May 5, 2018 Three Days Now!

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May 5, 2018

 Hey all! 

It's still pretty surreal that I've been on my mission for three days now! The MTC is every bit as overwhelming and busy as I was told, but what helps is the constant feeling that I'm a tiny part of something so big. 
They throw you straight in when you get here! I was whisked away from my family and the next few minutes were a blur of checkpoints and tables. My host, wearing the widest smile, hurried me along with, "We've got class in 10 minutes!" Before I even knew what was happening a senior sister snapped on my missionary tag. "Wait, what?" I wanted to say. "Can we do that again? You can back up and maybe throw some glitter or something?" Obviously she didn't, but it was exciting to look down and see it on my shoulder. 

The best part has been my district hermanas. When my host dropped me off at my residence, the first person to open the door was Hermana Lata. The crazy part? I already knew her. We had met just about 45 minutes before at the tiny Joe's Cafe. She was already wearing her missionary tag, so Christian pointed her out to me in a loud whisper. I introduced myself and we found out we were headed into the MTC at the same time. Little did we know that we would end up in the same district and the same residency. Needless to say we were pretty excited (and irreverant) when we saw each other, but it was such a fun surprise. Hermana Lata is pretty amazing. Born and raised in Tonga, she languages including Tongan, English (obviously), Tagalog, and Spanish. Not just a little either, she is fluent in Spanish and puts us all to shame in class. Her only explanation for her linguistic superpowers is,"Oh, I like learning languages." She has wanted to go on a mission her whole life and is thrilled to finally be here. She has enough spunk to keep things fun too. Just this morning she woke us all up for the temple by flipping on all the lights. I'm the only one on the top bunk, so I had sort of a Joseph Smith experience when the light went on "exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun." I was completely blinded and said, "Whoah, a little warning Hermana Lata!" Without skipping a beat she laughed,the spirit was your warning hermana!" 

Her companion is Hermana Walker, who grew up on a ranch and loves to laugh. The very first night she unapologetically told us she brought a favorite stuffed animal. It turned out to be a tiny triceratops which I thought was epic. She is the perfect combination of funny and kind, and I already know we'll get along great. Last but not least is my companion, Hermana Hall, who has already taught me so much. Hermana Hall is an incredible example of following God's plan even when it deviates from our own. To be here, Hermana Hall faced family struggles and put a hold on a 3 year relationship and ballet career. She's a bit of a worrier and a bit apologetic (who does that sound like?) but we've both made a goal to work on that during our time here. She is very sweet and so sensitive to the spirit. Her Spanish is much better than mine, ad she is endlessly patient with my slow prayers in faltering Spanish. 


Our Elders are Elder Wyatt and Elder Barrell. Elder Wyatt was quiet at first, but has started to sass Brother Manwaring which makes afternoon Spanish even better. In his words, "Brother Manwaring, you roll your 'r's like Perry the Platypus." Needless to say, Brother Manwaring (who is unusally proud of his "r" rolls) was "deeply offended."Elder Barrell is almost 25, and made the mission cut off by only a few days. His story is amazing. He joined the church a little over two years ago, and was immediately determined to go on a mission. He knows PMG inside and out, and works harder on his Spanish than anyone else. Since he knows a little German, his Spanish is peppered with it which makes us all laugh. 

Our Spanish teachers, Brother Manwaring and Sister Barazotto, are amazing. Although I know less Spanish than the other sisters, I'm definitely getting heavenly help! I've been able to remember most of what I learned in High School and then some. Thanks to the HSI program (or "Speak Your Language"), our district speaks nearly constant Spanglish. It has made for some pretty funny moments, but it has helped so much. Most of my time here is spent in Spanish class. I'm not sure yet whether I'm gaining Spanish or losing English, but "yes" has been permanently replaced with "Si" which is something! Out of all the hermanas, I know the least Spanish, but it means I have five teachers rather than two, and they are always willing to help. So far in Spanish I'm just enjoying being a beginner and enjoying throwing myself completely into learning this language. It's new and hard, but equally exciting. 

Every day it sinks in a little more that I'm really a missionary, and I get a little more into the step of things here. It's beautiful here at the MTC, with art covering the walls. When the going gets hard, and it does, I just remind myself that I'm not here for me. I'm here for my Savior and for the people of Redlands, and that gets me excited again!

Love you all and hope you've had the best week,

Hermana Hawkes 


P.S.: Some tips for my friends headed here pretty soon!

1) Have a small bag with you when you come. You'll want a notebook, your device ready to be booted up, pens, and a place to put papers
2) Bring several notebooks, a cheap one for language study and nicer ones for personal study and journaling
3) If you don't feel like a Captain Moroni powerhouse the 1st day, take a deep breath. Secretely, no one does! Everyone feels a little overwhelmed and inadequate! 
4) Get to know the Senior sisters in your zone asap! They can--and want to--help! That way you can learn tips they don't tell you in handbooks (like when you do and don't have to be with companion-- not in the gym or cafeteria)
5) Crocs flats? Maybe steer clear. I've struggled to break them in!
6) During companionship study, share anything that came to mind during the day. Even if it seems random, it may be exactly what your companion needs.
7) Don't worry too much about your books and materials before. If you don't have everything there is a great MTC store 
8) Bring more comfy clothes than you think
9) Everything will start to fall into place, just go with the flow and stay calm the first few days



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