WEEK 47- walking and hot pockets

well this Friday we had a car fast. so everyone in the mission parked their cars for the day and walked everywhere. they told us that it was to 1.) help us appreciate our cars more and 2.) to allow us to talk to more people on the streets. I think it was also 3.) to save miles and 4.) because we all need the exercise. haha it is hawaii:) So basically we worked around our apartment area in the morning, then had lunch, then headed to our other area which was a two hour walk away. it was fun. Then we walked all over the place to visit people and talk with people and have lessons. We went into the church to get a drink and use the restroom and we found hot pockets in the fridge!!!! so we had a small snack break:) haha that was the most heavenly hot pocket i've ever eaten! we we're super hungry and out of energy. Who knew splitting a ham and cheese hot pocket would save the day.

We are getting to know the area and the members. We can finally find our way around. The VOG is still bad, as usual, and it is making my companion very sick. So we've been working through it, but she's been pretty miserable:( poor thing. She is a trooper though, and always wants to keep working.

I am loving my mission so much! it is so hard, but there are so many moments of Joy. So , here's my random analogy for the week: The atonement is not only for our sins, but also for our mistakes and weaknesses. Take typing an email for example. I don't know how to spell pneumonia, Sanhedrin, Morocco, etc. but they are spelled correctly here only because of spell check! I do the best that I can, and then spell check makes up the rest. And that's what the atonement is like. We do the best we can and the Savior correct things, makes things right, and makes up the difference. So there is my cheesy analogy for the week. but it's something to think about...

sorry this is so short, but that's our week:) next week looks to be more eventful- we get to go to pearl harbor! yay!!!

-Love, Sister Hodgson

WEEK 46- Emergency Transfer and Gray washing

Well,  I never even know where to begin these emails........  umm so i cut my wrist this week....on accident!  We were cutting glass for service and i just slipped my hand too close to it and cut my wrist....but it's healing well now:)

Sister Fonua was sick some of this week too.  Then on Thursday, we got a call from president and he said she needed to pack her bags because she would be leaving at 8:00 in the morning the next day!  So we ran around and let her say her goodbyes then we spent all night packing her up.

We got a few hours of sleep, then headed to the airport.  I dropped her off and picked up my new companion, Sister Richardson!  She is so great!  We came out to Hawaii together!  We didn't know each other in the MTC because she is a visitor center sister, and had different training than I did, but We flew over together and got to know each other a little bit during the first few days.

She got in the car and I was like "well, I hope we can find our apartment!"  I have only been here for about two week, but a large portion of that time was spent in the pad, because my companion was sick.  So some people are considering this a white wash, but we have sometimes been calling it a gray wash because I know a little bit about the area.  But regardless of that, we still have TONS to learn!  We have NO IDEA who most of the people are, and no idea how to get to their houses.   We have made a lot of u-turns this week, and spent a lot of time trying to figure out the maps.  but it has been so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  haha we just laugh a lot and sometimes we're like "AHHHHH....we don't know what we're doing!!!" but things are working out.  We keep praying for the Lord's help that we will be able to learn this area and get to know the people.  It has been such an adventure and we are starting to know our way around now. so that's exciting:)

We got a call from the assistants and we were like "what's up?"  they said that they came into the office and saw that sister Richardson's picture was by mine and they were wondering if we had changed.  haha I guess it happened pretty fast.  The assistants to the president didn't even know!

Conference was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We watched it in the stake center... . . . . . .  .   .   . at 6:00am (which meant we had to wake up at 5....).  that was the least appealing idea, but it was TOTALLY worth it because I loved conference.

I loved all of the talks! 

Elder Perry- "Too often people think obedience as a passive and thoughtless following of the orders or dictates of a higher authority. Actually, at its best, obedience is an emblem of our faith in the wisdom and power of the highest authority, even God."

Elder Holland- "You may wonder if it is worth it to take a courageous moral stand... or to strive against much in society that sometimes ridicules a life of religious devotion... Yes, it is worth it"

Elder Uchtdorf- “Everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique... Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, even joyful, and even glorious. We can be grateful.”

