TOOK FOR GRANTED

exchanges into the english world with sister smith!

hello hello! another crazy week here in houston!! 

and when i say crazy..i mean it. yesterday we went to try to find a lady we contacted in the street who gave us her address, but when we knocked on her door a dude all tatted up answered the door. we asked for the lady and he said she wasnt home, so we took advantage of the opportunity to tell someone about our Savior and Redeemer!! but things got weird...fast....starting with the fact that the man wouldnt shake my hand. what? he said it was against his religion to touch something so pure.. i was thinking "pure? this hand? honey..you dont even want to know how many hands ive shaken, how many doors ive knocked..pure is the last adjective i would use to describe my hand..." but the literal cleanliness of my hand was not was he was referring to......come to find out he is a devil worshiper. he told us straight up. he signed a contract to the devil and is trapped. i was devastated. not scared one bit--just felt so horribly sorry for this poor man who thinks he has sinned too much, gone too far, and is out of reach of the saviors merciful arms....usually in these sort of situations we would say "well, hope you have a nice day!" and book it right outta there....but in my heart i felt like we HAD to stay and testify to this man that His loving Heavenly Father still wants him--there is still hope. that the Saviors atonement paid for ALLLLLLL of his sins--he can be free from his guilt. the evil spirits that surround him and tell him he has fallen and there is nothing he can do about it are liars. they have no power. only the power he gives to them. i felt impressed to tell him that he can be free. he is loved. God is pulling for him, and thats why he put us on his doorstep. to tell him that if he makes the decision, he can be made pure. guys, it was unreal. as i was bearing testimony to this man, i knew without a doubt that the holy ghost was with me...because i could feel it pulsing through my veins. tears were brought to my eyes as the love God has for this man rushed over me....after i closed in the name of my Savior and said amen i held out my hand to shake the mans hand goodbye....he told me that he couldnt because he knew i had the spirit with me and it would shock him...said that he could feel the good energy emanating from my body. 

shortly after leaving his doorstep, hermana whitehead and i felt like we needed to say a prayer and thank heavenly father for being with us...hna whitehead offered the prayer...and in it included the phrase, "and we are so thankful to know that we can be forgiven for our sins...". as soon as those words slipped out of her mouth my eyes welled up with tears for the second time. how many times have i said that in a prayer, or heard that in a talk, or a testimony...it wasnt until yesterday that those words and their full meaning really hit home. i mean think about it! we can be forgiven for our sins. THAT IS AMAZING!!!! how much joy and hope and comfort and peace and happiness come from that simple phrase?!? i mean shoot! we're talkin about salvation!!!! eternal life! eternal peace!! being forgiven for my sins is definitely something i have taken for granted.....i mean every time i take the sacrament, am i really thinking about how the Savior literally takes upon himself piece by piece every ounce of my burdens? this experience was one of those perspective moments...even though maybe the devil worshiper will forget what was said, i know i never will. i am so thankful for the truth and light that surrounds me daily and for the happiness and peace the gospel brings! (met a lady from the kongo this week...she said hakkunah mattata really means no worries!!!) 

i love you all so much! have the best week! and thank the heavens for repentance guys...its the BOMB! 

paz y bendiciones

hermana hull

mosiah 4:9-12 

english training turns into reunion (we are starting up a "daily dose" program in our mission where we will start teaching english at schools and at the church! pumped about it!!)

BIG BOY JUSTIN WITH THE BOM!!! he stopped US to ask some gospel questions....sad we had to hand him over to the english elders..but not before snappin a pic!

we got to go to RICE UNIVERSITY in downtown houston this week to get CPR training and then offer service! we helped other people learn how to save lives...and got our own little dummy things to take home so we can teach other people too!