Week 4!!

Hey y'all! 

This is the Christmas email!!! Christmas week was really busy this year. The town square was packed! Sister Poussard and I also got three new investigators! One of them might be coming to church next week. Christmas is a time of miracles. We also are a little tight for this week because we spent a lot on candy presents for the members who fed us this week. It's very important for a missionary here to be really grateful. Christmas eve and day were break days. And then boxing day (British party recovery/black friday) is our pday, so we feel very well rested. It was nice not having to really walk anywhere because for a lot of it, it was raining. We got to sing a Lot of Christmas carols with the Danielle family, and then sing even more the next day. Our voices are pretty tired. The members gave us a bunch of Christmas presents too! Our flat is stuffed with sweets! If any of y'all are reading this, then thank you very much!!! I forgot to mention which area of the Manchester mission I'm in last time. So I'm in the Telford zone in the Wiccan ward which is in the Lawley area, and it is Beautiful! 

Before I end the email, I just wanted to let everyone to know that the Christmas spirit doesn't have to end on Christmas day. You can still spread the love of Christ year round! Don't forget to look for opportunities to serve and teach, even if it's something little like dropping off a lunch or picking up trash. It will always make a difference.

I love all of y'all and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and New Year's!

Love Sister Honkins (Haley's companion Sister Poussard is from France and pronounces Hawkins like Honkins.. Haley thinks it's hilarious!)

Btw here's the weekly funny moments.

Sister Poussard HATES spiders. She was ringing a doorbell and one the size of my thumb tip(the body, legs not included) crawled by her and she jumped like 10 feet. She says they get the size of quarters in the summer so I'm on spider assassin duty.
I already killed my first spider in the flat. I'm sister Poussard hero
All the missionaries have to give 10 minute talks on Christmas traditions my first Sunday. I am literally rejoicing in my luck. I am not alone in this world.
An older gentleman asked us if we could have more than one husband. The tables have turned bretheren
All the kids here sound like Harry potter characters and I'm literally dying. It's so beautiful that I want to cry listening to them
 The post cost 65 pence but I heard pounds so I freaked out. Sister Poussard thought it was really funny
I keep saying you guys (it's too casual for missionaries) so I told sister Poussard to throw a pen at me every time I said it and she actually did it. I'm so proud of her (this is why Haley is now saying Y'all instead)
Apparently layfeyette from Hamilton has a sailor mouth and I was singing his part. Sister Poussard was very shocked and made sure to correct me. Layfeyette ruined Hamilton
Elder Kligaard (He's danish) taught me a curse word in French, except he didn't know it was a curse word either (someone else taught him). Sister Poussard was very disappointed in both of us. We both felt betrayed by the knowledge
I keep calling trousers pants. Pants mean underwear in England. Problems were made
I told some members that I was slytherin and now I'm the evil missionary
Everyone makes fun of Americans here and 90% of the time I agree with them.
The Danielles  served AW root beer with dinner and I was so happy. I don't even like root beer but it was American and I've been living off of potatoes.
The Danielles also served fancy cheese. I'm too American for fancy cheese apparently. Just give me mozzarella thank you very much. Sister Poussard says English cheese is awful and only buys French cheese. I've liked the French stuff so far, so I agree with her. She is the cheese guru.
There's this shop called mollies that sells all American candy. I almost died when I saw the massive box of nerds (pday goals)

Whenever I mess up the mission rules, sister Poussard calls me a little pagan (lovingly). 

Week 3!

Hi Everyone! 

First day in the field!!! And its.... pday! So it's pretty cold but once you start walking you warm up. My companion is sister Poussard, she's from France and loves music. The flat is really nice, with a kitchen bathroom AND a living room! And we're within walking distance of a church and bus stop. There's a bunch of leftover clothes from previous sisters so I could take some ...... Back to spiritual stuff. So we have a lot of finding to do. It's going to be hard, but it'll be worth it. I just want to remind everyone that our friends and family need the gospel. As members of the church we have a duty to share it with everyone. Don't be afraid because if you share with a true desire, the spirit will be with you. I love you! Until next week!

*So, Haley didn't send an official funny stories of the week to anyone, but this is a little bit of the email she sent Chris.. there's some of the Haley funny in here worth sharing! 

Elder Blitsov asked me how are you and I heard how old are you so I said 19. He tried to turn it into a meme.
I was the only sister in testimony meeting not crying. Savage
Dave the swan was hit by a car. I didn't want it to end like this! Rest In pieces Dave
My companion is French and she calls me Sister Honkins. I love it
The drive up to the flat was rough. All our suitcases didn't fit so us sisters had a suitcase in our laps and the elder who was sitting shotgun is 7 feet and the poor guy had his knees up to his chest. The drive was an hour and a half. 

