Monday, November 25, 2013

SNOWY PICTURES AND LETTER FROM KAELEY NOVEMBER 25TH 2013

Kaeley has her release date, it is March 5th 2014 ! We are getting excited to see her in about 3 months !! 

YEA, SHE FOUND HOME !!! 
She looks like a stern mother ready to scold her unruly children !  
Enjoying the first snow fall in Bishop Cal.
below: she had to scrap snow off the car for the first time on her mission
guess it is good practice for when she gets home !!

 
HAPPY  ALMOST THANKSGIVING  DAY !                                                                                                                November 25th 2013      

    I can't believe it this month is almost over! I feel like this month pasted by faster than any other month. But is sure has been a good month. That is probably why!

   We had another really good week. Very busy. On Tuesday, we decided to show up to one of the members home and offer to do some service for them. They are an older couple who have done so much for us since we have gotten here and we wanted to repay them so we spent about 2 hours helping them clean their kitchen and windows. It was a lot of fun. My companions ended up cleaning the front door and then they starting hollering, came running inside and asked for bug killer. Apparently they moved a cobweb and a lot of spiders came running at them. They were only daddy long legs but it was entertaining listening to them scream.  : )   They said there was about 80. No joke. But it was a lot of fun.  Then we had practice for the upcoming Christmas program that evening and had dinner with a member.  Wednesday, we finally had the appointment with the specialist for my companion's knee.  They said that she needs to do physical therapy for about a month and if that doesn't work, she may need to have surgery.  So keep her in your prayers that therapy works.

   Thursday turned really cold up here and on Friday we got snow!!!  It was beautiful to see but it melted the next day which I was very okay with.  Walking around in it isn't too fun.  On Saturday, we got to teach our new investigator from last week the Message of the Restoration and it went so well.  We had dinner with them and we really feel she is ready and prepared to know that these things are true.  And we had ribs that day which made it all the better!!  We are seeing so many miracles in this area.  We still have a lot of work to do but the Lord is pouring out blessings!  Which I am so grateful for!  Those tender mercies are what help us to stay motivated and to keep going!  The Atonement of the Savior is real and empowers us to go beyond ourselves and do the work that the Lord needs us to do.  I hope all goes well this week and you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving  day! I am grateful for all of you! :)  Love, Sister Haws

Monday, November 18, 2013

ANOTHER LETTER AND PICTURES FROM KAELEY NOVEMBER 18TH 2013


AS IT GETS COLDER, HEARTS ARE GETTING WARMER!!!!!                                                                               November 18th 2013

   I can't even begin to tell you how amazing this week has been. It has not been the easiest but it has been totally worth it. We have seen so many miracles and tender mercies this week, it is unreal. The Christmas Program that will happen in 3 weeks seems to be going very well and we realized for the first time this week, that it is uniting the ward in a way that we desperately need right now. Even the people that aren't too happy to be in it are uniting with the same type of people in the ward! haha It is amazing to see and we know that the Lord has His Hand in this program. We also had the amazing opportunity to do some service for the community and for the ward members.
Tis the season to rake leaves! So we helped at city hall and then went to help a member with her leaves as well.
Kids will still be kids, playing in the pile of leaves.
 
Yes, It is Kaeley in the pile of leaves reading her scriptures !
And we also helped another lady do some cleaning in her house. It has been a great week for service.

    Friday, we had an amazing training about how to increase our faith and trusting in the Lord. Our mission president believes we are not living up to the potential we could in our mission so we really need to exercise faith and then go out and work and leave the rest up to the Lord. To set High goals with the guidance of the spirit and then work and see the Lord working  miracles. It was very inspiring and helped me to realize that there are things that I needed to change and that I needed to rededicate myself to the Lord. And that is exactly what I am doing. I just needed to focus more on what I am doing and be in the here and now and not thinking about the future. I love being a missionary and serving the Lord more than anything and sometimes, I just need that little reminder from the Lord. I am grateful that the Lord loves me enough to help me to change and become better and to show me the way to do just that.

