Happy Bank Holiday

 

I love you all so much.  Seriously, I have to just tell you.

 

Sorry for my bit of moaning last week.  Missions are hard business, I can't deny it, but I have no doubt that I'm supposed to be in the EMM and I'm supposed to be under the direction of President Preston, and that I'm supposed to be trained by Sister Low.  Seriously.

 

We've been doing quite a bit of finding recently.  Stafford recently had 2 convert baptisms, so now we need to find more people that want to be taught the gospel!  And I'm trying really hard to do my best so the Lord can lead me to the people that want to hear more.  Because a lot of English people don't want to hear more :P  They are very stubburn (sp?) and don't want to listen.  But that means when they actually do listen it is very awesome.

 

Rewind.  I'm glad Jaden got back to school figured out... What instrument will he be playing?  Congrats to Jenika on making JV!!!!  WooHoo!  Rock it girl!  I hope Jordan's finger is doing better, I'm really sorry to hear about that.  So much for none of the Hulls ever breaking bones.  ALSO MISSION CALL!!!!!!!!  YAY!!!!!!!!  I seriously can't wait, and I'm totally still going with Cambodia.  Yes, I have recieved 2 of Katie's letters, but never the first one.  I think it might have got misplaced at the office, so I would suggest unless you send a package to sent it right to me on New Garden Street... then I'll get it a lot sooner as well :)  I also got a package from Chelsey yesterday, and am currently wearing a headband from Ghana.  So that is good.

 

Anyway, Stafford is much better than expected.  It is a very small branch, can't be more than 50 people, but the members are amazing.  They take good care of us.  They'll run us places, go with us to appointments, and Brother Hill brings us fresh made rolls every Monday :)  We had a dinner appointment at the Mansfield's last week.  They are also finishing their bathroom!  I felt so at home, like I was at Katie's house, haha.  Also, they have a son named Brendan who is on a mission.  Coincidences.  Wow. 

 

Our one real progressing investigator's name is Lee.  He got out of prison 3 months ago (we can't ask why...), but we always take someone with us, so of course we are safe.  He really desires to change and to improve himself, which is so great.  We haven't taught him about fasting yet, but he heard about it in church, so he said he would do it next week!  He also said if he gets hungry he'll just play a really gory video game to get his mind off of it... Baby steps :)  The problem is that you can't be baptized until you get off of parole... so he can't be baptized until 2017.  So we are not sure how long to consider him an investigator :)

 

The other day Sister Low and I both felt like we should track Wildwood, just an area east of Stafford.  Because of bank holiday we had to come back early.  No one in Wildwood listened to us!  We were wondering why we felt like we should go there.  We started tracking a street just down from ours, and no one was listening to us (well, except Mr. Ricky, the man with the 'funny' name... but he had so much 'paperwork' haha.)  There was a man walking down the street just across where we were tracking.  Sister Low asked me if I wanted to go talk to him, so I ran over while she was finishing up.

 

His name was Dave and he is agnostic.  It was weird, because recently I've been thinking a bit about my agnostic friend back home (I use friend loosely... some boy I know and dated one of my friends in high school...) and his reasonings of why he agnostic.  I asked Dave... 'why do you choose to be agnostic'.  He told me it was science mainly, he just didn't know for sure.  I had my finger in Alma from a conversation we had had with another lady (that conversation went like this.... 'What do you think your purpose is in life?'...  'Booze and [cigerettes].) and I opened up to it.  I read to him that even if he had a desire to know, he could learn about God's purpose and what God is actually like.  Then I was really bold and said 'Dave- I know you have the desire to know.  That is why you are agnostic, and since you have that desire you can know.'  Wow.  Brave little me.  I was actually freaking out, at one time during the conversation he was like, 'you're nervous, aren't you.'  I said, 'yeah, but I know that you are a nice person, so it is okay.'  Anyway, we set up an appointment with Dave, and I think he really does want to know.  And although we have a lot of people say no to us, sometimes nicely, and sometimes not so nicely, it is conversations like that where I can get to know the person, really care about them, and share my simple testimony that makes things more great.

