Thursday, March 6, 2014

Kaeley's last letter

I am coming home. In a few days. When did that happen? but I can't tell you how excited and nervous I am and happy and sad and just every emotion in the book is going through me right now. But This has been a wonderful week full of amazing people and getting to go to the temple and spending time with the people I love so much!
   My ward through a going away party for me on Wednesday so I could say goodbye to everyone and it was just so nice to see them and take pictures and get to say goodbyes. AND I have done so well with not crying. I am keeping it in and staying strong! :) 
   I am SO grateful for the chance the Lord has given me to serve him and be apart of His work. It has been amazing and has changed my life forever!!! I love you all and will see you VERY SOON!!!!! For one last and final time, Sister Kaeley Jo Haws

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Hello to all of Kaeley's loyal blog readers !
  This is a rather bittersweet moment as I write this last post on her blog.  As most of you know she will be released from her service as a Missionary this coming Wednesday March 5th.  We are leaving first thing Monday morning to head to California to pick her up !!  Thus there will be no letter from her this week as she will be busy packing, saying her goodbye's and getting ready to leave very early Tuesday morning from Bishop to be at the Mission office in Bakersfield for her departing testimony meeting. 
   The bittersweetness comes into play as I am lamenting not being able to read her wonderful letters I looked so forward to that came each Monday and also knowing that she is also feeling the sorrow of leaving this time in her life that has brought her so much happiness and having so many mixed emotions.  But, also my heart leaping for joy that we are going to get to see her on Tuesday and hug her and hug her some more !  We sure have missed her these last 18 months and will be so glad to have her home for a while with us to brighten our home with her happy cute face : ) !!  
    It has been a great journey for her as she has learned and grown and has shared all those growing moments good, bad, funny and hard with all of us.  She has inspired many of us to live better each day and become closer to our Savior and given us the desire to have the spirit of Missionary work and share what we know to be true and that brings so much happiness and peace. 
   As her parents we want to SINCERELY THANK all her family and friends for the support and love that you have shown and given her on her mission and over the years of her life.  Whether is has been through financial donations, letters, prayers or just asking how she is doing each act of love has been felt and appreciated by Kaeley and us.  I know it is so important that these young men and women that are out making such a sacrifice and working so hard to serve others have that support and love, it makes the work they do worth while and more meaningful.  And we know Kaeley has certainly had that support during her mission. 
  Thank you all again !  Mark and JoAnne Haws


She will be reporting her mission Sunday march 9th at 1:00 PM at the Hibbard Church 2029 N 3000 W .    Don't forget it is daylight savings time that Sunday so set your clocks an hour ahead : ) 

