CHRISTMAS! :) singing loud! spreading cheer!‏

Hello my sweet family! And Merry Christmas! Wow! I cannot believe that time has just flown and that Christmas is this Friday... It’s going to be weird but awesome to see your smiling faces! We are going to a member’s home to Skype and it doesn't matter which one you use... whichever one gets the better reception/connection... ha-ha! We will give her your # so that she can coordinate with you to get everything set up. I love you guys and hope that you like the package... I did get your package and I love the boots! (I hope it was ok that I open it... there were things wrapped and things not so I figured it was.) I also got a package from Dane and Beth and from Tutu :) so that was good.

Yes our mission is having a party all day tomorrow where we take pictures and then our zones have a temple session at different times and then we are having a dinner and then doing like a white Christmas video with all the pictures of the baptisms and then we do cinnamon rolls and hot coco and we do this balloon thing where we release a balloon for every convert of this year... which right now is roughly 471...! Our goal was 500! And we are going to reach it! I know it! So that will be awesome! We are super excited! Christmas eve we get to go caroling.

This week was awesome! Yesterday we got to sing a duet in one of our wards and it was called "Holy Child". Everyone said it was really good! And then last night we were able to have the Christmas concert/devotional. SO. MANY. PEOPLE. CAME. It was packed! they opened up the gym and then they opened up the stage, and then people were even standing on the sides... the spirit was so strong and there's no doubt in my mind that angels were with us. Music really brings the spirit and it can touch the hearts and lives of so many people.

On Saturday, we were able to go to a boutique and have a little stand there. (think of Stansbury days-with all the tents and things) that's what it was but miniature and we had Book of Mormon's out and we had a poster sign that said, "the book is blue, the church is true, Jesus loves you!" it was a lot of fun and the members who live there, brother and sister Reed, are just awesome and he told us a bunch of stories and it was just cool.

Other than that we had a super huge miracle where a woman referred herself... ask me about that on Christmas and I’ll tell you the story.

Maybe I should write down some questions.... that's a good idea... well...

I guess I’ll see you in a few days...merry CHRISTmas!   I LOVE YOU!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Yoo Hoo! Hi family! :) 18 days till Christmas!

2015 years ago, a Savior was born. Why do you all think a Savior was born?

What does it mean to you to know that he lives? That he was born for you?

I love the new video the church put out. Have you guys seen it yet? It gives me the chills every time. Also I just love Christmas. I love that we get to share the message of Christ’s birth with everyone. It brings joy to people’s lives.

I also loved the Christmas Devotional I loved how the underlying theme was Hope. Hope and Peace. Because a Savior was born, there is hope. The world doesn't have to be dark. Yes there is darkness, but the Light of Christ can chase away that darkness and bring peace to our hearts.

Christ is the reason for our rejoicing. I also liked how L. Whitney Clayton talked about how the shepherds were sore afraid and how the angel said to "fear not." I think I would have been a bit startled too but that we should fear not, because a savior was born and he was the one to help us overcome fear and to make it so that the world was not completely full of fear... but that there is hope! There is happiness! There is reason to rejoice! :) So remember the reason for the season and remember that a savior was born for you so that you didn't have to fear. So that you would not be alone in this life. That is my testimony to you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

So this week was awesome. Bobby was baptized and confirmed! Super cool! Here’s a pic. 

These are all the missionaries he went through... sister Seyboldt and I, sister Hendrick and I and then sister Hendrick and Sister Henderson. It was so awesome. I got to conduct the music and of course I’ve been getting over a cold so at the end of the closing song I like died coughing. But it was ok. Also my hair is getting sooooo long. Except just long to me because it’s been a while sense it’s been this long. Anyways... that was exciting...

This weekend we have the Cooks baptism. Julia (the mom) and Caity (the 12 yr old daughter). They already had their interview and everything! So we are super excited!

