese people, and they will be giving to every Chinese speaking missionary, and probably me as well.  Sister Gong has a rough draft of it and so we have been studying it so I know what to do, and also how to best help my companion when she comes.  So crazy.

 

For example.  The packet says we should invite them to do things like learn about Western Culture and ask if they'll make Chinese food for us.    We invite them to learn more about church and things because they haven't really had the opportunity to ever go to a church before, and for the most part they are interested to learn, even if they don't have a belief in God.  And because they are so pure in heart they listen and do receive answers to their prayers.

 

I am a bit self conscious about talking about Chinese, because I assume this will go on the blog and Josh will read it, and he knows how to work with Chinese a lot better than me.  But maybe they are different in Liverpool than Australia.

 

Liverpool is a very blessed area.  Going to church yesterday was an entirely different vibe than going to church for the first time in Preston.  People just love the missionaries here, and they were really gutted when the sisters left, and are now so excited to have us back.  They walked in like, 'SISTERS!!!!'  Seriously, most of them did that, though.  And our investigators love us, which is also worrisome for every new missionary in an area.  But they really seem to love us already and so that is really good.

 

I'm good.  Thanks for everything, and I love you SOOOO MUCH! 

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

PS  BTW... Happy Birthday, Mom.  I remembered day of... I was like, 7 June... my mom's birthday.  I'm grateful you had such a great party :)  Loves.

liverpool:)

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for the late email... I have just had a whirlwind of a week.  Seriously, though, it has been insane.

I got a transfer call on Sunday evening.  No one gets transfer calls on Sunday unless they are whitewashing or training... and I'm not training!  That's right, I whitewashed into Liverpool this week with Sister Gong.  We kicked the Elders out and we are back in.  What a day.  Luckily for us, Sister Gong has served in Liverpool before (for 4 transfers) so we are really just whitewashing investigators, not really so much the area and members and things.  So that is a blessing.

What is so special about Liverpool?  In the EMM it is THE Chinese area.  There are so many chinese here that they have their own Gospel Principles class... and of our 18-20 investigators (so many!)  ALL of them are Chinese.  I am pretty much the unofficial Chinese Sister Missionary in the EMM right now.  But Sister Gong is leaving this transfer (I know, it isn't fair I have to send two missionaries home in 2 transfers...), and so I will be the person here to take care of them... until I train a sister who is learning mandarine in the MTC... probably right now.  I know, President gave me spoilers about training.  And this is a crazy area, so I have a lot to learn.  Luckily, Sister Gong knows that her role right now is to help me learn everything I can about the area and chinese people and culture, and teaching chinese people and everything.  It is a crazy ride.  I'm a bit overwhelmed, but it will make my prayers more sincere, and so I'm grateful for that.

In other news, I had to say goodbye to Sister Shen and Elder Ashcraft this week, which was the worst.  I was able to go to the Temple with all the departing missionaries, though, and that was a tender mercy from the Lord.  It was like the weirdest day ever because most of the time I had this huge smile on my face... until I started bawling my eyes out.  Goodbyes don't get any easier, but I know that Plan of Happiness is real and that God gives me people to love and I'm thankful for that :)  I wish I could say more about transfer day, but I seriously have like 3 minutes.

I love you!  Loves,

Sister Hull