The Garden Of Enid/The Magic of Bicycles/A Street Named Hoddy

This has been a pretty amazing week. We have never been so busy in our lives and there was so much to do. Our mission calls this place the Garden of Enid because of all the amazing people that live here. It seriously seemed like we were bouncing from person to person trying to make it to all the people we had planned for.

     So one of the most special times this week was on Tuesday as we had exchanges here in Enid and I got a missionary that has been our for three weeks. We set goals to get better at finding, so we chose our weapons carefully and of course pulled out the bicycles (they are magical finding tools). We were riding around for little bit aiming towards some of the investigators and members we have in the area, but I still don't really know how to get around these parts. There was no one outside, so I thought, we really need to find something fun to do, and a nice jump appeared. We were like Pedro and Napolean having a good time and people came outside and started watching. It was the perfect opportunity to talk to people and we got some new investigators out of it. I'm amazed at the small things that are thrown in our life and provide the means to answer our prayers. The prayers for new investigators were answered. Life is so good.

     Oh and interesting stuff... We were in Ponca City as well this week for exchanges and people were telling me about the Hoddy's that lived in town and apparently there is a street called Hoddy. I didn't get to meet them, but I'm going to try real hard to next time to meet them. It's the first time I've heard of someone else with the same last name.

     I feel like it takes too long to type all the stories I want to tell, but I'll tell them to you someday.

A verse I thought a lot about this week is Alma 46:12. Moroni writes the Title of Liberty which says, In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children. I pondered a lot about this verse trying to decide what my personal Title of Liberty is. What is my motivation? Why do I get up every morning and go out to teach the gospel? Moroni's passionate service full of great motives lead him to be a great leader. I'm on an honest search to find my desires.

     Thank you for everything you do. Life here is truly amazing. I love my mission and I love my God. HFF :)

We Do Our Part And God Takes Care Of The Rest

Family!

     This has been a pretty amazing week. Life is so amazing here in Enid and we had great experiences this week. One thing that really stood out this week was how often we had the opportunity to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon. There are plenty of things to talk about and bear testimony, but it seemed like so many of our lessons were focused on the simple truth of this testament of Jesus Christ. It was the perfect reminder to us of how much this book means. I love it.

      In this mission there are two missionaries that I have really looked up to because they've been such good examples to me. They've both been great leaders, but the things they were called to do are so different. One of them baptized almost 40 people which is insane for this mission and the other has baptized 2. I got to go on exchanges with my good friend that has baptized 2 and watched him pray, teach, and bless people. I've had plenty of opportunities with both and I realized that they teach with the same power and authority. They represent the same Jesus Christ. We are all part of the body of Christ, but we have specific calling to fill and certain tasks to perform (2 Corinthians 12:14-31).
     This week in Enid we met a lady named Deanna that wanted to read the Book of Mormon and come to church. Well she did both and she told everybody at church that she's joining the church. The baptism date is set and we're ready to go. I am so amazed and so consistently reminded who leads this work. This is the work of God and constantly we see miracles. Sometimes it is so hard to understand why we go through things and why we're not having the success we want, but we do what we're supposed to and God takes care of the rest. Our whole purpose is to invite and help people come to him.
I love you all! Have a great week! HFF!
-Elder Hoddy

We Can Pray And Expect Miracles!

This week has been pretty amazing in Enid, but there were definitely a few things that stuck out.

     We have an investigator named Matt that has been really receptive to the spirit and has noticed how it is changing him. Not a lot of investigators naturally recognize the spirit and seek it more, so it makes him pretty special. We had a lesson about leading by example because his family isn't quite on board like he is, but he is ready to lead them. We also talked about baptisms for the dead and he was crying because his sister passed away and he wants that for her. He still has his own journey, but he is moving in the right direction. Meeting with people like this makes the mission so worth it!

