Met Elder Cook!!!

Jan 23^rd

Thank you for your up lifting words, but it’s not me... The Lord has His

work planned out and nothing can stop it. Your right it really is the

work of the Lord. :) we know that the work of God is "to bring to pass

the immortality and eternal life of man." and in the first presidency

message in Preach my Gospel it says every missionary has a part to do

in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. so it

tells us right there that we are doing the Lords work :)

I can tell you that the missionaries in the MTC don’t really know what

is coming :) if they are not worked to the bone when they get out on their 

mission they are doing it wrong! :) But they need to know that it is all about their 

dedication. If they want to work, then they will. But if they just want to go on a

 mission to get a girl at BYU or to tell people that they lived in Brazil- or Africa for 2 years, 

 then they will not even come close to becoming who they can be and helping who they can help.

Even Brigham Young said if you go out to teach the Gospel with

lightness and frivolity, you will go and return in vain. Their mission

will be what they make out of it. Faith without works is dead. they

have the faith; they are there in the MTC getting ready, now they need

to go out and to do their works of faith. :)

It has been a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we got to go down to

Mombassa for mission tour. We got to meet Elder Cook :) not the

member of the 12 but a member of the 70 he spoke in conference, he gave

the talk. "Its better to look up." :) He is a great man. :) He talked

to me privately for a little bit. :) It was super nice :) gave me some

things to read in Numbers 13 and 14. He told me that I am like a man

named Caleb in the story. That meant a lot to me that he said that.

:) If you want to you can read the story :) He really is a great man!

I wish we had more time to talk to him but I am happy for the time

that I had.

My comp and I are getting much much better. I am very happy about it

too. :) but there is still a lot of ground to make up.:) but thank you

for your prayers I know that they have made a difference. :)

I did get the package :) I don’t know what I am going to do with what

you sent for Elder Oten, I am thinking about keeping it maybe for someone in the future :P but I don’t know. 

Also thank you for the candy!!!!!!!!!!!!! it is soooooooooo good!!! In this place those are worth more than Gold!

Well, I will keep Aimee and the boys in my prayers. That is the best that I can do.

I can’t wait to hear where Jordan is going!! That is great that he is going to get them sent! :) 

He better write me as soon as he gets the call!!! :)

Hal? wow I thought he was as healthy as a horse. but I guess he is as healthy as a horse that

 had some heart work done. well I hope everything will work out well. :) I will pray from him.

I’m doing well :) and the fungus on my feet is still there and very itchy! I hope
that it will go away soon.
Ya training is a new part of missionary work. It is hard…. I know
it will all work out. But after this is done I don’t want any assignments.  I don’t want to be a DL… I don’t want to be a ZL…I don’t want to be a trainer. I just want to be a normal missionary. I would like that. :)  Tami I really like your quote  “ become better not bitter.” :) I like that a lot! :) I know a lot of people here that need that. :) I hope you don’t think I am a sister hater because I know sisters are special and bring a special spirit to the work. It just bugs me when they don’t work. So I love sisters that work :)
You guys have a super cute family. I hope you know that!!! I can’t
wait to see how much Katelee has grown. She better still know who Uncle Tyler is. :) And I am super happy to meet little Eva!! :)  But I have found that a mission goes by so fast!!!!!!!!  I can’t believe that is almost 7 months already. It’s crazy how fast it goes.

It sounds like you all should send some of that moisture this way. We need it very badly! people’s crops are dying 

and I don’t know what they will do without any food!  And it is very very HOT so I would love some snow too! :) 

Mom, Dad you two really have your work cut out for you! All of those kids look up to you!

 They will remember what you say and what you do! :) Let them know that they are the people that 

will make their mission amazing! The Lord has called them to the place that will help them the most and 

where they can help others the most. But it is up to them as missionaries to learn how to do that. Learning 

and growing is what a mission is all about! About growing yourself and then going out and helping others grow

 and learn. Help them learn how to lean.

To answer some family questions: Ya missionaries in some places in the mission are not treated very well.

 I can tell you some stories but I think I will do that when I come home so mom doesn’t freak out. :) lol, but things 

are hard in a lot of places…  I have been lucky to have been in some good places, so people just think that we are devil worshipers, 

so mostly just name calling but sometimes it can get out of hand, but things are getting better :)

Things with my comp are getting better and I hope that they will keep going like that.

I am still learning some new games :) I want to learn more. but the game that
 we play the most is football (soccer).  I have seen some Elephants :) and zebras but I haven’t seen any giraffes yet. I have only seen the elephants because they come and eat
the corn of the people,  they come into the towns and things like that. The people here don’t like them.

Thank you so much for everything you all have done form me!!!

Love to you all!!!

Elder Hodges