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