"IT. WAS. AMAZZINNNGGG!!!"

Hey Funky Bunch!! :D

That's cool about the ward thing! It will be a blessing for sure! Ya know, I'm not too excited to come home BUT I know the Lord is aware of me and of my situation... So it was be a positive experience! I know there is a reason! Just haven't quite figured it out yet! I'm excited to see ya'll though! It will be nice to be back in the real world again but I would obviously rather be here teaching the gospel! Of course there are hard times but my district has literally carried me through those hard times. It's only because of them and the Savior that I'm able to stay positive about all that's going on. Thank you for all your prayers. They have really helped a lot!

So!! This week was great!! That package was bomb!! Thanks so much!! Sister Cowden was so touched that you wrote her a letter and got her a necklace. All my other "companions" were like "hey... I want one..." Haha. But I just gave them candy and they were content! :D But on Saturday, we decided to do an Easter egg hunt with some eggs Sister Brindley's mom sent her along with the Resurrection story eggs! It was great!! I'll have to show you all the video! It was priceless! The Elders went nuts and were super excited! They're such weirdo's! I thoroughly enjoy it! So that was that. Then on Easter, M. Russell Ballard spoke at our devotional! IT. WAS. AMAZZINNNGGG!!! :D Super cool! I have way too many experiences to tell in this email! But last week at the temple, we met this lady. She is our adopted grandma! I don't remember if I told ya'll this story but oh well... So we were walking up to the temple and she pulls up beside us and asked us if we would do some family names. So long story short, we met her again this week with Elders this time. She bought us all lunch at the temple cafeteria. Her husband was there this time too so he was talking to the Elders and stuff and they are just adorable! She gave us her email and told us she expects to hear from us! She's super nice! It was cool going to the temple today. I really enjoy it! The temple is amazing! There are so many things you can learn. I learn things every time I go back. And it was really cool to have our whole district there this time. We're really like a little family!! 

So we taught a girl this week. Her name is Taylor. Our last lesson was AMAZING!! So what we felt prompted to do with her is just do a Book of Mormon read with her, similar to what we do in class sometimes. So we focused on Alma 26 which talks about boasting in God and how merciful and mindful He is of each and every one of us. So kind of how it happened was we would take turns reading a verse and ponder on it for a few seconds then comment on it. We asked her deep, soul searching questions that really brought the spirit in. As it went on the spirit just kept building in the room and at the end, we asked her it she would follow Christ's example and be baptized. She sat there for a minute in silence, then said that she wanted to continue to learn but that she would start preparing for it now!!! Sister Cowden and I were so stoked!!! It was great! That just reinforced, for me, that to Book of Mormon, along with the spirit, is THE MOST powerful resource in our conversion. So that was just the beginning for Taylor. But it really boosted my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I've always felt the power that comes from reading its words but never quite like that! It was B.O.M!... HAH!! Punny!!! 

Anyway, I'm super excited to see you all again! I can't wait to snuggle with Gussy and little Bear. :) Have a fantastic week! See ya soon!

All my love, 

Sister Hood

**Our ward boundaries are changing - we're excited to see what happens next!!

Some Lovely PICS!!

My Awesome District - They have been a great strength to me - I love them all!!

My Amazing Sister's!! I can't say enough about them - they are so special and have such strong testimonies  - they have lifted my Spirit so many times!!  I love them so much and  I'm so thankful to have them as my Sisters in the Missionary Training Center!!  The classes we attend together are out of this world!!
 I'm Spiritually fed all day long - no time to be homesick or sad - I am loving very minute
 including the tough times with my broken foot - It's all good!!

Elder Lopez is always willing to pick up and deliver my mail for me!!
So grateful to him for helping me out!!

My SWEET Sister Companion's have literally carried me through my mission at the MTC - Angel's in disguise!!
I LOVE them SOOOOO much - They are AMAZING Ladies!!

California Roseville District - PROVO MTC
Proud to part of this District of great men & women!!
(Check out my set of wheels - so  thankful to have them too!!)

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE!!
LOVE that we get to attend the temple often - It's so beautiful - I learn something new each time I go!!

