Go Live the Gospel



August 22, 2012 Specialized Training

 Hi Everyone!

Oh my goodness... that makes me so happy that you finally got to meet Taylor this week.  That is very good.  I was quite excited about it, like really excited.  It was so strange seeing pictures of him will
all of you, but very good.  Oh.  Great.  Smile on my face :)  Good day.

I'm fairly comfortable with contacting people.  Sometimes you can find yourself in an awkward situation, but as I tell Sister Embley, you just have to embrace the awkward sometimes.  It's only as awkward as you make it, I think.  The chips and curry were great, I was surprised I ate them as well- but it was fairly obvious that he had bought them from chippy, they weren't homeade or anything.  He was crazy :)

I had an interesting experience on the bus.  I was contacting a man and we were talking about the purpose of life.  This woman turned around and was like, 'Did you just meet?'  I was bracing myself for something bad, because sometimes other people will yell at us to tell us to leave other people alone.  I was like, 'yeah.'  She was like, 'I was just overhearing your conversation, and I think that it is fate that you met.'  Wow.  It probably was fate that we met.  But as missionaries it is our responsibility to make fate happen.

Sister Embley is doing great, she is a wonderful missionary.  We are able to reach many goals because of her diligence and hard work from the very beginning.  She is a very good missionary, a much better missionary than I was at the start of my mission.  I'm very blessed to be able to train her, we are able to work just as a normal companionship, which I think is the hope of any trainer.  That is so crazy that she know Trisha.  I told her and we were both shocked for a minute.  They were in the same FHE family at BYU-I.  Small world.

I have no idea what brand the tights were.  None at all.  I don't really need much for Christmas, clothes and things I have covered (I took loads of clothes off of Sister Gong when she left).  I'm not sure.  Before Christmas I would like Josh Groban's Christmas Album...because we are allowed to listen to it, but I doubt I can share Sister Maughan's copy of it... because she'll probably be listening to it with her husband!  Did I tell you?  Sister Maughan is married!  I got an announcement off of her, she looks very happy.

I cannot believe Kinzie Randall is a Freshman.  I'm the oldest person alive.

I'm so excited for Jenika.  She is so blessed to have that opportunity.  Patriarch Madsen is a wonderful and humble man.  Everyone is doing such great things.  I love it.

We have so many miracles happen.  One is Lisa.  She's a Chinese that has been taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses (or as we like to say, the J Dubs).  She has a lot of false doctrine, but really wants to know
what is true.  We invited her to baptism, and she recognised it as something she needed to do, and we left the Restoration pamplet and she read the whole thing and marked it and everything.  She was so prepared to receive the gospel.  The only problem is that she left Liverpool last Saturday.  But I know that we were supposed to meet her, and someday her doctrine will be made complete.

Appearently there is some big deal going on with China and Japan.  It's crazy, it totally sounds like a Politix D/A from Policy... if anyone knows that.  But a lot of Chinese people are upset and scared about it.  Plus a lot of our recent converts are nervous to go home anyway because the church in China is unfamiliar to them.  But I know that they will be blessed, and that is the only thing I can rely.  Hope.

I noticed that Jordan (Elder Hull) encouraged everyone to study Chapter 6 of PMG, which is the Christlike Attributes section.  It is potentially one of the most important chapters of PMG, and if I could help you hone in on your study, I would suggest you start by studying the Christlike Attribute of Hope.  Hope is essential, and something we don't talk about a whole lot.  Then I would suggest you go to Diligence, and  onwards.  PMG is an amazing book.  I will be teaching my children the gospel out of PMG- it is the inspired words of living prophets.  BTW, Elder Hull is one of the best missionaries in the world.  Everyone should listen to him.

I love you all so much.  You are a blessing in my life, and I know that the gospel is true and the Plan of Happiness is real.

Loves,

Sister Hull

PS  You are all great.  Go live the gospel :)

Also.  I love that Jenny's trainer is named Hermana Adorable.  Wow.

