Week 26 - The Dark Year

Hello All!

    Christmas is a good day. :)  I hope you all had a fantastic one, because I know I did!  When you're like me, and you haven't seen your family for about five months, Skype is nice.  But really, it is amazing how much just seeing your family after not for a while can mean.  Christmas is pretty much the best....closely followed by Mother's Day. 

    Apart from Christmas, this has been a fantastic week!  One of the more exciting events of the week: Ben and Beth are finally home!  They got back early on Saturday morning, and were able to make it to church yesterday.  It's great to see them again, especially doing as well as they are.  They're still planning on being baptized this Wednesday, which means we kind of have to scramble to get everything ready, but it's all working together really well, and it should be just fine.  Needless to say, we're a little excited for Wednesday.  Allison didn't return with Ben and Beth, but we're hoping she'll be back soon, and she can continue to progress.  

   

Rob is also doing very well!  We had a couple of lessons with him this week, as well as a Christmas dinner with he and his fiancée, Dawn.  We had a lesson with him last night that was particularly good.  He's been reading a lot from the Book of Mormon with Dawn, and is trying to figure out for himself if it's true.  He's seen a lot of the hypocrisy and greed and such in organized religion in the past,  but I think he's really been impressed with what he's seen of the church so far.  We really just helped him to know that the way he'll know that everything we've talked about is true is through the Book of Mormon.  He was very attentive and receptive, and he accepted the invitations we extended, including the invitation to be baptized once he knows for himself.  It's been great to work with him.

    Overall, the week was great, though people were busy and it was sometimes hard to meet with them.  But it's ok!  This week is going to be great!  We're looking forward to Ben and Beth's baptism, transfers are on Wednesday, (Don't worry, I don't think either of us will be transferred.) and it's the New Year!  Huzzah!

Well, before I close things up, I just wanted to share with you something that's really been standing out to me lately, and that's the healing power of the Atonement.  I don't have any scriptural backing or anything right off the top of my head, but I know that the Atonement can heal us.   

We can't get through this life without picking up some pain.  Whether it's caused by others or by ourselves, it's there, and it definitely drags us down and prevents us from attaining our full potential.  But, we don't have to continue to carry it.  Through the Atonement, we can be made whole.  All we have to do is rely on Christ.  Sometimes, that's hard, and it takes sacrifice on our part, but it's more than worth it.  I just want to bear my testimony of that.    

    Well, you're all wonderful people, and I hope you have a great week, and a Happy New Year!  Be good!  Have fun!

I love you all so much!

Elder Hafen

Week 25 - Happy Christmas!

Hello All!

    Well I hope you are all excited for this wonderful Wednesday!  It's kind of a big deal.  I gotta say, it's a little different experiencing Christmas as a missionary, but that's ok!  I'm so grateful for this opportunity to invite others to come unto Christ, especially at this incredible time of year.  I just hope that I do the best I can and find those people whom God has prepared for me to teach, because I know that our Father in Heaven is preparing His children to accept the Gospel, and He gives all of us opportunities to share it; to give the gift of His love.

    Christmas is sometimes a slow time for missionary work, but also a great one!  We haven't been able to meet with a lot of people just because of the busyness of this time of year, but we were still able to see some incredible miracles and the Lord's hand in this great work.

    Sadly, Ben and Beth are still out of town for probably a couple more days.  They are back east to be with family after the tragedy in they all went through, and it's been pretty rough on them.  Ben especially comes from a really hard background, and being with his family kind of reminds him of his past, which is not the best thing.  But, they're still doing well, we think, and we can't wait to see them again!  

    We also had a Christmas miracle this week in the form of Rob.  Rob is the fiancée of a less-active member of our ward.  The two of them were moving several weeks ago, and we were able to help them out with that.  Rob's a great guy with a pretty strong Catholic background, and we've also been able to stop by a couple of times since then and built a good relationship with them.  Anyway, we stopped by them on Saturday to invite them to the Christmas sacrament meeting.  We were having a nice chat with them, when Rob's fiancée brought up that Rob had wanted to ask us something.  He then asked us how he could learn more about the church.  It was pretty cool. (Understatement.)  So, we arranged to come back the next night to teach him.  They were there at sacrament meeting on Sunday morning, and he really enjoyed it, and the lesson went very well!  He was very receptive, and he accepted the invitation to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  He even offered the closing prayer, which was beautiful.  We have another lesson with him set up for Boxing Day- that's December 26th for you 'muricans- and we can't wait to see how he's progressing!

    I just want to share quickly my testimony of Jesus Christ as we prepare for Wednesday: In John it tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  What an incredible gift!  I know that Jesus Christ came to this earth because He, and our Father in Heaven, love us more than we could possibly imagine.  I know that He truly did live a perfect life as an example to us, and that following that example will bring us more happiness than we could find anywhere else.  I know that He truly did take upon Himself every sin, every sadness, every pain that each and every person has ever, or will ever experience.  I know that He is the only way back to our Heavenly Father, and I am so grateful for that.  I love Him, and I know that He loves me.

    Well, my wonderful friends and family, have a Happy Christmas!  Always remember what this time of year is for, and be sure to express your gratitude for the incredible gifts your Father in Heaven has given you, because He has given us so many incredible gifts!  Have a great week!  Be good!  Have fun!

I love you all, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Elder Hafen

Week 24 - The Mighty Chinook

Hello All!

    I hope you've all had a fantastic week filled with carols and gingerbread and everything else Christmasy! ;)  Really, though, this is such a great time of year, and I'm so grateful to be a missionary right now.  It's wonderful to think about the Savior and all that He has done and will do for us, all because He and our Father in Heaven love us so much, all in spite of us!

    The weather seems to have been a little more typical for this time of year in Southern Alberta.  After our somewhat cold weather (haha) last week, we got a bit of a pleasant surprise in the form of a Chinook in the last couple of days.  The temperature changed from about -30 last week to about 7 degrees yesterday, and snow and ice are retreating rapidly everywhere.  Ya gotta love 'em.

