The Best Pee-Eve (PEEVE) Ever!!! Drew

This last week has been so crazy. It first started out on Thursday when i was in a lesson teaching an investigator, and i received the gift of tongues. I knew what i wanted to say and i said it. It was the coolest thing ever. i know that all of your prayers are helping me out significantly.

Friday came and we got a package with tons of stuff from home. Thanks mom and dad for all that you get us from the outside world for us. The Isagenix helps a lot and I've lost weight hahah, if you can believe that. I have been running every day about 2 miles and play volleyball. I've gotten pretty mean at it. Really good at setting and spiking with team work. Also the coat that i Received is the best coat I've ever had and it keeps me so warm thanks again mom and dad. 

On Fridays we have our set 3 hours for service but we do ours on Tuesdays so we get a mini p-day after p-day. This week a maintenance guy gave my bed a needed improvement and overall the room needs work. its hard because i am the only one who cleans and tidies up. I spent a whole hour cleaning there stuff up and re arranging the room. Lets just say it looks Amazing. I love that day because it is some more time to let your brain cool down and catch some much needed sleep for the others, i hate how much we sleep here, and how we have to go to bed early. everyone in Collins district( my brother) doesn't like how early i get up and even my own. they love to sleep and waste time. I feel like waking up in the morning gives you so much time, and too yourself. Its nice to clear your head and think about life and what is going on.

So Saturday was an interesting day in of itself. We got some fiber optic Christmas trees thank you mom. You are so good to get us what ever is needed. So i came back from picking up a package with elder Reece and Carr, and when i got back my door was shut and i didnt have my keys to get in. So i knocked on the door and asked if i could come in, and i just heard someone say NO!!!!! This annoyed me a bit and i brushed it off, but i walked out to the stair well and sarcastically yelled a word in Russian that means why?. I turned around and the zone leader leader was standing there yelling at me and said at the top of his lungs " If i ever here that word again we are going to have a problem!"  I had no idea what he was talking about. Then he went in and continued to talk to my companion. Then i set up a couch and foot rest outside the door and waited. when he opened the door i said can i come into my own room now? I never liked him or his comp so i was happy they were leaving the next day, like a mini Christmas.

Sunday, fast Sunday, It was amazing and i had a lot of personal revelation. It was nice to feel like i was in wrestling again with the whole not eating thing. It wasn't even hard at all, and every time i eat i think why am i eating this and wow this is bad for me but who cares. We had sirloin steak for dinner it was more of a dry roast lets be honest here, but it was good and it was food.  The devotional had a profound closing line which is" May we remember our generous Heavenly Father this Christmas who gave us wings to fly." I thought that is a very profound line. Know that i will be thinking of you all this Christmas season. 

Monday was a good day for me. I love my teachers and know that they love me so very much. They teach us 1 on 1 if we dont get something and you can see it in their eyes that they actually care. You can see it in their actions and how they are willing to help us learn anything. Then when i went to lunch Elder Reece told me that he had top go to a meeting in the middle of class which means its important, and he didnt eat. When we got back to our residence hall, usually i am in shorts and a t-shirt in 20 seconds and talking with people. That night i felt the need to stay in my suite when i walked into my room. I walked out into our common area and Elder Reece asked me to come sit and talk. He had all 17 other elders come and listen. He said I though that he was telling us that a family member died and was he was going home, but he told us that his mom found out she has breast cancer. Would you keep her in your prayers? (Wendy Reece) He wanted to tell all of us so people didnt ask around, he wanted everyone to know. Then he said that he wanted a blessing, and he turned and asked if Elder Hawkins would do it, I thought he was talking about Collin but he was looking at me. We all stood up and put a chair down. I was ready to bless him with oil. Bring in the big guns, but i got shut down with that, mostly i was so nervous i wasn't thinking. This was a big task, and very important. We had 17 Elders in the circle, that's more than how many ordain the prophet, and the spirit was incredibly strong. When I began to speak The power of God Flowed through me when i spoke. God spoke through me! I know this to be true!! I could feel the spirit so intensely  that my body began to shake. I felt as if my body was glowing while i gave that Blessing. I dont know what I said, i guess that's one of the trade offs for giving it. I began to tear up and cry and i didnt know what i was saying. I know that my mouth was moving, But God was speaking through me. After the blessing all were crying and the spirit was so strong. No one  would say anything about the blessing, but i more than a few come up and say that it was the most powerful blessing they have been a part of or heard. I know that it wasn't my word, I know that god spoke to elder Reece Through me, I know this and would defend that to my grave. The one thing and only thing that i remember from it was that i promised him that he would be reunited with his family after his mission was done. I boast of my God and not of me or any man, but of him. That through him, and by him anything and all things are possible. God puts those people in your path for a reason, and i believe this was why i became such good friends with him since he got here. I was someone he could turn to in his moment of need. That is all of us with Jesus Christa and God! They are who we need to turn to in our hour of need. When the time to act is at hand the time to prepare is gone. I thank My parents for preparing me to act in this moment and to be prepared to bless the lives of those who turn to me and that i will find. I know this to be true. I love my God and Know him so very well. He knows us That I testify of and always knows what we are capable of handling and going through. I love you all ELDER HAWKINS

