2.29.16 I Stand All Amazed!

Hey y'all!(: It was a long week here but a great one!

Tuesday morning miles took us to breakfast for Sister Blairs birthday.  We went to Cracker Barrel and it was yummy(: after breakfast we back and did studies and then headed out for the day. Sadly our first appointment cancelled but campus was crazy, some republican who we think was maybe running for president came to speak. There were lots of people and cameras and it was insane. After the madness we met with Jocelyn and talked to her about service. It went really well and she is doing awesome!(: She is so strong and I love her tons! After that we all went and lunch in the commons. Sadly another lesson with Ben cancelled but everything happens for a reason. Justin Kirkland needed us so we ended up talking with him for a while. Then we had another member who needed some help and advice. That is something different about being in YSA is that everyone relys on the missionaries. Even the members come to us for advice and help. The branch really is such a close family and I love it. After that we had a great lesson with Baylen about fasting and tithing. He has grown so much and is really looking forward to Saturday! As we were talking about tithing I remembered something that a woman said in stake conference. She bore her testimony that she knew a blessing from paying her tithing was that all her appliances were lasting an eternity and still working great. I thought that was so cool and what a blessing! Something I had never thought about before. Then we had an awesome lesson with Derik on the restoration. He basically taught us and is so incredible. He got the priesthood on Sunday and is planning on going to the temple with the branch tomorrow. He was so prepared for this gospel and has grown to love it so much. It has been amazing to see the gospel change his life and the happiness it brings. We went to dinner and had a little planning with Hanson after that and it went well. We actually
saw a couple of our investigators which was super cool! God is in the details and this is his work. I can't say that enough. That night we came home to do our weekly planning and it was a great day! Campus life is crazy sometimes but I love coming home exhausted every day. The secret to missionary work is work!

Wednesday was a long day! But ya know what they say the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days! So true! Anyways, this morning had a couple cancellations but then Jocelyn needed us so it all worked out. Then we went and had lunch before a great lesson with Baylen. We talked about baptism and the priesthood. It went really well and the
spirit was so strong. He has come so far and it's amazing to see him grow in this gospel. He is so ready for Saturday and we are so excited. Then we got to have a really good lesson with Yasmine. She has been going through some hard things so we didn't see her for a little bit but we had a great lesson with her on the plan of salvation. That lesson is so powerful especially teaching it to YSA who are wondering what there purpose in life really is. You just see it click for them and it is so cool! Next we had a lesson with Drew, we taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ and it went really well. We had been talking about inviting him to be baptized but were so nervous! I said a prayer and then just opened my mouth, to our surprise he said yes! It was so cool and a great learning experience!(: That night we went to dinner with Baylen, Elizabeth and Derik at Cracker Barrel! It was so much fun and long story short it took forever to get our food and we had to walk home which took over an hour but it was a fun adventure! Jocelyn and Elizabeth went to the temple for the first time to do baptisms so that was really exciting! It was a great day!(:

Thursday morning we met with James and it was awesome. We taught him the restoration and then invited him to be baptized. He said yes when he came to know these things are true. It was so cool! After that we saw Jessie K who is a less active. It gets confusing with Jessie who less active and Jesse who is an investigator. We talked to Jessie about the priesthood and it went really well! I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood in my life. It was such an essential part of the restoration and has blessed my life so much. Then we met with Justin who is still struggling but doing better. We talked about what it means to be a member of the church and about his baptism. Next we met with Andrew and Alfie, Andrew has been reading and praying! Which is so awesome and we are so happy! He is still working on moving to Utah but things are looking up!(: We then had to to hurry to the branch for Baylens baptismal interview and a lesson. He passed his interview of course and we had an awesome lesson! That night the Brooks took us, Elizabeth and Jocelyn all out to dinner. It was tons of fun and just what we all needed!(: We ended the day with a really good lesson with Jessie! We finished teaching him the plan of salvation and it just clicked for him! It is amazing to see the spirit teach people and touch their hearts. Jesse said that he felt like he was playing tag, God has blessed him and now he is tagging back! I thought that was so cool! I have been so blessed by my Heavenly Father and now I have these precious 18 months to give back to him. I am so
grateful for this opportunity and I am loving every minute. 

