Transfer #13. Last Stop! (January 2nd, 2017)

So I know that it hasn't been very long since I last emailed, but I
feel Like so much and absolutely nothing has happened in the last few
days.

First off, Happy New Year!!! How did I see the new year in? The old
fashioned, boring, missionary way. I slept through it! It was great!
We even had an earlier curfew which was great because it was cold and
wet and rainy. But the next day was really cool! We got to go to
church on New Years!

All four of us Sister missionaries gave talks on Jesus Christ and
missionary work, so we all coordinated and each had a different part
of his life. Birth, Earthly Ministry, Atonement, and After death. It
was way cool! I will never forget it!

I just have to give a shout out to my way awesome mission-daughter!
She is way awesome!

We were out last night street contacting. Was it sunny? Or warm? Or
dry? Or still? NO! It was cold, dark, windy, and rainy! Quadruple
threat. Not the best circumstances for trying to talk to people about
Jesus Christ. Oh, and not to mention, but I will, it was also a
holiday. So yeah, it was a bit rough, but Sister Pail is awesome.
In my exchange that I went on last Tuesday, I made a goal to do crazy
things in finding to mix things up. So far I have stopped people by
asking them if they wanted to be baptized, I have offered blessings on
homes when we went tracting, and I have carried around a sleeve of
caramel digestive (addictively good) biscuits and offered them to
random stranger (and strange enough, no one accepted them.)

But that night, Sister Pail was the one who was being crazy. We were
stepping up onto the sidewalk and we passed a guy as he was getting
into his car. We smiled and said hello, as you do, and he actually
smiled back and returned the hello. So Sister Pail turned to me and
said, "Do you want to do something crazy?" and before I could respond,
she turned back to the man and knocked on his window! And he rolled it
down! And we talked to him for about 15 minutes! and we set a return
appointment! MIR-UH-CLE! It is fun being crazy (within the rules of
course.)

I have loved serving My Savior! It has been a mighty roller coaster
ride with lots of ups and tons of downs, but i will forever be
grateful that I was privileged to wear His name over my heart for 18
months!

I love the book of Mormon! It is truly the word of God and I will
never deny that it is! I will forever be a witness of Jesus Christ! He
lives! And he loves us! and there is no other message so sweet!

As much as I have loved meeting more and more of Gods children, as
much as I have loved walking day and night, as much as I have love
studying the words of God each and every morning, as much as I have
loved watching miracles happen before my own two eyes, I have
absolutely loved how little by little, blessing by blessing, and trial
by trial, God has melded and formed me into the person I am today! I
am far from perfect, but I am leagues beyond where I once was. In the
immortal word of a country singer, "Touchdown Jesus!" I will forever
sing his name for what he has done for me and those I love!

My back may be broken and my feet may ache. But my soul is joyful and
honored for the price paid to come closer to Christ.

"Its worth it brothers
Its worth it friends.
To know your maker
To lose your sins.

Do you know that you are
dearly loved?"

I hope to always keep his name on my lips and in my heart.

The book is blue, the church is true, we go by two, He makes all new!

Love you all!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!!

CHRISTMAS! (December 29th, 2016)

So sorry that I haven't emailed this last Monday, our P-day has been
moved to today because three of us got to go to the temple! It was so
great! I love the London Temple! It was amazing! So much peace and and
calm.

And then afterward we went to take pictures around the temple as you
do! And on the way there, the member who drove us said that he noticed
that all the pictures that missionaries take are usually really bad
quality, so he brought his fancy camera and took loads of wacky wild
pictures and some really great ones, but I don't have them yet so you
will have to settle for my low quality ones I took :/ but it was loads
of fun!

Also this week sister Pail and I went on exchange with Sister Matthews
and Sister Searle! It was so much fun! I was with sister Matthews and
I just love her! She is from South Africa and she is just the best! I
am super bummed that I never got the opportunity to be companions with
her. But that is okay, I got to be for at least a day!

In our teacher training, she seriously changed my life. Guys
Repentance is for everyone! Every single one of us. Forgiveness is for
anyone who really wants it! I thought I knew that but, I forgot that.

Christmas on sunday was sweet, simple, and beautiful. Almost too good!
We went to a family's home and spent the whole day there! All four of
us sisters! Such kindness! So much fun. I apologize, we did not have
any photos because we were just having such a good time!

Well so much more happened, but I gotta run!

I love this gospel! I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus
Christ all he has done for me! The Book of Mormon is so wonderful!
People are absolutely surprisingly wonderful!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Happy, Blessed, Serving the Lord! (December 19th, 2016)

So this week has had some ups and some downs. And I am happy to say that the ups have out numbered the downs!

We found a new friend at the beginning of this last week. Her name is Melissa and she is so sweet! We knew that she was a blessing sent to us! We got to see her again and she is just the sweetest! Unfortunately, due to family concerns, she has decided that the gospel is not for her, but she is still lovely and a wonderful person!

But I have been thinking a lot about this. Why does god send us miracles to just have them putter out and die when we literally jumped up and down we were so excited, and then within a few days, or within a few weeks the miracles die out or they never turn into what we envisioned?

For a while it bothered me, but I came to realise something... I'm human! If God only ever sent me those who were prepared and were the ones I was meant to teach, it would be a long, lonely, miserable road until I got to them, until the time was right. I would probably lose the faith to press on and keep trying to find them. I would give up. But these miracles, these tender mercies, though they may not last as long as we want them to, that they actually blessing of encouragement! They are actually reminders that god really IS there and that he is more than aware of our wants and desires and that he is right beside us.

And that is what I believe he has done once again. Though we were sad about Melissa, God was helping us to keep the faith so we could find our wonderful friend, Toni!! 

