Mthatha!

Hello!

Well this week was very bitter-sweet. mostly bitter. but sweet. 

I found out that I would be leaving Motherwell this week and going to my new area of Mthatha! a branch, that is in the rural depths of Africa.

But, for my last sunday yesterday, i made the request to have all the sisters in the branch wear there traditional dresses. It was amazing. They all had these beautiful homemade dresses and painted faces and beautiful dueks, and beads. Sacrament attendance was the highest, at 115. with no seats, so people had to sit outside by the door and listen. I was able to bear my testimony, and I finished it in Xhosa, which no other elder has done, so that was really cool to be the first. Hopefully I can learn more, which may happen as Mthatha is deep Xhosa. Hyped.

But it has been really sad to say goodbye to everyone, not knowing when I will come back and see these people i love so much. but, I still have 2 days, so that is good. But tomorrow will be harder. But I am very excited to be going to mthatha. My new comp will be Elder Kyles, who is from Blanding, UT. He is in my transfer and we had a lot of fun in the MTC together, so that will be really exciting! 

Not much else happened this week, other than an elder got stabbed a couple times in Zwide, area next to mine. so that had a lot of hype! We had a lot of great lessons, and a sister who we were teaching a while ago whith Elder McCarroll, randomly came to church yesterday, and is now really interested again! It is so cool, that with the right timing, the Lord will do amazing miracles. 

Im so greatful to my Heavenly Father for the amazing time I have been able to serve here in Motherwell, and with the people I was with. They are truly amazing. I love it. 

Ndiyayazi ukuba le cawa yinyani. ndiyali thanda Motherwell khaya! 

Elder Ivins

Fwd: Ten Baptisms

Here's a little addendum to Jarod's letter this week. This one was written by his companion, a cute and somewhat quiet missionary from England. Jarod is is trainer, and they get along really well. Jarod told me that there are 2 reasons why he loves Elder Hawkins. 1. He told him he is exactly like Michael Scott and 2. He never thought that his mission would be "fun" but Jarod has totally proved him wrong!! He said that Jarod has made missionary work so much fun!!

Hi everyone,

We're having ten baptisms! Prayer works. Trust God and never doubt in Him. I lost count this week as I stressed about the baptisms, just how many times my prayers were answered through the Holy Ghost saying "stop worrying, it'll happen." It's a weakness on my part that I kept asking for that same confirmation over and over again, because once wasn't enough.

Every one of these investigators were interviewed and found worthy for baptism, they came to Church on Sunday and are preparing now to go to the font on Saturday!

Elder Ivins and I have agreed this has been the fastest week ever on our missions. From the moment we looked at each other ten days ago and realised the baptism was in just over two weeks until right now it feels like everything has gone in fast forward.

It was on Thursday night that our faith was tested the most. One investigator, Thuto, has been really behind on the lessons, but she's read the Book of Mormon to 1 Nephi 20 and comes to Church every week since we've met her. She's also made a lot of friends at Church, and she's basically already been completely self-reliant in her testimony since the day we met her, nothing for us to do. The only problem was that we still needed to go over the interview questions for her so she could be baptised, and we needed to do this on Thursday so we could prepare her interview for the weekend. The only problem was, when we arrived for our appointment, she was fast asleep, and when we came back thirty minutes later, she had completely disappeared. Her friend Uvayo (also being baptised) didn't know where she was, and all her family had left. We knew we had to see her that night - within the next three hours to be home on time - so we cancelled all our appointments and just sat outside her house and waited.

After about half an hour, we both felt we needed to go and look for her. Obviously that made no sense, we had no clue where she might be. Maybe we both wanted to be doing something. Either way, we decided to get in the car - I was driving - and before we drove off we started with a prayer that we would find her. We then lined up the songs we had that best bring the spirit to us and I started driving.

We must have driven for about half an hour, but neither of us were phased by that. But by this time I was having a very strong impression that we needed to turn around and go back in the direction of Thuto's home. Elder Ivins knows the area better than me, but I'd stopped asking him for directions, and told him I would take each road only as I felt impressed to. So I turned the car the way that I thought led back to Thuto's house and put on my favourite talk - Safety for the Soul by Jeffrey R. Holland. I can never listen to that talk without feeling the spirit, and I know the talk so well that I became more focused on reciting the talk as he spoke and I completely stopped thinking about which direction we were taking. 

Even later - eight thirty now, only half an hour left where we could possibly see her - I saw a turning which I thought I recognized, and felt prompted to turn left. I didn't recognize the street, but it felt right to go down in. At the end of the road, we slow down at a crossroads, and I'm looking either way for us to turn. Then, Elder Ivins points ahead "I think that's her." We both look ahead, and there's a woman walking towards us and we watch until she comes into sight. It was Thuto.

Thuto had been walking home at exactly that place which we had been led to. We had arrived there at exactly the right moment to see her and invite her to come to Uvayo's house for a lesson before we had to go home. Whatever took us to exactly that point of finding her, it wasn't my personal sense of direction. As we found her. I looked up at Elder Ivins and told him honestly: "I have absolutely no clue where we are." He had to direct me back to her house.

