Email - March 14, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011

Dear Mom,

Well Howdy there! LOL I just wanted to write "Howdy" trying to act silly and to have fun! LOL. Silly me! Well lots of things have been going on and I really don’t have a lot of time to write. Unfortunately we have only 30 minutes on the computer today as we are at a different library because the college library we usually go to is closed for spring break, but hey, at least I can have a little time to write to my family.

So first off, Church was really good yesterday for two reasons. First was because President Moldenhauer came to our ward and surprised us. He even talked in church because the other person from the stake didn’t show up. It was really cool to be able to hear President Moldenhauer's testimony of the Gospel and of how important it is to go to church. I have come to realize why church is so important! It's truly important to go to church every week and to renew our baptismal covenants that we made when we were baptized. We promised our Heavenly Father that we will do our best to follow Him and to keep His commandments and to endure to the end and to also remember that wonderful sacrifice that He did for us so we can repent of our sins. It is also neat to listen to the prayer when they bless the bread and the water; lots of meanings to those words. Sometime during the Sacrament you should read those prayers in the scriptures and think about what you are doing every Sunday when you partake of the bread and water. It's really cool to realize the wonderful thing you are doing by partaking of the bread and water.

The second thing that was really great about church yesterday happened in Relief Society. The R.S. President had her parents in town visiting and they talked about their mission and they even had a book to show us. It was their blog book. They had a blog like me and someone told them that they really had a good blog from their mission and that they should make it into a book. And so the Relief Society President’s dad looked online and found a place that does that. Their book is really cool it has all their entries that they wrote down and the pictures that go along with it. It's really neat! So maybe after my mission we can look online and see if we can find a place to make my blog into a book so I can have all my letters I ever wrote home in a book with all the pictures. That would be pretty cool. Just think about it k! (Emily does not know, but I have already started making her Blog into a book!)

So the next thing on my list to write to you about is the crazy stuff that is happening in the world. What's going on in Japan and with Hawaii and California with that crazy water storm! (I think she means tsunami.) I sure hope Aunt Sarah and Uncle Takuya’s family which I think live in Japan are doing okay! I sure hope so. Well let me know as soon as possible if things are okay and doing well for them. I heard from people here that all the missionaries in Japan are safe and doing well which I think is really good! That is sure a blessing for the families of those missionaries!!!!

So things are going really good for me even though some times are tough. But we now have a new investigator. Last week Lauro called us and so we have been working with him. He says he might want to join our church which is really cool! I sure hope that he will continue to pray and ask God to see what he needs to do. He is a really cool guy! He is in his late 50's so it will be cool to talk more with him this week!

Well the weather around here is just crazy. One day it’s hot and one day it’s super cold; very weird! The weather is so different every day. There are some mornings I just don't know what to wear because it's cold or it might get hot. But for sure this morning just walking out of the front door I could feel the humidity and the warmth and it was like 6:40 in the morning … pretty strange weather that I get to deal with! But hey, at least it's not super hot yet. I just can't wait for that day. It's gonna be super hot like everyone has said!

Well I get to see a doctor about my stomach pains on Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. and it's Doctor Carmen Wong. I might go through blood work and some other tests. It's been tough though. Off and on all day last Friday I had some stomach pains even during our District meeting. Luckily I got through my lesson that I had to do. Then after my lesson the pain came back. For real … and ever since Friday I have woke up and felt sick but today I feel kinda okay with just a little pain but not much.

Well what else can I tell ya about? Oh yeah, this last P-Day was fun. I got to go to Battle Ship Texas where we went on this HUGE ship that was used in the war and we got to walk through it and take so many pictures. It was a fun little field trip like NASA!!! It was cool to see how the army/navy people lived on these ships in the war. It kinda smelled a little in the bed area but it was so cool and very neat to go see. I was gonna buy a shirt but when we got done the store had closed early so we might go up there again soon. If we do I might buy a cool Battle Ship Texas Shirt. Last P-Day we also saw the Texas Monument. It is a very tall building with a star on top and we took lots of fun silly pictures outside. It is just so cool the things I am seeing and experiencing on my P-days. It is lots of fun!! I just can't wait to have you and dad come back with me to see all the cool families that I have met and to see all the cool sights that I have seen!! It's really cool so I hope you and dad are saving money for a trip to Texas to experience the wicked weather and to see Texas. I bet ya'll never would have thought that you would be going to Texas uh! LOL.

Well guess what? In one week I get to go to the Temple and I'm so excited. It is going to be so neat to go into the Lord's house and to feel His love and presence there! I just can't wait. It's like time can't go any slower! I can't wait for you and dad to come with me to the Houston temple either! It's so beautiful. If I had money to fly everyone down to Texas to go to the Texas temple, I would. I love it so much! I wish one day I could get sealed with my future spouse in that temple because it's like a princess castle. I just love it!! Can't wait!! Also we get to go to the Book store again!! Pretty cool uh! So if it's okay Mom and Dad, would you make sure I have some money for the store on the 22nd of March? I would like that! If not just let me know through a letter!

Well I love being a missionary. I am learning so many wonderful things and I am growing. It's crazy how much I have learned in seven months!  It is pretty crazy that I have been gone for seven months and do you know in two more months I get to call you for Mother's Day! Can' wait to hear ya'll voices and to tell ya'll Hi and to talk with ya'll. It's gonna be nice but it's a super long time away. Who knows what area I will be at in two months. Transfers are in two weeks and I think Sister Singleton might be getting transferred which will be sad. She just knows the area so well and knows where to go all the time. But we will see on the 26th of March who is staying or who is going.

My time on the computer is almost up but I want to let you know I'm doing well. I love riding my bike even though I haven't lost any weight yet; maybe just gaining muscle. But I love La Porte; it's fun and has lots of nice, wonderful members in the ward who are caring. Haven’t found my favorite ones yet but they are all the best! Well I hope to hear from ya'll soon! I know the Lord is going to help me everyday to become more like Him. I just know I am becoming like Him and my testimony is growing everyday. It's crazy of how different I am going to be in a year and I am excited to tell ya'll about my stories and to show ya my scriptures! It's sad because my Mosiah and also Alma are already falling apart. When I come home I'm gonna need a new set of scriptures! LOL. Missionaries use there scriptures very well!!! LOL.

Well Love ya'll and I hope to hear from you soon!

Love Sister Hawkins!!