What's Your Title of Liberty?

Hey Y'all!

 

The Green Hills area (basically the city of Nashville) is doing really well. I'm so grateful that I've been able to serve here almost six months! Today I was reading in Alma 46, and I had some thoughts I wanted to share.

 

This is such an amazing and inspiring chapter of the Book of Mormon where Captain Moroni (such a stud!) tears apart his "coat" and writes on it what is called "The Title of Liberty." On it, he writes, "In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children." This title of liberty represented the things that were most important to him in his life, the things that were worth fighting for.

 

"And it came to pass also, that he caused the title of liberty to be hoisted upon every tower which was in all the land, which was possessed by the Nephites; and thus Moroni planted the standard of liberty among the Nephites." -Alma 46:36

 

What would we put on our title of liberty?

 

I think we know, deep down, what is most important to us. But do the people around you know? Does you family know that they are important to you? Does you ward know that you have a testimony? Do you tell your Heavenly Father that you care and that you are trying? I have really come to have a testimony of not only KNOWING what is most important, but really setting a standard. Tell everyone what is most important to you, and those things that are most important to us will come to define us! We need to plant them in our hearts and never let go of them.

 

So, this week will you let someone know what is important to you in your life? About 80 percent of life is spend doing superficial things. And as I've come to "drink the concentrated orange juice" (meaning, talk about spiritual things all the time) I've really seen the impact it makes on others! Tell someone about how the gospel has blessed you, and establish your title of liberty! It really strengthens your own testimony and you will see so many blessings come from it!

 

Things are going great here! We are finding a lot more new investigators now that the weather is getting warmer! I am so grateful to be here on a mission, and I can already feel the time start to slip away... It makes me nervous! But I'm comforted by the fact that a mission is just the MTC to my life! Once a missionary always a missionary <3

 

Love you! Have a great week!

It's All About Love!

2/10/14

I. Love. Green Hills. I wish I could express that in more than just words!!!! Everyday, I am so grateful to be here.

I don't have a lot of time this week, but here is a quick summary of how I've been feeling. I feel like I have felt this way a lot through life, and it's just been magnified on my mission to help me grow:

I have such strong desires to do everything that is required of me! I want so badly to be perfectly obedient, to contact everyone I see, to be a perfect companion, to be an inspired teacher, be a good missionary, work well with the members, be guided by the spirit, etc. And I fall short so much! I sometimes I am impatient with myself, because I want to be the most perfect tool for Heavenly Father to use. I don't want to be the rusty wrench that isn't an effective instrument, and therefore, goes unused. And that's how I feel! I feel like I'm trying my hardest, but I mess up left and right....I've really been learning that it's all a process and a journey.

I am that dusty, rusty tool in the toolbox that, for some reason, Heavenly Father chose to use in His work, and I'm so honored that He did. I have the desire, but lack the talent, and that has helped me learn to lean on Him. And I have felt Him helping me every step of the way.

This experience has made me so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. The fact that He sacrificed himself, so that I could come here and make mistakes constantly, so that I can learn and grow, makes me so grateful. I wish I could express my gratitude! As my love for the Savior has increased, my desire to serve Him has increased as well. And my love for others has increased. And that is what it's all about right? Love. His love has been slowly transforming me into something that I could never become on my own.

Sorry for the short email today, here is a brief summary:

Things are going great!

The church is true!

And I love being a missionary!!!!

Have a great week! Love y'all so much!

Sister Hulme

What if I was on TV!

2/3/14

Y'all! I love you. And I miss you.

This week was a crazy adventure (it always is, so I don't know why I bother starting my emails this way :) First of all, big things are happening here in Nashville right now! The Voice is holding auditions, so people from all over are coming down here to audition. My companion and I were joking around about maybe auditioning (obviously we couldn't) but how funny would that be if we called President and told him that we had made it onto a TV show? It could be a great way to share the gospel :)

Saturday was super warm, so we were riding the bus around meeting all kinds of people. We met this SUPER awesome boy from Chicago who had just auditioned. It was apparent that he came from humble circumstances. He was planning to ride the bus home all night to get back home and head back to work the next day. He told us he didn't make it, so we were sad for him, and we were not expecting the voice that came out when we had him sing for us! He sang his song he auditioned with and the whole bus applauded afterwards! HE WAS SO GOOD! (and I'm a harsh critic) It broke my heart that his dreams didn't come true, because he deserved it! He said he wasn't going to give up, and that he was going to try again next year. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with him and wish him luck!

This got me thinking about how unfair things are. After that experience, I was so touched by his dedication and sincere desire to do what he loves. I wanted him to succeed so badly! Why can't everyone have their dreams come true?

This thought brought me back to the gospel (how it always does as a missionary) and reminded me that no matter who you are, what talents you've been given, and what experiences, opportunities, and trials you have, your life has been taylor-made to fit YOU.

