September 2, 2019 Snake Sticks and Little Miracles

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 we can help her harvest dates, and we were expected to tell her how "cute" they were. One definitely had a giant ale logo on it that she couldn't read. Needless to say we didn't read too much in the book of Mormon that night! 

Driving out in the dust, I suddenly felt something large crawling on my neck, and it was dark and we had talked a little too much about snakes! I let out a yell and slammed on the breaks. The biggest cicada I've ever seen slammed into the windshield. We couldn't get him out of the car! We found out later little Rosa thought we'd blown a tire, and went marching over to the neighbors. We had already driven off by the time they got back, so she said, "I just prayed for you." I adore her. I read King Benjamin with her this week and I think she may have a crush on him. "He's so old, and frail, but he has such a BIG HEART!" 

One of the strangest miracles of my mission was Jose walking over to an appointment with Yadhira (named changed ;) in tow. They have two kids, but aren't together any more. She just came and sat right down. She ran off in chase of her little boy Eric (who I found out I've been calling Eddy for 4 months) and I turned to Jose. "Wait...can we TEACH her?? We were going do to prophets...just prophets...should we go full Restoration??" Jose just blinked at me. "Just don't scare her," he told me. She ended up bringing all 3 boys to a baptismal service in English the next day, so we'll see where this goes! I have no idea if it's ok to translate ordinances, but definitely did do that...

The cutest little family was moving into our apartments last night! We scared them half to death in our skirts and dresses, asking if we could help. They said yes! 

I was having a bit of a hard week. Sometimes we think (me included) that missionaires always have good prayers and always feel very connected to Heavenly Father, but we are real people, and sometimes we definitely feel a disconnect too. I think it's just part of the journey. I had been praying to feel that God was proud of me, and honestly felt nothing. Not much. Hermana Staker, without my telling her much of anything, decided to share a little scripture with me that she had felt I needed. It was such an answer to a prayer! I am so grateful for her. The thing that has been striking me the most on my mission is how much Heavenly Father needs us to reach out to each other, to care for each other. He is separated from each of us physically, and so relies on our willingness to care for each other. I never want to miss the little nudges from Him to reach out to someone. 

I love you all so much. 

--Hermana Hawkes 

Great Quotes: 

"This is delicious. Would you like a bite?" --President Mckinnon ( his slice of birthday cake.) 

"You're so wise and jaded" --Sister Hill

"Do you think we could just shake that date tree and wait for the dates to fall?" --Hermana Staker

"Hermana Hawkes would be Ariel because I feel like she would secretly enjoy creepy ships and being chased by sharks." --Sister Bastian 

"This is my favorite water. Bud Light water." --Pancho 

"Tell the guerita to have some popcorn. I want to see how she eats."--Eduardo