Sister Kaeley Haws and Mission President Hall and his wife

BEFORE YOU ALL START READING, THE ADDRESS SHE GAVE US LAST WEEK WAS NOT RIGHT.   SO IT IS NOW CORRECTED IN HER ADDRESS INFORMATION ON THIS BLOG !!! 

Hey!! Yep it has been one month....actually more. this is the start of the 3rd week so it will be 6 weeks on Wednesday! It doesn't seem like it has been that long yet everyday is so long! I am really telling you, missionary time is super weird. But it is good. That means we can get a lot done in just a day. This last week has been....good....and hard. I am still not feeling a 100% better but I did finally talk to the mission nurse and got some antibiotics that seem to be helping but it has been a slow and honestly, frustrating recovery. It gets frustrating some days because I feel so great and just want to go go go and then out of no where I just feel horrible and end up having to lie down and just rest. I am trying to look at the positive and just keep praying that I will keep getting better and better each day! That is all I really can do. My companion just got sick and I feel kind of bad about that but she is recovering fast, which is good. We have done a lot of tracting this week. When I was in Oklahoma, I loved going out with the sisters there! I had so many good experiences! Here...not so much haha. I don't know if the people are just a little bit nicer in Oklahoma or what but we have had a few nice people here and there but most of them, slammed door, or just plain rude. We had one guy tell us to go mission somewhere else. We just laughed because we have no idea what that means at all. We had another lady step out side her door and tell us basically how stupid we were for believing in what we did and it was just silly. I just love it when people tell me what I believe! I shouldn't say that it has been bad because if anything it is a learning experience. But after that, I really struggling with the courage to go out again and knock on doors because you never know what is behind them. That is truly where trust in the Lord comes in so much and that is really all you can rely on.

 

We knocked (on her door) a lady that is from Persia and just so sweet. She keeps telling us that she believes everything that people tell her about religion and says she is already a Mormon at heart, which is pretty funny, but says not to get our hopes up. We just love her so much because she is such a neat spirit and she actually came to church on Sunday with us. She couldn't stay the whole time but we were just praying that church was something that would really push her to want to come and learn more! so that was a neat experience.

The area we are in, we finally feel that we are understanding where to go and finding people a little easier but I also know that Heavenly Father is helping us and blessing us to find these places. We haven't found a good place to do emails yet because we can't do them in a member's home so I am currently at the apple store in the mall! They let us email which is just great!!! hopefully next week we will have library cards and we can go there. We spend a good amount of time this morning cleaning the apartment because it was slightly nasty. The elders did pretty well cleaning but deep cleaning is a different story for sure! We are more in the run down part of town but it is pretty safe where we are at and we are in a gated community which is good.

We have zone meetings once a month and district meetings every week and zone conferences are, I think, every other transfer or something like that so not too often but district meetings are great because we receive more training that is really really helpful for the coming weeks.

My companion/trainer is still amazing and gets more and more amazing every day! I have learned so so much and can't believe that I still have so so so so so so much more to learn before she leaves!!!! its already week 3 of the first transfer! Time....just strange. :)

It has been super warm and hot here! very humid! it was a 109 the other day and reminded me of Oklahoma and working in the kitchen that was 91 all the time! I have adjusted pretty fast. There is a lot of smog here! some mornings are just gray but most mornings are just beautiful!

We had a lady giving a talk yesterday pass out right in the middle of it and it was super scary! she is doing ok and they think her blood sugars just got too low but talk about scary! just watching someone go down out of nowhere. just glad she is ok! My ward is still amazing! We went to a dinner and they served fish and I was like I can do it not a problem....that didn't end well. I was sick the rest of the night. so fish bad. haha

