1st Week in Reforma, Dr. Scholls Saved the Day, Russell M. Nelson

I bought Dr. Scholls insoles today, and life is now cushiony.

My camera just got another virus, so that stinks.

Tonight we are going to make mom's chocolate chip cookies for a family home evening.

My companion was the secretary of visas for six months, and this week, we had to go to the mission offices 2 times and to downtown Guadalajara. It was a jolly grand time, and really tiring. The downtown of Guadalajara is just a joy, even from the seat of a bus.

This Saturday (Dad's day of birth), we had a meeting with our mission, and the mission Mexico, Guadalajara. There were 460 full-time missionaries, an area president, a member of the seventy, and Russell M Nelson(12). It was mind shattering, and if you ever want to feel the spirit super strongly, just go to a meeting with those guys; it was a joy. I really enjoyed that Elder Nelson started his talking with tons of humility, expressing how grateful he was for a lot of things and how the Gospel has changed his life. He had some funny stories, and it was grand. One of the best parts is when he asked our mission president to share a quick thought. Real life, his words brought me to tears in about 32 seconds. I love that man a whole bunch. And it was just marvelous Saturday.

The night before the meeting, we went to bed at 2:30am (telling stories with the six missionaries that were in our house) and woke up at 5am. There were a whole bunch of sleepy kittens going on later.

Our new area is really really great. It is a lot different, and a lot harder, but I enjoy it. We have a really good family of investigators. The dad may be a little bit ocd, or just crazy pills - they have over 46 half-used bars of soap in their bathroom.... But they read the Book of Mormon, pray to know if it is the word of God, and are willing to repent, so we love them.

I am ever so grateful for this gospel, and I have no idea where I would be with out it. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of this dispensation, and that if we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can return to God's presence.

I love you all (un buen (a whole bunch))

Mom, I got my Christmas package, but I am waiting until Christmas.

Me, Elder Lopez, Elder Jimenez, Elder Sealor, Elder Martinez

Elder Sealor and I live in the same house. We get along really well and life is good.

Transfer to Reforma, Busticated Neck, Another Dog in Church

My neck was stuck this way all week!

Rigoberto and family

Bishop and missionaries

The Buans

This week was nuts. On Monday night, I was called and told that I was invited to go to a leadership meeting with all the zone leaders and assistants and President Camarillo and his wife. It was in Guadalajara, so there was lots of traveling, a good amount of digestion pain, and it was an unforgettable, spiritually uplifting experience. we travelled all of Tuesday, the meeting was Wednesday, and I got back to Apatzingan on Thursday.

Thursday we had weekly planning, and we ran around looking for our investigators.

Friday, we went to the zone meeting, all was really well. buuuuut.

On Friday I woke up at 4am and I could not move my head/neck more than 14 degrees, no joke. The pain was super terrible, and I had to go to the bathroom. It took twenty minutes to leave bed and to get back in bed, in order to not shriek with pain.

I went to the zone meeting, and talked with Sister Camarillo to see what I should do.

I went to a doctor, they gave me some drugs, and later than night, with a lot of stretching out the neck, it started to feel better. Apparently, from changing temperatures a whole bunch (Guadalajara, Urupan, Apatzingan) you can get your little neck nerves a little bit angry. 

I gave part of the zone meeting, with my head pretty much looking at the floor.

BUT ALL IS WELL, AND MY NECK DOESNT HURT. <3

On Saturday, President Camarillo called me, and said that I was going to be moved to be a zone leader, and that they would tell me where on Sunday.

On Sunday, there was ANOTHER DOG, in sacrament meeting... I don't know who brings them, but it is the worst. 

We had a good show out in the gospel principles class I give

We had a killer lesson with the Buan family, where we pretty much got everything all readied up for the baptism of the hermano Buan. They are one of my favorite families that we found in Apatzingan, and they are the best.

On Sunday, they told me that I was going to be moved to Reforma.

My new companion is Elder Lopez. He is from Oaxaca, but he lived in Puebla for 4 years. He is a cool cat, and we are going to shred the area of Reforma.

My new area, and stake, and zone, is the same zone and stake as Tonala, so I will be seeing lots of old friends from there. I am excited. 

Overall, this week went by really fast and there were lots of photos taken of good friends.

I am glad to be here. I love this Gospel, and I know that what we share is the truth.

Love you all. 

 Elder Hulme.

December 1 - Thanksgiving, La Dadiva

This week, I totally got a flew shot.

The worst part about a flew shot, is that it gives you the flu. 

