Sister Jenika Hull will be serving in the Ecuador, Quito North mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Follow her weekly updates here............

Monday, June 29, 2015

I am now in Carabuela. No idea where that is yet.

Wow sounds like you had a full week full of fun and wonderfulness. I really love summer. And those are signs of the times. It means we need to be more prepared in our testimonies and it is through those simple commandments we strengthen our testimonies.

I don't have an oven. I just really want a few simple recipes of just fast lunch or dinners and maybe something to mix up my routine of desayuno(breakfast). Also a few sweets like rice crispies and such. I can find most everything here I mean there are a few things that are difficult but I can find more. I really want to learn to cook more. Then I will work on the hair ;)

Well first we had changes.....I am with Hermana Quiros. She is from Argentina and is 23. She has 4 and a half months left in the mission and says hi. I am now in Carabuela. No idea where that is yet. We are living with the Hermanas of Cotama right now because apparently there were some problems with our house. I miss Otavalo already. But the great thing is I am only 30 minutes away and get to come here every pday. YAY! Bummer is that I am not with Hermana Szerdi anymore and we became really great friends and she dies(goes home) this cambio(transfer). She is staying in Otavalo 2 and is training a newbie. That will be good for her and she is great and deserves this. Another bummer I don't get to see Marisol and her girls more. Also we found a family that has fecha now. So I wont get to teach them anymore. But I know that the Lord is putting me where I am needed and that I can learn and grow here than I would have staying in Otavalo. Hermana Szerdi was born in the misson in Carabuela and loves it. She says the people are wonderful and that it is soo pretty and she says it is deep campo(country). I am super excited to still be in the campo. I love it here so much because  I get to teach the indiginous. They are wonderful and humble and I love them soo much. IT is amazing how in such a short amount of time I have come to love these people so much that it literally hurts to leave them. I cried and then some more. These people have become my friends and people that I love with my whole heart. They are part of me and I can't imagine my life without them. The mission changes you and you learn to love so much. I love it here and am grateful for the chance I have to be here!!!!

I love this gospel and love that I am a missionary. I love the Libro de Mormon and it teachings. It is the iron rod we need to hang onto in this crazy world. Also the words of the living day prophets. They are great and I love to study each talk. They bring peace and comfort in this world of confusion. The Holy Ghost is real and testifies of truth and righteousness and we are so lucky to have him with us as a constant companero(companion). I love it!!

I love you sooo much! I hope you have a great week and that all is well in my home of Utah. I love Utah. Hyde Park pride!!

I love you with all my heart and soul!!
LOVE
Hermana Hull

PS birthday...Wow I don't know. I would like a long sleeve t shirt and maybe a few more motab cds. hmmmmmm that is hard. I will think on it more!!! Love you


District

San Juan and Inty Raymi fiesta outside our window. It is an insane time with a lot of drunk people in the streets. Never seen a drunk before but now I have. This was a fun night got to see the indigionous dance and there culture. We were the only missionaries that got to see because of our house too. blessed. haha

Me



Elder Leal with me. He is my dad of the mission and just went home


Old Companion Hermana Szerdi

New Companion Hermana Quiros

Monday, June 22, 2015

Marisol got baptized!

Mom,

Well first of all it sounds like summer is going good and that all is going well in your part of the world right now. I love hearing about everything. It makes me really happy and especially the Ultimate.

Well I am so glad you got your surprise!! So here is the story. Hermana Conder was an Hna in the mission. She went home last change. She lives in Utah. So one day we were talking and she was like you live in Utah do you want me to take anything to your family I mean it can't be huge but, you know. I was like heck yes!! She is also going to Utah State this fall. So I wrote you all and sealed the envelope.She took and said that she would get it to you before I got home...haha. So I guess she fulfilled her promise. After she left i don't know anything about that but it looks like you got that side of the story. Haha. I am so glad they came!!!!!! I hope you like the pictures too. If I remember dad got the one of me in the hospital....haha

I had your anniversary in my planner with the number 27.  I am so blessed to be your daughter and to have parents that love each other and work together to make things good. I love you so much and am so glad for the Temple. I miss it. But it is not as hard as I thought it would be. The temple is Amazing!!!!!

Sister Peterson....that is sad to hear but once again the Power of the Sealing cannot be taken away. She is one of the people I look up to and want to be like. I love her and know Dad will do a wonderful job.

I love Grandma!!

Well this week was one for the journal. It was a really good week with a really great things happening.

MARISOL got baptised. She is so solid. But it is a crazy story.

