Christmas Arrived 4 Weeks Late

Thank you, thank you, Thank you!!!!

I got your package this week.  This was the best Christmas ever!  

There was a box of chocolates

The tools I needed

and a Wonderful scrapbook

I am sure you smiled when I said a scrapbook would be a good birthday present.

Here's what's up with the work this week. 

We had to drop Franklin, he's a member referral who was very promising, had a baptismal date and everything, then when he asked his mom what he should do, she said that since he was born muslim, he should remain muslim.  There is a lot more to the story but that's enough for now.  

I still struggle knowing how to get people to church, which is tough because it's so necessary for someone's conversion.  This week we had no investigators and only one less-active member.  Usually we at least have 4 less active members, but this week was a bust.  

Our other two investigators are still on hold too.  Iben lives in the jungle apparently, and keeps going into the Binnenland(jungle) because his sister is sick.  He's still never been to church.  Stephen asked us to wait a few weeks before we start teaching him. I think of Alma 34:34 when people say that.  

We did a cool competition on Thursday, it was me and Elder Bell, vs Elder Norton and Elder Freeman.  We decided to see who could get more contacts in one day, the finals were

us: 39

them: 25

It didn't seem very fair because how bad we beat them, but they can purchase us lunch now.  

I gave a talk on one of my favorite scripture passages.  It's Nephi's vision consisting of 1 Nephi11-15, but I only read from the part later when Nephi is talking about it in 2 Nephi 31.  Verses 5-13 are way good.  I can't really imagine having the voice of the Father and also the voice of the Son speaking to you.  When it was over, Zuma said that he thought I wasn't prepared. I tried to explain that I was plenty prepared, but just stumbled over my words a bit.  If nothing else it was fun for me, maybe someone understood something I said.  

You should fatify a picture of me (This is in reference to a FatBooth photo I sent him of me). I want to see how I'll look at the end of my mission.

This is actually bird poop.  The birds eat various seeds and the poop is enough to grow these big huge plants.

Me and Elder Bell

This is Elder Norton, my District Leader

I love it here in Suriname.

Jansen's blog

Elder Hulme has mentioned the very kind senior missionary couple that oversee the elders in Suriname. They are named Jansen. He told us of their blog and finally got us a url to use. If you use Google Chrome it will translate it for you. They seem like great people. It is nice to know that they are there. Read here. I am intrigued that it translates their name to Jones.

1/10/11 and 1/17/11 Update

I keep realizing how much of my mission has passed.  I'm getting a bit frustrated because I had hoped to have baptized half of Suriname at this point in time, do the second half next year.  I do however understand that baptisms do not measure success, but it sure does feel good to see someone repenting and becoming better.  


The work here seems to be stopped dead in it's tracks.  We have 0 progressing investigators, nobody was able to make it to church, members have been dropping the ball on us and I can't get to the bottom of it, or rather, figure out why all this isn't working.  There is no recipe for converting people, but I'd hope that more people would at least be able to talk to us.  Yesterday for example, we had every single one of our plans fall through, we spent the whole day talking to grumpy Hindu folk, and have nothing to show for it.  I just keep telling myself that it's part of the game, I trust that the Lord has something big in store for us if we bear with patience our afflictions.  I've been learning a lot, still love studying from Preach My Gospel with the scriptures.  Yesterday we had a broadcast for the whole Caribbean area, from Elder Oaks and President Uchdorf.  I am bad here where it is so hot, because I've never gone to a whole meeting without dozing off.  The only talk I heard was President Uchdorf. I liked it a lot.  

I was studying yesterday about praying with faith.  It's in chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel if you want to look it up.  It lists like 15 things that missionaries should do and think and have during praying.  One of them stuck out to me, it was praying by the Spirit.  At first, I thought it was dumb, because if I prayed by the spirit it would then be God talking to himself, but thought that that likely was not the answer.  I studied it out a little bit more, and realized this; God has a whole bunch of blessings he's ready to give us if we ask.  If we ask for things that he doesn't want to give us, he won't give it to us.  If you pray by the spirit, you will ask for the things he's ready to give you, making the whole experience far more fruitful.  Beautiful revelation for a Sunday morning.  Praying is hard, and became more engaging and challenging.  

