It's a small town

With the ice storm breaking Hudson has gotten out to see "the town".  What he quickly realized is there was not much of the town to see.  A stop light or two, some stores including a Wal-Mart, but he has no idea why it got to be put there.  It has a Fleetwood Homes manufacturing plant and a state park.  The state park he visited had a "lodge" with pamphlets inside that reminded him very much of Redfish.  He was sitting in a chair on the front porch of a log cabin that looked beautiful.  He said the down side was there were no pine trees and the walking paths were all paved so it didn't feel much like hiking.  They did get in a good bit of ultimate frisbee play on the lawn, however.

Hudson has learned more about his new role model President Gilday.  This man is from Cookeville, TN.  He was called by the church to move to Lafayette and start the branch there.  He has been there almost five years now and will be "released" and moving back home between March and June.  Hudson hopes for the latter of the dates as he wants to get to know him better.  He describes him as reminding him of Danny Devito with quirky sayings.  

Hudson is figuring out the challenges of living so close to sister missionaries.  They are not to be alone in each other's apartments or in the church house together which makes visiting and P-Day time difficult.  He was rebellious, however and took a picture of himself in their apartment while delivering the sacrament.  Hudson attended a baptism Sunday with Ryan the investigator.  He and Elder Norton tried to get him out of the church after sacrament, but before the baptism as they thought it would upset him.  The problem was President Gilday had driven Ryan and he was not ready to go.  Ryan finally asked the missionaries if it was a public service that anyone could attend.  The boys told him yes and he said he would like to go in.  Hudson braced for the worst as the week of emotions that have been since finding out Ryan is on Parole and unable to be baptized for another 2 1/2 years when that ends.  Ryan got very emotional and kept getting up for tissues, but held himself together.  Afterwards he told the missionaries that was the most beautiful experience and he was looking forward to when he would get to enter the waters of baptism.  Another day Hudson and Elder Norton called him and he said he had his Book of Mormon and an hour and half before bed, so what did they want to study.  Hudson says he is so excited to learn and absorb it all.  It's a bit exhausting.  President Gilday has another young man living with him who was kicked out of his house after being baptized.  He goes to Nashville 1.5 hours away weekly to attend institute.  The missionaries encouraged Ryan to go with him.  They told him he would learn about the gospel and there would be girls there.  Ryan thought he would like to go try that out!