More Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Sister Araujo and me!

This week was all about ch-ch-ch-ch- changes!! (*cue the music!) And awesome changes at that! Why? Because I have an amazing new awesome companion, Sister Araujo. She's from Campo Grande, Brasil and has 10 months in the mission. I only have good things to say about her. One of her favorite hobbies is to laugh... match made in heaven? I think yes! We're just having a blast and we're so excited to work together. I love transfers because it's a good opportunity to make changes- just like when the new year rolls around. But transfers are more frequent so goals actually get done! Alright alright... let's get to the changes! 

change 1: Sister Araujo and I will do a photo challenge. We're going to take one photo per day of our companionship. Let's face it, I've been a slacker with photos lately... mostly because I don't like uploading them on these computers. BUT. We will commemorate each day of our time together and you'll get to follow along!

Change 2:This is a change I can't control.... it's getting really really really hot. Earlier it was hot but now it's really x3 hot. To the point where my forehead makes salt. Literally. We sweat all day in the sun and then sit in "fresher" rooms with fans and I literally wipe grains of salt off my forehead. Not that any of you really need to know this but I'm only being real with you. You wanna hear about what I'm learning and experiencing, right? Well... I learned that my forehead makes salt and I'm experiencing heat. A lot of heat.

Change 3: Call me chef Sienna because I'm learning how to cook... Brasilian style. Sister Araujo loves to cook and is teaching me lots of different recipes. Just this week I made Pineapple juice (they use the whole thing, spikey parts and all), of course typical rice, a side dish called "creme de leite" and a lime mousse. Don't worry family, I'll perfect the rice by the time I'm home. Apparently it takes years of practice but I only have 6 months. If all goes wrong at least I can make some desserts! All will be happy. 

Change 4: You know how in work out DVDs you have double time where you pick up the speed and start sweating like mad? Well, my Portuguese is going double time now because Sister Araujo speaks like she's running a 200 yd dash in the Olympics. It took me a few days to before I could really start understanding her but now I get most things... haha I still have her repeat things more slowly BUT it's helping me improve my Portuguese. 

Change 5: Sister A and I have made some crazy goals to work. And not just to work but to work "ate o pó" which is a phrase in Portuguese which literally translates to "until the dust". In English it'd be work until we have nothing left or give it all you got!

Many people say at this point in the mission it gets hard to work hard. I feel like the Lord has really blessed me with strength because I feel like I still have that greenie fire of a new missionary. I like to work and I've learned really that it's the best cure! As Ezra Taft Benson once said, 

“I have often said that one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work—there is no satisfactory substitute, especially in missionary work.”

There you have it. Just a few little tweaks for the new transfer and a glimmer of hope for miracles. And work, work, work! I hope you enjoy the pictures and watch out for miracles to come! The Lord has some exciting things prepared!

Love

Sister Hawkins

Note from the Mom: Sadly, she could only upload 2 pictures before the computer started deleting them from her card! Hopefully she'll get it figured out for next week. Also, thought I'd share this little excerpt from our email chat, I mentioned how cold it is here (freezing rain today): 

"I miss the cold mom... I just want to sit in the cold. I don't like sweating like this. I don't ever wear makeup because one- it's hot and melts 2 i don't really like it anymore 3 because I don't have any more and it's expensive here haha. but it's really hot.I don't wear half of my clothes because they're too hot. Did I mention, it's hot?"