WEEK 32- Prayer Works

So....the big news....transfers.....aaaannnnddddddd.....

SISTER RASMUSSEN AND I ARE STAYING HERE IN HELENA!!! WOOHO! We're so excited for another transfer here and to me it just shows that there's so much more of the Lord's work here for the two of us to do together! We're excited.

First ... It was so good to see faces and remember the way you all laugh, smile and talk and joke. Gosh I loved seeing your faces! It helps give me more motivation and just gives a lift.. I'm so blessed:) 

 I did get my Christmas package mom…don’t worry!  (She got her Christmas package the 30^th??!!  I mailed it two weeks before Christmas ~ sigh~ atleast she got the small box with stockings for her and her comp…its not a Foreign country? What took so long)

 

How is driving in the snow?

Fun story, we were driving to Dillon this week for exchanges and it's supposed to be about 1 1/2 hours away...  it took us 4 hours to get there....ridiculous! Haha but we made it....I drove both ways...we were going to take turns, but sister Rasmussen was driving when we were leaving, and got on some ice and we went SWERVING like crazy!  Holy cow. We were completely perpendicular to the road...I remember it was like slow motion and I was looking out the passenger window and saw the road straight in front of us. Not gona lie it was pretty scary! Haha were swerving back and forth like that all over the place...I honestly have NO clue how we straightened out but we did. Haha we swear it was Angels. But we're very blessed because right as we straightened out a car zoomed past us...that would have been a huge mess ..haha anyway, prayer is the real deal!  So she was a little shaken so she had "grandma"  Drive J

Silly Californian In the snow!!  All new wonders!!

 

 

Well....HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Wooho! 2016 here we go:) I hope you all had the best beginning of the new year! I know we did here in the Helena zone. Miracles happen and prayer is definitely the real deal! 

Someone in the Ward anonymously gave us $40 for dinner...wow this Ward

is incredible.......we went to our favorite restaurant, Jade Garden....amazing New Year's Eve dinner! (and Leftovers)

ALSO!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO BROTHER!!!!

Happy birthday Matthew! I was thinking about you tons yesterday!! Hope it was awesome. Love you lots and lots!!!!

So the work has been a little slow here…So us and the zone leaders talked about problems and solutions...  We discussed consecration, sacrifice, faith, working hard, following the Spirit, serving others, etc.  Our solution was to mix all of them together...  We wanted to stretch our faith by doing all of these things. We know that Facebook has been a bit of a road block with the whole mission... So we did a Facebook fast this past week   We worked on being more consecrated, we prayed each prayer for us and all the missionaries in the zone, we stretched our faith, we set goals, we sacrificed, and we worked HARD.  And wow.  Can I just say, prayer is the real deal.  Each companionship found 2 OR MORE people new to teach this week.  It was a HUGE faith builder and testimony strengthener.  Holy cow.  It works.  Prayer works.

We are working with a sweet young mother named M.  She and her boys came to church and really loved it.  She said they found peace and encouragement and felt lifted.   She is such a blessing to serve and get to know.

I can just testify that as we choose things to sacrifice, to give up, to fast from at the start of this new year, we turn ourselves, our will and our hearts to the Lord. We stretch and strengthen our faith. We pray, we make goals, we pray again, and we GO AND DO!  I LOVE being a missionary!  I'm so grateful to have filled my cup and seen family over Skype on Christmas and get ready and pumped for this new year!  I can't wait to see the amazing miracles that happen in the Lord's work this next year.
 

Work hard, pray always and love much!!

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

POD BALL IS THE ZONE/MISSION PREPARATION DAY ACTIVITY

WEEK 31- revelation upon revelation

Well that was so fun to Skype with you all...we hope your Christmas was wonderful!! Thank you so much for the cards and packages. you have no idea what mail is to a missionary.  I am a blessed girl.

Mom  asked her about driving in Montana: It's cold! It's icy!

Haha but it's good! I just drive like a grandma and it's all good:)

                                                                                                   New warm "nana Christmas boots!!"

 

Christmas Conference was amazing!!

Our table of sisters
Sister Rammel, sister Moyer, sister Holm, me, sister Rasmussen, sister Embry, sister  Wankier, sister Bell

 Office Christmas tree! Our MTC group together!
                                                                                                                                                               One night we had a bus that took our zone Christmas Caroling.......its just a GREAT part 

of the Season

Holy cow another week is gone! How does that keep happening?! This week was amazing. I've never felt so much love and the Spirit of Christ and Christmas so strongly.  We were able to serve others and so many people  Blessed our lives.

