"Elder, how can we teach like Daft Punk?" - Elder Belnap

From March 22, 2016

So crazy thing happened today in that I actually got transferred! But

more on that in a little bit!

This week was relatively uneventful again in Arabic North, but the

highlights include:

- Finding a new apartment complex

- Actually teaching a lesson!

- Actually adding a new investigator!

- Teaching BYD

- Getting transferred

Not necessarily in that order.

So first off, most of the work we do is actually in apartment

complexes. We've got a few blessed corners (areas where there are a

lot of people that have been investigators/are investigators) but in

Arabic North area it tends to be more "1 of a family, 2 of a city."

We'll find one here, find a few there, etc. Well we found an apartment

complex in Santee just up the road from where we live that has

Arabic-speaking people! We contacted a referral in there who said he'd

come to church (the Santee Stake Center is right next door to his

apartment complex) and spent some time walking around the complex

determining a few doors that we knew for sure had Arabic-speaking

people. Lots more potential potential investigators in there now!

Sister Stewart finished her mission so they held a mock
funeral for her leaving the mission to go back to the world.

We spent a lot of our week just walking around, talking with everyone,

knocking on doors, etc. We didn't actually get any lessons until

yesterday. We got a referral for a man named Othman, a Muslim who was

street contacted by some elders in Santee. Right as we walked up to

his door to knock on it, he opened it and let us in. We taught the

whole Restoration to him and it went really well. He was very open and

very willing to believe. His policy, he said, was "If it's good I'll

believe it," and he had the "I don't see why not" attitude we see

occasionally. But we were able to help him pray at the end of the

lesson about the Book of Mormon and he accepted the invitation to be

baptized. We were able to set a return appointment for Wednesday and

add him.

The sisters in Elder Hawkes' district totally shocked Elder
Hawkes with this photo. It's of them with his dad while
he was visiting San Diego. He dropped off a package at the
mission offices and they were there. It freaked him out a little.

On Sunday (jumping around here) the Bishop texted us and asked if we could teach BYD. We were instructed to teach about missionary work, specifically how to prepare, what we do as missionaries, and what we wish we had done to prepare. Elder Belnap and I discussed these questions with about 13 youth. Only one person in attendance was a young man, so we presented to mostly young women. At the end we were able to share the new #Hallelujah video (which if you haven't seen it, go do so now! FollowHim.mormon.org) and invite them to share it. At the end of it the youth told us they loved it and the leaders said we should try it again sometime.

Lastly, transfers.

Now that we don't have transfer meetings, President sends out a call list for the mission on Monday morning to the zone leaders, who then get it to us. This tells us where everyone is, what ward they cover, and what their phone number is. Elder Belnap and I didn't have wi-fi in our apartment, but all of the sudden Arabic South texted us and said, "I called it!" Then we got a call from them explaining what was happening.

The look on Elder Hawkes' face as he was informed he
is being transferred out of Arabic work. :(

President has transferred me and Elder Jensen out of Arabic work! I'm in Helix YSA/Spring Valley with Elder Bryant from Washington and Elder Jensen is in San Diego YSA as a zone leader. Elder Belnap and Elder Campbell are the Arabic elders for now.

So lots of changes! I want to welcome Bro. Seba, Bro. Bezdechi, and Bro. Garvin to my weekly email list. I also want to welcome Menley Stewart, who went home this morning after finishing her mission in Hillsdale/Jamul.

Great things are happening, friends and family! Thank you all for your prayers and also for the letters and emails. I love you all!

-- Elder Hawkes