November 30, 2009
Hello all! Well we had a great week this week, especially with Thanksgiving. We had dinner at one of our member's homes and ate until we wanted to die! But it isn't Thanksgiving unless you eat too much, right? And of course, ever since the day before Thanksgiving I have had pie because people keep feeding it to me. You just can't say no to pie, that would be rude! Really. Also, on the night before Thanksgiving we had pie night at the jail, where everyone brought pies and we had to try basically all of them. The idea is that at least you will be able to eat the pie then because you aren't full of Thanksgiving food. It was really fun! On Thanksgiving of course it was our full proselyting day, and since most of the time we were out and about was after 5:30 (which is when it is getting dark now), we couldn't tract or anything so we spent the night visiting members and talking about gratitude. It was awesome! We had these funny "Grateful turkeys" that we made and had everyone write something they were grateful for on a feather and tape it on. It worked out really well. Our ward is really starting to get more involved and love us more, and it is great! I know that missionary work is never as good as it should be without the members. You have more impact than you know.
And now, it is Christmas time! We are really excited to carol and share Christmas messages with people. I just love Christmas. And now we are allowed to listen to Christmas music! I love it. Well, also yesterday at church we got to teach the youth in a combined third hour. Of course, we had talked about it about a month ago and forgotten, and then weren't reminded until yesterday morning. But that's ok! Life as a missionary. We pulled together a lesson and I think it went well. We had kind of a war theme, and one thing we did was to take some verses in Alma 43 and change the wording so it related to them. It was funny because I started out by saying that I just love the scriptures because they relate so much to us! Of course they looked at me like I was crazy, but that was the idea. Then I had them read along while I read this:
19- And when the followers of Satan saw that the people of Christ, or that President Monson (like Moroni!), had prepared his people with good families, family home evening, family prayer and scripture study, and loving homes, and with church, sunday school, YM/YW, mutual, the sacrament, opportunities to serve, and missionary work, yea, and also good music and movies, education, good friends, and good activities, and also they were dressed modestly-
20- Now the army of Satan was not prepared with any such thing; they had only their gossip and their pornography, their drugs and alcohol and their bad media, their lyings, violence, justification, apathy, swearing, peer pressure, arrogance, pride, early dating, disrespect, bitterness, and complaints-
21- But they were not armed with faith, nor testimony- therefore, they were exceedingly afraid of the people of Christ because of their armor, notwithstanding their number being so much greater that the people of Christ.
Also this week of course we worked with several investigators! BB is SO close to quitting smoking. He really is. And this week we took him some tapes of the Book of Mormon which he is sooo excited about listening to, because he struggles to read. On Wednesday we are going to visit him and make a battle plan for everything he needs to do to be baptized, set specific goals, and set him a new baptism date for the beginning of the year! It is going to be great. We also have another investigator, Jessica, that we committed for baptism and she has such a strong testimony. She knows it is true! The only problem is that she hasn't come to church when she says she is going to. So we are working on that! But I know the gospel and being baptized will bless her life so much. I feel like right now we have so many people that are so close to really making a change in their life, whether it be baptism or just becoming serious about the lessons, but something is holding them back. So we are praying and pondering about what we can do for each of them to get them to keep those important committments! It is so important for them to really have a strong testimony of the restoration, and that our church really is the one, true, fully restored church of truth. If they have that, everything else it so much easier! How can you accept what we are teaching if you don't believe we have the authority?
Anyway, it just got me thinking about how important it is as members to make sure we are truly converted ourselves, because we need that solid testimony of the restoration. I can't emphasize how important this is! If we don't have that, we don't really believe what we are saying and living. It is amazing to me how much the Book of Mormon really talks about our day. Crazy! Read 2 Nephi 28 and just think about how much it is our day today! Verse 21 especially touched me- this is how satan works! Anyway, something to ponder. If we are not daily strenghtening our testimonies, they are weakening. They don't stay constant, bottom line! And we know that a mediocre effort to live the gospel is just not going to be enough!
Well, I love you all! Thank you for your support and all you have done for me. I would not be here today without my amazing family and friends.
-Sister Hafen
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