 

Sister Low is very great.  We laugh so much.  The other day I had my Dwight bookmark, and she looked over and was like, 'Is that Elder Worthlin?'  'No, it's Dwight.'  And we started laughing out heads off.  She is a great trainer, very patient and has taught me a ton of stuff, mostly by example.  She also looks like Lindsay F. to me a little bit, so that makes her automatically awesome. I did tell her that we needed to buy some more food, as last week we only ate rice, toast and yogurt.  But otherwise everything is good.

 

I've realized already that I know so much random stuff.  The other day I started talking about Native American's with this lady, and about Deer Cliff Inn and the Anasazi cliff dwellings.  Then I see Rowley street and start telling S. Low about Anne Jewel.  I talked to a boy on the bus about Muse, and several men about football.  I didn't realize I was such a wealth of knowledge!  It's kind of fun :)

  

I don't really need anything, they have stores here in England ;)  haha.   Thanks for forwarding all the Elders emails.  It makes me feel more sane that other people are also chasing down random people down the streets.

 

I realized that this week will be 18 months since Brendan left on his mission.  Wow.  I have less time than that until I come home.  Half way.  Its so weird, because it has probably been the longest 18 months of my life, with all the life decisions I had to make, but its weird that the present has come so soon.  I really think a mission gives you a lot more perspective on time, whether it is going slow or fast (which really depends on the day... or moment.)  Hmmm.

 

I posted some letters today to people I've recieved letters from... so tell them to watch for those.

 

I love you all so much.  My family and my friends are the best people in the ENTIRE WORLD.  Seriously.  You are really the people who define me and make me who I am. I'm so thankful for that.

 

Let's Conspire to Ignite.... All the Souls that Would Die Just to Feel Alive.

 

Sister Jasmine Hull

 

PS Monday was Bank Holiday.  I really can't figure out what it is for... but the Library was closed.  Yesterday we had a Zone Conference.  So that is why I'm emailing today :)

 

PPS  JORDAN!!!!!  WHERE ARE YOU GOING!!!!!????????

Goodness

Hello.

 

I got more time to email this week!  Suprise.  Sister Low, my new companion and trainer didn't have time to email because of transfer meeting, so she needs to email her family and I get to email you again.  You should be super excited.

 

Well yesterday, which seems like 10 years ago, they took us from the MTC to the mission home.  It was about a 45 minute drive, and I have no idea what direction.  There we met the AP, and Sister Preston fed us breakfast and lunch.  Which was good.  We spent the time alternatively introducing ourselves, learning how to be a Christlike Missionary, and meeting with President Preston. I already love the Prestons.  Just thinking about them makes me want to cry, because I miss them, haha.  President is so happy, he always has a smile on his face.  He said he doesn't discipline, he just doesn't like it when people make him sad.  Because most of the time he is happy.  I loved the mission home and felt so much more comfortable there than at the MTC.

 

We then went to a Stake Center where they assigned us our trainers.  They brought all the new missionaries and all the trainers together, and just started calling us out.  It was crazy.  They usually don't have nearly as many missionaries come in as with our group (there was 15 of us), so it was quite exciting, and they even opened a new area!  So they were all excited about that.  Also in mission news, there is now sisters on the Isle of Man, which everyone is buzzing about.  I guess they whitewashed that area, and now all the sisters hope they will have a chance to serve there.

 

Elder Sorensen is a legend around here.  Therefore I have made a lot of friends, haha.

