Deena Getting a Mission Call!?

So...Deena is getting her mission call soon!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm totally freaking out! I'm so excited and I can't wait to hear over the phone on Christmas where she is going...so everyone pray that she gets it before then okay!? Scott and I took over the English part of the Mission Field and Josh and Phil took over Spanish and mastered it! All of us were state-side...I wonder if she'll pick a side or totally be neutral and get sent to Asia!? Hmmm....What is more like Deena? Yeah, she's totally gonna do her own thing!

Mom was stateside, Aaron was stateside, Tricia was in Canada but all of those are in the West....maybe she'll go to Maine or something cool and totally cold like that? so exciting!!

 Wow, I CANNOT believe we are here again....preparing  for the Christmas phone call! Ahh! I get 30 to 40 minutes so we'll just have to make it work...oh that makes me a little trunky thinking about all of this. Weird. Okay, back to missionary goodness!

We had a normal week...just lots of teaching which we love! I had a great exchange with one of our sisters from Kirabit...a teeny island in the south pacific! She is so great and we had a lot of fun together! She has some cool experiences and stories to share about her conversion 3 years ago. Her family is all catholic but they are supporting her being out here. She and her companion have both been really sick these past two transfers but they are being taught so much by the spirit and setting a great example of diligence and strength. I love them! I love my mission! I love the Lord! I love being set apart from the world and having holy problems to worry about! It is the best thing on Earth...besides the temple!

Have a wonderful week! Merry Christmas! i love you all!

 

Merry Christmas

So much happens on a mission, I seriously struggle trying to remember what happened yesterday...but for you, I'll work a little harder to remember.

 

Tuesday night we were at a lesson w/ Mayra and Krisitna, a 14 year old girl that lives in the house, asked if we were mormon missionaries. She told us that she was from Chicago and that her mom's friend used to take them to church in Indiana. We were totally shocked and then after explaining that she had a book of mormon she ran off into her room and came back with a quad! We just looked at each other in shock. Then she joined our lesson on the gospel and she had all the perfect answers and she even referenced the story of Job and connected it beautifully to our lesson and the point we were on. All throughout the lesson, Sister Riggs and I kept looking at each other in shock. haha! We taught her 3 times that week and she wants to be baptized but they are headed to Chicago for christmas and her mom attends a different church that worships on saturdays and has told Kristina that she wants all of them to be baptized together in the same church....She has 2 younger brothers that are both older than eight....let's see what the spirit can do in the next few weeks! :)

 

We're teaching a man named Frank that is a complete Alma the Younger. We love teaching him. He is so faithful and so peaceful. He has to wait a while to be baptized but we are excited to be a part of his process! He invites all of his friends to come to church with him. What a great man!

 

About half of the people that we are teaching are black or mexican. It is so funny because every time we tell our district we added someone they always say...is she black? Haha! They all want to teach an African American...and they should because they are so deeply rooted in faith in God. It is wonderful!

 

Well, I should share more funny things that happen but I don't want to strain myself on my preparation day so you'll just have to wait until after the mission when I've joined you all again in Babylon.

 

Photos

Picture #5 All of us Sisters in the California San Diego Mission at a special sisters meeting that me and the other 3 trainer sisters put on with Sister Clayton's help!

Picture #6 Dulce, Enner, Sofia, And Cesar a family that I taught in my last area (Scripps Ranch) that I didn't get to say goodbye to when I was transferred. I got to see them on exchanges! We recommitted her to a date on January 19th! :) I love them so much!

Picture #7 Jasmin Calvillo and Alexis. Sisters that we baptized two weeks ago! Adorable!

Picture #8: Yadira, She is going to be Baptized this month! She is such a spiritual Giant. We love teaching her!

Really Busy Week

We have had a really busy week. We taught 31 lessons and we're all striving for at least 20 which was really hard to accomplish in my past areas....I'm so grateful to get a chance to teach as much as we do here. I love it. We've had our challenges though. We are learning a lot about working with the ward council and really being there to serve. That seems to be the theme for this transfer, we're ready to learn what the Lord has for us to learn. :) I know that will make things even better than they are for the missionaries that follow us.

Sister Riggs is so great. I truly love being companions with her! We have a lot of fun, work really hard, and are really good friends. :) She has helped me so much and I think I've helped her a little too.

I'm really not sure what to update you all on. We are going to the Temple today. That will be wonderful! We had a lovely Thanksgiving. We were in 5 homes and ate 2 dinners :) We got to teach a lesson to every family we visited. I think the members really appreciated it and we certainly did.

I can't believe it is Christmas time again. You should all check out mormon.org/christmas it is a huge campaign the church has been planning for and really trying to push! Tell your friends about it! We have a lot of people that we are teaching...that in itself is a blessing, but it is hard to get to them all. Please pray for us to help these newly added investigators to progress and come to church.

As for now, I don't have a lot more to report on. I'll try to attach some pictures to this e-mail. I love you all and think of you often! Thank you for your prayers and love!

Ouch...Thank You

Dear family,

Yesterday was a very bizarre day for us. After 4 weeks with our sweet Sister Greathouse, she felt strongly that she needed to go home to sort out a lot of health problems, so we had to drop her off at the airport yesterday morning. It was so hard knowing what lies before her if she truly wants to get back out here. She can do it with the Lord's help. We truly do miss her though. Sister Riggs and I just hugged and cried for a good while. After personal study we went to see Dr. Holmes, the Chiropractor. While he was adjusting Sister Riggs neck I had to look away so the image of the movement wouldn't be in my head when he adjusted mine. I hear the movement in her neck and she said, "oww,...thank you." It was a perfect analogy for the gospel and our experiences hear on Earth. Sometimes the Thank you is delayed for a very long time but it will always come when the Lord lets us understand the purpose of that trial or challenge. It's silly but very deep. I know there are people experiencing a lot of Oww for a reason and we can be a part of helping them come to say Thank you.

We just got back from a meeting for the Sisters in the mission. The 4 of us training Sisters (including the mormon battallion sisters) got a chance to share our thoughts with all 40 of the sisters here. It was wonderful. We talked about how we need to laugh and find joy in the journey. Self-destructing is Satan's way. Joy in the journey is the Savior's way. Sister Sterling (Phil, do you know any Sterlings from PG?) shared how her twin sisters that are about 4 were alone in the kitchen getting into their typical mischeif and from the other room she hear one of them say, "I believe in Savannah!" She peaked in to see Savannah standing on the kitchen counter tightly holding onto the cupboard with one hand and reaching far back into the cupboard with the other. Savannah said, "say it again." So her sister said, "I believe in Savannah!" That unity and confidence in each other is what we need in our companionships, mission, ward and stake. I know that applies to after the mission too. We can do incredible things when we know that someone believes in  us. I know that is true. I felt that the moment I walked into my district in the MTC. I felt it totally change me and I've carried that throughout my mission. Then we talked about the immense changes in missionary work that are approaching. We have 180 missionaries currently and are expecting that to increase by 70 before July. We want each missionary to come into this mission and feel like they are a part of something amazing and that they are needed and loved instantly. The work will truly roll forth with greater power as we are behind each other and pushing alongside. I felt so humbled and full of love for every sister as we all sat huddled in the living room of our mission home. I felt an outpouring of appreication for these choice daughters of God that are here serving the Lord. They each carry a power and I know that we can create a unity here that will help hasten the Lord's work.

