December 20, 2015 - Millidgeville GA

Hey Y'all

The package sounds great! The shoes will be much appreciated and thank you so much! The shoes that I used to wear for church in Colorado are splitting at the sole because of walking in the wet grass so much so it will be nice to have some shoes that dont get my feet wet when I walk through grass haha. 

Even though it's 4 days til Christmas it doesn't feel like Christmas at all. Like I've worn short sleeve shirts the past few days and I've never experienced a Christmas where the streets aren't covered in snow. There's something magical with snow and Georgia doesn't know what it's missing. This past week was a week that had this sense of peace and comfort knowing that I would see my family in the upcoming week, as well as knowing that we are celebrating Christ's birth in the upcoming week. On Monday we went to the lake sinclair dam where we took pictures and though about going for a quick swim haha don't worry mom I wouldn't do it. On Tuesday Elder Godwin and Elder Davis went to transfer meeting where Elder Godwin would get a new companion. Elder Davis has meant alot to me in my mission and I'm not sure if I'll see him again til I go home but it was hard saying bye to him. Elder Godwin got a new companion and his name is Elder Taggart. He's 3 months out and he's a really cool guy! He like to repel and do rock climbing in Colorado. Also on Tuesday Elder Godwin gave me a package of letters from the transfer meeting and it was full of letters from the Mckay lake ward!! It was really mind blowing because I remember when I wrote letters to missionaries when we were there and now I'm getting letters from them so it was really cool to get letters from them! On Wednesday, we biked in the rain the whole day and it reminded me of my days in Waynesboro and it was quite fun, but at the same time alot of our appointments fell through that day and the rain kind of added to the depression , but hey what doesn't kill ya makes you stronger :) Also on that day, we helped an elderly member in our ward decorate their Christmas tree, it was really cool to see how the small things in life matter and even decorating a tree for someone brings the spirit of Christmas into their life. On friday, we were biking from our appointment to go home and on the way there my front tire was all of a sudden flat and I ran over a pin that punctured my tube so I had to use the patch kit and tire pump that you gave me and I patched it right there on a busy road with tons of people watching us and honking at us and yelling "Yeah Mormons!!" Then get this on Saturday Elder Showers ran over a pin at the exact same spot where my tire got popped so we had to repair his tire the next day! So it was just crazy how I had my tire pop and he had his pop the next day at the exact same place. 

I've really enjoyed proclaiming the gospel here in Georgia especially in this Christmas season! I can't wait to talk to you on friday! We are allowed to email on Christmas Eve to set up skype so be ready on Thursday! I can't wait and I hope y'all have a good Christmas season!!

I LOVE YALL

love Elder Mitchell HIll 

#Santaiscomin   #nosnow   #IHEART YA

DJ and Renjari!

Lake Sinclair Dam

Gonna Miss This Guy!

 

December 13, 2015 - Milledgeville Ga

Hey Fam!!

Everything is going great!! I got my NEW BIKE! It's AWESOME, its like the yellow trek bike I had at home except it's not a mountain bike but its more of a road bike but now bike is 10x easier and more enjoyable. I also have lights on my bike now which is nice to be able to see in the dark at night. My shoe size is a 12. So if you could get me those that would be great:) The shoes I used at home for church are getting pretty tattered to say the least. The skype information sounds great and I just heard that we are able to email our families on December 24th to set up a time for the call so we can finalize everything else then. I'm happy that everyone is doing well and tell Kristy good luck with tryouts and not worry but just do your thing:)

