Hooray for Technology!

Dear All,

I JUST LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! My heart has been so full this week. Happy happy happy and so full of love. 

On Thursday I picked up the request of a woman wanting a Book of Mormon. When I asked about her interest in the Book of Mormon, she said, "Yes, well, I saw a little video on your website about the book and how it has more stories about prophets and I wanted one. I was also looking to be baptized."

. . . WHAT?! 

I was so excited and SHOCKED that I didn't even know how to respond. After jumbling a million thoughts in my mind, I stammered, "That is amazing!! What are you looking for by being baptized?" She explained that she has been baptized three times before and never felt anything different about her. She was baptized a couple of times when she was younger, and once when she was fourteen, but never received the holy ghost. After explaining priesthood authority and the role of the holy ghost she said, "Yes, that's exactly what I want. I want my kids to grow up with the love of God in their home as well." SHE IS JUST SO ADORABLE!!! I promised her blessings, sent her information to the local missionaries, and that very same day they visited her and set a date for her baptism on July 21st. 

In ONE DAY this woman found mormon.org, requested a free Book of Mormon, received a visit from the local missionaries, and was put on a baptismal date. In ONE. DAY. I am amazed at how technology has become such a powerful tool in the hastening of this work. I love it with all my heart.

Later that day, I picked up the call of a man who said, "Hello, I found one of your cards on the ground that says you give away a free DVD. Is that true?" I told him yes, and in his cute Tennessee accent he said, "Wow, I would LOVE one of those!" I offered him a copy of the Bible and Book of Mormon as well, and he was just BLOWN away that they were free! He said, "Anything you got about God for free, I want." Hahaha.

He truly believes in God and knows that Christ lives and will come again. He told me that he was sad because he keeps telling his wife, "He's coming, girl! Gotta be ready!" But she doesn't really believe. I told him to keep praying and to be a good example to which he responded, "Wow, thank you Sofia. Let me just tell ya, you are going to heaven. There is no doubt in my mind--you is GOIN' to heaven!" Hahaha MADE MY DAY!!!

We also had a lesson over the phone with a man who called into mormon.org two weeks ago. We'll call him Mike. In the two weeks that Mike has been investigating the church, he has read up to 2 Nephi 19. That is nearly 90 pages in the Book of Mormon!! I can't even explain how happy I was. He said, "I mean, I love the book. It's hard to put down, that's for sure." I went on to point something out from his reading, and then HE was the one that said, "Well, before that, I just wanted to mention that the last time we spoke, you invited me to pray. . . Well, I did it." 

My heart about dropped 30 feet below the floor because HOW DID I FORGET TO FOLLOW UP? Conversion only happens when people exercise their faith by making and keeping commitments. Silly, silly me. *Repentance is key* :) Hahaha so when I asked how his prayer went he said, "Truly I had never REALLY prayed before that night. It was a very emotional, powerful experience for me. I felt like...a release? I don't know. But I have been setting aside time to pray before work in the morning and at night before going to bed. I like it a lot. My wife says I've been happier too!" There is a CHANGE happening inside of him!

Last but not least, we received a referral from a set of sister missionaries in the Richmond Virginia mission who had one of their investigators move into our area! We were able to skype them into the lesson and the spirit was so strong. It made him feel so much more comfortable since he had been meeting with these sisters for quite some time!

All of these experiences are just another testimony to me that the Lord is hastening his work. God lives and answers prayers. Repentance is key to change, and Christ is at the center of it all. 

In college, I had the opportunity to memorize the Living Christ with our Relief Society at BYU-Idaho. To my surprise, it was one of the first recitations we memorized as a mission when I first came out. It has such a special place in my heart and I wanted to share the final paragraph:

"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

I know that happiness and peace in this life come through Jesus Christ. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY! I'm so grateful for a Savior who makes it possible for me to repent and be forgiven. I'm so grateful I get to witness the effects of the Atonement not only in my own life but in the lives of those I teach--especially through the internet. It is amazing!!!! 

I'd invite you all to read The Living Christ whether it be personally or as a family :) I promise that your testimony of Jesus Christ will be strengthened and you will want to learn more about Him. You will feel the fruits of the spirit! 

Love you all so much.

Hermana Hayes 

Serve with all your ♥️, might, mind and 💪!!

Dear Todos,

Elder Corbridge of the Quorum of the Seventy and his sweet wife came to our mission and we had an incredible meeting. We are so blessed to have had so many general authorities come to our mission!!! I am always so excited when they come, but I get a little nervous as well because I know there will always be some serious spiritual chastisement after the meeting. Hahaha, there are always a million things God tells me I need to improve on, but I am grateful for a good spiritual whipping every once in a while.  Haha!

I don't have much time so I'll be brief, but here were some of the things that stood out to me:

The FIRST THING Elder Corbridge said when we stood up to shake his and his wife's hand was, "I want you all to know that this is a blessing for us, not for you. We like to shake your hands to meet all of you, not the other way around. Thank you for letting us do this." What a humble servant of the Lord! The spirit was strong.

I can't begin to tell everything that was taught and shared, but one thing he said brought me great comfort. He said, "Call yourself what you will--an idiot, a dork, imperfect, or whatever--but if you can honestly say to yourself, 'Am on the path and I am pressing forward with all of my heart, might, mind and strength. I'm not hiding anything. I'm not covering anything.' 

