A Sacrifice and Covenant

Hey there!

How is everyone doing?? I am doing good! This week has been a little harder than other weeks but a lot of funny things happened!!! It’s really cool to sit in with a family and just be with them and share an uplifting message with them. This week was really family themed and I seriously just love you guys so much! The package was like a little bit of Christmas! ;) I can’t wait to bake cookies today and I love all the new clothes! Here’s a picture of me with the package! 

So, let me tell you of my adventures this week...

On Thursday, we were tracting and met this sweet old man named Roy. Roy was sitting on his porch when we came by and we just started talking to him and gave him a Book of Mormon. Then, a few day later, we had a feeling to go to the street he was on and we did and he was outside and so we stopped by again to see how he was doing and he was so funny! He was just a sweet and funny old man! Then on Friday, we stopped by Rodgers. Now Rodger is a 93 year old man who lives by himself. He is a Baptist and he is such a flirt! He flirts with Sister Seyboldt every time we go over to share a message and visit with him! He says things like, "If I were a month older, I’d ask ya to be my wife!" or "Children are of the devil! They’re just little devils and they only care about themselves!" Oh my goodness he cracks me up! You know how old people are. They just talk and talk and talk... well that’s Rodger for ya! We go over to share a quick scripture and like an hour and a half later we are talking about Coronado in San Diego! He is so sweet though:)
Also, we picked up a new investigator!!!! We met Louise on the street and she seemed interested and said we could stop by her house and so we did and she said she has been reading in the Book of Mormon a little bit and that we could come back and answer her questions and it makes me so happy to see that people read it and that they have that desire to learn more. It’s so cool to see how they progress and learn. I love it! 

We also have this RC (Recent Convert) named Torrence. The only way I can describe Torrence is a 50 year old teenager... He just makes me laugh all the time. We meet with him a lot because he struggles with the Word of Wisdom and daily scripture study so we go and read scriptures with him. He also does this thing where he will turn into the hulk when he’s mad so I am not looking forward to that! Hahaha!

And another old person we met with this week was Ava and her sister and her friend. They are all at least 85 and have Alzheimer's... But it was so fun to sit and talk with them about their lives and just see how funny old people are! I seriously love them so much! They are the sweetest!

So the Hispanic family we are teaching, the Morale's, are progressing bit by bit but I don’t think they will be able to be baptized this month because Martha still can’t get Sundays off of work:( Rafael is struggling with knowing for himself and gaining a testimony for himself... We had dinner with them on Friday and when we got there they hadn’t even started cooking yet so we knew we would be there a while... Then they pulled out this mystery meat in a bag and we thought it was the cow intestines and stomach they had talked about the last time we visited... Turns out it was just shoulder and it was like a steak but much thinner and really really yummy. So we were only at their house for like 2 and a half hours (WAY longer than we were supposed to be there) but we also taught a lesson so... it was awesome. I love that family:) 

Bobby is doing good and he is progressing a ton! We are actually teaching him tonight too! They are so sweet, him and his wife, because when we were teaching them last, they heard that I had a stuffy nose and they asked if I was sick or had allergies and they offered to get me some medicine and they were just so sweet they take care of us :) 

So ya by the way I had to take a sick day cause I had a cold and I think I got it through email from mom ;) haha but we still taught like 4 lessons that day so it was okay. I am still pretty stuffed up but it doesn’t keep me from working! Thank goodness! 

Okay so cool story, If you google the name Naomi Oaks she is a primary age girl in one of our ward with Leukemia. She was just recently diagnosed and just recently started to go through treatments. Well, she had tickets to the T Swift concert later this year and was really bummed out she couldn’t go. Word got around on twitter or something or other and T Swift heard about little Naomi and donated $50,000 to her page! Naomi’s reaction is all over the internet and news stations throughout the state! She is so sweet though and so I just thought that was really cute! 

Umm so the last thing I wanted to tell you about was making a sacrifice and covenant. This is something a lot, if not all, of missionaries do. We sacrifice something (e.g. sugars, pride, time, sleep, etc.) for a transfer, and they do that so they can either receive a miracle baptism or just to become a better missionary and so forth. And I finally figured out what to do for mine! So for the last 3 and a half weeks of this transfer I am going to be going through a lot of big changes and hopefully seeing miracles and growth in my area! 

