Week 48: Surprise Transfers and MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!

This post has last weeks email that he didn't finish with loads of pictures and also this weeks email with even more pictures!!


SURPRISING TRANSFERS! (May 8th), Week 47)
ITS TRANSFERS! everyone thought i was leaving for sure. the ward was already ´´saying goodbye´´ to me. i even received some presents, some cards, and other gifts. That Monday was a holiday and everyone said that everything was going to be closed so we emailed at Samuel´s house. When my cellphone rang, i knew it was for transfers so i quickly pulled it out of my pocket. i was so anxious to hear where i would go, and in the act of whipping it out of my pocket it disassembled and the battery fell out. NOOOooo!! I returned the call and learned that i would stay a third transfer in California and train a new elder. I was told also that Elder g. Souza would be transferred to São Caetano to be zone leader (my zone leader... its pretty funny) I prepared to leave to Salvador for the trainer´s training and said goodbye to Elder G. Souza. That Monday night, i took a bus at 10:45 pm to Salvador to the trainers meeting.

     I arrived Tuesday morning and took a taxi to the mission home where all the trainers received training and received the new missionaries that arrived later in the afternoon at the Salvador airport. They are all newbies  from the CTM in São Paulo.

We had various trainings and interviews and a break for an awesome lunch, then everyone together received more training and we got assigned our new companions. After, without delay,we took a van to the mission office to pick up the newbies´ bags. I also had a surprise waiting there for me. I don't know when it arrived at the mission office, but it looked like it had been waiting for me for quite some time. I was expecting only a few books that i had been wanting, and i was gratefully surprised when i picked it up and felt how heavy it was. My family loves me! haha.

 Then we left the office with my companion´s bags and went to the bus station and waited a for our scheduled time to leave. i couldn't wait to open the box, so i opened it right there in the  bus station. Then we snapped a few pics, boarded the bus, and spend the night driving back to Itabuna. of course i hardly slept at all. i sat next to my new ´´son´´ that i would be teaching, training, and taking care of for the next 6 weeks, so i was curious to get to know him. we had to switch buses at 4 in the morning and we arrived in Itabuna at 8:00 am. we took a taxi to our house, unpacked and settled in a bit then left to work. we had lessons marked, people to visit, and repentance to teach. As we were leaving i thought of the song by Cage the Elephant - ´´Ain´t No Rest for the Wicked´´.  we were both completely tired, but we were full of the Spirit and anxious to get to work. I didn't want to give any ´´rest for the wicked´´. I was ready to help and teach everyone in Itabuna! I told my companion that no one is going to ´´escape from us´´; that we were going to have an awesome transfer together and baptize.
     I really love my companion. His name is ´´Elder´´ Brayam Isidro Thevenin Gomez ( Elder Thevenin) . He is from Dominican Republic.

His dad is a successful urologist and his mom is a  dermatology specialist. He is a cool guy even though its hard to understand sometimes. He reminds me of a mix between Moto Moto from Madagascar and Roger Reid. He physically looks like Moto Moto and has the passion of cars like Roger Reid. His car before the mission was a Honda 2000 civic hatchback ek4, but he put a Toyota Supra 2JZ engine in it. I thought that was pretty cool, even though i didn't know exactly what it meant. He said it one of the same motors as Paul Walker´s car in Fast and Furious. Like i said, i think him and Roger Reid and all car lovers would get along well. Elder Thevenin speaks Spanish so I've been learning Spanish by teaching him português. I am so happy to be his trainer and know that we will both learn a lot this transfer together. My goal is to teach him everything that i know that will make him a successful missionary. everything i know about obedience, diligence, planning, etc. I think i really wore him out because he crashed on his bed after.

