WEEK 39- Go BIG at the ZOO...( Missoula)

 

Well transfers or something happened this week....transfer day is always insane here in MBM. Haha everyone mets at either the mission home or Helena church and we all swap around. This was President Wadsworth's biggest transfer yet so that was insane! Wednesday all of the missionaries swapped around places. I got to drive a large pick up with about a billion and one suitcases in the back and a few bikes on

the bike rack. So that's exciting on the highway in Montana wind! Haha we made it safe and sound though and everyone still has their stuff so that's an accomplishment;) Then Thursday we got to drive back to Helena again and pick up the new missionaries and their stuff! It's been pretty nice weather, but then all of a sudden Mother Nature thought it had been too easy...so right as we start unloading the trailer, HUGE wind and rain storms started...it felt like bullets it was pretty great. Haha within moments we were all SOAKED.  But it made us try to load up real fast which was good! Haha then off to Missoula we went to drop the new missionaries off to their new companions! It's

been a few exciting days of driving and things....but then by Friday we were all settled and taken care of in our areas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sooo....Missoula.  It truly is "the zoo".  The driving is INSANE.  Haha  There are a  lot of hippies and marijuana use… . Our area is right by U of M so there are lots of college kids. The YSA sisters teach them, so we pass off several contacts So it's kinda cool we got to start from scratch. There's some good less active work! But zero investigators.  It's a definitely balancing act to keep working with and finding new less actives! But also get the work going and helping those who have never heard the gospel…Its all the work of salvation.

 

My new Companion is  Sister Haley Freeman from Lehi Utah!  She is so fun and energetic and I look forward to getting to know her better.

 

WELL….I've been gaining a huge testimony of prayer and works!! The work is just ready to happen here!

D is planning for his baptism now. He goes to church every week with a family from the ward and has been reading his Book of Mormon! So we're excited for him. We also found a woman, J who has taken the lessons before and was going to get baptized but ended up not

doing it last minute. She just said she wasn't ready. But she was so excited that we knocked on her door!

 Gosh missionary work is the best! I'm so grateful for the missionaries forever before us who planted seeds for J.  This work is amazing and I feel so blessed to be  able to wear this tag over my heart each day. I might start sleeping with it on soon.

 

I am not always comfortable in the leadership roll…but I have had to step up a few times lately.   It's been a little eye opening to work with some sisters who are struggling and

hearing their feelings on their mission...and I've been thinking about mine and the tough times and the joyful times!

 

WELL,They say "there's no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone" ...in other words "GO BIG".  I can't tell you how many times I've been out of my comfort zone on my mission but I can honestly say I love every second. Or I learn to love it;) haha

It really is our choice the effect our missions have on us.

 

Anyway. I love you lots and lots!!!!

 

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

 

I left a piece of my heart in Helena.  Saying good bye to these amazing people was harder than I can explain.

 

 

Do you remember our dear friend Kirby??!  He is the BEST!  He received  the priesthood and  performed a baptism in his ward.  A few pieces of my heart are in Great Falls still too!

 

week 38- expect the unexpected

Wow...life never ceases to surprise!!!!

So...transfer news right?? Drumroll please......budhudhuhdudhdud................

 I'm leaving.....I'm off to Missoula

And sister Rasmussen is

staying here in Helena for the 7th transfer! And also, this next

transfer is a 7 week transfer so it's extra more time....haha crazy

news huh?! I'm excited for this next adventure, but I'm not going to

lie, I'm gona miss this place and more importantly, the people...

It's always hard to say goodbyes and leave an area, especially when

there are so many people that have shaped you here. Missions really

are a refiners fire! And Helena, the heat has definitely been turned

up a bit for me. I've had some of the hardest times, and some of the

best times here. And the people here, I'll definitely never forget!!!

D and her family-she's been through so much and is so young with 3

kids...trying to make life work! It's hard!! It's tough! But the gospel makes life better. The kids are amazing and strong and such a GREAT family!

C-she is incredible. She's been through so much. Everything

hard in life that could happen, she's been through it...and yet she

has the strength and the faith to come closer to Christ through this

gospel. She knows it will improve the quality of her life by miles and

she is ready and willing to commit. I've never really seen such a

complete 180 turn around in someone's life. She is amazing.

M-holy cow, talk about strong women. Her recent divorce, working with her ex

, her 2 full time jobs

plus being a full time mom, etc. nothing seems to stop her. She is so

faithful and amazing and I'm grateful to have her in my life. I've

learned so much from her about making time for the gospel. It often

doesn't seem convenient or even a possibility to fit in busy

schedules, but we can always make time for the Lord.

And holy cow holy cow am I going to miss Sister Rasmussen. We've

learned SO much over the last 4 1/2 months together and have become

the best of friends in the process. I've learned how to be open, love

 people and laugh through the hard stuff. I've learned how to lift

and be lifted. Love this sister. Always and forever.

So many amazing ward members here I love so much. So many awesome

missionaries, amazing people and unforgettable friends. I'm so sad to

leave but so ready and willing to be wherever the Lord has in store!

But anyway, enough of the sappy stuff....this has been an awesome

week!!!! All in all

through, Great week and Sister Rasmussen will be seeing 6 amazing people enter the waters and make

covenants

....holy cow, Helena is ready! This is like the lamest email ever

but I don't really know what to say...other than I love Helena. I'm

excited to love Missoula! I love my Savior and I love His gospel. I

love you! You really learn to expect the unexpected! Have an awesome week!!