I want to bear my testimony to all of you that this church is true. The scriptures are for our day. I have total faith and trust in the Lord. I know that he has a plan for us. I know that through him we can be cleansed from sin and healed. We are able to do so much in his strength. This morning I was studying 2 Nephi 4 and it talks all about putting your trust in him and it’s my favorite! I love the Lord! I know he died for each of us and that he loves each of you!  If you put your trust in him, you will be blessed! He is the one who strengthens us and gives us everything we have! Thank him for all of your many blessings daily! As you do this, as you have that attitude of gratitude, your outlook on life will change and you will be so happy and feel so blessed! I know I do! You guys are awesome and I love each of you so much! Keep Choosing the Right! Trust in the Lord and you’ll never go astray! Love you love you love you!!!!! 

Have a wonderful week and be safe!!!!!!!! 

Love,

Sister Anna Haymond

Sister Haymond fell off her bike one night and ended up with this beauty!

Matching her companion (not on purpose!)

Matching another sister (again, not on purpose!)

This cute picture was sent to us Sunday night by the family they had dinner with! I love getting  pictures texted to me!

He is Risen

Hola mi Familia!

How was the cabin?? It looked like lots of fun! My week was awesome! We saw some miracles and had a lot of good laughs! We also had to be in by 7:30 on the 4th because of all the drunks and they want us to be safe, but a part member family, (the wife is a member and we are teaching her nonmember husband) got us all sparklers! They were so sweet! We had a lot of fun with them:) Here is a picture of me and my comeniero!

​We were kind of matchy matchy in our fourth outfits haha! It was a lot of fun! (There are more pictures but I have to send them separately! :( )

 

So...We had a pretty fun week filled with fun activities! On Wednesday, we got to go to the temple and do a session with our whole mission. We were all broken up in different sections but it was so awesome to be with all the missionaries and just be filled with so much joy! I think they might have put pictures of us on the blog so good luck finding me! We also got to hear from an area 70's who was a mission president in Canada and knew Sister Olsen who was in the MTC with me! His name is Elder Tillman and something that I love that he said was: "Obedience is the saviors love language."  And "How close are you to the savior?" Just some food for thought...

We also started to teach Bobbie that night and Bobbie is the husband in that part member family. He practically came to us and begged to be baptized and he loves the church and knows that he is getting baptized to receive the Holy Ghost and that's what he wants and an eternal marriage and it so cool :) He is awesome!!!

Fridays are always rough cause we have weekly planning and that’s where we plan for the entire week... it takes hours... but in the end it is always worth it because the lord wants us to be prepared and wants us to be ready. So that’s awesome.

Speaking of preparedness... us as sisters in our home, (Sisters Seyboldt, Hutchinson, and Dexter) have been talking about the 2nd coming lately. How when we think He is coming, how we are going to prepare ourselves and our families... how it’s not something to be feared but something to look forward too, the signs.... and even though the world will be in total chaos, everything will be okay in the end. As long as we are righteous and love the lord, we will be okay. There are already so many signs that have come to pass and its crazy... even the court ruling on same sex marriage... I am glad you guys went over the family: a proclamation to the world. It’s crazy how much the world changes. But god is the same yesterday today and forever... Love it

I already told you a little about what happened on the fourth but it was super fun! We had a good BBQ and had lots of yummy treats! Also the sparklers haha :) it seems like you guys had a pretty busy weekend! I hope everything worked out and that you were able to have fun.

Sunday was an awesome fast Sunday and we had a really spiritual dinner message:) I love Sundays. A quote that I loved from one of my wards was a bishop and he said, "We distance ourselves from Him, he doesn't distance Himself from us." It’s so true though! If we are ever feeling far away from our savior, we need to check and see if everything in our life is in order and if we are doing all that we can to have Him with us. Also, "He loves us all equally because He loves us all infinitely."

Today we went to a place called Top Golf and we were there as a zone playing what seemed like bowling but golfing. The balls are rigged and they hit targets its super cool. Look it up. Then we went to Deseret book because why not..? And I got a cute spiral journal. Random question, how much money is on my chase card? I need to start keeping track of that..... haha!

Well! Love you all and I will send pictures right now! There’s a lot!!! I love you all so much and I love the work here. The church is true. I love the gospel. It has blessed our lives so much. We are so blessed. I love the Lord! Be safe my wonderful family! Be happy!

MUCH LOVE AND HUGS AND KISSES!

