Short week.....‏

November 10, 2014

 

So, it feels like I have just sent you an email.... and I did! I had only sent it just Wednesday!   Super short week.  Not a ton has happened.  We were able to go do temple tours on Friday, and we met this awesome man named Chris.  He has been searching for the truth, and he thinks he found it in Utah! He is still on a spiritual journey, and waiting for a sign, but he was awesome! He had read like the Doctrine and Covenants, and some of the Book of Mormon.  It was a very powerful lesson! I was in awe at how the Lord truly does prepare people to be ready.  He is moving to Louisiana, but we will keep praying for him!

 

Ermalinda and krystalee are still doing awesome! They are so cute! I got to help Ermalinda start Personal Progress! It was really cool to see and to help her with that!

 

Manny wasn't able to make it to church, but he's still doing great!

 

This week was the primary program! That is always so fun! I love the little kids and how much purity and power in their little bodies.  They have such pure testimonies! The theme was "Families are Forever."  How very true that is! I love my family so much, and there is nothing I would do that would make it so that I would not be able to be with them forever!

 

Have a great week! So sorry that I don't have more to report, but I love you all so much!!

 

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws

 

Baptism pictures: 

 

 

the girls

  

 

Helena

 

 

Sister Gillins!! The one and only!  :)

 

 

Singing Companion.... Wait, isn't that my job???‏

November 5, 2014

 

I have a new companion!! Her name is Sister Megan Gillins! She is from Las Vegas, Nevada.  She is 20, has been out on her mission for 5 months, has so much insight, and as you can see from the headline, she sings too!! She is in choir, and she sings almost as much as I do!! It's awesome! I love her a lot!!

Our baptism went amazing this week!! The girls were so happy, it went smoothly, Sister Putnam made it there, and Sister Gillins was able to play the piano for my musical number that I did.  They were confirmed on Sunday, and it was amazing! What a great way to start a transfer.

So, the reason I am emailing on Wednesday, is that we had a mission conference on Monday.  It was really cool.  Elder Wilford W. Andersen from the Second Quorum of the Seventy came and talked with us! He had a lot of great insight.  President and Sister Orgill also addressed us, and it is always good to hear from them!  I love them a lot!

I hope you all have a great week!! Hope you remember to be amazing and to look to your Heavenly Father.  And "with a passion, enjoy the journey!"

I love you all!!

Love,
Sister Kayla Haws

 

I forgot to mention..... WE HAD RAIN THIS WEEK!!!!!  It was really cool, it was the Saturday of the baptism, and when I walked outside, I saw a rainbow, and it was really neat because I was singing "When I am Baptized" at the girls' baptism!

It was a really neat experience that helped me to remember that God Loves all of us.  ALL of us!!

Transfers..... DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUNNN!!!‏

October 27, 2014

 

Well, this week is transfers............  And I am staying!!!!!! I get to be in this area for at least 6 months!! This is officially the longest area I have served in.  I love this ward with all my heart!! I am so glad I get to stay.  Unfortunately, we did get some sad news.  Sister Putnam is being transferred.  But we had a great week to end the transfer!

 

We were able to go to the temple with one of our recent converts, Noe, who went and did baptisms for the dead. It was an awesome experience. I know that he really felt the spirit. He seemed so at peace with everything and it was awesome:)  I just love how much the temple is there for us.  There is so much peace in that sacred building. Satan cannot enter it's doors, and so there is extra peace that cannot be found in the world.  It's just like John 16:33, where Christ says that "in the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." 

We had temple tours, which were awesome. We love temple tours. I was able to help give a tour to some people from Texas (Dallas.  Sorry mom), and it was amazing some of the questions that they had. They were not members, but they had seen our temple on a website, and said that they had to go see it. It was amazing to see their enthusiasm and love and respect for that sacred building.  I love doing tours!! They are the best ever!!!

We have a baptism coming up this weekend!! It is Saturday at 1. It is so amazing to see. Ermalinda and Krystalee are both amazing little girls that we have had the privilege of teaching. Ermalinda is 12 and Krystalee is 8. Sometimes it is hard to teach them because they don't always retain it, but as we keep teaching them after baptism, I know that they will understand. It is amazing.

 

Helena is still doing good. She finally has a stable job that gives her weekends off and a steady income.  It is so good to see that the Lord really does supply when we are trying to do all we can!!

 

This weekend was our ward Trunk or Treat!! It was really fun.  Sister Putnam dressed up as a pirate.  I dressed up as a valley girl/80s girl.  Corina told me I was Cyndi Lauper:)

 

Have a great week!!

