Sister Emily Hawkins' Mission: Tis the Season for Service!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Dear Mom,

Wow what a crazy week! I just felt like I was at home! Why you may be wondering … well this whole week we did so much service and it was so much fun and I had a BLAST! It made me think of the times that our family did service around the holidays and it was great! I did so much laughing and I was just so happy and really busy this whole week, it was great fun! I loved it!

So to start at the beginning of the week … guess what I ate? I had some fish! Yep, I had some trout and it was the fresh stuff! I had it at MeMe's (Sister Schaumbergers) and her roommate Kevin and Vince made it and it was good. But by the second piece I ate, well the texture kinda got to me! But it didn't upset my stomach at all and also the doctor said I can have fish but you know me, I just don't like sea food! Yucky! You know me … steak, chicken and BBQ with some good home made baked potatoes are totally my thing -- not sea food stuff! Well that was a neat thing to try and I liked it for the most part!

Tuesday morning was fun because Sister Higley, myself and the Elders went to a place where the elderly can hang out, play games together or make quilts and different stuff like that! We decorated a Christmas tree and we set some other Christmas decorations up and we had a good time together! We were laughing a lot and we got to hear some Christmas music in the background because it was on speakers so we couldn't turn it off! It was so much fun! It was my first tree we decorated this year, expect for the one I made with Sister Galaviz! I was wearing my service clothes and not in proselyting clothes because I didn't know what kind of stuff we were doing that day! I took a cute picture of me! Super cute! And I was impressed … I tried on my jeans that I haven't warn in so, so long, because I like to wear my running sweats, and I could still fit in my jeans! I was pretty excited! Yeah!

Me and the Elders

Look at the BIG ornaments!

Me and the tree!

Also that day we got to go help the elders build a dog fence and it was bitter cold outside! BRRR!!! Elder Tracy was holding a metal pole and Elder Taney was hammering it into the ground and then all of a sudden Elder Taney missed the pole and got Elder Tracy's hand! It was so funny! Luckily he was wearing gloves but it was so funny and I was laughing so hard … you just had to be there! But we got this cute fence made; I didn't get pictures, my bad, but it was fun!

That night we got to go to the Harris's house and we did a lot of decorating there too! Sister Higley and I got to decorate the Christmas tree and the Elders put up the mangers scene! Sister Harris has a manger scene made of the wooden people that don’t have faces and it's so pretty! I am gonna get one when I go home and get money because it's so pretty! I love the people without the faces …I'm talking about that card I gave you and it was a mom and daughter holding each other … remember, it's those wooden people you can buy at the LDS bookstore! It was just so pretty!

At the Harris home!

This week we did some other service for this lady named Diana and all of the missionaries were helping her pack up and move. It was some hard work, I must say! While the other missionaries took a load of stuff to her new place, Sister Higley and I stayed behind to help out more and had the opportunity to visit with Diana. We explained more of who we were and what we are doing and all that fun stuff … and guess what … she wants to learn more! But the sad thing is that she does not live in our area and she is in the other ward so we hope she will get taught the lessons and become a member of this amazing gospel! So that was cool this week! She is all open to hear and learn more so that was pretty cool. I told her why I was on a mission and why I am here and that I am grateful to serve my Heavenly Father! It was just so cool! So see … you do service and then other people come and love the help and want to learn more! That is what I have definitely learned on my mission! You serve and love others and the Lord prepares those who are waiting to hear the gospel!

We met this new awesome family in the Ward and they are the Meyer Family! Super cool and lots of fun and it's just the best! I love going to see them. They are converts to the Church of 3 years and they totally remind me of Wade on his mission of how much he loved the Swagler family! (Sorry Wade I didn't spell there name right.) But I just totally feel the spirit in their home and I know that they are going to touch my life in so many ways! They still have that strong desire to serve God and to continually learn about the Gospel and do all they can to continually get closer to Him! I love this new family! It's the best!

So mom do you remember me telling you about the Walter Family? Well their 8 year old daughter had a birthday party this last week! I wished I had taken pictures but there was too much going on! But we surprised her on her birthday. Sister Higley, myself, the Elders and the Harris family all went to surprise her. We got her princess fingernail polish and she was so surprised. We sang Christmas carols to her and her friends. Just the look on the Walter’s faces and of how grateful they were that we had taken the time to come and carol to them was so awesome. The Walters then asked us to come with them to carol to there new neighbors so they could give them some cookies and we told them yes. That was lots of fun too! Sister Walters who is not a member gave me the biggest hug ever and thanked me for coming and doing this. She then whispered in my ear how grateful she was that I didn't get transferred and how she is glad I am still here! So that was a really special moment for me. I hope that we can teach her more about the gospel so she will receive more blessings from our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!

Going Caroling!

Well mom we got a phone call from a lady who we call her A-rod. She is so sweet and we haven't seen her in a while because we have been busy but I felt prompted to text her to see how she was and to get her new address for the missionaries. Well she called during our lunch time and she was crying and she asked us to come and see her. It was so sad because she was in the hospital again as she has been having a hard time with her health lately. So we went to go and see her and mom when we got to her room, she didn't look well at all. She was so glad that she could see us! We let her talk and just vent and then we shared some scriptures with her. I shared one of my favorite scriptures Ether 12:27 with her and she liked that. And the neat thing she said to me before we left was that she could see my halo shining brightly around me and then she told me that my mother is very proud of me and is happy I am serving a mission. It really touched my heart so much and the neat thing is mom, people on my mission have commented on how I have a bright shine around me and that I shine bright. To hear that after the hard time I have been going through was just really amazing and truly wonderful to hear!

Well I have lots to do today and I need to send some pictures to ya too! I am sending you a picture of me sewing for the first time on my mission! All my buttons were loose on my green shirt and I knew if I didn't sew them that they would fall off and I would lose them and I don't have any extra buttons. So Sister Higley took a picture of me sewing and it was fun to figure out how to do it since I have never sewn before but it was lots of fun! LOL! So I'm grateful we bought that sewing kit for my mission because if I didn't have it I would be in big trouble having all my buttons gone! So thanks for getting a sewing kit!

Me sewing ... first time ever!

Have a great week and thanks for all you do! I love ya lots and I can't wait to hear from you and it was great to see all the Santa Night pictures … they were super awesome! I can't believe we have been doing this for 14 years! Wow I'm excited to be there for our 15th year … we are going to have to make it super big!!!! :) Well I love you mom and have a great week!

Love Sister Hawkins!