"Satan doesn't like this work.......bless his heart." -President Bowman

** From an email sent June 21 **

"Satan doesn't like this work.......bless his heart." -President Bowman

Oh my gosh! What a freakin awesome week!!!!!!! Ok, first off, Sister Patty is getting baptized on July 11. Only, she's going down to Florida to do it. But she'll be back here for her confirmation!!!! Alleluia!!! She is so wonderful! Every time we see her, she has something for us. She sells Avon so she's given us chapstick, lotion, mascara and stuff. And she gave us a candle from the consignment shop that she works at. Also, we went to her shop last week cuz I saw a shirt there that was really cute and only 6 dollars, so we went to buy it and I bring it up to the register and she say's "let me get this one for you." And I say, "Sister Patty!" And she's like, "I'm serious!" And I'm like, "Are you sure?" And she says "yeah!" So, she bought me a shirt that I will always remember her whenever I wear it.

Sister Belinda still wants to get baptized! We had the most amazing lesson with her last week! We'd taught her the word of wisdom and she was totally cool with it. Said she'd smoked her last cigarrette this morning and she was gonna be done! What a cinch of a lesson, eh? But then, here is the amazing thing. After we prayed, she turned and looked at me and said, "I have something else to tell y'all too." At that moment, I was like "Oh no, what?" Especially considering we'd just taught the word of wisdom. And she says, "I did that thing you told me to do." She was still looking at me and my first reaction was "Oh dear. What did I say?" Apparently a few days ago, when we had taught her study the scriptures, I had told her that whenever she had a question, that all she needed to do was hold the Book of Mormon in her hands and say a little prayer and ask God in her prayer, her question. (That's something that Adam Bezzant taught me to do in Mission Prep.) Well, she had done just that and had the question of whether or not all this (the church, the Book of Mormon, everything) was true. She had randomly opened up to Alma 45:22, which reads: "Therefore, Helaman and his brethren went forth to establish the church again in all the land, yea, in every city throughout all the land which was possessed by the people of Nephi. And it came to pass they did appoint priests and teachers throughout all the land over all the churches." And then she looked at me and said, "It's true." And she was trying not to cry as she said it. Well, more than one conversion took place in those few precious moments on porch steps in South Georgia on a sweltering June day.....mine. It was so amazing and later in the car, Sister Savage says, "She is solid because of you, Sister Hoggard. She gained her testimony because of you!" And I was like, scared senseless, because I was a big part of her conversion. It was amazing. All her kids that are of age, Shantell, who is 12, Jason, who is 11 and Mondez, who is 8 are all on for baptism. HOW COOL IS THAT!!!!???? So, maybe I'll actually have a baptism for reals!!!

We have also started working with a lady named Sister Grant.....not quite sure how solid she is.....but we'll see. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!

Oh! I wanna let y'all in on a little quote that I got from Sister Child that is so great
"When we obey as Adam did, endure as Job did, teach as Paul did, testify as did Peter, serve as did Nephi, give of ourselves as did the Prophet Joseph, respond as did Ruth, honor as did Mary and live as did Christ, we are born anew. All power becomes ours, cast off forever is the old self, and with it, defeat, despair, doubt and disobedience. To a newness of life, we come----a life of faith, hope and charity, courage and joy. No task looms too large, no responsibility weighs too heavily. No duty is a burden. All things are possible." -President Monson Isn't that sooooo awesome!!!!!?????