Crazy Miracle Things

Dear Mom,

Thank you for sending that off to Elder Fawcett, he was a very good missionary.  Those were very kind things for him to say about me.  Everyone here (meaning, like every Chinese person in Liverpool) jokes about whether or not Elder Fawcett is married yet.  All of us Chinese people are hoping so :)

I'm glad to hear that you were all able to go and do those baptisms together in the Temple.  The Temple is  o beautiful, and I have had many great and spiritual experiences in the Baptistry of the Logan Temple.  That is great that Marvin has been able to find so many names to do Temple work for.  The Spirit of Elijah is so real, and we are such an important part of it.  Sounds like it was an amazing experience.  I have a really strong testimony of the Temple now as well, I know that it is so important and the only way for families to
be together after this life.  The covenants of the Temple are vital.

It has been a good week, but a bit of a hard week.  The work hasn't been particularly hard, but it has been quite difficult because so many of our recent converts and investigators have been going home to China.  I spent Tuesday morning bawling into my bowl of cereal.  Seriously, I was so sad.  There are people that I've met here that I just love so much and are some of my best friends in the world... and then I leave them or they leave me.  President once said about missionaries that we sign up to come, but we also sign up to go home.  And going home is the hardest part.  So I guess when these students signed up to come they also signed up to go home as well.  So that is difficult.

Saturday was quite and exciting day.  Seriously, it was crazy.  We had three new investigators, which was really great, but everything else that happened was just crazy miracle things.

In the morning we cleaned the church, and then in the afternoon we went to District Leader Council (we aren't district leaders, but they are having sisters become more involved with the mission leadership- I quite like it.)  Afterward we went and had a load of lessons scheduled.  But in between lessons we were contacting and we had some crazy experiences.

I met a boy named Luke.  He was like 25 or so.  I asked him what made him happy and he said getting drunk.  I was like, 'Are you drunk right now?'  'No... but I'm extremely hungover.'  'How do you feel?'
'Really bad...'  I told him that there was repentance and that he didn't have to feel the way he was feeling right them.  I was like extremely bold with him. I exhorted him to look at mormon.org. But he didn't really listen or set an appointment.  Later that night we heard someone heaving.  I looked over and was like, 'Is that Luke?'  It was.  He had gone drinking again, and now was outside barfing.  You could hear him barfing clear across campus.  I called over to him, 'Hi, Luke... it's still an option!'

We set an appointment with this man named Andy who wasn't interested.  But we both felt the Spirit and somehow knew that he was going to accept.  And he did, it was really amazing.

Then we went and got on the bus, and I went to the back of the bus to contact this old man.  He was eating some chips and curry and he asked me to try some.  I was like, 'okay.'  And so we were sitting there eating chips and curry together- and they were really good.  I was always afraid to buy chips and curry because of the curry being potentially spicy, but it was quite nice. He told me his name was Dr. Don, but I'm not quite sure that he was a doctor.  He was a bit crazy.  When he got off the bus he gave me his full thing of chips, and wanted me to keep them and eat them.  I tried not to take them, but he insisted.  They were pretty good so I took them.  When he got off the bus he turned around and whispered to me, 'I love you,' blew me a huge kiss and called goodbye to me.  Then Sister Embley and I went home and ate chips and curry.

I feel like my mission is becoming much more Spirit led and I love it.  I am able to much easier and better recognize the Spirit, and that is such a blessing.  Being led by the Spirit is so important, and I love it so much.  Chapter 4 of PMG is excellant.  If you want to study a chapter from PMG, I would highly suggest that one.  Seriously, everyone should want to study PMG.  It is going to be my FHE resource for like the rest of my life.  My children will learn the doctrine of the gospel from the scriptures and PMG. I love it.

I love you.  I'm grateful for your example to me.  And I'm grateful for my time to serve.

Loves,

Sister Hull

Welcome to Liverpool, Sister Hull



Van's baptism day!!




