Ode to Mexico - Last Letter

August 10, 2015

I ONCE GOT TO A LAND EXPECTING SOMBREROS AND NACHOS.
WAITING FOR MARIACHI AND PEOPLE WITH MUSTACHES.
BUT TO MY SURPRISE EVERYTHING WAS DIFFERENT.
THE FOOD IS THE BEST.
THE ART IS INCREDIBLE, AND THE PEOPLE ARE DEEP IN CULTURE-THE PEOPLE BETTER.
I LEARNED TO LOVE THE LORD AND HIS WORK.
I GAINED MY VERY OWN TESTIMONY - THAT IS WHAT I AM MOST GRATEFUL FOR. AND MOM'S COOKING.
I ATE A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU SHOULDN'T.
BATHROOMS BECAME MY SAFE GROUND.
I LIVED WITH COMPANIONS. GREW UP.
I LOVE THE SCRIPTURES AND USING THEM TO HELP PEOPLE.
I LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT THE SAVIOR AND WHAT HE WANTS FOR US.
MY TESTIMONY OF THE PRIESTHOOD FLOWERED AND SO MUCH MORE.
WE SHARED THE GOSPEL. MANY CHANGED, MANY STILL ARE LOST.
I CRIED WITH THESE PEOPLE, REJOICED, LISTENED, WORSHIPPED AND MUCH MORE. AND I TRULY LOVE THESE PEOPLE AND THIS LAND.
(SORRY IF THIS LAST LETTER IS A BIT SCRAMBLED)...
I MAY NOT HAVE HAD MILLIONS OF CONVERTS, OR HAVE SAVED THE WORLD,
BUT I FEEL THAT THERE IS ONE LIL AMERICAN BOY WHO IS VERY VERY VERY GRATEFUL FOR HAVING COME ON A MISSION.
THERE IS NOTHING I WOULD HAVE RATHER BEEN DOING FOR THESE LAST TWO YEARS.
I HAVE LEARNED MORE THAN DESERVED, AND I WILL REMEMBER THESE THINGS FOREVER.

                    I LOVE YOU MEXICO
                    I LOVE YOU MEXICO
                    I LOVE YOU MEXICO
                    I LOVE YOU MEXICO
                    I LOVE YOU MEXICO

LOVE YOU FAMILY. SEE YOU NEXT WEEK IN THE AIRPORT.
If I have a frosty in hand getting off the plane, don´t be surprised. American ice cream is a good thing.

Love you all,
Elder Hulme.

hearts forever.

P.S.
Hey fam,
One week more and we can all HUG TOGETHERS.

I´d say go nuts with a banner or something in the airport, IT'S THE BEST OPPORTUNITY THERE IS TO BE OBNOXIOUS IN AN AIRPORT AND NOT GET IN TROUBLE.

Sure love you
Today we went to get you kids some small lil gifts.

I LOVE THIS COUNTRY.

UNCLOG THAT DRAIN, bucket-filling font makes for memorable LAST baptism

August 3, 2015

Well boys and girls this week was a crazy one. AND I LOVED IT.

One morning, I was sick of showering and having to be soaking in all of my shower filth, soooo I decided to get down to the nitty gritty with a metal hanger and UNCLOG THAT DRAIN. It was about 20 minutes of Elder Hulme saying "que asco"and "wakalaaaaaaaaa" (which means gross). Let's just say that sister missionaries used to live in this apartment, aaaaand there was about 18 inches of rotten stinky hairy hair ball hair and it was gross gross grossy gross. But now I am good at doing it seeming as I´ve had to do it in 4 of my areas..

Satan was workin it hard this week to get Mayra not to be baptized. The poor thing had a ton of sad things happen to her  this week, but was ever so excited to be baptized. We got to the chapel on Saturday at 4 to fill up the font to be ready at 6. We started up the filling and after ten minutes, all the water  stopped.

We hooked up a hose to the outside from the street water system.      nope

We hooked up another hose to the cleaning closet to filler up.....   nope

My companion almost drowned trying to syphon up the water from the underground well into the font....    nope

We HOOKED UP THE SHOP VAC, TO SYPHON THE WATER FROM THE WELL. NOPE

After a long while of trying everything, running, praying, and the only thing getting wet were my pants. We got to work filling up the font bucket by bucket from the 9 foot well where I dropped the keys weeks before. Bucket by bucket by bucket by bucket, my companion and I were on our knees grabbing the water, then taking it to the window, handing it to a young man to throw it in the font. 