You Can Lead A Horse To Water, But You Can't Force It To Drink-Collin

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has had lots of ups, but fewer downs. I have been able to see the Lord's hand personally in my life. I love all of your letters and packages. Getting news from home is always good to hear. I love it! I am doing well. I am keeping fit...such a hard thing to do when you can eat all you want! Thanks Mom and Dad for sending the Isa, everybody has been asking questions. You should be getting an email in the next week about Isa. I love this time of year and all of the festivities. They always make me happy!  As most of you know, Christmas is my favorite time of the year because the hearts of the people are turned more towards The Savior. I want you all to know that I know that I love Him and He loves you all. He watches over you all day and night. read the words in the song, "Dearest Children God is near you, watching o'er you nigh and day." He knows your pains, your joys, your fears, and He finds joy when you are happy. God loves us, He knows us by name. I love Him so much!

Update on my investigators:

Katya:

Katya has committed to be baptized. Thank you for all your prayers. They are graciously received. Elder Rindlisbacher and I have taught her all the Discussions and are finishing up with the last of The Commandments. She is progressing so well! Thank you again for your prayers. 

Vitalli:

Vitalli is progressing well, but he hasn't found the courage to tell his family that he is meeting with the missionaries. Please pray for him. He could use your prayers. We just taught him the first half of the Plan of Salvation. We are teaching it in 2 lessons because it is still new vocab for us and the first time we taught it, we didn't feel like we could talk freely. Learning the vocab is hard, but I have faith that in time it will come. We gave him a pamphlet so that when we teach him again on Thursday, he will not get lost or hung up. 

I love these two so much. As much as I teach them, they teach me twice as much. Vitalli was so skeptical at first, but with the power of The Holy Ghost, his heart was softened and he was open to receive the Gospel. Please pray for him to have the courage and to be able to understand the doctrine well. 

Theo:

Theo is a new investigator. I contacted him at lunch. He was sitting alone and he looked like he could use some company. I offered for the sisters to sit with him, but they refused. I went and sat by him and we started talking about the gospel and questions that he had. We spoke with him all through lunch and we scheduled to meet with him again the next Monday at Lunch. 

Teaching him in English was so weird to me. I felt like I didn't know what to say. I could just think of Russian words. We were able to teach him well though. 

Monday came and there he was waiting for us, but eating his lunch. We sat sown and began talking to him just trying to get to know him more and a group of 4 elders came over and did the same thing. It was unexpected, but it was good to have their perspectives. I love how this gospel can bring all together. We scheduled to meet with him on Tuesday, but when we waited for him, he didn't show. We were sad that we wouldn't get to teach...but we know to trust in the Lord. Pleas pray for him and for us that we will be able to teach him well and also teach him what he needs. 

On Monday, we taught Katya. I forgot everything that I knew about Russian, ALL of it... I couldn't say anything that I was prompted to, nor could I read what was in the lesson plan. The only thing I could say was so broken that Katya couldn't understand. I tried asking her if she would say the closing prayer, but I couldn't remember the conjugation for the verb, "To Pray" (молиться) 

When I did get something out, she laughed at me. She laughed and so did my companion. I went along and laughed...but it made me a bit sad. I tried hard, but it didn't work. We went back to class and my companion could do nothing, but laugh and laugh and laugh. He even came in bragging that he told Drew and the other district of my mistake. I felt dead inside. I felt like if I wouldn't have been in that lesson, it would have gone much better. 

