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| It's Fall! |
I guess I will start with the bad news....I am being
transferred tomorrow. I am so sad!!! When we got the call last
night I cried for a long time. I couldn't sleep, I hardly want to
eat. I am am so sad that I have to leave The Woodlands!!! I love it
here!!! I love the members, my investigators, my companion,
everything! I am really going to miss this place.
I played the musical number at zone conference. They always have
one at those so it is not something they would make special reference to in the Mission Blog.
I played a medley of "I Stand All Amazed" and "There is a
Green Hill Far Away". I was so nervous and I was shaking terribly,
but I managed to play with only a few errors. Sister Heaps said it was
good, but I don't know if I can trust her.
Anyway, last Monday we had a miracle when we went to go
vacuum our car. We pulled up to the same place we always go and we see one of
our investigator's sons. We go over to say hello and it isn't her with the son, it is her
husband!! We hadn't been able to meet him yet and had been working out how we
would try and the Lord put him in our path. Moral of the story: Always vacuum
your car.
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| Flour nose from losing Flour Tower Game |
We then went to the Hulets for dinner and Family Home Evening
with them and two of our investigators. It was a wonderful evening.
Two of their sons gave the lesson, the 12 year old on the Sabbath day and their
son that just came home from his mission taught about obedience. They
were both wonderful and everyone enjoyed it. After the lesson we played
this came called flour tower. You pack a measuring cup full of flour and
then you put it on a plate and put a penny on top. You then take turns
cutting part of the tower away, with the goal to not let the penny fall.
If it does, you have to pick it up with your mouth. It was fun. We
played a couple rounds and I lost one and had to pick up the penny. It was fun
though.
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| Hulet Family |
Tuesday was MLC, a big leadership meeting. So Sister Heaps
went to the meeting and I went with another sister for the day. Sister
Nielson and I got to volunteer at a thrift store and go talk to people at a
college campus (she is covering a YSA ward). Nothing too exciting.
When Sister Heaps and I switched back we came home, had some dinner, and went
out to work! We saw a less active member and her son. We had him
draw the armor of God since he likes art and then we talked about it. It
was cute and fun. We then visited a member and he showed us his cool box
maze thing that he uses to explain the veil, guidance, and the purpose of
life. It was pretty neat!
On Wednesday we went to the horse ranch and got to learn how
to change out the hay. It was fun. You get to tie knots and cut
wires and watch the elders do all the hay lifting! They are good
sports. After PCI we rushed to the church, changed our clothes and then
went to go see a lady we haven't seen in a long time with a member. It
was really good to see her and it seemed like she really appreciated the
visit. She is so sweet and I know she will gain a testimony of the gospel
some day soon! We then went back to the church to have our lunch.
We then went to go check out the Church's new website, christmas.mormon.org and
the "He is the Gift" video. It is amazing!!! Y'all should
go check it out and watch the video and share it with everyone!! Now go,
do!
Afterwards we went to go see one of our investigators. We still
have a problem getting him to understand how going to church is a good
thing. He is ten though, so I know it is hard. He had a bad
experience at another ward and now he never wants to go back. He just
needs time and love. At dinner I got attacked by a cat and Sister Heaps
just watched. The members had a cat that was 1) swatting at the back of
my ankles for half the time and 2) jumped on the back of my chair and started
eating my hair. It is just sitting there, eating me, and no one is doing
anything. I then kind of turn and said, "Hey Sister Heaps, you want
to help me out?" She then quickly removed the cat from my
back. There was no harm done but I thought it was pretty funny my
companion would sit there and watch it all happen.
