Life is Good

HELLO friends and family

 

Back to the bulletpoint emails

 

HEADPHONES

are the bane of missionary work. It's impossible to talk to people when I'm standing on the subway and every person in front of next to behind above and underneath me is listening to music. There is so much happening at all sides! Honestly if not for the entertaining eavesdropping, alone, there is so much that goes unnoticed when there's always buds the ears. So here's a challenge for you. Un desafio, por favor. Go one day without headphones blackberry books magazines or newspaper. I promise you'll have a good day! Then go back to your happy ways and entertain however you like. Use these things as doors rather than walls. Maybe someone next to you has read the same book! Maybe they love the same band.  Go try it!

 

FRIED FOOD

is the last thing a missionary needs to learn how to cook. But let me tell you I am sooooo happy to have expounded my knowledge on the art of rolling everything in batter, dunking it in oil, and clogging arteries. We were over at Isabel's house and she again sneakily asked her son to cook us dinner. Right when we were about to leave she says that we have to stay and eat! "Oh, are you sure? This is so nice. Are you sure?" when in my head I'm goin "YES YES YES JOEL MAKES THE BEST FOOD EVAAAAR. I CAN SMELL IT. I GOTTA HAVE IT. I GOTTA get my act together here and compose myself". So we sit down to a masterpeice of chicken, potato salad, and lots of sautaed goods. As we're eating he's cleaning up in the kitchen when he hears his mom say "han tratado los Oreos?" Joel pops out of the kitchen and asks if we had ever had HIS kind of oreos. When we said we hadn't he quickly got everything back out of the cupboards and whipped up some deep-fried oreos. Melted my soul in splendor, I'm tellin' ya. These things were good. Anyway he taught us how to do it. Pancake batter and cinnamon makes the best dough. That's all. It'll rock your world. Go try that, too!

 

ROD

Once upon a time our neighbors in Lone Tree, Colorado had a foreign exchange student named Rodrigo. He was from Brazil. Never have I known another Rodrigo until about 10 days ago! We were sitting on the T and the guy next to me puts a tiny paper boat made out of a Trident wrapper on top of my backpack. Then he asks what we were "affiiliated with", seeing that we both had "matching identification". Seriously the best inquirey I've ever gotten here! We talked a bit but we were late for our meeting and had to run after just a few minutes. We got his number and said farewell. We do this about 5 times a week. We called him and set up an appointment for that Saturday. That Saturday came and he had an emergency so he couldn't catch up. Oh well. This happens about 5 times a week, too. We tried again and he said for sure the next Saturday. This alsohappens except normally about 11 times a week. Saturday morning comes and he texts us early making sure that we have a time and place and that we are still a Go! Always, Rod, we are always a go. We are missionaries!

 

6 o'clock on Saturday night we are standing outside of Harvard Station making calls and sure enough, up walks Rod! He actually came! We walked together down to the Longfellow Park Chapel (super cool stuff, google it). When we get there we find that there are actually 4 other missionaries there rather than the 2 that we had counted on, and there was also a singles activity starting in 1 hour. We sat down and started talking.

 

The next 1 hour and 45 minutes would take me 3 hours and 15 to explain. He held the Book of Mormon for the first time, he read his first verses, he asked his first questions, he connected dots, he got answers and clarification, and he asked to keep going when we were finished! He also had found more questions to ask. We had to get going, but we knelt down and prayed all together before we left. Then Sister Jordan (a heart-stopping singer from Arizona) sang per Rod's request. We walked with him back to the station and went our ways. A little while later we got a text from him that said "I guess you guys found a big brutha!" After that first meeting he is already making changes in his life. We can't wait to see him again!

 

CLARIFACTION FOR THE OLD AND NEEDY

(my father)

"Super Senior" is a high school student that did not graduate within the 4 alloted years, but continues to attend and graduate full-strong in however long it takes! They are not a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, rather a super senior!

 

UPDATE

(per request by father)

dandelion lady has not come to church yet. Then again, she didn't have any teeth. I don't know what significance that holds but we'll keep looking for her and I will keep you posted!

 

I've got to go. Time for some ultimate frisbee and Loco Burritos (they'll change your life).

 

Love,

Hermana Hileman

 

LIFE is a MISSION

 

and LIFE is GOOD!