Clothes in California‏

So this week, we had what was called a Sisters conference.  We had a conference for all the sister missionaries.  There we were able to receive hair and makeup tips, make a quick and easy skirt, and receive clothes that members had donated (kinda like a swap meet, just we didn't have to bring anything).  I got so many clothes!! I love it!! President Orgill and his wife were there and they are seriously the sweetest things ever! They are so nice!  I had an interview with president just before this, and he really made me feel like I mattered.  It was really touching to feel that. This Sunday was really interesting. It was the Dana Point Ward Primary Program, so that was really fun! The children are so cute! And their testimonies are so simple yet so powerful!!  After that we had to hurry to Irvine for a mission fireside with Elder Richards.  He is in the area presidency for the North America West Region.  He is really nice and his words were really powerful.  He spoke about putting our whole heart into the work and giving our heart to the Lord.  I really like that, that if we work really hard, it won't matter if our heart isn't in the work.

 After that we went to a member's home for dinner and somehow the fact that I can sing and play the piano came out.  So they had me play the piano. I played Jessica's theme. It went alright.  Then they had me sing a song.  The little girls at the house wanted me to sing Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera, so I tried that (their dad accompanied).  I was really praying that I would sound ok, and I did! It wasn't spectacular by any means, but it was really fun to sing.  

We potentially have a new investigator with a baptismal date!! She is from another ward, but she is moving into our area and she wants to still meet with the missionaries! I don't know her name, but that was still really cool! 

The work here is about the same, still working with the less active members.  We have been doing A LOT of service, which is really nice.  We now go to a rest home every Saturday, and we help clean a lady's house who can't do it for herself every Wednesday.  She kind of reminds me of Grandma Haws.  I miss her a ton, but when I am working hard, then I feel her the strongest.  We get to go to the temple on October 9, so that is really exciting! I can't wait to see what the Newport Beach temple looks like!!!

Katie Daugherty sent me a letter and wanted me to give a shout out in my email.  So here it is!! Tell her Thank you for the letter and how much I love and miss her! Tell everyone else to continue to send me letters. I only get to look at emails once a week, but I can receive mail anytime in the week my leaders bring it to us!!

The scripture for this week is Alma 36:3.  Apply your own name to the scripture and see it change the meaning.

I love you all and miss you tons!! Keep Calm and Carry On!!!

Lala!!

Sister Haws:)

 

(An explanation of Lala by Kayla's mom:  When Kayla was little and her dad would be leaving to go to work, he would say, "Bye!  Love ya!"  Kayla couldn't say love ya, so she would say,  "Bye!  Lala!"  And it stuck.  We still say use that phrase in our family.)

Choir in California‏

Hey Hey hey!!!!! So this week has been crazy!!! We have been working with more less actives again and our investigators.  Also something new happened.  As you can see I titled this email, Choir in California.  The reason is BECAUSE...... (Drum roll please!!) We have a missionary choir for our entire mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I am in it!! (obviously!)  It is sooo cool to be a part of! There are about 75 missionaries who are a part of it.  We will be performing in stake conferences around the mission, in Mission conferences, in wards as a sacrament program, IT WILL BE AWESOME!!!!!!! I love being able to express my testimony through song.  Sometimes a song just says it so much better than I ever could!

So I went on exchanges on Wednesday with one of my Sister Training Leaders (It's like a female zone leader).  I went down to San Clemente.  It was definitely cool to go to.  And for our work out Thursday morning, we went running on the pier!!! It was so cool!! I ran over the ocean!!! So cool!!  

Thursday we had what we call a Window.  Let me explain.  There was this lady that came to the mission before I came and she talked about this Windows program.  Sometimes missionaries feel like they need to do contacting, but they don't know where to go, so they just go wherever.  They may be in one place, while the person they are supposed to be in contact with, the "elect," are somewhere else.  The Lord is going to know where those Elect are going to be.  So we have to pray to know where we are supposed to be to find the people who are most ready for the gospel.  So we did that.  And we met Josh! He was running, and we stopped him and he let us give a 10 minute lesson.  He seemed pretty interested.  He even asked ME for a pamphlet!! I didn't have to offer, he asked before I could!! So cool!!

The work is moving right along! And it is coming! I Love this work! I love the atonement! I love the opportunities I have to bring people to the knowledge of that atonement!! 

