It's My Birthday!

Happy Birthday Holly!

Oh Mom, I am sorry you had a rough week.  Getting people to do things they don't feel like doing is so hard!!!  You want to help them, but you can't do it for them.  People's agency!!!!  I understand Satan's plan so much better now as a missionary.  In his plan, we would just make everyone choose the right and it would be so easy.  Now I know that that isn't right, but very tempting sometimes.  If we don't make our own choice we will never grow.  Sometimes you have to let someone fall so they can realize that they need to rise up and stand.  Super frustrating sometimes!!

Last district p-day before transfers

Monday was my last day with Sister Davis.  Very sad, but fun.  We had a good bye breakfast with one of the sisters who is going home, and a final district lunch.  Our final dinner together was lasagna, which is too  funny.  We thought is was just perfect.  We spent the night saying goodbyes, but it was ok.  I didn't shed a single tear!

New companion Sister Goodrich

Tuesday was transfer day and it was crazy!!  We packed up all her stuff, put it in a member's car and headed off to transfer meeting.  We got there before the Assistants (who have the transfer sheet), so we were able to mingle and talk to all of our friends who were also there.  Then we got the transfer sheet.  Crazy stuff!!!!  Sister Goodrich is my new companion.  I was so excited.  I served with her in Klein so I was happy that I wasn't going to have to play the awkward get to 

know you game.  I other news, 3 more missionaries that I served with in Klein have been transferred to 

Said "hi" to Sister Schellhous

Katy, making a total of 6 missionaries in the zone that I have previously served with, and half of those are in my district.  It is a Klein reunion here!!!!  

So we packed up the car with Sister Goodrich's stuff,    said a final goodbye to Sister Davis, and headed home.  We weren't on the road for 10 minutes when we almost died.  We were on the freeway and a car turned on to the freeway from the onramp super slow.  We were already going pretty fast and we were not going to have time to break.  I was sure we were going to crash.  But Aisha handled it fabulously.  Without even 

Goodbye Sister Davis

flinching she swerved and avoided the car.  It was amazing.  We all breathed a sigh of relief and Sister Goodrich decided she should probably put on her seat belt.  We made it home without any further death defying events and just let Sister Goodrich unpack before our appointment at 2.  We taught two lessons today and need to work on teaching in unity.  It was only our first day together, so we will have plenty of time to work on it.  We were able to see a few members and introduce them to Sister Goodrich before going home.

Birthday "party"

Wednesday wasn't too exciting, just going around and visiting people.  Thursday was my birthday.  Sister Davis called me in the morning and sang me happy birthday.  It was really nice.  I didn't really tell people it was my birthday, I didn't want to make it a big deal.  Sister Goodrich wanted to make it a big deal though!  So she told several people throughout the day.  We had one appointment in the morning before we went to the food bank to volunteer.  After that we saw more members and then we went to dinner at the Cooks.  Unbeknownst to me, Sister Davis had texted Sister Cook that morning and told her it was my birthday.  So when I got there, there was a chair with streamers wrapped around it and a big balloon.  We had pizza and cake and ice cream.  It was really nice.  I am also grateful for all of the gifts and packages I received from everyone!!  I know have lots of chalk and letters to keep me happy :)

Sis Goodrich had birthday cake for breakfast!

Friday we had district meeting.  It was weird.  The Katy 1st elders were sick so they didn't come, so it was just 6 of us instead of 8.  Even weirder, 4/6 were in my district in Klein, so I was having major Klein flashbacks.  We were in charge of  making lunch, so we decided to make chicken alfredo.   Only thing is, we only had a little pot to boil all the noodles in.  We decided to get creative.  Did you know you can cook noodles in the microwave?  Well you can.  They turn our pretty good!  After district meeting we did our weekly planning since we didn't have time the day before.  We then went to Wendy's for dinner and went  off a visiting.  I even went tracting for the first time in like 4 months.  Sister Goodrich has brought fire and faith back into Katy 4th and is going to make things happen.  I guess I have become a little dead being here so long with hardly any investigators.  Sister Goodrich is bringing me back though!!  We are going to make things happen!!!!

