Mother's Day is a Special Day!

One of the best gifts a mother could ask for is to be able to see and talk to all of her children on Mother's Day.  Today we were able to gather all of our children in New Harmony (Allie and James Skyped in) to Skype with Sister Megan Pace in Houston, Texas!

It was so good to see her beautiful smile, and hear how she is learning and growing as she is meeting new people and sharing the gospel in Texas.  One of the most special moments we were able to capture on video as we asked her what her favorite part of her mission has been so far...she shares her testimony of being a missionary and how her personal relationship with the Savior has grown.  You can hear what she shared here: Sister Pace's Testimony

Howdy from Texas!

The Church is True in Houston!

What a great few months!  It has been full of teaching, service projects, baptisms, changes and adapting to a new area.  Heavenly Father is really sending us prepared individuals.  I'm noticing it isn't necessarily anything we are saying or doing in specific ways, but realizing we are just His instruments and trying our best to open our mouths to everyone.  It's amazing to be a part of the Lord's work.  As long as we really do our best, the miracles do not cease. I love the experiences I am having on my mission.  I wouldn't trade this time for anything else.  It is evident that the Lord is preparing us for His return by hastening His work and I'm so happy I am part of His Army of Missionaries.

 "Sister Conference"

Sister Thompson and Sister Hawkes, it was good to see my first Companions again.

Right- Sister Harris my MTC Companion

Our trip to Sister's Conference to hear Sister Sheri Dew!

January 25th was an amazing day with Kevin and Chanselle's baptism.  They were so happy and it was such a special day.  The ward gave great support as well and I know they will really flourish in the gospel.  In a year they get to be sealed in the temple too!  What a memorable weekend.

My dear friend Chenselle after her baptism.   

 Well isn't this just a fun time of year.  The month of LOVE!  I have been studying about Charity  which has helped me gain a greater desire to talk to everyone and share my testimony of the gospel with them.








A big thanks for all the letters, packages and wonderful surprises.
  It made my whole week!

  For Valentines Day, Sister Cotton and I  had a lot of fun sneaking around and giving heart Attacks to some of our less actives who need more love in their lives.

Rhea's Baptism!  It was such an awesome baptism!  She was so excited and ready for it.  The best part was her family was there to support her.  The spirit was so strong and they really enjoyed it as well.  Sister Cotton and I had the opportunity to speak at the services and I felt it an honor to be a part of it. 

Our sweet miracle "Rhea"!

After serving in the Clearlake Area for 7 months, I received my first transfer to the Sienna Plantation area with Sister Newman.  This area is  so--so beautiful.  It starts in Missouri City, Sienna Plantation (where i live), Houston, Sugar Land, Fresno, Arcola, etc.  Big area with lots of work to do! I love my companion already.  She is amazing! She is from South Jordan, but went to Dixie State last year too.  Small world!  I felt like I knew everyone at Dixie, but guess not.  We hit if off sooo well.  I've been very blessed to have such awesome companions.

My lovely new companion Sister Newman!

Celebrating Sister Newman's 9 month mark with Sonic Wednesday!

Sister Newman and I are  trying to read the Book of Mormon together this transfer.  We are trying to mark anything that has to do with faith.  I love doing this!  It's going to be a challenge, but I am  already learning so much from it and my testimony of the Book of Mormon continues to grow more and more.

I love ya'll and hope you have a great week! 

Merry Christmas from Sister Pace

  This Christmas season has been so great! I feel like I have really been able to feel the Christmas spirit so strong. I know it is because I haven't been as distracted by the commercial part of Christmas, and I've  been able to really focus more on Christ this Christmas and give back to him by giving of  my time and service.

 We have been taken care of so well by this ward! My love for this ward grows more and more. There are so many wonderful people here. We have been involved with the ward Choir which has been so fun! We went to a Christmas sing along at a members home and sang Christmas carols with the choir. That was probably my favorite Christmas activity so far! That is a fun tradition I would love to carry on. There are so many homes that are decorated from the grass to the roof and everything in between. I tell ya, everything is bigger in Texas! 

