Last email of this year!

So last week was pretty fabulous because:

1- I got to Skype and call home

2- Christmas presents (mostly socks and chapstick, but I ain't complaining)

3- We got to teach a lot about the Christmas story, which is always touching no matter who you are

4- WE HAD A MIRACLE BAPTISM ON SATURDAY!

YES, THAT'S RIGHT!!! A sweet little girl that we've been teaching the past 8 weeks got baptized last Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. Her mom asked us on Thursday if we could have her baptism in two days because her grandpa was in and he could do it. And we were like "Um, YES!" because we love this family SO much and this little girl has been working SO hard. We had to plan it in two days and it was crazy, but so so so worth it. Can you imagine that grandpa's surprise when they asked him? The whole family came to the confirmation, too and now the mom (who I love dearly) is thinking about coming back to church. BEST. WEEKEND. EVER.

We also have two new investigators and they are both progressing towards baptism. I am so excited for them! I love being able to help these people come closer to the Savior.

Our curfew tonight is 8 o'clock. We will be celebrating New Year's Eve by going to bed early at 9. Woo hoo!

I don't have much to say today. Oh, missionaries here get 50% discount at Chick-fil-a. That's writing-home worthy.

I want to share a scripture with you!

3 Nephi 18:19-25

This passage is when Jesus Christ comes to the Americas and is teaching the people there. I love these verses because He's teaching us what we can do to become more like Him.

"19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;

20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

21 Pray in your families unto the Father, always in my name, that your wives and your children may be blessed.

22 And behold, ye shall meet together oft; and ye shall not forbid any man from coming unto you when ye shall meet together, but suffer them that they may come unto you and forbid them not;

23 But ye shall pray for them, and shall not cast them out; and if it so be that they come unto you oft ye shall pray for them unto the Father in my name.

24 Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up-- that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.

25 And ye see that I have commanded that none of yo should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation."

He's telling us to pray to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. If our desires are good, if we are truly praying for things that are right, we can know that we will receive those things in the Lord's way and in His time. He's telling us not to leave anyone out. To invite all people to hear our happy message of redemption. He's telling us to love everybody, even those who don't want to hear our message. Pray for all people, help all people, serve all people. Always stand as a disciple of Jesus Christ for the world to see. Never be ashamed of living a life of cleanliness and never be afraid to share the gospel with others. He's asking us to do these thing. He's commanded us to come unto Him, and invite all to Him.

Sister Swain and I decided to share this with the family we're eating dinner with tonight. 3 Nephi is a really beautiful book, because it's all about the Savior appearing to the Americas.

Well, that's all I got!

Love you! Stay safe on the winter roads!

Sister Hinkle

Merry Christmas/ I chopped my hair off

Oh, and I think I spelled Emmanuel incorrectly last week. OOPS. Sorry 'bout that.

Also, don't worry. I had someone who actually went to beauty school cut my hair this time. And it's like a good haircut. So don't panic.

I'm glad that you've adopted Mariah during my absence! I hope you all had fun!

So I'm not going to be calling today, but I will call tomorrow. Who's house are you going to be at? I should be able to Skype around 2:30..which is 4:30 your time? Soooo...I'll just call Mom's phone around then and we'll work everything out. I totally forgot the Berry's Skype user name sooo.. I need to get better at planning things.

I don't have a lot to say. Things are going really well in the two wards I cover! Sister Swain and I are staying in Kearns Central Stake for this transfer. I love these hard working members who are so dedicated to helping the people around them come to the Savior. Missionaries NEED the members' help! The other night at dinner the man and his wife asked us what they could do to help US?! That never happens!! They said that they're willing to let us teach in their home and they're willing to come to lessons with us and help teach when we need someone. They give us referrals when they have them. They asked what they could do to help the ward out, asked if we knew anyone who needed friends. I couldn't believe it. Sister Swain and I left that house so proud of those people for their willingness to strengthen their ward. That family is such an example of how we can magnify our callings.