    The work here in Southern Alberta is going well!  Ben and Beth are still doing just great, despite a tragic event in their family this week.  They were just married on Friday in a really beautiful service, and there's really no reason they shouldn't be baptized on January 1st. (Hooray!)  We also started teaching Ben's niece, Allison, this week.  She just moved in with Ben and Beth, and I think the change that she has seen in Ben's life has really interested her in the gospel.  We had a couple of really great lessons with them, one with our ward mission leader, and we know that she's been reading out from the Book of Mormon!  They're all out of town until Friday this week, but we hope to be able to meet with them soon after that, and really see the progress they are all making.  Man, we're lucky to be able to teach them.

    We also finally got to meet with another one of our investigators this week, Randy.  He's a trucker, so he has a pretty crazy work schedule, and he wasn't exactly eager to meet with us in the first place, but we convinced him to let us come over, and we had a really great time with him.  He can't really "see himself converting", but he knows it's all good, and I'm pretty sure he has a testimony.  It's just going to take us helping him gain a desire and a realization that this is what he needs in his life.

    This week, we also had the pretty incredible opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar!  He was in Calgary for a stake conference, and also took some time out of his crazy schedule to address us.  It's crazy to think that we were learning at the feet of and Apostle of the Lord!  (When I say "at the feet", I mean over a broadcast for those of us in the south, but you know what I mean!)  He spoke to us a lot about agency, as well as faith and what that really means, especially in our prayers.  

    As he spoke about prayer, and as we studied some of his other remarks before this, it really made me think about my own prayers.  Something Elder Bednar particularly emphasized was the action associated with our prayers.  Think about it: don't we all, at some time or another, ask our Father in Heaven for something good, and then completely forget about it or leave it all up to him?  Are we really being "agents" at that point?  God has given us the ability to do good, and He expects us to!  We absolutely need to pray and ask for good things and blessings for others, but those things need to be prayed for with an expectation to act as well!  Faith and action are inseparable, and I know that that is something I need to better realize in my own life, and especially in this great work.

    Well, I hope you're all having a fantastic week!  Remember what this Christmas season is all about, and remember what that means to you.  I love you all!  Be good!  Have fun!

I love you all, and Merry Christmas!

Elder Hafen

Week 23 - The Coldest Place on Earth

Hello All!

    I hope you've all having a fantastic Christmas season!  I guess it's even been a white one back home.  Enjoy that, and stay safe out there!  We're having quite the weather here in Lethbridge as well.  This week, I guess there were two days when we were the coldest place on Earth...on Earth!  Don't worry, the church is conscious of our health and safety, and we were shut ins for a few days, which kinda stunk.  Anyway, it was kinda cold. ;)  

    Of course, when the missionaries are stuck inside, missionary work kinda suffers.  We really didn't have the opportunity to do much teaching this week, and we had quite a few dropped appointments, but that's ok! (kinda)  We can only do so much as missionaries, and then it's up to others to use their agency to make the right choices.  All we can do is our best. (And I hope we've been doing that.)

    We did have the chance to go to our ward Christmas party this Wednesday, though, which was great!  There were tons of members of the ward there, as well as non-members, and it was a really great opportunity to meet people we had only heard about to that point.  Elder Law and I also had the opportunity to perform a musical number, which was apparently okay.  It's been great to be with another companion who is so musical!  (Elder Law is a great "greenie" overall, by the way.  He makes it easy to be a trainer.)

    Ben and Beth are doing well, though.  Circumstances have made their coming to church the last couple of weeks kind of difficult, and we weren't able to meet with them at all this past week, but we have a lesson scheduled with them tonight, and Ben's niece, who is apparently very interested in taking the missionary lessons, and who is living with them now, should be there as well!  Ben and Beth have been trying to quit smoking, which has been tough for them, but I really don't anticipate anything happening that's going to stop them from being baptized on New Year's Day.

    We're still hoping and trying to increase our teaching pool, and there's a lot of really good potential for that in the ward.  The members of 12th Ward are awesome, and really willing to work with us and help us out, and we're trying, with our super awesome Ward Mission Leader, to get things moving even more; It's gonna be awesome!

      I've been starting to read the New Testament these past couple weeks- I highly recommend it, by the way- and I came across the story of Jesus walking on water.  Of course, the storms were blowing and the apostles were scared, and then even more scared when they saw the Savior walking toward them on the water, but he told them, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."  For Peter, that was enough for a bit, and he conquered his fear enough to allow his faith to help him walk on the water himself.  Sadly, that didn't last, and Peter allowed the storm to get the best of him.  Just before he disappeared under the raging water, however, he cried, "Lord, save me." 

    "And immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him." (Matt 14:27-31)  How often are we like Peter?  How often do we let ourselves be afraid about all sorts of things that really don't matter in the long run?  Our weaknesses.  Our worries.  Other's opinions of us.  Anything.  For me, that's pretty often.  But the Savior is there.  When we cry to Him for strength and support, He will "immediately" stretch forth His hand.  He's always there.  Isn't that enough to "Be of good cheer" about?

    I hope you all have a fantastic week and that you don't forget what this wonderful Christmas season is really all about!  Be good!  Be safe!  Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Elder Hafen

Week 22 - Snowed In!

Hello All!

 

    I hope you have all had a fantastic week!  Ours has been pretty dang exciting.  I'll apologize right now for not getting an email out yesterday; we were sort of snowed in, hence the subject line.  It started dumping snow pretty badly on Sunday night, so everyone had to park their cars-didn't really apply to us, of course- so we couldn't really go email or shop or anything.  So, our zone made their way to our stake center to hang out for the day.  Then, the snow just kept coming, and it got bad enough that we had to cancel all of our appointments for the night, and we were sort of stuck at the stake center.  Luckily, there were some wonderful members who were willing and able to shuttle us all back to our apartments through the snow.  It was quite the adventure! 

