California Girl - Adventures of Hermana Hawkes

COMPANIONS Caroline Stanfield-- Princess Buttercup, and trainer. Long blonde hair, long lashes, square frame glasses. I absolutely loved her. It took us time to warm up to each other-- she isn't initially warm and friendly-- but we quickly hit it off. I loved her for how genuine and self-aware she was. She was never afraid of an adventure, and never made me feel like a "new" or "young" missionary. We'd have long deep talks. We always had something to talk about. She was honest; I knew I could be open with her, and I knew she'd give it to me straight. She hadn't wanted to come on a mission, but trusted the Lord enough to do it, and dedicated herself to it. At the end of our two transfers she told me that during her time with me she learned to love the mission. I think many of the young men we taught were secretly in love with her! Margaret Watkins The Brains. Smart and she knew it. Our brains were wired so differently we struggled to communicat...

We couldn't get all our friends in Thermal to church, but Hermano Esteves got the big idea of a movie night in his front yard. He rarely plans activities, so we took the idea and ran with it. He put his heart and soul into it, buying around 40 ears of corn to make elotes (dressed-up corn cobs), powdered cheese, and this cute little black table runner to "make it look fancy." Not too many showed, but those that did loved it--watching "Coco" on a big screen under a big harvest moon and surrounded by fields of corn and palms. We couldn't watch the movie, so Hermana Coenen and I sat behind the screen, bringing everyone drinks and popcorn and pasting countless corn cobs with mayonnaise and cheese. We felt very Mexican.  I probably drive my companion crazy, these last few weeks I've been just a crazy mix of trying to speed up and slow down--cramming too many things into the schedule, desperately trying to see everyone, and then running late to e...

I'm taking you up on that no weekly email thing! This is just a note. Things are going really well. The work has slowed down a bit, which is always a bit of a bummer, but also needed! I'm really trying to take your advice and just savor this time I have. I love you both so much and can't wait to see you. That said, I promise I'm not checking out early, nor am I trunky. It was way too short for that!! Wasn't conference just great? Every time something starts to bug me, they fix it! What's next, women as keynote speakers??? I had a little hope they would extend sister missions...but they didn't!  I love you both. Thank you, thank you for making this possible for me. I hope I'm even a little different. I have been so grateful for this. If you could pray for one more thing, please pray that these sweet people will able to get a few things straightened out and will be able to have lessons so we can really figure out where they are at before a new sis...

Hey all! I found out it was fall! Someone put some Halloween decorations out. I appreciated them, here that's the only way to tell the season.  Some highlights of the week include Rosa showing us her new pair of garden shoes. They have a special heel to balance her weight so it's easier on her back, but I told her they really just look like black grandma pumps. "They're so elegant aren't they?" she asked me laughing. The neighbors will all ask who the mysterious, fancy, date-picker lady is. Just imagine me on the top of a ladder in these babies!" (not a direct translation there)  Hermana Coenen landed, straight out of the Mexico MTC, which she is still pining for, although the food made her sick. She came with a sunburn and a Louisina accent, which she can turn on and off at will. She marched up to me before the training meeting, without knowing who I was, and gave me a giant hug. She is one of the spunkiest people I've ever met, a...

Hi all! It rained! Hard. Hermana Staker has been praying for rain for weeks, but I think I was the only witness. I woke up in the middle of the night to the crack of thunder and flash of lightning outside the window. It was pouring! I love summer thunderstorms, so I cracked the window and slept facing the wrong way just so I could listen to it. "Hermana Staker, " I whispered, "God really loves you!" "I just love HIM so much." she responded. Ask, and ye shall receive. Now she's gotten a bit cocky, though, and marches around telling us the weekly forecast. Oh, boy.  Where do I even start? This week was wild. All these people just came out of the woodwork! The Lord has big plans. We met Willie, who has been taught by elders for almost 4 years now, and had twice as many baptismal dates, but had some "mystery iceberg (obstacle)." We found it pretty quick. The man sort of thinks he's a prophet. He may or may not be pretty j...

