9/16/13

Hello friends and family!!! 

This week we had transfers and it was crazy! As a new missionary, we have 12 weeks of training with our trainers, and every six weeks we have transfers and missionaries get sent to new places and get new companions and such. But since I´m being trained, and I still have six weeks left of training, it was expected that I´d stay with my trainer . . . well, because there are so many new missionaries coming into the field, my trainer had to go train a new missionary. It´s been good though! We had another baptism last week and we have a few more who have goals to be baptized this month, so things have been good! 

We´re teaching this one family who are just awesome. The dad is a member of the church, but is inactive. He´s kind of the black sheep of his family. All of his brothers (three) served missions and he´s the only one who didn´t and who doesn´t participate in the church. His wife (although they´re not married yet) is not a member and they have two kids (6 and 9). The dad said that he knew the church was true and he didn´t want his family to miss out on the blessings of the gospel because of his example, so he´s having his family meet with us and they´ve been coming to church and it´s just amazing! It´s amazing how much the Lord prepares us and helps us achieve the potential he sees in us. This family is going to be sealed together for time and all eternity in the temple one day and I´m so excited for them!

Also, I can´t believe that this week I´m going to have my 3 month mark! Time is going by so quickly! Oh! I got my first letter today and thank you so much Aunt Christine and Sis. Lippert! I loved my letters so much and I read them over and over and over again! Thank you!

Thank you all for your love and support! Have a great week!

Hna. Hulse

New Address, Not in the MTC anymore

Cassy's new mailing address:
Peru Lima North Mission
Ave Carlos Izaquirre #124
Casilla de Corrello 39-054
Independencia
Lima 28, PERU

9/2/13

Hey everyone!!

Sorry you didn´t hear from me last week! I have SO many people to write and still didn´t even get to half of them, so if you haven´t heard from me I´m really really sorry! That´s just the life of a missionary, I guess. 45 minutes just isn´t enough time! But anyway, yeah, this week has been really great! We´ve taught more lessons and found more new people to teach than we ever have in a week, so it´s been great. This last week at sacrament, we had 7 investigators, and one inactive-part member family come to church, and it was so exciting! It was so awesome! I´ve never been so happy to see people make such a simple good choice. I´ve never realized how important church attendance really is. Every single week, we teach people who say that they prayed about our message and read the Book of Mormon and they love having us teach them and they say that they want to be baptized . . . but for whatever reason, something stops them from acting on their faith, and going to church! It´s so frustrating and sad! But when they do come to church it is so exciting! The biggest help that gets them there are the ward members. Our ward members are awesome and are always willing to accompany them to classes, sit with them, and help them feel welcome. Anyone going to church, whether for the first time in their life or for the first time in many years, just needs to feel love and friendship. It´s so important when the members help. Missionaries definitely can´t do this work alone. Also, I have my first baptism this saturday! He is so awesome, too! He´s 48, and he first met with the missionaries 8 months ago when he was living in Austria, and he found the church here in Peru and we´ve been teaching him and now he´s getting baptized! It´s so exciting! There are many things every day that testify to me that this church is true, and one of these major things is the fact that no matter where you go in the whole world, the church is exactly the same. I love this gospel and I´m so greatful that it´s in my life! I miss you all so much, but I know I´m where I´m supposed to be. Take care of your families and love everyone! Love you all so much!

Hna. Hulse

8/20/13

Hey everyone!!

It seems like every week is getting better and better. Obviously I still have challenges and hard things happen, but I´m just doing a lot better every week. Can you believe it´s been 2 months already?? Only 16 left! Crazy, right? 

So, some things that I wrote down throughout the week to tell everyone:

Our pencionista (the lady that feeds us breakfast) gives us Avacado on bread ALL the time. I hate avacado. But I have to eat it, and it´s healthy for me, right? But every time I eat it, I think of mom and dad and how much they would absolutely LOVE it and that they would gladly eat it, and it makes it alot easier to eat. Avacados are starting to grow on me. 

Also, every morning, we drink yogurt for breakfast and I think of how much Blade and Alexis would love that. The yogurt here is something you drink, you don´t eat it and it´s delicious. It´s just like danimals . . . but better. 

I´m grateful that Cockroach poo smells like soy sauce and not actual poo. (Now you all know where soy sauce comes from) . . . I´m not actually sure if it´s poo . . . but still, whatever it is, it could smell worse, right?

I´m grateful for laws that keep people from setting up giant stages in the middle of the street right outside our apartment-house and putting on dance parties and concerts that last until 4 in the morning. At least, I will appreciate these laws when I come home, because now I know what it´s like to not have them. Seriously, imagine a stage being set up right outside your house up against your lawn and someone throwing a concert in the middle of the night. For realz, this happens. It´s crazy. But it´s amazing how much the Lord blesses us with the strength to accomplish His work. It was a rough night getting proper sleep, but when our alarm when off in the morning, it was like any other day. You can always find the strength you need in the Lord, physically, emotionally, spiritually, the Lord is always there to strengthen us when we go to Him. 

Also, I´ve lost about 20lbs in less than two months. Whoever thought missionary work was actual work? haha . . . really though, I´ve never worked this hard in my life. Never before, from the moment I wake up at 6:30am to when I go to bed (usually 11pm . . . we´re working on finsihing planning faster so we can get to bed at 10:30) we are working. 7 days a week (except 5 hours or so during Pday). It´s awesome. I love it. I´m glad I´m here and I wouldn´t want to be doing any other work. I only have 16 months left to enjoy this once in a life time opportunity . . . crazy how fast time goes.

Anyway, sorry this letter is REALLY scattered, but it´s all I got. I love you all and thank you for all your love and support. Stay strong and don´t let this crazy world get you down. Turn to the Savior in all you do and ¨He will direct thy paths for good.¨ 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hna. Hulse

P.S.

If you send me mail, please don´t label it as Hermana Hulse, just put my regular name. Thanks! 

8/13/13

Hey everyone!

This is gonna have to be a little shorter today, 45 minutes just isn´t enough time! But that´s ok . . . anyway, this week has been SO much better than last week. We´ve been working harder and teaching more and that´s always the answer, right? I´m really starting to adjust more and the language is coming along little by little every day. Number one thing I´m thankful for this week: Cockroaches don´t bite, haha . . . at least, I´m pretty sure they don´t. Anyway, I really do feel so much happier and I am doing SO much better. I love my companions and it is a little difficult being in a trio, but we´re learning to work and teach together a lot more effectively and we´re just having a great time together. Thank you all so much for your love and support. I´ll try to send pictures next week! Love you all!

Hna. Hulse