I did my first plumbing this morning, by taking apart our drain, cleaning it, and putting it back together. It was stinky and gross but oddly enjoyable. I also did my first family history this week. Actually, all I did was log on and look at the website and enter in Oli's name. Then I ran out of time and had to go. I really like this family history idea, I studied it this morning in PMG and learned a lot about it. I'm going to use it to help find more people to teach. I like the thing from Noelle's mom "1. Keep a kind word on your lips" I'm going to do that the rest of my life.
These first 3 days of missionary work worked out pretty well, we were very blessed as we worked with the branch leaders and members to have some member lessons, and teach some less actives, and find a few people we could possibly teach. Then last night we had a fantastic weekly planning session. The challenge was given to read the entire book of Mormon in the coming three months (coincidently that is exactly how long I will be in the country). Elder Freeman and I will do it, and when I finish, I will have read the Book of Mormon 5 times (only once in Dutch). I'm still in Ether on number four, but have completed it three other times as well. We went to visit the C. family, a family I worked with last time I was in the area. Brother C. is the longest time member in Suriname, nearly 40 years a member, and almost all of them less active. His wife was baptized 8 years ago, and is really good despite all the opposition. She asked a question yesterday, it was something like "What do you do when you have no more desire?" I considered it as we listened to her explain, and realized that I asked that same question a number of months ago. It gave me a good feeling of duty and purpose. I just realized how many questions I've personally been asked upon my arrival to the branch. Z. asked me something about Alma 32, how Faith and Knowledge are related, I still need to give her a better answer. Then E. asked me what to do since she no longer has the time to read and study and be as strong as she once was, we read some verses together with Z., who has been finding many of the same problems.
Z. makes my whole soul hurt sometimes. He's got such a strong desire to do what's right, and just recently he got offered a job as a supervisor at a guest house, a job that will pay better than most working fathers here. He asked me "why is it that as I'm trying to prepare for my mission, I get given a job like this, why not earlier?" I will work as closely as I can with him(since he's in the other area and way busy all the time) and hope to help just a little bit.
We went to visit sister S., a convert of 7 years, yesterday after church. To our surprise she invited her granddaughter A. to join the lesson. As we read from the scriptures and heard the amazingly interesting conversion story of sister S.(I think she is just good at talking, that's why she teaches seminary), she gave the hint to me that she wanted her granddaughter to be baptized, so we invited and she accepted. She's only 13, but it'll be nice to help this grandmother help her granddaughter to repent and be baptized.
We went to visit sister S., a convert of 7 years, yesterday after church. To our surprise she invited her granddaughter A. to join the lesson. As we read from the scriptures and heard the amazingly interesting conversion story of sister S.(I think she is just good at talking, that's why she teaches seminary), she gave the hint to me that she wanted her granddaughter to be baptized, so we invited and she accepted. She's only 13, but it'll be nice to help this grandmother help her granddaughter to repent and be baptized.
You asked about my bike? It's still way too fast for this country. In comparison to here, my bike is ok. In comparison to a real bike, I would rather not ride it ever again. My shoes? My chinese shoes are holding up about as well as you'd expect (very quickly becoming not so pretty). But I got my favorite ones repaired, and am taking them to get double repaired later today.
Not being a zone leader anymore is a big pride smasher. But I've enjoyed having TONS of extra time to study, and to write in my journal, and to think and write this really long email. I feel like I can work hard now, and not always have all these outside responsibilities looming over me, or in the back of my mind. I wrote President Gamiette my old style email again this week, "not dead, big plans big hopes high faith thanks -Elder Hulme." That's not a direct quote, and it is more professional looking, but that's the idea of the email. I wrote him good ones for a while... but not today. President Holzapfel hated when I did that. I also sent Pres. H a postcard asking if I could do my last transfer there, and asked Pres. G what he thought about the idea, but haven't heard back from either of them. That was about a month ago.
This is my 3rd time being called to serve with Elder Freeman. I love this apartment, I honestly missed it. Even though all the drains are clogged in the showers too, due to hair. I'm not sure what to do about that. Things are good. Thank you so much for the email, it means a lot to me.
-Elder Hulme
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| Elder Fernandes and Elder Hulme |
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| Elder Hulme and Elder Freeman |
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| Wasto and Elder Hulme |
