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, September 19, 2016

Well this is it............

Mama,

Well this is it. I can't believe this time has come to write my last letter of the mission. I love my mission, Ecuador Quito Norte. I have grown to love the culture, the food, the people, the geography, the everything about my most beautiful country of Ecuador. The things I have learned here can't be written or explained or anything but through spiritual eyes that someone can understand. I have grown and changed. I have become someone I feel proud of. It does not mean it is the end. I have a long way to go but I feel very blessed to have come to this mission. I have been changed more by the people I think than I helped them to change. In every sector I have left a piece of my heart. I remember saying in my first skypé home that my heart was in Hyde Park and with my family. I can't say that anymore. I am not sure much of it is there any more. I think it has been split into 6 different parts and I am leaving it all here. It hurts. Its hard. I've cried many times this past week and feel that I will continue to cry this week. I am leaving one of my homes. And returning to the other. I feel that I wouldn't have become as much as I am without the mission.
     I know that this is the true church. I know that my Savior Lives. He loves me and I have grown closer to him. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father. I know he created a perfect plan for me. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a true and powerful prophet of god. I know that Thomas S Monson is the true and living prophet today. I know that the Priesthood was restored and it is the literal power that God gives to man to help in the Salvation of his Children. I know that the Obra Misional is the Lords work. I know that it is inspired and that it changes one more than any other thing on this earth. I know that Families are Forever. My family is huge now and I plan on being with each member. I truly know these things are true and I know them to be that way because I lived them and the Lord has blessed me and testified to me through his Spirit. I love this work and love the 19 months that I have been here. They have not been easy. But if it would have been that way it wouldn't have been as fulfilling or fun. Everyday I have seen Gods hand in my life and am sooooo blessed for it.

All in all I Love being a Missionary!

Thanks for all the support you have given to me in this time of my mission. Thanks for all the words of encouragement and love. All the prayers and fasts. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Every single one of you!!!

I love you all. I pray for you all. See you soon!
Love
Hermana Hull :D


Monday, September 12, 2016

Some crazy changes!!

Mama,

    Well here is the craziness of my week........First off no I am not staying longer I know you all thought that when I wrote that title but I am for sure coming home on the 24th, don't worry about that. But there has been some crazy events this week and well it isn't the most ideal way to finish the mission. There has been a lot of tears and really rough periods this week with all that is happening. So here is why, my companion Hna Ramirez is really one of the big reasons I stayed, has to go home. While she was in the MTC she fell and thought sprained her knee. Well over these months the pain has grown and about 2 weeks ago we had to go to he doctor. She had an MRI and they found that she has a torn meniscus or ligament. Not exactly sure which one. So she got the call from President that she has to go home. He told her she was going to be leaving today but since we have 2 baptisms this week he gave her permission to stay until the 19th. Well that is crazy because it means I have to leave Yaruqui and stay with another hermana until I come home. It has been crazy and well super stressful,first finishing the mission is super emotional and second this makes it even more emotionally hard. But I'm happy that she will get it done and be able to come back. It just is a bit crazy.

I know that this is the true church. I know this work is really the work of the Lord and we are super blessed.
I love you all a ton!!! Please pray for our investigators that all goes smoothly this week. LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!
Hermana Hull

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

The Condor of Ecuador!

Mama,

Sounds like you are just all having a blast still even with school and all. This last weekend sounds great and just wow. I want to go rafting on the Snake River but it is going to be cold when I get back so I guess I will just have to wait until next year!!

I love this work so much. It has been such a fun week with some crazy things and some huge miracles. First Karina one of our investigators is going to get baptized this upcoming week and we are super excited for her. She is super great and so ready. She seriously was a miracle. She found the church one Sunday and is just so prepared to make these covenants with her Heavenly Father. Pray for her!!!!!
Yaruqui is just amazing. When I got here there was not to much trust between the missionaries and the ward members. We are seeing more confidence now. We have gained the trust of a lot of the ward now and we are seeing improvements. Now its just to get them to work a bit more in this wonderful work. They are a lot more friendly and just open now. We have helped a lot of them and not only are we finding investigators but we are having rescues.. A lot of Menos Activos are coming back to church and we are helping them. We are seeing tons of miracles. I just love it here and just feel so blessed to be a missionary here in this wonderful little branch.
A few crazy things have happened this week as well. There have been a few more earthquakes but they are a lot smaller. It is still a little nerve wracking at times but we are prepared and know what to do when it happens. So really there is nothing to worry about there. Just being obedient and knowing as we are, we will be blessed and protected!! Also some crazy rainstorms that just happen out of no where. Like it is super clear in the morning and then there are tons of super gray clouds all the sudden with tons and tons of rain. I think I was probably in the biggest rainstorm of my life yesterday and was not prepared because all day it had been clear and then at 6 a huge storm with thunder and lightning and the works. It was AWESOME!!!

