A person cannot give a crust to the Lord without receiving a loaf in return

bonjour tout le monde! this week was crazy eventful so prepare yourself for this one...

Monday night we decided to do a few less active pass bys. we ring into the building and Catherine (the less active) answered the intercom! We asked if we could share a message and she said she was too busy. then she yelled to someone in the background that the missionaries were here. and then a woman leans out the window and starts yelling at us, so I said goodbye to Catherine and said maybe we'd try another day. We began to walk away from the lady yelling at us and then we rounded the corner and realized she was running after us!! I thought she was just trying to get rid of us so I just start running to the metro and Sr Walton was right behind and then all the sudden I hear her scream and look back and the woman had grabbed Sr Walton by the arm! So I turn around ready to defend my companion and the woman is yelling she isnt going to hit us in French. So we stop and listen to her yell and scream at us in French and I was SO confused as to what she wanted. Finally we calmed her down and it turns out she was the less active's daughter! So we are definitely not going back now. We walked away and I just started laughing and said well this is a good story. and Sr Walton promptly burst into to tears. but she laughed about it the next day so all is good :) Oh Villeneuve D'ascq...the people we meet and the experiences we have here.

Tuesday we had a rdv with a woman the Elders had met and her husband joined us in our lesson and we ended up teaching them the entire first lesson and left a Book of Mormon with them! Augustine, the wife accepted a soft invite, her husband Mohammed was a little more skeptical but promised to read the Book and find out from himself. It was so cool! We are going to pass them to the Elders though because they are in their area. But I am so happy for them and I know that as soon as they read that Book they will find the truth!!

Wednesday morning we went to have a rdv with Laurence finally. We had met her a few weeks ago while we were doing less active pass bys in Hellemmes. She had met with missionaries before and has even been to church! So we went over and she fed us breakfast and was such a delight! She is so wonderful and really open. She knows all about our church and stopped meeting with the missionaries because she didnt think she could change to our lifestyle but she is ready to learn again and wants to come back to church because she loves the feeling there more than her church! I cant wait to go back again next week!

Thursday I was in Bruxelles with Soeur Pettingill whom I adore! We had such a wonderful time together and I received so many answers to my prayers. In the morning we went out contacting in the freezing cold, we were shivering and shaking as we talked to people it was so cold! But we met a woman named Leila. She didn't speak French very well but she was so kind. From what she was telling us she sounded Muslim so we asked if we could leave her with a prayer. She asked me to say it, so I spoke very slowly so she could understand the French and when we said Amen I looked into her face and there were tears streaming down her face. She shook my hand, thanked us and then walked away. And Sr Pettingill and I turned the other way and I looked at the cobble stones beneath my feet and felt the crisp cutting Belgian breeze and just began to cry too. Because THAT is why I came on a mission. To share God's love with His children. And I was so so grateful that Heavenly Father saw fit to use me as an instrument in His hands to remind His daughter of His love. He used me to reach out to His children even though I am not perfect. That is all I've ever wanted, just to be able to be an instrument in His hands and help His lost children and that moment just filled me with so much joy because it was such an answer to my prayers!

Friday night we met with Oceane. She is getting baptized on the 30th!! We finally worked out with everyone the hours and schedules so we will be rushing home from our Soeur Conference in Paris (I am so ridiculously excited for that conference!) it is going to be a beautiful day! We were talking with Oceane on Sunday and she was expressing a few concerns and then she said you know it doesnt matter. I've been waiting to get baptized for so long and I know that it is going to make me so so happy. She is such a gem. I cant wait for her to finally experience the moment she's been waiting for so long!

I almost forgot! Thursday night we met with Justine. We met her porting a few weeks ago and we finally met with her and it was a lesson missionaries live for. She was so golden! So sincere and humble and the Spirit was so strong as we shared our stories of how we came on a mission and how we came to know for ourselves that God was there and that His love was real. It was incredible. I felt so much love for her and I knew how happy Heavenly Father was that we were there with her telling her the truth! We taught her how to pray and invited her to try as well. She promised to try later that night. Sunday night we got a text. She asked us to take her off our contact list and cancelled our rdv. I felt my heart break into a thousand pieces. She was so close! But I know that as missionaries we help people along their spiritual journey back to God and for Justine she just needed us at that moment and she'll be ready again one day to meet with the missionaries. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for her, I love her so much and I know God loves her more. So He will take care of her :) 

This morning I was studying repentance and I loved the scripture in D&C 18:10-13 Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! The Lord is so merciful and He is just waiting for us to come to Him! As I studied this morning I just really felt how much God loves me and how incredibly merciful He is. Not only with my sins but also my weaknesses. And that is why He can use me to do good even though I am not even close to being perfect and that fills me with so much joy. I have learned so many wonderful things on my mission about the Atonement and repentance and the Savior's love and I know that Heavenly Father loves us so so much even though we have so many weaknesses and we mess up sometimes. this mission has taught me so much about learning to accept myself, flaws and all and I cannot thank my Heavenly Father enough for letting me have the opportunity to meet so many beautiful souls who have changed me forever!

Ah i am running out of time. i wish i could tell you everything!  I love you all so much. I love my mission so much and I love the Lord. 

thank you so much for your support and prayers!

avec beaucoup d'amour soeur alicia hawkes