I´m a Nocturnal Day Dreamer
    Thursday came and went and the hour to sleep arrived. My mind wouldn't stop reflecting on the week. I was so happy that i received Elder Thevenin as my companion and i was thinking how good of a transfer it would be. I also pondered on my own progress since the beginning of my mission. Receiving my new companion made me remember how it was to be new, fresh out of the CTM. It gave me empathy and a strong will to be a good trainer. I wanted to know what i could do to be a good trainer for Elder Thevenin. I also wanted to know what i could do to be his FRIEND and someone that he can trust in. My mind also reflected on how i could help our investigators better as well as accelerate the work here in this ward and all the wards i would serve in. In my nightly prayers i asked for these things then tried to sleep. I couldn't sleep. Lots of ideas began to flow through my mind. i was tired and tried to say to myself ´´tomorrow i will think about this things.´´ but the ideas didn't stop coming. Some of them were so good that i couldn't just let them pass by and risk forgetting them. I got out of bed and began writing them all down. I stayed awake for a few hours into the night writing then went back to bed. The ideas kept flowing, so i got back up and wrote a lot more things. The last time i looked at my watch that night it was 5:30 am. I only got one hour of sleep, and when 6:30 am. came, i thought for sure i would be so tired that i wouldn't be able to work very well. But the Spirit of happiness, and will to work got me up and I worked like normal, without exhaustion.

     Friday was another great day. At lunch my companion Elder Thevenin started talking in Spanish with Brother Santos. He also accounted a dream he had the night before (Thursday night) to Brother Santos. Brother Santos told us a personal story and cried. Then he interpreted my companion´s dream. After this very special experience at lunch we had a great day of teaching people. One funny story. We were teaching this family that was given to us as a reference. We entered there house and quickly realized that they have some problems. Not only financially, but mentally. They are crazy. Almost everything they said and did, made no sense. Resumed, it was a disastrous lesson. The kids were going wild and hitting each other, and what ended the lesson was when the mom (the most mentally impaired) farted and everyone uncontrollably. She didn't even laugh or make ANY expression. We ended the lesson, decided to invite them to church and never return.
      Saturday was full of commitments and amazing teaching experiences too. At lunch we met three cool dudes at the restaurant we ate at. They are three traveling nomads that perform cool acts (circus acts) in the roads. Two are Argentinan and the third is from Chile. Their names are Jorge, Cristian and Martin.  It was really cool talking with them and showing one another where we are from. They were really funny had some cool stories. I showed them a picture of the Salt Lake City Temple and jokingly told them it was my house. Jorge responded sarcastically with his strong accent, ´´Ah. OK Harry Potter!!´´ and everyone busted up laughing. The whole restaurant looked over at us and it was super hilarious. The rest of the day we taught people and took care of lots of things. The miracles were these: Everything didn't go as we had planned, but God was guiding our paths. Through the commitments that fell through, the people we found, and the lessons we taught it was very clear that it wasn't coincidence. We arrived home exhausted. Before bed Elder Thevenin and I got into a really interesting conversation. He told me some very personal stories of him and his family. I was blown away and my vision on lots of things changed. I cant explain everything like i would like to because he asked me not to share it with anyone. What i can say is that he is a special witness of several  general authorities including Jeffery R. Holland, Boyd K. Packer, and Ronald A. Rasband. I feel it a big privilege to be his companion. I spent Saturday night again until 4:00 am. reflecting and writing some personal revelations. I began to understand more about my personal life and the significance of the Plan of Salvation.I felt my mind was clear. I felt happy and at peace, full with light, and the love for the Savior and others. I recognized the fact that my thoughts and actions should be open to the Lord in prayer. and when they are he will always help me and guide me throughout my life. I remembered some song lyrics that made lots of sense compared with what i was going through. they go like this:

 I got a homesick heart but a long ways left to go
I've been doing my part but I ain't got much to show
So I'masking you to show me some forgiveness
It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness

Chasing that life, moving on 'cause I had to prove
There ain't no life worth doing what I did to you
So I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness
It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness

I got dreams that keep me up in the dead of night
Telling me I wasn't made for the simple life
There's a light I see, but it's far in the distance
I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness
It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness

Sometimes you leave the ones you love
But if it's love, they won't give up
'Cause they know a war's raging and you gotta choose
These days are tough, these days are long
Sometimes it's hard, you carry on
But I hear a voice singing and I know it's true

I got dreams that keep me up in the dead of night
Telling me I wasn't made for the simple life
There's a light I see, but it's far in the distance
I'm asking you to show me some forgiveness
It's all for you in my pursuit of happiness

I LOVE THAT SONG!!