-Sister Anna Haymond

Mission President, his wife, MTC companion and Sister Haymond

Sister Lightheart, Sister Bryant, and Sister Haymond

Sisters in the Rain

Friday Planning

A really big bug

P-day at Top Golf

All the Sisters in the Zone at Top Golf

 

The family they ate dinner with on Wednesday night sent me this picture in a text.  It made my day, I need to be better at taking pictures of Missionaries when we have them over to send to their families!

 

The Sisters of Zion

Hello! 

First off- I don't know my new address :C Sad I know... I will figure it out soon enough... and thank you for being so awesome and good about packages... I love it and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! 

Second- look for pictures on the mission blog of our mission anniversary that happened today!!! 

Third- MY NEW COMPANION! Drum roll please!!! SISTER SEYBOLDT! (Like the sea and a bolt) We are in the Ironhood zone (technically Ironwood). We cover Pecan Creek 1st and 2nd ward and Creek side ward. It’s pretty awesome cause we just bike all the day long. We also put an ENTIRE FAMILY ON DATE TO BE BAPTIZED! They had been working with them for a long time and we finally got them on date for the 25th of July! How awesome! They are so cool, I just love them. They feed us yummy treats like plantains and mangoes.  

So Sister Seyboldt is from Sandy Utah and is a cute little blond girl that is the definition of chill. She is still obedient, but we are super chill and she is just so real with everyone. She loves the people and she works hard. The other night we had a heart to heart and just had a really good chat about life in the mission and there may have been some tears of joy shed. Anyways, moral of the story, I love her and we have seen miracle after miracle in this new area! It’s amazing how different companionship work together so good in specific areas and it’s amazing to see what the Lord has in store for us and why we were meant to be in that area. MISSIONARY WORK IS AWESOME!

Okay, so I love those words to that song! its amazing and so beautiful and I think we sung it in the MTC :) So cool!

               [Side note: I sent Anna the words to the “new” As Sister’s in Zion song. It’s called The Sisters of Zion and it’s all about Sister Missionaries!  It’s awesome! Here is a link to the new lyrics if you'd like to see them.]

So yes my Cyst is doing fine. They said it was fine and that I can just wrap it at night (they gave me a wrap) and that that should help but there is nothing really they can do with it. It will be okay and it really doesn't hurt often :)

I love you guys so much and just want to apologize for todays email because there will be no awesome pictures... I forgot the cord to plug in my camera at our house so... look forward to that next week! I AM SORRY!!

Well I am running out of time. I will tell you all about my first Huboob (Dust storm) next week when I can actually send you the pictures of it:) its super sweet! 

The church is true and missionary work without the members would be impossible! So reach out to your nonmember friends and invite them to something!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART AND SOUL!!!

You know you are a missionary when... you forget your name tag to email your family and you feel naked without it... DX  

Have a fabulous day my familia!!!

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond:)

Anna didn't send pictures this week but I did find these on the Gilbert AZ mission blog!

Getting picked up from the airport

All the new missionaries

Sister Haymond with the Mission President & his Wife

So excited about her new bike!

Gilbert AZ Missionaries! (she's in there, look hard!)

Transfers

Hello!

can you please send more pictures??? I really want/need pictures, but i loved the whale post card from sea world! it was so funny and cute! 

and actually transfers are this Wednesday... transfer calls came last night... I am being transferred... which is pretty uncommon for someone who just got here... so this will be an adventure... 

I am sad that Sister Stastny wont be able to second half train me, but I know that the Lord has a plan for me and wherever I am needed, I will go. I know that this place is awesome, but now maybe someone somewhere else needs me... :) 

Jennifer and Clint are doing awesome! we are almost done teaching them but because I am being transferred I wont be in the area for their baptism but i might be able to come back... We actually had a miracle lesson with them just this past week. so Clint was out of town and we had a lesson planned with Jennifer for Friday night, and like 10 minutes before the lesson, she texted us saying that Clint would be joining us! before hand, we didn't know what to share with her cause we didn't want to leave clit behind, and when we got that text we knew we had to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ! "Miracles"!! (Zone joke) and I just love them. we are teaching them tonight also so that I can teach them one last time before i go... when we got our transfer calls, I had had a feeling that i was being transferred but i kept pushing it out of my mind because it wasn't very likely, and they came at like 11pm and so when we got them, sister stastny started crying and I was just so tired that It didn't really hit me till this morning and we are both super sad :( but we know the lord has different plans for us. :) 

umm... also Sylvia the cyst is back and the mission nurse is sending me to the doctor on Friday... :P boo. 

oh well. 

