Week 2 Austin, Minnesota

Me and sister Rebber..she is from st george and

lives in my stake! she is serving in La Crosse

My awesome winter snow coat and boots! yes I feel like I'm one of those goth-kids

that wear the big, black trench coats and big bulky boots! and I'm sure I look it too!!

This is how cold it was on our way home from the baptism!!

Family and Friends!!

Well, it’s for real, winter is here!! I'm kinda having a mini freak-out in my mind because I'm the most south you can go in the mission and its still cold, I don't think it’s been over 30* at all in the last week..I'm so grateful for my snow boots and coat..you have no idea! This week has been so busy I feel like I haven't been able to catch my breath!! On Monday we had a great family home evening with a family and one of our investigators Sister S. We centered it all around how important the book of Mormon is in our lives and how it was truly written for our time. To apply this, we made a cake, but didn't follow the recipe because it was in a book that was made a long time ago and outdated.  It was a lot of fun and I think that they enjoyed it!

On Tuesday and Wednesday it was good bye to Austin and hello to Rochester and La Crosse, WI! my companion sister Wiggins is the sister training leader over both areas and so we went and worked with the sisters in those areas! It was a lot of fun! We met so great people and helped add to both areas teaching pool.  I also got the chance to work with each of the sisters and that was great! I learned so much from each of them and they were able to give me ideas to use back here in Austin.  The only down side to this was sleeping on the floor, my back was NOT a fan..needless to say I'm even more grateful for my bed!!

On Thursday I had one of my top ten most embarrassing moments! so we are teaching this guy, brother N, and our lesson  was on Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 8 in the BofM).  We were helping him understand how he could apply it to himself and what he needed to do to be able to make it to the tree of life.  So we were talking about the iron rod and the mist of darkness and what they represent. As we talked about how the mist of darkness could be the temptations Satan has we got talking about how if we are continually doing the things we know is right and holding to the rod, Satan knows that he can't get us to commit some big sin like robbing a bank..he has to start out by getting us to commit small sin before we would do anything major. So while we were teaching this I used the example of robbing a bank and right after I said it, I remembered that he is on parole for robbing a bank!!!!! My face went tomato red and I thought that sister Wiggins and our joint teacher were going to die..they were trying so hard not to laugh..I felt so bad!! When we got out of the lesson, I told sister Wiggins that I didn't want to go back because I’m sure that Bother N was mad and would never want to talk to me again...But the day after I made Oreos and I told him some and said sorry..forgave me and said that the cookies were AMAZING!! so all is well, but still super embarrassing!

On Friday, i pretty much baked my brains out! it was great! Now i'm sure you are thinking how is that missionary work..well let me tell you: i made oreos for a lesson we were having friday night, which turned out great..both my oreos and the lesson  and then our investigator Brother B wanted us to make cookies for his baptism! Yes!! he was baptized this week! it was awesome! Brother B was so happy after and couldn’t stop smiling! It was awesome!! I'm not going to lie I felt really bad because he was baptized the week after transfers happened, so the sister that had been teaching him left..I felt bad that she couldn't be there to see it.   

 

Thanks for all the Love and Support! I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Week 1 Austin, Minnesota

me and one of our investigators Sister L..the hard-core baptist!

me and another investigator Ashley

ladies at crochet night

Me and Sister Wiggins!

Friends and Family!!

This week has been great, but it has gone by so fast!  It's weird to be in a new area..and it is totally night and day difference! Andover was about 40ish minutes out of the twin cities and most of the people that live there all work in the cities..where Austin is a small town that is centered around the spam factories..yep Austin is where spam is made..and you can smell it in the air..its great! hahaha..(its not that bad unless you are close to the plants)

My last few days in Andover where hard, I didn't like having to say good-bye to all the great people that I served with.  On Tuesday we taught a great lady Sister C about the book of Mormon and the spirit was so strong. Sister C doesn't have much of a religious background and wants to have more faith..and we were happy to help her do just that! I felt so sad when we set up the return appointment and knew that I wouldn't get the chance to be there, but it was good to help Sister Szabo make appointments for her and her new companion.  I was lucky enough to end my last day with a group of members at crochet (I think that is how you spell that!) night.  I was able to learn the basics of how to crochet and let’s just say that it’s a talent that I was not blessed with, but it was great to learn from the ladies!  One of the ladies even made me a pair of gloves..it was so sweet! Saying good-bye to sister M, was the hardest part..I’m really glad that I was able to help her come closer to Jesus Christ and hope that one day she will be baptized! 