AND THEN, Saturday happened, Seriously a day of miracles. We met a man about 2 weeks ago and he was getting ready to go running so we asked him if we could come to his house and share a message with his family sometime. He said yes and gave us his address. It took us a while to get a hold of him but we got in Saturday morning and taught him and his 4 kids. He is a single dad and is amazing. He has been through so much and we felt so strongly that he is one of those families we were meant to find. They seem to be so prepared and really listened to the message of the Restoration. The spirit was so strong and I know that it bore testimony to his heart that the things we said were true. We pray very hard for him! :) And then we we were able to talk to all of our other investigators that we hadn't seen in a while and we also meet a couple of really promising potential investigators that already love Mormons!  Which is always a good sign!

  Every year, our ward puts on a huge Thanksgiving dinner and that happened Saturday night as well. So we got to help a little with that but mostly we got to talk to so many people that came. There were so many less-actives that came and even the man and his kids that we had taught that morning came to have dinner!!! There was just this happiness in the air and it was amazing to be there. We felt very good about the turn out.

   BUT WAIT!  it gets even better.  This Month in our ward, we have had more non-members at church every Sunday since we got here. There was one member that brought her niece and she came into the Gospel Principles class, which we taught that day about the Creation and the Love Heavenly Father has for us, and after the lesson, we invited her to learn more and she really wants to. She loved it so much and really enjoyed herself. So we got 4 new investigators in a matter of 24 hours. We haven't found anyone for about 3 weeks. We KNOW that it was the Lord blessing us. The work is moving forward and we really feel we are starting to gain the trust of the members and building strong relationships with them. This area is picking up and we are so grateful to be here. It hasn't been the easiest transition for me personally in this area but I have learned so much about relying on the Lord and learning that I am truly His servant. I can only do as much as my faith that is in Jesus Christ. "And Christ hath Said:  If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." Moroni  7:33. I am scratching the surface of this scripture but it is showing me the power we each can have if we truly put our Faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. He can help us do anything and he will always help us to do His work and bring people unto him.
I love this work so much and am so grateful to be out here and be serving the Lord. I am grateful for forgiveness and mercy and the love he shows me each day! He is real and hears and answers our prayers. I know it and I love it! The church is true! Love to all, Sister Haws

 

Monday, November 11, 2013

NOVEMBER 11TH 2013


Hello!                                                                                                                                                                    November 11th 2013

     I always try to think of something clever to start my emails with, and normally it is fail big time,  and today was no exception.  I just literally sat here for 5 minutes trying to figure it out, which I guess was a good thing because I now just had something to start me email out…..  yep and I did say me. :)

   This week has been pretty good. The first half of the week we still tried to stay inside to let my companion rest her knees but we got the results back from the MRI and we know about just as much as before except for more medical terms that none of us can pronounce. We know that there is a tear in something and that is it swollen (which we probably could of diagnosed ourselves just by looking at it,) but we have an appointment with a specialist in a couple of weeks, which stinks because it is so far out and she has to suffer with it until then, but patience is required.  But we have decided that her knee hurts anyway so we may as well go out and work as much as possible and as long as her knees can take it. Which we don't know if that is the best but we don't really have the option as missionaries to just sit inside and especially in this area. There is SOOOOOOOOOOOO much work to be done and we have already been down for about 2 weeks. But we are still trying to let her take it easy and resting as much as we can but working as hard as we can.  We are being so blessed even though we were inside for 2 weeks. The Lord was preparing people and their hearts and we have seen some of those miracles already.

     There was a couple of Less-actives that we visited this weekend and we hadn't seen them for about 4 weeks and we felt bad but we decided after seeing them again that is was a good we waited so long,  because they really missed us and they needed to feel the difference in the spirit.  They even brought up coming to church which is a step closer than before.  It is amazing how the Lord prepares people's hearts.  It can take years or just months.  I truly have come to know that the Lord knows His children one by one and he watches over them and blesses them one by one. I just found out that 2 of the investigators that we were teaching in my last area are getting baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    1 of them actually just got baptized the end of October and the other the end of this month,  both of which we didn't know how long it would take. We knew that they would but it is amazing to see how the Lord prepared them and they have changed their lives and are so happy! I love the Gospel so much! It changes lives every day.

