2.6.17 - "The Rock" ❤️

Hey y'all! 

The South...where football is a religion. Haha, it was a fun week with the Falcons playing in the super bowl. Everyone was dressed in red and black yesterday, including us! I was sad to hear they lost but still proud of what sounds like a good game! It was another blessed great week here working in the Lord's vineyard... 

Sam and Jenn are doing great! We had a couple wonderful lessons with them this last week. We were able to read with them, as well as teach them about fasting. They both fasted on Sunday with us, but weren't able to come to church. Some family things came up, and they had a rough morning. Both of them are going through some tough things right now, but staying strong. It is so cool because Sam immediately recognized that it was satan trying to stop him from changing his life for the better. We finally got to meet Sams twin boys who are 9 years old! The moment we walked in the door they jumped up in their matching outfits to give us a big huge. It melted our hearts! They are so sweet and it was so neat to watch Sam be such a fantastic father. You could really see and feel the love he had for them. 

Audra's Baptism was amazing!! Wow. Definitely the highlight of the week! The spirit was so strong. And a miracle occurred! Her parents came and her husband! She didn't think they would support her but they came! And we know they felt something. Her husband even teared up. We were able to do a little musical number "Where Can I Turn For Peace" with a pretty arrangement by Sister Dean in the ward here. We were nervous but we knew it would mean a lot to Audra. She is always talking about trying to find peace. It went so well and Audra loved it! 

When we were walking with Audra to the font she was so nervous. And a huge tender mercy happened! 

Back story- Audra has been investigating for a year now and it all started when she went to a birthday party at her daughters friends house. She was nervous to leave her daughter with people she didn't know, so she stayed for a bit. She started to notice really beautiful pictures of Jesus Christ on the walls and asked the woman what religion they were. Of course they were- MORMONS! So that's where the curiosity started. Well, that woman and Audra became good friends and she was a resource for her to turn to when she had questions and such. Back to the baptism-

So we were walking to the font and Audra was really nervous and in rushes this woman because she was running late and didn't want to miss Audra's baptism. When Audra saw her she gave her a huge hug and they were both crying. Audra thanked her and said how grateful she was for her, and if it wasn't for her she wouldn't be here today. I was tearing up too. It was a special moment for all of us. To realize everything we do people notice and we are missionaries just in our actions. You never know when you are planting a seed. 

One of the sweetest parts of the baptism though was when Jake her youngest (4) turned to her after she was baptized and said "Mom are you happy?" And Audra said "Yes Jakey I am very happy." And Jake whispered back "I am too!" It was so neat. We felt it too. It was a really amazing baptismal service! 

I heard this story in Relief society yesterday and haven't stopped thinking about it since. We titled the story- "The Rock".

There was this man who was asked by the Lord to push this rock. So he obeyed. He pushed and pushed and pushed on this rock, but it wouldn't move. Frustrated, he told the Lord, "I can't move this rock!" The Lord said, "Just keep pushing." So he kept trying. He kept pushing on the rock, but still nothing. This man pushed until he could not push any more! Exhausted, he told the Lord, "I can't do it. I can not move this rock." The Lord comforted him and said, "I didn't ask you to move it. I just asked you to push it, and now look how strong you are." 

When you are obedient you know that Heavenly Father is there, no matter what. He has a totally different way of doing math. Sometimes we think A+B=C and that's it. The point is to be obedient not to get the blessings. (although the blessings are amazing) You grow by challenges. That's the only way we grow. That is why we came down here. Put Him first. He will help us. Do the small and simple things. I promise you will feel the difference! More happiness, love, peace and patience will come into your life. That is the fruits of the spirit of the Lord. Have a blessed week, I love y'all! 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

This is Joan! My best friend from the assisted living we volunteer at

Love both of these sisters so much! It has been an incredible 18 months with them. Last MLC

Audra's Baptism

Her family at her baptism

Sam's 9 year old twin boys, and Jenn's son Zac

We still love our Falcon's

1.30.17 The Lord works in mysterious ways!

Hey there y'all!! :) 

We had a wonderful zone conference and world wide meeting this week. The spirit was so strong and I learned so much. It was a crazy week but here is the main story! 

It all started on Tuesday when we went on an exchange. Sister Hosman was talking with Sister Smith and told her "man you have such cool mission stories! I need more cool stories!"... little did she know the Lord had something in mind the very next day.

Wednesday was the world wide missionary broadcast. It was an amazing meeting. Where we learned about the changes to the mission schedule, and heard the apostles and other church leaders discuss ways we can improve as missionaries. It was awesome and we were all so pumped to get to work. 

