Merry Christmas! Somehow.

I guess I'll start out with some spiritual goodness since it is Christmas time. My companion’s mom sent us a two books, and everyday we read one story from it during companion study to invite and learn some more good stuff about the Christmas spirit. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday because theres snow, it's cold, the presents are always a plus and I get to spend one big happy week with all of my family, then go over to grannies some years and have a big paper ball fight after presents. But as we read these stories, and after I realized I wouldn’t have any of that this year I saw that just because I'm in Africa where it's super hot, doesn’t mean that the Christmas spirit cant still be here. So this week my companion and I looked at the things that we could give and to help people with. There is an old crippled  member who has trouble walking. So for Christmas we fixed his wheelchair!!! He used it to come to church this week and he was super happy! We’ve also been visiting him every day this week to keep him company. (The wheelchair broke… we’ll fix it again.)

While on splits last week it rained and my companion was at an investigators home, when the rain came, they had to put buckets EVERYWHERE to catch the rain because of the leaks! (They live in a little 10x10 house). So we payed a carpenter to fix the roof and he did a great job. It even rained again and there was no leak!

Christmas is really all about giving. Ways we can invite the Christmas spirit is by giving things to other people, like dropping something at the porch and running away!!! And singing.. But I'm not a good singer. I love all of you so very much and wanna wish you a merry Christmas!!

We had splits last week which were super fun! We were in a threesome for a night and half a day. We had scones about the size of my head.. whoops. That same night after splits we got hungry. In our attempt to get a snack we got frustrated with all the ice in the freezer! So we cleaned it out, had some frost stuff and built a snowman about a foot tall! Whoo! We took a picture with it next to  our 4 dolar Christmas tree that we bought! Frosty melted in about 3 minutes… Ya, it's hot here.

We had a baptism this Sunday for Rose and her daughter Sarah! It was so wonderful! The font water… lets just say I couldn’t see my feet. But the spirit was strong and I was super pumped afterwards!

The Christmas devoitional was sweet! My zone rocked the talent show! That’s whats up.

I love you all tons!

Sending you some Christmas love all the way from Africa!

Love Elder Darren Hodges

Here is Darren and Elder Larsen's Thanksgiving chicken masterpiece.

Pictures! December 2 & 9

We were thrilled to receive some pictures from Sister Shulz at Thanksgiving time.  Up to this time we had only received one picture from Darren since he arrived in Africa.  (His camera was stollen and he is still waiting for the replacement.) So to date, we have received 6 pictures from Sister Shulz and 1 from Darren.  Lol.

Elder Hodges showing President Shulz his oven. 

Eating ice cream right out of the container.

The Thanksgiving Feast that the Elders prepared in the Nkafoa District. Their guests included President and Sister Shulz.

This is Elder Hodges and he is showing his AWESOME oven.  The missionaries don’t have ovens so his very smart father had him bring this oven along when he came.  I think all missionaries are envious of him! (The caption for this picture was taken from Sister Shulz blog.)

El Pollo de Loco

December 2, 2013

On a spiritual note, Pres. Shulz reminded me to share spiritual experiences and all that garbage when I write home. Well, this week I actually have a lot of spiritual and uplifting stuff that happened. It's not garbage. At District meeting, our new district leader Elder Caveness gave an amazing instruction on charity. Ya it's the pure love of Christ and all, but it was so much deeper. He truly loves these people here in Ghana more than I can imagine, the love he has is even contagious and makes me want to love the people even more. I could definitely tell as I went around this week, I loved the people so much more and it makes the work so much sweeter! I love the people so much! All you have to do is talk to them, way better than the people in America. Everyone is so loving!! 

We carried up buckets of water up a hill for an investigator family and it was a workout! Holy cow I was tired, my shoulders were sore and I spilled a 'lil cause i was carrying it on my head. But I enjoyed it! i Also got pretty sick on the day before Thanksgiving and had to ask for a blessing from my companion. I really do love that guy and all the fun that we are having. Don't worry, we are getting our work done as well but I just enjoy it so much more! And yes the blessing helped a lot, we were able to get a full day of proselyting done easily, after butchering our Thanksgiving chicken. But thats for later.

His super sweet mother also sent us a 25 days of Christmas book, and we read one story everyday in December up until Christmas! I love it! It's getting that sweet Christmas spirit going strong!! I need an idea for a present for my companion. Any ideas?

On a less spiritual note....

We went to the market on Tuesday and bought a live chicken we named Lokko. El pollo de Locco!!!!! 

The guy just tied him up, threw him in a bag, and we carried him home and in a taxi. Pretty sweet. It was all good till we took some pics and he pooped on my shoe.. Dumb chicken. We kept him in a laundry basket with a bucket over the top in a room in our apartment over night. He didnt make any noise, so that was nice. We tied him up and butchered and cleaned him the next morning. That was an adventure. My companion (still thinking the chicken was tied up) threw him outta the basket thinking he would just plop there, and Lokko took off into the bush! In our attempt to help him a random Ghanain guy helped us catch him and plucked off a feather. When i asked what for, he simply said to clean out his ears, with the feather he plucked out. So then we got him ready and had him marinate in Coca Cola All night. The next morning for Thanksgiving we baked him in the oven! It was so good!

I also found some pepsi while i was on splits in Nkanfoa, that was a delicious drink! 

We made some cookies today, oatmeal. They were great! The bottoms kept burning cause the pan would get too hot, so I just flipped the cookies halfway through and it worked! With some coconut milk it was great! 

I got my birthday package! The car was sweet! And I hung up the banner this morning!!

Oh ya, we also had a baptism yesterday! That was pretty sweet! The water was dirty and the baptisimal clothes our investigators had to use were ancient and one size fits all, it was still a sweet bapstism!

The family we carried water for even came to church last Sunday and we are preparing another part member, less active family for December!

Love your son

Elder Darren Hodges

Drumroll please------- we FINALLY GOT SOME PICTURES FROM DARREN!!

This is the chicken we ate for Thanksgiving.

Serious Elders at the beach.

Cape Coast Ghana

December 9, 2013

Well the birthday was great! We made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and pizza for lunch ! Wow, it was crazy delicious!! This week was a lot of fun, super hard cause I was really tired, but I endured. I got to see Maame __________ when I went on splits with the zone leaders this past week. In my first month on mission I went on splits with Elder Brown there and taught this woman the first lesson about the restoration. It was powerful and she started to cry as she felt the spirit. 3 months later, and through that time ; she has dodged the missionaries, lost her husband, taken the lessons and been baptized. WhenI saw her she looked completely different. Her entire countenance had changed and she was glowing. I'm so happy for her and the amazing change that this gospel brings into peoples lives.

 I'm sorry it's so cold in Washington. Its hot here, thats all I'll say about that haha.

Today we went over to the Nkonfoa apartment and made some cookies, then over to the mission home to get haircuts from a senior couple serving in the mission. What a tender mercy! While we were getting haircuts we played futball and football in the yard of the mission home barefooted! It was crabgrass or something, but better than dirt. Sister Shulz took some pics and we went inside to hang out with her and watch a couple videos she took of a river? Check the blog for some pics.

I enjoyed this week a lot. Im loving my companion and all the fun we are having. 

I hope all of you are doing well at home.

Elder Darren Hodges