The work here is hard but great and I can feel something amazing is coming! we just have to keep going and working hard! It is great! This week has been a great week in learning about repentance. I make so so many mistakes each day and its hard to realize how much I need to improve and grow but I will tell you...The Atonement is so real! it makes up the difference when I can't and it makes ALL the difference. I just keep thinking " Why, why would Jesus Christ ever forgive me?" But my mission president said why wouldn't he? I cannot tell you how true that is...really! Jesus Christ dies for our sins for everything. Our short comings, weaknesses, everything and that truly shows how much he loves each and every one of us. and how much he truly knows us individually. The amazing thing about the atonement is that we just need to turn over ever part of ourselves to his and we can truly, and honestly be changed into someone more like him! It is just incredible. I hope everyone knows and understands that the atonement applies to everyone!!! not just some or another but everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well and Thanks again for the support love and prayers! they are truly felt! Its a great day to share the gospel where ever you are and with anyone your with!!! :) 

Love Sister Haws

 

First Letter From the Mission Field

Hey!!!

       Yep Mondays are my p-day! It has been pretty good. We are in the area of Chatsworth California. It is located in the San Fernando Valley. It is very very beautiful but differently different than Idaho and Utah. But there is a lot of mountains and we sit down in the very bottom of the valley. It has been rather warm the last few days. hit 101 the other day and that was kind of fun :) My trainer is Sister Mix and she is from Inkom Idaho! So pretty cool we are both from Idaho. She is completely amazing! I have already learned so much from her in just 6 days and I know I have so so much more to learn. If any of you have heard of the Term White washed for missionaries, then you know what is coming. Yep my first area I have been white washed. :) White washed is a term used by missionaries where they send two brand new missionaries into an area that neither of them have been before. Normally they keep one missionary and just transfer out one so at least one of them know what they are doing. So we have been put into the Chatsworth area with neither one of us know where to go or who is around so we have been using the maps like crazy!!! AND This area was switched from Elders to sisters AND we found out that the ward we are in has not had sister missionaries in over 10 years. No pressure right?!?! But it is super fun to basically just start from the ground up and learn everything new and figure out what we need to be doing in this area. So crazy, but I know that the Lord has a purpose in it. There is so much work to be done in this area this week will be mostly figuring out who is who and trying to get a hold of people and set up appointments. Our ward mission leader is brand new and so full of ideas and it will be great to work with him! Our apartment is pretty nice but a little dirty. But the elders that lived there before did pretty well in keeping it clean. I mean for elders that is. Haha jk that is not true. But we did spend some time cleaning. It was really really good to talk to both of you! It was good to know you are doing well. and that you miss me :) We actually, if we can find a member, we can Skype home for Christmas but I will let you know more about that when it gets closer.

       Yes, Sister Ruston was super sweet about it. I am not sure if I was suppose to do that but hopefully it was ok. Because there hasn't been sister missionaries in such a long time, people are extra excited to have us and we seem to have dinner with someone new everyday which is pretty nice because we live on such a small budget. It is definitely enough to get by but it is nice not to have to worry about some meals. And I haven't had anything strange yet so hopefully that streak will keep coming!!! The people in our ward are amazing. They are mostly older with a few young families but so sweet and thoughtful. It will be great to work with them. I am in a car area which really is a huge blessing to me because I am still fighting my cold or whatever it is. There are some days that are pretty tiring and being on a bike would be rough ! So I am extremely grateful that the Lord is looking out for me! Missionary time is so so weird and other missionaries will understand. The days are so so long yet the weeks just fly by and days no longer matter. The only day I can really know is Sunday! So it is weird, but good.

        I just want to thank my family and friends for all the support and love and prayers because I truly feel the power of prayer and I know Heavenly Father helps and hears those for the missionaries. And not just us. EVERYBODY! I know he hears prayers. I have felt that so much in the last 4 weeks. The Lord definitely has his hand over missionary work! it is far too organized to not be. and now I am going into missionary mode. NEVER be afraid to share your beliefs and testimony with those around you. They need to hear it and you never know who is ready for the gospel. I just encourage any of you that read this to pray for a missionary moment and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He will truly tell you when and who you need to talk to. Even if its just a hi and The lord loves you! You will be surprised what will happen.

