You're Not Going to Believe What Happened to Me... -- 12 March 2013

Once upon a time, it was DST, so we were really tired (.5 mph)... suddenly (7:15) the phone rings. It's the Zone Leaders. They say, "Elder R wants to meet with you and your companion in 30 minutes, can you be there?" We respond: "Be there in 20." And just like that we kicked it from first all the way up to sixth and were at 60 mph in under a second. We made it to church in 20 minutes.

Now, Elder Hill, why on earth does it matter? Well, because Elder R is our Area Seventy visiting Medicine Hat. Anyway, he gave my companion and I---and the 5th ward PEC--- a training on directing missionary work within the ward. It was awesome!! Sooooooo cool. He gave us a fright though. It was a moment that made you go, WHITCHICKABAM!

Furthermore, my boy and I have been having a rough time with planning at night.  We had been resorting to doing it in the morning. You know how it is, you get home at 9:30 after a long day and the last thing you want to do is plan. Well, we repented last week and decided that we would plan before we did anything else. Before the bathroom, before the shower, before the area book, before the journal, before bed it was going to get done every night by the spirit. So, this last week we planned every day by the spirit and... holy tolito, the very gates of hell were rocked by the amount of miracles we saw this week. Just incredible.

Anyway, I'm trying to be more discreet with my emails, lest I give away too much information, so please forgive the vague nature of the previous paragraph.

I will not be transferred this transfer. Meaning, I will be in Medicine Hat for 6 months or more. However, my area is being split and sisters will be taking over Third Ward. Thus, we are losing our car and will be on bikes and walking (Third Ward covers half of Medicine Hat... it's huge! so, good-bye to my gut).

By the way, I hadn't stepped on a scale since before my mission until last week. And, despite my best efforts to be healthy, it seems that Canada is determined to make me fat. Small meals all day, until dinner. "Elders, what can I pass you? Elders, we don't want any leftovers. Elders, which half of this pie do you want to eat?" (don't get me wrong, I love pie, but for goodness sakes... a whole half!?) Anyway, I'm now 185 and dropping. That's 20 pounds! To the bikes! Away! ;)

Well... oh, yeah!!! DDM's! As you know, I'm a district leader. I'm not very good at it... yet. So my DDM's have been poorly presented and my trainings have been terrible. Because I am a perfectionist and am constantly seeking to improve, I put a lot of thought and prayer into how I should go about teaching at the DDM's. Long story short, they were fabulous (I didn't even teach very much. I was only teaching for 15 minutes). We all received a lot of revelation and I think things are going to be upward and onward from this point forward. Which is great, because I really don't like feeling helpless when I'm teaching anyone.

Training is going well. It is nice to be reminded of the basics again and again, because it helps me to improve my overall ability as a missionary. Ironically, the things I have been learning to train him are the same things that are helping me to train him. Isn't it amazing how the Gospel works that way? All the doctrines and principles are the same for every problem. Faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure---over and over again. Having a hard time finding? Are you finding with faith? Have you repented of your bad habits and are you changing to meet God's will? Are you living worthy of your baptisimal covenant? Are you following the Holy Ghost? Are you enduring well? Or are you just whining about it? See what I mean? The Gospel works every day in every way.

Well, I love you all very much. I hope you have a good week. :D By the way, the church has released a new policy stated as such: "Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts. Mission presidents should allow sufficient time on preparation day for missionaries to write emails and letters. While in the mission field, missionaries should receive authorization from the mission president before entering into communication, including via email, with converts and others of the opposite gender within the mission boundaries (see Missionary Handbook, 36–37)."

So, if you're my friend and I love you, you are now allowed to email me (as long as you aren't living in the mission boundaries and are of the opposite sex). This will resolve a LOT of communication problems that I have been experiencing. So, if you want my email... talk to my mom.

I love you all soooooo so so so much.

Rock on. Peace, love, and temple marriage. In that order.

Elder Taylor J. Hill