I love this gospel. I Know it is true. I feel the safety and certainty that comes from spoken truth as the spirit witnesses to my heart that the doctrine is true. I love being a tool for the Lord. I'm looking forward to the months I have left here in San Diego and for the years I have in the Lord's kingdom all over the world. I'll still make a huge impact if it is a desire of mine and if I am willing to act on the impressions that come, even when they don't appear to make sense. I love you and invite you to pray for those opportunities to bless lives each day with an act of kindness and showing your awareness.

Baptisms!

We had an interesting week with Halloween and a few sad things happening with our investigators but we were able to grow even stronger as a companionship and as servants of the Lord. We had to accept and trust that the Lord knows what he is doing, even if we wanted someone's journey to be different. The Lord knows exactly what He is doing and we know that in his perfect timing, each of his children will have a chance to embrace the gospel in its fullness. I love this work. We are so lucky to be a part of it! I've been reflecting on how limited my time is to be a full-time missionary and what that means. I won't have the same capacity to reach people and I won't be recognized as a representative of the Lord...that is because I won't be an authorized servant anymore. Not that I want to dwell on it too much, but it has helped me see what an urgency there should be in my heart to make the fullest of this time. I am so grateful to be here and for the marvelous miracles that I have been a part of. I'll never be able to repay the Lord for even the smallest of those miracles.

We just got a new stake president last week and Elder Koelicker and Elder Bassett were here to make that change. They taught us so much! Elder Basset and I spoke for a little while and he asked me how long I had been on my mission. I said, "A While." He asked if my experience had been good and I assured him that it had been incredible. He then related to me that he was mission president in Mesa from 2007 to 2010 and that he still ached for it at times. I treasure this time...and am so so grateful for this calling. I'm also really pumped about coming home as a sanctified member of the church but I don't want to botch it. My theory is that if I have a plan and make realistic commitments to the Lord before I get home, I'll be able to springboard off the purifying that has happening these last 18 months.

I was in a car accident back in May and went to the chiropractor about 4 times and then the missionary department wanted me to get checked out by a medical doctor. I went and he said to take a lot of Ibuprofen regularly for a while and to have better posture. I went to our mission doctor last week because my companions already had to see him. He told me and Sister Riggs that the best solution is to just lose some of the weight that is on our frames...he's so right. But, I feel like my car wreck left me in a weird place.  Sister Russell told us we could go see Dr. Holmes a chiropractor just down the street from us. I had been there so many times before with Sister Ah Chookoon. He wanted to see me then but it was weird with all the medical doctors and I felt like my biggest problems (the headaches) were gone. Since then I've been really uncomfortable but nothing really painful. Today we went and he  charges $60 for an x-ray (he's like the only chiropractor that actually does those) which would've been almost all the money I have in my account but I knew it would be good to be seen. He sees missionaries for free except for that x-ray which he knocks down for us. So, he saw me and got a crazy adjustment on my neck and upper back...and I didn't leave with a headache like I did the four times before with a different chiropractor (of course there were some serious problems then with my whiplash.) We went up to pay for our xray and he said he wouldn't charge us. He just wanted to help us to feel better, so we could work harder and have more baptisms. :) Such a great man! That was such a miracle and he and his wife are the sweetest people ever! Wow, we definitely have to do something really nice for them. We are actually teaching his brother's girlfriend. It's crazy how things work out like that. I couldn't really express what wasn't right but after he adjusted me I felt so much better! I feel looser and lighter than I have in such a long time. Anyway, just thought I'd share that miracle with you all.

We have a baptism this weekend and 2 next week. Both of the Baptisms are completing part-member families. I love them!!!! :) The Lord has a great work for us to be doing here and so much has surfaced...we just have to keep moving forward and always being ready to declare the Lord's word to all of his Children around us. :)

Fuerte Is On FIRE!

Hudson family and friends!

 

So....life has totally switched around for me here in Fuerte. The area is so very different than anywhere I have ever served. The people are so humble and ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have had great success over the past few weeks and that has been such a blessing to be a part of. Here are a few of the miracles:

 

We did splits on Monday so we could visit a list of less-active young women. We taught 7 lessons that day and when we had a follow up lesson with one of them on Wednesday it turned out that this Young Woman and her little sister had not been Baptized...it was such a surprise to all of us. We added them and Sister Great house was able to extend her first invitation to be Baptized and they both accepted for November 17th! They need to attend church every week leading up to it and when sacrament meeting started there was no sign of them. As we sang the 2nd verse of the opening hymn we saw two darling girls nervously peak in the chapel until they caught sight of us and their faces lit up and they ran over to us and sat down. They loved Church and have already asked their grandpa and uncle to Baptize them! :) That was honestly a Miracle that fell right into our lap.

 

We also went to visit a less active woman and her granddaughter answered the door. She and her less active mom let us share a lesson with them. We had a follow up appointment where we added her and her older sister and invited them to be Baptized in December. They are so so sweet! The spirit was so powerful as we talked about the gift of the holy ghost and what a treasure that is to have. They are both really excited about how living the gospel will help them feel better about themselves and help them feel the love of God more purely and consistently in their lives.

 

We are so excited about the chance to teach so many of God's children the things that he would have them know so that they may have peace in this life and eternal joy hereafter! It is amazing to see the light of someone's countenance lighten and brighten up as they learn more of our savior Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us.

 

Another great realization we all had this week came from our personal studies yesterday. We were each lead to the Lord's will. It is so simply...We can do anything we want if we will just do it. I told you it was simple!

 

We have so much fun and work so hard. Sister Riggs is hilarious and can lighten any mood. Sister Greathouse is so sweet and loves the people here so much. We barely have time to eat and I love that feeling!

 

You are all wonderful! I love you and I hope you can see how much the Lord appreciates the little things you do to obey the spirit.

 

In companionship study we were struggling to know what to share with one of our investigators and so we decided to have a prayer. Each of us felt something different but as we spoke, we realized that it all flowed together perfectly. We felt so strongly about it and it led to inviting him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and being Baptized. He struggles a lot because he has been actively attending another Christian Church for over 20 years. Naturally, we were nervous but we each knew it was what we needed to do. It was a powerful lesson and he said he couldn't feel a no, so he made the commitment to prepare for a December Baptism. This lesson was exhausting but that didn't explain the feeling of sorrow I felt throughout our lesson that was robbing my joy.