Wednesday was the day I left for Austin.  My new companion is Sister Wiggins and she only has two transfers left on her mission.  She is a Spanish-speaking sister, so that’s kinda cool.  She is great at teaching and has a really strong testimony.  thought we have only be together for a couple of days I’ve learned a lot from her about how to explain the gospel in a simple way and how to invite the spirit into each appointment! I have to keep her humble by reminding her that there is one thing that she is not perfect at and that is saying my name! She has yet to say it right! She normally just calls me siste huler or hullit! its kinda funny!! 

We live in our own apartment and what is really funny it that it is right above another church!  I really like it because it is big and we have room to spread out. I have a whole closet to myself! and we can study in the living room and that is nice..I feel like I’m on a world tour because we have met so many different people here! like yesterday I was told what my beliefs were by a Russian guy..with a really cool accent! The best is when we asked him what brought him to America and he said that "in the future we will know" after he said that the thought came to mind that he was a Russian spy! There are also a lot of Africans living here..and it is really hard for me to understand what they are saying, but I just smile and nod my head. 

I'm still trying to meet the investigators and members, I feel really out of the loop.  when we were at our weekly meeting with the ward mission leader, who's wife just had a really cute baby and it killed me not to be able to hold it!, I didn't know like half of the people on our progress record and so didn't really say much..it made me feel so bad because I hate not knowing what is going on! Hopefully by next week I will be able to know who everyone is when we talk about people...I think that is the part that I hate about transfers..not knowing people! but with time I should be able to get it all down! 

Thanks for all you love and support!!

Week 12 Transfer to Austin!!!

Friends and Family! 

Well, its been another good week! So, pretty much all of our investigators have dropped us-not Sister M though:)- so this week we did a lot of finding..we knocked so many doors, unfortunately we didn't find too much success... on Saturday, we did meet a guy who has been going through a lot of hard times..when we knocked he pretty much told us his life story and how he didn't really know if there was a God anymore..he said he felt totally helpless...we where in shock! who tells complete strangers their life story on their door step?? But we told him about the Book of Mormon and how we can feel Gods love in our lives as we read and pray..he said he didn't know if that would really work, but he would give it a try..needless to say we got a return appointment! As we walked away both Sister Szabo and I felt like he was the MIRACLE from all the doors we knocked all week.  I think that because we were diligent and knocked-even when we thought that it was pointless-God saw that we wanted new investigators and He blessed us with one on Saturday.  

This weekend was our Stake Conference and the Saturday night session was all about missionary work! I felt so pumped up after that meeting! The stake presidency was really BOLD with the members and told them that it was their job to invite people to learn more and to start to be more missionary minded so that the work of salvation could more rapidly! it was great!!! 

Wednesday was our Zone Conference and a member of the 70 came and spoke to us..he was awesome! He talked a lot about how we can turn investigators concerns back to the Book of Mormon..he helped us understand how to use Moroni's promise more effectively..and it totally works! Another part of his talk was about how we can be better missionaries, using a scripture in Alma...but I don't know it off the top of my head, so stay tuned next week to learn which on it is!!