Monday, February 24, 2014

KAELEY'S LETTER FEBRUARY 24TH 2014

HOLA!                                                                                                                                                                   February 24th 2014
      I don't even know where to begin....So many mixed emotions. It is very strange to be where I am at this point in my mission.  At the end.  Making plans to come home and move forward with a new life as I have become a new person. I am not the same as I was 18 months ago, which is a good thing,  but also a very strange experience. I don't really know how the new me fits in with the World. All I have known for 18 months in service given to the Lord each and every day. It is kind of scary and excited and nerve wracking and joyful.  Too many emotions at times for me but I am so grateful for prayer and the power that is has to help.
    This last week was very good. Each day has its up's and down's for me personally, but this area has grown and changed so much in the last 6 months. We have been through so many struggles and heartaches and yet so much joy and happiness has come as well. And as the area has grown, I have grown with it so much. The area is picking up and the work is hastening. The members are catching the vision of missionary work and have a strong desire to be a part of it! We had a member give us 3 referrals this week AND she came with us to visit them. I can't even tell you the difference that members make in missionary work. We were able to get into a house that we wouldn't have been able to and it was all because she was there. And another one of the other referrals is letting us over sometime soon. We also had a dinner with the members and for the first time since coming to this area, they had invited their neighbors over for dinner with us. It was so cool to see that and to feel the difference that it makes. We didn't teach the restoration like we normally do but felt that we needed to share a message from the Book of Mormon about Christ and how we can strengthen our faith in Him each week and if nothing else, they know we believe in Christ and when the time is right, they will come searching for it.
   Our mission president also came up this weekend for training and interviews and it was so good to see him. He came to our ward on Sunday as well and it was so nice to have him and His wife here.  We had 81 people at church which is just amazing. When we first got here there was about 40 coming to church and the last few weeks we have had about 80-85. It is amazing what the Lord can do as we exercise the faith that we have and trust him. We set goals and then go to work and trust and have faith that the Lord will provide for those numbers.  Because each number is a beloved Son or Daughter of a Loving God.
    I have thought a lot about my mission this last week and how much I have changed and grown. One of the biggest differences that I have noticed is my relationship with my Father in Heaven. He has become one of my best friends and the only one that I have let in so deep. He has always been there for me. To lead and guide me and has helped me overcome weaknesses and helped me to understand my divine role in His plan for me.
   I am so grateful for the testimony and the knowledge that I have the This Church is the True Church of Jesus Christ. That Joseph Smith truly was a Prophet called of God and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and evidence of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that God hears and answers each of our prayers and that there is so much power in prayer. I am so grateful that the Lord loved me enough to cut me down and build me up again and help me to become better than I was and am. I am so grateful for that and will forever be grateful. I have gained so much that will bless me for the rest of my life.
   I love you all! Thank you for everything. The prayers, love, support, emails, letters. Just everything! I am eternally grateful! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, February 17, 2014

KAELEY'S LETTER FEBRUARY 17TH 2014 AND HER MISSION REPORT DATE AND INFORMATION



Here is the details for her mission report.  It will be March 9th 2014 at the Hibbard Church 2029 N 3000 W.  Our sacrament meeting starts at 1 p.m. 


On Saturday March 8th we are going to have a welcome home dinner and party for anyone that would like to attend at the Hibbard School located just 1/2 mile north of the church.  It will start at 4 P.M.  We will have a potato bar and desert and drinks there.  We will have more time on Saturday for you hang out and to visit with Kaeley than on sunday after church since it is so late in the day.   If you would let me know if you are coming that would be great, you can e-mail me  at  heehaws@ida.net 
If you would like to bring something we will just have a desert table so you can bring some kind of treat to share. 


If you cannot attend on Saturday, we will have a little open house that you can visit with her on Sunday after sacrament meeting with some refreshments before you go home.  She will LOVE to see everyone there if you can make it. 

Hello!                                                                                               FEBRUARY 17TH 2014 
   Another week down, only a few more to go. I promise I am not counting. But on Friday, we had a Sisters Women’s conference and it hit me really hard just how much time I have left. It is all bitter sweet but it is a good thing. I can feel that it is time and that is okay!
    This week has been pretty good. We are still working with a lot of the less-actives but they are responding pretty well. There are a couple of them that are working towards the temple and hopefully I can come back and go with them when they go.  We have had a ton of people in the gospel principles class the last 2 weeks and a lot of them are non-members or less-actives which is exactly how we want it! We weren't able to meet up with a lot of our investigators this week which was a bummer but this week will be better. This week is crucial for us to set baptismal dates for March. So we are trying to work as hard as we can. We have found a lot of great potentials that are pretty sweet so we just need to follow up with them.
    We went down to Lancaster on Thursday night since it is a 3 hour drive for us to civilization and we had to be to the women's conference at 9 on Friday. We stayed with our sister training leaders who I love so much and it was so good to see them.  We also were able to go to Walmart AND we went to Panda Express which was so good and hit the spot. Where we are, we don't have a lot of shopping options so it was nice to be there.  There were so many people in Walmart that we thought the whole town of Bishop was there!!!  So many people and it is weird to be around that many. Being on my mission, I have realized how much I am a home body and don't like being in big crowds of people.  I have to as a missionary and thank heavens the Lord is here helping me but it is nice to be in a small town.  I am so grateful for the things I have learned.  This last week, I had some time to reflect on my mission and really think about what I have learned because I had to give a mini talk at the Women's conference and I am so different.  I am not the same person I was when I first got here and I have learned so much. Something that really hit me was how my relationship with my Heavenly Father and the Savior has grown.  They both have become my best friends and are so close and dear to my heart.  I can talk to them and know that they listen and are here for me. And I am so grateful for that.  And it is something that I will cherish the rest of my life. Heavenly Father has given me the best gift ever and that is the Chance to serve him on a mission.  I have gained so much that has changed my life forever.  I love you all and can't wait to see everyone!!! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, February 10, 2014