 

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws

 

 

Confirmation, and, Is that my name????‏

October 13, 2014

 

Well hello there family and friends!!! This week has been full of service, pain, and interesting turns.

 

We weren't able to see Helena very much this week, but she made it to church on Sunday to be confirmed!!!  For those of you who don't know, confirmation in our church is a little different than others.  After the baptism of water, comes the baptism of fire.  After someone has been baptized, they are blessed by the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost and to become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is a crucial part of the baptism and the covenant that you make.  I am so glad that Helena made it.  It was actually a funny experience.  She had told our Bishop that she wanted Brother Waldram to confirm her, and then when we saw her, she told us she wanted Brother Weissinger to do it.  When she got up there, it ended up being Brother Waldram that performed the ordinance, and that was amazing! It was just what she needed to hear, and we found out later that that is what he needed to do to feel better and be in a better mood.  The Lord works in mysterious ways, and there are no coincidences in this life.  Like ever!!

 

I love you all!! Hope you have a great week!!

 

Find a way to see Meet the Mormons!! It is the #10 movie this week!! For information go to meetthemormons.com

 

Love,

Sister Haws

Conference. Baptism. Blitz. Miracles.‏

October 6, 2014

So big news......

HELENA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! Her baptism was beautiful! Our bishop's wife gave a wonderful talk.  Then Bishop baptized her.  Then the elders gave a great restoration lesson.  Then I sang I know that My redeemer lives (the one on my blog).  And then we had refreshments, because we're mormon and that's what we do!  :)  There were so many people there that loved her and supported her.  They all came up and congratulated her.  I loved it.

That same day, our entire zone came to our area and worked there.  We all went and contacted in different places.  It was so amazing!! We had 165 contacts!!!  It was a miracle!! I love when we all work together!! We did that to all of the areas in the zone.  It was so cool!! 

Conference was everything that I needed.  I loved the spiritual reboost that we get from conference!! In case you missed any of it, you can check out lds.org.  They are so uplifting.  It brings me so much peace to know that we have a living prophet today and that those living prophets speak to God daily.  I hope that all of you can look at them and find inspiration.

Scripture for this week! I haven't done this in forever!! 1 Nephi 1:20.  Look for the little miracles, or the tender mercies in your life this week!!

I love you all!! Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Haws

"There can be miracles when you believe!‏"

September 22, 2014

I don't have a lot of time! I can send only pictures!

 

helena is getting baptized, and we have a new less active to help get to the temple!

 

Love you all!

 

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws

 

 

TRANSFERS!!!!‏

September 15, 2014

 

So you know the movie Jaws? And how there is no music in there, unless they see the shark?  Well, it seems like every Saturday of week six, when the phone rings, I hear that creepy music.  And then your district leader says, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news."  And then doesn't text you again for the next 30 minutes, so you sit there wondering, "what's the bad news?  Is he getting transferred?  Is sister putnam getting transferred?  Am I getting transferred?"  All this races through your head, and you can't think, you can't breathe, all you can do is sit there praying and dying inside.  Then your district leader texts you and says, "Oh, sorry, I forgot about you.  I'm actually the bearer of good news! You're both staying!"  What? Forgotten?  What does that mean?  And then reality hits you.  Staying?  Like, really, truly staying?  And together? Is this real life?  Ah but it is!! It IS real life!! You become a new person, and the zombie is gone.  And then you crash because stress is tiring.

 

Some miracles for this week...

 

We got fed!! We actually had dinners this week! I was so happy! The ward has been a little hesitant to feed us, whether because they don't know us, or they are afraid of allergies and killing Sister Putnam, but we didn't have many dinners before.  But now we have dinners every day this week too!! I am so grateful!

 

We picked up a new investigator.  Her name is Ermalinda, and she is 12.  She is living with her auntie who has been a member for 2 years and just recently moved in.

 

Sister Putnam gave me her frozen coloring book.

 

I got to sing "The Spirit of God, Like a Fire is Burning" arranged by Mack Wilberg.  I love that my choir finds these arrangements that I have grown up, and I get to sing them with the Choir.  I sang How Firm a Foundation with the choir at practice this week as well.

 

I am staying with Sister Putnam.

 

I am staying in South Coast.

 

God is good.

 

Have a good week!

 

Love,

Sister Haws

Heartbreak Hotel‏

September 8, 2014

 

This week is an interesting one.  One of sadness, and of love, and of joy, and of crazyness.

 

Sadness--one of my brothers and best friends out here in the mission has returned home.  Elder J has returned with honor to West Valley, Utah.  I will miss him dearly, but I know that he is where he needs to be.  It was really hard to see him leave.  I wish I could be the one leaving, just so I didn't have to see him say goodbye.  It is hard to leave a mission, and it is even harder to say goodbye earlier than you expected to. 