We hurried out to the cars.  Sister Hosman opened the car door to get inside, and Sister Hollowell in the car next to ours opened her door from the inside to get out. All we heard was a- smack! Not car door on car door... but two car doors sandwiching Sister Hosman's finger! As a natural response she shook off her hand - like when your finger gets jammed. But as she shook her hand blood spewed everywhere! Sister Hosman turned white and looked to Sister Rasmussen and said "My finger is off!" 

Before Sister Hosman could fall down or pass out. We helped her to lay down. Sister Crowton grabbed her pillow out of the car and laid it under her head. Sister Smith had a very cool head and helped her to breathe slowly. 

She told Elder Brown to go grab paper towels and he looked so confused, so sister Rasmussen told him "they're in the church!" So he was like "Oh yes!" And ran into the church. He came out with the whole roll of church towels. Sister Smith wrapped her finder. And Elder Klingler (the only elder with a clear head) came over and knelt down by Sister Hosman's head. And asked for her name. He gave her a quick blessing and we rushed into the cars. 

Sister Crowton got 7 speeding violations, and ran a red light... We showed up to the urgent care and after the Dr looked at her finger in amazement he said that they couldn't care for that there and we needed to go to the ER. So we rushed to the ER. 

It was a bit of a mess at the hospital they were unorganized and the assistant doing the X-ray on Sister Hosman's hand tried flirting with her by saying "For being in so much pain, you are really pretty." It was a bit frustrating. But there was a nurse, Sarah, who did 4 loose stitches in her hand so it would be okay for the night. Because we were having to go see the plastic surgeon the next day. 

After leaving the Dr we realized we needed to ask the nurse Sarah a question. So we called the hospital, and asked for the nurse Sarah, the Dr's said she didn't work there. We were so confused. Sister Hosman said "She just did stitches in my hand 20 minutes ago..." but apparently that nurse Sarah didn't exist.

That evening Sister Hosman got a priesthood blessing. In the blessing she was blessed to heal quickly, and that it would have no long term effects. She was also blessed that she would feel angels around her through this trial. And that this trial would be a blessing she would be grateful for. 

At the plastic surgeon the next day, he was so surprised to see how much it had healed already! The nurse Sarah had aligned everything back together perfectly. So perfectly that the bone was in a place he would not have to do surgery! He said it was so small that if they did do a pin it would probably just break the bone worse. So they put it in a splint and said he wants her back in 2 weeks to make sure it is healing and no plastic surgery would be necessary. 

Looking back, there were so many details and blessing that went into this trial of a broken finger. It has brought the sisters in our zone closer together. It's been a lesson on humility and patience as Sister Crowton has gotten the chance to bath Sister Hosman while wearing a little make shift swim suit, and help her get dressed in the morning then into pajamas at night. Sister Crowton and Sister Hosman have grown close through this experience. It hasn't been easy. But the Lord's ways are higher than our own. And we can grow as we follow His will. :) 

Sam and Jenn are still doing great and look forward to coming to church this week. Audra is amazing and looking forward to her baptism this Saturday! The blessings of Monica serving a mission have already come to the family. Andy got an incredible job and is moving today to Washington DC! We are sad to see him go but hope to still teach him when he comes back on the weekends. The work is going well and I feel so blessed! Love y'all! 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

(My comp typed this story up, she is amazing) 

Pictures from the hospital after the Plastic Surgeon appointment

It was so good to see Sister Evans again. She is doing great and loving UGA! 

As a Mom I can't express enough love for this wonderful companion who is taking such good care of Rachael!

Sister Hollowell and her broken companions hahah 

I love this picture. I know we are truly surrounded by angels❤️

1.23.17 Go Falcons!!! 👍🏼😀🏈

Hi y'all!! 

First things first, we are safe and happy as ever! The tornado did not effect us but thank you for your prayers and concerns. We had a great week and are feeling very blessed. We are working with so many great people! Here are some details about it!!

Sam and Jenn Boutwell are doing great! They are seriously my favorite!! We were able to help Jenn find her patriarchal blessing. She read it for the first time since her 20's and we think that it opened her eyes to the blessings she is missing out on. She now carries her BOM everywhere she goes in her purse! She is like a missionary! Sam told us he is ready to be baptized! Which is amazing, but we have to help them get married. They are working through some blended family logistics. But, we hope to continue to see progress over the little bit. Jenn and Sam are just so awesome! They both prayed for us this week. It is so cool to see them growing and changing. 