I just want you all to know how happy I am here on my mission! I have been growing more and more to love this place and what I am doing here! My love for the people has grown, the missionaries I serve with are so amazing! We have so much fun together and they have such great testimonies.  Also, my love for President and Sister Ashton have grown. They are soo amazing as well!  I definitely consider them as second parents. Sister Christopherson  (one of my companions) got to go spend a few days in their home with their family to see what a gospel oriented family life is like. That doesn't happen very often. So I was able to see them a few times this  past week. I have so much love and respect for them. Sister Ashton is a huge role model in my life. 

Most of all, my love for our Savior Jesus Christ has grown. I have loved studying his life and ministry these past few weeks in the New Testament. I love how the world is so happy during the Christmas season because they remember Christ so much more. Just think of what it is going to be like when he reigns again on the earth! Its going to be amazing! 

 I love you all and hope you have a great Christmas season! I challenge each of you to find one way you can go out of your way to serve someone everyday until Christmas. I promise you will be able to feel the Christmas season even more this year! 

Fall in Texas for this Missionary!

New Harmony Apples!

I got the apples!!!! Thanks so much.  It was a wonderful surprise and totally made our week!  I bought the ingredients for apple dip so we will be snacking on them.  Yum...Yum!!! Fall weather in Houston is still in the 70s and 80s, but there have been more days that are overcast and the breeze is nice and cool. 

                                                                                                                                                                                   

We're the Snow White Twiners!

Trunk or Treat!! Happy Halloween from Snow White and Cowgirl (missionary version)

We went to ward Halloween trunk or treat  which was so fun.  We helped with some of the carnival games for the kids.  We dressed up for it too!  I was Snow White  and Sister Thompson was a cowgirl.  We found out the last minute that we could wear costumes so we tried to be creative with what we have.   

  This is a picture of my sweet friend Morgan.  We're the Snow White twiners.  This girl is a doll!  She is in our ward and is the daughter of one of the Bishopric.  She is a special Olympic Swimmer and has so much love.  She will just get up in the middle of Sacrament Meeting after someone  has shared their testimony and give them a hug and a kiss on the cheek!  She is my favorite!              

PS:  Yeah, I died my hair!  I didn't want to worry about the up keep of the blonde.  But I'm getting use to it.  Now I definitely fit in with the Pace Girls!     

We'll it was transfer week again and guess what!?  Sister Thompson and I are still together in the same area.  But there is a new addition to our companionship, Sister Christopherson!

 

 

 

 

Sister Christopherson, Sister Thompson and Sister Pace

    What a blessing it has been to have Sister Christopherson with us.  She is on her last transfer and comes with experience and so we are benefiting have her for this short time before she goes home.  

I've been here for 3 months and sadly we haven't baptized anyone in the time I have been here.   But instead I look at our successes and all that we have been doing.  We have worked hard getting the ward excited about missionary work, helping strengthen the members and less actives.  We met with Bishop Brower and he is really happy with what is going on,.  He told us how we have met his goal with 55 people coming back to church.  They haven't been baptisms, but in the last year there have been many people who were inactive or less active coming back to church.  This is so great!  He told us that 54 people have come back and he is considered number 55 because of his conversion through all of this. 

                    

I really am loving being a missionary.  There has been some great times and hard times.  The thing about being a missionary is God is trying to mold us into a person that He wants us to be. I'm learning a lot about myself, what is important in life, and most importantly the gospel.  It is great!!

Rainy Day in Houston!

                                 

 

Temple Day at the Houston Temple!

Sister Pace and Sister Thompson at the Houston Temple

The Houston temple is gorgeous!  I had an amazing experience. It was a great feeling being in the temple with a bunch of missionaries in the same session.   Every time I go to the temple it just gets better and better.  I loved the Celestial room.  My thoughts kept going back to the first time I went to the temple in St. George.  Having the whole family there was really a special experience.  I just remember going into the celestial room and seeing everyone waiting for me.  I know that's what it is going to be like on the other side.  I am so grateful for this gospel.