We got that font filled - with water and grass. We were covered in sweat, dried off, and started the baptism.

Everything went quite well in the program. Mayra was super super happy, and that is what matters.

When we got into the font, the water was only up to my knees. But she was still baptized on the first go - we just had to use more of a planking approach.

She had the biggest smile on her face afterward and we are so happy for her. She is an investigator who progressed incredibly fast, and it was amazing to see how she changed. From being a coffee and cigarette addict, grouchy, and now a loving mother, free from addictions who has decided to follow the example of the Saviour.

I look back on everything that happened that day, and I am happy that it did, because I will honestly remember this last baptism for ever and always. 

Today I took my suits to the dry cleaner. They told us that they won't do it, because they can't finish the job before I go home. Looks like I´m coming home with dirty suits. (Don´t worry I´ll hit´em up with the Febreeze to get the stink out.)

Sure love you all

Love your guts,

Elder Hulme.

P.S. Hey kids just a heads up... It may still be in two weeks, but remember in the Acts how Saul was totes destroying the church and then the Lord is like, why do you do these things? And then he changed his name to Paul. I never tried to destroy the church or anything, but I´ve changed. I know it. I hope we all can accept this... Mainly I´d prefer it, that after I am released and I'm no longer ELDER, if everyone could call me OLIVER (as Dad suggested in the earlier years of my life). I´d sure appreciate it.

Love you all so much.

Have great weeks. 

Elder Hulme

soon to be OLIVER (instead of Oli)

The mini zone

These pictures with Mayra are my favorite

Knee deep font filled by the bucket required a "planking" approach

The doctora that got rid of all my warts

Paradise, FYS, I love the temple, sick again

July 27, 2015

This week was hard, but at the same time it was the best.

On Monday they told us that we were going to go to FYS (the new version of EFY over here). We went with 40 other missionaries on Wednesday. We got up bright and early, headed to the offices, and went to a suuuper nice hotel where they were doing the FYS. Our mission was to teach the youth how to present a pamphlet of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ to their friends, aaaaand commit everyone that was there to go on a mission. We got to the super nice hotel (we are talking like fancy nice, hidden, in a cute forest up in snowbird hotel). We got there, and as the 747 youth were singing called to serve, we sprung in there like hidden ninjas and sang really loud the last 2 verses. I never went to an EFY as a youth, but this time around was a blast!! Then, we split off into groups and did our part. It was interesting because you could tell who were the obedient, the rowdy, the rebellious, but they were all just great, and we loved them all. Being among so many youth had a super fun spirit, and it was a blast of a Wednesday, I saw youth from every single one of my areas and it was great.

On Thursday, we had a stellar lesson with Mayra about temples and family history work. She was interested to go to the temple and we got everything all arranged to go on Saturday to have a lesson with her on the temple grounds.

Saturday came around the block, we had everything readied up, aaaaand the brother who was going to drive us, did not show up, did not show up, and did not show up. (I was about to explode). We ran to his house, and his wife told us that he called and said that he wasn't going to go. (I almost exploded) We ran back to the chapel with the investigator and the other member, aaaaand we saw the brother who was going to take us with some sweat on the face and a charming smile, and we got him all convinced to go again.

I LOVE THE TEMPLE. Just being on the grounds I could not quit smiling. I had to repent for having so many explosive feelings, but afterward, it was heaven. We had an amazing lesson with her, that I will be down to talk about when I get home, because if not, this email would take a week to read.

All week, I was battling some sick symptoms: a sore throat, runny nose, weakness etc. Then on Sunday I was not feeling so well. Sunday after lunch I thought I was going to pass out. So then I thought about the quote from Gordon B. Hinkley´s dad "forget about yourself and go to work." I tried that, but after about fifteen minutes I had to lay down on the sidewalk. I talked with the mission doctor, and he told me to rest up for a little bit. I got home and after 20 minutes, the cookies were tossed. I then fell asleep on the bathroom floor, and fell asleep for the rest of the night. (My body misses clean countries.)

But I am loving life. 

Mayra is going to be baptized the next week.

