Mi familia

Well everything has been very sweet here! The people are still nice and the weeks fly by! I cant believe its already been a whole transfer almost. The work is good and hard. We had a man who looked very promising not come to church and avoid us that Sunday. It was probably the saddest I've ever felt. Like my heart was weighed down. But that morning I had read about Alma and Nephi in personal study! How they went through the exact same thing and the Lord rejoiced because they were faithful and worked hard! That helped. Then we had a friend bring an old investigator to church! It was a sweet blessing!

My second Sunday here the branch had the primary program! They sang some songs very well. Like crazy well, two groups singing different parts and all that jazz. I thinks that's all they did for like 3 weeks, Practice songs haha. Then they gave the scriptures they HAD to memorize! The branch president would pick up one, out him on the pulpit, he would talk, then set him down and say bye. One kid forgot his line. And instead of getting some loving help they just made him go sit down haha.

This week we ate some good food! I helped pound some good fufu we ate with palmnt, light soup and fish and snail you suck outta the shell. We also ate Kenkey and Waakye. My companion couldn't finish it cause he has a girls stomach so I ate it. It was delish! Plus we couldn't offend the family.

Mom your oils kick butt! I got rid of heat rash, healed my sickness and all that good stuff! They seem to work better in Africa haha. I also had the craziest dejavu! As I was cooking spaghetti for lunch,( I was cause my companion sucks at cooking,) I had it! I remembered a dream I had a few times years ago about the same kitchen! I had dreamed about my mission before I came!! Pretty cool stuff.

When Jimmy was on his mission he said he saw the difference of his family lifestyle and how he was raised. I just thought his family had more fun with activities and stuff. But now I totally get it. Looking at a lot of the elders here I can see how amazing my family is. How strong we are compared to other people. We really have been doing all these great things together and become an eternal family. I love it so much. My patriarchal blessing even talked about what a great family I had and to use it when I have my own. I know really understand and see how strong ours is. I love my family so much and am grateful for them! A mission is a family affair so mine is gonna rock cause I  have such a blessed family.

Give credit to Uncle Bob! I get a dear elder letter from him every week! Its cool to get 3 letters at district meeting!

Love you all so much! Elder Hodges

Ghana

Mom and dad!

          Things just keep getting better! I forgot to tell dad this earlier but when my first plane took off I looked out the window and lo and behold I saw my family next to the Burbsanator while we took off! i laugh at that every time! 

We haven't had any bugs but now there are a couple big geckos in the house I see a lot. Then there is a very small one that lives in the kitchen window seal. Twice I have had to help him outta the sink cause its too slippery. Then he just goes and sits in the sun haha. 

My Fante is getting better. Twice last night I had to invite a woman to church who didn't speak English. it was super rough but she understood me and was patient with me! The people are super nice! Some of the teenagers are stubborn and try to act cool by being tough around you and showing off. But if I start to walk towards them threateningly they'll kinda run away. Its funny. The lil kids are the best! They are so happy to meet the white guys and are always smiling and uplifting. 

       

This week I ate banku and some kemkey. As in some vegetable or fruit you dip in the mystery stew. But the food is so good! I just don't ask what it is.

Did you get the letters I mailed yet?

Last week as we were walking away from a lesson that fell through we ran into a woman named Comfort and her baby, Peace. As we walked past her without thinking I asked her name and talked about church. Her uncle is a member and she took a lesson right then! So we skipped lunch and taught her the restoration!  During the lesson I felt she wasn't listening or interested. But I kept pushing forward and doing my best. I asked her how she felt after I described the First Vision. Outta nowhere she described she felt Jesus was there and that the message was true! That's when the spirit slapped me in the face! I now understand that we can't really see what's happening and that we need to endure to the end cause we don't know everything. I've been working on that this week.

I was homesick for a couple days. Good memories came up and I missed the happiness that was there and wanted to be in those moments and not on a mission instead. But then my trainer told me something, home will be there when I get back! Also, Pres. Thomas Monson wrote in the last General Conference, thank you for that magazine momma, that even though we are oceans apart, our hearts are one. A mission is a family affair and I have the strongest and best family ever!!!  

I love you all so much! 

Your son, Elder Hodges

Add this to the list?

Dads famous spaghetti sauce recipe. We cook it then put it in the fridge for lunch everyday.

BBQ Sauce recipe. It takes looking but we have all that stuff here dad.

The caramel recipe for monkey bread! gotta eat it every Christmas

Etesen

Etesen means How are you?

Haha mom I got your ginormous letter it was so awesome! I'm so sorry about the football game. I know its a tuff one to play and even tougher to lose. It's one of my favorite games of the season and you have to play it when the team is at their worst.  I know that it will be a lesson and if they let it, the team will only grow stronger from it. I really love that team and everyone on it.

I got your package!!! It took 3 weeks but it was awesome! You cant get Swedish fish here. I ate the sour patch kids during church cause we had lessons all through lunch in the morning and church at 2. I felt like a little kid haha. I am so glad Sister Shulz told you about the brownies! I'm gonna make some more tonight to celebrate my month mark and I found some bar b q sauce! Whoo hoo! 

