WEEK 75- EWA beach....and a little trunky

So we love EWA so much!!!!!!!!! it is a kind of harder area.....we work our little bottoms off to get the result of a lazy week in other areas. but it is so great. we love the ward. the bishop and ward mission leader are so on top of it! we get fed every night! oh, and here in Ewa there are like a million airplanes all the time.............which does tend to make one a little trunky but I'll keep focused and keep working. ( I am looking forward to a hair cut and pedicure- those little things that have just not been the focus …)Seriously though, we see like 20 airplanes a day! we are right in between two airports so it's busy!

so funny story of this week. the day of our ward trunk or treat I guess sister Yasufuku and I were both thinking Halloween themed when we got dressed so we both wore black dresses. then we drove out to our area and got out of the car to start our visits. I looked at sister y's dress, then looked at mine then I was like " *gasp* we look like nuns!!!!...........we changed later but we had a good giggle.

 my earache turned into like the trial of my life last week haha. It was seriously one of the most painful things I've ever experienced! Then just as my left ear got better, I got it in my right ear too. but the right ear healed much faster…..dodging some fast balls…but I have gotten tough!

the ward trunk of treat was so fun!   We dreseed up as each other...hahah  ( so creative) One of the less active members that we have been working with came to the activity with her daughter and grand son. and then she came to church on Sunday! yay!!! It is so good to see people making great progress in their lives in spite of hardships or struggles.

we met with a lady this week and she asked about the ten commandments, so we went through the commandments then she asked a question, she said "what happens if we dont keep the 10 commandments" to which we replied. "well, then we can't have the blessings, we want to  live with our Heavenly Father again." she replied "oh okay....that's it?" and I was thinking "THAT"S IT????? what other it is there??? isn't that the only it we should ever be interested in obtaining??? eternal happiness and Joy with our families, living in the presence of our God for all of eternity?!"???

So it just reminded me that that really is the most important thing. we really should try to keep our focus on the eternal perspective. that is our goal- to live with our Heavenly Father again. and we need to not loose focus on that! It is amazing how when we are "teaching" other people, how much I learn.

well, we are finding more people who want to meet with us. Heavenly Father always answers prayers. we have seen many miracles this week….as mom says  time to SPRINT!!

I  want to give every last bit of my heart and mind to this work!!

love you all!

love, Sister Hodgson

WEEK 74- Ewa Beach!!

ALOHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so this week has been great! like I mentioned last week, we found out that we would be going to the Ewa beach 2nd ward. then on wednesday at transfer meeting, they were announcing the changes and they said "and elder D and elder N will be serving together in the Ewa beach 2nd ward" and I was thinking "WHAT? isn't that where we are serving?" then they announced "and sister Y and sister Hodgson will also be serving in the Ewa beach 2nd ward" so we are all four white washing into a new area! 

Ewa is so great! the area is pretty small. the elders walk, and we bike. the only problem was that when we first got there, we didn’t have any place to stay. so the zone leaders arranged for us to sleep in the pad that the elders would eventually move into. then the elders stayed with the zls for the night. So we kept getting calls from the mission office like "are you living with the elders?" "our records indicate that you and sister y are living with elder N and elder D" and we were like "NO!!!!!!!" haha. so anyway, the next day we moved into our new pad and elder d and elder n then moved into their pad. So our new pad was MESSSYYYYYY!!!!!!! ….cluttered and lots of unorganized junk. Our sister training leaders came and helped us to clean it up. …Elders and sisters seem to live very differently (haha)

anyway, It looks much nicer now! we have a front entry way and hall closet on the first floor, then a stair case, because our apartment is upstairs! we have air conditioning and a kitchen, dining area, living room, bedroom, washer and dryer and bathroom!!! so it's a very nice place.....but the shower doesn't work!!!!!!! The handle to turn the hot water on is broken....so we have hot water, we just cant get it. and secondly, the water comes out the faucet into the tub, but it wont come out of the shower head!!!! I have no idea how the elders lived here! they didnt even mention anything! so what we had to do was fill up a bucket with warm water in the sink then carry it to the tub, step in, and pour it on our head. like 20 times.....haha so there's our little adventure for the week…..we are looking forward to getting  ahold of a repairman.

We have loved getting to know the ward here. the leaders in this ward have been SO helpful to us! We don't know anyone or anything about the area, but they have really worked with us and taken such great care of us.

We met with a new family this week. we had a really hard time finding their house in the rain from the tropical storm!! we didnt have an umbrella and we were walking around everywhere to find the house. we were soaking wet when we got there, but they welcomed us in and got us towels to dry off. we discussed what the previous missionaries had taught them about and they knew a lot. They knew all about the book of Mormon and had even read from it. but we asked them if they had ever prayed about it. they said they hadn't. so we invited them to do that this week.

If we really want to know truth, who better to hear from than God. He will tell us what is true. I KNOW that the book of Mormon really is scripture from our Heavenly Father. I know it. I can feel it whenever I read it. I am so thankful that God loves us enough to give us guidance through His prophets in Jerusalem (bible), the ancient American continent (book of Mormon), and even from our Prophet on the earth today. Isn't it great! Heavenly Father is so consistent in His love and in His blessings which He gives to His children.. I love this scripture

mormon 9: 19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

Even today!

Okay so one more story: on a more sadly note...... yes I have a really bad ear ache!!!! like super bad!!!!! But it's okay, I got a blessing and I am taking these little ear drops that the mission nurse had me get and I am surviving. But MAN!!!!! It is super painful! It hurts my jaw too but hey, some people break their femurs and such so I really shouldn't complain. I have just been living off of soft foods and advil haha. the advil makes it feel good enough to move my jaw and eat the dinners that people prepare for us so it's all good. Missionary work rolls forward!

oh and our ward mission leader's wife is a yoga teacher so we all went to the monday morning class and sweat like crazy! we are all gonna be some tomorrow! but it was great!

I really love being a missionary! I am so happy here! I love this area and the great people we've met, we are going to do our best to work super hard this week! Faith + works = miracles

Love you all! read the book of Mormon and Pray about it!! even if you already know it's true it's nice to know again (like how I already know I like cafe rio quesadillas, but when I get back home, I am gonna try it again just to be sure haha)

love,

Sister Hodgson

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