Easter Sunday A Letter To Elder Hawley 3/26/18

Hey Elder!

It's great to hear from you. Sounds like things are going well. We certainly never worry about you going hungry since you write home about the good food you are having. We love hearing that!

The term just ended. Both of your sisters got a 4.0--quite remarkable. Miles did well too. Megan is headed on the music trip to California next week for Spring Break.  Malia tried out again and "Rocked" her cheer try-out she said. She is going to be a cheerleader again next year. Miles is working on his swimming and Ninja skills. 

Thought & Scripture for this week:

"On EASTER SUNDAY we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the world. IT IS THE DAY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. On that day, my life changed. Your life changed. THE DESTINY OF ALL GOD'S CHILDREN CHANGED.

-Dieter F. Uchtdorf

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 

We hope you have a Happy Easter. We love you a ton.

Your Family

Ribereña 3/26/18

 

Elder Hawley didn’t have time to write a letter but here are some updates and pictures:

I am super good! Everything is great! Tonight we get to go to the President Regalados’ and Sister Regalados’ house to make brownies. She is also going to teach us how to make Chilaquiles. They are delicious.

                                                             Baptisms in the district

 Last week I got to baptise the wife of a convert. She called me up and told me she wanted me to be able to baptise her! I was the one who took the sister missionaries there and introduced them to the wife and then they taught her.

 Elder Hawley also participated in the teaching of the sister and now decided to follow the Lord through his sacred ordinances after a time of strengthening. Elder Hawley baptized the wife of his convert after 8 months. Congratulations.

                                                             The happy missionaries.

       Baptisms of the sisters taught by Sister Murillo, Sister Rojas and sister Hernandez with the           help of their district leaders and elder Hawley who baptized.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Elder Hawley

A Week in My Beloved Matamoros 3/19/18

SO this week started off really great! Jaja and also finished great! We get to travel a lot around the mission. I got to go and work in an area called Bagdad! (Bagdad, Tamaulipas, Mexico is a town on the south bank of the mouth of the Río Grande. This town is also known as the Port of Bagdad or the Port of Matamoros, since it is inside the municipality of Matamoros, Tamaulipas.) It was super fun! We found too really cool families this week! We were walking down the street and it started to rain and this car pulls over and we got asked where we were going! It was two families of single moms and they told us that they didn’t know why they gave us rides, they just felt like they should! They are super great! They really want to change their lives and their families are so cool too! Truly not that much happend more than that! Other than we ate at a really good place that had hamburgers called Drum Roll....Super Burger jaja. It is super awesome there. We also met a cool family from Texas in the burger place so we gave them direction to the missionaries there! 

 Yeah it was so hot today. We played soccer and I got roooasted!!! I’m so super sunburned from this week and today’s soccer game. Jaja but it’s okay, it will go to tan. I’m going to buy a hat though this week so I don’t die!

 I think we are going to the US in a little while so we will be eating something delicious haha. We can get to the US in like 20 minutes and then depending how long the line is to cross.

 Pics are in Reynosa and Monterrey.

 Love you guys a ton!!!!

Elder Hawley

Experience His Light A Letter to Elder Hawley 3/19/18

Hi Elder,

How are you doing? How was your week? We are all well. Nothing new this week for us other than the silly leprechauns made their annual visit for St. Patrick's Day. Miles still cannot figure out how our milk turns green haha.

Two thoughts from Dieter F. Uchtdorf..."Let our hearts and hands be STRETCHED OUT in compassion toward others, for EVERYONE is walking his or her own difficult path."

"Every time you turn your hearts to God in humble prayer, you experience His light. Every time to you seek His word and will in the scriptures, the light grows in brightness. Every time you notice someone in need and sacrifice your own comfort to reach out in love, the light expands and swells."

Scripture for the week Alma 28:14

Have a great week. We love you tons and tons, think of you and pray for you and your mission always.

Love,

Your Family

Peace In Me A Letter To Elder Hawley 3/12/18

Hey Elder!

It's great to hear about all the exciting things that are going on. Its sounds like you are super busy. That is good. How did things go with Elder Garcia leaving? We are excited to see pictures of you and him, also when you went to China Nuevo Leon.

We had Stake Conference last week. It was talked about the value of the Book of Mormon and the blessings that are promised through daily study of the Book of Mormon. These three promises were given to us by President Russell M. Nelson in a talk given in the October 2017 General Conference. "I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, including even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions. We are sure you have felt those blessings as a missionary. It is cool that President Nelson uses the word "immunized" too, since he is a retired heart surgeon.

The Young Women scripture for this year is D & C 19:23 "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have Peace in Me."

"AS WE ARISE EACH MORNING LET US DETERMINE TO RESPOND WITH MORE LOVE AND KINDNESS TO WHATEVER MIGHT COME OUR WAY." President Thomas S. Monson

We are doing well at home, just so so busy. The kids are finishing up third term this week already! Hang in there...remember to take deep breaths and try to find peace each day.

We love you a ton and pray for you always.

Your Family

Lots of Things Have Happened!!! 3/08/18

Wow lots of things have happened in these past weeks! I haven't been able to write because we have been super super busy! Wow I don’t even know where to start!

First thing...going to Monterrey!!!! It was so amazing to be able to see the temple again! We went in three big tour buses and we left at 3 in the morning to get there in time! In the mission home where I normally sleep, there were 40 missionaries, more or less, so that was really crazy to try to get everyone showered and ready all through the night to be ready in the morning! I went to bed at midnight and had to get up at 1 to shower and get ready for everything before everyone got up! So crazy! I loved it so much! We get there, eat a little breakfast and then we went to take a picture (emailed earlier this week). We got all lined up and ready to take the picture and then Neil L Anderson got there and we all go quiet. It was such an awesome experience. He was so awesome. He was very relaxed but so powerful! He talked a lot about how important the young generation is because that is the new generation and the generation that we have the chance to form and mold and help for the future!

What else has happened....oh yeah we went to China Nuevo Leon! I have some pics but I will send them next week! It’s this little small town like 2 hours away that is super cool! There are no missionaries, and we will be going soon to work there! Oh and we ate some tacos that were the best tacos I have had in my whole mission. So good. I think I am going to open a taco stand at home!

This week one of the asistentes leaves who is a really good friend, so that’s sad. I will send pics of us together. He leaves on Friday! It makes me sad to see him go, but I know he will go on to do amazing things! Also it makes me more excited to work harder to take advantage of the time I have left!

I love you guys! I will write more on Monday!!!!

Elder Hawley

Misson Picture 3/05/18

To all the families and friends of the mission's successful missionaries, Mexico Reynosa, we share the photograph taken with Elder Andersen, Sister Andersen, Elder Robbins, Sister Robbins, Elder Pine and Sister Pine, on the side of the Monterey Temple. It has been a very special experience for all missionaries who were enjoying this conference.