Mission Zone

Mission Zone

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Week 83

Im a lone wolf.  Live alone, die alone.

Dearest Family and Friends,

We had a great week this week! we stepped it up for Guzmans last week and things went great! I wanna give you a short update on the awesome investigators we have. 

Martha Escalera. Ive been working with her and her husband since Ive been here. Shes AWESOME. Golden reference. Her whole family is member in another city and shes been wanting to get baptized with her husband (yes theyre legally married) but hes been taking his sweet time. Cesar is an awesome guy, but hes not ready yet. So Martha told us the other day that shes tired of waiting! Thats shes gonna get baptized on the 10th or the 17th.

Kelly. Shes my neighbor, Shes so cool. Single mom with a little 7 month old baby. But shes SO DANG SMART. We taught her the plan of salvation and Ive never received so many awesome questions. Shes gonna be a great convert, its just gonna cost a little because all of her support group, family and friends, are catholic. But we'll see how it goes.

Sergio. Hes a boss! Hes a members boyfriend that we've been working with and he was gonna get baptized on saturday, but he was honest with us and told us that they havent been able to keep the law of chastity and so they want to get married! So were starting that now with them! Theyre so dang cute. And sergio is awesome. Hes never missed a sunday for 8 sundays. 

Fredy. Hes new. Hes drunk. But he is so awesome. He contacted us a few days ago and we went to go visit him. Hes addicted to alchohol but wants to quit more than anything. And ive never seen someone so in love with the idea of the restoration of the gospel! We gave him the restoration pamphlet, he studied the crap out of it, and then taught us everything it said! We didnt even teach in that lesson! hes so awesome.

So theres an update on my best investigators. We have like 10 progressing but those aremy all stars right now. We had our multizone conference this week and I learned something awesome That Jefrey R Holland taught. I wanna share it.

I learned that Christ was abandoned by his father on the cross, not just so he knew what it was like to be abandoned, but so that he could know what its like to actually suffer the spiritual death that we suffer! Because he always had the companionship of his father, he never suffered that spiritual death that we have. He wouldnt have been able to help us continue on in this life with all of our sins, if he hadnt suffered that spiritual death. Regardless of that spiritual death, with all the knowledge and understanding he had, he carried on and finished the atonement. So now, even when we sin in big ways and have to endure and repent without the help of the spirit, Christ can actually help us. And I love that knowledge.

Well heres my biggest news this week. Guzman is leaving on wednesday and..... President has no replacement for him. I have no companion as of wednesday. Im gonna sleep with the elders from the other branch, but work everyday in my area with members! Im a lone wolf! And Im the only lone ZL in the mission! IM A MYTHICAL CREATURE! This has never happened! hahaha So yeah. these two weeks will be interesting. 

Always,
Elder Hodson
 
pics. zona olanchito! 
Elder Paul, a new elder from Las Vegas! Hes so dope! and he knows Hunter from the CHT! 
 


 
 

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Week 82

A slap in the face week

Dearest Family and Friends,

This week was crap!!!!!! I got sick on monday, almost crapped my pants in the street. hahaha so that was fun. And the rest of the week was just a bunch of lessons fallen through because of the festivities! But the whole week was leading up to saturday, when we were gonna have our half pday with president klein!

And of course I got sick again. A dramatic change in the weather threw me for a huge allergy attack. so I couldnt even enjoy the day playing with the other missionaries! So that was super lame. But the bright side is that the zone enjoyed their day and they all seem excited to work harder with a visit from president! So Im happy that they got to enjoy their day. 

But not all was lost! Sunday was a good day! We had our branch conference! It was really good and the coolest part was that an excommunicated member, charlie, got rebaptized on sunday! So that was awesome to see someone who has worked so hard for 5 years to make it back! He has a real testimony. And he was called as a teacher for gospel principles so its pretty awesome. At church we talked about obedience in one class and pride in the other and the lessons were super spiritual.

All the time I spent sick and all the lessons fallen through had really got me down in the dumps, but at church I realized that I need to change some things and that Ill be able to pull myself out of this slump! I need to be more humble! I need to lose my pride and be more loving, of everyone! And I need to step up my obedience and my level of work. Ive taken a step back as a missionary and I havent been working as hard as I should be these last 2 weeks and havent been studying much, but Im ready to cut the crap and get my butt into gear and kill myself these next 5 months. 

