Week 8- exchanges, fruit and veggies and transfers

You may note that Rachel Hodgson has a brace on her arm.  Her father asked about it in one of the "chat" emails and she said she would share that in the family email....and we got  NOTHING...soooo

This week we went on exchanges! Sister M went to another area with one sister and the “sister training leader”  came to our area. It was neat to see how other sisters do things. We learn a lot from exchanges. Also that night we were asked to sing at the cottage meeting- (a meeting at the president's house where new converts share their conversion stories and we invite our investigators to hear). Sister M the Samoan sisters and myself sang acapella"I need Thee every hour". It was really neat to be able to sing with such amazing sisters! But it was also kinda scary because president's wife used to sing in the Mormon Tabernacle choir! Haha

So I got a few questions to answer this week:

What is a normal day like? I'd say that we NEVER have a normal day haha but a rough outline of the schedule is: wake up at 6:30, exercise, shower, eat, personal study, companion study, 12 weeks training (which is the in field training that we do for the first 12 weeks because the mtc time was shortened) then work for a few hours (usually visiting less actives , service or tracting), lunch break, back out to visits, service opportunities, tracting and lessons, dinner break, back out to visits and lessons, home to update the area book, plan for the next day then go to sleep:)

What's my companion like: A lot like me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just where I am a bit more of a guilty conscience she is a little more care free. She had a VERY hard childhood and teenagehood, so that has shaped her into a bit of a tougher shell than me. We share EVERYTHING with each other! food, clothing (we're even the same jean size and shoe size), thoughts. It is nice to be able to be so open. We could probably read our journal entries and emails out loud to each other and not learn anything new haha:) she is a songwriter. like, going to be famous, wrote her first song at age 3 type songwriter. we take care of each other and understand each other. She is so wonderful! She actually got a blessing this week and in the blessing they said that she and I have similar strengths. even in a blessing we are compared as similar:)

What do we eat? Spinach eggs, spinach smoothies, spinach quesadillas, beans and rice, apples, carrots, we went through a small cereal phase because I just wanted milk.....weird right?...... um sometimes ramen with cheese and vegetables......... we start out the week pretty healthy, but by Saturday (especially with feeding 2 mini missionaries as well) we get down to like a few carrots and cheese puffs. we don’t even like cheese puffs. I’m not even sure that they are actually a food...... but some members gave them to us and we saved them because we knew that we'd run out of food by the end of the week. Monday is like Christmas because we get to buy more food. I have never appreciated fruit and vegetables so much in my life. I don’t think I ve ever appreciated the value of a dollar either.....or just food in general

Details of my apt: cockroaches, one bedroom, new appliances and counter tops, good storage space, the closet doors are GIANT mirrors, laundry costs like 70,000 quarters a load, and the stairs to our apt give us a good workout!

what ever happened to the investigator who was open to the gospel but living with her boy friend? she moved....and she wasnt ready to make those changes in her life yet.....super sad but hopefully the new missionaries will know how to help her.

okay, transfers happen this week! we got "the voice mail" last night. The zone leaders leave a voice mail Sunday night announcing who needs to pack their bags- Its like the Hunger games reaping! Listening as they call names one by one: "the missionaries who need to pack their bags are : elder Deane, elder Armstrong, elder Ukenio, elder Martino, Sister.......... Totally suspenseful moment .....Fisi' ahi. We are staying in Hon- West!!!!!!!!!!!! Sister M  and I were so excited! SO another 6 weeks together here:)

well Im out of time. The church is true! Heavenly Father knows us each personally and He is there to help us. ALl we need to do is ask.

Much love, and Aloha from Sister Hodgson

WEEK 7- NEW MISSION PRESIDENT AND LOST SHOES

This week was one of the funnest (most fun) weeks ever! Monday was p-day, Tuesday we met our new mission president and his wife, Wednesday we had zone meeting, Thursday was the 4th of July, Friday and Saturday we had 2 mini missionaries and Sunday we had cake waffles at our bishop’s house. (cake waffles are amazing....just cake batter cooked like a waffle, but I’m pretty sure it tastes better that way:)

Okay so President Warner and his wife are super nice! I think that I'm going to like them a lot. They are funny and organized and super ready to do whatever they need to do. Oh, and did you hear that there are some new missionary rules? no backbacks. period. all the elders need to get satchels:) also, they can wear light colored suits (like grey and tan------not like that will matter for hawaii because no one here wears suits anyway).

Our mini missionaries were super sweet and hardworking! We loved having them!

oh, also, at church this week, some lady bore her testimony then had a seizure and passed out. She's all good now, but it sure made for an eventful Sacrament meeting.