Today while shopping, my companion ate 3 croissant. They were tiny though so I dont blame her. 

I got this nasty grapefruit juice for a deal, and I told my companion that I would like it, but I don't now. I won't give in, I'm going to drink all of it, it's good for me

 Haley with her mission President Stuart N Mcreynolds, and his wife Sheryl McReynolds.

 Haley and her trainer Sister Poussard

*Gwen here.. I'm adding this next portion from the email Haley sent home to me. When she looks back and reads this book I want her to remember how she felt her first week out and to see how much she's grown from here! 

I love the new area and flat! My companion is great too! She just finished her training so she's a little nervous but think she's doing a good job. I'm having a little trouble with speaking to people, I'm not afraid but I don't know what to say. I'm getting better though. I'm trying to emulate my patriarchal blessing more, and I'm reading it today. 

These next few pictures I got from another missionaries mom. It's great to connect with other Manchester missionary moms and see your girl in a few of their pictures!

MTC Group Pictures

This must be the group of Missionaries in the MTC with Haley. I don't know if it's all the missionaries there at the time she was there, or just the group that came at the same time as her.. I'll have to find out when I email with her on her next Pday.

 This picture is of her district in the MTC. If I'm remembering right, Haley told me they are all in the Manchester mission.

The next below picture I believe is all the Manchester Missionaries. Sister Washburn on the far right is the Missionary that ended up on the flight with Haley from Florida to England. She must be in a different MTC District, but is in the Manchester Mission with the rest of these missionaries.

In the above picture are from left to right, Elder Burns, Sister Terry, Sister Hawkins, Sister Takata, Sister Tshuma, Sister Washburn, and Elder Masango

I believe this is President and Sister Bunker. I'm assuming he is the MTC President, but I'll have to confirm with Haley on her Pday

More pictures from Haley

Week 2!

Hi Everyone!

So the temperature dropped a bunch and it started snowing. Everyone has been getting sick. (In her email to Chris she said she'd only gotten a tiny bit sick and not for long, so that's great)  On a happier note, classes are going great. Missionaries are truly blessed, I'm able to remember things I learned the first week and Sister Chuma and takata have been getting very good at English. Everyone is dead tired, but we all are having the time of our lives. One good question I had was answered in a devotional that we watched by Elder Bednar. If you don't know if it's you or the spirit, get over it and go anyways. God trusts us with more promptings the better you live, and most of them are not going to be completely recognizable. A huge part of our lives is faith, and if you want to develop faith, then trust your prompting. I love you all and I can't wait to get emails (wink wink), I'll try to answer everyone but no promises.

Love, Sister Hawkins

Funny stories of the week: (back story.. the girls love asking Chris funny stories about his mission etc, so now Mo and Liv ask Haley each week to tell them anything funny that happened. I literally laugh out loud reading these!) 

1 I directly hairsprayed my good eye yesterday morning by accident and two elders thought I had pink eye.

2 the pond behind the mtc has iced over, so the swan will try to walk over it and slip everywhere. Sweet sweet revenge.

3 the swan was renamed Dave, sadly my name of broski wasn't stylish enough

4 my companion tripped on the stairs like 6 times this week. Of course I do the good thing and walk a distance from her so she doesn't nail me. Don't judge me, she's like a foot taller than me, I can't catch her

5 one time when she tripped, she left behind a shoe so I ran after her screaming Cinderella (it was greatly appreciated)

6 apparently my sneezes are really violent and the showers echo, so long story short, I scared some sisters while I was in the shower.

7 my companion sleep talks and told me she snorted while asleep, much confusion and fear was had 

8 elder Monsongo is scared of my popping arms

9 we have a social network for missionaries, so I sent everyone in the mtc that really ugly selfie of Jess (our dog at home​ for those who don't know) and stayed quiet. It took them a whole day to figure out who sent it.

10 I got two dog selfies back (this is during mealtimes not class)

11 my yogurt exploded

12 we had pizza one night, and one of the pizzas was barbeque sauce, but I thought it was plain cheese. The only thing I can say was that it was honestly the worst pizza experience of my life. I literally skipped dessert because of it. I can't even describe how bad it was. Way worse than enchiladas.

13 when we were prosylighting this Monday,  the pigeons were bathing in the fountain in NEGATIVE TWO CELSIUS WEATHER. That's like twenty degrees in farenhieght 

Pictures:

Apparently Haley loves taking funny selfies..who knew?!  The picture of the snow and then the one of Haleys obviously not pleased face came together. I laughed so hard! Haley can't put descriptions with the pictures when she sends them, but no description was needed there! Haley doesn't love the snow for those that don't know. lol!! ​