 

My trainer is Sister Low.  She is from Murray Utah, and came out last year the same transfer as me.  She has already trained one missionary, so she knows what she is doing.  They have changed the curriculum for training, so we'll have like mini MTC everyday for one hour.  So we have an extra hour of companionship study now.  We are assigned to labor in Stafford, which is the most southern of the sister areas.  Apparently there have been sisters in this area for like 3 years, and President Preston seems to want to keep on the tradition.  My flat address is:

 

Flat 2 New Garden House

New Garden Street

Stafford STAFFS

ST17 4DC

 

We made our way via train, which was quite the exciting experience.  I had a lot of luggage, and the train had an electrical problem, so we had to stop in Stoke.  We were stranded there for a while, until a nice member couple, the Hills came to pick us up.  Then we went to the apartment and started out tracting.

 

Missionary work is not all its cracked up to be.  My dear friends that are Elders only email home about the exciting bits.  Or they make it more exciting.  The first hour I watched Sister Low as she tried to chase down every person in Stafford.  She is much braver than me.  We had an appointment scheduled, but they were a no show, so we went tracting in a little street called Surrey Road.  It reminded me a lot of Private Drive, so that made things a bit better.  Except I was afraid my soul would get sucked out of my body by Dementors.

 

We only really talked to one person and he was Atheist.  I feel like I can relate to people fairly well, and he was fine talking to me, but didn't want to hear about the gospel.  And the gospel is kind of the thing we are supposed to be talking about.  We ran to the bus, which we missed, so we had to walk all the way across town back home.

 

Last night sometime during the evening I thought Sister Low told me to get up, so I got out of bed and started praying, only to realize she was still asleep, and it was probably only about midnight.  I didn't sleep so hot last night, needless to say.

 

This morning we had a lesson scheduled with someone named Ann Marie. They met her out tracting last week.  She lives in Darrington, which is a ways outside of Stafford.  So we rode the bus, and I had a pleasent conversation with a lady who is CofA.

 

Ann Marie is so lonely, and can't get out because she hurt her foot.  She is like 52 or something.  She was so excited to see us and to "moan" to us about all her problems.  We taught her the first lesson, and I'm not sure that anything sank in.  She did accept a date to be baptized on the 24, providing it is in the morning, because her 60s night is that evening.  She wants to come to church really bad, mostly to meet new people, and she did pray.  She prayed and blessed us over and over.  It was very sweet.

 

We went tracting in Darrington, and they don't have numbers on their houses.  Their houses are named.  So that is cool.  Except no one wanted to listen to us.  Blarg.  If they knew what they were missing.

 

On the bus ride back I talked to a 17 year old named Luke.  He was entertained because I am American.  We had a good conversation about bands... which is not what I'm here to talk about :P  But I figure, I did tell him why I was here, and so maybe he will have a good impression of the church?  IDK.  I gave him a passalong card.

 

And now I'm writing all of you.  I'm not sure how I am going to do this for a year and a half.  The exciting parts must be really exciting since everyone loves their mission so much.  It is definitely already been a refiners fire for me anyway.  Just need to be molded a bit more everyday.

 

I love you all so much, and I would love to hear from you all.... soon!

 

My best,

 

Jasmine

 

 

She has arrived!!

At Mission Home with Pres. and Sister Preston



Jasmine's companion and trainer (name?) at the Manchester Stake Centre

 Doesn't she look happy?!

In the field tomorrow!!!

Hey Family :)

 

I'm going to be in the field tomorrow!  It is so scary, I can't believe it.  I'm sure it will be good, but I'm getting very nervous about it all.  I just need to go out and love the people, I guess.  I recieved several letters today from you, Marvin and grandma RaMona so those were good boosters :)   

 

Jordan will be an *amazing* missionary wherever he goes.  The mantle really falls on these boys when they become Elders... and I'm still in the MTC!  They really will do amazing things, and Jordan is already so strong that I have so much faith in him.  The people will love love love Jordan, I totally know it.  But not as much as I love him.  And Kaia's mission call!?  That is totally crazy!  I would have never guessed Russia, but it totally fits her when I think about it :)  She'll be fantastic.  Now I just need to wait and hear Jordan's, and eventually Josie and Jenny's.  That's all I can think of right now.   I love my teachers so much (platonic love, of course), they have been amazing at helping me learn the gospel. 

