A Monster of A Letter!!

Well Hello everybody!!!

Wow... That's all I can say!!! Hah! It's so good to be out here! It's

so beautiful. I have a ton to write about. So be prepared this will

be a MONSTER!! So first. My companion is Sister Seely. She is SUCH AN

AMAZING MISSIONARY! Wow... She's also so good at talking to people..

She'll just start up some random conversation and before ya know it

they have a Book of Mormon or pamphlet in their hand and she's setting

up a time to come back.. It is UNREAL. we get along pretty well. There

is some new companionship awkwardness but that's normal. Super blessed

to have her.

So Corning - It's a tiny tiny town and this area is super

agricultural. Their pride and joy here are olives... Haha.. So random.

But yes. I took a picture next to the giant olive! I just don't even

know who would have thought it would be olives! They're also known for growing

like walnuts and various kinds of tree nuts. So as you can imagine...

ORCHARDS EVERYWHERE!! It's so pretty! I have pictures that I will

send but they don't really do it justice so I'm sorry you all can't see

it for reals. We also have some gorgeous sunsets and it's really a

beautiful place. Even though it is STINKIN HOT ALL THE TIME! By noon

it's 100. And it stays like that till about 9 at night... And we can

only turn the temp down to 75... So I die at night.. I don't sleep

under blankets. I just snuggle with my blanky and try to sleep..

Haha. I've actually slept better than I thought I would at that temperature.

So that's a blessing. I also haven't gotten sunburned yet!!! I'm

actually quite shocked.. . Haha! Especially since we're in the heat

ALL DAY!!

The first investigator I met was Jesus. Sister Seely told me his

story and he's basically an Alma the younger. So his girlfriend

Marybel, who was also investigating the church, asked for a blessing

so the brothers asked Jesus if he wanted one too. He said why not and

after that blessing he had tears in his eyes and he knew that he

needed to change. Before the blessing he just did whatever he wanted not taking any

thought of consequences because it didn't even matter to him. But now

he is such a different person. He's on date for his baptism on the 25th. We fasted

with him for the first time yesterday and we texted him today and asked him

how it went and he said that it went great and that it really works.

He broke up with his girlfriend and it has gotten really messy with

the kids involved and stuff... No wonder why the Lord blesses us with

His commandments. I can't imagine what their family is going through

right now.

We also met Carlos who lives right next door. We had a

lesson with him and he just went on and on about how he is super

lonely so he turns to smoking and drinking but it just makes him feel

worse. He wants so bad to change and hang out with good people and

find a good lady to marry since he is divorced. Man... If he's not

prepared I don't know who would be. We gave him the Book of Mormon and

invited him to read 2 Nephi 31. AMAZING CHAPTER! READ IT! But he was

super receptive and talked about how he kind of investigated Jehovah's

Witnesses beliefs. (Very popular here. Everyone thinks we're Jehovahs

Witness missionaries...) He also went to mass and has studied their beliefs but

he just doesn't feel like it's true. We told him that the Gospel of

Jesus Christ will bring him true happiness and blessing his life

forever. He was really excited to hear that. So we meet with him again

later this week. 

The the other day we went to find a less active. She

wasn't home so we just decided to tract in that area a little. SO

INSPIRED!! The first door we met Jimmy. I placed my FIRST Book of

Mormon with him!! Super awesome! So we're going to meet with him this

week too! Then since you can't just stop at one door like that, we knocked on

his neighbors door. A guy named Rigo came to the door and we gave him a

Restoration pamphlet and told home we would give him a Book of Mormon

this week when we meet with him!! It was great! Then a couple days

earlier we, again, were looking for a less actives home and we ran

into Annie. 

Annie was out walking her dog and we just started talking to

her. She's from Chicago. She has more of an East coast accent so

kinda laughed becaues she sounds like Ducks (Jackie's)old lady Delawarian accent! 

She was awesome though. She's super close with her family and stuff.

So we are meeting with her again this week as well! We'll just talk

about family and maybe family history. That is a HUGE way to get in

the door with people. The spirit of Elijah is a real thing!! Super

awesome. The Church is now printing family history pamphlets. An investigator 

can fill out a couple generations and then with our help or the wards

help they can work on their family history and stuff. Then that leads

into the temple and other doctrine. So it's awesome. It was a super

successful week for new investigators!! It's was super cool!!

So our Ward is the BEST!!! Every night we have a dinner. Even if it's

an empty day on our dinner calendar, if we just call up somebody

they're always glad to feed us. Speaking of food. I had 2 SALADS IN A

ROW!! My first salad scared me because, as most of you are aware, I

gag when I eat salad. It's a serious problem!! So I prayed super fast

that I would be able to eat it without gagging because obviously

that's gross and rude and just a no no.. Haha. So I put together my taco

salad and started eating and BOOM!! This Sister DID NOT GAG!! Now you

may just laugh at that but seriously.. It was really a miracle!! I kid

you not!! Haha!! Same with the other salad. Everyone serves salads because

they're cool and refreshing and easy of course. So yeah. Missionaries

are blessed! Haha! We have eaten with the Ramirez family. They have

been converts for a little over a year. They adopted 4 little kids.