I am very very very thankful and glad for serving a mission. Easily the best decision I have made so far.

I love you all

Elder Hulme.

The picture of the temple with trees is PARADISE

Warts, Dairy Queen, Home Teaching, I'm a Happy Camper

July 20, 2015

Wooooooooooooo. That's how we feel right now. This week was awesome.

Did I tell you guys that I am getting some warts removed? The doctore made some large craters in my feet and finger, and then shot me up with liquid nitrogen (really really cold feels really really hot). The liquid nitrogen is supposed to make some large blisters, which makes walking and brushing my teeth a riot. BUT I´M A TOUGH GUY.

On Wednesday, we had interviews with the mission president. Let it be known that President Jack B Egginton is the best man in this entire country. Honestly I love him soooo much. He is so funny, and took the whole interview to get to know me, understand my desires and my feelings and is a great great guy. afterward, my companion was treated to his first large blizzard from Dairy Queen. He loved it, <3 I love Dairy Queen. I´ve only been twice on my mission, and they have been 2 excellent experiences.

Mayra mayra mayra is our investigator. She has been coming to church every Sunday for the past four weeks. She has always been a devoted, mexican Catholic, who has always smoked, and drank, drunk drinkied coffee, buuuuuut we have been working really hard with her. On Friday, and yesterday, we have had some of the best lessons in the whole wide world. Yesterday we had taught the ten commandments and the word of wisdom, and the spirit WAS THICK. After a good amount of questions, answers, testifying and letting the spirit testify, she has firmly accepted to be baptized the on the 1st of August. It is  a huge blessing getting to know these kinds of people, I love it sooooo much. 

EVERY SUNDay, in elders quorum, the only thing we talk about is... as translated... doing visits (hacer visitas, /// home teaching), nobody, NObody, NOBODY, does it over here, and every week it is a new episode of do your visits. It is pretty funny, because they think that giving them the same speech every every every Sunday will help them want to do their home teaching. But it's all good.

I am a happy camper where I am. I may have blisters, or funky callouses on my knees from all the prayers, but I am happy where I am, what I do and who I have become. The gospel has been restored through a living prophet. Be grateful.

Love you all supers much

Elder Hulme.

On this bus you can see the road. Safety first.

Der ma tol o gist

July 13, 2015

I went to the dermatologist today because I was allllllll warty. Those places are expensive, and I´am going to have to go back for a couple of more visits. Turns out I´ve got some weird skin. Remember how I have really stretchy face skin? Supposedly that is due to a condition called Ehlers Danlus syndrome, so that is cool.

THIS WEEK WAS GREAT. Satan was working really really hard to get us down, but we won this time. We had the baptism of our investigator R. It was the best. It was a bit tricky because we did not have hardly any help from the ward, so we had to do literally everything, buuut it is alright. The baptism was very spiritually edifying. Her son who is a member spoke, and gave a very inspiring, short talk, aaaand, it was great. After the baptism, I definitely dropped our house keys into a 9 ft deep well, full of water. Luckily, long arms, a rake and a pole did the trick.

Yesterday as we drove to the house of the brother who we ate with in his car, his car broke down hard, we got it jumped, and then it died, then we got it jumped and then it died, so we walked to his  house. Overall it was pretty fun, even though we pushed his lil car in the sun for 2 hours. 

Today we played some basketball. I never liked that, but I do now.

I love seeing the gospel change the lives of who we work with. R used to be bitter, hating, and not very friendly, and, even though she doesn't show it in her facial expressions, she is now a happy person. She is more controlled, and we are ever so happy with her and with her changes.

I really love you all. I think you guys are the cat's pajamas.

Keep on praying lots.

Elder Hulme. 

Thieves are allowed here

Baptism

I dropped the house keys in a 9 foot well.

Semana Milagro

July 6, 2015

Great great great week. Lots of trials and hard parts, but all in all great.

On Tuesday, after writing, we visited our investigator who was progressing really well to be able to be baptized the 11 of July. As we taught the law of chastity, we found out that it would be necessary that she be interviewed by the mission president. That night I called him, Pres. Egginton. My first encounter with him was one of the best things in the world. He is sooooo funny. I was trying to explain to him why she needed an interview and all that, but he wasn’t really getting the hang of it, and he said that he´d be able to do it in a few weeks, and our souls were crushed.... Trial.

