Miracles, Miracles, and more Miracles! (5/16/2016)

Hello everyone I love! 

I am gunna be pretty short today but today has been awesome. We got up at 4:45 to drive down and hike the San Tan Mountains as a zone. Let me tell you, it was amazing. I am so grateful "for the beauty of the earth." It makes me smile. Then we did our normal studies, and then we went over to sister Bussio's (bush-e-o) house because she offered to teach us how to paint with water-color. She should be sending you some pictures of us with our art! I hope you like it! It was really fun! Then we went to Goodwill to look around and we bought some cheap, fixer-upper frames for our masterpieces. 

Ok, Now I'm gunna get to the good part. We saw so many miracles this week. We were able to talk to so many people and teach so many people. One of which his name is Jim Waldo [PG-13]. Jim is a Potential Investigator and lives next door to 2 awesome active member families. We met him a while ago but we saw him last night and I don't even know how we got on the subject but we were talking about his life and the Atonement and Jesus Christ and basically that he needs Jesus. And he started talking about how he is bi-sexual and about sex and we were like ... cracking up! we were laughing so hard we were like what the heck... so anyways we read a scripture with him and prayed right there in the street. It was awesome. 

Then we had a couple miracle member present lessons. I can’t tell you all of them but just one really cool one was with Scott and Anna and we actually picked Anna up as a new investigator and are teaching them tonight at the welcome center. It gunna be awesome and we are going to commit her to baptism! woo!! 

Anyways... I love you all so much. I don't know what I would do without you. You are always in my prayers! 

 

--LOVE!!! 

-Sister Anna Haymond

Mother's Day = All the tears... (5/9/2016)

 First of all, let me just apologize for being such a ball-baby. But I just love you guys so so so SO much and it breaks my heart to know that you love and miss me. It was so good to see your smiling faces and to hear your voices. I cannot even believe that the next time I will see you will be in 6 months when I am getting off a plane. What the heck. But I am super excited! It will be awesome and there will be lots of hugs and even more tears. :) Happy tears. 

     I feel like I really did not get to say everything that I wanted to say to any of you so be expecting a letter or email:) but I just want to express to you all how much I love you. Literally words cannot express the pure love that I feel for each of you individually and how close I have grown to each of you over the past year which shouldn't make sense because of how far apart we are but I guess "absence makes the heart grow fonder." (I don't even know that reference anymore...) We are an eternal family. We have been sealed together in the Temple of the Lord by the Power of God. That is super powerful. Think about it. I am eternally grateful! It makes me so happy to know that we will be together forever in the Celestial Kingdom of our Heavenly Parents. :) 

    I want you all to know that I know that this church is true and this gospel is in its fullness upon the earth. I know the Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know that He lives. That He loves you all individually.  I know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and that that plan is perfect. I know that there "must needs be an opposition in all things." Without it, we would not know the good from the bad or what it was like to be happy or sad. I know that we all go through hard things, but we also have those moments of pure joy and happiness. The good will ALWAYS outweigh the bad. The Adversary has already been beaten. Good will always overcome the Bad. I am so grateful to know that we are on the winning team. We are on the Lords side. I testify this to you is the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

     I don't know what else to say. Have a wonderful week! I love you all so much! Remember to always exercise spiritual CPR! [Church, Pray, Read.]

--SO MUCH LOVE! XOXO 

-Sister Anna Haymond

She found a kitty to snuggle

Sister Anderson

Cute Sisters!

One Year Mark (5/2/2016)

What in the world?? 

How have I already been out for a YEAR???

I'm pretty sure that is not even possible... Yet, here I am. 

There have been lots of hard times... But the most important thing is that there have been lots of good times as well!

I am so grateful to be a Disciple of Christ in Gilbert Arizona. I have served alongside some of the strongest, brightest, sweetest sisters. 

I have been a part of 13 convert baptisms.

-- {Jennifer and Clint Eason, Bobby Hanson, Owen Campbell, Riley Boatwright, Julia and Caity Cook, Shannon and Mckenzee Thomas, Emily Baker, Paul and Roxanne Travis, and Gabriel Lyons.} -- 

These people have become my family. I love them so much! 

I am so grateful for the experience that I have gained thus far and hope and pray that I will continually have experiences to stretch me and help me grow! 

Well, this week was pretty awesome. I'll work backwards starting with today...

Monday: I wish I could send you the video, but basically, someone built a "human hamster wheel" type thing. And we definitely did that as our P-day zone activity. We all just rode it so many times. It was super fun. Then we went out to eat at Five Guys. yum. 

Sunday: The Higley stake (the stake I’m serving in) had a Stake Conference and Bishop Davies of the Presiding Bishopric came down to speak. So we got to go to the Adult session on Saturday night, and then the youth session on Sunday morning (we had investigators there for both sessions!) we got to shake his hand and President Lesuer's hand. (He is the Gilbert temple president.) Also President and Sister Nattress spoke at the main session and they are always adorable. Love them. Friday: my year mark day. Just the norm. Planned for week 3. We are going on 2 exchanges this week. That's going to be crazy. 

