Adventures in Mesa: God Sent Us To Them For A Reason

Hola Familia Y Amigo! (8-26-14 Email)

We had such an amazing week this week! We kept busy!! Just a bunch of inspiring things happened. I don't know where to start haha.

This week I had 3 exchanges with the sisters that I am over, so I wasn't in my area very much. I am grateful that I can count on Hna. Hurd to handle things without me. She took good care of our area, but I feel like I haven't seen our investigators very much because of it!

However, although we had little time in our area, we were able to find 8 new investigators this week. MIRACLES. I have to tell you about one family, because they are so special to me. Their names are Gregoro y Mandi. They have 3 young kids. Sunday we went to visit Anna and to encourage her to go to church. While we were out we invited this random man to come to church with us. He said he would (but he didn't) He lived in apt #7 in front of the red truck. So after church we went to visit him because he wasn't there. When we got there,the red truck was gone and we couldn't find an apt #7. So we started knocking, in a few different complexes, any door that had a 7 in the number haha. (we found a guy that just moved here from Vietnam and I was wishing you were there to translate Ti! All I could remember was how to say thank you haha.) Anyways, by the 4th door, Gerardo answers and tells us he doesn't like going to church, but then invites us in. He told us he was doing "mas o menos" and we asked why. He said he has been feeling weird vibes lately and that they had been fighting more in their family lately. We promised them the gospel would bring them light and peace to their family and that this was what they needed to find what they were looking for.

We asked to sing a hymn and sang Nearer My God to Thee.By the end, Mandi was in tears. The Spirit was so strong. We had to run to dinner, but we invited them to watch the Joseph Smith movie: Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Resoration with us that night at the Visitor's Center and they said they would. So they never showed up for the movie, but Craig came and enjoyed it. Right as we were done talking to Craig, Gerardo and Mandi walked into the Visitor's Center with their family.

We didn't have much time, but we walked them through "God's Plan for His Family" (a really cute video type thing that basically shows a normal family living the gospel), and they absolutely loved it. We talked a little bit about temples/eternal families/the Restoration.

The Spirit was seriously so strong. And they told us that we were angels sent to them from God, that we had showed up in the middle of a big fight, and that they know that God sent us to them for a reason.

Please pray for them. They are so wonderful. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father knows each of us and sets up the way to put the people that we need on our paths. He truly does have His hand in the details of our lives. So often we overlook it, but He is so involved with us individually.

The exchanges this week went very well. I went to their areas and so I got to do English work for my first time! It is very different than Spanish work, but I enjoyed it. We ran into some Spanish speakers while we were out, so I was able to talk with them too. The sisters that I work with are so great. They are in different situations, and some of them are really going through a hard times right now. I am trying to figure out what I can best do to help them and strengthen them. I think talking with them through the exchange and helping them see things through a different perspective and come up with new ideas/solutions really helped. It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know the sisters better.

Exchanges with Sis. T & Sis. Grow

Dad, you asked what exactly I do as an Sister Training Leader. I am over two companionships and my companion, and I are basically here to help handle any "sister issues" (things that would be inappropriate to have their District Leaders or Zone Leaders help with - companion struggles, whatever it may be). I do trainings through exchanges and anything else that might be helpful for them. Normally I call up and check on goals and progress. I can also help train on other things as well if they need it such as planning, finding, etc. Honestly, still trying to figure out exactly what I am supposed to do and how to best do it because I didn't really receive any training on this assignment and can't talk about it too much with my comp because I have to keep things confidential. I think I am starting to get a better idea, but wish I could have gotten more involved at the beginning of the transfer. But we can't be perfect from the beginning, right? I just really want to help and serve these sisters, to uplift and inspire them. They are all so great.

Ok I know this email is super long, but we just had a great week! And it's not done yet haha. Yesterday we had MLC and Mission Tour with Elder Schwitzer and his wife from the Quorum of the 70. I can't even explain how amazing it was. I feel so blessed to have 2 intimate trainings with General Authorities within 2 weeks. I am learning so much. I wish I could explain and share everything that I learned, but yesterday I was in meetings for 8 hours, and it is pretty hard to reiterate all of that. Ultimately, what I learned was the importance of truly having unconditional love for other people. And with that love, I must listen sincerely to every word that they say, and have every word that comes out of my mouth mean something. I need to give more of myself to them. Listening and speaking with love and sincerity is a powerful tool. It's how human souls interact and touch one another. And as we can show these people just how much their souls mean to us, they will be able to see that. And as they feel that the words that I speak come from the conviction of my soul, it will touch their soul. I feel like I learned things that I cannot teach, and I am still trying to absorb it all. I am so grateful for these special opportunities.

I feel so humbled by the great love that Heavenly Father has for me and for each of us. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and our personal Savior as well.

I love you and am so grateful for each and every one of you! (and thanks for reading this whole thing!)

Con amor, Hermana Haynes