I will be giving a talk on Sunday.  I don't know what about yet, but that should be fine.  I like the verse in D&C where it says to treasure up continually the words of life and it shall be given you what you should say, I'll likely have to simply do that, now that I'm down to the last week of preparation.  Yes it's going to be in Dutch.

We played ultimate frisbee this morning as a zone, it was way fun.  

I was passed the frisbee and was chasing it, having two defenders and dove and won the game.  Well we were already winning, but it was even more winned after this other point.  It was cool, I haven't before been one to dive for the frisbee.

I love you bunches.  Did you get my letter yet?  Has anyone got anything from me?  I think I've only sent one thing to the fam though... 
Thanks for all your support.
I think I'm going to go to school in China - they pay for you if you are learning Chinese.  
-Elder Hulme

New Years

This photo nearly brought a tear to my (the mom's) eye.  That little boy is so cute, and he's wearing a shirt that Xander would have loved at that age, and I love how he's hanging onto these elders.  The 2011 glasses are so funny to me.

Xander mentioned a while back that he had some new pants made for him.  We're guessing that this is the guy who made them.

Some of the house in which they live.  They have the whole house for 4 elders.

An overgrown cemetery that Xander and Elder Bell found.

Xander's new bike.

Downtown Paramaribo?

New Years here is nuts.  It was completely unreal.  The entire sky was covered in huge fireworks, like the ones at "Stadium's on Fire", but they were all launched privately (not so many fireworks laws here).  The air was a bit foggy, and it looked and sounded like we were in a war zone.  The entire country is now covered in fireworks shrapnel.  


Grocery shopping here is so fun.  It's like a scavenger hunt every week.  Nobody has everything, but everybody has something.  I'm getting more savvy at shopping here though.  It's hard, but coming along.  Zone conference will be this Saturday.  I'll get to talk to President Gamiette again, which will be nice.  We're so stranded out here. We rarely hear from anyone, and very very rarely, once a quarter, have anyone travel to here.  I hope for a big inspirational boost.  I want to learn about goal setting and reaching.


I'm happy when I'm working.  I love you all.  My time here is being well spent.

Christmas Day Phone Call

Elder Bell in front, then Elder Hulme, then Elder Guinn

The plan was, Xander would call around 3:30pm our time, and we would call him right back so the charges would be on our line.  We worked on a puzzle to pass time, and finally, after 4:30, he called.  We called back and heard, "We're sorry, this call cannot be completed on this line."  We tried adding 1, taking away 1, checking the country code, calling Comcast from my cell phone to see if we had some international calling problems, calling from all of our cell phones.  We could not get through.  Finally, Xander called back.  He had to go purchase some calling cards, and just make the call from their cell phone.

1)  He hates the dogs.  In Suriname, they are all straggly, barking, mangy beasts that roam the city and are irritating.  Fortunately, they are not vicious dogs.

2)  On Christmas day, all the elders had breakfast at the senior couple's home, the Jansens.   They love the senior couple and it sounds like the Jansens take great care of the elders.  Then they went to the nursing home and wheeled folks over to the church for a Christmas lunch.  He said that was fun.  He didn't think his lady could talk at all, but when he finally parted with her, she spoke perfectly and thanked him.  Later they went to the zone leader's house and watched Toy Story 3.  When we were talking to him, there were huge fireworks going on outside and dogs barking.

3)  He loves the fruit in Suriname, especially the mangoes.  They eat lots of rice and beans and noodles.  The milk is terrible, nothing like our milk.  I get the impression that it's kind of like diluted canned milk in a carton.

4)  He misses large grocery stores.  There are only small markets and you have to visit several of them to find what you need.

5)  He has not seen the ocean yet.

6)  He loves the city.  He suspects that he may stay in the city for the remainder of his mission.

