It's Basically Christmas (ft. Hispanic Santa)

Malo Soifua!!!

Today on the Elder Hill Show:

 ** So a guy we started teaching was is actually a less active member? (Crazy story) #megamiracles

 ** Zone Conference was absolutely epic (I'm talking fire talks, waffle breakfast, sugar cookie decorating competition, and a talent show)

 ** Our friends are the best (also some of my friends from CT got baptized!)

It's Christmas season!  Merry Christmas!! 😁🤣

So a week ago I met an 18 yr old on the train named Angel, and he was super cool. We visited him at work one time, and he seemed genuinely interested in learning more or talking with us again. This week he said we could come over and visit, so we roll up and meet him, his younger siblings, and his mom. Near the beginning of the conversation, the mom tells us in broken English that she's actually a member of the church, and our friend Angel was baptized when he was 8! They haven't been to church in a long time, but they're interested in coming to church! Angel has a super cool story of walking away from God before looking for Him again and meeting us! He wants to come back and see how it is. He couldn't come yesterday because of work, bit he's down to come back and get involved again, which is way cool! (Our goal now is to get the mom and younger kids to come to church or want to learn more).

Zone Conference was like none other before. Pres & Sis Holmes decided that we needed a good Christmas celebration as two zones. We had some really good trainings and talks about Christ, and the Spirit was super strong. We also got to have a bunch of fun as well. For our meal, we had "Christmas breakfast" complete with waffles, eggs, fruit, sausage, and hot chocolate. Right after eating and listening to Christmas music, we had a sugar cookie decorating contest, which was awesome. My table thought we had the winning design, but twas not to be (see pictures below). After that, we had a zone talent show, which had a lot of good stuff (including a special dance number by Elder Wolfgramm, the "Dancing Missionary" (who's currently AP, btw). Good times all around.

We have a lot of awesome friends here in Rego Park. We set a goal of having four friends come to church, and we got four! It was actually really hard because two of our solid church-goers we're out of town, so we had to really work on getting more people to come. I haven't met my church goal multiple weeks in a row for a loooong time haha, so that's been nice. Now we just need to get them all baptized haha.

Speaking of baptism, Helena and Nylee, a mother and daughter that I taught in Trumbull, got baptized yesterday! Even though the Trumbull area was closed, Pres Holmes let my "son", Elder Piscitello, keep working with them in his new area, and they made their date for baptism! I'm not out here for numbers or anything, but not gonna lie it's still kinda nice to see tangible success for our efforts haha. I wasn't able to be there of course, but I'm soooo happy for them (and for my son, Elder Piscitello, for getting that done 💪🤙)

Mafaufauga faaleagaga: President Holmes is just the greatest guy ever. He talked a lot at Zone Conference about Christ and His mission on the Earth. One of the points that he made was that everything Christ did was voluntary. His entire life was a gift to God and to the rest of us. Even while hanging from the cross, he chose to wait until he had paid for it all. No one could have taken His life away. He had to give it. Because He did, we can get ours back too one day. And because He suffered for so much more than just our sins, His Atonement can help us do SO MUCH MORE than just repent. 

God is so good, and He is so good all the time. I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and I hope you all take the time to love God and love your friends and family.

Alofa tele lava atu ia outou uma,

Elder Hill

Ata:

• Pretty sunset from our apartment window
• Cool subway car interior
• Sunset from the subway platform
• Sugar cookies from our competition at Zone Conference (mine is the one with the train car and the baptism, but the First Vision one won first place)
• Random pic of me looking down through the slats on the raised subway platform (there's a road and a car below my feet in the pic)
• Finbar and me (ft. His dope pink and black suit combo)
• Helena and her daughter Nylee at their baptism!!
• Hispanic Santa caught on tape