Thursday, June 4, 2015

Week 1- Satan's pocket knife



Hello my lovely Fam Bam!!

First off, thanks for your letters: I'm glad graduation and TNT went so well! Sounds so fun! and yea, I did get a chance to see Hailey before she left! We bumped into each other a few times and chatted, then she came by and told me about her Achilles tendon and how she was heading home. Glad she made it home safe! Carly and Sean's baby is SOOO CUTE!! Tell them congrats for me!

As for our travel itinerary, we leave the MTC Tuesday the 9th at 5:30am....we take a bus to the tracks then the tracks to the airport. out flight leaves at 11:10 or something from Salt LakeI'm excited to talk to you all!

So the questions:
My comp Sister Cox! Teddi Sue Rose Cox. She’s from St George! She is AWESOME! She’s such a strong girl and works super hard!! She's smart and spiritual and we talk really openly together! She’s the best!! 
Sister Fletcher is from Saratoga Springs UT and she is great! Super spiritual and we have SO MUCH FUN TOGETHER. She and I can't even look at each other without laughing. She said thats the only reason were not companions is cause we would be too crazy and get nothing done.  She the one where if were having a bad day, or a lesson she and I just make eye contact and say "Were hittin the struggle wall...LETS PRAY AND TRY HARDER!"
Sister Linney is her comp. Kyle texted me right before I left and said to keep my eye open for a Brook Linney and this is her. She is a spiritual GIANT! Shes the sweetest person ever! Shes a little like Dad in that shes a joke turtle. Shes pretty laid back and doesnt talk too too much but then she'll just say something and it literally brings us to the floor. She has a scripture for everything. During gym time, we run together a lot.
Sister Jenkins is GREAT! Shes almost 24 and shes from Albuquerque New Mexico. She had a pretty good career going so it was HUGE for her to stop that and come serve a mission! She is one of the bravest people I've met. I feel like she is one of the biggest reasons our district is as open as we are. Shes such a SWEETHEART!! She just cares so much about everyone and is ALWAYS willing to help. Such a great example for us!
Sister King is Sis. Jenkin's comp and shes from Alpine UT. I adore her.We just have the best time. were both a little crazy but we just feed off each other and have a blast!! She always has the best comments in class and is super sensitive to others.

So we got our callings last week! Sister Linney and Fletcher are Sister Training Leaders, Sister King and Jenkins are music leaders, Sis Cox is in charge of media and I was asked to be our District leader. So in short, thats our room!!
So don't hate me...but the computer wont let us send pictures...weve tried EVERYTHING but it wont read any of our stuff. I'll send some first pday out in the field though!! 

Sorry this is so long...so much to tell you!

Wow, so much to tell! So WE MADE IT! Here we are finally in the MTC! And it's totally everything everyone told me it would be and more. In our room we have 6 girls!! Its a tight squeeze! With 6 girls we have AT LEAST 18 suitcases/duffle bags in our tiny little MTC room. haha but it's SO much fun! Our room is our whole district too! so its just us 6 girls. We've gotten really close cause we do EVERYTHING together! Every morning we get up at 6:18 (yes, its a weird time but its a district goal haha), lay out or stuff for the day, have gym time from 6:40 to 7:30, time to shower and change, breakfast at 8, then straight to the classroom! Every day we have personal study, companion study, then classes! We seriously got blessed with the best teachers ever. Bro Hanson, Sis Millward and Sis Nielson. They are all SO guided by the Spirit and so aware of everyone's needs. The first week was a lot of meetings and orientations! and getting to know the branch presidency. So our district is Sis Fletcher, Sis Linney, Sis Jenkins, Sis King, Sis Cox and I. and our branch is our whole zone. We had 2 other sets for sisters and 1 trio of elders in the other district. They all just left on monday to the field! But they were so awesome! Super welcoming and nice. Our first meeting with the branch Presidency was awesome! Pres. Taylor and His wife are so sweet! They met with us all individually and then extended us all callings. It was so cool to see how after just meeting us all once, they were all guided by the Spirit and we all felt like they know us all so well.

