Last Friday we went to Brussels for my legality and it was a beautiful adventure!! The legality office was actually closed. So we have to go back another day but we decided to profit since we were already there and we had time before our train back. So we hopped on the metro to go to Grand Place where the Carpet of Flowers was but...we didnt know how to get there. So we leaned over to the woman sitting next to us and asked for directions and she offered to show us the way since she was headed to that part of town anyway! Then we had a wonderful discussion about what we're doing here in Belgium and she was floored that we left our families and studies for 18 months to move to a foreign country and to teach people about God. Then we walked all the way to Grand Place chatting along the way and then she bisoued us goodbye and I forgot to ask her name. But it was so fun to meet her and as she left she said she was absolutely delighted to have met us! I love being a missionary and living in Europe to meet all these amazing people and to have incredible experiences! I am so spoiled. On Friday I saw the biggest tourist attraction of the season in Belgium and then sat at a lovely little cafe to eat a delicous belgian waffle. Also I forgot to mention that we went into a Belgian chocolate shop and bought a box or two. seriously. So spoiled. It's Soeur Hosking's favorite phrase to say in French :) 

I feel so blessed to be here and to have the opportunity to share my testimony everyday! 

Waiting for the bus. We usually try to run for it but sometimes we aren't quick enough #weatetoomanywaffles

Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

Bonjour à tous!!

this week was so wonderful! Working with Soeur Hosking has been so much fun! It has been a little stressful trying to work in two different sectors but so far we have managed quite well I think Sunday was definitely the hardest day because we had to go to TWO sacrament meetings which is a little exhausting in French. In my branch I had to play the piano because our pianist left on her mission and they picked the hardest songs but everyone was so charitable with my piano playing skills. and then in the other branch they made me present myself and i translated for a family visiting from Holland. Translating totally fries my brain. I have to use every ounce of concentration I have so it was difficult but it was so fun to chat with them in English! 

So for Pday today Michele and Irene took us out to us an American Cemetery where thousands of soldiers are buried. When we got there the memorial itself was closed for construction but Michele talked to the workers and explained that we were real Americans and he just had to let us in so we could see it. So the worker called the head honcho and got permission for us to go inside!! It was SO cool!! It was so touching to see everything and all the thousands of people who fought for freedom, it was definitely truly inspiring. Afterwards they took us to a Belgian cemetery and then to a museum their friend owned. After touring the museum we all sat outside and chatted with their friends. The museum owners were really interested to know what two young American girls were doing living in Liege so it was really fun to chat with them what we do as missionaries and talk about what we believe in. I absolutely adore being a missionary because the plaque I wear is the perfect conversation instigator and all the sudden everyone is asking questions that I have the answers to! I love the opportunities we get all day every day to bear testimony of a living, loving God-it is so much fun! 

On Tuesday we passed by a woman named Enza. Soeur Melville and I had met her a few weeks ago and gave her a plan of salvation pamphlet and she invited us back but we never had time so this week we were able to knock on her door and she let us right in. We chatted a bit and she mentioned that growing up she had a friend who was Mormon. She told us how her friend was always so kind and so loving and that is why she let us right in because she knew we would be kind and loving just like her LDS friend all those years before. It was really neat to see that our influence as a member of the church is so powerful and never forgotten! because of her LDS friend she let the missionaries in! Never forget the influence you can have! Enza is really sick so we taught her about the priesthood and Soeur Hosking bore a beautiful strong testimony of Heavenly Father's healing power and we will be going back with the Elders this week to give her a blessing! Miracles! 

I love the story in Alma about Zeezrom. He started out so completely against the church but Alma and Amulek stood strong in their testimonies of the Gospel and bore such powerful witness that the Spirit touched Zeezrom's heart and he realized how wrong he had been. After he spent days in bed due to a fever that was caused by his guilt Alma and Amulek came to his side to heal him: 
 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed. And he said: Yea, I believe according to thy words.And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom leaped upon his feet, and began to walk; and this was done to the great astonishment of all the people; and the knowledge of this went forth throughout all the land of Sidom. 

I know that whatever our circumstances, through faith in our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ we can be healed. Whether that be physically, emotionally or spiritually, Christ is always there just waiting to help us! I know our Heavenly Father and His Son love each one of us more than we could ever comprehend and they are waiting with open arms for us to go to them and to be healed. 

all my love, soeur hawkes 

Fear ye not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord

Oh family!! this week was SO good!!!! i have so many miracles to share I have no idea where to start!!! 

well okay I guess I can start with a HUGE one, yesterday Patricia got baptized!!! she met the missionaries EIGHT years ago and she has had multiple baptismal dates (3 with Soeur Melville alone) and it has been a long road for her to get to this point but yesterday was a BEAUTIFUL day. She was absolutely glowing with happiness and it was so amazing for me to be a part of it! I am so grateful I was able to be there to share this important day with her! she also skyped the missionary who found her and he watched the whole thing. It was so neat for him to see the fruits of his labors! The seeds we plant are always harvested!

 

So last week we were going through the area book and calling people and we were able to set up a few rdvs including one with Gwendoline. We arrive at her apartment and she invites one of her friends to come in and sit down (paul) and then she says she needs to make a phone call really quick. So she calls her neighbor and says "it is urgent. come down right now." so five minutes later Prince joins us. Gwen looks at him when he walks in the door and says," where is your bible? I told you it was urgent!" and that is how our rdv began. We taught the three of them the restoration and they LOVED it. It was so fun because Paul only speaks French but the other speak English so we were doing it in the two languages and they had soo many wonderful questions! it was so cool. They are definitely going to get baptized soon because they are so ready and their hearts are so open! I cant wait to see them again this week! 

I don't know if you remember when we met a woman named Dee from Egypt a few weeks ago, we had given her our number but she got off the bus before we could get hers and of course she never called but this week we were headed to the gare and she was on the bus!!!!!! and she was SO excited to see us! so we were able to talk with her more and will see her later again this week!!

Everything just worked out so perfectly and so beautifully for Soeur Melville's last week here in Belgium. We saw so many blessings, Heavenly Father was just showering them down on us as much as He could this week! Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day with Patricia's baptism and our other amies came to church as well for the baptism and we were able to finally get in contact with people we've been trying to see since I got here. It was so humbling to look at my planner at the end of each day and look at all the miracles we experienced and realize that it was all because the Lord was guiding us and was aware of all that was happening.  I read a great talk this week (of course) called Be Still and Know God

Sister Maughn said, "to worry is to lack faith. if we worry and try to put it all on our own shoulders; we are not trusting that the Lord is in control or that He understands the situation." I waste so much precious time worrying about things rather than opening my eyes to the eternal perspective and acknowledging God's hand in my life. So that is something I am currently working on is broadening my vision to realize that God is in the very details of my life and He will continue to take care of me just as he always has. I know that He is there every step of the way for each one of us and He loves us more than we know! 

"God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in a mass. you are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He ever created. When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man or woman in the world;"  -C.S. Lewis

thank you so much for all your support and prayers! i love you all so much!! 

avec amour soeur hawkes 

My companion drew this.  It represents all the sister missionaries who serve their missions planting seeds and they continue to grow behind us. "you can count how many seeds are in an apple; but you cant count how many apples are in a seed"

Patricia's baptism

We may or may not have slept on the balcony for Soeur Melville's last night in Belgium.

This was at our branch activity a week or two ago!

Sariah. she left on her mission to Canada this morning! 

With Gwendoline and Prince! Paul is behind the camera...