   

Quite a lot has been happening here as far as missionary work goes as well! ;)  We had a couple of lessons with Ben and Beth this week, which was awesome.  They are truly some of the most prepared people I have ever seen. (And I know that's not saying much, considering I've only been out 5 months, today actually, but I've seen some really prepared people already.)  They've already been taught the first couple of lessons, but they didn't really need them as far as learning goes.  I'm pretty sure they've read Preach My Gospel, and they've been around members for quite a while now.  As far as I know, they've really just been dancing around the idea of investigating the church seriously for about three years now, and now they're ready to be baptized!  They are really committed, and I know they've seen the difference the Gospel has made in their lives already.  Ben, especially, has had a really crazy and tough life, and I'm happy to see that he's finally found the truth!  They'll be married by our bishop in the next couple of weeks, and then baptized on January 1st, and I really can't see anything interfering with that.  Ben also has a brother, Sam, who we think has a lot of potential!

 

   Well, everyone, we just found out that we've got to finish up early today. but I hope you have a fantastic week!  Love the Savior!  Be good!  Have fun!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Elder Hafen

Week 21 - The Second Area and the Firstborn

Hello All!

    I hope you've all had a fantastic week!  I know I have.  It's been crazy, of course, but also awesome.  I am indeed no longer serving in Raymond, which is kinda sad, but I know that I'm not supposed to be there anymore.  Hopefully, I did the work I was sent there to do, and if I didn't...I'll be back!  I am so grateful that I was able to serve in that wonderful area, that I was able to learn the things I did, and, especially, to meet and teach the people I did.  I know I was meant to meet them, and I hope they were meant to meet me.

   

My new area really isn't too far away from Raymond at all.  I am now in the Lethbridge West 12th Ward with my new companion (and first "son") Elder Law from Ogden, Utah.  He is awesome, and we're getting along really well.  He's a big theater geek and we have lots to talk about that way, but more importantly, he's a really hard worker and has such a desire to be a good missionary.  I'll barely have to do any work to train him.  We've spent the last few days just trying to familiarize ourselves with the area and the members of our ward.  It's been fun.  Ha ha, luckily, the last Elder who was here left us with some good records and a solid idea of what we're doing.  What we've learned so far: We have an awesome Ward Mission Leader who we've been able to meet with on a couple of different occasions already; he's really on the ball and is not afraid to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said.  The ward is really awesome, and a lot of people seem really willing to help in the work and support us. (Including dinners every night!  I didn't think I'd get that in too many other areas besides Raymond.)  Our apartment is great.  We have some awesome investigators, and we're in a walking area!  Ha ha, it'll really get us acclimatized to the winters here. ;) (Don't worry, we're keeping warm, and we may actually get a car soon.)

    I really just want to report on the two progressing investigators we do have: Ben and Beth.  They are awesome, that's about all you need to know.  The previous missionaries have been meeting with them for a few weeks now, but they've been being prepared for a lot longer than that!  I don't know a ton about them yet, but they've accepted the gospel wholeheartedly, and they are on date to be baptized on the 1st of January.  Is there a better way to start a new year?  I submit that there is not!

    Sorry to be so brief today, but I'm sure I'll have more to add next week!  Before I do close, though, I want to leave you with a scripture that really hit me this week.  It's D&C 58:27-28.  Coming into a brand-new area with no idea what we're doing can be hard, and it's easy to be discouraged and get lazy on a lot of the little stuff, but that's not the way to be.  In this scripture it says that "men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many good things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them," The power is in us to accomplish so much good wherever we are, all we have to do is be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and this is a pretty good cause.

    I love you all so much, and I hope you have a great week!  Be good.  Have fun!

Love,

Elder Hafen

Week 20 - The End of an Era

Hello All!

    Well, it seems my time here in Raymond, Alberta has come to an end.  I just received an email from the

Assistants that I will be transferred somewhere in the southern part of the mission, which could be anywhere from British Columbia to Lethbridge to Medicine Hat (or they could even stick three of us together in Raymond. I guess it's happened before.) but we'll see tomorrow!  This does mean that it's very likely that myself and my trainee will "whitewash/purge" into an area, which means there will be no overlap of missionaries, so that'll be fun! haha, I'm actually quite nervous, but also very excited!  I know that this will be a time of some serious growth and learning, and I also know that "whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies." (President Monson)  How comforting is that!

    Anyway, the work of salvation is going wonderfully!  The members in Raymond are really starting to get involved in and excited about missionary work, and it's wonderful!  We're doing splits most nights of the week with all five of our wards, and the fifth Sunday program for the stake will be entirely centered on missionary work in the family.  Good things are coming!

   

We lost an investigator this week....because he was baptized!  Ryan's baptism was this past Friday, and was awesome.  He's a crazy kid, but he has such a sweet spirit, and the baptism went without a hitch.  The talks were really appropriate for Ryan, and the sister missionaries even had an investigator there, who I think really had a great experience.

    Our other investigators are doing well, though I didn't really get to see them this week.  Elder Lauzon did have a lesson with Caelin and Sam while we were on splits one evening, and Caelin actually wanted to say the closing prayer! (Something that's pretty rare for her.)  I wish I had more to report on all of them, but I have high hopes for them, and I'll be keeping my eye on them for a long time yet.  We also started teaching another investigator on Saturday, Bryan, who's married to a less-active member, but really doesn't know much at all about the church.  He was pretty receptive, though, and I hope we can help him gain a desire to learn more and apply the things we teach.

    This week we also had the opportunity as a mission to hear from Elder Schwitzer of the Second Quorum of the Seventy.  It was a really cool opportunity and I learned a lot from him, especially about repentance.  I don't have my notes from it with me, but I remember especially the importance of helping those we teach repent themselves, and really understand what it means.  (We also have to learn ourselves more about what repentance means.)  Overall, I think I really just need to look at repentance more as the positive change that it really is, instead of something to be dreaded.  Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Father in Heaven has given us the opportunity to become completely different people!  Instead of being stuck as the mortal, sinful, very imperfect humans we are, we can become so much more!  We can realize that we are children of the most powerful and wonderful being in the Universe, and he's given us a way to become like Him.  We just need to try our best.

