Week 71

 Hudson's P-Day is too jammed pack with fun again today to send an email or a podcast.  He sent a few pictures, but he resends them next week.  He prepared a video for the zone and went thrift shopping.

I'm too damaged, I can't watch peppa pig (Hudson Podcast Week 70)

 Hudson starts his podcast by playing the Rocky Theme Song.  He then decides to play a more sacred song Praise to the Man with a guitar rock setting.

Thursday, January 6:  Tried to use Tennessee snow shovels, borrowed from a member, to clear driveways of ice.  Hudson broke one, whoops.  Went to Methys family, a member that has not been to church since the pandemic.  After scraping the driveway, they invited them in for hot chocolate.  They watch the ward services at home.  This man feels he is not part of the ward.

Saturday, January 8:  Dinner with the Longo family.  Pop, Aaron and 17-year-old son came to pick up the Elders.  They have 5 kids in a smaller house they are remodeling.  They get there and they haven't started cooking breakfast for dinner yet.  She then starts cooking pancakes 1 at a time for 7 family members and 2 missionaries.  Hudson and Elder Asay started a Nerf war while they were waiting.  Son Tony, charges Elder Asay's stomach, while wearing a motorcycle helmet.  The family starts talking about Stranger Things the tv show and Hudson tells them he is a Demogorgon.  The little girl Gigi gets scared when the little brother (with all the girlfriends on the bus) tells her he is also a Demogorgon who sneaks in her room at night.  He eats his pancakes with syrup, by using his hands.  Hudson new one liner from the evening:  The father Aaron states he is too damaged, He can't watch Peppa Pig.

Sunday, January 9:  Church cut to 1 hour.

Tuesday, January 11:  Lesson with Methodist reform member Will from the 3rd ward boundaries who attends 2nd ward.  He likes Elder Asay, so they are teaching them.  Meat before milk approach as Paul would put it.  He asked what made the LDS different.  The Elders told him the LDS church is the main event, all other churches are just the supporting cast that praises Jesus.

Wednesday January 12:  P-Day in Fairview, no catfish but lots of bass.  Last supper with district before exchanges.

Thursday, January 13: First day with all elders district.  They went to lunch to build unity?  A retired 40-year air force vet talks to them as he tells them he was just listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  He is not a member, but from Arizona where his CFO is a member of the church.  He invites them to eat with him at Chicago Express.  He buys their lunch and Hudson gets to eat FRY SAUCE!  He tells them about his frat days in college and getting tied to a tree as initiation.  

Sunday, January 16:  Church cancelled due to weather.

Tuesday, January 18:  District council.  It was delayed because of the weather.  The theme has been "making lessons memorable".  The activity they choose is the importance of planning for lessons.  They teach that by holding a wrestle mania match.  New trainee Elder Black tells them he has to go to the bathroom, and he hides in the corner of the next room.  Elder Allred and Elder Asay have a wrestling match and Elder Asay wins.  They tell the Elders this is what happens when you go to a lesson unprepared.  Now they tell Elder Allred to take his companion Elder Abrams (from Gallatin district) in the hall and plan for the lesson.  Hudson tells them satan has another plan and he plays SkyRim music and rushes in to wrestle them.  Satan loses since Elder Allred was a high school wrestler. 

Started to volunteer at the library.  Shelved books in the children section.  Hudson stopped to read a few Pete the Cat books.  Went to a duplex.  One side has a daughter who was baptized 2 years ago, mother doesn't want to quit smoking.  Other side is Tony who they have a lesson with.  A Pitbull is roaming around the area, but is very friendly.  They knock on Tony's door where he answers with his dog.  Tony brings out his dog Blaze to "meet" the Pitbull and the Pitbull attacks Blaze's throat.  Tony starts hitting the Pitbull with a stick and he won't stop.  Tony takes an electrical wire and wraps it around the Pitbull neck. He finally lets go and Blaze runs under a car.  They start tangling again and Tony hits him with a metal chair.  They get them separated and Blaze goes in the house.  The strange part is how friendly the Pitbull is after fighting.  He starts following the Elders again and Hudson actually pets him.

Wednesday, January 19:  P-Day and it is raining.

Short Transfer (Week 69)

With only a 5-week transfer, to get back on track.  Hudson found his P-Day too packed with fun having, to send an email or podcast.  He and Elder Asay will be staying in Spring Hill for the next transfer.  The Hermanas are leaving the area and a third set of Elders will be taking their place.  They of course had a final supper with all of them.

Hudson and Elder Asay went to Fairview where Elder Asay was trained.  The missionary apartment there has a pond behind it with fish and the four elders went fishing.  Hudson caught 4, but Elder Asay finally got the big one.  There is an 8lb bass in the pond every missionary catches at some point that lives there, but Elder Asay never got him until today.  They tried to get a catfish, but had no luck.  The next goal is for Elder Asay to kick a possum (he hasn't done that yet in Tennessee).  He and Hudson chased one into the woods on the way home from a member dinner a few weeks ago but lost him.  Hudson is wanting to kick 1 more so he has 1 kick in each calendar year of his mission.

