March 18th 2013

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY!                                           MARCH 18^th 2013

   Hope you wore green and didn't get pinched! We had a plan that instead of shaking everyone’s hands at the door to the Chapel, if they weren't wearing green we would pinch them!! But we decided that probably wasn't the best! Ha-ha but it was an entertaining thought!    

Well this transfer has gone fast! Can't believe it is already week 5 and transfers are next week! And we find out this Saturday who is getting transferred. I have mixed feelings about it. I love this area so so much and the amazing people here but at the same time, a different view would be nice. But I would love to stay. But the Lord knows best and He will send me to where I need to be. I just keep reminding myself of that.   

This last week was really great. But it definitely had a lot of ups and downs. We had a lot of tiny miracles each day that got us through and we really worked to find those that are being prepared. It seemed that something great would happen and then the adversary came and joined in! :) got to love opposition. But that made it all the worthwhile.    We had a really neat experience that we went to try a referral and they were really busy so we said we would come back and there was a few people walking their dogs around so we went to talk to them. We ended up talking to a couple who were collecting plastic bottles and left a Spanish book of Mormon but they invited us to come back to their house and talk to the owner of the house that night with them. She is an older lady who is Jewish and has an amazing amount of knowledge about other religions. We were able to talk to her for a bit and we offered her our services and she got a little teary-eyed and said yes I need the help. So we have a chance to go back and help her this week and she said that if she can get this stuff out of the way...she will read the Book of Mormon!!! So of course, we will be there!! She is so open and such a sweet lady! We also had a great lesson with one of our new investigators who’s dad is active in another ward and his Dad referred him to the missionaries and he is open. He has been through so many difficult things in his life and we talked about the Atonement and how it can help him and he came to church yesterday and seemed to really feel the spirit. He is truly ready and prepared to hear the Gospel and my love for him is so deep! I want to do everything in my power to help him! He is amazing. We also taught our investigator and his 3 twin boys who are Jewish as well and that was a fun lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Overall it has been a great week. Something that I have been praying for is Charity for others and I realized that Charity is the ground work for all other Christ like attributes because as we love others, we have more patience and we truly want to serve and help those around us. It is amazing how faith, hope and charity are all connected and help us to help others. 

    My companion and I are doing great! She is an amazing missionary and truly serving with her heart. I have learned a lot from her and am grateful for the chance to serve with her.

   This past week, I have been studying the atonement a little more lately and every time, I am amazed at how much love Heavenly Father has for his Children this morning, I was reading about the Savior and I realized that the Savior was able to overcome temptations because He knew who he was. The literal son of God. He knew he had a divine destiny and birthright to live up to and I believe that that knowledge carried him through. I was thinking in terms of us and Heavenly Father's spirit children and how much more we are capable of if we just remember where we came from and who we came from. We are children of God, Sons and Daughters of our Father in Heaven. And if we know that and truly understand the magnitude, we wouldn't wonder and struggle with commandments or wanting to disobey and be able to overcome the things that are all around us. We would do it because we know how much we are loved and our divine potential. In the Book of Mormon, there is a passage of scripture that talks about how the people forgot who they were, Children of God and because of that, they fell into wicked ways. The same definitely applies to us as spirit children of our Father in Heaven. When we forget who we are, we forget what we have in store for us and what is required of us to reach our potential. But because of the Savior, we always have the chance to change and become better and truly strive to reach the goal of the Celestial Kingdom. The only reason we have a reason to hope is because of the Savior and what He overcame for us! I know that the Savior lives for each one of us and is mindful and truly wants to help us to gain all that He has and to know that we are loved and are true children of Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the Knowledge that we have and how it is there to help us reach our divine potential. Through the Savior, we truly can become perfect in him. I love the Gospel and I know it is true! Sister Haws