 

I got a picture of Andrea with David Tennant!  Very nice :)  I kind of can't believe she met him.

 

I'm glad you could see some more of the pictures!  I haven't seen any of them yet, except one where Sister Jack and I are talking to an Irish lady, the choir one, and one of the group in front of the MTC.  

 

Proselyting at Picadilly was so scary!  The first person I talked to on the train was a Liverpool fan (not that uncommon), but I was able to use the knowledge Chelsey told me before I left.  He told me I would go far.  The first lady we talked to at the park saw Jesus in her living room in 1972.  So that was pretty cool.  You know. 

 

We did meet 2 amazing people.  One's name was Billy and he had just moved from Melbourne.  He was here for work, and he was really interested and kept asking us questions.  He asked us, "aren't all the churches the same, you know, I'd be good if I was a Jew or Muslim, or Catholic."  I told him that we had the fullness of the truth, and he seemed really receptive.  It was awesome.  I thought the teachers had planted him there, because he was seriously asking all the right questions.

 

As we were headed to the train a big black guy stopped us.  His name was Jason.  He said, "are you going to preach to me?"  I said, "we'll preach to you if you want us to!!!!"  He said, "Tell me about Jesus!"  So we did.  He had absolutely no idea about Christ, and so we were more than happy to tell him everything :)  It was awesome.  When we were leaving he said, "I just felt like I should talk to you."  It was really cool.

 

Sister Jack and I had the goal to pass out 5 BofM in the 3 hours we were there.... and we passed out exactly 5.  Our district got 9 referrals, five of which were from me and S. Jack.  Our whole zone only got like 14... so out of 24 missionaries we did pretty well :)  I can't boast in my own strength, every referral is a blessing from God.  We just have to be brave enough to recieve the blessing, you know?

 

It has been weird winding everything down in the MTC.  I can't believe it is almost over, it has been the fastest and slowest 2 weeks of my entire life.  And you know what?  I love these people!  I've only known these peeps for 19 days, but I LOVE them!  I can't believe it.  I never thought such a thing was possible, but I'm going to miss these people.  And it is weird because I'm not sure if I will ever see them again.  Which is really hard.  I knew that when I left home that all my family and friends would be waiting for me when I got home, but I don't know that anymore.  And its going to be like that on my whole mission.  Which really bites.  But I know I can see everyone I love again, and that is awesome.

 

I really miss you all.  I remember I read a quote from Calvin and Hobbs before I left.  It was something like, "I think we dream so we don't have to wait so long to play together."  I pray every night that I can be with all of you in my dreams.  Because then I can be here during the day :) 

 

I love all of you so much!  You are amazing! 

 

"I'm going to be the most terrific missionary this church has every known."  Sister Walker says that was really all I was supposed to say.  This was supposed to be short.  haha.

 

Sista Jasmine Hull

 

PS  Write me letters!  I know you are reading this, people!  Love you!

