Be Celestial Now

a cool pc of my "Haz lo Justo" ring! Pretty snazzy huh?

What a week it's been! I kinda feel like this week was a month long because we've been so busy! So much to do!!

Another week of teaching, finding, teaching, serving and more teaching. The work is going well. Slowly it's been picking up so we're excited about that. We're teaching lots of new people and the members of our branch are helping more too. You know, this work moves so much faster when it's not just the two of us!

As I'm thinking about all those we're teaching, I realize that so many of these people will be baptized. Whether it's in my time in Atlanta or later--I know not. But I'm ok with that! Being part of the process is exciting and just as rewarding! I love teaching and I love helping others learn and understand what I've come to know. 

We had interviews with our mission president this week- President Harding. Before our interview he gave us a little questionnaire that he call a C-T scan. Like a CAT scan but it's called the "Celestial-Telestial" scan.

Basically it was a check-up scan to see where you think you'd go if you died today. You would think that missionaries would all say celestial since we're following the Lord's will and dedicating all of our time to His work. But it's interesting how inadequate we sometimes feel. Really the root of the problem is that we're just not perfect like the Savior. I've seen this problem more in sisters too since we're usually harder on ourselves when we don't meet our expectations. But when you think about it, imperfect people is all the Lord has ever had to work with. 

If there's one thing that I took away from my interview and President Harding's council, it's to "be celestial now".

Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel is one of my favorite chapters. It's basically a "how-to" guide to being celestial. Developing Christlike Attributes is a lifelong quest that requires patience, repentance, humility, diligence and prayer. But it's the key to moving forward, to relying on the Savior and changing your habits to refine yourself as the person God has designed you to be. And of course all is solely for preparation to stand before God at the last day. As my buddy Neal A Maxwell says, "Each of us will find that what we made from the ore of our experience is character, and that character, unlike so many other earthly things acquired, is portable."

Choosing to be celestial now is living a celestial life. That is a hard task to undertake. But we must live celestial lives to be endowed with celestial power.

Sorry I don't have much more for you this week! I just thought I'd share a few of my random thoughts with you! I wanted to thank all for your prayers and support. I truly can recognize it at the moment I really need it! Thank you!

oh! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!! don't you dare edit this out, mom!

*** Don't forget to wish my mom a happy birthday and tell her how amazing she is! :)

Love,

Hermana Hawkins