 

Love--I know that God loves us.  He has shown his hand so many times this week.  This past week, we didn't have very many dinners.  We had about 3, and we told our bishop.  He got up in sacrament meeting, and told the ward that they need to do a better job! I had never seen that happen.  Because of him, however, we filled our calendar all week! This is the first time that has happened since Sister Putnam and I were put together (she has a few allergies, so people tend to freak out).  Also, our dinner last night, gave us 2 huge bags full of groceries so that we could have food when others didn't feed us.  It was a miracle!!! I am so grateful that the Lord provides for His servants!!

 

Crazyness--this coming week is week 6!! That means that transfer calls are this Saturday!! I don't want to leave, and I don't want to leave Sister Putnam.  I hope that we stay together.  Also crazy, my watch broke, and I feel so weird without it on.  I feel like I am missing something, and I can't tell what time it is during lessons.  It's crazy.  Also crazy, Helena moved her date back from the 13th to the 27th.  We are ok with that because we know that it is whatever she wants, and that she will be baptized.  That gives us time to teach her all the lessons and teach her all she needs to know.  I am so excited to help her and to continue to work with her.

 

I love the Lord! I love serving Him and His children.  I truly love this work and would not want to do anything else at this time in my life!! I hope you all have a great week!!

 

With much love,

Sister Haws

 

 Elder J and I

 

 

 Elder J, Elder M, Sister Putnam and I

 

 



Bessie (Helena's mother) turns 90 this week, so we celebrated:)

 

Baptism, Priesthood, and Cartwheels: Life's good!‏

September 2, 2014

 

Aloha family and friends!! This week has been so amazing! I love working in such an area that is amazing! I love it so much!  We have had some amazing miracles.  First off, We set a baptismal date with Helena and we are so excited for her! She will be an amazing asset to this ward, and she is so ready to be baptized. She has so much faith and love for so many people. She is already a missionary!  She has been telling all her friends about the gospel and it is amazing!

 

Sister Putnam and I were able to go to the temple with our district.  It was really good.  I love it so much.  I had some questions answered and just an added sense of peace and love.

 

Steven received the priesthood on Sunday, and it was beautiful! I am so happy for the ways he is progressing in the ways of the Lord.

 

I did a cartwheel on Thursday with the Bishop's daughters....... Note to self, don't do a cartwheel for at least another year!  It hurt my elbow so much, but it was fun!

 

This email is short this week, so sorry!

 

I love you all! Continue to see miracles!!

 

Love,

Sister Haws:)

1 Year! It went by so fast.

August 25, 2014

 

HOLA! Talofa! Ni-hao! Aloha!

 

These are just a few of the languages I have learned on my mission.  I love it so much!!

 

Now, I know that a lot of you are thinking about the whole 1 year thing.  And some of you are thinking, "But you just were home.  You haven't been gone a year."  No, but it has been one year on August 21, 2014 that I embarked on this crazy journey. It has been one year since I entered the MTC, since I said goodbye (the first time) to my family, since I decided to really do this crazy thing.  I cannot believe that this time has gone by so fast! I love it so much!

 

This week has not been too eventful.  The greatest thing though, is that STEVEN WAS BAPTIZED!!! I love this kid! He was baptized, and right before the closing prayer, he got up and bore his testimony.  It was so sincere and so amazing! I am so proud of him!  His brother, who is not a member, made it to the baptism AND church, and his sister (who is a member and serving a mission in peru) was able to skype in to talk to him, and see him make this sacred covenant with his Heavenly Father.  I am so happy that he made this decision.  I love this gospel! I love all the things that I have learned on my mission.  I have loved the people that I have met here, the nonmembers, the members, the investigators, and the missionaries.  Each one of the people I have met have changed my life for good.  I would not trade this for anything in the world!

 

I love you all! Have a great week! Keep seeing miracles!

 

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws

wait, what day is it? AHHHHH 1 YEAR!!!‏

August 18, 2014

 

ALOHA!! Life's good here in Santa Ana! It's hot, there's miracles everyday, and I am serving with one of my best friends! I love this so much!  This truly is the promised land!

 

I LOVE WORKING WITH SISTER PUTNAM!!!!! We have seen so many miracles this week!

