LAST EMAIL ON A MISSION!!!!!

March 2, 2015

And with that, I am down to my last 48 hours.  It is so weird to think that I was a missionary for so long! It feels like yesterday, I was anticipating my call and wondering where I would serve, then being trained, then going home because i broke my elbow, then serving with the wonderful missionaries in St. Michaels and Window Rock and Fort Defiance.  it feels like yesterday I returned to my mission and helped train a great sister!  I feel like I just started, and now it's all over.  I have loved every minute of the service of the Lord.  One thing I have learned as a missionary is that if you let it, life will pass you by.  So, whenever you feel like life is too fast, SLOW DOWN!!! Take time to enjoy the simple, mundane things! Take time to smell the roses, to see the beauty of the simplicity, to see the miracles in your life! If you are too caught up in life, you will miss it! 

I know that God lives.  He is in the details of our lives, especially as a missionary.  He loves each and every one of us.  He is there to help you.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  It is the greatest tool to bring in the spirit.  It is one of your strongest weapons against Satan.  Read it every day!

 

I love you all! I will see some of you really soon! I love being a missionary!

 

Love,

Still Sister Haws

SINGLE DIGITS?!?!?!?!?!?! REALLY?????

February 23, 2015

Ya, 9 days.... Gross....  That is so weird to think about.  And good, and scary, and sad and everything else you can think of!

 

This week has been a little boring.  I cut my hair off... That was fun! 

 

Wednesday was zone conference and it was amazing! I got to see President, which is always amazing! We had some really good trainings and talked all about grace and working with less actives! So cool! Wish I was going to be here longer!

 

Not much else happened.  Sister gillins played in sacrament meeting yesterday because the organist was sick.  We sang Called to Serve.  Everyone keeps asking me about going home.  Life's good!

 

love you all!

Love,

Sister Haws

15 days, but who's counting???

February 17, 2015

I finally have come to grips with the fact that..... I really am coming home.  But not until 15 days.  I still have 15 chances to change the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. :)  This week has been really good!  I have loved every day!  We had zone training meeting, and I had to give my testimony to the missionaries (it's tradition for those missionaries going home).  It was a really good zone training meeting. I love my zone leaders.  They are amazing! They have so much love and are so inspired!

 

So, I had some funny run ins with people who knew people I know this week! Sunday we have the temple booth, and there was a guy from Australia there with his wife.  He asked us where we were from.  I said that I was from New Mexico, and he asked where so I said Gallup.  He said his trainer was from there.  It was David Young.  His name was Blaney.  You should find a way to tell david! he seemed really nice and loved David.

The other one happened today.  I met a family from Winslow.  They said that their favorite missionary was Elder Munns! It was really cool to have a little bit of home this weekend when I have missed home so very much.

I have missed my family so much this week! We had stake conference this weekend, and Sister Gillins got to play the piano for that, which she did amazing!  Then the entire saturday night session was about missionary work and it was phenomenal!  Elder Mills and Elder McGary, missionaries in our zone talked about happiness and love in the work of the lord.  Then, after their remarks, President Nelson (who reminds me a lot of Neil Mortensen) showed a video of their families saying hello and how much they love them! It was so beautiful! I missed my family so much in that moment.  I felt like I was watching Survivor, you know the time when they get the video of their family saying how much they love them and how much they miss them?  Ya, needless to say I cried.  I can't wait to see my family. Everyone keeps asking me what the first thing is that I'm going to do when I get home, and honestly, I haven't thought past hanging out with my family and hugging them... I don't really want anything else right now... and that's ok:)

 

La came to the Sunday conference, and it was EVERYTHING that she needed to get the encouragement to continue on and continue to work on her addiction. I am so happy that she was there because it was perfect. I think it was the spiritual awakening that she needed. I love her so much! I am so glad for the progress that she is making! I will miss her, along with the South Coast ward!

 

Guys, missionary work is the best.  Family is the best.  God is the best.  The Gospel is true.  The Book of Mormon is the guide to life, the TRUE hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy!  I love you all! I love the work! I love my mission.  I love home,  but I love California so much.  I think I'm going to always be a cali girl at heart because of my mission:)

 

Have a great week everyone! Try to make someone's day, every day!

 

Love,

Still Sister Haws

Is ANYONE home??? Anyone???

February 9

This week has been a little rough, what with everyone cancelling or forgetting to be home for appointments.  I swear this week was the time that everyone got together and decided, "Hey, let's pull a joke on the missionaries!  Let's NOT be home, let's cancel all our dinner appointments!"  Just kidding.  Everyone has been sick and super busy, so we totally understand:)  I love this ward, I love this work, and I even love when there's nothing going on...

I did get to go on an amazing exchange with Sister Given! That was really fun! We walked for like 2 hours in her area, finding less active members and talking to non members on the street.  I think I almost died then.  I haven't walked that much in a long time! And I got a little sunburned... No suprise there... We got to help a lady, Betty, take a lamp out of her car and were able to talk to her for a little while. I think Sister Given and Sister Blair might go visit her again. She was really sweet. We also got to teach an active member, and went to an etiquette dinner! The tips Sister Orgill gave us at the zone conference in June really came in handy at that moment! It was awesome:)

We got to go on exchanges with Sister Harrison while Sister Poulsen went with Sister Simms. That was fun as well. We got to see a less active lady, Laura, who was amazing and had such an amazing testimony! She hasn't been to church for a while because of her health, and she smokes, but she is amazing and we hope to see her again soon!

We got to start reading the Book of Mormon with Quinn this week. He was really excited and seems to really enjoy the book of Mormon. We are really glad he is progressing. We talked with him a lot about missions as well and how much he can change the world and how much the work would bless him. I hope he serves a mission. I love the kid a lot! He has a testimony, he just needs to put it in action!

We met a new lady, Alicia, in the park on Saturday, that was really cool! She took a Book of Mormon and said she would read it. We are hoping to see her again.

Have a great week everyone! Keep smiling! Keep the faith and Keep trucking on!

 

Love,

Sister Haws