The whole thing was amazing!
If you haven't gotten a chance to watch it yet- watch it!!!  and if you don't know what general conference is, check it our on LDS.org   it is really neat to hear the words of the prophet.  He speaks for Heavenly Father.  and it is spiritually uplifting, no matter what your religious background is.  Share it with your friends!
Love, Sister Hodgson

WEEK 45- an uneventful week turned eventful

Well Transfers went well! Monday and Tuesday, I said goodbyes to good ol' Waimea.( 6 months and two companions later)  Then Tuesday night we drove down to stay the night at the sisters' pad in Kona. Wednesday morning, at 4:00am, I got up and got ready and we drove to the airport. Elder Painter and I were the only two missionaries flying to Oahu, so we were travel buddies. The lines were so long at the airport and we almost missed our flight, but prayers are answered and somehow it was delayed a bit and we made it on!

We made it to Oahu and sister Fonua picked me up from the airport! It was so good to see her again! ( they lived in the same room in the MTC in Provo) We drove to the tabernacle and had a short meeting. It was fun to see so many elders and sisters! There are a lot of good friends that I haven't seen in a while, so it was good to catch up. Then we drove back to our area---Mililani!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday morning Sister Fonua got super sick. The VOG here is so bad! we are right in between two volcanoes, so it's understandable. The VOG has given her really bad allergies which led too a sinus headache which has just knocked her out. We spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday inside........... all day...... I read, exercised, cut my hair, filed & painted my nails, unpacked, cleaned, tried to learn Tongan, napped, just about anything that you can think of that a missionary can do in an apartment. hours and hours and hours of time...... SO hence the pretty uneventful week.

But, as promised, it did turn eventful! So Sunday, we went to church then came home and she lied down to take a nap because her head was really hurting again. she barely made it through church. But anyway, she woke up from her nap and was like "my side really hurts" she was having severe pain and so we were like "lets call the mission nurse and see what she thinks". we got a hold of the nurse and by this time she was in so much pain, so we were like "we're going to the hospital" we got in the car and started to drive. The doctor who is in charge of all the mission nurses in like northern California and Hawaii called and asked us some questions. Sister Fonua had reclined her seat and was breathing sharply and felt super nauseated and as we answered the questions that doctor had, he told us to just go to the emergency room down in Honolulu. and let me tell you, I drove like she was going into labor! (Don't worry, for me that's like 5 over:) but we finally made it there and I dropped her off and went to park. THERE WAS NO PARKING! Finally I found a spot- and I parallel parked. That in itself is a miracle. then I went to go pay the parking meter and it was free parking because it was Sunday! blessings! So I ran to the hospital, the mission nurse was already there with her. To make a long story short, she had like every type of test and scan that they can do there and 7 hours later, she was released with some great antibiotics.

She is doing much better this morning.

 The allergies though are still making her sick...I hope she feels better.  We are so happy to be together in this lovely place!  

Well, that was our week this week.

love you all! Helaman 5:12

 12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the ^arock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ^bfoundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ^cstorm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

-Sister Hodgson

 This was them back in the MTC...reminding all of us the importance of mail for missionaries!!

week 44- "I have never been so happy to see a Samoan with a Machette on my porch"

So it was 12:30ish in the morning, and my companion was like "Hodgson, come here." I got out of bed, super confused but followed her to the front room. Then I heard it- the knocking on the door. I didn't want to assume, but I figured that it was the same guy who had visited us before. My companion pulled back the curtains, and YUP it was him. He said "open the door"...........No.......... I had that much figured out. So I just told him "we're sleeping right now. This is a bad time. Sorry." and we walked back to our bedroom. He kept knocking and talking to us "Sisters, sisters! I'm a poor wayfaring man! shame on you.....shame on you......" we made it back to our room and we were both shaking violently. We called our bishop- no answer. Our 2nd councilor- no answer. The elders- no answer.......then we called the elders again and they picked up. I was like "come over to our pad right now" "what? why?" (I can imagine that he was pretty confused) "there's a guy here at our door and he won't leave." so he said that they'd be right there.When the elders got here. they called and said they were outside, so we opened the door to find the Samoan elder wielding a machete......o my goodness......they're so great! so one of the elders stayed on our porch while we locked up all the windows and the other searched all around our house and the church property and made sure that he was gone. We felt much safer after that. But we sure couldn't fall asleep for a while:)

 

 There is a lady that makes "name tags" for the missionaries.  We can't really wear them , but they are awesome!