It was interesting, we had set a really lofty goal of 80 contacts this week, because we didn't really have many people to see.  We prayed that we would have people to see and that we would do the work that Heavenly Father wants us to do for this week and for this area.  So we set out to do just that.  We worked, and then the Lord blessed us tenfold.  After dinner on Tuesday, we received a call from our bishop.  He asked us if we could meet with him.  We were free because we didn't have any set appointments, and we met with him and he brought a lady and her mother who had been taught when Sister Bingham was here.  It was cool that, because we knew Sister Bingham and worked with her, we were trusted to teach her.  She is really humble, and really ready to be baptized; the only problem is her mother.  Her mother is Greek Orthodox and super traditional.  She isn't super keen on her daughter being baptized.  She loves members of the church, but she doesn't want her daughter to be one.  It's the tradition thing.  But her mother adores us, and listens in on the lessons, so we are hoping we can soften her heart.

Our first lesson with them, I had the strongest impression that I should sing.  I didn't bring in my bag, and so I didn't have my hymnbook, but I ran out to the car to get it.  Then Sister Putnam, amazing  as she is, asked if I was going to sing consider the lillies.  I had not planned on it, but then I decided I needed to. I sang that, and we read the verses there, and it fit PERFECTLY to what they needed.  Sister Putnam is so inspired!! It was really powerful.  I love working with them.

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Milner.  She leaves for home at the end of this transfer in September.  It was nice to catch up, andsee how much both of us have grown. I love her so much.  It was really fun, and I loved catching up with her and learning from her.  There has been a lot that has happened since we have been companions almost 8 months ago.  Which reminds me...

 

HOLY COW!!! I am going to be hitting 1 year on Thursday, August 21!!! I have been gone for a year!  Well, I entered the MTC a year ago.  I have been here for 4 and a half months since being home, and I LOVE it!!!

 

I have seen so many miracles!! I know that God doesn't forget us.  We are to be His Hands.  We are the ones that can answer prayers.  I know that there is a God, and that He is a God of miracles. I know that He loves each of us.  I know that He is mindful of us.  I know that things are put into our lives so that we can grow and become more like our Father.  I love my Heavenly Father and I know that miracles DO happen! Every day!!

 

I love you all so much!! I hope you all have a great week!  Let me know how each of you is doing!

 

Love,

Sister Haws

This Looks Familiar..... Oh Wait... What?????

August 11, 2014

 

So I got Transferred.......... To South Coast........ In Santa Ana....... If you have been following along, you know that I just "left" there.  Ya, I was confused too.  President called my name in transfer meeting, and said "Sister Haws has been serving in the South Coast ward, and"  And I stopped him right there and said "Wait, what?? I thought I was getting transferred..."  And He said that I am serving in the South Coast A area, (I was serving in B) and I would have a new companion.  They have taken the elders out of my area and I am over their area.  That means that I am working with the people they were working with, and Sister N and her companion are working with the others that I was working with before. 

 

Now for my companion..... Drumroll PLEASE.............  Sister PUTNAM!!!! Before I left for home when I broke my elbow, Sister Bingham was her Sister Training Leader and so we went on exchanges a couple times, and a lot more after I broke my elbow.  I have a lot to learn from her and I am super excited to be with her!

 

Wednesday we had to say goodbye to some of the missionaries in our mission that went home.  It was really bittersweet, knowing that we were losing such great friends and amazing disciples of Christ, but sweet knowing that they were going to see their family and that they finished honorably.  It was a long day, because we woke up REALLY early to go to the airport for them.  But it was worth it to say goodbye.

 

Thursday, I got to see one of my very good friends in the mission go to the temple for the first time.  It was a really interesting experience.  We tried as hard as we could to make it to her session at 6:30, but alas, we didn't make it (stupid traffic).  We talked to the people at the desk and they said that if you do another ordinance, you can go into the celestial room and wait for her.  So we went and did some work for a while.  While we were waiting for the ordinances we were doing, we met a lady named Cathy.  She ended up sitting between me and Sister Putnam, and she just looks at me and says, "Do you feel that?" And we were like, "not really."  She kept looking at us, and then says, "It's like sitting between 2 angels.  I feel like I am surrounded by angels."  She then got a little emotional, and told us she had been a member for just 3 years and told us her story.  It was cool because the Lord was able to lift her faith, and ours.  I knew that that was part of the reason why we were late, she needed that experience.  After that, Sister Putnam and I went into the celestial room to wait for the endowment session to end.  It was so peaceful and so quiet and so beautiful.  There is nothing like a temple at night, inside or outside. It was so serene and perfect.  Then she came through and saw me, and I saw her, and it was awesome! I was able to suprise her and show her that I was supporting her.  I love her with all my heart and I was so happy that I was able to be even a small part of her journey and temple experience.

