Good Week to Come! (11 meses) 6/26/17

  This week I think is going to be a great week. The family I talked about last week will be getting married, then if everything goes well with the dad’s work, they will be getting baptized Saturday! I'm so happy for them. Last week was super great. The thing that we did that was cool was taking pictures dressed as thugs haha see photos.

 This week we had a cool experience. About a month ago we were running late for an appointment in the church with an investigator. We were walking super fast to get there on time and a guy saw us practically running and pulled over and asked if we wanted a ride. So we hopped in his truck. He took us to the church and then dropped us off outside. During the ride we introduced ourselves and explained that we are missionaries and that we help people and teach them about God and all the good stuff. He told us his name is Jose. He said he was interested and one day he would come to church. We just figured it was like a lot of people and we probably weren’t going to see him again. Last Sunday we walked into the church and I saw him. He got up and told us that he felt like he really needed to come to church and that we were an answer to his prayers. He accompanied us the whole three hours and liked it a lot. As he was leaving he high fived me and said....”Well I guess I’ll see you guys next Sunday right?” He is so awesome.

 This week we got to go to a meeting with the Mission President to teach all of the branch presidents in the area. We had to give a presentation. We were a little nervous at first but once we started, everything went super great. After we went for some sweet tacos.

  For Father’s Day we played a song that we made up. It was super funny and I played the guitar. I wish we could have recorded it, but a member just took a picture of us. I am still having opportunities to play the piano and I am learning good. I can play some hymns now!

I love you guys and miss you all a ton! See you in 13 months maybe...don’t want to come home so soon.

Love,

Elder Hawley

 

Heavenly Father Watches Out For Us A Lettter to Elder Hawley 6/25/17

Hi Elder!

Well another week has gone by . Time goes by so fast. Things are super busy at work and at church . It sounds like things are going well for you. Are you burning up with how hot the weather is there? Now it looks like you are getting a lot of rain. When is the hottest time of the year there?

How are things going as the Zone Leader? You are getting some great experiences that will help you for the rest of your life. How is Thomas and his family? Did they get married as planned? When is their baptism? 

There is a great story from youth conference we want to share with you. Some of the youth talked about youth conference in Sacrament Meeting today. Jaden had researched five names to take to the temple for baptisms. At the beginning of the trip they stopped at the Timpanogos Temple first and did temple names then went to the St George temple to do family names at the end of the trip. Somewhere along the way Jaden lost one of his names. He counted them over and over. He had only four. He searched and searched for the missing name. When he went to the temple in St George he handed them the four names. He went into the font to do the baptisms. He got baptized for the four people and started getting out and Jericho said wait there is one more. He turned and on the screen he recognized the name that he had lost. It was super cool. The trip was a great time and a real success. All these little experiences in life let you know how involved Heavenly Father is in our lives and how he watches out for us. 

Have a great week. We pray for you always. Love the people in your mission and in Mexico.

We love you a ton. 

Love,

Your Family

Fathers Day! 6/19/17

Hey everyone, I am sorry I forgot to write a letter last week! I realized after I had logged out. I think the heat is melting my brain! 

This week was super great! We had one family in special that came to church this week that are so awesome! I’m going to tell you their story! The dad of the family, his name is Thomas, had just barely moved to Rio Bravo. One afternoon he contacted us and we started to talk. He told us that he was meeting with the missionaries a long time ago and going to church, but he stopped going. He realized that the church brought him so many blessings, so he and his family needed to go to church again. We went and visited him and he told us about his life and man he has passed through some suprisingly hard things. He then started telling us how he saw lots of families walking into the church the first day they had gotten to Rio Bravo. He saw how happy they looked and then came to the conclusion that the thing they were missing is that they needed to get married and get baptized. He has been so awesome! If everything goes good they will be getting married this week and baptized the next week. It’s families like them that make the hard times easier to push through! 

Right now I want to give a shout out to my dad. He is the best. I’m so thankful for him and the example and advice and support he’s given me over the years! 

I am going to be getting new shews (haha his spelling though) this week, and shout out to my fam for the bag of Hi Chews…so great. The spinners are a hit! I actually gave my spinner away to a guy that has a smoking problem because he smokes when he is anxious. He hasn’t smoked since I gave him the spinner!!! Sorry I regifted it.

I love you guys all a ton!

Elder Hawley

Mission Pictures from Facebook 6/19/17

 

Father's Day Week A Letter to Elder Hawley 6/18/17

Hey Elder!

How was your week? We sure missed not getting a letter from you last week. Try to write a letter even if you don't have pictures. We want to know what goes on in your week and know how you are doing. How is your Zone doing? Any baptisms, experiences, or service being done?