Audra is on date to be baptized February 4th!! She has so many questions all the time!! She is so funny. She was worried she couldn't get baptized because her kids don't want to come to church, and because she is a stay at home mom she doesn't have in income so she doesn't have anything to pay tithing on. So she asked if missionary's could stay in her lake house as a tithing payment or something.. haha she's just so funny!  She is truly elect and has such a love for the scriptures. We are so excited for her! Please keep her in your prayers :) 

We had another lesson with the Propes family. It went wonderfully!! The kids are just hungry for the gospel. When talking about Joseph smith and the first vision it was like they couldn't take their eyes off of us. We asked them how they felt, and in mesmerized voices, their responses were "amazed"  (7 yr old), "speechless" (15yr old), "warm inside and like something like that could happen to me!" (12 yr old). It was so great! We have another lesson with them this week and are excited to see where this goes!! It is truly all about being in the right place at the right time. The ward is amazed they are opening up to us but we have faith that this is their time. 

Andy Phillips is doing great! He is a nonmember. We had a lesson with him this week, and it went really well. He continues to surprise us with reading so much in the Book of Mormon. He is very very nervous about his daughter Monica leaving on her mission. He is scared he will be lonely. Over a year ago his wife and Monica's mom suddenly passed away. They are still sad about it, but it's cool how it has brought them to the gospel. We are excited to teach him about the Plan of Salvation this week and know it will bring peace to his heart knowing he will see his wife again. Monica's farewell is this Sunday and she is so ready! She will be amazing missionary and touch many lives, including her dads. 

At our lesson with Andy Saturday, Sister Crowton's heart started racing and she started to feel very light headed and weird. So we called the mission nurse and they said to go to the emergency room immediately. Unfortunately, we didn't have a car this week only bikes so we had to call members. Sister Hosman had the feeling to call a member and it was crazy she was just about to be driving past our apartment on the way home so it worked out perfect. We went to the hospital, and the Dr's said everything was normal. It could have just been exhaustion, anxiety, or some little virus thingy. They don't know. But after some rest and taking things slow Sunday she is doing great! Never a dull moment! :) 

This Sunday we had a youth led sacrament and it was so cool! I was so impressed and the spirit was so strong. They all spoke on different Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel. The closing song was them singing the EFY medley. A mix of "As Sister's in Zion" and "We'll bring the World his Truth." It was powerful and I couldn't help but flash back to my wonderful memories of EFY. Time is flying by and I can't believe I am here now bringing the World His truth. It is the greatest thing in the whole world. Heavenly Father is truly moving his work forward. This is the time to prepare! What are you doing to prepare and strengthen your relationship with him today? :) 

I love y'all!  Stay peachy :) 

Sister Hosman 

Sister Crowton and Sister Hosman with Monica - a new convert who is leaving to serve a mission soon!

1.15.17 - The final 6 weeks!! 🙈🙊🙉

Hey y'all! 

I can't believe I am a week into my last transfer. Where did the time go? It has been so fun to get pictures of friends beginning to return home from their missions. I am so proud of them and grateful for their service and example to me. It has been a fantastic and I am so excited to see what the lord has in store... 

I know I talk about Sam and Jenn every week but words can't express my love for them. In every area you know their are certain reasons you are called there. Sam and Jenn are definitely one of the reasons I know I was called to finish strong in Laurel Springs! So many amazing miracles happened with them this last week. 7 weeks ago when I first met Jenn she assured us that she would not pray or read but that we could come visit her. This last week Jenn prayed for us out loud and it was amazing. The spirit was so strong and touched my heart as she prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for sending missionaries her way. Jenn hadn't been to church since she was 16 years old and was very nervous to ever come with her sweet 15 year old named Zachary. He is autistic and about the age of a 4 year old in his brain. But THEY CAME TO CHURCH!! Pure joy filled my heart as I watched them walk through those doors. One of those moments that you feel the true joy of missionary work. Where you know this is exactly where you are supposed to me. It is one of the greatest feelings in the world. They all had a great experience. Although we were all unsure how Zach would be and what kind of words he would yell, the loudest thing he proclaimed was "Amen!" He is truly a southern boy. I also gained a lot of respect for my mother and the many mothers who sit in sacrament meeting trying to occupy their children while still listening to the message. It was tricky but an experience I will never forget. We went over to their home last night and had a great discussion. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Sam told us he felt ready to be baptized. Of course there will need to be a wedding before that happens but it was so exciting. We were able to help Jenn find her patriarchal blessing so she could read it for the first time in many years. They have grown so much and I am so proud of them.❤️

Andy is also doing awesome and in his first week of reading he made it to the end of 2 Nephi! He had the opportunity to sit outside the temple while his daughter Monica received her endowments and that was really special for him. He had been struggling with the plan of salvation but that opportunity came at the perfect time and was a huge tender mercy. 

