Old Tom Lives On

 Awen Ullr

Yesterday at 6:58 PM  · 

My new 4 in one! Thank you Elder

Hudson Nelson

, Elder

Jonathan Norton

,

Trevor Perry

, and President Gilday!!! Love you guys!!!

Hudson said his best experience this week was the reaction Ryan had when he received this book. This is the Facebook post Ryan put about it. I asked Hudson why he didn't share the experience in his email. He said he recorded it in his journal and in his letter to the Mission President. He didn't want to repeat himself. I told him we all wanted to hear about it. Please share next time.

For P-Day they went back to the pawn shop and one of the other elders bought a $100 guitar. Wowzer! He also went to the church with the missionary group and played Planet or Atmosphere. I'm confused about how to play, but he had a good time. No updates on if transfers are going to happen or wait for the next 6 week time frame.

Hudson says the branch will start holding second hour meetings after conference on April 11.

Hudson is happy to report Old Tom is eating and moving around like he owns the farm yard. Hudson thinks he was depressed from being in solitary confinement. Hopefully he keeps improving.

Pictures again🤥 (Hudson Email Week 28)

The Good Shepard and Ryan my favorite person in Lafayette

 

Coronavirus Strikes Again

Coronavirus has struck the Tennessee Nashville mission.  The Franklin and Tennessee 2 zones got together to make an Easter video and someone had coronavirus!  Both zones are now in quarantine for 10 days and transfers have been put on hold until further notice.  Hudson does not know what is happening with the new missionaries that flew in.  The missionaries that had flights home, have been cancelled.  Hudson does not feel too affected.  He didn't think he was moving this transfer, and they weren't involved in the video, so they do not have to quarantine.

Hudson went to Gallatin, TN for P-Day.  They went before the information of the virus outbreak happened, whoops!  They got to play an intense game of soccer and get some sweat going.  Hudson said that felt good.  He hasn't had as much physical activity as he would like.  They ended the day by getting chicken and waffles.  Hudson over ate.

Hudson went to do service for someone who's father left.  She said they could take anything they wanted from the garage as she wanted it all thrown away.  Hudson got some records that included moldy covers, a croquet set and a captains hat.  Elder Norton came away with an accordion.  Excitement has ensued back at the apartment.  The Elders discovered an attic space and in it the previous Sisters left a box that stated they had found treasure.  Unfortunately, they didn't put anything in the box.  The Elders put it back with a couple of ties for the next missionaries to find.  Ridge thought it will be funny if it is sisters that find it.

Connie played the organ in sacrament meeting this week.  Hudson loves how she adds all the "extra notes" to what is written.  The Elders had her speak with a member that has a farm Brother Staples.  They asked what she should do about Old Tom.  Brother Staples asked how old he was.  When Connie said two and a half, he told her she should have killed him a long time ago to eat.  Connie got very emphatic about not killing her animals.  Brother Staples said he might be able to help, if Old Tom needs to be put down.

Hudson is sad that the investigator he spoke of last week won't return his calls.  He says it has been a let down of a week in regards to teaching.  Hopefully, they will find someone interested.

Pictures (Hudson email week 27)

 

In Six Months Hudson has learned "the gospel is simple"

Hudson "celebrated" his six month anniversary of being a missionary this week!  He asked for a few things including:  deodorant, pomade, a book of rules for single deck card games, physical pictures to add to his book and Ellie baked him some applesauce cookies.  He did get his package from Elder Herrick.  Everything was in it except the Unbroken book and the Kool-aid man shirt.  Not too bad of a loss, but still frustrating.  He emailed Tuesday night asking how dangerous a spider bite is.  His ankle was looking funky after working in Connie's rose bush.  The next day he was pretty sure they would not need to amputate so that is good.  While at Connie's he was included in the plan for Old Tom, her turkey.  Apparently he is sick.  Connie is doctoring his water with antibiotics, but if he isn't better next week she wants the Elders to kill him.  WHAT?!?!?  How are Elders supposed to kill a turkey?  Hudson asked if she had a gun.  She said of course not silly, I would probably shoot myself on accident.  Hudson is looking at Old Tom's spurs and the sheer size of this thing.  He is also remembering how upset she was about him killing the rat.  I'm not sure a turkey has ever been prayed for by missionaries, but Old Tom has.  Here's to me also wishing him a speedy recovery.  Hudson recorded Connie playing the piano and singing while on a call with her.

Hudson went to Gallatin, TN for a blitz.  It is similar to an exchange, but since Elder Norton is the District leader it's a bit different.  While there Hudson ate at a restaurant called Old Glory.  He learned catfish strips are good, catfish fillets are bad.

