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