"Excuse me! Did you hear? I'm getting baptized!"

Hello all! 

This week was so great! Jack decided to be baptized! He set his date for the 22nd of February. He has been coming to something at the church everyday. YSA have multiple activities throughout the week and we meet with him on the days there is no activities. He loves being around the members and says he feels different when he spends time with us. 

On Friday we did family history with Jack. We found one link and BOOM we were able to trace his line back to 100bc! He must have some distant cousin who is a member of the church! It was so cool. He got really excited and we ended up just reading about his ancestors for about an hour! Afterwards we were saying goodbye to the other sisters and he says "I'm getting baptized!" Then when they didn't hear him, he said "Excuse me, did you hear? I'm getting baptized!" He is great!

Yu is still progressing and we are trying to help him get an answer that Christ is the son of God and that this is his church. We meet with him about twice a week. At one of our lessons this past week, we were reading from the Book of Mormon, and he turns to us and says "If I deny the Book of Mormon, I have to deny Christ!" He has such a strong desire to come to know the truth, and we are doing our best to help him understand who Christ is and why we need him!

The spirit is so cool. I gave a talk on Sunday about the spirit and learned a lot from preparing it. The spirit is so powerful, and I often forget to let him work though me. I've learned to not rely solely on my own words or thoughts but to listen for promptings from the Spirit. It has made my life easier. Instead of agonizing over what to say to someone, I listen for the Spirit and say what comes to my mind! Contacting has been a lot less stressful as I use this principle, and I have better conversations with the people we meet!

I feels like spring here in Santa Barbara! I never want to leave! 

Love, Sister Hadden!

Pictures: Boothing at UCSB, members birthdays, Jack's progress, Lemonade stand/booth, the other sisters serving in our ward!

BA BA BARBARA, SANTA BARBARA

Hellloooo! 

I am officially here in the mission field! It is so great! I am serving in the Santa Barbara YSA ward! My companion is Sister Preece, she's from Layton UT. We came out the first time together, and she is great!

Our area is incredible! UCSB is a huge campus and our institute/church building is right next door. There is a  village of student housing called Isla Vista and we go finding there. It is ALL YSA which is so great. In the other YSA wards I have served in, it has been very hard to find interested YSA because there weren't any big pockets of YSA so we would just knock wherever and mostly talk to older people and families. Then if we would find someone who wanted to learn, we'd have to send them to the Family ward missionaries. Here we don't have that problem. 

We also booth a lot on the campuses. Our bishop bought this huge chalk board and a spinner wheel for us to set up booths. 

We are teaching some great people. Jack, who's from England and is super funny, is progressing so much. We are hoping to ask him to set a baptismal date this week. Yu, who is from China and loves everything we teach him, eats up the information and knows what we're teaching is true! Then there's Lindsay. We met her this Wednesday on campus boothing and had a lesson Thursday. She is so prepared and said she really wants to start coming to church and learning more. 

I know that Heavenly Father knows me as an individual and that he loves me. It was a hard decision to return but I know the Lord is blessing me for it. I know he knew exactly where to place me to have the most growth and impact. I grew so much while I was out the first time and while I was home. I am so grateful that the Lord can mold us to reach our full potential! I am so grateful for the Gospel and the way it helps us to become so much more than we could on our own!

Love, Sister Hadden. 

Ps: my address rn is 5839 Encina rd. Apt 206

Also I can't find Honey Burt's bees anywhere, so if it's on Amazon can someone please send me some?

First day, bye to sister Chandler, mexican sandwiches.

YSA Dance Set-Up

Teaching with the Hermanas

Gospel and the way it helps us to become so much more than we could on our own!

Love, Sister Hadden. 

Ps: my address rn is 5839 Encina rd. Apt 206

Also I can't find Honey burt's bees anywhere so if it's on Amazon can someone please send me some?

First day, bye to sister Chandler, teaching with the Hermanas, YSA dance set up, mexican sandwiches.

Second Setting Apart

 Notes from Marissa’s Second Setting Apart

given by Jared Hadden

January 13, 2020

Sister Hadden, I know that it has been a difficult decision to choose to return to the mission field and serve, but I know that it is a decision you can be proud of, one that will bring you joy and great experiences over the next year. We bless you that as you serve, you can build relationships with companions and with other missionaries in your districts that will bring you happiness and fulfillment, that as you serve the people of Ventura and the cities around, you will find opportunities to improve the lives of the people you work with through service and through teaching, that you will bring the action of the Gospel into their lives. And while there will be difficult times and trials that will arise, you will have the perspective to recognize the benefit and the good that you are doing, and that will bring you comfort and joy as you serve. Most of all, we bless you with safety, that as you serve in the field, you will be healthy and able to work throughout your mission, that you can look forward to the time that you return to your family and tell us fun and exciting stories of the time you served. We are grateful for the example that you are setting, and for the decisions and efforts that you are making. 

We say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Did you miss me?

Here goes nothing,

As most--if not all--of you know, I came home from the mission about 5 months ago. I made the decision to go back out. Not an easy decision, but one I am confident in. So I am currently on my way to San Francisco! 

There I will meet up with the missionaries who are on their way from the MTC. GREENIES! We will fly to Santa Barbara Airport together. Tomorrow I will get my companion and jump right back into the work. 

It is a very different experience this time around. No MTC and I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. Which makes it harder but easier at the same time. Does that make any sense?...No, it doesn't, but it's how I feel. Super hard to explain. 

The time I've been home has been wonderful. I had great opportunities to travel and spend time with family. It was a blessing! My family and many friends have been so so supportive and I couldn't be more grateful, as it was a really tough time! I will miss them every day. 

I've learned a lot from my experience, though. I am closer to my Heavenly Father and Christ and my own earthly family because of it. I know that this gospel can give us a divine perspective that helps us through this life. I have experienced the changes Christ can work in us as we follow Him. I am so excited to share these things with people on a daily basis again. 

I can't wait to learn and grow more myself. No matter how hard, it will be worth it! 

"It's the hardest thing I've ever loved to do"

Till next week,

Sister Hadden