      You probably saw that I didn't have to buy a bike yet and I am hoping I won't have to even if I get put in a bike area. I think I can borrow a bike from someone who isn't in a biking area if I do but I know I will be in Chatsworth for at least 12 weeks. If not longer where this is my trainer's last 2 transfers and she is with me the whole time. My address is 1025 De Soto Ave. #127 Chatsworth, CA 91311. If you would just make a post on facebook with this address on it so people know where to send it. They can still send stuff to the mission office but it takes a while to get to me since someone from our district has to go up there and it kind of varies how often that happens. My blankets and stuff all got here and it was so nice to have them and something familiar. Plus I love that blanket.

     Its funny you brag out peach clobber because I actually ate some homemade the other day as well. So in your face :) totally kidding.

 

     I am so sorry to hear about Ross Clements and my thoughts are with their family. That is exciting about a new bishop! I didn't realize that bishop lundin had been in so long already! but that is good.

 

     You can send me pictures to my email. I don't have a way to print them out but I would like to see any pictures you take of family and such and Raini's senior pictures of the course! (I am sending home an sd card with my pictures from the MTC on them. You can pick some and put them up. 

 

     I am so glad grandpa is doing well and I hope grandma is doing ok as well. Please give them my hugs and love and tell them they are in my thoughts! and thank grandma for the letter .

     Well better get going! I love you both so very much and miss you lots! I can't wait to hear from you!!!... love you lots

Sunday September 9th 2012

All this week since Kaeley flew out to California I have been just  so anxious to hear from her on her next P-day to know what town she is serving in, who her new companion is, how she is doing and all that stuff a mom wants to know and the wait has been LOONNGGG !!!  

   After I got out of church today I recieved a phone call on my cell phone from a number I did not recognize so I answered it and there was a sweet voice on the other end that said, " Hello Sister Haws, my name is Sister Ruston and I am calling to tell you that your daughter is doing well and is happy and give you a report on her and tell you our ward is going to take good care of her."   I was a little surprised by this call.  She continued on to tell me that Kaeley was in their ward today and bore her testimony and seemed like such a nice young lady.  When she was visiting with Kaeley after church she asked her how long she had been out, when Kaeley replied only 5 days this nice lady asked her if her mother knew where she was ???  hahahaha. I thought that was pretty cute.   So Kaeley told her that she had not had a p-day yet to write to us and let us know where she was, so Sister Ruston told Kaeley to give her our phone number and she was going to call us and tell us where she was because she had sent her sons out on missions and knew how important it was for parents to know where their Missionaries are serving as soon as possible !!  She told Kaeley that she would call because she is "legal" to do that, Kaeley is not !!  That was funny too :)  It was good to hear where she is and that all is well and she is loving it there.  Kaeley is living in the town of Chatsworth and the ward she will attend is in Northridge.  We should get an e-mail possibly tomorrow with more information from Kaeley.  

AND SHE'S OFF !!!

                       Kaeley is officially out of the MTC and on her way to sunny California !! 
      We got  a phone call from her at 10 a.m. from the Salt Lake airport, she flies out at 11:15 a.m. and will arrive into Burbank California about 1 p.m..   She is excited and also nervous to get out in the mission field and apply all the things she had learned in the MTC.   She said she loved the experience in the MTC and will miss being there, but won't miss the food :) and will be glad to get into an apartment and cook her own food !! 



     She said it was a little wierd to leave there after being in such a protected and spiritual environment these last 3 weeks and go out in to the "real world".  

     She is excited to meet her new Mission President and his wife and find out where she will be serving and who her first companion will be.  She loves that her whole district of 16 missionaries she had in the MTC is going out with her today to California.  

     It was so good to hear her voice, she sounded happy and said she is happy and is so glad she is there and doing what she is doing.  

     Now we are anxious to get her next letter to hear where she is, so now we wait .........