 

I was really sad after our lesson and I couldn't figure out why. I felt the spirit so strongly in our last stop by visit of a member and totally lost it in my prayer. Afterwards my persistent companion, Sister Riggs, asked me what was wrong. As I took the time to search (I was not happy about trying figure out what was wrong...there wasn't time for that) I knew what thoughts triggered my mood change. It was all of my thoughts how "easy" things seem to be here and how badly I ache for that same type of success to happen with the people I just poured my heart into for 10 months. I was sad for the many missionaries that will never taste of the sweetness of a baptism on their mission or who lie awake at night wondering in desperation wondering what they are doing wrong or missing in their ministry or companionship to make an area move and to see clearly. That was so hard for me to accept. I wasn't even truly happy with the success we are seeing here because of the questions I had in my heart about my service in my last area. Then I realized how selfish and demanding I was being of the Lord. The root of "success" is not from missionary skills or diligence but in the Lord's will for an area, a time, a ward, a missionary, and his eternal plans for each. The Lord has been trying to teach me my entire mission (and a long while before my mission) to look to Him solely for my validation. That has proven very challenging in today's world and especially with spiritual matters and when one of the most obvious ways to fulfill my purpose is to get Baptisms. Yet, here I am full circle. I was starving for Baptisms and felt that my entire worth as a missionary was dependent upon that. I slowly learned that lesson and many more while absolutely loving my days working with the amazing people in my first 2 areas. Here I am a midst great success and having to relearn it. The Lord is grateful for my efforts and perhaps the challenging and wonderful months before this were shaping me into the missionary he needs me to be right here, right now, and after my mission as a member missionary. I'm not entirely sure what will happen from here...but even if our "success" completely drops...I know what I need to focus on to know of my worth and if I am fulfilling the Lord's will for me. A wise friend that just got home from his mission told me to search for my purpose and that it would help me be an effective tool for the Lord. That has changed my mission...I had to do it more than once...but my entire life is changed for knowing to focus on where my will is at and where it should be....which is right next to the Lord's. Nothing could replace the spirit in my journey to know his will, not even the people around me. Its a special message that comes straight to your heart and mind as you diligently seek it and as you obey your guide (the spirit.)

 

I hope that makes sense...just needed you to know what I've learned recently and how grateful I am for every second I am here. I have a wealth of knowledge and experience that are changing my life and my heart.

The best thing since sliced bread!

So I went to transfer meeting and it turns out that I am in el Cajun with sister Riggs. She is the best thing since sliced bread! We get a long so well and the area is on fire. She is actually called to serve at the Mormon battalion which means that she has only been out proselyting for half of the day. She's been on her mission for 12 weeks and it is the best thing to be able to learn from her and how the Mormon battalion works. They are so busy that they really use their time so well. It has been fun and ingesting. We are living with the bishop and his wife. The ward is actually two wards that were combined about 5 months ago. There are nearly 700 members and 300 or so are active. The Lord must really see a lot of potential here that he is making the area a full time area. We are pumped about it and feel so privileged to be here making it all go forward...well The Lord does most of it. Anyway, we have finally gotten settled and had a really busy and good day yesterday. Then we got a phone call proving that it was too easy. :) president told us that we are to come to his house tomorrow and pick up our new companion that we will be training! Haha! So great! We are excited and a little nervous about a trio and training in a trio! It will be good though and The Lord knew we needed more things to learn.

We had a beautiful baptism on Saturday. One of ounce ostrau investigators came to it and NHL was so far from attending church but then we had a chapel tour with him and it was just what he needed...he showed up at church Sunday morning and completely made my day. We are also teaching a young single mother of two set boys. We just added her brother and they love the Korda lot. We just need to help them commit.

Well now I am at the mission home and we just met sister great house from Utah. She is darling and so sweet. We're happy and motivated for the week to be amazing! 

Love you tons!!!

I'm Gonna be a Grandma!

So tranfer calls came today and we found out that Sister Ritter, my daughter, is going to train!!!!! She is expecting and I will be a proud new grandma tomorrow! :) So lovely! She is so nervous but she can do it. She is so qualified and I am so happy for her! This of course means that I am getting transferred after 9 1/2 months here in my 2nd area, Scripps Ranch. I have loved being here. I have gone through so much here...a lot of changing and becoming happened in this area. I will ever be grateful for the challenges I have faced that have become sacred to me. Last night all I could do was thank Heavenly Father for my mission....I feel so incapable of expressing how much I treasure this time that I have. He has done so much with me and has changed me in great ways. I wouldn't trade 1 second of those sweet spirit filled moments were my trust in the Lord was tested and rewarded so openly for anything. Being a missionary...there is nothing that compares to the sweet moments and the way the Spirit works through you...it is precious. I know that we can all have that...in our own unique callings and paths that the Lord puts us on. It is all one great work.

I of course am elated to know that Deena can leave anytime now! Wow, that is incredible and if she leaves before I get home in February, I'll be so happy that she is going when the Lord needs her. Timing is so important and God will lead her to make the right choice. Only He knows. Wouldn't ya know that we Hudsons WOULD have to be complicated and showy by having multiple missionaries out all at the same time....the Lord probably figures we could use more of the blessings! HA!

 

Well, I have little else to say....except that I love you and I am so grateful that we are all on the path...let's stay on it. That is probably the greatest gift that each of us have...access to answers and guidance as we need it. The spirit is real...and we feel him differently at different times of life but I know he is there.

 

Sister Clayton shared something from a book about the 4th watch. When the storm came and they called out to Jesus it was on the 4th watch....sometimes we are expecting him at the 2nd or 3rd but he will come...we just have to patiently endure and be of good cheer like our Prophet has counseled us to be!

Happy October wit 100 Degree Weather

Attention Smurfs and Smurfettes:

Sorry this will be short. We just got back from the San Diego Zoo with a less Active member. It was a lot of fun and really hot! Funny how I've been to the Mayan Ruins, France, Quebec, Washington, D.C., and London, but today was my first time seeing a Giraffe, Elephant, and Panda! It was so fun! I'll try and send some pics along too.

This past Sunday we fasted as a companionship to know how to help Dulce, who has a date for Oct 27, keep progressing. Her husband has been studying with the Jehovah's Witness because Dulce's cousin is a member and they have a close relationship. He is a pretty shy guy and won't come to the dinners our members have been inviting them to and he won't come to church with her...or at least dulce is not willing to push it but he really is a supportive guy. So we were at a loss of how to approach him for the 2nd or 3rd time. She hasn't exactly told him how committed she is...like that she is planning to be baptized in less than 4 weeks. She hungers for her family to be there with her at her baptism and to understand what she is preparing for and to really be excited for her. So...by the time Sunday night rolled around we decided to stop by and set up a time to meet with dulce. She wasn't home...but Enner was. It was all small talk at first like always and then I anxiously sought guidance from Heaven. The question "how do you feel about us teaching dulce?" came out. He didn't exactly answer that question but he really did open up! It was really great! he talked w/ us for 45 minutes and he did most of the talking!!!! He normally never says more than 2 sentences at a time. FASTING WORKS! Of course, he want to think about whether he wants to learn w/ dulce or not. He says he wants to make sure that he is ready to fully focus and pay attention. IT was neat though because he expressed a lot of his somewhat negative experiences in the past w/ missionaries...that was huge for him and for us! I love it! Please pray for this family...they are so ready...we just need more opportunities to teach them!