I love it here! I don't love the gross inversion that we have in the valley, but I love serving here despite the poor air quality. Haha

Merry Christmas! I love you. I hope you watch the Nightmare Before Christmas for me tonight! And eat a quiche for me tomorrow!

 Sister Hinkle

(Mariah will post photos later! Technical difficulties - Sorry!) 

Glory to God in the highest! Peace on Earth, good will to the men!

So last night was our stake Christmas choir fireside. Our stake has English and Spanish speaking wards in it, so there was all kinds of beautiful music in both languages! Our district was asked by President Sainz (him and his wife are some of my favorite people here, by the way) to sing for it. And we did! We sang Oh, Come Immanuel, or whatever the title is. We did really well! Everyone who performed did really well. It was a really great evening. At the end the congregation sang Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains. Man, I don't know why we don't sing that song all year round. It is sooo good.

Transfers happen this Wednesday. We find out tomorrow who's getting moved to where. I might stay here in Kearns or I could go to...you know..anywhere else in our mission.

So, Christmas is next Wednesday! Which means our P day is going to be moved to next Tuesday. AND I GET TO SKYPE YOU ON CHRISTMAS! I just don't know how that's going to work unless you can go to somebody's house who has Skype. I can just call you from a member's account. If Skype can't happen then I'll just call you on the phone. Either way I'm excited! I get a whole hour to talk!

I'm going shopping for some long skirts and sweaters today because I am DONE with wearing 2987 pairs of tights every day. I feel like a big old fatty with my 34872098 layers. Haha.

So I just want to tell you how much I love the Lord. Jesus Christ lives and He was chosen to be our Savior before the world was ever created. I know that when we start thanking Heavenly Father for the blessings we have, we can see His hands in the details of our lives. I know that Christ our brother DID come to this earth to Atone for our sins and to make it possible for EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US to live with Him and God again. All are invited to partake of salvation. All are God's children. No person was sent to this earth to fail. They want each of us to return.

Remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas! To celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into this world. The Only One who could save us. And He willingly came to this earth and suffered so He could know what each of us have gone through. Every hurt and every struggle. He knows you, and He knows how to help you. He loves you.

"It is better to have God approve than the world applaud."

I love you! I miss you. But I know I'm here for a reason. And I know that some of these people need me right now. I'll be home before you know it.

Love you,

Sister Hinkle

Howdy Hey

So I held two snakes this week and I am now officially a snake wrangler. One is a python named Bob, who they just found out is a girl. I think they should rename it Bobitha Girly the Girly (Olivia that was for you).

There are Christmas lights EVERYWHERE and I love it!!  Some are waaaaay more crazy than others. I'll have to send a picture of the one we call "the seizure house" that's lights are so crazy that you might be able to actually see them from West Virginia.

Did you all watch the Christmas Devotional last night?!! It was sooo goooooooooood. We were all AWWWWWWWW when the primary kids were singing "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus".

I'm done with hot chocolate for probably the rest of my life. I've drank so much of it this past week that I'm sure that if I get cut I could bleed cocoa.

I'm drowning in snow like every day of my life. Sister Swain and I have a hilarious time trudging around every day. It's awesome, though, because everybody is out scraping their windshields or shoveling snow and we can walk up and introduce ourselves and offer our shoveling/windshield scraping services and then we can be all "oh by the way have you heard of the Book of Mormon?!" or something like that.

We're going to try and go sledding today or at least build a snow man or something because Sister Swain hasn't experienced winter with snow before. Woooooo!!!

I love you!!

Me drowning in snow!

Cute little Christmas tree! 

Dumb Place To Put a Tree

So this email is going to be short this week, I'm sorry!! Last week I got letters from JP and Haley and the kids! I loved it! I did get my package in the mail, Mom. Thank you!

So I heard that you saw one of my best friends ever in Clarksburg last night?!! WHAT? NO BIG DEAL! That's so awesome!! He was excited to have met you!! I wish I could have a video recording of that moment! Hahaha.

This week makes up for the week before. It was really great and the work is moving forward!