She really is a miracle and we almost missed her completely! The first time we ever saw her, we only said hi, and she actually said a jolly hi back. But she really needed the gospel, because that's same day, only hours later, we saw her again! We stopped and talked to and she said that she had been looking for a church since she has moved here! Ahh! Music to our ears. So we invited her to church, but we asked if she wanted a chapel tour before so she knew where she would go for classes and things on Sunday. So we had it this last Saturday morning and I was nervous, because I had never given a chapel tour before. BUT IT WAS THE MOST SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD IN A LONG TIME! When we went into the Sacrament room, the spirit was so strong, it was undeniable!

I am so thankful for the miracles that gods sends us, and I am also thankful for the struggles that help me to be more grateful for the little tender mercies. 

Before I go, I just want to share one more thought. This whole #LightTheWorld Christmas initiative has really got me thinking. What a blessing technology is. We get a lot of trainings on how to use our iPads or Facebook to spread the gospel. And this epiphany has hit me and I just want to pose it to you all. Did you know that the only reason you are all blessed to have the internet, a smart phone, Facebook is because God created these inventions to better spread his gospel? Well it is true. Sure people use it unwisely, but you get that with anything good. But isn't that an incredible thought?

I'll let you ponder on that one.

But just know that I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a missionary! To wear my Savior's name over my heart every single day! And to learn to be happy always no matter what happens, rain or shine (rain more often than shine) because I have the greatest gospel anyone could ever have! And all I do all day is share it!

I hope you all continue to catch the spirit of this very special time of the year!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

How Come It Took So Long? (December 5th, 2016)

Hello!!

Man this week has flown by so fast! I cannot even believe it! But I
guess I have to! Let me see if I can remember everything that has
happened.

Monday we got the call that Sister Vizaco would move and I would be training!😱

Tuesday Sister Vizaco said good-bye to people and we went and had some
retail therapy, buT we didn't buy much, but it was still nice!💷

Wednesday we went to London to send sister Vizaco to her new area, and
then I was at the mission home the rest of the day, preparing to meet
my new companion, straight out of the MTC! Ahhh! I was so nervous, I
thought I was going to be sick. But I didn't, I kept my cool 😎
Finally, after waiting forever, they arrived!

My new companion is Sister Pail (pronounced pile) and she is from
Austria 🇦🇹! I was really hoping to get a companion that spoke
German! Yes now I have had companions from basically all over the
world! And Sister Pail is amazing! She is all I would wish for in a
trainee! I am proud to call her my daughter!

Something interesting, right before we met our trainees, one of the
APs (assistants to President Stevens) said that we had a great
responsibility for these missionaries and we probably met them before
this life. I thought that was interesting... and I moved on being
nervous. But having spent a half a week with Sister Pail, I think it
is true. She reminds me of someone I know but I just cannot put my
finger on it. So who knows! Anyways...

Thursday was District Meeting. I love District Meeting. Now we have
Zone Leaders AND Sister Training Leaders in our
five-companionship-District of St. Albans. Super cool! So much spirit
and power in one room!

Friday we set our vision for this transfer and we set a goal to have a
white Christmas! We want to have a friend enter the waters of Baptism
on Christmas/Eve of. We know that it is totally possible but it is
going to take a lot of work. However it felt right and the Spirit was
there.

Saturday. Ward Christmas Party!

Sunday. Church. I love church. I will always love church!

All week we have been trying to find those who are prepared to receive
the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have been meeting a ton of really
cool people, but none of them are ready for the gospel right now. But
I trust in Heavenly Father. He knows who is ready and where we can
find them. And I can feel it! I can just feel that there is someone
right around the corner who wants this gift we have to give! This next
week, we will find out I guess!

I love you all! I hope that you have as great a week as I plan on
having this week! Jesus Christ is my Savior! He loves me despite my
imperfection. He loves you too! Don't forget it!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie

Transfer #12 And All Is Well (cuz Christmas is coming!!😉) (November 29th, 2016)

This is a monster of an email, so buckle down or save for when you
have some time to spare (sorry my missionary/busy friends)

Hello one and all! It is freezing here! But that's okay!

It is transfer once again here in the blessed land of England! I feel
like it was transfers just yesterday! But nope! It has been a whole
six weeks!!

Now I know that you are all anxiously waiting for the news of what is
going to happen, well here it is. (Brace yourselves:)

Unfortunately, my wild, crazy, fun, Brazilian companion, sister Vizaco
will be leaving (apparently she has a crazy habit of moving every two
transfers to a new area and always gets a new companion in between! )
She gets to go to the wonderful area of South End! Just across the
ocean from where I was born as a missionary in England😪FYI it has the
longest pier I. The world (or so I have been told.) I will really miss
her!! She taught me so much! Thanks Sis!

And for little old me, I will stay here in Stevenage for the rest of
my time here in England! I love it here! And for Christmas as well!
Even better!

As for my new companion, you all know as much as I do about her,
accept that I know she will be straight out of the MTC! Guys, I'm
getting a greenie! Yay greenie fire  💚🐲🔥 !! I have always wanted to
train but I am so nervous 😩 and on my last transfer! I never thought
it would happen! I am so excited but so nervous at the same time! I
couldn't sleep last night, and once I finally did get to sleep, I woke
up early and just laid in bed, being nervous to have a brand new
missionary under my wing.

It will be so much fun! I am so excited!!!😆

Now for the really important message of my email today. Christmas 🎄!

I am so blessed to be a missionary during the best time of year! And I
have never caught the Christmas spirit so intensely until this year!
In England they role out Christmas stuff almost before Halloween is
done, and at first I thought this was terrible. NO CHRISTMAS UNTIL
AFTER THANKSGIVING! But this year I almost forgot about thanksgiving
(no worries a member fed us a delicious feast of thanksgiving last
Thursday, so I remembered eventually ;) My companion started to sing
Christmas songs early too, which I used to hate hearing any time
accept for after the last Thursday in November to the 25 of December.
However I started singing along as well.

But the miracle was, that this transfer for many different reasons I
had a lot of time on my hands where I couldn't go out and do the
normal missionary things. So as any missionary does when they get
bored, they start to read church magazines. I had a ton of ensigns
downloaded on my iPad so I started with the brand new one for this
December. The one with all the Christmas stories. And I thought, hey!
That's a swell idea! I'll read all the December ensigns that I have
downloaded! So I did. And you want to know what I learned? Hope!