God, is our Loving Heavenly Father (I'm getting emotional just typing this, because so many people need to know this! We don't understand how important this knowlege is!). I know that he cares so much for each of us, and would never deny us any happiness. He gives us everything that we need in life to grow. That young man I met wasn't being jipped of anything- He has another purpose in life, and he has just as much of a chance to be happy in this life as Taylor Swift does. He is worth just as much too! It doesn't matter who you are or where life has brought you. You are important. You are not only worth something, you are worth everything to Him, and you can become something great in His eyes. And believe it or not, that is so much more satisfying than living any "dream" can be.

I had always pictured serving a mission somewhere crazy, where I had to struggle to speak the language, where I had to eat weird things, where I was the only white person for miles, where I was shocked by the poverty, and where people were humble. I was culture-shocked by the lack of culture shock when I came to my own mission. Literally, it's like serving in my own home town. It's crazy how difficult the adjustment was, because I hadn't pictured that my mission would be anything like this! But I learned this lesson: I am where I am supposed to be for a reason. It may not be what I had dreamed of, but it is what I need.

I feel like this lesson can apply to so many aspects of life. A lot of times we ask the questions "Why?" or "How?" or "When?" or "What the?!?!" I feel that way a lot as a missionary, when you don't know what is going on or why. Or you don't know which choice to make. And guess what? It's all ok. It all works out, and in the end, we look back and realize how much God was guiding us and directing our path.

So, if this week you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. I want to let you know that I feel the same way! And that it's ok. And that it willl all work out. And that what ever is happening in your life at this time, is what is supposed to be happening. I don't know all the answers, but I do know that we can find them once we ask.

Anyway, things are great here! Because the weather was nice, we were able to meet a lot of people out on the streets and we have a few new investigators we are excited about! Miss English came to church and loved it! Please pray for my companion and I, and that we will be able to continue to find new people to teach!

I'm so happy here and grateful for the opportunity I have to serve in the best city on earth. The people here are awesome, my companion is my best friend and a great example to me, and I just LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

I love all of you so much! I want to thank you for your continued support and prayers. It means a lot! Sorry for the long email :) If you didn't make it to this point, I don't blame you.

Have a great week!

I Love Nashville!

1/27/14

Hey Y'all!

WE HAD A BAPTISM! Leslie Gibson got baptized! It was the cutest, sweetest thing to watch her husband, Andy, baptize her! They are so awesome :) They take us to eat at awesome restaurants, give us rides in their mini cooper, get our skirts mended and repaired, google the weather for us, and buy us filtered water bottles, and he'll sing songs for us with his famous country voice! They are both amazing people. And it felt like a member of my family was getting baptized on Saturday! They are planning on getting sealed a year from now in the Nashville Temple, and they said they are going to track us down and insist that President lets us come. We will both still be on missions, so we were super excited!

We visited this less-active member named Paige Logan. She's part of a group called North 40 (which has a new album being released on Tuesday! We got one for free... unfortunatley, we can't listen to it...) But she hasn't been to church for probably... well, a really long time. We had a great discussion with her, and then, out of the blue, she showed up to church on Sunday! It was so great! Hopefully she'll continue to come. She's the coolest lady ever. She is teaching my companion and I how to meditate. She's super earthy and hippie, pretty much awesome.

The Nashville Sisters (a sister missionary singing group comprised of me, my companion, and the three YSA sisters) is being split up :( Transfers are this week, luckily my companion and I get to stay, but they are all going separate ways! We got to learn, sing, and record this awesome arrangement of I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus! I recorded it, and hopefully will get a chance to send it over today.

I realized that at the end of this coming transfer, I will have been out 6 whole months! And will have served 6 months in the same area and the same ward! I have come to LOVE these people. I've loved it from day one. And I am seriously going to move back here and continue to be a part of the missionary work here.

We got to go to an awesome open house last night, hosted by one of the members here. He decided that he wanted to throw a little party to get to know his neighboors better. Well, he also decided to invite the missionaries! So we got to know a lot of the people on his street, and got a new investigator from it! Her name is Miss English. She is the definition of a Southern Belle! I'm so excited to start teaching her!

The work continues to progress! We are excited to continue to see progress here in Green Hills. I love it here!

Also- Check out this awesome video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg7OVOKqeQU#t=134

Have a great week!

Represent!

1/21/14

Hey Y'all,

You never know what kind of impact you can make just from being who you are! If we represent Jesus Christ in every situation, we can touch so many people. It's crazy. I've really seen that this week.

Yesterday was P-day, so my companion and I were at Walmart. We were looking for multi-vitamins, so my companion headed down to the end of the isle, and as I turned my cart to follow here, I noticed that there were two men standing next to the pharmacy that were staring at me. Seeing this as an opportunity to share the gospel while my companion was picking out some vitamins, I walked up to them and introduced myself. They told me that I "was glowing" and that as soon as I said that I was a missionary, they "knew it was God" that "surrounded" me. The spirit was strong as I testified about how it's because we are missionaries for Jesus Christ and how we teach people about how His church has been restored to the earth. They both accepted a Book of Mormon and gave us their contact information! When you have the spirit with you, miracles happen!