KAELEY'S MISSION REPORT INFORMATION

Here is the details for her mission report.  It will be March 9th 2014 at the Hibbard Church 2029 N 3000 W.  Our sacrament meeting starts at 1 p.m. 


On Saturday March 8th we are going to have a welcome home dinner and party for anyone that would like to attend at the Hibbard School located just 1/2 mile north of the church.  It will start at 4 P.M.  We will have a potato bar and desert and drinks there.  We will have more time on Saturday for you hang out and to visit with Kaeley than on sunday after church since it is so late in the day.   If you would let me know if you are coming that would be great, you can e-mail me  at  heehaws@ida.net 
If you would like to bring something we will just have a desert table so you can bring some kind of treat to share. 


If you cannot attend on Saturday, we will have a little open house that you can visit with her on Sunday after sacrament meeting with some refreshments before you go home.  She will LOVE to see everyone there if you can make it. 

KAELEYS LETTER FEBRUARY 10 2014 WITH NO PICTURES :(


Kaeley sent some fun pictures but for some reason I have not been able to get pictures to load on here for the last 3 weeks, not sure what is going on. I would love to share them with you if I could.  
Hello!                                                                                                                                                                    February 10th 2014
   Another week has flown by. This week was actually pretty eventful. Now you will all probably laugh but it is quite funny. So last week right after we finished emailing, we headed up to what is called Ancient Bristle Pine Cone Forest to see what is up there. Apparently, it is pretty cool. When we got up there, there was a little bit of snow but we didn't think much of it. (now,  your probably already guessing what is going to happen.) So we keep going and then the road went from no snow to a lot of snow and we realized that we needed to turn around but the road was really narrow and sat next to a big drop off and so we said" Well... let’s keep going and see if there will be somewhere to turn around. The more we went up the mountain, the more snow there was and eventually....we got stuck. :) But it wasn't just us. We were with all the elders in our district and we had 2 sets of elders in front of us and 1 behind us in the trucks. But the ones in front of us got stuck as well.
   We all got out and tried to get them unstuck and we had the truck out for a little while but it got re-stuck and the car was not going to move. (We have a little Chevy Cruze.) Then the sun went down and we were all cold so we decided that it was time to leave so we all piled into 1 truck and headed down the mountain. The whole time we were just laughing because most of us where from Idaho and Utah and it was just ironic that we got stuck. So we made it home, wet and cold and drank lots of Hot Chocolate to warm up and made plans for the next day to go back and get them. We had quite the adventure. Our district leader called the mission president to let him know what had happened and he just laughed and expressed the desire for us to stay away from the snow for a while. ;) We all have had a good laugh about it this week!
   We have also seen a lot of miracles with the Less-active we are working with this week. A lot of them have been responding to the lessons and coming to church which is really cool and neat to see. The lord is truly blessing the hearts of the people here. We are still praying every night for the powers of heaven to help us reach 50 baptisms in March and we are seeing those powers each day.
  The work is moving forward and the ward members are catching the vision. It is so cool to see the difference and to feel the spirit working through them. Yesterday, we did a musically number called the Olive tree and it was beautiful. We also got to teach Gospel principles and Relief Society and they both were powerful lessons and the spirit was so strong. I love the gospel so much and the Joy and light it brings. not only to my life but to those around me.
   I have been thinking a lot about those times in our lives that bring the most sorrow, its the times right after that that bring us some of the greatest joys in life. It is interested to see "opposition in all things" at work. I am so grateful for the gospel and especially for my Savior. He is real and I am so grateful for his sacrifice. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, February 3, 2014