    I love you all so much!  Have a fantastic week!  Be good, have fun, and remember who you are!

Love,

Elder Hafen

Week 19 - Happy Remembrance Day

Hello All!

    I just want to start off and wish you a happy Remembrance Day!  I hope you're all having a fantastic day and week, and that you're enjoying the onset of winter, wherever you are.  I know I am. ;)  Haha, Raymond is great, as usual, and the end of the transfer is almost upon us.  With that comes some exciting news. . . I'll be training next transfer!  I'm very excited/nervous, but I trust that this is actually what's supposed to be happening. (cross my fingers)  It's crazy to think that that missionary is in the MTC right now, probably going through the same things I went through four months ago.  Anyway, it'll be fun! :)

    Elder Lauzon and I have been working hard, and the people of Raymond are, I think, really starting to get excited about missionary work!  We've been going on splits with (pretty much) all of our wards weekly, and getting a lot done.  Never think that there isn't missionary work to be done, even if you do live in a place where "everyone" is a member.  There's always work to be done!  Isn't that awesome?!

    There's not a ton to report this week on our investigators, other than they're making good progress!  Ryan, who we started teaching last week, will be baptized this Friday.  His mother really wants him to be baptized, and we've been meeting with him very often to make sure that will happen. He's such a sweet kid, and I really hope that his baptism will make a difference in his life as well as the life of his family.

    We met with Ethan for the first time in a while this week, which was great!  We met with his sisters as well, and all of the girls showed up for church on Sunday, though Ethan did not.  The four of them have also started studying the Book of Mormon together every night, which is awesome!  As they get along more and more and learn to love another a little better than they have in the past, I know it will make the time they have to wait to be baptized so much easier on them.  I just hope that we'll be able to help them make a difference in their lives and become the amazing people I know they can be.

    Joe continues to do well... he just has to wait.  It's ok, though.  Experiences like this help us all grow, and I really think it has helped Joe grow and that it will continue to do so.

    Other than our investigators, we've been meeting with a lot of Less-Active members and Recent-Converts, and that's been great.  Interacting with them has really reinforced to me that missionary work isn't just baptizing people.  There are so many members of our church who need friendship, who need encouragement, who need love and a sense of belonging.  We can help strengthen them.  It helps a lot to love them.

    That kind of brings me to my thought this week.  In one of our sacrament meetings yesterday, there was a talk given on love, and I loved it!  The sister who gave the talk shared a quote from President Spencer W. Kimball: "The greatest force in the world is love."  How true that is!  Think about the most incredible and important event ever to take place, namely The Atonement, and what motivated that.  Love.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much "that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)  I'm sure it's easy for parents to imagine how hard that would have been, but our Father in Heaven did it because He loves us that much.  We need to love Him back.  That is the first great commandment.  Our Heavenly Father has given us everything, I think it's fair for us to try to love him with all our heart, soul, mind ,and strength! (Mark 12:30)  We also need to love one another.  Who are we not to?  After all, Christ came for all of us, and we are all in need of the power of His Atonement.  It can be hard to love our brothers and sisters, though.  Our Father is there to help, though.  He can give us love, we just need to ask him for it.  One of my favorite scriptures is Moroni 7:48: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."
    I love you all so much!  Have a fantastic week!  Be good, and always remember to love each other.  Have fun, too!

Love,
Elder Hafen

Week 18 - Winter Wonderland

Hello All!

    I hope you're all having a fantastic time!  It sounds like the weather down in Sunny St. George is just beautiful, so that's nice. Haha, it's beautiful here as well, just a little colder. ;)  Really, though, the weather is beautiful!  We got plenty of snow and ice last Sunday, and then the rest of the week was really pleasant- which gave the kids a really nice Halloween- and then the snow just piled down on us again yesterday.  Good stuff!
    The weather isn't nearly as important as the awesome things that are happening up here in Raymond, Alberta, though!  The week started out a little rough with a lot of appointments falling through, but we've been blessed in the last few days to have been able to find a couple of the people our Heavenly Father has been preparing and get some great things moving here in this tiny town.
    One of our new investigators this week was well-known to us already.  Her name is Sam; Meagan, Caelin, and Ethan's little sister.  She just turned nine recently, and we met with her for the first time this week.  She's a great little girl, and she absolutely loves the church!  She's been going to church practically every week with her aunt, and loves to go to primary as well.  We just continue to hope that her father's heart will be softened, and that they'll all be able to stay strong despite this challenge that they are being made to go through.  There's no way we're giving up on them, though.  Even if it does take years; they've got way too much potential for that. (As do we all.)
    We also started teaching another nine year-old last night.  His name is Ryan, and though we were on splits, and I didn't get to be at the lesson, I've met him before, and he's such a sweet little kid.  I believe his family is somewhat less-active, so he hasn't been baptized yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before he is.  One of his biggest heroes is his neighbor, Brother Wihnan, who was just called as the High Priest Group Leader in one of our wards, and I'm sure he'll be the one baptizing Ryan in a couple of weeks.
    Joe continues to do well.  I wish he could get baptized right now, just because I know that being baptized and having the Holy Ghost with him will help him so much in his continuing progression; he's really grown and changed a lot since he's been here in Raymond.  It's alright, though, March 2nd is going to be a very good day for him. :)
   

