October 11, 2010 - Baratas!

Hey Family!

All is good here in Leme! I was not transferred and neither was Elder D. Souza. Im definitely excited to stay here in Leme and also to have the same companion. A little part of me wanted a new companion, just to be able to learn new things. I have much to learn from Elder D Souza and I´m super grateful for him. Time really is flying. Already one transfer down. I already know that leaving the mission will be hard haha.

Barata is the portuguese word for cochroach. Yup. We came home one day this last week and there were 5 in the bathroom and a couple in the kitchen (which is actually outside, i´ll take a picture). It was disgusting! I hate bugs haha. Elder D Souza killed them and we cleaned a little bit haha. We found one more a day later, but since then its been all good haha.

      

The picture this week has a story. Look closely at my shirt. You will see lots of dirt. We were walking to our last appointment one night this week week and it was raining. Not super hard but the roads were wet. I was closer to the rode with Elder D Souza by my side. A car flew by and muddy water just drenched me haha! At first i couldn´t believe it and was a little mad, but i immediately started laughing and so did Elder D Souza. He only got a little dirty. I learned a good lesson. If we can laugh, we won´t be mad and we will be happier. I could have gotten mad, but because i laughed everything turned out all right. I got some good pictures and a good story haha. We scrubbed the shirt and it actually turned all normal haha. Still white.

 

Questions

We loved the pictures you sent.  Your companion looks awesome!!!  And you are taller than he is.  Are the people shorter than you there?
Not everyone is shorter than me. I would say i´m maybe a little taller than average, but I don´t stick out or anything.

Your poor feet!  Did you take any tinactin with you?  I know that Grandpa found some really good stuff in Chile that they used.  He was going to look it up and see what it was and send you the name of it.  Maybe you can find it there.

Haha I started using tinactin and its helped a little bit. I got an email from gma and gpa and will look for the stuff they recommended. My feet are doing awesome though. It doesn´t hurt to walk anymore. They just look bad haha.

What is the kitchen like in your home?  Do you have an oven, stove, refrigerator?  Send some pictures of your place, inside and out.
We have a fridge, oven w/ stove, blender, and a sandwich maker that i use more than anything. I will send some pictures of the house next week for sure. Its a good place though, I like it a lot.

You mentioned that you were teaching some great families.  Who are they?  Tell us a little bit about them.  How you found them, etc...
We are teaching one family that I made contact with near the beginning of the transfer. We are having a hard time finding them at home right now, but will keep trying. Satan is working hard against us haha. We will teach first lesson and think, they´re going to be baptized! Then the next week they don´t even want to go to church haha. I dont think its something we´re doing wrong, but I don´t know. We can only keep looking for people to teach. The only way to find those who are ready is to talk to and teach everyone and that is what we are doing here in Leme. No baptisms yet, but its been a good lesson for me. If you look in Preach My Gospel Chapter 1 it talks about the characteristics of a successful missionary. Notice that it doesnt talk about baptisms there. Elder D Souza pointed this out to me. Success is not in the numbers. It is definitely harder to maintain desire sometimes without baptisms haha. But this experience will only make the next difficulties easier.

Have you received your package yet?
Nope not yet, but transfers are happening today and I hope to receive it this week at district meeting. I also hope to receive some LETTERS! haha

 

I sent rachel a letter last week. Hope she gets it. In there is a letter for Sra Dillard. I invited her to listen to the missionaries. If she accepts I need your help haha.  What a blessing about Tyson´s teeth. I will keep praying for him. Say hello to Elder Maiers for me. Hope the work is going well there. I can´t believe that Colton is almost there. Thats awesome for him! Thanks for the money for the plaque. I´ll get that ordered here soon. Whats the word with visas for Mexico lately? Hope that all works out.  More possibilities for the christmas package are: gum/mints, 2 more blue refills for marking scriptures, vitamins haha. Let me know before you send it.

 

Rachel - congrats on the tennis! Keep it up. and I´m so proud of you for sharing the gospel. The spirit will be with you to help you. Be bold. The worst thing they can say is no. And unfortunately, they will be worse off because of that "no". But we have to try. How did the other tennis match go??? I love you a ton.

Well I love you guys a ton! Glad to here that all is well. Hope Tyson and Pehrson and Kate are all well! I love you all and your examples to me help a ton. The Church is true and commandments are a blessing. Disobeying them will only hurt us and lesson our joy. Keep them to the fullest!

 

Elder Hawkley