Thursday: I had MLC (Mission Leadership Conference) that was good. I always walk away from those feeling inspired, motivated and loved. Also took some of our investigators to the welcome center and soft committed them to baptism! 

Wednesday: I was on exchanges with Sister Taylor (you might remember that I lived with her in Ironwood for a while) in her area. That was super fun. We crushed it.

Tuesday: The norm. Saw some cool miracles. 

Monday: pretty normal p-day. 

 Well, that’s all folks. Have a blessed day. I love you all to the moon and back! 

--XOXOXO 

Sister Haymond

She had her shirt on inside out for half the day and didn't know it!

Sister Haymond and Sister Anderson 

Human Hamster wheel

P-Day fun

Transfers (#9)

Well, transfers have come and gone...again. And what a week. #somanymiracles . Sister Vonnie Anderson is my new companion. She has been out for almost 8 months and is 20 years old. She is from good ole Tennessee and is the youngest of 5 girls. She is amazing! I love her! She is quiet but is an amazing and hardworking missionaries. We saw so many miracles and are going to baptize our whole area! Ha-ha! 

One of the miracles we had was pretty cool. We OYM'd these guys. Their names were Zach, and Zach. One was a member, the other was not. And so we got talking to them and we think that the member one was a little LA (less active) cause he said that the elders have been stopping by (He's in the singles ward.) and the nonmember one has been to church and is familiar with the church. So of course we had to share a message. And #MiracleMemberPresentLesson 

So I am going to start ponderizing again. I need to be better about that. but this week its Jacob 4:7 "nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace and His great condescension unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." 

I have gained such a strong testimony of the Savior and of His Atonement. I am so grateful for His love and His grace and His mercy towards us. I love this gospel. I will always share the gospel for the rest of my life. I cannot go back to who I was. I cannot go back to living the way I was before. Because of my mission, I am forever changed. I will always share my testimony from here on out. Because I am happiest when I share it. 

Love you all forever! 

Smile, be happy, have joy! 

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond

Baptisms, Transfers, and Investigators

Hey everyone! What a crazy week. The anticipation for transfers was crazy. So I’ll just cut to the chase, Sister Rasmusen is being transferred! :( I am super sad but I think we both saw it coming. So I will have a new companion! What the heck! That means that for most of my mission, I will only have had a companion for the longest of 2 transfers! ... I don't know if that means I am a bad companion or I am just too good ;) ha-ha! 

But the way transfer calls came in was we had all gone to bed...and it was ELEVEN THIRTY and they called our phone and because we all sleep in the same room and I am on one of the bottom bunks, so I had to answer it and I was SOOOO out of it, the sisters had to yell at me to wake me up to answer it and when I did, I was just like "Hello?"

ZL Elder Brewer said: "Hey did we wake you up? ...  Hello?  ... Are you all there?"

(I guess I wasn't responding... I don't know I was in between sleep and awake...)

"Yes we are all here"

"Transfer calls are in... Elders Bright, Hurst, Brewer, and Sisters Rasmusen and Drummond"

(I was shocked and it didn’t really settle in...)So I asked "say that again?"

He repeated and I then said "ok thanks bye." 

So yep. Moral of the story, missionaries are not supposed to be on the phone after 10:30pm because it will be dumb.

Kate was BAPTIZED!!! I am so proud of her and I love her so much! I know that the atonement can make us feel skinny! It makes so much sense! Kate, you are amazing and I love you and miss you! Keep smiling and keep being awesome! 

This week we were able to receive 2 more new investigators! One of the new gators we picked up was a member referral, her name is Kelly and she is the mother of 2 teenagers. She has read the entire Book of Mormon, and "Our Search for Happiness" and is working on another book. She grew up Polish Catholic and is really searching for happiness and peace in life and said that she would be baptized if she got an answer to her prayers that this is the true church and that the Book of Mormon is true! So we are super excited about that!  

Our other gator is Camille, she is married to a LA member, Jason. They recently started doing FHE and reading Gordon B. Hinckley’s book "stand a little taller" every day. So they had us over for dinner last Monday and we taught the Restoration, she said that she believes that Joseph Smith could have seen the First Vision and was most definitely feeling the spirit. So that’s cool! 

Another we are working with but she is not technically an investigator yet, is Anna, Scott Wixom’s girlfriend. She is super sweet and will come to church with him and will let us share spiritual thoughts with them... so hopefully she and her son will be baptized and they will be an eternal family! :) 

Anyways... I am super excited to tell you everything that happens with transfers and the boundary changes! Love you all! 

--LOVE!!! 

-Sister Anna Haymond

We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet!

General Conference was... wow... AMAZING.  I am so grateful to be able to listen to the words of the living prophets and apostles and other disciples called by God. Just a few highlights: 

     1.) Saturday afternoon session: Our Mission President, K. Brett Nattress, was sustained and ordained as a member of the 1st quorum of the 70... *GASP* <---that's what it sounded like in the cultural hall full of missionaries... so that happened... He is going to finish out his mission here (until July) and then will move on to bigger and better things. 

