Elder Hawes is one of my favorite missionaries in the mission. He sees the missionary glass half-full. He sees with the eye of faith. He is quick to observe. By permission, here is his last week’s letter.
“There are 3 feelings that every missionary dreams of:
1. Someone committing to enter into the covenant of baptism
2. Someone who’s been wanting to be baptized who couldn’t finally getting the opportunity be enter the covenant of baptism
3. Someone who you’ve taught, and has gotten baptized going through the temple for the first time.
Let me tell you a story about those three feelings.
Dream 2
A man I taught when I was in Scottsdale the first time gave me a call a couple weeks ago, and he told me he had finally gotten permission to be baptized, he’s been waiting for several years to be baptized. Most of the members of his ward don’t know that he’s not a member, that’s how long it’s been! He is the best! and guess what! I get to sing with some members from his ward at his baptism this Saturday! (:
Now, I found out about this, and a few days later I was driving past his house, and there were a bunch of cop cars out front of his house! I was flippin out! My first thought was, “No! this can not happen! Not this close to his baptism!” So I had my companion shoot him a text “Hey, we just drove by, what’s going on?”
The reply came: “House on fire! come here.”
We immediately flip a u-turn and head back to his house. we get there just as the fire fighters are leaving. We ended up helping him catch all his chickens and ducks that had somehow miraculously survived the fire. (The fire had started right next to their pen) No one was hurt, but he had to move out all of his stuff so they could remodel his home. When we talked to him about it, he said “My first thought was that the adversary was trying to stop me. But I’ve waited too long for this, Nothing will stop me now.” He’s so ready. (: I’m excited! [Editor’s note: he was baptized last Saturday]
Dream 3
Later that same day I got a text from President’s phone “This is Elder Armatage, Sharron is going through the temple next tuesday, President wanted you to accompany me.”
Sharron is an amazing woman who got baptized a year ago when I was serving in Fountain Hills. She has been the most knowledgeable investigator that I’ve had. She read the Book of Mormon, Jesus The Christ, Articles of Faith book, watched General Conference, and bought President Monson’s new book all before contacting the missionaries. She did most of the teaching. (: We gave her a gospel principles book when she came to church, and she read it all before church the next week! And now I get to go see her go through the temple! I’m super excited!! [Editor’s note: Sharron did go to the temple for her endowment last week]
Dream 1
The next day, (Yes, the sequence continues!) We were meeting with a girl named Alicia. Her sister is a recent convert named Vanessa.
So, back-story: We’ve been meeting with Vanessa, and her family has been very against everything she’s been doing. Well, last Saturday we got a call from her, and her mom had asked to meet with missionaries!!!! Then Sunday her dad told her that he was a member, and hadn’t been active for many years.
So back to This last Saturday, we were meeting with Alicia, and we were talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and when we were talking about Baptism, she talked about “When she gets baptized…” So I asked her, “Alicia, when do you want to get baptized?” She told us about the feelings she had had at her sisters baptism, and that she had prayed about being baptized on the 21st, and that she had felt those same feelings. So she’s getting baptized this Saturday! (: I am so SO excited! I’ll send out some pictures next week! I love you all! [Editor’s note: Alicia was baptized last week’]
Arizona Scottsdale Mission 