 Workhard, pray always and love much.

 

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

PS this man is the  last B-17 pilot left from Pearl Harbor! He wrote a book and
gave us all one and signed it for us...haha he's super sweet! He's 97
and still hoppin!! 

This sweet brother grows out his beard every year at this time to go into his children's classrooms and present an historical visit!!  He is the COOLEST!!

Some people left us a note to  have us email their sons who are on a mission :)

Week 37- Earthquakes, drunk people and Bearspray ...OH MY!

Well this was quite the eventful week! Haha so many random stories but

I'll try to help them all make sense haha.

I told you we had that Awesome STL conference But I forgot to send the picture.  These ladies are my heros and I am so blessed to work with them.

 

Love these sisters!

Witwatersrand Wadsworth, Anderson, bell, Rammell, Freeman, Rasmussen,

me, Major and Moyer.

So Wednesday night this week, Sister Rasmussen and I were sound asleep

all snug in our beds...then for some reason I just woke up and just

stared at the ceiling for a bit...I looked at the clock and it was like

12:50 something...I was awake for a few minutes, then I just hear this

loud rumbling noise and then the house started to shake! Right then

Sister Rasmussen woke up and screamed a little Haha we had no clue

what was going on....it only lasted about 5-7 seconds then it

stopped...it didn't last super long but our picture frames and glasses

and stuff were shaking so that's exciting! Haha neither of us had

really been in an earthquake before so we weren't sure what it was!

Haha  We have had two since I got her to Helena now!  

We've been hearing from some members that about

every 50 years or so there's a MAJOR earthquake in Helena that

destroys a bunch of stuff....and guess what...this next one is

overdue! Wooho! It's been like 80 or so years since the last one so

people have been saying it's only a matter of time….nice!

Also, another fun fact...bear spray is potent and sticks to

EVERYTHING. We were in the car the other day and for some reason, who knows WHY but I was rubbing my hand on the side of the passenger seat

in the car....didn't think anything of it but then my eye had an itch so I rubbed my eye...bad idea. Haha holy cow that stuff is still powerful even MONTHS later! It must have still been in the seat fabric or something because it burned all over again.   We had a good laugh about it all....Only in Montana right

This week on Thursday we got a text from the people we live with.

Their daughter was coming into town so we were madly trying to find a place to

stay! And to make things even better, we had another exchange that night so we needed a place to fit 4

sisters...we were debating to see if we could live at the church for the next few days haha....but then the Bangerters are amazing and said we could live with them for a bit! They're awesome. And just to tell

you how awesome they are, the first day, they woke up at 5:00 and made homemade scones for us all so we could still eat and get to studies on time! Wow were spoiled. They're incredible.

One last crazy story....last night we were going to find a

referral a member gave to us that day at church. We pulled up to what we thought was the right address at the same time as another car...We figured it was the person who lived there...I'm totally thinking "wow!

miracles!!! The Lord took us here at just the right time!" Haha well just our luck, I parked right in the middle of a puddle....so we get

out and wave to the lady and stark walking super awkwardly toward her,

trying not to get muddy water in our church shoes...as we get close

enough, were about to start talking to her, she yells "stop right

there! Don't come any further! You are DRUNK. Get off my property

right now! I'm calling 911!" at this point I'm totally thinking "this

is MONTANA I bet she packs! Shes gona pull a gun and shoot us!" Haha

it was quite the interesting night! We're guessing we looked drunk

because we were walking weird trying to not step in the puddles..We

were able to calm her down a bit and  by the end of it we had a nice talk with her

Haha anyway, it was a fun night and we were dying laughing in the car after:

Haha well sorry this is so long (like a letter could ever be too long for her parents, hahah)

Just been an eventful week. But now for the real good stuff.  M and C. They're amazing.

She told us "Oh, and I heard Mormons don't drink coffee so I figured I'd

get started on it...got rid of  my coffee machine and haven't drank it

in 4 days!" Holy cow. Can you say prepared?! She is amazing. Things

are real tough with her divorce and jobs and kids and stuff but she

just pushes through!! She is on fire!

And then C.  She is amazing. She's had a wild past but is so ready to turn her life

around. She hasn't believed in God her whole life and she was raised

completely atheist. Oh my oh my. She said when she started coming to

church she felt something she's never felt before. She said a prayer

for the FIRST TIME to know if God was there and she said she can't

deny the answer she got and her feelings. She's been reading the Book

of Mormon daily!! She's like "I LOVE this book! I always have it with

me., I just love the feeling of having it near."

Holy cow.

It's amazing how the Lord works. Both Michelle and Courtney have met

missionaries before but it never went anywhere because they weren't

ready yet. It's incredible how the Lord prepares people and puts them

in our path. These two have strengthened my faith tremendously. I love

them dearly! Well, it's been a crazy busy week! But it's been lovely.

And guess what. There is SUNSHINE in Helena!!!!!! It's cold sunshine,

but it's there!!!! Haha tender mercies of the Lord

LOVE YOU FAMILY!! Thank you so much for all you do. I miss you tons!!

But love you even more.

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

 We went to our meetings and some had been moved...so we took a quick nap in the car with the great PET PILLOWS you sent
 us....THANKS















There's this famous sandwich place called "Staggering Ox"
it's like torpasta bread bun things but it's a sandwich. It's super
fun!