It's truly a small world!

Chelsea received this picture from her ward's Relief Society President!  She was in Honduras on a humanitarian trip & ran into the elders at a restaurant called  Power Chicken (which Riley LOVES - they have the best coconut bread!)  After seeing that his last name was Hodson, she made the connection, snapped a picture & forwarded it to Chels!!  LOVE getting random photos of my boy!!

Week 87

I believe in Miracles

Dearest Family and Friends,

TIME GOES BY SO FAST IN THE OFFICE!!! 

Its scary actually. the weeks are so fast because were always so busy!!!! but Its awesome to always be with president helping him make decisions. 

This week we had a meeting with the missionaries that only have 8 weeks in the mission. It was fun to be with them. its funny how they look at older missionaries as if they were general authorities hahaha but those newbies are solid. Probably the most solid group of gringos ive ever seen. So the mission will always be in good hands.

Me and my comp get along so welll. Just thought id let you know. I freaking love this kid. Favorite comp hands down haha 

After, we went to Olanchito to do divisions! It was good to be back in that area. I always feel like I couldve done more for that ward. But with Guzman being baggy and then not having a comp for 2 weeks, the last change was a little bit of a waste of time. But it was good to walk the new elders around more and show them a bunch of investigators that they can teach. It was great to see that people who had stopped progressing, like leo and rosibel, are now progressing again and have accepted baptismal dates again! I love it. I feel much better now about Olanchito and my work there. Im just a little worried about the elders there.... My replacecment is also from las vegas and hes really weird. He takes pictures of every class of fruit before he eats it and he knows all the names.... but yeah. to each his own haha

We saw a huge miracle this week! !Elder reese, the old AP told me before he left that if I do a ton of divisions and help the mission, the baptisms will come. boom. said and done. Theres a 17 year old named axel whos been going to church for a year and his mom never wanted to give him permission. I told him to tell his mom that its not like shes giving him permission to sell drugs, but to do something good in his life! And thats exactly what he told her, and boom! Signature. So one day this week, all our lessons had fallen through, so we just started walking, and there we saw axel and he called us over and said " IVE GOT PERMISSION!!!" and told us he wanted to be baptized this saturday, or today in other words! So yeah, today we have a baptism at 1!! Thats why im writing home now. Afterwards, im gonna drive out to santa rita to see the silva family's baptism as well. itll be a good day!

I love you all!

Elder Hodson

Week 86

Finally seeing the fruits of my labor...

Dearest family and friends,

This has been a great week! Elder De Leon and I have work to do. The mission is a little crapped out. This month will be the lowest baptizing month weve ever had.... so we have plans. Were gonna do our best to be in the zone meetings and teach there. We want to be seen by the missionaries. Were not police! and we dont want the missionaries to fear us. We want them to be happy when they see us! so we want to be in as many district and zone meetings as we can. and we want to spend time with them in their areas in divisons. Once we have their trust, were gonna put down pressure. Not injust pressure when were just monsters, but they need a push. theyre not putting in their parts. So thats what we did this week.

So this week we went to The Progeso Sur Zone. And I went with the ZLs to my old area in Santa Rita! The ZLs are Elder Smart and Elder Coj, Coj has been one of my best friends since the beginning of the mission. we go home togther. We had a great day, and we went and visited old investigators that I had found! At the end of the night we went and visited the Silva family. The only family in Santa Rita that was actually close to baptism when I was there. It was awesome to be with them. We shared cake and laughs and soda haha. The Mom, Elsa, is going to be baptized next saturday, but her oldest daughter Joselyn, was still unsure. So I had her close her eyes, imagine the baptismal scene with her mother and the elders dressed in white and asked her what color clothes she was in in that picture and she responded, WHITE! But then she asked if I could baptize her, since I was the Elder that had found them 4 months ago. So I feel good, because I didnt have any baptisms in santa rita, but at least I get to see the fruits this time. I feel great about it and Im pumped. 

Well. Im pumped to see if we can get the mission alive and running again. I love divisons. theyre a blast. If anyone has any tips on what else we can do, let me know! I need all the help I can get! Love you all!

Elder Hodson

Week 85

Once again in my home, La Lima

Dearest Family and Friends,

Sorry I didnt write on Monday, but I didnt have much to say and I knew I was gonna write again on saturday so I figured I would wait. But yeah, my pdays are saturdays now.

So last week was hectic without a companion, but it was good. Its really hard not having a companion. Its just impossible to progress in the mission without a companion. too much time wasted waiting on members. And you cant take members door to door contacting, thats just cruel! So my last week in Olanchito was a little slow for progression, but it was still great.

Well. I had changes! Im back here in La Lima! I love this little city. I just feel at home here. I know where everything is, all the restaraunts and everything. And I love the people here. theyre so friendly. And because I was in The La Paz Ward for so long I know a ton of members here already. Like last night a member of La Paz invited us to dinner.

So my comp, Elder De Leon, is the best. He was my ZL when I was here in La Paz, so weve both been here before and we know the whole town. I feel like I should just buy a house here already! haha But were the best of friends and get along great. Always laughing our butts off. And so Im finally happy with a companion who can push me!! Ive been waiting my whole mission for a comp like this!

My house here IS SO DOPE!!!!! Its a 2 story mansion with air conditioning and hot water and a bunch of rooms and a swimming pool and a maid! its so cool hahaha so today for pday, we got in the swimming pool! But dont jump to conclusions, we didnt go swimming! The pool is empty, besides a little bit of nasty green rain water. Because of that water, we have a bunch of frogs in the pool hahah so today we caught frogs and threw them high in the air into the water and made them belly flop and do back flips. SO funny. hahahaha

So this week was super hectic. Wednesday was changes so we had to make sure everyone got to their area on time. So that was hectic. But wednesday night was fun because we got to hang out at president kleins house with the missionaries who were going home and have the goodbye dinner. The next day we took them to the airport, and that was super baggy ahahahah but I got to say goodbye to Elder Measles. Hes a great kid. Love him to death.

So next week I should have some great uplifting spiritual stories! Love you all!

Always,

Elder Hodson

dont worry. we also have a plasma screen tv that we do have cables to so we never watch it haha but its just there for decoration haha

AND I LOVE DRIVING okay thats all k bye

Week 84

CONFERENCE!!!

Dearest Family and Friends,

This was a VERY uneventful week! But conference was awesome. I think one of my favorite things that was said was when president Uchtdorf said "Being a skeptic is easy" Because its totally the truth! Being a non believer is the easiest thing in the world! Saying that God doesnt exist is SO easy! Not going to church is SO easy! Having faith is hard!!! Enduring to the end is much more honorable! So that was one of the coolest things I heard.

But I got a lot of insight in this conference. I also loved that President Monson would not end his talk early NO MATTER how tired he was! Clinging on to the pulpit nearly passed out, but death bent on testifying of Jesus Christ. WHAT AN EXAMPLE!!! If we try and say we are tired and cant go on, WE HAVE NO EXCUSE! He is such an example. I loved it.

I also love that EVERY conference I receive answers to my questions! I had the question about why is it that sometimes my investigators arent getting answers sometimes?! And Its been frustrating me, so I was thinking about it and BOOM! The very next talk was 100% about that. QUESTION ANSWERED.

So this next week will be very eventful as a lone wolf. I have to go san pedro alone. And other divisions with the APs here and divisions in sonaguera with one of my DLs.

Well, I love you all! I miss you a ton! I cant believe this was my last conference. Being home is getting so real.

Always,
Elder Hodson