It's been a busy couple weeks with zone training and conferences.  My mission President is absolutely amazing.  I have so much love and respect for him.  He has such a powerful testimony and I can tell he cares so much for his missionaries.  We had interviews with the President and then we   did some role playing with him.  It really pushes my out of my comfort zone, but I did learn a lot. The

Sister Pace and President and Sister Ashton

coolest part about the training was the assistants came to the meeting as well and met with us as companions and had a training about our area.  We set goals and prayed about our investigators.  So this zone conference helped light a fire of faith and determination to get back to work!  Sister Thompson and I feel impressed with a few individuals that will hopefully be baptized by the end of the year. 

Sister Thompson did a training also that was just so powerful about how we represent Jesus Christ as missionaries.  Just so you know my companion is amazing.  She is so knowledgeable in the gospel and we have definitely grown closer.  I learn so much from her.  Even though she's almost two years younger than me, we really balance each other out very well.  She has helped me so much in the mission just by her wonderful example.  She has so much love and charity.  It's great being her companion!

Survived my first transfer!!

Bishop Brower and the Sister Missionaries at the Astros Game!

I am staying here another transfer, which I am so happy about.  I love my ward, they are so supportive.  The people here take such good care of us.  The Mission president has asked us to have FHE lessons with members of the ward, so it's helped get better acquainted with some of the families.  I love the Schwoush family.  They have four adorable children and Ally the youngest has won my heart as she hugs us every chance she gets.  The Orr family have just started coming back to church and Sister Orr LOVES to cook and enjoys feeding us.  She always has a great dessert for us to take home. (oh-no!!!)

We had the opportunity to attend a ward activity at the Astros baseball game.  Our Bishop had us invite investigators and  less actives to attend.  One of our investigators, a single dad, and his two young boys were able to go. You can imagine how excited these little boys were to attend a professional baseball game.  This is something that they had never experienced.    Bishop has an office in one of the tall, big buildings down town and we had a devotional there before the game started.  This was a great missionary opportunity for the ward.

Sister Thompson and Sister Pace       

 

           What a fun environment, even wearing missionary attire!                

Jimmy and the boys!

                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                             

Blue bunny Ice Cream is the best at a baseball game!

What a Shot!

1st Transfer-"Clearlake Area"

I'm in Texas!  My area is Clearlake.  It's the suburbs of Houston and a nice area.  NASA is nearby.  There seems to be a different church on every corner.  It's a new experience for me not living in a Mormon community. All I want is to be honked at and hear people yelling "Sister Missionaries!!" The people are super nice and love talking about Jesus, politics, history, NASA, farming, oil or whatever.  Everyone seems to have dogs in their homes.  I mean everyone!  I love it and hate it.  Some are stinky, but most of them are pretty loveable. 


When I arrived at the mission, I was able to see Sister Kunzler from Cedar City, Utah.  Oh can I just tell you how great it was to see a familiar face.  She just glows because she is so happy and such an amazing missionary.  I have heard nothing but good things about her.  So be sure to let Bro. Kunzler know that!!

I am in a Trio companionship with Sister Thompson, who has been here for about 3 months or so, and Sister Hawkes, who's on her second transfer.  So we are all kind of new, but they are great missionaries.  A rule that I am getting use to, is that we cannot be out of sight or sound from each other...even in our apartment.  So a little adjustment for me, but it's all about having a good attitude! 

One thing about our area is it's reputation for being a hard area for the missionaries.  They use to send missionaries here to die!  But--6 months ago there was a sister that went home  this week that really made a difference.  And yes I took her place and yes everyone misses her and loves her.  Big shoes to fill right?  But the missionary work is really starting to come along.  We want to work with most of the less actives. There are tons of them! I love the people here. I'm really falling in love with my ward.   Bishop Brower is amazing. He has a goal to get 55 baptisms by the end of the year.  And so far they have 23 members going back to church. So we are dedicated and want to achieve that.  I love this challenge.  I really want to work hard and make a difference here and help the community grow together. 