Sister Crowton is my new companion and she is amazing! She is from Pleasant View Utah and will hit her year mark this week. She is a wonderful teacher and missionary. I feel so blessed to have such an awesome final companion and murderer as they say in the mission!(; 

We had a meeting with President Bennion this week and he told a story that has really stuck with me. Every Monday night they invite the missionaries and those they are teaching over for family night. A fun time to get together and play a game, have a treat and a gospel lesson. This last Monday there was a family with a single mom and 9 children. President and Sister Bennion had each given them a BoM and invited them to read it. The next time the family saw President Bennion the 9 year old girl in the family ran up to him. She opened her personal copy of the BoM and was so excited to show him what she had highlighted. It was 1 Nephi 1:12. 

12 And it came to pass that as he read, he was filled with the Spirit of the Lord.

A scripture verse that was so simple but so true. She then pointed to herself and said "that is what happened to me, I felt it!" I don't know if I have ever really noticed that verse before and the truth of it. As we read the Book of Mormon, we are filled with the spirit of the lord. I LOVE the BoM and am so grateful for the peace, strength, comfort and guidance it gives me. Every time I read I am filled with the love and spirit of the lord. I know that you can be too. Even if it is is just for 5 minutes a day. The BoM is a life changer. It is is written for YOU and for me. Regardless of your age of where you are at in your life. I promise it will make a difference in your everyday life as you make time to read it and you will get closer to god and his son Jesus Christ. 

I love y'all and am so grateful for all you do! Have a blessed week and don't forget to read and pray. Xoxo 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

So true! Blessed to have wonderful grandmothers💗

Sad to say this is the one pic we have.  Promise more next week! She is super sweet and I love her tons :) 

1.10.17 Faith is like a little seed...

Hey there y'all!! :)

First of all is transfer news!! I am staying here in Laurel Springs but getting a new companion. Her name is Sister Crowton but I don't know much about her. I am excited to get to know her and promise to send pics next week! Sister Evans is going to UGA campus in Athens and I am so excited for her. She will love it so much! 

It has been one cold week here in Georgia but still a great one. When everyone was worried about getting snow I didn't believe them but we did get some after all. 

Wednesday we had a wonderful zone meeting on Christlike attributes. One of my favorite lines in PMG (a guidebook for missionaries) is "just as important as what you do is who you are". We are here to become more like our brother and Savior Jesus Christ. It is a life long pursuit but I know that we can really become like him. As I mention every time I love gathering together as missionaries and the spirit is always so strong. It truly warms my heart and motivates me to be better. 

This week we were able to see Sam several times and he is doing so well. He has changed so fast and so much in these last couple weeks. It's been truly amazing to see the Lord work on him and his heart. You can really feel his hunger for the spirit and for truth. This week we were able to watch him liken the scriptures to himself and begin to highlight the verses he loved. As well as teach his girlfriend and bear testimony to him. It was so cool. We brought a convert named Monica and as she was sharing her story she talked about a warmness and goodness she felt. Sam said "I have felt that too!" The spirit is the true teacher and it is so humbling. We had great discussions about prayer, faith, obedience and the BoM. We are really working on getting him to come to church but his schedule is crazy right now. Continue to pray for him! 

Last week I know I talked about Andy so a little update on him. He is doing good and even came to church this last week. We had a great lesson with him and he really opened up to us. He hadn't read the BoM yet but promised to this week. He has been through some really hard times but is interested in learning more. He is a minister so his questions can be tricky but the spirit is truly helping us. We are looking forward to teaching him about God's plan of happiness this next week. 

My faith has grown so much these last 17 months. Not just my faith but my faith in the lord Jesus Christ. Through experience, service, prayer, study and more. I have learned that faith truly is closing your eyes and listening to you heart. Faith leads you to act and become better. I have learned to rely on the Lord and trust in him. Faith is knowing good will come but it seems to come after we have been tried. It can and should be growing each and every day. If you are wanting to grow your faith and relationship with Jesus Christ this next year you should and you can. Start with prayer. Take 5 minutes a day to read from the BoM. Pray for opportunities to serve and follow your promptings. If you do I promise you will see a difference in your life and your faith will grow! Start with that desire, that's the seed and if planted it will grow! :) 

Time is flying by and I can't believe I am starting my last transfer. It doesn't seem real and it really hasn't hit me yet. But I am loving it and am so grateful for all I have learned and continue to learn. I have made some goals and promised to give the Lord my all. Thank you for all your love and support. I feel it everyday and am eternally grateful. Have a blessed week, I love y'all! 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

Sister Christensen you will be so missed. You have been such a huge blessing in my life and the lives of many others here in Georgia. Love you so much!💗

Who knew??? Icicles in Georgia?! 