Well, all week I have been a basket-case because this week is TRANSFERS and I’ve been freaking out to know what was going to happen!  it makes me nervous not to know,as they say on Project Runway, if I’m in or out...But this morning we met as a district in the family history center in the church building and looked at the transfer email together...and....I wish I could do a drum roll over email....so do one in your mind and insert it here........I’m being transferred to Austin! I don't really know where that is, all I know is its south. Hopefully next week I can let you know more:) I was really shocked because I really thought I would stay in Andover..but its whatever I guess.  Next, week I will have more info and will send more pictures! Thanks for all the love and support! I’m the luckiest missionary in the world because I have the BEST support group!  

--

LOVE!

Sister Randi Hulet

xoxo

 

Week 11 Andover, Minnesota

Friends and Family!!

Well, it’s been a week of miracles and I don't know where to start!  This week we when on Exchanges with the Shingle Creek Sisters-Sister Ballif and Sister Curtis-and I had a great experience.  Sister Ballif came to Andover to work with me.  She is my Sister Training Leader and holy cow, she is so great..I learned so much from her. We had a great lesson with our progressing investigator Sister M.  We taught the faith and repentance, and the spirit was SO strong..Sister M opened up and shared some personal stories..and no I didn't cry! We taught her again on Halloween-Sister Szabo was back for that lesson-and we taught baptism and the holy ghost..we asked her if she was ready to be baptized on her baptism date-which we had set for November 9-and she said no! I was so shocked!! She told us that she knows she needs to be baptized, but she is still not sure about the Book of Mormon and if the Mormon church is for her. In my mind, I thought "What have we done wrong??" But as I thought about it longer this thought was replaced with the thought that it is all in Gods timing, not mine..I know that she will be baptized when she is ready.  On Wednesday night, one of the BIGGEST miracles happened: I got TWO letters from my brother Stu!! He has not  written me at all while I've been gone and each week I would tell him to write me a letter, and that if I could find time to write him, he could find time to write me and I guess he finally did!! It was the sweetest thing in the world!! I never thought I would miss him that much..getting his letters pretty much made my week!! Thanks Stu!! xoxo

 

Friday was a bitter-sweet day.  So all week we had been trying to get a hold of our investigators Bro/Sis J and Sis T and no with no luck..we had a lesson planned for Friday night and so we headed over to their home...both Sister Szabo and myself had the feeling that they were going to drop us and that they were just not ready to hear the gospel and sure enough when we got to their home..they were gone.  We had been dropped  Now, I know what you are thinking..how is this a good thing and why would you label this as a miracle?? But here is the thing..we had planned for our back-up that we would knock this street near their home and so that is what we did.  We knocked into a family that is so cool! We asked them if and how they have seen Gods hand in their family and they said that they haven't, but want too!! We taught the restoration and now we have a return appointment! Great Stuff!! I totally feel like we were lead to them! It was great!  While we were their they let me hold their pet ferret! I wanted to get a picture with it so bad, but that would have been so unprofessional, so I just didn't even ask. 

 

Saturday was great too! We spent the day finding new investigators by offering to rake people leafs..at first I didn't know if this would work, but it totally did.  We met a girl who is open to hearing about our faith and wants to come closer to Christ...she lives with her boyfriend’s family and come home while we were raking her yard...and they had a HUGE yard!! She gave us some water and said that she wants to learn more about our church..we shared the restoration with her and it was really good..she had to leave, but before she did she said gave us her number and wanted us to call her to set up a time to come back and share more with her!! It's crazy how the Lord prepares people!! Like, we are these two random girls raking leafs and she totally let us into her home and gave us her number and wants us to come back!?! It makes me think how this is truly the Lords work and that he puts people in our path who are ready for the gospel in their life...this totally couldn't be man’s work or it would happen!

 

Overall, it was a good week and its crazy how fast time is has gone by, Sister Szabo told me that this could be the last full week we have together, next week is Transfer..so please send all mail through the mission home address so that if I leave it will be able to find me  I'm still getting used to my hair color and am not 100% sure that I like it..it is soo different and I've confused all the members in my ward! On Sunday they all thought that I was a new missionary..it was kinda funny! I love you all and hope everyone has a great week!!

 

LOVE!

Sister Randi Hulet

xoxo