 

Friday was planning, not much to report there.

 

Sunday, I had the opportunity to sing in the Las Flores ward.  I sang a solo version of "Consider the Lillies" for Megan and Madison's farewell talks.  It was really cool to be a part of that.  It is so cool to see so many of the friends that I have made here get ready to embark on life.  It was cool to be in the ward that 2 of my best friends grew up in and even though they were not there (they are on their missions as well), I felt connected to them in a sense.  I was with these people who knew and loved Connor, Tommy, Megan and Madison, and I was one of those people.  It was really neat.

 

I am excited for the work to move along here in Santa Ana.  I know that my time is not up.  I know God has a plan for me and for this area.  I am excited to see what lies in store!

 

Have a great week everyone!! Don't forget to pray!

 

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Haws:)

 

Me and Sister Putnam, with the temple in the background!!  I love this temple with all my heart:)

Wait, Didn't I just get here?? And You're Kicking me out???

August 4, 2014

 

Transfer News came, and........ I am leaving.... Again.... I don't know how to feel.  I am excited to see what the Lord has in store, but I will miss this ward.  I love it so much.

 

This week has been good.  We had a Sisters conference where we went to President and Sister Orgill's house and learned things from the sisters here in our mission We learned about health, exercise, leading music, drawing, fashion, and hair, and how to contact in different languages.  It was pretty entertaining.  We stayed the night. At around 8:30 we discussed a talk that we had been given called "The First Great Commandment," given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the October 2012 General Conference.  It was beautiful.  It was nice to gain insight on the talk that I love from sisters that I love.  I also learned that the Orgills have a painting of one of my favorite stories in the Bible, Christ Walking on the Water.  It is beautiful.

 

We were able to set a baptismal date with Steven yesterday!! It was amazing! I love that kid! I know that he will make the right choice.  And I can come back for his baptism!!

 

This week during a service project that we had, I had the job of distracting the little kids so that they weren't in the way.  The girl had a Belle doll and a Merida doll, and I asked her if she had a Frozen doll.  She said no, but then decided we would act out frozen anyways.  So we did.  She was Elsa, and I was EVERYONE else.  I sang all the songs, and one of the ladies we were helping came in and said, "Oh, I thought it was the radio!  You are really good." I didn't even realize that they could hear me, and I thought I was just average, but it was nice to hear that.  Funny experience.

 

Megan from my last area got baptized on Saturday and I got to go! I am so excited that she has made that covenant.  I got to sing Come Unto Christ and it was so spiritual.  I started crying at the end of the song.  Megan has one of the strongest testimonies of anyone I know, and she just started!! I love her so much.

 

I hope everyone has a great week! I love you all!!

 

Love,

Sister Frozen Haws :)

 

 

MIRACLES ON (not) 34th STREET!!!!!! And this transfer is almost over!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!‏

July 28, 2014

This week has been really good and filled with miracles. Monday and Tuesday I got to go on an exchange with Hermana J. It was amazing. I was able to learn a lot from her, AND we finally got to do service in our ward! It was really cool.

Then I got to go on exchange with Sister W. for 24s. We saw so many miracles! We had so much fun! That was one of my goals, was to work hard and see miracles, but to have fun at the same time. And we did! First miracle was that every plan we had didn't fall through. It was really nice. We were able to have a window and it was good. We had a man named Thomas kind of bash with us for most of the window, BUT after that we were heading to the car and we saw this lady, and she was really nice and said she might be interested in coming to church. That was cool. We were able to talk to a recent convert named Alma and get her son's information to talk to the missionaries in that area, so that was cool, and we set an appointment with her for each week, so we can teach her the new member lessons. That was awesome. She wants to go to the temple ad do the work for her mother.

Then Thursday, a family in our ward who was feeding us that day, invited our investigator Steven too! They had a son that is only a year younger than him, so they hit it off right away! It was awesome! He had told us that day that he would have to start working Sundays, but then on Friday we met with him again and he said his boss changed his schedule to work Monday to Friday so he doesn't have to work Sundays! Yay!

We were able to meet a new less active family and set a weekly appointment with them too! We are excited for that!

I am excited to know what The Lord has in store for me this upcoming transfer. I am excited to see what is going to happen to me and sister n and our area.   It is week six and I can't believe this transfer is already gone! I will find out what will go on this Saturday! 

Have a great week! I love you all so much!

Scripture for this week is John 21:15-17.  How can we feed Christ's sheep?