Jojo, Leah, Sister Hull, Evangeline and Van

 Dear Mom,

First off, I can't believe that Grandpa is clean shaven.  That is so crazy.  I would definitely like to see a picture of that, very much :) He is so great.  I'm so excited that both sides of our family get to be so involved in the Temple Open House.  That is such a blessing for us to have two Temples so close to us.  I'm trying to decide what Temple I'm going to go to first when I get home.  I think probably the Logan Temple, and then the Brigham City one.  But I might go to the Brigham one first.  We'll see.

That is exciting that you were able to find those pictures on Sam's facebook.  She is very good.  She had just got home that morning and was very tired but still came to Van's baptism, and then fed us and the Tue Brook Elders the next day after church.  She is amazing.

Katie sent me her address in a letter.  I wrote to the Mission Office in Texas... I wasn't sure if it would get the MTC in time.  So hopefully she gets it soon enough.  My letter writing has severely plummeted in the recent transfers.  Zach is still alive and working at ShopKo?  That's good.

I have loads of traveling I need to do after I finish my service.  I think I'm going to start in China.  I actually had a huge tender mercy yesterday after church.  I was feeling quite sad after church because so many of my friends are going to leave this week, and that hurts.  Then Van was like, 'have you spoken to Sister Gong?'  I was like, 'No...'  I thought it was weird, because she knows that I can't communicate with her.  Then she is like, 'She's on the phone right now!!!'  She had her on her mobile telling her about her baptism and confirmation.  And so I got to speak to her!  I started crying to be honest.  She was like, 'Sister Hull, I remember how to speak English!'  It was so funny.  I got to talk to her for like 15 or 20 minutes and update her about everything and it was great.  She has been called to be Stake YW President in her stake.  Sister Embley says that is probably for like half of China.  That's crazy.  Anyway, I had to ring President and tell him that I spoke to her because I didn't actually know if it was allowed.  He said if it was someone else it wouldn't be allowed, but since it was Sister Gong and they actually haven't heard from her since she got home and they were worried it was actually a tender mercy for him and Sister Preston as well.  It was great.

Anyway, Van's baptism went great.  She is so good, she is one of my best friends to be honest.  I tell her that, and she is just like, 'I know.'  She told me that I'm like her sister, but reminded me that I am younger.  It was quite funny, we weren't able to get the font completely filled, and I thought it would be fine because she was so short, but she actually had to get baptised kneeling down.  She was scared, so we ran around into the dressing room and she just did it.  She believes in God now, which is amazing, because 3 months ago when I came to the area I don't really think that she did.  She is a miracle.

I have had so many miracles since coming to Liverpool.  I can't believe how blessed I have been.  I was looking around at my recent converts yesterday at church and they are all do amazing things.  Van received the Holy Ghost.  Vincent was sustained for the Priesthood.  Leah went the the Temple last week to do baptisms.  Wini is showing her charity and service.  It is really amazing.  I'm not sure why the Lord chose me to serve these people, but I am so grateful.  I know that it isn't really anything I did, because there are loads of missionaries that are just as good as me or better, but I know the Lord blessed me with this opportunity so I could learn.  I'm so grateful.  I just wish all my friends weren't moving back to China.

Here is a funny story.  The other day Sister Embley and I were walking down the street at the university. I was like, 'Look, Sister Embley, it's Voldemort!!!'  This man seriously looked exactly like Voldemort. Then he came up to me and was asking me where some street was.  I didn't know where it was, so I was asking what they were looking for (in this area I know landmarks better) his girlfriend was like, 'We are looking for herione, do you know where the herione house is?!'  'Uh...no.'  Then they got upset and walked away.  Serious?  Voldemort came up to me and asked for herione?  As a good friend of mine would say, 'Welcome to Liverpool, Sister Hull...' (Mom and grandma... don't worry.  I'm safe here in Liverpool.  I
mostly spend time in Chinese students apartments and they are very good people.  Seriously, don't worry.)

Missions are so great.  They are seriously so great.

I love you all so much.  You are great. Bless.

Loves,

Sister Hull

We've moved!

Dear Everyone,

 

I can't believe all the things that are going on at home.  It has seriously been freaking me out that University has started again at home.  That is a whole year of upper education that I missed.  But I would say that I am definitely receiving the highest education, so that is okay.

