June 25, 2012

Hey family,

 

Wow ok thank you for the update this week and wow I´m so stoked for Spencer!!!!  I couldn´t be happier that he decided to go back out on a mission.  I´ve been praying for him like crazy ever since I heard that he had gone home.  I know that Oregon is where the Lord needs him and he will make a huge difference in the lives of the people there. 

 

Ok so real quick I want to ask that everyone get together and brainstorm with me.  We have started to weekly noches de grupo for the ward and we as the Elders are almost always in charge of the "dynamic" part of the activity.  I´m pretty new at this and would love suggestions from everyone about what kinds of things that we can do to make them fun but also spiritually uplifting.  Thanks!!

 

Ok so this week was excellent.  We had capacitations with President Ward and with the Assistents.  It was really neat and we focused on becoming better teachers.  We talked a lot about how we have to adapt our teaching based on the needs of the investigators, asking questions, and focusing on committments.  It was super awesome and I left more focused and ready to work.  Also it was nice because the assistents pulled me aside and asked me how I was doing and how the area was and all that jazz.  Right now they are switching the assistents so they are in a trio.  On wednesday I did divisions with my companion and with the new assistent Elder Gomez.  Working with him was awesome and helped me out a lot.  It was interesting because during the day he and I were the only ones who talked and my companion just walked behind us and didn´t say anything but in the end of the day my companion was really happy.  When I was talking to Elder Gomez he told me that I´m in a tough spot but that I have to take advantage of the situation in any way that I can.  He told me that basically I´m the senior comp and that I have to take the initiative in EVERYTHING and that I have to start the lessons, teach, invite, challenge, plan and basically do everything by myself but that later in the mission the things that I learn in this change will serve for the rest of the mission and for life as well. 

 

Wow ok on saturday we did a mega service and worked from 9 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon.  It was a joke.  Haha we were at the house of our ward mission leader putting in a cement fence for him which includes digging the foundation by hand, mixing the cement by hand, lugging the 5 gallon bucket full of cement to the foundation and then pouring it.  Yeah I know maybe I should just sign up with Holmes homes and work with the mexicans when I get home cause I´m practically pro.  haha just kidding.  It was good to do but I´m not gonna lie I left absolutely 100 percent fried!!!!!

 

Ok so for the picture from the last week it was in a service project we did the first week I got here.  The house we´re at is that of a menos activo but mom the truth is the house where I live is about the same if not worse but I´m not gonna lie I love it!! 

 

Everything here is going well with me and I´m honestly in love with Panamá and everything about it.  It´s been such a good experience already and I´m so excited for all the things that the Lord has in store with me here.  This week I found a lot of consolation in my Patriarchial blessing and reading it helped me to open my eyes a tich to things I was looking past in myself.  It´s good to pull out our blessings every once in a while and read them, it´s amazing how depending on what situations we find ourselves there is always counsel that can help us.  I love you all so much and know that the church is true.  Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made and are making for me to be here.

 

Love,

 

Elder Hawks
 

Ps if you can find a book called "missionary pal" by Keith Marston and send it to me I would be soooooo happy.  It´s a book of reference that I think could be very helpful for me in my studies.  Thanks love you!