 

 We had a meeting with some of the ward leaders to go through the ward list this week.......5 hours long!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh boy!

 We have been tracting a lot this week, trying to find people who need prayers. We met a great family who had just been going through some old stuff and found a gift from the husband's late brother, and then the brother's favorite song played on the radio, then we knocked on the door a few minutes later. We got to say a prayer with them and share a little bit about Heavenly Father's plan for us and our families. They were really appreciative. It is neat to see how Heavenly Father will prepare people to meet missionaries and to learn more about the gospel.  

 

 It has been SO RAINY here! We go out and do as much as we can, then when we get so wet that people won't let us in their house anymore, we go home and change then head back out again. It has been interesting. I am so excited to be transferring to a sunny place!

 

 

This is Bishop and Sister Harriss.  they take such good care of us!!  I Love this family!

I have been packing this week, and I'll be flying out of Kona at 6:14am on Wednesday morning. I am going to Mililani with one of my MTC roommates Hermana F.

 I have started to say some good byes...these are my KAPUNAS  (The term has been stated to be the embodiment of natural respect . . . . a practitioner of aloha (love), pono (righteousness), malama (caring), and spirituality)

 

 

 

President Warner came to visit us this week. It is always so great to have him come!

until next week-from Oahu

Sister Hodgson

 Good by to Hawaii....."big Island".......Aloha!

WEEK 43- Priesthood blessings

Mommy Questinos:
are their trials or things you learned when you are younger that you use now in the mission field.?

yes. just anything that I ever went through that was hard prepared me for now. In fact, I even think the easier stuff prepared me: everything that I have experienced up till this point has shaped me and made me more able to handle the struggles of life. And the things that I haven't learned yet, I am having to start  learning now. but something that I am learning is when we are experiencing something difficult, we can pray and ask Heavenly Father what He wants us to be learning from this.

tell us about your zones: ...it's a big island so we hardly see each other. but we have AWESOME zone leaders!!! Like Moroni/ Nephi status!

This week was good but tiring.

My companion is still feeling sick:( headaches, etc.

We went around and visited a lot of ward members with one of the sisters on the ward council, so that has been fun.

We even did some service in the rain.  A lady was sick and needed to weed the taro field...soooo...yeah getting some service can make you smile!!

It has been really cold here! But we have our heaters and blankets, so we're okay.

We went to go visit one lady this week and she just hugged me so tightly and said that she was feeling so sick. She can hardly breathe! I think she has asthma and allergies and used to smoke so her lungs are not working properly. We sat down on the couch and then she slid down to the floor and just laid her head in my lap and cried. She felt that my feet were cold, so she pulled my foot into her lap and warmed my foot up. she kept holding my legs and kissing my knees and crying. I was embarrassed at first. but I knew that the didn't want to hold my feet because of anything that I , Rachel, had done, but she wanted to hold my feet because I was a missionary. It was a really humbling experience. the people here are so humble and loving. we called and some brothers in the ward came over to give her a blessing. It was really neat. by the time they got there, she was coughing nonstop. literally. she couldn't even talk anymore. but as they gave her the blessing, she was able to breathe, and by the end, she could say "thank you brothers."

AS I thought
back about that experience, I realized that I am so grateful for the Priesthood, so that people can be given blessings. and I love the humble people of Hawaii!

sorry this week's letter is so short! love you all! Transfers next week....????

-Sister Hodgson

 

PS mom thanks for the new outfit...new clothes are fun , you start to get pretty tired of the "same old same old"

Week 42- the book of Hodson

The book of Hodgson

-An account of SIster Hodgson. Her journeys in her days of preaching amongst the people of the isles of the sea.-

Chapter 1

Sister Hodgson journeys to the land of Kona. She Finds strength in the Lord. She is joyful in her labors in the land of Kona. She humbles herself and returns to Waimea.

1Now behold, it came to pass that there began to be much contentions and disentions amongst the sisters of the kona zone, wherefore it became expedient for the leaders of the zone to organize an emergency exchange.

2And it came to pass that on the morrow, behold the exchange did commence and I did make her journey to the land of Kona, to proclaim the gospel there with Sister Lebaron.