This is our little buddy Zachary❤️ He is Jenn B's son! ( the less active and Sam's girlfriend) 

2017... are you ready y'all?! (1.3.17)

Hi y'all! 

Happy New Year! I can't believe it is 2017!! Hope everyone had a safe and fun New Year. It was a great week and we were super busy. Here is an update on a couple of the Lords wonderful children we are blessed to teach.. 

Sam is doing great and we had some awesome lessons with him this last week. We taught him about the plan of salvation and it went so well. He said it just all made sense. Jenn (inactive gf) also participated the whole time which was huge. The spirit was so strong and he asked some great questions. He is reading the BoM but we talked about the importance of praying about it. Prayer is so essential in all that we do. 

Missionary leadership council (MLC) was on Friday and it was incredible. How I wish I could have just been a fly on the wall in those meetings. They have a special spirit. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful and humble leaders. It is amazing to see President Bennion humble himself to take advice and Council with us. We discussed that just has important as what we do as missionaries is who we are. The Christlike attributes are to help us to become more like Jesus Christ. We can do it, that is what we are here to do. We also discuss agency, the only true gift that we can give God. We are a very obedient mission but President pointed out that that may not be the best thing. We need to govern ourselves so that we may learn and grow. That is what we are all on earth for. The hope and prayer is that we make good decisions and give out heart/will to god. It was a big eye opener for me. 

Andy is a wonderful father of a girl who joined the church just a few years ago and now has a mission call to California. He has been coming to church these last couple of months but never really accepted being taught. This last week we had our first lesson with Andy and we're able to to teach him about the Restoration. He was a minister so he has a lot of tough questions. But he has agreed to read and pray about the BoM. I know he will feel of the truthfulness of it. The BoM is so powerful and truly changes lives. I'm excited to see what happens with Andy in the future. I know he will be blessed by Monica (his daughter) serving a mission. God truly protects and blesses the families of his missionaries. I saw it as my brother Zach was serving and now while I am serving.

The Ruiz family is a terrific family we are working with that has been less active for awhile. We have had some powerful lessons with them and they have a desire to come back. This last week we talked about the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy and invited them to come to church. We were very bold and reminded them that actions speak louder than words. What we do on the sabbath truly is a sign to our Heavenly Father. We were sad when the first hour of church was almost over and we hadn't seen them come in. However, it turned around and he pointed right at me with a big grin on his face. My face hurt from smiling so hard y'all! My heart filled with warmth and love. God is good!! They were so happy to be there and I know Heavenly Father was even happier. Feeling a piece of the love he has for his precious children is so incredible and I'm so grateful for this outstanding opportunity! 

I love y'all so much! Thank you for all your love, support and prayers. Have a blessed week! 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

*I did not receive any pictures this week, but if you are scrolling down looking for the good stuff, here it is...

Rachael will be home on Feb. 22 @ 4:40 p.m.

She will be speaking in church on Feb. 26th @ 11:00a.m.

12.27.16 Christmas Miracles!

Hey there, everybody! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. It was so amazing to talk to my family and I feel so blessed. We had an incredible week full of miracles. When we are exactly obedient and do all we can the Lord will bless us....

Tuesday after a wonderful district meeting I got to go on exchanges with Sister Christensen. Words can't express how grateful I am for her and the blessing she is to me. I admire her and look up to her in many ways. She is a great example and such a incredible missionary. She has a love for all those she meets and for this wonderful work! 

We had a great lesson with Audra in the Pusey families home. Audra opened up to us about her worries and concerns. Meeting with the missionaries and coming to church has caused some problems with friends and family. She is so strong and knows what she is doing is right. She was especially tired because she had gone without tea or coffee all week! Which is amazing and we are so proud of her. She asked us questions and we had a great lesson about baptism and the temple. Baptism truly is the gate by which we can work towards entering the temple. Where families can be sealed for time and all eternity. 

