您好 (Nín hǎo)

So the subject of this email is hello in Chinese, because our adorable Chinese amie, Vivian is teaching us Chinese! i can now introduce myself and say I love you! Haha! It's so great. I love how our amies truly become such good friends to us, I am going to miss them all so much!

So this week was marvelous! 

Monday night we went with Oceane to a cute young family's house for FHE and talked about fortifying families and we had a yummy dinner, it was so much fun. i am so grateful for the members and their kindness to us, and Oceane is just the star of the ward, everyone is so supportive and loving, which she really really appreciates. 

Tuesday after District meeting we went to Belgium to be with the Family Fraikin, I absolutely ADORE them. They are such good people and they take such good care of the missionaries, and they always feed us the best Belgian foods, its to die for. 

Wednesday was really dramatic and sad because our amie, Reine got kicked out by her boyfriend because she came to our Church, so we running around and calling tons of people trying to find a solution for her and help her out, for the moment she is back with her boyfriend and they have discussed things but it is still a very delicate situation. the thing is she still wants to keep learning with us and coming to Church despite the consequences. She is so wonderful and wants so badly to do what's right and I really pray that things will get better for her. 

Thursday we visited a less active woman and her cute kids. She was baptized almost ten years ago, then moved and lost contact with the church, she ran into the Elders and asked for our number! She is so great and I cant wait for her to come back to church! we're going to start teaching her children the lessons so they can get baptized this year! 

On Friday we had a ward activity where everyone brought a dish from their home country, the Elders brought pancakes and we brought Peanut Butter cookies, because NO ONE eats peanut butter, i have no idea why. And our amie Asia who is Algerian came and brought a delicious dish that i do not know the name for at all ha but one of the members came up to her and asked for the recipe and then bam! best friends. the member, Sr Degrave invited Asia over for dinner and we've got an FHE set up with them now and I was just beaming! I love when the members make our amies feel right at home, and Asia and her daughter just had the best time and cant wait to come to church! 

I was chatting with Asia afterwards and mentioned that I would be going home next month and she was like wait what?! she said i am so disappointed! but you must be excited? i said yeah i'm excited to see my family again but i love my mission and sharing the Gospel with everyone and she said, "yeah, i can feel how much you love it. I can feel how much all of you, the missionaries, the members you love this gospel and you love God, its incredible." it was so cool! it just gave me so much happiness to know that she can feel how much this means to me and feel that from each of the members as well. 

On Saturday we finally saw our less active Martine, for about a month she stopped answering phone calls and her door, we finally started taping pictures of the temple  on her door each time we passed by in an effort to get through to her! but she answered the Saturday and i almost died i was so excited! she has been really sick apparently but will start coming back to Church soon, it was such a tender mercy that we were able to see her again. I adore her. 

Later that night we had our Valentine's Dinner together, it was so fun! We had Raclette and mug cakes with ice cream and Sr Walton made white chocolate popcorn. Soo good. I love serving with these Soeurs, they are so wonderful and I am so grateful they are in my life right now! 

On Sunday we went with our amie Anais and made crepes with our Tahitian members, Vainui and Hinerava, it was so fun, i love them all so much! Afterwards we went porting and met some wonderful people! One man said he had a hard time believing in God because of all the misery in the world and Soeur Walton just testified so strongly of a loving Father in Heaven and of hope and love and it was incredible! He gave us his name and number and we'll be seeing him later in this week! It was really cool to see that Heavenly Father truly gives us exactly what we need to say to touch the hearts of His children, i love that. 

So this week I was reading in Alma in the war chapters about the army of Helaman and when they weren't receiving any help at all and they were all alone and very scared. i loved the story because it showed how much faith they had and how willing Heavenly Father is to help us. Alma 58:9-12 it says, 

And now  the cause why they did not send more strength unto us, we knew not; therefore we were grieved and also filled with fear. Therefore we did pour out our souls in prayer to God, that he would strengthen us and deliver us out of the hands of our enemies, yea, and also give us strength. Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us; yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him. And we did take courage with our small force which we had received, and were fixed with a determination to conquer our enemies, and to maintain our lands, and our possessions, and our wives, and our children, and the cause of our liberty.

Sometimes I am filled with fear, especially when the future is unknown or I'm not sure how something will turn out but every time that I turn to Heavenly Father in prayer, He always "visits me with assurances" and I know that everything will be okay. I have definitely seen that when i place my trust in the Lord, somehow all things end up really well. I know that He is there and that He loves each of us and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be one of His missionaries here in France to share His love with all of His children here in France. The work isnt always easy, but it is absolutely worth it. I am so grateful for each of you, for your love and support and prayers! thank you!! i love you all so much!

avec beaucoup d'amour soeur alicia hawkes 

We built a fort!

This was our table from our Valentine's candlelight dinner! that's a raclette mission in the middle and Raisin juice at the end haha! 

Pastries? I think yes. My diet starts tomorrow.

Tournai!

What a marvelous week! We had lots of wonderful adventures and can i just say that Soeur Walton is the BEST last companion. I adore her so much. We have SO much fun together all the time! Yesterday we made crepes and then built a fort and talked about life and it was great. I love her so much, we just have so much fun together all the time! and we get a lot of work done too! 