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws :)

  

 

This is me with one of the cutest kids in my ward. He is so funny and so cute! I truly am learning to love this ward :)

Birthday, Miracles, Concert... It's a good week!!!‏

July 14, 2014

Ok, so I don't have a lot of time, but I will try to convey just how awesome this week has been!! There wasn't too much that went on in the beginning of the week, but the end was AWESOME!!!

 

We did get to go the temple on Tuesday and that was just awesome! I love the spirit and the peace that I feel from going to the temple, and I truly feel like Newport is MY temple. I love it with all my heart!

 

We got to sing with the Nashville Tribute band on Thursday and Friday and it was just awesome! I love singing with the choir and with the people that came! They were awesome!  They sing country music, so obviously I loved them!

 

The concert was awesome and my birthday was fun! I made muffins in the morning and cut my finger on the blueberry can (wouldn't be my birthday without a little accident).  Then we went to try to find a former investigator, but he wasn't home, then we went to lunch with a guy from our ward.  Then we went to another sisters' apartment in our mission and made frybread.  I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself:) It was really fun!  Then we went to a less active's house and she made us wait for her to buy a cake for me and so we ate cake.  There were cherries on it, and so we tried to tie the stems and I did it really fast, and then told them that I am a good kisser, even though I have no idea if that's true since I have never kissed a boy, and she was blown away.  haha I guess I am more of a rarity than I thought.  Then we went to the concert and it was so much fun! I saw the Mittleman twins, Miranda, MacKenzie, Olivia and Emily, and Mckenzie and Sorrel (they were in my last ward), and they (the mittlemans) gave me a card from them and a gift from Sister Webber.  She is so nice! I love her!  Then we sang and it was awesome! I love singing to bear my testimony.  I love being able to be in this mission.  It is so different than any other, but it is EXACTLY what I need! I love it:)

 

I love serving the lord!

 

The miracles happened all on Sunday! We went to church, and I had to leave with some sisters early so that I could go sing in the choir at a sacrament meeting, and that was awesome! It was our director's last time leading us for a performance so it was really special.  Then I get back and find out that some of the Less active members that we are working with were at church!! Yay!  And THEN, we went to see a less active member who has been a member for like 8 months, and she had her kids are all members, but her husband isn't. Well, we stopped by, and they talked to us, and then we read Alma 13 with them, and the dad sat in on the lesson!! Then I was talking to the kids, and Sister N was talking to the dad, and she was so bold! She told him that the way to bless his family and for them to be together forever, is for him to take the mission discussions.  At first he was really hesitant, but Sister N was really persistant and so he finally said yes.  He was really serious about meeting with us! It was awesome!! I love working with the Lord and the Spirit everyday!! I love the Lord!

 

Have a great week everyone! I love you!

 

Love,

Sister Haws

 

1 Year, Birthday of a nation, and a ginger... My mission is better than yours...‏

July 7, 2014 

 

So this week has been crazy!!  First off, I got to go on exchanges back to Saddleback on Wednesday with Sister Andersen. It was awesome! I got to be with her one on one and talk to her! I love her so much.  It was also good to see some people from my old ward.  I love that ward with all my heart.  On Thursday our choir got to practice for our really big performance that we will be having on this Thursday and Friday and it was AWESOME!!!

 

Friday was Independence day, obviously, and it was really fun. Our ward had a pancake breakfast at the church that we went.  We had found out the day before that one of the sisters in was previously here had signed up the missionaries to sing at the breakfast.  Of course the elders were busy and couldn't do it, and Sister Nambukara didn't really know that many patriotic songs, so I had to sing a solo.  It went well.  After the breakfast, some of the youth and other ward members set up a volleyball net and we played volleyball with them and our investigator Steven.  It was really fun.  The funny part was that Sister N and I didn't know that we were gonna be playing, so we played in our skirts... It was awesome!  After that we went to a few less active's houses and talked to them before our mission had a conference at 3.  It was really fun! We had sloppy joes (I found I like the homemade ones that don't come from a can....) and took a mission picture celebrating the one year anniversary of the creation of our mission.  Then, during the food, we had some minute to win it games that the Assistants hosted and then there were some elders that did the Haka.  It was really cool.  They did an awesome job!

 

After that, we went and watched the movie, The Son of God.  It was the one that came to theaters just recently.  It was interesting.  I enjoyed it.  It was pretty accurate.

 

After that, the choir sang President and Sister Orgill's favorite song, My Hands, and a couple other songs.  It was awesome! I love my mission so much!! I love that I am a part of a giant family.

 

I am so grateful to be in this country where we can celebrate freedom and I am so grateful for the men and women who sacrifice their lives for the freedom that I live.

