Love

Dear friends and family,

I am officially at a loss with words. There are a lot of words I could use to describe my week, but none could ever accurately paint the picture or express how I feel. I can list off events or experiences that I have had, but the emotions of the mission are impossible to express...

But if I had to pick a word to put it all in one, that word would be "love".

Love for God, love for the Savior, love for the scriptures, love for temples, love for my companions, love for the beautiful people of Washington DC, love for my mission parents, love for the food, love for cold, humidity, wind, and rain, love for dresses and skirts, love for sore legs and prayers on our knees...love love LOVE!! 

Just when I thought my heart couldn't take any more love or it might EXPLODE, we received a referral for a less-active in the ward that had recently moved here from Honduras. I won't use his name for the sake of privacy, but listen to his words and tell me you don't love him:

"Sisters, thank you so much for visiting me. I was visited by missionaries about 3 years ago when I was baptized. I want to be who I was 3 years ago. I want to repent, baptize my family, and prepare to serve a mission...but what I'd love the most is to see my three little sisters serve one themselves." 

In Preach My Gospel it says, "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase. You will feel, as Lehi did, the 'great ... importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth'". 

The determination and sincerity in his voice was yet another testimony to me that the Atonement of Jesus Christ changes lives. There is no doubt in my mind that this man has experienced the purifying, cleansing, and redeeming power of the Atonement. His desire to spread the good news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ left the impression so deeply planted in the heart of the reality of a Savior who atoned for the sins of the world. 

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him NOT. 

Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my people was he stricken.

And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no evil, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet IT PLEASED THE LORD to bruise Him..." Mosiah 14:3-10

... And this because of the unconditional love burning in his heart for every human soul. 

I love Jesus Christ, and I say it in His holy name, Amen. 

Hermana Hayes 

Knock and It Shall Be Open Unto You

Querida familia y amigos,

First of all, transfers happened last Wednesday and Sister Aguilar went home.  A lot of tears were shed, but I know the Lord will bless her for her amazing service!! I am so grateful I got to serve with her and learn from her. 

I know this transfer I will continue to see many miracles with my new cute companion Hermana Zamora!! I am so humbled to be training her! She is from Madrid, Spain, and she too, just like my previous companions, has a great love for the gospel. She is the definition of "greenie fire". Although we are both fairly new to the mission, we definitely have the Lord on our side. 

Miracle #1: We were heading out the door to go to an appointment on Thursday night. Before we left the house, we prayed that we'd be able to have a special lesson. We also prayed that if the appointment fell through we would be able to find a family to teach. 

We went to the appointment, and it fell through. We had in our backup plans to visit another potential investigator in the area, but we both strongly felt that we should knock the house next door.  

We knocked, the door opened, and before we could even exchange any words the woman at the door said, "Please, come in!" 

The ENTIRE family was home. Her husband had gotten off of work early and their 5 kids were all playing together in the living room. They all sat down to listen to us and I could NOT stop smiling!!!! We taught the entire restoration, gave them a Book of Mormon, and they have committed to reading it! Do you know how rare it is to find a Latino family home all at once? Very very rare. Like...I've seen it TWICE on my mission. But as soon as we decided to open our mouths and pray to find a family, we did. 

Miracle #2: While tracting the next day, 9 out of the 13 people we contacted gave us their information and said they wanted to learn more. Two of those people we contacted gave us their contact information before we even asked for it! THIS NEVER HAPPENS! 

Miracle #3: We had a lesson with one of the contacts we made and when we invited her to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon she said, "Oh no, I'm going to read the whole thing!" HAHA! People are so prepared!!! I have really gained a testimony this week that people are seeking for the truth, but they just "know not where to find it". 

God really does call upon the "weak things of the world" to be His hands in this great work. I am the most imperfect person on this planet, but this week I have seen the promises of D&C section 4 come true. 

"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. ASK, and YE SHALL RECEIVE; KNOCK, and IT SHALL BE OPENED UP TO YOU. Amen."

We can't do it ourselves, but with God, we can. 

Hermana Hayes 

God's Puzzle

Hello everyone!!!

This week was one of the best in the mission. I am a witness of one of God's greatest puzzles. 

After freezing temperatures for almost a week, we had a 60 degree day here in Washington DC. We never study outside, so we thought we might as well take advantage of the beautiful day! We sat on a bench right in front of the temple where two young men walked up to us and asked, "Are you the Spanish-speaking sisters?" We said "Yes!! We are from the DC 1st ward!" And they said, "No way! We are less-actives from that ward!" HAHA they said that they haven't been coming to church for a few years but always liked to visit the temple. They said they knew the church was true, but that they had just slowly drifted away.

We had the BEST conversation ever and invited them into the Visitors' Center with us to watch the new videos we have on the restoration. RIGHT as we started walking toward the Visitors' Center, a young woman started walking straight toward us.

She was the sister missionary that had taught them FIVE YEARS AGO IN THIS SAME MISSION.

WHAT!!!!!!! How does that happen?!?!?!?!!! It was the most amazing reunion and the young men were THRILLED to see her! We had another amazing conversation, and she said she was just back visiting the area and would love to stay and watch the videos with us! 

As we continued our walk to the Visitors' Center, guess who we ran into?? Sister Webster's recent convert and his cousin who is an investigator!!!!!! We all went into the VC together, watched the videos, had a lesson with the return missionary, two less-actives, and one investigator! The spirit in the room was bursting at the seams.

And to think it all started with a little prompting to study outside... 

I love this gospel and I know it's true!!!!! 

Hermana Hayes