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 

Week 9 - Ping Pong Champion

Hello All! 

    I hope you've all had a great week and are having/had a great Labor Day!  It's been a pretty great one here in Raymond, Alberta!  We got to go to the temple, my golf score went way down, and I beat Elder Musselman in Ping Pong!  Pretty great stuff! ;) (Don't worry, we still do missionary work here.)

    After I emailed last week, we drove down to Cardston and went to an endowment session at the temple with a bunch of other missionaries from our zone and Lethbridge.  I've wanted to go to the temple so bad since I got out here, and it was really an amazing experience.  The new endowment film made it even better and I can't wait to go back!  If you have the time and opportunity to go to the temple, I highly recommend it. ;) 

    We also went golfing in Cardston with some other missionaries-we get free golf at some of the courses around here, and there's not too terribly much to do, so we golf a lot- and had a great time with that.  P-Days are good things.

    Now to more important things!  The work is moving along nicely here.  School starts tomorrow, so people will actually be home now and we'll really be able to start working with them!  Huzzah!  We'll also be able to start going to seminary and work a lot with the seminary teachers, who are awesome!  Yes, they have seminary during school up here, AND, get this, they get credit for it!  Ridiculous, I know, but also pretty great. ;)

    Megan, Kaylin, and Ethan are still making good progress!  They're working on getting to church every week and we hope they can start getting some good friends and support in their ward.  I really think they all have a desire to be baptized, and we're just praying and hoping for a miracle.  Their dad has some pretty hard feelings for the church, but if his heart can be softened and if he can see that this is something that they want for themselves, I think that he'd let them be baptized.  We'll see. :)

    Jonathan is also progressing really well!  We had a lesson with him last night on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptized on the 21st of this month.  It was a really great lesson, and I hope he'll find out for himself that this is what he's supposed to do.  He said he would have to think about it, and we really encouraged him to study the scriptures, go to church, and pray so that he will receive an answer.  This experience has been really great for his friend, Taz, as well.  He's been less-active for a long time, but he bore his testimony in the lesson, and I think he's really realizing the difference the Gospel makes in his life.

    I finished the Book of Mormon this week, and I want to bear my testimony of it.  It is true.  I had only finished the Book of Mormon once before my mission, and I had a testimony of it, but now it is so much stronger, and that is because I acted on Moroni's exhortation to all of us.  I testify to you that if you read the Book of Mormon and pray with sincere heart, really really wanting to know for yourself if it's true; real intent, meaning you are going to change anything about your life that you need to once you find out it is true; and faith that through Christ, you can and will receive an answer, you will, even if you have to pray like Enos, you will.  I did, and it is true.

    You're all wonderful!  I love you all, and I hope you're doing well and being righteous. ;)  It really helps with every part of your life!  Be good.  Have a great week!

Love,

        Elder Hafen