Pictures 5/29/17

RIO BRAVO--Week #1 5/29/17

Sorry I couldn’t send the email last week the Wi-Fi wouldn’t load and I couldn’t send it.

I am loving it in the new area! It has been super great, little bit hard since neither of us know the area. This week has been great. We have met some awesome new people! Other than that it truthfully has not been a crazy different week. This week we had a super awesome branch conference and a member of the area 70 came, Elder Roman. He gave a super, super awesome talk! I really liked one of the things that he said. He was quoting an Apostol and he taught that in the final judgment will be a judgment based on the changes we have made in life. He said it isn’t going to be like a scale of the good things and the bad but the transformation that we have received from the atonement of Jesus Christ. I really liked this, and I love teaching this to the people. Christ can always help us and we can transform our lives through him!

I’m super excited. We will be traveling to a new branch this next week. It has been closed for 15 years and we will be working there for a week and in the branch I’m in right now for a week! It should be an awesome experience!!

It was a crazy weather week! Last night there was a crazy storm and the lightning was literally lighting up the room like almost constantly. I am really tired, we didn’t sleep good from the storm.

This week we ate some goat. It’s like beef but just has a little bit of a different taste. I really liked it. I also ate a really good spaghetti the other day and it reminded me of home. It was super good. I ate a ton. Meatballs are super good. Here they are called albondigas.

I love you guys a lot! I hope you have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Hawley

Mission Pictures From Facebook 5/29/17

Happy Memorial Day A Letter to Elder Hawley 5/28/17

Hey Elder!

How are you? We didn't get a letter from you last week so we are hoping all is well. We enjoyed our chatting back and forth though. Everything is going good here. Megan had her Madrigal performance last week which was really good. School is almost out, this is the last week. Everyone is excited for summer. Work is very busy and we have youth conference and camps coming up. It's going to be a really busy summer. 

Have you been getting alot of rain? Our weather is starting to get hot. We have really enjoyed the long, wet Spring we have had other than dad who has not been able to work consistently. You know how that goes. 

Today we are celebrating Memorial Day. Aunt Robyn and mom walked in the 5k, Malia and Abbi ran, Miles and Ryker rode their bikes. Dad worked this year. Then we had the annual big breakfast and programs the city does every year. We sure missed you being with us, but Miles ate some pancakes, ham, and eggs for you. When we chat later today, we will be at the family barbeque.

Scripture for this week...Joshua 1:9  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

We Love You and pray for you, your companion, all missionaries, and the people of Mexico daily. Have a great week with lots of success!

Love, 

Your Family

Pics/Missing Letter 5/22/17

  I (Stephanie) didn’t get a letter this week for some reason. These pictures are from the Mision Mexico Reynosa Facebook page. Also, here are a few things that went on last week that he talked about in our chat yesterday:

I’m doing super good. Did you guys hear about the tornado? It was in Texas but it took out the power here too. It was so hot because we couldn’t even use the fans or anything. We played a ton of soccer in the morning today in the rain. Haha I slipped and got wrecked.

I like the new area and my new companion. It’s been a little difficult just because we have no idea what we were doing the whole week because we are both new to the area. Here it is super safe, super more safer than Reynosa. (His English though J). We go on splits a lot and also they are going to be opening a new branch. Me and my companion are going to be working there too. So we’ll go there for like a week and then be here for like a week.

Have a great week!

Elder Hawley

 

Accomplish Anything A Letter to Elder Hawley 5/21/17

Hey Elder!

How are you? How was your week in your new area, with your new companion, and with your new calling? We think about you all the time and pray for your success in all things. 

We had a busy week with the end of school activities starting with Megan's Concert Choir concert which was really good. She also had an all night Madrigal party on Friday and had a great time. Malia had her orchestra concert which was good. She is doing very well playing the viola. She is busy with cheer practices early mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays and she also had a mandatory cheer safety clinic she had to attend. Miles was happy to find out that his reading end of level test shows he is reading at the end of 2nd grade level. He is currently in 1st grade so that is great.

Dad went to seminary graduation tonight. President Hill made an interesting comment dad thought you might like. He said, "The only way we can fail is if we give up." It goes along with the thought that we can accomplish anything, which is true. We hope that will help in your new calling. Miles has the scripture for you this week that he learned in primary. It goes along with what President Hill talked about. 1 Nephi 3:7

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

Pray for Joey, he has been in the hospital with a flare up of his auto-immune disease this past week. He has done well on his mission but has battled health issues off and on. This time was the worst and his labs are showing some questionable things. So per his Utah doctor's orders and the doctor's in the hospital, he is returning home tomorrow (Monday). He will get into his doctor right away and start having more tests done. We are happy for him that he lasted as long as he has. He has nine months left but probably will not go back out due to his health concerns. 

Know that we love you a ton and we pray for you always!

Love,

Your Family

Transfers-Rio Bravo 5/15/17

This week has been super great! Maria got baptised. It was so so awesome. She loved it so much and she was so grateful for finding the church. She got baptized on Friday and then was confirmed on Sunday. She is literally such an amazing person, even though she is going through some of the hardest situations, she is so faithful and loving to everyone. I will miss her a lot.

