Scooby Dooby Doo, Where Are You?

Malo Soifua!!!

Today on the Elder Hill Show:

 ** YRIS GOT BAPTIZED!!!

 ** Finding was absolutely trash this week (by NYC mission standards, anyway)

 ** A guy randomly ordered us food at his own restaurant (and tried doing it a second time lol)

 ** Sometimes hitting rock bottom is the best place to be (more on that at the bottom)

Btw there's literally no significance to the subject line. I just wanted something to put in there haha

YRIS GOT BAPTIZED!!!! It was a small baptismal service, but the service was strong, and she absolutely loved it. Our ward mission leader baptized her, and Elder Earl and I stood as witnesses. It was a great time. The next day, yesterday, she was confirmed in sacrament meeting. Again the Spirit was strong, and everyone felt it when we laid our hands on her head. Yris was saying over and over how amazing it felt and how grateful she was. It was truly a miracle for us as well. It was kinda cool for Elder Earl specifically, I think, because this is his fourth (and probably last) transfer here in Westchester, and it was the first baptism he had here in almost six months. It's also the first baptism this teaching area has had in well over a year. Good times all around.

Now for a different type of miracle haha. We walk around a lot in White Plains, and many many people know us by sight (some like us and some don't, it's just how it is lol). One guy we've said hi to once or twice beckoned us over as we were walking home on Saturday. He said "I've seen you guys walking miles every day. Do you do this everyday? What do you guys do?" We told him that we're missionaries for our church, and we talked a little about that. He wasn't super interested in church, but he was very impressed with our work ethic I guess because he invited us to sit down and get a bite to eat. He gestured to a very fancy Italian restaurant nearby called Via Garibaldi's. We were hesitant, but he said "it's okay. I own it". We finally agreed haha, and he sat us down in the outdoor seating. He went and made us a pizza with sausage and fried chicken. It was SO GOOD, and everything there was super cool. We thanked him profusely and took the leftover slices for a lunch the next day.

That next day he saw us again and actually offered again lol. I laughed and said thanks but maybe some other time. I love being tight with tons of local people.

Mafaufauga faaleagaga: I had this thought in sacrament meeting yesterday. I'll type it exactly how I wrote it:

"Christ is called the Rock of our salvation (2 Nephi 4:30), is he not? He's the rock upon which to build our foundation (Helaman 5:12). Maybe we are led in life to 'hit rock bottom' because we have to see that the absolute lowest we can go, the absolute furthest we can fall, places us squarely on the shoulders of the Rock of our salvation. Maybe rock bottom is where God wants us to be because you really only can build up from there. Building your foundation above and off of the Rock sounds a little 'great and spacious' (1 Nephi 11:35-36) to me. Maybe we're led to hit rock bottom to make us see where we really have to start. Starting anywhere else just leads to a long and hard fall when the rain falls down and the floods come up (children's song #281). Maybe God pulls the rug out from under our feet so show us the firm stone underneath that we need to build our lives on instead"

Alofa tele lava atu ia outou uma,

Elder Hill

Ata:

 - Yours truly putting on a spare tire after the original one got slashed on a piece of glass

 - Elder Earl taking a picture of me taking a picture of him 😂

 - YRIS' BAPTISM

 - "Keep calm and eat falafel" (words to live by)

 - Surprise dinner at Via Garibaldi's