Week 51 - Independence Visitors Center

Hello everyone! So, sorry my emails the last two weeks have been kind of incoherent. But don't worry, I am finally back to normal! I feel like the times I have gotten sick on my mission it has taken much longer than it usually would to get better again. Probably because it is hard to just let yourself rest- I feel guilty when I get sick! I need to not feel that way, but I do. Anyway, I am feeling much better now and life is good.

 

Well holy cow it is transfer week again. We find out tomorrow what our fate is, so I guess you won't know until next week. But I have a pretty good idea that I will be transferred somewhere. I have no idea where, but we'll see. I thought that last transfer too, but this next transfer will be Sis. Finlayson's last so it would be weird to keep us together after we have been together so long. We are going to probably be broken up, and I am sad about it! She is the greatest. Did I ever write about how our names go together- Hafinlayson? Pretty funny. Sometimes we leave messages for other missionaries and just say it is from sisters Hafinlayson. But, missions are all about change. I don't like it, but it is necessary. I am excited to see what the next 6 months will have in store for me.

 

This last week has been crazy with a bunch of exchanges and this week is going to be as well. Sister Witkamp is going home- we served around each other at Liberty. It seems like everyone is either home now or is going home soon. As sisters we kind of associate ourselves with certain groups of sisters- kind of like in high school you associate yourself with the other kids in the school- and when they all graduate and it is just you it is weird. That is what it is starting to be like for me. In some ways I feel like I just got here, but in other ways I know that I have changed a lot so it makes sense I have been out this long. Anyway, if I get transferred I am really going to miss this ward. They are so great! Even though our area is farthest away from the VC than the areas the other sisters serve in, our ward is probably the most supportive as far as meals and getting us help when we need it. It is incredible really. I have always been so impressed at their sacrifice and willingness to help us with whatever we need. I almost started crying once or twice yesterday just thinking about leaving, so you know that when I actually do leave the tears will definitely come.

 

So this week...what happened...well, last p-day we actually went out to Lee's Summit and hung out with our own zone for p-day! Usually since we live in Independence we hang out with the Independence elders and sisters for p-day, but we actually went out and played basketball with our own zone for a change. It was really fun! We had been promising for months, so it was good we finally went. I then got a haircut, which was a good choice. I do not look so great with long hair. It was pretty funny, because there is a lady in our ward who we (my companion and I) decided I should copy her haircut. So we went to great clips or something and showed the picture, then I got my haircut. It looked ok, it was a little longer than what I wanted ultimately but looked ok. Then we were over at her house (the lady who's hair I copied) later that week for dinner. She is looking at it and asking if I like it, and I told her about it. Then she says, "well I used to cut hair, do you want me to fix it for you?" Of course. So I kind of got two haircuts this week. Pretty great.

 

Also our investigators are doing well, Amanda is still excited for baptism and we are bringing Roberto to the VC tonight to watch the Joseph Smith movie, which is amazing. Roberto still hasn't been able to get work off for Sundays, but his boss knows he needs it off. So we are praying for that to happen soon, because you can't get baptized without coming to church! It makes sense. Also this week I went on exchanges twice in Independence 2nd ward, which was fun. I have been on exchanges in that ward so many times I almost feel like I serve in it. But we had a pretty cool experience- we were teaching this recent convert who is only 15 and recently received the priesthood. We wanted to talk more about the priesthood and why it is important, so we brought him to the VC to watch a video from Elder Bednar. But when we got there, there were some visitors in the place where the video is so we waited a few minutes. But finally I just went over and asked if we could watch a video with them. They were about to leave, but then I realized we could use them! It was a mom and her son who is leaving on his mission in a week. Since it is much better for an actual priesthood holder to explain what it is than me, we watched the movie with them and then they were able to testify and explain things to him. So great. It is a weird dynamic between a teenage boy and 2 sister missionaries, so it really helped for a guy near his own age and a mother figure to talk to him. I think it really helped, and it was a good experience for them as well. I have such a testimony of member involvement! We can talk and teach and testify but if these people don't see actual people living the gospel and helping them, it doesn't really matter. They will not stay in the church. Team-ups (going out with the missionaries) are such good opportunities! If you ever get the chance, please take it. Awesome.

 

I also wanted to share one last thing- something I was studying today. I was listening to Elder Scott's talk from last conference as I was getting ready- it is called "He Lives! All Glory to His Name!". Obviously he was talking about Christ, and he talked a lot about the Atonement. Something he said really stuck out to me today: "I realize that no mortal mind can adequately conceive, nor can human tongue appropriately express, the full significance of all that Jesus Christ has done for our Heavenly Father’s children through His Atonement." I guess probably because I like words so much, and I think about things like what the best word is to use in a certain situation. But every once in a while you come across something that is hard to describe in words- usually spiritual experiences. But the Atonement- we don't even have the words in existence to even try to explain how important it is. We get as close as we can as we teach it and testify. But it is a learning process. There is always something to be learned about the Atonement. One line I love in Preach My Gospel says "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase." I don't know why that works, but it does. The more we know about the Atonement of Christ, the more we love others and desire their happiness. More than any other gospel topic, I have found that the Atonement is a lifelong learning process. It is so great!

 

Well, life is good! I love you all and thank you for all you do for me!

 

-Sister Hafen