"If you can say that, you can make it. You WILL make it! You must know that you're okay. 

"The ONLY thing that will divert you from that realization is getting off the path. The only decision you have to make is if you will stay on it. And then you never, ever, ever, ever, ever, EVER quit. 

And one of the final things he said was, "Selflessness is in your greatest self-interest." I have the BIGGEST TESTIMONY that that is true. The more you give of yourself, the more is in it for you! Hahaha! If you want to be selfish and get a lot of blessings, BE SELFLESS! You will gain more than being selfish. 

I love you all and I'm sorry I can't write more! SO MANY THINGS TO TELL AND NO TIME OR WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW BLESSED I FEEL. I love it. Biggest advice...Serve a mission.  (you don't have to have a name tag to do it!) 

Lots of amor, 

Hermana Hayes

Listen, Act, Repeat

Dear Loved Ones,

I overheard a conversation from a couple of sister missionaries a few days ago. One of them had done something nice for the other, and the sister who was on the receiving end of the kind gesture said, "Awww, you did not have to do that!" to which the other sister responded, "I felt like I had to, so I had to."

I cannot TELL you how many times those words ran through my mind this week. 

Brothers and sisters, when we FEEL like we should or shouldn't do something, "those impressions are the holy ghost attempting to direct [us] for good or warning [us] away from harm" (Elder Neil L. Anderson, 2011). 

God speaks to us by the power of the holy ghost, and anything God tells us to do is a commandment. Although we all have agency, God has said, "And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit" (2 Nephi 2:28). 

When we choose to ignore or push aside spiritual promptings, we disobey God. Disobedience to God is also known as sin. When we sin, His spirit withdraws, and we are sad. 

But thank the HEAVENS that God has given us the spirit to teach us everything we should do! "Every member of the church—and that means each of [us]—will never make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the holy ghost" (Anderson). 

This is why our eternal progression depends on how well we recognize and act on the promptings we receive. As we listen and act, we come closer to God; when we disobey, we distance ourselves from Him. 

I am SO passionate (but definitely not perfect) about following the promptings of the Spirit. I know that to the degree we act on the promptings we receive is to the degree God will give us more. Who wouldn't want MORE guidance from our all-knowing, loving Heavenly Father? 

I was a primary student when I first heard the song, "I Hope They Call Me On a Mission." I remember EVERY TIME we sang that song the thought came, "You need to go on a mission." When it was about time for me to start filling out my papers in college, I started to doubt my decision. I thought, "Wow...I haven't even prayed about this. What if I'm not supposed to go? What if I'm supposed to stay and go to school?" As soon as I started questioning my decision, I got really confused and didn't know what to do. Thankfully, General Conference was right around the corner and I knew what my question was going to be. I prayed that something the prophets would say would help me make my final decision. 

In that session, Elder Ronald A. Rasband was the answer to my prayer. He said:

"We must act on the first prompting.

" Remember the words of Nephi. 'I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless,' he said, 'I went forth.' 

"And so must we. We must be confident in our first promptings. Sometimes we rationalize; we wonder if we are feeling a spiritual impression or if it is just our own thoughts. When we begin to second-guess, even third-guess, our feelings—and we all have—we are dismissing the Spirit; we are questioning divine counsel. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you will listen to the first promptings, you will get it right nine times out of ten."

I KNEW I had gotten the prompting many years back that I needed to serve a mission, and "I went forth"! I will forever be grateful for the subtle yet piercing promptings of the spirit. 

So when you "feel like you have to" do something, remember—YOU HAVE TO! God himself has sent you a message by the holy ghost to show you how to be safe and happy. I pray that we may all have the courage to act on spiritual promptings, and as Nephi faithfully say, "for thus hath the Lord commanded me, and I must obey, Amen." 

Hermana Hayes

You + Atonement = Mercy

Dear Everyone,

Transfer calls are TONIGHT! So next week I may or may not be in the same area...but I think I'll stay.  I'll give you the news next week.

I wanted to just share a quick thought from District meeting this week. In Alma 7:11-13 it says:

"11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may lose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless, the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."

One of the sisters in our district made the comment, "Without the atonement, there's only justice." 

Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we would have ZERO chance of ever living with God again eternally with our families. We would inevitably have to suffer the effects of sin and feel guilty ALL the time because we will ALWAYS sin. But thanks to the Atonement, MERCY can take place! 

Isn't that the most amazing promise? As we repent every day, Christ literally takes our sins and guilt and puts them upon himself. 

In others words.... You + Atonement = Mercy. 

I know that because of Jesus Christ we can ALL be forgiven and have access to this incredible gift! I have a firm testimony that the greatest joy and satisfaction in life comes when we repent, forget ourselves, and turn out just as the Savior would. 

As much as I love the green trees, thunderstorms, and fireflies; what I have come to love most this transfer is the people--my companion, my district, my ward family, our investigators, the Visitors' Center sisters, the senior missionary couples... just literally EVERYONE! So I wanted to include some pictures of them as well. 

Love you all so much and hope you have an amazing week!

Hermana Hayes