Monday, September 29, 2008

OK, so let's see if I can keep this a less-random email :)

So, this week we had Zone Conference, and it was really good. It touched on a lot of topics about what's needed in our mission and a lot of missionaries, including me, are figuring some things out that we had never realized. Some are just now getting it, and it's their last transfer. Mind you I only have 2 left! This one, and the next. That's a little more then 2 months! That's crazy! So you all know, December 9th is the day I will be coming home.

After Zone Conference this week (7 hours long - wow), we had to jam to our lesson. We were 15 minutes late, but it was all good. We re-planned our whole lesson plan on transport on the way and implemented what was taught during Zone Conference. Wow, the spirit was so strong, and it was an amazing lesson that just flowed and led up to a powerful challenge to commit to baptism. And he said he would! It'll be on the 25th of October. It was amazing!

Other than that, we just had a normal week. We set our goals high, and we hit every goal this week! Not only that, but it's hard to do that during a week where we had exchanges and interviews and zone conference. So much time was used for those things, but we still hit our goals!

I'm sending pics - 1) Elder Horne & I. He started his mission in Ivano, my last transfer out there, and he has followed me around a bit. 2) Zone Conference pic 3) What a disappointing lunch! Yeah, I won't even say anything about it, but I know Derek would have loved it. One Elder came up to me and was like, "I am unhappy with lunch - I was hoping for Vasuvios Pizza!" It's the best pizza in town. Pics from our church activity - 4) A lot of sisters and investigators making cards and then 5) a few kids playing around, the way it should be. We played ping pong and street hockey, and there was a spiritual thought.

So, that's all you get for now. I love you all!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Let me tell you first about the weather this week. It has rained for a solid week, stopping at most for a few hours at a time!

Some things that happened this week; church was fun. An investigator said that a lesson had a really strong message. He enjoyed it. It touched on the plan of salvation. It was way good.

We have set our goals for the transfer, made a plan, and are ready to work hard to reach our goals. The beginning of the transfer is always rad. We have Zone Conference this week, first week of the transfer. It's going to be good. They always are; its like a spiritual boost every 6 weeks.

We met an interesting man on the bus the other day that thought he could speak English. It was his birthday, and he was drunk. It was sad. He was only 23, and he was toasted, but it was fun talking to him. He really thought he could speak English. He couldn't, but he spoke Russian just fine. He said it was beautiful that we could talk to each other even though we speak different languages. I think it is too. The other people around us liked our conversation as well. :)

Some Elders had a space heater in another area that they were using, and it stopped working correctly and went up in flames! I don't even have a space heater, never had one here in Ukraine. I don't think I really even need one.

Ok, so pics for this week - First we have a "Risk" shot. My comp creamed me...I saw it coming, but there was nothing I could do. Next is a photo of our district, and a shot of 10 trolley busses.  The next pic is what caused the traffic for over and hour and 30 mins. Next a shot of my companion in the rain that we had to walk in because of traffic. We could not take our trolley bus.  Those trolley busses comes every 5 Min's, so that means they were like that for over 50 minutes. Then we walked the route and there was no busses for the hour or so it took to walk home! The last photo is of me in the PC cafe, the best one that I have ever been to in Ukraine. It has about 200 computers and they are dang fast. I took the pic to show my new haircut my companion gave me.

Videos - traffic, cause of traffic, and just walking in the rain with nobody in our path having a random conversation. (*note - I combined all 3 videos together again* ~h)

Monday, September 15, 2008

Hello everybody! This is Elder Hokanson...I really want to you to see my pics this week!

OK this was a funny week!

First my companion got a package. Look at how that bad boy was sent...no address! It's amazing that it somehow made it at all, but some things were missing. Then you get to see our elevator problem - we got stuck! All 6 of us! It was so funny. Last, we went to this church member's house and they have the cutest little girl. My companion switched jackets with her and she thought it was hilarious!

Ok...so back to the elevator. Yeah, after district meeting we were on an exchange, and the other elders stooped at our apartment for some cpravi (stuff). I was grabbing stuff to change in for service. We, all 6 of us, pack into this elevator. I have had so many elders in a elevator before, and have never been stuck, but we hit the button, the doors close, and we should move, but it does not move at all. We cant open the door or anything. Thank goodness there was this girl out there that went to tell her mom to call the guy to come save us. Boy, was he not happy when he found all six of us in there! But he had saved the elders stuck in it before. In the past there were 8 elders stuck in that elevator, about 3 months ago. He said, sarcastically, "good job!" And people say Ukrainians are not sarcastic! :)

Side note: my companion is the only one I have ever had that can cook! He made us a mayonaise cake the other day that was amazing, and he made a syrup for my buttermilk pancakes that was just amazing, and he won't share the recipe, but its ok. :)

Transfers- I am staying, and so is my district, so you know.

