Week 39 - Independence Visitors Center

Hi! Well I guess first of all I will tell you about my visitor this week. So two weeks ago my mom emailed me and told me a "friend from BYU" was going to come visit and wanted to know when I would be at the Visitors' Center so they could come see me. I didn't know when they would be coming, so I kind of answered and thought nothing of it. Then the next week, she emailed me again telling me the "friend" was coming this week. I then started to get a little tiny bit suspicious. Because usually my mom would tell me who the friend was coming. So then this past week I was just finishing a tour. I walk out the door to take the people to something else, and who is standing right in front of me? My sister! I was shocked. For a minute it didn't even register who she was. Then I just didn't know what to do with myself! I actually got a little shaken up just because it was such a shock! I can't really describe it, but being on a mission, even though technically I am only a couple of states away, is like living in another world or dimension. And when my two worlds collide...it was weird! But of course it was really good to see her. She came at the end of the day so we didn't have all that much time together, but that was actually good. In our mission we are allowed to see family and friends if they are in town for anything, but we aren't supposed to hang out for that long. So it worked out perfectly.

Let's see, what else happened this week. Well, we find out about transfers today! But I don't know yet unfortunately. I am guessing I will stay in my area but my companion will leave. I can't break the trend of having a new companion every 6 weeks! :) Really though, this is her first area and she has been here for 6 months, so she is probably going. But you literally just never know what the Lord has in store! He surprises us all the time. It has also been funny this week because both of our assistants to the president are going home on thursday, so they called two new ones to get trained up this week. So right now we have four assistants, which is pretty awesome. They came into the VC the other day to teach their investigator who is a woman. So it was all four missionaries and their one investigator. Awesome.

We also had some really good experiences this week. So every day on P-day after we do email we go to the laundomat to do our laundry. Usually there aren't that many people around when we are there, but there was a bunch last week. It was pretty funny because at one point a Jehovah Witness lady came up to me and asked (while putting them on the table) if she could give me some literature. I said sure, and asked her if I could give her some of mine! She was a little taken aback, probably because (from what I understand) they aren't allowed to take anything like that from us. She just stared at me and said no. Then she started to tell me how it is only through the grace of Jesus Christ that we are saved, and I agreed which I think kind of confused her. She also told me she had been "saved", and I told her I was happy for her, which I really was. I think people expect us as members to be confrontational sometimes, but usually we aren't. Then, the best part, she started to tell me how she knows that Jesus Christ and God are the same person and stuff like that. She stopped and looked at me, kind of challenging me to challenge her. I just said, "I am so grateful for Jesus Christ!" She then said "amen" and walked away. I kind of felt sad for her, just because she feels like she had to kind of fight me. I'm sure she meant well and just thinks I am deceived. I am thankful for the Holy Ghost and the fact that we can know what we believe is true by those good feelings that come, and we don't have to prove it to anyone!

Anyway, this actually led to a good experience. There was a young guy doing laundry near us and he had been watching this all happen. Of course, this was a perfect opportunity to bring up religion, so I started talking to him and just telling him how funny it is to be a missionary

sometimes. He was pretty cool! We talked for a while about some of our basic beliefs, and then actually the sisters who were with us cover the area where he lives, so they set up an appointment with him. Pretty cool. The Lord really does put these people in our paths, but we have to figure out who they are and invite them! Which is sometimes really scary. But usually, it isn't! You just do it, and things work out.

We also had such a good day yesterday! So lately I have been mentioning I think that both me and my companion have been allowing ourselves to get into these little slumps during the day. Basically we just let the adversary pound us (which it does every day) and make us feel like we are losers. So we allow this to happen and we become tired and grumpy and start acting like little brats. It is not pretty. We kind of have been getting into this mood of just thinking everything is hard and we can't do it and a bunch of other stupid stuff like that. So a few days ago I just got fed up with myself. Honestly, it is no fun knowing you are being a big baby. So we talked about it and prayed about and just decided we need to

not let this happen anymore! And yesterday we just didn't. We just kept going with faith and didn't let things get us down. We had this great appointment with a young man who has been playing basketball with the youth for a while but doesn't really know anything about the church. He is so great! We set a return appointment and without us even asking for referrals or anything he said "maybe I will invite my cousin next time you guys come over." So cool! He is pretty great, I am excited about him. Then we went to our dinner after that and after dinner we had about an hour of kind of unexpected time. We didn't really know where to go, but we decided to go to a less active we had been planning to visit for a while that we had never met. It was really the right time to be there! She has really been wanting to get back to church lately, so she is super open right now. Also her sister just moved in with her and totally wants to come to church as well and wants us to teach her about the church. Miracles. It was just a good day! Heavenly Father really helps us out as VC sisters that have such limited time in our areas. But sometimes we forget that and forget that He understands how we feel! And He knows our trials and struggles and problems. But He does know them. And because of the Atonement, we can receive help. Christ suffered for those feeling of inadequacy and hopelessness and fear and frustration. And because He did, He knows how to best help us. But we have agency. We have to CHOOSE to let Christ and Heavenly Father in. They will not go against agency and force heavenly help on us. But when we ask for it and we are doing our best to qualify for it, it comes. Every time it comes. And Christ makes up for the rest. We do what we can, and He takes care of the rest.

Well, that was pretty much my week. Being a missionary is crazy and hard but worth it!

I love you all!

-Sister Hafen