And of course, there was Shaidon's baptism this Saturday! (Hooray!)  It was wonderful, and a lot of his family was there to support him, many of whom are less-active.  I was privileged enough to be able to perform the actual ordinance (my very first baptism, and I didn't mess up!), and his grandfather, who is a really great man, confirmed him.  It was a really beautiful blessing, and I really hope that Shaidon's example will have a powerful impact on his family.
    This week, I had the opportunity to read a talk by Elder Orson F. Whitney on lds.org called "Built upon the Rock".  In it, he said something that really stood out to me:
 "Whatever is done by this Church is because God, speaking from heaven in our day, has commanded this Church to do it. … That is the constitution of the Church of Christ."  How true is that!  People, including us, at times, have concerns about the church.  We look at some of the differences that make us so peculiar, and the things we do or don't do that set us apart so much from the world, and we often wonder about them.  Some of those things may even be unsettling to us.  That is totally normal, and I've done it myself, but we don't need to worry or doubt.  This is Christ's church. He leads it through his apostles and prophets.  He will not lead us astray.  After all, He is the Lord, our Good Shepherd.  We most certainly are not. 
    I love you all so much!  Have a fantastic week!  Good luck to the cast and crew of "Peter Pan" with all of your performances this week!  I'm sure you'll be awesome.  Be good!  Have fun!

Love,
Elder Hafen

Week 17 - A White...Halloween?

Hello All!

    Yes, it snowed.  Your little desert dweller is having to adjust to negative (Celsius) temperatures and all this white stuff, and he loves it!  Being cold and wet isn't always the best combination, but it's so wonderful to see the beauty of the wonderful world that our Heavenly Father has given us. (Especially when it goes from being an amazing almost 20 degree sunny day to -2 degrees and dumping snow the next. ;) )  I do love it, though, even if it is going to take some getting used to. 

    The work here in Raymond is just great!  Elder Lauzon and I are really trying to get a lot of things happening here, and we taught quite a few lessons last week.  The wards are starting to get more involved in missionary work, and it's wonderful to see this change throughout the entire church!  With the age change, the change in the Sunday School curriculum, the "Hastening the Work" broadcast this year, and the church's continuing emphasis on missionary work, I can't wait to see what happens, both to our church as a whole and to us as individuals.  It's gonna be good! :)

    Our investigators are doing just great.  We have started to meet with Meagan and Caelin separately now, and had a couple of really awesome lessons with them on faith.  Faith is something I've learned a lot about myself on my mission, but it's definitely something we have to grow, and sometimes that's a trial, but in the end it's all worth it!

   

Joe is doing as well as ever, and I really hope that the next few months can be a time of healing for the relationship he has with his mom and step-dad.  It's not the funnest of situations, and there are a lot of hard feelings on both sides.  I just hope everyone can try to do the best they can do, and not worry so much about the imperfections of everyone else involved.  I'm really grateful for the family I have. :)

    We had a great lesson with Shaidon last night to finalize everything for this coming Saturday.  We went over the baptismal interview questions, and it was wonderful to hear his testimony and understanding as well as those of his grandparents and especially his dad, who were also there.  As we were going through the questions, I was wondering a bit what must have been going through Shaimus' mind.  He has a testimony.  He knows the church is true.  He just isn't living exactly how he should be at this time.  Towards the end of the lesson, however, he told Shaidon how proud of him he was for making this decision, even though he knows his dad(Shaimus) isn't perfect.  Shaimus also helped Shaidon's little brother say the closing prayer, and it was one of the most tender things I've every heard.  Shaimus may not be worthy to baptize his son, but he's a good father, and he loves his children.  That's plenty of reason to love and respect him.

    As I was studying this past week, I came across a couple of scriptures that I'd linked in the past.  They are 2 Nephi 26:22, and D&C 43:9.  It really made me think about the way I need to live my life, especially as I examine myself and try to find ways to improve.  In 2 Nephi, it says that Satan tries to lead us down to Hell with a "flaxen cord".  He's not going to jump out of the bushes and try to wrestle us down and tie us up!  He's too subtle for that.  If he can, he's going to make us skip along down to where he can finally bind us "with his strong cords forever."  Our Heavenly Father is not so subtle.  He tells us in D&C 43,"and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me-" Satan's goal is to bind us, but we need to beat him to it.  We need to lash ourselves to the iron rod, and then make sure we don't let go no matter how innocent the reasons for doing so may seem.  We need to be constantly vigilant to ensure Satan hasn't found our weak spots and started to lead us along.

    I love you all!  Have a fantastic week!  Good luck to the cast and crew of "Peter Pan"!  Be good!

Love,

Elder Hafen

Week 16 - 'murica

Hello All!

   I hope you've all had a fantastic week!  I want to wish a happy birthday to my big brother, as well as to my wonderful friend Avonlea Dalley!  Happy Birthday!  

    Things are just wonderful here in Ray-town!  We caught some more pheasants this week, and also got our first glimpse of snow!  I say glimpse because it was actually sleet, something I haven't run into very often in my life.  Today we also had the chance to go on a bit of a Southern Alberta church history tour, and went to the spot where the first members of the church to come up here crossed the border.  I was standing inches away from the United States of America. *sigh*  I guess Canada is alright, too. ;)

    Elder Lauzon and I are really starting to get our area organized, and realizing just how much potential for missionary work there is in this quiet little Mormon town.  We're also building our friendship and learning how to work better together.  It's been great to be his companion so far!

Our investigators are doing well.  I'm sorry to say that Joe won't be baptized this Saturday, though.  We had a lesson with him, and then he asked his mom if he could have permission to be baptized, and she didn't grant it.  It's alright, though.  We actually had a really pleasant chat with Joe's step-dad last night, and it was good to get both sides of the story.  I can't wait for March 2 when Joe can finally be baptized and receive all the blessings being a member of the church brings!

    Shaidon (I learned I'd been spelling that wrong this week.  My bad.) is right on track to be baptized on the 2nd of November, and that's going to be awesome!  I really hope he becomes an example to his little brother and sister, as well as his dad, and I know he has the potential to be one.

    Meagan and Caelin are also doing well, though it's hard for them to be excited about church sometimes when they're stuck in the rut they are.  I have a lot of hope for them, though, and I hope I can do my part in helping them become converted to the Savior.