I’m getting transferred to a new city tomorrow (Tuesday)! I will miss the area I am in right now, but it will be a good experience. I like the members here a lot, but that’s okay. I’m just more sad to leave the converts that we have here. I wish I could stay to help take care of them. I will be in a city called Rio Bravo in a little branch with a companion named Elder Lara, he’s super cool. He has been out 19 months. I am super super excited! We will both be new in the area and will be living in a house super close to the church with two other elders.

My companion and I were walking and this little dog was following us. We didn’t want it to get run over so my companion put it in my backpack and it was just along for the ride. Later we took it back to its house. The last pic my comp told me to look cool for the picture, but I guess we had different ideas of cool.

Love you guys a lot!! Happy Mother’s Day to my mother and all the mothers in the world haha. Have a great week!

Elder Hawley

Mother's Day Pictures 5/14/17

Rebecca and Daniel's Wedding 5/13/17

Family Pictures May 2017

Foot to the Face and Everything is Falling in Place 5/08/17

The mission has its ups and downs. Get kicked in the face playing soccer...down. Helping super awesome families become more happy...up. Finding out you’re allergic to mangos...down. This next week I’ll be able to face-time my family...up. 

This week was super good, other than I got bit by a dog riding my bike. Wasn’t too bad of a bite, but he ain’t gonna be biting me anymore cause I have a sack of rocks that I carry on my bike now. 

This week we’re teaching lots of people, but the best was a lady named Maria. She is so awesome. She is an older lady and is a widow. She lives with her family and a super sick son. Her son has been super sick with a stomach problem and hasn’t been able to eat for about 7 months now. This week she got to church with tears in her eyes and told us that everything in her life has been getting better, and for the first time in7 months her son ate a full meal without pain or losing his lunch. She told us that the church is fixing all of her problems one by one. I honestly would get bit by 100 dogs if I could have a moment like that every week. I know this church is true, that Jesus Christ loves us, and we can overcome any difficulty we have through him! 

Pulled out a new shirt this week that I had been saving. Looks so white!!!

Have a great week!

Elder Hawley

Repentance Is Like An Eraser A Letter to Elder Hawley 5/07/17

Hey Elder!

How are you doing? How was your week? We enjoyed your letter and hope your companion is feeling better. Did you get sick?

 

 We had a busy week with the kids. Malia had her Joseph performances which were fabulous. She did a really good job and had a lot of fun. Megan was busy working at the ranch feeding the animals and helping with the last of the baby animal festival over the weekend. Miles gave a talk in primary...short and sweet. He said, "My name is Miles Hawley. I am going to talk about repentance. Because of Jesus and his atonement (shows a picture of Jesus) if we make a mistake we can pray to Heavenly Father and we can be forgiven. Repentance is like an eraser (shows an over-sized eraser) it can make all our mistakes go away. As I repent I can be forgiven. That is my talk. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

We can't wait to talk to you next week on Mother's Day. Our church is from 11 to 2. Let us know what time works best for you.

We Love You...have a fabulous week!

Your Family

querido madre. dear mother. 5/01/17

Mitch
I thought i should write you a special email for your birthday, because haha its a special day. first off i just would like to thank you for everything youve ever done for me. really you have done so much for me and i am honestly so thankful for everything and your great example you have given me. you taught me so many things that i couldnt have learned from anyone else. like honestly i dont know how you put up with me haha i was a little rough there for a while. i am so thankful for that. I really miss you a lot but time is passing fast so its okay. i love you a ton. i hope you are doing great and everything is going super great!

Mom

Thank You!  Just so you know I am not a year older, just a year younger haha. You are the best first son a mom could ever ask for! I miss you so much, but know you are where you need to be and that keeps me counting down the day.

I Love You!

Mom

Another Interesting Week 5/01/17

It has been the hottest thing I have ever experienced this week. It was so hot like 105!  It was an interesting week. My comp got sick this week, and we couldn’t leave because he had to stay close to the baño. That’s okay because I read and studied a ton. I read a lot about Jesus Christ this week. I learned so much from his example. He loved everyone and just helped and healed and did everything in his power to lift the burdens of others, up until he gave his life for everyone. I know that sometimes we pass through very hard times. I have learned a lot of those in the mission, but we can just remember that he is always there for us to help us and love us.

 In the pictures…we went to a super good Chinese buffet today...so good. 

 A lady that always goes to Texas bought us a box of Mountain Dew because she said that the Americans always want it. 

  I have a money jar that I’m saving till its full. Gonna buy something sweet.

  Also, a Texas license plate we found outside our house...it was sitting there for like a week.

 

We have been working with an awesome family this week. We took a picture and visited them during Day of the Kids...Dia del Nino, and the kids gave us some candy. They were super excited to pray and go to church! So great to see them learning and growing.

We had two baptisms this week and they were so amazing. They were so ready and they were so happy. One was a little girl that her dad got baptized a little while ago. The good times I have had in the mission sometimes are few and are far apart, but they out-way the bad ones by a million. So just keep your head up, keep your goals high, and trust in the Lord and everything will work out for the best.

Love you all!!!

Elder Hawley