Friday we had an awesome district meeting, the spirit was so strong. We now have the zone leaders in our district and although it can be scary sometimes it has been so great. Sister Blair gave an awesome training on gratitude, how we need to be grateful in all circumstances. She also talked about humility and pride. There is a difference between being proud and being prideful. This is gods work and we are honored to be apart of it. Then Sister Russell talked about how to simplify and intensify. We did role plays and it was so great! The gospel is so simple and has so much power. Sometimes we get so
caught up in all the other fluff but the doctrinal basics are what's so important. I learned a lot and the spirit was so strong. When we simply and intensify it welcomes the spirit and there is no room for confusion. After district meeting we ate breakfast casserole and biscuits! I made my first breakfast casserole and I think it turned out pretty well!(: After district meeting we went apartment shopping with the sisters. Our lease is up in a couple months and so they wanted us to start looking. We got to go to the last part of institute and then checked on a referral who sadly wasn't home. After that we met with Elizabeth and it was great! She is doing good and is an official branch missionary. We had her teach us about the priesthood and it went really well! She is going to be the best missionary one day and I am so excited for her!(: After that we met with Haylie who is also doing really good! We talked about the 10 commandments and that they are the road map to life. Heavenly Father loves us each very much and we show our love for him by following his commandments. I know that as we follow his commandments we will revive eternal joy and peace. That they are there to keep us safe not hold us back. That night we went to dinner with Elizabeth, Derik and Baylen, it was delicious! Then we had Baylens last lesson as a nonmember on service. We showed the Mormon message "Lift", if you haven't seen it yet please go watch it. I love how it says that when we are healing physically we turn inward but when we are healing the soul we turn outward that is so true. Service brings us so much happiness and healing and again I am so grateful for this time I have to serve my Heavenly Father and savior Jesus Christ. I am also so grateful for all the service that y'all have given me and my family. Baylen is doing great, he has grown so much and truly loves this gospel. He talked about how much he loves
how inclusive the church is and what a family we are. When you are baptized you truly become one of the family!(: I love my church family and am so grateful for them!❤️

Saturday was a fantastic day! We woke up and went to a belated birthday breakfast with Alfie for Sister Blair. After that we went to check on some people and then had a lesson with Colleen. After that we had to go tour some apartments with the sisters and got ready for the baptism. The baptism went so well! Both Elizabeth and Jocelyn gave incredible talks and the spirit was so strong. It is amazing that Baylen was friends with Jocelyn before and was questioning her one day about why she got baptized and now she spoke at his baptism. He was so happy it was the coolest thing. Has he came up out of the water he had the biggest smile on his face. The branch is growing and it's so exciting! I know this gospel really can save lives. That night for dinner the Adams from the level creek ward came and took us to dinner. Oh my goodness! It was so good to see them and I have missed them so much! They are so cute and it was tons of fun! We had a delicious meal
and spent the evening talking and laughing. They are so great and I feel so blessed to have started off my mission in such a wonderful area. When the waitress came to deliver the food brother Adams said "did you know these girls are missionaries?" The waitress said no and began to tell us about her friend who was a Mormon missionary in Uruguay! We told her that we were Mormon missionaries at KSU! We talked to her for a bit and gave her a card, inviting her to church.
She said she would definitely come and how she couldn't wait to tell her friend! It was so cool and we are so excited!(: It was hard to say goodbye to the Adams again but I hope to see them again soon! I love these people so much and have literally felt my heart expanding. I am so grateful for all the amazing people I am growing to love here in Georgia and the great memories I have with them!(:
Sunday was the most incredible day! Baylen was confirmed a member of the church and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The spirit was so strong and it was amazing. Derik also passed the sacrament for the first time and it was so amazing! He looked so happy and it is amazing how far he has come. He really wants to serve a mission and has some
great things ahead of him! Then we had a member of the high council and his wife come and speak. They did a wonderful job and the spirit was so incredibly strong! The wife shared some very personal experiences and talked about our Heavenly Fathers love for us. She was a great speaker and the talk was very inspired. Something that we all really needed to be reminded of. She told stories from her mission and they were amazing. I know that God is in the details and that everything happens for a reason. We then sang "I stand all amazed" and it was so powerful. I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have and get to share with my brothers and sisters here in Georgia. I know and testify and that Heavenly Father knows and loves each and every one of us. He is aware of us and is shaping you right now to be the person he wants us to be. There are no coincidences. Jocelyn taught gospel principles and Elizabeth taught relief society. They are both so amazing and have come so far. It has been amazing to watch them grow and I love them both so much. After church we had some meetings and then had a lesson with Miles. We talked to him about his baptism and how we strive to keep that covenant daily. After that we went to Marietta to check up on some people and had a great lesson with Brittany. We went to check in Nigel only to find out that he had actually moved. We did meet a guy name Maurice though, he had heard some thing about the Mormons before. We were able to tell him a little bit about the Book of Mormon and he said we could come back next week! It was super cool!(: That night we had dinner with Jocelyn and Justin K, it was yummy! It was a fantastic day!(: It was the best!