But this has been a priceless lesson ive learned. We CANNOT go backwards in this life! There are times where were not working as good as others because we havent progressed there yet, but we feel great as we are progressing, but theres absolutely nothing worse than going backwards! Its a terrible feeling to go backwards, and its something I never again want in my mission. I refuse to go backwards!
Well, I love you all! Keep progressing in your lives!

always,
Elder Hodson 1

pics: My 3 kids in my zone! 
        Me my comp and mission president with all of our priesthood leaders. I admire these men! Theyre so awesome! And all their suits were provided by donations from my dad!!! He sent me 9 suits to give away to all my priesthood leaders. Isnt he awesome?
 

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Week 81

I hate holidays in Honduras!
 
Querido familia y amigos,

How is everyone doing today? Im doing great! Loving life as always, but this week was so terrible!!! hahaha This has been the week of all the county fairs and parties and parades, so NO ONE is in their houses. And because Olanchito is the Texas of Honduras, everyone was showing off their prize winning cows and horses all week. It was pretty funny. I think the worst part of all is the music. Latin country, latin rap, and a music called Bachata all week long, but the same 20 songs. I hate the music here. haha

But in spite of all the crap this week we still had success. We put down two more baptismal dates for october. One with our neighbor Kelly, shes awesome and fully prepared to receive the gospel. And the other with a kid named Harry whos come to church like 4 times in a row. Theyre both awesome and I really do believe theyll be baptized. Harry is such a funny 16 year old. His eyes light up so bright when he sees us and when we talk about him being able to be a missionary. He cracks me up.

We got to see elder Soto this week! We had a meeting in la paz and afterward president klein took Guzman and I to go see him in san pedro. Hes doing great! He should be back on his mission in 6 to 7 months. He was a little drugged up because we saw him a day after his surgery, so he was cracking us up. To show us his scars they were gonna have to show us his behind and he says "No way! I love you guys but I dont wanna be THAT close of friends! Hes hilarious. 

BIG NEWS!!!! Elder Ruelas, my son, is now in my district! IM SO EXCITED! I get to go on divisiones with my chubby little son! Im super pumped. 

Well, I love you all, Im loving the mission, and I cant wait for everydays adventures.

Always,

Elder Hodson

Pics,
Me and the other Riley, Elder Nichols
The president of honduras landed his helicopter outside my house haha
Our pet lizard
I love selfies
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Week 80

18 months

Dearest Family and Friends,

Well, this week was nuts, with Sotos fall and my comp going to san pedro and having to receive new missionaries there wasnt time for much this week. But, with the last 3 days we had, we were able to accomplish much! 

Lately, Ive been able to see how important a good first lesson is. To be able to walk in and immediately explain to them WHY youre there and the blessings they will receive has a lot of power. A lot of missionaries just go in and get to know them and dont teach anything in the first lesson and thats why their investigators dont progress. Ive found so much power in telling people that we are there to help them repent be baptised and endure to the end! In this way, theres no confusion later on when we talk about baptism, and its not a shock to them when we bring it up. Also, it weeds out the junk of people who just wanna be our friends and learn english haha so thats what ive learned this week.

Sergio, our best investigator, is progressing wonderfully. He doesnt live with his member girlfriend, but theyre not esxactly obeying the law of chastity if you catch my drift. We taught them the importance the other day, and it was really hard for him! Were gonna keep pushing with them, but were not gonna do anything stupid and baptise him before he lives the commandment, and were not gonna go marry them either. We're gonna have patience with them and see how this one goes.

We found a solid 3 families this week who are really interested in the gospel message. Very quickly we should be able to get up to 20 progressing. Were half way there now. 

So an update on elder Soto. He is in surgery today. Hes doing great and will be here in Rehab for another 2 weeks then he'll go back to El Salvador until hes good and healed then he'll come back! Sotos fall is the biggest news this towns ever seen, so everywhere we go the people are talking about it. Its a little ridiculous really haha

Well. I have 18 months! thats mind blowing! Time flies. I love you all!

And a quick shout out to my awesome little brother Elder Hodson 2 for entering the MTC this last week! Hes gonna do great! Keep him in your prayers!

Elder Hodson 1

Foto: this is a very pretty picture of olanchito
 
 

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Week 79

The Most Memorable Day of my life

Dearest Family and Friends,

Well we had an awesome week and I could tell you all about the new awesome investigators and ton of success were having but I have something better to tell you.

Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. And the most memorable. And one of the days I learned most about our Heavenly Father. 

Yesterday we decided to climb mount pacura, the highest mountain in olanchito. All went well as we went up, having a great time enjoying the scenery and taking pictures. We got to the top quickly and without any problems and after the pics we started to descend down the steeper and more dangerous crest of the mountain. 