As for how my life is hilarious, I walked into a tree branch the other night and my head was hit so hard that I actually fell backwards. I have a small cut on the top of my head, but it didn't cut the hat I was wearing. I don't even know how that happened. Sister Swain and I still laugh our butts off about it even now.

Today we're going over to the Berry's house to celebrate Hanukkah, because, you know. Why not? Thanksgiving was SO fun!!! We got to help decorate the tree! And we made and delivered cookies and notes to people in the wards we cover. Being a missionary is one of the greatest things ever.

I don't know if you all have heard of "The Power of Every Day Missionaries" by Clay Christensen, but if you haven't become aware. It's awesome (from what I hear at least, we can't read it) but the people in our wards are reading it and it teaches us how to be better member missionaries! That's something that's really getting worked on around here, and hopefully everywhere. HELP THE MISSIONARIES OUT. WE NEED THE MEMBERS' HELP. REALLY. It doesn't hurt! I promise!

The other night we were at a family's house and they have a bird that Dad made! They bought it at Tamarack a few years ago. We were all freaking out!!!

I accidentally left Jency's email at home. So can somebody send that to me? It's in the back of the journal that's on my bed. I miss that girl. Miss her bad!

Everything is going great in Kearns! Our zone is projecting 10 baptisms this month! How exciting!! I'm working with some of the funnest, sweetest people I've ever met.

I love you!

Sister Hinkle

MTC District!

Green meal from a few weeks ago! 

Putting up the tree on Thanksgiving! 

UTAH IS SO COLD I COULD DIE

I'm freezing.

Love, Sister Hinkle

Just kidding. But really, it's so cold that the other day the family we were eating dinner with gave Sister Swain and I blankets to wrap up in while we were eating because they felt so bad for us, hahaha!

So Mondays our zone leaders deliver all of our mail from the week to us. And I got a care package from Brother Ed Henline and a cute card from Sister Sandy Williams! It was so nice!!! They are sooo so so so nice, and it was so funny to get two things from people in Buckhannon in the same week. It's so nice to know people were thinking of me!

Speaking of sending me things (don't worry) Christmas is coming up! So this is what I want (don't worry) as my present! I want pictures of my family! There's a little picture album sitting on my desk in my bedroom at home and it's empty because I didn't get a chance to fill it up while I was home. So if yall could snag some pictures all my brothers and sisters and their families and Mema and Heidi and Richard and anybody else you can think of and then put them in that album, that's alllll I want! :) Oh, and maybe my cats and Charlotte too. It'll be great to put faces with names when I talk about everybody!

Oh, speaking of people I love, last Monday we had dinner at the Berry's house! And Sister Berry surprised me with a green meal. Because, ya know, I'm a greenie. It was so funny! And she read green eggs and ham and we cracked up the whole time. I love that woman!

We've been raking a lot of leaves this week! It's fun to be able to do something outside (something that isn't walking, at least). I am becoming quite the raking pro.

I miss WV a lot, but I like Utah, the mountains here are GORGEOUS! Sister Swain is super fun to be with. The little girl who we're working with has been coming to Church AND activity day!!! Hurray!! Hopefully we can set a date for her to be baptized on soon! She had a date but her mom wanted to push it back, so we're going to try and set one this week for the beginning of next month.

Speaking of baptisms!!! President Chambers wants us to have a "white Christmas" this year, which means they want people getting baptized ON CHRISTMAS DAY! What better way to show Jesus Christ you love Him and want to follow Him than getting baptized on the celebration of His birth?! Hopefully we can find some investigators by then, though. I'm happy and I love it here, but the work is hard! I wanted a hard mission and boy did I get one. Hearts here are so hard, people have such twisted misconceptions of the LDS religion, which is super funny because, you know, we're everywhere.

 It's hard but it's what I'm here to do. I know there is SOMEONE out here waiting for me to help them. Someone in Kearns who is waiting for the gospel to be brought into their life. We just have to keep knocking and looking and working. No problem, though. I'm not worried.

