Monday, September 30, 2013

Kaeley's letter and pictures from Bishop California September 30th 2013

Kaeley and her companions in Bishop California

They are both from Utah and both just 19 so Kaeley says she is now the "old" one since she is a whole 23 years old !! 


This is the house that Kaeley and her companions are living in while she is serving in Bishop Cal.


 
Hola! Como sta? Bien! :)                                                                 September 30 2013
    I am attempting to learn Spanish. I can start a conversation and tell them who we are and what we do. But if they respond back....I am in trouble! :)  
   This week has been a crazy, wonderful, stressful, discouraging, happiest, and spiritually high week. The work is very slow here. It is such a small town and has been tracted  soooo much that everyone knows who we are and what we do.  And it seriously is like the south when it comes to churches, there are so many churches on every corner. We call it the bible belt of the west. It kind of feels like God is a very casual thing here which makes it hard to find people that are willing to listen. I know they are out there and the Lord called us here but sometimes, you can only get rejected so many times without it getting to your heart. Sometimes I just want to curl up in a ball and cry when people reject the Gospel or yell at them and say, "don't you get it! there is more and we are offering you the truth and you will be blessed." But then I remember My Savior and realize I am out here for him and he was rejected even more than we are and is a thought that keeps me going. This whole week I have felt like something is off about the area and where we would go to find and I just couldn't figure out what was going on and it was making me frustrated and even more discouraging because I had no desire to go out and work because I "knew" what it would be like. I honestly just felt very lost and didn't know what to do and me being the "experienced" one and suppose to know what to do, only added to my stress levels. But I will testify that the power of the Atonement is very real and covers more than just sin. I knew that the Savior felt everything I did and that was and is my driving force. And if anything, it has made me a strong witness and disciple of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my Savior and could not do this without Him. Thank Heavens He doesn't expect us to!
   It was also the happiest because of the two wonderful sisters I am called to serve with. They are simply amazing. They are funny. They are sweet. They are kind. They are Christ-like. They are brave. They are so spiritual and truly know where the power lies, and that is in God. They taught me a lot this week just by their quiet examples of faith and love. And we laugh so much. We all just get along so well and love each other. We really feel blessed from the Lord that we don't have to worry about having to get along. We have so many other things that we need to get done within the area and the ward. The lord knew that we needed to be able to get along so we can move the work forward. I personally am very grateful for that. The Church is true.
   Saturday was probably the most stressful day. I was completely lost and just knew that going out knocking on doors wasn't going to do any good and it just felt wrong. It isn't missionary work at all and is not effective. I was sad, discouraged and we needed a plan. We received the impression to call our mission President and get some ideas. Which we did but he couldn't talk right then. So we said a very sincere prayer to Heavenly Father and asked for his help. I know God hears and answers prayers, some sooner than others, but he does and he gave us the revelation that we needed in order to help this area grow and move forward. I am so grateful for prayer and the power that it has and the Scriptures because that is where we found our answers.  If you want to talk to God, Pray. If you want God to talk, read the scriptures …  true statement !!
   We now have a plan and goals. It is not going to be easy but I know the Lord is in charge and he will provide a way. He already knew that we would be coming here and has the path already laid out, we just have to find it and follow it. I am excited for what is to come. We will see miracles. I know it and can feel it. We got to meet the ward yesterday and there are some amazing people in this ward. They have such strong testimonies and I know that they will be blessed for all they have done. The best part was being able to partake of the Sacrament. I haven't had the chance to take it in 2 weeks because of stake conferences. Both of which were amazing but how I missed the sacrament and feeling  it's cleansing power. I love the sacrament and it will always have a place in my heart.
    We have a lot of work to do just with in the ward itself that will keep us busy enough and I am grateful to the Lord for the chance to serve him up here. It is beautiful. We are going hiking today to a waterfall!!!! Which I am super stoked about!!! Pictures will come. Thank you all for the Love and support and prayers. They are felt every day. And are a help each day as well. I love you so much!!! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, September 23, 2013