I learned that Christmas is not about the money 💰 , or the gifts 🎁,
or even the time of year. Christmas is basically hope. It is a time of
year where most people remember to be kind to one another and look
outside themselves, when miracles happen, and when people can look
around, see these and feel that there is still hope for this world.
That there are still good people who are trying to make there little
place on this earth a better place for those around them.

And of course, Christmas is a time when we remember why we celebrate.
Jesus Christ! We get to remember why we are here and the plan that God
has for us, that is possible because a baby was born! It is about the
people we love and care about and what we can do for them to show our
love.

From a ton of the Christmas stories I have read, there is a scripture
that kept being brought up. We all think that the Savior is such and
amazing person, and he is. And we think that the things he did were so
incredible, and they were. But a lot of the time we feel overwhelmed
by the need to repay or give back or to be like him. But this
Scripture settles it all.

Christ says,
"... Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of
the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew
25:40

Service. Our efforts are all that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ
require of us. To try, try to be more like him!

And that is why I love the Christmas initiative the church has put out
for this year. #LightTheWorld! Through our service, we can light the
world with the light of Christ that shines through us! And they even
have a simple advent calendar of service ideas you can choose from to
serve every day! In 25 Ways. Over 25 Days! I would invite you all to
go to Mormon.org and watch the video and download the advent calendar
and participate in this wonderful way to celebrate Christ's birth. It
will change your world!

I love you all and am so excited for this wonderful time of year and
this wonderful time to be serving God and his children!!

Until next week!! ;)

Sister Lisa Haynie!

🎶 There Can Be Miracles! When You Believe! 🎶 And Work Really Hard! (November 21st, 2016)

Hello all!

This week has been miraculous!

To start off, we got a referral from online requesting a Book of
Mormon! Miracle! We never get referrals! So we went to visit, but no
one was home, so we called the number we had and she picked up and
said to come back in a couple days!
We went back and taught the first lesson about the restoration! And
were able to to teach her about the importance of baptism being done
by those who hold the proper authority and she will be preparing for
baptism on the 18 of December! Ahhhh! She is such a miracle!

But wait that isn't it! Later that week we were knocking on some doors
and sharing a Christmas video about Jesus Christ. On one of the last
doors, a young mum and her two energetic boys opened and said they
would be happy to hear the message, but if we could come back the next
day, since they had just got home from a long trip and were having
dinner. So of course we come back the next day and share the video
with the mum and we get talking. She started asking us questions about
what our religion was. We told her that we are Christians from the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly known from the
nickname "Mormons" and she said that she has an auntie who is a
Mormon. And we were like, what is her name we might know her! Turns
out we do, really well!! And this mum is interested in hearing our
message and we will be seeing her this week! Miracle!

Also this Friday the church is coming out with this years Christmas
initiative and I cannot wait! It is called, 💡Light the World 🌎  And
its whole idea is about serving others all of December! I am so
excited 😆. This year I am really excited for Christmas 🎄! I have
never been this excited for Christmas this early, I usually have to
wait until after thanksgiving before i will even admit it is Christmas
time once again. And no I haven't forgotten thanksgiving 🦃. We have a
member who is rolling out a proper American feast for my companion and
I.

Oh oh! And shout out to my favorite little sister Carson and my
favorite father, HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉 I hope you guys have a marvelous
feast on the 24th, all thanks to you being born!

I hope you all know I love you! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ
which seems to be the only thing to pick me up when I am down. My
Savior lives, choices is important, and trials are real but for our
benefit!

Until next week!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Patience and Humility. Lots of Humility (November 14th, 2016)

To start off, shout out to my November birthdays 🎉Grandma Vaterlaus
and Megan. Dad and Carson, I know yours are coming too! Hope you all
have/had a fabulous day and had a lot of really good cake 🎂 and
presents 🎁

This week has been okay. Sister Vizaco and I work hard all week and it
seems nothing is happening. Or at least from what we can see. I'm sure
there is loads going on in the background that we are oblivious to.
But the surface is really rough. It has really made me question the
type of missionary I am, if I work hard enough, am I obedient, do I
listen to the spirit enough?

I read this really great talk though, about waiting upon the Lord. And
it is pretty clear. God is trying to teach us to be humble and
patient. There is a scripture that I feel resounds with me so
perfectly. This is Nephi speaking,

    "Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in
showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O
wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh;
my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
    I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins
which do so easily beset me.
    And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my
sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted." 2 Nephi 4:17-19

A lot of this week I have wondered if this is happening because I did
something wrong. Or I don't do enough."

But then again, I watched this Mormon Message called "The Refiner's
Fire" and there are a couple of things that the lady says that really
helped.

" It's not always about us. We're not going through this because we
need to change, or we're not good enough. I became someone more
capable of helping others and having compassion..."

"To me its like Newton's law. For every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction. Equal and opposite. So I think the greater our
sorrow is, the greater our capacity is to feel joy."
- Kim Martin

God knows that we are imperfect. He knew long before we made the
mistakes that we have and will make. And it is okay. This life is not
a test to see what grade of righteousness we can get. It is to change
us to be more like the Savior. Not to decide whether or not we can
make it into heaven, but to make us heavenly people. And I know that I
am becoming more patient and humble through these challenges. I don't
like it but I am thankful for the opportunity to show God my trust in
him.

I am so thankful for the resource that we have. The scriptures and the
gospel library. Conference talks and hymns! And there is so much more!
We truly live in a blessed time!

Love you all and hope you have a good week! Remember, in whom you have trusted!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Lord I Believe, Help Thou Mine Disbelief (November 7th, 2016)

Man this wek has been good! So much fun and many cool miracles!!

So this week had been going really slow. And I mean really slow. We work so hard and it seams like nothing is happening!