Love you all! Keep doing your best.

Trying to Apply What the Lord Is Teaching Us

I just got back from a 2 hour drive from the Desert. I was in El Centro which is 45 minutes from Yuma, Arizona. Lucky for me it wasn't its usual 111 Degrees and humidity. I'm so lucky! Haha! Sister Edgerly and I went out there with the Assistants, President and Sister Clayton. It was great because I got to learn so much from those amazing sisters! They are on fire and they are doing so much. The best part about all of it is that Miracles always happen on Exchanges/ Coaching. If we are trying to apply what the Lord is teaching us (be it through a mission President, District Leader, Prophet, Bishop, Elders Quorum President, or in our own personal revelation) He blesses us with miracles...he sustains our efforts! It was really great! We got two appointments set up for this week...all because we had the faith that the Lord has people that are prepared!

 

Church was incredible on Sunday! I learned so much and there was one talk that really helped me so how I"ve grown in these past 9 monthis in Scripps Ranch. I feel like I'm on a similar quest as President Monson. He is on the Lord's Errand and wants the Lord to know that if there is ever something that he needs done, he can count on Tom Monson to do it. Well, I feel like I've learned to just be willing...not hesitate or argue...to ACT. I feel like the Lord knows he can trust me with the random promptings to talk to people on the street or be led to someone's house. I hope that doesn't sound so prideful...I know I have a long way to go and I promise it isn't an easy thing...but I can tell a difference in my heart and my availability for the Spirit. I'm so grateful for that!

 

Well, I don't have a lot more to say...just that I love you all and I'm excited to be a missionary. Last night in my personal prayers all I could think about was how grateful I am to be a missionary, to have this time, and to be an instrument in his hands. I wouldn't trade it for the world. It was the right decision for me...not every girl goes on a mission but it was the right decision for me and I'm so happy I had the spirit helping get here.

 

I love you all so very much! Stay strong! Listen to the Spirit and remember that the Doctrines are perfect but the people/church isn't. I loved that General Conference talk!

 

Greetings From San Diego

Greetings from San Diego! I'm doing well. We've had a busy week full of meetings. We just had transfers last week and I found out that I will be the new "Sister Trainer" for the English Sisters....it's kind of a unique leadership calling. Only some missions have them. Anyway, it means that I get to go on exchanges w/ the sisters and try and help them set/reach goals and check on their overall well-being. I also get to help "coach" the sisters after our MTE (training w/ President Clayton and the Assistants) every 3 months. I get to go w/ a companionship for 24 hours and help them apply what we just learned at MTE. Then we all come back together and we share miracles! So I'll do exchanges or coaching every Friday. It should be fun but I'm a little nervous. I know it will help me be a better missionary! :) I'm excited about that and the chance to learn so much from the Sisters. To be perfectly honest, I also feel relieved to know that the Lord is satisfied enough with my efforts (despite, the difficulties we've faced in our area) that he would trust me enough to extend this calling to me. The calling to Lead is a calling to Serve. I hope I can internalize that a little bit more. I'm so excited though and I could use your prayers.

 

On Monday we had Zone Leader Council and we learned so much from President, the Assistants, and each other. It was so great! One of the Assistants shared an experience from his early years in Baseball. He was "a hitter" and consistently hit the ball right over the shortstops head and could always make it to first base. It was enough to get him a spot on the team but his Dad was so annoyed that he was doing more. He would always try and give him pointers and tips after each game or practice but his consistency never failed to get the ball right over the shortstop's head. Then his dad went out and bought him a nice $300 bat to help him really get into it. As his dad threw him balls, he hit the ball in the exact same spot. Frustrated, his father walked up to him, handed him the glove and took the bat. He threw balls to his father and he kept hitting them out of the park. After losing most of the balls, his Dad walked up to the pitcher's mound and said, "I've seen you play with all of your friends. You are every bit as athletic as they are. You can hit harder and farther than what you've been doing. You need to have passion. I know you can do this." His dad loved him enough to help him see his potential and disturbed his consistent complacency...even when it was "better" than the other kids. I felt so fired up after that. We can all be great hitters and swing hard. If we want others to swing hard w/ us...we have to do it first. They won't swing, if we aren't swinging. So...SWING HARDER THAN EVER BEFORE!

 

Another thing that really opened my eyes was a miracle that one of the zone leaders shared. 7 wks ago, a companionship re-opened an area that only had 2 investigators and the area book had been dissolved. They had a few former investigators to work with. 7 wks later, they have 2 or 3 people getting ready to be Baptized! Wow! If the Lord can do that through them, He can certainly do that through us in our area! Maybe it won't show up in Baptisms but it will show up where we need it, which is member involvement. We NEED members to go out with us and to fellowship our investigators...they cannot progress w/o a sense of peace and love from people that know what they are doing. They need to be led.

 

Another great thing I learned from my Zone Leaders, Elders Hansen and Johnson is that instead of just dealing with the surface, we need to find out what the root of our problem is. Are we working with a Dandelion or a Sequoya tree? That has helped tremendously! I really know that we can get things moving more rapidly and more powerfully as we assess our challenges and really dig to find those roots. Then we are free to carefully choose from our plethora of resources and use the most effective tools! We are trying to extend the invitation more often for members to come out with us...and learn to embrace "No" and not think that means "Never." I've spent way too much of my mission living in fear...or letting my thoughts get farther ahead of me. Assumption truly is the mother of all screw ups. I know that! Satan does his best to tell us that things aren't going to go well. It is our work to know the Spirit well enough to recognize a false comforter or false prompter that is Satan. Miracles have come these past 7 weeks as we have been less hesitant and more direct! I love the enabling power I feel as I put aside my fear and poor selfish grief and leave it there.

 

We don't drop investigators, they drop us. Yet, we need to be direct (and still our loving selves) enough to make them choose to drop us or get on board with some real intent! I know we can do this as we extend the invitation to be baptized early and often. It seems easy enough to teach the first discussion and then at least ask, "When you find out that this is true, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be Baptized by someone holding the Priesthood Authority of God?" ...it seems simple enough. I've just had a hard time letting go of our investigators so I would baby them a lot. Now, I have the confidence and faith to know that if we aren't helping them and they aren't helping themselves, there will be another time for them and we will spend the time right now helping those who the Lord has prepared for this time. :)

 

Okay, so that is a long enough e-mail/lecture/food for thought. I'll just add that Dulce is praying about October 6th but she still hasn't made it to church yet. She needs to come 3 times but we are so excited because our Primary president really wants to come with us to teach her! :) When that happens, things will just move forward!!! We'd love more prayers in trying to make that happen!