 

As you can see, my birthday is this coming Friday, the 11th.  I cannot believe that I am going to be 20.  It seems just yesterday I was waiting to be 19 so I would be missionary age, and now, here I am, on my mission.  It is amazing how much time flies when you are in the endeavor of something amazing!  I love the lord!  I love that I have lived to 20 :)  I love that I am on a mission and celebrating my birthday here! What better way to celebrate it!

 

I love you!

 

Sister Kayla Haws :)

 

 

Snowflakes and Christmas music..... Wait, isn't it June?????

June 30, 2014

 

ALOHA!! I am in a new ward!! I love it so much!! I miss my last ward a ton, but I know I am meant to be here.  I feel God's work move through me.  It is really cool.  I am now in the South Coast ward in the Newport Beach Stake.  It covers a part of Costa Mesa and a part of Santa Ana. It is really cool.  The ward is either Polynesian or Latino, so it rocks!! It also means that I don't know what anyone is saying.  I think I need to brush up on my Spanish......

 

I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Nambukara.  She is 22, from Sri Lanka and Indiana, went to BYU-I, and has been on her mission for 4 months.  She is so stellar.  Things are going to move forward!!

 

Sister Bingham is officially finished with her mission. She is done.  I am so sad, but I know that everything has to end.  Sister Hehl and I got to sing For Good at transfer meeting for her and for all those that left with her.  It was really cool.

 

When I walked into the apartment for the first time, all I could see was snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.  I was a little intrigued.  Apparently the sisters that were there previously didn't bother to take them down.  And for the Christmas music, well that was one of the few CD's that I had, and Sister N was cool with it, so we listen to Christmas music, like every day.  It's great:)

 

We set a baptismal date!! We set it with this kid named Steven.  He is 18.  His sister is the only member in his family and she is on a mission in Peru, and the other sisters contacted him and he said he wanted to know what his sister was doing, so he started meeting with them!! So cool!! I love missionary work!!

 

Have a great week!!

This week's scripture is 3 Nephi 18:19-20

 

Love you all!!

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws

 

Saying goodbye to Sister Bingham

Sister Nambukara

Our "frozen" apartment :)

Week 6 Already??? But... But... But... I Just Got here!!‏

June 23, 2014

 

As you can see from the title of my email, I am getting transferred.  I am super bummed!! I love my ward so much and it is so much fun and I love the people here, and I just got here!!!! I can't leave yet!!!

 

But, I know that God needs me somewhere else, and He will provide a place that I will love just as much as I love here, and everywhere else I have served.

 

This week has been fun! We taught Megan on Monday.  She left for Texas on Tuesday (don't worry, it's only for a week). 

 

Thursday was choir and that was awesome!

 

Friday was so packed!!! We had to go to a follow up trainers meeting, which means all the new missionaries and their trainers were there.  That was a really good meeting.  We then went to choir.  Yes we had choir two days in a row.  This time it was from 11-6:30.  Ya, those times are right.  We recorded an album of our choir!!!  It was one of the most exhausting thing I have ever done in my life! And one of the most spiritual.  It was amazing to be a part of that:) I am so excited to hear how everything turned out!! I love choir so much, and now I can share it with everyone!!! I love the Lord so much!!!

 

Saturday was awesome! We went to a baptism in San Clemente of a man that Sister Andersen had taught while she was there.  After that the choir sang at the San Clemente Stake Conference, which if you remember correctly, Dana Point is in that stake.  So I got to see a lot of the people from that ward that I love dearly.  It was great to see them!!

 

Hope everyone has a fantastic week!!

 

Love,

Sister Haws

 

PS--Shout out to my sister who is officially a COLLEGE STUDENT!!!!!! :D 

Exchanges, Exchanges and Oh! Did I mention Exchanges?‏

June 16, 2014

 

This week has been fun filled and packed!!

 

First off, it has been 5 weeks since I have been back, and the good news is, sometimes it feels like I never left! I feel like I didn't even miss a beat!

 

We have met with Megan almost everyday this week! She didn't go to church this week :( but she is still meeting with us.  She is going to Texas to see her dad this week, so we are kind of nervous because she is our only investigator right now.  We are going to be doing a LOT of finding this week! 

 

As some of you have seen on Facebook, our mission choir took pictures and sang on Tuesday! It was so much fun!! I love it so much!! I love the people there and the spirit that can be felt in that environment.  This week we are recording!!! We are making a CD!!! I am so excited :)

 

This week our mission did something interesting.  On Wednesday and Thursday, half of the mission on each of these days did a sort of mini transfer exchange for the day.  Our zone did it on Thursday.  We went to the mission office at 11 and did just like they do at transfers where they tell you who is in the area and who the new companion for the day is.  I had Sister Smith and I learned SOO much from her!! I love her and we had a great time!! I had a lady that bought us free Yogurtland! I was so happy I almost cried.  She wasn't even a member!! And she wants to take a church tour!! I am so excited!

