Turkey Day and Sadness

Malo Soifua!!!

Today on the Elder Hill Show:

 ** Thanksgiving was a ton of fun

 ** The rest of the week wasn't really

 ** The weekend (Saturday & Sunday) was pretty good though

This week was rough, not gonna lie. We did a lot of work like we have in weeks passed, but it didn't turn out the same way. People didn't seem to want to hear a message. A lot of our friends stopped responding (a few texted us out of the blue and said to never contact them again). We got yelled at a few times, and this one guy threatened to call the cops if we knocked another door in his neighborhood (he followed us for like a street to make sure we actually left). We were trying our best, but it was pretty tough.

Thanksgiving itself was a pretty good day, though. We ate dinner with the Nearys in our ward, and the Portuguese Elders came with us, so we had a big party. We ate lots of delicious food, and we played a few rounds of Telestrations afterwards (Bro Neary is terrible at drawing, so that made it really funny haha). They gave us a little food to take home afterwards, so that was nice.

This weekend wasn't necessarily better or more successful, but we received comfort and counsel for our area. Alma 26:27-29 was a nice set of verses we read during one of our comp studies. I also reflected on something that Pres Holmes said during our Thanksgiving devotional. He talked about how faith leads to covenants and obedience, which in turn leads to power. I liked that idea, so I wrote it on a sticky note and out it on the wall by my study desk. On Saturday I was sitting there looking at the notes and quotes on the wall, and I read that thought by Pres Holmes again. I noticed that it didn't read that covenants and obedience lead to SUCCESS. Rather, they lead to POWER. I reflected in the past few days when Elder Piscitello and I had exercised real power that we and our friends could feel. At that moment I felt a thought enter my mind saying,  "This week was a trial, not a punishment." Peace and comfort flooded my mind, and the day seemed to brighten. This week was still rough, but I have much more optimism and hope for the weeks and future ahead.

Mafaufauga faaleagaga mo le Aso Faafetai: 

Alma 7:23: "And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive."

(One of the best Thanksgiving verses ever)

Alofa tele lava atu ia outou uma,

Elder Hill

Ata:

• Fun statue we found
• Lots of first aid kits in our apartment lol
• Pics from Thanksgiving day with the District
• Snow on a pumpkin (it snowed like negative .5 inches yesterday, so that was fun)