7)  Lots of people ride motor scooters.  He saw one guy riding a motor scooter with two monkeys on his back, and the monkeys looked scared to death.

8)  He spoke some Dutch to us, but it was really hard to understand through the speaker phone.

9)  Just a few days earlier, he decided to get a Christmas tree.  He went into the front yard and cut down a frond from a palm tree.

10)  The Christmas package I sent him did not arrive on time.  He wasn't upset.  Makes me sad, though.

He wears flip flops inside because of all the sand that enters their house.

11)  He says there is one church building in Suriname, and 4 additional buildings that the church rents.  The branch that he attends is good-sized and has great church members.   The branch is larger and stronger than the branch he attended in Alabama.

12)  He told us to enjoy some skiing for him.

Overall, he sounded great.  He seemed happy. We are so glad he is learning, growing, and changing.  Gosh, we miss that kid.  I can't wait until Mother's Day.

New Bike and Tasty Food

This is Xander's new address in Suriname:

Elder Alexander Hulme
PO Box 2932
Paramaribo, Suriname
South America

This week has been good.  I got a new bike and had some tasty food.  Here are my favorites:

Shoarma - French fries, chicken with BBQ sauce
Bami - Noodles
Nasi - Rice
Roti - Like a tortilla with curry, Hindu burrito
Bacabana - Fried plantains

There are lots of bacova that grow here, which are regular bananas, and also banaan, which are plantains.  I've been eating out lots, and with members, and at various different events.  I'm not exercising nearly as much, so I'm losing muscle mass, but putting on fat.  Still the same weight.  We have to drink filtered water, but the other food is basically all safe as far as I can tell.  Except Elder Bell's Bruine Bonen that went rotten and made him way sick.

Elder Guinn's bike broke, so Xander gave him a lift

If we have a good week, we can all get together for p-day.  We will all be together for Christmas, and apparently on Christmas we will watch a movie.  Now it's between Space Jam, Toy Story 3, and Despicable Me.  I'm going for Toy Story 3.

We are in the citiest part of the mission - we've got downtown in our area.  Dus, Ik kan niet zoveel gekke dingen zien als sommige van de andere zendelingen mogen zien.

I love it when Xander writes something in Dutch.  We get an interesting translation

I haven't dreamed in Dutch yet, but we do always pray in Dutch.  I'll be using my Christmas money on bike parts, so it'll be a great Christmas.

From the Eyes of Elder Hulme

1.  You see the sun each day.  It usually rains each day as well.
2.  We are in the "citiest" part of the city, and it's super cool.
3.  In this country, food spontaneously combusts.  I mean, I could go weeks living on the fruit that falls onto the ground - coconuts, mangoes, and things of that nature.
4.  It's completely flat here.  Not even a hill.
5.  They love raunchy pictures.

We played Ultimate Frisbee this morning for 5 hours.  It was fantastic.  When you ask someone how they are they reply with the word "rustig."  It means rusty.  I think when people ask me how I am, I'll begin answering, "I'm rusty."

We had a baptism last week.  Her name is Zuster Malats, which means leprosy, which is a bit unfortunate.  She was already converted when I got here, so I didn't teach her anything except some commandments.  But now I've been able to teach her lots of stuff, namely the new member lessons that everyone is supposed to receive.

This photo is right-side up on my computer,
but it won't stay that way here!

The bike issue here is tough because nobody sells any tools.  All of the bikes here are these cheap Chinese beasts of one or two varieties:

1)  Euro style, dropped toptube, 700c fat tires, coaster brakes.
2)  America style, simple means beach cruiser, coaster brakes, with "s" shaped cranks.
I'm currently using someone else's America stye bike.  He's painted the old Utah Jazz colors on it, purple, green, and yellow.  It's quite ugly and hilarious.  Chains here stretch out in about a week, but flats aren't as bad as you'd expect.  I may have to buy a bike from the muslim store (likely a stolen bike).

Elder Hulme and his MTC companion Elder Freeman reunited in Suriname

I (VaLene) want to be this lady's friend.  She looks like a hoot.