Anyway, Friday we went on exchange with our Sister Training Leaders, Sister Smiddy and Sister Wright (holla at my former companion!!) I got to be companions with Sister Wright again for a day!! It was so much fun!!

I learned so much! I will try to put it as simply as I can because this weekend has been blowing my mind!

Things I have been learning:

- A lot of us tend to believe in Christ, but we dont really believe Him. We think that His miracles and his power are real and we have heard of so many other people's experiences and we believe that it is true... for other people. But not for us. Guilty. Almost my whole mission, I have been feeling like this. (For more on this please read Elder Bednar's address from October 2016 General Conference, "If Ye Had Known Me" and Stephen E. Robinson's BYU Devotional on 29 May 1990, "Believing Christ: A practical Approach to the Atonement.)

- It is really easy for anyone to forget the experiences they have had. Blessings that they know are from God, tender moments when a prayer was answered, etc. So easy. Remeber that cool experience I had a few weeks ago about feeling the atonement? I totally forgot about that, and it was so profound to me! I mean just look at Laman and Lemuel. They saw angels and even heard the voice of the Lord and they were so quick to forget!

These are just a few things that I have been finally learning! It is not enough to just recieve answers through faith and beliving what Christ says, but we must remember! It is so impoirtant!

On exchange, Sister Wright shared her recent mantra with a family that we visited together. She has been studying Mark 9 a lot. It is about the father who asks Christ to heal his son and Christ asks if the father believes. The father cries out in response "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief."

I dont want to just belive in Christ, but I really want to believe Him, what he says and what he promises!! And then we must remember the answers we receive and the miracles we see, otherwise we will take them for granted or feel like we never feel God's presence. So I am adopting her mantra and adding to it, "Believe Him and Remember!"

So, yesterday I took this new "miracles can happen for me too," attitude out while we went finding. And nothing for a while. Time was running out and just rejection after rejection after rejection. And it was cold and raining. Then I wanted to try to single out the one, so there was a guy walking behind a group of teenagers and I turned to Sister Vizaco and said, "He's our miracle!" And man was I right! More than I would have thought! The guy that sister Vizaco and I met is from no other place than... East Timor! That is where my last recent convert is from! Man that was such a personal miracle! I was able to say the two things I know in Indonesian and it was so cool! He is coming to church with us on Sunday!! "There can be miracles when you believe" Him!

I feel like my whole mission I have been doing things with my head, because it was right, because it logically made sense, but while I was on exchange, I realized that I need to start doing things with my heart more. Brains are great, but hearts are better, because that is where the Spirit comes easily. Now get the right combination of both...👍🏼 but I'm still working on that!

Also just for kicks, Sister Wright and I stopped this guy and it turns out he raps, so Sister Wright asked him to do some free style, and he did! And he turns and asks us to do something. Sister Wright immediately says, "I don't rap, but she sings really well!" ... So I sang the first line of BYU Vocal Point "Savior Redeemer of My Soul" to our new friend Levi. Who would have thought I would sing on the street to strangers to bring them closer to Christ?

I know that my Savior lives and He loves me! And I know all too well that I am imperfect, but that is okay! That is why we need a Savior! And I know that I am learning to believe him, and all it takes is trying and the basic 3. 1. Study your scripture, the word of God. 2. Say real, sincere prayers, asking God questions and for help coming closer to him. 3. GO TO CHURCH! Give yourself the opportunities to feel the spirit! Where else will you go?

I also know that this is a novel, so I will end it here:)

I love you all! Until next week!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Halloween 👻🎃🕷! With Christmas 🎄⛄️❄️ Just Around the Corner (October 31st, 2016)

Hello! Happy Halloween 👻🎃🕷 in England they have the Halloween
decorations out the same time as Christmas! Not even a bit of
consideration for Thanksgiving 🦃. I guess it's understandable.

This week has been full of adventures and fun! Every day is new and I
love it! I am coming to know my Savior more and more each week! He and
Heavenly Father always have something new to teach me. And I love that
I am forever growing and changing!

So my Brazilian companion, Sister Vizaco is the best finder ever!

Confession time. I have probably said it before, but I absolutely hate
talking to people on high street or in town centre. I feel like I get
people claustrophobic. My heart starts beating and I feel like I can't
breathe very and every fibre of my being is wanting to turn around and
find a quiet dark corner to hide in.

But Sister Vizaco is teaching me! All the ropes, ins, and outs of
stopping people on the street! Man and we find so many new friends!!
More than I have ever before! We meet the coolest people ever!

Which brings me to my miracle of the week. She is from Romania and she
is so cool! She is working as a nurse and specialises in orthopaedics
(and helped me out with tips for my poor aching missionary feet 😉)

She also is really struggling with her faith in God. She has had some
tough trials in her past. We saw her on Friday and I could see clearer
than I ever have before a soul's cry for help! She is on the verge of
either being atheist or believing that she has done something wrong
and God hates her for it so he is punishing her. Neither is true!

I am so thankful to have met her! She reminded me the true reason why
I am here in England. And why I stay here even though I am tired and
people are not nice and I could be home in the hot, sunny weather
rather than the cold dark rainy-ness that is England. Because there
are people who truly desire to have that relief that comes from
knowing the Gospel of Jesus Christ! They are in pain and depressed
with no hope of relief from the pains of life. But there is light to
be had! There is hope for burdens to be lifted! For fresh starts to be
made!! The goodness of the Gospel is so real!! And I have it! It
really does exist! I have felt the joy of forgiveness and the power of
the atonement of Jesus Christ righting wrongs and overcoming my
weaknesses!

Oh it is so wonderful! There are times when I just want to shout it
from the roof tops! I am so thankful for this opportunity in my life
to serve the people of this land. To have the chance to serve God's
children! To share what I have known practically since birth!

And I am so thankful for parents who taught me the gospel of Jesus
Christ because there is truly no other way to get through this life
and still have true happiness and purpose!

I know that Christ lives! He is waiting for us to open the door to
him, and let him in. He will not force his way in. He waits patiently.
Arms wide open!!

