The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer, Is Singing Loud For ALL to Hear:)‏

December 16, 2013

Hello!!!! This week has been crazy!! We have had so much to do with the choir it has been insane!!  Apparently everyone likes missionaries singing! It is a blast and I love it so much!

 

So we had practice Wednesday and Thursday, and then the choir was double booked, so they had to split the choir! We sang at 2 events Friday, 2 events Saturday and 3 events Sunday!!!!! I had to go to a ward Christmas party with 40 other choir members and I conducted 2 of the 5 songs.  Sister H, the other assistant director, conducted the other three.  We sang really well, and we had a solo and a string ensemble! So cool!! We have such a talented mission, and I am so grateful to President for letting us utilize our talents for the work!  Then on Saturday, we sang at this live nativity and other displays.  It was nice, but I kind of just felt like background music and entertainment, so the Spirit was not as strong as it could have been.  Sunday, there was a ward that wanted just an octet to sing for them.  I sung in that, and we sang "Softly and Tenderly." It is a beautiful song, and the Spirit was really strong. That whole sacrament meeting was all about missionary work so that was awesome:)  Then, after our church, we sang in the San Clemente YSA ward sacrament meeting.  THAT was powerful!! We (just the choir) sang the opening hymn, which was "Angels We Have Heard on High"  with an added 4th verse.  We took the 1st verse of Jesus Once of Humble Birth and put it in.  It was really powerful!  Then, after the sacrament was passed and the meeting started, there was a recent convert that spoke about how he joined the church.  Then we sang Come Thou Fount, which I believe is one of our best songs that we perform! It was so good!  Then another convert spoke and we sang Softly and Tenderly.  It is such a beautiful hymn about how Jesus is Calling all of us sinners to come home.  Then the Bishop spoke and it was really powerful. He talked about how the members are the powerful ones.  You are the ones that make the difference.  If they know someone who is Mormon, they will be a little more interested!  Share your testimony through your example and through your conversations!  For the closing, we sang God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Go Ye Messengers of Glory.  I think that is one of my favorite songs, like ever!! It is to the tune of Israel Israel God is Calling, and the words are so powerful because it is about spreading the gospel to the world! I love it so much! It is inspiring!!   Our final performance yesterday was at an interfaith concert at the San Clemente Stake Center.  There were a lot of people there that are not of our faith, but really appreciate music and singing about the birth of Jesus.  Our choir did a "flash mob"  They weren't expecting us to come in right away, and one elder stood up in the audience and sang the first line of Joy To the World, and then 3 other elders joined, and then 4 sisters joined, and then on the refrain, the rest of the choir came in from the back of the chapel! It was soo cool!!! We then sang Far Far Away on Judea's Plains, which was really good.  Then we sang our version of Angels We Have Heard on High, and it was really powerful.  There were people in tears! It was amazing!!  Then, at the end of the concert, they had the entire congregation join and sing the Hallelujah chorus.  Handel was crazy!!!!!!!!!! Those notes are so high!!! But it was REALLY fun to sing it and hit those notes:)  I love being able to sing about the Savior at this time of Year.  There is nothing quite like it. 

 

How are you spreading the Christmas Cheer this season?

 

I love you all! Save some snow for me! It is weird to be in December and not have any snow... At all.... I miss it, but I love the ocean too:)

 

Keep being amazing! And Keep the Spirit of Christmas with you always!

Love

Sister Kayla Haws:)

It's December, It's 50, And I am freezing.... Which one is questionable???‏

December 9, 2013

Hello Family!!!! I am so glad that this Christmas season is upon us!! I love this season more than any other in the world, and I love that I get to share with others the wonderful gift of the Savior and the gift of His Gospel at this time of year that we celebrate his birth:)  How cool right???

So, it has dropped down to the low 50s, upper 40s, and I am freezing?!?!?!?!?! I think it is because I expected it to be summer all year round.... I guess I have to remember, that it still gets cold, even in California.  

This week, we have been doing a lot with our missionary choir!  We have had 3 performances this week and it has been wonderful! It has definitely kept us busy, but we love it so much!  I mean, The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is Singing LOUD for all to hear right??? At least, that's always been my philosophy :)

We have a new investigator!!! Her name is Natalia and she is from Brazil!! She is so cool! She is really open to learning more about the gospel and says that she is currently searching for another religion!! So cool! We are going to be teaching her tomorrow!!!

I'm sorry this week is not so entertaining.  I love my companion and I love that we are always laughing and making the best out of every situation!! I love serving the Lord!!

Scripture for this week is Helaman 3:27-28.  It is really good:)  I read it this morning and it really hit me:)

Lots of love and Christmas cheer from the coolest sister missionary out there!!

Love,

Sister Kayla Haws:)

Thanksgiving and Transfers.‏

December 2, 2013

Well, transfers happened this week and I have one companion now!! Her name is Sister M, she is from Holiday Utah, she loves BYU, she is super cute, and I love her!!!! I think this transfer is going to be  AMAZING!!! :)

 

We have started to revamp our teaching pool, so we are doing a lot of member work and a lot of contacting!! it should be really good!!!

 

Thanksgiving was great! We spent it with our Relief Society president and a few people from our ward.  It was great! I missed my family, but it is really cool to see other people's traditions!  After that we went to a zone activity and watched 17 miracles.  It always gets to me!! it is so good!! I love it!!

