Be of good cheer, the future is as bright as your faith

Ohh la la. We had such a rough week!! So many people dropped us and I felt like my heart was taking a beating this week!! But as they say It is always darkest right before the dawn. And the sun came shining through yesterday afternoon. We set THREE baptismal dates!!!!! 

The first one is 12 year old Sarah. Her mother Virginia was baptized 22 years ago and they moved to Liege aobut a year ago and just never found the Church. Last week she saw the Elders at Carrefour and practically hugged them she was so excited, they gave us her number and we saw them on Saturday. They were so excited to see us and we just laughed and talked the entire time. We also invited Sarah to consider being baptized. She really wanted to but wasn't sure so we invited her pray and went back Sunday afternoon after church. We talked about Baptism and all the details and she said she didnt know. After a little discussion we discovered her only worry, that there would be strangers at the baptism, as soon as we told her we would not let any strangers come she was visibly relieved and so excited to be baptized! So she is going to be baptized Oct. 11 :)

And then we went to see Gwen and her friend Prince. We had invited Gwen to pray aobut her baptism a few days before and she must have talked to Prince about it because he asked us if he could be baptized! So we set them both for October 19th! Miracles are everywhere here in Liege!! 

Well. Thursday is my year mark. So I have been reflecting a lot the past few weeks on the year I have spent as a missionary. It has been incredible. It has been so difficult and there have been times my heart ached so much I thought it would shatter into a thousand pieces but I have also felt the healing and enabling power of my Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I have learned that the Savior knows us perfectly and personally. He is there for me every single day every single moment. It is a truth that is way too easy for me to forget. Sometimes when I read the emails of everyone, my heart hurts a little because I want to be there with them so much! But then I remind myself that I have already been gone a year and I only have a few short months that rest. And they will fly by and soon I'll be at home longing for those members back in Europe and all my amies and recent converts and I try to remind myself to cherish every moment that I have. It is not easy. Especially since lately I feel like Satan has been attacking me, my companion and our amies and recent converts at every turn, and its easy to long for something else. But I look back on the year I have had, and I see my Heavenly Father there, every step of the way, I see the things He has taught me, the miracles He has shown me and the people He has put in my path to help me learn and grow. And I look ahead and think well, He has taken such good care of me so far, I think it's safe to say He'll continue to do so. 

love soeur alicia hawkes