I Really Felt The Spirit As I Prayed

Hello again family!  (9-29-14 Email)

Time is just going by crazy fast. I can't even believe it. We had a good week this week. We have been focusing a lot on finding this week, and it is starting to really pay off. We have seen great blessings!

I went on two exchanges this week, so I felt like I didn't have a ton of time in the area, but thank goodness I have two companions to cover for me! My exchanges went really well. I had the first one with Hna Luna and Hna Embley, and then the next one with Sis T and Sis Grow. All four of those sisters are solid. They are dedicated and hard working, so the exchanges went really well. They don't even need me haha they know what they are doing, but I just hope I was able to uplift them and inspire them at least with some new ideas. I really love them all and I learned a lot from them and their happy dispositions! I hope I can find good ways to serve them. 

We got a few referals this week, so that was nice! One of them is for a 15 year old boy named Marco. He is an exchange student from Nicaragua  and is living with a member family! He is enrolled in seminary and is really enjoying it, and already came to church this week. He seems pretty interested, but we are just hoping that he doesn't feel obligated to learn because of the family he is staying with. But I think he is sincere, well as sincere as a 15 year old boy can be. He came to the Visitor's Center last night to watch  Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration and liked it. So it will be fun working with him! One of his "brothers" went on a spanish mission so he is always there with him. The only catch is with the program he is on, he cannot be baptized while he is here in america, but hopefully we can prepare him for when he goes home and then he can share it with his family!

The General Women's Conference was so great! Ellen and Jenny came, so we were happy! There was a huge rain storm with flooding streets right before it so it was a little bit of an adventure getting there haha. I loved what Pres Uchtdorf said in his talk, Live the Gospel Joyfully . Especially about how there is nothing we do to get blessings - God is constantly pouring them down upon us, we only put up an "umbrella" at times by our doubts, sins, disobedience, etc.

Anyway, after the conference we had a few hours without any plans, and honestly I did not have much hope for the night. I thought it was going to be a few hours of driving around and knocking doors. But then the Spirit told me I needed to change my thinking. So I decided to start my fast, and in addition pray that I might have faith to expect great things for the night and to believe that we would find good people. I really felt the spirit as I prayed. Then right after that, I pulled out the map to figure out how to get to the next house we were going to, and while I was searching, a street popped out at me -  a street that I had looked for earlier in the day but could not find anywhere so I assumed it must not be in our area. So we decided to stop by the other house on the way to where we were going. As soon as we got there, the mom invited us in right away, as if she had already met us before. Her name is Sabrina. And she and her family are SO prepared! Especially her 12 year old daughter, Natalia. She had met with the missionaries in the 90's and still remembers how much she loved it. She talked about how she was searching for something to better guide her family, etc. Seriously so gooood. I cannot wait! It was a huge miracle and a huge answer to prayers. The FIRST house we knocked on after I prayed. It is so obvious that God wants to bless us. And that He hears our prayers. Even the simple ones. 

Church went super good yesterday Ellen came and felt so much more comfortable this week. And so did Audrey, an investigator who married a member, and we are teaching her. (part of the Gonzales family - a huge family in the ward that we work with a lot.) And then the Gonzales' came to Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration, last night too. We are trying to teach their daughter's boyfriend so he came. But he lives just barely outside of the ward boundaries... but basically lives at their house and would go to church with them. Anyways. 

Right when we walked out of the movie, guess who I saw? MANUEL! Such an answer to an unsaid prayer.  I had been worried about him and I haven't had a way to contact him. So I was able to give him a little encouragement. I was really grateful for that. 

Oh and today President Jenkins told us that we will be able to go to the Pheonix temple open house! Can you believe that? Two open houses in one mission? How blessed am I? It opens Oct 10th!! And we get to watch the move, "Meet The Mormons ," haha I am so excited for that. You better be talking to everyone about that!!!! Put it on FB and make it big and everything. 

Well, this week I was asked to give a talk on charity in District meeting, so I have been studying it a lot for the past two weeks. I have learned so much. I especially enjoyed studying the talk, "The Merciful Shall Obtain Mercy," by Pres Uchtdorf. It just taught me a lot about having a pure love for people and always giving people the benefit of the doubt. Wish I had time to explain more, because I seriously learned a lot! Moroni 7 is always good as well!

Love you so much! You are the best! Hope you have a great week!

Con amor,

Hermana Haynes

Exchanges with a mini van!