I got your package and I loved it! It was so cute! I tried those allergy meds and I couldn't really tell if they worked cause of my cold but from what I could tell it was awesome! Thanks! And I am working on getting a package together to send home to you guys for Christmas. I’ll probably try to get it in the mail real soon.

Well! That’s all folks! I will send more pictures of the baptism and other random pictures.

Thank you so much for the support you guys give me and all the love. I seriously feel your prayers! It’s awesome! Also send me ALL of the family photos you want because my sacrifice is done :) it’s the end of yet another transfer in the greatest mission in the world.

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!

Keep smiling :) keep being awesome.
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Happy Thanksgiving

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone... I also can’t believe that I entered the MTC 7 months ago yesterday... I am such an oldie shmoldy to the sisters that I live with who are all like 3-4 months old... anyways... wow... what a week. Ok so we had an awesome Thanksgiving. We go to stop by a lot of people and eat some yummy food :) My favorite was the Armstrong’s pumpkin pie. mmm. It was like a melt in your mouth delicious pie. Anyways... I really enjoyed thanksgiving. But the day after was a bit rough... Sister Condie got a stomach bug and was not feeling well the next few days so we took a day to let her rest and sleep. Then she was feeling better yesterday so we go to go out and work. And it was funny because I feel like President Nattress foretold this at interviews. We were talking in my interview and he said something about how some missionaries will just get so so sick for a couple days after cause of all the food but I don't think that was it I think she got it from something or someone because we didn't even really eat a lot. Anyways... Other than that, interviews were awesome. Our week was awesome.

 Owens baptism was great and he wasn't scared at all! It just goes to show that the Lord was watching out for him and the spirit was calming him so that was good. Here is a picture!

Other than that, the cook family, who walked in and asked to be baptized are doing good and their baptism date is for the 8th of December. They are so golden it’s awesome! Well... I love you guys so so much! Sorry that this week was kind of boring... but we are doing good and we are alive! So ... that's awesome. Love you! Have a good last day of November and put that darn tree up! ;) Ha-ha! Everyone here has already had theirs up for a month! Yes we do do a Christmas concert and I am hopefully going to be singing! Also!!!! Have you guys seen the new Christmas video?? #ASaviorIsBorn ! Go look it up!!!! It’s AWESOME ! I LOVE IT! We will also find ways to serve this holiday season! I love you mom! Can’t wait to see/talk to you!

Ok... well... I love you guys. Bye... :)

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond

Pig feet stew... no thank you!

Oh mom! You are so cute and you make me so happy!

Yes I did get the package!

Yes everything fit ok but I think you may have forgotten to put an elastic waistband in one of them...?

Of course I am sharing the treats!

And yes last week was a good week. This week will be equally awesome because 1.) Thanksgiving=Good food and PIE and 2.) Owens baptism on Saturday! Yay!

We are starting to work more and more with potentials and the Cooks came to church yesterday so that was awesome! We meet with them on Tuesday night so that will be good!

The elders stopped by to pump up their tires?? That’s awesome that Tyler likes hanging around them! I wish you guys had sisters... sisters are awesomer ;)

I am staying warm not that I have a super cute sweater and cardigan! And I guess my blood has just thinned out so much from 115 all day that when it’s down to below 70 it’s chilly...

That will be really nice to go to Vegas. I bet you are excited to get out of the snow! Ha-ha

My cyst is fine. It doesn't bother me too much anymore...

Mom I love you. You are a sweetheart and a wonderful example. You’ve helped me through so much! KEEP SMILING! KEEP BEING AWESOME! (I didn't realize that was in all caps but I kind of like it so I’m gunna leave it. :)

Dad- That is a good topic to talk on. The hope of the gospel is so profound. I have seen the gospel change lives. And it is through faith and hope and I just love that the central message of everything we teach is about Christ. He gives hope. He is the light which shines in the darkness and he is the one that has paid the price for our sins, mistakes and weaknesses. Through his grace we can be saved. Through his grace we can be changed. I love that. He did so much for you and for me and for every other human on this earth weather they like it or not. It is through him that all mankind may be resurrected from a mortal, to an immortal state. Because of Him, we all will live. We all can feel the hope of his atonement as well live his gospel and accept and apply the atonement, and through faithfulness to the commandments and his teachings, we can be healed and cleansed. ... There’s my 2 cents. And don't worry about me being fed. We already have 4 families feeding us... we are going to be STUFFED. I also really love that scripture and one that I am going to start thinking about this week is 1 Nephi 18:16. Thoughts? Comments? Experiences? I want to hear more about your mission and the things you experienced as a 6 month missionary! You are an awesome bishop!