Turn to him, please! I know it will get better as you centre your life on him!

I love you all and am so thankful for the support you have given me!

Until next week!

Sister Lisa Haynie!

🇺🇸+🇧🇷+🙏🏻⛪️= So Much Fun in 🇬🇧 (October 24th, 2016)

Tudo ben! That is Portuguese for how are you!

This week has been so much fun! Sister Vizaco is the best and we are
so similar it is crazy 😜! Like even down to birthdays and favourite
colour! She is such a great missionary! She is really great at talking
to people in the street and really getting me out of my comfort zone.
I thought that I had gotten pretty good at talking to people in the
street, but man I have a lot to learn from her!

And Stevenage! It is good here! I already love it! The people actually
talk to you and if they don't they at least smile (accept for this
morning, but we can give them a break, it was a cold Monday morning.)

So Sunday was so much fun! I got to meet the Stevenage ward and then
after Sister Vizaco and I, along with the other sister here in
Stevenage (Sister Spear who is a not-so-greenie greenie and Sister
Swann who came out with me and we were in the MTC together) we did a
missionary workshop for the 16-18 year old girls and boys in the stake
and at first we thought they could care less that we were teaching,
because they were really quiet and didn't participate much (but what
can you say, they are teens) but at the end of one of our classes, one
of the boys came back and asked us if we could show him where we found
one of the quotes that we shared in the workshop! Such a miracle! And
later that evening, he got up in front of a big group and did a role
play as a missionary and he did so well! It was so cool 😎!

Now this may seem really small and insignificant to some, but for me,
as a missionary, these little moments are what we work and die for! We
may not ever be able to bring someone to that wonderful choice of
baptism, but hey! At least we change somebody's day! To know that I
make a difference is so rewarding! Not gonna lie! Being a missionary
is hard and can be down right depressing, but then with a little
miracle like the one we had on Sunday makes it all go away! Honestly!
You for get all the unpleasant, like hurting feet and people saying
"no" to you and you are on the top of the world!

I am soooooo grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary! The
strength it has brought me! The humility it is teaching me! The
opportunity it has given me to lean on my Savior, to give it all to
him! And most of all, the PEACE! There is nothing like the peace that
comes from following the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Oh! And the Book of
Mormon! The love I have for the Book of Mormon is almost
indescribable! I just have to pick it up, open it, and start reading
and I feel peace and love.

I love my Heavenly Father! I know he is so aware of us! So aware that
he can see beyond our trails and the struggles we have and know that
we will become greater from them! I am eternally grateful to my Savior
Jesus Christ who gives me the strength when I feel I no longer have it
with in myself.

I really do love you all and am so thankful for the support you give
me even if it is just a small prayer. It is felt!

I hope you have a splendid week!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

And I'm Off! (October 18th, 2016)

And once again, another Transfers has arrived! It is not surprising as
I have had 6 months here in Huntingdon, but it doesn't make it any
less sad, I will be leaving the beloved Huntingdon area! ☹️️ I really
have come to feel like this is home away from home, but just like in
life, I feel it is time for a fresh start! A new area with new
adventures to have, lessons to learn, and friends to make! I will miss
the people here so much !!

But you know what, that is okay because the Plan of Salvation is so
real! I will see all of these people again! Whether it is in this life
or in the next, I know this is not the end!

Something I am learning from saying goodbye, is the fact that I have
come to know that I actually made a difference here! There were days
when I felt that I could be swallowed up by the earth and it wouldn't
matter, but when I said good-bye to members, and they were sad that I
was going to go, it made me feel like I actually helped!

I know that it is not mine, but the Lord's work that I am doing! I am
so thankful for the opportunity to serve and give the little I have to
others that may need it more!

Here I have come to know the Joy that comes from service, that the
atonement is real (and not just for our sins but also our weaknesses
and everything that is unfair or hard), that trials are to make us
stronger and better, and that God has a purpose for all of us, and
through His Son, we can have that tranquil peace that can withstand
all!

I am still learning and growing all the time, but now instead of it
being a trial, it now is an opportunity to rise and overcome!

I love my Savior! I trust God in his infinite wisdom! I know that the
book of Mormon can bring that peace that we all need in our life!

Oh and my new companion is from Brazil and her name is Sister Vizaco!
I am so excited! 😆

Love you all! Have a super splendid week!

Sister Lisa Haynie!

🎶I Will Sing His Redeeming Love🎶 (October 10th, 2016)

Hello all!

Hope you have had a great week because I have!

Well there have been downs but this week has still been amazing! Want
to know why?

Because the atonement is real!

The past few weeks I have been wanting to overcome a lot of trials and
I have just been praying and praying and reading the Book of Mormon
like it had all the answers to life, (spoiler alert, it does) and for
a long while it was just a painful plea. But last week as many of you
know, we were able to listen to General Conference and listen to a
prophets voice and that of apostles and church leaders give us council
for our lives. And I also had been reading through these talks. And
praying some more.

Friday I took a brief nap during lunch and when I woke up ... it was
like I was lighter. It wasn't just that I had more energy, I had the
strength to face everyday again! With joy and happiness! And I KNOW
that this was from something beyond me! Because even after I had this
experience, almost immediately the things that had been weighing me
down were thrown back at me, but this time, I didn't care! I was happy
and nothing had the power to bring me down.

And it has continued to be like that. My trials and problems have not
disappeared. But it is incredible how I have been unaffected. These
are things that have bothered me my whole life and boom 💥! I can
overcome!!

Oh and what's more is my discovery of the speed in which we can turn
things around! At the speed of light! It is truly amazing! 🌙🌞

Just wanted to share! Jesus Christ is my Savior and literally he can
help us take on ANYTHING!

And we met a miracle yesterday! His name is Brock. And he is atheist,
but the step in lesson we had on the street was so cool! The spirit
was so strong! And it all started when we brought out the Book of
Mormon! This book is literally so powerful! Because it is true! I am
so thankful for this book 📖!