This week was long and had its ups and downs but overall it was good! I am so grateful for this gospel and for the knowledge that I have. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves us all so much that he sent his son so that one day we could return back home. Life is a test but the good news is that it's open book! The church is true and the book is blue!(: Have a blessed week!

Love, Sister Hosman

The Adam's from Level Creek ward (Rachael's first area) drove an hour to take her to dinner! 

Baylen's Baptism Day!

Anna, Laurissa, Elizabeth and Jocelyn, Will baptized Baylen, Sister Hosman and Sister Blair

2.22.16 Miracles in the Peach State!

Hey y'all! Hope you had a great week!(: The week flew by here and it was a really fantastic one! I am learning lots and love peaching this great gospel!!

Tuesday was preparation day and we went to the mall for Sister Blairs birthday. We went with the Kennesaw sisters and it was super fun! We had lunch with Jocelyn at chick fil a and it was delicious! That night we had a really good lesson with Derik. We talked about the atonement and what a blessing the atonement is. The spirit was so strong and we were all in tears. It was a wonderful day!

Wednesday morning we had interviews with President and sister Bennion. We had our district meeting and were pulled out one by one. It was really awesome and I am so grateful for all they do for us. President Bennion is the key holder and I am so grateful for his council. Sister Bennion is so sweet and it was good to talk with her more. They are both so amazing and I am so grateful for their testimonies and sacrifice. After interviews we went to lunch with the sisters and it was way fun!(: After interviews we went on exchanges and I got to go to Hickory Flatt with Sister Barben. She is so incredible and I look up to her in so many ways. We have a very similar personality and get along really well. We went and tried to stop by some less actives but no one was really home. We got to see one lady who had been through some family trials and was really struggling. She was so sweet and we talked about hope. It went well, we knocked on some doors after but no one let us in. That night we had dinner at the Taylor's, she made beef stew and it was SO good! I miss home cooking so much! After dinner we had a lesson with one of their investigators named Monica, she is so elect and the lesson went really well. We taught her the word of wisdom as she was drinking her coffee! I was a little scared at first but the spirit was teaching her that it was true. It was super cool! Sister Barben is a great teacher and I really learned a lot from her.⭐️

Thursday morning we went up and got to go do some service! The couple is trying to sell their home so we went and helped clean the kitchen. We wiped down and stained all the cabinets and it was super fun. They had served a mission in Oregon and were telling us some really cool stories! It was a lot of fun and on the way home we got to stop at the pickle stand!(: Exchanges were so much fun and I learned so much. I hope to be her companion some day! We headed back to Big Shanty and had a lesson with Derik before his baptismal interview. The lesson went really well and is just continuing to love this gospel. He is so excited for Saturday and his baptismal interview went great! Everything is falling right into place. After that we met with Elizabeth and Jocelyn, they are both going through similar things and are so great for each other. It is amazing how God places certain people in our lives for a reason. They are really supporting each other and it is so awesome! Then we went and taught Baylen the word of wisdom. It went really well and he is really starting to progress! For
dinner we all went to the commons which was a blast, of course! That night we had a really good lesson with Jesse. We taught him the beginning of the restoration and he is really getting it. He is feeling the spirit and wants this so bad. The lord really does prepare his children. This is his work and obedience is happiness. It was another fantastic day and I love being a missionary! If any of you are thinking about it just do it! It's the best thing you'll ever do!