 

Love you all so much! Thanks for everything that you've done for me! I truly appreciate how much you have served me and been there for me. I hope you are being blessed and seeing those blessings!

A little longer at Scripps Ranch

So, we got transfer calls today and Sister Ritter and I will be staying her in Scripps Ranch for another transfer...we were both expecting that but still there is always a little excitement when this day comes each 6 weeks. This morning we took a sister to the airport and we have her companion with us for the day. She found out she is whitewash training (whitewash means she and her companion are both leaving her area and she and her new companion will both be new in the next area.) Anyway, it has been a crazy day w/ all of that going on. Heavenly Father certainly directs the work and there are countless times when I have been surprised by something because it isn't how I was planning it to happen or I wouldn't have picked that setup on my own and then blessings and miracles come forth because Heavenly Father knows what he is doing! I testify to that truth, this is his vineyard, he loves his vineyard, and he knows what to do with it.

We had some cool experiences this week w/ our street contacting. We taught 2 discussions to random people we met and they both took at least an hour. I'm not sure what will come from it but I DO know that God is leading us to these people and we're being mouthpieces for him. I just hope it is enough.

We are still working w/ Dulce, Lupita, and Leslie (and our other investigators of course but these are the most committed.) Dulce should be at church this week!!!! Please please pray for that!

We're having a Mission President's Fireside in our stake on the 9th. Its sort of a musical night of the missionary choir and some of the missionaries do musical numbers. We also watch mormon messages and have recent converts bare their testimonies, then President Clayton will say a few words at the end. They are so powerful! I'm excited because it is a great finding opportunity and I'll be singing a musical number in it. That makes it even more pulling because a lot of people are willing to come to support you! :) Yay! I'm singing w/ Elder Lloyd and Wallentine...it's a folksy version of "Jesus Savior Pilot Me" Hymn 104. I'm going to try and attach a copy of us practicing it...hope it works. Love you all so so much! Thanks for everything! Keep praying for me and tell Desi and Kris that I am SO EXCITED FOR THEM!

 

Sorry, it is WAY too big! I'll find a way to get it to you....maybe when I get home haha! Sorry!

 

The 1st picture is from a pond on the Miramar Marine Corps base we had a picnic at a few weeks ago!

The other is an Higo...a delicious fruit that Dulce gave us...a weird cross between sprouts and watermelon! haha!

 

With love, from San Diego

So, this has been another wonderful week in paradise. :) We have been working hard to contact more people and change our mindsets so that we unmistakably value finding new people to teach and contacting them on the street or wherever we find them. We have a lot of fun with it though! We met the coolest guy from Libya...or Arabia if there is such a place. He had 5 little girls that were so darling and we are so excited to take him an Arabic Book of Mormon and some pamphlets. Any of those hesitations to do a good thing come from the adversary...I know that. Miracles (seen and unseen) are usually on the other side of those hesitations. I love the gospel so much and our zone is so pumped about August. We are all trying hard to help people get ready for Baptism and this month is "Heat um up" August and we're even getting T-shirts. haha...can't wait! Sister Ritter and I are trying to help people progress and we know that is best done as we use members. We have the best ward mission leader ever! He came out w/ us Sunday and we contacted 3 people w/ him and 6 close after. It was awesome. He really cares a lot about our success and working right next to us.

 

San Diego has been so hot lately. I know I shouldn't complain because I"m living in Paradie, but it has been so hot!!! I"m just so so grateful that we have a car and we're not in the midwest! Whew....!

 

We added two new investigators last week. Both of them were ladies we've been working on for a few months. We're excited. Who knew there were so many organization skills required for this work!? I learned that real quick but I still haven't mastered it.

 

I wish I had more to report, but I don't. One miracle though is that we were really busy and I had the thought to go visit Myrna. It was so so hot and I really didn't want to. We had treked up that hill so many times in the middle of the hot afternoon only to stand on a doorstep sweating for a couple of minutes. I tried to rationalize my feeling away because we truly had other important things to do and the feelign wasn't that strong, but It wouldn't go away, so I followed it and we parked and walked and knocked on her door. To my surprise, she opened the door and invited us in for 30 minutes. Then after our lesson she was hesitant to set up a return appointment because she so badly doesn't want to disprespect the Bible or the Lord but after we bore our testimony of our purpse, and reinvited her, she accepted! She wasn't home for our appointment later in the week but still! What a miracle. It is so cool to be tools in the hands of the Lord...such a blessing!

 

Well, I think that is it for now. We got to go to the Temple today and it was amazing as always! :) It was Sister Ritter's first time in the San Diego Temple. What a lovely experience. There is nothing that compares to the sweet spirit and feeling of coming home that you can only find in the Temple.

 

I love you all and I hope you know you are in my heart.

 

And the spirit did not fail (her.!)

Hey Everyone,

 

So it has been a very interesting week. I've had so many experiences where I didn't know how to get us out of a situation or help someone really understand and sat back and let the spirit work it's truth. Seriously, the spirit will not fail us and no one can argue with a testimony!

 

Leslie came to the Elder Ballard Fireside and was all excited for us to come over to teach her more and to bring her a book of Mormon. We were so so excited! We started calling her a couple times a day and no responses. Luckily, Thursday was super busy! We taught 6 lessons and we happened to have a 30 minute break between appointments so we made a few calls. I decided to call leslie and to my surprise she answered. At first it was small talk and then she said, "well, I have your number, let me call you." So at that point I knew if the conversation ended like that we would stalk her a few times and then she would just be another former investigator. So the thought came to my mind, "ask her if she prayed about what elder Ballard taught." So I asked her and she said yes but that she was really confused. Then she went on to explain that she had gone to a prayer group/meeting of all women and the speaker/evangelist was really well known. She said the lady prayed over her and "anointed" her and that she really felt the spirit of the Lord. She told the lady that she had just listened to an apostle and then her response was that she was really confused and should pray about it. she also told her to read psalms and proverbs and to see if any of that applied to her.

