I love being a Missionary!

Dear Friends and Family-

Some teachings that I learned this week was with our Mission President. We had our interview with him this week and I was able to get some really good counsel. He asked me how I was doing and how y’all were doing and I confided in him of my concerns for all you guys cause I love you so much and some counsel he gave me was that as long as you guys are having family time to have family home evening, and scripture study and family prayer, then everything will be ok. That I just need to keep doing what I am doing to be a good example to you and that I shouldn’t worry about you too much :) I love you guys and know that everything will work out in the end. "This too shall pass!" "We can do hard thing!" 

This week was super awesome. I don’t know if I told you but I sang in a musical number last night at the new Member Fireside. "O my Father" to the tune of Come thou Fount, (thank you Sally Deford) :) it was super awesome. (When we come back so I can show you around my mission, we can plan accordingly so that we can go to one :) anyways... we had interview and that was good. I also had the Baptism of Shannon and Mckenzee Thomas! Wow! What a wonderful service. They provided lunch afterwards. It was awesome. Zack, the dad/husband, after he baptized Shannon, his wife, he HIGH FIVED HER. IT. WAS. AWESOME.  Everyone was laughing and the spirit was so strong. Ugh. I miss that ward/area... everyone was so happy to see me and I was happy to see them! But... anyways... hopefully they will remain strong and hopefully I’ll be able to come and visit everyone when I get home. 

We also went to the welcome center at the Gilbert temple with Paul and Roxanne and their family and watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, and they LOVED it. Even their 2 older kids (11 and 13) LOVED it. So we are not going to teach and hopefully baptize the kids as well! MIRACLES! I really really love being a missionary! It is the greatest blessing! 

Then this morning, I was reading in the book of Alma, about Alma the younger speaking to his son Corianton. Now Corianton has done some pretty bad things. He was supposed to be a missionary but instead he was chasing after a girl, Isabel. That’s bad. And he knew it was bad. But his dad teaches him and testifies to him of the reality of a Savior and that Jesus Christ, the son of God, will come down and be able to literally heal us and take away the guilt and shame we feel when we make bad choices. Alma the younger used to be bad! He used to be the vilest of sinners! But look where his is now in the story. A complete change of heart, attitude, behavior, etc. what a powerful conversion that takes place. I stand there right with him and testify to everyone who reads this, that Jesus is the Christ, the living son of the living God. That he came to earth to die for you and to suffer for you and to heal YOU. You matter to Them. You are worth it. You can change. Through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ, I know that anyone and everyone can change. Because I changed. And Alma the younger changed. And countless others have changed because of a seed of faith and an act of faith. Brother and Sisters, friends and family, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God. I have been called of Him to declare his word among His People (of Gilbert, AZ) that they might have EVERLASTING LIFE. (3 Nephi 5:13) This is my witness and my testimony to you, that Christ can change us... if we let him. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

-- Love yall!

-Sister Anna Haymond

Activity with the Young Women, they ate spaghetti with their hands!

Shannon and Mckenzee's baptisim

Paul and Roxanne Travis: Coolest Converts Award‏

Hey Familia! 

How is everyone doing? Sounds like yall are pretty busy... Sorry to hear about all of the crazy things going on and things breaking and stuff... that’s no fun. But Happy Valentine’s Day! Sister Rasmusen and I had a good day of church from 8am-5pm and then we had a STEAK dinner. mmm. It was so good. We also had brownies with ice cream afterwards. It was awesome. 

This week we had a bunch of miracles. So I’ll start at the beginning... 

Tuesday: we met with our new investigator Shirley Petersen in the Gateway Gardens ward. We got her a priesthood blessing and she loved it and definitely felt the spirit.  Then we were talking about the Plan of Salvation and we read Alma 7:11-13 with her which talks about the atonement, and she continued to read silently to herself vs 14 and was like, look at this, I need to do this, I need to be born again, like, that caught my attention... and we were all, WHAT?? Yes! Yes you do! Will you be baptized as you come to know these things are true and she said yes! So that was awesome! 

