Week 5

The mission is great! The trees change colors here and it gets all foggy in the mornings and the evenings sometimes... sorta spooky like scooby doo style. I got sick this past week but I'm pretty much better so thats good. the trees are throwen down the leaves. Several weird things have happened... Oregon is like an alien planet. I had a dream the other night that Sister Hancock (my companion) and I were in an elevator that caught fire and fell... it was really scary. Every day something funny happens! The second day I was here sister hancock accidentally got the phone stuck in the console of the car! it was in there for like 5 hours lol. The mission is great!

Mon, Oct 28, 2013 at 1:13 PM, 

I bought some fleece lined hosiery they look great and a few other things I'll try to get in the mail this week.     Mom

Thank you! I caught a cold this week so I'm sure that will help.   Sis Hillner

How are you doing on money? I am doing fine on money, no problems to report. 

Do you guys live in an apartment or house? apartment, it is kinda cool, Jesus is in our window and he greets us when we pull up every night! 

Did you find a coat?no but I'm doing alright with what I have. 

Have you got rain shoes? no, not yet. Im still trying to figure it out, let you know if I need help. 

Is there anything special that I can send you?  If you could send me razors that would be nice... and my eyeliner sharpener. Treats are always nice! I seriously loved the bags of peanut butter M&Ms they are my favorite. Oreos are good too :) Please don't send any more apple cider... im trying to grow a taste for it. Hot chocolate...yes. 

PLEASE pray for Ali and Sam. And Kaytee. she is our new investigator. and Kassie, she is a new investigator I found. There are so many girls I wish I could give them your number. I love you so much. I'm trying to keep up with my journal so you can be filled in on everything im leaving out.  I love you I love you I love you!!! 

Mom, I want you to get a fresh copy of the Book of Mormon and highlight every time Christ is referenced. I'm doing it too and amazing things are happening because of it! Just start from the beginning! It is so helpful in getting through Isaiah. I feel like I should just tell you I love you over and over! I have to go now though, please hug and kiss everyone from me.   

Sister Hillner

PS Its okay if you dont send the things right now, I can wait.

Week 4 Dad's Letter

Daddy! I miss you so much! I've been thinking about you skiing a lot lately, I actually had a dream you and I were skiing in Utah and it made me really happy. I wished it was longer... good dreams are short and far in between. The leaves change color here and it is weird to think winter is coming. 

I am nervous about transfers because Sister Hancock seems to think I will be training someone. The thought freaks me out. Everyone is great here but Oregon seems to be in a weird time warp. I always forget what day it is and it feels like forever and no time at all.

My mottos are: Good,better, best, never let it rest, till your good is your better and your better is your best; When is the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago because by now it would be huge and producing fruit (dont put off till tomorrow what you will do better to have done today); and I want to put my yesterday's self to shame every day of my mission.  

I love you Dad. Hey do you ever read to Lexie? I was remembering reading the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe with you the other day and I think she would really like that too. It is one of my favorite memories from childhood. I miss you tons. 

Your loving daughter, 

Sister Hillner

Week 4

Sister Hillner 5:29 PM,

Hey Mom! I have half an hour to write emails so if you get this send me a message real quick!

MOM 5:31 PM,

I'm here

Sister Hillner 5:34 PM

MOM!!! The packages were basically the best thing ever!!! Sis Hancock and I were both craving Nutella earlier that day and everything made me so happy you have noooo idea! Thank you sooooo much!

MOM 5:45 PM,

Why do you have such a short time to email? I have been trying to check every-so-often all day!  I know it’s because you are busy with life and work.  Did order new scriptures?

Sister Hillner 5:50 PM 

No I didn't order scriptures. I just will use the ones I have, they work great and I don’t want to have to carry 2 sets.

MOM 5:53 PM,

Are you going to have enough time to email everyone while talking to me?

Sister Hillner 5:58 PM
I'm going to have to go :( I'm sorry, the computer shut down on me but I emailed Dad, Tucker, and Logan. Mom, you need to know that I think about you often. You are always in my heart.

TTFATDAT

MOM 5:59 PM,
I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!! :P

 

 

 

I'M SO LUCKY!

Week 3

October 14 @ 1:40pm

Okay Mom Here is the long email you asked for, you will have to apologize to Dad and Tucker and Logan and Gramma Ryssman because you are the only one I will have time to respond to. If you could forward this to them that would be great.

