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:)