O WOW!!!!!!! We just now got a phone call from a recent convert in our ward. Her husband's kids are living with them for the summer. She said "Hi I was just calling because the 8 year old who is staying with us wants to be baptized before he goes".......okay we can probably work with that!

We have a lot new investigators.....and a lot of investigators with unique names. A few of the names are: MandiAnne, Krisha, Augustine, Jerrell, Corbin, Jeanine, Aurthor, Beatrice, Trinity, Rudy, Buddy, Byron, Lalo, and Princess! Haha, we feel like when we talk about our investigators, people will think that we're just making things up!

The fourth of July was awesome!!! We stopped proselyting at 6:00 and just got to hang out with our zone! We did some fireworks then went on a hike. It was super steep up the side of a heavily forested mountain, and it was dark out! But the view from the top was amazing!! one of our poor zone leaders got stung by a bee though. But he's okay now!

While we were on the hike, one of the zone leaders lost his shoe and it rolled down the mountain a bit into the dark. We all started looking but weren't having much luck. After a prayer, it was found almost instantly. A few minutes later, I lost my shoe. But again, a prayer was said and we found it right away. I was thinking about how dumb that was to lose 2 shoes in like 2 minutes and ask for help to find them, but Heavenly Father really cares about us individually, and He cares about our specific problems. He knew exactly where we were and exactly where the shoes were. He also knew how important it was to us to find them. I am so grateful that He loves us so much and answers all of our prayers. There is no request too small or too silly for Him. He is watching over us and wants to help us. All we have to do is ask!

Love you all!

-Sister Hodgson

week 6- The word of Wisdom and Mangos!

We had some really neat lessons this week! Our investigator R. has been trying to keep the word of wisdom. We found out at our last lesson that he has given up alcohol and coffee! He said that he has so much more energy and isn't tired at all! Heavenly Father is really blessing him for his sacrifice and efforts. We also had a lesson with our new investigator B. She is looking for a church that feels like "home" to her. We talked about the restoration and the book of Mormon. She asked if we could read some together. She read through the first chapter right then and really liked it! She had a great understanding of the scriptures and we are so excited for her to keep learning more.

We get like 10 zillion mangos every week here...... Our whole apt. smells like mangos. Everyone gives the sisters mangos.......... and chicken. The great part is that my companion is intolerant to meat and It makes her throw up. Poor thing can hardly have a local dinner and keep it down. She does great at eating while we are there but it just makes her very sick when we get home. It has actually been pretty surprising that we both eat whatever is given to us mostly. I was afraid before I came here that I wouldn't be able to eat any of the local food. I really feel that we are being blessed to be able to eat whatever we need to to be polite. It's nothing awful like my dad had ( monkey brains) or my mom ( chuno= molded potatoes)  but just some strangely spiced things or undercooked things that are different to me or large quantities.

We went on a hike last p-day down this steep mud slope. You had to hold on to ropes all the way down. On the way back up, it started raining pretty hard. By the end we were all muddy and really wet, but it was so much fun!

Sister Mottl and I listen to one song on our CD over and over again. It is an old efy song and it talks about the pioneers in the martin handcart company. The first few verses are from the perspective of those pioneers as they traveled. It talks about how hard it was and the joy that they felt when the relief party came from Salt Lake. The last verse talks about how people are still lost in our world and that we need to "heed a prophet's call once more: Go bring them in from the plains" We Love this song because it reminds us that there are people out there who need the gospel, who want the gospel  in their lives. Maybe they just don't know it yet. We need to be the ones to go out and find them. I always think to myself that if I didn't have the gospel, I would want someone to find me.

Even when the work is hard, it is so important to keep searching because They need to know that they have a loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christ made it possible for us to return to live with Heavenly Father forever. I love this gospel so much, and I love being a missionary. I am so glad to be here! I miss you all a bunch!

Lots of Love

-Sister Hodgson

Week 5- Crazy days

This week has been CRAZY!! But such an adventure! 

