BREAKING NEWS: I'M BORED!

This past week was Week 4 of the transfer and it has been THE LONGEST WEEK EVER! 

Tuesday I went on exchanges with Sister Clawson (she is the sweetest and I love her!) We were still knocking that morning, so we went and tracted a couple complexes. Then that afternoon, we got a call that we couldn't tract anymore...we just went street contacting and then had a booth in IV with the Elders and the other YSA Sisters! 

Wednesday was super fun! We set up a booth in Santa Barbara down by the pier! We talked to people who were passing about where they were from and about family history!

Thursday, Sister Preece and I went on exchanges! I MISSED HER! That morning we had a zoom call and they told us we couldn't street contact anymore! We are now 100% online teaching and finding. We have been approved by area leader to hold baptisms but only 10 people can be there! We all look like we were super lazy, but we literally can't go out and do work! That night, some members told us that the Governor of California has asked that everyone stay in their houses...

We have been in "quarantine" for 4 days, including today, and we are all going a little crazy! We are allowed to exercise for an hour, and go for walks / hikes throughout the day. We do crafts a lot and facebook find!

On Sunday morning, we had another zoom call and found out that 23 missionaries from our mission are going home today! Some are going home a few weeks early, and some are going home due to health concerns! It is so sad to see them go...I know how hard it can be! But they all bore their testimonies of the Savior and that they know God has a plan for their lives! 

This is God's work. He knows exactly the state of the world. He is preparing us. This time on my mission is an opportunity to grow closer to the Savior and to learn to rely on him! 

"The work will go forward boldly, nobly, and independent. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing." - Joseph Smith 

Sister Hadden

Pictures! 

Boothing, morning run ( we saw a dolphin) (I prayed that I would get to se a dolphin and it happened) (God is real),

Package from my momma & the fam, skyping with the members, Brent (a member) bringing us his extra food!

"I have corona!" "Okay have a nice day!"

Hello!

The Coronavirus is so rude! All classes at both campuses we work on have been moved online and the term ends in a week. The next term has been moved completely online so all the students are dipping!🏻 IV is turning into a ghost town! The people who are here are either leaving or self quarantining themselves! 

There has only been one case in IV and that is just a rumor! Everyone is super on edge though. We knocked on this one kid's door and he opened a little cutout and was like "I'm a doomsday-er" he told us the world is ending and we should not be out and about! He said he hadn't been outside in three days, when we offered to bring him something he was like "you could bring me 50 lbs of rice". It was a memorable contact to say the least!

Our ward mission leader passed out and was seizing at institute this week. They called the ambulance and he was taken to the hospital. They tested him for the virus but the test was negative. It takes 24 hours to get the results so the whole ward was spooked for a minute there! We were just given further instructions on mission protocol with the virus and turns out we should have told our leaders and been quarantined but...we didn't know!

Church and all activities have been canceled but we are still working! We've been given instructions to not touch anyone at all so that's awkward. We are trying to teach people but many are leaving for home or don't want to leave their house so we have been having lessons over Skype a lot!

 Missionaries here have been given the opportunity to have sacrament meeting as a district and it is such a blessing! We get to partake of the sacrament and receive spiritual strength and renewal! We also study come follow me together, it's so great!

We set our friend Gavan on date for April 25 this week but he really needs to come to church to develop the habit and friendships. We may have to move his date back so he can have a bit more time to progress!

Life is a but crazy over here and things may change even more soon! We are just trusting in the Lord that he will support us through this time and that we will be able to see miracles as we continue to serve! People need a message of hope right now with so much fear and confusion. We are doing our best to brighten people's lives and give them a broader perspective of this time!

Sister Hadden 

Please: please send me all the corona virus memes!

Boothing on SBCC campus before it was shut down, It has been raining everyday...wet hair and umbrellas 

This past week we had transfers! I stayed in the SB YSA ward, but I was moved to the other area and got a new companion! I am the senior comp and it is #stressful! My companion is Sister Taupa'ū, she is from Samoa and I love her! 

We whitewashed the area and we are so excited to hit the ground running. We are teaching a whole bunch of people but many of them aren't actively progressing and we will need to stop teaching them and find new people who are ready to put in a little effort!

I was struggling a little this week to be consistently happy because I was so stressed, and I wasn't focusing on keeping up my personal conversion or my spiritual growth! As we were knocking on a complex this week, it was just about time to head to a lesson we had scheduled when I had a prompting to knock on one final door. We knocked and a man answered. He then proceeded to go off about how our church is a conspiracy and is racist and all of this stuff. He told us he had done his research on the church and was not interested.

I bore my testimony that Christ is the center of our belief and the head of the church, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that God loves all his children. Then we left. I was taken aback at first wondering why Heavenly Father would prompt me to knock on his door. He was so unwilling to listen to anything we had to say and was very rude. It hadn't been the best day and that contact had been the cherry on top. 

In my prayers that night I asked heavenly father why. Many of the thoughts and feelings I had during the contact came rushing back. Answers to his question he was just unwilling to listen to and my feeling of conviction in what I know to be true! I realized that Heavenly F




ather used this experience to remind me of my purpose and testimony. He knew I needed a reminder of my own conviction! He works in ways we never expect and it amazes me!

I hope you all can look for the ways God speaks to you in your life. They may not always be what you expect but his hand is in all our lives all we need to do is recognize it and trust it!

Sister Hadden

Pictures: 

Sister T's Birthday, I finally had street tacos! TWICE! (Tacos with sister T and with some of our members), they called and made sure we had masks #coronavirusvibes!, jumping the elder's car!

Okay, I'm Ready for the Next Step!

Not much time to email this week! We went to the temple! It was such an incredible experience! Jack and Yu received the priesthood on the temple grounds before we went in. Bishop explained the levels of the temple and how we perform ordainances step by step and work our way along the path back to Heavenly Father! After the baptisms and confirmations Yu said, "Okay I'm ready for the next step!" We had to explain that he would need to wait and prepare for a year before he could do the next step!

Jack was able to be baptized on behalf of his Dad, and Yu was able to take his grandparents' names! Jack and Yu were able to baptize all the sisters in the ward, as well as each other, which was so cool! The Spirit was so strong in the Temple and Jack and Yu both had a great experience!

Sister Hadden

Pictures: Temple vibes!