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

The Challenge

We all got to go to the Hill Cumorah yesterday for a mission-wide conference. I will admit, I really love those rare experiences that the whole mission gets together.
Our mission has been changing a lot within the last year. We have amazing missionaries and the work has really progressed a lot! More people are finding their way to the waters of baptism and even more are listening to the message that we as missionaries share.
The BIG challenge was given to us yesterday. Our goal as a mission is to read the Book of Mormon together as a companionship and to finish it in one transfer. For all of those who don't know, a transfer is six weeks and the Book of Mormon is 531 pages. That equates to 13 pages a day or 7 chapters! I was really surprised when they asked us to do this. 13 pages a day is quite the load! But, what comes from reading the Book of Mormon? Promptings from the spirit, peace, joy, revelation, happiness, and I could list off a whole page of things that come from reading the Book of Mormon. 
Why would President ask us to do this? Well, we want to have the spirit with us at all times and reading and praying are two things that we can do to build unity which then makes it possible for us to teach with the spirit.
My companion and I just started reading this morning and I can already feel the spirit more abundantly.
I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and that by living the principles found in it, we can draw closer to God. See what the leaders of the church have said about it Book of Mormon. 

Pornography

There is a plague that has swept the whole earth. It is as spiritually destructive as the poison from a deadly snake. Many people have fallen victim to it and it has consequently caused misery, heartache, and divorce. The very computer that you are using to read this post can be used to access this plague and to bring it into your own home. This plague is pornography.

Pornography is increasingly becoming a huge factor of divorce. Pornography leads to other serious sins and encourages cheating on a spouse in a marital relationship. God's plan for us is to be happy, to have families and find joy in them and being with them for eternity. That is His plan: to be happy! Why would we allow this destructive plague into our lives? There really is no reason besides our individual lusts.

Please take the time to listen to this talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul

All those who have found themselves caught in this plague, PLEASE get help. Please visit this website to find help to get yourselves free from the guilt of using pornography. http://combatingpornography.org/cp/eng/

Prayers Answered

As missionaries, we go around and we will knock on peoples' doors. This is what we call "tracting." It's not my favorite thing to do due to a natural fear of talking to people that I don't know personally and we get the occasional nasty responses from people. It's all part of tracting, we just go past the ones who aren't ready to hear the Gospel and try to find the ones who are ready to listen.

We were tracting one day and came across one lady in particular that was very rude to us. We tried inviting her to the Hill Cumorah pagent but she wasn't too happy that we were there. She went on to tell us that we didn't need the Book of Mormon, that we were being led by foolish people, and that we were confused and so on and so forth. I was bothered by this encounter. The Spirit had left and the spirit of contention had found his way in. I kept asking myself why so many people were against us. Why was it so hard? I thought about those things the rest of the day and into the night. I found myself praying for some relief.

The following morning brought the same questions again. Satan had stuck me with a sliver that kept festering as time kept going. I prayed a long time that morning for relief. After I was done praying, I picked up the scriptures and started to read. I was in 2 Nephi 28 and I received the answers that i was looking for. The prophets prophesied that there would be widespread apostacy throughout the world. What is happening in the world today should be no surprise to us because Nephi Prophesied about it 2,600 years ago!
I went on to read in 2 Nephi 29 and received even more comfort than before.
How to we receive answers and revelation to our prayers? Well, we pray for guidance and direction and then we have to act. Nephi, in the Book of Mormon, didn't pray and then wait for an answer. He prayed and then did his best effort. He says, "...I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." He relied on the fact that God would answer his prayers and he followed the Spirit.
I love what Elder Bednar said in the latest General Conference about receiving Revelation.
I know that God does answer our prayers. All we have to do is ask for His help.