So, Monday the big news was my trainer's boyfriend eloped... so that wasn't super fun for her to find out. Poor girl. but she's been handling it well. Then Tuesday I played piano at our district meeting..... I just don't understand! haha:) Then Wednesday is where the week starts to get going. We went to Pearl Harbor and got to strip the paint off of some tables and repaint them battleship grey. It was super fun to get some sunshine, some service and get to see Pearl Harbor! I still have paint on my fingers....It doesn't come off easily:) Then we got a tour of the USS Missouri ( I think). It was amazing! Then Thursday, my trainer woke up super dizzy. I had to call the mission office and get permission to drive because it wasn't safe for her to do it anymore. I was super scared! I haven't driven in a while- I've never driven in Hawaii and I hadn't driven this car before. But so far we've been okay (knock on wood!) That night we also got a mini missionary! So Friday we had our mini missionary, a very sick trainer and myself. My trainer had to stay in bed most of the day, so I had to take over with the mini missionary. When it came time to go tracting, we dropped my trainer off at a ward member's house to rest, then the mini and I went out by ourselves! Then I got a call from the mission office. The secretary asked for sister Hodgson. I told her that was me. She said that the mission president wanted to speak with me and I needed to come to the mission office as soon as possible. At first I was confused. I didn't know why president would need to speak with me so urgently. And not me and my companion- just me. I was going through the possibilities in my head: It couldn't be a calling, I've only been here for a few weeks. It wouldn't be something trivial, or else he could just call me. Of course I assumed the worst. The President has to inform missionaries about tragedies back home. I started crying (our poor mini missionary didn't know what to do) Then we drove to the office- It was just a check in interview with all of the new missionaries!!!!!! I was so relieved!!! Anyway, It was just scary. So my trainer got so sick that night and threw up so the zone leaders came and gave her a blessing (Once again, our poor mini missionary. What an exciting week for her:). We did, eventually, take her tracting. We dropped my trainer off at a ward member's house, then the mini and I went out tracting. It was kinda scary for me to be "training" her because I feel SO inexperienced
myself! but she was a very fast learner and did great!

Well, Sister M (My trainer) is still sick, but we're hoping that she will feel better soon. Maybe we'll have a more "normal" week next week....but probablly not;) But that is what keeps it interesting! Everyday is such an adventure! I love it here! This week helped me to remember that if we stay close to the Lord, any crazy things that happen are easier to manage. The Lord has invited us to come unto Him because His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He can, and will, help us through the crazy days of our lives.

Love,

Sister Hodgson

Week 4- if you're gunna have a hard day why not have it in Hawaii !

Hey Everybody!

Okay so last week I had sooooo much to say and I forgot to say where I'm even serving! Mom guessed right, I'm on O'ahu! I am in the Honolulu-West zone. We are so busy! I love it though!

President and Sister D are leaving soon so they had their goodbye zone meeting this week. President D is always laughing about how sister M and I are companions. He jokingly asked us if we thought that the Lord took height into consideration when He sets up companionships. He also told us "Dynamite comes in small packages." He is super funny! His wife is barely over 5 feet tall too.

We have four new investigators this week. One of them has a mango tree and sent us home with a few fresh mangos. They were super good. Our ward keeps us fed also. We left church on Sunday with a plate of cinnamon rolls, a gallon of milk and a half gallon of orange juice! We looked ridiculous carrying it all out to the car. The people here are so sweet!

We played piano at another baptism this week. You know that there aren't very many pianists around when I have to play:) Sister M played the only hymn she knows for the opening song, then I played the only hymn I know for the closing. Same deal as last week...... We decided that we both need to learn another hymn this week:) It was neat too because it was a Samoan ward baptism, so they were all singing in Samoan!!

We are getting a mini missionary on thursday, and we'll be doing service in Pearl Harbor on Wednesday. Also, a guy in the ward wants to give us a tour of his submarine on one of our p-days. I hope that works out!

Okay, so friday was a super tough day! We tried to contact a bunch of less actives, but NOBODY was home! We drove to so many different houses! We started to just feel exhausted and unmotivated. We tried just working through it, we tried taking a snack break, we tried everything. We prayed for help and strength and to be able to find the miriacle in the day. We knew that something good would come. We tried tracting. The guy opened the door, and while I was trying to talk and the guy just closed the door with a dismissive "not interested". -First time I cried since I've been with sister M. Friday was SO HARD! but Looking back on it, we realized a few things: 1. Heavenly Father didn't just make the day easy. Sometimes He does that, but sometimes He expects us to work hard, and just trust Him. 2. We didn't understnad why the day was so tough, but we made it through, and in comparison the next day seemed so much better! 3. Heavenly Father does answer prayers. We got to meet with one of our investigators that we hadn't been able to get in touch with! That was one miracle from the day! Also, as we were getting out of the car in the area we tract in a lot, a guy asked us "Who are you? I see you around here a lot." We talked for a bit and set up an appointment with him:) Even on the hard days, Heavenly Father is still watching over us, and we can learn so much on harder days.

