Last Baptism in Grenada

     Baptisms are the BEST! I have been super stoked for this one! 

K----- knows the church is true and he knows Heavenly Father is leading him down a path that is true. He has told us he wants the spirit to be with him all the time so he can make good decisions. He is just an all around awesome guy!

Grand E'tang

Funny story....

     Today we went up to the Grand E'tang Lake. [a crater lake in an extinct volcano, surrounded by rainforest] We hiked to a place called Mt. Qua Qua. Well halfway through, it starts to just down pour... and so the trail is just getting super slippery. I'm sliding all over the place, and so is everybody else! The ground was like clay so it was like stepping on a million banana peels over dey. We (E. Strong, E. Smith jr., and I) have a brilliant idea to run down this hill.. more like slide down.. so we get a nice running start.. and here we go. I start sliding down and then BAM! My foot gets stuck on a wood plank sending me over my feet in front of me... Haha! And then I go sprawling headfirst into a massive patch of Razor Grass! So this grass has little edges on it like razor blades, and my face and neck got all scratched up and my arms and legs. Now i'm just looking like I got into a fight with a huge cat. I probably won't ever do that again! I would say that it was worth it though! haha because I was laughing and so was everybody else!

Elder and Sister Smith

Smith, Hill, Ramdhanie, Wilson, Loewen, Strong, Grigg, Smith

Who The Lord Calls He Qualifies

     Well to be honest this week just pretty much flew by...missionary work just blends the days all together so you never really get a chance to just be lazy.

     We saw K---- every day this week! He is such a boss! He is literally the best! He quit drinking -- cold turkey. He was like "eh it was easy once you told me to stop and that the Lord looks down on me when I do those things." I was like dude your kidding me! That's awesome! So he is doing great! Last night was by far my favorite. It was just a really good Sunday! We were asking some inspired questions about his progression towards baptism. He opened up to us after I asked how he was feeling for the 7th. He told me that he feels like God really wants him in this church. He also told me that his heart is telling him YES! He just expressed to us how much he loves the church and how he wants to join. He did tell us that he is still just unsure in his mind because he just doesn't know everything yet! We told him that we still don't know everything, and we won't until we gain a perfect understanding when we are resurrected. But anyway I love that kid!

    So I have a testimony of who the lord calls he qualifies, because I have had a lot of success here in Grenader. I know that where ever I serve, it's because the Lord needs me there! It's a great feeling! K--- is going to make such a great member. Yesterday we picked him up for church.. and man the neighbors were ruthless... Just screaming at him and telling him we worship satan... It was pretty bad... but he turned to me and said.... "Let them talk... I know this is where I should be!" It was the greatest thing I have ever heard!

Welcome Elder Wilson!

I want to tell you all E. Wilson is a great kid. He doesn't talk much but he is really smart doctrinally and in general.  I know I can learn something from him that no one else can give me.  

First work for the day...cutting down bananas in the back yard!

Doing what missionaries do best...

Elders Lowen, Smith, Hill, Strong, Wilson, Ramdhanie

Mother's Day Skype

    Hey everyone, Well I just want to tell everyone that the Skype session went by so so so so so fast! It was really crazy to me how it just whizzed by and now I look back on it feeling like it never even happened! Pretty Crazy how the Lord puts things out of your mind and helps you focus back on the work! I really enjoyed talking to everyone! It made me super happy after and It just really made me relax a little bit from all the stress I've been going through. 

    Well this past week was good any way! We were able to set dates with 4 People! First we set a date with two ladies. A---- had a date but missed it because she wouldn't come to church. So we re-set it for the 31st of this month. Next is a girl named M----a. Her date is for the 7th of June. She is really funny. She always says she's never sinned so she doesn't have to repent... but we're working with her. Next are two really cool guys.... T---- and K----. T---- is 21 and really wants to change. He has told us there are things that he feels really bad about and wants to be good with God again. He set a date for the 7th of June.

     We just started teaching K---- on Wednesday. He told us he doesn't like going to his church because they back bite and are all hypocrites. He is really amazing to me because he is just very humble. We taught him about the Restoration! We went all the way through and then invited him to be baptized on the 7th of June by someone holding the Proper Authority of Jesus Christ. He immediately said I'll accept that date and once I find this is true I'll be baptized. It was great! We invited him to come to church and he was like okay, I'll do it. We woke up yesterday morning and went and walked with him and his two nieces to church. He told us after service, that he really feels like this is the Church where God wants him to be. He is excited to come again and continue learning from us. Ahh man HE IS THE BEST! There is just something about teaching potential Priesthood holders. There is just such a power and great feeling when we do! So that was my other highlight of the week besides seeing you all on Skype. :)

    I love teaching people that are easy to teach.. but I will say again, that it breaks my heart when they don't accept what we teach! I do know that another missionary will have a chance to teach them but it's just hard to face rejection.

Transfer Time Again

    Hey everyone! How are my peeps back in the Mormon Bubble? haha Well I'm getting a new companion to come and serve with me in Gouyave. His name is Elder Ellis Wilson. I believe he is from Wisconsin and he has been on his mission for about 7 and a half months. He has been in Barbados his entire mission so far, so I'm sure he probably excited to look at some new things. I actually stayed in his apartment with him when we flew to Barbados for Zone Conference a few weeks back, so i'm pretty pumped!

    Well we found a new man named Bro. Th----s...He is really cool. He has been taught by many missionaries before, but lost touch with them. Elder Larson and I found him and taught him about God for our first lesson. He replied "are you angels" it was pretty funny! But He was our cool find this past week!