Now I can tell you about my week!

We didn't actually have too much going on this week besides exchanges and FHA. I was exchanging with Sister Koyle who is my sister training leader’s comp. My sister training leader is Sister Michaud (meshow) from Switzerland :) she’s a cutie. So I got to go be in FLORENCE! The Flo-zone! It was super cool! They literally get all of the miles. Cause it’s just farm and dirt roads. We visited a family clear out in the boonies and they said they have seen a mountain lion hanging around their house... NOPE! None of that. But Florence has like 7 prisons and I’m not even kidding. SEVEN.  It’s crazy. It reminds me of Grantsville except a bit more ghetto and really spread out...  but let me tell you all about sister Koyle! She is a sweetheart! She’s been out for as long as sister Condie and she lost her mom a month into her mission. Her mom died of injuries from a car wreck and she went home for the service and then chose to come back out. She has a lot of younger siblings and a couple older. But it was really hard on her family because her dad is a truck driver and so it’s hard for her. She talks to president a lot and occasionally goes to counseling. But she is the strongest missionary I know. I learned a lot from her.

FHA was good this week. They feed us yummy food and we got to play mafia! We had pazookies for dessert. Basically a big cookie with ice cream on it. mmm. Well... I think that is about everything besides these little tidbits I’m about to throw out,

-sister Condie and I get along really well and we hope to be together for a while :)

-my allergies are killing me. My nose and face itch so bad... is that even normal??? I don't know because I’ve never had allergies...

- At service down in Florence, the family was Mexican and fed us pig feet stew. Did I eat it? Yes. Did I like it? Mmm...nope. It’s a bit rubbery and also not bacon so... yep.

-Be NOT afraid, ONLY believe.
-keep smiling. Be believing. God loves you.

I love you!
-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond    

Another flat tire, no problem. She can fix it!

Bring the gospel to a cacti.

Chilly morning

Package day, hooray!

Cutting through the fields to save time.

Maybe that's why she keeps getting flat tires!

Their little Christmas tree decorated with name tags.

Cute companions!

I stole this picture off Facebook.  The cute girl on the right just got home from her mission in Portugal where she served with Anna's cousin.  She returned home to her ward that Anna's serving in and they'er going to go on splits together.  She's also the daughter of Bryan's cousin's wife's cousin (got that?? lol) Small world! 

Miracles, Miracles Everywhere!

Hello Family, Friends, and everyone that I love!

I hope everyone is doing well. I am going to apologize now, I do not have my camera cord to send pictures but thankfully some of the same pictures are on my comps camera so I’ll send those... :) But I have been taking more pictures! So this week was awesome... Let me start from last Monday and work my way up to this morning...

Monday: I got my hair trimmed! Sister Foster was kind enough to do it for free so that was a huge blessing! :) and we also thought we would have to go get new tires cause we were losing air, turns out it was just the weather. It’s starting to get "cold" down here and so they were just adjusting.

Tuesday: we tried to contact A LOT of people. You know, people on "the lists" (Part member families, over age youth, less actives, etc.) and we knocked on like 15 doors... and talked to 2 people... But one of those 2 people was a very inactive member, who we accidentally knocked into looking for another less active member... it was a miracle we found her. She let us right in and was super sweet. Her daughter had taken the missionary lessons and was not interested in being baptized but the person who baptized the mom and blessed all her kids’ lives in the ward!!! So hopefully we can get her back!

