Coming Home!

Today was the Day!  The day I was set apart as a missionary 2 years previous.  Who would have thought it would have come to an end this quickly?  As I look back I can only see the blessings that have come into my life, and the man that my Heavenly Father has asked me to become in only a short amount of time.  When I think about it... I served during my 20th year as a child of God, and gave back to him 10%. My Two years was served in the West Indies!  I lived it, I loved it, and I will always cherish the wonderful memories and actions I was able to be blessed with.  I have come to an understanding of the Gospel that will always stick with me as I stay true and faithful to his miraculous teachings! The Friends that I made are Lifelong, and Eternal!  I'm sad that it is all ending, but at the same time I'm comforted by the fact that I came, I did, I conquered, and I worked my tail end off!  I feel amazing and I Cant wait for the blessings and miracles I have yet to experience on my next mission of Life! 

Elder Christensen and Hill

Elder Glade and Dearing

Elder Ferrin and Hill

Surprised by My Brother in Houston

Snow Capped Mountains!

Waiting Patiently

Returning With Honor

Best Birthday Present Ever!

Luggage arrived a week later ;)

Last Day in Trinidad

   I left St. Lucia at 4 am in order to make the 6:30 flight to St. Vincent, where my luggage was lost.  We then flew on to Barbados, and then to Trinidad.  We had interviews, a nice meal, a final devotional-fireside and then said our last goodbye's before getting a short night's rest...me with only the clothes on my back.

Departing Missionaries

Sister and President Mehr and Elder Hill

Elder Hill and Larson

Getting ready to leave (luggage was lost in St.Vincent)

Signing Off for Now

   Well everyone! This email will probably be pretty short, due to I'll see you all, well most of you in a few days! Ah I'm so excited to see you again. I feel that this past two years has gone so fast but so slow all at the same time if that makes sense and is even possible.

   This past week has been an emotional roller coaster for me! Since Thursday last week, I have been having a lot of doubts if I have been a good missionary! Satan has really been getting into my head putting doubts in my mind. I was listening to them because they seem so real. I realized about Friday night and Saturday that it is a feeling of anticipation because I'm excited to come home. Only instead, I feel guilty for being excited. It's interesting and hard to explain. But essentially I know that I have been a good missionary and worked hard. So I feel like the doubt and trouble will let off as I return home and realize all the good I have done!

   General Conference was good for me! I had the same favorite as mom. (Elder Pearson) I thought that talk was really good! as well as M. Russell Ballards talk in the priesthood session... ;) if you know what I mean! I feel like a lot of talks were geared towards return missionaries. Maybe that's just my perspective and the spirit talking to me. But they focused a lot on being faithful to the things that I'm teaching people. My worst fear is slipping up when I get home. But comfort came to me when I heard the talk about desires. If I have a prayer in my heart and work as hard as I can to not slip up, and do the little things I will build my testimony consistently and be a strong disciple of Christ!

   Well my nerves could go through the roof right now! I'm excited! I fly to Trinidad on Wednesday morning on LIAT.. so I hope they don't loose my luggage.. knock on wood! But my flight leaves at 7 in the morning. We spend the day there. We will have a departing devotional with pres. Mehr and dinner, then I fly out Thursday morning.

   Well I don't really have anything else to say! Thanks for the final mail!

MISSIONARY LIFE IS THE BEST TYPE OF LIFE!!!

Love ELDER HILL.... signing off for now! might be reinstated in the future!

The Cure --- WORK!!

Well this week went by surprisingly fast for me. I thought that the last few weeks of a mission were going to go by slow... but I have really dug into the grind this week and hey! It's Monday again. I love the way that I feel spreading the gospel to these wonderful West Indian people. I'm certainly going to miss these wonderful feelings! I Love doing this work. I don't have any desire to stop now! It will just keep getting harder to focus... but I know the cure already! WORK!

    We had an investigator at church for the first time this transfer! Wahoo!!! Her name is M---. And what do you know, she has been coming all transfer and I didn't even know! She is really cool and has a great understanding of the gospel.

   The area is looking up! We are getting more and more people that are interested! A--- talked to us this week and shared that she feels rushed. So we let her set her own day and she chose the 6th of June! She said that she felt the spirit confirm to her that the Book of Mormon was true and that she knows that she needs to get baptized! She received that answer reading Alma 32 that we left with her! She is a powerful example to the people she is around.

   I truly know that this is the work of the Lord! I'm grateful for the change that has taken place in my life and the ability that I have had to become a powerful teacher. It has been a ride and a rush at points, and has been hard, but I know that the Lord has and will continue to bless me for my efforts that I have so poured out to him through my love! If I had to serve again I would! It would be hard to do it again, but the blessings that come are priceless!!!