Like all young idiots, we were going too fast and Elder Soto, and 18 year old new missionary with only a month in the missionary, was following behind my idiot companion who sometimes doesnt think things through, like most latinos. Elder Soto lost his footing and tried to grab a small tree, only to pull it out by its roots. He started to slip and slide towards the edge of a cliff. I was right behind him and watched in terror while i couldnt do anything and watched him disappear off the edge.

"1... 2.... 3.THUMP" we heard and all three immediately broke out in prayer begging heavenly father that he would be alive. We all three headed down the incredibly steep hill where he had landed. So steep that the only way to make it down was sliding, but sliding so fast that only on coming tree were our brakes. So fast I came down that where I once had a few warts, theyre no longer there! Saved me a nice medical bill ;) hahaha 

Guzman made it to soto first and we found him conscious but screaming in pain. By Gods merciful hand he didnt die from the 60+ drop. And Im under exagerating. If you were to see the cliff youd be amazed that he survived the fall. He got stuck in some bushed half way down the hill. He was in terrible condition. A hug black eye, foreheard split open to the skull, and worst of all, a broke back, but it hadnt severed his spinal column because he could still move his feet. So we immediately gave him a blessing and started the calls and made him a makeshift bed out of grass so he could lie down flat. We prayed for a miraculous helicopter and soon heard on, but it was just a hope, because Honduras has no helicopter rescue team. haha. So with the 3 liters of water we had, we gave it all to him. This is 930 am. Soto soon entered into hysterics, constantly trying to sit up and change position, asking all sorts of hilarious questions. There we waited, praying for a miracle. I learned yesterday that at times, God wants to try us, to show us what were possible of, to show us that we can do all things, because were his offspring, and He can do all things. We prayed for cloud cover, but we received the opposite as we were beaten by the honduran sun at mid day. 

There we waited until about 1 pm when two honduran firefighters showed up, with only 1 liter of water, and an emergency cot. Not a nice back suspension board, a metal and cloth cot with two straps to hold Soto in. There I didnt drink water either. We then started the LONG descent down pacura, but we were on the rough steep side still. Carrying a person down the steep trailess side of a mountain is the hardest thing ive ever done. After an hour of fighting, we made it back to the mountain crest, and God threw us another trial. Rain and Wind. Wind stronger than Ive ever felt in my life. But we kept on pushing. By this time the stake president and one of his counselours had found us, so now we were 3 elders, 1 young adult from the ward, 2 firefighters, and 2 middle aged men haha

I also learned yesterday that God really does send angels, maybe not with wings, but sometimes in the form of humans. I also learned that he doesnt send them until the moment we cant carry on. 

It was 3 or 4 in the afternoon. I hadnt drinken water in 5 or 6 hours and had exhorted all the force I had in my body. All this time fighting with the elements and with a hysterical young man who wouldnt sit still in his cot. I was burnt. My body was expent. I literally couldnt carry on. I would carry one 4th of the cot for 20 steps and have to step down again. Thats when God sent angels. One of them is named Ruben. Ruben is an investigator we taught one time. While all the other members who went on the trek with us went home and didnt return to help, Ruben came back up the steep side of the mountain with 6 liters of water and food. Along with Ruben came 4 soldiers and another fireman, along with a local mountain man. They came to our rescue. Those men were incredible. They grabbed that cot and ran with it, making easy work of that mountain. They couldnt have come at a better time. If they hadnt have come, Soto would be dead. And I along with him! I was so dehydrated that I couldnt even close my mouth. We quickly made it down to trail and to town and got Soto to the hospital. We got off the mountain at 6 that night. Soto, miraculously, has only suffered a broken spine, but his nerves all remained in contact. He was transferred to San Pedro this morning.

Yesterday was the hardest day of my life. I thought I saw a friend die before my eyes. But yesterday I learned many things. I learned that God was never gonna let Soto die. If God wanted him to die, he wouldve died on impact, like 99.99% of people will die falling from that height. I also learned that God at times will try us, and its not to anger us, but to show us what we're capable of. As offspring of a God, we can do all things with faith. Did my faith waver at times? yes. I wont lie. But there were others there to lift me up and keep me going as well. I know that God wasnt going to push us more than what we were capable of. And I learned that when we reach our limits, is when God says, Thats enough, and He sends angels. Those firefighters and soldiers that rescued us have my total respect and admiration. 

I know our Father is there, and hes always watching over us. He loves us, and wants us to grow. I know His Son suffered things far worse than we did yesterday. Miracles exist. 

Always,
Elder Hodson

Fun before the fall:







 
The aftermath:

 



My Birthday dinner: