Howdy Folks! (Week 19)

Another fantastic week here!

We had two baptisms this week!! Woohoo! Ana and Elvina!

Ana has been taught by the missionaries for a long time and has a huge family! We arrived at church late this Sunday with investigators and saw that she wasn't there! Sunday was so important because she was to be confirmed! But she wasn't there! So, we hopped in a car with a member and drove to her house to find that she was hosting about 30 people at her house to celebrate her baptism. So, she will be confirmed next week!

Elvina is awesome too. She has a son that's serving a mission in Argentina right now. She has a fantastic story!!

Elder Aristimuho and I are running every other day! Woohoo! Brings back memories of when I was running with Nathan Moore! Got to do something to balance out the members and the bakery nearby.

Hope all is well! Everything is going great here! English is getting so much harder every week.

Oh, I forgot that it was Thanksgiving this week!

I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Not only the redemptive part (the part where we can repent, feel light and burden-less) but also the Enabling power we can receive. I use this power every day, to work harder, keep going, teach better, speak Portuguese, etc. So study Christ's Atonement!

Got to go but love you all so much!

Y'all are the best

Elder Hillam
austin.hillam@myldsmail.net


Pictures:

Elder Hillam and Elder Aristamunho with the Bishop and his wife

Ana's and Elvina's baptism

Ana's and Elvina's baptism

Recent convert-- Joao! He's the best!

What's Up Everybody? (Week 18)

Another fantastic semana (week); was a great week full of learning (ehh... that's every week!)

We found so many cool and prepared people this week!

Some random news! 

This area is way cool! We have a neighbor that has a weight set so we wake up every morning to get swole! Oh, Elder Aristimunho and I went running this morning too--gonna feel it tomorrow!

Also, got bit by a fire ant! You all know that's my weakness, but it wasn't a problem at all--just was really swollen... 

I will be singing a duet with another Sister Missionary for the Mission Tour. This is one time each year when the whole mission is together. President Bassett will be attending too. He's the second counselor in the Area Presidency. I met him on the flight to Brazil. So yeah, I've been working on my vocals. We'll be singing "One by One." I think it's by David A. Bednar, an Apostle of the church.

I think the most important thing a missionary needs to have, is the trust of the Lord. Can the Lord trust you to follow the promptings of the spirit? Can He trust you with His children? Can He trust that you can talk to the people He puts in your path? As missionaries, we need to completely forget ourselves and just love the people here. Don't think about the numbers, just think of the people and what they need, and the numbers will be a consequence of your love.

SO, can the Lord trust you with this work?

Always learning out here on the mission!!

Love you all. Have a fantastic week, all the people here already have their Christmas decorations up. It's not even December!! (Will need to build a Christmas tree).

Elder Hillam
austin.hillam@myldsmail.net

Pictures:

Gave Elder Moraes a fresh cut

District Meeting!

Companionship planning!

Got bit by a fire ant. Tudo bem!

Howdy Family! (Week 17)

Hey folks! Hope your week was great! Had another great one here too!

This week we had a baptism! Whooohoo! His name is Fabiano! He is awesome!

This week was also crazy! So I'm now training, in a new area that needs a lot of work (like as if we were opening it), and I'm also the district Leader. Whoo Hoo!

Starting this week I am much more organized!

So this week was full of learning! My companion is Elder Aristimunho--he is from Uruguay! Speaks a lot of Spanish! One day I gave our phone number to a lady and I responded with the numbers in Spanish! Ha Ha! Elder Aristimunho loves to work hard which is all I ask for! He is fantastic. Wish you all could meet him personally!

I'm now living in a house very close to the church, which is super nice! We have two other Elders in the house too! Elder Bezerra and Elder Moraes--they are the zone leaders and are both from São Paulo. It's a blast with them! This is Elder Bezerra's last area/transfer.

I'm also the District leader now. It's awesome! Always thankful for the opportunities I have to serve. Obedience is very important and something I have to teach to my companion and my district. But what I've found, is that the best way to teach obedience is to show them the blessings that come from being obedient and to teach them about their purpose as a missionary. So if they are a 'purposeful missionary," obedience will come as a consequence; a little hard to explain here but yeah! This concept can also be applied to many other areas in life., like raising children.

Love all the emails and advice y'all give me. Thanks so much!

Don't have much time but love you all,

Elder Hillam
austin.hillam@myldsmail.net
ElderHillam@blogspot.com

Cleaning the house!!! Needed a lot a lot a lot of work

Baptism fotos! 

Elder Bezerra and Moraes somehow came home 

with like 200 mangos, oranges and lemons!! Oh yeah!!!!!

Hi my friends! (Week 16)

Hello Everybody!

Have no time this week to email but here we go!!

We had a baptism this week!! Woohooo! Alcionete! She was in tears throughout her whole baptism. So happy that she is following the example of our Savior!

We had one night this week that was so hot. I thought the fan was a hairdryer. I actually slept though, but Elder Moody was struggling, haha he even got up and poured cold water on himself! I should've taken a picture of our beds that night!

Transfers! I will be moving to a new area, Taquari! It's really close! I will also be training Elder Aristumunho from Uruguay! I so pumped! It's also sad to move to a new area and leave all these people that I love and the work there too, but that's the mission Life! Elder Moody will be transferred to an area in Parnaiba and become a zone leader there! So proud of him!

The mission is awesome! It's like a school! and the best type of school. We are always learning, every day! I love it!

Have a fantastic week! You are all the best! Thanks so much for all of your emails!

Some awesome Members!

Taught Elder Moody how to cut hair. He did a good job for his first time.

Irma Socorro one of our recent converts, invited us to eat cake at her 70th birthday.

Wow I am tall!

Elder Campos and I did a divisão!

Alcionete was baptised! Woohooo!

Some awesome Members!

Taught Elder Moody how to cut hair. He did a good job for his first time.

The District! Missing another Duple