Friday morning we went to the food pantry and it was great! It was a beautiful day and we had fun! After the food pantry we went to drop by a referral but unfortunately she wasn't there. We went home and had lunch and then made cookies for institute. That afternoon we met with Derik for his last lesson as a non member. It went really well and he is so ready! I don't know if I have ever met someone more prepared for this gospel. We went to meet up with Candice after, who wasn't feeling too well. She has been sick and has had lots going on. She decided that this wasn't something she wanted in her life right now. It was hard but I know that this just isn't her time and the Lord has a plan for her. Before dinner we went and had a lesson with Haylie. She is so cute! We talked to her about the BoM and Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is so amazing and I have really come to love it so much on my mission. I am so grateful for Joseph Smith is one simple question so that we can have the true restored church on the earth today with all its blessings. We went to dinner with Brother Omar who is the new second counselor in the branch presidency. He is awesome and has help couch football at BYU and many other universities! After dinner our plans had fallen through and we had no idea what to do. We tried to go see some people but no one was home. We said a prayer and although we knew that it was a Friday night and campus was dead we decided to for searching for new investigators. We met a couple people but we're just walking back and forth without too much success. Then we saw a guy walking to the bus stop and decided to stop and talk to him. His name was James and he was very nice. He isn't a student at KSU yet but really wants to be. He had just missed his bus but it gave us a chance to talk to him and begin teaching him. Derik and Jocelyn came and it was going really well when all of the sudden there was a bus coming. He got up and ran like sprinted but yelled "meet me at 10:30 on Monday." We knew that didn't work and didn't have any way to contact him...so Derik ran after him and got his number, it was so great! We then met another guy named Drew and it was so awesome! The little miracles are so amazing and I am so grateful to be apart of his work. He answers prayers and is guiding us every minute. It was a fantastic day!(:

Saturday morning started at the food pantry, it is amazing to see how grateful these people are for some bread and a bag of groceries. I always leave so happy and filled with love. I love serving at the food pantry and am so grateful for Miss Donna and her husband Harland. They do so much for us and are so great! They are great examples and are some of the most giving people I know. After the food pantry we went and had a lesson with Colleen. We showed her the parable of the bicycle, it is such a cute story about a girl who really wants a bike. She asked her dad if she can have one but and her dad says yes if she is willingly to earn it. It shows her washing the dog and selling lemonade and doing all she can to earn money. She even mows the lawn with her dads help pushing the mower. They go to the bike store and she realizes that she doesn't have enough money. Sadly she pulls out her $4.37 cents or so and her dad says that if she gives him all she
has and a hug and a kiss then the bike is hers. I love this story so much and I think it is a great reminder of what our Heavenly Fathers love for us. When we do all we can and try our very best, he makes up the rest. We go through hands things and sometimes we have to struggle but never alone. He is always right there by our side, helping and cheering us on. We went back and made lunch and then headed to Woodstock to try to see a less active before the baptism. It took us longer than we thought and we hit traffic. But all is well, she was t home but we met her dad and were able to give him a card so hopefully we will hear from her soon. We got a call from president Murdock on the way to the baptism that they didn't have a key to the font. Luckily the Allatonna Elders saved the day! The baptism was so incredible and he looked so happy. Sister Blair and I gave a talk on baptism and it went really well. Derik had to be dunked twice because his foot came up but he was so happy! He has grown so much and I am so humbled to have been able to be a small part in his conversion. After the baptism we went and visited Skye, she is so sweet! Then we went to dinner with Theo, he is from the congo and has the coolest stories!  Having dinner with him is always  so much fun!(: Saturday we had a great day but it came down to the last 30 minutes of the night and we had no idea what to do. Our appointment had fallen through so we decided to go to campus with faith that someone would be there. We got on campus to find not a single person in sight. We started walking and soon passed a girl we had seen 3 or 4 times that passed week but she was always wearing head phones so we never stopped her. This time she was wearing head phones again but I decided to just say "hi" to our surprise she took out one head phone and started talking to us. She was so sweet and we began to teach her about the BoM. She told us how she used to attend a church back home but hasn't since she came to KSU and she has really missed it. It went really well and we are looking forward to teaching her this week! It was a miracle and I know God really does answer our prayers.

