God Always Fulfills His promises

Hi family!           (Email 6-16-14) 

Another great week here in Mesa, Arizona, but let’s be honest, when is it not a great week? I really have the best job in the whole world. Hmm we had all sorts of stuff this week. But all of it was kind of the same, just a bunch of different little experiences. I don't know what to share.

We did A LOT of contacting this week. Lots of doors that we knocked on and everything. Need to find new investigators. (and we found 6! Yay!) After a couple of not so successful days of it, I started to go a little crazy, but don't worry I got it figured out. Haha just had to strengthen my faith a little bit. But now I am trying to grow it stronger and stronger. We were praying for guidance on what more we could do to help this area progress, and then on Saturday we got a call from our sister training leaders asking if we could fast together and then do a blitz together on Sunday evening! (A blitz is when you have 2 companionships together in the one area and just go contact like crazy.) So that was a huge answer to our prayers.

So we did it yesterday, and it went super well. I went with Hna Coy and we took the south, and then Hna Cude and Hna Hurd took the north. We just contacted some potential and former, investigators and asked everyone outside where their Spanish speaking neighbors live, etc.

Hna Coy is super great. I learn so much from her. She is really good at contacting people, so it was good to learn from her. I am a bit awkward at it haha. But I learned a lot from her techniques and super positive, faithful attitude, so now I can do even better at it! I was really grateful for them. There really is so much potential here in this area.

Yesterday we also had a first lesson with an investigator named Gloria, and it went so well. We had been trying to have a lesson with her for a while, but she's hard to find home. We finally found her, and were able to teach the Restoration to her. She basically said she already knows it is true! (I am convinced that the whole world knows the church is true, they are just in denial to themselves). So yes, that's our blitz story. It was fun. I actually really enjoyed it. And now we are going to rock this next transfer.

Speaking of next transfer... TRANSFER NEWS! haha ok are you ready? I am leaving Arboleda. And so is Hermana Hurd. But we are staying companions! We are going to go white wash an area in Liahona 1st ward together! Back to the land of the Mexicans! Yay! I AM SO EXCITED! It

is always bittersweet though, because it does mean that I have to say goodbye to all of these wonderful people here. I will miss the ward members (by the way, there were like 5 less active members at church on Sunday!! so made my day!) and the investigators and will really miss seeing these people progress. I am excited to be staying with Hna Hurd. I feel like we have more good to do together.

So Wednesday is transfers, so just like 1.5 more days here. It is going to be a great transfer. I want to apply all the really important things that I have learned here, and be the very best missionary that I can be. I just want to be a tool in God's hands so badly. I feel like here in Arboleda, it has been a time of great personal growth. God has taught me a lot of really important things. It hasn't been the easiest process, but it was great. You just have to love every single minute of it!

Ok I don't have a lot of time because I have to pack and clean the entire place, so I will just say a few random things we did: 

- watched a less active member rock her karaoke Christian songs with the music blasting. She          loved it. And so did we.

- went to Amanda's kid’s birthday party. It was a bit awkward because no one really wanted to talk to us except Amanda and they were almost all drinking and watching the World Cup.... But it was the only time we could see Amanda this week haha.

- sweated. sweated a little more. and sweated even a little bit more.

- taught lots of lessons! Yay!

- had an awesome training meeting that was all about being bold by an elder in our zone who is going home this week who used to be an assistant, so he really knows his stuff. I learned SO much. We watched some demos and did a lot of practices about things like being devastated when people don't keep their commitments to read, teaching the first vision, working with unmotivated members, inviting people to be baptized. I learned all about how boldness is not just something

you turn on when you think you need it, but it is a personality trait that we should be displaying all the time. We have the power and authority from God to be declaring this wonderful message!

- Natalia finally started reading! And she read a lot! It was such a miracle. She felt guided to a certain part of the Book of Mormon, where she read something that really helped strengthen her testimony.

- taught Lupita and Jime about repentance with Obispo Hidalgo. It went really well and they seemed to really understand it.

Well that's about it for this week. I have just been so impressed lately with God and the fact that He literally has a plan for every single one of our lives. I see it in my own life and in my investigators lives all the time, and it always amazes me. I can only see such a small little part, but He sees so much more and is always preparing us for the next thing to come. I am learning to trust Him more; to walk more by faith instead of by sight. I know that as we stay faithful and diligent, good things will come. God always fulfills His promises to us. Never doubt Him, and always live worthy to receive the blessings that He wants to give us.

I love you all so much and I am SO grateful for all you do for me!

Con amor,

Hermana Haynes

Ok, so Hna. Hurd doesn't take photos and I don't either, (I awlays stole them from my other companions), so this morning we took some random photos so I would have something to send to you.

But my goal for next transfer is at least one photo per day!