I wake up every morning at 6:23 and roll right onto my knees, we exercise for 30 minutes, eat, shower, and get ready by 7. lately I have been eating oatmeal with bananas in it. We do personal study, companion study, and training for an hour each and then get straight to work. We meet people throughout the day and I love being on campus street-contacting people. My clothes work pretty well but I really need boots and a rain coat and a regular warm coat. the coat i have now is working for the moment. I really need more socks, like the ones to wear with flats... and regular ones. I loved the polka dot shirt you showed me! The ward is super great here!!! There is so much to do! we go to FHE every monday, tonight they are doing a Meet the Mormons activity and we have been inviting people like crazy!!! This week we taught someone who was reeeaaalllly high. like on drugs high. it was interesting hahaha. We met someone named Hakeem, it was so cool! we were running to the institute building to a lesson after passing out invites to the meet the morms and i saw a guy waking beind me and turned around to introduce us and give him an invite, we ran to the lesson but AFTER when we were tracting we knocked on his door and were able to teach him the gospel! we have a lesson with him tomorrow and i am really excited because sister hancock and i almost committed him to be baptised on his doorstep. he seems really cool. I committed Sam to be baptized Yesterday! November 3 :) I am so excited for him. We taught Ali the Chastity lesson and she said we told her everything she needed to hear which was really great because i had never taught it before and didnt know what i was doing. thank goodness im just being a mouthpiece for the spirit. We are teaching Jason who is a member baptized at 8 but never been to our church since. he is awesome as well. Today we played racketball... okay basically the best sport ever hahaha its like tennis but you can hit the ball as hard as you can at people. I was planning on sending pictures but we had to run and use the computers on campus so the other sisters in our area could use the institute computers. So there are elders in our ward. aparently they are trying to put sisters and elders in every ward. crazy how the work is progressing! I really wish I had gotten your package!!! Ill tell you about it next week i suppose. I have been thinking about Mema a lot lately too. she is here with me. I gave a talk inchurch Yesterday that was my first time on the mission and it went really well. told the story about lexie falling off the cliff and dad saving her, related it to missionary work... everyone cried lol. I love you! sorry i dont have time to write anything else. Write again soon! 

All my love, 

Sister Hillner

PS keep me updated on government stuff. i want to know if its getting shut down. 

Weather:

Week 2

This is part of what I said in my letter to Sister Hillner:

Okay last week you sent out the form letter. I know you are busy but I would love a little more detail than everyone else ha,ha I wish I could say I'm joking but I'm not!!! Give me more...I need more... Ok now I'm joking. No I really would love to hear more about how the flight went what it was like when you got there, how it's been getting adjusted, you know the everyday stuff.  Well I'm still passing on your letters to family and the blog so don't worry about emailing in that way.  I'll try to tell some more specific conference thoughts but if I don't get it to you I'll try to put it in my journal for some day in the future.

This is the response email from Sister Hillner:On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 12:38 PM

I love you Mom! I will write you a letter today with more info, but we really have absolutely no time for anything. you were in my thoughts the entire conference! Im so glad you all had such great missionary opportunities! I LOVE YOU

A FAT DAT (or however it goes :) 

This should be TTAFATDAT which stands for Today,Tomorrow, and Forever and The Day After That

Thankfully a little later I got this:On Oct 7, 2013, at 1:13 PM

So I was hoping you would be able to write me a quick note before we had to go, but alas, it was not meant to be. I forgot to tell you thank you for having that cute package there when i arrived!!! it really made my day. You asked for suggestions when you send me a package so here they are; you really can't go wrong with snacks and I would really appreciate the small hand sanitizers from Bath and Body works. and anything warm; like scarves, and tights, and socks,  and hot chocolate mix. Its pretty cold here. I am going to try Goodwill next week for a rain jacket with a hood and rain boots. If that doesn't work, they are getting a Nordstrom rack on the 10th so we will try there. I love you so much! Please pray for our investigators! Sam was the guy with the box, he is Chinese and we are afraid he wont be baptized because his parents live in China and don't want him to. Ali is SUPER strong and has been prepared to be baptized her whole life by her best friend. Jason was baptized at 8 but never went to church after that because his parents were divorced.  Then there is Jentel, Brendan, Pierre, Nick, Andrea, Amanda, Lauren, and our recent converts Mariah and Keelynn. I dont have time for specifics but everything is going well! My face looks like a pizza sometimes. Apparently my skin is not used to moisture. Good thing I'm not worried about flirting to convert! 

Sooo much love, 

Sister Hallie Hillner

P.S. I really miss hearing from JD, Kole, and Lexie. Please give them a hug and tell them I love them.

I WAS SOOOO HAPPY. I TRIED TO EMAIL BACK BUT IT WAS TO LATE. Oh well, it was good to hear more information.