Sunday morning we had branch correlation and it went really well. The branch is doing great and there are some exciting things coming up! We had a really good sacrament meeting! Derik received the gift of the Holy Ghost and it was so amazing. Theo and Jackie both gave great talks on woman and men's roles in the church. Both Baylen and Ben came to church and it was awesome! After church we had a lesson with Baylen and planned his baptism for this Saturday. He is doing so well and is so excited for Saturday. We spent the afternoon weekly planning and then went to Jocelyns for dinner. We made spaghetti and had a little fire side. Elizabeth, Derik, Will and Baylen all came over and it was wonderful. Elizabeth, Jocelyn and Derik are all going to the temple for the first time this week to do baptisms. So we had a lesson and
talked about temples, family history and eternal marriage. It went really well and I am so excited for them! I miss the temple so much and am so grateful that my family can be together forever. After the lesson we had brownies and opened the door for some fresh air. We said hi to a couple people that passed by and I asked one guy if he wanted a brownie. He said yes so I went out to give it to him and of course handed him a card. We told him about the BoM and what we do as missionaries here on KSU. He was very nice and was new to campus. He had not found a church yet and we were able to set up a time to meet with him this next week. It was so cool! That morning we had prayed that somehow we could get a new investigator so we could reach a standard and our goal. It was an amazing miracle and a perfect ending to a fantastic day!(:

It was another incredible week here! This is God's work and this is the true church! I am so grateful for these experiences I will cherish forever. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers! What an amazing blessing! If you want to talk to God, pray and if you want God to talk to you read your scriptures! He wants to hear from us and wants to help us! He is waiting for you to reach out to him, it is not a voicemail but a conversation! Prayer is so powerful and I am so thankful for parents who taught me how to always pray and he will listen! Love yall! Have a blessed week!(:

Love, Sister Hosman

Exchanges with Sister Barben

Darin's Baptism

Working at the Food Pantry (It's owned by the Presbyterians' - I'm not sure why it's called the Joe Smith Memorial, as only his enemies called him Joe...?)

Sister Blair's Birthday 2.22.16

2.16.16 For the love of Peaches!

Happy Valentines Day Y'all! Hope you all had a wonderful week! We had a wonderful week here and are continuing to see the fruits of our labors!(:

Tuesday we had an awesome zone meeting! It is always so fun to get together and see the other missionaries! We talked a lot about the doctrine of Christ and our purpose as missionaries. We we able to re watch Dallin H Oaks talk from the world wide missionary conference a couple weeks ago and it was so good! He said that "being a servant of the lord Jesus Christ is the MOST important thing we can do in mortality!" That hit me really hard, that is so amazing and so true! I am so grateful for all those who have served, are serving or who are preparing to serve. Y'all are such great examples to and the mission is the best thing ever!(: After zone meeting we went to lunch at Atlanta Bread Co with the sisters, it was delicious and super fun! We then headed back to our territory (campus) and got to work! We had a good lesson with Justin and talked about how we need to constantly need to feed our spirit. Although we don't have our stomachs to growl at us and tell us we are hungry our spirits need to be fed as well! They are hungry! That night we were able to have dinner with Hanson and an awesome lesson with Baylen. We were able to answer his questions about church and talk about faith in Jesus Christ. We studied Alma 32 and it was really great! He has to go home to Kentucky this weekend so we had to push his baptism back a bit but that's okay!  He is doing really well and is really progressing in this gospel! It was an awesome day!(:

Wednesday was a crazy day but super awesome! It started with snow, we woke up and there was "snow" and it was freezing! We had a great lesson with Amanda and talked about the 10 commandments. How they are the road map to our plan of happiness. After that we had a lesson with Preston, a new investigator we met last week at tables. He is a great
guy and has some super cool stories! We taught him about the Book of Mormon and invited him to read 3 Nephi 11. After that we went to check on Jocelyn and ended up going to lunch! After lunch we had a lesson with Elizabeth. She was having a rough day and we talked about all the good she is doing in her life. She is such an amazing example and shines with the light of Christ. It is so hard to see the trials recent converts go through but they are so strong and have incredible
potential. We met up with Jessie and shared the "Farmer and the Corn" story. A story that Brett Finklea emailed me and I have used so much on my mission. We talked about how we must surround ourselves with good things and good people. Also how we must share the good things we have in life. Like the wonderful blessing of the gospel. A life is measured by the lives it touches. That night Justin K took Elizabeth, Jocelyn and us all out to dinner and it was a blast! They are so great
and I love them so much! Then we headed to institute which was fantastic, as always. We talked about the story of Naman and how we must always trust in the lord. What is our river Jordan? What is the Lord trying to tell us to do? It was a really great day and as always just loving life in the peach state!(:

Thursday was super busy but wonderful! This morning we had a lesson cancel which is always sad but we got to get some calls done and it was all good. Elizabeth came and picked us up and we had a great lesson with Zachariah, he has so many incredible questions! After that we went and had a lesson and lunch with Jocelyn and Elizabeth. They are both so great and coming to love this gospel so much. They are the best member missionaries and are blessing so many lives. Next we did some contacting and then had a lesson with Drew. He is a great guy and we are hoping he will continue wanting to learn about the gospel. Then we had a lesson with Ben on the word of wisdom. He is doing great and he's planning on being baptized this Saturday. I wish we could go but he is being baptized in his fiancée home ward which is a couple hours away. But we are so proud of him and will be there in spirit! We taught Baylen the gospel of Jesus Christ after that and it went really well. He realized the importance of needing to be baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was awesome, Jocelyn and Elizabeth were both there and they were a big help! Then we had a great lesson with Derik on the Word of Wisdom. He is so elect and was totally onboard. He is still planning on being baptized next Saturday and I am so excited! After the crazy day we all were hungry and decided to go to Olive Garden! It was a blast and I can't express how much I love these great people!(:

Friday morning our lesson cancelled and so we decided to go out and do some finding! It was very humbling, no one answered and we had a flash back of what non YSA life was like. We have been so blessed to be busy and lead to those who have truly been prepared for this gospel. After that we went to institute and it was awesome has always! Then we had a lesson with Elizabeth and she brought her friend named Tolu. It was so awesome and the spirit was so strong. After that we went to meet a referral from the zone leaders. His name is Jesse but we thought it was Jeffery so that's what he called him the whole time. So awkward! But on the bright side he is a super cool guy and is on date to be baptized March 12th. He sees the need for this in his life and knows that this is gods will. It went really well and we are excited to start teaching Jesse! Lol! That night we had a great lesson with Haylie. Then we went out to dinner with Jackie and her friend Camden.
He went on a trip to Japan to speak English. We went out to a Japanese place and then he bought us some weird Japanese things to try! It was super fun! That night we drove to Canton to try to see a referral. She wasn't home but we were able to meet some cool people! It was another wonderful day!(:

Saturday was Sister Russell's 20th birthday! We went over to miss Donnas for birthday breakfast and studies! It was super fun!(: We did some service for Miss Donna and then spent the day weekly planning. That night we went to dinner with Sydney and Phil who are recently engaged. They are super cute and Sydney is actually from the level creek ward so that's super fun! We invited Derik to come along and it was super great! We were able to have a lesson with him and Phil was awesome! He served a mission in Chile and is still a fantastic missionary! Then we had the adult session of stake conference and it was wonderful! Every talk was so good and the spirit was so strong! I loved it!  They talked about our path to disciple ship and TLC in the family. (Time,Love and Christ) In order for God to guide us we have to take that first step. We must never forget that this is the path we choose and can't be afraid of the effort it takes to stay on it. The Lord qualifies those who he calls. There were so many great messages but overall, don't give up! Salvation is not a cheap experience. We all of our doubts and trials, so when they come cling to what you know and "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. " I am so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel and for the guidance it brings. It was an incredible meeting and it is no secret that the adult session on Saturday night is really the best.

Happy Valentine's Day! Sunday was stake conference and it was awesome! Jesse came and he really liked it! We were able to meet with him after and answer some of his questions and it was great! It's been fun to see the zone a lot this week with zone meeting and stake conference. After that we went and visited some people who lived in Marietta to deliver Valentine's Day gifts and share a message with them!(: It was a lot of fun and they all loved it! Next we went and had lunch with Theo and Elizabeth, we made sandwiches at the branch and it was yummy!(: After that we had a lesson a lesson with Bryan. We taught him the plan of salvation and it went really well. At first he didn't remember much but the more we talked the spirit brought more back to his remembrance. It was so cool and we were able to get to know him better which was awesome! We were able to have a lesson with Derik after and it was wonderful!  He loves this gospel so much and it is amazing to see the happiness it brings him. For dinner we went to the Mourdocks and it was delicious! They are so great and it is so nice to be in a home and have a home cooked meal! We talked with president and sister Mourdock and then went out to deliver a couple more Valentine's Day gifts on our way home! It was a loving day! It was a Valentine's Day I will never forget. I loved focusing on our savior and Heavenly Fathers great love for us. I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us we are his children and he sent his son so that we could return to live with them someday!❤️