Overall everything is good here. We are having a blast and working hard. We are seeing miracles and becoming more converted to the Lord. I love this work and am so thankful for it.

I was reading in a talk this past week from Elder Bednar in the Liahona from August. He talks about accepting the Lords will and his timing. I have learned that I need to do that even more. I understand how but at times it is so difficult because of the natural man. But as I have learned to trust him and put my faith in him then I am able to do all the things that he would have me do and I am blessed because I am in harmony with the will of the Lord. I know that we can each work on this more. I know that is part of why we are here on the earth and is one of the best ways to progress. I love this work and love the Lord.
Being a missionary is the BEST!!!
Love you Tons!!!
Hermana Hull

PS The pics are with the Condor of Ecuador. It is what is in the middle of the flag. so that is cool :D Love ya





Monday, August 29, 2016

This Week!


Mama
Sorry this is going to be so short. But I hope the pics make up for it today. But the Internet went away and well yea that, just yeah.

I cant believe you aren't primary president any more but this means you are prepared to help me when I am not a missionary any more in learning how to accept a new calling!!

This week was super good. We are seeing tons and tons of miracles. It is hard to think that I would have been home this week but that is okay. I love this work and am thankful for it!!!! It is just a great time to be alive and a missionary.

I know the church is true and the that Lord lives. I know that we are blessed when we are obedient. I am grateful to the Lord for all my life. This is true and I know that as we continue we will be blessed!! Love you and pray for you all!! Have a great week!!!!!

Love you tons!!
Hna Hull

Pics--Farewell to her group!










Hermana Hull and her hijas














Monday, August 22, 2016

To be a disciple of Christ

Mama,

Sounds like you are just having a super fun summer that is coming to an end quickly but means for a school year full of fun as well!! That is awesome. I love hearing about what y'all are up to. I did get the pics but I have to open them one by one but that didn't matter. I want to go to 'bring your own cup slurpee day'. It LOOKS super delicious!!!!!

As for my week it was about the same. Just the missionary life. I really love being a missionary. It is the best. I really love the scriptures and am super excited for this extra month because I know that it will be such a big blessing. Yaruqui is doing well and we are finding and teaching, teaching and finding. There are definitely stumbling blocks but we are getting there. I really am so thankful for all the challenges I face everyday!! I mean they are hard but help me to understand how much powerful the expiacion(atonement) is in my life and how I can trust in the Savior that much more!!!!

I found something this week that I wrote a while back while studying el Evangelio de Jesucrist. It is lesson 3. I wrote it and found it this week again and would like to share it with you.

To Become A Disciple of Christ:
Have faith in HIM
Repentance everyday through HIM
Baptism in HIS name
Receive HIS spirit to be with us
Endure with HIM to the end.
Truly we can't do anything without HIM!

I hope you can Find HIM in your daily lives so that you can feel even closer to him and enjoy his gospel even more!!

Love you and have a great week!!
Love
Hna Hull

PS I am super excited for that topic!!!
PPS I am writing early because I get to go to the dinner with my group tonight :D Love you!

The flia Saltos invited me over on this past tuesday to celebrate my birthday late!!! :D


Our district.... I designed the zone shirt we are wearing....my new talent..haha

Crazy Kid rides in Ecuador





This is what you get when the light goes out and hna hull has her camera and a birthday candle..... I was playing with fire for like 45 minutes....sorry dad...haha

The turtle i held....i got a little scared.....


Me and my comp



Monday, August 15, 2016

Isn't life just the Best!!!!

Mama,

Well it sounds like you guys had a wonderful week. It is good to hear about Jaden and band camp. I am super excited to see the show. And to hear Jordan is going on adventures.......but crazy.....Chase Randall is getting married.......I didn't even know he had a girlfriend. But that is super cool and I am happy for him!! I actually met an Elder that served in his same mission that lives in Ibarra......he talked about how Chase was assistant and he was a zone leader and lived in the kingdom of Chase Randall....small world huh?? But wow that is super cool!!