   As far as skyping... I will be able to on Saturday because of travel purposes. Sundays buses don't run from here... but on Saturday they do, so I will be on sometime in the afternoon. I hope that works.  But man oh man am I excited! I just can't wait to hear everyone again... it just seems like a month ago we did that... it's going to be so good!   Have fun this week so we can have things to talk about! :0 

Love ya
Elder Hill

Hanging out at church:

Saying Goodbye to Elder Larson

Planting Seeds

   A cool thing happened to us the other day...we were sitting by a man named G--- and we were just shooting the breeze because we really wanted to teach him...trying to gain trust and a friendship. This man comes up to us while we are talking and introduces himself as S----. He asked us if we were the Mormons. He told us that he has always wondered about what we believe but he just hasn't had the opportunity to talk to missionaries before! He told us that the first contact he had with hearing about the church was off of his cable tv. He said he stumbled across the "Mormon Channel" and started looking at the videos and talks from the presidents of the Church along with Joseph Smith stuff! He asked us about the Book of Mormon and so we told him that if he scheduled an appointment with us we would love to give him a free copy of the book. He replied Yes! So we saw him last night and oh man is he cool! It was my highlight of the week it was so good! He told us just after we taught him about the Apostasy that the Priesthood was off the earth and men were then not able to baptize and preach. He really understood the Apostasy and why there is only one church with this authority now! I really hope he can read the Book of Mormon and pray about it so that he can really start investigating the Church! 
Oh man it was the BEST!!!

   We had a good lesson with V----- and we were able to talk to her about the Book of Mormon. It was a super sweet lesson! The Spirit was just burning in my chest and oh my goodness did it feel good! She is super cool because she is always telling us how much she desires to know and, she says some really great prayers. We have high hopes for her. We were going to invite her to get baptized but she wants her husband to listen as well so we're going to wait to invite both of them hopefully! 

   A---- is doing good but she just won't come to church! She is really great but I'm not sure she understands the significance of going to our church. So this week we are going to make sure she understands the doctrine and then let her use her agency and decide what she would like to do and how she is going to proceed!

   We are also kind of bummed about a family of girls we've been teaching. I'm pretty sure we might drop them this week. They just won't keep their commitments and won't come to church but hopefully some missionaries in the future pick them up and maybe then they will be a little more interested.

   It breaks my heart when those we teach feel the spirit and want to be baptized, then for some reason decide not to. Their friends or relatives talk them out of it, or they come in contact with 'anti' information. These are people that we have come to love and to see them turn away from the gospel is really agonizing. All we can do is plant the seed as described in Alma 32:28, and hopefully they will accept the things that are true.

cashew

nutmeg

R & R

Necessary Stress Relief and Relaxation ....
 'a change is as good as a rest'

P-Day Excursions:   Grenada Chocolate Company, Leaper's Hill, and Turtle Watching   

   

Elders Loewen, Dohrman, Larson, Hill, Smith, Strong...Sisters Smith, Grigg, Smith

 Well I just want to say that seeing those mammoth turtles was like the most wonderful wonder of the world I've ever seen!  It was so amazing.  Behind the massive shell was a quiet beautiful animal.  It was neat to see the egg laying process, which took about an hour.

Down Hill ...

   

          Happy Hump Day!

We're so proud of Aaron's accomplishments and his dedication as a missionary. As he serves, not only is he making a difference in the lives of those he teaches, but the experience and testimony he is gaining will touch his life forever.  He is a great example to all of us!

Elder Larson and Elder Hill

Zone and General Conference

   Man...Zone Conference in Barbados was AWESOME!  Our flight was at 9:20 pm, with a stop at St. Vincent.  It was pretty sweet!  I love plane rides!!  :)  The conference was on working our way to exaltation. 

   Then, 3 days later...General Conference was super spiritually uplifting!  I thought Dallin H. Oaks talk during the Priesthood Session was AMAZING! I loved how he told all of the priesthood brethren to know and understand that women are just as important in the priesthood as men are!  In fact the priesthood wasn't fully restored until the Relief Society was established!  I liked Elder Bednar's talk as well.  It's hard for me to give one of my favorites because they all touched me in a special way!  It was great to receive so much personal revelation for things that I could be doing better in my own life.  I had some questions that I was seeking answers to going in to conference. I received my answer like a freaking typhoon!  Stay Faithful, Have Courage, Be Strong, and Work like Crazy!  That was the thought given to me by the spirit telling me that I just need to do my best, God will always lift us when we need lifting and He will always comfort us when we need comfort!  I love the gospel so so much and I would not trade it for anything in the world!

  I'm going to take the advice of M. Russell Ballard and share with you all what I have been learning in my studies of this wonderful Gospel. I have been learning from the Book of Mormon that Preparation is the best thing that we could ever be doing! Maybe not for war or for our next big test, but that which is only attainable in a spiritual sense... A TESTIMONY! As I have been reading in the book of Alma 47:9-18 Amalickiah is trying to take the chief leader position... He is tempting Lehonti to lower his standards and at first Lehonti is not budging... but after a few attempts from Amalickiah... Lehonti finally gives in and lowers his standard and is eventually poisoned by degrees. Now the importance of having a strong testimony comes into play here! Satan will surely poison us by degrees slowly and painfully... So if we have a strong testimony in this gospel, and stay faithful to what we believe in, we won't be poisoned but have everlasting life. I'm done with Alma now but it's probably one of my favorite books!