missionary life in paradise!!!!!!!

March 5^th

Ok so first off I have to say that I am dead tired today so I don’t think this email is going to be that great but know that I love you very much even if the letter is small. So the reason why I am so tired is because we went to the national park. We hiked like 7 miles into the park up hill. We went into the Chyulu hills national park :) it was cool :) saw some monkeys :) that was cool but they were too far to get any photos. saw some dear like things they were cool. But the animals are amazing :) I got to see some baboons today and some monkeys :) they look kinda funny in real life!! I can I say that baboons are nothing like they make them out to be in the Lion King those things are mean!! and really loud! but oh well. But this hike just about killed me!  It was soooooooooooo HOT all of us were out of water by the time we did the 4 hour climb to get up to the top but some of us had a hard time, with it. I was sweating so bad!!!!!!! I don’t remember sweating like that for a long time. I think only foot ball and wrestling top it. But we did have some fun it will make for a good tell to people :) we walked through the BUSH of Africa!!!!!!!!!!! and when I say BUSH I mean BUSH BUSH BUSH!!!!! like grass over my head and everything that people think about when they think of the African savanna. :) it was super cool!!! but there were some bad parts like not seeing a lot of animals and not seeing Kilimanjaro and I now have a rash the size of Kenya on my leg and that hurts but it was good :)

You guys are so lucky that you get to hear from all of these GA's I am kind of bummed out because I don’t get to hear from them :) but you guys really are blessed. Next time you see Elder Holland tell him you have a son in the Kenya Nairobi Mission that would love to shake his hand and to talk with him!!!!! if that’s ok :) I would love to have the notes that you took all of them, like don’t leave out a thing!!! :) but you can just email them to me I can print them off. :) but I am looking forward to getting them. :) there are going to be some great readings :)  

I am glad that things are moving well with Aimee and Jeremy. I hope it all ends well.  I just hope that Jeremy comes back.

your questions.............. who do you think I am???????? President Monson???????????? I’m not saying that I wouldn’t like to have all of PMG and the Book of Mormon memorized that would be great, but I’m going to have to say no I don’t.        Do YOU have them memorized??? :) ha-ha I didn’t think so :) lol    now for the other questions, the studying :) I love every bit of it the scriptures are so amazing I wish that I knew how cool they were before I left but they really are amazing.  And the handbook???? that is not even a question!!! all missionaries need to read at least 3 pages a day in comp study!!!! :) then you should be all the way done with it in 6 weeks or 1 transfer. :)  I am glad that all of you are doing good and I hope that you keep doing all of that. :)  and I’m sorry I’m going to need you to tell me what an African color is?? sorry I don’t really know what you mean... I hope you learn a lot at your MTC :) Logan :) learn all you can!!!!!!! and KC that is a really really really really hard question what do I like most about missionary work? I think I would have to say I love seeing the light in people’s eyes when they learn the truth for themselves! Seeing people change their lives’ for what they know to be true. it really is a wonderful thing to be a part of.  Keep looking forward

to the Temple :) All it can do is bless you.... but you are the ones that have to walk in the doors to get the blessings :)

There are blessings all around me too :) life does not get much better than this :) this place is amazing….. these people are wonderful……. but this calling...... there is none greater!!! :)

Love,

Elder Hodges!!!!

Feb. 27th 

Ya time really goes by fast.

Sounds like you are working hard in all parts of life. :) That’s always

Good :) I look forward to seeing the new basement :) it sounds nice :)

It is cool that you saw Spencer I hope he is doing well. 

So you got to speak in Church again. :) wait in the home ward or in

the MTC? but I bet it was great in both. :) do you still talk with the

home ward. Does the bishop come to say hi to you? If not tell him that

I say he should! :)

You ask about the new branch, it is still in the very early steps but

it is coming, people are dragging their feet. We have some

things set up so that it should work out but it needs to be done the

Lords way. Just because we have people there does not mean that we get

to start a branch there are a lot more things that go into it that I

have found, but we are going there and working with them and I hope it

all works out.

You got some pics from Woolards mom? that is supper cool!!!!!!!!!

Woolard is a great missionary! and we are great friends and we will be

after mission too :) it’s kinda like me and elder Patten. :) I am

making some great friends here, and you are right it was in Mombasa.

we went there for mission tour. It was super cool and the other Elder

is Elder Hays from Oregon. He is home now but he was one of my

favorite missionaries.

Your work in the MTC sound like it is AMAZING :) I am so glad that

your there. :)

It sounds like the Elders and sisters in your district's there are

really cool. :) They can learn a lot from you :) I know that I learned

a lot! And that I will still learn much much more. :) And the PMG is amazing too!!!

 I know you have come to know that. :) It really really helps :) I treat it almost like another 

set of the stranded works.

So Jordan sent in his papers?!!!?!!?!! :) :) :) that’s great!!!!!! you

should get him to email where he is going to me! I can’t wait to here

where he is going!!! I bet he is going crazy right now :)!!!!!!!!!!!

keep me posted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

The work is going well. The work is kinda different here in

Chyulu, we are working more with members to help them become real

saints so that we have good branches to take investigators to, so we

are trying to do that and it is going forth. :)

I have had one Zone conference :) and one mission tour when Elder Cook

came and they were AMAZING!!!!!!! you walk out feeling like you’re a new person,

 your renewed with a new Zeal to send the truth to all the world! it really is AMAZING!!!!

 do you do Zone conferences in the MTC??? do you even have Zones?? and do you have AP's?? 

 how does the MTC work with that many missionaries? I think it would just be crazy. but I

 bet it works out well.

Love You ALL

Elder Hodges