Then on Thursday, we got to go to the temple and that is always amazing. I love the temple. This time is was a new video that I had never seen before so that was cool. Satan was really ... real... and quite scary. That’s always how I’ve imagined him is handsome and of course devilish but like... seductive and ... ya just no bueno. so later that day, we were out trying to contact Eric Petersen who sent you our Costco selfie and he wasn’t home and so we were biking through a park/field and saw these 2 big guys walking so we went to go talk with them... turns out that they were cousins that had just met at their work a couple years ago, and one was active in the church and the other was not and had been through a divorce and had served a mission and everything... and we didn’t have his records in our ward ... so here’s how this convo went: 

Tim: (the active one) you should give them your info.

Scott: (the inactive) ...........noooo........ 

Us: yes :) :) 

Scott: (eyeing us) if you were elders, I would be so rude to you right now...... 

Us and Tim: *laughing* come on! 

Tim: you know you need to start going back to church...

Scott: (eyes Tim)... I know....... Scott Wixom... *gives address* *gives birthdate*

Tim: (to us) do you want his phone number too?? Here’s his phone number! *gives phone #*

Us: can we share a spiritual message? 

Them: sure

Sister Ras: *shares Moroni 7:33*

Scott: *crying*

Me: *bears testimony that this was not a coincidence that we ran into them and proceeds to tell Scott that he is so loved and that God loves him*

Scott: *Still crying* thank you.... thank you sisters...

Tim: they are your angels... 

So that was the best thing to ever happen. He was out of town this weekend so he didn’t come to church with us but he plans on coming back and I think Paul would be the best fellowship for him. He would be able to strengthen him a lot. 

 Saturday: Paul and Roxanne were baptized. It was the coolest baptism ever. Sister Young (who used to be in the area) and I sang "Lord, I would Follow Thee". and after everything but before closing song and prayer, Paul and Roxanne were invited to go up and bear their testimony and share their story and it was the most beautiful conversion story. Our District Leader Elder Spencer came up to us afterwards, and said that they had stronger testimonies than probably 50% of the church. Ha-ha! So if that’s not saying something.... anyways. I love them. They took us to Texas Roadhouse and it was soooo yummmyyyy.... 

Well, that brings you up to speed... I have a box of things I need to send home but I need just a few dollars in my account  to send it... and just out of curiosity, is anyone reading my journals? Ha-ha

Love you guys more than I can express! Be good! Do good! Choose the right! 

Emily Baker's Baptism 

P-day at shnepf farms

More Sisters at Shnepf Farms

Paul and Roxanne's Baptism 

3 baptisms in 3 weeks

This week was awesome. I had an awesome p-day and today was so fun. We went down to Schnepf farms, look it up, with another zone and they have a little roller coaster and petting zoo and food... and it’s all free for missionaries:) so it’s awesome. We had a lot of fun and now I smell like goats XD yay! But yes I did get my package and it was so cheesy and so cute. I loved it! I can’t believe you fit all that in it! 

Please don’t worry about me. My worry level is zero now! After I got a blessing, it calmed me and I was at peace. I know you guys are okay and I know that I am doing more for you being out here than I could do if I were there. I love you mom. 

And seriously my comp is great. We have so much fun together and we work really well together. She is so cool. And the weather has been AWESOME. It’s chilly in the morning and evening but during the day the sun is shining and it’s nice and warm. I have plenty of warm clothes. 

That's crazy that you will have 4 wards in one building... is it all wards from the stake? I cannot believe how much it is growing! Which reminds me, is the maverick done? What about the houses on the other side of that one road whose name I have forgotten but it goes up into Erda and it has a side of the high school on it??? I totally don’t know what road that is... wow... sad... 

YOU GUYS FINISHED ALMA!!!! Yay!!! I am in 3 Nephi right now... I love it. I just came across one of my favorite scriptures... 3 Ne. 5:13 "Behold I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life." it’s so powerful.

