Written in My Heart

This is the only pic I have this week...
a family here in Dville had 4 little kittens that are 4 weeks old!
 We got to hold them and play with them. So little!

Well, one more week down...and a crazy one at that! 

One might ask, Sister Hawkins, why do you look like the walking dead? Or Sister, Pribyl, what's wrong with your twitching eye? Well let me tell you.

This week I've sought for a lot of spiritual strength as I've come to realize the responsibility of discipleship. Sounds like a mouthful, but hear me out! God has blessed us with some wonderful people to teach who are more than prepared and more than willing to start on that straight and narrow path through baptism. I'm overly pleased and incredibly humbled!

One might think that these dark circles under my eyes come from consistently running around and working hard on less than satisfactory hours of sleep. Though this week I've come to understand that this is not the case...but most often I think sleep would still do me some good.

Instead I've realized that it's not as much of a physical strain as it is a spiritual one. I've never loved so much!!! I've never loved this quickly and this deeply. And my altered physical appearance results from all the stress and worry I have for strangers I may have never even met! 

Man. When I think of the strongest kind of love, I immediately think of the love between parent and child. Relationships between God and us, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. It makes me think twice about having a family of my own someday...um hello??! There's no more room in here, my heart's too full! and if I worry this much about the agency and well-being of strangers, I don't even want to think about my own kids! 

Ok, my venting is over. But honestly, I didn't know I could love so much. I feel like the grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes. Except I think mine grew 4. 

You know on my mission I've been able to better understand my feelings because the Lord speaks to us through them. By inviting the Spirit everyday my senses seem to be heightened. Sounds like I'm gaining super powers haha. What I mean is that I can see and recognize things about others that will help them comprehend the Gospel more clearly. I can feel and experience the Spirit in different ways to know how to teach and learn and grow. I can hear the quiet whisperings and promptings of the Holy Ghost to be led and guided through His will. And at the end of the day I can more prominently smell that glorious piece of dark chocolate as I taste of it's divine-ness. haha

In all seriousness, I've come to find and develop more of my own spiritual gifts and even others as I continually call upon the Lord day by day. It's amazing what the Lord can reveal to us about ourselves and the people who surround us. And it all stems from love!

In 2 Corinthians 3:3 it says"

"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart"

Not only am I a missionary because of my tag, but I'm a missionary because it's written in my heart. And I hope that all those who have the gift of the Holy Ghost would write it in their hearts too--as it is a commandment from the Lord!

Thank you for all the prayers this week, I've felt them and I am ever so grateful for them! Till next week!

Sister Hawkins 

Probably the only time that I actually like cats is when they're kittens!

Note from the Mom: Oh my sweet girl. She's always worried about others more than herself. Reminds me of the time they were teaching fire safety in the 2nd grade and she stayed awake at night worrying over how she was going to save the entire family if the house was on fire!