Wednesday: We were back on the bikes again! We haven't biked in almost 3 weeks! And so that was so so awesome! But... Sister Condie got a kind of flat tire... so we were in the area near a potentials house and decided we would try to stop by and see if they had a pump. They did! And they finally accepted a Book Of Mormon! (Just for historical purposes...) but ya know what, the spirit can work with that! Hopefully we will start teaching him and his family soon. :) That night we had a huge miracle... in prep for Owens baptism, we had to teach a lot of stuff jam packed into one lesson... so this is an autistic 10 year old and we are trying to keep his focus as much as possible, but we did it. We finished and he hopefully retained some of it... but next week he has his baptism interview and then we get baptized later that week so we are really excited! It will be my first convert baptism while I am in the area still :)

Thursday: not much happened. I got a flat bike tire again on Wednesday night and so we weren't biking. That was a bummer. But not much happened that day either. I think we knocked something like 20 doors...

Friday: Friday morning was interesting. we had service for a sweet Thai sister in our area and she is less active member only because she is home bound taking care of her elderly mother... and so we helped her out with her animals... something like 20 llamas, 30 alpacas and 10 miniature horses... and 6 emus and ducks and geese and lots and lots and LOTS of dogs.... she may or may not be an animal hoarder... but we helped her scoop poop and heard them into a different pasture so that was fun... I got to be a sheep dog. :) She has a few baby alpacas and we got to hold them :) super cute. Then we did weekly planning and Elder Evans was able to help me fix my chains/gears on my bike from when I fixed the tube... :)

Saturday: was awesome. We got trained by Elder Foster of the 70 who came down to do a mission tour. We were trained on how to work with members and how to make the work progress from where the missionaries do all the work, to where the members help the missionaries, to where the missionaries help the members. Really the members are to be doing all the work. We are just set apart to teach. If the members find us people to teach, we will teach them. We really on you guys for referrals and basically everything else. We are here to help you help yourselves and let you guys know that you can do it. That missionary work is not just for the "part time-full time missionaries". But you guys are the full time full time missionaries.

Later that day, I needed air in my bike tire as we were biking around contacting people, and so we thought we would stop by a less active family.  Their boys were outside and so we stopped to talk to them and ask them for a pump and they kindly did it for me... and then we asked if we could share a message. Turns out their 2 non-member friends were there also and so we are just sharing this message and they both accepted copies of the BOM. While we were praying with them in their driveway, this little friend of theirs, this little like 7 yr. old black kid just starts yelling at us and I don't ever remember what he was saying because I was trying so hard not to laugh! Something about Mormons and us being a cult and not believing in God and it kind of made me a little sad also... but mostly funny.

Sunday: The greatest miracle of all. The Lord has blessed us with a part member family, a mother and 2 daughters that want to be baptized. The dad is a less active member, but hopefully this will get him reactivated! We start teaching them on Tuesday even though they have had all the lessons :) so that was sweet!!!!! We are so excited. We know that as we put forth our best effort to work hard, the lord blesses us. Sister Condie and I are working so hard to get this area moving and we are sacrificing so much to be able to see success in this area... and it is raining down blessings. Literal rain as well though :) so that's awesome.

Today (Monday): We had breakfast at the Armstrong's, they cook for our whole zone every Monday morning :) and we had Scottish eggs... I don't know if any of you have ever had them... but just thinking about it clogs your arteries... and I had 3. basically it is a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, rolled in eggs and bread crumbs and then deep fried and then baked... mmmm... can you smell it? It’s wonderful!

Anywho... I am super excited to get my package today! Thank you mom so much for going through so much hard work to get it put together!!! I just love all that you guys do for me! You are wonderful and awesome! So keep being awesome!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Always :)

-Sister Anna Haymond 

Sister Haymond at the mail box

Sister Condie and Sister Haymond at a member's house for dinner

Follow the Prophet

Mom,

We heard about the new handbook change and thankfully it was a member and not some random Anti-Mormon on the street. I think it makes a lot of sense and I have definitely been thinking about how the Lord really is moving the work along through modern day revelation to the prophet. Which is awesome!!! I too love our prophet. We had a huge regional conference this Saturday and got to hear from Sister Reeves and Dallin H Oaks. It was just what we needed to hear and what the ward members needed to get them excited about the work.

