A Lot Happened This Week!

I got transfered!!! This next transfer I'm in Camarillo YSA ward which covers Oxnard and Camarillo. I'm also training a new missionary! 

Sorry for no email last P-day it was a busy day full of packing and goodbyes. I'm going to miss my district in Newbury Park so much, but I know the Lord has a plan for each individual missionary and person here in this area! I'm excited to be serving in YSA again! 

My last week in Dos Vientos was awesome. We started teaching a man named Tim. His step daughter had a newborn kitten and I got to hold it... sorry, Mom. I got in a collision with one of the Elders during sports and ended up with a GIANT GOOSE EGG! I'll include a picture. As we taught and tracted that day, people just stared at my forehead. We had a lesson with Greg and Ianthe, and we talked with them about temples. We also had an awesome lesson with our friend Marianna on repentance and how the process of repentance can help her with all her problems. Sister Fowers and I gave a discussion in district council about asking inspired questions in order to unearth people's concerns. It went really well!

On Tuesday I left sister Fowers and headed up to the Mission office to pick up my greenie! Her name is sister Turner and she is great! She is so confident and ready to work, it is great! We have been getting to know the ward a little and trying to find new people to teach! I'm again so pumped to be back in YSA! It is so fun and we get to have activities throughout the week with the ward members and the people being taught!  

I had a little incident on Wednesday this week. I accidentally on purpose was checking to see which of our burners were wobbly and forgot one was on... YIKES! I now have circles burned in my hand! 

I miss my old area a lot though! I got to know those people so well. I miss Sister Fowers a bunc. She is one of my best friends now! 

I love my mission and getting to just talk to people and share with them. Training reminds me of the beginning of my mission. I see how far I've come in the past 5 months and I'm just blown away by the progress I've made. If we give our hearts and our efforts to the Lord, he will change us for the better and help us become what we want to be. 

Love, 

Sister Hadden

A guy gave us roses!

Hello friends and fam!!

 

I actually wrote in my journal this week, so I can include some fun details this week. It has been a goal of mine to write in my journal consistently, and I have been slacking these past two transfers, so I decided to jump back into it. Honestly, I love writing in my journal. If you have never kept one, I would highly recommend it! 

On Tuesday, Sister Chandler (our sister training leader) came to our area for an exchange with me! It was so fun and I learned a lot from her. She has only been out about 9 months, but she will be the oldest sister in the mission in about a week. We talked to some fun people. One guy told us he believes the church is true but he will never join because his rifle matches are on Sundays!! WHHHAAA?? ETERNAL LIFE > RIFLE MATCH!!! 

Wednesday was our day to report a miracle! We saw so many miracles, but the highlights we reported were that we had another lesson with Greg and he told us he wants to move his date up to the 6th of July!!!! YAYAY! The second was that we got a call from the Bishop in one of our wards and he told us he had given a blessing to a lady in the ward, Karlie, who is inactive, and her non-member husband Tim was there ,and said he felt the Spirit and wanted to learn more. We had a lesson Wednesday, and he told us he wants to meet weekly, and eventually get baptized!! 

Thursday was Zone Conference, and we learned a ton from our leaders. The focus of the Conference was obedience, and faith produce miracles. We talked a lot about how we can be consecrated missionaries by following safeguards and guidelines that have been put in place for our benefit. We also talked about how God has not ceased to do miracles, we simply must have the faith to ask for them and expect them. 

Friday was a normal day. 

Saturday we went to a baptism with Greg, and he felt the Spirit so strongly. Ianthe ( his wife ) cried the whole time, she is so in tune with the Spirit it is amazing. They decided they would come to her confirmation the next day, too!! The rest of that day was WALK DAY!! We left our car in our garage and walked into our area (3 miles), walked around knocking and talking, then to our dinner appointment ( where we ate British pasties), and home (3 miles). It was a looong day but was so fun! 

Sunday was full of meetings and fasting, which is not a good combo. We also went to the Westlake YSA ward for Chloe's confirmation, and I got to see everybody from my first area! We went out knocking that night, and at one of the doors some guy answered and started yelling at us telling us we needed to be born again. We bore simple testimony that we know God and Christ live, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God along with the Bible, and that God loves him and then walked away. He continued to shout at us till we were out of sight. The Holy Ghost confirmed to me the things I had told him were true. It doesn't get me down anymore when people are so rude; it just kinda makes me sad that they have closed their minds and their hearts.

Long email this week! We went hiking this morning and so we have the rest of the day to get everything done. 

Love you all,

Sister Hadden

Pic from our hike

Sister Fower's 3-month mark

Driving to Zone Conference

Good Times!

This week has been eventful. We had zone council, stake conference, and Interviews with  President. We knocked a lot! No surprise there. We talked to a lot of people and received  two referrals.  One is super solid and from the bishop of one of our wards. The wife of this family is a  relatively inactive member and the husband is not a member. She recently received a  priesthood blessing and the spirit was very strong. He said afterwards that he would like to  meet with us!  The other is a less solid referral but we love ALL referrals!! It is to do service and help a  new family in the area move in. We hope to clear up some misconceptions for them while we  work. The member who referred them is incredible fellowship for them and will also help  soften their hearts. Stay tuned to see if we start teaching them! We hope to start teaching a few more people in  the next couple weeks because it is going to be summer and there are more activities and no  school!  We learned a lot at Zone Conference. We have decided as a mission to focus more on Christ  in our contacts and in our lessons. We have also decided to work on our personal conversion.  I'm reading the Book of Mormon through again. I recently read Alma 36 when Alma is telling  his son Helaman of his conversion. He talks about how afraid he was when the angel came to  stop him and the sons of Mosiah from doing evil. He spoke about how much pain he was in  while he was struck down. He was "wracked with an eternal torment" for three days and three  nights. Then it says he remembered his father prophesying of Jesus Christ and he cries out  "O Jesus, thou son of God, have mercy on me" and immediately he is given peace and  his "soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was [his] pain". These scriptures have brought  me to a greater understanding of my saviors sacrifice and how it can effect our lives if we only  cry out to him. Funny moment: this week Sister Fowers and I knocked on this door. A man answered while  Sister Fowers was still knocking and started yelling "hallelujah my prayers are answered" we  thought he was mocking us and our looks could kill, then he said "I've always wanted two  beautiful girls to knock on my door" and we realized he was pulling our leg. He was such a  funny guy and even gave us some suggestions for our gentile lists (a list of things we need to watch/read when we get home).  Okay one more funny moment: We were walking down the street and Sister Fowers waved at  this old man across the street and then SWALLOWED A BUG. She started coughing and  choking because it was stuck in her throat. The man was sooo confused and just stared at us.  It was hilarious!!! It was a good week folks! Love you all.  Sister Hadden!