I got a few letters that day and so I read Casey's and Nelly's letters. Thanks for that, it really made me feel a bit better. I just wanted to be alone because if the shame that I felt. I wanted to feel better, but I didn't know how. 

As if God were standing in the room when I said the words, Elder Reece gathered everybody because he has an announcement. He gathered up our whole branch (minus the Sisters) and he told us that his mom had just been diagnosed with Breast Cancer. He told us all that he is staying out on his mission, but he wanted a blessing. He asked Drew if he would give it and invited all who wanted to join to please join. This was an answer to prayer. Service is that best way to fix sadness. Please pray for him and for his family that they will feel God's love for them. They will need it through this trial. Everybody stood in on the prayer, 18 Priesthood holders and Drew giving the prayer. The Spirit was so strong in that room. 

There is a companionship that Elder R and I run into almost every day without trying to. I have grown a love for them, but I don't know them that well. Elder Winkel is one of the elders in that comp.ship. He is such an example to me. I never see him sad and he is always willing to say hello. They leave next Monday so please pray for their success.

Subject: 

The reason that the subject is what it is, is because I have tried telling the elders in my district some of the things that Dad has taught me and they all discredit it. I hold it close to me and with all that I could, I tried to help them understand about faith and things, but they just shrug it off and make it sound like I don't know what I am talking about. They also view our investigators as our teachers. They are our teachers, but they are portraying actual investigators that they had (except for Theo. He isn't an actual member.) I tell them that they need to separate the two and make fun of me for asking God to help them. They don't understand that I see our teachers one way and our investigators another way. It makes me sad that they have found the lake, but know not where to find water. I still love them, but it is a trial that I have been given. 

I love you all. Drew and I are still growing closer still. Drew and I both felt the need to talk to an elder about some stuff and The Spirit was so strong. After that discussion, Drew and I talked about life and our missions, trials and why we get them, and other things. I am so thankful that Drew and I are here together. He is a huge blessing. I want you all to know that I love my God and I know that He loves you. If you will be thankful for your trials, God will bless you with His mercy, I promise you! I love you and I pray for you all! 

я люблю всех

старейшина Хокинс (Elder Hawkins)

Please send your addresses if you want letters. You can also use www.dearelder.com to send letters and it is a free letter service. 

Elder Collin Hawkins

Departure Date: Jan 04  #97

RUS-SPET

A Song of The Heart Is A Prayer Unto Me-Collin

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was pretty great! Thanksgiving was really good...We had a Turkey Lunch and a sack dinner. It was all worth it thought. Elder Oaks spike to us about Thanks and Gratitude. He brought along his family as the music for the meeting. We got to hear things from his family and we also got to hear his daughter, Jenny Oaks Baker, play her violin. I love that through music we can break down the wall that people even countries have. There are lots of examples where the work of The Lord has been testified of through music. I love being in the MTC Choir, it is such a blessing to my life. Drew is also in the choir as well. Who knew that he would like singing in front of General Authorities every week. 

After we had lunch on Thanksgiving and after the devotional, we had a service project. we made 357,000 meals for kids in Utah that don't get food on a regular basis. It was so fun to forget about myself and help those who are in my home state. It was a surprise to me that so many kids go without. I want to help with the relief effort when I get home.   

Update on my investigators:

Vitalli:

We went a week and a half without teaching him. I was really sad because he had told us that we wouldn't be able to teach him on theFriday after Thanksgiving, but then he showed up and we had to reschedule for the next Monday. This taught me to always have a lesson planned even if the investigator says that they can't be taught. I was humbled and will always try to better myself. Vitallli has not told his wife or his son that he has been meeting with the Missionaries. He fears that if he tells his family, things might end up going south on him. please pray for him and his family. Pray to give him courage. that he may overcome these challenges.  It may be easier to teach Katya, but I love teaching Vitalli. He stretches me and makes me think more and harder. He wants to know what language the Book of Mormon was translated from. I told him that I understood his question, but I didn't know how to say it in Russian. I told him that we would answer that in our next appt.

