Stories from Mombasa

Dec 17^th

So happy to hear from you. :) I just looked at the scripture you told me and it think it is a great one!!!! :) Thank you for sharing it with me. :) It made me feel really good. :) 

Sounds like your week has been amazing!!! :) I am glad for that. :) With everything going on it feels like you had a sweet heart healing week. :) I hope that there are to be more weeks like that to come and I am sure they will come. :) 

Also the house is sold????? Wow I can’t lie I totally forgot about that house. But that is great news I hope that it goes well and that the new people really like it. :) 

I am also super happy that Eva is cared for. I knew she went to the hospital but I didn’t know it was going to be that bad. But I am glad that it all works out well for the family.  

This year has gone by so fast!!!! It feels like yesterday was January! But I think that time on mission is just plain crazy!!! :)  Christmas is here. :) I am excited too. :) Mostly to talk to you. :) It’s no secret Christmas on mission can never be the same as home let alone in Kenya. :) But I am really looking forward to talking with you and the family. :)

So I did get your package!! :) And thank you so much!!! :) I love it so much and don’t worry we are saving the wrapped things for Christmas. :) But I can’t lie. I did open one of the deodorants because I really wanted to use it. :) Also we put up the Christmas lights. :) I thought that was a great touch. :) So thank you so much for that. :) It really made it feel like Christmas time. :) Also those sauces and the candy and the drink powder are very nice. :) We are loving them! :)

I am glad to hear that Spencer did a great Job! :) That is crazy that he is home!!!! I know he did a great job with his talk!! :) The next one to come home is Mitch. :) I hope that Spencer Emails me. :)

Also about the mission. Yes it has been approved to have 150 missionaries. When right now we only have 106. So it’s a big jump. There are going to be a lot of new areas opened. We are expecting the new guys to start coming in February.

So now from my part. :) The stories. :) 
Violet is going great!!! :) It is super cool she is so strong in the gospel!!! She has a powerful testimony already. They even had her teach relief society last week, and it was such a good lesson that they are having her do it again next week. :) She is a great lady!!!

Also another thing happened. But this one is kind of sad but inspirational.
We have another great investigator. Named Simon. He is a young man my age. Only a few months older then me. He was living with is brother and his brothers family. Here in Mombasa. We met him at a member’s house that he likes to hang out at a lot. That is where we meet him all the time. But on Thursday we found out that he had been living with this member family (the Amisi family) for the passed 3 weeks. We didn’t know what was going on. But then we got it out of him. His brother didn’t like that he was going to this church calling him a devil worshiper and all that, and Simon said that he would always go there because of how he feels when he goes there and that he knew that the truth of God was there. He told us all of this but he said that he didn’t care what they thought of him. Because he said that God has told him the truth about the Book of Mormon and the Church. He said no matter what he will always be in the Church. So now he is living with a member family. It was really nice of them to take him in. I hope it will all work out well for him and I know it will.

That is the story. He is a powerful guy and one of my heroes!

SLY

Elder Hodges

Dec 10

So for me this week has been a good one. I got my new comp on Tuesday His name is Elder Chimbetete. He is from Zimbabwe He was in my MTC group too. :) We are really working well together. :) We had some hard spots but now that we talked it over it is going super!!!!! :) 

The big highlight for us this week is that we got some Church Headquarter referrals. People that went online to find the church . :) So we went to go see them. Ones name is John and the other is Will. They are great people who really are looking for the truth. :) We are getting blessings here too. :) Great people to teach. :) The work is really going well here in Mombasa. 

So about calling home. :) I am thinking that I will call on your Christmas evening, my day after Christmas -  morning. Does that sound good to you guys??? 

Along with that, who all is going to be at the house for Christmas???? What are your plans?? I have a count down started. :) 

Ya I bet the computer time in the house IS HUGE. :) Has the electricity bill gone up at all?? :) 

Tell the boys from me that they need to be doing other things. We are going to have to go on some camp outs and stuff when I get home. Are you still willing to do some camping or has the cabin made you soft? :) 

I am glad that BYU is doing well. :) I hope they keep up the good work. :) How do they compare to the old team with Jimmer? Do you think that the team this year can go anywhere? What about Brandon? How is he doing?

