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

Crazy week! (Life of a missionary)‏

June 2, 2014

 

This week has been awesome! I just love it!

 

So Monday we got to go on exchanges and we went with the other Sister Training Leader, Sister McCaleb.  She is awesome!! I love her with all my heart.  She served in this ward before us, so it was good to get a little bit of background and help with where people live, who to see, etc.  So that was good!  Wednesday, I got to go to dinner at the Webber's house!! I am so happy I am in their stake now!! Unfortunately, it was just Brother and Sister Webber and their oldest daughter, so not the whole family, but it was still good!

Thursday was fun! We got to go to the Summer Kick off that this ward puts on every year to welcome the seniors and to help them get comfortable with this ward. It was way cool! There were a lot of people there, members and non members!

Friday was weekly planning, but then we went on another exchange, where I went to Lake Forest with Sisters Lang and Lafleur! They are so much fun! I learned a lot from them.

Saturday, the Elders had a double baptism that we were able to go to and see some great men make covenants with their Heavenly Father and take the first step on a great path! It was very spiritual.  I had to play the piano, but it was songs that I knew, so it was ok:)

Sunday, we had an investigator come to church so that was awesome! And then, I had to leave early with Sister Hehl so that we could go to a choir event in Laguna Beach.  It was... interesting.  We sang "There Is Sunshine in my Soul Today" while a wedding procession walked in between us.  It was interesting.  And weird, but really good! We were able to tell people that we are Christian, and that we love Jesus, and we love being happy!  So that was cool.  Then, Sister Hehl and I realized that we hadn't had food all day since we were fasting, and so we went to Sister Webber's again (thanks sister webber!).  We were able to see all her family that time, and then we went and taught a lesson.

 

The reason this letter is so late is because, this morning as a zone, we got to go to big air!  It is a trampoline place and it is so much fun!! I loved it!

 

Have a great week!

Remember who you are, and whose you are!

 

Love,

Sister Haws:)

9 Months, 1 year and 4 years.... Crazy milestones this week!‏

May 27, 2014

 

So this week there have been 3 crazy milestones.  1 is my 9 month mark of being on my mission! I have hit my hump day! May 21!  2 is that it has been a year since I found out that I would be serving in the California Irvine mission. 3 is it has been 4 years today since my dear grandmother left this earth to return to her Heavenly Father.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of her or feel her presence with me.  I have never felt closer to her than when I have been in the service of the Lord.  I still miss her terribly, but I know that I will see her again.  I know that she is proud of the person I am trying to become and the service I am rendering.  I love her and I know that I will see her again because of the Plan of Salvation.  I know that I will be reunited with her, and that, if I live worthy of it, I will live with her for time and all eternity!  I know that there is such a thing as eternal families and there is a life after this one.

 

This week has been AMAZING! We have seen so many miracles! 

 

So last Tuesday we had what we call a Window of heaven.  We covenant with the Lord during our weekly planning that, if he will show us the time and place that we are supposed to be to find the elect, we will talk to everyone and be obedient so that we may be worthy of the Spirit.  We went down to Saddleback Campus and talked to EVERYONE!  We met this man named Zack.  We talked to him and set up an appointment with him on Friday.  He didn't show up to it.  Or to the meeting we rescheduled with him on Saturday.  BUT he did meet with us yesterday, and, after the lesson, he said he wants to be baptized!!!!  YAY!!! THEN that Tuesday night, we went and taught a lesson to a girl named Jenna.  We met her our first night and we got her number.  We taught her the restoration, and she wants to be baptized too!! So cool!! The Lord is blessing us so much!

 

Wednesday we had to go to the ER. Thankfully this time it was not for any broken bones! :) Sister Morrow has had some complications with some things and she wanted to know what was going on.  We were there for 6 hours!  We finally got home at 11:30.  Crazy stuff.

 

Thursday, Sister Van Heel, my MTC companion, went home.  She has had some trials going on, so she went home so she could tackle them and will be back shortly! I know it! I was able to go to the airport to see her off.  It was very weird being back at the departing gate and seeing one of the sweetest sisters I know go home.  I know that she has already done so much good, and that home will help her to be even more amazing!

