February 27, 2012 - Miracles

Hey family,

I'll start with the questions:

Do you speak a lot of English together or do you still speak portuguese?
      This week we spoke a lot of english. Hope to do better this next week.

Where is Elder Harris from?  How are you two getting along?
         Elder Harris is from North Ogden, Utah. He is the oldest of 5. His dad (Todd Harris) is a super big sportscaster for ESPN and I guess works at XGames, Olympics, and the World Cup. Crazy huh? We are getting along great. I'll explain below. He went to UVU before the mission for a year. He likes to ski, surf, wakeboard, longboard, wakesurf, and travel with his family. They have a cabin up at bear lake and like boating a lot. So we have lots of the same interests. We were in the office/same ward/lived together already for a transfer. Interesting side note.

Did Marcelo and Elenice get baptized this week? 
     Marcelo and Elenice were baptized and confirmed this last week! Super awesome!

Were you able to help that couple get married?  Their daughter is Milena.
    We went to the cartório (not sure how to say that in english) and marked a wedding for the 14th of March! So we are working with them so they can be baptized this next month. Patricia (mom) is ready. Daniel still needs to completely quit with the smoking and drinking. But they have been going to church almost every sunday, which is just great!

 Have you found some new people to teach?
        Yup! It was a week of miracles. I'll explain.

Pictures:
1. Baptism of Marcelo and Elenice. We went to see.

2. Elder Harris and I. The word "feio" means ugly hahah. We found this in the street!

So this week was good. I was a little worried about how things would work out, but everything has gone perfectly and so much better than I ever thought possible. Monday night, we sat down and studied, planned, and set goals about our companionship and the zone and our are. Tuesday we also spent the better part of the day at home doing the same thing. We had both worked in this area with different comps with not too much success. It was really good. We set lots of good companion goals and funny too (like 2 pictures each day haha and stuff like that). We changed the way district meeting was being done and that made district meeting a lot better. In our area we plan to work a lot more with the members but also follow the spirit more as we look for people.

The week started kind of slow and we were a little discouraged. We sat down one day and had a little talk and decided to change our attitudes. We went out with faith and did some good contacts and got a referral from a member family. Interesting how our attitude can make the difference.

Then came the miracles. So on Friday we went home after lunch to start a fast. We went out trusting in the Lord but without a lot of plans. As we went to visit a family that we had taught earlier in the week, we passed by a house and heard raised voices. I decided to knock the door. An older lady came to the door and let us in. We sat down and the older lady was arguing with her daughter. The mother is Helena and the daughter is Kelly. Kelly has 2 daughters. We sat there listening not really knowing what to do. We let them talk for a while. As we listened and asked a couple of questions, we found out that Kelly had been living in Sweden for the last 20 years. She was married and had 2 daughters. Her husband then started liking a co-worker and they separated. She came back to Brasil within the last 2 months. She speaks fluent english and swedish along with portuguese. Kelly and Helena werent really understanding eachother or getting along. We started to teach and the spirit came really strong. We taught the message of the Restauration and testified how this message would bless their lives. That was the best lesson I have ever taught on my mission. Elder Harris and I taught in perfect unity. Im not sure I have ever felt the spirit so strong. Helena and Kelly accepted to read the Book of Mormon and pray and to be prepare to be baptized on the 18th of March. At the end of the lesson, Helana and Kelly were hugging and kissing and crying and Elder Harris and I were super touched as well. Unfortunately they werent able to go to church on Sunday because one of Kelly's daughters was sick. They felt the spirit and know have an opportunity to follow. Ive never felt like such an instrument in the Lords hands before. It was wierd because we were led by the spirit without even knowing it. To me we were going to visit a different family and when we arrived at the door, I just decided to knock. It seems so simple.

The other miracle was Alex. He lives with his "wife" and 2 kids. We found him contacting (also on Friday). We were walking and I stopped him and talked to him quickly. He accepted to hear our message the next day (Saturday). We went there and his wife wasnt there. Just him and his 2 kids. We said a prayer to begin teaching but we stopped because we noticed he was crying. He then told us about how he has a problem with drugs (we still dont know exactly which ones). He told us how he wants to stop but has always had a hard time going to a church. We testified that he could change. He went to church with his 2 little boys. They all loved church. Alex even said a prayer in Elder's Quorum. Gospel Principles was about prayer. When asked if anyone had experiences, he told all that he had prayed 2 days before we found him that God would send someone to help him. Once again the Lord used us as an instrument in his hand.

We had 8 investigators at church yesterday! Some we are teaching, some that we had stopped teaching came, and others the members brought.

Tomorrow we will have Zone Leader Council and on Wednesday a Mission Leadership training. So we will get a bus early tomorrow morning to Ribeirão and stay there tomorrow and Wednesday. Hopefully it will be good. Tomorrow night Elder Harris and I will go visit some of our recent converts in Iguatemi (Ribeirão).

Elder Harris and I are getting along super well so far. Communication is key. I'm being patient and we get to know each other. We have some great ideas for the zone. This next month, march, we are going to do "MARCH MADNESS". A competition between the companionships in the zone. It will be a tribute to the March Madness of college basketball. We will have "game days" and everything haha. We are excited.

