Prayer + Work = Blessings

Happy New Year!!

I'm in denial that it's 2015. 4 times this week I accidentally wrote in my journal that it was 2014 and it's only the 5th day of the year. My brain just doesn't want to accept the fact that it's here. 

Sad news... I've gotta keep my time short today. Luckily it's due to more exciting news... that Sister Oliveira will be transferred to be a Sister Training Leader! WAhh she's leaving me! That means today we've got lots of packing and cleaning. It also means I'll get a new companion and everything! I'm excited, nervous, and will be a lot happier once it's all settled. All the traveling we have to do is a little ridiculous just to make a little switch. 

My fever temp? NO! Haha. Yes it was 41 degrees C this week.. which is 105 degrees F.
Another sign said it was 47 degrees Celsius at one point this week.... i don't even want to know how hot that is.

This week Brasil finally got me. I woke up Wednesday with a high fever and sore throat and lots of pain in my back. I ended up going to the doctors and it's just a dumb infection in my throat. I'm on antibiotics but I'm completely better now! Goodness I remember fevers as a kid were nothing but now they completely wipe you out. No worries mom, all is back to normal!

Quickie spiritual thought/story time. Recently I've been studying a lot about prayer. I was studying in Preach My Gospel and felt that it would be good to better my prayers and make each prayer count more. Of course, I later found out that it was in preparation for an investigator we have. This investigator is really awesome... When we first found her she was pretty Catholic. Let me explain! The first time we asked her to pray, she got up and broke a branch off of a nearby tree to pray over us with it. I was a bit taken aback not going to lie, I'd never seen that before...Anyways, we assured her she wouldn't need a branch to pray, so she then continued to recite a memorized prayer. It's been really tough teaching her to pray without saying something that's memorized because a prayer should be a personal conversation with our Heavenly Father. 

Interestingly enough, as I've studied to find ways to help her, I've learned a whole lot about praying. For example, I've learned that when we pray in the name of Christ, we are to pray as if our mind were his mind to the point where our wishes become his wishes. Many of our prayers get unanswered because our desires stem out of our own selfishness. It makes such a difference when you think about how Christ would pray in your situation. It really becomes work when you pray this way as it takes lots of concentration and thought. (Look up prayer under the Bible Dictionary - click *here*).

Excerpt from Bible Dictionary!

Anyway, I've learned loads more but the most important thing was that I was also able to help another learn with me. As we help others grow, it's inevitable that we'll change and grow too. 

Go and help someone this week. I think you'll find a nice surprise waiting for you! 

Love, 

Sister Hawkins

Our New years celebration!