Lots of service this week!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Dear Mom,

Well this week has been tough. We have been trying to find people to teach and to visit and well people either aren't home or they just don't want to learn about wonderful gospel that we live in! So we have been trying less-actives and that has been kinda good, but people still haven't been home a lot when we go by or they are just too busy for us. So this week has been tough with not a lot of people to teach and even knocking on doors has been tough; seems like it is always the wrong street or wrong time to go knocking!

But I must say we have been doing a lot of service! This last week we worked at a homeless shelter where we help out every other week and so Sister Hatch and I got to scrub the carpets with water and soap because I guess the other stuff isn’t working too well! So that was hard because it hurt my knees and my back scrubbing the floor! Plus my shoulders were hurting that night because of scrubbing so hard. But we had our entire district and some Spanish missionaries there to help, so that was neat!

We also helped out an elderly lady this week and her name is Sister Schamburger! And mom she is just the cutest old lady ever!!! And I think that she likes me a lot. I accidently replied “yes ma'am” to her when she guessed my first name was Emily and so now she calls me Emily. I nicely told her that she needs to call me Sister Hawkins and she said she will and she does when we are around people at church or when we are over at her house for dinner. Last night she had Sister Hatch and I, a dear friend that lives with her to help pay bills whose name is Kevin, and Kevin’s brother all over for dinner so she made sure to call me Sister Hawkins. There were a couple of times she slipped and did say Emily though but she was really trying! But this last week we went over to help clean her home and she really appreciated that because she is at that age where she can't do a lot of deep cleaning so we helped her out! This week Sister Hatch and I and the Elders are going to go help clean her garage! So that is going to be lots of fun; I have seen it and oh boy … lots to do this next week at her home! But I know it will be fun because she is so funny and just loves to laugh a lot!

Well I had an interesting experience this week; we saw a recent convert of about a year, Sister Humphrey and she is a sweet elderly lady too. Well last Friday we met her dear friend Kathy. Earlier that day I felt impressed to go see Sister Humphrey and when we showed up the Elders were also there and they were putting a fan together for Sister Humphrey's friend Kathy. So I sat right next to Kathy to get to know her and she was the sweetest lady ever and she told me that she has had the missionary discussions in the past and been to church. She told me she likes it but isn’t going to change. It made me laugh because it was just cute how she said it! Well we shared with her Helaman 5:12 about having that firm foundation in Christ. I said prayer before we left and Kathy said she was going to see us on Sunday. Well Sunday came and Kathy didn't come. We went to go see Sister Humphrey and she looked upset when she came to the door. She let us in and asked us if we had heard the news. Sister Hatch and I looked puzzled and we were like, “What news?” She then told us that Kathy had passed away! Apparently when Sister Humphrey had not heard from Kathy all weekend she knew there must be something wrong because they are like sisters and always talk. Even though they are not blood related, they are very close! So Sister Humphrey got the manager and they tried Kathy’s place but couldn't get in so then the police came in and broke down Kathy's door and they knew she had passed because of the smell. So poor Sister Humphrey is going through a tough time losing a very close friend that is dear to her heart! She doesn't have a husband either because he passed away a few years back or so it's been pretty tough for her because she has no one to mourn with. So Sister Hatch and I and the Elders have been there helping her this last past week. Sister Humphrey shared with me that what has helped her the most through this difficult time is my prayer that I said before we left the last time we saw Kathy. In the prayer I asked God to bless Kathy and Sister Humphrey with whatever they stood in need of and that I knew the Lord knew what was best for them and to help them and keep them safe and bless them! So Sister Humphrey is just so thankful for that prayer. I didn't realize that I did that until she reminded me of the prayer but I know that brings comfort to her.

So Sister Hatch and I have a viewing/funeral to go to in a couple weeks on the 12th of September! So this is going to be like my 4th or 5th funeral I have been to on my mission! I am just so grateful for the Plan of Salvation and that I can help people get through the tough times and help them understand more of the plan that God has for us and that we go through losses to draw closer to God and to know that He is there for us and that He loves us dearly! I'm so grateful for the Gospel and to really understand a lot of things in life and why we have to go through the trials to help us become stronger!

Well guess what? I have super duper exciting news! Guess who I get to see and to hear from and to shake hands with............ Elder Jefferey R. Holland!!!! That is right! He is coming to speak to us and to two other missions! How crazy cool is that! I'm so excited! This will be the second time I will hear and see him on my mission because I got to hear from him at the MTC but I didn't get to shake his hand. I know it's going to be intense with all the security guards and stuff but it's going to be so good! I'm just so excited to hear what he is going to say to us! I can't wait to write to you next Monday and share with you what he talked to three missions about! I know it's going to be super good!!! :) I couldn't believe it when they told us that we get to hear and see Elder Holland! Can't wait!!! I don't know if we can get pictures with him or not but we will see what happens; that would be super cool if we did but there are going to be lots of missionaries there and so it's going to be interesting if we can get pictures or not! But that would be so, so cool! So thanks for sending me those new shoes; I'm saving them for Friday so my shoes can look new and shinny to meet an apostle!!! It’s going to be super duper good!

Well I don't have much more exciting news, just a busy week trying to find our brothers and sisters so that we can teach them more of the gospel. Hopefully this next week will be better but I know that through the trials that we go through it makes us stronger and builds our testimonies and helps us draw closer to God and makes us ready for the next trial that we have in life!

I love you mom and I miss ya lots. Oh and by the way, I need to let the Mission Office know by next transfer where I am flying in to so let me know if it's going to be Idaho Falls or up in Salt Lake City. I will probably have more information soon about what I need to tell them for my plane tickets; it’s crazy that they plan this stuff in so far in advance! But I love you and I will write to ya soon!

Love Sister Hawkins!