Street Contacts in Manchester

MTC Church History Pics

Town Square in Preston



15 Wadham Rd., 1st missionaries stayed here



Sisters in a hurry

At the River Ribble where first British baptism took place

Chatburn baptismal site

Ammon District

Beautiful Downham View

MTC Week 2

Hello Everyone!   Thank you so much for your letters and emails.  They weren't lying when they said they make a missionaries day go round :)  I love it.  Also, I really wanted to send you some pictures of my district and me in this awesome cemetary, but there is not an SD port on this computer :'(  Sad Day.  I'll have to go to ASDA sometime and print some off to send to you, then maybe you can scan them in or something.   Anyway, I'm over halfway done at the MTC.  Oh my heck!  I can't even freaking believe it.  I feel like I've known these missionaries forever, and that we have been here at the MTC for a month (monf).  It really is crazy to see how fast time goes by when you are busy doing the Lord's work.   I thought I might share some words that are different here.  Soda is called fizzy. Weird.  Band-aids are called plasters and candy is called sweets.  One of my favorite moments from this week.   Elder Layton:  Will we win a candy bar? Brother Perry:  I don't know what candy is... E. Layton: Will we win a sweety bar?!   Yeah.  We had Elder Kipiske who is on the 1 Quorum of the 70 come and talk to us last Saturday.  He presides over all of Europe and so it was really cool that he could come and talk with us.  We definitely learned a lot from him, but I didn't bring my notes downstairs!  Haha.   Okay, so on Sunday we went on a church history tour and it was SO COOL!!!!  I love church history, and this really is the history of MY ancestors, which I honestly didn't know before.  We went to the city center in Preston where the first missionaries ever came to England preached.  There were a lot of churches teaching that day, and one had a sign that said, TRUTH WILL PREVAIL.  That became the motto of the missionaries in England.  They taught that first day, and 9 people decided to be baptised (that is how you spell in in the UK).    We then went to the River Ribble.  Here the first 9 people were baptised.  Two of the men realized that whoever would be the first to be baptised would be the very first member in Europe, so they had a race accross the bridge there.  I think Sister Williams will be sending you a picture of that bridge.  In the park by the river something like 7000 people showed up to watch the baptism!!!  Isn't that so freaking insane!?  I honestly cannot believe that, I can't even fathom it.  Blows my mind.  Obviously the UK was so ready for the church at that time, and really the members from over here saved the church...  You think of all the persecution and stuff that was going on in the US, and without these faithful members the church would have never survived.  Never.  These were OUR ancestors that SAVED the CHURCH!!!!!  And now I'm going to be teaching their distant relations. I can't believe it.   We then went to President Hinckley's first apartment, where he recieved the letter from his father that said, FORGET YOURSELF AND GO TO WORK.  It was super cool, because Sister Walker, who is President Hinckley's daughter, was the one telling us the story.  It was so cool to hear her.  She said she asked her dad one time how many people he had baptised on his mission... and he didn't give her a distinct answer... She said it was clear that he hadn't baptised anyone on his mission.... WHAT!?  President Hinckley?  I thought that was so interesting, because later in his life he brought so many people to the gospel with his testimony... his mission was really meant to be a refiners fire and to help him be the man and prophet he need to become.  Wow.  It is crazy.  It makes me realize that although I won't *technically* baptise anyone (because I'm a girl, and I can't) I can do a lot of good, and that this mission might be just as much for me as for anyone else.   We then went to the little towns of Chatburn and Downham.  Here hundreds of saints joined the church and were baptised.  While we were in Chatburn our bus broke down... oops.  So we had to walk to Downham, but they were adjoining villiages.  Downham is quite nearly like what it would have been in the 1800s, very unchanged.  I saw a Preschool in a building that had been built in 1836!  What!?  England is just so, ENGLAND!  It's so cool to see that they don't change their history.  Yes, we have historical landmarks, but their history is everywhere, and it is a lot older than our history.  I LOVE the cemetaries in England, I had been wanting to visit one ever since I saw one on our way to ASDA last week.  I had Sister Jack take some pictures of me in Downham cemetary, because it is just so cool!  I really wish you could see these!  Oh well.  England is amazing, I love it already.   Tomorrow we are going to go and teach in Manchester.  I'm pretty nervous about it, I'm not gonna lie.  We'll be there for several hours tomorrow, so we'll se how it goes.  We'll be passing out passalong cards and Bof M... so we'll see how that goes.   Well, I would suggest that everyone who reads this this week goes to the Bible Dictionary and read about PRAYER.  It is super awesome, I love it.  The bible dictionary is really helpful as a missionary, super interesting stuff.    I love you all.  So much.  I miss you more than you know, but I'm making new friends and meeting interesting people.   All the Best,   Sister Jasmine   PS  Did Jordan get his papers in?  I'm dying to know where he is going!  I hope it only takes 9 days like mine!  And I hope he comes to England!  This MTC is da best, and the current Ammon District is da best this MTC has ever seen.  Yeah-a.