WEEK 98- Last week in the office

Well, it's not really a secret. Elder Riggs and I go home together in
six weeks, and it'd be insane to whitewash the assistants, and I've
been here longer, so I'm headed back to the field! So, this has been
my last week getting things done and preparing for transfers. As of
last night, we have a third, unnamed individual hanging with us for
the course of transfer week until Thursday when transfers happen and I
head to my dying hole! Uh, I mean, last area...

There wasn't a ton of note that happened in this past week. We were
busy as usual with missionary work, and meetings, and averting
catastrophes, etc. we fit in two exchanges this week,  so it's hat was a lot of fun!
We've been training the zone
leaders a lot on how to teach the "whys" to missionaries. Frederick
Neicghtze once said: "if you can adequately convince me of the why, I
will figure out the how." So, with that in mind, we've been applying
it to almost every facet of missionary work! Teaching, obedience,
mission rules, etc. in hopes to increase peoples understanding
because, as President Uchtdorf says: "the what informs, but the why
transforms."

I'm going to miss serving as an assistant, and I'm probably going to
wonder what to do with the extra time I'll have, bit I'm very
excited for what's coming next. I feel like I have a myriad of new,
 skills and paradigms that will help me to sprint these last six
weeks. I'm super excited!

That pretty much our week.  ...I will end with mom quetsions..... Haha love you!

-Elder Matthew Hodgson

 How have the lessons you learned in your youth helped in the mission field?
I really can't even begin to describe all the
little lessons and trials I went through that helped me prepare for my
mission. It's been amazing to see how even the little things have
shaped me. From TNT to tjyc to scouts and the incredible church
leaders I've had. It's amazing to see.

How is your piano?
I don't get to play very much... my technique has really slipped... pretty soon  you will have to put up with a lot of piano mistakes :)