Well, I will just say the church is true! I am happy! I love you all! Thanks for reading - PAPA!

Here's a bunch of videos that Cody sent from when they were stuck in the elevator. I combined them all into one video, so it's a little bit jumpy. :)

Buki update for Cody

Ethan (Buki) had his third birthday on Friday, and we had a family party for him tonight. I took a ton of pictures and videos as a good aunt should and I wanted to share a couple with Cody.

Cody and Ethan have a special bond, and Cody would always buy Ethan goldfish crackers. I bought some for Ethan on Cody's behalf, and he enjoyed them very much!

Here are just a few of the photos from my stay in Palmdale -

My brother Derek with his 2 boys, Ethan and Tai (Derek owns a Dojo and was in his "work clothes")

My other brother Nathan with the boys...Cody is not going to recognize this mountain man! We keep trying to convince him to shave and get a hair cut!

Tai in the baby bounce house...he loved it!

Ethan with his cupcake tower than my mom & I "designed". He had a "Cars" theme for his birthday...he loved it!

I gave Ethan a race car for his birthday. He is getting to be such a big boy!

We had a fun time this weekend, and we missed Cody very much, but we know he is where he is supposed to be and we are so proud of him! We love you!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Since Cody couldn't upload pics, I decide to upload an oldie but goodie. :)

Cody & Heather, Wrightwood, January 2006

Ok, for this week, it started off cool with a sports day on Preparation day, then I had a sore throat on Tuesday. On Wednesday for district meeting, it about killed me. I had a cough and a head ache, runny nose, sore throat. I was on an exchange, but that left me inside the apartment almost all week. My numbers* got cut in half. It sucks. I feel lame. I did not do anything cool at all this week, but I got lots of rest, which should set my energy levels higher. It's easier to wake up now, even though I am still a little sick. The last time I spent most of the week in my apartment, I was way energized when I got out again.

Something silly - Ok, me and my companion shaved our arms with an epilator! It hurt so bad, but my arms are so smooth...wow! And my companion had like, the thickest hair I have ever seen, and his arms are still a tiny bit red. We did it on Tuesday last week, so wow.

My computer sucks this week...it wont let me put pictures on it for some reason. So, no photos this week. Next week I will get something on there.

I love you guys! Until next week!

*Numbers are goals that a companionship sets for themselves each week, and at the end of the week they compare numbers to see if they made their goals. Since he was sick and unable to go outside, they were unable to contact people and share the gospel, so he feels guilty that they didn't meet their goals this week.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Ok, I almost could not send pics this week because I don't have my card reader, but then I saw Elder Taylor from my group. Last week I convinced him to buy a card reader and you know what...he got one! So I borrowed his. Woot!

Well, info for the week - it has been weird. We had a threesome companionship from Monday -Friday morning. Elder Brooks' companion was in Bulgaria for his Visa, so he was with us while his companion was on what I like to call "vacation" - they don't speak Ukrainian there, there is no conjugation, and they speak a bit of Russian, but these elders don't speak Russian. So they had a nice flight, hung out, had Subway, KFC, Dunkin' Doughnuts, and Burger King. Vacation! There were other things, but they did not have the time. It's ok though, but yeah, it was cool - Elder Brooks is from the same group as Elder Ward (my companion), so it was tight, and Brooks is from California, so that's way rad. I also went on exchanges in Brovary with Elder Eskelsen (if you remember, that was my 2nd area and he is my old companion). I did not get to do much - he got a little sick, so we took a taxi home after walking almost to our appointment, like 5 mins away, then stayed inside for a bit until his tummy felt better. Then we got back out on the street where we got rained on, did some contacting and advertised for English classes. Then we went back in and planned, and I did my nightly calls. We were going to play soccer too, but it rained, so all the people I wanted to play soccer with could not come unfortunately, so our plans changed. We went to a baptism for a man from Nigeria named Jesse. It was cool, we had lunch, went back to my area, and went to a church activity. It was fun.

pictures - ok, so the 2 Elders I was with happened to have their 6 month anniversary on the mission this week, so they burned ties. It was cool. Next we have a pic of me making nightly phone calls. Brovary has no home phone, so I had to do them on the cell phone. Then 2 shots of the Temple. It's tight! You can see there is a basement for baptisms, 1st floor lobby, 2nd floor 2 session rooms, 3rd floor the Celestial room and sealing room. That's about all I have heard so far.

Well, that's all you get today. I know, not too cool, but it's what you get. I love you! BYE!