Monday was Presidents' Day so it was a normal day in the mission world! It started off really well with an awesome lesson with Derik. When we were at the Mourdocks the night before and were struggling to find a team up for the lesson so Sister Mourdock said she would love to come! If ended up being perfect and she had some great insight. She is a convert and was able to really relate with Derik. We talked about temples and family history and he loved every minute. You could see his wheels turning and everything made sense. It was incredible and the spirit was so strong! After that we met with Laurissa and it was great! We went home and had lunch and then headed to campus! We were able to meet with Heather and it was good to get to know her better. She is so sweet and I love her so much!  Haylie came and joined and we had a good lesson with both of them! After that we had a really good lesson with Ben! He is doing really well and will also be baptized this Saturday. Although we can't go I know it will be awesome and we are so happy for him! That night we went to dinner with Heather and Jackie and then went to FHE! It was a great day and ended with a freezing cold rain storm!(:

I hope y'all have a blessed week! You are in my thoughts and prayers!(: Stay steadfast in Christ! Love y'all!❤️

Sister Hosman🍑

Rachael and Sister Christensen from our ward

All the sisters in the zone

The whole Zone -including all 3 missionaries from the Val Verda 1st ward!

2.8.16 The days feel like weeks, the weeks feel like days!

Hey Yall! Another wonderful week of peaching this wonderful gospel!
Hope all is well!(:

Monday night Justin Soriano was given the gift of the Holy Ghost and
it was so incredible!

On Tuesday we had a great district meeting! I have loved my district
and am sad to see the elders go but know that they have great things
ahead of them! Sister Russell gave a great training on asking
questions something that is so important in missionary work! We talked
about the questions the savior asked and how we must ask good
questions to help our investigators learn and grow! After the meeting
we went and had a lesson with Jocelyn at chick fil a! She is so great
and is doing so well with her new calling! That afternoon we had a
lesson with Derik. We showed him "The Hope of Gods light video" and
talked about the importance of prayer and scripture study. He had some
great questions and it was an awesome lesson! He is such a cool guy
and this gospel is already blessing his life so much. I am so excited
for him! Then we had another great lesson with Baylen. We talked about
the 10 commandments and it was awesome! He is also doing really well
and it is so exciting! That night we went to dinner with Jocelyn and
it was so delicious! We went to visit a less active but he wasn't home
and it started pouring rain. We decided to head to the elders
apartment to some paperwork from them when Jocelyn got a sad call. She
was having a really hard time and the elders were able to give her a
priesthood blessing. It was an amazing blessing and the spirit was
very strong. That girl is so strong and really has become one of my
best friends. I love her so much and it was really hard for me to see
her so sad. Your heart grows so much on the mission and I have really
come to love these people so much!

Wednesday morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast with Miles
and it was delicious! After that we met with Amanda and talked about
faith! It went really well and she is super cute! After that we went
to the commons to have lunch with Yasmine! We were able to answer her
questions and teach her more about the BoM! We then got to a special
part in a true southerns heart..sweet tea! She was shocked that we had
never tried it and so we explained the Word of Wisdom! We told her
that if she would go off coffee and tea this next week we would go off
sugar and she agreed! We promised she would have an amazing week
without one bad day! It was a great lesson and Yasmine is just the
best! Next we went to meet with Colleen who was having a bad day but
we were able to brighten her up! The gospel does a good job at that!(;
That night we went to dinner with Jocelyn and Derik and it was a
blast! They are the best! Then we all went to institute and it was so
great! Just another fabulous day in paradise!(:


Thursday was a great day! We started our morning at the food pantry
which awesome! It has been so long and was so good to be back!(: After
that we had a lesson with Zach, he is a new investigator that one of
our members met. He had a lot of questions but the lesson went really
well. After that we went to lunch with Justin and Jocelyn which was
super fun, as always! After lunch we had a short lesson with Jocelyn
and then met with Drew. We taught him the plan of salvation and it was
really good! The plan of salvation is one of my favorite lessons to
teach, Heavenly Father has such a perfect plan for every one of us.
Next we had a lesson with Baylen and it was awesome! We taught him the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and it went super well. Elizabeth, Jocelyn and
Will all were there as team ups and it was great! We watched "The Hope
of God light" video and it brought the spirit so strongly. Every time
we meet with him you can see his faith growing. It is so cool! Then we
met with Justin and started teaching him his recent convert lessons.
We started with the restoration and it was going well, he brought up
some doubt and is having a hard time. It was really hard to see him
like this and sadly we had to go meet Will for dinner. After dinner
was the best! We had an incredible lesson with Derik and Jocelyn. We
taught him the Gospel Of Jesus Christ and it went SO well. The spirit
was so strong and it was truly amazing. We showed him the Because of
Him video and he loved it so much. It was like we saw everything just
click and make sense to him. Ahh!! Then he said the closing prayer and
it was beautiful. It was so sincere and perfect, he was so nervous
because it was his first time but the spirit took over and tears
filled the room. He is so prepared for this gospel and is so elect it
is unreal.

