March 23; the dog house

 Saturday night's are guy's night. All the other nights in the week, the other Elders and I in our house stay in our own corners to work, but Saturdays we set aside for pizza and cards. This last Saturday was no exception. 

Elder Doman got the Pizza ordered, Elder Albuquerque was gettin the cards a-shuffled, and I went to take a shower before giving my all on Skull King. It was then that the unexpected occurred. 

After I'd turned the water in the shower off, I was stepping outta the shower when out of nowhere -- the water pipe behind the toilet CAME LOOSE and water started flying EVERYWHERE. I tried to harness my inner Luigi to fix the pipe, but I never finished the plumber's beginner course. I couldn't fix the thing. My next mission was put a towel on and shout for the other Elders to come and help. Successful. I opened the door with my foot and shouted:

HEEEELP HEEEELP, ELDERS COME HERE HEEEELP

They came runnin, and all were in awe at the state of the situation. We all scrambled to save items from getting damaged from water, push the water back into the bathroom, save the books of mormon, when all of the sudden... Elder Doman looks at his phone, and said...

THE PIZZA ARRIVED!!!! 

I don't think the timing could have been worse. Elder Albuquerque stayed with me to help resolve the problem (Mario & Luigi part 2 ) as Elder Doman and Elder Averett ran down to pay for and grab the sustenance. It ended up working out! We called the housing secretary (shoutout Elder Pimentel ) and he told us how to resolve the problem. We got everything cleaned up, and ate the 'za in peace. Needless to say we cleaned the house thoroughly during Pday today. 

Now, you're probably thinking to yourself, "crazy story!" aren't ya? Wrong. Cause that's just the way things go, here in... 

That's right guys, another week passed and gone. More antics had and more memories made. This week we had another mission leader conference, and I wanted to share something with y'all that was emphasized there! (Shoutout Elder Emett for the beast treinamento )

Our focus, both as missionaries and as children of God, is repentance! Searching to have a change of heart, and help others do the same. Sometimes we may change our behavior or the things we do for a time, but we will always, at some point, return to doing what in our hearts is our desire. Repentance is sacrificing our desire, so that in it's place we can put God's will. 

Simple right? Nope, it's actually a long and, a lot of a time, a patience-requiring process of falling down and getting back up again. But, our ability to repent and be forgiven as we try to be better each day is what the Savior died to give to us! 

2 Nephi 2: 25,26

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever...

I testify to this promise! Because of the Savior, we can be free from misery, and have as many chances as we need to rise up and try again after falling down. I promise that as we place repentance, and offering our will to God as the a daily focus, we will receive greater safety throughout this life, and one day live with him again in the life to come... 

Love you all so much! Peace ouutuh 

ELDER HILLSTEAD 

PS - I ain't got time to give a shoutout to each of y'all individually, but I love the dawgs I got to saw at the mission conference you know who you are