Fall Festivals & Death of the Pinata

Volunteer fun at the neighborhood fall festival with Sis Wahlen

I love the email, so don't worry about what you're writing.  I don't usually have anything exciting to write or remember what I want to write, so this week I made a list from my journal.

So last P-Day we had a white elephant exchange and a pinata.  All my idea.  I decided to take charge since the week before was lame.  It went really well and the missionaries used it as a way to get rid of all the random junk that accumulates in missionary apartments.  One sister brought a bunch of photos of herself that she didn't want since she is going home this transfer and a set of elders brought the leftovers they got after a member took them to lunch.  Sis. Wahlen brought a skirt she didn't want, and just like we were hoping, an elder picked it up.  He begged someone to take it because he  feared what would happen if the senior missionaries that do apartment checks would think if they saw it there.  Some sister was kind enough to take it off his hands.  

I got an In-N-Out gift bag.  It had a pen, a pair of socks, and a signed picture of Elder Bladh rocking out

Add that how the pinata died!

on the mop.  He is from California too and his grandmother sent him a bunch of stuff.  There is only one In-N-Out here, and it is in Dallas, so I guess some of the California elders are going through withdrawals, especially Elder Itow.  

The pinata was kind of a bust.  The string kept breaking so we had to keep re-tying it.  It also had confetti in it, which we didn't realize.  We gave up
tying it and decided to throw it in the air to hit baseball style.  We tried it on one elder whom we knew would be a bit violent. We were right.  He hit the pinata and broke the stick in half.  Luckily no one got hurt.

On Tuesday we had lunch with a less active like we always do.  She made us this shrimp Alfredo thing, and you know how much I love shrimp. So when she went out to the garage to get us some water (no one drinks Texas water, it is gross), I put all the shrimp unto Sis. Wahlen's plate.  She got a little sick from eating a double portion, but I got to avoid the shrimp without hurting anyone's feelings!

We had many adventures this week taking the secret passage into Gleannloch across the railroad tracks. As

Waiting for the train

we were coming back one day, we saw a train in the distance. Great.  So we just waited for it to pass, but it stopped three cars short of clearing the path for us. So we waited a bit, then picked up our bikes and stopped at the end of the train, waited, then sprinted across the tracks with our bikes.  

On Sunday, there was a huge rainstorm in the morning.  As a result, when we went to cross the tracks that day, there was a stream running across the only path. Luckily this had happened to me before so I knew what to do.  You put your bike as far as you can reach, then step on the peddle and glide across to the other side and hopefully you don't lose your balance. I made across fine, but Sis. Wahlen lost her balance and stepped in the water with one foot.  I felt for since I did that the first time I tried.  A few minutes later she almost crashed her bike.  It kind of slid out from under her, but she managed to step out, remain standing, and keep her bike from falling hard.  We decided we would get a ride home since I didn't trust her to bike home.  Another cool bike thing, I am developing the skill of ridding without holding the handle bars and I am getting pretty good at it.  I can even turn now!

We had Zone Conference on Thursday.  We got to meet together with all of the other missionaries in the surrounding area and get instruction from President and Sister Pingree, his assistants, and some others. We were late because we got lost, but we luckily

My tan line

didn't miss much.  We had a great time, felt the Spirit and received inspiration for our area.  The American Sign Language elders gave a short workshop on how to introduce ourselves in sign language.  So know I am learning bits of sign language and Spanish.  I can do a door approach in Spanish now and I am getting the sign alphabet down.  And I thought I was going English speaking!

On Friday we had dinner at Chili's. A member took us. Her children were at their dad's and she didn't feel like cooking.  It was fun and hopefully people saw us and wondered.  We meant to leave a pass-a-long card with the check, but forgot. 

The Hoffs had a great costume!

Our ward Halloween  party was Saturday, so that

Sis Wahlen having fun with apples

morning we helped Sis. Canfield decorate the cupcakes she was taking.  Made me think of Heidi and decorating a million cupcakes for your ward conferences.  We also got to volunteer at a neighborhood Halloween party.  That was really neat because we got to be out in the community and be seen.  We even gt a number and are going to try and see that family next week.