My scripture for today is 3 Nephi 11:14.  Look it up.  Pay attention to why we need to put all our energy into Christ's side, Why he asks us to first "thrust in his side," and THEN "feel the prints in my hands."

I love you all!!! I miss you all! But I know that this is where I am supposed to be and where the Lord needs me!!!

ALOHA!

Sister Haws:)

CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!!

Well, first off, the last couple days of the MTC were AMAZING!!! They were so spiritual and amazing.  I got to sit on a window seat on the plane, so that was way cool! And beautiful!! (I can't figure out how to do pictures on this library computer, and i hear i can only send one at a time, but I will get some next time!!).  As we went to the baggage claim at the airport, our mission president and a few other missionaries were there to welcome us with a huge sign and even bigger smiles.  President Orgill is the nicest, smileyest man I have ever met.  He is so amazing!!  So we went to the mission office and he began interviews to get to know us better.  Then there was lunch.  After lunch, they had pillows and told us to take a nap! (I woke up at 3:30 and the adrenaline of being there was gone, so the nap was very welcome).  Then there was transfer meeting.  That was really cool because they had everyone in and then walked us newbies in as they were singing Called to Serve.  SO COOL!!!!!!!  I was the last sister to find out who my trainer was.  And I have 2!! They have been out six weeks.  They are so amazing!! Also, funny thing, in my trio, we have a blonde a brunette and a red head!!! What are the odds??? AND none of us are from Utah.  I am serving in Dana Point, which is south, almost to San Clamente.

 

So my second day we went to try to stop by on some less active members.  Let me tell you about my ward.  The ward has about 600 members on record and only about 200 come to church (sound familiar?). So a lot of our effort is on less active members.  A lot of people aren't interested, which is really sad, but we are working with a lot of them.  

I LOVE MY DISTRICT!!! They are great!! There are a lot of them that are training, so our district is REALLY young.  But that could be a really good thing!! All that greenie fire right??? 

My zone is pretty cool too.  There is an elder that was in my zone in the MTC that is in my zone now so that's really cool!! 

We have two investigators that we are really working with.  One is the sweetest lady.  She's about 68 and was raised Catholic.  She has read a lot of the Book of Mormon and she said that she believes, and she seems like she does, but she won't act on her belief.  We came to the conclusion as a companionship that Belief+Action=FAITH!!! She needs to act on her belief for that belief to become faith.  Our other investigator is 10 and his mom and stepdad are members, but his dad and grandma aren't.  He is afraid to join because he thinks his grandma won't talk to him.

 

I can't believe that I am finally serving the Lord and laboring in his Vineyard in California. Sometimes it seems so unreal, but it is so great!!!  I have found that I can't be afraid, and I have to have faith that what I am saying is what the Spirit told me to say.  I have to have faith that the person I am talking to will want to here what I have to say.  I have to have faith that I am enough to be God's tool in Dana Point.  I have to have faith that I can DO this!!!!  Faith is key to everything!!!  And Faith is EXACTLY what the Lord asks of us.  If we have faith,  he will make up for all we lack!!!

Also I just wanted to share a scripture with you.  It's kinda been the scripture of the week.  It is 3 Nephi 9:13-14. I invite you to look it up.  In it, the Lord says that if we will come unto him and repent, he will HEAL us.  Not just forgive us, not just help us, not even fix us and we still have a scar.  He will HEAL us fully, if we only partake of His atonement and come unto Him.

I know that this is where the Lord wants me.  I would never be anywhere else. As much as I miss you, I know that there are people here who need me too, and need me to share the Gospel with them!! 

God speed, and until monday!

Love 

Sister Haws:)

I made it!!

I flew to California on Tuesday.

 

 

Here is a picture of me with President and Sister Orgill.  They are so wonderful!! 

Here is a picture of me with some other missionaries in the California Irvine Mission.  I already love it!!

 

If you want to write to me, here are 2 ways you can write:

 

E-mail me at kayla.haws@myldsmail.net.  I may not be able to e-mail you back but will be able to send a letter in response.  You can keep e-mailing me your responses to my letters if that is easier for you.  (I only have a limited amount of time each week on a computer which is why I can't e-mail you back and I have more time each week to write letters.)  I love getting letters, e-mails and packages from my friends and family!

 

 You can also send letters and packages to:

Sister Kayla Haws

California Irvine Mission

23 Lake Road

Irvine, CA 92604