Katya:

Katya is amazing. She came to church with us this week. She loved it. I am so proud of her willingness to keep her commitments. She still is having questions to know if God loves her. We tell her to pray and she is having a hard time with this. I have faith that she will keep her commitment to pray this week. I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and almost started crying in Russian...I guess you can cry in other languages too. haha. 

On Monday we had over 170 senior couples come through the doors. This is the most that the MTC has had in one day. My companionship's job was to greet them and help them through their registration. I made quick friends and when we pass each other on campus, we greet each other. I greet them in Russian and they greet me in their language. It is kinda dorky, but then again look who is talking. I love them and the examples that they are to me. 

The Subject Line:

In Choir we were singing the song, "Behold The Wounds" I want you all to look up the text and to study it out. Our conductor compared it to the story of the Bridegroom. Look up the way that the marriages were in Jesus' time. 

They would covenant with each other

The Groom would pay the price to redeem the father for his daughter

The Groom would go to his fathers house and he would build a house for the two of them onto his    father's house. 

The Wife would have to wait without knowing when he would come back

When the Groom was finished, he would gather his friends and they would sneak into the nigh tot he house of the bride and start yelling to wake her up. 

   If she was prepared, she would be in her wedding dress and they would go to the engagement ceremony and be married. 

Now I want you to apply this to the Atonement. Don't you think this is the reason that they call The Savior, "The Bridegroom"? This was a really great thing to learn. Please study the words of the song and apply them. I promise you that you will receive blessings! 

Until next week I send my love,

Elder Collin Hawkins

Russia, St. Petersburg Mission

The following pictures are from Drew:

All Is Well-Drew

 This week has been amazing. I got a calling for Sunday, Collin (my Brother) get to greet people as they come into sacrament meeting that's awesome. My language is coming along great and i Know that we learn through our trials. I know that the more that we love other people and help them, the more that we feel the saviors love. This week when we taught Jose from Guatemala he had questions that id never thought about before, and also some that i have experienced in my life. I had words put into my mouth and new exactly what to say, and i know that these are blessing from heaven. We are God's children and he knows each and everyone of our thoughts and feelings. he knows what we are going through and what we are feeling.

I know that this week i have learned how to pray more sincerely and with real intent. talk to God as if you were speaking to a friend or parent. He will immediately comfort you and let you know what you need to do, or how to get through your trials. I know that we sacrifice much or even just a little, and the lord gives us blessings ten fold. He is looking for reasons to bless us and help us not take away blessings and leave us out to dry. He loves you as do i. Know that I pray for you all. God Speed.

Love Elder Hawkins

AKA the older

"Every Man In His Own Tongue" -Collin

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been GREAT! Our investigators have been progressing really well!! 

Vitalli:

Vitalli accepted our invitation to pray! We taught him how and after a few questions, he said a an amazing prayer. We invited him to also pray with his family and he agreed. IT was really amazing to see how The Spirit can soften the hearts and change the minds of our investigators. This has helped me to gain a greater testimony of The Holy Ghost. Vitalli will be out of town for Thanksgiving so we wont be able to teach him until next Tuesday...I am really sad about that.

Katya:

Katya is really receptive to our lessons and it also helps that she has had the missionaries before, they were just taken out of her area just before she could be baptized. She wants to know God and Jesus Christ better. We told her that through prayer and with real intent, she could know them better. We asked if we could give her some scriptures to read that would help her to understand The Father and The Son better. She said yes and then we taught her about the Book of Mormon. We taught her about how to use the scriptures to find truth. I told her my experience of how I came to know that the Book of Mormon is true and I bore my testimony of it. I then asked her if she would read the book and do as Moroni directs and pray to know of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. She agreed and committed to reading it every day. It made me so happy to tell her of the power of the Book of Mormon. I am so proud of her.  

On Friday we are going to teach Katya about baptism and ask if she will be baptized. Will you all keep both of my investigators in your prayers. They need the Spirit in their lives and I hope that we can bring it with us. This work is great and I love it!

As you all know, there are more languages at the MTC that English and Russian. This week I was able to bump into some spectacular people. I was able to speak to the French missionaries and answer question that they had about where to go or what to do as they were new to the MTC. I spoke to them for a while, and then went back to studying. Not 5 minutes later, there was a tap on my shoulder and when I turned around, the elder was signing to his companion. I caught the last half of the question and had his companion ask him to clarify. 