 

Friday we went back with our companions, for a little while, and then Sister Andersen went on exchanges with a sister that wanted to go with her.  Since she was Spanish speaking, I went with her companeros to their area.... speaking Spanish.....  I had no idea what was being said.  It was fun though!!

 

Saturday, Sister Andersen had a lot of meetings with the other lead sister, so we went with that sister's companion on exchanges.  We had a great time! I love the sisters in this mission!! I learn so much from them!

 

Sunday was awesome! I wish I could have called my dad on Father's day, but I am doing the Lord's work on the Lord's terms.  It was a very spiritual experience at church this week.  I loved it!

 

I met one of my favorite people! He is one of the Elders' recent converts! He loves to sing and he is a professional figure skater.  He is really nice.  He has such a strong testimony.  His name is Matt, and he and I clicked, so the Elders asked us if we would teach him the new member lessons! I am really excited!

 

That's my week! I love being a missionary! I don't think I will ever take it for granted again! I had to lead the congregation in singing "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," and it just hit me that I am a missionary and that I am leading the song that got me here.  It was really neat.

 

This week's scripture is Alma 26:37.  God really is mindful of all of us!

 

I love you all!

 

Love,

Sister Haws :)

 

It's a baby Nimbus 2000!!! (if you know me at all, you know that I kind of died when I saw this)

Week 5 Already???? Plus, Pranks, Baptisms, Stake Conference, Singing. Life's Good!‏

June 9, 2014

 

I have been here for 4 weeks!!! I am on week 5 of this transfer!! I cannot believe that it has gone by this fast!!

 

This week has been crazy busy with tons of missionary meetings, but I love it!! I love getting to learn from my fellow missionaries and grow from them. 

 

Tuesday we met with one of our investigators who we have been working with for 2 weeks.  She is so cool!! Her name is Megan and she is stellar.  She was dating this kid who was a member and she was really impressed with him.  He left on his mission in March and she decided she would start looking, just see what he's doing there in Texas.  She talked to the missionaries on mormon.org.  She talked to them for a while and then they told her she should talk to the bishop in her area, so she talked to Bishop Shephard (our bishop).  He gave us her number and we have been meeting with her ever since!! She has decided to be baptized on June 21!! We are so excited for her!  She is so cute and people love her!!

 

Thursday was really good.  We had one of the many missionary meetings, called Zone Training meeting.  I always love that because I know how much work the missionaries who put it on (including Sister Andersen, my companion) put into this meeting.  This time, the zone leaders had us write down our names on the top of a piece of paper and then pass it around the room. Everyone put compliments on the paper, and it was really nice to see what others think, but more importantly what I can say to others that is genuine that I don't normally say, or to people i don't normally talk to.  It was really cool.

 

Then we had choir, which i always love.  We found out that we are going to be making a CD!!!! Watch out Irvine, the missionaries are taking over and converting everyone with our AWESOME music ;)

 

Friday, I got to practice a song with a sister in our ward.  She is so funny! Her name is McKenzie and she and I are going to be great friends, I can already tell.  She plays the piano AMAZINGLY!! The song that we sang is the 2014 theme called "Come Unto Christ."  You can look it up onlds.org.  We sang it on Sunday and it was awesome! I didn't sing it in my ward, but in her home ward.  It works! Haha I love it:)

 

Saturday, we went to a baptism in Laguna Niguel with Megan.  It was awesome! The spirit was really strong there, and Megan felt it.  I love her!! I know that she will be ready for baptism.

 

Sunday we had stake conference, so that threw the rest of our day off and then I started having really bad stomach pains, but before that, we pranked  the elders a little bit.  So, my companions like to trash pick sometimes, it's never like in the trash, but right next to it.  Well, we found this really ugly lamp that they took so that they could use it to prank elders.  We got it and a toy gun, and took it to the elder's apartment and put a sign up that said "make the saddleback ysa sisters cookies... or else!"  Well they are making them for us!! It was so funny!

 

Y'all will be proud to know that I brought my camera cord today, but my computer won't let me connect any of my pictures :(  super sad, but I have faith that it will work next week!!!!! I promise!!!

 

Scripture for this week is Mosiah 2:17.  How can you serve others?

 

Love you!! Have a great week!!

 

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws:)

 

Remember, I still like letters!! I miss getting mail.  23 Lake Road Irvine, CA 92604