Check out his sweet shirt!
*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.
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 HodgesPS Ghana is better than Kentucky and corn is growing on the side of the highway 13 feet tall.
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