(letter from Monday January 26th--I'm behind one week--will don better this week:)
Wow it sounds like lots of fun things are going on back home. Elder Park
and I were just talking this morning about how it's crazy that we've almost been
out for 9 months. I remember being in the MTC and thinking that two years
sounded more like eternity, and coming out here it didn't seem much faster.
After about 3 months everything changed though and my mind accepted that
missionary work was my life. Then coming here with Elder Park it has gone even
faster because all of the fun we're having. Elder Park has been in this area for
6 months, so I'm pretty sure he'll be leaving in a week and a half. That is
super sad to me because he's been such a great companion.
This week we've been focusing a lot more on getting members involved in the
work. Elder Park and I have found 28 investigators since we've been together,
but we've already had to drop 10 of them and the other ones are moving super
slow. The people who get baptized are almost always the ones that have members
to support them every step of the way. We actually spoke in church this week and
talked to members how we could work together. We were asked to give 12 minutes
talks, but as missionaries we all over planned and had like 25 minutes talks
prepared. By the time it was our turn to speak we only had like 5 minutes
though, so I ended up sharing a little bit of Jake's story. In one of his emails
to me he talked about how I had met a mean person who didn't need my gospel but
along the way it became our gospel. Meeting him has definitely kept me going on
my mission. There's nothing much better than watching someone completely change
because of the gospel.
We also gave a lesson this week in gospel principles about agency. It has
kind of been burdening my mind that about 30% of our members hold current temple
recommends. Growing up in Utah we had so much security to stay in the church,
but we see a lot of the challenges that people go through here. God didn't make
it easy to live the gospel he only made it worth it. Who lived a harder life
than Joseph Smith, Peter, Paul, or Christ himself? They had so many hard things
yet they did more for this world than anyone else. I wish people just understood
how much they miss out on from not actively enjoying the blessings of the
gospel. That is why it is so exciting to see Jake have such an excitement about the
gospel.
Oh ya I was wondering if I ever got a missionary plack thingy. I don't
remember if you said that I had one, but if there isn't one I would definitely
like one and my favorite scripture would definitely be Helaman 5:12; And now, my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fail.
Anyways, I love you so much and hope you have an amazing week. Sorry you
didn't get to go to the Pink concert but keep that little chinny chin up. Love
you
-Elder Hoddy
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