Love Aaron! ;)

Elder Tulikihakau and Hill

Pitons at Soufriere

We finally went to Soufriere today! We got up early and took a bus. We were going to take a taxi but it would have been 400ec(east caribbean) which is $150 US... so we took a public bus for 80 round trip ($30 US). We took a lot of pictures and a video you can watch when I get home!    

[Soufriere is the oldest town in St. Lucia - founded by the French in 1746. The Pitons (pee-tons) are 2 mountainous volcanic plugs.]

Trying to Concentrate

Hey everybody!

   It's really crazy knowing that my mission has come and gone that fast! I was looking back last night at the experiences of my mission and for some reason I was taken back to Chaguanas!  Wow, I have come a long way! I feel like God has made a huge change in my life! He gave me a small desire to serve, and that small seed was fed and nourished by the family I love so much and from Good Friends! I'm grateful for EVERYTHING!

   Well this past week was really good for me!  We have been having a lot of tourists come to church lately. We had like 25 last week... this week we had about 10. It's funny when we see a lot of white people in our chapel. 

   I have really been trying to study the assigned reading, PMG and Conference Talks HARD! I have had a constant desire to study well my entire mission and I don't want to loose concentration these final weeks prior to my departure! It's getting harder and harder to concentrate but I'm trying my hardest to continue to work hard and not get really trunky! The hardest part is being in the apartment during the 4 hours of study! haha So I feel really good when we can finally go out and work! I love working hard that is for sure! I love this work. I'm grateful for the blessings that come from living the gospel! I know that It's true and I cannot deny it!

Love, Elder Aaron Hill

                  Elders Hill, Tulikihakau, Hodgkinson

Getting Trunky

    Well everyone... My week went by S....L....O......W........ Yup it's finally starting! Trunkyness is kicking in. I'm still working really hard it just feels like my mind is not in it as it used to be. That Light at the end of the tunnel is so close I can almost taste it! I'm don't really get too much sleep and when I study it feels like I'm a little kid trying to concentrate on my homework after school when it has just snowed. haha I love being a missionary so much, but to say that I'm not excited to come home would be a horrible lie.

    I'm really trying hard to get Elder T to know and understand the area. He is doing great. We met a really cool guy named J--- that has a strong desire to serve God. He openly accepted to be baptized if he comes to know it's true! He contacted us and believes that it wasn't just by coincidence... I agree completely with him. It's really hard to find people that want to be baptized now for some reason. I think the Lord is testing me to see how diligent I can be these last few weeks of my mission. I love Missionary work. I have thought about Sacrifice a lot lately and how I will sacrifice when I return home. I'm excited for the future and my service in the Church. I'm grateful for the time I've had to serve!!!

I love you all.. take care until next week!

Elder Hill!

Last Zone Conference

      Well this past week was great! It was the best to have a 3 day break, and to see all of my old friends. I loved flying to St. Vincent and being able to give my last Testimony in Zone Conference, yes I gave my final one and man... That was a rush! I had no idea what I was going to say so I just tinged it! I loved it though. When I look back on my experiences for my mission I can't help but smile. I have enjoyed every minute of it. I can remember the things that I could have done better at, but I look at those experiences as places of Growth. That is what Life is all about. I could have been more diligent sometimes, I could have been more obedient at some things as well, but that is why we make mistakes, so that we can become more like our Heavenly Father. I have definitely not been perfect during my two year duration, but I have truly done my best to be exactly obedient. It's sad to know that I won't have any more conferences. I am sad but excited at the same time. Its a very hard thing to describe! haha I'm excited to be back in all of your arms though. I have been really thinking about what I have learned as a missionary and If I could say anything.. it would be, The little things matter most! Obedience is the first law of heaven. It will be hard to make it to the Celestial kingdom but through small and simple things great things will be come to pass. (Alma 37:6)

     It's a weird feeling knowing that most of the people that we are finding and teaching will not be baptized during my time as a missionary. But I do know that whatever is the outcome of Gods children, I'm planting the seeds. I Just hope and pray that they keep the seed and let it grow with in them. I have come to really love God's children and I can see the blessings of loving them with the Love that Christ and Heavenly Father have for them. It has blessed my life and I know that love is essential for helping people feel that love and peace that the Gospel brings.

 

Training Elder T !

    Hey everyone! I am now serving with Elder Tulikihakau from the kingdom of Tonga. I was really nervous coming into this transfer being with a brand new missionary, but I was calm and collected and hoped for the best! I had been praying for a humble, teachable and hard working, talkative missionary and I got it! We get along great and we work well together. I'm trying hard to get him comfortable with the area and our investigators so he can take the lead for a bit when I leave. I have a lot of respect for him. I feel greatly blessed to be his trainer and that the Lord has selected me to train him! I'm glad I have a good "son." He's going to do great things in this mission!