KAELEY'S LETTER AND PICTURE AND NEWS OF HER NEW AREA

President and Sister Wilson with Kaeley


HOLA!                                                                                                                                                    

     Well, I was right. (I normally am) haha totally kidding. But I was right about coming to Bishop, California. One of the furthest north places of our mission and also in the mountains...with snow.  Didn't expect that to happen in California. But the City of Bishop is so cute! So small and reminds me a lot of Jackson Hole just the old, rustic look. It is very small here. Everyone knows who everyone is, especially the Mormons. :) We are well known in this area but everyone so far has been so nice. We get nice rejections which I will take any day over mean ones. I never realized how upset I get when someone walks away from the gospel till about a year into my mission. Something I am learning to control! :)

   I received 2 new sisters straight from the MTC. And let me just say, they are simply amazing, Seriously.  They have been so prepared and are so willing to learn and work hard and want to share the Gospel with everyone. It has been so impressive to me and I am so humbled to be called as their trainer.

  So they split the area up here and we sisters have the actually town of Bishop and the Elders cover all the little towns around it. There were sisters here about 2 years ago and now we are back and there is A LOT of work to be done especially within the ward. There are around 300 members and only about 50 or 60 come to church on Sundays. It was honestly, kind of discouraging to hear those kind of numbers but also very empowering to know that there are a lot of people to bring back into the Church. I will be honest for about a sentence; when we first got up here, I was very overwhelmed and scared out of my mind, because I have no idea what I am doing. But then I had the thought I am not in this by myself. I know the Lord has asked us to be here and he will provide a way to accomplish the work he has in store. I am so grateful for the chance to serve. I am still trying to recover from the chance in literally everything. But I did ask for a change and got it! :) Be careful what you ask for! Heavenly Father likes to grant it when it will make you grow and trust in the Lord.

   There was stake conference this weekend so we haven't met a lot of the members yet but the ones we have met are awesome! They have great testimonies and I know that we will be able to help this ward grow and to find those that are ready for the Gospel. I am so grateful for prayer, especially this week. If it weren't for prayer and comfort, I don't really know what kind of shape I would be in. I am so grateful that we have the fullness of the gospel and have the knowledge that we have. I love my Father in Heaven so much and am so grateful for it. Thanks for all the love and support! All my love, Sister Haws

Monday, September 16, 2013

NEW LETTER WITH FUN TRANSFER NEWS AND PHOTOS SPETEMBER 16TH 2013



Sister Baliar and Sister Haws

Hey!

    I can't believe it's Monday again. I realize I probably say that every Monday but really, It doesn't feel like another week has gone by.  Well.....I know you all are wondering about transfers. And surprise, surprise.....I am getting transferred!!!!! I am being released as a sister training leader and have been called to train 2 new sisters from the MTC and open up a new area for sisters to serve in. Honestly, I am ready for a big change and I am really kind of excited! I know it won't be easy but I also know from past experience, the Lord doesn't leave you alone to do His work. I love training and I LOVE opening up areas for sisters because it is so cool to see the Lord's hand in the work and see the area build up from nothing. It will be great. I will miss being a sister training leader a lot because I just love it so very much and it has been wonderful to work and learn from the sisters. But I have been doing it for 3 transfers so guess it's time to move forward, which is ok. I will miss this area so much and all our investigators but I know the Lord is calling me elsewhere. So that's the biggest news right now. I don't know where I am going till tomorrow but we have a couple of guesses. Either in Bakersfield,or Bishop. Yep, look up where Bishop is at, they might be sending me to exile! ;) But it is in the mountains and I know I would love it there. Our mission President told me it is a pretty tough area where he was sending me but that I would love it so we will see. We might all just be wrong.