My companion was sick. had a cold and almost gave it to me but the oils saved me from a week of suffering! Thank you so much!!!! So much happened this week it is a lot of fun! It's hard to get investigators to church and that is the problem we are trying to fix right now. 

 There's a magic trick Pete was talking about where you pull off your finger. Now families believe I can really pull it off. cause I got it cut off as a child and the doctors fixed it! I'm not sure how haha but they believe the white man can do stuff like that cause we are so smart. It's really funny cause the rumors are spreading around the village! haha.

This is my Missionary Experience of the Month

   One day we came to our apartment around nine. As I went into the kitchen to start dinner I noticed something crazy. The were black soldier ants crawling out of the outlet above the stove! We checked the rest of the apartment to find they were coming out 3 more in the back rooms! We looked outside and there were 8 huge lines crawling up and down the wall on the back outside of our apartment! 

I read my patriarchal blessing a couple nights ago. Just the part of my mission cause I wasn't doing so well. I was focused on eating or just getting the day done so we could go home and sleep! So I went and read that short part of my blessing. It told me to do 2 things. Be diligent and obedient! Obedience was easy for me. But that day and since I have worked on being diligent and enduring! The days have been so much better and I love it!

I love you both so very much. I miss you and pray for you everyday.

Love your son

Elder Hodges

PS I need some help. An easy cake recipe and frosting. but there is no cream cheese here. Is there casava and plantaine in america\quincy? And next time you send a package send chocolate chips. It's expensive here. Chocolate is. Don't go crazy and send me this package right away. Just next time you do cause I don't want to get spoiled.

Darren First Letters from the MTC & First Area

September 1, 2013

Check out his sweet shirt!

I met this guy walking up a hill. He didn't speak English. Just a little Fante and he let me take a picture with him!

 *Darren did NOT give him the shirt, he saw the guy wearing the shirt and asked if he could get a picture with him!!!


Mom and Papa

         Things are still great here! I saw Gary's niece play the violin a few times while she was practicing in the MTC! If I would've known the relationship I would've talked to her! but I didn't at all those two weeks. Oh well.

 

 Last night we had Fast Sunday and it was hard! We didn't eat till 8 but the sandwiches were so good! and I busted out a can of root beer. Yes. I found root beer here but its only for special occasions cause it's expensive! Then we made brownies! Sooo good!  When manna fell from heaven, Moses commanded the children of Israel to eat all of it! Haha and yes I started the Old Testament on my free time before bed last week! I'm on page 200. Be impressed. It's a hard read right now cause of all the weird sacrifice commandments.

 

Dad was right. American pineapple sucks. This white pineapple is only closely described as the fruit from the tree of life! It's soooo gooood! I love it!

 

 My first day the zone leaders put me and another MT on the wrong tro tro. We were suppose to stay in Cape Coast but ended up in Takaradi. So after 6 hours of a pointless small mini bus ride I made it to my destination! You see some weird stuff here and I write down one every day! Here's a few:  A white guy. My haircut. It's supa short. And a kid cried out of fear cause I was the first white guy she had seen. This happened twice yesterday! Other than that all I gotta say is fufu is the best thing I have ever eaten! The best. Its like a ball of dough. You cut out a piece with your finger dip it in the soup and swallow it whole! No chewing cause its dough. Casava and plantain beaten into dough. It's deeelish! Look it up!

 

Everyday I am here my respect and love for the two of you grows. I should of listened to you more and hung on every word. Dad you know exactly what I'm doing and going through. That gives me a lot of courage and strength and you were right about every tip you gave me! I love you two so much and think about how awesome you are everyday!

 

Need some help:

Recipes

Need easy cookie recipes. Oatmeal too.

That brownie recipe on the back of the cocoa powder can.

Pork chop recipe on how to cook it! Found a guy retired here from Denmark named

Tony. If  I can do it I will buy a pack of 6 pounds from him. And need a BBQ sauce recipe.

Cookie pan recipe from auntie Sandra!

Mom send that sacrament story again I lost it.

 

August 26, 2013

This is so sweet! The weather isn't agonizing but it is still super hot! The nights are only about 80 so it gets cold that I can't use my fan and I gotta pull up my sheet. There are some crazy things here but it already feels like home.

My companion is Elder Hansen. He is from Utah. It is his first training time and he is doing well!  The work is hard. We walk everywhere! but its nice and keeps me in shape. I have a letter coming about the food. Something I ate in the street was a ball float. Fried dough. I'm looking for more cause it was so good!  We are here in the Cape Coast Green Hill area. By the beach. It literally is a green hill. and I am always exhausted when I get home! But I have already witnessed blessings while I'm here. We taught a man named Charles in a wheel chair and he is on track to be baptized. But I think he is just a lil lonely and needs someone. It's hard cause he tries to teach us sometime. The miracles came when his son wanted to be taught and the spirit was strong! We teach Jim again Saturday and have already invited him to be baptized. Then we taught a woman about repentance. I bore my testimony the best I could and I almost teared up. The pic of Ghana that Misty's friend gave you... that's exactly how it is here. Pretty sweet.