This week had lots of traveling for me on Monday night we slept in Cochran, Georgia at the Zone Leaders place because we had to be in Tifton at 8:30 which is 4 hours from Millidgeville. We had our Christmas conference on Tuesday and it was awesome. We heard many musical numbers and training's. We also were able to watch Ephraims Rescue for the movie! I dont think I ever saw that movie at home and if y'all haven't seen it I definitely recommend it! It really grew my testimony about how true this church is because those pioneers went through terror to get to Zion and they wouldn't do something like that if they didn't know it was true. On Wednesday I drove down to Macon Georgia with Elder Showers for our Trainer/ Trainee meeting. It was fun to see all the missionaries who would be going home and say bye to them. I got really close to a few of them and it was hard to say bye. On Saturday we were invited to go to Bishops house for his family reunion and we shared "A Savior is Born" video with all of his family and Elder Davis plays the viola so he played a medley of Christmas songs for them and it was a pretty touching moment about how good uplifting music can touch the hearts of men. Not only that but earlier in the day Elder Godwin and Elder Davis baptized 3 new people in to the Millidgeville ward! The ward is growing pretty rapidly and should be able to baptize 2 people this next transfer so I'm really excited for whats to come. On Sunday Elder Holdaway, a missionary from Gray, came down to Millidgeville because his companion went home today so we are in a trio til Tuesday. 

Because I'm training I've really had to know my stuff and know how to be an example to Elder Showers because new missionaries literally follow everything you do and even if you slip up just a little bit  they are the first ones to notice. Elder Showers asks lots of questions and I'm trying to answer them the best that I can, but I didn't get transferred so I'll be in Millidgeville til at least early February. Elder Davis is being transferred so Elder Godwin will be getting a new companion so hopefully it will be a good one!

I hope y'all are doing well and that you enjoy the Star Wars movie this week... Let me know how it is:) haha (jealous)

I LOVE YOU GUYS AND ILL SEE YOU VIRTUALLY IN 10 DAYS!

love,

Elder Mitchell Hill

#wanttoseestarwars    #missmyfam  #missthesnow  

Santa gave Elder Hill an early Christmas Present!!

GA sunsets + Mitchell = good picture! :)

December 6, 2015 - Millidgeville GA

Hey Fam!!

I'm so glad that everything worked out with Sister Weltz!! I'm glad you were able to talk to her and meet her! She's AWESOME! It sound like everyone is doing great!! I'm super jealous of Kevins bike! My job as a missionary would be so much easier if I could ride a dirt bike instead of biking haha:) But my companion is really jealous! He rode motocross back home and he wants to ride it really bad! So the only thing I might need for Christmas is some good durable shoes because my shoes now are kind of tearing at the soles from all the water we walk through in the grass and such so if your able to get those I'd love that but that should be it! I did get your package and I loved it! I used Grandmas scarf that she made yesterday and I'm wearing the sweater you got for me today! It looks really good! I've become really good friends with Elder Davis and Elder Godwin and for my birthday they got me about 4-7 presents!. I got about 3 ties, a sweater and another pair of pants! I almost cried because they didn't have to do that but because of how well I'm doing and how much I've gone through they wanted to reward me with something so I was pretty touched!

This past week was pretty awesome, in the beginning of the week I was able to play basketball with some investigators of mine and my patriarchal blessings says how the Lord will help use my talents to bring people to Christ and if I couldn't play basketball I'm not sure our investigator would be interested in the gospel! I had so much fun playing with them and it was a testimony builder that God puts you in places where you are needed. Then on my birthday, we had lunch with a member at the church and then in the afternoon, we went mountain biking with 5-7 investigators and it was a blast! I went down hills close to 70 degrees slant and going off jumps!! It was awesome!!! Then later that day we rode to one of the Union campsites where the Union stayed at when they were fighting the confederates in Millidgeville. It was Awesome! Then later that night we went to Buffington, which is a restaurant that serves really good panini's and it was awesome! I got it for free since it was my birthday and after that we went to Elder Davis and Elder Godwins apartment and we opened presents and they gave me those clothes and we ate cake:) and ice cream haha! Also we went to the Gray wards Christmas party and they decked out in decorations. They did a "whoville" theme and everyone dressed up like people would dress up in Whoville! THey even had a Grinch how cool is that!! Then yesterday at church we thought church was just going to be like any other Sunday but then we saw President and Sister Cottle walk down the hall. They showed up unexpectedly and went to church with us! It was pretty cool and nerve racking haha.

 This week we have a zone conference in Tifton Georgia, close to 4 hours from here so we are going to be sleeping over at the zone leaders apartment in Cochran Georgia, then this Wednesday we have a trainers/trainee meeting since the transfer is coming to a close! It's crazy how fast time is going. I'm already almost 6 months out and it is kind of scary how fast time is going. I can't wait to see y'all on Christmas and if you'd like to you can open the presents I gave you when we skype. 

I hope everything is going well and I loved the pictures of y'all in the cabin it looked like a blast!

I LOVE YOU and I hope y'all have a great week!

love,

Elder Mitchell Hill

#jealousofkevinsbike    #dontwreck   #mountainbikingwasawesome   #!'m19  #stillakidatheart   

 

Going for a ride!

Crossing a creek mountain biking

Christmas Party at Grays

 

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November 29, 2015 - Milledgeville GA

Hey Fam!

THANKS FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES AND THE PICTURES! You guys look so great and the cabin looks so much fun! It's been a long time since I was at the cabin when it snowed! The lake looks fun and even though we aren't allowed to swim as a missionary I'd probably jump in if I was there haha. I had Thanksgiving with the Weltz's.  This past week was pretty crazy I guess, I don't really know how to describe it...

So on Tuesday we had district meeting in Gray, Georgia and after district meeting we did a service project for members in the ward. We went to this lady's house who had tons of leaves and we raked them into one HUGE pile and then I learned how people handle leaves in the south. (We should've done this in Colorado!) So we put them all in a pile and lit them on FIRE with a blowtorch! It was sooo cool! Then on Wednesday we taught Renata Butts. We have taught her for 5 weeks and committed her to be baptized and she was really interested, but had to ask her husband about it. She is a very busy lady with 2 kids who is in school to be a nurse. We testified of how true this church is and she was crying during the prayer. The spirit was sooo strong and it was as if the Holy Ghost was just poking her the entire lesson:) Then on Thursday it was Thanksgiving!! We rode 20 miles on our bikes before lunch to stay fit and then went to the Weltz house where we had an awesome meal! They made funeral potatoes, turkey, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad, veggies, and pie! It was awesome! Then yesterday was a pretty crazy day...

So we were teaching this less active in our ward in her garage. We were teaching her about tithing and all of a sudden this black SUV pulls up and the lady we were teaching runs inside the house and locks the door so we are just like.. what?.. So this lady runs out of the car and tells us to get off the property cause it's her property. So I'm putting away my scriptures and she comes over and tries to hurry me up by hitting me on the head with her magazine that was rolled up in her hand. I was pretty tired and sore from biking and I wasn't in the best mood and I stood up and looked down at her. (She was like 5,1) Anyway I stared at her and was like "Jeez calm down, we have a right to visit her cause she is a member of our church and then she said "you better get off the property right now or I'll call 911 and have you arrested for soliciting. So I put away my chair and  started to walk away and I said "Thats good cause we are proselyting, we aren't trying to sell Jesus." She started to come closer to us and she said I'm her guardian and now she won't come out the door. So we hopped on our bikes and left and she yelled "I'LL SUE THE MORMON CHURCH IF YOU COME BACK!!" So we left and visited some more investigators throughout the day. We stopped by a catholic church and asked when their services are and they said 5:00 and at the time it was like 4:30 so we decided to go. They had communion and the way they instituted the sacrament was interesting they used wine and people all drank out of the same cup, they at hardtack for the bread, and praised Jesus. After we talked to this lady who knew who we were and talked about differences. Then we talked to the Deacon who gave the sermons and such and he had alot of questions about our church and he was surprised at our answers and said "I had thought you Mormons just had more than one wife and worshiped Joesph Smith..." So we cleared that up and he said he might attend a service on Sunday!!

I LOVE YOU GUYS SOO MUCH!! I always pray for you and I hope you have an awesome week!

-Elder Hill aka Mitch

#almost19   #missinthesnow    #misstherec   #servintheLord

 

Mitch in Georgia!

Milledgeville District 2015