Week 64

Hey Everyone!

This week was pretty uneventful.... Sister Swapp was sick for most of the week so we didn't really get to go out and work at all :(  But she's feeling better now so that is super good :)

Yesterday was probably the most eventful day of the week.  We sang in church yesterday which went really well!  We had just got done practicing before church and Brother Woods (our ward mission leader) texted us and asked us if we could teach the Gospel Principles class.... we hadn't even looked at what the lesson was going to be on..... So that was pretty eventful!  Shelia came to church again yesterday which was great!  I feel like we are making some great progress with her and hopefully that continues to happen :)

That's about it for the week..... sorry it's a super short email!  I hope that this email finds everyone healthy and doing well.  Love you all!

Love,

Sister Megan Hills

P.S. Mom, I'm reading the Book of Mormon again in 96 days!  I started on Thursday and I will finish on the day that I come home :)  If any of you want to join me, feel free to! :)  

Week 63

Hey!

This week was great! :)  There were lots of highlights so hopefully I can get them all in here and say everything I want to say about them :)

Monday: Nothing super exciting happened :)  It was just a normal P-day :)

Tuesday:  We had Zone Meeting and it was great!  It was all on Family History and how to help investigators, members, and less-active members get into doing family history :)  I learned so much about how to use Family History better and how to apply it in my own life.  One thing that was super cool was at the end of the meeting, the Zone Leaders had us write down our own individual plans on how to further the Work of Salvation once we get home.  We could write down anything from keeping a journal to doing temple work for our ancestors.  It was super cool to decide what I could do to further the work even though I won't be a missionary.  I also got your package Mom, and I LOVED the shirt! :)  Thanks so much! :)

Wednesday:  We were able to have an awesome lesson with our investigator, Kristen.  Kristen has been meeting with missionaries for a really long time and hasn't gotten baptized yet.  We had a mini testimony meeting and really got a feel for what is holding her back and what we can do to help her understand the importance of being baptized.  I can't wait to see what is going to happen with her :)

Thursday:  Nothing to report here except we were able to do some service for a non-member who is friends with our ward mission leader's family.  Super fun!  Oh and I also finished Jesus the Christ!  It was such a good book and I can't wait to read it again!

Friday:  We had interviews with President Eaton and it was great!  I learned a lot from him in a very short amount of time.  He also told Sister Swapp that one of us is getting transferred in just about 2 weeks.  It will be interesting to see what happens at transfers.  

Saturday:  Best day of the week!  Courtney was baptized!  It was such an amazing day!  Courtney's husband was able to baptize her and her In-Laws came up from Logan to be there for them.  It was super cute because Brooke (6) and Everleigh (3), Courtney's two cute girls, sang "Follow the Prophet" as the special musical number.  The Spirit was super strong and I am so glad that Heavenly Father allowed Sister Swapp and I to teach Courtney and prepare her for baptism. 

Sunday:  Courtney was confirmed in church today!  We had a great lesson on fasting in Gospel Principles and one on the Holy Ghost in Relief Society!  One thing that happened at church that was a shocker to us was.... SHELIA came to church!  Shelia's our investigator that had the issues with the Priesthood but she came to church  yesterday and we had no clue that she was planning on coming.  A couple former sister missionaries came up to visit this weekend and were able to talk Shelia into coming to church.  From the few things that Shelia said about church, she really enjoyed it!  We have an appointment with her tonight so we will get to talk to her about it :)  

This week should be super great too!  Next Sunday is going to be great because Sister Swapp and I get to sing in church :)  It's going to be great!  Hope everyone's week goes well!  Thanks for everything!  Love you all!

Love,

Sister Megan Hills

Week 62

Hey!

This week was good :)  Sort of a blur but it still was a good one.

We had some great lessons with Courtney and were able to help her prepare even more for her baptism :)  She is getting baptized on SATURDAY!!!!  I am so excited for her :) She is so excited and can see how the gospel has influenced and changed her life for the better :) She had her baptismal interview yesterday and passed with flying colors :)  She is even recognizing that Satan is working on her this week already which I feel solidifies her testimony even more :) Apparently she got kind of emotional during her baptismal interview as she was talking about how her search for truth started.  Their family had someone really close to them (like an aunt or cousin, can't remember which) pass away, and while Courtney was talking to her girls about it, her oldest daughter, Brooke, said, "I don't want to be a person anymore because we just die."  Courtney couldn't provide answers or comfort to Brooke and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was the only church that could provide those answers.  Courtney was truly prepared for us to come and teach her and I am so grateful that Heavenly Father trusted me to be the one to teach her.

My birthday was good :)  We celebrated with free slurpees at 711 :)  Best thing ever!  It's weird to think that I am 21 :) definitely don't feel that old :D

I think that's about it for the week :)  I can't wait for this week!  It's going to be great!

Love you all!

Love,

Sister Megan Hills

P.S. Look at this HUGE spider that was in our bathroom sink one morning.... GROSS!!!!

Week 61

Hey!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July week!  I know I did!  A member in our ward was having a party from 12-6pm and we got to go for an hour which was awesome!  Brother Jarstad is an eye doctor so he has a huge house and they had a live band at their party.  I think the lead singer of Kiss was in the band so Brother Jarstad had Brother Shaffer paint his face like the lead singer of Kiss and ended up dressing up like Kiss :)  It was so funny!  That's the pic of the week :D

I think the highlight of this week was our lesson with our new investigator, Carey!  Carey is awesome!  She grew up Catholic but is now attending a Christian church.  She lives with her in-laws, who are ordained ministers for the church that she attends.  She decided that she wants to pursue her own path so that's how we ended up teaching her.  We were able to have a lesson with her and it was awesome! She is such a great lady! She had a few questions which we answered but we taught her most of the Restoration while we were there :) We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon too and she asked if she could keep the copy that we had given her to look at :) We have another appointment with her on Tuesday and we can't wait!

We also were able to swing by Shelia's to see how she was doing and to help her understand the Priesthood a little bit better and that went well. It definitely went better than I thought it was going to.  She said that she understood it better especially how we explained it.  Hopefully her heart will continue to be softened and she will be more willing to follow the Savior.

So HUGE news this week!  Officially in the fall we will be getting IPads :)  It's going to be so exciting!  But of course, it's right before I go home :D  Oh well :D  Here's the link:  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-expands-use-of-digital-devices-for-missionary-work?cid=HPFR062714276

So this week, I have been thinking a lot about the Priesthood, especially because of what happened last week with our investigator.  I was reading "Continue in Patience"  by President Uchtdorf and had a cool thought :)  President Uchtdorf said, "Let us always remember that one of the reasons God has entrusted the priesthood to us is to help prepare us for eternal blessings by refining our natures through the patience which priesthood service requires."  I thought about how females learn patience (as well as other attributes) as we raise our children and nurture them, but how men aren't normally home raising the kids to learn those attributes.  Heavenly Father gave the men the priesthood so that they have the opportunity to develop those attributes so they can become more like the Savior.

Mom, sleeping has been better this week :)  Thank goodness!  I hopefully will continue to sleep well :)  One other thing, there is a lady in my ward whose name is Christine Evans and she is related to Bishop David Evans :)  I can't remember which wife she is related to but I'm pretty sure it's not Mary Beck.  It was so cool to talk to her about it and to see some of the books that she has about Bishop David Evans.

Dad, random thought but we were going to an appointment for Sister Swapp up in Renton and there is an iFly on our way up there :)  I remember when you went there and I think about you every time I see that place :)

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!  Love you all!

Love,

Sister Megan Hills