Saturday was a productive day.  We were able to see several people again.  Cool thing happened.  We didn't have a dinner appointment again today so we just went home.  I wasn't that hungry and super exhausted, so I just had an apple and then fell asleep, as did Sister Goodrich.  We then went out to visit people again and we stopped at the Coleman home. We came just as they started eating dinner. I felt really bad, but they invited us to join them.  She said she had made a bunch of extra food and didn't know why.  Guess she knew that we would stop by!!  She had tons of veggies and I was happy.  We don't get too much of them on the mission.  She then took us to get frozen yogurt. It was super nice of her and we really appreciated it.  We went tracting that night and though we got tons of no's, there was one guy you said we could come back in an hour.  We did, but he wasn't there.  That is the only lead we have, so we are going to keep trying.  Moral of the story, if you don't want us to come back, just tell us.

Church on Sunday was great.  It is a little bit of a shock for Sister Goodrich since she just came from the total opposite of Katy.  Lots of country, poor and humble people, lots of investigators, and a small ward.  Katy is the total opposite.  She is getting used to it though.  We had a few appointments today and went to a missionary farewell for a guy in our ward going to the Redlands mission.  It was a good week and I am excited to see what the rest of the transfer will be like!!!

Have a blessed week y'all!!

Sister Hudgens

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Sounds like a packed week. I am sorry that I missed Grace's promotion.  Congratulations Grace!!!!! Awesome job on the awards.  As for what you should make the sisters on my birthday....pepper steak.  Who doesn't love it?

Early Birthday Dinner for Me!

Sis Davis celebrating my early birthday!

We have been teaching active families in the ward and it is amazing how much of a testimony builder it is for them to hear the lessons.  The different auxiliaries give us names of who they think needs it at the moment and we are slowly working our way through our rather larger and ever growing ward.

This week was pretty good, though it didn't start out that way.  We had planned to do water balloon volleyball, but then it started raining and everyone chickened out. We told them that we were going to get wet anyway, but they were all lame and wouldn't come.  So we just went to Camille's house and hung out and made bracelets.  

We had dinner at the Larsen's, one of my favorite families.  After dinner they invited us to have family home evening with them.  Brother Larsen opened it up with conducting the song with his son's foam sword that he was playing with.  Then they asked us to give the lesson.  The stake presidency has asked all of the families to go through Preach My Gospel as a family, so they asked us to give a lesson from that.  So without any pre-planning on our part, Sister Davis and I gave a fantastic lesson on chapter 4:  How do I recognize the Spirit?  It was pretty good.  

Then we went upstairs and played air hockey with their children. It is a good thing that we don't have an air hockey table, because that would cause serious contention in our companionship.  Sister Davis and I were on opposing teams and there was a lot of smack talk going on!  Afterwards we went to have the last lesson with one of the families of soon to be 8 year olds we have been teaching.  It was actually their daughter's 8th birthday, so we got to celebrate it with her.  She wanted us there, so that was really neat.

On Tuesday we had specialized training with our mission president.  It was on the Restoration, what it means to us, and how we can use it to resolve concerns.  It was really good training and helped me learn a lot.  Sister Davis had to talk to President Pingree about something and he told her that she is being transferred.  Oh no!!  We are so sad!  But we know that it is time.  We have been together for three transfers and she has been here for 6 months, so it is time. Sad day though.  

Tyler's Baptism

Didn't really have much to do Wednesday through Friday.  Saturday was super exciting though.  Tyler got baptized!!!!!!  He is the nine year old from a part     member family we have been teaching.  We went there early to clean and fill the font.  It was kind of gross.  Moldy and stuffy.  No one ever cleans it!  We did though so it was all nice and clean for his baptism. It was a great service.  Sister Davis gave the talk on baptism and one of the elders gave the talk on the Holy Ghost.  Tyler's father, who is Catholic, came so it was good for him to see it and be exposed to the Spirit.  

We then went to one of our favorite families for dinner.  Sister Davis helped their daughter with family history while I put together swaps for their son's cub scout day camp.  We were happy to do it.  Then we went to a Luau/graduation party for one of the girls in our ward.  They went all out.  Roasted pig, decorations, music, islander dancing.  It was quite impressive.  All the music made Sister Davis and I want to get up and dance.  Not necessarily missionary best behavior though.  We may or may not have danced the cupid shuffle.   May or may not have.

