Week 73- Expect the unexpexted !

ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHA!!!!!!

So this has been a crazy week! My companion and I both got emergency transferred out of Lahaina. We had 4 sisters in one ward so now the other two sisters will just have the ward all to themselves. I am IN HONOLULU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am in one of the richest areas in a tripanionship with sister Yasufuku from the visitors center and Sister Hoskins (people have a hard time keeping our names straight). Sister Hoskins goes home on Wednesday.

So, Tuesday was the emergency transfer, then Wednesday we went out and did visits. Thursday I met the bishop and ward mission leader and everybody.

Friday, we had to go into the mission office and got to have interviews with president :) I always love interviews!, President and his wife are amazing and get us pumped up and ready to go! Sister Y is a bit like me .  She is a little hard on herself when she feels she is not doing enough or working hard enough etc…So pres thought she and I would be good for each other . SO president pretty much told us that sis yasufuku and I would be staying here in hawaii kai.

Saturday we found out transfer news. we were told that sister hoskins, of course is leaving because she is finishing her mission AND that sister yasufuku would be going back to the VC (some one sis yasufuku used to know lives in this ward so she has to leave this ward)

then Sunday, we found out that I would be leaving too!!!!!!!!!!!! so they went from one leaving, to two leaving, and now all of us are leaving!

then this morning......haha......we found out that sister yasufuku will not be going back to the visitors center but she will be staying with me and we will be going to waipahu stake- ewa beach. SO that is the news as of now. (I think president can feel that sis Y and I will be able to help each other and learn together.) so I am on to my sixth area with my 15th companion hahaha...... it is so funny that I thought I knew how my mission would end : training sister M in lahaina. but now......well…...I have just learned to expect the unexpected!

We will be white washing so that will be fun too! we are excited for this next week.

okay so other random thoughts: 1. I have been learning this week that discouragement is not from the Lord. Satan wants us to be discouraged and to loose hope. Heavenly Father will never make us feel discouraged. When he needs to help us, He will offer His help with a feeling of love, and specific direction on what we can improve on. He will never confuse us or just make us feel like a horrible person. He will help us to see what we can become and He will fill us with hope through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

2. our apartment here is like a little hamster cage! It is one room with a microwave, a sink and fridge, 3 beds, and a table, etc. all in one square. no windows. just the sliding door. so I am glad to be getting a new pad on wednesday haha.

3. Shout out to the Hughes boys ( yes buddies of mine that are twins and coming home the same day this week from their missions) and Shawn Gandola my “other brother” too!  Crazy busy home week!! Love you guys can’t wait to catch up!  Mom sends me some of your letters but catching up will be GREAT!

4.. Shout out to sister Rachel Buxton who sent the Elder Holland quote that I read all the time these last few weeks. "Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better....my declaration is that this is precisely what the gospel of Jesus Christ offers us, especially in times of need. There is help. There is happiness.....Don't you quit. you keep walking. You keep trying....it will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.".

5. I love my family so much!!!!!!!!!! thank you for everyone who has been praying for me during these crazy tough past weeks. I have felt the strength of your prayers and I received the help and strength that I needed. I am starting my last transfer now and I am going to give it my all.

I love being a missionary!

love, Sister Hodgson

WEEK 72- Conference and Pday were GREAT!!

Wasn’t conference wonderful! I love conference so much! Truly, the Lord speaks through His prophets and apostles today.

Sorry this week's is so short. We went to watch the sun rise on haleakala this morning!

 

We Also went to and Old LDS chapel built in like 1850!

Also we had interviews with president and we got to watch "meet the mormons" that new documentary film. Shout out to sister KATE HARGADON ! I saw her on the video and I was like "hey that's my friend!" haha super cool! Everyone should go and watch the film. It will be in the roseville and rocklin theaters. Go watch it opening week and support! It was very well done!This is our district after previewing the movie :)

We taught our wonderful investigator stephanie this week. She is doing so well. She watched some of conference too and loved it. She says that she loves to hear the prophet speak! She loves how happy and peaceful that it makes her feel.

Well this week has been busy and stressful, sorry that there's not more time to share, but hopefully next week.

Love you all!

-Sister Hodgson

Week 71- ...and sometimes it rains......