 

I love that you went to a Catholic baptism for the P family.  They sound wonderful.  I love that there are Catholics in the world that actually believe in their faith.  There are loads of Christianed Catholics and CofEs here, but most of them are atheist now.  It is quite sad.  I tell people occasionally that my  father taught me that people with religion- no matter what religion- are good people.  And honestly, they are, they just don't know where to find all the truth.  I completely LOVE that you invited them to the Temple open house :)  Way to be missionaries. 

 

I love the pictures from the Temple Open House.  The twins are so beautiful, seriously.  Most children grow up and aren't as cute, I think, but they really are. I wish I could have gone to the Open House as well, but I'm very blessed that now I'll be able to go inside when I go home.  We'll have to do a Temple tour, I think so.  It sounds beautiful, you have to tell me about the dedication.  That will be lovely.

 

We had a good week this week.  We took sometime away from the Uni campus, which was nice.  We were strengthening other members and less actives.  As much as I love the Uni and working with all the students there, it was nice to go somewhere else for a day.  The RS president had us go visit a recent convert who is in the hospital because of self harm.  I was quite nervous, but she was quite good. She was actually taught by E. Ashcraft, so that was kind of strange, but good.  We also did service for a member family, Sister Embley did their ironing and I helped them sort through family history cards... which I love doing, you know?

 

Elder Fawcett left this week, which was quite sad.  He has been my leader and my friend since I transfered to Liverpool, and he helped us a lot with the Chinese work and things.  All the Chinese members and investigators were so sad, and to be honest I was really sad as well.  The day after he left I was feeling upset because so many of my friends have left me and I don't think it is fair.  Not that I want to leave, I just want them to stay or to come back.  That morning I was just going through the Book of Mormon and the next chapter was Alma 17.  Verse 13 really stood out to me.  '...that they ^aseparatedthemselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord that they should meet again at the close of their ^bharvest; for they supposed that great was the work which they had undertaken.'  I realize that this is a really great work that we are doing, and I'm so blessed to still be doing it.  And we have to trust the Lord with everything, but especially that we will see those we care about again later :)

 

Van is dated for baptism this weekend.  She is so good.  We have taught her ever since Sister Gong and I came to the area.  She is honestly one of my best Chinese friends.  She is probably one of my best friends regardless, she is so good and takes such good care of us.  She has been living the Word of Wisdom for a while, but still had this collection of alcohol that she needed to get rid of.  I had to commit her to do it this past week, and I was quite nervous.  But it was a great day when we walked in and all the bottles were gone and replaces with textbooks :)  She is great- and thankfully she is from the same place as Sister Gong so when I go to China I can see her :)  I'm going to China.  Someday.

 

I used Sister Embley's cord so I was able to send some pictures :)  Enjoy!

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

PS  We moved!  We are still in Liverpool, but we moved to a flat with more rooms, and I love it.  Here is my new address :)

 

Flat 4 Abbeygate Apts.

Wavertree Gardens

Liverpool

L15 8HB

United Kingdom

 

Acting like a boss.  Jojo, Sister Hull, Van and Sister Embley



I like my head smashed against the walker.  Sister Gong, Sister Horne,
Sam, me, Beryl and Sister Adams.




At a Chinese Activity with Vincent.  Sister Hull and Sister Embley



Sister Hull and Sister Longmore hiking Mt. Snowden



Sister Preston, Sister Hull, Sister Gong and President Preston




Wini, Sisters Adam, Hull, Gong and Horne




The Chinese Members and investigators in Liverpool



 

Mt. Snowden

Hello Everyone!

 

I hope that you have had a wonderful week this week.  I can't believe how fast a week goes by, to be honest, it is crazy.  But I love being a missionary so much.