Story time. This rivals dads first Sunday. I bore my testimony in sacrament, I talked slow so they understood me. But towards the end of sacrament a young man grabbed my companion and I and took us downsatairs to the entrance. A man, about a head taller than me wearing robes and a red top hat was asking for what sounded like a memo. Confused I kept asking and finally figured he wanted a Book of Mormon. He was being very rude and from the moment he made a racist comment,  I decided he couldn't stay in the Lord's house. Not saying I'm mad he was talking about me but he said that the black bretheren were lucky to have 2 white guys to lead their church. Finally to make it worse, he tried to make jokes to my companion and I dancing and talking about Michael Jackson. I had enough, just before I said something, he dropped the f bomb a half dozen times. So I stepped up and got in his face, as close as I could cause I'm short, and told him this is the Lord's house and he had to leave! So he left.
 The weirdest thing i saw this week was probably, pigs, just running around on the beach while kids were playing, and I saw 2 white people. That was really weird.

I love you both so much and thank you for letting me be here!

 Love love your son, Elder Hodges


August 17, 2013

Hey! 

   The temple was amazing! Everything was so beautiful in a way the was more naturaul and deeper. I loved it so much! My instructor just blew my mind so it was a little emotional too. But i am doing great! I can't wait to get out of the MTC Wednesday morning so I can move onto the mission and really lose myself in the work. I'm excited for the time to fly but I realize I will not want it to end when the time comes. It's better than having a slow miserable two years. So it's obvious having a great time that flies by is great cause I'll get home sooner too! It's not the best way to think but I just say its a blessing for being a good missionary.

The sick elder looked likes death the last time i saw him. But he smiled haha which helps me know hes gonna be alright. I take malaria pills everyday and they hurt your stomach every other day. And yes. everything made it through costums. Hahaha I can't wait to leave but I'm also a little anxious for the mission. or at least I was yesterday.

I cant begin to say how much I love and miss you guys. I know I'll only be gone for a short while but it still isn't easy.

 

Love you, Elder Hodges

August 13, 2013

  I love it here so much!!! My companion is Elder Irem (e-rum) from Nigeria. He left everything to come on a mission and is getting his endowments today at the Accra Ghana Temple! He is a hard worker and will be serving his mission in his own country. I can tell he misses his family but is not really homesick like all of the American elders. The are about 50 elders and 10 sisters in the MTC. One American sister and 30 African elders. the rest are American.

My last American meal was a double bacon cheeseburger I had at the new yourk airport. One of the best. Good thing cause they had some wierd Ghanain food on the plane. I still dont know what most of the food I eat here is. but mixed with my malaria pills it does not sit well in my stomach. There is always rice and fruit, usually some beans, then as always... the mystery meat of the day. It never dissapoints. But yesterday, as a true blessing from God, we had spagetti!!!!! It still wasnt exactly American but it was the first time I could actually finish my food without my stomach hurting all day!

      

It's very hot here. 80 or 90 all day and it feels like its just warmer at night. But i love it so much! One morning i found a small lizard on the wall! I was excited! But then my companion killed it the moment I showed him.

One elder some got a bunch of mosquito bites or something weird the same day he didn't take his malaria pills. We are all waiting to see if he dies. But he's been looking pretty good!  It's so crazy, the red headed girl that use to babysit me when I was young, I still remember, is in his stake and heard I was serving a mission in Ghana Cape coast with hime and told him to find me! It was pretty cool.

The work here is not to easy but it's good! It's just hard to not miss home, especially my family! But I discovered something wonderful last night as i was reading my missionary prep book! It said to live each day like its your last, and so far today has been the best ever! I feel the spirit running through me so much easier and freely.

Plus my accent is coming! its just a lil difference but it's awesome. The first day I couldn't understand my companion but honestly I said a prayer to help and the next day I could understand everyone! Except the french, but I dont care to understand that language. 

Yesterday we also got to go outside! What a monster blessing! We couldn't go for a couple days because the malaria pills had to kick in. Haha we played basketball and only one American elder is actually good! So of course, me and two other African brothas who hadnt played before dominated 3 on 3. The only problem was the bAfrican sisters. They would ride their bikes through the court while they are trying to learn how to ride! So imagine black and white guys trying to play basketball while girls wobbling on bikes go through the court. They are a good distraction.

When I was in the Minnesota airport wating for my flight to New York the terminal next to me was asking people to buy or exchange tickets cause there plane wasn't full. and yes, it was headed to Louisville Kentucky! If I was on my way home from the mission, and Janna was still on hers, then yes, I would've done that.

 

Well I love all of you and care for you very much!

Elder Hodges

August 9, 2013

I made it here to the MTC! This is so awesome! I love it! The flight from New York to Accra was long but I sat next to  a man who hadn't been home there in 17 years. He cried when we landed. The airline food was even Ghanain! Im not sure what I ate but it wasn't bad! I dont have much time to type. Just to say im here and loving it. I wish you the best.

Love Elder Hodges

PS Ghana is better than Kentucky and corn is growing on the side of the highway 13 feet tall.