Greatest Bunch of GIRLIES!!!  Love them so much!! 

I love Sister Cowden - she is my right hand lady!!
She has to help me get my leg on the scooter - It's humbling to say the least because everyone knows how independent I am!! So thankful to her for helping me because I couldn't make it through each day without her!!!

Sister Cowden & Sister Hood
Friends Forever!!

EXTRA SPECIAL LADIES!!
I love these Sweet Sisters -  They are some of my best friends in the world too!!

Yep!!  That's ME in a nut shell!!  I LOVE you all so much!!  I'm having the TIME of my life!!
I know that CHOOSING TO SERVE a mission has truly been the GREATEST DECISION I've ever made
I have met some of the most AMAZING people in the world 
 I have GROWN SPIRITUALLY by leaps and bounds
I have never been HAPPIER - My heart is FULL OF LOVE  
I can't begin to COUNT ALL OF MY BLESSINGS  
THE GOSPEL IS TRUE - I LOVE MY SAVIOR
LIFE IS SWEET!!

Thanks for all your prayer's and for your letter's of encouragement!!!  Of course I couldn't make it without all your love, PRAYERS and support!!  My family is the BOMB!!!  I wouldn't be here without you!!!
 I love missionary work!!! I know the Gospel is true and I'm so happy that I get to share it with 
Heavenly Father's children in Roseville CA!!!

BROKEN - SISTER BEADIE MCDOODLE BERRY!!

Hey Fam and Friends!!

Well! First things first,,, I busted my dang foot... haha... ON THE THIRD DAY!!!... So the story about that! My teacher told us he wanted us to run up to the 5th level and back down to the 1st level because we were learning about stress management!... Ironic I know! So of course, I'm cruising up the stairs racing the Elders when I got to the 5th floor, ran across to the other stair case when just before the stairs my ankle gave out, my outside toes curled under my foot, it popped SO loud and i was down! At first I was laughing because of course that would happen but then it immediately started swelling on the side of my foot and it got to about the size of a golf ball before the other AMAZING sisters could carry me down while teaching me the Plan of Salvation! :D It was great! So Sister Cowden, my amazing companion, ran down the stairs to tell Brother Cook that I just ate it. Apparently she ran in the room laughing. haha!! :D I just went on icing it and everything during class and I asked the Elders to give me a blessing. Which was AMAZING!!! aside from the gallon of oil they dumped on my head!! :D They're the best tho! Later on, we decided we should really go find the doctor on campus, who ended up not being there. So the Elders pushed me in a rolly chair through the campus. It was a blast! We were drifting around corners and I almost fell off a couple times but it was great! When we got to the right building, Sister Cowden ran up the stairs to see if the clinic was open. Meanwhile, I go hopping around down hallways while the Elders are yelling at me to stop because I was gonna die.. Which I eventually did. They saw the whole thing too. haha!! It was like in the movies when people it hard everyone is like "oooooooooo" Man. I have some gnarly bruises!! I forgot the thing for my pictures so I'll have to shoot them to you guys next week! But the doctor visits are when it gets ridiculous!! RULE NUMBER ONE!!! NEVER GO TO THE RIVERWOODS URGENT CARE! They took an x-ray of my foot and then the doctor called us back and he basically just told me that I just sprained it. He wrapped it up, told me to ice and let us go. As we're walking out, he asked us to come back in. He apparently didn't even look at my x-ray's or anything because he told us that it was a possibility that I had a fractured foot. So he gave a zombie shoe thing to wear in about a week when I could put pressure on it. So we left there not really knowing what to think. On Sunday, we met with out Branch President and he asked me what I did, so I told him the story and he said that we should talk to the doctor here because he doesn't trust Insta-care either. So he set me up an appointment I guess. The doctor said it looks like there was definitely a fracture. He gave me a boot and ordered me one of the awesome knee scooters!!! I've crashed on it a couple times but other than that it's amazing!!! He also sent me to the podiatrist who showed me my x-rays and told me it was a high possibility that I would be going home to heal.. He was a great guy though. He was an RM and told me about a missionary that had the same thing happen and somehow he was able to heal enough to get out there. So I'm praying like crazy!! But the doctor on campus told me I was going to  need to go home for about a month to heal up then from there I'll be able to hit Cali running. That was a really hard day. I cried on the way back to class because this experience has already changed me and I've only been here a week. But I'm really trying to remember that it's not about me. It's about the Lord and what He sees fit. I asked to Elders to give me another blessing which was amazing. So that's that story. It's been nice using the elevator! My district sure appreciates it! ;) It's been interesting to figure out how to do things that normally wouldn't take little to no thought to do. It's definitely is humbling and obviously a patience lesson...