We were headed to a lesson with one of our less actives named Alicia but we arrived a bit early. Sister Christensen remembered visiting a woman on the same street last time she was on exchanges in Laurel Springs. She couldn't remember her name but recognized the house. We decided to go knock on the door and a woman named Amy answered. She is a strong woman and an amazing mother who home schools her kids. She had been meeting with missionaries but her life got crazy and she had been out of town for awhile. She was so happy to see us and invited us right in. She said that we had come right when she needed us and that it always seemed to happen that way with missionaries. She began to tell us that she has been upset with God lately and really missed feeling the Christmas spirit. Things just weren't the same this year. We talked with for a bit and then showed her the Light the World video. She loved it and it brought the spirit so strong. We talked about the BoM and promised her that if she would read it it would bring more peace and joy into her life then she has ever felt before. We told her how much God loved her and that he needed brave daughters. Tears flowed down her face and she said we could come back on Christmas Eve. So we did and we had another great lesson! :) 

Our ward mission leader had the idea of having every family submit two of their close friends or neighbors to us that we could go caroling too. This last week from 7-9 we went with a member and sang to 4-6 families a night. Leaving them with some chocolates and a Light the World card. If the spirit moved us we would ask if we could come in and share a 2 minute Christmas video with them. It was a huge success and we are now teaching two amazing families that have been so prepared.

One of the families we met this week while caroling is named the Kim family. The father teaches our bishops son golf. They came to church a couple weeks ago to hear him speak and it was great. We introduced ourselves and answered his questions but he didn't seem too interested. The bishops family asked us to go caroling and it was awesome. Brother Kim opened the door to complete shock of us singing but soon a smile came over his face. When we finished he thanked us for coming and then paused. He then said "ya know, I am so glad y'all stopped by!" I have been thinking and I have some questions for you. We came inside and we're able to answer his questions. They all came from looking on the internet unfortunately but we were able to clear them up. They are out of town for a few weeks but we gave him a Book of Mormon and he is excited to read it. We planted that seed a few weeks back and it is already starting to grow. They are so prepared and we are excited to continue working with them! 

The other family is the Elle family who are friends with the fantastic Stock family in our Ward. We went caroling there and they invited us right in. We had a great talk with the husband and he was so happy to see us. He said he had been to our church before and loved it. That he knew he needed to come back and invited us to come back and teach his whole family this next week! It was amazing and they are so prepared. God is good. 

Sam is doing so awesome. We had some great lessons with him this week. He is starting to ask more and more questions and you can tell he is really thinking. We read through the introduction of the BoM with him and he loved it. He has started reading on his own now. They took us to dinner last night and we had a great discussion about trails and the atonement. Everyone goes through hard things, they are apart of life. But Jesus Christ paid the price so he could know how we are feeling in every situation. You are never alone. 

I love y'all so much! Thank you for your love and support. I hope you have a great new year and make some great goals for this upcoming year. Faith in Jesus Christ gives us strength to leave the last behind and look ahead to a brighter future! 

Love,

Sister Hosman🍑

Sister Hosman and Sister Christensen

Exchanges! 

12.19.16 Merry Christmas y'all!

Hey y'all! 

It has been the craziest week but a great one! There was one day that we drove over 150 miles. Lots of great stories so here we go! 

Tuesday morning I went to my last follow up doctor appointment with Dy Nguyen. It went so well and he was so happy to see us. He couldn't believe how well I looked and was doing. He paused for a second and then said "wow! It must be all those prayers!" I assured him that it was. He told me that another boy with the same problem who was also born with gastroschisis was not doing well at all. I know it really made him think and I have no doubt he will join the church some day. After my appointment he invited us to have lunch with him and his staff. We didn't stay for long when he offered us tea! Haha He is so incredible and I feel so blessed to have had such a wonderful doctor. He gave me his number and told me I had to come back and see him! :) 

We hurried back from the doctor so I could go to court with one of the sisters for her car accident. It was interesting experience but she did great and all is well! :) 

Thursday we had the most amazing zone conference. It was centered on member missionary work which was awesome. President Bennion's nephew named Peter came and spoke to us. He was very bold and had some really good counsel. The spirit was so strong and it was one of those meetings you never forget. He reminded us how missionaries are called and that we are needed here. We need to look the part, act the part and BE the part. You can't fake having the spirit. We have been called to the Bible Belt to teach the restoration! 