Going for the donut at Ward Party

I escaped!

 

Ward Mission Leader Brother Kunz.  He's actually bald.  (notice Holly has switched name tags with her companion Sister Wahlen?)

I love you all and invite and encourage you to talk about the gospel everyday.  You don't have to teach a lesson to someone, but just mention Church and drop

Happy Fall Y'all!

Mormon words all the time. Then people will know who you are and what we believe.  They may ask questions or not, but they will know they can. 

Love,

Sister Hudgens

Pinata & The Temple

I am glad that it seems like everyone is having fun. That Wizard of Oz play sounds hilarious.  You are all going to be very cultured people soon with all of the plays you are going to!  

 

It seems like you have adopted Phil.  People are going to start thinking he is a member of the family.  Of course I did introduce him as my brother once.  For some reason people didn't seem to believe me. Grandma's health worries me.  Make sure she is taking care of herself and doesn't over do it like she is prone to do.

Before I left on my mission I also realized that I wasn't praying as often as I should, so I made that

Me and Sis Schellhous went on exchanges.  

It was great! We found a new investigator too!

effort to pray more often and with more sincerity. Praying to become more Christlike is a great desire, and with scripture study it is accomplished. I have had to really try to develop His attributes so that I can serve my fellow men here in Houston.  It isn't easier here, but I am coming closer to Christ every day.

This was a rough week.  During our weekly planning sessions on Thursdays, I usually text all of our investigators or potentials and try to get appointments with them.  A couple that we had been meeting with

And these are my district and my zone leader....they are great

regularly texted back that they didn't want to meet with us anymore.  Then the next day we had an appointment with a man, and after the temple we texted to confirm and he said he didn't want to meet with us anymore either!  We had an appointment for the next day and I was terrified that he was going to drop us too.  If I got one more message like that I was going to throw the phone across the room!  Luckily he didn't cancel on us, and we were able to

Elder Bladh (sounds like blade) 

my zone leader and former district leader

meet with him Saturday night at the church building.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation and showed him the chapel.  He even came to church yesterday!!!  It was an answer to my prayers and a mighty miracle to me.  He even said he could come back again.  Yay!!!!!!  

Like I mentioned, we went to the temple this week.  I was super excited because normally we go every

My district.  Elder Thomas, Sis. Schellhous, Sis Flannery,

 Me, Sis Wahlen, Sis. Goodrich, and Elder Bladh

transfer, but last transfer it was closed for cleaning. So this was my first time inside.  It is beautiful.  It was great to go with the other missionaries as well, and to see everyone.  With this last transfer, our zone split and we weren't able to take any pictures together, so we took lots at the temple! I have a new goal recently, and that is to take at least one picture everyday.  I feel like I don't take enough because I don't think that my daily life is interesting, guess I will just have to make it so!!!

It's my old, complete zone!

Sis. Flannery, me, Elder Itow, Sis Schellhous, and 

Sis Wahlen at Houston Temple

Elder Nyenmeyer, Sister Wahlen and me at the temple

 

Last P-day was boring.  With the recent zone split no one had really planned anything, so I took it into my own hands this week.  On Saturday there was a community garage sale so Sis. Wahlen and I hit all the

Sis. Wahlen carried our pinata home 

on her bike

garage sales to find some new skirts and new investigators at the same time.  We didn't find either but we did buy a pinata.  That's right, a pinata.  So we are having a pinata and white elephant exchange today.  I bet it will be fun.  I am determined to make it fun!!

Love Sister Hudgens

ps I loved the pictures Grace sent

Picture Grace sent me!  Love it.

 

 

I hung them up Grace's pictures in my room 

and on the bed above me (I have a bunk bed)

New Companion and Lemon Thieves

Mom it does sounds like it was an eventful week after all for you guys!  We don't give home blessings in this mission, but it might make an interesting suggestion to President.  