Their story is amazing. But those kids are THE sweetest kids I've

ever met and so well behaved too. We also ate with the Call family. Wow..

These people just blow me away!! They're such a strong family. Sister

Call has brought so many people back to the church. And they're so

humble. They're son Seth, he's like 13 or 14 and on the weekends when

he has free time he will just go serve the single sisters in the ward.

Then Brother Call does everything. They literally live in the middle

of an orchard and they have several workers that work there on the

orchard. They are the most down to earth people I've ever

met.. It's awesome!! Then we met with the St. Georges. They're an older

couple. Super nice. That's where I ate my second salad. Which was also

a miracle.. Haha!! We ate with another family who was great too.

They're all amazing!! Haha. Especially the Lequia's!! He's the mission

leader and he's like our grandpa! Coolest people ever!!! Haha. We also

ate with the Finefrocks. She is from Mexico so she made this AMAZING

chicken that could kill a person it was so good... I literally touched

it with my fork and it fell off the bone.. It was so good!! I like

the way they eat Mexican food... They just throw stuff in a tortilla

and eat it. Haha. I don't really know why but I think it's great!!

Then we also met Brother Carlton. We were looking for a referral this

time in a mobile home park and we were just tracting a little bit and

then we came to this trailer and a cute little lady was out there

doing something and we noticed a picture of Joseph Smith in a box of

things and so we asked her about it and she was like oh yeah that's

Richard's. So she went to get him and he was so excited to see us!

Haha. Super cute elderly man. He bore his testimony to the lady. Man.. He

has a POWERFUL testimony! We gave Patsy, the lady, a pamphlet and

stuff but she was Jehovah's Witness but who knows what could happen!

Bro. Carlton also bore his testimony in Sacrament Meeting and it was AMAZING!!

He was born Hebrew and stuff he was baptized in '69. He is a super

Cool guy!! 

I also bore my testimony in sacrament! So during our lesson

with Jesus this morning, the Spirit told me I would bare my

testimony in Sacrament Meeting. So I was trying to avoid it all morning and

I couldn't sit still in sacrament and then Sister Seely leans

over and she's like are you gonna introduce yourself..? And then I was

like Welp! There it went.. Then I got up and it was good. I felt so

much better!! The Spirit knows how to poke you enough to get you to do whatever.

It's a good thing though!

Oh!! So our house story!! Haha! Ohh boy.. So we live in the cutest

house I've ever seen! Pictures are coming! But we locked our keys in

the house and our car keys were on the same time thing so we were

kinda stranded.. Haha. We also had dinner and we were already late to

that.. But we decided to try and break in. We popped the screen out

and the slid the window open and I hopped in and luckily the keys were

on the table... Haha. It was quite the adventure. It freaked us out

though because it was super easy to get in. We locked the windows and

everything though so we're safe now. Except for when Sister Seely

leaves the keys in the door over night!!!! AHHHH... that was a miracle

too... They were still in the door when we got outside at like in

the morning. I can testify that missionaries are protected!! Hahaha..

Don't freak out mom.. I'm paranoid even more so now. Haha, you would

be proud!!

So I met Brother Castleton at Church and his parents were with him.

They live in Woods Cross, UT and they know Mr. Robinson who was a wrestling

coach at Viewmont. I've known him for like 3 years. So that's weird.

They also know that he Squires in our Stake!! Small world!! Everyone

has connections the everyone is Corning.

So my foot does indeed swell in the heat. But I'm not worried

about it. It hasn't hurt at all. So that's super awesome. I only need

some good Church CDs.  I forgot to pack hangers but I'll just grab some at the Redbluff Walmart

so no worries. I haven't been homesick! Of course, I miss you all like

crazy but Corning is where I need to be. Thanks for all your prayers!

I can seriously feel them strengthening me. Heavenly Father answers

prayers. It's a real thing!!

A couple things in my studies that have been awesome are in 2 Nephi

4:26-35. Nephi is so happy but so desperate for the Lord to be more

prominent in his life. I invite all of you to ponder upon how you can

have that same desperation for the Savior to be more involved in your

life. We all should be desperate for Him to be with us always. We, after all, are nothing

without Him. He is our everything. Also. In John 12: 35-36; 46 ( I

think..) Jesus talks about light. Read that and change out light for

Christ. It's soo amazing!!! He is our light. Without Him we would be

in everlasting darkness. I'm so grateful to be representing Him. It's

such a privilege - I feel so inadequate but I know he will help me - He is real and I love Him.

I love you all so much. Thanks for all your support!!

Love,

Sister Hood!!

My WELCOME TO CORNING sign!!

MY BUNK BED!!

My DESK!!  

YEP!!  WHERE I EAT!!  YUM!!