Week 5, Transfer 2

This week was a roller coaster. 

On Monday after P-day ended, we dropped by this lady, Stephanie. She let us in to her home and we asked her if she would want to learn more, and promised that this Gospel would bless her and her family. She said yes :) She also said she would prefer to learn in Spanish, so we had to pass her off to the hermanas :(.

On Tuesday we had a pass of lesson with the YSA sisters and started teaching Brian! He is in his 50s and wants to learn. We are excited to continue to meet with him and help him progress. We officially started teaching our friend Bob. He looks like the old man from UP and is the cutest!

Wednesday was walk day, and we walked a ton!! It was also THE HOTTEST DAY EVER!!! We helped Lisa in her yard again and helped clarify the difference between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the FLDS church, which apparently there is a new show about, called Escaping Polygamy or something. We explained that we do not affiliate with that group and do not support or practice polygamy! I thought we would have gotten more questions on the subject from people, but It's only been brought up maybe twice my whole mission. Either people know that is not us, or they don't want to ask.

Thursday we did weekly planning and service for a different Lisa (Bob's daughter). She is definitely not interested in hearing  more but we just serve her anyway. It is kind of funny how surprised she is that we genuinely just want to help her!!   

Friday we got to do MORE SERVICE! We went and helped this lady, Marlene, with a project she does with her church. They get donations from local grocery stores of all the expired food and things that don't sell. They keep it all until Friday and then take it and feed the homeless.They get to go shopping for free! We helped pack everything up for them to take to the people. Hopefully, we get to help again sometime soon!!

Then that night we had to stop teaching Bob :( He was not willing to progress and did not want to learn. He was lonely and so loved talking with us, but he was not open to what we shared with him. It was the saddest drop lesson I have ever had. 

Saturday was a long day of knocking and visiting people. We got to visit Greg and get to know him a bit better! He said he would come teach a group of us meditation one morning! He also said he would try to come to church Sunday.

Sunday GREG AND HIS WIFE IANTHE came to church!!!! They loved it!!!!! The talks were about..... the restoration. They had to leave after sacrament meeting but said they would try to make it to both hours next week! 

This week has been long and crazy with lost of ups and downs. Missions are hard ✔. This is the last week of the transfer. Stay tuned for some miracles and some tears because transfers are coming up and Sister Wynder is going home!!

Her last month mark is today! It is her 16th month mark. Will everyone send her a quick email and just wish her a happy 17 months as a surprise?? Her email is mackenzie.wynder@missionary.org . She thinks we forgot but really we got her favorite ice cream and are going to celebrate tonight!!

Love and miss you all! Thanks for your help with the surprise! 

Sister Hadden

Beaches and Bob

Hello!!!! 

Happy Easter everyone!!!

This week has flown by. We had exchanges TWICE ths week! Stay tuned for some awesome pictures if I can figure out how to send them!! For the first exchange Sister Fowers and I were in the Camarillo YSA sister's area. They cover Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, and Ojai! We stayed in Oxnard for the day though. Sister Pace (My favorite MTC comp) is in that area and we got to be companions again! Because there were four of us (Sister Pace, me, Sister Fowers, and the other Sister Fowers) we had two companionships and only one car. We asked the assistants if we could borrow their bikes for the day and just like that I became a biking missionary!! It was soooo much fun! We talked to everyone along the way which you can't do in a car and it was waay faster than walking! President is thinking of transitioning the sisters to be driving and biking and I'm all for it!!

Later that day we went out for dinner because it was the other Sister Fowers' 18th month mark! She goes home this transfer with Sister Wynder. After we tracted this strip of houses that literally backed onto the beach. Their side and back yards were THE BEACH. We never get to see the ocean in Thousand Oaks so it was really cool.  

The exchange in our area on Saturday was less exciting. We saw miracles though!! We tracted into some new potentials and were able to get a lot done!! 

We started teaching this man named Bob. He is in his 80s (we think) and we found him in the craziest way! The YSA Sisters were told by a member in our area to go do some service for this lady Lisa. We soon found out that Lisa was not at all interested in the gospel but would let us serve her. We went a few times to weed her yard and then she told us  that her dad could probably use some service too. We went over to her Dad's house and met her Dad...Bob!! We helped him with his housework and started talking about faith. We asked if he would like to learn more and he said YES!! We helped him download the Book of Mormon APP so he could listen to it n his IPad. He is already through 2 Nephi 30!! He is a miracle and he is excited to learn!

This Sunday was Easter Sunday. It is a day to remember the Savior and what he did for us. This is one of my favorite verses that tells of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is Alma 7:11-12 and it says:

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Christ came to this earth willingly. He  knows what we experience in this life because he too experienced those things while in the garden of Gethsemane. He is the great mediator that makes it possible for the laws of justice and mercy to both be satisfied. He will never leave us friendless or hopeless. He is a friend and he is hope. I am so grateful for the Savior and what he did for me and for you. We can use his infinite gift to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and too eventually reach our divine potential. 

I love you all!! Happy Easter!

Love, Sister Hadden.

Happy Easter!

Daniel's baptism

This has been a great week! I love my companions so much. Also DANIEL GOT BAPTIZED!! I was able to go and also Daniel asked me to sing at the baptism so that also happened! It was such a cool service and Daniel was just glowing! He had been so ready for this day for the past month or so. I'm so excited for him to start on the path to live with our Father in Heaven once more!

