I can be at peace with President Shumway releasing me.
As long as it is not some total stranger! It sounds like a really good stake presidency, and I am sure that they are all going to do an awesome job.
This week was crazy. Lots of ups and downs. It
was good though. On Monday a member took us to dinner and she was
awesome. She invited everyone to read the Book of Mormon and to come to church.
She was great. We had to stop at an ice cream shop and pick up the ice
cream she promised her kids on the way home. She started talking to the
cashier and it turns out he is a less active recent convert we have been trying
to find for months! It was a miracle! Moral of the story, talking
to everyone works.
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| It's cold! |
Tuesday was a cold day. Well it was just cold in
general this week and I have had to break out the tights, boots, and
layers. At least I am in a car this winter with a heater. I used the toe warmers and sweatshirt dad sent me this week too. Anyways, it was a
good day. We did some service at an old people home, tracted, and we
found a new investigator. We were about to leave a street when we met
someone who said that we could come back in half an hour. So we kept
tracting and we saw this woman. She was just siting in her garage so we
started talking to her. She started talking about how her dad had died a
few years ago and then we talked about the Plan of Salvation a little and set
up an appointment for this week! It was awesome! We had dinner with
a new couple that just moved into our ward, tracted and then went home.
That night we planned in different languages. I spoke Spanish while
Sister Heaps spoke Portuguese. They are similar enough that you
understand each other. We had to use English a couple times, but it was
fun!
Wednesday was a great day! We went to the horse ranch
in the morning and did a little cleaning. We then went home and did some
studying before going out. We tracted and tried less actives, but not
many people were home. We heart attacked one of our investigators because
we know they are feeling some stress. It was fun. We then had
dinner with a family and she came with us afterwards to see some people.
The first person fell through, so we decided to try by another former
investigator. A woman answers the door and we ask if she is Linda, she
says no, so we invite her to learn more and she has been totally
prepared! She has had some Mormon friends and even had a Q&A with a
bishop. The member we brought with us was awesome and she invited her to
the Primary Program this Sunday. It was amazing! When we looked
back at our records later, we found Linda, the former investigator, and realized
that she had moved months ago and it had her new address listed. It was
meant to be.
On Thursday we had an appointment in the morning, but she
wasn't there. The elders called us though and said that they needed help
at the food bank, so we helped there for a while before heading home for lunch
and planning. I am glad that we didn't have to plan outside again,
because it was cold! We did a lot of good planning and then we went to
dinner. We tracted and visited potential investigators a bit before going
to see a member family. It was awesome because she worked with one of our
investigators in cub scouts and she said she would come with us to the appointment
the next day. It was great!
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| Patty w/ Sis Heaps & me and my first sweet tamale. |
Friday was packed. We had a great district meeting in
the morning about qualifying for the Spirit and family history training
afterwards. We then had a lesson with one of our investigators.
Something has changed in her, not sure what. She seemed happier and was
more engaged in the lesson. It was great! She is opening up a tamale
restaurant so she gave us a sample. I had my first sweet tamale
ever. It was strawberry flavored with beet for coloring. It was delicious!
We then went to go see a member and she is awesome! She actually lived in
the Canyon Springs ward until she was 12. I have no idea what her maiden
name is though. She has been looking for ways to share the gospel and is
looking for ways to get involved in the community. She is being proactive
and getting out there! That is so great!
We then had a little
dinner before going to our appointment with our 10 year old investigator.
It is hard to teach him sometimes because he has a short attention span
and his grandmother sometimes takes over the appointment. We love them
though, so much! They figured out it was us that heart attacked them. She
didn't even get out of the car before she knew it was us! The hearts were
still on their garage door when we came to the appointment. It really
brightened their week. It was a good appointment, the member we brought
with us was perfect. I feel like things are just fitting together so well
recently, it is amazing :) I love being a missionary!
We then went to
another appointment. They weren't home yet, so we tracted around their
apartment complex. We tracted into the volunteer coordinator at the horse
ranch we go to. We aren't supposed to talk about the gospel when we are
at service, but that rule doesn't apply when you happen to knock on their
door. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and invite her to read
it. I pray she will. We then went to our appointment and it was
great. It was with a less active woman and her son and her fiance who is
taking the lessons. She really opened up to us about how much she wants
to come back, but doesn't know exactly how. It was so spiritual there, it
was a great discussion and even though we didn't get home until ten, it was
great.
On Saturday we did companion study with the Spring sisters.
That was nice. We then came home, had some lunch, and then we went to an
appointment that didn't show up. We went tracting afterwards and tracted
into a less active woman who let us and and we shared a message. She wasn't
ready to come back yet, but she let us in, so that was something! We then
went with a member to invite one of our investigators to the Primary Program.
Afterwards she told us where one of her friends lived and told us to stop
by. They weren't home, but it was awesome just the same! She told
us it is easy to share the gospel when you know it is true. She is so
amazing!! She just radiates the Spirit and it is such a blessing to be
around her. I love it.
We then stopped by another house of a less
active we are working with. He is so close to coming to church!!!!!
He is a math professor and I think he is thinking too much about this. He
already knows he needs to come, he just has to do it. He will come around
though, I am sure. We then met a guy while tracting that is totally
prepared! He is a YSA though so we gave him their information and sent
him in as a referral. Those elders are going to be very happy! We
then taught a brief lesson to Chon. She is so great, I love her. We
then had dinner with a member, dropped off an Ensign to an investigator and
went home out of the cold.
Church was awesome this week. I love ward council,
I love being in there. I love seeing how everyone works together
and how the ward is run. It is amazing! It was the Primary Program today
and it was great. We still don't have a ward mission leader, but we are
promised that it is coming. I love those little kids though. I
never appreciated the power of the Spirit that is in children until recently.
They are powerhouses!!! It was a great program and for the last song they
sang "I Am a Child of God" and they all came off the stand and stood
in the aisles and sang. It was beautiful.
Do you remember the lady that I told
you about last week that wants to get baptized? Well she came to church
again this week with the family that introduced her to the gospel. The elders
have been teaching her, but she wants to come to our ward and she wants us to
teach her. She said she is moving in with this family in a few months anyways.
We didn't know that!! That changes everything! We just called our
mission president and got permission to teach her. I am only a little
afraid of her though. She is this Russian lady that was a
professor. She has done a lot of research and knows a lot about the
church. She read the Book of Mormon in 2 days. She is super prepared, but
a little scary. I am excited to teach her though!
After church we
did a little tracting before dinner with a Chinese family in our ward. I
am pretty sure I ate seaweed. It smelled like it anyway. I love
this family and usually the food is pretty good, but I am not a fan of
seaweed. Just so you know. After dinner we went to try by less
active families and picked up some music. I volunteered to do a special musical
number on Friday at zone conference, so wish me luck!!! and pray for me too. I
only really have today to practice with the sister that is accompanying
me. I am going to need lots of prayers!! It was a good day though.
Well, I am doing great, as always, I love being a
missionary!!! Missionary work is the best. Even though it is cold,
damp and not everyone wants to hear the message, this is the best job ever!!!
Have a blessed week!
Sister Hudgens