   

We also got a new investigator this week!  His name is James, and he's the brother of a recent convert in town.  We ran into James last Sunday at a missionary farewell, and asked him if he'd like to meet with us.  He said he would!  After that, though, we couldn't find a way to get a hold of him.  Then, out of the blue, his brother knocks on our apartment door!  *tender mercy* So, we set up a lesson for Saturday, and it was great.  James was really receptive to and accepting of what we had to say, and when we asked him if, when he came to know that the Book of Mormon was true, he would be baptized, he said he would!  Sadly, his mom doesn't seem to be a big fan of the church, so he didn't make it to sacrament meeting yesterday, but we still have a couple of lessons set up with him this week.  It's gonna be great!

    This week, I've really been realizing just how important the gospel is and should be in my life.  It's easy sometimes, as someone who's had the gospel my whole life, to take it for granted, but it really is the best thing ever! (No exaggeration.)  In 1 Nephi when Nephi is seeing the vision of the Tree of Life and learning what it means, the Spirit shows him that the fruit of the tree is the love of God, which "is the most desirable above all things,". (1 Nephi 11:22) Above all things!  We know that God loves us, and we know what His work and glory is, and because He loves us and wants to bless us beyond what we can imagine, He's given us the gospel.  He's shown us the way to have peace and joy in this life, and eternal happiness (with those we love, might I add) in the life to come!  Not only that, He has shown us the way in so many different ways!  He's given us the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Prophets, personal revelation, and the knowledge that He sacrificed His beloved Son to make it all possible.  All because He loves us, and because He, better than anyone or anything in existence, knows what is best for us and what will bless us.  The gospel is the way we will return to live with the Heavenly Father who loves us and knows us perfectly, and how we will receive His love, which is "desirable above all things".  I'd say it's pretty wonderful.

    I love you all!  Have a great week!  Be good!  Have fun!  Remember who you are!

Love,

Elder Hafen

Week 15 - Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Hello All!

    First off, I am so so so so so so so so so SO sorry that I didn't get an email off to you all last week.  I won't make excuses, and I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again!

    Things are great up here in the CCM!  Transfers were this past Wednesday, and yes, I do have a new companion.  His name is Elder Lauzon (Loh-zahn). (He's French-Canadian ;) ) He's from Ontario, and has only been a member of the church for about two years.  He joined while he was attending college, and is the only member of the church in his family.  Crazy.  He's been out on his mission for about 14 months now, and I am learning and going to learn a lot from him!  Elder Lauzon is also our new district leader, so I have the opportunity to see how mission leadership works a little bit more now.

    Raymond is wonderful, as usual, and I'll be very sad to leave this place.  Since I'm not training this transfer, I think I'll be gone at the end of this transfer, but who knows!  We have some awesome investigators who are progressing really well, and a lot of potential in the area.  We also still have our awesome dinners every night, and had a great (Canadian) Thanksgiving with one of our favorite families in town, the Clarks.  We're off to a couple more of those today, as well!  (Surprisingly, I've only gained about 5-10 pounds here!)

    Some of the big news from this past week is about Joe.  We had Joe on date for his birthday, the second of March, but were a little worried that his difficult family situation would mean that he would be sent back to London sometime soon.  Not fun.  Anyway, a counselor went and met with he and his mom and step-dad, and things are on a dramatic upswing!  His situation at home is improving- his step-dad even let him borrow a suit to wear to church yesterday- and he'll probably be baptized in the next couple of weeks!  I am so grateful to have been able to teach Joe, and be a part of his life.  He has been so prepared by our Heavenly Father to hear this message, and I can't wait to see the difference being a member of the church and receiving all the blessings that come with that will make for him!

    We also committed another one of our investigators, Shayden, to be baptized in November!  He's about nine, and is a great kid!  He's the son of a less-active member, who I've talked about a bit, in another ward of ours, and I really hope that his baptism will help his dad see what needs to change in his life.  

    Meagan and Caelin are doing well, Caelin and her little sister came to all three hours of church yesterday, but we're a little bummed since we can't meet with Ethan again for the rest of the month; he's grounded. :P  Don't get grounded, kids!

    Everything else is going just great, and I think we're about to start doing a lot more.  Elder Lauzon is an incredibly hard worker, and, even though I'm sure I'll be exhausted every day, we're going to get a lot done!  That kind of brings me to one of my favorite quotes from Preach My Gospel on page 97. "your confidence and faith should be in Christ, not in yourself."  Sometimes, it's really easy to have confidence that we can get things done on our own, but we're pretty helpless without our Savior and His Atonement.  Without Jesus Christ, we would be pretty much hopeless.  I know that I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing now if it weren't for Him, and I know it's going to be that way for the rest of my life.  The Atonement and Gospel of Jesus Christ help us get through the difficult times in our lives, and make the good times so much better!  It's pretty much the best thing ever. :)

    I love you all!  I'm sorry again about last week.  Have a great week!  Be good!  Have fun!

Love,

Elder Hafen

Week 13 - Sweater Weather

Hello All!

    I hope you've all had a wonderful week, and that you're all being righteous and awesome like I know you are!  Things sound like they're awesome back at home.  I want to congratulate two of my best friends really quick: Rachel Guymon, who is going to be the best wife ever, and Mason Aldred who is going to preach the gospel like nobody's business in the England, London mission!  Man, I love you guys.

