Elder Tyler Hill: Three Months Down & Transfer Week!

Hi everyone!

Three months down and transfer week! We received transfer calls on Saturday. I am staying in Moreland!!! Yes!! And the crazy part is that I'm training! So I am going to be getting a brand new missionary as a companion. President Ballard said on the phone that it's rare for a missionary who is only three months out and just finished his training to start training another missionary, but he said he knows I'm ready. Pretty crazy, but I'm excited!! After I got off the phone with President I said to Elder Parker, "I'm gonna be a dad!" (trainers are known as "Dads " to their trainees). Elder Parker said "No way... I'm gonna be a grandfather!" Haha

Monday:

Monday we went to the mall with another set of missionaries to get some stuff and it's so funny walking around getting all these looks from everyone. "Just smile and wave boys" is the slogan we live by haha. We had dinner at Brother and Sister Bishops house and then we had a lesson with Carissa again! We are still getting her ready for baptism and we had a good lesson with her about baptism!

Tuesday:

Tuesday we had a couple of lessons and we went and saw a less active Sister. She needed a blessing as she was struggling with health issues and I had the opportunity to give it. I have come to learn how important it is to always live worthy of the priesthood and to be ready to exercise it whenever I am called upon and to live worthy to have the Spirit with you at all times. In the evening, we played basketball with Gilbert and he brought three non-member friends! They were all super cool guys and we hopefully will be able to teach them. After basketball, Gilbert took us to Safeway to get cake and ice cream for Elder Parker's birthday. We bought the cake and then we sat down in Safeway and ate it and read the Book of Mormon together haha. Gilbert said, "man I'm sitting in Safeway eating cake and reading the Book of Mormon at 8:30 at night. You guys must be doing something right!" Hahaha it was kind of strange now that I think about it, but it was still an awesome experience!

Wednesday:

Wednesday we went over to Gayle's house to do more service for her. We were in her backyard doing yard work for three hours cleaning out her garden. She was really grateful, and it was nice to help her out. Gilbert met us over at her house for a lesson after doing service and we taught the Priesthood and it went well! Gilbert took us to lunch and then the rest of the day we did some contacting.

Thursday:

Thursday we had weekly planning and in the evening we went to Gilbert's house because he wanted us to meet his friend, Ray. We had pizza and then we started talking to Ray and he loves to talk and is very energetic. Gilbert had the Book of Mormon on audio so we decided that we should listen to that and discuss. When the first chapter ended, Ray says, "the Spirit of the Lord is here and I know this is true and don't even ask if I'm going to church because I'm already planning on it!" We were so excited! Elder Parker and I both bore testimony and it was a very cool experience. Sadly for us, Ray lives outside of our mission so he will meet with the missionaries there!

Friday:

Friday in the evening we went to the temple visitor center with Gilbert (we spent a lot of time with Gilbert this week) and took a tour of the temple grounds! We went inside and a set of Sister missionaries took us on a tour. The sisters were killing it! I am so thankful for them because they taught so powerfully about the temple and Gilbert was blown away. It was such a cool experience and there was a moment when we were sitting there looking at the temple by the reflection pool and Gilbert said he wanted to be alone for a little to talk to God. The Spirit was so strong and we ended with a prayer that Gilbert said, asking God to help him to know if this is where he was supposed to go. It was powerful.

Saturday:

Saturday was transfer calls and we spent all day at the McDonald's house watching conference and doing service for them. Conference was the best, I had so many of my questions, that I was pondering, answered. And, three new apostles were called!

Sunday:

Sunday we watched conference at the McDonald's in the morning and then we watched it in the afternoon with Gilbert at the Kohler's! He said he liked it and there were a couple of talks that he thought we planned to have them say to him since they were specifically addressing his concerns haha it was awesome. We then went around and said goodbyes to all the members in the area since Elder Parker is leaving, We ended the day with a lesson with Jonas our investigator!

Elder Hill