We found some cool people this past week who we can hopefully begin teaching in the next week or so! Sister Burks and I talked to this lady Marlene on exchanges. She was working outside and we offered help. She said she would love help with her garage sometime and  also told us she feeds the homeless every Friday with salvation army and that if they needed help she would call us. YAY SERVICE!  We also met this cool guy Johnny! He said he had been having a tough time of late and could use some upliftment. Sister Fowers shared Ether 12:27 with him and offered him a book of Mormon. He was so grateful! He also accepted a plan pamphlet and a card with our phone number. 

The work has been a little slow this past week. We've had a bunch of meetings but on Sunday we got to meet Ianthe (we've been teaching her and her husband Greg but haven't been able to have a lesson the past few weeks). We just stopped by to "use the bathroom" and got to talk with her for a little while! Greg was busy meditating but Ianthe said he has not had tobacco for three weeks!! So he is still on track for baptism. We just need to get in and have some more lessons!!

My testimony this week has been strengthened so much. One of our meetings this week was Zone Conference / mission tour! Elder Klembingat of the 70 came and spoke to our mission. He is very straight forward and direct. He talked to us about some pretty in-depth things and helped us understand the premortal life,  repentance, and living the gospel a bit better. I gained a testimony that we can be imperfect and still worthy as we strive to become more like Christ and turn towards him when we mess up. He gave an analogy of a child drawing a picture and proudly presenting it to their parents. Although it is no where near perfect the parents still laminate it and put it up on the fridge. They know that the child is trying and did their best work.   The Repentance process is that drawing, we are the children practicing over and over and we are still no where near perfect yet. Heavenly Father loves us so much and knows when we are trying our best and that if we practice we can become better!

Zone Conference

The Di-Zone

Have a Happy Easter everyone!!

This week has been full of laughs and tears! Tears because a mission is hard, super hard. One of my companions is brand new and the other is going home at the end of the transfer. Suffice it to say the tears are a-flowin'. Laughs because my companions are hilarious and so fun. We have the best times whether it is while contacting or in member lessons. 

We were out knocking doors and I did something (I can't even remember what it was) that sister Fowers thought was hilarious. For the next 5 minutes we tried to walk up to doors and she would start up again. It was so funny!

We were able to watch one General Conference session, and for one of the sessions our friend Jane came along!! She seemed to like the talks and said it helped her to visualize the teachings. 

We got to do SERVICE this week! We weeded this lady Lisa's yard! It was so fun!! We got to talk to each other and Lisa, and we got to wear JEANS midweek. At the end of the project, Lisa gave us a huge box of kumquats. Apparently you can eat kumquats just straight without pealing them. They are not good! But Lisa gave us a whole box and we just put them on the counter of our apartment and forgot about them. This morning we opened the box to dump all the kumquats in the trash and a cloud of fruit flies came out of the box and filled our apartment. We are now trying to kill all of them and would appreciate tips and tricks! 

Today we also played water ball on volleyball which I would highly recommend!  It has been a super fun and spiritually uplifting week! 

I hope you all enjoyed Conference! All the rumors were false! My favorite talk was Elder Eyring's talk about keeping the Spirit in our homes! It was just what I needed to hear! I love how Conference talks follow a similar pattern and theme despite no topics being given. The Spirit truly does testify to these inspired men and women about what we need to hear in this time. 

I love and miss everyone, I hope you all have an amazing week. 

Sister Hadden

Pictures and Address

Here are some pictures from this week's dventures! (Sister Fowers is the blond and Sister Wynder is the ginger! Aren't they so cute?)

Our New address is 1700 Camino Olmo, Apt. G. Newbury Park, California, 91320

Hallelujah!!

Hello!

What a week! On Tuesday we had transfers and Sister Lundeen and I drove to Oxnard together and met up with our new companions there. We had lunch and then after we got to find out who our trainee is. Sister Kenzie Fowers!! She is so fun and the cutest human eva! She is from Hooper Utah, loves baseball, had a twin brother and is the only active member of the Church in her immediate family. She amazes me! 

The past week has been full of laughs and tears. It's weird to see her struggle the way I did my first transfer and not really know how to help. The mission is hard and takes a toll on each missionary but it's so worth it and gets much easier!

On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we knocked doors all day. I'm going to have to get over my aversion to door knocking because it's pretty much all we do in this area. I'm getting much better at talking to people and sharing at doorsteps. It's gets easier and easier each day to bear testimony of the truths we have!

FUNNY STORY TIME! This Saturday was exciting. The Elders had a baptism and we got to go. Her name is Charlotte and she is the craziest and most fun lady in the world. After Elder Pilling baptized her, she prayed "Thank you God" and then sang "hallelujah" and fell back into the water again ( we don't know if it was on purpose or by accident). It was hilarious!!! 

Sunday we went to church twice because we cover two wards! It is weird being back in a family ward because it feels like home! 

Daniel decided to move his baptismal date up to the 13th OF APRIL!!! THAT'S IN 2 WEEKS! I'm so excited for him. Please keep him in your prayers! It's weird not teaching him anymore but I'll be able to go to his baptism and he promised that he would come to a district activity so I could see him!

Life is good here in sunny California! I love you all! 

Sister Hadden