On Sunday we taught one of the youth Sunday school classes.  It was on "how the scriptures can help you learn about the priesthood".  We had no idea how to teach this lesson.  Preparing for it made me realize how much I don't know about the Priesthood.  One of my goals now is to study more about it so I understand it better.  Anyway, we ended up playing 

We are so in tune that we had matching jammies
we had bought before our companionship!

Jeopardy.  The kids seemed to have fun though and one of them told us she learned something, so that is good!  We ended up ditching Relief Society to go to another ward's sacrament in our building.  One of the families that we are close to, their daughter was  giving her farewell talk in that ward.  Her parents were also speaking and invited us to attend.  It was really good.  We are going to miss her even though she has only been here a while.  She is going to Barcelona, the same mission that Geniel is going to.  We spent the rest of the day visiting members ad getting pictures with them for Sister Davis.  We came home and we were quite riled up so she just started packing.  Sad time!!

Well I hope y'all have a blessed week!

Sister Hudgens

Caught blue-handed!  Chalk graffiti

Or red-handed!

Found Heidi a Husband

Beautiful Sisters Davis & Hudgens

The days were long this week, but once again, the week flew by!  I hope Grace got my card, I sent it last Monday.  If not, Happy Birthday Grace!!!!!

Last Monday after our P-Day fun we had a few appointments and then we went to redo the chalk sign that had been washed away by the rain.  We enlisted a family to help and were able to finish just before dark.  Even got a ride back to their house in their truck!  It looks pretty good, the best we have done yet!!  Throughout the week members kept coming up to us and saying how much they admired our handiwork.  One lady said that her daughter had her drive by it 3 times so she could look at it and take pictures.  So people are seeing it.  I hope that includes nonmembers and that they are going to mormon.org.

On Tuesday we did the usual pretty much, try to visit people and then go play chicken foot with the old people.  When we finished the game one of the ladies came up to us and asked if she could give us some clothes.  We said of course!  I was a little worried because I wasn't sure if we would be able to find anything we liked, but I got a really cute and comfy shirt and a blazer, so it was pretty cool.    We thanked her and then went on the rest of our day.  We went to Young Womens that night since our meeting was canceled and we were there anyway.  They were making crafts for girl's camp and we helped make some for the girls that weren't there.  Pretty fun stuff. We then switched companions to go on exchanges.  I was with Sister Garlick again, but this time she came to my area. I tried to practice my flute that night for our choir performance on Sunday, but my flute wasn't working!  I could play a few notes and then it wouldn't work and sounded super airy.  Not good since I have to play it on Sunday!  Couldn't worry about it too much then though I had a few other things on my mind.

It has my name so I had to take a picture

Wednesday was pretty productive.  We were actually able to catch people at home and visit a semi-active member.  It was really good.  We were also able to see Grace, our little old lady moving to the Czech Republic on the 12th.  We were able to get her a big print edition of the scriptures and she was so grateful!   I am just happy that she will be able to read them easier now.  We are just preparing her to meet the missionaries there.  She really wants to learn!  We gave her the information for the branch there and how she can refer herself on mormon.org.  I really hope that she will be able to get he missionaries there!  I know she is ready to accept the gospel, she just needs to get settled and she will be good to go!  

We visited a few other people, had dinner, and then exchanged back.  There was a ward picnic so we went to that.  Transfers are the 17th and we are pretty sure Sister Davis is leaving. It was kind of hard for her because she had to say good bye to a lot of people before they fled the summer heat now that school is out.  Very bitter sweet!  I am going to miss her!

On Thursday we did our weekly planning and then went to volunteer at the food bank.  We were pretty busy putting cans into bags for people to just grab and sorting cans into appropriate boxes, making sure they are not expired.  Kept us busy for the afternoon.  We visited a few members then had dinner at Subway since no one signed up to feed us.  The we visited with Sister Luke.  She said we came at just the right moment to save her kids from certain death.  I guess they were being quite the crazy kids that day.  So we just sat and talked with her, I fed her baby so she could actually eat her own dinner, and we played with her kids.  Pretty fun.