   Sunday was another normal Sabbath day. I marked 4 divisions for the following week.  This past week i thought of myself like Nephi when he wanted to know the meaning of the vision his father Lehi had. Nephi had doubts, and so did I. Like Nephi, i asked God to know, and he revealed many things unto me. I understood better how i can be a better missionary, a better companion, a better friend, a better teacher, and a better learner.  I want to explain something that i believe in. I believe that when Man talks to God it is called prayer. and when God talks to man it is called revelation. But i also believe we have to be prepared to receive personal revelation. Our preparation, i believe, is a thing we do called repentance. So all these late night ´´daydreams´´ (revelations) were given to me to help guide me, but before i repented to prepare. I am really grateful for all that happened this week. I know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ that HE organized anciently when he was on Earth. I know that he restored HIS church through the prophet Joseph Smith and that Christ is the chief and corner-stone of our religion.

-Elder Hilton

 

one day at lunch before we had divisions. and teaching a lady who´s grandma has a family tree on the wall. 

emailing my mom

MONDAY (P-DAY)  (May 15th)

    Summed up. this P-day we cleaned house, took a bus to the LAN House and emailed, and ate at PIZZA HUT! it was really funny. It was just us eating there. After i asked her a question, the lady worker there was curious about a few things . It turns out she knew some sister missionaries so i finished the contact and invited her to hear the sister´s message. We even left her a pamphlet to study. We took a bus back home, and i planned an awesome family night about Families and Temple. We were running a little late, so we paid a taxi to take us there. The whole family wasn't there so we didn't teach. I left them with a passage to read in preparation for the message that i prepared.  It was a great P-day. 

TUESDAY-SUNDAY

   Even more summed, here was my week.  

visiting the ice cream truck after division.  we had lots of divisions that i marked on Sunday. We taught lots of lessons.

One special lesson was when i taught Simar Andrade. It was a contact. He started out not wanting to hear ANYTHING. because he already has a religion and he doesn't need, or want, anything more. He told me his is a member of Congregação Cristã do Brasil (the tougher type to baptize. I didn't give up so easily. I asked him some questions that left him wanting him to know more, and before you knew it, i was teaching everything in detail. Exactly what he didn't want, hahaha. Then he did something that I never thought he would do when we first started conversing with him. He invited us to ascend the stairs and give a prayer. He put a shirt on then invited me to give the prayer. Then we marked a lesson for next week. 

On Sunday i got to FaceTime my family!!!

What i learned through my teaching experiences these last few weeks was that my testimony is the most powerful thing i have. It is undeniable and always growing and strengthening. I learned something very important about our testimonies. It is explained perfectly in 1 Timothy 4:16 ´´Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.´´ I know that we need to have confidence in our testimonies of Christ and NEVER be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. 

 This concept of confidence is well-explained in  2 Timothy 1:7-8

      7. ´´ For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.´´

      8. ´´ Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God ´´ 

      I loved these scriptures and made it real clear that we do not need, nor should we, have fear of what we know about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Why should we have fear? Our message is TRUE! Everyone needs to hear it and learn about the HUGE BLESSINGS that come from living its teachings and principles. So all you members of the true church of Jesus Christ who have this great knowledge, SHARE IT. Someone is waiting to find something greater and more true in their lives. It is our responsibility to share what brings true happiness! Doctrine and Covenants section 123: 12-14 says it perfectly, 

     12. ´´For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it—

     13 ´´Therefore, that we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them; and they are truly manifest from heaven—´´

     14 ´´These should then be attended to with great earnestness.´´

This scripture reminds me of my purpose as a missionary. I quickly realized in the mission that there are SO MANY people that don't know the truth, just because ´´they know not where to find it´´. Many are ignorant and are in need of the truth.  Now comes my duty. It is my duty to attend these people with great diligence. To do all that I can with my companion to bring these lost ships to the everlasting lighthouse of the Lord is my job. I have also learned that God doesn't send me or command me to do anything without giving a promised blessing. Commandments = Blessings.

In verse 17 God gave the promised blessing that we will receive if we accomplish this task.

     17 ´´Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

What was the blessing??? TO SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.  we will be saved! I know that God keeps his promises and that we are all able to be saved. But what do we need to do? we need to share the Restored Gospel with others. That's why i love serving a mission. I love it because i am doing my part by helping other people come unto Christ and showing them how they can follow Him. I hope each one of us can do the same and in doing so come to know our Savior Jesus Christ better.

-Elder Hilton