But within three days I was feeling all better, and 1000 percent ready to work.

We also enjoyed a good little Thanksgiving dinner this week. It was provided by the Buan family. He is Filipino, and she is from Apatzingan. They lived their whole lives in the United States. He is an ex military dude from the states, but is taking his retirement here in Mexico. That is what I want to do. Buuut they are pretty much just like having the best of grandparents over here in Mexico. They tell us they we are their new family, and it is just a jolly grand time every time we visit them. They have been coming to church every Sunday and are just rocking it.

This week, I was working in Uruapan for 2 days for some companion exchanges with the zone leaders. We did a whole bunch of walking, and it made me appreciate all the investigators that we have, because we have enough people to teach. 

They also bought us chocolate cake.

La Dádiva - The gift - is the best thing in the world. You all ought to check out the church's page oat www.christmas.mormon.org  because it is the best. We have started to share it as missionaries, and I loooooove it - it is the best video in the whole world. And if you look closely, within the first couple scenes, after the red shoes, on the red clothes rack, they are totally filming in D.I. You can tell by the little blue price tag, and by the big over-filled racks of Christmas clothes. Pretty much it makes you recognize how loving our Heavenly Father is that he has provided a way for all of us to be saved, for us to be able to return to his presence (spelling is so hard for me these days.)

God Loves you all, Appreciate it, and share that love with others.

I had a dream about simon this week. SCORE.

I ran out of things to write this week.

I sure Love you all, and am especially grateful for all you do.

I know that what I am doing is where God needs me, and that this is his work.

Elder Hulme.

Nov. 24 - Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings

Hey kids, this week was absolutely wonderful with a whole bunch of work and work and more work. We had some super spiritual lessons, and best of all, we had two baptisms.

There was the baptism of hermana Ana, and it was super nice. It was absolutely wonderful to have an investigator, who we had battled so much to grasp on to the gospel, finally take the biggest step, and be baptized and confirmed. I did the baptizing, and it was a jolly grand time.

Also we had an investigator named Saul. We found him about a month ago. Pretty much I have never met anyone so darn ready to live the gospel. Everything he says and does he just talks about God and how much he wants to get his life closer to God. He pretty much spends all his spare time reading the scriptures,and what not. He was not married (but lived with his wife) when we found him, but we taught him all the lessons, he has been coming to church for a little bit more than a month, and this Thursday Elder Martinez and I were witnesses in his wedding. wahoooo.

The wedding was awesome. We got there at 10:45am and left at 11:03am. So it was fabbbbuloussssth. They took us out to lunch brunch, and then on Saturday he was totally baptized.

Sunday was a super eventful day in the church. We had the confirmation of Ana. I think I forgot to tell you guys: I lead the hymns every week in church. Including, I tell everyone how to sing the first line. So I do a mini solo 3 times every Sunday.

Also our investigator Osiel received the priesthood this Sunday. I got to give the priesthood for the first time. It was really a little bit different than all the other ordinances that I had participated in, but I really enjoyed it. 

Yes Mom, we take care of all of our recent converts. Federico and Mary cruz are doing super well. They are some of my favorites. Federico was telling us how happy he was that he found the gospel, and we are trying to get him all readied up to share his testimony this next fast sunday.

Pretty much I love my life 100%

I know that this church, gospel and priesthood have been restored, that Joseph Smith, was the man called to be the prophet in the restoration, and that my savior lives.

Lots of love

Elder Hulme.

I baptized our cell phone, daily miracles, trip back to Morelia

This week one of my favorite investigators was baptized. He is one of my favorites because a couple months of go we were walking and I saw a guy who looked like the worst spanish teacher at my high school, so I totally talked to him. He was reading a hunger games book.  But then turns out he is just a stellar dude, who needed the gospel, and who was ready to change and was totally just a score. 

I also baptized our cell phone. I left it in my pocket, and totally cleansed it from all sin (even though it was not confirmed). It still works. I blowed all the water out of it from the air dryer that in the bathroom. (Oooooops)

It is pretty much the best thing in the world just walking around all day every day helping people get closer to Christ. It's the best. 

I never commented you guys anything about Osiel and his baptism, because we weren't all that sure because he needed special interviews and everything. Buuuut now everything is good.

Also we have an investigator, named Ana. The first day I met her, she told me she would never pray, that she didn´t want to know anything about the gospel, and that she was catholic forever. 

