HAPPY NEW YEAR

Above picture is still he and his old companion, because he hasn't sent me any new ones. :(

December 29, 2010

Happy New Year

Dear Family and Friends,

So I don't really know what to say here(at least to my fam). It was awesome to be able to skype you guys and see everyone- especially the little ones. They were so cute. It was awesome to have all 3 of them in front of the camera. I bet you got an awesome pic from that! I wish I could've been there to partake of the fun activities, but that's alright. I'm sure you guys had a blast without me :P Christmas week was pretty hectic though. I'm not sure how much you guys understood what had happened. On the Tuesday(21st) and Wednesday Elder Stokes and I were on exchange with some other Elders. Then we met up again at the mission home to switch back, but we then just decided to go back with them and do our weekly planning and then spend some time with them in their area until caroling. So we did that and then headed off to Birmingham to go caroling with a bunch of other missionaries(who travelled up from Wales for the Christmas party the next day) near the huge shopping mall(The Bull Ring). After that we went back and stayed at the mission home, which was crowded from all of the missionaries staying there. Good thing they have lots of extra beds and mattresses there. The next day was the Christmas Party for the whole mission. So all 150 or so missionaries in the EBM(England Birmingham Mission) came together and had a talent show and stuff. It was super fun to be able to see everyone and I ended up singing 2 solos that I didn't even sign up for..... I had to replace another guy who was too sick to perform them anymore. They went alright. Then after the party and everyone was departing, we were about ready to go take the bus home to Stourbridge, but something else came up with our Zone Leaders. Both of their voices weren't doing very well and they were needing to be back at their ward's Carol Concert, so they asked me to join with since I have been to one of their practices before and I'm fine with sight reading for the most part. So Elder Stokes and I accompanied them. On the way I learned that I was going to have to step in for another missionary( AP Davies) and sing his solo at that carol concert. It went alright and I was fine with singing it, but it wasn't that good since I didn't really know the words and I had to stand behind the piano and read the words off of the pianist's copy. It was rough, but whatever. Later on in the concert Elder Davies came and the conductor had him sing it anyway and he completely destroyed my performance and made me look like a numty, but that's alright with me because I did my best. Since it was too late to head home to Stourbridge, we stayed the night in the mission home again along with some missionaries that missed their train home and found out there were no more headed home. In the morning we headed off back to Stourbridge, opened our presents once we got home(like 11am) and then headed to a family's home that we were supposed to be at for breakfast...whoops. It ended up alright and we had a nice relaxing time with them. So that was my Christmas week. Fun, eh?

It was way good though, except for sickness that spread throughout the mission. I guess that sickness was spread to most of the mission, so much that about 1/3 of the teams have had to stay inside. To be added to that, I am a little bit sick also. I just got a sore throat that I didn't think much about, so I went out on Monday, but it's slowly gotten worse and worse. I stayed in for about half the day yesterday and we'll see how much better I do the rest of this week. I don't want to be a burden and stay in because of the 2 days of work this week, we've been quite affective. So I don't want to hinder that, but I also want to get better. You see my dilemma? These two days have really excited me for working here in Stourbridge though. I'm ready just to help so many people and help strengthen the area and the members. I believe Elder Stokes and I can do it. It'll just take a little while. We finally got to teach our first lesson to an investigator on Monday and it felt so good. I just love teaching people about the gospel- it's so fun and exhilarating. It's much better than biking up hills in the cold.

That's all I really have to say at this point in time. I miss everyone like no other, but I'm loving where I'm at right now and what I'm doing and I need to make the most of it because I only have about 18 months left. Time flies by toooo fast. I hope everyones Christmas was super duper awesome and that you were able to not only have fun with family and experience the joy of the giving and receiving of presents, but that you could really reflect on this past year as well as on the birth and life of Jesus Christ and how you've put them together-your life and Christ's. If you haven't done too well at mixing the two, I encourage you to make a goal(maybe a new years goal) to improve that. Because that is probably one of the best ways you can not only help yourself, but also others around you. If we bring Jesus and His Atonement into our lives, it WILL change us and I can testify of that because I've seen that happen to people I know and love. I hope that you guys will take that task upon you too. Bring God and Jesus more into your life. Find that relationship you have with them. One of the best ways to do that is by reading the Book Of Mormon. Like Joseph Smith said concerning the Book of Mormon(which is found in the introduction of it) "A man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book". I encourage you to do that. Read it and abide by it's precepts and you will grow closer to God and your life WILL improve.

I love you all soooo much, you have no idea. I just hope that you will take my cousel into your heart and try it, because I wouldn't tell you to do it if I didn't know it would work.

Love,

Elder Hulet