    Sunday was a very busy day for us. I was asked to play the organ in Sacrament meeting and it was so much fun! I love playing the Organ and grateful that I know how to play. Then we taught the youth Sunday school group and taught on how to find answers to our own gospel questions and it went very well and then we also had the wonderful chance to teach Relief Society. We taught about "Loving God more than we love the world." It ended up being a very good lesson, or at least we think so! :) But it was a good reminder for me to remember why I am out here serving. Because I love God and My savior more than anything. Every morning I say that to myself and it seems to help me make good decisions and to stay faithful and diligent. The Gospel truly is TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is nothing better and nothing else will lead us through the darkest of times!

      Now, this may come as a shocker to some of you that know me well. I use to be very quiet, and shy, and not a big people person. A lot of that has changed......like a lot.! :)  Anywho, the senior couple missionaries up here are putting together a Christmas program for the community and helping to unite the ward and bring people into our church so they can feel the spirit and see that it is a normal building. The program requires singing with a microphone and a couple of the numbers require dancing and singing. (Don't worry we have permission from the mission president to be in it.) And guess who is in the program....yep me!!!! Now,  if that had happened before my mission, well, we all know that it would of never happened but now, I am having so much fun with it!!! We have practice a couple of times a week and they are going well! We are so excited to be in it and doing it. I never thought I would be on a stage with a microphone, singing, AND DANCING!!!! I won't even sing in the shower to myself but I love who I am becoming. I still have a long way to go but I am becoming the person I always wanted to be and it is because of the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is real and his power is real. I love the Gospel so much and am grateful to be out here!!!!. I love you all!!! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, November 4, 2013

Kaeley's letter and pictures November 4th 2013

Silliness in the kitchen ! They do get to have some fun too :)

Not sure what she is doing, I think she has lost it ??? 

P-day hike

Fall scenery in Bishop California

NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

     I love November. Mostly because of the beautiful colors and when the seasons start to change. Especially here in Bishop. It is so beautiful here in the Fall. This week has been a very blessed week. We have seen so many miracles. My companion's knee is still in pretty bad shape so we have been taking it easy so she can heal faster so we were inside most of the week. BUT even though we haven't been able to get out as much as we want to, the Lord has truly blessed us. We try to go to the appointments. that are set and that way she isn't out walking around. We had a couple of dinners with the members and they are seriously the best. They have such beautiful testimonies and truly love the Lord. And we were able to invite them to invite their friends to learn more or to come to church and they all did so! It was a miracle because we haven't had that kind of success with the members in quite a while. There is also a young women in our ward who was baptized 2 years ago and is the most Christ-like person ever. We sometimes do splits with her and we just love it. We especially enjoyed it this week because either Sister Kimball or I would go with her and the other would stay with Sister Wilkin so she could rest and it was amazing because we found so many people in such a short time that we knew that the Lord was providing and showing us that he loves us. We also had the amazing chance to serve in the community by helping in the food booth at the football game on Friday night. We were able to be in the public's eye and let people get to know us AND we actually might of found someone to teach who really seems interested. Her son is dating a Mormon in Montana and she has been really impressed and told us we are welcome to share more with her and I really feel that she will get Baptized. We haven't been able to meet a lot with our investigators but there is a couple that are finally reading in the Book of Mormon and we know that their lives will change. But we did have a less-active come to church again this Sunday and she is working to go to the temple! Which is so exciting!!! We have been doing a lot of service and that is exactly what the Lord has needed us to do. We were a little discouraged yesterday with everything that has been happening and just not seeing a big progress in the area or the ward but then we think about all the miracles that we see and we know the Lord is providing the path, one stone at a time. Just as the scripture in Alma 37:6-7 says, "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." We know that that is true. We just have to stay faithful and trust in the timing of the Lord! I love the Lord and His Gospel. I am so grateful to be out here and to be serving the Lord and sharing the Gospel. Best decision I have ever made. There is nothing greater than the True Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and nothing that brings more blessings!!! I love you all! Love, Sister Haws