I love you so much and just want to remind you to always always always say your prayers and read the scriptures!!!! Let the kids see your example, they will want to follow it! I love you mom! Also look up the Song: She Put the Music in Me, by calee Reed. Its for YOU! :)

Miracles are everywhere! 

I love you! 

Be happy! 

magnify your calling! 

you are loved! 

Love you! 

-Sister Haymond:)

Sad about transfers!

Follow the Prophet

Hello!

I am doing well! its really quite warm... Our P-day was really fun! and today we did a "sunrise" hike. (the sun had already risen) but we hikes the San Tan "mountains" and it was pretty sweet. we then proceeded to hit golf balls off the top!!! 

Jennifer and Clint are doing very well! she came to church in her home ward with Nathan

(Clint is out of town) and she was welcomed in with open arms! But I truly think their son was taken away so that they could be introduced to the church. It happened for a reason and now look where they are... On the path to an eternal marriage! HOW EXCITING! I just love them!!!! anyways... we dont really have any new investigators but we have an Eternigator ... and eternal investigator... ugh. Jerry is .. well hes awesome and we have taught him most of the lessons but he just doesnt do anything!!! It goes to show that if you don't act on your faith, your wont progress! 

When we go tracting, we pray to know where to go. and sometimes we have no idea, sometimes we know exactly where we need to be. and one night earlier in the transfer, we were praying and it was kinda dark and late (it gets dark pretty early here.) and we found ourselves on this random road. we get out and start walking towards this woman walking her dogs. Her name is Sheryl and is the sweetest old lady that I had meet thus far. She was really interested in the church and we got her phone number and address and are hopefully going to start teaching her soon. shes been pretty busy with work and family, but eventually, we should be able to teach her.

We also learned about prophets this week in church and we specifically discussed the same thing. Following the current prophet even if you dont know why hes asked us to do something (ie, 2 sets of earrings) we still follow it because it is what the Lord has revealed to him in this day and age and for us. I love it. I love President Thomas S Monson and I hope we can all follow the prophet a little better. I am so grateful that we do have a current prophet and that he is able to guide and lead us. I know He was called of God!! 

I love you so much and am so grateful for all you do!! be safe! be happy! 

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond

San Tan Mountain Hike

It was so hot in the car, Captain Moroni fell over

View from the hike

Another view from the hike

Jenga, Jennifer and Tires oh my!‏

Hello! 

So, I loved hearing about what you guys did in San Diego! How fun!!! Those were some of my best memories hanging out at the beach and going to sea world! I hope everyone had fun! 

I don't think there is anything to help with the heat but thanks! it has actually been a little cooler this week cause it rained a couple times. Nothing like a monsoon, those are later in the year, but now its just humid. 

I definitely like sacrament first too. all of our wards are that way. We go to church from like 8-5. its a lot of church, but at the same time its so nice to be able to have that day of reverence and worship like you were talking about. Its so important to remember that its the Lords day and that we need to dedicate that to him because that's what he has asked of us. Also, yesterday was fast Sunday and Jennifer was able to bring her and her son to her home ward (Yes they got him back! but now Clint is out of town..:( )!!!! It was such a blessing that it was a fast and testimony meeting because she was able to hear the testimonies of her congregation. But let me tell you the most terrifying moment for a missionary. when your investigator finally comes to church and someone gets up there and starts testifying about all this deep doctrine or about things like heavenly Mother, and you're just sitting there like, wait no they aren't to that point yet you are going to confuse her!!!!! AHHHH!! but then it was all okay:).

Jenga was sooooo funny. It was probably the most i have laughed since I've been here! Ill send some pictures of how intense it was but it was just a blast! 

Then our tire on our car was a problem... we noticed one day that it was pretty deflated and so we went to fill it up with air and the next day it lost air again so we had to take it into a shop and they put a new tire on it cause the old one had a nail in it! They didn't make us pay or anything they just said we were good to go...and so we started like walking away and we were like... is this okay?? do we need to pay?? like what is happening?? so... we just drove away. yep.

You remember Sylvia the Cyst right? Well, she is gone! Its a Christmas miracle!!!  :):) I am so happy!  (Side note: She had a pretty big ganglion cyst on the inside of her wrist. About a week before she left we had it injected with cortisone to try to shrink it.  Well, I guess it worked!)

Today when we were praying to confirm our plans, It was my turn and we have FHE with the singles ward tonight and I don't know why.. but I prayed that they would "I don't know, find people to marry or something" and we both just cracked up and I didn't even care because I feel like heavenly Father was laughing too! XD anyways...