Friday morning we were up at the Marietta KSU campus to see Ben. The
lesson went really fun and we are going to try to do tables on that
campus soon. I am so excited! After that we went to institute and it
was so awesome. We talked about both our mortal and pre mortal
families. How important the home is and what we can do to make our
homes a safe place of refuge. Brother Rader is so great and has so
much passion for the gospel it's so incredible! After Institute we had
a great lesson with Elizabeth, she is still working towards serving a
mission and is doing so great!(: Next we had tables which was the
best! We had so much fun and we met a golden investigator. His name is
Bryan and he isn't a member but has always wanted to be baptized and
attends one of the wards whenever he can. He is so elect and we have a
lesson with him for Saturday. I am so excited!(: That night for dinner
Mima made us something that her mama used to make when she was little.
It was delicious! She told us some of her stories from growing up in
Africa and they were so cool! That night we had a meeting with Hanson
and it went pretty well! After we met with Hanson we went to meet Anna
and Laurissa for some late night Italian! They are so cute and it was
super fun!(:

Saturday was another great day! It started with the food pantry and
it went super well! We had lots of people that day and I always leave
so happy! After that we went and had an amazing lesson with Bryan! He
is so prepared for this gospel it's crazy!! We were able to get to
know him a bit better and then teach him the Restoration. The spirit
was so strong during the lesson and he loved it. He talked about how
much he had missed meeting with the missionaries before. He was so
happy and it was so cool! After that we went and had lunch with Derik
and Jocelyn. We taught them both about fasting and invited Derik to
fast for the first time. He said he would and it was awesome! We them
weekly planned all afternoon and into the evening. That night we had
dinner with Theo and then finished planning!

Sunday was a wonderful day! In the morning we were invited to be
there when Elizabeth received her patriarchal blessing. It was such an
incredible experience and the spirit was so strong! That morning in
studies before we went I was able to read mine and was amazed at the
things that I hadn't noticed in it before but exactly what I needed.
Partriarchal blessings really are such a blessing and I am so grateful
for the peace and direction they provide. Elizabeth was so happy and
it was an unforgettable experience. Perfect way to start an amazing
Sunday! After that we had fast and testimony meeting and it was so
good! The branch is filled with so many strong converts! Both Jocelyn
and Elizabeth bore their testimonies and they were so sweet. I love
them both so much. I feel like I am meeting so many of my long lost
friends here. Like I have known them forever, it is the coolest
feeling! Watching Derik during testimony meeting was so awesome. He
was so into it and you could tell he was feeling the spirit so
strongly! Sunday school we talked about the fall and how essential it
was to gods plan. It was a great lesson and I learned so much! After
church we had a meeting with President Mourdock, who is the greatest.
We then went on an adventure to Marietta with Jocelyn. We tried to
stop by some less actives but no one was home. We were able to stop by
and see Brittany which was awesome!! That night we had an incredible
lesson with Derik. I can't believe we have only known him for 2 weeks!
We are already best friends and he is so elect. Teaching him the
gospel is such a special experience. Watching his wheels turn and
everything click is so cool! He keeps telling us how this is the
highlight of his week and how this saved his life. How much happier he
is and that this is the best thing that's ever happened to him. The
spirit was so strong in the lesson and we discussed moving his
baptismal date up. He said the closing prayer and it was sincere. Ah
the spirit was just so powerful and it was the best! Such a fantastic
day!!(:

Thank Y'all for all you do for me! I couldn't do this without you!
Your prayers give me strength! Love y'all so much! Don't forget..The
church is true and the book is blue!(:

Love, Sister Hosman🍑

Jocelyn

Rachael and Sister Blair