Friday was zone meeting.  I love going to zone meeting.  It is nice to get training.  This month it was on spiritual awakenings. What has been ours?  How can we help others?  Made me think about my life and if I have had my spiritual awakening.  I don't feel like I have had a big huge one, but I have had several little ones. Little moments when I knew that a certain principle of the gospel was true.  It was good though.  We had some lunch and then we went a visiting.  Not many people at home but we did catch a few.  We visited with the Udy family, and one of their sons reminds me of Heidi a little bit. He is random, hilarious, and he thinks he is black, just like Heidi!  I told them that he reminds me of my sister, and his mom asked to see a picture of her.  I have taken to carrying around our family picture (not the one with the weapons) and so I handed it to her.  I think she is now making plans to marry off her son to Heidi, so watch out!

Saturday we had quite the productive day visiting members.  They were actually home!  We made plans to finish the lessons with our 9 year old investigator so he can be baptized next Saturday.  We also had a super good dinner.  They made these little steaks that were so good and mashed potatoes and grilled squash. Reminded me of a meal we would have at home!!  Also made me realize that I haven't had mashed potatoes in a while and I missed them!  I think I have had them one other time before in this area.  Kind of weird.  We then stopped by the graduation party for all of the seniors in our ward.  Got to meet a few of their nonmember friends and eat some cream puffs.  It was a good day.

Sunday was super busy.  We had ward conference yesterday and I played a flute I borrowed from someone in the ward.  I wasn't nervous until I got up there.  Then I got really nervous.  Our ward is huge!  It has about 450 people on a good day plus all the stake people.  So I said a silent prayer and I calmed down enough to play. I did pretty good too!  Don't think I messed up very much at all.  After church we had back to back appointments all day.  It is a good thing one of them was feeding us lunch, because we wouldn't have had time to eat other wise!  We met with some less actives, finished the lessons with Tyler (the 9 year old), met with Madilyn and her mom, taught some lessons to active members.  I feel really good about what we have been doing here in Katy and I will be so sad when it is my time to leave.  Hopefully though, that won't be for a while.

Transfers are in a week and a half, we have a new mission president coming in on July 1st, and there is going to be lots of training, meetings, and interviews for the next few weeks, so I am going to be very busy!  Oh, and my birthday is coming up, that is weird.  It is definitely going to be crazy and I can't wait to see what the next month will bring!

Have a blessed week y'all!

Sister Hudgens

Good times!

It's Wednesday

Sounds like a really intense week.  I hope everything works out for Girl's camp.  I went to the mission office this week and filled out all the paperwork that I needed to drive the mission car.  President Pingree just has to OK it.  He has a lot going on though.  Transfers are in 2 weeks and then he is going home July 1st.  I am going to miss him so much!!!!

This week was really, really wet.   A storm came in a dumped rain.  We got a tornado warning and three flash flood warnings.  Never saw the tornado, but we were in the old part of Katy and there was lots of flooding.  We were afraid that we were going to be stuck at the Drexell building (which is where we go to P-day) because of all the flooding.  When we finally had to leave, there was a foot of water in some places. We got out alright, no problems.  Got to see all of the bayous and retention ponds get really full though!!  We were sad though, because it washed our beautiful chalk sign away!!!  A member told us on Sunday that one of their neighbors had come up to them and asked if they had been out vandalizing.  So people actually saw it!!!  Makes me happy.  If we are going to keep it up, we are going to have to take up a chalk donation.

On Tuesday we visited with this graduating senior in our ward.  She told us her faith isn't as strong as she would like it to be and since she is going off to college, so she has asked us to start  visiting with her. We went over on Tuesday, brought her some tacos form a taco truck (because she thinks they not as good as Taco Bell, she is wrong), and taught her the Restoration.  It was a really neat experience..  It is really helping to strengthen her testimony.  She wants to be able to answer questions when people ask her, so we think it will be better if she teaches one of us while the other helps.  We are going to try that this week.