    This week was a little slower. We had a couple of final exchanges with the sisters that went really well. All the sisters are just so amazing and doing so well and are truly prepared so much by the Lord. I am really excited to get my 2 new sisters because I already know they will be amazing! Jimmy is doing well. He actually had the chance to go to the temple for baptisms this last Friday. One week after he was baptized and he just loved it so much. He is so strong and just loves the Gospel. I will miss him terribly along with all of our other investigators! I just love them so much and can't wait for them to progress in the Gospel. We had stake conference this last weekend and it was so amazing! The Spirit was so strong and we had 3 of our investigators were there and just loved it. A lot of people talked about their conversion stories and I know that those stories touched the lives of many. It hit me pretty hard yesterday just how amazing it is and what an honor it is to be able to serve the Lord and that he trusts me enough to let me be a part of His work. This church really is true. If it wasn't, things would have failed a long time ago. But they haven't. And they never will. It is simply amazing. The Gospel is simple and beautiful and it changes so many lives, including mine. I am so grateful for this gospel and the light, and peace it brings in to my life. I can't imagine my life without it nor do I want to. The world is only getting more wicked every day, yet there will always be a light and a hope with the gospel here on the earth. People are searching for what we have. They need what we have because only the Gospel will help people change and bring peace to the world.

   I love you and am so grateful for all the love and support! Thanks for everything! Sister Haws

 P.S.   Make sure you send any letters and packages to the mission office at : 3512 coffee Rd Ste B Bakersfield, Ca 93308  and for anyone else too, that is where things need to go and then they will forward it to me until I find out where I am going and what my new address will be.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Pictures and letter from Kaeley September 9th 2013

Sister Haws and Sister Baliar with Jimmy

 

Hello!                                                                                                                                                    September 9th 2013
   Sometimes, when it gets really hot here, I realize I am not in Idaho anymore, but then I think of the Cold, and I am grateful again to be warm!!! It was VERY HOT this week and will be the next couple weeks from what it sounds like. I do love the heat but 103 and up, it is a little hot after a while of walking around in it. YET, the Lord always blesses those who work. We found new investigators so that made it all worth it!
  This week was really good. We had another exchange with a set of sisters that went really well and we saw a lot of miracles and just little evidences that God hears and answers prayers. There was one girl who is a less-active that we went to visit and she said she has been praying for guidance and was SOOO happy to see us and knew that God had heard her. It is amazing to me that our Heavenly Father is so powerful and all-knowing, yet he takes the time to care and listen to our prayers and longs to help us in our everyday trials and tasks.
 We also had our leadership council meeting that went well. We talked about how to help the mission grow and what we can do as leaders to help the missionaries understand their divine potential. It was good.
 BUT THE BEST NEWS EVER!!!!! JIMMY Got BAPTIZED!!!!! It was the most amazing thing to see and to be  a part of. The spirit was sooo strong and Jimmy was just glowing after and you could tell that he was just at peace. I realized in that moment just how True the Church is and why I personally am serving a mission. To see his life change and for him to enter into a covenant with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ so that he can return to Heavenly Father just made my heart smile. And I loved it because I was there from the beginning so to see the difference the Gospel made in his life just motivates us to keep searching for those that are ready. One of the most touching experiences in my mission so far and we will be life-long friends. There is just a bond that is created as you share the Gospel and it changes their lives. He was baptized on Saturday and then confirmed on Sunday in Sacrament meeting and it was just powerful to be a part of. Our other Investigator, Jose, who has a date on October 26th mentioned that he really wants the Book Of Mormon to be true because he wants that in his life. The Lord has provided so many miracles and it is just amazing. The work is moving forward.
 This week we have 3 exchanges coming up but 2 of them will be shorter than 24 hours just because of situations but it will be nice to go with the sisters and spend time with them. We have transfers coming up next Tuesday so this week is bringing a lot of anxiety. I have been here for 6 months now and would love to stay longer but I don't know that I will. I just love the people and the area so much that it is so hard to leave and say goodbye. Even though you know you will see them again. I think transfers are one of the hardest things to deal with. But it makes you grow. and That is what a mission is all about! It is an amazing time to be alive. Even though there is a lot of crazy things happening in the World today,  It brings a lot of comfort to know that God knows and is aware and is in control, not man, and that the Gospel can heal the world as we live it and share it. Thank you for all the Love and support!!!  I Love you and miss you!!!  Love, Sister Haws
 P.S.  could you get me some good mary kay skin care, like facial wash and repair stuff and a moisterizer. My face is not happy between the stress, the dirt and the heat.  I have a pizza face half of the time and I am sick of it :)  I just want good skin. It is the money maker, gotta keep it fresh or I will never get married...haha totally kidding :)  Thanks for telling me about Sister "O" and sending her my letters, she will like that.