 

This week as a mission we hiked Mt. Snowdon.  Oh my goodness, it was the worst/best experience of my life. The Assistants had hiked it before and decided to take us up the difficult trail, because it was more beautiful.  And apparently the day before it was quite beautiful... but for us we didn't get to see much of it.  We were about a 3rd the way up and it started to sprinkle just a bit... and it got heavier and heavier until it was a torrential downpour on our heads.  It was seriously raining so hard- it is unbelievable the Welsh weather.  And we were climbing up the side of a huge mountain- it was not a leisurely walking trail.  I realized that it taught me my true character, how much I had learned, and how much more I needed to learn.  If it was pre-mission me, I probably would have been screaming at however forced me to climb the mountain, and would have thrown a temper tantrum.  Honestly, it was that bad.  I was getting pretty uptight about it, but I tried to keep my calm.  At one time I did kind of shout, 'Elder Jackson... why are we stopped moving????'  and I felt horrible.  No one had forced me to climb this mountain, I had decided to do it myself.  It was my agency, and I decided to do it.  And I knew I wouldn't die, but I just had to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  Eventually we got to the top- it is supposed to be really scenic and beautiful, but we were just so wet and there were so many clouds we just pretty much started hiking back down, an easier way.  My hip was freaking out (sometimes I tell myself my back is better... but it really isn't, I'm just blessed) and I was hurting bad.  But I had to stay in front  of Elder Hengst, it was the rule.  So I was hiking down, talking to Elder Hengst and Elder Baker (there were sisters within sight and sound- no worry), and I was freezing, but I had a really good time.  I knew I just needed to keep going, and talking to those Elders was entertaining and enlightening and guess what?  I climbed up and down Mt. Snowdon.  It took sacrifice, a sacrifice of my selfish feelings, but I did it :)  Can you believe it?  I've changed so much.

 

On Friday we had a Chinese Activity for all the chinese people within the mission.  It was really good.  They are really pure in heart people and they really desire to learn about God.  Their faith develops so much that they don't even recognize how child-like and amazing their faith is.  They all had a good time, and I was able to see my friend Wei-Di from Preston again (he is going back to China in October :( ), and most of the Liverpool Chinese were there and I love them very much.  Working as a Chinese missionary is one of the biggest blessings of my life, I think so.  I have developed so many friendships and I love them so much.

 

It is crazy how much you love people on your mission.  Whenever I'm having a bad day President always says one thing to me, 'Prisca and her children.'  Oh my goodness, I love them so much.  When I was in Swinton I never thought I could love people so much, nor that I would be able to love anyone in the same way, because they were my first recent converts.  But I love so many people so much.  There are so many Chinese people I love, some are my recent converts, some are my investigators, and some are other peoples recent converts.  I just love them.  I wish you could meet them.  They are amazing.  And it is really hard, because even if I come back to UK in 5 years or something, they won't be here.  I need to go to China.  And another thing, I love my companions so much.  Honestly, they are closer than friends, it's like they have to be family.  And-ah- Sister Shen and Sister Gong, I miss the so much like everyday.  Sometimes I wish they were here to help me and laugh with me.  I think I've become more Eastern Culture.

 

Yeah.  Go on a mission.  I'm going to go on like 12.  Seriously, I hope that my husband and I can come back to UK for a mission, and go to China.  And I hope that Elder Fawcett is our mission president when we go on our mission to China.  He probably will be, to be honest.  He is leaving this week :/

 

Saturday was Vincent's baptism.  Vincent is so amazing.  He knows that God is real, and that is saying a lot.  I ask him how he felt and he said that he felt a little bit special, but he knew that it would grow, and he was glad he was on the path now to follow God.  He really understands that the Gospel is a progression, and that is amazing.  I have really loved him and respected him since I came to Liverpool, and I'm so blessed to be apart of his teaching process.  He will stay in UK for probably a year, which is really good, and then he will be a kingdom builder in China, I think so.  He is really amazing.

 

Funny highlights from the week.

 

Vincent thinks that home teachers should be given a test to make sure they know enough to teach.

 

Steven Dai doesn't have a church in his hometown in China... so he said he will build one.

 

Maxine's computer got wet and she prayed that she wouldn't lose her dissertation.  Her computer worked.

 

Owen said his first English prayer at Vincent's baptism.