Miracles do happen! I bear testimony to you that as long as you are living your life the way you should, you will be blessed! you will see miracles. I know that this is Christ's church. I know that he suffered and bore all of our sins according to the flesh because he loves us and also because he was being obedient to the Father. What an example! I love my Savior! I am so grateful to know that even though i have messed up in the past, it has no power over me to drag me down to that gulf of misery and endless woe. I have learned today that all you can do when people wont listen, is testify. that's how you teach them. that's all you can do. is testify that you know that it is true. and even thought they may not accept the things you say, they will not be able to doubt the truth of the things you say. Because when we testify, the spirit is able to testify to them that is it true. I love this gospel! I know it! I live it and I love it! 

Be strong my Familia!! I love you oh so much and miss you!!! Keep on reading and keep on praying. The lord answers prayers. he hears you. He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart. 

(You know you're a missionary when... You take selfies with an actual camera! XD)

LOVE YOU GUYS!   

U-turn light

Sad faces (not sure why)

Fun game of Jenga

June 1st- two for one

Sorry it's taken me a week to post last weeks letters.  We were out of town in San Diego and i just didn't have any time! So here they are now...

Hello! 

I bet San Diego is fun even if it is a bit chilly. Maybe I will send you some of our warm weather. (Seriously its been like over a hundred...) Tracting in the heat is way hot and sweaty. But we stay hydrated and people take pity on us and let us in so its okay:) haha umm so our typical day looks something like this, 

6:30- arise, pray exercise for half an hour 

7- eat breakfast and prepare for the day

8- pray to start personal studies

9-pray to close personal studies and then we do companionship studies

10- pray to start the day and confirm plans with the Lord.

10:05ish - 12- proselyting time or appointments

Lunch! 

1-5- more proselyting time or appointments

Dinner! 

6-8- pros. time 

8- training hour

9-plan for next day

10- pray to end day and tell the Lord what happened.

10:30- lights out

By the way I did get your package! 

I also got a package from the Kekauoha's, Thank you!!

I will try to send more pictures with me in them... I am sorry. I just get to busy and so distracted that sometimes it doesn't even cross my mind...

Jennifer and Clint are ON DATE TO BE BAPTIZED!!! Woo! they prayed about it and felt that the 25th of July would be good! I am so happy and excited for them! 

I love you so much mom and appreciate the sacrifices you are all making to make sure I am here and safe. I love you so much and hope everyone is doing well! 

I am going to start doing a, "you know your a missionary when.." moment every week and this week was you know your a missionary when you have a picture of Jesus hanging in the window of your door! :) 

Be safe in San Diego and have fun! send me pictures!!!!!

Love you tons!

Love, Sister Haymond

Okay so I still have a few more minutes so I will tell you a few miracles that I have seen and then I am going to challenge you to look for the miracles in every day. 

1. our car was being dumb and said the tire pressure in one of the tires was low. so we went to fill it up. while there, we were struggling a bit to figure it out and so a stake president just happened to pull up and get gas and he walked over and helped us get that all figured out and even payed for it! How sweet! 

2. When we fast, we aren't allowed to stop drinking water because well duh we are in 100 degree dry heat... so that's awesome

3. the members who feed us dinners and offer to feed us anytime a dinner appt. falls through. what a blessing

4. you guys doing your scripture reading and getting something out of it and growing closer together because of it. 

5. Just being able to get up at 6:30 every morning is a miracle...

So, with this lovely list of examples, I challenge you to look for the miracles in your life. They are there. Pray that you will be able to recognize them and be able to discern them. I promise you will notice them and you will see the hand of the Lord in your life. I also just want to challenge you to attend the temple more. at least once a month. the blessings of the temple are amazing and it is a form of missionary work. you are doing someones saving ordinances and they then have the opportunity to accept it or not. Missionary work didn't start here. It is something that was going on in the pre-mortal life and then after Christ died, he established it in spirit prison. I know I was a missionary then, and I am a missionary now. I love it. Its amazing to be able to share the gospel with you guys and with the people here. I am not the same person I was when I left. I am better and my testimony has grown so much. it swells within me with every breath. I am so grateful to my savior and to Heavenly Father for having a perfect plan for all of us individually. 

I love you so much and  hope and pray for you every day. 

Love Love love, Sister Haymond:):)

Cute companions!

They call this the suicide door!