During the rest of the week, we had some super experiences. We were praying a lot for our investigator that, if possible, some sort of a miracle would come into action.  On friday we had our zone meeting, and we heard word that the mission president was going to be there. He got there at 1pm, we quickly talked with him (the assistants then had explained a little bit more about the special interviews and what-not). He told us that he could do it after the meeting that we were going to do with him. Sooooo then we called her at 1pm to see if she could get there at 3pm or 2:30 for the interview. Aaaaaaand as the best part of the miracle, she was going to be able to get there. LIFE SAVERS. Miracle. She got there, had a stellar interview, and is still getting all readied up for baptism. It was so incredible to see the hand of the Lord in that moment. She came to church this week and is really excited, even though her facial expressions don´t show it... 

I have been pretty good about not biting my nails lately, but it is a little bit harder to type.... hmmm. 

Yesterday a member gave us some homemade ceviche, which means chronic to-the-bathroom dashes...

This last week, there was only 1 day that we were able to go to bed on time and get up at 6:30 (all the other days were either late to bed or really early to rise) so  I have been suuper tired. 

Ummm No I am still with my same companion. The training is a 12 week process, so we just finished the week 6. 

This weekend the companion of Elder Robbins finished his mission, so Elder Robbins was with us in a super trio all weekend, it was super fun. But we went to bed late due to the sleepover which makes for sleepy mornings.

Our new mission president is hilarious. He is very very energetic and super loving. I love his guts. 

I am really glad to be where I am. It’s hard, but I love it.

Love you all

Elder Hulme.

Pee eich a tee. Phat. Sirloin Stockade.

The mini zone

"Hi, I'm Ali Hegerhorst, and I'm on your toothpaste box."

Elder Peterson, great secretary friend from Washington

The painting I love near our house

Post feasting (Sirloin Stockade?)

June 30, 2015

Today ladies and gentlemen, the district of Tlajomulco got fat. We woke up super extra early to clean the house and start to hand wash the clothes (washing machines are a dream), studied, ran, and got my companion’s hairs cut, aaaaand then went to Sirloin Stockade. It is like a mexican Chuck-a-rama but with all the same things as Chuck-a-rama. I ate a strict diet of spinach, lettuce, carrot salad, salad salad, apple salad, brownies, and ice cream. AND I FELL IN LOVE. Easily the best 137 pesos I´ve spent in a good while. The dudes from this side of the border love the mac n cheese, the oven pizzas, and all the gross stuff and it’s sooooo funny.

This week was splendid. We are working with this super investigator named M. She is a single mother has four kids of the ages 17,12, 2, 1. She is super willing. Willing to read, to pray and this week was the first week we started teaching her and she went to church. It was the best. She didn´t know where it was, so we got with a member to go pick her up Sunday morning. Normally when we get to the houses of the members they go to church in hood rat clothes and take about 45 minutes to get ready. But M is a GEM. We got there and she was all readied up, her three youngest kids all dressed up, and everything set. I WAS A HAPPY CAMPER MOM AND DAD.

We also have another investigator who we are getting all prepared up to be baptized in the next coming month, named, R. she is great, her son is a member, who we are helping to get active again. She always looks grumpy no matter how happy she is and it is so funny, because when you start to talk with her, you never know if she is grouchapillar or happy. #boxxesofchocolates.

Yesterday our day started at 4:45am. We had to get to a meeting with President Camarillo, the follow up meeting for the people in their training and their trainers. He gave us the last goodbye, and it was good. I am going to miss him almost as I did you guys at first, But this Thursday we will be getting to know President EGGINTON. Egginton. There is not a g after the n. 

we are working hard

sweating more

and loving life more

Sure love you all

I am reading in Alma 15-22. If only I could be a meat butcher like Ammon. or a super testifier like Aaron.

E L D ER 

H U L M E

hugs n kisses

Two dog bites, pictures with pres, Sabbath day

June 23, 2015

HMMMM. Mom I liked your bullet points letter. It gets all the juiciest information really quick.

This week I got bit by two dogs. One was a full grown bull dog, the other being a german shepherd. I can't tell what is worse: the dog that bites me, or the owners that don't do anything or say anything to you after their beast tries to take a chunk out of your leg. Luckily I am faster than a cat, and only con some little scrapies, no skin was broken. But I squealed. Like a little girl. Both times.

