March 31 and April 7

April 7 It's Been Hot!

We just went and toured the Elmina Castle here in Cape Coast! It's huge! We posed on the cannons and got a tour of all the dungeons and learned about the slave trade here in Ghana. its pretty crazy the stuff that happened in there.

We've been working hard and trying too find new people to teach. We need to find men that can progress and receive the higher priesthood so that we can be a branch.  Also the temple trip is on the 24th of April and everyone is excited! The mission pres. will come for interviews on Wednesday and it should be sweet! It's been hard too work with the branch president in Abura Krampa. the mission pres. will want me to tell him something and he just won't listen. Last night we weren't getting anywhere. I just agreed with him and then called the clerk. He got everything done I needed in about 5 minutes... it's a little disrespectful and I'm sorry. But I remember reading some words of wisdom from "The Book of Jerry,

"Remember oh thou my son, as thou doest labor plenty, Nephi had to slay Laban.."

Something like that.

 

The weeks are flying by and I'm starting to just go through the motions. So we got outta that this Saturday and Sunday and celebrated Elder Tobler's 1 month mark! We had cookies and rice and chicken gravy!!! Whoo! delicious. We haven't made jam yet.. it's coming.

 

The unit is doing amazing!!! Preparing for the temple and all. We have been getting a ton of referrals! I really don't know why, but it's so nice, the members do so much work to help the unit grow.

On Saturday night while we were making cookies, we went into the kitchen to get something and there was a BIG cockroach... I hate those things.. but anyways, it climbed down a cupboard to hide and Elder Baird bent down to look under the table to see where it was, and as he did I just saw it go mach 9 straight into his face! Did you know those horrible cratures fly!? It's terrible! Baird killed it in a vicious rage and then cried himself to sleep. Haha it was hilarious! He didn't really cry, we just went back to eating dinner.

And even this morning going to El Mina, the driver went to pass a car and almost took the guy off the road cause there was oncoming traffic! He just laughed it off, kept divining in the wrong lane, and we finally made it safely to the castle.

Training has been sweet! but it's so tiring. I feel bad cause I give a lot of responsibility to Elder Tobler, but that kid is such a stud. He taught Sunday school his first Sunday and he is adjusting to everything well! He's such a stud!

Well, we are gonna go get some rice! Love you!

Elder Darren Hodges

 

Mar 31 Temple Trip!

 

It's been a lot of work this week getting all of the members ready for the temple trip and helping my companion adjust to Ghana. It's not easy sometimes. It's hot for him and he's always hungry! But this morning on the way to Cape Coast we went to Elder Larsen's apartment for biscuits and gravy! Man I miss that guy! It was weird going back there, but it was nice! It's been raining all morning and it's cold! I might need to get a bigger blanket to sleep at night.

Elder Tobler had his second fufu this week and he was actually able to finish it! Its hard, like swallowing a whole ball of doe. your not suppose to chew it cause that just makes it gross. I haven't made him eat a whole fish.. yet. But thats coming. We work out every morning and then go get bread from a sweet lady who dashes it too us! It's so good warm in the morning! We haven't been able to change one of the filters in the apartment yet so we have to use our water bottles. Elder Baird has been really sick. We had to give him a blessing last night to help. He slept all through the night and has been feeling a lot better! He even went running this morning with me!

We finally got everything for the temple trip figured out. The mission president had to go to Abura Kramppa and sit down with the leaders there. But it's all set to go and I'm pumped! Almost the whole time I've been in the area we have been trying to get everyone ready to go! There are just two people that are unsure if they will go. One needs a baby sitter and the other needs to get a hernia removed.

So small small it's all coming together!

Janna keeps sending me homemade postcards!... some of them are just weird. Elder Larsen sees them everytime they come cause he helps out the office elders when they go too pick up the mail! It's hilarious! I dont think she knows its handed down through 4 pairs of elders before it gets to me.

But right now I gotta go home and call all the members about the temple trip, clean and eat!

I'm loving my companion, he's a sweet guy and he is really starting to warm up to the people. I love too see him cracking jokes and making himself look funny just to get the members to laugh! I love it!

Last night I got a bunch of letters! It was so nice!!! They were laid out on my  bed under the fan and I just laid down and read all of them! It was so nice! Thank you!

Love Elder Hodges