3And behold, I did find great joy and gladness in the work of the Lord in the land of Kona. For behold, the work did prosper amongst the people there. For the sisters who had gone before did work with much dilligence, and with exceeding faith.

4And when the time that was beforehand determined for the exchange to end, behold, the leaders did find it expedient to continue the exchange. And I did remain in the land of Kona all the next day.

5And it was the evening of the second day since I took my journey to the land of Kona, when the leaders of the zone sent out a proclamations amongst all of the missionaries in the land that there would be another exchange which would commence that evening.

6Now behold, this did gladen my heart, yea, verily, I did proceed to shout for joy at these glad tidings. For behold, I had found great joy in the work of the Lord in the land of Kona.

7And it came to pass that Sister Uasila'a-vaha returned to her home land of Kona, and verily, she was exceedingly confused at the things which had transpired over the past two days.

8For behold, she had been in another land, and did not know of all the things which did come to pass in the land of Kona. Therefore, it became expedient for me to account all of the things that sister LeBaron and I had seen and heard in this land. And Behold, I was also exceedingly confused, because I was not well aquianted with the land of Kona.

9But we did rely on the Lord to strengthen us in accomplishing His work. And behold, we did see much success in the land, and found much Joy in the Lord our God.

10And we did sing praises unto Him all the day long.

11And when the time came for my journey back to the land of Waimea, my heart was exceedingly sorrowful. For I had grown to love the people of Kona, having spent four of my last eight days in this beautiful land.

12But behold, I knew that I must return to the land of my residence, to fulfil all that the Lord should require me to do there. Therefore, I did find need to humble myself, and put forth my trust in the Lord. For He had hitherto shown unto me that His ways were higher than my ways. Therefore, I did make my journey back to the land of Waimea.

haha that was so much fun!!!

So I love Kona to pieces! it is warm there and the sister there work so hard- like no luch break status!!!!!!!!!!! it was fantistic!!!!! I learned a lot on the exchanges. Our sister training leaders are awesome! Oh, also we got to go running down ALI'I drive which was fantastic!!! I haven't been running in forever. Sister Willis is still sick, but she went to the doctor this week and got some help. SO that's the gist of this week.

Love,

Sister Hodgson

week 41- Boxes

This week went by very quickly!!!

On Tuesday, we had district meeting. For the motivational activity before the district meeting started, some elders had set up a game of "water pong" ......it was actually super fun! haha

 sis willis and I won.!!!

..... it was nice because I got us all rehydrated......then during the closing song a few people had to get up to use the restroom:) fun stuff.

Then on Friday, we had Zone conference!!! and finally, on Friday, our shower got fixed!!!! Yay no more cup showers!!!!!!! President talked about how we are all in this "box" of missionary work. we can move around as freely as we want inside the box, but we can't go outside of the box- break the rules. He talked about how we all slip outside of it a little bit here and there, and what we need to do is get back inside. But when we get Way outside of the rules and do something crazy, then we get put in the "not trusted" box....and he drew a little tiny box. He said that is where he puts you with a companion that he knows will watch you closely, and you get "babysat". He talked about how we can repent and change and eventually get back into the big box- the trusted box. But it we're not willing to do that or if we are still being crazy, then we get into another little box....and he drew an airplane on the chalk board. That's for when people get sent home. So we all laughed, but it really was a good point. It is a special opportunity to be out here and we don't want to blow it by breaking all of the rules. Rules are there to keep us safe. Heavenly Father gives us commandments so that He can bless us as we keep them, and so we can be happy.

 

here is a picture of our DL and sister Willis and I :)   ( being happy :)

Saturday was exchanges! I went down to Kona with sister UV. It was really fun! She is such a happy and positive person! I love being around happy people. it just makes me......happy!!!! So that was fun- and hot. Kona's hot.

Sister Willis has been pretty sick these past couple of days. She has been really good at just pushing through it, but yesterday she was exhausted! So our day consisted of ward council meeting, church, a lunch appointment, then coming back home. She needed a  nap. Then we went to see three little girls' baptism, then we went back home and she napped a little bit more. poor thing has just been so sick! we did our studies then had dinner and went to bed. We are going to take her into the doctor tomorrow. They think part of it might be that our house is old and moldy....so we'll have to see!

Aloha loa

-Sister Hodgson