Sorry for the short letter last week….we went on a hike!  This is a picture of our zone….

Except for the 4 elder son Malaki island…they skype in for meetings J

So this week has been  much better. I love President Warner! He is always so helpful whenever any of his missionaries are struggling (well he's always so helpful all of the time, but especially if you are struggling! ) I got to talk to him on the phone this week and he gave me some great help and advice.   It is still very warm here but we LOVE our island.  Lahaina ROCKS!

We have a new Senior couple the Beddards- they are awesome!! They work with Less active members of our ward and  inspect apartments and a little of everything!

So we went tracting again this week. Which is always fun because here in Hawaii people have like 4 or 6 front doors (not even kidding!) I'll have to send a picture some time. But it is expensive to live here so sometimes there are like 4 families in one home. so any ways, tracting is like you walk up to the house, knock on like 3 doors then just step back so you can see if any one answers any of them haha. it's fun! 

Also we started teaching a lady named  V........ya so that's cool because she doesn't really speak english and we don't speak Spanish. and she can only meet in the morning and the people in our ward that speak Spanish can only meet at night so we have had two lessons without a translator! haha. So we do a lot of reading. The first lesson we read the introduction to the book of Mormon then I was like "ummm......el libro de mormon ...is......from... padre celestial?....ummmmm.......it is otro tesimento de Jesu Christo.......ummmm....read it..........it will make you felice? and ummm help your familia. " she was like "si" GREAT! so "oramos?" hahaha

This is the girls : Sister Mitchel ( the greenie), me, sister Beddard , the sister on exchanges with me and sister Harris.

We have a new Senior couple the Beddards- they are awesome!! They work with Less active members of our ward and inspect apartments and a little of everything!

They took us out to lunch on Friday. they are so sweet. They gave us homemade chocolate chip cookies and pocket size scented hand sanitizer with sparkles in it... that's like all of my favorite things at the same time! it pretty much made my day.

we got to teach the sweet older lady from Persia again this week. and we helped her to clean her house afterwards......we were in our church clothes again (of course!!) but it is just always so funny to be like scrubbing floors and mopping etc in a dress....It makes me feel like Cinderella! but I try not to sing as much as her so I don’t annoy people haha.

This week we have been teaching a great sister, S. She has been reading the book of Mormon and says she always feels so good when she does. She said that she is not much of a reader but she is doing great with the book of Mormon! She came to the Womens conference on Saturday. if any one didn't get a chance to watch that, go watch it!!!!! …it was awesome!!

Also, one day this week, my comp and I came home for lunch and she took a little nap. Whenever I have time alone, it is a good opportunity for me to pray and ponder, so I was saying a little prayer and I looked up to see outside on our porch it was raining!!!!!! I love the rain and it hardly ever rains here! so I went out to the porch and just enjoyed the rain. It was a nice little reminder that Heavenly Father loves us! and he cares about us! And he always gives us reminders of is love. For me, that day, the rain was just a little reminder that I have a Father in Heaven who loves me and cares about me. He loves each of us individually!

Love you familia!

-Sister Hodgson

Week 70-Sometimes life gives you a few lemons....but hey, at leastlife is sharing....so that's nice. lemons are nice... :)

So we only have like 10 minutes to email today. long story..... (other people's agency...sorry)

Some transfers are harder than others…but it always works out!

but the work is great!! I love this ward. I love the people here! this island is beautiful (and hot) I love this work. I love the Lord. I love this gospel. I love being a missionary! It is Beautiful here in Lahaina  !

 I really don't have time to say much but don't worry about me, I will be okay. I just keep telling myself,         “ some days you need to find joy in the journey” 

please keep me in your prayers. I feel your prayers already. thank you for your letters. they mean the world to me.

But really, why am I complaining! I have a roof over my head, food to eat (not like that is ever a problem in hawaii haha), and a family who loves me so much! and even though you are far away, I have my Heavenly Father to talk with every day. So. sorry for my complaints....but that's really just whats on my mind now....no use in hiding it. I have never really been shy about my emotions anyway! haha.

well, I love you so much. Sorry for this pitiful letter :) I feel much better now though:) I love you all loads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I miss you very much! but I KNOW that I am where I need to be.

love, your baby girl, Sister Hodgson