P-Day Eve party with Soeur Hafen on exchanges! And yes those are real French crepes that we made!

                                   Soeur Hafen and I on exchanges! I love her so much! She taught me so many wonderful things!

                                    FRANCE! I live here! Seriously I still can't believe I live in such a beautiful place! 

Bonjour à tous!

It was so wonderful to talk to you on Wednesday! I was nervous that I would be more homesick when I had to say goodbye but I prayed all week that saying goodbye would be a really positive experience and Heavenly Father really answered my prayer! Seeing your faces and hearing your voices and feeling your love and support was the best! It was so encouraging to me to talk with you, and I hope I was able to express to you how happy I am here! At times it is very very difficult but at the end of everyday I go to bed with a smile on my face knowing that I am doing the Lord's work, happy as can be! And I really hope you were able to see that and that you don't worry about me too much :)

Christmas was lovely. At first I wanted the Christmas season to jet by because it made me a little homesick but then I was able to really learn and understand the significance of Christmas. It was a really special Christmas season as we spent our days testifying to everyone the reason for Christmas which is our Savior!  My first Christmas away from home was one of the best ever! I was able to testify Christmas Eve and Christmas day of our Savior and share my testimony that He really is the Prince of Peace!! It made Christmas that much more special :) I couldn't have asked for anything more! Plus the members here and my companion are just like my family so it was the best Christmas I could have hoped for here in France!!

Thank you so much for all the gifts! Make sure to tell Grandma that we are thoroughly enjoying the four boxes of cereal!! All the food is great :) Thanks so much!!! I love the Idaho key chain, it made me laugh so hard! But the best gift was of course talking to you!

This coming week will be super strange. Tomorrow we are having a small party here at the church with everyone for New Year's and then Wednesday is a P-day so we'll go to Bishop's house with the Elders and hang out. Then Friday we're going to Paris again!! I get to go do legality! Woot. So we won't have a lot of time to find new amies :( we'll just have to be really efficient with the time we do have! 

We had the coolest experience this weekend! We've been doing Christmas contacting, where we just offer to sing Christmas songs for people and share the Spirit. Well Friday night we were in a neighborhood porting and we had been going for about an hour, getting rejected left and right! We knock on the next door, explained what we were doing and the lady was very skeptical, after some hesitation she said well if all you do is sing then you can come in, I don't want to talk about religion or anything. So she, Isabelle, let us in. We talked for a little bit, about our missions, and what we were doing there, all that and then sat down and sang. The Spirit was so strong as we sang Silent Night, and Away in a Manger, even though the high notes were a bit of a challenge. It was wonderful, she smiled the whole time after we asked if we could leave with a prayer. I asked the names of everyone in her family, and she mentioned they had lost a son five years ago. The grief on her face was heartbreaking as she explained that things are very difficult in her family now and her husband refuses to believe in God anymore. So I was able to say a prayer for her and her family and after she said a prayer for us too. In the middle of her prayer she began to cry and struggled to finish. At the end Soeur Foster testified to her of eternal families and the peace one can find in God's plan. It was incredible. The Spirit was so strong!! We left her with our card and invitation to come to church. As we were leaving she gave us a book of quotes and scriptures. She was so sweet and she kissed goodbye still crying. I know that we were sent to that house that night. Everyone else had said  no but Heavenly Father knew that Isabelle needed us and I am so glad that were able to show her God's love and share the Spirit it was a wonderful miracle!

I love being a missionary!!! It is the best thing in the world to testify all the time, to feel the Spirit so strongly, to be an answer to people's prayers and an instrument in God's hands! I am so grateful I chose to serve a mission! It is most definitely the best decision I ever made and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for letting me be here! 

Quote for the week: "You only live with regrets if you don't learn from your mistakes"

 I love you all!! Thank you so much for your love and support!

Happy New Year's!!!!!

Avec Amour,

Sœur Hawkes 

Letter from December 23, 2013

Joyeux Noel à tous!!!

    This week was amazing!! We had zone conference on Tuesday which was incredible. President and Soeur Poznanski are the best. I love zone conferences, they give me the extra boost that I need to keep going strong and I am so grateful for that! They share such wonderful insights there and the spirit with them is just wonderful. It was so fun to be with all the missionaries! For the lunch that we had everyone put on their Santa hats and I felt like I was at Hogwarts haha everyone was wearing hats in the Great Hall just like Harry Potter! It was such a fun experience and so great to see Paris again!! 

Tuesday night, on our way back from the train we met a woman and using the new Christmas contacting way we had learned just that day. we asked her if we could share the true spirit of Christmas with her and her family by singing and praying with them and she said yes!!! It was incredible!! Miracles. :) We've met quite a few families that way which is such a blessing!!

On Thursday we went to Saumur to see one of our amies. We took the train, it was about 20 minutes away. When we got there we spent our lunch climbing around the castle. It was so cool!!! Saumur is absolutely beautiful!!! After we were able to have a wonderful discussion with our amie. We invited her to read the Book of Mormon and shared our testimonies. However the next day she texted us and said she didn't want to meet with us anymore. Stab to the heart. Ay. It hurt. But. She has the knowledge now so when she's ready and willing to accept it she'll know where to find it. 

Later that night we went to a member's house and I think ate enough for an army. But her food is soo good! Natalie Hamelin was there with us and she teased us about gaining 40 kilos on our missions just like some other sisters she's known. But we kept eating anyway. The food was worth it I'm telling you! I've always heard the French eat smaller portions but I have yet to find that to be true.