This week we began teaching an adorable Chinese girl named Vivian, she is so humble and so adorable. i just love her! I cant wait to continue teaching her, she has so many questions and she is so sincere in trying to find out more about God's love for her, Heavenly Father truly prepares people for us! 

We also began teaching a woman from Ukraine. We gave her a book of Mormon in Russian and she went on for at least 10 minutes about how it was the most beautiful gift and how she couldn't wait to read it! she's so cute. She has had a really hard life and has never really believed that God loved her until we showed up! And we testified so much, so strongly that Heavenly Father loves her so much that He sent His only Son to atone for her personally. She was totally awed that God would love her that much. i cant wait to teach her more! 

So I read a great talk this morning by President Eyring called Waiting Upon the Lord. He told a story of his Dad who when he was eighty years old with cancer weeded the onion patch at the welfare farm that belonged to his stake. At the end of a long painful day of pulling out weeds, his Dad discovered he had pulled out all the weeds that had already been sprayed and were going to die anyway. President Eyring said his Dad laughed about it anyway despite the painstaking labor he had given for nothing. He asked him, how can you laugh about that? and his Dad said, 'I wasn't there for the weeds.'

"Now, you’ll be in an onion patch much of your life. So will I. It will be hard to see the powers of heaven magnifying us or our efforts. It may even be hard to see our work being of any value at all. And sometimes our work won’t go well. But you didn't come for the weeds. You came for the Savior. And if you pray, and if you choose to be clean, and if you choose to follow God’s servants, you will be able to work and wait long enough to bring down the powers of heaven."

I love that. I didn't come on a mission for the "weeds"; I didn't come out here to have the highest statistics or the most amies at church or the most fhes with the members. I didn't come out here to beat myself up for every time I couldn't reach my goals or when someone doesn't accept this message. 

I came out here because I love God and my Savior, Jesus Christ. And because He has shared His love with me and I want to share that with as many of His children as I possibly can! I came out here to be happy and share joy and see miracles and bring His children back to Him. I didn't come for the "weeds" I came for my Savior. 

And its thanks to all of you that i am out here! I cant thank you enough for your support, love and prayers. I love each of you so much! thanks for being a part of my life :) 

I love being a missionary! it is so wonderful to bear my testimony all day every day of God's love and to be an instrument in His hands. I am so grateful to be here way up in the North of France with my darling Soeur Walton and all the wonderful members! I am seriously so blessed. I can hardly handle it! I am so grateful to be a missionary and I am so grateful to have a few more precious weeks to do the Lord's work! 

avec beaucoup d'amour soeur alicia hawkes 

O How Great the Plan of Our God - 2 Nephi 9:13

Well. On Saturday we received the news for my last transfer. I will be staying in V D'ascq with my lovely Sr Walton. I am so excited we get to stay together! i absolutely adore her and we are best friends, i am so glad Heavenly Father is letting me stay with one my best friends for the last six weeks. Quel rêve! 

This week was so great! Friday was definitely the highlight of the week. 

Oceane was baptized Friday night and it was so wonderful, she was a little nervous right before she went into the font so we said a little prayer together in the bathroom and then she went in and got baptized and came out just absolutely glowing. She beamed for the rest of the night. My face hurt by the time I went home because i had been smiling literally all day long. 

We went to Paris earlier that day for our soeur conference and I got to see all my favorite people and it was exactly what I needed. All the Sister Training Leaders gave great formations about being united with our companions and have sincere prayer and being healthy! President talked to us about stress and then he shared the Bible video of Christ feeding the 5000 and it was so cool. He gave us a whole new insight about it. So there were tons of people around to listen to Christ and the Apostles were like hey, we have no food, let's send them home. And Jesus was like well what do you have? And they were like five loaves and a couple fish. And Jesus says, Bring them to me. And with just that little contribution, Christ gives thanks and then He feeds 5000 people and there are 12 baskets left over! President said that is the same with us. Sometimes we come to the Savior and say, look I only have five loaves and two fish, surely that isnt enough to be of any worth or to do any good at all in the world. And the Savior looks at us and says, bring them to me. And although alone we really cant accomplish much, when we partner with the Savior, all the sudden our small efforts are enough, because His grace is sufficient. 

sorry this email is so short! I love you all so much!! have a wonderful week full of happiness and joy!

avec beaucoup d'amour soeur hawkes 

So we go to Belgium each week to chop down trees for a less active and this week we were going to have a fire and burn it all but it didn't quite work out..but it was still fun! 

Sister Conference

All of these sisters served in Liege!

My lovely Sr Clawson and I showed up wearing the EXACT same outfit. like mother like daughter :) 

Soeur Tippitt!! i love her so much! she was actually roommates with Lisa Stewart at BYU-I. what a small world!

My favorite Sr Hogan, I just adore this human! 

So on Saturday we received the transfer news and Sr Walton will be staying!! she is going to be my last companion! my very last transfer starts Wednesday! gah. I have never felt so torn in my entire life. 

District Meeting

Oceane was baptized Friday night and it was so wonderful, she was a little nervous right before she went into the font so we said a little prayer together in the bathroom and then she went in and got baptized and came out just absolutely glowing. She beamed for the rest of the night. My face hurt by the time I went home because I had been smiling literally all day long.

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 

Tracting in a French Neighborhood.

French Cathedrals are breathtaking!

It was so cold I wanted to cry.The only solution? Gauffres and hot chocolate :) oh I miss Belgium..