Search, Ponder and Pray (October 3rd, 2016)

Good first week of October!

And it has become officially cold. The scarves and jackets are out
along with the layers of cardigans. ❄️☔️☹️ I will never get used to
the cold.

This week has been tough! Lots of ups and downs. But the ups make the
downs feel smaller. The ups of this week were Zone Meeting with lots
of other missionaries and GENERAL CONFERENCES! Oh. My. Days. So good,
but also intense!

I am so thankful for the opportunity we have twice a year to hear from
Gods prophet, apostles, and our general authorities who are only there
to help us in this crazy world. They volunteer only because they know
for themselves the truthfulness of the Gospel and of the blessings
that follow living it. That's it! And by the looks of the prophet,
they don't get much in return. He has dedicated his life to serving
others.

The counsel they gave was to return to the basics. Develop your
testimony of Jesus Christ. Gain a testimony of the Restoration and the
prophet Joseph Smith, especially the blessings that directly come from
the restoration. Make sure to have real, fervent prayers not just
repetitive reciting.

See these things we already know, but do we do them? Sometimes we get
so caught up in the deeper, not as well understood doctrine, that we
allow these basic principles to wither and die, and our foundation
becomes weak. No idea who said it, but they were on to something when
they asked, "Is it pertinent to your salvation?" Is it necessary to
understand for you to have faith in Jesus Christ and return to live
with God. If the answer is no, then maybe we should focus on what is
important to our salvation. Like getting a testimony of the Book of
Mormon and what it will mean in our every day lives.

What I am going to try and do is to be better at using the atonement
of Jesus Christ for everything. Not just sins but any unfairness or
trouble in life, because Christ died so that all things may be made
right. Big and small.

I hope that you all may have an empowered week knowing that there is
always a brightness in the future as we follow our Heavenly Father!

Love you!

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Half Stress + Half Miracles = Great Week 👏🏻👊🏻 (September 26th, 2016)

This week we tried for the first time to teach using Facebook
Messenger. We have been advised to see our friends at least three
times a week if they are preparing for baptism, but some people are
really busy, so a great tool is the Internet! It was really
interesting. We had the time set up to have the lesson over Facebook
at 2, but the library closed at 1:30 so we just sat on a bench outside
of the bank on high street, because the bank has free wifi ;) You
would not guess what happened while we tried to teach our friend over
Facebook.

The first thing that happened was that this guy Sister Laura and I met
the transfer walked by and we said hello, and he decided to sit down
right next to us and  have a heavy conversation about how Mormons are
all crazy simpletons who have no clue at all what we are doing and
that he read the whole Book of Mormon and never bothered to pray about
it. Not a very nice atmosphere. Eventually his mother pulled him away
and we tried to focus in again on Facebook, luckily we had a terrific
member who kept the conversation rolling!👏🏻👍🏼

So we finally ask a couple of good questions and invite our friend to
listen to General Conference ( an amazing opportunity to listen to a
living prophet and apostles!) and then this young man with a bike with
his groceries hanging off the handlebars hobbles up to us on our bench
and asks us if we can help him onto his bike because one of his legs
has an injury. Turns out he has been looking for a church and really
wants to come to ours in a couple of weeks! We set a return
appointment and said a prayer for him... All while we tried to split
our attention with a live lesson and our Facebook lesson...😳

Our lesson on Facebook actually ended up pretty well, but the whole
time I was honking, "What the heck is going on?!) Miracles!!

And that is a pretty good sum up of my week🤗 Half stress and half
miracles! All in a weeks work as missionary!

I am so excited for this upcoming week! General Conference! I love to
hear from our Heavenly Father and being able to receive inspiration
for my life and getting help with what to teach our friends who are
changing their lives around.

I also know that as we put God first, the rest of our lives will fall
into place and you would be surprised the things that will no longer
be as important as they once were. Life WILL NOT be perfect but it is
oh so much better!

🎶Keep It Positive🎶 (September 19th, 2016)

Hello everyone! I hope you have had a fantastic week because I have!
And I am so excited to tell you about it!

So this week we had both an exchange and Zone Conference! Both in
London! They were both great! I was with sister Rigetto (pronounced
hee-get-oh from Brazil) and she is so amazing! She was trained by my
last companion, Sister Yucra Laura. I learned a lot as always and I
have seen a few things that I need to improve on.

Then we had Zone Conference on Thursday and we were in London like all
day. It is strange how I have gotten more and more used to London. I
remember how stressed I would get on the tubes and figuring out what
stop to get off at and where to go, but now I almost don't even need
to look at a map.

At first the meeting was really good, almost so good that it was bad
because there were so many things that I realised I needed to improve
on, and usually at that point I would start to get a bit down because
it was overwhelming how many things I needed to work at. Somewhere in
the middle, I got this gigantic boost of energy and desire to turn
things around and to do my best! I was so excited to go back to
Huntingdon and get back to work! We got back really late but I was
still excited to the next day!

We had this appointment with Ieva, from Lithuania. She is 23 and I
love her! She is so prepared! And the lesson we had with her and a
member named Daniel, was filled with the spirit. By the end, I was
smiling so big that Daniel had to basically tell me to calm down.
Daniel then drove Ieva, Sister Barnjak, and I to a members house, the
Garricks, where we had dinner and Ieva really enjoyed herself there
too. At the end brother Garrick asked Ieva if she wanted to come to
church and she said yes! Then the next day we had another lesson with
her at Daniels house. We talked about the plan of Salvation ( my
FAVORITE lesson to teach!) and Ieva is now preparing to be baptised on
the 29 of October!!

But wait the story doesn't end there! She came to church and as sister
Garrick was driving her, she asked Ieva if she knew that it would be 3
hours long. She said no, but she stayed the whole time even though she
was really tired. She said she liked it too!

And I attest it all to the change in my attitude! I have never loved
serving the Lord so much to see these miracles first hand! I love the
gospel so much and I just want everyone to know how much it has
blessed my life and my family's lives! God has truly shown his love
for me! Just for me as I see his hand work on this Earth!