HELLO TO ALL KAELEYS BLOG READERS,  SHE WANTED ME TO POST ON HERE FOR HER WHEN SHE WILL BE REPORTING HER MISSION SO YOU ALL KNEW IF YOU WANTED TO COME HEAR HER TALK AND COULD PLAN AHEAD.  SHE IS SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 9TH.  OUR SCARAMENT MEETING STARTS AT 1 P.M. IN THE HIBBARD CHURCH.  IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR NEED MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN E-MAIL ME   heehaws@ida.net  OR CALL ME  208-356-7113.   WE ARE SURE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HER IN LESS THAN A MONTH  !!!

KAELEY'S LETTER FEBRUARY 3RD 2014


HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                                                                                                                                            February 3rd 2014
   WOW! What a crazy week. I honestly don't even know where to begin.  Well...first, I probably should fill everyone in.  I have been thinking about extending for another transfer out here and have been praying about it and working on it with my mission president. And I found out a couple of days ago that it did not go through :(  which was kind of sad but also very happy at the same time!!!  BECAUSE THAT MEANS I AM COMING HOME MARCH 5TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WHAT?!?!? Crazy right!  I kind of had a freak out this weekend because of how truly close it is and just realized how short of time that is! I am excited and sad and just about every other emotion in the book but that is okay!  I gave it to the Lord and said I would stay if you need me to but the Lord knows best and he will send me to where I need to be!
    For this week,  we have had some crazy stuff happen. Some not so good stuff and then some amazingly amazing stuff happened.  But it was a testimony to me that no matter how bad things may seem or get...there is ALWAYS good that will follow. ALWAYS. And that is because the Lord is in charge not us.
  For some reason, the last couple of weeks have been very challenging for me personally and I had no clue why. It was beyond frustrating and I was trying to understand why each day was such a struggle for me because I had no reason to be sad or unhappy. I am so blessed to be where I am at and know the Lord's hand is over me.  It was a hard and difficult time and almost every night ended with me on my knees in tears pleading for the peace and relief I so desperately wanted and needed from Heavenly Father but wasn't really getting. I didn't understand and just tried to do my best with what I could for each day. And that helped. By the end of the week I was so tired of crying and not understanding why, that I finally just gave up and gave it to God.
    I don't tell you this to feel sorry for me but rather to make a point.  Over the weekend, we had a few less-actives and investigators that seemed to be going through something similar to me. I didn't realize it till a few days ago that maybe I went through all that so that I could relate to the people we are teaching. I was able to tell them my experience with the Atonement and prayer and help them to understand maybe a little of what they were going through. It was an amazing experience for me, because in a very real way, I was able to help them and I would not have been able to otherwise unless I had just experienced what they were struggling with.  And Because of that, they stayed and they keep learning.  They keep growing and wanting to be a part of the church.
   I don't really like that I had to go through all of that for a couple weeks but I am also very eternally grateful that I did because it helped someone else come closer to Christ and Heavenly Father. I told Him he could do that again if needed but please, a little less tears next time would be nice :)  I think that made Him smile. My relationship with my Savior and my Heavenly Father has been so strengthened and I am so grateful for the Love and patience and the Atonement, and prayer, and church and the sacrament and the Scriptures and everything Heavenly Father gives us to help us and make us happy. We go through things in life no matter what, and the Gospel is given to help us make it through things and be well. It will be hard, it will hurt and it will push us and pull us and sometimes tear us apart, But iF our foundation is in Christ, NOTHING can ever tear us down to the point where we can't get back up. I have truly learned this for myself and it is something I am very grateful for!
    Now, on to the happy news!!!  We were praying for one of our investigators that has a baptismal date because she has some concerns and we haven't been able to get them from her. So we prayed that she would open to us so we could help her prepare for baptism. So that night, we got a phone call from her and she was crying and just told us everything that she is struggling with and how she didn't know what to do. We were able to help her and she received a priesthood blessing and she knows that the Church is true and wants to join but she has some big changes to make in her life  but she really wants to make them !!! She is amazing and knows that she can with the help of the Savior! She is one of my favorites and I know that the Lord is guiding her to what will make her happy!  
 Then we had a wonderful lesson with the family we are teaching! They really want to know that is it true and they are doing what they need to do to know and I know that they will get baptized. It may take some time but they will get their answer.
  Church was amazing as well!  We had 85 people at church and that is the fullest it has ever been. I got to play the organ and on the opening song, I have never heard them sing super loud, but this time it was so loud and great! I had to turn up the organ because I couldn't hear it! And we had a couple of members bring non-members to church and there was a lot of less-actives that came and they even bore beautiful testimony that brought the spirit in so strong! There was just a very sweet spirit in the building and one that I hope will keep coming every Sunday. We had a break the fast dinner with all 7 missionaries  and a celebration for how amazing this week has been and the many miracles. Calling down the powers of Heaven really do work and the Lord is just waiting to provide miracles and help us return to Him. I love the Lord. I love His Gospel and I am so grateful that I am serving Him and His children. This is the greatest work to be a part of. I love you all and am grateful for the prayers and the love from all of you. I hope you have a wonderful week! Love, Sister Haws