    Training is interesting! We wake up in the morning and exercise for a half hour. We are at our desk at 8:00 am and we study for one hour on our own. At 9 we take and do one hour of companionship study. After that we do an hour of language study and so I basically read him the Book of Mormon and take turns.. Like what we used to do in the mornings before school. I like it because I learn more as well. Then at 11 we take and do the 12-week training program for new missionaries! We eat lunch at 12 and then are out the door at 1:00. I'm really just trying to show him the area. I don't really feel like I'm training. I actually feel like he is helping me. I love the way it is.   I LOVE THIS WORK! I'm truly going to miss everything about this! I have grown to love every part about being a missionary!

    Well I love everyone of you and hope to have some great experiences this week with our investigators, because this week we did a lot of running around doing immigration stuff for new missionaries that I had to go through 2 years ago.

Take care!
Love Elder Aaron Hill

Anxiously Engaged

    Well everyone... Tomorrow is the start of my last transfer as a full time missionary for my Savior! I can't help but look back and see all of the wonderful times I have been able to have as a missionary. I didn't think that I would have ever loved this as much as I do now! There is a missionary that is going home tomorrow that is really depressed and sad that his mission is ending. I thought to myself, "shouldn't I be acting like that too?" But I realized that I don't have to be sad that I'm going home. The words of the prophets came into my head...'Every member a missionary.' I had a feeling of comfort knowing that I can be happy to go home and continue my life. I don't need those sad feelings because they would just drag me down. I have made a goal to just be happy... besides why would I be sad... haha. I love being home too much. But I will be honest, I love it here as well! The West Indies owns my heart and I'm grateful for the service I've been able to give and that I've been able to work hard my entire mission!

    I love being able to see the spirit work in the people we are teaching. The miracle that came this week was a few referrals. We are currently working on them to act on the feelings they are having as they are taught and to come to church. They are really great and I hope that they will be willing to continue learning from the Book of Mormon. Y---- has such a strong desire to serve God! I'm learning from her faith actually. It has been really cool teaching such an inspired and prepared family. I just hope that they will accept a baptism date for the 14th of March. A--- is doing great! She came to church and now she is really excited about it! She told me that she is going to continue coming because she loves the way that she feels as she attends. She is excited about the doctrine and wants to dig in deep to the scriptures. It is building her testimony in the gospel as she goes through a temporary trial. She mentioned to us that she wants to dive head first into the teachings now. She even mentioned that she has a stronger desire to get baptized.

    The area is being built up again. We dropped a lot of investigators, that weren't too serious. I'm really focusing on the area book right now, so that when I leave it will be a blessing and not get thrown down in frustration... like I wanted to do when I first got here! I love going into an area that has a good area book. You care for the Lord as you update the area book. I'm trying to follow the scout motto that was engraved into my brain by dad and Jared and Tyson. Leave the campsite better than you found it!

Daily Sowing

    Yesterday was Area Conference. It was great! We were able to hear from Elder Holland. He talked about the importance of observing the law of the fast, temple attendance and Sabbath attendance, along with tithing. He promised the area that we will have temples on the islands once they observe everything with exactness. An amazing promise. We also heard from Bonnie L Oscarson. She spoke about the importance of the family and it was amazing. Reminded me of my blessing. How it says that I'll defend the family on my mission field... exactly what has been happening. It was great to have the members here. There are about 300 on our roll but only 50-60 show up every week.

    S---- is really hard to see. We stop by quite often and every time she just states that she is busy with work and that she will call us. So most likely she has heard something about us from someone and is discouraged. I hope that's not the case so I'm keeping my chin up. L--- dropped us. I was really upset with that one. But as I walked back to our apartment I was calmed with the words of Alma 32:28. I know that the spirit was speaking to my soul. Faith is a seed. I planted the seed and hopefully the missionaries will catch the fish that got away. We win some we loose a lot, but the ones we catch are by far meaningful. He will accept it just now... I may not be in St. Lucia when it occurs but I sure hope so.

    I cannot believe how fast the weeks are going by. I love that I am losing myself still in the work and I can say I'm working hard every day because I don't want to be known as one of those missionaries that slacked off at the end of his mission. I actually asked Pres. Mehr if I could train a brand new green missionary. I believe it would help me work even harder. I feel that the first month is crucial. I had a hard time in the beginning, and I learned a lot my first few months that set the pace for my mission. I think that it would be great if I could help those young kids coming in to hit the ground running!

Liming