Wonder Woman Uses Her “Gift” of Strength to Strike Down Zeus

MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!!!!

Wowwww!! Who said being on a mission for Christmas was hard? Ha Ha. This Christmas was honestly a ton better than I thought it would be! I mean, obviously the year I got my Gameboy SP was the best year ever, but this year was still awesome, for different reasons. Your support made being away from home a lot easier. It was also nice to have a Christmas where I didn't have to get caught up in the busy “stuff” and instead I got to focus on my Savior and be relaxed! So, to each of you, “Thank you!” I have the best family and friends in the world!

            

            Skype.... what an experience that was! Ha Ha. I've never had my mind go so completely blank before. Seeing my entire family was so cool and it was so amazing to talk with them!  It’s an experience like “Skype” that makes the Christmases you spend on your mission so memorable!

            

            The rest of Christmas was week so much fun! During our weekly District meeting we had a white elephant gift exchange and then we put on fake mustaches and went out to eat at a Mexican Restaurant. Apparently, when you work at the restaurant, missionaries in mustaches are not too funny. I mean, c'mon guys, where's the humor? Laugh at us, would you? No tip for that waiter.

           

          A few days after Christmas we went to the Dustin's house (members in our ward) and prepared a “little” post-Christmas BBQ. We didn’t have any pie in the face moments this time, but as long as Elder Pena and I wore aprons, the Dustins let us grill all the food.

           

           This Sunday my man, Stanley, blessed the sacrament! It was so awesome. The ward members have been so supportive by helping him progress in the gospel and he is feeling comfortable and making huge steps forward. We’ve also been teaching a less-active member who hasn’t been to church for five years.  She came with us to church this week and it was so exciting because she loved it.

            After church, we went home teaching with a member to visit a less-active family who has a dog named Zeus.  No lie, Zeus is bigger than a pony. I mean, this thing was HUGE. When they opened the door and I saw it I nearly peed my pants and ran away. We got inside and the stupid dog kept barking in my face and biting my arm so, when the parents weren't looking I slapped it. Ha Ha. THAT WAS THE END OF ZEUS. Sorry guys, I promise I love animals. I especially love them when they're deep fried like the turkey I ate on Christmas (just like on Thanksgiving).

            

             During the Christmas season, my Mission President asked us to study "gifts" and to think about the importance of the gifts that each of us have in our lives. It was very humbling to study and understand all God has given us and then, to realize how little He requires in return. Through my study what I really came to understand is that He has given each of us gifts that are unique to us and that we should use our gifts to bless the lives of other people. Each of you has gifts and qualities that others need! So go share 'em!

            I love y'all! Thanks again for all of your support! HAPPY NEW YEAR

Elder Roddy

Merry Christmas Y'All

HEYYYY Y'ALL!!  

This week was a great one!! I have to be quick but I'll do my best to tell you everything that happened!

            On Tuesday Stanley went to the temple!! He even bought a suit so he could go! Apparently, it was only the second time in his entire life he had worn a suit and now he's wearing one every Sunday. This Sunday he approached our Young Men's president and said, "Hey, can I do that bread stuff? Am I allowed to do that?" Ha Ha. So, next week Stanley is going to help bless the sacrament. Love that man!

            On Thursday we had a huge Christmas Party with the entire mission. It was so much fun! At the end, there was a talent show and I considered showing off my computer hacking skills and my bow hunting skills but I decided not to.

            On Friday we met a kid named Max who lives in our apartment complex. He's actually one of the maintenance guys. Max is 23 and his dad passed away about nine months ago and it's been really hard on him. So, we made an appointment with him and taught him about the Plan of Salvation. It went really well and yada, yada, yada, now he's on date to get baptized on January 25th! He lives with his girlfriend so that's a problem but I have faith that it will happen! Max is one of the most tender- hearted kids I've ever met and he's just looking to find happiness anywhere. Where else is better to find happiness than in the gospel!!

            Sorry this update is short.  I just wanted to thank all of you for being the best friends and family in the entire world! I am seriously so blessed to have each of you in my life! MERRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL. Enjoy it!

Love you!!

Elder Roddy

CHRIST Belongs in CHRISTMAS

Hey y'all!!

This week was another great one in Hickory Flat. In order to have more people to teach, we went into a finding stage which means we ended up knocking on a lot of doors. Well, this led to some crazy experiences! There is a local church in Hickory Flat called the Revolution Church, and for the past couple weeks their preacher has been preaching about Mormons and what he thinks is wrong with Mormon doctrine and yada…yada…yada. (I always think it's funny when preachers teach about the Mormon people, instead of the gospel). ANYWAY, the preacher’s sermons are on the church website and YouTube, so recently a lot of people have watched them. The Revolution Church is really popular here because of their rock band. HaHa! So, like I said, a lot of people have heard this sermon, which means that many people know who the missionaries are when we knock on their door. This week at 1 in every 10 houses we approached we were greeted by someone from the Revolution Church who has seen the preacher’s video or been to the church in person.  This has led to a lot of...fun...conversations about Mormons and everything that seems to be "wrong" with us. HaHa! It's been pretty humiliating to listen to all of it. Gotta love the South baby!

            My man, Stanley, received the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday! After we gave it to him, he told me his heart "has never beated so fast before." HaHa. It was so awesome! Today he is going with the youth in our ward to the Atlanta temple to perform baptisms and confirmations. He even went and bought a suit for it. I'm so stoked for him!