Hey!!!!!! Well I made it another week!!!! Yippee!!!! So glad that I have too! It has been very hot and humid here surprising or maybe its just me but it is good preparation for California! We fly out next Wednesday! I believe my flight is at 11:15 but they said if we had time we can call home so I am getting a calling card so expect a phone call! I am not sure how much time I will have but I will definitely try! This week has been much harder in a different way. It has been very trying in the sense of my testimony and what I really know. We have to be converted to the gospel before we can convert others so I believe that is what the Lord is doing with me. At least I hope so because there have been days that I have felt that i was dragged through the mud. That sounds rather bad and it hasn't been but sometimes it just gets so overwhelming. But something good always comes of it. And they were not kidding that the spirit is draining!!! I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life! Seriously. I sleep really well at night but it never seems like enough yet I just keep pressing forward and thats all you really can do but that is what I love so much. I love getting to wake up and get ready and put my name tag on and get ready to work!!!! I am recently been fighting a cold which has not made it easy to work hard. Sunday was the worst day and I ended up going back to our room for just a nap so I could make it because I had no energy. I am still fighting it and it is slowly going away but is taking a while but that is ok. Just keep Pressing forward!

      Tell Grandma that she is in my thoughts and prayers at this time of Randy's passing! I am sorry to hear that but it sounds like it will be a better situation for him and everyone! I can only imagine how great he feels! probably jumping and skipping and running because he can! I know it is still hard but it is a good thing!
    I am SO glad Grandpa is home!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just smiled for hours that he can be somewhere not so dingy and can heal faster!!! I hope his spirits are good and I love him and miss him lots!!!
   How are all the kids and Wes and Alyssa doing?!?!? I hope they are all doing well and give them a big hug from me!!!!

 *************** I fly out next wednesday on the 5th so if anybody is sending a letter and it won't get here before wednesday either use dear elder or send it to California!

   I normally spend about 8 hours a day in a classroom and we have the same two teachers that just switch off. I love class but sometimes it is so long!! especially after you have eaten and just sitting there. its hard not to fall asleep and I am sad to say I have fallen asleep a couple times during personal study but it was while i was sick so its a good excuse :) or at least i like to think so! We actually teach our teachers and they are a couple of our investigators. They make up a profile of someone the knew or know and then become them when we teach them. I love teaching so much! Sometimes it is really hard and we struggle but I am so glad we get to do that in the MTC and not out in the field. WE learn SO much of what not to do and it really helps. We also go to a thing that is called TRC Less active or a referral where we teach real people who haven't been to church in a while or who are investigating the church. Every experience we have had with that has been so good and it is great to see that the tools they are teaching us actually work!!!!
    I guess I never really knew what missionary work was all about. It has not been what I expected. I love it! I wish everybody could just come for a week to the MTC and see what it is all about. I think if people actually knew how we were taught to teach...their view of Mormon missionaries would change alot.
    Our purpose is to invite others to come to Christ by helping them to receive the restored Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end.
     They make us memorize this passage and that is how we teach and learn to teach by. We are inviting others to come to Christ and sometimes people won't want to be apart of the church but all we can do is to bring them closer to Christ. That is our purpose. Not to get a million people Baptized and That is why I love that and why I wish everyone knew that that was the purpose of a missionary.
    You might be getting another box of some stuff from me. It has been good to see what I will wear and what is easy to wear because some mornings you are just so tired, you just don't care what you look like. You still look good but you know what I mean.
     Thank you for sending my stuff to California. It will be nice to sleep in my own sheets and with my own blanky !!!!.
    We have been getting miny thunderstorms here the last couple of nights and it has been lovely! I love the Rain.
     Every p-day we get to go to the temple and the Provo temple is so beautiful! probably my new favorite temple. Seriously! If you ever have the chance go through it!!!
     Is rachel engaged yet? :) how is missy? any more baby cows? Sorry to hear about rickys foot that really stinks! I hope it heals fast.  Glad your football season is starting up again! Give you something to look forward to!
     We had an experience the other day teaching one of our Teachers as an investigator and we had no idea what to teach her and just went in prepared with the best we had and Some how it completely turned around and was the best lesson we had ever taught and our teacher even told us that. We walked out and were just like what just happened!.... in a good way. I started crying just because I realized that that was what missionary work was all about!
     It is a great place to be and a great time to be here! I miss you so very much mom and dad!!!! Thank you for the love and support you show!!! I am so grateful for everything My Heavenly Father has given me and just look forward to the good and bad times in the next few months!!!!! I know I am where I need to be, helping the people I can! I keep you in my prayers!!!! I love you both and cant wait to hear from you soon! (before Tuesday :) ) all My love!!!! Sister Haws...aka...kaeley....aka.....your bestest Daughter :) mahahahaha love you

KAELEYS FIRST E-MAIL FROM THE MTC !!

HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

     How are you both doing?!?! I miss you so very much! I am doing pretty well!!! I have officially made it a week in the MTC. I think that is quite an accomplishment! The first day was so overwhelming and so good! Later that night it really hit me where I was and I kind of had a ruff time but that is when I could really feel my savior's love for me and i knew i was were i needed to be. I love it here. The spirit is so strong and overwhelming and it is amazing! I just love it! I am so grateful that I am here and I thank heavenly Father every day for this chance to serve. My life has already been changed and its only been a week! Our days are so busy. We are scheduled every minute of every day but that is kind of nice because I am pretty sure I would be so lost! I feel like i have gained about 20 million pounds because there is an endless amount of food and all we do it sit all day long and learn. which is great but I love gym time! LOVE IT. It is so nice to get out and just sit in the sunshine and enjoy it! My companion is awesome! her name is Sister Scrivner and she is my complete opposite but in a very good way. She has strengths that I don't and I have already learned so much from her. She is amazing! My district is composed of 4 sisters and 7 elders all of which are awesome! And we are so very blessed because my entire district is all going to the same mission at the same time and That is very very rare here at the MTC so we are so blessed and we just all get along so great! I just love them and there spirit. Elder Hansen is even in my district as well so its cool to have two of us from Idaho but he couldn't remember my last name so I was sister Rexburg for a day! made me laugh.

The food here isn't too bad. I mostly just eat salads and soups because everything else is sometimes questionable. :) I did see Aleesha'a brother Brock and I didn't really recognize him until after so I never said hi but it was kind of cool to see him. I hope grandpa is doing better and I hope grandma is doing well as well! I am so sorry to here about Randy and Please know that him and the family are on my mind and prayers!

Sounds like you had a blast cooking beans all the time. I guess we should have picked them before I left so I could help you out a bit!

How is work going dad? I hope everything is going great for you! I love you and miss you both so very much! I thank you for your sacrifice that you have given to get me here and just know that I truly appreciate it and there is no place I would rather be! And that goes for everyone who is such a great support here to me! It is so nice to have this much support and know and feel the love and prayers of my family!

My day normally starts at 6 in the morning and goes till 1030 at night. so it makes for a pretty long day and it is good because I sleep very well at night and I was a little worried that I couldn't sleep because I am such a light sleeper but that is definitely a blessing from the Lord that I can. We have breakfast at 730 lunch at 1215 and dinner at 515. We have devotionals on Sundays and Tuesdays and this last Tuesday Neil L. Anderson came and spoke to us and it was an amazing talk! WE got to sing for President Monson since it was his birthday! which was really neat. It was also really neat to hear all the young men sing called to serve him in this huge hall. It almost made me cry it was so powerful! I have two teachers that are so amazing and are awesome at what they do! I love them alot and it will be sad to say goodbye to them. Thank you for sending Tyler's letter back to him.

I have p-days on Thursday and only have 30 minutes for email so it is good to use dear elder while i am in here so i have more time to write to you. I hope all the kids are doing well and I miss them lots!

Oh and there is a package coming in the mail for you. I am sending some clothes home and I am also sending some letters for people that I don't have addresses for in the family so if could get them to them just when you see them that would be wonderful!!!

Things are just amazing here and the lord really does have his hand over the MTC. I have been blessed above measure and I am eternally grateful to him and to all of you who have helped me to get to this point.

It has been difficult adjusting to having someone with you 24/7 but it is getting easier and kind of nice as well!!!

Let me know how everyone is doing and I love you all!!!! I miss you very very much! and I will try to write more next week!!!! Thanks again for everything!!! love you mom and dad very very much! Love Sister Haws aka Kaeley aka Your wonderful Daughter :)