I love you all and pray for you all. The gospel is true and the Lord loves each one of us. Have a great week.

Elder Hawkley

PS. Send more pictures and updates please!!!! oh and good ideas for the next package whenever that may be: CRUNCHY peanut butter, mac and cheese, more food/sweet mix

Also, I would like to see if you can get me 2 soccer jerseys of the team in Salt lake (REAL SALT LAKE). to give as presents to 2 old comps. Maybe Tyson can get them for you. Let me know what you find please.

February 20, 2012 - Packing the Bags one more time

Hey family,

Yup, as you can probably guess, I was once again transfered. But things actually turned out pretty cool. I am now back in Ala 3 (where I was with Elder Mesquita before the emergency transfer), but this time as a Zone Leader and with Elder Harris. Elder Harris was already here. He is my first american comp haha. I attached a picture of him. He is from North Ogden, Utah. He was a financial secretary and we were together in the office for a transfer before he left the office. So I have already lived with him in the same house for a transfer. This time I will be able to get to know him a little better. We are from the same group and will return home together in June. Other cool things about the transfer ... Elder Mesquita stayed in Cidade Aracy so I will be able to see him. AND his new companion is ELDER ILUSTRE, my last companion (from the office). We are super good friends and it will be great to have him in the zone. He is an awesome missionary.

The pictures are of a grafitied "Jesus" and of elder Harris and of a family in our ward. Only the dad isn't baptized, because of some problems with the word of wisdom. They have very little. The kids are awesome, super happy and polite. They have had lots of problems, but are still doing their best. I could really feel Heavenly Fathers love for them, especially the kids.

Rachel's dress turned out great! and that's awesome that she got into BYU! Does she know anybody else that is going up there that she could possibly room with. Sounds like the only thing she is doing these days is going on dates and going to dances haha.

Things this last week were good in Cidade Aracy. We are teaching a couple named Marcelo and Elenice. They went to church for the 2nd time this last sunday and were interviewed for baptism. They will be baptized this week. The members really received them well at church and they really like church. Marcelo said an awesome prayer in gospel principles class. We need to start looking for more new investigators. I'll leave that to Elder Ilustre and Elder Mesquita though haha.

According to Elder Harris, things here in Ala 3 are super slow. They have had a hard time finding people to teach, just as we did. But I would like to see if we start to almost completely focus on the members. Oh and one awesome thing, that family that we found here that we baptized the daughter Milena. well they still aren't married. So we are going to mark a wedding and I will be able to see them be baptized!!!!

As far as being a zone leader, I am excited but feel somewhat humbled. I just hope that I can lead in the Lords way and help the zone be happy and have success. It will be interesting as I work with Elder Harris. I feel that it will take a week or too to get on the same page. I know that our visions of the work are a little different. But I learned with Elder Mesquita that talking about it always
helps. Communication is key as we work with other people for the same goal.

Thanks for the love and support and letters and pictures. I love you all so much. I know the gospel is true and that we are happy as we live it. I know that we are guided by living prophets and apostles. I know the Book of Mormon is true! Study it everyday. Have a great week!

Elder Hawkley

February 13, 2012 - Hey with pictures

Hey Family,

I attached some pictures for you guys. Our house is good and super big ahah. I also took a picture of the street as you step out the door/garage. And yes, I actually know how to iron my shirt now haha.

Glad to hear that Grandma is doing great! Thanks for getting the apartment set up! Sounds great!

I did get a big letter and some funny pictures from Tyson and Cristy. They seem to be doing good.

This last week was super busy. Last monday was pday. Last tuesday was district meeting in the morning. Wednesday we did something called D-day, where the whole zone goes to one area to look for new people to teach. It is a good idea but also not so good because it pulls everyone out of their own area. We had been doing it for a couple of weeks already. But that has stopped now. Thursday we did a division with the zone leaders. I worked in Ala 3 (last area) with Elder Harris. Elder Mesquita worked in our area with the other Zone Leader, Elder Thiago. It went well. Friday we had a zone conference. Saturday I went to do some interviews for Elder Ribeiro and Elder Grant, the other companionship in my district. They are both great elders and had a baptism yesterday! Elder Grant has almost 5 months on the mission and is from Oregon. He is a stud and we have become great friends. Yesterday we went to church. So this last week I really only worked in my area Tuesday and Sunday haha. Elder Mesquita is doing great though and has been able to keep the area going. He already knows almost everything. Just needs more experiences.

Zone conference was good. President Prieto enfasized (emphasized) obedience and working with the members. He talked about the sons of mosiah and how they were great missionareis and how we aren't very different from them. The assistants talked about effective planning and how the numbers don't reflect our work as much as they reflect the progress of investigators. It was good. Now we just have to put it all into practice haah.

This next week will be transfers. I am pretty sure that I will be transfered, but we will see. I know that whatever happens will be the Lord's will. Marcelo and Elenice, the couple we are teaching, are doing good. They weren't able to go to church yesterday, but we have a goal with them to be baptized this next week.

Thanks for the quote mom! That sounds so right. I just wish that more people had that vision here in Brasil. I'll just keep doing my best!

Thanks for the love and support! I love you guys so much! Have a great week!

Elder Hawkley