Week 15 - Merry Christmas from Liberty Jail

Hello everyone and Merry Christmas week!

Well as I mentioned last week...we had a baptism yesterday! I am so proud of BB. He has had the desire to smoke so bad, but he is just keeping strong. It would be so easy for him to just go ask someone for a cigarette, but he won't do it. He is so committed! We had church yesterday then the baptism was right after at 4:30. So many people came that we had to hold it in the chapel, then when we went into the RS room for the baptism part it was standing room only. When BB got up out of the water tears were streaming down his face and he just said how good he felt. Baptism is real! It isn't just dunking in the water. If a person has prepared themselves and they know what baptism really is, it is amazing! Also something funny- Brother Hatch, who is our amazing ward mission leader was the one to baptize him. After he did it his 3 year old son who was watching in the front yells "that was awesome daddy!" He was so proud of his dad for doing the baptism. It was amazing.

At the baptism Sis. Maxfield talked about baptism and I talked about the Holy Ghost. And another thing to make the day the best ever- my trainer/mom/BFF Sister Blunt came with her companion! It was awesome and SOOO good to see her. I just love that girl so much. Also another missionary who had taught BB before me, Sister Scott, came and the 4 of us (me, maxfield, blunt and scott) all sang the i like to look for rainbows baptism song (i don't know what it is called). It was awesome. It was just the best day ever. I can't even describe how amazing it has been to see the change in BB even in the last month. He is truly converted and is so excited to live the gospel for the rest of his life. After the baptism we were all talking to us and he asks if we have ever felt the way he was feeling right then. He said "I am going to work my hardest to hold onto this feeling as tight as I can." And I know he will!

Wow, that was just awesome. In other big news, this week - tomorrow actually - is transfers, so today is my last day with cute Sis. Maxfield. I will miss her a ton! She is seriously a miracle missionary. I hope some of you will get a chance to meet her sometime, because she is just amazing. She has taught me so many things, one huge thing is to always just have a good attitude, and everything is so much better! Things will always work out when we have faith in the Lord. So today we are going to go out to eat and then go look at the temple site for the new Kansas City temple which is actually in our zone- just like 10 minutes from where i live. You will be able to see it from the jail when it is done! They are just doing ground work right now, but we are already planning a fabulous reunion when it is dedicated in a couple of years.
OH- yeah. My new companion is going to be Sister Jacobs, which I am really excited about. I have met her a few times- she is at the Independence VC right now- and she is awesome. I am excited to work with her. I know she is really funny and an amazing missionary, and that we will have lots of fun together! I have been so blessed with great companions. We will also have a new greenie at our house, which will be fun! And I will get to train Sis. Jacobs on the workings of the jail, which I am looking forward to.


Well, I don't have tons of time left, but I just wanted to say that if nothing else, make sure you find time this Christmas season for Christ. It is all about him after all! I personally think that around Christmas time, the reason that people are a little nicer, a little more serving and happy is because for once in the year at least some people try to focus on Him a little more. Just think of what would happen in our world if every single person was sincerely trying to strengthen their relationship with Christ and follow His example? Or even if every member of the church did that? I know that it would change everything. And I also know that as I have come closer to Him on my mission my life has completely changed. I still have hard times, I still have trials just like everyone else, but at the end of the day I am happy. And that is important. That is why we are here! Our purpose in this life is to return to our Heavenly Father by doing all the things we need to, AND to be happy as we do it! We have so many blessings all around us if we just take the time to look around and notice. I know that I am so grateful for my Savior and what He did for me. I know that there would be no point to even being here on earth if it wasn't for Him, because there would be no way to return home. And I am so grateful that I have that knowledge!

I love all of you and thank you for you support, your letters, packages, and prayers especially.

Love,
Sister Hafen