I love the Book of Mormon so much! It is really a gift for us! To
read, to treasure, to apply to our lives! It has brought me such
peace! If you haven't read it in a while, pick it up again and pray
about it! If you already know and love it, share it! "Flood the earth
with the Book of Mormon"

The Beginning of #11 (September 12th, 2016)

Bonjour!

I think that this is my 11th transfer! I lost track! Ahh, I'm old and
time flies!

Hello all! This week has been so crazy! We had transfers and as far as
I know, Sister Yucra Laura is back in Spain! And Sister Barnjak has
arrived in Huntingdon!

Sister Barnjak is from France!! She is 21 and has been out serving a
mission for almost eight months! She has such a strong testimony of
the Book of Mormon and the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! She is really an
example to me!. Literally, the first day she came here to Huntingdon,
she stopped like every single person on the street and within about 2
hours we had 2 new investigators! We have not had a new investigator
in a long while. And she is so different from me, and it has been a
wild journey adjusting to her and her stride, but I think it because
she is so far ahead of me. Sometimes she makes me think, "What have I
been doing with my life for the past year?" But its all good. I will
learn and adjust. It also shows me how similar Sister Laura and I
were, it took us about... 0 time to adjust to each other, well at
least for me.

I feel like this transfer will be awesome! Sister Barnjak has come to
shake things up! I love her already and I learn something new from her
everyday!!

Before I met sister Barnjak, I spent the night with a set of sisters
who live in central London. We had FHE with  part member family and it
was so cool! Where they live is right behind Buckingham Palace!! And
they lived right literally over the royal limousines!! Aahhhh! So
cool. The dad works with the royal horses so that is why they live
there, but we had to have visitors passes and everything! Sorry I
didn't take any pictures but I was a little bit scared that I might
get us all thrown out if I moved and inch wrong. But it was really
cool!

I Love the book of Mormon! It is literally the coolest book ever! In
studies I learned of a promise that I feel is so important. I cannot
remember who said it, but an apostle said that if we read from the
book of Mormon every single day, we will not be led astray. Or
something like that. But that is so cool. In this life there is so
much to learn and there are lots of interesting facts and lots of
questions to ask, but not all of them are what is important. What is
important in life is doing the things, learning the things that will
help us and our families return to live with our heavenly father. The
rest of it is either icing on the cake or just a distraction. We must
focus on what really matters and the purpose of life. And that is what
the Book of Mormon teaches and helps us achieve!

I am so thankful for this gospel! It has changed my life for the
better. More than I know probably and I have had the joy to witness it
transform others' lives! And I am thankful for that!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

It's Worth It! (September 6th, 2016)

Hello everyone!

This week we had a lesson with our friend Osorio who is preparing for
baptism on the 6th! And it is really hard to teach him because he is
learning English and he speaks Indonesian which sounds nothing like
anything I have ever heard before, so I cannot help in any way, shape,
or form. My last companion, Sister Chiping, however can talk to him
and understand him, but she moved to Romford right after we started
meeting with Osorio. Have no fear, Skype has come to the rescue!
Another thing is that we have only been able to see him on Tuesday's
because he works so much.

We were having a lot of headaches about getting him prepared to be
baptised at an earlier time, but my head was screaming, he isn't
ready! He has not been taught everything! A long time ago I promised
myself that I would never baptise someone who was not converted. I
never wanted to baptize someone that went inactive in a years time.
But my companion asked me, are you thinking with your heart or with
your mind? And if any of you know me, you know that i am a very
logical thinker. I think a whole lot with my head.

So last week we had a really important lesson with Osorio. As we
taught and and Sister Chiping translated I was praying in my mind,
"Please help me feel the spirit. Please help my mind to stop spinning
and my heart to start feeling." So as I was trying to pay attention to
what was going on, Osorio asked a very important question. He asked if
you sinned before you knew it was wrong was it still a sin and could
you still be forgiven? And then, I saw. Or I guess I felt. Here was a
child of God who wanted to be a new and better person. He wanted to
come closer to Christ. When we told him that we he was not ready to be
baptised the first time around he was really sad. And that was a sweet
moment. I was able to look into his eyes and feel the desire he had to
feel the cleansing power of baptism.

And something happened to my thoughts. Instead of he isn't ready, it
became we need to do everything possible to get him baptized asap! He
is prepared.

Prayer is real. Desire is real. And God is so very real.

I know this church is true. Not because I know everything, but what I
DO know is enough to trust God on the rest. And I just need to get out
of my own head, out of my own way, and let the big guy who actually
knows what he is doing, take over.

Love y'all!

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Not Mind Over Matter, Heart/Spirit Over Mind (August 29th, 2016)

Hello everyone!

This week we had a lesson with our friend Osorio who is preparing for
baptism on the 6th! And it is really hard to teach him because he is
learning English and he speaks Indonesian which sounds nothing like
anything I have ever heard before, so I cannot help in any way, shape,
or form. My last companion, Sister Chiping, however can talk to him
and understand him, but she moved to Romford right after we started
meeting with Osorio. Have no fear, Skype has come to the rescue!
Another thing is that we have only been able to see him on Tuesday's
because he works so much.

We were having a lot of headaches about getting him prepared to be
baptised at an earlier time, but my head was screaming, he isn't
ready! He has not been taught everything! A long time ago I promised
myself that I would never baptise someone who was not converted. I
never wanted to baptize someone that went inactive in a years time.
But my companion asked me, are you thinking with your heart or with
your mind? And if any of you know me, you know that i am a very
logical thinker. I think a whole lot with my head.

So last week we had a really important lesson with Osorio. As we
taught and and Sister Chiping translated I was praying in my mind,
"Please help me feel the spirit. Please help my mind to stop spinning
and my heart to start feeling." So as I was trying to pay attention to
what was going on, Osorio asked a very important question. He asked if
you sinned before you knew it was wrong was it still a sin and could
you still be forgiven? And then, I saw. Or I guess I felt. Here was a
child of God who wanted to be a new and better person. He wanted to
come closer to Christ. When we told him that we he was not ready to be
baptised the first time around he was really sad. And that was a sweet
moment. I was able to look into his eyes and feel the desire he had to
feel the cleansing power of baptism.