We are writing today because yesterday was an amazing day. We got up at 5am to get to a meeting in Guadalajara. It was a zone conference with the mission president. We talked about the importance of the Sabbath day and the Book of Mormon. And then we took pictures with him as a zone and everyone one by one. It was really great. Then we had an amazing testimony meeting. I loved it. Back in the day, I really didn´t get the point of testimony meetings. I just thought it was time for people to say the same thing as everyone else, or tell a rather uncomfortably long story. But I have grown to love them and I love the spirit that is there during every meeting.

There is a training jumping around all the stakes right now. I don´t know if it has gotten to you guys but I really enjoy it. It talks about the Sabbath day and how the church needs multi-generational families. To have that there are four main parts of the cycle: 1) Converts and children are baptized. 2) They are endowed. 3) They get sealed in the temple. 4) They have children and the process succeeds and moves forward.

Then it explains that one of the ways to help this process stay in action always is keeping the Sabbath day holy at home. It is something that I think would help the family about quite a bit. It has three main points: 1) That it is a sign that we love god and are willing to keep our covenants ezequiel 20*20. 2) That it keeps us conserved from worldly stainage DC59, 3) That it is a delight for ourselves and our spirits. Isaiah 58*13-14. I feel like our family would really benefit if there was a larger emphasis in keeping the Sabbath day holy. Making sure that all that we do is focused on the Savior and our father. ... Just a thought. Love you tons.

We had a good day in church. It  was stake conference. Aaaaaand, we brought the family of 2 moms and 6 kids to the conference. I think they got a little bit bored, but we hope they enjoyed it.

Sure love you all. Have incredible weeks.

Elder Hulme.

da pres

los guillen

da companion

Service, I ate pig ear and pig snout

June 15, 2015

This week, we were in our missionary coordination meeting with the ward mission leader and his assistant. His assistant is a loud obnoxious fellow who loves talking, and he always keeps a journal with all of his adventures as a modern day taxi driver. I was looking at some of his notes, and he had written, "It's not just a bike, it's a Trek." I asked him about it and told me that it was something that he saw on a car and wanted to know what it meant.

This same assistant to the ward mission leader gave the gospel principles class yesterday, and I have a small addition to the scriptures: This one comes from D&C130-20...  20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in Heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated— in which, there will always be one man (ward mission leader assistant) who absolutely slaughters the gospel principles class.

It was a fun experience. The whole class, even though it was going to be about the gifts of the Holy Ghost, was actually spent being taught about how the Catholics are not as good as the Mormons - it was an adventure...                                                                                                        

We had an amazing experience with a recent convert this last week. Back in his day he participated quite a bit in things against the Word of Wisdom and had left it all when he got to know the missionaries. In the last months he has been struggling to stay faithful to this commandment, and has been falling into his old ways from time to time. When we got to know him, he had 3 huge frames on his wall full of old alcohol bottles and dried up weed. We were able to help him understand why it would be a good idea to get rid of it all, and we helped him changed all the alcoholic items for some pictures, one of the temple, and some BOOK OF MORMON STORIES. It was a nice experience to be able to help him out. 

We worked really really really hard this week, and were able to finish our goals. I love finishing goals.

Yesterday I ate pig ear and pig snout. PIG EAR AND PIG SNOUT. Can you believe this...

We had a great experience teaching a young girl who has been listening to the missionaries for some time, she has never been able to recognize an answer from God, and after a lot of prayer, reading, and pondering, she has been able to feel that what we teach is the truth, and totally went to church yesterday.

We did a small service project this week, going around with some scissors and asking people if we could cut and clean up their garden areas. It was nice to be able to do something different for a change.

I get a new mission pres in 2 weeks. Crazy.

I love you all so much. You kids are the best. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Mom: "I made you a dentist appointment on August 19 at 1:00pm. Don't worry, it's on my calendar, so you don't need to try to remember that..."

Elder Hulme: "Mom I already have appointments for that day. ... hahaaaa just kidding. What am i even going to do when I get home. I just want to go swimming and ride a bike and eat salads. But let's stay focused on missionary works."