 Wow, I really didn't know what to say to that but of course I love to try and then I felt this need to help her understand what that was and yet do it simply...I wanted to FORCE it to make sense and then I knew that I had to humble myself and trust in the Lord. I calmed down and just let the words in my heart come out of my mouth. The Spirit did all the talking and I remember telling her that she should keep reading proverbs and psalms. I told her that if she prays she will get an answer and that God wants her to know the truth. I then explained that it wouldn't be clear until she understood more about what she was asking. Then I explained that our purpose is to help others have that understanding and truth so that they can reason with the lord and he will speak to their mind and their heart. Then I explained that the Holy Ghost witnesses of truth, so you can feel it anywhere that truth is being taught, even a portion of the truth. And that God's truth is hard. So had that people have always tried to change it to fit what is comfortable or more appealing. It keeps changing until God won't have anything to do with it and he withdraws from them. I explained that Satan will make us content w/ half truths but that there is a fulness here and we want to teach her of that and make it easier for her to get a clear undeniable answer from the Lord. Then I asked if we could call her on Thursday or Friday (it was Thursday but i forgot) to see how she's feeling and maybe have a lesson. She said, "oh, Friday I have something but Thursday might be good. Yeah, how about Thursday in the evening?" So I said, "that's today, how about 5?" She agreed! I hung up the phone and then covered my face and said a prayer of thanksgiving. I've never experienced anything quite like that. It was one of the greatest teaching experiences I've ever had. I loved it and felt so supported by the Lord.

Then, a member came to a less active lesson w/ us and then she offered to come w/ us to Leslie's last-minute appointment! Money! It was perfect! :) Then we met w/ her again on Saturday and taught her about the Book of Mormon. She's pretty excited. Too bad all of her friends around here are the ones that converted her to Christianity...it's gonna be a tough fight...or maybe we could teach them too!? :) Possibilities are endless w/ the spirit. I bare my witness that the spirit will not fail you. Trust in the Lord!

 

I love you all!!!! Thanks for your many 

 prayers and all your love!

 

 

 

 

 

Letters To President

Wow! I love training! I'm sure I'm not the best there is but I have been learning so much! Sister Ritter is so great. Poor thing, I've been working her so hard. She didn't even get to fully unpack until Friday. It's been wonderful. We've seen so many miracles together and I know that is because Heavenly Father takes training very seriously. There are always miracles. On her first day we taught 3 less active lessons and 2 member lessons. We found an unknown less active by randomly knocking on his door and we contacted a lady that had just been praying to God. It was so powerful! :) "I love being a missionary," words both of us have said a few times this week. We taught 17 lessons last week, which was good. We finally had someone come to church! Leslie came and I think she enjoyed it. There is a lot we'll have to help her get used to but the Gospel really sells itself. We're still working to find new investigators and help our investigators progress and keep commitments. Our companionship goal this week is to powerfully follow up on commitments. We're excited because we know it will make a big difference in our ministry.

 

I've been reading in Alma this week and I've learned a lot about teaching and how important our image is. In Alma 22:3, King Lamoni's father was so impressed with Ammon's "generosity and greatness of words" that he insisted that they administer unto him. :) Every missionary's dream. That really hit me though. There is so much good that can be done simply by how we conduct ourselves. I have also learned alot about Heavenly Father's plan for us. A less active that we have been working with finally talked with the Bishop on Sunday. It was so great to see how the Spirit was working on her. We're reading from the Book of Mormon with her to help her better understand what is going on and truly gain a testimony and be converted for herself. This is a marvelous work.

Im Expecting!

Dearest Family,

 

I'm Expecting. There you have it. I am training. I'll pick up my new greenie tomorrow morning! : I knew this day would come but I'll be the first to admit that I should be nervous...but I'm not. I think the stress and emotions of the last few days have made me feel unable to really react. I had to say goodbye to Sister Ah Chookoon yesterday. She has been a wonderful companion, friend, and sister. I never imagined we would be companions or that we would stay together that long but I know that I must have been on Heavenly Father's good side for that one. I'm so blessed! She was there through so much and really strengthened my ability to exercise patience and faith. Mostly though, she taught me to love openly and receive love freely. It was exactly what I needed. I feel like a more whole person and more capable representative of Jesus Christ.

 

When she had departure activities she accidentally took our phone with her and so yesterday we were laughing about how funny and unfortunate it would be for her to accidentally take it to Samoa w/ her....guess what ended up happening? Yep...our phone is currently in New Zealand...probably buried at the bottom of her purse. So great. I hope she doesn' cry when she finds it.

 

Things are going well. We are working with a handful of people and a couple of them are really starting to be converted by the spirit. It is just a matter of them exercising faith and taking control of the situations that they are in to make it happen. Dulce is so so sweet. We've had powerful experiences with her as we've taught from the book of Mormon and then connected it to her life and her experiences with the Lord. It is really amazing. She is so excited to read. We need to be better at following up. If we don't take it seriously, they won't take it seriously. Family, I know I'll be in greater need than ever of your prayers and faith. Please don't hold back in the blessings you invoke from Heaven in my behalf. ;) I love you all and I am so excited for all that is happening in this great world. The Lord has important lessons for us to learn and sometimes they take a lot of patience and carefuly accumulation of the little flecks of gold to have a heavy pouch of gold. As I look back on my mission, I can see how those flecks have truly added up. I'm so grateful for the gospel and for the powerful ability the spirit has to change us. Thank the Lord for the Comforter by listening to His voice.

 

I love you!

 

Love, Sister Hudson

A Note From The Care Giver

Dearest, Readers
I must say that I regret my lack of diligence. Though you may not see it now I was in "Limbo". I'm not sure how I got lost from such a simple Copy and Paste task. Here I am 6 months later inserting the blogs where they are Historically Accurate. Please excuse my behavior, it was unacceptable. Therefore I shall be more diligent in my Copy and Paste task. Thank You very much Please Enjoy the Late posts!
                              Sincerely, Deena Marie

Hit and Run Chase

Before reading the story below....please be advised:
1. We are 100% okay
2. I don't have to pay the mission anything
3. Dad, I almost didn't tell you because I don't want you to worry and I also don't want you to call my mission office about it...everything is taken care of. Leave those poor people alone haha! ;)
4. Thank you for your prayers...they work!

So remember all that car trauma I caused for Maria Blanca? Well, I was in my first accident with another vehicle on Saturday. It was so weird. It's actually a very good story considering there wasn't much damage at all and that everyone was totally fine and just a little sore.