Daddy daughter dance for Kate sounds super fun and the pictures were super cute!! And I totally thought you meant that Tyler had a birthday and I didn't even register that it wasn't May yet... ha-ha awkward... That stinks that the flu is going around. Everyone here has been getting a cold... Then there's me and I just have allergies... I sneezed so many times this morning... that allergy medicine only works some of the time... :/ 

Also, GO BRONCOS!!! We were out walking around our area last night trying to contact some people and EVERYONE WAS FREAKING OUT. Seriously. We could hear them in their homes and like, no one answered the door...: P Luck! We never get breakfast for dinner!!!! It’s always Mexican food... 

Anyways... My week was good. Just a normal week except that I had a baptism from my old area! Emily Baker was baptized and confirmed on the 6th of Feb. She was so excited and you could just see the change in her countenance. It was awesome. And then next Saturday is Paul and Roxanne's baptism and the week after that is Kinzee and Shannon's from my last area. Yay!!! That will be 12 convert baptisms so far on my mission. I feel so blessed to be the Lords servant and to be doing HIS work. It’s not missionary work, it’s the Lords work. And I am a laborer in his vineyard. These are the last days. I know that this gospel is true! The Book of Mormon is the word of God. 

I love you! 

Sister Selfie 

9 months?? No Way!

Well... where to begin, this past Friday, I had my mid-life crisis. I would send you pictures but the computer won’t let me... 

It seems like yesterday that my family kicked me to the curb of the Provo, UT MTC. And just a short while ago that I was entering into the field, a brand new greenie, and having no clue what I was doing. (I still have no idea what I am doing.) But this I do know, that I am on the Lords errand. I am his servant, called to preach the gospel to the 4 quarters of the earth. Called to teach repentance and baptize converts. I am so grateful for this marvelous work. I know that this gospel is true. I know that Christ himself came down to do the will of the Father and that they both love us so much. God lives! He is a God of miracles! He has changed me and He can change anyone. I was like Alma the younger in the Book of Mormon- One of the "vilest of sinners" and now, because of the amazing grace of the Atonement, I am made new, and I am made whole. A mighty change has wrought in my heart that I have no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually, and for the rest of my life be a servant of the Lord. This testimony I leave in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, amen. 

This week was awesome. Paul and Roxanne are actually pushing there baptism back to the 13th so I will have 3 baptisms in a row, Emily Baker on the 6th, Paul and Roxanne on the 13th and then Shannon and Kinzee on the 20th! Yay for baptism!!! I love watching people change! It’s seriously so amazing to watch them grow and change for the better and relearn the things that they fought for in the pre-existence. 

Hmmm... What else happened...? My comp and I have so much fun together. Sister Razmataz and I are a dynamic duo ;) call her sister Razmataz that’s what Paul calls her! Ha-ha! A funny moment we had this week was that we were just going about our normal night, we returned home and we got a call from sister Taylor and Bischoff and they said that they needed us to come to the stake center to free the Zone Leaders ... They were stuck in the nursery and the lock on the door was broken and the key didn't work or anything... and so we were there for 45 min to almost an hour and we finally called someone from our ward and like 10 min after we left, they finally got them out! But we were just dying laughing because they were pretty scared and nothing was working... but it was awesome :) ha-ha! 

On the other hand, a sad moment we had is we were street contacting and stopped these 2 teenagers and one was smoking an e-cig and they seemed pretty interested so we gave them each a Book of Mormon and then we saw them later sitting at a park pavilion and we went through there after they were done and it was the saddest thing ever... The book of Mormon was ripped to shreds and part of it was burned... We cried as we picked it up and recycled it. So, lesson learned, don't hand out Book of Mormons like candy. It is sacred text and deserves to be in the right hands. But this week we handed out about maybe 30... It was cool. We talked to 155 people on the street. That’s 155 children of God that had the opportunity to accept or reject the gospel this week and most of the rejected it... 

But the work of the Lord will go forth to EVERY nation, kindred, tongue and people. 

I love you all so much! 

P-Day at Costco

Sister Haymond on splits with Sister Gina Ellsworth.  

She has a daughter serving in Atlanta right now!