     2.) Saturday afternoon session: BYU-I CHOIR!!!!! With a RM from this mission who I knew and we saw him in the choir like 5 times. Also the choir director Sister Ashby was my choir director while I was there! So that was legit! :) 

     3.) 418 missions. 150 operating temples. Some 15 million members and a lot of missionaries and a lot of converts. 500 of which are here in Gilbert, AZ. 

     4.) 3 best talks (as ranked by Sister Haymond): Thomas S. Monson. Hands down #1. M. Russell Ballard #2.  Jeffrey R. Holland #3. 

          -Thomas S Monson: "The choices we make determine our destiny." "Choose the hard right vs. the easy wrong."

          -M. Russell Ballard: "Council with the Lord in all thy doings" Alma 37:37 and council with your family. 4 types of councils. The Apostolic promise: we will be more successful and happy as we spend quality time and council together as a family.   

          -Jeffrey R. Holland: "Do you have any idea, do you have any notion or incline whatsoever, of how much we love you?" we all have to come down from spiritual highs. Love God with all your heart, might, mind, and strength, [1st commandment] because God loves you with all his heart, might, mind, and strength. [1st truth.] Moses 1:39

     5.) Most of my question and concerns were answered. And I have the faith that they will be answered as I study the talks in greater depth. 

I hope you all enjoyed conference as well. 

Kate, Happy birthday my sweet heart. I love you! I miss you! I am sending your gift in the mail as soon as I get the chance. Please know that this is a vital time in your life. You have the opportunity to be baptized. Don't miss that opportunity! Don't delay it for anything in the world! You are a strong spirit daughter of our Heavenly Father who loves you! You are worth more than all of the treasures of the earth to him. Have a happy birthday! I love you!

Other than that, this week has been really good. I am so grateful for my Compeniero Sister Razzy. She makes me laugh so much... Last night we were going to visit this active member family and they are both RMs... But every time we pull up I swear they always see us through the front window (cause usually we are on our bikes and park on the porch). But this time we were in our car and they still saw us and we start like freaking out and we are trying to be reverent and pray before we go in but... you know how when you get in those situations where it is SO inappropriate to laugh but you just cannot stop laughing???? it was one of those situations and we just literally were laughing for 5 min before we went and knocked on the door and by the time we get to the door I’m like crying cause I’m laughing so hard... anyways... it was just really dumb but hilarious. We have a lot of those moments... but that is the same family that sent the video so it was awesome :) 

Oh ya! On Wednesday we received a cool referral! Apparently she has read the whole book of Mormon and wants to meet with us but we didn't get her address, just her phone number so it’s hard to get in contact with her... but seriously family, give the missionaries Referrals because there are always miracles and you never know who is ready! 

That's all folks. I just want to let you know how much I love you and adore you and am so happy that you are all safe and well and happy! Keep being awesome! I love you forever!

-- 

-Sister Anna Haymond

#HALLELUJAH (praise God) The Atonement Is Everything.‏

  This is one of the times of year that I love most. Everything that was dead, is now rising again into new life. I am always amazed about how much it reminds me of the atonement and resurrection.  We all too go through times in our life where we may feel spiritually "dead". But, through the atonement, we can all be revived and resurrected. Our hearts can be softened and we can be new. "As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 cor. 15:22) and even though there is death, and sickness and pain, it can all be made right in Christ. This is my simple testimony this Easter season.

     So I have decided that this is the toughest area I have been in on my mission. And I think that is due to the fact that I get "Anti-ed" more here than I have anywhere. And it’s so hard because I just want to tell them like "you don't even know! You haven't even read the book of Mormon! You can’t tell me what I believe! Take it back! Just stop!" or whatever... but all we do is look people in the eye, smile, and testify. Everyone has opinions, but not everyone has a testimony. A testimony is more powerful than an opinion. We, as members of this church will all face adversity. Why? Cause it’s the true church!  That’s why!!! If Satan knows it’s true, which he does, he’s going to do everything in his power to tear us down and make us doubt our faith. But if we build our faith on Christ and his gospel, we CANNOT fall. 

     If you find that you are struggling in your testimony, you need some spiritual CRP. Church, Pray, Read. These are the fundamentals. Going to church, Praying every day and night. And Reading the scriptures every day. With real intent, and faith in Christ. I know that as you do these 3 fundamentals, you will be blessed with stronger faith and a firm testimony.

     My mission is going good. I am coming up on my 11 month mark... woooo...*Sarcasm* haha :) but I just want to say thank you for all the Easter things. I love the book and the PJ pants. :) 

This week was good. We moved houses. Just a street over. Our new address is 3274 e. Patrick St. Gilbert, AZ 85295. Thank you! And no pictures this week :( sorry. I’ll send some of the new house next week. (BTW it’s BEAUTIFUL. like amazing.)

I love you all!