"Elder, Do You Hate Me?" (it's a joke I promise 😂) [except he didn't ever explain this subject line....]

Malo Soifua!!!

Today on the Elder Hill Show:

 ** RODRIGO GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!

 ** We met Elder Kim's soulmate this week 🤣

 ** We got to go to the temple in Manhattan this week, and it was amazing

 ** Transfer news....

Our friend Rodrigo got baptized yesterday, and it was such an amazing service. His really good friend Julien (a recent convert from the next ward over) baptized him. Rodrigo was so happy and he was in tears as he bore his testimony about how good God has been in his life and how good it is to be a "new Rodrigo" and be baptized into Christ's church and receive the Holy Ghost. Something kind of cool that happened with the baptism was that earlier in the day at church, a new bishop was sustained and then set apart right after Sacrament Meeting. That meant that the first thing that the new Bishop Lariego got to do was attend and take part in a baptismal service (also, Bishop Lariego and Rodrigo Julien are both from the Philippines, so they bonded over that).

We were calling people to see if any of them would like to learn more or hear a message or anything, and Elder Kim called a YSA aged girl named Khadijah. Within 30 seconds they were both laughing and bouncing off each other's energy. I was doubled over on my chair laughing because they were literally screaming and squealing as they talked about coming back to God and coming to church and all that. Elder Kim invited her to get baptized, and it went something like this:

Elder Kim: Have you ever been baptized?

Khadijah: Yeah, a loooong time ago

Kim: Well do you want to get baptized?

Khadijah: I can't this Sunday cuz I just got my hair done

Kim: Haha no worries! We like to schedule it a little in the future, kinda like a goal to work towards.

Khadijah: Okay!!

Kim: What if we scheduled your baptism for Feb 13th? That's the Sunday right before Valentine's Day, and what better way to show your love for God??

Khadijah: *Literally SQUEALS* OH MY GOSH YESSSSSS I WOULD LOVE THAT

She's super fire. We met with her two more times this week, and we gave her a Book of Mormon to read. She couldn't come to church because her mom's boyfriend tested positive for covid (pray for them), but she'll definitely be coming as soon as she can! And we'll have the font filled and waiting for her haha. 

So on Thursday we got to go to the Manhattan temple for an endowment session, and it was amazing. I've been in that building a bunch while on my mission, but only for meetings etc (there's a fully functing meetinghouse on the third floor for sacrament meetings, Zone Conferences, interviews with Pres, etc). I looked back and counted, and it had been over 15 months since I had done any ordinances in the temple, and boy have I been missing it. The session was simply amazing, and I felt so at peace and full of love. It was super cool because the city is right outside, full of noise and the world's problems, but you can't hear any of it while on the temple. Nothing but quiet and the voice of the Spirit. So good to be home again. 

Alright folks, so the transfer call was Saturday night, and it was kinda crazy. Pres Holmes is super unpredictable when it comes to transfers, so it's always a fun time. I'm staying here in Rego Park, and I'll be training and district leader (again). Elder Kim is leaving to go alllllll the way over to Woodside/Queens YSA, which is literally the next area over, so we'll bump into each other pretty regularly. He was also made DL there in Woodside, so we'll see each other on every leadership call as well haha.

It's kinda strange because the last time I was told I was training I was so preoccupied with that (and being DL for the first time) that it was almost the only thing I could think about. But this time around I have a better understanding of what's going down, and I've barely thought about it at all, which also makes me nervous in hindsight because I feel like I need to prep more. I'm super excited though, and I know this is exactly what God wants for me. 

Mafaufauga faaleagaga: God is so good. I don't have anything specific this week, but I'm not blind to the little things that God does to help us and show us that He's there. The baptismal service went off basically without a hitch, which basically never happens, btw. This week was full of tender mercies and miracles and the hand of God, and I just know that He is in the details in our lives.

"...yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44)

Alofa tele lava atu ia outou uma,

Elder Hill

Ata:

 - Pic I finally got of the Brooklyn and Woodside zones from last Zone Conference

 - Rego Park District (I'm gonna miss these guys. Only a couple are leaving, but still)

 - Dope car with a cool shark paintjob (reminds me of the collection of air force planes that had the same paint design)

 - Evening temple pic

 - Evening pic of the Vessel at Hudson Yards

 - Post-temple trip to New York Burger Co. (One of the best burgers you'll ever have)

 - Suuuuuper long escalator (it gave me vertigo the first time I went on it)

 - Woodside zone leadership pic

 - We got a shout-out in our mission Devo for having the most people on baptismal date for our zone 🔥

 - 5 pics from when Rodrigo took us to a Filipino restaurant and ordered us some amazing food (including lumpia and ube ice cream, which is stuff straight from heaven)

 - 2 pics from Rodrigo's baptism, ft. Sisters Ortman & Erickson, who taught him almost everything before realizing that he lives in our area, not theirs 😂