Monday, January 27, 2014

KAELEY'S LETTER JANUARY 27TH 2014

                                                                                                                                                      
HELLO !
    WHAT A WEEK!!!  So many changes all at once. Sometimes it is hard to take it all in but that is exactly why we have the Gospel and have a Savior.  I can tell you that this week has brought me closer to my Savior which I am so grateful for. Monday,  we had a lot of fun as it was our last day as the original sister missionary trio here in Bishop.  Then we woke up at 4 am to get ready for our trip down to transfer meetings in Bakersfield.  It is about a 4 hour drive and we had to be there at 9:30 AM so we left about 5. It was a very early morning but a lot of fun. Sister Wilkin is now serving in South Bakersfield. And we have a new sister from McCammon, Idaho!!! Idaho is the best!! She is fresh from the MTC but certainly doesn't seem like it. She is very in tune with the spirit and has a wonderful desire to serve the Lord. We are excited to have her here.
    We weren't able to meet with a lot of our investigators this week, due to a lot of illnesses, which was kind of sad and affected our church attendance this week but we did have a few less-actives at church which was awesome!!!!
   This week is very full of people to visit and trainings and meetings with our investigators. I probably have mentioned before that our mission has a goal of 50 baptisms in the month of March and that means that Feb. has to be hit hard with finding, teaching, and committing so that we can be ready for that!!! We already have a couple of very promising investigators and we are just praying that the Lord will keep softening their hearts and bring them closer to baptism. We are seeing miracles.
  This week, I have been very aware of the tender mercies of the Lord and the Love that he has for me personally. Which honestly has been much needed. Change is not easy and never will be, but change comes regardless of whether we have the Gospel or not. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the Peace that it can bring to us during trials. I am very grateful for the priesthood. The power of God is real and I can feel it every time I receive a blessing. Heavenly Father's love for us is eternal and never ended and I am so grateful for that Love. That is why He wants to bless us so much and bring us peace. As we stay faithful and serve and keep the Commandments, He blesses us more and more. The Savior lives and loves us as well. He is the only one that understands what we go through and what we can become. It is through His atonement that we are made whole and complete and I am forever in His Debt. I love you all and thank you so much for all your prayers! I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!! Love, Sister Haws


Monday, January 20, 2014

KAELEY'S LETTER JAUNUARY 20TH 2014


Hello!                                                                                                   January 20th 2014

   Well Hello, I have a lot to spill this week !     