 

My scripture for this week is actually Luke 1:38

 

I am the handmaid of the lord and am willing to do whatever is asked of me!!!

 

I love you all!!!!! Have a great week!!! Catch the spirit of Christmas this week!!!

Exchanges, Transfers, Confirmations, and Choir

November 25, 2013

WHAT A WEEK!!!! There has been so much that has happened here in beautiful Orange County!! 

 

So first off, on Tuesday, the Dana Point sisters (me and my companions) went on exchanges with the Newport Coast YSA sisters (Sister R and Sister B).  Sister R and I were in Newport and Sister B and my companions were in Dana Point.  It was such a fun exchange!! I was able to sing my little heart out with Sister R (she's this girl with the most amazing voice EVER!!) and contact effectively and well!!! It was definitely a learning experience for me!  I loved it!!

 

Saturday, I went back to Newport to sing at a baptism for Sister R and Sister B.  I was in an octet of missionaries and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!!! We blended really well and the spirit was really strong there:)

 

Transfer calls were Saturday night.  We found out the news.................... I am staying in Dana Point!!! But my companions are both getting transferred.  :( I will miss them! We have had a lot of fun, but I am ready to see what the Lord has in store for me with my new companions! 

 

Taylor was finally confirmed yesterday!! She said that she feels much better and she can tell the difference! I hope this will help her change and improve her life!! I love the gospel and how much peace it brings!

 

Our missionary choir sang at a Methodist church for an interfaith concert.  It was phenomenal!!! We sang really well and you could tell that we had been practicing! It's amazing how powerful the combination of practice, execution and the Spirit are in making a choir sound so good. I love music so much!!

 

Keep the letters coming!! I love to hear from everyone!! I love you all and hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

 

This week's scripture is Psalm 100:)

 

Love the coolest ginger Sister Missionary out there:)

Sister Haws:)

What a week!!!

November 18, 2013

This week has nothing super crazy to report, except that Taylor was not a church on Sunday and therefore, did not get confirmed.  Super sad!!!

 

We are still trying to work with her.  Hopefully she will be at church this Sunday and be able to receive the Holy Ghost.  We are sure praying that that happens!!!

 

Scripture for this week is Mosiah 2:41.  This scripture totally shows us why we should keep the commandments and why keeping them makes us happy!!

 

Sorry this week is so short!! Love you all!!! :)

 

Green Chile in California!!!

November 12, 2013

HEY!!!! So this week we did have our baptism!!!!!!!!! It went well!  She was five minutes late because her bathroom had flooded.  I had to play the piano, my companions gave the talks and it went great!! She was so happy and so ready to change:)  I cannot even describe how happy I am for her.  This must be what pure joy is!! I always want to feel this!! However, there was another setback.  Taylor was late to church, and so she was not confirmed.  So that will just happen next week!!! We have continued to teach her and help her along the path to understanding and exaltation.  She is so great!  I love her:)

 

So as the title would entail, I have come across New Mexico Bueno Green Chile here in Dana Point California.  They had it at Albertsons!!!!!! I will send a picture next week for proof.  It seriously made my day that much better:)  I love it! 

 

Our choir performed for the first time at a stake youth fireside in San Clemente.  That was awesome!! We sang Come thou fount, and Hymn number 262 to the tune of Israel, Israel God is Calling. so powerful.

 

We have another choir "gig" this coming Sunday in Dana Point.  We are singing The Light Divine.  I have to lead the choir in singing this song!!!! Crazy!!! I am a little nervous, but I can do it! 

 

Well, the church is still true, the book is still blue, I'm not covered in goo, I really like stew, and i'll see ya in a year and a half :)

 

Scripture for this week; 1 Nephi 4:6  Sometimes we are led by the Spirit, not knowing what we should do before we actually do it:)

 

I love you all!!!!

 

Love,

Sister Haws:)

BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, November 4, 2013

 

Well, as the title can tell you, WE HAVE A BAPTISM TOMORROW!!!!!! We have been teaching Taylor every day and she is SOOOO ready to be baptized!! I have never seen anyone so ready!! She is so awesome!!! I love her!! She has had the hardest week of her life it seems (because that is what happens the week before a baptism), but she is still strong and ready and excited to be baptized!!! She is willing to commit to everything that we have taught her!  She is so ready and so strong!!

 

That has kind of been our whole week.  We have just been trying so hard to work with her!  I really feel like I was sent to Dana Point for her.  She is so good and she has talked about how much we have impacted her life. She also pulled me aside yesterday and told me that I changed her life just by small things that I had said.  She is the sweetest thing ever.  I love her to pieces!  She has changed my life.  I never knew that someone would be so willing to be baptized in a week, but she was! She was so excited to make this commitment! I love her and I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Last night was one of the elder's birthday and a family in the ward invited both the sisters and the elders to dinner.  It was a blast!!  We had cake and ice cream and they made me sing (not to hard to make me do).  They were so cool and I love that we can have good clean fun and still feel the spirit and feel like we are with family.  It was so great!

 

Scripture for this week:  Luke 10:25-37.  How can we show charity for others by using this story??

 

LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Haws:)