Honestly, the first few days from Wednesday to Sunday felt never ending!! They were the BEST and we all learned so much!! Its insane, I've never felt so loved by my Savior but I've also never felt so completely humbled. haha We study preach my gospel non stop and its amazing!! We didn't waste ANY time! By the end of the first few days we already had our first investigators. Sis Cox and I are teaching Jean, Patty and Braden. Jean is in class and Patty and Braden are in TRC. Jean just moved here from England with her 3 kids and her husband. They are having some family problems and can't figure out how to fix things. Her neighbor referred her to us and we’ve been teaching her for the past week. She is SO incredibly strong. Right before our second lesson with her she told us her husband wants a divorce. Her kids are confused and stubborn and she’s just feeling like everything is her fault. We have had some of the most amazing times teaching her. She is so open to the gospel and just loves learning and growing through the Spirit. She is praying every day and night. She is very cautious because of how tender her family situation is right now, but I know the Spirit has been teaching her and she is so strong. Braden is investigating the church and we teach him during TRC time. He's dated/known mormons all of his growing up years but just doesn't have any interest in being a member. He’s very closed off and quiet. The last lesson we had with him we finally got him to open up a bit about why he is so hesitant with the church and why he is so against being a member. The Spirit was definitely there when we were talking, we are just working on helping him recognize the feelings and promptings that he receives. When we started teaching Patty, we were quite nervous because she has been completely atheist since she was a teenager and now shes in her late 60s. We didn't know how to even start, then we found out her 26 year old son just died in an accident. We got the opportunity to talk with her about the plan of salvation and how much God loves her. I think she has had the biggest turn around. She has really lightened up and is so much more accepting of different ideas. She is COMPLETELY logical so in order for her to believe something is has to make logical sense. She really wants to believe the things the Spirit teaches her but just wants proof.. I have complete faith that if she continues to listen to the Spirit then she will know what God needs her to do.

On Tuesday we had a devotional and Elder Christofferson spoke!! It was so incredible! They have a missionary choir that our district was participating in and they had practice right before . Sis Cox and I had a lesson with Braden right before choir practice and we got out late so we were rushing off to see if we could make it. We didn't have enough time to eat dinner AND do choir. we were starving but decided to make it to choir. On our way into the choir room we saw one of my FHE brothers from last semester. He works for BYU security and asked if we could help him. He said if we did, we wouldn't be able to do the choir but he promised it would be worth it. So we went for it. He needed us to stand at the doors where Elder Christofferson would enter and keep people out. Then he reserved us seats front and center to watch the devotional! On top of that, with the way the timing worked, we were blessed to have time for dinner!! haha It seems like such a small silly thing, but it was a huge blessing. It really showed Sister Cox and I that no matter how hungry, tired, stressed, late, etc we are, the Lord is watching out for us all. It was so incredible to be so physically and spiritually close to an apostle of the Lord. You can really feel the love that comes from him. The things that Elder and Sister Christofferson spoke about were such an answer to prayers.

So...Satan's pocket knife...On my way through security to head to the MTC I got held up and they had to unpack some of my bags..it took quite a while and I didn't even know what it could be! But it turns out a pocket knife got into my suitcase somehow...no clue how! but it just showed up. haha so when we were all telling stories as a district, I told them about the pocket knife in my bag and it got referred to as Satan's pocket knife because the sisters said it was trying to keep me from getting to the MTC. haha some of the Sisters turned it into a spiritual thought. the pocket knife was a "weakness" or a tool of satan's to try and keep us from doing good. but its something that we got past. We named our district Satan's Pocket knife because we all want to be people that get past Satan's attempts to tear us down. As silly as it sounds it really has brought us together as a district! We've all been learning so much and I'm so beyond grateful for this group of Sisters.

This past week has FLOWN by and I can't believe were already flying out to Montana on Tuesday. It’s been a whirl wind but its been incredible. I have honestly felt the love of my Heavenly Father here each and every day. No matter how hard it seems, or how discouraged I get, I know I can always count on my Savior. I love this gospel. It is true and I know that even more now than I ever have before. I have been seeing it touch and change peoples live's every day and I know that mine has been changed for sure just this past week. I love you all! Until next time!!

w/<3

Sister Hodgson

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