Holly with new companion Sis Wahlen

This week was really slow, but I got an new companion!  Her name is Sister Wahlen and she is from North Ogden Utah.  She is a little bit older than me and has been out for 7 months to my 7 weeks. She doesn't seem to have any crazy secrets like she played for the BYU boys hockey team (Sis. Seymour) or collects medieval weaponry (Sis. Schellhous).  The bishop is imploring me to try to find something though. 

I think we may have visited every member of the ward

Ignore my fingers, but read the sign, it is hilarious.  

We see it during our morning walks

this week, introducing the new companion.  We try to get appointments but no one answers our phone calls, returns our texts, or answers the door when we try stopping by.  We did meet a miracle man though this week while we were out tracting.  Talked to us for forty minutes on his porch and made us half an hour late for dinner.  I really hope the Roger's didn't mind, we did tell them it was for a miracle!  It was sad to find out that he lives in a different ward though.  I just hope he will be able to meet with the elders there.

I am really glad that the sisters are able to visit you and share a little bit about what they do with you.  We visit members a lot since no one else is home during the day.  I did hear you guys sent me a package, but I didn't get any mail this week, so I am not ignoring any of you!! 

I sent a couple of letters out a few weeks ago to some of the YW.  I will try to send one to them in general.  I got an email from Sam Norman recently and it was all in Spanish and I had to use the Google translate in order to read it.  He sent it to both Cash and I, so maybe he understood it.  I hope he will be able to understand my reply since it was sent in English.

I love you all and I want to share my testimony with you.  I know God lives and that He loves us so much. All He wants is for us to be happy and he has given us the gospel to help us with that.  Christ suffered for our sorrows, pains, sadness, and griefs, and because he did that he can truly help us overcome them.  I can feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for us and the people here in Texas.  That love makes me feel like the sons of Mosiah when they wept at the very thought that anyone might not know of the goodness of God.  When people reject this glad and happy message we bring them about the restored gospel, I am sad not because I was rejected, but because they have rejected the opportunity to hear the only plan that can lead them to true and everlasting happiness. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church here on the earth because it has the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored by a living prophet, Joseph Smith.  I leave this with all who may read it in the name of our Redeemer and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sister Holly Hudgens

Sister Seymour is Transferring!

I bet that the Elders are working hard to get you to feed them because all the single sisters are going to feed the sister missionaries because they don't have to worry about having another guy for the elders.

1pm really isn't that late to leave our home because most people aren't home for us to contact or tract into until about 5pm or 6pm.  So we just visit members and try to uplift and inspire them to do missionary work.  Plus it is usually hot out and we don't want to drown in our own sweat outside.  But a cold front came in this week and so sometimes we actually have to wear a sweater.  Sometimes.

We met a lot of promising people this week that we hope will turn into investigators.  They seem really prepared to hear the gospel.

Sister McQuay

I have never been so excited for conference in my entire life.  Maybe it is because I am a missionary now and I hunger for that spiritual upliftment.  Or maybe I just want a mix up in my days.  Either way it was really good and I very much enjoyed it.  We watched the morning (well it was at 11am here) sessions at the stake center with all the other missionaries and the afternoon with the people we were to have dinner with.  We ate with the bishop's family and the McQuay's and they are all great.  The bishop reminds me a lot of dad and calls my "Hudgy" instead of Sister Hudgens.  I know there is no point in fighting it so I just let it happen, smiling the whole time.

Sister Seymour is transferring!

Transfers are this week and Sister Seymour is leaving!!  I am going to miss her so much and it is going to be quite the adjustment to be without her.  She is going to a half Spanish, half English ward and is going to be transitioning into Spanish.  We aren't sure if it is permanent or temporary, but she is going to be out of the zone so I am really going to miss her.  I know I am not gong to be training, but I am still kind of nervous for a new companion, I hope I get along with her as well as Sister Seymour!  At least I am staying in my ward so I still have them.  I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the next week!!

Love Sister Hudgens