Party concert bus, part time spouse rental, Abinidi shows who is boss

June 8, 2015

Hello Family.

Tlajomulco is a great place. It is far away from Guadalajara the city, buut it is a pretty poor place, and pretty much everyone that lives here, commutes to Guadalajara for work, which means the buses get packed packed packed. The average bus in Mexico has about 26 seats, and you can usually have about another 20 people standing up doing monkey bars on the ceiling hand rails. But here in Tlajomulco, you take more of the sardine can routine. These buses get jam packed, and they pass by about every five minutes, but packed. We usually look like the little kids as they stare into the different flavors at cold stone, smashing our faces to the glass. AAaaand, sometimes the bus drivers put a whole bunch of crazy dance party music, which therefore makes it a PARTY CONCERT BUS. It’s mainly just uncomfortable.

We had a stellar experience. We have been working hard to be able to have investigators in church. On Saturday, we went with a family that we have been working with, and we got them all excited to go to church. We told them that we would go to their house in the morning, and show them the ropes (the church is a good 30 minutes away in party bus.) When we got there, these two little 40-year-old women got all of their young kids ready to go to church. Us two missionaries along with a family of 8 people got on the party bus. IT WAS AWESOME. I LOVE THIS WORK.

We have been able to find a lot of new investigators, buuut the trouble out here is that everyone lives with their boyfriend/girlfriend. It is troublesome, because no one has the desire to get married; they think of marriage as too big of a commitment and prefer to have their husband/wife more like a part time rental. Yesterday every person that we found to teach was not married to their boyfriend/girlfriend. HELPz.

Elder Hernandez and I are just working really really hard out here. So that is good. I´ve been studying a little bit in Mosiah 9+-13. Pretty much Abinidí just shows the world who is boss. But it makes me reflect a little bit about how if we are really living the gospel as we say we are. In chapter 12 the priests of King Noah say they live the law of Moses, and Abinadi, with a simple question, just shatters their whole universe. Reflection. We say we are Mormons, but do we really live in such a way that the rest of the people can notice it?

I sure am enjoying my time over here. Today we went on a nature hike. It was the best. I got dirty, I spent energy, and afterwards I ate a large sandwich. So THE GOSPEL MUST BE True.

I FEEL ever so grateful for Christ, his comforting spirit that is sent in times of need, in times of remorse. Christ has suffered so we don´t have to suffer. Let’s use the atonement.

Love you all family. You guys are the best

Elder Hulme.

reunion de zona. zona pequeña

mi distrito

la isla con el arbol

New area Tlajomulco 1, priesthood blessing, I like eggs now

June 1

Buenas Buenas Tardes

Let's get things up to date...

My new Area: Tlajomulco 1. (It is somewhat in Guadalajara, it is a small town on the outskirts, AND IT IS GREAT.)

My new companion: Elder Hernandez. He is from Cancún. He is 23 years old. Has a super lisp. Is Great. Has his degree in some sort of criminal crime fighting stuff. Well more on the psychological side. Why did the murderer murder, what kind of a weapon did he use, etc. He is a convert from April 2014, AND HE IS THE BEST COMPANION A BOY COULD ASK FOR. Honestly, we get along suuuper well. He likes things clean. He works hard, he doesn't complain, and we are super service-oriented to one another. So it is wonderful. 

Sometimes he forgets. We had to go to the ATM 3 times today because the first time, he forgot his card, the second time he forgot his pin, and the third time was finally a success. But it doesn't detract from his greatness.

Our area is super great. It is massive. I´d say it is about the size of all of Russia. Maybe a little bit smaller. 

When we got to our house, it was an absolute pig sty. So one night we stayed up late to clean her all up. Our bathroom has no source of ventilation. It is a small room that gets really warm, even when we don´t have hot water. Soooo when you do your business, and then shower, it just turns into the poop sauna, but it's all good. 

There is a wonderful member in our ward, Sister Ismaela. She reminds me of Steve-O. To all of her friends, she just tells them how much she loves them, and just says oHHH mi chiquilla te amo te amo mucho oooooh hermossaaaa. So it is always a riot with her. 

We worked our booties off this week. The area book left by the other missionaries was in terrible terrible condition, so we just got to finding, and had a lot of success. We only had 1 investigator in church this week, but we still feel successful.