On Wednesday we went to see Grace.  She is so great, but she has gone downhill since we last saw her a week ago.  She blew out her knees so she is in a lot of pain. But she was really feeling the Spirit when 
we taught her the Restoration and I think she really believes that it is true.  She is reading and praying.  She is fantastic.   She is moving to the Czech Republic in two weeks though, so we are working hard to get the information for the branch and missionaries there so they can continue teaching her.

Houston Temple

Thursday we went to the temple. We carpooled with the elders so we wouldn't have to drive.  It was fun, but kind of weird.  I sat in the middle and it was a little odd to be sitting so close to an elder.  Not too weird though, because he looks like   he is 12, and he kind of reminds of Daniel Norman in the way that I just want him to be my little brother.  I don't rub his head though, that would be weird/ creepy.  It was really funny to see the two elders in the front singing to different Disney songs.  They are pretty funny.  It was so nice to go to the  temple.  I haven't been since my first transfer in Katy!!!!  That feels like forever ago!!  I want to make it a goal when I get home to go to the temple often and on a regular basis.  The spirit is so great there and it just makes me feel so happy :)   Our dinner appointment canceled, but that was OK, we had had a late lunch anyway, so I wasn't even hungry.  We were able to meet a family that I haven't met yet.  So it was a good day.

Elder Kuilia photo-bombed our picture

Friday was a kind of fun.  We didn't have very many appointments during the day, but we did at night. We were going to take Camille with us and she found out we didn't have a dinner, so we ate with the Claunch family.  During dinner I found out that they know the Rascons!!!!  Well the parents of the Rascons in our ward. But that was kind of cool.  So after dinner we took Camille with us to teach one of the families in the ward, our usual Friday night appointment, the one with the hilarious kids.  This appointment did not disappoint with laughs.  The kids both had bald eagles and kept telling us bald eagle facts.  The youngest one went on a little lecture to Sister Davis about bald eagles that no one really understood, but at the end he said, "So basically, you don't want to be a bald eagle" and that was all we got out of that.  We taught them a few more of the commandments and one of the kids basically quoted the entire Word of Wisdom from memory.  Crazy, but fun.  We taught a part member family and then went back to the Claunch home to drop off Camille, when her mom said, I am going to McDonalds to get ice cream for everyone, you aren't allowed to leave until I get back.  Since it was about 9:00pm and we have to be home by 9:30pm, she said she would rush.  We said we wouldn't leave and then our watches just flew off our wrists, crazy right?  She did get back with a few minutes to spare.  Reminded me of dad making an ice cream run.

On Saturday we went to the mall to talk to one of our potential investigators that works there.  We found her there and we were able to have a really good conversation with her.  She asked a lot of questions on missionary service and what and why we do it.  it was really neat.  We are really hoping that we can get her to read the Book of Mormon we gave her.  She loves the Bible, studied it in college and she believes all of the same things we do.  There is so much more we can offer her!!  We don't want to take away the truth she loves, just give her more!  After that we went to lunch at Los Cucos with the Lowes, our ward mission leader and his family.  I love that family so much!!  They are leaving this week and won't be back for a while, so they wanted to take us out before transfers.  Good food.  And they were making dinner for us the next day too!  At lunch, Bro Lowe sneezed really hard and lost his voice.  He has done it before and it is pretty funny.  He has to do another big sneeze before it comes back.  

Sunday was great.  I loved all of the testimonies and the Relief Society lesson (Sister Davis says hello and said that I have to tell you right now). We then did some studies, I practiced my flute and we had a lesson with another active family.  It was good and I think that they are really paying attention.  We then had dinner with the Lowes.  It was really fun!!!!  They treat us like one of the family, it is nice to feel part of a family.  Sister Davis wanted to get a picture with them because she is pretty sure that she is being transferred.  When she told them, one of the kids said, "First family, then individuals"  They then began calling dibs on first individual with her. It was pretty funny.  We then went to the Seminary graduation to help one of our members who is in charge of it. It was really good.  I liked the talks.  Almost makes me miss seminary.

Love y'all!!  Have a blessed week!

Sister Hudgens

Random Car- Great Message!