That Family History pie night sounds awesome and I would love it if you would send me a name that I could take to the temple.

That would be awesome if you sent me those pictures and stuff! I would love that. Also I came up with a rough wish list for Christmas... Rechargeable AA batteries for my camera, a flash drive(for LDS.org media), pictures of you guys in a small photo album, maybe a journal from deseret book, dresses? Maybe... and that's about it. The members spoil us here so... yep. Doing pretty good :)

Anyways... This week was awesome! We saw a lot of miracles and had a lot of lessons with active members. Sister Condie and I get along wonderfully! We have a lot of common interests and she is a solid missionary. She is here to work and she loves the lord. Sorry this week was also really boring a little bit. We haven't been able to bike because of sister Condie’s hurt arm but hopefully after Tuesday the physical therapist will clear her to ride! We did take a lot of pictures though to so be excited about that! Ha-ha! I am also putting together a Christmas package. What would be some cute little trinket gifts I could get for the kids??  I am sending some stuff that is basically my heart and soul. So be excited about that :)

Sorry this week is not very long. All of our investigators are doing just swell! Owen is still good for baptism and Riley got permission from her mom and we are putting someone else on date this week as well so that will be awesome!

Anyways... I love you mom. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Keep being awesome

:) keep smiling (:

LOVE love Love you!!!!!

-Sister Haymond

Ponderize! This week is Moroni 10:32 Come unto Christ! :)  

Transfers, Halloween, New Comp, and much, much more!

Hello Family and Friends! And Happy late Halloween! :) I hope everyone had a blast and was safe!

I have no idea what to tell you first so I will go in chronological order...

Wednesday-Transfer day.

     -- So, here is the big news... On Tuesday night, both Sister Hendrick and I got a call from our mission president, President Nattress. Which means we were both training. Sister Hendrick is training a brand new missionary (Sister Henderson) and I am 2nd half training Sister Rebecca Condie!!!! (WHO WAS ONE OF AUNTIE BAILEY’S YW IN SAN ANTONIO!!!)  Connections!!!!   

Anyways... Let me tell you about my sweet companion... She is from the air force, (her dad is in the air force...) so she has basically lived in 1 in 3 states and was born in Germany. She also lived in France and England. HOW COOL?! She is the 2nd youngest of 5. Sister Condie is also going to BYUI and wants to major in humanities, pre-law.  Fancy.   She is a very talented singer and she crochets on her free time. She tried to teach me and I did like 1 maybe 2 stitches and gave up... ^_^ he he... She also had her 20th birthday on Halloween and so that morning I made her her favorite breakfast and then proceeded to make 20 sticky-notes that all said happy birthday and put them in random places around the house. She liked it :) We get along really well and I learn so much from her every day! I hope the next 6 weeks (or more!) are fabulous! (Our comp. sacrifice is to not listen to music in the car or in our home unless its hymns...)

 #4thcompanion #3rdarea #6monthsalready??? #longhairdontcare ... actually I really need a haircut.
​

My new area!!

     -- My new area is really just a hop, skip, and a jump over from my old one. In fact I live in the boundaries of my old area... awkward right? And I am now serving in the Queen Creek Zone, Queen Creek Stake. I cover 3 family wards- Terra Ranch, Cloud Creek and Creekside. (Not the Creekside I was in previously...) and the YSA ward in these 3 wards is the Valencia ward which I was over in my first transfer with sister Stastny! CRAZY! ... I just want to sing, it’s a small world after all! All of the days... I love my wards though. They are a bit bigger, so we have more miles on our car because we live far far away from our area and we bike sometimes but not right now cause sister Condies arm is not doing so good. She overextended it a couple weeks ago and was in a sling for a while. So it has been fun. We have a few OAY (over-age youth) investigators, one of which is going to be baptized this month!  So that is really exciting! His name is Owen :) he is autistic and is terrified of water... please pray for him! :) Other than that, this area has so much potential! I am so excited to be in this area and to be here with sister Condie! She’s awesome!