    1) my companion with the hurt knee...doesn't have to have surgery!!! We fasted as a zone and we KNOW that the Lord helped with that one. It is still hurting her but it is getting better.

 2) Transfers are tomorrow. :(

 3) I am not getting transferred. :)

4) Sister Kimball and I are staying together :)

 5) But Sister Wilkin is leaving :( and she will be training and opening up a new area for sisters. She will be AMAZING! But dearly  missed. It has been the best 4 1/2 months with her and I have definitely made a dear Friend forever!!!

6) Sister Kimball and I will be training a sister coming in from the MTC together, here in Bishop. (Didn't expect this one, But it is all good.)

7) Our investigator family came to church yesterday and they loved it! :)

8) We had an amazing Stake Conference with a broadcast from Salt Lake that was all on Missionary Work and how the members and missionaries working together.

9) We got to go to the Ridgecrest church and sing in the evening Adult session for Stake conference. It was a lot of fun and the spirit was so strong.

10) We set a Baptismal date with one of our investigators for March 29. We are super excited for her.

11) We started the Book of Mormon class that was simply amazing and the spirit was so strong and we had a really good turnout from the members and less-actives that came.

12) It has been one crazy, amazing, stressful, emotional, joyful week and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Missionary work is the best. It can heal hearts and bring peace and joy. And the Lord has asked us to be a part of His work. What an honor and the trust that he places in us mere mortals. But He Loves us and wants us to have joy. And one way to get that joy is through sharing the Gospel. And the Lord knows that. It is truly amazing. Let us all pray for the chance to share our testimonies with those around us, not only through our actions but our words as well. The Lord will place those in our path who need to feel His Love and through us, they can feel it. Thank you for all the Love and support. Love, Sister Haws

Monday, January 13, 2014

KAELEY'S LETTER JANUARY 13TH 2014


Hello!                                                                                            January 13th 2014
    It has been another wonderful week! Last Monday for p-day we went up the Mammoth and it was so beautiful up there! Tuesday we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders and they were really good.  One of them actually got sick when they got here so she slept most of the day to get feeling better.  So The other one took a couple of us out and worked and went to appointments and we had some really great appointments too. We meet with 3 of our investigators that day and all the lessons were so spiritual and just amazing. One of them was our family that we are teaching and we watched the Restoration DVD and talked about prayer and how to receive an answer.  The dad afterwards said, I really want to get an answer.  We thought that that was really cool. We also taught the 13 year old girl who is an atheist and had a great lesson on Agency and the Love of God and how we can know that God is there through prayer.
    The next day we did service for a less-active member who is coming back to church and then we headed for Lancaster. We had a Zone conference on Thursday and since it is about 4 hours away, we drove down Wednesday. We got to see 2 of our old District leaders while we were there and the great thing was I also got to see one of the guys that I taught who got baptized a couple of months ago !!!  He is doing really well and loving the Gospel and the Church.
   The Zone conference was amazing and very inspiring. Our mission President has set a goal of 50 Baptisms in March, and so to reach this each night at 10 pm, we are praying as a mission for the powers of Heaven to come and help us reach this Goal. And we are fasting for this purpose the next 3 fast Sundays! It is really exciting when you think about it and this area is picking up so fast and we are finding more and more people interested in learning and really catching on. I love being a missionary there is so much going on and seeing all the Miracles happening.
  Friday and Saturday, Sister Kimball got super sick so we were inside for most of the day letting her rest and get better. But we had lots of good bonding time and studying time and we even painted for a while. You kind of go crazy when you are inside for that long as a missionary !  So we took it out with Painting! :)
  Sunday was really good! Our family we are teaching came to church again and they loved Church. They are so different now after hearing the lessons and the spirit is so strong around them and I know they will and are being so blessed because of the Gospel. We also had a couple of lessons with Less-actives that went really well.  Then we planned for the Book of Mormon class we are starting up this week that we are really excited about!  Overall it was a very good week full of miracles. I know the Lord hears and answers our prayers and He loves us more than we can comprehend. He is real. I know he is. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and the difference it makes in the world we live in. Keep pressing forward no matter how hard things get. The Lord is there and we just have to put complete trust in Him, He will never lead us astray. Love, Sister Haws