So we had a ward activity that night. Best one ever. Like Hyde Park 10th ward should do this. They had a night of international foods. So the different organizations were all in charge of bring enough food from a different country to share with the ward. It was awesome. I got to eat Indian food but that is beside the point.

We had been told by Marisol that she would be there at 5:30 or close too it. When it got to be around 7 we got worried. We went and both were super scared. Like "what is going on" worried sick. We went and knelt in prayer and prayed to our Father in Heaven and then went to work. We took a taxi to her house and she was just leaving in tears with her girls. The opposition worked hard on her through another person. So the girl that was taking care of her girls, we know her. Was stealing fabric. Marisol shared the house with others that are renting from her Dad and they have a blanket business. She was stealing pieces of the fabric to go sell on the side. They have cameras and caught her. They came to the house of Marisol and locked her and her girls in with this girl for hours right as she was about to leave to come to her baptism. As we got there they were letting her go. It was good to be there with her. She was comforted and I was glad she was okay. She said one thing that, I was like wow...she was like ´´Why did this have to happen on the most important day of my life´´ She is solid. We got back to the building and said a prayer of gratitude. She went to the activity and was happy. Then another problem, the pila(font) wasn't filling up. It usually takes 3 hours but it had been on for 4 and was only half way full. So you have never seen 2 elders and 2 hermanas running with garbage cans and buckets so much to fill up the font. But we got it full!!! haha. Then the baptism happened. What joy and peace and wonderful things happen at a baptism. The spirit was so strong and my joy was full. I got to share a scripture and truly felt the love of my Savior and the importance of this covenant. It was a wonderful, crazy experience but Marisol is now a member of this church. She got confirmed yesterday and it was very spiritual too.

It was amazing and I learned so much about the power of prayer this week. Really when you get down on your knees and you pray with true sincerity your prayer will be answered. Sometimes you have to get up and work a while before the blessing comes and sometimes it comes in that moment. But if it is what you need and you ask with real intent He will answer. I love prayer. There is so much power in it and through it many miracles have come already in my mission.

We also did service in compania this week for a member in our district leaders sector. Did I ever tell you how much I love hard work outside in the sun? Well if I didn't, I love hard work out in the sun even if sometimes I murmured a little during the summer.

I love you all and know this is the gospel of our Savior. He is always there and is always willing to help if we just reach to him a little more.

I love you and hope you have a fantastic week!!!
Love
Hermana Hull





Monday, June 15, 2015

WOWZERS!!! What a Fantastic Week!

Well once again I am here writing. This week went really fast, like really fast. I felt like I was just here writing but nope it has been a week and a lot has happened.

Sam is going to the Colombia CCM!! OH MY GOODNESS!! She will meet Hermana DuVall and President. She will get to have Hermano Gomez, Hermano Herrera and Hermana Gomez!!!! Oh my goodness!!!! That is so legit. It is wonderful. It is tiny but it is wonderful and you get to know people really well. Oh my I am excited for her.

And I FORGOT Abby is going too!!! Could you get me her email I want to write her. That is just so exciting for both of them and I actually was wondering when Julia and Tanner was coming home. That went so fast. Time flies or so it seems. That is great!!!!!

Wow Darin Jr is a dad. His girls are cute.

Jaden has a job.

Lots of Ultimate!!

Sounds like a fantastic week!!! One question on movies.... Have you seen Avengers 2? I love Iron Man you know me and want to know if you liked it?

Well first off for the week here in good old Ecuador. MARISOL PASSED HER ENTREVISTA!!! Her baptism is this Friday at 7 after a big actividad de Barrio. So like all the members will be there and it will be so great. She also for the last two weeks has just come to church by herself. She is so great and I know that she wants this. She is so great with her girls too. It is so special. She wants her girls to go on missions. That means so much because she isn't even a member first but then she sees us as the missionaries and wants her girls to be like us. She sees the good that the mission does and that is super special because she wants her girls to be like me. Me. Hermana Hull. The white girl from Utah that doesn't speak very good Spanish. But she wants them to be like me. Wow what an honor.
Also her girls are oh my goodness the most adorable little snippets you ever did see. I have pictures of them with us while Marisol was having her entrevista. I will send them.

Also this week we were able to rescue Maria Estela Otavalo. She is so great and the last lesson was principles of lesson 5. The promise where he will bring what you need to say in the very hour you need. Well that totally happened, that was the coolest lesson I have had so far in my mission. The spirit was talking I wasn't. It flowed and all the words I needed, I had, and I just keep going with it and testifying. It is soooooooo coool!!! I love being a missionary. It is hard but it is so good!!!

