This week was absolutely wonderful. I adore my new companion Soeur Autumn Bradley. She is from California and she's gorgeous, in her 9th transfer, her French is flawless and she's an amazing missionary. I am so glad we get to be here together in Tours. I really hope that she rubs off on me! We've been together for less than a week and already we have had so many fantastic adventures! 

Our biggest miracle this week is an adorable 18 year old French girl named Lea. On Thursday we went porting and we knocked on her door and she let us in right away. She actually told us later, that she isn't the type of person to let random strangers into her home but right away she trusted us. She felt that we had something different. So anyway. She lets us in and we just chatted and got to know her. She just finished cancer treatments in January, and because of that she turned to God. She bore her testimony to us of God's love and we were all crying. It was absolutely amazing. Lea is one of the biggest miracles of my mission. At the end, we offered to pray and bless her and her home and she literally gasped and said would you please!? She then sat right next to me on the couch and we prayed. The Spirit was so strong and afterwards, she gave us little bracelets. She said you've changed my life today and I want to give you something to remember me by. She is way too cute. Then she asked if she could come to our church and Sunday she came and we taught her the plan of salvation. She asked so many golden questions and at the end, she asked us if she could be baptized. I couldn't help but cry as we told her yes. She is so prepared. She is so open and so willing, and she has so much faith. I absolutely love her so much. I am so grateful she is in my life!! Today she took us to see the Cathedral in Tours and I died. It was sooo gorgeous and even more she gave us a great tour! It was so fun to be with Lea and she is definitely one of our best friends. I love how kind Heavenly Father is to each of us and He has allowed me to be in France at this time in this place with these people. This weekend was full of so many tender mercies of Heavenly Father just letting me know that He is aware and that everything is under His control. 

On Friday night, we went back to Lea's building for a rendez-vous with her but she had to work late so we decided to finish porting the building. On the very last door an older lady answered looked at us and before I could say anything she said noo I do not want any Jehovah Witnesses here! We kindly explained who we were and that we simply wanted to pray with her. She ended up letting us in and we talked about life and searching for truth. It was really neat to see the Spirit work in her and touch her heart. In the beginning she was very hardened but by the end, she admitted that she had felt the Spirit of God touch her heart and she looved the Book of Mormon. We left her with a copy and will be seeing her later this week. 

This work is so much bigger than me. I am so weak and so small. Yet Heavenly Father gave me the chance to be here and to be an instrument in His hands to help His children. It was incredible to see His hand in our lives this week as He guided us. My whole mission I always thought that I wasn't a very good missionary unless I was perfect. (Ridiculous I know :) But this weekend I learned that Heavenly Father doesn't require me to be perfect. He simply wants me to try. There's a quote by Bruce R. McKonkie that says, "The path of discleship doesn't require perfection only that you are struggling, striving and desiring." and it is so true. "The only perfect person ever to live was not a perfectionist. Perfection is not required of us; it is promised to us."  How comforting that is to me that I don't have to be perfect! That knowledge lifts such a huge weight off my shoulders! I wish I would have figured that out sooner..haha but I am so grateful to know that because of my Savior all I ever have to do is try. and when I mess up it is okay. He is always right there to pick me up, dust me off and send me back on my way to try again. He is with us every step if we only be still and realize it. I've noticed that I let little things stress me out. I find myself wondering how on earth things are going to work out and I can't seem to worry my way out of problems. But then I realized that the Spirit can't speak to me when I'm too worried or stressed. The Spirit speaks to those who are still. Here's a little portion from a talk I read this week...

       "Consider the experience of the children of Israel, trapped by the Red Sea on one side and the armies of Pharaoh on the other. When they saw their precarious situation the people were           sore afraid and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord and then to Moses in essence saying 'we're going to die! why have you done this to us? Didn't we tell you this would happen?' Their statements reveal great worry prior to the exodus and great regret after. As Pharaoh's armies bore down upon them, all were in turmoil and panic. All that is, except one whose heart was calm, whose soul was still. And to that one still soul, the still small voice whispered, 'Part the sea'.

I know that Heavenly Father is there and that He loves and knows each of us. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love this work and I love the Lord! Thank you so much for all your support and prayers! I love you all so much! 

all my love, soeur alicia hawkes