And something happened to my thoughts. Instead of he isn't ready, it
became we need to do everything possible to get him baptized asap! He
is prepared.

Prayer is real. Desire is real. And God is so very real.

I know this church is true. Not because I know everything, but what I
DO know is enough to trust God on the rest. And I just need to get out
of my own head, out of my own way, and let the big guy who actually
knows what he is doing, take over.

Love y'all!

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Families Are Forever! (August 23rd, 2016)

The temple is the best! So peaceful! And there is just an amazing calm and sense of one-ness!

I wish I could have stayed in there forever! And he England London Temple is so beautiful!

It has been an interesting week with ups and downs, crying and laughing, but I know that this is where I need to be! And that this work is the lords work!

I don't have much time today, but know that I love you and hope you all know that you have a Heavenly Father who loves you even more than me! And because of that, our families can be together forever!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie

¡Buenos Dias A Todos Mis Amigos Y Mi Familia! (August 15th, 2016)

Hello one and all!

This last week has been interesting. About a week and a half ago, the
Huntingdon ward has been doing a 40 day fast, where one person/family
fasts for one day. And then the next day someone else fasts, so that
all together fasting is happening for 40 days consecutively. And the
ward has been fasting to have missionary opportunities and experiences
of their own. And it is really cool! Last week, one member, Jason,
fasted on Wednesday. Then we got a text from him on Friday saying that
as he gave a colleague a lift home, they started talking about
religion, and Jason invited him to church. He said that he might come.
Then that Saturday, Jason told us that he would come to church, and he
came! His name is Bill and he is so willing to follow what ever God
asks him to do!

Miracle!

Also this week I have had moments to question why God was not around
me as much as I thought he should be. But as I have visited with some
of the friends we teach, and they have shared their experiences with
us, especially their trials, I have seen how the Gospel is true! Over
and over God has shown me that the things that we teach people about
Christ and his Gospel are true! These friends who were once strangers,
who at one point some of them never believed in God, are able to draw
so much strength from praying, reading the Book of Mormon, and
partaking of the sacrament.


It really humbles me to know that I am blessed to take part in Gods
work. I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve his children and
have them teach me. I love the Book of Mormon! The stories contained
inside are not just stories but ring with truth! I love the
Restoration of Christ's Gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. He
was not a perfect man but he was a worthy servant of God! And I am
thankful for the love that God has for me which means that he has made
it possible for me to make things right even when I am the one who may
have messed up!

I love you all and I am so blessed to have you all in my life!

Until next week!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!

Dare! (August 8th, 2016)

So everyone needs to listen to this song by a group called Gentri. It
is called Dare. And it will make you feel like you can conquer
anything! One of the songs that you could go running to. Just listen,
you will understand, and then feel invincible!

This week has needed a little more of that. Then the elders played
this song in the car on the way to Zone meeting.

Dare. Definition: having the courage to do something. I feel like a
lot in life, we let fears and doubts get in our way of being happy
doing the amazing things that we are doing. As soon as life gets hard
and we face opposition, our human nature automatically wants to back
down. To give in or turn back.

But we can't let that happen! We must fight back and press forward!

So dare! Dare to dream! Dare to be happy even when everything around
you wants you to be miserable. Happiness is a choice.  "We determine
our happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our own
happiness." -President Uchtdorf

So let's go out and defy Satan!
And do you know how we do this, by leaning on our saviour! By allowing
him to to lift us up through anything and everything!

I love you all and hope this week is happy and positive!

I love the Book of Mormon, and it brings me so much happiness! I am so
thankful for the gospel in my life. Everyday, I feel so blessed! So
much that I just want to go out and give it to everyone I meet. Wait..
I get to!

So go out and get happiness with Jesus! It IS out there!

So Excited! (August 1st, 2016)

I don't know why, but Spanish is still my favorite language! Sister Yucra Laura ( or Sister Laura or Sister Yucra, what ever you prefer) Is trying to teach me Spanish. She has been speaking English for so long now she has trouble remembering proper grammar and some of the vocabulary. But she has taught me to say Hola! Nosotros somos misioneras de la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias(Hello. We are missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.) Next step, how to pray in Spanish! I will be fluent before she goes!

By the way, Sister Yucra Laura is the best! She is just what I needed at this time in my life! And we are a lot alike too! Watch out world!

Anyway, this week has been interesting. Just so you know, the adversary is real. I told you all last week about the miracle that we got to finally meet with last week, Abbey. For some reason, our phone doesn't like hers and we can only reach her at odd times in the evening. Many random, seemingly innocent things have been continually arising, every time we try to meet her. She is so ready and so prepared but SOMEONE keeps getting in the way. Rude!

Something I have been learning is that when one tries to do good or make positive changes, challenges arise. Always. So if all the sudden, something is really hard to do, look at it again. It is probably something that will help you or improve your life or bring you closer to your savior and heavenly father and those obstacles are Satan trying to put you off.

But as the Youth theme for this year says, "... ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the words of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:20)

How do we press forward and do all of that you might ask? With the knowledge that, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13) And we show that we will lean on our savior when we do the things that he asks us. Keep his commandments. Do the little things, like studying our scriptures, attending our church meetings, and having sincere personal prayers often. That is the way it worked in the past, that is the way that it will work now and in the future.

I know very well, that I am weak and imperfect, but I know that God is aware of that and he does not expect a perfectly strong person.

So press forward, have a perfect brightness of hope, and do your best while relying on the Savior and the Atonement, and all will be well!

Easier said than done. It is hard, but the best things in life are not free!

I love you all and hope that you can have the happiest, brightest week ever!

Love,

Sister Lisa Haynie!