We had a very busy week with lots going on. It was Youth Conference. Dad and Megan said it was so great. The bishopric was in charge of it. They went to Zions and hiked The Narrows. Dad went with his counselors, Vanner and Rick. Jerico, Christian, and Susie went too and the Priests, Laurels, Teachers, and Miamaids went. They stayed at Despain's aunt's house again. The one you stayed at when you went on the bike trip. They stopped at the Timpanogos Temple and did Baptisms for the Dead then did them again in St George the day before going home. The water was running really high in The Narrows. It was the clearest dad has ever seen it. He said it was super pretty. They started at the bottom and worked their way up, but because the water was so high they weren't able to make it all the way. They had to turn back when it was so deep you had to swim. They couldn't swim against the current with their packs, they just went backwards. They said it was such an awesome trip. We will have to go back when you get home. 

We had a great speaker in church today. He talked about what makes a good father. He read in Alma 7:23-24. 23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. 24 And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. It is a great scripture. It lists the same qualities you need to be a good missionary. 

Keep up the good work you are doing. We are so proud of you. You are doing a great job. Keep doing your best and the Lord will give you the experiences and lessons you need to fulfill the mission he has for you here in mortality. 

We Love you a ton. Have a super week! 

Your Family

Super day of preparation. !!!!!!!!!! 6/12/17

Hearts of Determination A Letter to Elder Hawley 6/12/17

Hey Elder!

How are you doing? How has your week been? Are you surviving the heat? Our weather has been hot, but the first part of this week will be cooler and rainy. Thank goodness!!!

Our sacrament meeting was really good. The girls who graduated-Aubrey, Sariah, and Corinne spoke on seminary and their testimony. Megan and Duncan sang a duet, "If You Could Hie to Kolob" and Joey spoke on patience for his homecoming. The song ended up being one of Joey's favorite songs from his mission he said. Megan and Duncan didn't even know that...pure inspiration haha. Bishop Garner also spoke at the end and did a great job tying all the topics together.

 

Not much happened last week. Trying to keep the kids busy since they are out of school. Megan hung with friends and went on a couple of dates. Malia went to Lagoon a couple of times with different friend groups. Dad bought Miles a baseball helmet. He likes to play baseball in our back yard. He is getting good at hitting the ball, and is determined. The ball went over the fence twice!

A thought to ponder that we heard in church..."Christ is our most trustworthy friend". Remember to have patience and listen to the Lord...D&C 50:24 "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."

President Spencer W. Kimball said in the Washington Temple dedicatory prayer, "Give us, we pray, hearts of determination, that we, thy people, may make such sacrifices as are necessary; that our sons may live righteously through their growing years and strive for spiritual excellence to be worthy to take the gospel to the nations of the world."

We Love you tons! Keep up the great work. Have a fantastic week.

Love,

Your Family

Mission Facebook Pics 6/12/17

No letter this week.

Pictures 6/12/17

Another Week Bites the Dust 6/05/17

This week is going to be a week of photos because not a lot happened this week! Today we played paintball. It was so fun. It has been so so hot. I remember the last week we got a ride from a member and he told us his phone said it was 103 degrees.

 

I had to go to Reynosa to get fingerprinted since I have almost been out a year. I got to stay there for like 3 days because the mission president wanted me to help some missionaries that are struggling. I was just helping in the offices for like 3 days! It was a super good experience. 

 It was fun to be in my old ward again too. I did get to see some families that I hadn’t seen for a long time and it was super fun! They wanted to take photos with me and they invited us to dinner too.

 

Hope you enjoy the pictures! I love you guys a ton and I hope everything is going super great!!!

Love,

Elder Hawley

 

Fishing & Ducking A Letter To Elder Hawley 6/04/17

Hi Elder!  

How is it going? How was your week? We really enjoyed your letter and pictures as always. Miles really likes your bed and the crowns from "Burger King in Mexico". What happened to your companion's toe??? How is your ankle?

The kids are out of school...let summer begin. We had quite the fishing trip to Farmington Pond Saturday evening with the Williams. Malia caught a little fish. Miles was practicing casting out his fishing line and he caught a DUCK! The hook got caught on the duck's foot while the duck was floating on the water. Miles kept saying, "I caught a duck!" He couldn't real it in, it was too heavy. Mark had to help him while dad was helping Malia. Once they got the duck to the shore, it took dad and Mark to get the hook out of its foot. The duck was fine and swam away. We all got a good laugh for the rest of the night. Mom said, "Only my son would do that". Haha we had alot of fun! Dad said we went fishing AND ducking. Oh the fun memories we always make with the Williams though!

Dad hopes all is going well and the advice he gave you last week helped. Satan will do everything he can to stop the work. Because you seem to be working hard and doing what's right, he has to resort to making you feel unworthy. Dad has been pondering a lot on a statement he read in a recent conference talk. "The need to use the atonement each day in your life" .You can tell if the atonement is working in your life if you feel the spirit. The mighty change can come about in our life because of the atonement, but the change happens through the spirit. Little by little the spirit sanctifies us.

Keep up the good work and don't let Satan discourage you or make you feel unworthy. Remember you have another priesthood leader too (your mission president) to help you if you need.

Love ya tons, 

Your Family