Week 28 Letter

Monday, Dec 26, 2016

​Hey Famlee! I will talk to you later but here is a little glimpse of my last couple of days....after some great news about my new niece!!! I was so happy for reals. Haha. 

I pretty much had the worst Christmas ever. Sunday morning my president called me and told me I am to be transferred and will be an sister training leader of 3 zones, so that was awesome.....I am being transferred to San Pedro in Guadalupe far away where it is sooooo hot with TONS of crazy bugs so I will for sure start wearing pants...I really don’t want to leave...so yeah...that kind of ruined the rest of my day. Haha. And this whole week I seriously gained 50 pounds because we ate so many Christmas dinners of Paneton (fruitcake) and chicken and turkey and cake and stuff that I don’t even know what it was and sooooooo much stuff. So much. I want to throw up so bad. Haha. #lifeshardonthemission 

So I have been in my area for 4 transfers. That’s 5 1/2ish months, no? I have really come to love my area and the people that I work with, like every other missionary, no? This change was really unexpected because I am training a new missionary and we are only half way done with training. Side note: Christmas here is mostly the 24th. At midnight there are tons of fireworks and this is when they exchange presents. So, it was midnight and there were fireworks from every house in all of Peru. Super loud and super pretty. So I got up to watch them. I just remember thinking about all of my investigators and ward members, and thinking about the things they were doing, my cook, my bishop and his kids, the single moms that we brought Christmas fruit cake to, everyone. Then everything was silent and in slow motion and I thought to myself that I am leaving, and it was the worst feeling ever. And then 9 hours later I got a call from my president confirming my previous thoughts. I didn't have the heart to tell anyone right away. So that was hard. But I know that is the mission. Every missionary faces this when they have transfers, especially their first transfers. It sucks a lot. But I also know that there are more people for me to help then in one town. But I will for sure miss the Hillyard of all Hillyards, the heart of the fiesta, Esperanza. I think that to really learn how to think of other people, you HAVE to serve a mission. You can't learn how to in depth think of other people in such a Christ like way without a mission. When we forget ourselves and completely work for God and for other people, we can truly come to know Christ, as He has forgotten Himself to serve God and other people. Obviously there are missionaries of every level of the scale, but to be a celestial missionary, and a true disciple of Christ, you have to forget yourselves, and think of the reasons why you are serving. Think "How will my service help this person, this family, this ward, this church, the Lord" rather than "What blessings will I receive for my service." It is a learning process, one that I am just starting to understand. But it is the best. I love being here so much. 

I sent more pics as a google drive. A bunch this week. Let me know if you can’t open them and see them. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!! 

THINK OF ME every time you drink cold water or room temperature water even.....haha. I might have said that in a previous email, but it still applies, so think of me extra. Haha.