Emily did not have a long time to email but what she did email was great and upbeat. She is still homesick but also getting lost in the work. I know every week will get a little better for her. Emily is grateful for all the letters she has been getting and is sorry she has not been able to write everyone back. Her p-days have been really crazy. I personally want to thank all of you for your love and support. You have really made a difference. Emily loves to receive mail and she gets such encouragement from you all.
Hi Mom,
I got your package with the scripture case and I just love it!!! It will work great and I'm so excited for the cd. Thank you so much. I only have like 30 minutes today to e-mail because of Zion P-day. We have to travel to Orange to hang out with our Zion and guess who is in our Zion – Elder Wilde, no lie. (Josh Wilde from Shelley) I forgot to tell you that at our first Zion meeting I saw him.
Sorry I don't have much time to write but I will try to get a lot in. I was thinking of you on Saturday night when I was watching the General Relief Society Broadcast. I knew you were right there watching it too and I loved all the talks. They were so powerful and it makes me want to do visiting teaching better when I get home! I just can't wait for General Conference. We get to watch it at the Branch building, so hopefully things work out there.
So my time in Humble, Texas was fun on some days and some days I was really homesick. The first of the week was good and fun and we dressed up and put our hair silly and took pictures so maybe next week I'll try to send you silly pictures. But I learned a lot while I was in Humble. I need to step up in the work because I think I'm not doing a lot of stuff like Sister Smith is. I learned that from the Companions in Humble. So now I am taking more phone calls which is super hard. You know me and making phone calls! I am also starting to keep track of our tracking numbers and also talking more. And let me tell ya, it's hard but I am learning that the Spirit is there helping me in so many ways.
This week we had an appointment with some people who were Muslims. There are so many different religions down here and I just don't know what their beliefs are but they just don't know what Jesus Christ has done for them. That is what I got from visiting with the Muslims. Sister Smith was having a hard time because she felt bad that they just don’t know of Jesus Christ.
I had this really cool experience last night when we went to go see a member, Brother Martin. He lives in a Veterans home because he was in a war but I don't know which war. We were practicing lesson #2 about the Plan of Salvation and he had a friend there listening. His friend wasn’t Mormon and it was hard to teach because he got frustrated and said the Book of Mormon wasn't true. He got up and left. But then the Spirit was so strong as we were testifying of how the Plan of Salvation is real and how we have the temple to do the Lords work. We told of how people have that choice in the spirit world to accept the gospel and I bore my testimony of how this plan is amazing and that we can have our families forever. I told of how the temple isn’t just another building but it is truly a House of God and it is a sacred place and we can go there and be closer to Him and to do His work. I know last night was truly a big testimony builder for me even though I still have fears that something is going to happen to my family and that I might not see them after my mission but I just need to have faith and trust in the Lord that I will always have my family forever and that me serving a mission can help other families to have there families forever.
I know this gospel is true. I know that God lives and that He does answer prayers even though it might not be on my time table but it is on His to help us learn and grow. I have learned so many things and I am still learning new things everyday. It's hard work but by the end of the day I know that I did the Lord’s work and that I need not to fear and I need to have more faith and try again tomorrow. I love the scriptures. I'm in 2 Nephi reading the Isaiah chapters which are confusing but I know the words in the Book of Mormon are true and they are very powerful and can give you guidance and give you comfort. You just have to pick up the book and really read it and study it and learn from it because you can really learn and grow!
I'm so glad that Sister and Brother Outcelt had a great time at the MTC. I really miss the MTC and the Spirit that is all around there and I miss the lessons and the firesides that they have. I'm glad that they had a wonderful time.
Mom I love you, and Dad I love you too. Thank you so much for raising us kids in the Gospel. I see the people down here and their lives without the Gospel and it's hard to see them not be happy. Yes we do have hard times, but we have the Lord and the scriptures to help us. Thank you for raising us the right way and teaching us the Gospel. It's so awesome to think that I have a family who is all strong in the Gospel and who is worthy to go to the temple and who go to church every week. It's a great testimony builder and it makes me want to have the same blessings for my future family. I want to have the Gospel in their lives.
I know this Church to be true. I know this mission is hard work and that I am away from my most amazing family ever and I feel bad taking for granted the times that we have had together. I know when I get back home I will always love every moment we have together as a family! I am changing and I'm not going to be the same person when I get home.
I had a neat experience with Sister Moldenhauer. We were picking up Sister Smith at the mission home on Friday and I was just having a hard day missing you mom and the rest of the family. And I saw sister Moldenhuaer and she asked me if I was ready to go home. I just started crying because I do feel ready to go home but I know my work is not done yet. She gave me a hug and said that things will get easier and asked if I had an amazing family and I told her yes and she told me that I will find families on my mission that I will grow to love and will help me with missing home. So I know what she told me will happen and I just have to be patient and the Lord will help me.
Well I have to run but I love you and the family. I miss you lots and I keep you all in my prayers all the time. You all are so amazing and thank you so much for the wonderful support that you have been to me. I love you and I really miss you so much! The Gospel is True!!
Love Sister Hawkins xoxoxoxox
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