8 June 2007

Hello from beautiful Olney!

So much has been happening lately and I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I try not to let it get to me. I think I realize how much has been happening when I sit down to write the events of the past week.

I am learning so much and I am loving it! It can be overwhelming, but I have been praying to retain the knowledge that the Lord is blessing me with through His Spirit. I have a strong desire to remember everything. I am learning how wonderful the scriptures are. I love reading the Book of Mormon every day and I apply what I learn to people I meet or to the events of the day. I am grateful for the scriptures and they are precious to me.

Yesterday the mission went to a Washington Nationals baseball game. It was EXCITING and FUN! I loved it! We were all allowed to wear hats. I bought a pink DC baseball hat after the game, two for $5. I thought that I could wear it next year when we go to another baseball game. I bought a huge hot dog for lunch at the game. All the missionaries were looking at me funny with my HUGE hot dog. It was delicious! Gotta love an all-American lunch at a baseball game... it was divine! I have to admit I felt a little awkward at the game. The music that was playing was definitely not church music. I found myself automatically singing or dancing to the music after which I had to contain myself. On the way to the game we rode the metro. I love riding the metro because we can talk with people about the gospel, give them pass-a-long cards, and invite them to receive the missionaries. The Lord is helping me step out of my comfort zone. Well, the Nationals lost. I think I only watched about the last 5 mintues of the game. It was too much fun to just sit, I wanted to socialize!! Next week we get to have a meeting inside the temple with the entire mission. We will do a session following the conference.

Courtney is progressing. She is wonderful! She is beautiful, intelligent, and very mature. I connect well with her and I love her. She is a strength to me through the adversity that she faces. She is genuine and an example to others around her. I don't know if I mentioned Courtney last week. She attends church faithfully every week and reads the Book of Mormon. She always comes prepared to our appointments with questions from the Book of Mormon and of things that she has been reading. She is a missionary's dream! I know that the Lord would have her be baptized very soon, but her family's beliefs and opinions of the church are different. I pray that the Lord will bless her with the courage and strength to move foward with what the Lord would have her do.

I am learning that the most important thing in life is the gospel and everything else is junk and clutter. I desire for the Lord to purify my heart. I desire to be diligent physically, mentally, and spiritually. I desire to use the Lord's time well. I pray for the strength to act on the things that I desire. I love this work. I am only beginning to see how selfish I have been all my life. We see our weaknesses; we do not dwell on them, but we move forward with faith to be better. I know that the Lord is blessing me.

Hope all is going well. I love you all and pray for you.

Love, Sister Hogge