Yesterday at our FHE with Lenaig we watched the Bible video of the Savior's birth and the three kings coming to bring Him gifts. I love the Christmas season. Before this year Christmas has been mostly about family traditions, Christmas shopping, all the lights and decorations, the good food and of course the cheesy Christmas movies. It's been a bit difficult being away from home during the season but it has made me reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas. The reason I'm out here in France instead of with my family.

 It's because of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Because He lived and died for us I know that I can be with my family together forever. Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on what the Savior did for each us. We can receive forgiveness, we can overcome our weaknesses, we can live again and we can be together with our families after this life. I am so grateful for that truth! 

This week we visited a lady who lost her mother at a young age and she told us she'll never see her mom again. My heart broke for her but I was so excited to share with her the truth that because our Savior Jesus Christ died for us she can see her Mom again! They will be together again after this life through the Plan of Salvation that our Heavenly Father so lovingly created for us. 

Being out here on my mission has strengthened my testimony so much but more than that it has given me a deeper gratitude for the knowledge I have and for a loving Heavenly Father whose only desire is our happiness. I know He loves us. I know He watches over us and protects us. He loves us and that is why He sent His Son to the earth. 

Christmas is for remembering Christ. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. I know that He is our Savior and our Redeemer and that through Him we can have peace in this life and the next. 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Avec amour,

Soeur Hawkes 

                                                Soeur Foster and I at the Saumur Château!

                                          France is BEAUTIFUL.

              At Anna's house with Natalie and Marie just about to stuff our faces with the best food ever! 

December 23, 2013

 

                                              Christmas zone conference

                                           Lucile and Me! She is the best missionary ever!

                                             White elephants gifts!  I got chocolate and a poem. 

Chocolate covered snails?  Soeur Foster told me that's what they were so I was really, really scared but she lied!  It's just chocolate shaped like snails!

1. Hamelin family! Nathalie and Alan are members and we're teaching her daughter, Marie right now. I look like a giant. And I don't do my hair anymore. But it's fiiine. These people hold a special place in my heart! I love them so much!

2. Angers-Catholic Cathédral

3. Us and the girls! Soeur Foster, Nicole, Emmanuelle, Esther, Kahaia and me!

 

Bonjour!

This week was so good! We had quite a few lessons with Lenaig and she is so ready for baptism it's ridiculous! I can't wait for January 12th!

We had our soirée de noël this week with the ward and it was wonderful. We sang Silent Night in Tahitian and French with the young adult girls and there was lots of other talents and we listened to some messages from the prophets. It was so great and then there was tons of cake! The Spirit was really strong and I finally felt at home with this ward! I feel like I've finally been able to 'change my address' and make Angers my home! Plus my French is progressing so I can finally have conversations with the members! It's wonderful. I never want to leave!

So last week I tried to plug in my heating pad and I accidentally blew the fuse...so we didn't have any power! And we could not figure out the French fuse system for the life of us! So we ate our cereal in the dark for dinner and we called the Elders and after twenty minutes they figured it out and got the power back on! But then yesterday I turned on the bathroom light and it popped and blew out too! But we tried to fix it and there's electricity in the bathroom still just no light ha sooo hopefully someone can come by and fix it this week. I am just cursed when it comes to electricity I guess!

This week is the Christmas conference! And it's in Paris!! I am so thrilled! I can't wait to go back to Paris and there's going to be tons of missionaries and it's gonna be great! Plus we might have time to do some contacting there too!

Once again we were unable to find new amis. We contacted and ported so much this week but no obvious results. But it's okay! Because I know we are planting seeds. I know that what we say has an impact and someday they'll remember us and accept the gospel!

So we had lots of opportunities to bear our testimonies to so many people on the street and in their homes. It was really wonderful and even though they rejected us I know they felt the Spirit. At one home of a family I wanted to tell them I knew their family could be together forever. But I forgot the phrase in French! Thankfully Soeur Foster gave me the words and I bore my testimony in my broken French with my thick American accent. And even though my French was really terrible I know that the Spirit carried my message to the man's heart and I know he felt the truth! he just wasn't ready yet to accept it. But someday he will! 

Gratitude is something that I've been focusing on a lot lately. When we look for God's hand in our life and when we open our eyes to all the blessings that we have we can be assured of His love for us. Realizing all the blessings that we do receive reaffirms that He is there, that He is aware of everything, that He knows us personally. I am so grateful for that. I am so grateful to know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and guides me. He knows what is going on in my life and I can turn to Him in prayer and seek His guidance. Being out here makes me so grateful for the gospel. I have so much peace and so much happiness because I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can change. That through the plan of God I can be with my family forever. Even after death! Because I have the gospel in my life I know that I am more than my weaknesses. We lived with God before we lived here and we learned and progressed there. We were spiritual beings with so much potential. And that is who we are here too. We are here to progress and learn through our trials so that we can become like God so we can live with Him again! This knowledge gives me so much hope and I am so grateful that I am blessed to have this knowledge here. And I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for letting me be here in Angers as a missionary to share what I know with each person I meet! It's the biggest blessing! Even though sometimes I'm homesick and my head is fried from all the French I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but right here bearing my testimony and helping others come closer to Christ. 

Quote for the week: "May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, carrying with us a tender caring heart as our gift for the Savior." -President Monson

It's almost Christmas! The Christmas season is such a wonderful reminder for what Jesus Christ did for us. He came into this world to save and redeem us and I am so grateful for what He did! Remember to have the spirit of CHRISTmas during Christmas! :)

I love you all! Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Avec amour,

Sœur Hawkes

1. Nicole! She's a recent convert from the U.S. she was here studying and I love her with all my heart! She's leaving on Saturday :(

2. Lengiag!!! She's getting baptized on January 12th!!

3. Saturday afternoon we helped out with the Young Adult activity and I was in charge of the game Time's up. I had to explain it in French! It was super hard but I learned a lot and it was wonderful practice for my French! 