Man funny story. So I was walking last Monday after writing and all the sudden a chicken about landed on my head. It had hopped off a two story building and almost got me. But to no avail this evil pollo could not withstand the power of the Hermana.... haha ;P But really I almost got hit in the head by a chicken.

We have some really good times here. Like today we went and just say the lago de san pablo as a district. Also Hermana Szerdi is super fun. She says trunkie stuff sometimes..... but it is funny most the time because it is her irrational fears. Also we have a quote wall in our house. One quote I find quite amusing is Hna Szerdi ¨¨Quito is more sketch.¨¨ Yo ¨¨You just feel safer because you are with me!¨¨ Ya good times and funny quotes. We also eat a lot of food. She taught me how to make empanadas and carrot cake on the stove top because we don't have an oven. Yeah we eat a lot. Like a lot. I am working on eating less. The food is just so good and the members give us so much food.

This week I really learned about the need to keep the commandments and really truly keep ourselves ready for everything by studying the scriptures and praying. We had a lesson with a menos activo. She said somethings that really bothered me. Like "I put the things of the world above the gospel but it is only for a day". And a few other things like that. She is really struggling with her testimony right now and it is because she does that. Wow. I really learned the power of the commandments. I have learned and seen through the people here and in my own life that keeping the commandments is the only way that brings happiness and joy to our lives and peace in living in this crazy world. I don't think that it is coincidence that in predicad mi evangelio(Preach my Gospel) that the first pricipio(principle) in leccion 4 is obedience. Truly we were sent here to be tested in our obedience. It says that in Abraham 5 I believe. I don't have time to look it up right now. But really our test in this life is to see if we will be obedient to the commandments and make those covenants with our heavenly father. And keeping those covenants is through obedience. Me and my comp have talked multiple times that if people in the world would just keep the word of wisdom, law of chastity, and Sabbath day than the world would be in a better place but that is where the greatest gift we have of agency comes in. It says in PME that in enduring to the end it is a personal responsibility. that is our agency to choose whether or not we keep the commandments of god. And I know and can promise that this by choosing to guardar the mandamientos de Dios(Keep the Commandments of God) is the only way to peace and happiness in this life. He wants to bless us. He wants us to return to live with him but it is only through our OBEDIENCE to his commandments that he can. He promises those blessing to us. There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven.....D&C something but it is all based on our obedience. I know this to be true. I know that Heavenly Father loves us so much that he wants us to be happy and I know and see it in my own life as I keep the commandments and obey the rules of the mission that is when our faith and testimonies grow more in Christ and we truly see miracles.

I love you soo much!! I hope you have a great week and I want you to know that my love for you grows stronger every single day!!
Con todo la amor de mi alma
Hermana Hull

PS could you send me some stories our my ancestors or just have Grandmas and Grandpas tell stories of my great grandparents. I want to know them better.

PPS Could you send me some easy recipes too?

PPPS You thought I forgot but no I didn't..... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD THIS WEEK ON THE 18TH!!!! 27 YEARS!! I am so thankful for you and all you have done for me and that you were especially sealed in the temple so we can be a family for time and all eternity. I teach people about that all the time and it gives me such comfort and peace to know that my family can be together forever and it is through the correct choices of my awesome parents. I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!







Monday, June 8, 2015

I love you!!! and I love Ecuador

Hey Mom,

Wow what a week you had. That sounds like you had a fun birthday and I am so happy the message worked. I love you so much and am so glad that all those years ago my mom was brought into the world to then grow and bring me into the world. I love you so much and am so thankful for all the times you help me in my life which is everyday!!!

Yea we eat a lot of fried egg. Mostly white rice. Most the time I have no idea what the meat is. Tons of soup..... But I LOVE FRIED PLANTAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love love love it and the members make it so good. It sounds like your meal was probably a bit more posh but other than that it is pretty much what I eat here and it is good food!!!

Tell Mikayla I am so excited for her!!!! I didn't know that she had the intention of serving a mission. Or I just don't remember. But that is so legit and she will love it. I will pray for her and I hope can get her email just to send little notes now and again because receiving a little email from another missionary is great!!!