Halloween!

     -- Halloween was so much fun! we did our normal morning schedule, and then we did weekly planning at the church building, and then we were just in the church building all day till about 3:45 when we left to go to the temple! We got to do work for the dead on the day of the dead! We did Initiatories, an Endowment session, and here is the thing I love the most... We got to go do sealings of children to parents! Which means I almost cried like a baby thinking about how I was sealed to my wonderful parents in the house of the Lord and I absolutely loved the spirit! It was so strong in that room and I am so grateful that the gospel has been restored to the earth as well as that sealing power because I know how real it is and I know that families can be together forever. I know that one day I will be able to be sealed to my husband and that it is so important that our children are born in the covenant. But also that the way in which children may be sealed to their parents in the house of the Lord is divine and inspired. That they will be able to partake of those full blessings just the same as children born in the covenant. I am so glad to have had this experience and to have been able to have experienced it. I LOVE THE TEMPLE!

So that is about it for this week! I am so glad that everyone at home is doing well, and congrats to the kids for finishing off their soccer seasons strong! I miss watching you guys play and I miss watching Kate be a beautiful ballerina! I love you guys for forever and always!!! (Also, mom, it made me super-duper happy that you said to keep being awesome! :) 
don’t forget to

~

S

M

I

L

E

!

~

--LOVE, 

-Sister Anna Haymond

Ponderize for this week is Alma 5: 33 "Behold, he sendeth an invitation to all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you."

Sister Olsen and I at our 6 month mark! CRAZY TOWN!!!

#WeAreOfficiallyOlderThanHalfTheMission...
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Crazy weekly email

Okay... So, there is obviously a lot going on this week with transfers and everything... and let me just tell you right off the bat that I AM BEING TRANSFERRED!  

So ya basically I am just sad as can be! I am leaving "the hood" zone and going into the unknown... This place has become my home and the people here have become like my family... I also think I am cursed to leave every area right before any baptisms. (Jennifer & Clint's and Bobby's...) But you know what? The Lord has bigger and better plans in store for me. I know that wherever I go, I will go where he needs me most. And Sister Hendrick is basically golden for this area. She will do an amazing job at leading it out and I keep teasing her that she is going to train! Ha-ha! (She doesn't enjoy that one) But there are about 20 new missionaries coming in and only 3 are sisters! Crazy!!!

Hmm... well what else happened this week... yesterday was stake conference with Elder Sitati and Elder Hansen from the 70's. They both spoke wonderfully on the power of counsels. Ward counsel, Family counsel, and Counseling with the Lord. (Alma 37:37) It was awesome. We also got a new stake presidency!!! And the new stake president and 2nd councilor are in our Pecan Creek 1st ward!! President Dan Oakes (Naomi Oakes' (the one with leukemia) dad.) and our old bishop Masitis who got released last week! Ha-ha! Anyways... that was our crazy stake conference...

Our dessert sacrifice is ending tomorrow... with cheesecake. So yall should be jealous! Just kidding don't be jealous because then you are breaking a commandment and I don't want you to do that. :)

Fun fact of the week! I have almost tracted out my whole area!!! Which means I have knocked on just about every door in all 3 of my wards. Boo. Yah. 98 doors from just this week. (That’s how not busy we are...) but we are finding a lot more families to teach which is good! I have a feeling that whichever sister is coming in that she will just rain down the miracles left and right! It’ll be awesome!  

