What a week

Jebale!

Interesting week: My comp was pretty sick on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we didn't do a whole lot those days.. But the rest of the week was pretty good!! Amos, Habib, and Rosemary should be getting baptized this coming week. And then we have some other guys with some great potential. Julius and Allan. But there isn't much else than that. We are getting transfer news this coming week. I am pretty sure me and my comp will both stay. 

Not much else to report. Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there! Thanks for all your sacrifice! It was great to talk to the family for the last time on the mission! I am sure they are thankful that it was their 12th and final call to one of their sons.. I love you all!

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when you're sick and they give you a tree branch for medicine...

Sweet Sunset

Fried Grasshoppers (nsenena)

Actually taste nice... Maybe I have been here for too long.

 Chess with the Ward mission leader Bro. Mutumbala

Dinner Appointment

 How they catch the grasshoppers

Time Keeps Moving

Jebale!

What a week. It flew by! It was my comps B-day Tuesday. Then we had Zone Conference Wednesday, the Fireside on Saturday, and finished strong with the Baptism of Anita on Sunday!

The Fireside was a pretty big hit! We had almost 50 people there which is the most I have ever had at a fireside! I hope that it will help with the unity and fellow-shipping in the ward.

Also, this week I got some disturbing news... I don't know if anyone remembers a girl named Zeinab that I helped baptize in Busia, but she passed away this last week. I don't have a ton of info about it. But the reliving news is that she was doing what is right. She was probably greeted by my grandparents and even Jace. She is probably preaching the gospel to some Spirits right now.

Not much else to report. The Baptism of Anita was great! She was very ready! We were supposed to have three more this coming week, but we had to push them because of Ward Council. But things are going great in Mukono! I love you all!

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when you cut a birthday cake with a machete. 

Operation Smile Fireside

Our refreshment for the Fireside 

Remembering Zeinab

Anita Baptism

Splash

Jebale!

Well, another week for the books. It was a good one. It was kinda strange though. Tuesday we had exchanges with the Zone leaders, so I got to go to Mutungo for the day. That was pretty fun. Thursday we had interviews with President. It was a really good one. He gave me some great advice on how to make the last couple months of my mission more successful. Then on Friday my comp had to go to Kampala for a District Leader training so I was in Seeta for the day with my Brother Elder Osei-Tutu. It was a fun time getting to know him better. Finally on Sunday, Teddy was baptized!! She was very prepared. It was cool getting to see it in a real baptismal font for the first time on my mission. haha. It is very nice to be in a chapel. We are planning to have another baptism next week of a girl named Anita. Should be good. We have a lot of good things happening in our area. We are having a Fireside on the 6th and it will be the official launch of Operation Smile. The theme is "Men are that they might have joy" and I think it is going to be a big hit.

Well, not much else happening, just loving the work. I hope you all are also participating in Operation Smile. Make everyone you talk to smile at least once. Even if it is a complete stranger at the store in the check out line. Just do it and you will find your self smiling more too.

Love, Elder Hawk

Baptism

The Falls

Jebale!

Well, It was a great week! We have been working super hard. We had a ton of new investigators and had some people make it to church! We will hopefully have a baptism this coming week. It is this girl named Teddy who has been taught for a long time. But she is excited to finally be baptized. 

Today we went to a waterfall which was pretty cool! Took some nice pictures and had a nice little hike. I love my new district. I have served around two of them already, so it was easy to get used to everyone. Operation smile is going good. We haven't pitched the idea to a ton of people yet, but we are going to have a fireside in 2 weeks and it will be the "launch" of it. We are going to write up like a commitment and make people sign it and spread happiness everywhere they go! 

I was thinking a lot about sacrifice this week. Mostly about Christ related to sacrifice. I have taken the Jesus Christ topical guide challenge and also started memorizing The Living Christ. It has been an amazing experience. It has made me feel so much closer to the Savior. But I realized that as we make sacrifices the Lord gives us more blessings. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the blessings. For example, going on a mission. It is a huge sacrifice, but the blessings are also huge! As we make these small sacrifices, put a character flaw, or a sin, or anything on the alter, Christ will give us blessings 100 fold. What can you put on the alter to sacrifice to Christ?

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when you have to punch your microwave to get it to work.

The Falls

Welcome to Mukono!

Jebale!

Well, I am here in my new area! I am having a ton of fun already! It is my first chapel to serve in, so it is also very nice! I had kind of a cool experience. On Saturday we were cleaning the church and I was getting to know the members and having some fun. And I just kind of had this prompting that the reason the Lord brought me here was to make everyone smile and be happy and more unified. So I told the members I was going to start something called Operation Smile! Where every time you talk to someone you have to make them smile! So we will see how it goes. That night my comp told me that he emailed president last transfer and said how he thinks that the ward needed more energy and to be more unified and stuff, so it was like I was the one to come and help do that. So it was a pretty cool experience.

Also, I got a suit made before I left Mengo and so I convinced my new district to wear suits on Sunday, so prepare for those awesome pictures! But I am very excited for the coming transfer and all the fun adventures and spirit it will bring. I love you all!

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when its all the white kids that play basketball at zone sports...(the Africans play soccer)

Suits!! and the district!

Transfers!

Jebale!

Well, Transfers came in and I am leaving Mengo! I will be going to Mukono! Just outside of Kampala. Still the city somehow. I am excited. My companion will be Elder Driggs from Texas! We have served around each other before, so it will be a good time!

It was a pretty crazy week. Tuesday we got a call from President and there was an emergency transfer. Magumura went to Kajjansi and Elder Shelton has been my comp since then! It has been fun! But I was a bit bummed to see Magumura go. I love that guy. But we will meet again!

We watched conference this last weekend and it was awesome! I think one of my favorite talks was by Russell M. Nelson about Christ. I went into the conference with the question in my mind, "How can I make the last 6 months of my mission the best they can be?" and the answers I got were 1. Study more about the Savior  2. Follow the Spirit better   3. Love the people more. I really think that it was a big answer to my question! I loved so many of the talks.

Today we went to the zoo and ate big at Cafe Javas! It was a really nice day! It was a ton of fun! Well, I love you all. Thanks for all you do! 

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when you dislike silverware.

  Elders in the District

Powerful Family

Ugandan Crane

  "Da Brazza's Monkey"

The Week

Jebale!

Well, it was a pretty good week. It went way fast!! One more week until transfers, which is crazy! Time is not slowing down for anything! But it was a fun week! The work is still kind of slow. Trying to find serious people. We can get into houses easy, but just getting people to answer their phone or not say, "I'm up and down.." What does that even mean?! Are you an elevator?! hahahaha anyways... We will get to watch conference next week so that will be fun. It was also one of the Sister's Birthday in our District on Saturday and we had FHE at a member's house and they combined my and her birthday! So I finally ate a birthday cake, because I didn't have any on my birthday. hahaha But things are good.

Not much else. Tried to go see some cool places in our area today, but they wanted to charge us "mazungo" price.... Meaning, if they see a white person they charge 3x more... But it's all good. I love you all. Hope you enjoyed conference and will apply it. Love you guys!

Love, Elder Hawk

You know you're in Africa when (see picture of Toaster)... haha

 Nice Birthday Cake

 Sharing the Birthday Cake with a Sister Missionary