Claire's Mission in Armenia: "ch-ch-ch-ch-changes"

Dear loved ones, 

No it is not a transfer, but there has been a change this week, and I invite you so scroll down and find out what it was! 

So my dearest dear ones, this week was a busy one. Last p day the sisters in our district came to town and we spent the day at a super fun place in town called the Cascades, which are basically huge stairs that they have carved into the side of a cliff and made little gardens at different levels and have super cool sculptures in a pretty little garden. it was a fun thing to see and after climbing up all of the stairs we had a fab view of the whole city. I love being in the city. I think I just love cities in general. After our little climb we found one of the two mexican food places in the entire country of Armenia, called affectionately, Taco Maco, and though there was no guacamole present, it was still wonderful. 

This week we had a very interesting opportunity. We went to a hockey game. I kid you not. A hockey game and lasar show. Our branch mission leader had told us about how he got all of these free tickets and he wanted us to bring our investigators and it was a nice little branch activity and everyone had a great time. It was Former Soviet Union hockey stars on ice basically and our investigator loved it. So we had to ask permission to go, so one of the elders called President and asked. About two days later he called me to see what I thought about it and I gave him my opinion, and he said that he called me because he thought I would be the least likely person to actually enjoy a hockey game. Well he picked the wrong half-canadian to ask. haha. But really it was a great experience and a wonderful chance to support our newly called branch mission leader as well as strengthen the branch. Out of the box ideas are swell. 

Had an amazing Zone Conference this week and an elder from my district and me and one other sister sang a beautiful song. It's called, "A Window to His love" and has a beautiful message about how we must keep ourselves pure and clean so that Christ's love can shine through us. It went along so well without Conference theme of the Role of the Holy Ghost in Conversion. We are not the teachers, we can convert no one, but we must be living the types of lives, being the kind of people through which the Holy Ghost can work. It's not about me, it's about The Savior and Him communicating through us. It was such a great reminder to forget myself and focus on being a clean vessel of the Lord. I love this work and I love that I can just forget about me and my needs and desires and just give it all to the Lord. He is there waiting and hoping to give us back everything we give to Him in a more beautiful, vibrant and eternal way. Sacrifice ceases to be a burden when we realize that we can just give everything to Him and He returns to us a million fold. 

Had a few funny happenings this week, one involving an investigator who, right in the middle of my telling of the first vision, told Sister B that she needed to wear sandals because if her feet get too hot they will get arthritis. We checked the facts with our senior couple, the elder of which is a Podiatrist and he said that was nonsense. The same investigator went on to persist that as a 22 year old woman I needed to think seriously about buying a house, in Yerevan of course, and oh by the way would you like to buy mine. oh dear. The things people come up with. 

Well I love you so much, at least as much as the huge fireworks show we saw from our balcony celebrating Armenian independence from the USSR. But then again, I probably love you more than even that.

xoxo Sister Claire Margaret Haynie

I GOT BANGS!! A sister in the misson is a hairstylist and so she gave me bangs during lunch of zone conference. haha, I LOVE THEM. opinions? 

The view from the top of the stairs. Pretty coooool 

At the hockey game.