Bonjour à tous!!

Today is the beginning of Transfer 2!!! I cannot believe how fast the first transfer went! I feel like I just got here yesterday stilll! This last transfer was really good. Full of stretching and growing and progressing!

WE FINALLY SET A BAPTISMAL DATE WITH LENAIG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like it's actually official now :) I cannot tell you how happy I am!!! I am just so thrilled for her!! Seeing her faith grow has been an incredible experience. She really gets it. So many of our investigators really don't so it's fabulous to see someone who really understands and who has a sincere desire to follow Christ. It's absolutely amazing. I love her soo much!!! 

So this week we met a woman who invited us to attend a meeting of the Disciples of Christ. She said that they just talk about Christ for 4 hours. So we went for the last hour. So we could meet with her afterwards. And it was very very different. There was about six women and then a pastor. And he was yelling like crazy! He was so animated and I just was astounded! How can these people feel the Spirit when he's yelling like that? And then they all started praying and sobbing and singing together. It was very uncomfortable for us. During their prayers the pastor went around blessing them. However, two of the women apparently sinned and he punished them by not giving them blessings. Afterwards he made them come up to the front and apologize publicly and I just kept thinking this is not how God is. He is kind and gracious and repentance is a personal process! It was really terrible because during that meeting I felt the Spirit leave and it was scary!! After all the praying though they each shared their testimonies of Christ and the Spirit came back. They are such good people. They love God and they know Jesus Christ is their Savior! If they understood our message I know they would take it in heartbeat! After that meeting it made me appreciate our Sunday church meetings so much more. I always took for granted the Spirit we can find there. It is so peaceful and so calm. I really do love it!! Even though here I can't really understand the French, the Spirit is still the same :)

So this week we are fasting to find those people who are ready to accept the gospel. All of our amies have dropped us and our searching yields no results. but. It is a new week! And I just know that we are going to see miracles!! I know the Lord is with us in this work. He walks with us everyday. I know He knows each of us personally and these people! It's just a matter of following the Spirit and finding them! And I know this week we will. Heavenly Father is going to help us. :)

We taught about repentance and the Savior's Atonement this week with Lenaig. It was a really good lesson. Through teaching others and being out here on a mission in general I have been able to deepen my testimony in the Savior's Atonement and the repentance process. Sometimes we may feel unworthy to access His Atonement or we may think we're too far gone or that we simply can't because we've messed up too bad. But I promise that the Savior is begging us to use His Atonement. He wants us to embrace and accept the gift He has given us! The Savior's Atonement covers not only our sins but also our sufferings and afflictions-everything we experience in this life, He experienced. So repentance is not just for the big sins but for overcoming our weaknesses. Through repentance and thanks to His sacrifice we get to start over every single day. We have the ability to pick ourselves back up, brush off and try again. We can learn from our mistakes and progress every time! I am so grateful for that! I know that His Sacrifice makes up for all my inadaquecy. My Savior's grace is sufficient for me. And I cannot express how grateful I am! I am so glad I don't have to stay the way I am! That I can improve every day striving to do what's right and when I mess up I get to try again. Isn't that incredible? I am so grateful for my Savior. I am so grateful that He came into this world for us. I am so grateful to be out here and to have been given the opportunity to share this truth with everyone I meet! It's absolutely amazing to be a part of this work. It is so hard. But it is so worth it. 

I am so grateful for all your prayers and your support and love! It means so much to me. I love you all!! 

Avec amour,

Sœur Hawkes   

                                           Soeur Menager! We were eating walnuts and acorns. She is one crazy old  
                                           lady.  It was a really good time.

                                          We're in CentreVille you can kind of see the lights they've hung up.

                                         All of us girls! We have FHEs each week with the young adult girls and our amies! I love them so much!

                                           Our last district meeting! I finished transfer 1!!

Me and all my presents!! Seriously SO many!! Thanks :)

Our Thanksgiving Feast! (I wish I was more photogenic!)

                                              Our Homemade, from scratch stuffing

                                              Soeur Horn, Soeur Foster and I

Soeur Huntsman Soeur Evans and I with our wannabe mustaches. (Ashley Bingham this reminds me of you!!) 

 

Bonjour à tous!

Thanksgiving in France was pretty great! We went to Nantes and celebrated with our zone. Each companionship was in charge of bringing a traditional dish and we were assigned stuffing. They don't have premade stuffing here so we decided to make home made and that was an adventure. Our first try didn't go so well but the second attempt was a success and everyone loved it! So we had a huge feast and we played charades and Catch Phrase. It was so much fun and a nice break. Then we literally ran to catch the train back to Angers. I was so scared I was going to miss it, everyone was running faster than me and I stepped out of my shoe so I went back for it and then ran the rest of the way with only one shoe on, so that was pretty painful but we made it safe and sound and it turned out okay. So it was a really good Thanksgiving, just not the same without you guys or Grandma's famous rolls! :) 

 

Later that evening we had a lesson with Bishop and one of our amis. We did the SARS lesson (Sin, Atonement, Repentance Salvation) It was really powerful. The Spirit was so strong and we invited her to pray to know that baptism is what the Lord wants for her. We were pretty nervous about the lesson because the last time the missionaries asked her to be baptized she stopped meeting with them but she has been praying to know and we were able to have a second lesson with her with Soeur Poznanski and we picked a date for her. January 12th! I am so happy for her. I love her so much and I know as she prays she will receive confirmation that this is the right path for her. It is so wonderful to see her progress towards baptism!! 

