June 3, 2012

Hello Mom and happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for all writing me before monday this week it is making my computer time a little bit less stressfull! haha Sounds like everyone is doing really well and what the heck Spencer is famous and winning all kinds of stuff! that´s super cool! I´m glad to hear that the family is doing well and the Macy is getting ready to go into the temple. The temple is such a blessing that we have and every single day here makes me more excited to come home and to enjoy the blessing of having temples in every direction and so close! Be sure to always take advantage of that blessing!

Ok well changes came and I am now in a new area with a new companion. I´m in the city of Tocumen in the area of Cubuya. My companion is Elder Samoyoa and the only thing anyone has told me is that I need to help the kid find some enthusiasm in the missionary work. It´s been tough so far not going to lie because he doesn´t like to do the missionary things anymore. He has about 16 months in the mission and doesn´t even talk about the church when he contacts. He really likes to just chat with the people and spend a lot of time in members houses. I´m not complaining here just telling the truth haha the first day he actually didn´t get out of bed until about 11:30 and has been feeling "sick" the whole time. But it´s ok we´re going to work and we´re going to help this ward. The ward is new and yesterday we had 62 members in the sacrament meeting. Everyone was excited about this number as well but I wasn´t. I know that the ward can have a ton more and my goal is to get us up to about 80.

The area is a "trunky" area because we live literally right next to the airport and all day every day planes are flying out of Panamá headed to who knows where. I always tell myself that all of them are going to Colombia so I´m not too worried about it. So far I really do like the area and am enjoying getting to know the members and work with them. However I also am excited about finding new people to start to teach and to be honest I have a really good feeling about contacting this change. I´m overall really excited and pray that I will be able to bless the people here in any way that I can!

Sorry there really isn´t a ton more to tell you because we have only visited 1 investigator and I don´t remember his name but in the next week I will be sure to send you more of a detailed email with more about how i´m doing and how the people are progressing. I know that my patience and longsuffering are going to be tested in the next 5 weeks but what would the mission be if we never had trials and never had to learn to grow and be leaders. I love it here already and seriously have the strongest desires to just help every single person that I see. I guess I´m turning into a missionary finally haha.

I love you all so much and will be excited to tell you about the fun adventures that I will have in the next little while! Until next week:)

Elder Hawks