 

And by the way.  I hiked Mt. Snowdon.

 

The Gospel is true.  I love you.  I want to go on a Sons of Mosiah mission- length wise at least.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull

 

New Companion

Hello Everyone!

 

I hope you have had a good week.  Mine has certainly been busy.  I'm so excited about all the things that were going on this week.  I'm especially excited for Katie's mission!  She will be so good and she will have so many amazing experiences :)  She looked really cute in the picture as well. Will you send me her address.  I'm also excited about Fyre's wedding- that is so strange that we are so grown up enough for her to get married.  Her wedding looked/sounded very cute.  And I've been excited all week for you to meet Sam and Beryl.  They are so amazing.  That is so funny that the kids love their accents. Believe me, not everyone in UK sounds like that.  It is a Liverpool accent for sure. Skouse accents are the best, albeit the hardest to understand.  They are so great, I'm glad that you got to meet them.  I hope they will be home soon.

 

I have a new companion!  She is very very good.  Her name is Sister Embley and she is from Michigan, but has lived in China and Mexico as well.  Her Chinese is very good, she only spent about 4 1/2 weeks in the MTC and then got moved up to come a transfer earlier.  She is really great and I'm really blessed to be her trainer.  She already loves the Chinese people so much, like so much it is crazy.  It is so good, though, because she really desires their welfare, and she has plenty of time to teach in Chinese.  And I feel totally in my element because I can't understand everything that is going on, so it feels just a teeny bit like being with Sister Shen or Sister Gong again, and I love them so much that it is a very good thing.

 

We had a very busy week. We went to the Temple.  The Preston Temple is so beautiful, by the way.  I have been so blessed to go so many times particularly recently.  You should all go.  I don't know how, just go :)  Someday.

 

We also had a Chinese meeting for passing on some of the Chinese culture, which was really good. 

 

We are planning Vincent's baptism for the 18th.  He is so good and has such a strong faith in God now.  He knows that God is there, and that is really really good for a Chinese person.  I love Chinese people, and I love Liverpool.  Times are hard and stressful, but the Lord really helps me do all things :)

 

I love you.

 

Loves,

 

Sister Hull



Aug 11 2012



Chinese Speakers

 

Weekly Letter

Hello :)

 

I'm glad you got in contact with Sam.  That is great she saw Taylor last weekend.  You'll have to see if she posted any pictures on fb of him in his red trousers- He was pretty proud of those. I think Elder Eggers will be wearing mint green ones, if I remember right.  I'm glad that you'll get to meet Sam and Beryl as well.  They are so good, I miss them very much.  Church is honestly a bit harder on Sundays without them there.

 

For my fb, I think you can just take it over, mom.  That will be fine.  I can send you the password... If I remember it.

 

I miss Jordan. 

 

Everything is okay here.  I don't have much time, because we are having a district activity in downtown Liverpool.  Our investigators are good, they are continuing to progress, although I would say progression is a bit slower since we aren't speaking their language. I think it will help when the new sisters get here.  We had to split our investigators for each companionship, and that was very difficult, especially for me because I have been here for a while and have formed really close bonds with all of them.  I love Chinese people so much.  So so much.

 

This week will be very busy, but very fun, I think.  On Tuesday we are going to the Mission Home for a short training, and then we'll stay the night there because our trainees will come the next morning.  Then on Friday we will be going to the Temple as a Zone, which will be great.  We are taking time to rededicate ourselves as a mission, because we really do need that, and so we'll be going to the Temple.  And then Saturday we are going to have a Chinese Meeting before Elder Fawcett goes home.  And then next week as a mission we will be climbing Mt. Snowdon- it's like 6 miles or something, but I think I'm in better shape.  So that is good.  It will be crazy.

 

Please pray for me.

 

I love you.

 

Sister Hull

 

PS  The newspaper article was published :)  I don't know where to find it, President just gave me a copy of it.  It was in the Independent I think probably on the last Sunday in July.  It would be about like British Mormonism.  I'll try to copy what President gave me, but see if you can find it online.  I'm quoted :)