the sisters on Maui

the sisters on Maui

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

WEEK 38- learning, changing and growing



This was such an amazing week! the Lord really blessed us with miracles.

On Friday, Jayden and Stetson (cousins) were baptized! They each have a mom who is a member, but not fully partaking of the blessing church can bring, and a dad who is not yet a member. So they have been such a good example to their loving parents and we know they want to be a forever families.

On Saturday Tehani and Tania were baptized! They are sisters. Their Dad is a  member and their mom is not  a member of our church. But their faith has been such an example to their families as well. I just love seeing these kids take the step of baptism. They can feel the spirit so strongly, and they know that it is a good thing. They find joy in changing their lives; And the baptisms are such special experiences for everyone who is there to see it.

Sister Pantelakis and I also found out transfer news. She is leaving to go to Honolulu. I am staying here and a sister Willis from the other side of this Island is coming to join me. Sister P and I have been through so much together and this was a perfect last weekend. We are really going to miss each other, but we are grateful for the wonderful time we have had here in Waimea.
There is a store here called Aloha grown, that sells t shirts and such. They have some shirts that say Waimea grown on them. Sis p and i both got one because we feel that we have really grown a lot and learned a lot here. I am such a different person now than I was even four and a half months ago because of the things we learned from each other and with each other. Also, Auntie Lahi gave us our Hawaiian names this week. She went and got them from one of her old kapunas, who prayed about it and dreamt on it. The name she gave me is Uluponi, which means to grow well and be successful.

On Sunday, Kaila was baptized. Kaila is stetson's cousin . All of their parents have been talking saying maybe this is a sign that they need to focus on coming back to church and again strengthening their relationships with God themselves. These kids are such strong warriors for Heavenly Father, and they are teaching all of us adults how to have faith and follow Christ's example. After Kaila's baptism, Jayden's dad came up to me and said that his son, Jayden, had inspired him and he wants us to come and teach him to work towards that himself.

Our hearts are SO full of gratitude to our Heavenly Father who has prepared these children to be examples for all of us through their choices. Heavenly Father is really moving His work forward in this area and we feel so blessed to be a part of it. It is so amazing to see that none of these blessings came about because of sister Pantelakis or myself, but they came about because of the Lord. He sends His spirit to testify that His gospel is true, and that changes hearts. He allows us to be here to see all of this miracles, and it is changing my life.

This is one of my favorite scriptures : "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles ... have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. " Alma 26:12

Love you all!

-Sister Hodgson




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