 

This saturday there was a baptism for a little boy in our ward and President and Soeur Poznanski came so it was so fun to see them and they were able to meet two of our amis! It was a really good time and they stayed for Sunday too so it was a really good weekend. 

 

So this week Centre Ville began the Marche de Noel. They went big. There are Christmas lights everywhere and a HUGE Christmas tree decorated terribly (it's so gaudy) and decorations everywhere. It looks really pretty at night though. Also the Marche de Noel is basically a Christmas market. They have all these little houses set up in the center and they're shops for food, clothes, bags, journals, you name it they've got it. We're going shopping there today so I'm excited to see everything. It's really cool! They have also started playing music throughout the streets through loudspeakers which would be cool except it's American music! I wish they would play nice Christmas songs but instead they're playing Katy Perry, Maroon 5, who knows who else and a bunch of other American artists with a few French ones mixed in. It's really annoying because we usually go contacting throughout Centre Ville but it's impossible with the music. It's so much noise and it makes it really difficult to listen to the Spirit. I hope as it gets closer to Christmas they play more Christmas music so it'll be a little easier at least. 

 

So on Tuesday we went out contacting away from Centre Ville a little and we met this woman. We were telling her about our Church and what we're doing here and she's like can I see your church? We're like, right now? and she said yes. So we took her to the Church gave her a tour and taught half of the first lesson. It was so cool. What a miracle! Then she made us follow her home to meet her niece and she walks SO slow so it took forever. And then her niece wasn't even home! And then. You won't believe this. It's so disgusting. But this lady went across the street and went to the bathroom behind some cars!! Soeur Foster and I were mortified. I could not believe it. I was like people actually do that!?!? Oh the things you experience on your mission...

 

Anyway later we met up with one of our amis and got French hamburgers. They weren't too bad. They seemed more like fancy sandwiches to me but they were really good! Plus I ordered lemonade and apparently lemonade in France is Sprite so that was a pleasant suprise. And our ami fed us OREOS!!!!!! Oh. My. Gosh. They were so delicious. But there isn't good milk here to eat them with...so tragic...

 

So. Story time. Sunday morning we went out to catch the tram to the church. And we had just barely missed it so we had to wait like 23 minutes. So we just sat down and started planning our lesson for the 17 year olds class. There's a group of drunk guys a little ways off (I don't get why there is still drunk people out at 8 in the morning, go home people!) So one of the guys comes and sits down next to us and starts asking us all these questions about God. It was really hard to understand his French because it was so slurred so I let Soeur Foster take the lead (as usual ha) and more guys come up to talk to us! They seemed more sober than the other guy though. Anyway there was a group of 5 or 6 guys around us and Soeur Foster was talking to one half and I the other. They were all asking a billion questions at once so I stood up and politely asked them to chill out. They finally did and they asked what I was doing in France and where I was from. I explained everything and they started freaking out about how good my French was, which honestly wasn't especially that early in the morning, (Maybe I should talk to drunk people more often so they'll appreciate my broken French! haha jk we do our best to stay safe) One of them asked if I ever go to parties. I told him as missionaries we're here solely to serve the Lord and find people searching for the truth. He couldn't let it go though he was like well not even on the weekends? or holidays? haha I was like no!! And then he saw on my tag des saints des dernier jours (saints of the last days) and he was like it's the last days!? that's so scary!! Aren't you scared? It was so hard trying to explain to him in French about the Second coming and how we're in the last dispensation. Alll he kept saying was so it'll be a great big party? Finally I just said yes it'll be a party and he seemed satisfied. Another one then asked about the book in my hands (Book of Mormon of course!:) and I showed it to him and he kept saying to me I've read a part of that I've read a part of that!!! So then they begged me to read to them in French from this book. So I started reading 3 Nephi 11 to them. It was like they were little boys asking their mom for a bedtime story haha it was hilarious. Finally one interrupted me and said so you live for Jesus Christ? And I was like yeah I do. And he said well I live for me. And I explained the happiness and peace I get from living for Christ who died and suffered for me. It was a really cool experience that started out so scary but I know the Lord was watching over us. It was a little nerve racking because I had to be really firm in standing up for myself and my beliefs in a foreign language to a bunch of strange men no less but it was way cool. And we lived so that's a good thing. At first I wasn't so sure haha but I was really touched by the guy who said so you live for Jesus Christ. It wasn't a question. It was statement. He had noticed about me because I had given 18 months to the Lord. I'm not living for me. I'm living for my Savior. I'm trying to live to be grateful for gift that He has given me. I strive to live so that I can live with Him again. It was such a profound moment for me. And I'm really grateful for that experience. 

 

Hopefully that long story makes sense, it's so hard to write out long stories like that but this week was filled with miracles and lots of opportunities to bear my testimony. My French is improving and I can communicate sufficiently enough. The French are so patient with me and they frequently correct me which I am grateful for.

 

Quote of the week: " We may have to struggle to achieve our goals but our struggles may yield as much growth as our learning. The strengths we develop in overcoming challenges will be with us in the eternities to come." -Elder Oaks 

 

In short, mission life is amazing. I love seeing the Lord help me through everything and being so close to Him. I know he is my Savior and Redeemer. I'm so grateful to be here and have the opportunity to bear my testimony and share the gospel with those I meet. It's so wonderful!

Thank you so much for your prayers and your support! I love you all!!!!

Please write letters!!!

Avec amour,

Sœur Hawkes 

DISTRICT MEETING!!!!

We had a Chinese meal called hot pot. You just get a pot of boiling water and throw stuff in and cook it up! It was really gross. We had fish balls and crab sticks and rice noodles and shrimp with their eyes still on! It was weirddd. But edible and quite the experience so yeah. Adventures of the District! 

