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