There's a quote by my main man and favorite apostle Jeffrey R Holland, he said, "If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived." And that's true. So I just have to keep on a workin.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Dad, remind Mom to get the cranberry sauce out of the outside fridge before dinner is over and give her a giant hug for me because I can't. Oh, and assign someone else threaten all of the kids with wedgies when they aren't being quiet since that's my job, haha.

I love you! Be happy!

    Libby

Every dog hates me and I spelled Kearns wrong.

So this week was CRAZY. Where do I start? We had a zone conference and and Elder and my companion and I sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives, and we each had SOLOS and I was scared out of my mind! But apparently we did well, because one of the men in our stake presidency heard about it and asked us to sing at the Christmas Fireside in a few weeks! I'm super excited! I also had to give a talk yesterday. It was written Sunday morning and let me tell ya, it was the Spirit who wrote it, NOT ME. I did a looot of praying while writing it.

So Kearns has got the Olympic Oval right in the middle of it, and we walk by it every day. It's where they do ice skating stuff? Like speed skating and hockey? I don't know a lot about it. But it's super cool looking! I'll send a picture of it in another email. Oh! Speaking of pictures, I realized that no one at home has seen me with my super cool name tag on! I took one to show you all! It's blurry, but whatever I don't have time to take good pictures, haha.

So the SECOND that Sister Swain and I step onto a street every dog knows it and goes absolutely NUTS. It's horrifying to think that less than a centimeter of fence is between us and the jaws of everlasting death. We're going to start a tally of how many dogs try to attack us on a daily basis.

Oh, have I mentioned how fat Utah is making me? Pretty darn fat. Yesterday, for instance, we woke up to our landlord leaving us muffins, got candy at Church, got invited to a farewell with lots of refreshments, our landlord gave us soup and monkey bread when we got home, and we visited a couple of ladies yesterday and left WITH AN ENTIRE PIE. WHAT? YES. AN ENTIRE PIE FOR THE TWO OF US. Not that we didn't totally attack that thing, though. I have a picture of that, too. It is absolutely demolished. Anyways, it's a good thing we don't have a car because I'd be rooounnddd if we didn't walk so much.

It's getting really cold here. Like. So cold. So today we're going to invest in multiple pairs of tights, leggings, other various warm things. Hand warmers and toe warmers (thank you so much Megan) are life savers. LIFE SAVERS, I SAY!

Okay, so back to being a missionary, we're going to start knocking doors this week. I'm excited! Knocking doors is exciting because sometimes they're like "Come on in Sisters!" and other times they're like "We're Catholic,sorry" actually, it's usually "We're Catholic, sorry". Why is everybody Catholic here?!! I'm getting better at door approaches and talking to people on the street. I love sharing the gospel! One of our investigators came to Church yesterday! Her name is Kennadee and she is the cutest little girl! She loved it and I am so excited that she had a good time! We're hoping to have three baptisms in the next couple of weeks, we had to push some dates back because of lack of Church attendance, hopefully they'll come this week! I'm in a very small area but there is a TON of work to do here! I love it! I love serving the Lord! I love my companion and how much fun she is, I love the people in Kearns. I just love everything. Maybe not getting barked at by dogs, but other than that I love everything! Haha

One of my favorite people here is a woman named Sister Berry! We stop by her house at least every other day. We call it our candy stop because we get a drink of water and she lets us pick candy from her kids Halloween bags!! Hahaha, she is so full of love and such an example of who I need to be! Her and her husband are people who are FILLED with charity! They are constantly serving others and are always working on being friends to everyone around them.

I'm safe, I'm happy, I'm fat.

Love,

Sister Hinkle

Awesome pie

Awesome nametag

<3

Olympic Oval

Kerns!

Okay so first I apologize because for some reason I thought I had pday last Monday. BUT! They're regularly on Mondays now, SO now you know when to expect me. 