Hi all! It rained! Hard. Hermana Staker has been praying for rain for weeks, but I think I was the only witness. I woke up in the middle of the night to the crack of thunder and flash of lightning outside the window. It was pouring! I love summer thunderstorms, so I cracked the window and slept facing the wrong way just so I could listen to it. "Hermana Staker, " I whispered, "God really loves you!" "I just love HIM so much." she responded. Ask, and ye shall receive. Now she's gotten a bit cocky, though, and marches around telling us the weekly forecast. Oh, boy.  Where do I even start? This week was wild. All these people just came out of the woodwork! The Lord has big plans. We met Willie, who has been taught by elders for almost 4 years now, and had twice as many baptismal dates, but had some "mystery iceberg (obstacle)." We found it pretty quick. The man sort of thinks he's a prophet. He may or may not be pretty justifie...

Hello all!  The highlight of my week was a little photo we received of Esteban with two elders from the Bakersfield mission. They promised to help him go to church while he is there. We told them to put him to work! I really can't think about this week without laughing. It started out with a late-night visit to Rosa, who makes me laugh so hard my stomach hurts. She told us she had something to show us, and came marching into the house with a long pole, topped with a small, sharp curved bit at the end. "This," she told us dramatically, "is my snake killing stick!!" She started waving it around, demonstrating, and honestly I was getting a little nervous. "Sometimes," she said waving it around, "I use it to peel potatoes!" Then she laughed so hard she doubled over. Turns out the stick is just for moving irrigation pipes, she's just imaginative and knows we're gullible. She then needed to show us all the buckets she bought so...

Hello all! The man in Pepboys this week was convinced I'm Swedish. He kept immitating my "accent," so now I think I've got a bit of an identity crisis! It doesn't help that everyone else persists in either complimenting my Spanish, or asking me several minutes into the conversation whether I understand them. "Do you know what a melon is? MEL-ON. The fruit? You eat it? Looks like this?"  I think being a missionary makes you a little (lot!) passive agressive too. We've been trying to start teaching this sweet sister that we met in the street who told us her husband is a member. She asked us to come by when he's not home, which we found confusing but respected. We kept trying at all hours of the day, but his big red truck was always there and we were worried it was his. Finally, after more than a month of fighting to get in and see her, we got fed up! We decided to risk it, and went ahead and knocked, truck in the driveway and all....

Hello all!  In Thermal ward, you never know if in Sunday school you'll get "Come, Follow Me" or Hermano Velarde fiercely teaching all the commandments he thinks everyone else probably isn't keeping fully. We read Paul's line about becoming "co-heirs" with Christ and he ended up teaching us tithing, the word of wisdom, and celestial marriage. We all came out with the tips of our ears a little singed! Poor little Jose asked me after if "people will still wave at him at church since he's not married." Oh, boy. I think Paul is milder than Hno Velarde...We'll be reteaching that one don't worry!  This week wasn't too eventful, lots of meetings and lots of caring for the people we're already teaching. We're teaching quite a few right now...the Lord definitely has been plans for our area and our ward. We just have to keep up!  We had some funny tracting moments this week. In one, a Jehovah's witness heard us...

Hi all! What a week! It all started with little underestimated Baltazar, whom the elders were teaching and we've been trying to help, got up in fast and testimony meeting. He speaks very slowly, has an injured foot, and is constantly widening his eyes and jerking his head a little from side to side, so he easily makes people a little unconfortable. He's been taught all the lessons, but struggles to absorb them a little. I tell you what, though, this man walked to the pulpit and bore one of the sweetest, most sincere testimonies about how he now knows that God is there, and wants to keep changing his life. Then, he called the ward to repentance! He said very simply, "I just want my family to be happy. I need all of you. Every one of you. We all need each other." Man, the impact of that! Countless sisters got up after that and testified in tears about their need to minister more, and thanked him from the pulpit. His name was famous in church that day! We've...

Good news! I will be staying in Thermal for another 6 weeks, and likely another transfer after that. I am thrilled! It's funny, I had myself so convinced I was headed out, but I'm so glad to continue working with these people I love a whole lot.  You can tell time from the date fields out here. The date boughs get heavy and start to droop, and the dates go from green to deep gold. Hermano Esteves says when they are brown, it will be fall.  Where do I start? This week we had a huge miracle with Jose. I'll try to be careful about what I share, because it's pretty special, but Jose received very strong, clear confirmation that our message is true, that we have a living prophet, and that we need to prepare for the second coming of the Savior. The most special moment was when Jose said to us, "Christ is the center of everything, and He's coming. We have to be ready." We asked him if he felt God wanted him to be baptized (something he has been...