My companion at the time told me to not waste my time with her. A few months ago we wiggled her into going to church, and she has been going every week. We started talking more and more, and have gotten her to pray. She reads the Book of Mormon, AAAAnd yesterday in church she told us that she wants to be baptized this coming week. It is pretty wild because we have seen a true change in her. One of my zone leaders was in this area, and he also told me that it would be a miracle if we even got her to go to church. Well now she's a be baptized.

Pretty much we see miracles on the daily. The only recent convert that wasn't in church yesterday was Lorenza due to her health.

On Tuesday at 1:40am. I boarded a bus. We arrived in Morelia at 5:30am, waited for a while, and went to a training in MORELIA. My child, Elder MAR, is a zone leader, I am proud. After the zone meeting I was informed that I was going to be working for one day in Camelinas (my first area) with Elder Mar. Honestly, it was just like a whole bunch of love. We visited three of my favorite families that day, and it was one of the best experiences... 

We are working really hard, and that is about it. It was cold in Morelia. Sweaters are the bomb; especially when you have to use them.

Elder Martinez and I are setting a mission record for not having a single fight, problem, or blow up/tantrum in all the time we have together.

I slept a grand total of 8 hours in two days. Sitting in a bus station.

It is wild how excited I got to be in my first area, and with my first child, Elder Mar. You make some of the best friends in the whole wide world over here, and it is just splendid.

This is Frederico and part of his super duper family

Chineeeese foooood

I love you all

Elder Hulme.

Trued a wheel, primary program, wild rain storm

November 10, 2014

This is one of my favorite stories of this week... I like talking to the people that have bikes because bikes are cool (even though pretty much all the bikes here are "Tuesday" machinery, (its all good.)) The other week I talked with a guy with a small little bike joint. We went and talked with him this week. He was super excited to hear about the Gospel and has been hearing from quite a few different churches but all in all is really interested. AaAAand he also asked me if I knew how to true wheels and if I`d teach him. Sooo.. This week I trued a steel rim, from probably 1832, using an ex mtb front fork, lodged in a bucket of cement. It was awesome. 

This week we had an amazing lesson with Federico and Maria (recent converts). Pretty much they are some of the favoritest people on the whole planet. Aaaand this week Federico received the Priesthood, and is progressing ever so well.

Yesterday was the primary program. It wasn't quite as good as the ones back home, but it had it's funny parts, and the lil' kids sure were cute. I also drew a picture of Elder Matthews with a mustache, because he had not shaved.

Last night there was a wild rain storm - it was loud enough to wake me up. I also had a dream that Simon got super duper skinny and was withering away. Simon, don`t wither. 

Iguana tastes a lot like chicken, but it is a little bit tougher. They seasoned it up in a stew, and it had a whole bunch of spices and a whole bunnnch of LOVE!

When the bishop confirms someone, or gives a blessing, He always focuses a ton by saying "name of the person NO DESMAYE" or "Don't faint." So that is pretty fun.

Tomorrow I have to go to Morelia for a leadership meeting. The good news is, the bus leaves at 4am - wahooooo. 

I really love life. 

It is passing too quickly.

Go to the temple. My invitation still stands.

Love you alllllllz

don elder hulme el panadero con 3 barritas magicas y una lata de atun

Camera has virus, ironed cookies, we eat iguana, using the priesthood

November 3, 2014

My camera is very very ill with a virus, and I took soooo many good pictures this week, and I want to share them with you.

1. Today we made cookies with mom's super tasty cookie batch pack. It was honestly a large taste of heaven, and we also enjoyed the science that we did with it all. The most fun way was making them in tin foil and with the iron. It turned out more like a caramelized cookie, but it was good. Needless to say, I ate 1 ton of cookie dough and loved every minute of it.

2. The other day we were walking in the night, and there was a guy walking a little bit funny. He walked up to a street sign and smacked it really hard. We thought that he may had been under some sort of an influence, so we walked to the other side of the street. He kept walking, got up next to a tree, got ahold of a branch, and got in a pull-up position, and just snapped a huge tree branch off the tree, and threw it to the ground.

3. We ate iguana twice this week. Both from the same family  (I have photos, buuuut they are not working right now.)

Yesterday were the 4 confirmations that we had from last week's baptisms. It was pretty darn good. They were a large crop of people who were just baptized, so now we have been on a good hunt for new investigators. Not too many of them are showing any sort of really wanting to get things done...

Unfortunately, our recent convert, Lorenza, has been pretty darn sick in the last little bit. Yesterday we went and gave her a blessing and seems to be doing a bit better. It is such a privilege to be able to hold the priesthood, and it feels really really good when we get to use it.

