Go Big Or Go Home (....Why Not Both?)

Malo Soifua!!!

Today on the Elder Hill Show:

 ** JEAN GOT BAPTIZED!!! (#allgod)

 ** Also our mission set a new record for baptisms with 148!!!! (#alsoallgod)

 ** Went on exchanges and it was super good (might be my last exchange ever 😭)

 ** Got free pizza twice this week so that was hype (literally the best cheese pizza I've ever had in my entire life)

 ** Going to Manhattan for P-Day les goooooo (again for one of the last times)

 ** God is good. It's really that simple, yet so profound

JEAN GOT BAPTIZED!!!!! It was touch and go for a little bit in the middle of the week, but it all worked out right at the end. Literally so many miracles happened this week, and I know for a fact that God was involved in it. She didn't text us back at all on Thursday, which was incredibly stressful. On Friday morning she finally got back to us and we were able to set up her baptismal interview. She passed it on Friday night, and from there we had a mad scramble to finalize the details of the baptism for the very next day. A few brothers from the ward came, and it was a small, cozy service. I got the privilege of baptizing her, and it was a great experience. She came to our sacrament meeting today, and Elder Jensen confirmed her. All in all a very irregular and hectic week, but it all worked out alright in the end.

And yeah our mission went absolutely bonkers and baptized a total of 148 people in the month of July. It was absolutely incredible, and we really saw the hand of the Lord in all our work. Of special note for me was the fact that the Westchester zone has been infamous for only having 5 baptisms a month (the "famous five"). Well this month our DISTRICT had SIX and the zone had THIRTEEN. Truly a marvelous work and a wonder. I'm honestly just in awe if the incredible things God has done here in our mission, and even now we're still just getting going. Pres Holmes is convinced we can break 200, and I'm inclined to agree. 

I got to go on an exchange with Elder Pack, the District Leader in the New Rochelle district. Normally two DLs don't go on an exchange together (not illegal, just uncommon), but we made an exception of sorts. This is Elder Pack's second transfer as a DL, so I shared some tips, tricks, and advice about the assignment. We did some good work that day, and we had a great time together. We had a good pillow-talk with laughs and some heart to heart. It was a great experience for both of us, and it's a huge help for us DLs to feel more unified and together in all that we do in supporting our zone together. Good stuff. I did this same thing two transfers ago with Elder Carter when he was a new DL is New Rochelle, do we just repeated the process again, and the results were again quite superb I would say.

In other news, Elder Jensen and I got free pizza twice this week. We're tight with Arianno, the owner of Via Garibaldi's near our apartment, and he keeps giving us free pizzas, and they're sooooo good haha. Easily the best cheese pizza I've ever had.

Today for P-Day we're going to Manhattan as a district. Sister Holmes reserves "Manhattan P-days" for social occasions and big achievements, and we finally have a doozy. Reaching our district baptism goal for the month was one, and we hit SIX (again, all God). We also crushed all the rest of our district goals for the month, so that was hype. To ice that cake, I'm going home soon, and Sister Thomas in our district is going to her original assignment in the Netherlands at the end of the transfer, so neither of us will ever get to go to Manhattan again (as missionaries, anyway). Needless to say, Sister Holmes had to say yes, haha. We're taking the Metro North railroad to get down there, which I've never done before, so that'll be fun. I'll share some pics of our shenanigans next email (which will be my next-to-last one, btw)

Mafaufauga faaleagaga: During my exchange with Elder Pack, he asked me to describe my mission in three words. I hmm'ed and hawed, and I complained that it was impossible to contain two years worth of incredible and extraordinary experiences into three words haha. I finally received a small burst of inspiration, and I said, "Three words: God is good." He asked me to explain it, and I did. To make a long story short, God is just so good to me. I never thought I would be here in NYC, but I would never prefer anywhere else. I've grown in so many amazing and uncomfortable ways, and I've honestly loved almost every bit of it. I've experienced miracles in my life, and I've witnessed miracles in the lives of others. God is just so good. I can't really say it any better than that. My testimony of this church and this truth has grown stronger, and, perhaps more importantly, my conviction to God and to Jesus Christ has grown and strengthened. I love this church, and I love my Savior. I really, really do. With less than 20 days left to wear His name on my chest, I've been overcome with gratitude for the amazing things that I got to experience and be a part of.

It's really that simple. God is good.

Alofa tele lava atu ia outou uma,

Elder Hill

Ata:

 - Jean doesn't like pictures taken of her, so we just took a selfie by the baptismal font and pretended she was there lol

 - Dope collage of the Manhattan temple made of the names of the 148 people who were baptized 

 - There was a rock concert on the street on Tuesday that absolutely wrecked our finding time 😂 (good music though)

 - Our homie Arianno (owner of Via Garibaldi's in White Plains) hooked us up with the best cheese pizza I've ever had in my entire life

 - It's hard to see, but this Audi is absolutely COVERED in glitter and glam and it's atrocious

 - "Color the Dale"

 - Me 'n my new lion homie 

 - We made a temple out of raisin boxes and hand sanitizers while at service 

 - Cool old murals in Port Chester