     We were on exchanges in Woodward Oklahoma this week which is super far away from everyone else, but it was fun to be in the rural setting again. Before we left the apartment we prayed that we would find a family that would progress and help the Woodward branch grow. We set off and went to a small town outside Woodward. Elder Harnish was driving and we went to the outskirts of town and decided to knock a door. We went up to it and... no one answered, but there was a trailer a little ways off, so we decided to go knock that instead and this time... no one answered again. Ha big surprise. We got back out to the main road and were about to turn right back into town, but we felt like we needed to turn left. It is about 30 miles before the next main town and there's not much in between, so we had no idea what we were doing, but Elder Harnish turned left and on the last street of the town we turned and decided to knock a door. We pulled into the driveway and a guy came out which made it kind of awkward, but we started talking to him and he was super open to us. We were pumped. Then his wife pulled in and she was super open to the message. We talked about the restoration and went into there home to kneel in prayer. They were excited to see us again and seemed committed to read and pray about the message. Heavenly Father had timed it perfectly for us to run into the family at that time and the elders are going back next week.
     Miracles this amazing haven't happened every day to us, but we were both taught a lesson on the power of prayer and who runs this work. Heavenly Father trusts those elders with a pretty amazing family of 6 that is very open to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We can pray and expect miracles. Often times I've settled for simple miracles on my mission not realizing what God wants to give us. We must live the simple things and be grateful for the tender mercies of God, but we can expect the great miracles of the scriptures to apply to our life. This work is amazing!
      I don't know what I would do without all of you. Heavenly Father has blessed me so much by giving me such good friends and family. I love you all. HFF!

-Elder Hoddy

New Companion...New Town...Welcome to Enid Oklahoma!

sorry...we were in San Diego and I forgot to post this until now

Family!

This week has had a lot of crazy good times already. It was really sad to leave Choctaw, but it has been a great experience so far here in Enid. There are 12 missionaries serving in the city, but 4 are Spanish missionaries and 4 are Marshaleese. The ward here is amazing and I'm learning a lot from Elder Manwaring. He's from Rexburg and he's a pretty amazing guy. He's already been out for 21 months, so he knows his stuff pretty well.

     We have some pretty cool investigators that seem committed to the gospel as well. Ha we visited one guy on Saturday and talked to him about coming to church. He kept saying "maybe" and "I'll try", but we told him he needed to say yes, so finally he looked at us and said that he would absolutely be there. Well we were there at church, but he didn't show up so we stopped by his apartment again and he said that he wanted to have a lesson. He felt bad for not coming, and we had a really amazing lesson about repentance and coming closer to Jesus Christ. I think the spirit threw down a little bit and let him know what he was missing out on, so he's going to come from now on and then get baptized.

     It's so fun to be surrounded by so many missionaries here. They really bring the spirit into our lives. There's a brand new Elder here from Orem and he is always so excited about everything! He's got the greeny fire that the rest of us are jealous of. It's pretty amazing to see his excitement about every little success and he's always trying to help us out with different scriptures. His example has led me to go back to the basics and try to be amazed by the simple workings of Heavenly Father. We miss out on so much because we become accustom to the way he leads our lives. I guess the principle is continued gratitude. Writing spiritual experiences each day has been the perfect reminder for me.

     Leaving Choctaw gave me many great experiences to feel the spirit because I was reminded how much I loved those people and how much I was going to miss them. The spirit has given me the gift and ability to truly love them, and I can't wait to see them again. Leaving some of those homes for the last time was painful though. I just want to be with them and help them, but I trust them in the hands of God. I did absolutely everything Heavenly Father expected me to do for those families and I left without a single regret. I can't wait to see the future baptisms and sealings.

     One insight I had this week was as I studied the topic of desire. I wanted to learn how to grow desire, so that my intentions became more pure and I grew in faith, hope, and charity. Alma 32 had the answer. In verse 27 "awake and arouse your faculties... experiment upon my words... exercise a particle or faith". Desire is something that constantly leads us to good or bad, but sometimes we don't really have a lot of desire either way. We're kind of just sitting there. However, one of the greatest gifts we've been given is agency. At some point down the line we have to act. We have to go seek something better and follow the knowledge and understanding that we do have. Our positive experiences will lead us to grow in desire. It is a deep topic, but I realized that I intellectually understand what I need to do for the most part, so I need to follow what I've been taught and the spirit will give me the rest. Ha it's so simple.

     Anyways life is good. Real good. Thanks for all the support. I love you all! HFF!!!

Farewell To A Great Area, Choctaw And A Great Companion, Elder Rodriguez

Well I'm finally getting transferred from Choctaw! I've been here for 8 1/2 months, so it seems crazy that I'm leaving. After getting the call I really couldn't sleep. These people have been on my mind day and night for months and now I'm leaving them. Elder Rodriguez is an amazing missionary and he's going to take care of everyone. We are meeting with our 3 main investigator families tonight and tomorrow, so hopefully we'll have baptismal dates for them and I'll know when to come back. I'm still freaking out that I'm leaving though. Elder Rodriguez has been so much fun to be with. The other night we were talking about Karate and fighting and all this stuff, so we decided that it was time for a luchador match. He told me to choke him and he would show me some moves how to get out of it, but he's really ticklish, so every time I would get close he would hiss at me and push me away. I couldn't stop laughing. I'm really going to miss this brother.

      Something that one of our leaders challenged us to do was to write down our spiritual experiences every day. It sounded kind of dumb at first, so I didn't do it enough, but we have been doing it every day lately and I am amazed how involved Heavenly Father is in our lives. Most of them aren't amazing experiences with great manifestations, but we constantly have simple promptings and we end up in the right places. I feel like I know Heavenly Father better each day after recognizing these things.
     This week has been a great way to end my time in Choctaw though. We got to have another youth missionary fireside last night and these youth are amazing. They took turns coming to the front and we would have them practice invitations, getting to know people, and making people feel comfortable at church. Then we would talk about it. They would always say really funny things though, so it was a good time. We didn't expect everything to be perfectly serious though because we want these youth to have a lot of fun as they're doing missionary work. They are naturals. A little fine tuning on inviting their friends to do things never hurts though. We had some great spiritual moments as well as we watched a couple messages the church has released and pondered about ways each of us can be better missionaries. I'm excited to hear about what they accomplish.
     Life is so good. I truly have loved these people and I am so sad to leave. Thanks for all your support. HFF!

 

-Elder Hoddy

Lesson From A Member Missionary

Family!

This week has been a lot of fun in Choctaw. I am continually learning about our Savior's life and what it means to be His disciple. It is definitely not easy, but each glimpse we get into his life is so fulfilling.

     So I missed Clarissa's wedding, but it was a good opportunity to think and ponder about the things that matter most. She has always been an amazing example to me and I don't think I've appreciated enough everything she's done. I'm proud of my big sister. While she I was in the sealing room I got to ponder and pray and all I felt was joy. What an incredible experience for the family. HFF!
     I had some important lessons given to me this week. The first was the importance of member missionary work. I went on exchanges to Del City this week and got to visit one of the families we had talked to back when I was living there. They had progressed a lot in the gospel as the elders had met with them, and they were happy to learn. They actually taught us some volleyball moves before the lesson, so we're pretty much experts now. We started reading 3 Nephi 11 with them and a lot of questions came up. The lesson took its course and changed to talking about priesthood authority. To the daughter it made complete sense that people need to have God authority to act in his name, but to the mother it was very hard to accept. None of the denominations here talk about any kind of authority (except the Catholics), so it is new and kind of hard for them to think that no one else the authority to baptize. We explained it the best way we could, but she still wasn't satisfied. Finally, we had to go because it was getting late, so we said a prayer and started walking away. The member gave us the keys and kept talking to her. I don't think I'll every forget the picture of him crouching down to be on her level and just talking to her. All he was doing was showing that he cared. He got her number and went over the next day to help her understand things. I was amazed that he was so proactive and caring with someone he had never met. Members have special connections with investigators because inevitably we will leave. They are normal people that add so much security and confidence to the truth of the message.
     A couple nights ago Elder Rodriguez and I were talking about the people we're working with. I really trust him and feel like I can tell him anything. Over the conversation I told him that I have worked so hard with these families, but I could have done more, and maybe if I had done a little more they would be baptized already. Elder Rodriguez lovingly let me know how wrong I was. There was one thing that stuck out to me. We can always do more, but we can never do enough for these people. We have to lead them to the atonement and leave them in the hands of God. We have taught them all they need to know before baptism, we have fasted and prayed many times, now all there is left to do is continue loving them and leave them in the hands of God. It's all going to work out for the best. Elder Rodriguez has been a great example to me these past weeks.
     The last thing I wanted to share was a few verses that stuck out to me this week. Mark 9:22-24. A father goes to Jesus Christ for help because his son had an evil spirit. The father seems to be in desperation and without very much faith to rely on. With his hope that Jesus can help his son the father asks, "if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Christ answers simply and straightforward that all things are possible with belief. Then the father cries out with tears. He says, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief". This is such an amazing example to me of the power of desire and hope. Sometimes we can't solve the problem and all we can do is desire to believe that Christ will help us through it. As our faith grows, so does our trust that God will fulfill every single one of his promises. He will heal us and lift us. I have seen that in my life because sometimes all I have is a desire to see things work out. We are in the hands of God.
I love you all! Have an amazing week!
-Elder Hoddy

Do You Know God?

Family!

      This week has been pretty amazing and I learned a lot. I got to go on a couple of exchanges with different elders and while I was on one we met with an interesting guy named Michael. He grew up Catholic, but he is currently Atheist. Most people here are Christians, so the Atheists are usually pretty intelligent as far as religion goes and they have reasons why they're Atheist. Well this guy has read the Bible,  The Book of Mormon, and The Doctrine and Covenants, yet he is still very lost and has no idea if God exists. A lot of interesting things happened during the lesson, but he asked one question that has made me ponder a lot over the past few days. He asked, "Do you know God?" 

     John 17:3 - And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

      That scripture came to mind as he asked that and I don't remember what I said perfectly, but I've had a lot of thoughts over the past few days. 1) I know there is a God. 2) I know that he knows me. 3) I know that I can talk to him. 4) He has answered me back. 5) I know he loves me. 6) I know His children.   

     My conclusion is that I know God better than I did a year ago or a day ago or ten years ago. We had a long period of time before this life to intellectually understand the gospel, but we came here to experience opposition and both the enabling and redeeming power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. My experiences on this Earth have brought me to know God, but the future experiences I will have will help me to know Him much more. That question has really driven me to know my Father in Heaven more. Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of the relationship we should have with our Heavenly Father; therefore we follow Jesus Christ.

      One quick spiritual experience from the week...

      We were in the home of a less active member discussing the gospel. To put it simply, he has gotten the short end of the stick in life. At one point he joined the Church and was a strong member, but life's circumstances have made it hard to believe in God. He felt hopeless of the future. We recognized that his past held him back from grasping the joy of the present and future, so we gave the analogy of him driving in a car with a little rear view mirror to remember the past and large windows to see the present and future. He acknowledged that he did need to let go of some of the things from the past, but his present was still very captive from things of the past. Those words stung and I looked at that man just wishing that somehow through the grace of God he wouldn't have to go through those things or that maybe in some way I could go through them instead. I looked around and could tell that my companion and the member with us were feeling similar feelings. Through the spirit we were given the opportunity to feel a small portion of what our Savior feels. We proceeded to testify of the love of our Savior and he committed to read his patriarchal blessing and to look for hope.

      Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

       Despite life's challenges we are never alone. Each of you have helped me to feel the love of Jesus Christ. Thank you. HFF!

 -Elder Hoddy