            The Heeter family, who were re-baptized, is doing great too. Both of the boys have the priesthood (again) and the younger one actually spoke in church on Sunday and did an awesome job! It's been so rewarding to build a relationship with them and help them continue to progress.

            Yesterday morning we had breakfast at a member’s house whose son just got home from his mission on Sunday night from Africa! I have no idea why he would want us to come over 12 hours after getting home. (Wouldn't you want a break from all these missionaries?) HaHa. It was actually really cool though. Obviously, his mission was a very different experience than what I'm having, but I noticed when he was telling us stories that it doesn't really matter where you're serving because we're all just trying to make people happier and make their lives better. No matter how many baptisms you get, it doesn't matter!

            Every day seems to bring more and more challenges that make the mission more difficult and harder to endure, but every night when I'm driving home I reflect on our day and realize how much we've accomplished and how amazing the work is that we are doing. You only get one chance in your life to experience the blessings of a mission, so lately I've really been focusing on capturing every second and taking it all in. I know I'm not serving in a third world country or anything, but I've really been humbled and come realize how blessed I am to have a loving family and amazing friends. I get the unique opportunity to talk to hundreds of people about a million different things, and I've realized how difficult some people's lives are and it's been humbling to hear their stories. It makes me want to help them so much more. Sure, I still get homesick. I get homesick every day! But, that doesn't mean I want to go home. There is no other place I'd rather be than the 404 because this is where I'm supposed to be!

            I hope you're all having a great holiday season!! Never forget who it's all about at this time of year....SANTA CLAUS!!!!!! Just kidding, fools! It’s about Jesus Christ and I hope you never forget it. Love y'all!!

Roddy

P.S. I've become permanently Hickified!

Lessons Learned in a Camo Jumpsuit

Hey y'all!!

I decided to switch things up this week and report something a little different this week. So, since I've been out for almost 4 months, I decided to write down a few things I've learned while being on my mission.

WHAT I'VE LEARNED AS A MISSIONARY:

Elder Pena and Elder Roderick go
"Redneck Hunting."

1.  The world doesn’t revolve around Matthew Roderick (anymore).

2. The Church is TRUE.

3. Jesus Christ is my Savior.

4. Teaching Primary is the BEST job in the Church.

5. A busy missionary is a happy missionary.

6. When you're a missionary, you're invincible.

7. You must get used to people staring at you for an extra ten seconds.   (I guess a guy wearing white shirt and tie in Walmart isn't normal.)

8. You can’t take everything personally. (Except when your mom sends you Listerine as a Christmas gift...then you take that personally).

9. You can be the most righteous person in the world but God doesn't love you any more than the homeless man on the side of the road.

10.  Three Elders knocking on doors at night is a perfect way to scare people half to death.

11.  If you go hunting with a member, you better wear a camo jumpsuit.

12.  If you want the local ward to like you, grab a member and shove pie in his face. It'll be all over Insta- gram in seconds.

13. You actually have an excuse to be annoying by talking everyone.

14.  Don't Bible bash...but when you do, WIN AND MAKE SURE YOUR OPPONENT KNOWS IT.

15. Miracles actually happen!

Elder Roderick thanks his Thanksgiving
host with a fist full of pie. 

  

Have a great week!! Love you all!

Elder Roderick

The Roller Coaster Ride of “Goodbye” and “Hello”

HEYYYY Y'ALL!!

This week was awesome!! Except, for the fact that we had transfers on Wednesday.  That was actually rough. It was really tough saying bye to Elder Auaea and Elder Gilliat. Those two have become like brothers to me. Immediately after though, I met my new companion who I'll be training for the next 12 weeks! His name is Elder Pena (with a little squibly over the "n" like it's Spanish) and he's from the big city of Duchesne, Utah. Ha-Ha. His name is Jesus and he’s actually Native American, not Hispanic. He is half Navajo and half Ute, and he's the youngest of 9 kids and the only one to serve mission! So that's really cool. He is kind of shy but nothing I can't work with. He is a very humble and motivated kid so I'm really excited to be working with him.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving because I sure did! It was weird not being home on a holiday like this, but the food made up for it. We went to a member's house and they made a deep fried turkey. It was easily one of the best things I've ever tasted in my entire life! I was so full by the end of the night that I went home and curled in a ball on my bed and didn't move for like an hour. Ha-Ha.

Elder Auaea, Elder Roderick and Elder Gilliat
visit the Atlanta Temple

            

On Friday, I had the opportunity to go to the Atlanta Temple with my entire mission because we met our baptism goal.  I’m proud to say that our baptism of Stanley brought us up to our goal number.  At the temple I was reunited with Elder Auaea and Elder Gilliat there. The Atlanta temple is tiny! It took us forever to find it because the Angel Moroni that sits on top of every temple wasn’t even taller than the trees around it. Nevertheless, it was a really beautiful building and it was so nice to be able to go. 

Stanley is doing awesome since his baptism last week. He's on board with everything we teach him and yesterday he was participating in Sunday School and everything. Next week he has an interview with the bishop about the priesthood. Exciting stuff!! Love that old man!

            

Even though this week was really good, the past few weeks all together have been very stressful and difficult at times. Being on a mission is a like a roller coaster ride. You're constantly up and down, up and down. This has been the hardest and most trying experience of my life, but it's also the happiest and most accomplished I've ever felt. Jesus Christ himself said it wouldn't be easy, but it would be worth it. It's true!!

Everyone have a great week! Love you all!!!!

Elder Roddy