The house is sold???? WOW!!!! I even forgot that the house was there. :) But I bet that takes a load off you and Hal. :) I have never thought of putting a house on the prayer roll. But it’s a great thought. :) And hey it helped. :) 

The MTC. :) You really have a blessing there. :) 

You get to hear from a member of the 12 so much it is crazy!!!! Tell one of them that they need to come to the KNM!!!!! Please. :) 

That is super cool that you are going to the Christmas Concert :) That is going to be great!!!! :) Do you have good seats?

Yes I am healthy :) In fact I am think I am still losing some pounds. :) I had to punch another hole in my belt. That makes 5 new holes that I have had to punch on mission. :) 

Also some news about the transfer too. They are setting me free. :) I am not a Zone Leader anymore. :) I have served my time in leadership and now back to being a full soldier..:) I just hope people think that I did a good job.

I like not having to worry about the other missionaries as much. It just leaves my mind open for more study and things like that. I don’t have to worry about paying for flats and water bills and no more taking time away from investigators for flat inspections, food storage, and a whole bunch of other stuff. But don’t get me wrong I really liked being a leader and I would still like to do it. But I understand that it’s another person’s time. :) 

Yes the Church is still true!!!! No questions asked!!!! :) 

And that is me this week :)

I love you!!!! :) 

SLY

Your son

Elder Hodges :) 

Dec.3

I can’t help but laugh a little bit when you say that you are living in chaos. :) Good luck with that. :)

Ya it keeps getting hotter and hotter over here!!!!! I was looking at my belt yesterday. And I have had to make 5 new holes it in. :) Not all of that in Mombasa. But over time. :) I still think it’s cool :) you can tell the boys that I am telling them to do the chores too. :) If that helps in anyway. :) Don’t think it will but oh well.

I have not heard about the package. So sorry but I am sure it will get here some time. :) I’m looking forward to it.

So we got transfer news. And the news is that my comp Elder Madise is leaving to go to Kisumu. And I am getting another one from my MTC group. :) His name is Elder Chimpatete. :) Also I don’t have to be the Zone Leader anymore. :) I am back to putting all the time possible into my area and my investigators. :) So that is the big news from this side. :)
So cool story today. :) It once again has to do with the star investigator here Violet. :)
So we got a call early this morning from sis Violet. She had a great question. :) "I want to share the Book of Mormon with someone. How do I do that?" This woman is not yet baptized and we don’t even know when she can be. But she really wants people to know that the gospel is once again on the earth. She loves to say "Everyone needs to know this." She is just wonderful!! :)
(I know is super short but it’s a good story and it made me super happy.)

Mom could you do something for me? Would you put sister Violets name on the prayer role in the temple? See we have a problem. She knows the Church is true and she is even stronger then most members I know. But see. She is the sister to member who passed away a few months ago. And she came here to help take care of her kids. So she is living in the same house as her Brother in Law. And we can not baptize her when they are living together without being married. Now in the traditions here it is ok for a sister in law to come and take the place of her dead sister and become the wife to the man. But she does not know if that is what she wants to do. Then we tell her she needs to be married or move out of the house to be baptized. They are not doing anything wrong. It’s just that we can’t baptize her. So she just needs to find out what she wants to do so it would be great if you could put her name in the temple. I know that will help her. :) Thank you mom!! :) You’re the best. :)

Well your right December is here!!!! How crazy is that!!!! It is hard to understand for me. It feels like Christmas just happened a few weeks ago. But time on mission is all messed up. You have days that feel like weeks and you have months that feel like days. But it is all worth it.
I am really looking forward to calling you guys. :) This one is going to be number 3 how crazy is that!!! I will be looking forward to your questions. :) I will do my best to answer all of them. :)
Another year? Wow. I can’t lie. That would be hard. But at the same time. If they asked me to I would do it in a heart beat. :) I have thought about asking the president to extend my mission. But I came to the conclusion that I won’t ask to extend but if for any reason at all he brings up the idea I would do it. :)

Well sounds like things are going really really well at home. :) Glad to hear it. :) Hope they stay that way. :)

So got some news. :) My comp is getting transferred. He is leaving. And I am getting another guy from my MTC group. :) That’s going to be cool :) His name is Chimpatete. :) Good luck saying that. :) He is a good guy. From Zimbabwe. :) He is kinda crazy and I hope that I am not going to be dragging a brick. If you know what I mean.

SLY

Your favorite missionary

Elder Hodges :)