It sounds like you are doing good in Primary too. I have thought a lot about primary this week and just how grateful I am for it and how really it helped me keep the base I needed to become converted to this gospel and have the basis I needed to really have a testimony to build my life on. I just love it so much and I mean the primary songs are the Simple truths of the Gospel. I am so happy that you are in the primary. I loved my calling there!! PRIMARY RULES!!!!

Well this week was a week full of crazy things but first things first....I AM 21!!!!! Can you belive it?? I can't. But really that is weird....I sure dont act like a 21 year old....but I guess that is okay. I will have to grow into it!! :D
I got to spend the day with Hna Israelsen and Hna Hermann because we had divisions and so I wasn't in my sector. It was super fun not just because I was with them but because we had a day full of miracles and found some awesome new investigators!!!
Really all in all my birthday was Magical! haha

Also this week we have gone through 2 more mini earthquakes. One the night before my birthday and one during church. They aren't nearly as hard as the first one but they also are at a different epicenter than before. So that has been a little crazy but don't worry we are prepared and know what to do in case something like this happens.

I just love being a misisonary. We were able to rescue the Familia Chachalo this week which was super fun. They are 70 years old and such a funny couple. The hermano can't hear very well. I have to talk like we did when we went visiting teaching. But I know how to do it so I am so thankful for that visiting teaching experience. They are hilarious too. They asked if they could be sealed again in the temple because well they just want to be married over and over again.....I mean they are hilarious. Some of the things they say and do are just super funny....like teaching the law of chastity......well lets just say they are very open. They are so cute and I love them. We are having a good time. I just love this work.

As I was studying the other day I came across something I really, really like. It is in the bible dictionary about Faith. You should all read it. I love how it explains what faith is and how we come to grow in faith and enjoy it in our lives everyday. I mean I really love faith. Sorry I forgot my study journal with my notes today to explain a bit more but go and read it and you will find out just how great it is!!!

I know that this is the Lords work and his Church. I am so thankful for the time that I have to share these wonderful truths of the Gospel with others. This is a grand work and we have to do a lot, not only as missionaries, but as members of the church. There is so much good to be done but we need to find it and search for it and as we do we will be blessed and guided to those that need it and we will in fact grow in our power and testimony because the Lord will always bless those that work with him in this great and wonderful obra!!! Go and find out what more you can do this week. Ask our Heavenly Father for the chance to share your testimony or a principle of the Gospel with someone and I know he will bless you with that chance and you will be able to do much good because of it!!!

Love you tons and talk to you  next Monday :D
LOVE
Hermana Hull


My birthday with Hna Israelsen and Hna Hermann we is waiting for the pizza!

Princess Castle


With Hermana Yorgason




One of my investigators Nilda with her son Anderson

Shirley M. from Carcelen came to visit me in Yaruqui for my birthday yesterday!!

Me and Shirley


one of my BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!!!! It is indigenous clothing from Cayambe...it is like an hour away from Otavalo but they have a totally different style!

Encebollado..... one of my favorite foods from Ecuador....it is from the coast

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Well it is going to be a short one!!!

Mama,

First before I forget... is there a topic for my talk??

Well I am going to be 21 tomorrow....can you believe that a whole year has passed since I turned 20 in Karabuela. Wow, what a year and a blessing it has been this past year and how much I have learned and grown and just how blessed I have been to be a missionary during this time of my life and how fast and wonderful this time has gone. I mean there is no better way to spend my time than serving the Lord, in his vineyard, working to save his children and help them receive the blessings of his gospel!! I am so blessed.

This week was really great and just such a fun time. We had to go to Quito 3 days in a row and I mean that is crazy because we are still like 2 hours away. But it was fun and we are becoming closer as comps through it!!

Sorry this is such a short one. I lost track of time trying to read all the birthday emails. but this is my present to you that I would like to give to all that read this for my birthday.
I would like to share my testimony

I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I know that the priesthood is truly Gods power that he has given to worthy men to bless us. I know that the truth was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that the Holy Ghost is a real gift that we can have with us at all times. I know that we are sons and daughters of a Heavenly Father and that the family is forever. I know that the temple is Gods house upon the earth. I know these things to be true and share in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Have a wonderful week!!!! I love you all soooooooo much!!!
Love
Hermana Hull


Waiting for the bus.......everyday all day

my salchipapas I made :D

I fry plantain really bad

the cake i made!

the zona. QUITO ESTE DE PASION


last time i will see hna dorta probably....:(


With the flia Rizzo son conversos

Actividad de zona!!!! My birhtday cake was awesome