After zone conference we went to the Level Creek area to tract and have dinner before the stake meeting. However when we pulled up to the church it was surrounded by police cars and fire trucks. After zone conference most of us left except for President Bennion and some Elders who needed to be interviewed. One of the Elders smelt something odd and walked into the gym to see the chairs were on fire. He ran and got President Bennion and everyone else out of the building. Another Elder quickly called 911. They had been working on the roof that day and someone left their piece of equipment on. It dropped sparks into the ceiling which then went into the light and then fell onto a chair. It was crazy and the stake meeting was cancelled. Such a huge blessing that their were people there to catch it. No one was hurt, just a lot of water damage. All the wards are working together to get everything cleaned up ASAP. Hopefully it will be back to normal soon. 

There is a less active named Alicia Rivero in our ward that we are working with and she is so sweet. She is a single mom who is really struggling. We found out that her four year old daughter was sleeping on the floor and let the Ward know. The next day a couple in the Ward brought us a toddler bed to deliver to her. We had a lesson scheduled a few nights later with her and decided to give it to her then. Before our lesson we invited her to come outside with us. When we placed it in her hands tears filled her eyes. She said very quietly and filled with gratitude "she won't have to sleep on the floor anymore!" It was such a special moment and the spirit was so strong. It was a wonderful reminder that this is what Christmas is truly all about. 

Merry Christmas y'all! I hope it is a great one. In the craziness of it all don't forget to take a moment and remember the reason for the season. I am so grateful for my savior and this time I have to serve him. He gave us the greatest gift of all! Love y'all! 

Love,

Sister Hosman 

These are the chairs from the church fire. So crazy! 

12.13.16 Just like that, Winter is here!

Hello y'all! 

We had a cold week this week and really had to bundle up. Winter is officially here and it is cold, especially on a bike! Haha It was a good week though and I'm loving it more and more here everyday! 

Monday night we had a great lesson with Sam! We taught him about the restoration and it went really well. The spirit was really strong and he asked great questions. We brought an awesome member with us named Tasha. The week before I left Level Creek (my first area) Tasha got home from her mission. She is now married and living with her husband in the Laurel Springs Ward. It was so great to teach with her again. Sam is so great and was so excited to read from the BoM. He was not raised in a religious home but says he has seen throughout his life how important faith is. He has a desire to learn more and come closer to his savior Jesus Christ. You can tell his soul is hungry for it and it is truly amazing. 

Another one of our awesome investigators is named Audra. She is a mom of 3 awesome kids and is so sweet. She has been taught for awhile now and is so close to entering the gate of baptism. We had a great lesson with her this week and we're able to answer her questions. She is very curious and likes to study everything out which is good. Audra is so close to the spirit and has so much faith. It is incredible and the second I met her I had so much love for her. It is so amazing to be able to see and feel just a small piece of the way good sees and feels for his children. Audra is praying about being baptized next month so please keep her in your prayers. I know she is ready to take this step and that her family will follow close behind her. 

Tuesday we had a great zone meeting and then went to lunch with all the sisters. Some members own a pizza place so we went there and it was really good. They were the nicest  people and so happy to see us. After that I headed to Sugar Hill on exchanges with Sister Duffin. We had a lot of fun and she is such a wonderful missionary. I was able to learn so much from her. When we got to the area we got a call from the mission office. Sister Duffin was in a car accident back in March and the city asked her to come be a witnesses in court. Super crazy but tomorrow I am taking her to Court, so that should be a fun adventure. (Not something I would have ever guessed I would do on a mission! Haha) We met a lot of cool people though and even had a lesson with Tasha. She was being taught when I was in my first area and now she is baptized. It was so great to finally meet her. We had a great lesson with her and she asked us to help give up smoking again which is awesome!

This week I was studying in Matthew about the parable of the laborers. 

In this parable the householder went into the marketplace at about 6:00 a.m. and hired laborers to work for a “penny." He returned to the marketplace at 9:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. (the eleventh hour), found other unemployed men who were willing to work, and hired them, promising to pay them “whatsoever is right”

The "penny" represents eternal life which is the reward for all people who make and keep sacred covenants with the Lord. His concern is for the faith at which you finally arrive, not the hour of the day in which you got there. I love these two quotes.. 

"However late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines."

 - Elder Holland 

“So if you have made covenants, keep them. If you haven’t made them, make them. If you have made them and broken them, repent and repair them. It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time”  -Elder Holland 

It made me think of Gloria who was baptized when she was 75 or the many less actives I have seen come back to the fold. It is never too late for anyone. I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and this beautiful time of year we have to celebrate his birth. It is on and through my mission that I have come to gain a personal relationship with him and for that I will be eternally grateful. However dark you feel your life is or how far you feel you have turned from God I promise you it is is not too late. He is waiting for you with open arms. Life is hard but we are here to have joy so turn your hardships and burdens to him, he will give you rest. The atonement is real, it is an incredible gift and the best way we can thank him is to use the gift in our lives. 