I got the postcard this week!!! I also got letters from Kallen, and You mom (it was from Easter that you sent to Colombia) and grandma and Sister Knight ( she is my visiting teacher in the ward and I love her letters)

Well this week was great!! A little rough now and again but that is part of life as a missionary. Marisol is progressing great. She has fecha(date) for the 20 of Junio and is going to be baptized then. She is awesome and yesterday came to church for the 4th time in 4 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my I am so excited for her. I love her and her two little girls so much. Her little girls are so cute. The other day we passed by there house to go to a different cita and they saw us and were like Hermanitas Hermanitas. They invited us to go play at the park with them, but well, we can't. But what made my day and made it worth being on the mission was this, as they were walking away Veronica the 5 year old turned around and yelled Ciao Hermana Hull and then turned and kept walking and then Zoey the 2 year old did the same thing. They just yelled my name and then remembered my comp. I truly felt so special and important in this moment. I felt that this was the right thing and that these people here in Ecuador truly care for me. I love them so much. I love being a missionary even if it is really hard but you know what it is worth it.

Man, Otavalo is beautiful!!! I love it here. Really the people are so great too. The members of this ward are so great!! We had a noche de hogar(nightly meeting) with the obispado(Bishopric) and that was jueves (Thursday). We got there and they got there super late. But it was because they were waiting. But we started running around finding more people to come but like all showed up and all were great. We had a member come with us for like four hours one day and another Noche de hogar with another family and Marisol. They are so great!!!

We had intercambios(exchanges) this week so my comp left for a day and an Hermana Lider came. We went to our mamita and got there super late. She was so concerned. She was like (in Spanish but I am horrible at writing Spanish) I thought my daughters weren't coming and I was worried. I have a mama in the ward that loves me and was worried I wasn't going to be fed. It is even more special because she only has one son and can't have anymore. So I feel honored.

We have a lot of fun times and good talks. Hermana Szerdi is such a great missionary and teaches me everyday. She is funny though because she only has una cambio(transfer) left and has trunkie thoughts a lot. It is weird but fun like when she was asking me about high school reunions and spouses going to them. When I answered I think spouses go she was like so ¨¨I can take that person with me¨¨ Like she couldn't say husband but she knew that it would be coming a lot sooner.

I know that this is the true gospel. I know that I am a daughter of my Father in Heaven who loves me so much. I know it is through him and only him that I am able to be here speaking a different language and sharing his gospel. I love you all so much. Tell the Peterson´s specifically that I say hi.
I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love Jenika

Sorry this email is kind of scattered a bit we had a lesson during our pday so i didn't get a chance to write the list of things to tell you like I usually do. Loves with all my heart!!

Monday, June 1, 2015

STATE CHAMPS!!!!!!!!!!

Mom!!!!!!!!!!

Wow what a week it sounds like you have had!!!! It sounds like a lot of fun and that you did so much. It is always like that at the end of the school year. It is a fun time of the year. And now summer begins and you have so many adventures without school!!

STATE CHAMPIONS!!! WHAT!!!?!?!?!?!?!? I AM SO FLIPPIN HAPPY!!!! I read your and Becca's and Jaden´s emails and I got chills from imagining that game. Oh it sounds like it was SWEET!! Some really hot plays and some awesome teamwork!! And it sounds like Jaden got some awesome privileges!! OH WOW THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!

Happy Birthday MarleeAnn and Kenden!! I love you and am so happy you are my cousins. You guys are 9. Wow you guys have grown up a lot. I love that you love Harry Potter almost as much as me. And it sounds like you got some sweet new books for your birthday. Enjoy them they are good books!! Love you!!

Wow it just sounds like you had a fantastic week. Spent a lot of time with my grandparents. I miss them. I love them so much. I am so blessed to have my grandmas and grandpas and the times I have had with them and plan on having with them in the future. They are great examples of what it is to have a testimony and to live the gospel with firm faith. They are my heroes and I love them so much!!!

You asked a few questions so imma answer those first.
Yes I have a microwave.
I might need a few more full nylons. On Guard and Lemon would be good too. I use them everyday. Other than that just a Twix!! I am just finishing the candy from my last package because it is just so much better than the candy here. I mean there is good candy here but it isn't like the good old american candy. #murica
I will answer the rest as I talk about my week.

Wow what a week. We had a lot of good happen and a lot of blessings come.  First oh my imma excited about this. Marisol Fuerez she had fecha (date)for the 6 of June. Well she was feeling a little pressured cause we only met her like 3 weeks ago. Well she decided she wanted to get baptized in July but we talked with her and had a member come with us and bear testimony and really helped her. She is going to get baptized on the 20 of June at 10 in the morning. She wants the bishop to baptize her. Oh man she is great and this I feel will be perfect time for her. Also she has come to church the last 3 weeks in a row and wants to be there so she has all her asistencias(attendance) she needs and now we just got to keep her coming and finish the lecciones.
We also found a lot more menos activos(less actives) this week, Which is super good. We are sure we can rescue probably 4 this month!!!!

