ALOOOOOOOOOOOOHA!
so I'm on maui! Yay! It is like 4
billion degrees over here! i am serving in a city called Lahaina, which is
Hawaiian for "Cruel Sun". so you get the idea. it's HOT!! I have
already gotten so much tanner and it's only been a few days.
Well, I am in a tripanionship. It's
me, my Baby/trainee, and another sister who has been out for like 7 months. so
it's been pretty interesting to figure out how to make a two person job into a
three person job haha. but we're doing alright. the reason we're in a tri is
because the other sister's companion-to-be is home for medical right now.( I have a picture of my and my Greenie, but we did not have the other sister yet)
We whitewashed in....which basically
means, we're all new to the area and we don't know what we're doing. Usually
you willl have a companion there who has been there for a while, but not with a
whitewash. So, we flew in Wednesday morning, and our zone leaders met us at the
airport and gave us a car. then we followed them to Lahaina and they showed us
to our pad. Then they left us....all alone................in the middle of who
knows where! so we grabbed our map, got in the car and went for a drive to the
bottom and top of our area. our new area is huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we
cover one ward here, and it takes us like 40 minutes to drive across it top to
bottom. in Rocklin, I think it takes like 10 minutes to cross the ward
boundaries. any way, we spent the first day just basically being lost.... but
we are getting to know the area better now. the Lord has really been helping us
to learn it quickly.
This is a picture of our zone minus
the 4 other elders that live off on another small island!
Oh and I forgot to mention there was
like no food in the pad when we moved in.....not even top ramen! there was like
ketchup, some tortillas, croutons, some apple sauce....that kind of stuff( must
have been elders living there before )... and there was a forth of a bag of dry
cereal with yogurt/oat clusters (no milk) which I ate....then later found out
that it expired half a year ago -major stomach ache! but we've been surviving!
The Lord provided. Some members gave us some food, and we picked up some snack
too. I am glad that we actually get to shop today!
We live right by the beach in a
hotel/appartment. The room is kind of tiny and we have the three beds and all
the luggage crammed in there so it's pretty messy. my bed is right by the back
screen door. so at night, I like to open the screen and just look at the stars
for a bit. I can lay my head down on my pillow, and touch the floor outside at
the same time.....so it's like modified camping:) But I love it!
This week has been pretty
overwhelming, with the responsibilities that I have as senior companion in a
tripanionship, plus trainer, plus whitewasher-ing-ness. But I have been doing
my very best to rely on the Lord. He has given me the comfort and strength that
I have needed. He has shown me time and time, again over these past few days
especially, that He is SO aware of me and my needs, and my goals and hopes and
desires. I got a blessing the night before transfers and that has been a huge
comfort to me. but even in just the little things, I can feel his love.
I lost my Preach My Gospel book and had looked
around and couldn't find it, then I prayed, and right as I did, I found it!!
And I just felt this overwhelming feeling of love. Even though I had no idea
where I was or what I was supposed to be doing,, I knew that God knew where I
was. I knew that He was aware of me, right then, in that moment, in that little
hotel in Lahaina. I knew that He was helping me through this crazy week and I
knew that He would continue to help me. He has helped me to feel of His love
for me, of His love for my companions, and His love for the people that we are
meeting here. I know that I can't do this alone. This work is greater than
anything that I could ever do on my own. But as I rely on Him, I know that I
will be successful in accomplishing what He has sent me here to accomplish.
In Isaiah 41:10 it says "Fear
thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will
strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right
hand of my righteousness." I am so thankful for this promise.
Aloha Nui Loa. (I love you a lot
forever!) I'm on Maui! No Ka Oi! (It's the best)
-Sister Hodgson
