Temples, Turkey and Tennis!

Hello dear friends and family 

I hope you have all had a great week and a fabulous Thanksgiving!! My companion and I ended up eating at a member's house and I definitely ate way more than necessary. But who didn't? 

I can't believe I have almost been out for almost TWO MONTHS. Time is flying by. It needs to slow down!  Haha, I don't have much time, but I want you all to know that I love being a missionary. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father trusts me enough to let me help Him in His great work!! 

My amazing companion taught the Aceves family about 6 months ago. They were less active and wanted nothing to do with the church. They said that they didn't want the missionaries to come over, but Hermana Webster didn't take that for an answer!!! She and her companion at the time kept teaching them, and about a month ago Hermana Webster received an email from the mother who said they would be getting SEALED and wanted us to be their escorts. LIKE WHAT?! It was incredible. A pure miracle. I attended a sealing for the first time AND got to be an escort for this beautiful family. Because of the temple, they will be together forever.

I will forever be grateful for my eternal family, temples, the PRIESTHOOD, and Heavenly Father who makes it all possible. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! Have an amazing week. 

Hermana Hayes 

Photos: 

1. TENNIS THIS MORNING!!!!! Best thing ever

2. The beautiful family that got sealed. 

3. 

4. The gratitude window at the Visitors Center. 

More Pics!

Keep the Commandments

Dear all,

What an AMAZING week! I invite you all to KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS! This was what Elder Ringwood of the Seventy reminded us to do as we had the opportunity to hear him speak at our zone conference with his cute wife! This scripture he shared seriously blew my MIND! It was D&C 59:2 and it says, "And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea, and with commandments, not a few, and with revelations in their time--they that are faithful and diligent before me."

Have you ever thought of commandments, NOT a few, to be a blessing?! I don't think I have ever thought of the word commandment as a synonym for blessing! I couldn't help but think of the talk "Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God" by Elder Von G. Keetch of the Seventy when he said, "As you and I walk the paths of life and pursue our dreams, God’s commands and standards—like the barrier—can sometimes be difficult to understand. They may appear rigid and unyielding, blocking a path that looks fun and exciting and that is being followed by so many others. As the Apostle Paul described, 'We see through a glass, darkly,' with such a limited perspective that we often cannot comprehend the great dangers hidden just below the surface. But He who 'comprehend[s] all things' knows exactly where those dangers lie. He gives us divine direction, through His commands and loving guidance, so that we may avoid the dangers—so that we may set a course in our lives that is protected from spiritual predators and the gaping jaws of sin."

When we realize how many things commandments protect us from, we would just be BEGGING for more!!! It really is amazing as a missionary to see the ways in which being obedient has blessed me. I was having trouble staying asleep when I first came out to the field. I would wake up about 4 or 5 times in the night and it was just exhausted all day! Then I realized that I was going to bed around 10:40 every night--ten minutes later than we had been commanded to be in bed. I was not keeping a commandment! DUH the Lord wasn't going to bless me with good sleep! Well, the next night I made an earnest effort to be in bed by 10:30. I prayed that I would be able to sleep well because of my obedience. And guess what? I STILL didn't sleep well! I was so confused! I had done EVERYTHING the Lord expected of me! And then the spirit said, "You weren't doing it for the right reasons."

I realized the only reason I went to bed on time was so that I would sleep better, not because I wanted to. John 14:15 immediately came to mind: "If ye love me, keep my commandments." The next night I decided I was going to go to bed on time because I LOVED GOD and I wanted to follow what he has commanded His missionaries to do. I went to bed at 10:30, prayed to let Heavenly Father know how much I loved Him and didn't wake up until my alarm rang the next morning!!! 

Elder Ringwood promised that the Lord will not withhold His blessings from those who keep His commandments--especially those who keep His commandments out of LOVE for Him!

"Keep the commandments; keep the commandments!

In this there is safety; in this there is peace.

he will send blessings; He will send blessings.

Words of a prophet: Keep the commandments.

In this, there is safety and peace."

I love you all so much! Commandments are absolutely worthless unless we CHOOSE to follow them! THEN God will "immediately bless [us]" (Mosiah 2:24)! I know that's true! HAVE THE BEST WEEK!

Love,

Hermana Hayes

Quotes of the week:

1. There was a woman on the elevator who asked, "Have I seen you two before?" We replied, "Oh, there were sister missionaries on the floor right above us too! It might have been them!" She said, "Ahhh, yes. I can recognize you now. I got the whole happiness and holiness vibe!" Hahaha!

2. We knocked on a man's door who wasn't interested at all. He said, "Um, isn't it too cold to be doing this?" After he closed the door, Sister Webster turned to me and said, "Is it too cold for salvation? I think not!" There is nothing so cold that the spirit of the gospel can't warm up!  Haha!

The Field is White

FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

These last few weeks have been craaaazy. I didn't have time to email last week with all the meetings, shopping, unpacking and everything in between. But I want you to know that I am alive and well and that I have the BEST trainer ever!! her name is Sister Webster. We get along SO well and it is kind of crazy how alike we are, haha! We are both from Idaho (She's from St. Anthony), our dads know each other, we say the same things at the same time, she loves to sing, she loves to exercise so we run every morning, and so many other little things. She is so sweet and so patient with me. :)

Also, as Visitors' Center missionaries, we rotate between proselyting and serving in the Visitors' Center. It is the best of both worlds!!! 

Last week, RIGHT when I got off the plane our mission president and his wife met up with us to take us on the metro. They gave each of us a Book of Mormon and said we had to hand in out by the end of the day. In my head, I was like, "Pshhhh, easy." Well, I sit myself down by this woman who was looking out the window with her headphones in. I lean in close to her and ask, "Hi, how are you doing?" She doesn't turn around and there is no response. I just thought, "Oh, she didn't hear me." I begin to ask her again, this time a little louder, and before I can finish my question she whips her head around and says, "STOP IT RIGHT NOW, I'm NOT interested." I. was. so SHOCKED. Hahaha definitely not what I was expecting!

But a few days earlier, a beautiful family from Colombia had walked into the Visitors' Center. They saw the temple while they were on the highway and thought they would stop to learn more. I have been able to teach them with my companion ever since and they have already come to church twice and accepted to be baptized!!! They read the scriptures every day, they pray as a family, they have read EVERY single little pamphlet we have given them and they are always asking questions. I am so blown away at how prepared they were to hear the gospel. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is preparing people RIGHT NOW for each of us to find!

"For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that trusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bright salvation to his soul"

I learned very quickly in the mission that Heavenly Father called me to a Visitors' Center mission for a reason. He knew I couldn't handle so much rejection in one week. :) Hahahaha so He put me in the Visitors' Center where people come to US! It is amazing!

I know this church is true!! I'm so happy to be able to share it with others. Have the BEST week! I love you all!

Hermana Hayes

(P.S Today we got to go the city and take pictures with some of the monuments! We went to a few museums also, but I just included a few pictures. :) And there is a picture of the family we are teaching and some of the members of the ward that came to have a family home evening with us! <3 They feed us very well in the Spanish ward….haha!)