Dad- I am glad you guys took pictures for the elder’s families. It is seriously the best thing in the world to hear your guys' response from the members that I love so dearly. I also know that you are doing fantastic in your calling. I know that you are solid. Keep being awesome. The Lord will provide for you. Just as he did for Alma in Alma 37:41. I think I also chose a scripture for my plaque if you end up doing them... Alma 5:33. I love how he just says so simply, "repent, and I will receive you."

Mom- it made me cry when you said that the kids love hanging out with the Elders because that is my favorite thing when kids want to hang out with us! Kids wave at us all of the time and it’s my FAVORITE!  All of our wards are doing a trunk or treat too this week and we are pretty excited about that! Mom, I know that as you learn to trust in the Lord and lean on him, he will support you. We can’t do everything on our own and that's okay. We should try our hardest, but in the end, the lord makes up the rest. I love Mosiah 4:27 and Alma 31:30-38 for that reason. I have learned to rely on the lord for my strength. It is a very humbling experience for sure and I hope I will be able to keep it with me my whole life... I love you mom. You can do hard things. Because of your prayers, I do find joy in the work. :) So thank you mom. I love you.

We also had FHA this week and all of us sisters in our house decided to match... we all wore black and white skirts and pink shirts because obviously it was a Wednesday so why not?!

 Well, I love you guys. You guys are awesome. I seriously feel the strength of your prayers. It means so much to me that you all support me and love me. I love you all more than words can describe. Find joy in the Journey and by the journey I mean the gospel because it is only in and through Christ and his doctrine that we find true happiness and joy. SMILE!

Brother and Sister Watts are preparing to go to the temple!

Bishops Daughter?!!!?

WHAT?! 

Just kidding :) I knew the whole time! But I cannot believe it. The Lords timing is awesome timing. Cause we had a change in the bishopric in our ward as well! it was so cool to see the bishop that I have worked with for a couple months, who had been serving as bishop for SEVEN YEARS get released and as they called the new bishop, who was a counselor in the bishopric, to be the new bishop... it was definitely bittersweet to think that the same thing was happening at home. 

This week was a good week.
Not too much exciting stuff happening besides our District Leader, Elder Jason Alexander Blazer, dying. Not literally!!!! Just, going home. Which in mission terms is basically like dying. So ya we have transfers coming up in a week and a half which means we will get to end our sugar/dessert sacrifice. Which has been really hard but really rewarding.
We have 2 investigators in our 3 wards and they are both in the same ward and so we have sacrificed sugar to find more people to teach...
Well, this week, we received a call from a random stranger in California, about an investigator family moving in to one of the wards where the work is literally dead... Apparently she is super solid, like future RS president, solid! He is not as far along but he will get there now that he has work off on Sundays and can come! They've got 3 little kiddos and we are super excited to start teaching them!!! The Lord knows what we need when we need it. After much tribulation, cometh the blessings! We know that as we make sacrifices unto the lord, he will bless us and he does hear and answer our prayers!  

I have been pondering a lot on the scripture in Alma 37:41. This transfer was interesting. Before the transfer started, my faith was wavering. I didn't think I was doing enough for the area. I thought that I wasn't the one needed here. But as I studied and studied athe scriptures and earnestly prayed for and sought inspiration, even after receiving a priesthood blessing, I realized that I was here for a reason. That I was here to do that lords work. That just because I wasn't seeing the blessings/miracles didn't mean that they weren't still happening all around me. But I realized that just like in this scripture, I had forgotten to exercise my faith and be diligent. I was going through the motions. I was being lazy in my faith! But just like Lehi's family, I was reminded again and again to be diligent and faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord. To trust in him and his timing. To do his work in his way! Miracles are worked by small and simple things. The gospel is so simple! As we continually read our scriptures and pray daily and do the things we know we need to do, then the lord will bless us, guide, and direct us. 

I love this gospel! I love my savior! I know that he is watching over us! Keep being awesome! 

(That is my ponderizing scripture for this week btw.)

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond

The Sisters with their mini-missionaries that they had for a few days.

Anna's workdesk.

Biggest Haboob yet!