September 12, 2011

I will look forward to getting the life history of Grandpa. That will
be nice to read.

About the charger, its ok, I went and bought one, it’s all good now.
and I met the Walderan’s :) they are wonderful people!!!! I was very
lucky to meet them :)

Ok, so about this sister that is going to Provo. Her name is Sister
Lilian. She is WONDERFUL!!! She is very nice and talkative. She is a
VERY GOOD singer as well. Her calling is Stake music director. but I
know you will like her a lot. I gave her the home phone number and the
address and told her to call and if she needed a ride you or dad could pick
her up if that’s ok. I plan on sending some things with her, nothing
much just some pics. She leaves on Thursday so I don’t know when she is
going to get there. But I really hope that you will be able to meet
with her and talk.  I don’t know what to have you send back with her, you know you don’t really have to send anything (but a washing machine would be nice :)
just kidding :) but come to think of it some more Alfredo packets
would be nice :)  :) :) :) :) :) :) they didn’t last as long as I would
have liked.

So I did go and look at the pics on the Byrds blog and your right that
is me :) we had a Mormon helping hands day, didn’t I tell you about that?
If not I’m sorry, we went to this place and did a lot of stuff like
paint, move rocks, plant trees, rake rocks, more & more rocks, and burn
trash. :) so that was fun in that pic with me looking at the BIG rock.
What was going on is that we needed to brake it up, so some of us were
taking turns at hitting it with this big mettle rod, and because I am
really big, especially compared to these Kenyans, I got picked to help
brake the rocks, but that was fun :) and it wasn't just Nairobi it was
the whole of Africa :) all of the Stakes and wards were asked to do
service on one day it was supper cool!!!!

Oh and before forget. I love getting sister Blackburn’s letters!!!!!
Can you tell her thank you for me and that I will be sending her a
letter soon. Also can you tell her to put my full name on the letter
like Elder Tyler Treasure Hodges, because for some reason Salt Lake
keeps telling me that she needs to do that, so if that is ok.

And I can’t wait for the letters from the primary!!!!! That is going to
be soooooo cool to get!!!!!!!! And it is even cooler that Caleb was
one of them that got to write to me!!!!!! :) I will be looking forward
to getting those letters! :)

As for me this week has been really good :) we worked really really
hard! We taught a lot of people, and we are getting more and more
people to teach!! My area is great!, but before I came it was dead I
don’t know why because the people here are ready for the gospel. In
fact we have so many people that we can’t see them all in one week. One
of the things that I am scared about is losing investigators just because
we don’t have time to see them. So the work here in Riruta Kenya is
going very very well. The only down fall is the members, like 80% of
them are inactive and we don’t know where they live or their phone
numbers or anything. So I don’t know how we are going to find them. But
we are praying and working. Also we had Stake conference on Sunday.
That was really cool! It was also the first time that I got to wear my
suit on my mission!!! :) but it did make me think of stake conference
back home and in the Provo Tabernacle and how sad it is that it burned
down. Do you know if they are going to rebuild it? ( I asked the same
question to dad but I am guessing that he will forget to answer it :)
so I am trusting you ) so it has been a good week for me :) but I am
kind of thinking that I want to get out of the city of Nairobi. I just
want to go out and experience more of Kenya see more people and
things. But then another part of me wants to stay here because I LOVE
going to the office and seeing president so much! that is wonderful
also I get mail really fast :) so I am kinda torn, but I know that
right now at this point in my mission this is where I need to be. So I
am doing my best.

So it sounds like you have been really really busy back at the home,

And all around that part of the country. I mean working hard in Provo

then going to Idaho then right after going to Vagas. I mean that’s a lot of running around.

I really wish I could have been at the funeral of Grandpa but I know

the best thing that I can do is be here. I hope it all went well.

That’s also cool that you are going to go back east again. I know you

and mom will have fun time like you always do. :) And I was kind of

wondering if the exchange club did anything cool for the 10 year

anniversary of 9-11? If so what did you do? I tried to explain to my

comp what 9-11 was like in the US he never thought that it had such a

big impact.

And I am super bummed that BYU lost to Texas! They need to kick it in

to gear. It doesn’t sound like you are yelling at the TV loud enough :)

And you were right I heard about Grandpa's death when I

read your email. And then the day after I was on splits with the Zone

Leaders and we got a call from President but we were in a lesson so I

just had to hang up on him before he said anything. But then we called

back and asked if I knew and I said that I did. So that is what

happened. But then the day after I went to the office for our weekly

DDM and he was there and he gave me a hug and said that it was from

Grandpa so that was nice.

It also sounds like you are working hard on the house :) that’s super

cool! And I am happy to hear that it wasn't me that took the fence out

this time :) although I might have helped it along. :) I bet it looks

great! I hope you have Jordan helping you or something. :)

That is super sad that the Westover’s are selling their part in the

Cabin. Did they say why? Did you tell them that I would by it in like

20 years? :)

I love hearing about you and the temple! And how long have you been

working there now? Like 8 months? And they made you an assistant

Coordinator? How does that change what you do? If you keep moving

like this they are going to ask you to be Temple President in like 4

Or 5 years :) lol, keep up the good work dad :) it blesses all of us :)

 We found out that Elder Nelson is going to be here on the 29th of

October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t wait to see him. I

hope he comes and has a talk with just the missionaries!!!!! That would be so cool!!!!!!

So life is good here :)

Elder T. T. Hodges