 

That has been it really for our week!  I know that God loves us and wants us to be the best that we can be!

 

1 Nephi 21:15-16!

 

Love,

Sister Haws

The Saga in California Continues

May 19, 2014

 

Well, I made it back to the Sunny State!!  I left Albuquerque at 6:15 in the morning and arrived in Orange County at 8.  I had a stop in Salt Lake and got to go on the plane with all the newbies! It was fun to see how excited they were, and how much more excited I felt.  I knew I was going home.  It was beautiful.  The Mission president and his wife and the other senior couples in the office, as well as the assistants and the Lead sisters were all there to welcome us.  They started cheering, and then when Elder Orme saw me, he yelled "Sister Haws!!" and I almost lost it.  I love this mission.  President and his wife gave me warm hugs and were so happy that I made it safe, and I was too.  After my less than ideal trip home, it was nice to go without a hitch to California.  I was just so happy to be back!

 

We went to the mission office and took pictures and met with president, and had pizza for lunch.  Then the other missionaries went to orientation, and I took a nap.  I then helped out a little in the office, waiting for transfer meeting at 4.  Unfortunately I am not with Sister Bingham again, but I got to see her that day.  It was so good to see her.  Everyone was so kind and so welcoming.  I have made so many close friends in this mission. I love them all so much.  I felt like I was going to burst with all the love.  I love my mission. 

 

At transfer meeting, I found out where I was going and who I would be with.  I am with Sister Andersen, who is one of the lead sisters, and has been out a transfer more than me, and Sister Morrow, who just got there on Tuesday.  We are whitewashing into the Saddleback YSA ward, which covers the stakes of Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita.  I am so excited! This is a really good ward and the members here are super missionary minded! We have a college in our area and so we go there quite a bit!  AND I am rooming with Sister Hehl and Sister Blattner.  I don't know Sister Blattner very well, but she is a really good missionary.  Sister Hehl was in my district in Dana Point and I love her to death!

 

On Wednesday I got to go to a choir performance up in Irvine, at a Young Women's Recognition night, and so I got to see all the people from Woodbridge 1st and Westpark wards that I love so much! They are so amazing and I love the relationships that I made in those areas.  I love the church and I love that my mission is small enough that if I go somewhere, I have probably served there and know people that I love there.  I love choir so much!!

 

Friday I got to go to dinner with these two twins, the Mittleman's and their friends, the Tate's.  They are so cute! All 4 girls have their mission calls, and just got called as Ward Missionaries.  The Mittleman's actually know the Webber's and Connor really well, and so it was nice to have a connection to my friends. They are so sweet! I can't wait to work more with them. 

 

Something new that my mission is doing is reading 5 pages of the Book of Mormon every day in our companionships.  We are all on the same page and it is so nice to have different insights from my companions.  I love hearing their intake on different things. 

 

This week's scripture is Jeremiah 18:6.  Remember that you are in the Lord's hands and he is molding you into the person HE wants you to become.

 

I love you all!!

With love in California (again!)

Sister Haws:)

all drains lead to the ocean!!!  It's true!!

I Made It!!!‏

May 13, 2014

 

 

Kayla's first day back in California with President and Sister Orgill.

 

 

Just another Week on the Rez, or CRAZY for me :)‏

May 5, 2014

Yah'ta'hey!! (that is Navajo for hello)

This week has been AWESOME!!! I can't believe how crazy this week has been and how much fun it has been.  I have had some experiences here that I would NEVER have had in California! :)  It has been a blast and Sister J has been awesome:)  

Monday:  I climbed Window Rock with one hand.  My arm was still a little hurt when I climbed it, but I DID it!!! It was really fun, really cold, really windy, and really beautiful.  Then we went and saw some less active members here and that was fun!

Tuesday:  I met the coolest old lady on the face of the planet!  Her name is Roberta, and she is getting baptized this Saturday the 10th.  She is so funny! She will repeat things that you say, she has read to 2 Nephi 20, she believes everything!! She is so set for baptism! I love her so much!! We saw her a lot this week.