Bonjour à tous!

The weeks fly by here it's crazy!! This week was another of lots of contacting and searching for those waiting for this Gospel! The culture in France is that no one believes in God. So no one really cares at all about what we have to say. It's very sad because knowing God will give you so much more peace and happiness in your life! But I know all the encounters we have with people make an impact and we are always planting seeds! 

 

I'll most likely stay here in Angers at least until March. The norm is to stay in an area for about three transfers. Soeur Foster will be here for four because she'll finish training me here. Hopefully But anything can happen really, it's all up to the Lord!

 

So this week we met this really eccentric lady, her name is Dominique. We were out contacting and we met a Muslim woman named Carmelia (We aren't allowed to teach Muslims) but she told us about a good Christian woman who was at her restaurant just down the street. So we went there, found her and began talking with her. And this woman LOVES to talk. She told us her entire family history-all of it. And then her entire life story. Which is really interesting. She just ran away from her abusive husband and she's been staying in Hospitals a lot but she's on the run and no one can know where she is. She was so funny and everytime we would try to talk about the Restoration we would fit in one sentence and then she would go back to what she was just saying. She's is so self-oriented it was funny. She also told us her IQ was the same as Einstein's. It's actually pretty believable. So when we were finally leaving (we talked to her for over an hour) she told us she never had daughters and now we are hers. So tender. We set up a rendez vous with her but the day of she called us saying she was hiding in the countryside and would call us the next time she was in town. But she had read the brochure we gave her and she really wanted to read the Book of Mormon. We're hoping to meet with her this week sometime. 

 

We had invited Isabelle to the Baptism that was last Saturday but she never came. So we went by to see how she was doing. We asked her why she didn't come to the baptism and she told us she was too scared. We asked her what was scary and she said that we throw the people in the water! haha she thought to be baptized we would just chuck people into the font. Soeur Foster kindly explained about the stairs and hopefully Isabelle will come to the baptism that's this coming Saturday. As we were leaving her boyfriend said to us that they were really grateful we had met Isabelle. He said she was much happier and more at peace ever since. Warmed my heart :)

 

We finally have a progressing investigator!! Her name is Camille and she was the one who broke up with her boyfriend. She's been coming to FHE with us and we had a girls night on Friday night and she came to that as well. She's been praying and reading and she came to church yesterday even though she missed the bus! I love her so much. After our first lesson where we explained God is our Heavenly Father she asked me, 'So you really think God is your Father, but in Heaven? Well what does your Dad on earth say about that?" I tried not to laugh as I explained that we are ALL children of God. And Heavenly Father is everyone's Father and my Dad is the one that taught me that too. It was so funny. I love hearing what people think about all this new info.

 

Right now we are mostly working with the Young Adults in the ward. It's really fun and we go to Institute and FHE with our investigators. The girls in the ward are absolutely wonderful and so welcoming and friendly to all of our amis. Friday night we had a girls night, there was about eight of us and we just chatted and ate dinner and then had a spiritual thought. It was really great and it was nice to be together to bear each other up and get a kind of boost. It was the perfect ending to a really really rough day.

 

This week Soeur Foster and I decided to focus on gratitude. Each night we have a prayer just of thanks and then another personally throughout the day. I am so much happier when I'm grateful. This week whenever I was discouraged or upset I tried to start counting my blessings and saying prayers of gratitude and it helped me feel so much better. We can feel so much closer to our Heavenly Father as we express gratitude for everything He gives us throughout our day. And it's funny that once I begin saying the things I'm grateful for more things come to mind and more and more! It's a really great experience and I encourage you to have at least just one prayer a day dedicated solely to thank Heavenly Father for His tender mercies in our lives. I know that as we continue to look for His hand we'll be more blessed. I heard a quote that said, "Giving thanks turns what we have into enough and more." And that is the truth!

 

Yesterday we went over to a member's house for lunch and it was so great! I love them. I want to describe everything to you so you know exactly what it's like here! So this family has one 6 year old son. So while Soeur Obrecht was making the food we just played with him and he showed us his super gross bug collection. We finally sat down to eat and we had carrots and salad and beets with bread of course (you eat a baguette with every meal here, looove it) then we had sausage, ham and potatoes with sour krout. After that we had a bunch of different kind of cheeses. After that we had apple pie and then we gave our message. Afterwards Joseph the six year old did mimes for us (charades). He quickly lost interest with us and ran away to play. So we just sat and talked and they pulled out herbal teas and cakes. The French feed us SO much food here!!! It was a wonderful time and I love them so much. It was rough though because throughout the meal Soeur Obrecht would ask me questions and I had to make her repeat them slowly. It was really frustrating and I could hardly follow the conversation but I could smile and nod and say merci beaucoup merci. So it was still good and they were very kind. They even invited us to spend Christmas Eve with them!! I am so excited. They said we'll sing songs and eat lots and do chimes and the mimes as well and all that, it's going to be really enjoyable so I'm really excited about that. 

 

The French is still really hard and I become so completely exasperated sometimes. Sundays are the hardest. Everyone at church is trying to make plans with us and all the lessons and talks and we were teaching a lesson yesterday and I'm just like overload overload! ha it's great though because I think of my very first Sunday here and I'm like ok yeah I'm doing better than that so progression! plus now when we contact people on the street I can mostly understand what they're saying!!! It's really great. But I do need to work harder at studying French better and I'm going to practice reading out loud so my mouth will get used to the sounds of French, I've got the thickest American accent so it's hard sometimes for people to understand what I'm saying! But practice makes perfect and it's even easier with the Lord on my side!

