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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