Snow in Tennessee Again! Week 68

 Hudson called tonight.  He did not send an email or podcast as the last P-day was only four days ago.  He had a great lesson tonight with a younger girl Elder Asay contacted on Facebook.  She lives with her parents.  

Finally ate at Waffle House, and it was super good. Hudson went for a peanut butter chip waffle and a pecan waffle.  He wonders why he has waited so long to eat at this little gem.  Thanks, Devin Migliori, for planting the seed.

He is getting fed member meals nightly.  The mission, however, is cutting back on cars and miles.  Hudson is afraid he will have to start asking the members feeding them to come pick them up.  Lessons will take mile priorities.  He also wants to go to a town North of him for next P-Day.  We will have to see how that all works out in the TIWI reports. 

Hudson has decided he is ready to start shedding his mission weight.  He will only eat sweets that are sent from home or are offered at a member's home (he wouldn't want to be rude, now would he?).

Hudson did get a skiff of snow on January 2!  He says it has been so cold there.  I promptly returned my car outdoor temperature reading of -12 Monday morning on the way to work.

Happy New Years (Hudson's Podcast Week 67)

 

Hudson has just completed his blackout year.  The year that he is a missionary for 365 consecutive days.

New Years Eve curfew was 6:00, so not a lot of excitement went down.  Zone planned for 12 days of Christmas to break up the long missionary haul between PDay and Christmas.  

The zone fasted Friday, December 17 and broke the fast over a zoom call.  Hudson got asked to have a lesson at Chic-Fil-A.  He and Elder Asay fake drank a lemonade as not to make the investigator Abraham uncomfortable.  He wanted to bring his pastor to the next lesson, the Elder's are not following up.  Lesson with baptized Colter and non-member dad Brandon.  Colter answered Hudson's question about what Jesus wants for us is the animals to be happy.  Watch out for foxes and coyotes.  He also told him a story of hiding in a port-a-party and being yelled at by a satanist.  Colter did know about the word of wisdom, however.

Tuesday, December 21:  Three total visits to Cathy's.  Last visit being today, and they finished clearing the room! The last few things were a mattress/box spring and some chests.  Hudson picked up the mattress that had a carpenter (orange) wasp nest on the wall side.  Sister Brady calmly warned him he was in trouble.  He put on his hood and covered his hands with his sleeves.  He and Elder Asay had to turn the mattress through a 90 degree turn.  After they got it outside, they threw it on the grass and the wasps still didn't fly.  They assume they were hibernating.  Inside the house they sprayed Raid on what was still on the wall.  Apparently, the window was broken that was next to the mattress.

Wednesday, December 22:  Trip to Nashville to watch the giving machines!  Played hymns on his keyboard with Elder Asay following along on his guitar.  They were asked not to wear their missionary tags and they introduced themselves with their actual first names.  That was very foreign for Hudson after 15 months of not using his first name.  Went to Hattie B's.  They were asked not to walk downtown.  They did however see a guy and girl digging through trash cans then holding hands and skipping?

Thursday: Exchange to Dixon Fairview apartment.

Saturday:  Went to catch a Christmas trout.  They had not been stocked yet, that happens next week.  Hudson caught 2 fish.  The Elders decided to try to catch a large crawdad instead.  It pinched Elder Asay and he lost it in the creek. Christmas dinner with the Tolmans.  The dad had brought home a vape device he found on the side of the road and asked the mom if it was make-up.  The kids found it and wondered, what their mom was doing.  The daughter rides horses and they had a discussion about cows.  Alyssa, the daughter, wants to marry a man that owns a ranch, so the mom wants to stay in contact!

Sunday:  Spoke in church on How to follow Jesus Christ.

Tuesday:  December 28:  Talked to Andrew.  He didn't want the Elders to think too hard about doctrine.

Thursday:  December 30:  Lesson with mid-twenty black woman named Raven.  Hudson had messaged her on Facebook.  She was taught previously by the Hermana's in Columbia.  She showed up in a full tie dye outfit and a box of "specimens" that included a lot of rocks and nick knacks.  She picked to talk about 3 Nephi 1.  It was about the day they were going to kill the believers if Jesus was not born.  She then picked to talk about Revelations 22 and Crystal Bright.  She walked the Elder's to the pond (a puddle of standing water) to release some specimens.  She recited Psalms 27 and fell to her knees to put seashells in the puddle.  She finished by throwing rocks into the puddle. She also showed them her Indian money which Hudson says looked like petrified worms.