I love this poem, I can't remember who it is by, but there is a part that says:

"be still sad heart and cease repinning.

behind the clouds is the sun, still shining.

thy fate is the common fate of all- into each life some rain must fall.

Some days must be dark and dreary"

And I guess if you're gunna have a hard day, why not have it in Hawaii:)

Love you all!

-Sister Rachel Hodgson

week 3- This is totally a foreign mission..tee hee

Hey!!!! this is so crazy! I'm in Hawaii:) I still can't get over it. We'll just be driving along and I'll be like "I'm on an island in the middle of the ocean!" But I'm loving it here! Okay, but before I get too carried away I need to catch you up on the last bit of my MTC stay.

It was the last Thursday night in the MTC and we had just come from dinner to go to our evening class. We were all having problems focusing and just weren't feeling well. Sister P asked if any one else's stomach was hurting and all but one of the sisters said that their stomachs were hurting too. We dismissed our complaints and went on with the lesson. Our teacher was talking, then all of a sudden  Sister O burped. It was super funny! We were trying to hold in our laughter but we just couldn't. The teacher asked if we needed a quick break and we all burst out laughing and agreed that we did. Out in the hall, we were laughing so hard that I started crying (I don't know why....we were exhausted :) ) but I knew it was stupid so I was laughing at myself too. Pretty soon I was on the floor sobbing hysterically and we were all laughing at that. Then sister P started gaging and ran to the bathroom to throw up. Sister F threw up too. It was pretty much the craziest five  minutes of my life! When we had finally gathered ourselves together we went back into class and had a testimony meeting- which was great! but it was just a really funny night. ....Our poor teacher:)

Anyway, that pretty much sums up the MTC. On Tuesday morning we took a bus to a train, then the train to a track/ monorail thing, then the track/ monorail thing to the airplane, then the airplane to our mission president's car, then his car to his home and Finally our travels were done!

We stayed the first night in the mission president's home. Of course my bed would be the one to have flying termite larva nesting in the sheets...... but the mission president's wife helped us change the bedding and we slept fine:) But I went to bed thinking No matter what they say....

 "This is totally a foreign mission". The weather, food, and houses also contributed to my conclusion. All of the windows here are made like blinds. They are a whole bunch of glass slats put together that you can tilt to let the air in...'cause Boy it is hot here! We haven't come across very many air conditioners..... Everyone just uses fans. (Except for the military but I'll get to that in a bit)

 Here in Hawaii, transfers are done a bit differently: instead of everyone coming to a transfer meeting on Wednesday and finding out who your companion will be and where you will serve, all of the missionaries get a letter Tuesday night with all of the information. Then, only the ones who will need to change islands will have to fly (because it would be way too expensive to fly everyone in and then back out again). We opened our letters Tuesday night. They call it early Christmas! It was so great! We went around the room reading who we would serve with and where we would serve. My new companion and trainer is Sister M! She is so great! She is 5'3", brown hair, super bubbly personality, and loves a busy schedule! We have so much fun together. Interestingly enough, she had a baptism lined up for this last weekend, so that was super exciting! So it has been a been joke in the area that I "got a baptism" on my fourth day in the field!

It is so crazy living with only two people in a home. Do you know how many dishes two people use?! Not that many.....like two.... So it has been really easy to keep the kitchen clean! 

okay, finally to the military. My area is mostly made up of military housing! So that means nicer houses, air conditioning and pretty "normal" food. In the other parts of our area we do have a few native Islanders who feed us Hawaiian food.

They other night we had a great dinner apt My trainer didn't tell me till after dinner, but the lady that we were teaching always feeds us food. So by the end of our lesson/ Second dinner appointment we were so full! She fed us Hawaiian food = a HEAPING plate of rice.... lots of meat and a Huge glass of soda! We ate all that we could to be polite then taught the lesson. but boy were we full! 

With all that said, I love mission life! It's all part of the experience, and I feel like I am learning so much! one more quick thought before I go- IN the MTC our teachers will role play as an investigator for you and your companion to teach. Our teacher played someone who was really open to the gospel, but had one main issue that she would need to resolve before baptism. She was living with her boyfriend. The first day that I here, the first appointment that I had, the investigator was someone who was really open to the gospel, but had one main issue that she would need to resolve before baptism. She was living with her boyfriend. It was neat to see that Heavenly Father knew who I would be teaching here, and knew how to best prepare me for that. He is so mindful of giving us exactly what we need. He has the big picture in mind and wants to always bless us.

Love you!

-Sister Hodgson