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