    Things are really starting to pick up here in Ray-town!  We picked up a couple of new investigators this week, and we have some things coming up that should really build our teaching pool.  While our area is heating up, the weather here in Southern Alberta is really starting to cool down.  We're also getting much more wind. I think the wind today is supposed to get to something like 100 km/hr. (about 70 mph)  Winter's going to be so much fun! ;)

    Things are going well with our investigators.  We fasted for Megan, Caelin, and Ethan's dad again yesterday, and we're really praying and hoping for a miracle there.  Megan especially has such a desire to be baptized, and I hope that she doesn't have to wait four years to do it.  Joe's also progressing well.  We taught him about a few of the commandments this week, and his biggest hang up was on Tithing....because he said he has no problem with it at all, but that it's something he wants to give because he wants to give it, not because he has to.  He's amazing.  It really gave us an opportunity to teach how important our willingness to obey the commandments is and praise him for how well he already does at that.  He is having a few issues with his mom and step-dad at the moment, and they have a lot of power over him because he's just here as a visitor for now, but that will hopefully be resolved soon. :)

    Our two new investigators are named Shayden and Shareen.  Shayden is about to turn nine, I believe, and his dad, Seamus, is a less-active member who hasn't been coming to church, we think because fo a Word of Wisdom issue he has.  He's a really sharp kid, though, and we hope he can be baptized within a couple of months.  Shareen is Seamus', girlfriend. ;) She has a lot of questions about the church, and seems impressed with the members here.  She actually has a really cool story about a run in she had with the church.  She was out in the middle of the night one winter, when a bunch of dogs started chasing her.  She was freaking out a bit, when she saw a light on in the LDS chapel that was just across the street from her.  She ran over to it, and the door was unlocked!  She spent the night there, and the next morning some members came by and the one who was in charge of locking up the building commented on how it was so cool that the one night he forgot to lock it, she needed help.  Alma 37:6-7!  She does have a couple of Word of Wisdom issues, but we hope that she'll be able to feel the Spirit and gain enough of a desire to change that she'll be able to!

    Elder Musselman and I had the opportunity to be part of the 5th Sunday program in one of our wards this week, as well.  It was on missionary work, surprise surprise, and especially the Work of Salvation broadcast in June.  We watched a couple of video segments from the website the church set up after that.  It's called "Hastening the Work," and if you haven't checked it out yet, do.  One of the videos was called "We Are One," and it was all about how we should be one as a church in missionary work.  One of the people in the video made a comment that stood out to me especially.  He basically said that there are not two different churches.  There isn't an ecclesiastical church and a missionary church.  That doesn't make sense!  We are all one church, one body, committed to accomplishing our Heavenly Father's work, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)  As we better become one in this work, we will better become one with Christ, and as we become one with Christ, we become one with our Father, just as they are one. (Romans 12:5)  We are all part of this work.

    I hope you're all having a great week!  Be good, have fun!  I love you all!

Love,

        Elder Hafen

Week 12 - D&C 18:15

Hello All!

    How's it going, my wonderful friends and family?  It sounds like there are lots of fun things going on at home, and some not so fun.  (Sorry all my fellow BYU fans.  We know that good always prevails in the end. ;) )  

   

First of all, yes, Jonathan's baptism did go through on Saturday!  It was amazing!  Jonathan's a popular kid, and there were something like 56 people at the service, including his non-member mother and sister.  His grandpa baptized him, which is something he's been waiting to do for a very long time.  The Spirit was most definitely there, and it was wonderful to see how touched everyone was, especially his sister.  Because his mom wouldn't be able to be in church the next day, the confirmation also took place on Saturday, and it was beautiful.  Jonathan's grandma died of cancer pretty recently, and she's had a big influence on all of this.  It was mentioned in the confirmation that she was there, and I can tell you she was.  I couldn't help thinking of my own angel grandmother, and I know she was watching as well.  

    A couple of our investigators were also at the baptism, and they really felt the Spirit as well.  Megan was one who attended, and it was almost a negative experience for her, just because she knows that she needs and wants to be baptized, but she can't be.  We're really hoping and praying for a miracle in the heart of her dad.  

    Joe was also there, and he told us he felt something.  He us so incredibly prepared!  We met with him again this week, and invited him to be baptized.  He accepted!  We also asked him if he would prepare to be baptized on the 5th of October, but he's a little hesitant about that, just because of his family situation.  He's living with his mom here, and doesn't want to cause any contention.  He did say that once he's 18, which will be next March, he'll definitely be baptized!  We're hoping that him being baptized won't be something that will cause problems, and that he'll be able to be sooner rather than later.  Like I said, he is so incredibly prepared.

   

The rest of the week was great!  We had our first really cold day, which we decided to walk in for a bit.  Not a good idea.  It was about 4 degrees Celsius, so just above freezing, and rainy and windy.  It was cold...and wet.  But at least I know it's only going to get colder! ;)

    This week, I was studying quite a bit about obedience.  (It's kind of an important topic as a missionary. haha) The Christlike Attributes section of Preach My Gospel has quite a bit about it, and one scripture really stood out to me.  It's Mosiah 15:7, and it says, talking about Christ, "the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father."  We know that Christ was perfect, but I think I sometimes disconnected that from his obedience.  They're almost one in the same, though!  One of the reasons Christ was perfect was because he always did the will of the Father.  Always!  I thought of it a bit like building a house.  Our Heavenly Father has prepared everything.  The foundation is laid, the frame is cut; it just needs to be put together.  That's where we come in.  We are tools in the Father's hands, or, at least, we should be!  Now, if we aren't reliable tools, can we really expect our Father to use us?  Can we really expect the joy and peace that He promises to give us as we do obey His commandments?  Sometimes, the task He gives us can seem too huge or too hard to accomplish, but he hasn't left us alone and helpless.  Like He says in D&C 84:88, "for I will go before your face.  I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

   

Well, you're all wonderful.  I love you and miss you!  My wonderful mother sent me a package that I got this week, and I got a very nice card in it as well. :)  Thank you to all of my friends who were able to sign it.  It's nice to know that somebody remembers me. ;)  I love you.  Be righteous.  Have fun!

Love,

        Elder Hafen

Week 11 - Thursday Hot Lunch

Hello All!

    How are all you wonderful people!  I hope you're doing great and being righteous and all that good stuff.  ;)  It sounds like things are just great back at home, and, again, it's kinda strange not to be there for all of these things that are happening!

