Saturday, April 11, 2015

Final Week in the Mission . . . .



Hey yall, 

I can't believe that these 2 years are coming to an end and what a way to end it with General Conference and then Fast and Testimony and my birthday next Sunday! :)  it feels like just yesterday I was going to the mtc! 

This past week was exciting! Really the highlight was conference though.. Words can't begin to express how I felt!  I felt like I was taking notes the whole time! Except for the very last talk.. it finally hit me and I dozed off haha, my old age is showing. 

I really don't know how to begin my recap of conference.. The 70's were on it this year. I loved practically every one of them! One of my favorites would probably be the Elder Renlund's talk and how he quoted Shakespeare. "Twas I, but tis not I."  The Atonement can change people! I loved how that was the overall message of conference. The Atonement and Easter, and families!  I loved Elder Ballard's talk from Priesthood Session.. I cant wait to be a RM, and not "Retired Mormon" haha.   

Other than conference being a spiritual high, we also had a very spiritual lesson with the Wilson's. Laura has come such a long way.. when we got there, she talked for like 10 minutes straight just on her experience of starting to read the Book of Mormon and the spirit she felt. She told us as she was reading, it was like a conversation she was having with someone! And Elder Sutton pulled out the scripture where Moroni says that he is talking to us from the dust!  She explained how she has had a change of heart and knows she needs to do this with an open heart and have true faith. She understands faith without works is dead!  She talked of her experience when she was 17 when she was saved in the Baptist church.  She explained how at the time she felt it was right and a good thing, but now that she has felt the Spirit from the Book of Mormon and us, that she has been rethinking everything that happened before. It was so powerful!  

Afterwards, on the road to the church, we had about 20 minutes and I was silent.. it hit me that I love them so much, but I probably wont see them progress too far while I'm here. But I know the Atonement is working in their lives! 

At the church we played basketball with the elders quorum.. Those 30+ yr olds know how to play! But Elder Holt, Bingham and I  taught them the ways of youth. It felt so good! haha. 

Well.. I'm sure this email isn't really an ideal one for someone going home in a week.. but oh well. I've never been one to be normal.  THE MASTERS ARE THIS WEEK!! AND TIGER IS PLAYING!?!? WHAT KIND OF MADNESS IS THIS?!? MY LIFELONG DREAM IS JUST UP THE ROAD. like, honestly.. and we have a meeting up in Augusta on Thursday!!!  Oh this is going to be torture..  

Well everyone, I have loved being in Georgia and South Carolina for these past two years.. Words will never be able to express my love and appreciation for the Southern Hospitality and culture.  My home email is  bodilykevin2@gmail.com. Email me or find me on facebook, Kevin Bodily :)

I love yall!

Elder Bodily

The last of the Florida Jacksonville Mission missionaries in the Georgia Macon Mission.

Augusta Zone Conference 2015


President and Sister Cottle,  Elder Bodily
Georgia Macon Mission 2013-15

A late post from March ~

hey yall 

It was a week full of ups and downs. we have some really great investigators here right now.  On Tuesday we had an 80 yr old member come out with us for our High Priest exchange, we went and visited Jr. It was an incredible lesson on the importance of church and the spirit. The member bore a powerful testimony and was involved the whole time! It was perfect cuz our investigator really admires Navy men and the member we had with us was an old Navy man!  

On Wednesday we went and visited our family, the Wilson's. They told us that Josh (the husband and member) had to be to work quick so we only had like 20 minutes to visit, but that's all that was needed. When we got there I could feel something different. As we got to talking, Laura (the wife and nonmember) told us that she had quit her job and that it relieved a lot of unneeded stress in her life. She talked of how now she could focus on the family at home and her 'motherly' responsibilities and her husband can continue with his duties. The spirit blew me away. She was talking about the Family Proclamation and I don't think she realized it, or maybe she did and that's why all this was happening! Later on we asked about Alma 32, which we had left with her to read. She explained it so beautifully, she understood it! It was so powerful. They told us that they were gunna go clothes shopping for church! Oh I was excited!   

On Friday we saw Jr again and we had an amazing lesson with him about the Word of Wisdom and church and baptism! We put him on date, and then talking about church we were planning on setting up a ride for him. Well after we said our closing prayer and were getting ready to leave, his mom who doesn't neccessarily like us, came around the corner and said, "Jr. you cant miss community service again or you'll go to jail." .... uhhh well shoot. this is awkward.. haha. we slowly had to leave..  

On Saturday we helped out the member who we live by do yard work all day. All 6 elders and him were moving tree limbs and Roy, the member, was going crazy with the chainsaw cutting a bunch of stuff down haha. It was so much fun!! 



Sunday after church was the baptism of the Bishop's 8 yr old son, Max. It was a wonderful service! And the Wilson's didn't show up.. it broke my heart. Josh had to go babysit some soldiers that he is over on Fort Gordon. It was sad. 

I cant believe that I only have 1 more p-day after today. It is so surreal... I love you all!
Elder Bodily

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Gator Tails and Great Lessons



hey yall it was a good week here! 

this week we met a lot of new people and were able to turn some old potentials into investigators! One of them is Danny. He has a large family, and has known the missionaries for a while. We have had some good visits already with him. One night we knocked on his neighbors door and he was very nice and said we could come back. so when we went back, Michael was very welcoming! He is probably early 40's with a wife and 2 young kids. He said he had known Mormon missionaries before and had read the Book of Mormon cover to cover a couple times before.. wow. haha. so it was easy to talk to him.  

On Thursday we had Zone Conference up at the stake center with President Cottle. It was really good! It was very bitter sweet though. President had all the departing missionaries bear their testimonies.. wow.. it hit me once again. Along with that, The church is doing a new initiative, like the Christmas stuff, but for Easter! it was awesome! we got a sneak preview of it. 

Friday night we had a great lesson with our part member family, the Wilson's. We talked about the priesthood and her feelings of past experiences with the missionaries and she asked for a blessing for some health things going on. It was very spiritual. Her husband gave the closing prayer.. his first prayer in a very long time he said.. it was incredible.  

Saturday The Musgrove's, who live behind us, took us to a restaurant for dinner.. wow. ya know how I talked about wild game cookout? yeah, well this restaurant was a civilized version of that, kind of. but just seafood.. I forgot my camera on the trip, and I'm heartbroken. but they ordered this platter that had a ton of stuff.. catfish, perch, scallops, crabcakes, boiled and fried shrimp, GATOR TAIL, and some other stuff, oh man, it was so good! and they had unlimited grits and hushpuppies.. I was in heaven. but like I said, I have no pictures of that.. but I do from last weeks wild game dinner.  

On Sunday we had a good day. it rained all day and we were trying to achieve one of our goals of member present lessons.. we were struggling, and I honestly wasn't too bummed about not hitting it, but Elder Sutton was trying. we tried calling one family, but no answer.. I just decided to drive around. a name popped into my head, Jenni. She is a friend of some members who we had helped move almost our first week here. well she said she was gunna make us some ties from this horrid design of some curtains.  as we pulled up to her house, the member was there! we knew it by the Idaho license plated van.. it was a miracle. We had a really good conversation with them and made our goal!  

so yall know how we live out in the country? well, guess who came knocking on our door at 10:30 in the morning on a Friday! the Jehovah's Witnesses. I was shocked. haha. They were very nice and respectful, and so was I. I got invited to their "Sacrament Meeting" but I wont be able to take it.. dang. that's okay though. 

I found a new love.. Fluffernutters!  Peanut Butter and Marshmellow fluff sandwhiches..  and also I bought me 
some heaven in a carton. that ice cream is incredible!! 

Well, I hope yall have a good week!