Other news, one of our investigators is getting baptized on Saturday! We are so excited! She is so ready and so prepared! Our other investigators are doing great too. Things are moving along slowly but surely here in Green Hills. We had three investigators at church on Sunday, two of them brand new ones!

Add me of Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/sisteradelheid.hulme

Have a great week!

Welcome To Brentwood Baptism!

1/13/14

Hey Y'all!

Guess what?! I attended a Baptist church on Sunday!! Wow. What an experience. All I could think about when I was there, was how much I would love to bring my family to experience what I was experiencing!!! It was such a testimony builder to me. I left feeling like I had just attended a recreational activity, and didn't feel satisfied spiritually. I could go on and on about the differences, good and bad, but that was what stood out to me the most.

As members of this church, "we live in a rainstorm"!!! After a while, you don't even realize you are wet.

That is how it is with the Church. So often I wonder, am I being led by the spirit? Is the spirit in our lessons and in my life? And then someone makes a comment about how different they feel when we come to their homes, and how different it feels to come to our church, and then I attend someone else's church, and realize it for myself. You don't know what you have until you are missing it. We are so blessed. We are constantly soaking wet :)

Other news, one of our investigators is getting baptized soon! Her name is Leslie Gibson, and she is so awesome. She lives in the most beautiful part of Nashville, and she is a artist manager (that's right- like famous people!). She is so adorable and I love her so much! She makes us food and buys us filtered water bottles (that means "I love you" in investigators language). She's married to a country singer Andy Gibson- you should look him up- and they are such an amazing couple! He's a member, but hasn't been really active, and they met and got married a few months ago, and haven't missed church since!

We have another investigator, Judy Flatt, we attended her baptist church on Sunday, and now hopefully she will come with us to ours! She lives in Brentwood and has a lot of influence. It would be so cool if she got baptized!! She has a strong testimony that the Holy Ghost testifies of truth, so we are excited to visit with her this coming week and testify of the truths that we know and help her gain a testimony of them through the spirit!

Matthew Walden has all of a sudden gone MIA. We have called, texted, and showed up at his door and haven't gotten answers. He was so close!! Please pray that we will be able to find him this week.

Green Hills is awesome! I love serving in the city. We are starting up some new things with the new year. We are starting an institute class for members and investigators, and we are hoping to get to teach classes at the local prision! I was also recently called to be on a Facebook Activities Committee, so we are excited to be starting up some new pages and creating new videos to help share our message with more and more people!

But what I've really learned this week, is that your spirit goes where your heart is, and that we find our true desires and intents by pondering. That is why the Book of Mormon encourages us to ponder so often, because when we ponder, the spirit will testify to us and we will receive revelation, AND we will also be able to align our desires and our hearts with God. Your spirituality depends on your focus. If we are able to focus on what matters most, we will feel the spirit more often, and we will be happy. It's as simple as that!

I love this scripture.

Proverbs 4:23- Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Sometimes I feel anxious or upset, or I let little things get into my heart. If we lock our hearts with the Savior's, we will not be overcome by the issues of life. We won't be shaken by things, and we will always have peace and love. It's much easier said than done, but I know that if we strive to do all that we can to focus on the spirit and how we can focus on others, things become much clearer.

I love you all! Have a great week!

Adelheid

The photos are of me and my companion! The first is at our Trainer/Trainee meeting and the second is with one of our friends, Shirley! She an awesome less-active member that we hope is coming back to church this week!

Happy New Year!

1/6/14

Howdy Y'all!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is doing well. I really LOVED New Years this year, because I really had the chance to reflect on where I was a year ago, and all the potential this year holds!

Last night we had dinner with some awesome members who invited an investigator. We shared a short message about new beginnings. How we always have the chance to start over because of what Jesus Christ did for us. He gave us all of this potential! It baffles me when ever I think about it for too long. We are so lucky. We can become anything, anyone here on earth! We have so many opportunities. We are made up of our experiences in life, and I was thinking about how we have the agency to choose those experiences to help us grow. What will we choose to become this year? What will we spend our time doing? Who can we become? Even though we aren't perfect, we have the opportunity to take advantage of what Christ gave to us and strive to be better every day. That is what brings true happiness. I can testify of that.

The work has been great here! Facebook has been a super awesome proselyting tool! It's interesting. I think about how everything that my parents taught me not to do, is what we do on missions. Like talk to strangers, or add people we don't know on Facebook :) It's been awesome to chat with people all over the world. I was teaching someone from Thailand the other day. How awesome is that?!

My companion and I are working hard! We met a new family to teach this week while we were downtown in the projects, and they were super interested in learning more! Our investigators are progressing, slowly but surely. Sister King and I are trying to learn ways to help people keep commitments. Everyone in the South is so sweet and loves to talk, so sometimes it's hard to discern who is truly intersted, and who just loves to chat. :)

We had a big storm the other day (we got a whole 2 inches of snow!). It was interesting to watch everyone talk about it all day yesterday. Being used to cold, snowy weather, it was hard to take it all of the drama about it too seriously.

Running short on time today, but I hope y'all have a great week! Focus on what is most important.