Wrote a rap song for the district with the most shares Hermana Boguss was included by name.  Got a bow from doing some service.  They hope to slay a possum.

January 1, 2022:  Happy New Year!  Ringing in the new year with a tornado siren!

CHRISTMAS (Week 66)

 Hudson FINALLY made it to NASHVILLE!!!  He and Elder Asay got to go stand in front of the giving machines in front of the Raptors stadium.  The boys decided it would be the greatest experience ever if they played street music while they were there.  Unfortunately, Hudson's keyboard was not loud enough to hear more than a few feet away from him and after an hour his fingers were frozen, and he couldn't play.  I guess this will not be the new profession path for him.

Hudson mailed Gordon a Christmas card and it made it to Portugal.  He also sported a sweet Croissant shirt on Christmas day while talking to us.  He spent Christmas Eve eating chicken stew and Christmas day brought a homemade personal pizza party, both at members' homes.  Hudson was not blessed with snow this year, so far in Tennessee.  In fact, Christmas day had a high of 70 and low of 60.

Hello Spring Hill (Hudson's Podcast Week 65)

Hudson's new address is 200 Kedron PKWY Apt 232E Spring Hill, TN 37174.  Spring Hill is very clean compared to Smyrna.  There are pretty trees to look at instead of the back of bargain hunt.  Hudson appreciates the smell created by the humidity in the wet leaves.  Spring Hill, Tennessee has 45.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is hotter than most places in Tennessee.  Spring Hill was known nationally for the breeding of livestock, its rich pastures, agriculture and for its dedication to quality education.  Spring Hill, TN is among the safest cities in the USA with 1.91 per 1,000 residents crime rate compared to national 4.69 average. It is the 17th safest city in Tennessee among the 221 cities.

Tuesday: Was supposed to meet Shane but did not get his address.  The Elder's decided to knock on all the doors in the apartment complex, and Hudson got doors slammed in his face.  Another first for his missionary experience.  Shane had to go to the bathroom and left the Elder's sitting outside for 45 minutes.  They knocked and spoke with his wife multiple times, but they finally gave up.  The left a Book of Mormon and a note on his folding chair on his porch and accepted he did not want to talk to them.

Wednesday:  Last PDay was hectic. The Elder's took the liberty of taking the blueberry to Mt. Juliet since no one was counting miles, as the mission area was closed.  Played pickleball with the sisters.  Lesson with the Varga family got miscommunicated to the wrong address.  The large Varga dad scared the house that they showed up to.

Thursday:  Transfers!  Said goodbye to his son.  Hello to new companion Elder Noah Asay.  Dinner lesson with the James' family.  Awkward seating arraingment.  Missionary plans are to have a family home evening with a member family and a family they choose.  They were doing role playing about how to invite the non-member over, but the 6 year old snarted and the dad made a big deal about it.

Friday:  Phone call from a woman that wants to share a gospel message with the Elders?  She asked them to turn their bible to Matthew 16 and then Daniel 2 prophesying of the Latter Day Church.  It was an LDS mission call, but from the Jehovah Witness church!  Surreal experience.

Sunday:  Dinner invite at the Eye's family (which was actually lunch, the south interchanges dinner for both meals).  The Elder's thought they would go at 5:00, but the members planned on them at 1:00. Whoops

Tuesday:  Went to clean Kathy's trailer with Sister Bailey, the relief society president.  She is a small woman that picked up the Elder's in a single cab truck.  Hudson felt like Grandma Gilbert was taking him for a ride.  She warned them how bad the trailer would be with the hoarding and the dogs inside.  She told the Elder's they were to smile through their disgusted thoughts and not to breath deep.  The Elder's were pleasantly surprised as it wasn't as bad as they had envisioned.  Elder Asay had terrible stories of his time in the Illinois area of the mission.  The back room was the size of Hudson's bedroom.  He took a fishing pole and "cotton candied" up the cobwebs then threw the stuff out the back door into the truck.  Hudson feels Sister Bailey has the characters of Jesus Christ as the way she was dealing with Kathy.  They found eight boxes of fifty cassette tapes, but no vinyl.  They got through 1/4 of the room and the truck was full.  Maybe they will go back and work on it again.

Wednesday:  Christmas conference in Franklin, TN.  Nashville Tribute band said it was time to get a little bit rowdy and played a rock concert in the chapel.  He asked the missionaries to "follow after me".  He sings "Jesus is my King, he is my Lord".  No one responds as they don't know the next line.  He meant repeat after me.  The missionaries got it together after that.  Cardin McKinney who helps with the Bonfire sang with them.  She sang the Idaho and Salt Lake Valley line in the song I Was Born.  The missionaries did not sing along to their songs as they did not know them, sad.  There was lots of crying when they sang, Hardest thing I Ever Loved To Do.

Tornado hit December 10 in Hudson's mission area.  No missionaries were injured.