    This week was a really good one!  It started out pretty typically.  We had a Zone Training Meeting on Tuesday, which was a lot of fun; I really love my zone, and can't wait to see what we can accomplish!  We taught the Olsens again this week, this time about the how much family means to us.  They are typical teenage and preteen kids, so they terrorize each other pretty regularly, but if they can really gain a greater love for one another, I'm sure they'll be able to be strong and diligent in doing what they're supposed to during this trial in their life.

    We also met with Jonathan again early in the week.  He still wasn't quite sure on his baptism, so we really concentrated on the Book of Mormon.  He's been reading diligently, but we really wanted him to realize that once he gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon, he'd know that this was something he needed to do.  (Full credit to Elder Musselman on that.)  It was a really powerful lesson, and Jonathan's dad, who is less-active, was even there to take part in it!

    Thursday was pretty flippin' great!  We started out by going to lunch at the high school.  The Home Ec class does a big lunch every Thursday for the school and community and, it being Raymond, we get to eat for free.  It's a really great opportunity to work with the youth and follow up on commitments and appointments, considering most of our investigators are under the age of 18!  We did a little bit of service then, and headed over to the Stake Center to do our weekly planning.  Just as we were starting, Elder Musselman really wanted to check with Jonathan to see if he was ready to commit to the 21st for baptism.  We texted him, then met him at the high school.  We asked him, and he said, "Let's do it."  HUZZAH!  Elder Musselman and I had to wait until he was back inside to start flipping out too much.  Jonathan is such a great guy, and I can't wait for Saturday!  He has been prepared so well for this, and I'm so grateful the Lord has seen it fit to make us a part of this wonderful event!  

    After school that day, we also met with one of our potential investigators for the first time.  His name is Joe, and he's awesome.  He moved here from London recently to live with his mom.  He comes from a pretty rough situation there, but he has such a sincere desire to do good and be good.  He really wants to do what our Heavenly Father wants him to.  Anyway, he's in high school now, and decided that it would be cool to take seminary!  He loves it!  He loves his teacher, he loves the town, he loves the church, he reads about 10 pages of the Book of Mormon everyday, he's amazing!  He's also just a really nice guy.  We'll be meeting with him again this week, and I can't wait to see where this all goes.

    Saturday I was in Magrath on exchanges, so I missed Raymond quite a bit, and was glad to get back yesterday.  It was a great Sabbath, with a couple of our investigators coming to church as well as some non-members who just showed up out of the blue!  Good stuff!

    Sunday was also really great because it seemed like all of the talks were really directed at me!  A lot of what was said really emphasized charity and how to better exercise it.  Something that really stood out to me was a quote from President Monson, "Charity is the opposite of judgment and criticism."  Man.  As a missionary, and as a person, it is so essential to have charity.  We're told in the scripture that "if ye have not charity, ye are nothing," (Moroni 7:46)  Sometimes, it's a hard thing to have, but that's the wonderful thing about grace, we can have help!  Just like with every other Christlike attribute, it is essential to exercise the Atonement in developing charity.  So "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ;"  It's hard sometimes, but it's more than worth it!
    Well, I hope you're all having a great week and that the rest of it will treat you well!  Be good, and love each other!  We're all brothers and sisters who, without the Atonement, would all be equally without hope.  I'll try harder to do that, too! :)  I love you all!  Good luck!  Have fun!
Love,
        Elder Hafen

Week 10 - Soggy Pants

Hello All!

    I hope you've all had a fantastic week and are being your typical, wonderful selves!  It's crazy not to be at home with all the things going on that I've been a part of for so long.  It's alright, though.  Everything is as it's supposed to be!  

    We got some good rain this week, which messes with the harvest a bit, but it was good.  Being missionaries, we also had to ride our bikes in it, hence the subject line.  We got a little wet, and a little muddy, but it was all good; I'm a real missionary now! ;)  I just have to get a door slammed in my face now!

    Totally kidding!  I feel blessed to be in a place where that doesn't happen too often.  Raymond is such a great place, and I know that I was supposed to start my mission here.  The work is coming along really nicely here, too!  We had a really productive week, with a new investigator and our other investigators coming right along!  We actually fasted with Jonathan yesterday to help him know for himself that baptism is for him.  If everything goes perfectly (fingers crossed) he should be getting baptized on the 21st of this month!  Megan, Kaylin, and Ethan all made it to church this week and stayed all three hours!  They're awesome, and I hope that they don't have to wait for years to be baptized.  But if they do, it will be for their experience and growth.

    Elder Musselman and I had the opportunity to speak yesterday, as well.  The topic we were given was the Savior, so I decided to concentrate how we can better honor our covenants by following his example.  I specifically talked about forgiveness and judgment.  I know I've talked about this a little before, but I really think that once we can really start loving our Heavenly Father and others how we're supposed to, people will start clamoring to be members of this church!  The story of the woman taken in adultery is such a wonderful example of this.  We know that this woman was caught in the act of committing one of the most serious sins.  We know that under the Law of Moses, she was condemned to death.  What did the Savior do?  He frankly forgave her and did not condemn her.  He knows her more than anyone could.  He knows her weaknesses.  He knows her sins, transgressions, impure thoughts, unkind actions, everything!  He also know her, and our, literally divine potential.  He knows that no matter what we do, we can choose Him and become like Him.  He told us in the Sermon on the Mount, "Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" (I'd also recommend studying the parable of the Ungrateful Servant and look up how much 10,000 talents would be today to gain even more of an appreciation of how much our Savior forgives us of and still loves us.)

    I hope you're all doing wonderfully!  Even if you're going through struggles and trials right now, remember that the Savior "descended below all."  He knows.  No matter how bad you feel or how hard things are, He knows.  Ask Him for His help, and if you get an answer and know you're supposed to do something, do it.  His is a gospel of action.  But always remember that those actions bring blessings!  I love you all so much!  Good luck with all you do!

Love,

        Elder Hafen