 

We see miracles every day and I know the Lord is always with us, this week was rough but they say that it always gets really hard right before miracles happen so we're pushing forward with faith and we know there are people here who need us!!!

 

I can't thank you enough for your prayers and support. I love you all so much!!!!!

Avec amour,

Sœur Hawkes 

P.S. Dad, Soeur Hoover is my grandma!! She trained my trainer and I love her! She's also my STL :)

Pictures!

 

Bonjour à tous! 

I can't believe it's P-Day again. This week just flew by. Tuesday we had Zone conference. Which was really cool. They introduced all the new missionaries so that was interesting and President and Soeur Poznanski spoke to us and at the end the missionaries who are dying (going home after this transfer) shared their testimonies and it was so touching and put a lot of things into perspective for me.We also had interviews with President and Soeur Poznanski, it was really great and I love them so much!

 

After Zone conference we did exchanges with our STLs! I was with Soeur Evans and she is so cool.  She taught me a lot and we were able to teach Elodie together. Elodie is a woman Soeur Foster and I met two weeks ago on the street. She's Protestant right now but grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. She loves the Bible and thinks it's all she needs. But I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God too! And I know that if she would just read it she would love it too! We were going to meet with her yesterday to see how her readings were this week but she's sick. She said she'll call us when she feels better. I really hope she does. I love her so much and I know she could find so much happiness in this gospel if she'll just meet with us again and gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon! 

 

Isabelle kept her rendez-vous with us, and we gave her a tour of the Church and taught her about prophets. We had a few members there with us too and that really helped her understand so much better. Honestly, members are so vital in missionary work! They had such a strong testimony to what the missionaries are saying! You guys have more influence then you realize for sure.

 

 After we had a lesson with Emmanuelle who is a less active and questions if there is life after death. It was really powerful lesson because we testified of the sacrifice of our Savior and I know she was touched. It was a really cool experience to feel the Spirit testify so strongly and to see her finally understand and start to believe. 

 

Before I forget I have to tell you this really cool promise an apostle gave! His name is Elder Kopishck (no idea how to spell) but he gives a promise where if you write down a specific question you have, put in your pocket and take it to church you will receive an answer! I've done it the past two Sundays and it really works! You will receive an answer if you sincerely ask and pray for it in faith, I know it! 

 

So this week we did a lot of finding and we were porting one night and I knocked on the door and this old lady opens it, I start to introduce myself and she cuts me off yelling at me in rapid French and slams the door. I could not stop laughing. It was hilarious because I seriously could not understand a single word she had said. So sometimes it's a blessing not to be able to understand French :)

 

But we did find a lot of people this week and saw a lot of miracles. Friday night we had seven minutes left to find someone so we prayed then started walking, at the same time Soeur Foster and I saw a girl just meandering and we were both like we need to go talk to her! So we went up and introduced ourselves and why we were there and she was really interested. She asked why we were in France specifically and I explained we were called by a prophet of God. She said so you're guided by God always? We said yes. She was astounded and said, So God guided you to me right now!' It was way cool and hopefully we'll get a rendez-vous with her this week! Miracles are totally real and we see so many every single day!

 

So this week was a bit of struggle for me personally. I had made a lot of goals and expectations for myself and just felt that I wasn't making the cut. It was really really hard. But I was able to get a blessing from our District Leader and it was exactly what I needed. In the blessing I was reminded that I have been sent here to Angers specifically to bless the lives of many and that the adversary does not want me to do so. It reminded me that when we are hard on ourselves and we beat ourselves up and we replay situations over and over and regret things, that isn't the Spirit. That isn't what Heavenly Father wants us to do. Those are tactics of Satan. We have to learn to listen to the Spirit not negativity! We are children of God and we are so loved!

 

Also Soeur Foster reminded me of the story of the Currant bush. (That mormon message from Elder Christofferson, SOO good) But Sometimes the Lord has to tear us down so He can build us back up the way He wants us. He's got to cut us down so He can make us who He knows we can become. Who He wants us to become. As hard as that is when I think about it, it actually helps me realize how much He loves me and I'm so grateful for that. Ezkiel 36:36 'I the Lord God build the ruined places, and plant that which was desolate.' Makes me happy to know that I may be cut down now but He will build me up. Times are rough but those are the times when we have to strengthen our trust in God and rely on the Savior's Atonement. I know that I can overcome these challenges because of the Atonement of my Savior. He suffered and died for me personally so I could live with Him and Heavenly Father again. So it doesn't matter how hard the language is or how scary it is to talk to random strangers. I know that God loves me and He will help me do this work so I have nothing to fear! 

 

Another thing I wanted to share is Alma 50. We share the first 5 verses with the member families that we meet with. These verses talk about Moroni fortifying the cities and how he builds many different things to help protect these cities. So we liken it to families. The city is your family and the mounds of earth Moroni first uses to fortify  are the things that we can do personally to fortify our families, like personal scripture study and prayer and keeping commandments. The wood Moroni uses next represents the things we can do together as a family. Like family prayer and scripture study, going to church and  having family home evening. The piquets (sorry I can't remember the word in English!) Moroni uses next to fortify are the things that church can provide for us. Like Relief Society and Priesthood Meeting, Young Men and Young Women's Primary and Sacrament Meeting. The last thing Moroni uses are the towers. And these represent the people in our lives who we can rely on to help us and advise us in keeping our families strong against Satan. People like the Bishop, the other members, the parents and the Prophet. Just as all these fortifications Moroni used prevented the Lamanites from entering and attacking the city, these are things we can do in our families to keep the Spirit in our homes and to protect us from the influences of Satan. I know that as you do these things together that the home will be a refuge from the world and Satan's influences and you will feel the Spirit more.

