Cat Quilt

July 20, 2015

This is Sister Rodda reporting for my weekly report.

THIS WEEK WAS AAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMAZZZZZZZZZINGGGGGGGG. (every week is amazing and I really need new ideas for how to start off my emails)

First of all, I am just too happy to wait to tell everyone so I feel the need to start with it. There is a lady in our ward who LOVES to sew, so she makes a quilt for all the missionaries that serve in the South Whidbey Ward.  Welp, it was my turn to get one.  I sent pictures and no description can describe what I got. It is a lovely quilt. It has cats on it.

This week did lots and lots and lots of tracting, but we got 3 new investigators out of it! They are so nice and so sincere!  One of them is in her 60's and she says "I am never going to convert. I just want to learn more..."  WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS... just wait until the spirit testifies to her and she recognizes it.  The other 2 are a couple.  His dad is a preacher so he had some really good questions.  She just kinda goes with whatever her husband says.  They just got married a month or two ago.  We have lessons planned with them this week!

That's about all I have to say... I am getting lame at this emailing thing.  But here is something I can tell you... I have this new thing going where I can literally fall asleep in 1 minute. Sister Perkinson can testify.  She says, "sometimes I think you are joking until I start hearing the deep breaths that turn into tiny snores."  Hahaha!  I guess that is a sign that you are working hard or something.  It is crazy.  You go to bed and all the sudden it's morning again.  It's weird.

I hope you all have a super duper week! xoxoxoxoxoxo

Love, sister rodda

Spitz and Cats

July 13, 2015

Well hello there!!

This week has been great! I think that is how I start out every email but that's okay because it's the truth. I suggest everyone serves a mission, that is all. Currently we don't have any investigators which is different than what I have experienced my whole mission, but it is fun. We go out tracting for like 6 hours everyday. Haha, just kidding, not EVERY day.  But a lot of them. It is fun to talk to the islanders because most of them are really, really relaxed and they invite you in just to get out of the sun or they are really, really not chill and relaxed and they count down until you get off their mile long drive way. It keeps it interesting. Plus Sister Perkinson and I get along really well so we make it fun and we can just talk for hours. Funny how you can still find things to talk about when you are together 24/7. She is a great missionary. This week we had zone conference. I don't know if you remember, but a while back we won the obedience test. Well we had it again and I am sad to say that I didn't win. I got out on "you have made your bed every day this past week." WHAT THE HECK!! SINCE WHEN IS THAT A RULE. I DON'T THINK THAT IS IN THE MISSIONARY HANDBOOK. I didn't argue because it was only brownies we were playing for and it was my cute mission presidents wife -Sister Bonham- but man oh man, was I a bit peeved. Also at zone conference we got this things we called TIWIS. (We nicknamed ours Spits because of our sunflower seed addiction.  I got Sister P hooked on the dill pickle seeds.)  Anyways, “Spits” is a car controller basically. If you go too fast or turn too fast or brake too hard it monitors and tracks everything. And you get green, yellow, or red every transfer and depending on that you can either drive or not.

Also, here is the funniest moment of the week. We had just finished service on the mainland and we were dropping off some of the other sisters when all the sudden we hear a cat crying. We are like what the heck?  We know WA loves their cats but... we have never heard this before. Where is it coming from? Then... the moment you have all been waiting for... we looked right above us and sure enough, I do not lie, the cat was stuck in the tree. At the tippy tippy top. It was straight out of the movies. So us little missionary sisters - not highly trained in this sort of ordeal - start panicking. "CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT."  That's what they do in the movies, so we are playing hot potato with the phone trying to figure out who is going to call.  Well the neighbors came out (probably from hearing all the commotion and squeals) and climbed up the tree to rescue the cat.  Sister Perkinson and I were standing on both sides of the tree like we were gonna save the day by either catching the cat or this 300 pound guy. Please thank Heavenly Father in your prayers tonight that neither of them fell.

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I mean it now more than ever. I love being able to share the restored gospel with all those that I come in contact with. I know that happiness does not come from temporal things. Happiness comes from WILLINGLY living the gospel and it is a change of heart from within. I know that the Heavenly Father has a specific plan for each of us - a plan to return to him in an everlasting state of glory.  Satan is working so hard on members, families, and missionaries right now and we need to strengthen our testimonies everyday to withstand the fiery darts of evil. The church is true folks.

I love you all!  Have a great week!!!

xoxox

sister rodda

It's Raining Cats and Dogs...but mostly cats

Feb. 17, 2015

This week has been crazy. How is already Tuesday? I don't know. Life is weird. So this week was cat crazy... here is the list.

1.         One morning we went for a chilled run. On the way back a cat followed us home. It was a homeless kitty and it was so cute (I still don't like cats). It followed us everywhere. Then we went inside to shower and get ready and the cat is outside our door scratching and crying. So then we got it a box, a blanket, and tuna. It loved us. We didn't name it or let it in because then it would be a pet and that is against missionary handbook. So no, it wasn't a pet. Just a nice fellowshipper. Then that night we get home and the cat is still there. I'm taking pictures of it and this car is just staring at me. Well not the car but the lady in the car. Anyways, she gets out and is still staring at me. So I'm like, "Hi, uh, is this your cat?" She said no, so I asked her if she wanted a cat. Then we start begging her to take the cat. Long story short, she took it and we found out she is less active. YAYYYY!

2.         Cats like have a thing for me. They follow me everywhere. I think it is the spirit of Calli that makes them all draw nearer to me. (draw nearer to me? this mission thing is changing my vocabulary. ew) but anyways, they love me. It’s like mom and mosquitoes. 

3.         Friday the 13th and black cats need I say more.

4.         Cat crossing. Cars literally stop for a cat crossing 5 lanes of traffic. It's like It’s an old woman crossing the street or something. But no, it’s a lame cat!

5.         Last but not least I got a letter this week from grandpa saying he is looking for a cat to get for grandma. I don't know what it is with cats. But... geez.

I got a new companion and transfers are next week. We got a call from President yesterday morning and he was asking us all these weird questions about our apartment. Then he said a sister was coming to live with us and she will end up being my companion. She is from Kansas City, MISSOURI. She is 21. Graduated from Utah State. She served in Everett for 6 months then went home because she was sick or something. And now she is back. Sister Wawro is here which is totally awesome. I didn't just have to get to know someone and take over the area all by myself. It is a smooth transition. I don't want Sister Wawro to go. But Sister Covington is cool too!

We went to “Come See For Yourself” - a stake/mission fireside.  It went really well. Sister Wawro sang. I was just a spectator. Her number one fan of course. But it was really spiritual and swell.

We did the trail service again where we go up in the beautiful forest and make trails. Just fyi:  I made it on the flyer. I will send one home. It is quite awesome. I might even sign it if you’re lucky. lol.

Besides all that nothing else is really new. Still trying to find people to teach. I love it out here and I love being a missionary!

Love you all. xoxoxoxoxoxo