July 13, 2015

Oh man! 

That makes me super happy that you were able to go to Pres. Jackson's homecoming. As you saw they are just super awesome people. Haha and yeah I recognized like all of the ex missionaries in there. I'm really old... 

The area, the companion and the investigators are all going pretty well. My new companion Elder Castro is from Colombia and has lived in Alicante (Souther Spain) for the past 15 years. So he's basically Spanish, but not really. He's a good missionary and I can feel that he's supposed to be here with me right now. He's helping me with his Spanish and I'm helping him with other things...  

Our investigators are doing alright but they could be doing a lot better. There is a lot of work up here in A Coruña but the thing is that the members are all just kind of doing their own thing and don't participate in very much missionary work. However we are working on that and we are slowly gaining the trust of them. The thing is that they just never let us come over to visit them and get to know them. So like I said, little by little. We have a great investigator named Babi (Bobby). SHE's an older Cuban lady and the mother of some awesome members here. She has trouble reading so the ward mission leader helped us get a large Book of Mormon for her to read and she's sooo excited to get started reading. We tried fixing a baptismal date with her for August 1st but... She didn't accept it. She doesn't feel ready and so we're going to talk to her about gaining her own testimony, and then answering her questions. Babi's really good and has a lot of potential. Then there's Antonio. He's a middle aged single Spanish man. He's a really good cook actually and he loves eveything about the church. However he doesn't feel ready to make the commitment to get baptized quite yet. This Sundaythough we had a class on Sacrifice and Josema (our ward mission leader) was really clear about what it means to be a true christian and sacrifice what we have, or like or something small of little importance to God. To be able to come closer unto Him and His son and be purified and perfected by the Attonement. So this week we're going to take advantage of this because both of them are really close to being ready to get baptized. So we're going to talk about sacrifice and see what they're willing to sacrifice to come unto Christ and really pick up his cross and follow him. 

Which leads onto lesson number 5.

#5 The importance of diligence.

Ok diligence. It is very important. A sustained effort in those things that are more important in life.we have received the commandment to pray always and never cease. In my case to preach the gospel where ever we may be. Always be looking for someone else to teach. By doing so we receive blessings and we are able to see miracles. We apply faith when we are diligent. Faith that what we are doing is worth the effort. It's worth taking time from our favorite things to be able to do things that like I said have a little more importance. 

I really like what in says in Preach My Gospel about this.  "A diligent missionary works effectively and efficiently. Diligence in missionary work is an expression of your love for the Lord and His work. When you are diligent, you find joy and satisfaction in your work." It's very true. I've seen this over the course of my mission and like it says there, you are expressing your love to the Lord the more and the harder you work to be diligent. I'm very grateful for the desire I've had on my mission to be diligent. There have been few moments where I haven't wanted to work. Obviously there have been a few but I've been blessed with good companions and a very awesome family to keep me motivated. "I didn't come here to lay up. Just go for it." 

This Church is the only true and living church on the earth today. The Book of Mormon is true and the secret to staying active is being DILIGENT in reading and praying about the truthfulness thereof. 

Thanks for all of the love!

Love,

Elder Hawks