Sometimes change can be really hard. This is something that we deal with everyday and as missionaries, we invite people to make changes that will bring them closer to Christ. Change can be a good thing! Change make life a little more interesting if you ask me!
Let me tell you a little about a time in my life when change became difficult. See that picture with all the other missionaries in it? That was my original group that I was a part of when I first entered the Missionary Training Center. I LOVED my district so much! We grew so close and it was just like being with family. We were all going to the Philippines so we had the same experience of trying to learn a language that we had never really been exposed to before.
We all got to the Philippines and went our separate ways; embarking on our journey and mission of a life time! We had become tools in the hands of the Lord...but some of us would learn, eventually, that He had things for us to do, even if we didn't like the sound of it. I happened to be one of them.
I was in the Philippines for 6 months total. I had just become fluent in the language and I had grown to really love the people. I began to suffer from many different health issues and was sent home after a month-long battle.
It was hard being home and hearing from all of my friends that were still out doing the things that I wish that I could have done. This became a time of recovery for me. Not just physical but also spiritual. I prayed a lot for the 5 months that I was home. I knew that I needed to go back out on a mission but I didn't want to because it would never be the same as my mission in the Philippines.
Finally after 5 months, I got to come back out on my mission and it has been the best decision that I have ever made. I can see why I have been sent here. The change has been difficult but the Lord knows all.
Change may seem difficult. All we have to do is trust in Him and watch the miracles happen.

Peace Through the Scriptures

Of all the times that I have read in the scriptures, there have been very few times that I haven't been comforted. Whether it being stress or just a difficult day, every time I am always edified in some way. This is something that I LOVE about missionary work--we get to bring peace and comfort to people every day!! It is so worth all of the early mornings and aching feet!
We were in a lesson with some people who were having a hard time keeping their commitments due to being tired and just not having time. Their lives are like a car wreck right now and they are just struggling! We know where to turn when life becomes that way so out came the scriptures.
We read a couple of verses with them about keeping the commandments and how the Lord will bless us spiritually and temporally if we will follow Him. This was helping them a lot. We could see their countenances change while we were with them. But, there was still something missing. We needed to share more! So, I whipped out my favorite scriptures about enduring through our trials which is 3 Nephi 22:7-8, 10-11. That was what they needed to hear, that the Lord will never forsake us and that He is aware of our situations.
God has given us a way to be happy. If we will but keep the commandments, we will be blessed!
There isn't a single person in the world that can go through life without having some kind of trial...That's part of life and there isn't much we can do to escape it. However, when we are going through life's ups and downs, we can always rely on the scriptures to speak peace to our souls.

Just Laugh

  We have a meeting every week where we get to learn some teaching skills and we get to be edified by each other. I have always loved these meeting because you never know exactly what will happen. The District Leader always prepares something for us to learn and it can get pretty crazy when we all start talking about different things and we always end our meetings with sore sides due to a healthy dose of laughter.
We had that meeting today. We were practicing teaching people about different things and the entire time, my companion was just struggling to keep his face straight. I don't know what was so funny but eventually we all broke down into laughter along with the other two elders right next to us.
After five minutes of trying to compose ourselves, we were able to get through our practice and get things accomplished.
Laughter has always been called "...the greatest medicine." Science has done a lot of studies on it and have shown that laughter helps to relieve stress and anxiety.
I love laughing. It helps so much! The other day, my companion and I were stuck out in a tiny little city that neither of us had been to with no gas and a dead cell-phone. What was my companion's suggestion? Laugh about it! Don't worry! So, we did! It was hilarious to see ourselves standing on the side of the road trying to wave someone down at 10:00 p.m. Eventually it all worked out and we got home.
At the beginning of my whole missionary experience, I had to make the very difficult decision to go home. I didn't want to but I would have died if I had stayed...it was that bad. I remember the words which my Mission President said to me, "Elder Hulse, attitude makes the difference..." I will never forget those words. There is so much meaning behind that. Don't let the little problems become big. Laugh a little...It's going to be okay.
I wish I could insert Bob Marley's song that goes like "...Don't worry, be happy..." But, I will just leave you to go to that song by yourselves. And, while you are on the computer, make sure that you check out the talk by Elder Wirthlin; Come What May and Love It

Weapons of War

I was reading in the Book of Mormon the other day and I read something that really hit me. A group of  people (Nephites) were about to be attacked by their enemies (Lamanites) yet they were so fearful of shedding the blood of another man that they prostrated themselves on the ground and began to pray. One thousand and five of them were killed in the act of praying to God.
The Lamanites saw that these people would not fight back and their hearts began to swell within themselves. The knew that they had shed innocent blood. They were stung by what they had done so much that they threw down their weapons and covenanted that they would never take them again. They even buried them.
This act of the Nephites caused many Lamanites to repent of their sins and change.
Now I ask, who are you in this story? Are you one of the Nephites who was killed because they loved their brethren too much to fight? Or, are you one of the Lamanites that fought and killed so many? Are we going through life brandishing our weapons of war so much that we hurt and ignore those that the Lord has placed in our path to help us? How many will it take before we are "stung" like the Lamanites were?
God loves us and wants us to return to Him. All we have to do is repent and change...bury our weapons of war and never return to them again. He can help you.

Alma 24 Book of Mormon stories