 

Alsooo the address you have for me is incorrect. That is for the elders here in Angers! So they've been getting my mail ha the Sisters address is 

Les Soeurs Missionnaires

31 Rue de la Roë

49000 Angers France

 

Also I get to play the piano all the time. I play in Relief Society every week and I got to play prelude at a baptism on Saturday so it's fun and a blessing to be able to do it. 

It's so funny you always ask me to tell you everything!! Honestly I feel like there isn't much interesting stuff to say except that they don't have any of my favorite foods ha but they do have better peanut butter but their milk is terrible. And the cereal isn't even close to being as good. The pastries and the bread are to die for though. So I guess it makes up for it :) And obviously that everyone speaks French. or crazy African languages.There's a ton of different cultures here. Also my straightener doesn't work here so that's why my hair always looks so crazy in the pictures. It's freezing cold here now and they say Angers doesn't get a lot of snow, which won't be a sad thing for my poor feet. I've already destroyed my boots :( we're going to go look for new ones today though so all will be well! They have Christmas decorations all over Centre Ville. They're huge things that hang between all the buildings, they'll be really pretty when they finally light them up. For Thanksgiving we're going to get together as a district and play games and have a great feast so it should be fun.

The work is progressing and I know that my French is improving thanks to all your prayers!

 Thank you so much for all your love and support! I feel your prayers and appreciate you all so much!!!

Avec amour,

Soeur Alicia Hawkes 

P.S. Could you send me recipes? fyi cream of chicken doesn't exist here so maybe some recipes without that which we could make for a big meal. Thanks!

P.S. oh and for the package they said to put the Mission home address as the return address to ensure that it'll get to me someday. But you could just send it to the mission home. Whatever's easiest and simple. Thanksss

P.S. Also it would be super cool if you could send me the pictures of me that are on the Mission Facebook page, haha I want to see which ones they put up there!

Pictures!

1. All the Sisters at the district meeting two weeks ago. The sister in the front with the super gorgeous curly hair is Soeur Evans, who I went on exchange with.

2. Soeur Foster and I in our apartment just before Zone Conference. It's kind of bad picture and a weird angle but I guess it gives you a good view of our apartment hah. It's just the two of us that live there so it's nice.

3.That's our three generation photo! They refer to your trainer as your mom or dad. So I'm there with my Mom and Grandma! 

4. Somehow Soeur Foster and I wore the EXACT same outfit one day.

 

Bonjour à tous!

This week has been  crazy! Okay not really but still it was crazy for me trying to adjust to the schedule and being in a country where I don't understand anything! I can't even read nutrition labels on what I'm eating! ha It was soo good though. We saw SO many miracles seriously. The Lord answers prayers! It's incredible :) I love France so much, there is so much diversity here and I love it. My companion is Aubree Foster and she's from North Ogden. She is incredible! She hits her one year mark on Thursday. I love her so much, she gives wonderful advice and always points out my strengths. She is a huge blessing to me! 

 

The people here are so great. That typical mean snobby French person doesn't exist! Until you mention God haha then they shut you down pretty quick. But for the most part they are so kind and willing to listen. The members I absolutely adore. They are soo kind to me! In Relief Society we have a mission minute where we talk about miracles we've seen and the blessings that can come from missionary work and I get up there to talk and the whole time the sisters are helping me with the right conjugations and the words I'm looking for, it is so sweet.

 

Church is wonderful. It is a little difficult because it is SO much French in one place at one time and tons of people try to talk to me and I just have to be patient in understanding. But I will tell you the church is the same in whatever language. Even though I don't understand the talks and lessons I still feel the Spirit so strongly. I love church so much, it is such a blessing!

 

So in the morning we have three hours of studies and then we usually go contacting in Centre Ville right where we live. Then we have lunch and afterwards we usually have some appointments, dinner and language study then back out for contacting and porte a porte. It's kind of exhausting but in a good way. I know I'm working hard and consecrating my time to the Lord so that makes me happy :)

 As of this week we technically don't have any progressing investigators. The work is pretty slow right now. We had one with a baptismal date but she dropped us sooo last week we did a LOT of finding. And we saw so many miracles. Everytime we stopped and prayed specifically for someone with an open heart, immediately after we found someone! It was incredible. Thursday night we were in a neighborhood knocking on every single door and it was pouring rain. And of course we forgot our umbrella so we were just soaked and freezing but we kept going. We both knew there was someone! We stopped to pray. Then we turned and knocked on a door and they were accepting!!! They were in the middle of dinner but invited us to come back! It was amazing. Seriously I cannot describe to you how many miraculous things we see every single day.

 

 We face a lot of rejection. So much. But when we find that person who is searching for the answers to their questions and their heart is open and ready I cannot contain my smile! My heart just soars and it makes all of the rejection worth it! I love it. Being a part of this work is the biggest blessing ever! 

We are here to help people and being able to do that everyday is so cool. I meet so many different people every day and it's really cool to be able to uplift them in someway. We met a girl this week who just barely broke up with her boyfriend and she was just so distraught. So we talked to her and told her about prayer and then prayed with her. We'll meet with her again soon but I know that she found comfort in prayer! Prayer is an absolute blessing and I know I took it for granted before my mission. I have such a strong testimony that we can receive peace and comfort and the strength that we need through prayer. We go through so many tough things, there is a lot discouragement and sadness but when you get down on your knees and you pray with sincerity you can know with absolute surety that everything is going to be okay. That the Lord has a plan, and He is aware of your struggles and He will give you the strength to keep moving forward. I know that Heavenly Father wants to hear from us! We are His children and His is anxiously waiting to bless us if we just ask! I know when we turn to Him in prayer we are never left alone and never left unaided. 

