Hi Family! (From email of 2-2-2014
Another
week is over. It is just so, so crazy how fast time flies by. I can't even keep
track of it anymore! But this was a really good week. I feel like I am learning
so much personally. So during my personal study this week, I realized that I
need to apologize to all of you! (I don't remember how I started thinking of
that, but it’s true I do!) I just want to say sorry for all the things that
have let you down or disappointed you or made you worry about me! I know I made
a lot of mistakes and I am sorry!
So I
hear we won the Super Bowl! Yay! Haha I am so excited about that! I love
Seattle! It was awesome I got to talk to more people because I would just bring
out Seattle. This week was a really good week, but to be honest I can't
remember much what happened...
On
Tuesday we went to the Gilbert Temple open house with the Familia Uribe.
Anyways, holy cow I have never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. It
is the most beautiful temple I have ever seen. The spirit there was so great. I
had the biggest smile on my face the whole time. The whole family we went with
felt the spirit too. They were blown away. They said the higher and higher they
got, the closer and closer they felt to God. It is such a miracle. Their hearts
are starting to be softened. I was nervous that it wouldn't be a powerful
experience for them, but we just kept praying it would touch their hearts and
it definitely did.
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| Hna. Groll & Natalie at the Gilbert Temple Open House |
Another
miracle! After our lesson with Steve on Sunday about keeping the Sabbath day
holy, we came back on Wednesday and he had found a new job where he doesn't
have to work Sundays and he has more time to meet with us! Such a miracle!
Thanks for praying for him! We weren't really able to meet with him much
though, but hopefully we can meet with him more this week and set up a
baptismal date with him! He is so ready! He could do it this weekend if he
agreed to it and felt ready. Since this is my last week here (most likely), I
selfishly hope he will agree to this weekend, but we will see what happens! As
long as he is able to come into Gods fold through this sacred covenant, that's
all that matters. He is a very faithful guy.
We
taught Marta the law of chastity this week. The lesson went well, but
unfortunately her son was crying the whole time so it was hard to concentrate
or feel the spirit very strong. She is so faithful though. I love her so much.
We encouraged her to pray about it and ask God what was important to Him and
what he wanted her to do. I pray that she had the confirmation from God that
it's what she needs to do.
On
Saturday Karen was asked to bare her testimony at stake conference. She did
such a great job. I started crying as she spoke. It was just so inspiring to
hear the strength of her testimony, what the gospel has done in her life, and
how important it is to her. She is truly converted. I just feel so
overwhelmingly blessed to be able to have played a part in it.
We are
trying to find more people to teach right now and really looking for the
prepared. We are trying to talk to everyone. God is putting prepared people on
our path! I realized last night,that I am just so blessed to be able to serve.
Just anyone I can help in the littlest way is such a huge blessing. Because of
the mantel of my calling, I am able to help people and it is the best! Just
yesterday we had a simple conversation with someone and she said that she loved
the aurora we brought and that we made her night. I just love to be able to be
a tool in God's hands to bless His children. I have realized lately that I am a
bit of a whiner/complainer but I am so blessed! Luckily I seriously have the
most chipper/positive companion you could ever imagine and she's been a great
example. She is helping me to become more positive and look for the bright side
of things first! She is also a great example to me of patience, which is
something else I am trying to work on. Life is just so much happier and
brighter when you love your life following Christ example. No matter what
situations you go through, it is better, more enjoyable, and happier as you
face life full of hope, faith and patience for the future. I know that God loves
me and that all that happens in my life is part of His plan. I just need to do
my best and trust in him. His perfect plan will unfold in my life, and He will
make all my efforts worth it. I just have to do my best to serve and. Follow
him and use the Atonement to overcome my weaknesses and sins.
I am
trying to get better at teaching by the Spirit as well. Each person that we
teach has personal needs and problems we are going through, and I don't know
what they are. I know that our message is true and that it will help them, but
I don't know how to help them see that. After having taught the message of the
restoration, unfortunately I found myself kind of starting to present it in a
routine. So I am really trying to listen to the investigator and to the Spirit
to know better what to say and how to help them. We were teaching a new
investigator the other day and she was listening but didn't seem too involved
or interested. So I just asked God what she needed to hear to help her see the
importance of our message. It hit me that she needed to know that this would be
something that would bless her family. As I started testifying of how the
gospel blesses families, tears came to her eyes. The Spirit really touched her
heart. She began telling us how she grew up without religion and did not want
that for her kids. She seemed so much more interested in our message and more
eager to read the Book of Mormon. I pray that I can continue developing this
skill because it really makes all the difference. I know that the message I
have to share is SO important and every single person needs it. I just have to
follow Gods guidance to help other people see that.
It is
so crazy to me that this is probably my last week here in Liahona 3rd
Ward. So bittersweet. I love this place so much. I love the people so much. But
it will be great to start a new adventure too! I just am so grateful for all
the people here who have touched my life and I hope and pray that I have/will
continue to make a positive impact in this area. I just want to do the lords
work the very best that I can.
Oh and
I have started to get a cold... Not too bad but hopefully it goes away soon! I
love you and miss you all so much! I am so grateful for your support and really
couldn't do it all without you! Thanks for loving me and encouraging me and for
helping me my whole life long, love you tons,
Com
mucho amor,
Hermana
Haynes
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| Gilbert Temple Open House |
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