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!

Week 36- The Lord Provides

Woahhoho! Awesome week. And it all started Tuesday...I think I talked

last time a bit about the awesome worldwide missionary broadcast? So

this week we had a sister training leaders meeting in Billings with

President and Sister Wadsworth and the assistants to talk all about it

and see how we can best help the amazing sisters in MBM. So Billings

is a few hours away….

 so we woke up at zero dark thirty (aka 4:30) and left for

Billings! It was a long drive. A beautiful drive

 but it was an awesome meeting!

We all just sat and discussed what we learned and shared with

others....I learned so much and we have LOVED taking it back and

applying it in our areas and in our exchanges.  We used to put one of us in the other

area and bring one here.  Now they want us to do exchanges in our own area so

they can see the work.

we've been working hard planting seeds! But I'm not going to lie, it has been slower here for about a year...

so we were a little anxious of how it would go...would

we have enough work for 2 sets of missionaries in our area? Is our

area actually going to help inspire the sisters? Are there enough

members willing to come out to double the appointments? Are there

enough people progressing to help have good teaching experiences?

 We did some planning and A LOT of praying…

and let me tell you, the Lord provides once again!! I

can't even explain all of the miracles that we saw this week. We had 2

exchanges, and MORE than enough work for it all!! We put 2 more people

on date  and had SO many amazing appointments with less

actives who are progressing and holy cow the work just flew leaps and

bounds!! Wow. The Lord provides. Miracles happen in His work!! It was

an incredible testimony builder for me of this work in the Lord's

timing. He loves His children and holy cow we felt that

love for us and for those we taught.

exchanges!!! Sister brooks, Ututoa, Rasmussen and me....love
these sisters!!

Anyway..sorry not much time! But lots of miracles this week!! ...M  is the strongest person ever! She's been going

through so much and on Sunday at church she recived a blessing and is feeling so much peace…Sister B has REALLY been there for her too,.

And C is amazing…

Her grandpa is a member and he has a wild

past...she asked how he straightened out his life and he said it was

the gospel that did...she's been coming to church  and now has her Date set for Baptism.  She wants

to make those covenants and feel the spirit fully in her life.

Gosh. People here are amazing.

It's been a great week! Nothing too crazy all around but such a good

week for teaching!

Just a few fun facts about tracting....

1-it's freezing outside. Always.

2-EVERYONE. And I mean everyone has a dog. Haha and it usually likes

to attack. Who knows why but this week especially we had some close

calls! This guy opened his door and this ENORMOUS dog runs out barking

like a maniac trying to bite us...we start backing away REAL fast and

man behind the door literally runs and tackles his dog! Haha it was

crazy.

3-apparently we look kinda scary in big black jackets with

iPads...when we go tracting in sketchy areas everyone sees us and

thinks we're FBI or something...haha we've got some pretty funny

questions and looks. One guy, we knocked on, looked super big and

tough guy macho....he looked through the window and screamed, then

shut the blinds....haha maybe he just felt the spirit really

strong....

 a lady we teach is  a spiritual guru....she did these
music tom tom things to bring good vibes...she taught us how to use
it!! Wooho...

sorry for scattered letter…but better next week I promise!!! Sister R's grandmas funeral

was today so we didn't do much emailing we just sat and talked and

healed....

ANYWAY. I LOVE MY MISSION. I love Helena. I love the people here!! And

I love you. Work hard, pray always and love much!!!

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

 
-we were shoveling down some cheese and crackers between
meetings on Sunday and sister Rasmussen had a Utah one so I made a
California one!