The deaf elder wanted to know what the order was for blessing the sick. He didn't know when to anoint the person. This was  an awesome experience for me because I could have just had him read the Missionary Handbook, but I tried to sign as best as I could,  He and I signed for a bit and he commended me on being able to sign. I was happy that I was able to use my little knowledge of sign to help somebody else.  Thank you mom for giving me a love for that language at such a young age! 

My companion are getting along better although there are still a few hiccups. Drew and I are closer than ever. Our relationship has grown and is growing more and more everyday! 

I need your addresses if you want to get a letter from me. I love getting letters and I want to write back, but I can't unless I have your addresses. 

I love you and can't describe how much of a blessing you all are in my life.

Elder Collin Hawkins

Russia, St. Petersburg Mission

Stand With Faith or Don't Stand at All - Collin

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was difficult for me. I had my ups and downs, but faith prevailed and I was able to make good things out of my trials. 

We didn't have any new investigators until Monday. Their names are, " катя" и "виталий".

Katya:

katya is an old investigator. The recordbook was lost for a year and a half so when the elders left the area, there was no one there to continue teaching her. She has some doubts, but was almost baptized. Right now she doesn't feel that God is answering her prayers and she is having trouble with that. Please pray that Elder R and I can be able to have the Spirit with us in order to touch her heart and be able to baptize her.

Vitalli:

Vitalli is a very stern man. He was introduced to the church and the missionaries by his friend Micheal. Vitalli has a wife and a little boy named, "Maxium". I love Vitalli, but it is hard for us to teach him about how important it is to pray to Heavenly Father. He doesn't distinguish the difference between praying on your knees with your own words and praying while reciting words out of a book. I am having trouble trying to convey that message, but that was my fault. I did not allow the Spirit time to come and touch his heart. I found out that one of my fears is that I don't like silence. I would much rather fill it with words trying to get my point across rather than letting the Spirit to take over. I was humbled by the Lord and I am working on improving on that aspect of my teaching abilities. 

On Monday, I was trying to prepare the lesson for Vitalli with Elder R. and I wasn't able to retain anything from class or any of the phrases that I needed to learn. I was very stressed and this made me question my ability to teach effectively. I decided instead of trying to memorize it then when I was stressed, I would work it in the morning. We went to dinner and I sat next to Drew and he noticed something was wrong. after he had finished and I had finished the little that I was able to, he said, "Let's go." We got up and walked to dump our trays. He asked what was wrong and I didn't want to tell him that I was struggling with the language because when I look at his district, they all just speak in Russian. He told me not to lie to him and tell him what was up. I told him about the lesson and my struggles with not being able to memorize phrases. He told me that he was having the same issues. We talked for a little bit longer and he said things like, "You're a Hawkins, buck up and get the job done", "We never do the easy jobs, we are Hawkins, we do it the hard way." He was able to get me focused on what I had to do. I love having him in the MTC and for him being able to be so close to me. It truly was a blessing.

Yesterday after our appointment with Vitalli, Brother Parson( from Brigham City) our teacher had us break up into little groups and invite the investigator to be baptized. Elder R and I were the missionaries and one missionary form a split Comp.ship was the Investigator. Elder Phelps was supposed to decline the invitation to be baptized and have a reason for it. We asked if he wanted to be baptized and he declined saying that he had sins and he couldn't commit because he didn't feel worthy enough. This brought real tears to my eyes, but joy to my heart. The Atonement is for every one no matter how much sin we have or how guilty we feel. I love this gospel because of that. After a long, but peaceful silence, I said, "That's fine right now, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be baptized and made clean. He sat and pondered this for a while and then agreed to be baptized. I couldn't stop smiling. I love how you can make an average 'role- play" situation and turn it into something special. Although it was a mock situation, I could feel the power that the Holy Ghost has in the conversion of our investigators as well as our own personal conversion. 

I have known that at anytime we don't teach lessons, we teach investigators for a while, but now that I have come the MTC, this has been cemented in my mind and in my heart, Everyday my love grows stronger for the language as well as for the people of Russia. 

this is what happened this week and I am grateful for it. 