Last week when I picked up my new companion, my mission president gave me a priesthood blessing. I am so grateful to have that power restored on the earth. It is something that I was able to stay pretty solid with the passing of Grandpa, but I could feel such a peace and such a love when I received the blessing. It is wonderful to know that God loves us enough to put such a strong and life-changing power on this earth.

I am a happy camper. Did I ever tell you I started eating eggs again??? I started slow, and now I like them. Wahoooooo. Things you change in life when you are poooor.

Love you all

The 2nd best family in the world, from my old area.  (She was our convert.)

San Sebastian is where our chapel is. I liked this sign.

I started eating eggs again.

Sugar rush.

Elder Hulme, Elder Hernandez.

May 25 - Grandpa Phil

May 25

Hi family. I hope all is well and that everyone is hangin' in there.

The other the assistants asked me to call the mission president, and he told me all that has happened with Grandpa Hulme's death.

It is a little tough to think of words to say. I pray often, asking that the Lord may give all of us the comfort we all need in these moments. When the mission president told me, the only thing I could think of afterwards was that Dad, Xander, and a lot of other family members have all served a large amount of time in the mission field, preaching the eternal, truthful plan of salvation to all of the people that we can, and in the right time, we return to the presence of our Father, with all of our loved ones.

I realize and understand that the physical separtation that we have from Grandpa Phil is something difficult right now. But at the same time, I completely confy in the perfect atonement of our saviour. All of the pains, sorrows, and mourning that we can feel, he has already felt it. I want you all to be able to search his strength, pray with all of your hearts, and feel his embrace.    Alma 7*11-13

Grandpa Phil was the best. We all know it. An incredible musician, who was always willing to put on a show with his UKE and sing a song. At the same time, he was always a loving grandfather, who, even with the little sight that he had, was always present in the times of swim meets, Thanksgiving dinners, music activities, etc. He was a stellar example of being a dedicated servant of the Lord, and he maintained that image throughout all of his life. 

Dad, Mom, Alexander, Ari, Simon and Amelia. It is all part of our lives to move on. Fortunately, we all understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. We understand that God has a plan for all of us, and if we are obedient, one day we will all be brought back together. Stay strong, be supportive to one another. Sorry I won´t be present during this time. But every one of you are included in my prayers. I love you all so much. You mean the world to me. I love Grandpa Phil, I love has his name as mine, and everything is going to be alright.

Take Care.

Be strong

Elder Hulme

(I am starting in a new area. Tlajomulco 1. I will be training a new missionary, and I´ll receive him in like 2 hours.)

I forgot. My president said I could call you guys if I felt it was necessary. It's hard, but I think it would be best that we wait to talk until I get home. To be able to maintain focused, I will keep working and praying hard over here.

I love you all so much. But I know that this is what God wants me to do. Serve.

Beets and mangoes, lots of new investigators, going deep in the shallow end

May 18

This week was stellar. It was a week with lots of prayers, lots of sweat, lots of rain, and lots of BEETS AND MANGOs

tHE WEATHER IS PRETTY EXTREME RIGHT NOW, THE SUN IS SUPER SUPER STRONG all the day long until about 3:30, and then it just rains and rains and rains, which makes for soggy missionaries and really stinky feet. But it is all wonderful.

Right now we are working with a family. The dad is a recent convert, and the mom has been a member for quite a long while. But their family religious state is pretty WILD because they have been having their kids go to a Christian church for the last 4 years. So we have been working with their oldest daughter, who has 11 years of age. (which sounds like an easy baptism, but it is not. we have to fight hard with her, and the spirit fights even harder) but we are getting there. 

Elder Nolasco and I as they say in spanish Echamos ganas esta semana. Pretty much we were working hard hard hard. And it payed off quite well. Yesterday we finished the week with 13 new investigators. Which is something quite exciting because that is a whole lot of new people that we can teach. So we are quite excited. But now comes the harder part - working with the members, getting them some solid friends, aaaaand the killer, getting them to come to church. 

I did some companion exchanges with Elder Vargas from the Dominican Republic. It is one of the hardest accents to understand, but it was a good experience.

Our recent convert R is super great. Yesterday she gave us some mangos so that was a good kind act of her.

Today we are going to play soccer.

