Transfers!

Hi everyone!

So this was the last week of the transfer and we got transfer calls on Saturday. I'm staying here in the YSA Ward, but Elder Argyle is getting transferred:( we were both pretty upset when we heard that but he is going to be the new AP (assistant to the Mission President) which is sweet! I'm getting Elder Craft as my new companion. He is from Lehi, Utah and has been out 17 months! Should be another fun transfer! 

So this coming Saturday we are going to have a baptism for our investigator Logan! He is awesome and super prepared. He said he wants to bring "tons of converts" into the church. He is so solid! It has been so cool to watch him completely change his life around and live the gospel. He is like a whole new person! 

On Wednesday we went with our investigator, Hunter, to the Portland Temple Visitor Center. We went inside and the Visitor Center sisters were showing him around teaching him some things and then we went outside and walked the temple grounds. We stopped at the front and we were just standing there looking at the temple and we asked Hunter how he felt and he was like, "I can't really describe it. It's just........epic. I feel unreal." And it was just so cool to see his reaction and how the spirit was so strong. Sadly he is moving to Eugene in a couple weeks, but he wants to keep in contact and keep taking the lessons! 

On Saturday there was a huge community event in Beaverton called, "Party in the Park". It's where they have a ton of bouncy houses and rock climbing and a ton of games and stuff to do! It's free and so a bunch of people come to it. Our Zone and three other Zones were volunteers for the event and so there was like 80 missionaries volunteering! We just helped out with the bouncy houses and were in charge of making sure things didn't get out control with the games and stuff. It was from 12-6 so it was all day. I got super sunburned which I am actually very excited about cause I'm actually kinda tan now! It was so fun! 

Oh and I hit my 13th month mark today so that's cool. Time is flying! Nothing too crazy happened last week, sorry for the short email. 

Love and miss you all!! Send me a letter or somethin:) Have a good week! 

Here is a super cool poem that we sent to the missionaries in our Zone to help them finish strong: 

"He's Been There Before" 

The alarm rings at 6:30; 

I stumble to my feet

I grab my companion's bedding

and pull off his sheets.

A groan fills the room

is it already time to arise? 

It seems like just a second

I was able to shut my eyes. 

The morning activities follow - 

study, prayer and such.

When it's time to leave the apartment, 

you feel you haven't accomplished much.

"We have a super day planned," my companion says with a grin,

I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us in." 

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, 

we ride off in the street

prepared to face another day of humidity and heat.

It's 9:30 in the evening, 

the day is almost through; 

my companion and I are riding home, 

not accomplishing what we thought to do. 

We ride up to the mailbox,

hoping to receive a lot, 

only to look inside 

and hear my echo reverberate "Air box." 

We go up to our apartment, 

the day is now complete,

the only thing to show for our work

is a case of blistery feet.

It's past 10:30 P.M., 

my companion is fast asleep, 

silence engulfs me all about

and I begin to weep. 

In the moist sadness

I kneel down to pray.

I need to talk to Father,

but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, Father," I begin, 

"What happened to us today? 

I thought we'd teach somebody,

but everyone was away. 

My hands, aching hands - 

worn, hurt and beat; 

If our area was any smaller, 

we'd have knocked every street." 

"Why on missions are the days so much alike? 

The only difference about today

was the flat tire on my bike. 

Will you send some cooler weather? 

The heat is killing me. 

I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes. It's very hard to see."

"Why do I have to wear a helmet,

isn't your protection enough? 

People always laugh at me

and call me stupid stuff.

Please send us some investigators

so I may give them what they lack;

I want to give them Book of Mormon's,

the weight of them hurts my back."

"And what about my family? 

They don't have much to say, 

I'm sick of not hearing from home, 

day after day after day. 

Oh, Father, Why am I here, am I just wasting time? 

Sometimes I just want to go home, 

I'm sorry, but that's just on my mind." 

"My companion, Heavenly Father,

what are you giving me?

The way he rides his bicycle

I don't think he can see. 

Now you have it, I can't go on,

I don't know what to do; 

That, my Father in Heaven, 

is the prayer I have for you." 

My prayer finished I stand up, 

then jump right into bed. 

Sleep starts to overtake me, 

I start to drift away. 

Then it seems a vision 

takes me to another time

in another day. 

I'm standing alone on the hill, 

the view is very nice; 

A man walks towards me and says, 

"my name is Jesus Christ." 

Tears of joy well up inside,

I fall down to His feet. 

"Arise," He states, "Follow me to the shade. 

You and I need to speak." 

My attention's towards my Savior, 

total and complete. 

He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to me, 

I understand how you feel, 

I know what you're going through;

In fact, it would be fair to say

I've felt the same as you."

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you,

At times I felt not quite sure what else that I could do. 

I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, 

for you a car would be sweet; 

just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds."

"I understand you don't like sweating,

in fact it's something you hate;

I remember when I sweat blood from every pore,

oh the agony was great!

I see you don't like your companion - 

you'd rather have someone else,

I once had a companion named Judas,

who sold my life for wealth.

"It's hard to wear a helmet

and have people make fun of you,

I remember when they put thorns on my head

and called me king of the Jews. 

So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack,

I recall how heavy the cross

was when they slammed it on my back."

"You're hands hurt from tracting

and knocking doors all day,

I guess when they pounded nails into mine,

I ached in a similar way.

It's hard not to hear from home

when your families not there to see;

I lost communication on the cross and cried,

"Father, Why hast thou forsaken me?" 

"We have a lot in common, 

but there's a difference between us you see,

I endured to the end and finished my mission

so follow and do like me." 

He embraced me with his arms, 

his light filled me with his love, 

with tears in my eyes

I watched as He went back to the Father above.

I stood in awe and wonder

when a beep rang in my head.

I listened and heard the alarm, 

then realized I was in bed. 

My companion let out a groan,

"6:30 already, No Way!"

I sat up and said, "Come on. 

I'll even carry your scriptures today!" 

No matter what we go through, 

when we feel we can't take more, 

just stop and think about Jesus Christ, 

He's Been There Before. 

#bapsquad #finishstrong 

Love,

Elder Hill

 Some of the Districts in Tyler's Zone

 Moustache party!

Smoothie party???