The lessons we keep having with Federico and his family are the best because every time we teach them we feel the spirit super duper strong. So that is pretty darn rockin. They are having quite a few difficulties within their family, but they are progressing a lot within the gospel, which makes everything a whole lot better.

I am really quite happy where I am at. It shatters my universe how fast time goes. I feel like part of it is because it just feels super - always. We sweat every day of the week. 

I will be attaching photos when possible and I sure love you cats. A lot.

Keep on keeping on

Go to the temple

Finish reading the Book of Mormon

Elder Hulme.

Birthday, baptisms, drain-cleaning, Goofy with green eyes

October 27, 2014

Mom's questions:

1 and 2. My birthday was spectacular and super busy. On Friday we bought a cake to save it until Saturday. On Saturday, we were really busy getting everything all set and ready to go for the baptism of Federico and his wife and kid.

3. The week with Federico was awesome, mainly because every lesson we have with them is suuuuper spiritual, and everyone leaves the house high as a kite on spiritual goodness.

5. Elder Martinez and I are doing really good. Our relationship is a bit weird. I clean up all of his messes, which are plentiful. Also, I feel like I am game to clean whatever it takes now. For example, this morning I had to take apart two different drains and clean them all really good. I took out about a tennis ball`s worth of backed-up missionary hair gunk. (I did not vomit, but I wanted to.)

6. I don`t ever have to sign my visa again on my mission.

The baptisms that we had this week were pretty darn stressful, because everyone gets everywhere late. The baptism that was supposed to start at 6pm, started at 6:45, because the baptismal candidate got there at 6:35. The good news is, everything went well. 

I will attach photos of one of the first dogs that I like. His name is Goofy, and we are good pals. If you get the photo right, his eyes turn into crazy green laser shooting balls.

This week was one of the most spiritual that I`ve had in a good long while, and I loved every minute of it. 

We had set the goal to have 5 baptisms for this month. It took a bunch of faith, praying, acting, using time wisely, and relying on God, but all in all, it was ever so satisfactory to be able to say that we completed the goal. 

We had stake conference this week. There was a small amount of blasphemy and it was really really funny.  Our stake center is in Uruapan, where the weather reminds me of Portland, and it is a glorious glorious thing. It has been really toasty the last couple days.

Thanks for the birthday wishes. I am 20 years old, that is old.

I bought myself a carrot cake, it was lovely.

Sure love you guys, and sure love where I am at. I would not change what I`ve got for the world right now.

Take care of yourselves,

Elder Hulme.

A dog I like named Goofy

Birthday cake - Carrot

Birthday spork and bike shop t-shirt

Goofy

7 lessons, favorite family, missionary forever

This week was really busy.

Tuesdsay I had some interchanges with Elder Matthews. It was super fun. He is rad.

Wednesday was normal.

Thursday, I had interchanges with my zone leader until Saturday in the morning.

Sunday, we came to Guadalajara for a meeting that we had this afternoon, aaaaaand we will be here until tomorrow to sign my visa and get all readied up again.

Last Monday I was quite stressed out, but I am all better right now. We stayed up until 1:30am one night. Bad decision. Worth it.

We had an absolutely amazing day on Saturday. We worked all day with the bishop, and we taught 7 lessons with investigators with a member present, which was a treat. Aaaand we had a lesson with Federicko and Mary Cruz.

Excluding you guys, they are the family that I love most in the world right now. On Saturday we had another lesson, where I cannot even begin to explain how strong the spirit was. They both have come super far and are progressing super duper duper well. Every time we have an appointment I get super excited from that morning. And my companion notices it because I start singing and getting all weird at 6:30am. cool.

It has been a true testimony that the Lord is preparing people to hear the gospel. When we found them, we were searching for someone else. I approached and asked if we could visit them in another moment, and now in the new future, they will be making life-changing covenants with God.

I studied a little bit in the talk by Elder Lynn G Robbins about which way do we face. I encourage all of you to read it or listen to it from this last general conference. 

I keep on getting onto these spiritual highs - it is not something that you can explain. At times I want to be a missionary for the rest of my life, where you can just focus on helping other people complete what God has prepared for them, feel the spirit all the day long, and have super funny experiences where people get all up and in your face for not worshipping the virgin.

I love where I am at

This gospel

God

The scriptures

You guys

Take care.

Elder Hulme.

Lazaro Cardenas Monument

bakerys on wheelz

Elder Cadena and I