 

Another lady we met was Isabelle and I love her with all my heart. She is so sincere and so humble. She was so excited about the idea of prayer and we're giving her a tour of the church on Friday! I hope she comes! We get bailed on a lot. But it's okay. It just makes me sad that these people can't understand how important this gospel is and how much it will help them. It hurts my heart so much when we talk to beautiful families about the plan of salvation and they just shake their head that they're not interested and I'm just like Don't you understand? This will bring you so much happiness you can't even imagine!' This work is hard because it's our purpose to bring others to Christ and when they won't let us do that it breaks my heart. But I know that they just aren't ready yet. And someday they will be, and we are planting seeds! And there are those who are ready and waiting for us! We just have to find them. Well that basically sums up my week. Lots of contacting, lots of miracles and lots of rain :) Loovin it! 

 

Ha as far as food goes we mostly eat cereal, sweet potatoes and chicken, and Soeur Foster makes THE best chili in the world. So it's good :) oh and lots of pastries haha we going to do better this week about eating more fruits and vegetables and less pastries hopefully  It's a really good life. We take the tram and bus everywhere and get stranded and lost and have to run for the trams all the time. We get stuck in the pouring rain and we endure super stinky houses (I can't even begin to describe the smells here) We get rejected and we get laughed at. (They laugh when we tell them they're children of God. I'm like why are you laughing? It's the truth people!) But we find those who are searching for the truth. We comfort and we help families. We pray all the time and we study beacoup. And we are so happy. So happy to be a part of this work! Honestly, it's the best thing I have ever done and I am so grateful my Heavenly Father is letting me serve a mission no matter how hard it can be! I can't tell you how happy I am. Yeah it is really hard and sometimes I just want to go to bed and give up trying to understand this lady speaking in rapid French but at the end of the day it is all worth it. And everyday the French gets better! So it's absolutely wonderful :) Thank you so much for your support and your prayers! I love you all soo much!!!

 

Avec Amour,

Soeur Hawkes

P.S. sorry no pictures this week we literally bolted out the door running for the tram so I forgot my camera, sorryyy! I promise next week I'll have some!

and also I bought a coat here so I am toasty warm! No worries :)

Bonjour ma famille!! Angers is absolutely beautiful! But I will start at the beginning. Disclaimer! I'm using a french keyboard so its really difficult so pardon me for all my grammatical mistakes! It was sooo wonderful to talk to you on the phone last week! Made me so happy! The flight was really long and I didnt get any sleep.Ioove our mission president and his wife. They are the best, so sweet and so kind. Paris is absolutely AMAZING. I adore it! Even though it smells terrible but really its incredible definitely something that everyone has to see someday! We stayed at the mission home the first night and then the next day I said goodbye to Soeur Mason and met Soeur Foster who is an absolute angel! She is from Utah and she is the best trainer ever! We get along super well and she helps me out a lot with my french. Our apartment is lovely, its small butperfect and the only place besides the church that smells good ha we live above a boulangerie which is a bakery so yup comin back fat but these patisseries are practically worth it! We go contacting everyday and porte a porte and we see miracles every time. I can see everyday the hand of the Lord in this work, it is incredible! My first Sunday was great. Everyone here is soo nice and they were complimenting me on my French which was so kind. I was able to go up and introduce myself and bear my testimony which was great but a tad bit scary! The members are really great and I am excited to be able to work with all of them! There are 3 companionships in Angers so all of us are at church together, they are really nice and we get to teach the 16 & 17 year olds sunday school class! All the French stereotypes are WRONG btdubs just so you know :) Except the fact that everyone and their dog smokes here seriously my lungs are getting ruined! But I really do love it here and although the work right now is not progressing very well I know that I belong here and there are lives here that I can change if I just open my mouth and act as an instrument for the Lord! He has a plan and we will find those people who are ready! We meet so many people everyday and the world is full of characters. Yesterday we met with this old lady and she gave us a tour of her entire house then fed us like 20 year old tart gateau that she cut with the same knife that she had once been threatened to be killed with! Ooh la la people here! It is really hard work but it is so good and so rewarding. I love you all thank you so much for your support and prayers!!

Avec amour,

Soeur Hawkes

 

Oh and we take public transportation everywhere but in Angers it really is not that bad the public transportation in Paris was super sketch though.

 

P.S. I am never coming home :) loove youuuuu

 

I forgot to ask you a HUGE favor. So the Mission President said if we want the gift of tongues we have to pray 3x a day for it, and to ask our families to pray for us as well. So please pray for me! Pray that I can understand these people and have the ability to share my testimony with them in French! The language is really difficult but it's getting there, every day is better! but I could always use your prayers! :)

I love you all and I can't thank you enough for your support and prayers!

Avec amour,

Soeur Hawkes 

Also just so you don't worry, I've hardly had anxiety while I've been here. it has been an incredible blessing from Heavenly Father! I'm doing really great, my biggest challenge is understanding people! they talk so fast here! But it'll come :) I know that through God's grace I can do all things! 

On the train on the way to the airport in SLC

                                                       Consecration Hill outside of Paris

                              Alicia and Sister Foster painted Halloween costumes on their hands

Sister Foster and Sister Hawkes

Alicia posing with more food

Alicia with the mission president and his wife

Alicia made it to France!

Alicia with her new companion, Sister Foster

The group of missionaries that just arrived from the U.S.A.

                                          Eating yummy pastries upon arrival.