December 3, 2018 Paletitas and Choosing Happiness

Hi all!

Happy to report all our sinks are working again thanks to Randy the plumber! If I was Catholic I'd have already petitioned for his sainthood and probably bought a candle with him on it (if they had those). The best sound on earth is definitely running faucets! Trust me! 

Agua Caliente branch has more characters than I can count. One is definetely Hno Pinela, who drives 45 minutes to get to every church function with a car full of kids, and smiles so big his eyes bug out. If you make eye contact with him too long, he'll run up to you and offer a "paletita" (sucker), and if you don't eat it he'll continue to offer them to you until you do. It doesn't matter if it's fast Sunday, sacrament meeting, or he's sitting on the stand. Just the other day in branch council I was sitting across the room from him and the Relief Society was discussing an upcoming activity. Everyone, of course, already had suckers, but Hno Pinela was preoccupied with the fact that Hna Ciarlante wasn't eating hers, so he kept mouthing things to me like, "deliciouso no??" and "Why isn't she eating hers???" "Do you think she can unwrap it by herself?" Hno De Leon noticed this interaction and, confused, interuppted the entire meeting to say, in perfect english, "Don't pass out!!" to Hna Ciarlante, who had absolutely no idea what was going on either. We all had a good laugh, and last week we brought Dum-dums and offered them to Hno Pinela instead. He pretended to cry with emotion. Oh my. 

We've been trying to meet with Juana, a door contact, for almost a month now and finally started having lessons. In the first lesson, we were struck with how receptive she was, despite her little grandbabies running around, and how much she paid attention to her feelings while meeting with other religions. She says, with us, she feels good. Her point of greatest fascination, however, is us as missionaries. She just can't believe that we would leave behind our families, live here on our own, and learn Spanish, just to talk to her about the gospel. She sat there just stunned. When we invited her to baptism, she accepted just like that. We asked her to pray about our message, and her reply was, "Oh I don't need to mijas. Your testimonies are enough for me!" She's a little forgetful with our appointments, but we already love her. And don't worry, she's definitely going to pray. 

Just a sidenote for any future missionaries who may read this, something I wish I known sooner is not to wait "until the spirit tells you" to invite someone to baptism. Instead, don't invite only if the spirit tells you not too! You're a missionary! We make it such a huge deal, but if it's something offered our of love and wanting to help the person come unto Christ, it's exactly what needs to happen, and as soon as possible. They need to know why you're there, and your goal for them. I used to get so scared, but fear is not from God. Really, the baptismal invitation is an act of love. Invite them! And keep inviting them! 

A few people could really use prayers down here. One is the Rendon family, who can't seem to catch a break. They're heavily involved with another faith, which makes it hard to teach them, but the mother has cancer and the father is in the hospital in critical condition after a horse accident. Norma's struggling to make ends meet, and we can't seem to get in touch with her to help her come back to church, and always Manuel and Jose, who need the courage to change. 

On a happier note, Hno Ramos is just a few weeks away from baptism. He's so quiet in lessons, but he really wants to understand everything so genuinely. In a recent lesson, he out of the blue started trying to express this new desire he has to serve others, and how much he hates to see people suffer. He started to cry, and the spirit was so strong. We're still working on getting him to read and pray every day, but I think he's clicked on the most important thing, and that's charity. That kind of love only comes from Christ. 

I feel like I include the same themes in my letters over and over, but it's because they are lessons I'm learning over and over. Must be important I guess! The theme of this week, for me, has been that I am absolutely in control of my own experience. I'm more and more convinced that "happy" isn't something to find, or become, but to choose. I can dwell on how difficult it is to learn Spanish in a mission where I'm surrounded by English, and it is difficult, or I can enjoy the whole process and the fact that I get to learn to speak it at all. I can dwell on my grammar errors, or love the fact that I can understand and speak to people I never would have been able to before. It's a miracle! In Ether it talks about how "if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness," and I definitely know that's true. I've found, though, that I can embrace that, and be grateful for that, and instead be so glad to know how I need to turn to the Savior next. 

In my favorite talk, "Forget Me Not" by Elder Utchdorf, he uses the analogy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to describe how we sometimes think of happiness--as a "golden ticket" we need to find. I love what he says, "The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy." Stop looking for tickets, and realize how much chocolate you've got! 

It's really not my decision whether these people chose to accept the gospel or not, but I can love them. I can be grateful for the moments I get with them, and that I get to remind them who they are, who the Savior is. He really, really can fix everything, and if that's not good news I don't know what is. 

Shout-out to Mom for sending so much Christmas music our way! You probably didn't know how much you can jam to "God rest ye Merry Gentlemen," but we sure do

Love you all a bunch, 

Hna Hawkes 

"I like the word for these in english. Punkin! It's like "you punk!" I just think it's so funny!" --Jose from God's Kitchen 

"Joe's chicken is so much better than Kentucky Fried Chicken. Trust me, I'm from Kentucky!" --Hna Ciarlante 

Hi Dad! I have a couple missions for you! One is that I'm constantly running into religions down here, and I'm going crazy not being able to read up on any of them. EVERYONE we teach always says "I'm Catholic" (to which I reply mentally, "we'll see" ) and I know so little about what they believe outside of the trinity and all the saints. I'd love to understand better so I can teach better. Also, people always think we are Jehovah's witnesses, so could you send me a few key doctrinal points on both? I don't want to be judgemental before I understand them, because I know how hurtful it is when people are that way towards my beliefs. I've heard they don't believe in blood transfusions or halloween, but people also say that about us!

Also, I'm in a cool area. It covers almost all of Yucca Valley. There are lost of hiking areas, like Indian Canyon or Big Morongo, but it's hard to know what's worth the money and what isn't, as a lot of them are set up to attract rich people from Palm Springs who want to wear hiking clothes but actually have airconditioning and a guide! Could you maybe see if there's anything out here I shouldn't miss? Except date shakes. Definitely an experience I don't need to repeat haha! 

Mom you are amazing! The little tree is already up and the stockings are hung! We haven't stopped listening to David Archuleta either, and I'm so blessed!! Honestly that CD is insanely good. Soooo good! We have to skip only a few of them too. Thank you!!

I already got the book for Jesse, could you let me know what it cost so I can pay you back? Thank you for doing that! 

I'd love your lentil soup recipe and maybe simple Christmas cookies? 

Can't WAIT to talk to you! 

Love, 

Sarah