Happy New Year! (December 28th, 2015)

Hiya everyone!

Hope you all had the merriest of Christmases! If this year has shown
me one thing, it is the  sweet service from others and the love that
they have for me! Me being a stranger in a fairly strange land,
everyone here has taken such good care of us! I have personally been
able to see charity at its best!

My love for all of Gods children is steadily increasing! Sometimes I
just wish I could take my testimony and knowledge of the gospel and
the happiness it gives me and just implant it in their hearts! I want
to help everyone I see! My trainer would famously say "people kill
me!" And it really does when we have this gift that has changed our
lives and we want to share it with everyone! I never thought that some
stranger saying no to me would make me feel bad. And not for myself
but for them, because I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ could
help them, and everyone!

Thank you family for coming together to give me the best Christmas
gift ever! Skyping you was really nice! Missed you Joseph and Jon :/

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years as well!

Love you all!

Love,

-- 

- Sister Lisa Haynie

Pretty Much, Merry Christmas! (December 14th, 2015)

I hope you all have been having a great week! I know I have! This time
of year is so wonderful! Something has changed about me this time
though. As I walk around and see all the Christmas decorations I am
noticing the lack of the nativity. I never used to mind all of the
Santa clause junk, but this year it has almost gotten on my nerves how
little you see a nativity. Mom, thank you for having a bajillion
nativity sets around the house during Christmas time. Even though at
times we may have been focused on the worldly celebrations, there was
always a nativity nearby that would remind us of what Christmas is all
about!

So many things are going on this last few weeks I could write a book,
but I will tell just a couple of stories.

First the weird one.
So this last week sister Mathews and I went on exchange with the
sister training leaders from Illford. (Exchanges are when missionaries
switch companions for a day) And guess who I got as my companion for
the day... again? Sister Ranck! My trainer! This transfer just keeps
getting weirder and weirder! Not only am I back in my first area, but
for 24 hours, I was with my trainer. Again. In our area where she
trained me. Can anyone say time lapse? It is like the last 4 months
didn't even happen. It was really cool, but the whole day was weird.

Second story.
Christmas choir! Last night we had our first performance for the
missionary Christmas choir! I wish I had pictures, but it was just so
awesome! About 400 people were in attendance. People off the street,
non members and members alike! Oh and I knew that president Stevens
could sing since he was in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but he did a
solo last night, and HE CAN SING! He is so good! Any ways, since we
live in Kent, president had us stay the night in London with some of
the visitors centre sisters. No big deal. We just spent the night in
central London!

Here is another challenge. Remember the website I sent you last week
to watch the church video, "A Savior is Born"? Well on that same
website ( Christmas.mormon.org) there is a follow up video that is so
good called, "Why we need a Savior." I challenge you to go watch this
video and then share it!

Love you all, and have the most merriest of Christmases with the
Savior as the centre!
Happy birthday Jesus!

Love,


Sister Lisa Haynie!

-- 

- Sister Lisa Haynie

Your Challenge Should You Choose To Accept It... (December 7th, 2015)

Not much time this week! Just know that I love you all and am happy and well.

However, I have a challenge for you all! During this beautiful Christmas season, it is so easy to bring up the Gospel and our beliefs. So easy to give this gift that we have been given! And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has made it even easier! They have created a beautiful video for this time of year. So my challenge to everyone is to share this video. It can be on facebook or in person. I am sure that your local missionaries have the special pass-along cards that have the website on it. However you do it, share it! Watch miracles happen!

The website is christmas.mormon.org. Ask them what they think or bear your testimony about what a gift it is that "A Savior Is Born"

I love you all! Have a blessed week! Merry Christmas!

-- 

- Sister Lisa Haynie

A New Feel! (November 30th, 2015)

I have only been back in Sittingbourne for five days and so many amazing things are happening.

Let me be really honest right now. The first time I was here, I really struggled. I straight up hated this place. There were a few things that contributed to that. I was in a foreign country and felt like I was alone, the flat we lived in was miserable, I had no idea what I was doing out here on a mission, I was so inexperienced, and
physically, I was beat! New blisters everyday and just dead tired every night from walking everywhere. Not to mention how much I realised I fought God in being obedient and diligent. There was a point when someone asked me what something was that made me happy during the days
and I honestly felt like there was not a single thing.
Eventually by the end of the transfer, it was bearable. I even began to love bits and pieces. But I sill sang praises when we got the call that I was leaving.

Now give me two months, two different companions, a posh life living in London and send me back and something has just changed! I hope it has a bit to do with me growing up and realising there is so much more to it than where I live and how much I have to walk, but I love it here!
It also helps that sister Ranck and Sister Mathews got this area rolling with hard work and unity. But coming back here and knowing the streets, knowing the people (I absolutely love the members here!), and
just having given it some time has transformed the feel of this place.
And it doesn't hurt that this is the Christmas season!

I also am fortunate to have this opportunity to return to a previous area so soon after leaving it, I really do get to see how much I have changed. I am happy to report that I have changed loads! I am not the greenie baby I once was. Instead of fighting my trainer to talk to people, stopping people is my favourite thing! One of the other changes is also the realisation that there is soooooo much I need to work on. And boy do I ever need to change. But now I feel like there is a brightness of hope to be ABLE to change me! For the better!

Stay posted. This area is going to be set on fire with the spirit of God and flooded by the waters of baptism!

God is great! Even when I doubted him, he was busy sending blessings to me right around the corner. I love this gospel!
I love my saviour!
I love my God!

I love you all and I hope you all are well! Let me know in an email! I would love to hear from you all this time of year.

-- 

- Sister Lisa Haynie

I'm Back! (November 24th, 2015)

I'm back... Or will be tomorrow!

Last night we got transfer calls and Sister Fillmore and I were both sure that we were going to stay here, but that honestly is the last time I am ever going to say anything about what will happen at transfers. As soon as I ever start thinking what will happen, the exact opposite or unthinkable will happen.

So just think for a second. Go ahead and think of what could possibly happen. The craziest thing that could happen. And will not be crazier than what is going to happen.

Sister Fillmore will be staying. That is not crazy or new. But I... (Drum roll please) will be leaving. Where to? Back to the blessed land of Sittingbourne! Where I was born as a brand new missionary baby!

"Wow!" You may say, but it doesn't stop there. Remember how when I came to Enfield I swapped companions. So I got sister Mathews' (who was born here in Enfield and then went to Sittingbourne and was in the MTC with me) companion and she got mine. Well we will now be
companions in Sittingbourne! If this isn't crazy, I don't know what is!

So I have no idea what is in store for us, other than awesomeness, but from the very beginning, I have learned that I trust God and he can do whatever he wants because I know he knows way better what he is doing than I do. So "Come What May and Love It!" right?!

This is really cool because I know both my new companion and the area in which I will be spending Christmas!

More next week!

I love you all!

Also make sure you all have wonderful thanksgivings since it doesn't
exist here! Understandably so, but still!

Love you!


-- 

- Sister Lisa Haynie