I need peoples addressed if you want a letter from me. I need your mailing addresses. A really special thing is www.dearelder.com This is a mail service site that you can write to me or Drew on and we will get your letters the day you send them. Please use the site as well as hand written letters. I love them both. I cherish every letter that I get. 

Here are some pictures of my happenings here in the Promise Land:

Time of My Life/Growing So Much

It has been such an amazing experience coming her and i would recommend it to anyone who is thinking about it. I love it here so very much!! i never thought that id be able to learn a language this fast. I could pray, bear testimony, and teach a lesson by the third day.You learn so quickly here its crazy. My companion is 6' 3" tall and is almost the complete opposite of me, i love his still even though at times it is hard. ive never done anything this hard in my life, calculus is easier than this!! I enjoy it even though i don't always understand it. MY companion has had 4 years of Russian so i'm just a bit behind. I've never struggled with something so much in my life. I've been so humbled in here and have grown so much. I just want all of you to know that i love you and to thank you for supporting me in my efforts to do this. I hope to hear from all of you at some time or another. You again can send letters everyday to me on dearelder.com, and i'm going to the Moscow Russia mission. (Departure date Jan 5, 2016)

      I know that we all can do hard things and that Christ knows each of us individually and that he loves us.  I know that everyone has the right to choose what they do, but you also have the choice to do whats right. There is the ok thing to do then there is the right thing to do. I think of this always now as i go through my day and this helps me to study harder and get up earlier.  It helps me to learn the language and be kind to other. I know that we all have the capacity to do what is right. i love you all so very much and i know that this is where i'm meant to be and so i am here. This is where ive chosen to be to serve my God!! 

Yours Truly 

Elder Hawkins

Having Faith in the Holy Ghost

Dear family and friends,

This week has been a very humbling experience for me in many ways. My companion is a farm boy like me, he has thousands of acres of Mint fields...they send their extract to Wrigley's. I love my companion, Elder Rindlisbacher, so much. I wish that I could put it into words how much strength that he gives me. He may struggle with the language, but he makes up for it in knowing the scriptures. I wish that I could know where to find scriptures like he does. He and I have really liked working with each other. It is kind of like how Drew and I are, but He doesn't know me like that yet. I am so eager to learn this language. I love it and all I want to do is to speak in this language all day!

Our first investigator's name is наташа (Natasha) I love her to death, she is so fantastic. She is progressing so well. we started to teach her on Friday ( in complete Russian) It was hard to do even with the notes that I had. we have taught her 3 times and tonight we get to teach her for the last time, tonight we are going to ask her to be baptized. I am very hopeful that she will accept. She is so strong and I wish that I could have been as strong as her through school. The Holy Ghost really does bring all things to your remembrance. When I wake up in the morning, I get a flood of things that we learned the day before. 

Yesterday I was able to preform in the MTC Choir. We sang, "Nearer My God to Thee" but it was an arrangement made for President Holland. It really brought the Spirit. I could feel the impact that the words had when I sang it for the first time and when I preformed it. I am so lucky. While I am speaking about being lucky, I got to preform Initiatories (I don't know how to spell it. Sorry mom) at the temple this morning. I love it. When we started to go to back the Dome, we looked out over the valley and the snow had lightly covered it making it look so beautiful in the peaceful morning hours. 

I would like to bare my testimony:

  я знаю что бог жйв.  я знаю что джосеф смйт пророк бога.  я знаю что книга мормона истинна. я благадарю тебя за Евангелие и семью. Во имя Иисуса Христа аминь.э

Now you get to go find out what my testimony is. 

I love you all, Be great this week. I know that God loves you all and that he truly does care for us all. give Him your time and He will give you all that you desire.

Elder Collin Hawkins

Elder Drew Hawkins and Elder Collin Hawkins went into the MTC on November 4th, 2015. 

The Elders' addresses are as follows:

Elder Robert Drew Hawkins
JAN05  RUS-St Petersburg
2005 N 900 E Unit 104
Provo UT 84602

Elder Collin James Hawkins
JAN05  RUS-MOS
2005 N 900 E Unit 97
Provo UT 84602

Write them letters! They would really appreciate it :)