Thanks for all you do! Love and miss y'all so much. Have a blessed week and stay warm! 

Love,

Sister Hosman

Zone Meeting 

Lunch with the Sisters after Zone Meeting

Splits with Sister Duffin

Look who we found!  Merry Christmas!

12.5.2016 #LIGHTtheWORLD

Rachael has a NEW ADDRESS

4335 Alta Dr.  apt. 3117

Suwanee, GA 30024-6688

Hello y'all!

This week flew by and we have been super busy! Laurel Springs is a great Ward and I am loving it here already! The Ward is pretty small and was just formed into a Ward about 15 months ago. It is filled with awesome families and has so much potential. We are on bikes and every other week we get the car. I am excited to start and finish my mission in the Sugar Hill Zone. 

A bit about my companion... Sister Evans is 23 years old and from Washington state. She comes from a big family of 6 kids. She loves fantasy and hopes to be a writer. She has a strong testimony and is a wonderful missionary! I know the Lord has great things in store for us here!

Wednesday was my first day here and it was very exciting! We were headed to Sister Evans doctors appointment in Tucker. The drive was going well when all of the sudden rain came pouring down. It was so hard and so fast that you couldn't even see the car in front of you. The sky got dark and it was a bit scary. Suddenly as if from the sky we heard a voice say " Tornado warning, take shelter NOW!" We have been counseled has missionaries that when this kind of thing happens to get into the nearest members home ASAP. However we were well out of our area, in fact out of our mission. Not knowing exactly what to do we said a prayer. The zone leaders called and said to do what we felt good about and that they had not heard from President Bennion yet. (We found out later that it was because he was in the temple with the new missionaries) We knew this doctors appointment was important and proceeded on. We made it there safely and all was well. The tornado really did touch down in our area but it was a small one. Crazy experience and I know the Lord really does protect his missionaries! 

Our miracle this week was with a guy named Sam. We went to visit a inactive member and her boyfriend is named Sam. Apparently he doesn't usually come downstairs but he did that night. We were getting to know them and he started asking us lots of questions. About the church and missionary work. At the end he asked if we could teach him "the lessons" and told us that he is super interested. Containing our excitement of course we said yes! We handed him a restoration pamphlet and invited him to read it before our next visit. He immediately opened it up and started reading. It was amazing! The work is pretty slow here and we had just been praying to find a new investigator. It was so cool and just goes to show that this is truly the Lord's work. He makes it all happen! 

This week we had MLC which is missionary leadership council. It is with all the sister training leaders and zone leaders in the mission. As well as President and Sister Bennion. It was amazing and such a cool experience. I felt like we were behind the scenes of a movie called GANM. President Bennion was the director and we were the rest of the crew. Together we discussed the mission and how we can help improve the work. We were able to role play together and receive inspiration. It was so cool and I'm so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve. 

Light the World is the new Christmas video that the church put out this year. If you have not seen it yet, please go watch it! It invites us to go out and serve just has Jesus Christ does. There is a different theme to each day with ideas of acts of service you can do. It brings the spirit so strong and I love the message it brings. This time of year is so beautiful and service is what it should be all about! It is a great opportunity to take a breath during the Christmas craziness and serve someone else. I know and promise that as we do it will be a Christmas to remember. Our homes and hearts will be filled with more love and kindness. 

We had a really cool experience with the video this last week. We were out tracting and knocked on the door of a Chinese family. She was telling us that she went to a Chinese church and was about to shut the door when we asked if we could share a 2 minute video on Christmas. She said yes and just about 40 second into it asked "wait are there no words?" "No" we said and she asked if we could gather the rest of her family and watch it again. Turns out both her mom and sister were visiting from China, and they didn't speak English. All the family gathered and we showed the video. The spirit was so strong and it was a really cool experience. Her heart was softened in less than a minute! 

I love being a missionary. I love this work. I love the gospel. I'm so grateful to be here and give this time to serve my Savior Jesus Christ. I hope y'all are doing well and invite you to light the world this Christmas season! Have a blessed week! 

Love,

Sister Hosman

My new companion, Sister Evans from Washington

Sister Giddons, my STL companion

These are some of my favorite families in Hickory Flat that I went to say goodbye to...

The Sommer's

The Harris Family 

The Dustin kids