We live right next to a school so I actually got the sisters to go out and run around it.  So there's hope!!  I'm not going to get huge!  I am not on a bike right now because we live so far from where our area actually is.  But there was one day where we had to take our bikes out so I was so happy!

We do get fed a lot by the members and the food is great!  They know how to BBQ!!



The mission president encourages us to participate in service.  So we've helped a lady in the ward decorate for her daughter's reception and helped serve for a while at the wedding.  We've also involved our district in yard work and painting an investigator's home. 
I'm adjusting to the millions of mosquitos.  Can I just say, I really hate them.  We don't get along.  They are always at every door step waiting to suck our blood and now our legs are just covered with bites.  Sister Thompson counted 32 bites on one leg if that gives you a clue.  My legs look ugly because I scratch them so much.  We even coat ourselves in repellent without much success!

My 3rd week here, the President called our cell phone and said; "I have some bad news, put me on speaker!"  So that is never good.  So he told us a sister in the mission was going home because she was sick.  "So Sister Hawkes, you are being transferred tomorrow."  So the next day, we drove her to the mission office 45 minutes away and now it's  just me and Sister Thompson! It was so sad.  I liked having a trio, but I felt like I wasn't growing as fast and I was relying on them too much.  So now that it's just the two of us, I feel like I'm pushing myself  and just more at ease.  So it's kind of a bitter sweet thing.     

I had a great birthday and appreciate all the fun birthday wishes and gifts!  Sister Karen Brown, from the ward made us dinner and made me a birthday cake.  She is so loving and takes good care of the sister missionaries. 

We are having some success with our "cottage meetings" which involve members inviting non-members to do some sort of activity, FHE etc. with them.  A recent convert who was baptized about four weeks ago had been reading the D&C and had some questions about Joseph Smith, and so we decided to get together and have a "movie night" and watch the Joseph Smith movie.  We made  pizza and she invited people from the singles ward over and had her neighbor who is not a member to attend as well.  It was a great night!  We gave a brief summary of the first part of the restoration and then let the movie go from there.  I just felt the spirit so strong and was so excited to watch it with an investigator. It was just amazing.  We had to be home by 9:30 and they wanted to stay and watch more Mormon messages.  So we were super happy about the night! Sister Thompson and I have continued to teach this investigator and she has been coming to church and wants to be baptized.  We have another investigator who has shown an interest and wants to be baptized as well.  We have some work to do with her but are very hopeful 

I have learned a great deal about unity in a companionship and grateful for Sister Thompson and the relationship and bond we had developed.  I really feel companionship unity is one of the keys to be successful, because when we have unity we are also united with the spirit in our lessons.  I will be the first to admit I do not teach as well as I would like to, but I know if we are worthy the spirit will make up for it.  Sister Thompson is such a good teacher!  We have figured out what we can learn and how we can really help each other and I just love her. 

I have made it to week 6 of my first area.  I can't believe how fast it has gone by.  I am just falling in love with my area!  I really do love my mission and am getting adjusted to my ward, area, companion and district.  It has been successful and we've done a lot. It's hard work, but we do grow through hard things to make us better.  I love this gospel.  I'm so happy and know we are blessed as a family with the gospel as the central focus of our lives.  Being out of Utah in a state where we are definitely the minority really makes me grateful that we live where we do.  I love my little Mormon bubble, but I'm so happy to share my happiness and knowledge with everyone here.  God wants all his children back home, and I just ask--"What holds us back from sharing that with everyone else so they can have what we have?"  I'm so grateful to have it in my life.  We are truly blessed!!!

 My district went to Clearlake and went crab fishing.  It was a blast!  We got string and chicken, tied it together and we were able to catch some. Enjoy my district p-day and birthday celebration!!



Love my district!