So on Wednesday morning me and like 17 other missionaries hopped on a train and took our looooong looooong long 45 minute journey up to the South Jordan station. Hahaha, then we went through orientation and I got my trainer, who is WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, Sister Swain! She's from Hawaii and we were INSTANT best friends. We are WHITE WASHING in the Kerns Central Stake, it's a mostly Spanish speaking area, we cover two wards. We started getting less lost here like Saturday, haha. The amount of inactive members is INSANE! There are supposed to be over 600 people attending Church in one of my wards, and only 150 come, in the other over 400 and about 200 come. We walk everywhere, which isn't bad because the members here FEED US SOOOO MUCH. Like last night we came up with two giant pieces of cake and a container or squash, and the woman we live with (we call her Oma, which is what her grandkids call her) made banana bread and pumpkin bread and sloppy joe stuff. SO MUCH FOOD! 

The woman we live with is named Linda and she's awesome! She used to be a neurosurgeon! And she's got super cute dogs that we get to pet a lot. Yay animals! 

We visited a woman last night who has a doll collection and (this is for Mom) she has an original Shirley Temple doll from the 30's!!! I got a picture for you! :) Everyone treats you like you're their family here (at least the members do). Everyone here either is a member and loves the Church or is inactive and HATES the Church...and then there are the ones that have other religions. I love every single person here though, even if they don't love me! Hahaha, some people don't treat us like we're even humans. No matter what though, we still stay happy because we know we're doing the Lord's work. No matter how many time we get yelled at while walking down the street or how many doors get slammed in our faces. We are truely happy. I love this place and I love the people. We teach mostly young children whose parents are less active or inactive. It's great because this way we're teaching the children AND their families and bringing them ALL closer to Christ! 

I know that Christ LIVES! He loves each of us! He died for each of us so that we can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father. They are the source of ALL joy! Focus on serving others and you'll be able to feel Their love like you've never felt it before! 

Provo temple is ridiculously gorgeous inside, I'm going to send pictures from the MTC and here in Kerns. (I'll send more flattering ones next Monday) 

I love you! Be happy! I'm going to go buy a bag of oranges :) 

My comp and me, my mtc zone at the temple and my mtc district in front of the map, shirley temple doll.

Sister Swain and I!

MTC Zone! 

MTC Zone!

Shirley Temple Doll! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN/ PREPARATION DAY

For reals, I have never been so happy to do laundry IN MY ENTIRE LIFE! We only have an hour for emails, which seems like a long time, but apparently lots of people love me and I got like 13 and it took some time to read them. So first off I'd like to tell you people how AWESOME the Garrett family is! On my second day here I got a package of fudge from Elder Garrett's family in Washington and my third day here I got six envelopes filled with LOTS of letters Elder Garrett's been writing me while on his mission. My district was SO JEALOUS!!!! Hahaha. Letters are like GOLD around here!!! Every time our district leader (Elder Harlan who's actually Sister Marfield's nephew) goes to get our mail we sing "HERE'S THE MAIL IT NEVER FAILS IT MAKES ME WANNA WAG MY TAIL, WHEN IT COMES I WANNA WAIL MAAAAAAAIIIIILLLL" from Blue's Clues because, you know...MAAAAAAIIIIL!!!

So, I absolutely love my district and my zone and my incredible teachers!! I am learning SO MUCH and practicing a TON and I LOVE IT!!! The MTC is really the happiest place on the whole earth. The Spirit is so strong here!!! I love being a missionary and I love learning how to bring others to Christ.

In other news, some Elders in my district have rewritten Twinkle twinkle little star into Twinkle, twinkle, Sister Hinkle. It's pretty funny. It's beautiful out here and I'm so excited that I get to be around all of these mountains for my whole mission!! Everyone is so nice, I have the SWEETEST branch presidency (and their wonderful wives) My companions and I have been called to be Sister Training Leaders, which means we get to help take care of the new girls that entered our zone yesterday. They are such cute girls!!! Oh, Mom and Dad, remember how you were joking that I'd have a companion who's allergic to cats and my pillow would make her have a reaction? Foresight. THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. 