We were stopped at a light waiting to go left. The light turned green and a pedestrian started crossing a very busy road and the car ahead of me made the left. We were still at a stop because I was waiting for the guy to get accross the street. Then BAM we got rear ended. It was so weird. I would've sworn by how hard it felt like we got hit that we had lost a bumper. I put on my hazard lights then I looked in the rear view mirror and there was a huge line of cars. They started honking and I thought it was obvious that we had gotten hit (in my head at least) and I knew I wasn't supposed to move the car but there was so much traffic so I thought ok we'll just cross this intersection and the guy will follow me right? So we went across the street slowly and the guy behind us took a left and so I thought he was just going to pull over there right? NO! He sped off! What did we do? We followed him! Yes, we chased our hit and run "suspect" through the smoke his tires left as he sped off. My companion scrambled for the phone to call 911 and we realized not only do we not know the liscence plate number we don't know what kind of car it was....we went as fast as we could and had our TIWI box ( a little box that talks to us if we are speeding or driving aggressively) told me "speeding Violation"  so annoying. We went on anyway for .5 miles and then I knew we couldn't catch him so we just pulled over, got out and I called 911. Then my emotions took over and I realized how fast my heart was beating and I started crying of course as I struggled to tell the lady on the line which direction the "suspect" was headed. It was so surreal and I was so upset that he just took off! Then, probably 100 people drove by (including all the witnesses) and not one of them even stopped to check on us. There wasn't any obvious damage to the bumper so it just looked like we were having car troubles but I kept thinking about how that would never happen in Oklahoma! I was so upset and disappointed at humanity. I got over it though. haha! 15 minutes later 2 police woman showed up and filled out the report and all that information then Elder  and Sister Fort came and checked on us and Sister Fort gave each of us a big hug...it was so nice! They are great!
The results are that the car is totally fine and Elder Fort (he's in charge of the mission cars) said there is barely any damage and he probably won't even call it into the insurance. Everyone said we did the right thing and one of the cops said we played everything by the book. :) That was validating. Sister Ah Chookoon and I were so grateful for the many many prayers that are said all over the world for missionaries and the handful that are said for us specifically! There are so many ways it could have been worse and I'm grateful it all happened the way that it did. Maybe I'll witness an accident and need to be smart enough to record info for someone else...or maybe I'll need to know what to do in the future with a different situation that this will help me out with. Who knows. I thought you would enjoy me sharing that though :) Yes, your sister/daughter chased a hit and run while a missionary. Good times and a great story.

Hey all

Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

So, things have been really good here.
 We are doing a lot within our district
 to help each other be motivated and talk
to more people and improve in different
areas. It has changed a lot. We set a goal
 as a district to have everyone add someone
 before the end of the week and if we all do,
we'll have a district lunch where we make a delicious
homemade meal. :) It's great! We also have a contest on
how many people we can talk to about the church during
the day. It has helped us a lot! It is really nice to have
others help you pull down the barriers that are all in our
 heads but that feel so real they prevent us in the moment
from talking to someone heavenly Father has prepared and
literally put in our path. We just have to open up our
 mouths, forget our personal feelings, and talk. :) It
has really helped me feel more in control of my situation
as a missionary and representative of Jesus Christ in Scripps Ranch.
:) I'm so grateful for our district. :) I'm really enjoying the area,
my companion is great, the people we're working with are progressing...slowly,
but we'll take it. :) The Atonement really is enabling.


this week we went and helped an elderly gentleman in our
Ward, Brother Park Larson pack up some of his things. His
 wife, Sybil passed away in September and they have so much
 stuff! Luckily they have 10 children to divide it amongst. :)
 He sold his house and is moving to Fresno. He is such a faithfilled man.
He has had incredible experiences and really taught me about what it means
 to have faith and trust in God. I know there is so much for me to learn
 and to enjoy about the gospel of Jesus Christ. :)

We invited the Patted family to be Baptized. They said yes but they will
pray about the date of May 19. :) So please pray that they will get an
 answer. Basavaraj (they're from India) is so sweet! He has been to
church before and liked it but he is holding on to a lot of his Hindu
beliefs. With the langauge barrier (just a small one) it can be difficult
 to know if they are really understanding that we are asking them to do
these things. So to be sure he got it I reinvited him 2 times after Sister
 Ah Chookoon asked the first time haha! At least it is crystal clear now!
:) he mostly things all good things are a good thing for his family and
 so I want to make sure he gets baptised because he is converted to following
 Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and not just because it is a good thing to do.

We're also teaching two boys. They are really cute but they don't want to
come to church because their mom doesn't go. :( She's super nice! She
coupons and gave us a freezer and cupboard full of food. The next week
she gave us a set of lotion, body wash, body spray, perfumes, and candles
 from Bath and Body Works. She is a giving person but is hardened towards
Heavenly Father. We just hope the boys will have the spirit work within them
 so they are ready to go to church on their own.

We are teaching Kyle again. His wife is less active but we go over a couple
 times a week for dinner and a lesson. He is really a good guy but he is stuck
 on God vs coincidence vs logic vs his mind playing tricks on him. It's sad but
 he'll get there eventually. :) Good guy.

We are still teaching Trang, our Vietnamese friend. :) She has a wonderful fellowshipper,
Sister Northcutt who just finished serving as mission president's wife in Argentina. :)
Trang is LOVING the Book of Mormon and we are trying to get her to come to Church but it
is hard because she has a busy schedule.

Happy Easter

I'm excited for Easter! It is coming quickly
and it is a wonderful time to ponder the
Atonement and the life of our Savior, Jesus
 Christ. It is an incredible thing to realized
the give of immortality he provides to each of us
 no matter who we are. Life goes on and we all get a
chance to live with our Heavenly Father again.
I'm amazed at the deep love and connection we can feel
with each other and yet He loves us more deeply than any
love we can feel. I know my Savior lives. I know I need
Him in my dark and my brightest hours. I'm grateful to know
 the commandments so I can demonstrate my Faith in and love
 for Him daily. I'm grateful for the Spirit to connect me
 to Him and my Heavenly Father while I'm away on this
imperfect Earth. I know the Savior's sacrifice was infinite,
eternal, and limitless. I know. I'm grateful for all that I
have, especially my testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
I hope you will all take the time to visit mormon.org and share with
the world yourtestimony of our Savior. The Church is hosting a campaign
 this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to help the world see we believe in
and follow Jesus Christ. Starting Friday there will be many commercials
and ads on Facebook and youtube that will
direct millions of viewers to mormon.org
 where they can read of our testimonies of
Jesus Christ and where they too will be able
 to share their feelings concerning our Savior.
 Will each of you make an effort to share your testimony
on that webpage? I know it will be a great opportunity to
 reflect on the precious truths that we have.

I love you all. I'm grateful for your love and prayers.
Keep your chins up and let your souls rest in the Savior.

Love, Sister Hudson

Peace Be Unto You

March 27th

Hey friends, family, everyone back at home!

Well, it has been a long while since I wrote anything for my Blog...sorry about that...I'm more sorry to my journal though :( I'll regret that someday I'm certain. Things in San Diego are great! I'm really going to miss the breezes here...so nice. Transfers were about a week ago and I'm staying here in Scripps Ranch with Sister Ah Chookoon. We're having a good time and working hard. We still haven't had any baptisms since Christmas but things are progressing probably in ways that I can't see. I know I'm progressing...that's definitely true. I've deepened my understanding of the Atonement, prayer, balancing priorities, enjoying the journey, seeing miracles, loving people, absorbing any and everything, living in the moment, and so much more. ;) I'm so grateful for the things I'm learning and it is an amazing thing to feel the spirit work through you to help someone else...even if that help doesn't readily lead them to change much in their lives. I'm so grateful for the the people here in this area. They are full of love and we are really trying to leave this area better than we found it. Good things are coming.