Monday, January 6, 2014

January 6th 2014


January 6th 2014
Good Morning!!!  And HAPPY NEW YEARS! 2014! This is going to be an amazing year! I can feel it! So many wonderful things are happening, especially with the Church and spreading the Gospel.
   We have had a wonderful week, full of miracles and tender mercies from the Lord.   Last week, I mentioned that we planned a Family Home Evening and it turned out SOOO good.  Seriously. The feeling that was there was amazing and the members seemed to really enjoy themselves and we even had a couple of our investigators come and they loved being there. We had pizza and salad and lots of junk food left over from Christmas and then we played boys vs. girls pictionary!!! It was so much fun and we felt so good about it and had such a great turn out that we are planning on doing it once a month from now on.
    Then we had an amazing lesson with a former investigator who knows the Book of Mormon is true, but wants to do things as a family and her husband really isn't on board anymore . But we talked a lot about her setting the example and how eventually her husband would see the happiness in her and want to be a part of that. We also talked about putting God first in our lives and the blessings that come because of that.  She is amazing and we really feel good about her this time.    We then had a little New Years party with all the missionaries at the senior couples apartment. We had some fun games to play and an amazing dinner that was provided and we made prayer rocks for our investigators. It was a lot of fun and a great way to bring in the new year. We had a curfew that night as well so we got home early and got some extra sleep, which was really nice.
  I ended up with a cold last weekend and gave it to my companion, but it hit her harder than it did me so she rested for a couple of days to get feeling better but we were able to go on splits with a member in the ward so 1 of us was still out working and met lots of wonderful people.    We also had a great lesson with a part member family. The daughter is 13 and not baptized and claims to be atheist. BUT she knows more than most members! :) seriously! She is amazing and she is willing to learn and open up to know if there is a God so she is one of our new investigators and we feel really good about her.  We had a great lesson with the family we are teaching and they seem to love the Gospel and are taking it all in. We invited them to be baptized and they all said yes! We haven't set a date yet but we will soon!
   We also were able to get in with a couple more less-actives this week that we are going to start to teaching. One of them is a convert of about 5 years and has been inactive for about 2 years but she wants to come back so bad and loves the Church and the Gospel and has such a strong testimony of it! I love being around her and her spirit.
   Sunday was an amazing day. One of the best Sundays since being up here. The spirit was so strong and we had 4 investigators at church and they all loved it! I also got to play the organ again which always makes me happy because I love music! The whole atmosphere in the Church was different and amazing. I remember the first Sunday we were here, I just remember feeling overwhelmed and discouraged because of the work and everything that we needed to change. But yesterday, made everything worth it. It was amazing and I am so grateful that the Lord trusted me enough to send me here. It is a very sacred place and the Lord loves the People here so much. Sometimes when we are driving or walking down the street, I look at people and feel as though I can feel the love Heavenly Father has for them. It is really cool. I love serving the Lord and am so grateful for the things that I have learned and been able to do.   This Church is true. Christ is at the head of His church and speaks through a living Prophet today.  Heavenly Father is real and hears and answers prayers. Jesus is the Christ and our savior and redeemer. And my best Friend. I would be so lost without him. The Book of Mormon is true and has an amazing power to heal and comfort and guide and direct. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the chance to share it every day with God's Children.
 love you and miss you all!    Love, Sister Haws