The bishop is still unable to pronounce our last name. He always says Elder HUI - like this - Who-wee. He also taught all about the creation yesterday in gospel principles. About how Michael was present, and how he was Adam as a spirit, and this and that. And we were just like... all of these new people in this class are still trying to figure out why all the missionaries are named Elder, and you are already bringing Michael into this. Oh well, he is a stellar bishop to tell the truth, he just likes going deep in the shallow end.

Fortunately, Christ leads and directs his church through a living prophet. The Book of Mormon is palpable evidence of the restoration. We all have a heavenly father who loves us and knows us.

Love you all so much

Take care

}

Elder Hulme.

Baptism from last week.

My twin tip, banana board, totally rockered shoes. I got them repaired this week.

I bought 2 kilos of beets this week. This is one beet!

Post-skype, baptism, zone soccer

May 11

Well last night was pretty wild. I got pretty stressed out trying to get the computers to work for the first 45 minutes, and it turned my brain into mushhhh (trying to skype with family).

We actually had some super excellent experiences this week. In this area we have been able to find quite a few people to teach. But the majority of them were all people that will le  you sit down for a half hour when you needed it, and didn`t really have the desire to progress. We had been praying and praying lots and lots to be able to find people. On Saturday, all of our plans had fallen, but hard. We went to a part of the area where we did not plan to go, and contacted a man that we had talked with a few weeks before, but had not been home. Turns out he, his daughter, and his grandson all accepted a baptismal date. They couldn`t go to church yesterday, but they are going to come this week.

In the baptism, I forgot to tell you guys... Our investigator R was super duper in love with the first missionaries that she ever met. (Not in love with, but really fond of). Aaaand, she had begged and begged, she even asked the mission pres. if one of the other missionaries could come to baptize her. So he did an ordinance buuut it was all good.

My cable for my camera is in da haws. sorrys.

Things are marching right along. We are pretty darn worried for the zone right now because we feel that they are a lot more capable of what is coming out. Today we played soccer with a bunch of them to get everyone together and have some fun. Hoping that everyone will be a bit more excited.       ···@@@### super sun burnt, even though I put a large amount of sunscreenage on. 

THINGS ARE WELL 

I LOVE YOU ALL

thanks for talking last night

e l d e r  h u l m e 

May 5, 2015

May 5, 2015

with the pres`s`s`s

Zone

This is us and Sister Daniel (high school palz)

Elder Wright. New York State.

To get the questions answered first. 

After lots of thinking, analyzing praying, and everything else, I think it will be best start my studies off at. ... ....... .. USU. Logan. As far as swimming goes, and everything, I may want to transfer in a latter day. Buuut, I can just work my booty off, swim hard and then hopefully get into a nicer team later in life. 

This Sunday will be the semi annual skypage. We`ve got it set up so I would be talking at about 6pm. Morelia Michoacan Mexico time. (I have no idea what Utah time that is. ) Remember that things on this side of the border tend to be late.

This week was absolutely nuts.

Tuesday, we traveled to Guadalajara for the leadership counsel on Wednesday. Tuesday night I slept 3 hours, due to talking with long lost friends in a house with 1 bathroom and fifteen 18-25 year old men. So that was quite crazy as you can imagine. 

Wednesday we had the leadership counsel. It was grand. Mainly just a whole bunch of instructions to give to the zone, but all was well. We got home at about 10:00 at night, planned, and slept.

Thursday, we had weekly planning, were getting everything all set up to finish a house contract, and to do a baptismal interview. Unfortunately, all the plans fell through, and pretty much the whole afternoon was super lost.

Friday wassss the zone meeting. We were there in the morning, we had a missionary that had been ill in his arm, and afterwards he went to the hospital. So then, me and another companion were doing all the activities of 2 different wards, and it was super busy. At night we went to the hospital, to get back together with the companions.

Saturday, I was put with the missionary that was in the hospital. all the day long. 

all the day long.

Sunday was awesome, because we were finally able to work normally. We had a stellar lesson with R and with her family. We analyzed Alma 24 and talked about in what way we all need to bury the things that impede our spiritual progress.  She is doing super awesome. Her baptism is going to be this Friday, she had her baptismal interview this morning, and everything is great. 

Things are marching right along. Love you all so much.

Thanks for everything. Aaaand we`ll be talking on Sundeee.