Never doubt whether the Holy Ghost truly has the power to guide you. Next week, Thuto, Uvayo, Aviwe, Avela, Nana, Zandisiwe, Yamkela, Aphelele, Siphosethu and Thandile are all being baptised. We wanted to jump up out of our seats when the last one - Aphelele - walked into Church yesterday, both to celebrate, and to let out all the frustration from her having showed up a whole thirty minutes late.

If you haven't got this yet from my emails, God answers prayers.

All the best,

Elder Hawkins

The Dark Night: I can't grow a beard

Hello! Well, this was definitely the fastest week of mission. It is crazy, but it is true, time flies when you are having fun. Haha

A lot happened this week, but first.... We will be having 10 baptisms on the 18th of Feb! 1 will be a child of record, and the other are our amazing 9 investigators!! Thank you all so much for your prayers, your love, and faith. We have seen such an amazing change in all of them, and to see them come this far and pass all of the interviews, was just such a blessing to Elder Hawkins and Me this week. 

We had a lot. A LOT to do to get them to be ready for their interviews. Well, for some. The majority, were all just awesome and ready for weeks, but there were 2 this week, Thuto, and Aphelele, that gave us a lot of stress. We fasted on Wednesday, and Friday for all of them, and specifically these 2 along with Yamkela. They were set to be interviewed on Sat. But, we hadn't seen Aphelele in over a week and a half, because she moved to the University to go to school. we finally got in contact with her on Wednesday, when we just decided to test our faith and drive to the campus to find her. It was a great lesson and we found out we would see her on Friday night when she got back to Motherwell, to review the questions with her! 

Then Friday comes, and we get a text at 715, 45 min before our appt. that she wouldn't make it and will just come in the morning. AGH, she needs to know the questions. We decide to move our remaining appts and go find her again! She was a little reluctant at first, but we were able to find her and have a great lesson with her! 

Prayer works.

Thuto. She has come to church 4 weeks in a row, but has never held an appt. She has been reading from the BOM constantly, but we never get to teach her. SO there's the dilemma.  On Thursday night, we NEEDED to see her to see if she could even be interviewed, or knows enough. At 6, shes not there. UGH. We go and teach another appt. at 7. not there. There is trouble in her home, and she usually is never there unless to sleep or eat, ahha. But we realize we have to find her. We cancel our 730 appt. and decide, that if we are gonna have her be baptised, we need to see her.  We searched all her friends houses nearby. Nothing. We kinda just sat there, not knowing what to do. So lets drive through all of ikhamvalihle, in the dark to find her. (not why i titled this the dark night, but still) So we get in the car. and say a prayer, telling Heavenly Father what we need to do, and why. Then we start driving. We drive for about an hour. Lost a lot of hope wondering why? We have worked so hard. So many people have been praying, so many members are helping us. Why cant this just work. then BOOM!

We come around the corner, and see her. THUTO! We hurry over and then ask her if it is okay if we meet with her, 830 by this point, and she says yes. Great lesson! And she is totally ready! Without prayer, and faith we could find her, and work to find her, we may have never been able to help her or have this happen.

Prayer works. 

The reason this is the Dark Night: I can't grow a beard, is because the other day, I had to go to the bathroom SOOO bad. (had this spicy chicken thing, no bueno) we go to the Twig's home, and I say to Avela, I need to go to the toilet. He says okay okay, I'll check. he goes and says I can, so when I go in, no toilet paper. I say Avela! No tp! He says I'll get you some don't worry! (remember he is 9).

5 min later he comes back with newspaper. NEWSPAPER. like why. Not gonna finish the rest of this story..... but it was the darkest night of mission......

The other part, I can't grow a beard, comes from a really funny experience on Sat while on exchanges with Elder Kraftner. I was in the mtc with him and he is a great guy. We were just having so fun all day, and then had an appt with a Muslim guy named Ayuub. He isn't really into religion but has read a lot of religion books and knows his stuff. for an hour and a half, he was just grilling us, even saying he is more Christian than all of Christianity for all these reasons. Very entertaining I wont lie. But on one part, he says, "Jesus Christ had a beard. Me, I have a beard. You two. Why don't you have a beard. hmm tell me? you don't follow Christ?" 

To which I respond, "Well, I can't grow a beard.."

He was completely confounded. It was hilarious. 

So i mean not having a lot of facial hair is really paying off on mission!! (I have shaved just a few hairs maybe 7 times?) hahahha 

it really was a great week, and I am so thankful for all of the love. The prayers. The support. Prayer really does work and I know that Heavenly Father is mindful at all times of what we need in our lives. 

Have a great Valentines day and ski hard ;)

Love, Elder Ivins ❤

1. The twigs mama finally is coming around to liking us!

2. Me and Avela, and.. Avela (days before the incident....)

3. Elder Kraftner

4. Okay okay