 

 

This is the Stake President in our mission.  He is one of the most spiritual men I know.  I am Learning so much from him and his amazing wife.  (please notice our daughter is barefoot even in Montana...tee hee~ she said every chance she gets.)

Real quick I just want to share a little miracle...About a month ago, Sister Rasmussen and I had to give a training at zone conference about the Spirit and how to receive revelation. I can definitely tell you that once again, I think I learned WAY more than anyone else but one of the things we talked about is how with revelation, it doesn't always come all at once, a

huge outpouring of the Spirit and a voice that says "GO HERE". 

There's a scripture in doctrine and covenants 42:61 that says "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things--that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal"

Well we had a little time so we thought we would go by a house that we had a referral

to!  It was FREEZING cold and a little snowy and guess what. Literally NO ONE WAS HOME.  We were just a little confused as to why we felt good about this area. We were sure we're there for a reason…. We started walking to the next street and we saw this one guy walking a little ways away...  a cigarette in one hand and a 6 pack of beer in the next. He looked really down. So naturally we had to talk to him! I ran up and got his attention and we struck up a conversation.He had lost his Grandmother and his other was in the hospital…he had a lot of questions and his heart hurt ....we were able to show him the video "a Savior is born" and testify of the joy, comforts and peace that is possible because of Him.   He said to us "I've just been feeling so lost lately but I feel like God is leading my back to Him and that's why I met you two today".

It was just such a cool experience to see first hand, "revelation upon Revelation.”

It's a beautiful thing to help our brothers and sisters recognize and come to know for themselves that our Heavenly Father knows them and loves them.

I love you all and hope you had a Merry Christmas!! Work hard, pray always and love much!!

W/<3

Sister Hodgson

WEEK 30- A savior is Born- Merry Christmas!!

 

Holy cow what a week!  Can I just say how much I love this Christmas season? The lights, the people, hymns, the testimonies, and this year for the first time THE SNOW. Haha it's definitely an adventure! But holy cow is it beautiful....haha it's so cold though! I mean, I've been in snow before...but this stuff like freezes your patootie off!

 

Haha it's definitely been an adventure!  Can I just say.... Sister Hodgson does not know how to walk on the ice...haha I've definitely taken my fair share of spills! But only a few bruises...haha but wow. Christmas time is the best. I'm SO grateful for the wonderful people here in the Helena 1st and 3rd wards. They are amazing and truly a home and family always from home and family! 

 

Family: thanks for the great package! PJs and Hot chocolate were enjoyed....

 

So this week was a little insane...we had exchanges in Great Falls and we have 2 sets of sisters up there and because the roads were so bad we couldn't really do good exchanges driving all day so we went and stayed in Great Falls for a day. Sister Rasmussen went with

one set of sisters and I went with the other. It was so great and those sisters are amazing! I loved going around with them being able to share all 3 of our testimonies of the Savior and feel the power that comes from these amazing sisters. Then we went back to

Helena...the drive was long and icy..lots of prayers were said!  The sisters from Shelby came up to Helena the day before the zone conference so we got to spend a day with them. And then Zone conference happened.

Christmas zone conference is the best. No doubt. We had he spiritual part and then we were eating lunch after the conference and President Wadsworth runs in the room jumping up and down, waving his hands yelling "SANTA!! SANTAS COMING!!!!!!" Haha he had us all song jingle bells so Santa could know where we all were.  They had a slideshow of pictures of all of us missionaries from past Christmases...It was an awesome conference

 

As fun as it was seeing Santa and singing Christmas songs, the first part of the zone conference was definitely the best. So the week before, President and Sister Wadsworth asked each missionary to

prepare a 3 minute talk on how the atonement has impacted our mission and be prepared to share it. Can I just say, I have LOVED taking the time this last week or so to ponder the atonement and see how my testimony of our Savior's sacrifice has grown so much just these past 7 months....I definitely had a testimony of the atonement before my mission. Without it, I wouldn't be here! But being out here has made it grow so much more...I have definitely needed it here on my mission more than I ever have. I have felt the weakest I ever have but I have also felt the most love and strength than ever before in my life.  I REALLY needed this week !!

 I have been gaining a stronger relationship with Him and love Him with all my heart. I love you my sweet family! I miss you! I'm so excited to talk to you on Friday!! And I want you to know how much I love being here in Montana. Going on a mission has been one of, if not the best decision I've made in my life.  Please, never waste an opportunity to bear your testimony if the Savior, His birth and His atonement. You never know who it strengthens. LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!

 

Work hard, pray always and love much!!

W/<3

Sister Hodgson