Monday, September 2, 2013

KAELEY'S LETTER SEPTEMBER 2ND 2013


Hello!                                                                                                   September 2nd 2013

    I can't believe another week has already flown by. Seriously. Time just needs to stop for a while and I would be a happy camper. We are so busy that sometimes it is hard to keep up but I love being busy because that means people are coming closer to Christ. The Lord has blessed our area so much. We have investigators to teach and they are all progressing and the sisters we work with are just amazing. Sometimes, you simply feel that you don't deserve all the blessings the Lord is giving you. We love them and are so grateful for them but when you think back to all that the Lord has already done and all that he is doing, it is overwhelming sometimes to see the Love the Lord has for his Children. 

   Our investigator, Jimmy, passed his Baptismal interview and is going to be baptized this Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are so excited for him and he is doing so well. He loves the Gospel and he has changed so much and is already sharing his testimony and the Book of Mormon with others. That is the changing power of the Gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We also have another investigator we just set a date with for October 26th. He is a completely different person as well. He knows that the Book of Mormon has a power to heal because he has felt it. When we first met him, He was kind of bitter about certain things, but now he is just at peace. AND it wasn't even us that brought up baptism. He brought it up and we just followed the Spirit. I love both of these men so dearly. It is has been a changing experience for me as well to see the Gospel work in their lives and to see them come closer to Christ.    We have quite a few other investigators that are progressing towards baptism. We have invited most of them at least twice but they are hesitant because they just want to make sure it is true.  Which is a good thing because that is what leads to a lasting conversion.    The Less-active families we are working with are doing well. They are all seeing the Gospel work in their lives and are really trying to follow God and his commandments.

   We had 1 exchange this week with the sisters. It was so much fun! The Sister I went with has been out for 4 weeks but you would think she had been out for 6 months. She is awesome. Such a wonderful teacher and so prepared to share the Gospel. She will probably train next transfer and she will only be 6 weeks in!!! That is just amazing.

  Our zone Conference was awesome! The mission president and His wife came with the Assistants to the President and did the training. They talked a lot about that we, as missionaries,  can have even greater blessings from the Lord as we show him he can trust us. And as the Lord trusts us more, he will place more prepared people in our path to talk to. It was a really good training. This week, we have another meeting which is called mission leadership council for all the zone leaders and sister training leaders. We are trained on what we need to teach the missionaries and talk about the needs in the mission. I love this meeting a lot. It is cool to be a part of it and see how it all works. We will only have 1 exchange this week due to the meeting and also our baptism this weekend. We both need to be here for that!!!

   It is an exciting time in the history of the Church. The prophecy that the Gospel would be preached to the whole world is being fulfilled right now. This is the time that Prophets of old have testified would come. (can you imagine the smile of their faces?)  And we have the privilege of being apart of the Lord's kingdom as it moves forward with urgency. I am so grateful for the Gospel and especially the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ. I know His power is real and that he can heal us no matter what we have been through. This Is Christ's true Church once again established on the Earth with the Power and Authority given from God to direct His church. The Book of Mormon is true and it is real. It changes lives every day. I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and the faith he had to ask God. His simply act of faith changed the history of the world. And we have the chance to change someone's eternity. Never be scared to share your testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone around you. There is nothing more rewarded and touching than seeing someone's life change and their eternities change as well. The time to act is now. More than ever before, there is a need for the Gospel to be shared with everyone. Only the Gospel will be able to heal all nations, and people. And we have it in our hands and in our hearts. I love this Gospel and am so grateful to be here and share it every day. I testify of these things and I know they are true and I do so humbly, in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.