I cannot wait for General Conference, I love it so much! Last October I prayed about what questions I should ask so that I could get revelation from the Lord's Apostles, Prophet, and leaders. I wrote those questions down on a notepad and then the first speaker, Elder Scott, gets up and before he sat down I had answers to all four of my questions! It was incredible and of course the other talks gave me answers too but it was really amazing. I know that if anyone wants an answer from the spirit and is ready to act on it, they too can get answers from Heavenly Father. Obviously, we can always pray but this is an opportunity to get especially inspired guidance in our lives. I hope you will all take the challenge to think of a question and then listen diligently to the words of our leaders this weekend. :) And for you non-members that feel like they aren't speaking to you...I promise you that if you give it a chance you'll get guidance too...at the very least you'll be inspired. So please take the challenge to prepare a question and listen! It's available on lds.org and on byu tv this Saturday and Sunday.

Well, like I said, things are great. I'm really not sure what to update you on. Tomorrow we have a meeting with our mission president and he is going to train us on how to be better teachers and how to better help the people we are serving. I'm so excited. Heavenly Father takes training opportunities really seriously...the spirit is always really strong and I always leave feeling enabled and inspired. Our mission president's wife is coming out with me and my companion for 3 hours tomorrow...nerve-racking? A little bit but I know it will be an incredible learning experience and she is so wonderful I'm excited for the miracles that will come!

This week I have a deepened appreciation for our leaders. We are so lucky to have inspired men and women leading us and helping us through this time on Earth. It is an amazing thing to have the Priesthood on the Earth.

So family...did you accept the challenge to find that byu devotional from July 2011???  It's not too late to repent! haha! But seriously. "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. Read it!

I love you all! Take care and keep praying for me and my companion Sister Ah Chookoon! :) (Ahchoo like a sneeze) and (koon like a raccoon.) Don't be intimidated by her name. lol! Please pray for us by name! That would be awesome!

Love you a lot!

Sister Hudson

I am glad they called me on a mission

I miss you all. I've got 5 minutes left and about 14 pages of notes from Zone Conference with Elder Zwick of the Seventy to share...

"I will not limit my capacity to what I think it is. I will let Heavenly Father expand my capacity. And he will." This is one of the themes of our Zone Conference and Sister Zwick made us write it down and promise it. I love the "And he will" part because we need to know that he really really will!

The Spirit is a teacher that Heavenly Father sent to Earth to dwell with each of his children if they show that they are willing to follow Jesus Christ. This teacher is a member of the Godhead and he is a force to be reckoned with. He knows what to do in every situation and can guide and counsel us in our unique situations. He is here to help us be happy, recognize absolute truth, and to prepare to return and live with our Heavenly Father again. I am so grateful for the Spirit.

Love you all!

The Atonement Covers All Pain!

Hey all!

So here is a little spiritual thought for your week. It comes from the
April 2011 General Conference talk "The Atonement Covers All Pain."


We all have little things inside of us under the surface of our skin.
The size, deepness, and severity of position all vary amidst us.
While, these things are troublesome, not all of them cause infection.
Many of them we can endure life with even though it typically brings
discomfort. Yet, life is never as full and whole while we have foreign
or unwelcome things inside us. Fortunately, there is a perfect
Surgeon. However, to remove it he must inflict MORE pain for a brief
period of time. Then he knows exactly how to reduce the pain and heal
the wound.

I know this is true. I've experienced this changing power of the
Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can turn to him in all our weakness and
not be judged or mistreated. He will care for us perfectly if we ask
and allow him to be the source of that healing. No other source or
coping mechanism will fully heal us. I love Him for all he has done
for me and for all his Brothers and Sisters. We are truly lucky to
have the opportunity to learn and to grow without suffering all the
penalties for our mistakes or the mistakes of others. Pain is
essential to growth an d the Atonement covers it all.

Love, Sister Hudson

Latest Spiritual Break Through

Here is the latest spiritual though (breakthrough) I've had.

I use to be so touched that the Savior knew how much we would
disappoint him and hurt him but that he was willing to love us anyway.
That really is amazing, but what is even more amazing is that he did
it SO THAT we could fail. SO THAT We could make mistakes. SO THAT we
could hurt others. SO THAT we could LEARN. Obviously, he doesn't
condone sin but he knew it was essential for us to receive all that
the father has. In PMG Ch6 it defines patience: "the capacity to
endure delay,
trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated,
or anxious. It is
the ability to do God’s will and accept His timing." Patience is so
connected to charity and long-suffering. The Savior is there when we
are broken and don't even know it; when we are breaking things around

us and don't know it. He is there with love for when we are ready to
recognize our faults and change. He waits with love. I used to think
patience entailed demonstrating how much you have to repress to be
"patient" with someone else. Patience is really doing it all
cheerfully. I'm hoping I can apply that in my life more. I invite you
to do that also.

 New Years in Carls Bad

Happy New Year!

Well, my companions and I woke up New Years Eve day and decided to leave our mission and see what Carlsbad was like! We only went 10 minutes into the mission boundaries...that can't hurt right?

Well, okay, you all know me better than that. : ) It did happen but not quite like that.

We had dinner with a member Friday night and it was a really strongly flavored Salad that made me really nauseated. I felt pretty sick and when we left I told my companions I wasn't feeling well but that I would be fine. They insisted we head back to the apartment for a few minutes until I felt better. Well, it was a darn good thing that we went in because 30 minutes later I was laying in my bed crying because my stomach hurt so bad! I then moved to the bathroom floor, which miraculously become the best place to lay to feel better when you're as sick as I was. Needless to say we stayed in for the rest of the night. We woke up Saturday morning and Sister Turner said she threw up a couple times in the night. Sister Ah Chookoon was coughing all night long. We texted Sister Clayton and she had Dr. Bennett (our mission doctor) call us. He asked us to come see him to make sure none of us had pneumonia. We got his address and it was in Del Mar....not in our mission. We tried calling Pres and Sister Clayton but no one answered, so we called our Assistants and they agreed we couldn't leave the mission w/o specific permission. Well, anyway, after a stressful game of phone tag, we got permission to leave.

Fortunately, I was feeling a ton better because I'm the designated driver (I'm the only American.) We got there and the diagnosis was that Sister Ah Chookoon has Bronchitis and Sister Turner has a stomach virus...she got greener and greener the longer we were in Del Mar. The Dr. basically sent us home to rest...so we did. Talk about an interesting New Years. We went to church the next day but came home and sister Ah Chookoon had the stomach virus....then Monday we tried again and came home halfway through the day because Sister Turner was nauseated again. Wow, what a whirlwind. Luckily, our investigators are mostly out of town until later this week and we only had to cancel 2 appointments but it has been so hard for us to stay in. Our spirits were ready but our flesh was week....and I'm sure heavenly father let me be the first one to be sick so that I could empathize.