August 12, 2019 The Small and The Simple

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 been praying for how to get ministering kicked off, and the Lord didn't send Angel Moroni. He sent Baltazar! Everyone wants to give him rides to church. 

Speaking of defying expectations...Hermana Staker and I may or may not have pushed a man in a smoking car three blocks down a busy street at 8:30 last week (I know Mom, but we looked both ways!). We were headed home and the man in front of us on the left lane wasn't turning on the green. He was frantically waving for all the cars to pass him in the other lane, and we noticed his hazards were on. We pulled up next to him, and sure enough he was in trouble; little abuelito, broken arm, sweating bullets, and very distressed. He kept trying to start his car but the engine would screech and more smoke would billow out. "I need a push!" he told us, so we went and parked and did just that! There was no room to pull off in his lane, so we just kept going and going. Near the end some people stopped and helped us for a minute, but for the most part it was just me and little Hermana Staker. We must have looked so funny in our ballet flats and skirts and singing the handcart song to ourselves.

Everyone is doing so well! Will is slowly warming up to the idea of the Book of Mormon, and we met new people this week. One, Veronica, met with missionaries in the past and asked US to come over. I've never had a self referral! 

Jose had a little breakthrough! I've felt really strongly he needs to work on family history, but everyone tried to talk me out of it. "Records there aren't as good," they all told me. "He won't have anything to work with." Jose told us the same thing-- "That's nice sisters, but I know absolutely nothing about my family." We had yet another lesson about temple work, and Jose was almost a little huffy with me. We were determined to help him at least gather memories about himself and his kids if nothing else! The next day we showed up to "help him" gather info, although we figured it would be mostly asking him kids birthdays etc. He walked out of his house buzzing with excitement, with 2 little birth certificates and a few passport photos. He really didn't have much, but he had enough! We got up to his grandparents! I've never seen someone so excited about family history. He wanted to put it all in the computer the next day. He got after me and reminded me to put down all of his kids information too. "I didn't tell you this," he quietly said at the end, "but I know I need to work on this too." 

Just a note, because I've already said so much, but I've been thinking a lot about a little story from "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom. I've felt a little stressed by the future lately--there are so many unknowns and so many decisions up ahead. Corrie, as a young girl, one day asked her father a very difficult question as they rode the bus. Instead of answering, he asked her, "Corrie, when do I hand you your ticket?" Corrie thought for a minute, then responded, "Well, you give it to me right at the end so I don't lose it." 

"That's right," he replied, "And because I'm your father, you trust me to hold it for you and give it to you right when you need it--right when you're ready for it." 

I have found so much peace in the message of that story. We might not know everything about the future, or life, or sometimes even the gospel, but that's ok. It's enough to just be here in this moment, trying and trusting and working hard, and trust that it's all in the hands of a loving Father who will give us more light and guidance right when we need it.

Love you all so much! 

Love, 

Hermana Hawkes  

"Tenemos dos misioneras pequenas pero picosas"--Hno Borgetti (We are the "small, spicy" missionaries)

"Do you think this cookin is chicked?" --I am dyslexic (dislexic??)

"We overmixed the soil! It all just looks like dirt now!"--Elder Richardson 

"Talk with 10 is the law of Moses" --Elder Kleibingat 

"When anyone askes you why you came on a mission, the obvious answer is that you came to fulfill premortal covenants to gather scattered Israel." --Elder Keibingat

"they should have taken that out with all the plain and precious truths."--Elder Kleibingat

"Germans don't cry, so don't even wait for it." --Elder K (definitely not Elder Uchtdorf)