UNEXPECTED CHANGES

December 13, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
I don't know what to really talk about today.... I'm kind of lost for what happened this week. It's crazy that it's already the 13th. Wow, time has gone by fast. Last week I did celebrate my 5 month mark! It doesn't even feel like I've been in England that long. Sometimes I even forget that I'm in England.

This past week was probably the weirdest week I've had, and will ever have, on my mission. At least I hope there will be nothing worse. I'm not sure how much I wrote about the whole situation last week, but this week is crazy. I don't think I've had a normal day since arriving in Stourbridge..... Well here goes my explanation of the situation. My companion Elder Whillans had his older brother die (age 32). Because of that he was struggling really badly, so on Sunday night after the stake Christmas Carol Concert(which I sang in with the ward choir), we exchanged with the AP's(Assistant to the President) so that he could go into the mission office and talk with the President about the situation. So I spent last p-day with Elder Hala'ufia (try to find him on the Florida Gators football roster in 2008. He was on the team) and we went to the Bull Ring (huge shopping mall in Birmingham). It was alright, but we didn't buy anything. At least I can say I've been, right? Then we switched back that night. The next morning it was no better, so President told us to come to the mission home. That afternoon we headed out with our ZL's(Zone leaders), Elder Rapana (look him up online too, he's a professional Rugby player in Australia) and Elder Zito, in Chelmsly Wood for the night and then went back to the mission office and slept over there. In the morning I left with the ZL's to go and work with them while Elder Whillans stayed there. That night I stayed with the ZL's and stayed with them the whole day until that night when President came and picked me up and took me back to the mission office since Elder Whillans was on his way home to be with his family for a little while and the funeral and so I was headed back to get my new companion. That night we stayed in the mission office and then headed back to Stourbridge in the morningish. So.... this week, I hadn't slept in the same bed in consecutive nights until saturday and I now have a new companion. His name is Elder Stokes and is from Georgetown, Texas(near Austin). So that was my crazy week.... oh man. It ended alright though since Elder Stokes and I just sat down and planned for how we want to work the area and picked out people to go see and such. We are excited though. It won't be easy, but it should be good and I'm just ready to do some missionary work after that week of craziness.

So we are basically two new missionaries in an area that we really have no idea where we are. It should be good though! We are going forward with a great attitude! I don't know what else to really talk about because that whole crazy thing was my week and it passed by so quickly. I was so happy for today to come though. We just need a day where we can get our bearings (did I get the correct word there) straight, but too bad our Zone leaders are planning a Zone Leadership p-day, so we'll be headed towards Birmingham today to go bowling and stuff with the other district leaders and the zone leaders in our zone since Elder Stokes is a District leader.

One thing that I've truly come to understand this week was the love that God, my Heavenly Father, has for me and everyone of his children(which includes EVERYONE!). The past 1.5 weeks have been so hectic and started to take its toll on me. It really started to become difficult to be happy and got me down a bit, but thank goodness for prayer, God, and the Holy Spirit. Because of the situation, I was praying for some sort of help because I was losing it. While I was praying, there came a point while asking for help that the Holy Spirit came upon me with a warm feeling of comfort and a voice in my head told me to "Just keep going. You'll be alright". Oh boy did that help me and still does now, because every time I got a little down about the situation, I just remembered that. God is good and he sure does love every one of us and wants to help us. There is a scripture in 2 Nephi 2: 25 which says "Adam fell that man might be; and men are, that they might have joy." We aren't here on Earth to be miserable. God put us here to have joy and he helps us out with his! Sometimes we just need to ask.

I love this work, even through this hard situation, and I hope you can see that even though I have expressed the difficulties of it. This is a testimony to me that this gospel of Jesus Christ is something that brings joy and blesses our lives because of the joy I still can feel even when times get hard, because I'm out there teaching everyone about the gospel. There is great power in teaching, learning, and studying the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Now to answer a couple questions:
Mother: I don't know how the whole calling thing will work quite yet. I know what house I'll be at for Christmas. We just need to set up a time or something. Will the call have to come from a landline?? If so, I might need to find someone else or something. I'll discuss it with the McArthurs and find out a little more. Also, what time do you think will be best for you guys? I'm open for practically anytime. We should be at the McArthurs for the majority of the day.

I was not in that Christmas Concert.

There is a ward Christmas party on my b-day, so it should be alright. I did get your package already. It's in the flat right now. Is there a Christmas one coming too? just wanting to have a heads up on that.

That's all for now I guess. I love you all and home the Christmas season has been great so far!! Make it a special/great one for me, alright?

Love
Elder Hulet