Weeks 69 to 71

October 29, 2012

Hey Mom!!!

So good to hear from you! I'm alive and well here in Honolulu. No Tsunami, it was a crazy night though. We were sitting at our investigators house fixing dinner and all of a sudden some missionaries from our zone called and told us a tsunami warning had been issued, as soon as we got off the phone the sirens sounded. It was like a movie! haha everyone just stopped what they were doing and looked at each other. And then Elder Mafi and I ran to our car and had to head back to Honolulu, the free way started to get packed pretty bad, but we were able to gather all of our missionaries and take them to Honolulu to the Tabernacle which is right next to the Mission office. We were told by our president to spend the night in the gym of the Tabernacle. It was an interesting night but and unforgettable one for sure.

So things here are pretty good. The last week of the month is always stressful trying to get as many baptisms as possible. This last weekend our zone was supposed to have 10 but for whatever reason all of them fell through...most of them have been pushed back to November which isn't a bad thing but still we are wanting to make sure these people are baptized for sure! They will get there!
So the hurricane in New York sounds pretty dangerous and scary. Sounds like a sign of the times for sure. An earthquake in Canada one week and a hurricane the next week in New York. we all need to repent!! Keep me updated on that please!

Dang its too bad about the gibbons. Its going to be so weird without them here. Whenever someone leaves here in hawaii the whole congregation sings aloha oe to them in sacrament. It's a farewell song and its super sad whenever we sing it. Its tough! We will still see the Gibbons hough which is a good thing.

How is Nan doing? is she ok? I hope she is hanging in there! Does she ever go to church with you guys?

Thanks so much for sending Elder Mafi and Lepule a package, i'm sure it will make their day! we haven't got them yet, but i will let you know! Thanks so much mom! Elder Lepule loves you! haha he emailed me last week telling me how much he loves our family even though he has never met you guys haha.

Make sure if that 6'7 kid takes paige on a date you meet him at the house and don't let paige go out with him by herself! but she looks like she had a fun time with Cole, that's good! Good for her! She is definitley on the right track it seems like. Well Mom another week down, time sure is flying by. So crazy!!!

I'm loving it here. It is hard and stressful but I know the Lord is refining me. sometimes I wish i could just be done, but we all need to keep moving. I know Jesus Christ Lives. This is the true Church on the face of the earth. We need to share it with everyone. I LOVE YOU MOM!!! Thank you for all you do!!!!

Love
Elder Hudson

October 12, 2012

MOM!!!
How are you doin? Dang that sounds cold there!!! I'm sorry about that. It's pretty much like 85 degrees all the time. Sorry, haha I do love it here. Everyday feels the same weather wise, there is absolutely no change in the weather. It doesn't even feel like October! Its crazy. It's blue skies everyday and it's always crazy busy here in the city .

Things are going pretty good. Lets see what happened this week....

We had zone conference and we are doing a new approach as a mission i'm not sure if i told you about it yet. but pretty much we are inviting people to be baptized when we meet them on the street or knock on their door. It's great and Zone Conference is exactly what i needed. Sister Dalton talked about how the Lord is refining us while we are out here. SO TRUE. The mission is hard, but i know it will be worth it in the end. Just need to keep going!

Elder Mafi is the man! He is from Tonga and has a way cool story. He has only been a member for 4 years but he has a super strong testimony. He was like a professional Rugby player back home he is super athletic and benches 400 pounds haha. So he didn't grow up with a whole lot, and he was telling me how he never had celebrated a birthday before. He has never had a birthday cake for him in his life. So just so happens that this month is his half birthday haha so This recent convert and i decided to throw a surprise half birthday party for him haha. Kinda weird but the kid deserves something. He is the man! If at all possible.... anyway that you could send this kid a shirt or two? his shirts are pretty tight on him and he has 3 shirts but no money. He is a size 17.5-18. If can't right now no worries just curious.

It's so cool how the Lord works on people to become converted to the Gospel. I liked in Conference about Elder Bednar's talk where he said a testimony and conversion are two different things. I have a testimony, and I feel like i'm converted. I know how important the Gospel is for everyone and we all need it. All we need to do is try our best and follow Jesus Christ. The Gospel is simple; Do the right thing. It's hard to live sometimes because of the natural man that is inside all of us, but it is possible. I never thought as a missionary i would struggle so much, but the thing that keeps me going is watching others grow. I love it! I think i told you about Maitland the guy i taught from Kaneohe. Well he came to church with us in Honolulu and when he walked in he found out that his grandma, and two uncles go to our ward haha. A small miracle but he felt loved and at home and it's so cool to watch him over come struggles to grow closer to Jesus Christ. I love this work.

So i heard the Gibbons sold their house? Well it is sad and will be weird without them for sure! I will definitely miss them a lot!!!! But we will still be able to see them a ton too. It sounds like it was supposed to be this way though. They fasted and prayed and went to the Temple yeah? Their house sold fast! So it was definitlely the right thing for them to do. I don't have a whole lot of time to email them so i'm going to write them i letter today for sure.

So things are going really good here mom. I still struggle and stress sometimes, but just have to buckle down and keep going. The Church is true. God Lives and Loves us. I LOVE YOU MOM!!!! Thank you for all that you do. I hope you have a wonderful week. Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Shon Hudson
 P.S. tell the workmans hi and merial congrats! Is alissa going on a mission? Elder Carrel, he is cool guy, i've really only met him once ha but if paige wants to write back she can. Also tell Spencer hi! How are him and his new wife? I miss the Morleys! Love you mom! I have a letter for nan on the way!

October 10, 2012

Hey Mom!!!!

Sorry it has taken forever for me to email you, it's been a crazy few days! On monday we had zone leader council, that's just for the zone leaders and we get together with President and the assistants and council on topics in the mission. it was pretty fun and fun to see some of my old companions there. Then we were busy again on tuesday and had no time to email. But first thing is first, i'm so glad to hear that you are doing good! You're cough is still there though? What are they going to do about that? do you need to get that checked out still? I'm glad you are doing better though!

transfers came and went, i'm with Elder Mafi from Tonga, he is the best! haha i sure do love this kid, he is thinking of going to school in utah after the mission is over. Some of our zone changed but we still will baptize this month. i'm so grateful elder mafi is here cause he is perfect for the Tongan ward and it's what they need.

I only got to watch the sessions of conference on saturday cause i ended up sick the rest of the day throwing up. I missed Priesthood and all of Sunday session. It's ok though i'm feeling so much better. But from what i saw in conference it was super good. I think my favorite talk was Elder Cook's talk about how we need to be righteous in families. If we aren't then our families won't be strong. I think we have a strong family, but i know it can be stronger. Mom, make the Book of Mormon and prayer a priority in your life if it already isn't. It's only going to bring you blessings and bring you closer to God. I came out here to learn for myself if this Church is true, and if it will bless my life. I know its true and that it will bless my life, but i know if i don't carry on the study habits i'm learning out here, then my time out here was wasted and my testimony will not be strong. Read the Book of Mormon Mom i'm only telling you this because i love you!

Nothing else is too new. just trying to get some baptisms lined up for the month. Right now we have quite a bit of investigators we just need to commit them! Mom i am sorry this is a short email. I sure do love you and i'm grateful for you!!!!!!!! I'm so glad you are doing better too. Get feeling better, but the person who will be able to give you the most strength is your Heavenly Father! I LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love elder Hudson