 Other than that rough day, every other day has been probably the best days I've had in my life! My district has become a family. We've already cried together, laughed together (probably more than necessary), prayed together, eat together, we just really do everything together! All of us just fit in! My Companion, Sister Cowden, is amazing. She is always ready to grab something for me just so I won't have to get up. She's very Christ-like and we've already started to read each others minds. It's great! The other sisters, Sister Whitney, Sister Brindley, and Sister Blalock are all amazing too. They have become sisters to me. I love them a lot! Oh the Elders, Elder Allen is from Windle, Idaho or something. He's just a big teddy bear. Elder Lopez is from San Diego and he's definitely the one the crack jokes and distract everyone from studying. Sometimes it's much needed though! Elder Heninger (jer, not grrr.. He'll correct you every time! He's from Calgary Canada! He's way funny! We always make fun of his accent or words he says. We have fun! They're all amazing! We're all way close. I haven't thought about home that much which is GREAT! I'm not homesick at all! I love being here! I'm just soaking in all I can! We are teaching a guy named Hunter. He's from a Catholic background but very open and receptive to what we teach. Yesterday, we taught him about the Plan of Salvation and we had the most amazing experience. I think tears were shed all the way around. Best experience teaching I've had yet. I've really learned the importance of teaching with the spirit to meet the persons individual needs. I've found that I have gotten to be pretty good at it. I love teaching! It's amazing to help someone come closer to Christ. It's cool to think that we're taking them by the hand and personally introducing them to Christ. The teachers have really stressed the importance of our own conversion because we can only lift someone has high as we are. That blew my mind. So I've working hard and enjoying every second! Except the food of course... It's bad ... And the cream soda tree got cut down.. :/ We tried to find it but some Elders told us it was gone. 

Oh I should also share that President Hardman (Branch President) called Sister Cowden and I to be the Sister Training Leaders so that's awesome! It's such a blessing to be able to serve the other sisters and learn to see them through Christ's eyes. We have a phone too!! but it doesnt do anything... It's weird. In jeans I'm always looking for my phone. Speaking of jeans, when I did laundry, I realized that I threw in a dryer sheet into the washer... AHH... what a nooob! :D Hopefully it doesn't ruin them! 

Well hey. I love all of you!! Thanks for your continual prayers! My foot is healing really fast due to your prayers. So thank you so much! I'm learning and becoming so much better! I love serving the Lord. It feels so good to have the name tag over my heart. That's where my heart belongs, to Him. I miss all of ya and love ya so much! Have a fantastic week!!! 

Love, S

THE Sister Hood! ;)

Ps.. mommy. I really need ankle socks for gym, a brush cuz I cant find it, and probably something else but I can't remember.. Anyway! Thanks!! Love ya! 

PIX of The MTC Roseville California District

MANY MIRACLES!!

Hi Fam & Friends!!

They just gave us a second to let ya'll know I'm alive and kickin'! Missionary life is great!! TONS to take in, so much to do, so many miracles to witness!! I've already seen miracles that I've witnessed already! My companions name is Sister Cowden!!! She is the biggest sweetheart!! We get along super well! My P-day is on Thursday so I'll write more then and add some pictures of my district and selfies with Sister Cowden!!! Well! Gotta bounce! It's time to get ready for bed!! I'll write more later. I love you all and I know this gospel is true! 

Love, S

The Sisters Hood

The Count Down Is ON!!