Some funny stories of the week:
So we were at the church on Wednesday for coordinacion misional and that is the night they have entrevistas(interviews). So there was this little girl that came up and was talking to us. Remember we are both white. She asked Hna Szerdi...´´are you mestizo or indiginous?´´ then went on to tell us a story of how someone once was mestizo but changed to become an indiginous.... we weren't sure how to respond because all we could do was laugh. #gringos
Yesterday we were making up studies and we were talking about our menos activo that lied to us about going to Columbia. We knew he was lying because his wife came to church and we asked how the trip went. She said they didn't go. Hna Szerdi was super, I don't really know how explain it but this is what she said ´´They think they can lie to us because we are two little white girls. Well they are wrong. We will show them a thing or two.´´ It was pretty funny because it is true some people just lie to us about things because they think we don't understand.
I saw a horse in the middle of the park eating the grass. It had no owner and no rope and people don't even care that it was there. Also they sell chickens. Like they are dead and plucked but the still have the head and feet on them and when you ask for a part of one they just take it right in front of you and cut it up and then just throw the rest of it back into the glass case that definitely isn't refrigerated. Also I saw a bunch of live chickens probably like 12 just sitting outside a store under a crate being prepared to get..... well you know. Also all the animals are just on ropes and no one cares. Horses, cows, pigs, sheep. No fences just ropes. I saw a parrot the other day. We were up arriba and I saw it it was legit.
Also we think there was an earthquake one night. We both woke up and the house was shaking... it was either and earthquake or whoever was in the Plaza de Ponchos at 1:30 am was having a heck of a party. We don't have any way to find out if there actually was so we are just assuming there was.
Oh more on Hna Szerdi. She is 21 and from S.California. She has 1 more cambio after this one and so she is almost done with her mission. That is weird for me because I am just starting and she is close to finishing so we have conversations a lot about home and things after the mission because she has that on her mind a lot. Kind of hard for me though. She has 6 other siblings and her brother just younger than her got his mission call to Hungary and leaves 5 days before she gets home. She goes to Stanford for school and had one year done before she came on the mission. It is super cool that she is here. She has been through a lot and had a lot of hard trials in her life. She was less active all through high school and didn't really want anything to do with the church. She then went to college and was in a dorm with another member who would play Hymns on the piano. She felt the spirit and wanted to and felt she need to go back to church. She had the missionaries come every Friday night during her year of college. She really felt she needed to serve a mission and so she did. Yeah it was super cool to hear that. She is fun and we have a good time and work hard together.

So something that just made me feel really good. We were waiting for Marisol at church and waiting and waiting. She finally came. When we saw her in the door her two girls Veronica (4) and Zoe (2) came running to us and Zoe pretty much jumped up into my arms to give me a hug yelling ´´hermanas hermanas´´ Then veronica too. That made my day and really reminded me of why I am here.

3 Nephi 12:14-16--This is the Savior speaking and teaching. I read this and it helped me. I have a light. I have talents that I need to share. In this time and in this place I am the only one with these talents and abilities. I am here for a reason even if I don't know for who or why yet. But I was called to this mission for a reason and I need to share my talents and my light in the best way that I can so others may see the Light of Christ and want to come to him. I love this Gospel. I love my Savior and Redeemer. I truly know that the Atonement when we use it everyday in our lives that it can change us. That we can receive healing for our broken hearts and that the Savior is ALWAYS there to pick us up dust us off and carry us for a while he heals us. He is the way and the light and I love him. He is the reason I can be here. He is the reason I can make it through the hard times of missing home. He is the reason I can share this gospel in another language. He is the reason I am here. I want to give as much of myself to him because of what he has done for me. I love him!!!!!

I love you so much!!! I hope you have a great week. I think of you often and always pray for you!!! I love you so much!!!
con mucho amor
Jenika

PS you thought I forgot didn't you......you're wrong....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK MOM!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND AM SO THANKFUL YOU ARE IN THIS WORLD!!!! I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH LIKE THIS BIG BUT MOREOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Blue Gatorade

Ecuador Jersey

Hermana Hull and Szerdi enjoying Ice Cream

Hermana Hull made Popcorn

Sunday Dinner(I think they need a can opener)