Bonjour à tous!

I think I start every one of my letters with the words, 'this was a week of miracles!!' But I gotta state the truth!! We see so many miracles every. single. day. Heavenly Father really is watching over us and leading us to the people who need us! 

We've been doing a lot of area book work, searching through old sheets and looking up old amies! It is really fun actually to go searching for people and calling every number we have looking for those who are ready to receive our message! And we have found SO many. We have 10 rdvs set for the week and it's only Monday. That has never happened before!! The work is really progressing here in Tours and I am so excited to be able to be a part of it!

On Saturday we met with an old amie, her name is Josephine and I adore her. She's from Africa and she has been reading the Book of Mormon ever since the sisters gave it to her LAST YEAR. I don't why they lost contact with her but I'm super glad she's back in our lives!! 

This week we have been teaching a lot about the Restoration and inviting everyone to baptism!! It has been such a wonderful week and it has really strengthened my testimony of this church. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and was translated by Joseph Smith through the power of God, I know that the priesthood authority has been restored to the earth and through that power we can make covenants with God which bring us peace and happiness. So many of our amies say but I'm already baptized, I don't need to be baptized again! As I have studied for ways to help them it comes down to one thing. If the Book of Mormon is true that this church is the only true church of God on the earth and we have the authority to act in His name. All other baptisms aren't valid, we need the Priesthood!! Everything hinges on the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful to have a testimony of this book and for the opportunity to share that with everyone here in France! 

We may not have had huge giant miracles that are so big that you can't miss them but each day brings little miracles that if I search I will always find them. Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives and He sends us tender mercies every day to let us know that He loves us, that He knows what's going on and that we are in His hands. I know He is there each time we pray and He is sad with us and rejoices when we are happy too. He loves us so much more than we comprehend and I am so grateful to be one of His missionaries. There are times when we get rejected and it's pouring rain and I'm cold and wet and homesick and tired and I'm tempted to ask myself, "Is this really all worth it? Missing my family and my friends and trying so desperately to understand people and share my testimony with them and feeling a little lost and alone, is it really worth it?"
And right away the answer comes.

yes. 

Every time that question comes my heart fills with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for letting me be here. It is not easy. But anything worthwhile is never easy. All of the hard things I go through or any of us, throughout life make us stronger. I am so much better than I used to be, I have a looong way to go still of course but My testimony has grown so much and I know more now than ever before that we have a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us day and night, I have felt His peace and love every time that I have turned to Him in prayer. He loved us so much that He would give His Only Begotten Son. Who came into this world to give us an example, to show us the way and to be the way. It is through my Savior Jesus Christ that I can over come all things. I can be better tomorrow than I was today because of His grace and mercy. Through the enabling power of His Atonement, we have the power to pick up the broken pieces and try again and again and again. Because of Him there is always hope and always happiness. And I can't express my gratitude for this knowledge and for the opportunity to be here to share it with everyone. So on the days when it's hard and I'm tempted to groan I count my blessings instead!! Gratitude is the key to happiness!

Petite Story:

So we were on the bus on our way to a rdv when an older lady gets on, sees us and comes over to chat like we're good friends even though neither Soeur Bennion nor I recognized her at first. So we talk for awhile and she's talking about her family and how much she loves her family so of course we jumped on that and talked about how God gave us families and that we have a message specifically families! She said "I knew it. There is something about you that pulls, and attracts, I could tell you have something that I don't," It was way cool! We gave her our number and a  Family Proclamation but had to get off the bus before we could get her information. After she left we realized how we knew her. A few weeks ago she had asked Soeur Bennion if her hair was naturally that color. haha the blessings of having a ginger companion :) 

thanks to everyone for your support and prayers! I love you all more than you know!

avec amour soeur hawkes