The elder's went to the church house for family home evening.  A sister in the ward shared a spiritual thought and then they played games.  Hudson said they had a good time.

Hudson has been living a bit vicariously I think through Ryan.  He is getting a kick out of hearing his dating stories.  An elderly gentleman took Ryan to the Daisy Duke Dancehall.  The name sounds scary, but it actually is a family place.  Ryan who is 31 was introduced to three women of which the youngest was 72.  They pursued him to dance through the night.  He gave his number to another lady he met who was in her 50's.  She picked him up after church and took him to lunch.  He signed the Elders up as his wingman.  They were to call him in two hours in case he needed an excuse to leave.  Funny part was when they called him he said all good here, thanks for calling.  

I was asked to speak in church as part of the missionary mom list about Hudson.  Brother Jeppson said I had three minutes.  What do you do with three minutes.  I asked Hudson what he wanted me to tell the congregation.  Hudson said to tell them the gospel is simple.  He has met so many "scholars of the bible" that try to find answers that aren't pertinent to what we are doing here on Earth.  We need to focus on bettering ourselves through repentance and the gospel doctrine we have.  He ended with "if anyone wants to learn more, they should call the missionaries".  I relayed his message with an honest taste of how hard his first few weeks in the mission field were.  I told how he had reached out to Colby who told him the first two weeks are awful, but it will get better and Sarah Hobbs, who's trainer taught her to look for one good thing a day to focus on.  I told of his first positive cold call that turned out to be a member and Alaina reading the Book of Mormon with a glass of wine and a cigarette.  At the meeting the Olsen/Graves baby was blessed and Sarah Gibson reported on her mission so we had several visitors.  One of which was Hudson's boss from the dairy department at Stokes.  He told me he went to Tennessee last year and spent a week with the Newsham's.  He wished Hudson the best on the rest of his mission.

A not so standard week (Hudson email week 26)

Today was a pretty standard week

We had a killer restoration lesson with a woman named sheila, she actually came and toured the church

and we had the lesson there. When we finished up we asked her her thoughts and she said it was all true, we swiftly put her on date hahah and then she texted us later that night asking if her dad and sister could be baptized too and what they needed to wear. Hopefully we don't fumble this one. 

 Friday night we drove out to meet a referral and stumbled upon this vintage car dealership in the middle of nowhere Tennessee, there were some pretty sick cars

 We went and visited bro wegner, hes a very inactive, tatted, mustached, burly biker. He also just had a full hip replacement. We went out to check up on him and he was all curled up on the couch watching fantastic beasts and where to find them hahaha me and him talked about Harry Potter for a long time, he said that was on his recovery watch list (they're his favorites) and he was going to watch some marvel stuff too. I love guys like him

 We had zone conference Thursday, I was able to meet up with a lot of the OG franklin south district, including my trainer Elder French, parkin and petersen were really happy to see me😊😊

We had interviews monday, they went really well, Prez called me and norton a dynamic duo and we had a cajun bag boil at a restaurant called storming crab on the way down, I'll definitely be eating there again 

 

I guess it actually wasnt a standard week come to think of it 

Breakfast isn't always easy

When Hudson called today he was sitting on his deck, in a recliner soaking up the Vitamin D.  It was 70 degrees outside and he was loving it.  He had decided to treat himself to a great breakfast since it was P-Day.  Unfortunately it didn't turn out awesome.  He made Kodiak brand pancake mix that was burnt on the outside and gooey on the inside.  His bacon was frozen and he didn't know how to cook just a few pieces.  He poached his eggs, but they got too done and had too much salt.  He has a large container of salt, but no shaker so you can see how that wasn't going to work out!  He then went to Burger King for lunch.  Not as awesome as he had hoped.

The sister missionaries went shopping and he told Elder Norton they were in their pros. I asked what on Earth that meant.  He taught me that when you are in your missionary attire they call it your pros.  Because that is what you proselyte in.  Hudson has taught a lot of lessons, but nothing that feels like it will lead to a conversion. 

The hike in winding stairs last P-Day wasn't as good as it could of been, as they never found the wooden staircase.  The sisters wanted to turn back after the waterfall.  They had a district P-Day today, but no real plans.  They made it to a pawn shop where he found $1 records so that was great.  The shop had a lot of strange things including  head mounts, bugs in jars, lizard feet in formaldehyde and even a zebra skin.  

Hudson mailed a box home when he transferred four weeks ago.  It never made it here.  Come to find out the smaller inside box made it back to his Lawrenceburg address.  He is supposed to get his returned mail  tomorrow.  We will see what exactly is in the box the post office sent back and hope we can find what they didn't.