My companions (I have two, by the way) are Sister Knecht (connect) and Sister Smith. I LOVE THEM! Instant best friends!!! There are only 7 of us in my district, four Elders, us three Sisters. Only Elder Dean and Elder Harlan and I are going to Salt Lake South, the others are going to Colorado Denver South. There are some other Elders in my zone that are going to Salt Lake, too.

I miss everybody, but mostly I miss all of my nieces are nephews!!! I think about them a LOT! I''m pretty focused, though. I'm so excited. Us missionaries going to SLCS are taking the train up to South Jordan on Wednesday morning, I'll be in the field by 7 am on Wednesday morning!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! I'm having tons of fun, and I'm growing so much. We get to go to the temple this afternoon!! Sorry for no pictures!! I haven't gotten my cord (that I still can't believe I left at home) in the mail yet. I love all of you (please share this with our family.. ESPECIALLY MEMA!). I keep you in my prayers! 

I know God lives, I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives. I love Them and I will do all that They ask of me. I know this is the true Church, the very same that Jesus Christ established when He walked upon the earth. I am merely a servant in Their hands. They love each and EVERY one of us, and I know that if we apply the things that the scriptures teach us in our lives, then we will know the truth of them. I know that every hurt can be healed because of the Atonement.

Monday is my next preparation day. I promise to write individual emails then! I'm almost out of time, and all the Elders in our district are begging us Sisters to go to eat lunch. Hahaha :)

I LOVE YOU, BE HAPPY!

Sister Hinkle

Addresses

MTC (until Nov 6, 2013)

Sister Elizabeth Anne Hinkle
NOV06 UT-SLCS
2009 N 900 E Unit 105
Provo UT 84602

Mission Home (after Nov 6)

Sister Elizabeth Anne Hinkle
Utah Salt Lake City South Mission
8060 S 615 E
Sandy, UT 84070
United States

Email 

elizabeth.hinkle@myldsmail.net

Today's the day! Kinda.

So, in a couple of hours I'm going to be set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...I'm feeling pretty ALSLAFIO;SADL;KAAS;LKAFLF!!! Is that an emotion? It should be! I spent my last day of doing normal stuff running errands for my parents, talking Nathan's ear off with my super cool stories for an hour or so, chilling at Mariah's house, and eating a plethora of cheese.

 It's weird thinking that tomorrow will be the last time I see Buckhannon for 18 months. Or Pinterest. I LOVE YOU PINTEREST! On Saturday I'll travel to Utah and hang out with my parents there until Wednesday the 23rd when I enter the Missionary Training Center in Provo!! I'm so excited to be a missionary!!!! AAAH!

Tomorrow my addresses will be put on this website, my Facebook, and my Twitter.

Don't forget about me! I'll miss everybody! :) See ya in 18!!

Libs

Like two weeks, guys.

Aaaaaaalrighty! I've decided to set this thing up while I'm on my mission, it's going to be a place where people can come and see my weekly updates. In a couple of weeks I'm going to leave the green hills of West Virginia and head out to Utah, where I'll be spending the next year and a half teaching people about our wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ, and our loving Heavenly Father! The gospel is the most precious gift I have ever received, in high school I decided that I wanted to share this wonderful gift with as many others as I can. What better way to do this than serve a mission?! I am so excited to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I know that it's true and I can't wait to teach people all about it, not just for 18 months, but for my entire life!

 While on my mission, I can't actually post on here myself, so my home girl Mariah is going to be updating it for me! Yaaay Mariah! I love her so bad.

Precious, aren't we?

 So anyways, if anything weird happens on here you know who to blame! Only kidding... half kidding. ;)

Other than that, all I have to say is I hope everyone can take something away from here! I hope my experiences can help you out in some way, make you laugh, teach you something, or even just let you know I'm alive. Haha.

Oh, and maybe, possibly, if you feeeeel like it, shoot me a letter! Or an email! Or a package! I'll do my best to respond to you! My addresses will be posted closer to my entering date.

Have a happy day!