We also saw a few more investigators, and then we saw Travis and his daughter Paris.  They are recent converts so we taught them, and then we played Bingo!! That was fun!

Wednesday:  We saw Roberta again.  Then we went to this lady Rosita's house!  She is crazy!! She has goats and works with them a lot.  She also only says "The Lord's Prayer."  We tried to teach her the order of prayer and why we pray, and she gave the closing prayer.  It was still The Lord's prayer.  We just looked at each other and shrugged.

We met the Chees.  They are so funny!!  They are this cute old Navajo couple and they tried to teach me and Sister J some new Navajo words.  I got a few!  Who knew I would be learning another language out here!

Thursday:  We had District meeting, which was really good, and then we had free hamburgers at Thatsaburger! They were really good!  We saw Roberta again! (I love that woman!)  Then we went to the Chees again and learned how to make frybread and fed baby goats.  That was an adventure!! Our frybread that we made was REALLY good!! The baby goats are SO cute!!! You feed them with a bottle and some evaporated milk mixed with hot water.  They come running into the house and they are CRAZY!! It was like a mad house, but they all got fed and it was good.

After dinner with Elder and Sister Rogers, we went to meet this lady who was a missionary here on the reservation a few years ago.  She is an older sister, and she broke her back on her mission.  Her name is Sister D.  She is amazing!! After she broke her back, she was paralyzed from the waist down and the doctors told her that she would never walk again.  Well, she is walking.  She is so cool! She is an inspiration to me of working hard and being diligent, and then you can go back to work! I learned that since she can go back on her mission, so can I!  I cannot wait to join my brothers and sisters in the service of my God.  I love missionary work so much, and this week has proven that to me!

Friday:  We did weekly planning outside (not the best idea on my part).  Then we went to the Chees again to split wood.  If I thought my arm was hurt, well it's not anymore! I was able to chop just fine!! Sure, I didn't have as much strength to do it effectively, but I did it anyways!! But, I got really sunburned from both planning and chopping.  I guess that white girls should not be out in the sun that much.  Crazy concept I know!  We also went to a movie night that the Ward Mission Leader set up for investigators.  We watched 17 miracles.  I love that show! It gets me every time!

Saturday:  We got to see this amazing woman that the Fort Defiance elders were teaching get baptized with her 2 sons.  Oh! I forgot to mention, in this ward there are 5 sets of missionaries.  There are 2 sets of elders, 1 set of sisters, and 2 senior couples!  It has been an adventure!  Anyways, her baptism was amazing!!  She is so stellar and so ready to receive these blessings and make these covenants! She was so excited, she wanted to bear her testimony after she was baptized.  Then at 9, we found out who was getting transferred.  Unfortunately one of those missionaries getting transferred is me. ;)  There were 2 other elders in this ward that were getting transferred.  They had been here for 6 months, and so they were going to miss it a lot!  They were pretty bummed. It is interesting-here, everyone knows who their companion is going to be!  That was interesting.

Sunday:  We got to go to church and there were 2 investigators there at church!! It was awesome!! It was great to be able to partake of the sacrament.  We finalized Roberta's baptismal service after church and she is so excited to be baptized! She is so cool!! Then we had 3 dinners.  That is a record!! We went to the Chees to see if they needed help with anything, and she put us right to work making fry bread!  It was so fun!! She was making stew, and had us eat some and some fry bread before we left.  Then we went to the Ward Mission Leader's house and they had all 3 sets of missionaries there! Then we went to the Fort Defiance elder's investigator's house and ate BLT's.  I was so full after that, I think I was going to die!! 

Wellll, that's our week!! It has been one crazy adventure after another!! I love being here, but I cannot wait to return to California!! I love the people everywhere and I want to be a full time missionary again!! I am sending all my stuff to Church Headquarters probably today so that I can be back to the mission on the 13!! I really hope that everything works out this way!! I really want to go back now, but there is a process to everything!

I love you all!! Have a wonderful, spiritual week!!

Love,

Sister Haws:)