After dinner we had
another miracle. We just decided that we would go stop by an
investigator's home and drop something off. As we are writing the note he
shows up. He said he had been having a bad day and had just been praying
to God for Him to send someone to help him. We were able to point him to
the scriptures and it seemed to work. It was really awesome :)
Thursday was Turkey Day! In the morning we went to an
animal shelter because a member said they needed some help. They didn't that
day, but they said we could come back on Saturday, do some orientation, and
then volunteer whenever. So we went home and did a little bit of weekly
planning before hitting Thanksgiving lunch at two. It was good food and
we were able to have it with two families in the ward and another family from a
different ward. We even managed to avoid dessert! We went tracting
a bit before our dinner appointment at five. We had it with a family that
lives in this super fancy neighborhood that we never go to because you have to
pass the armed security and be invited in. It was a very different
atmosphere at this dinner. Instead of football on in the background, we
talked about conversion stories. The parents and daughter-in-law are all
converts, as well as another member that joined us for dinner. It was a
wonderful Spirit. We talked about the Book of Mormon and different
experiences we have had with it. I left there not only with a very full belly,
but with a full heart as well. They sent us home with leftovers, but we
gave them to the guard as we went out since he had to be there until 10.
We then went to an investigator's house for 2nd dessert. Yummy day.
We were still very full of food on Friday. We had zone
meeting in the morning and then afterwards we went to go see a few
members. One was a Russian family that came to church a few weeks ago and
introduced their friend to the Church. Her family was the first to be
baptized in their town in Russia and their testimonies and experiences are
amazing. They just love the gospel and want to share it with
everyone.
We had dinner with the Luis and our investigator Ru. They
made us more traditional Chinese food and it was so good. It wasn't ready
when we got there so we got to know her husband better (There is only so much
you have time to say when you meet someone at a car wash/vacuum place).
We then ate and had a lesson. It was amazing. We taught the Restoration
and though Peter was only intending to listen, he was very engaged in the
lesson, they both were. The Spirit was great and they both agreed to be
baptized in February. They are so sincere and strong. I love them
so much!!!! I have really learned how to love on my mission. You
just have this increased capacity to love and when you think you don't have
anymore room for anyone else, you find some. So even though we ended up
being there for four and a half hours, it was still good.
On Saturday we finished weekly planning before going to the
animal shelter for orientation. We learned how to properly handle the
animals and then we took some dogs out to a large enclosed grassy area for some
exercise. We look forward to going there each week. (Or at least we
were before I found out I am leaving!) We then went with one of the
Laurels to visit some of our investigators. After we did some tracting
and then we went to our new ward mission leader's house for dinner and our
first meeting. He has so many plans and he is going to be a fantastic
ward mission leader!
Sunday was awesome. We stopped by a less active woman
before church, showed her and her husband the "He is the Gift" video
and then invited her to church....and she came! She and her kids came!!
It was great!! Ru and Peter came as well. I was so happy. The
speakers ended a little early, so Bishop asked a member and Sister Heaps and I
to bear out testimonies. It is amazing how you can go from a great
feeling of peace to total anxiety in two seconds. I am used to bearing my
testimony in front of people, just not over a hundred people at the same
time. It was fine though and I think I said something that was good
because people said they liked it. I just said that no matter where you
are in your gospel progression, you need to continue to pray about the Book of
Mormon and Joseph Smith in order to continue nourishing your tree of faith and
to put your roots deeper in the roots of the gospel. The rest of church
was good.
We had a great lesson in Relief Society in which lots of people
had the opportunity to share tender mercies in their lives. After church
we tracted a bit before going to dinner. We went to a family's house and
she had her parents there. I saw her dad and thought he looks so
familiar. After asking a few questions I realized that he was my bishop
in the singles ward I attended while I was at BYU! Crazy
coincidence. After dinner we went to a Bishop's Youth Discussion about
missionary work. Two recently returned missionaries spoke and afterwards
we went around and talked to the youth about missions as they ate their
desserts. It was a wonderful night.
Well, I am super sad to be leaving The Woodlands, but I
guess I am needed somewhere else. Next time you hear from me I will be
somewhere else!! Got to go pack, bye!
Sister Hudgens
