Claire's Mission in Armenia: "Merry Christmas Eve Eve and happy birthday to Joseph Smith!"

Dearest Dear ones,

This week marked my one year in Armenia! It was nuts. I just kept feeling like I was in a timewarp, somehow it feels like yesterday and yet forever ago at the same time. Missions are interesting that way. 

Well, the power at our internet place just went out. Welcome to Armenia. Haha. It has never happened to me before, but no big deal.

This week was good. We did splits with the Sister Training Leaders and it was another great opportunity to learn from such amazing sisters. I love them so much. They are so focused and so inspired and I loved getting to know them better as I served  with them. 

The Christmas lights are up all over town and it is so lovely and picturesque. There is a tree up in our little town square and little lights on all of the street lights. I love it and it really feels so festive. 

Our investigator, I’ll call him H, is doing so well! He is already in Mosiah 16 after reading  for only two weeks, so great. The members have been so warm and welcoming, he just loves coming to church and loves having us bring members when  we teach and I have such a testimony of the profound positive effect that involving members can have in the progress of investigators. 

This week we were fed a lot. Like a lot a lot. I guess it was just good practice for the New Years season and the feasts to come. At our first counselor’s house this week we have a delicious meal of chicken and potatoes and he tried to get us both to eat a clove of raw garlic. I didn’t, but Sis F did, she is brave. She said it wasn’t too bad, just a bit shocking by how much flavor came all at once. I think I am okay just not ever eating one. On the same day, she almost at a chicken heart. Luckily she found out what it was a politely took another piece of chicken.

I found out this week that there are bears in Artashat. They are not wild, but rather they live at a gas station, haha. There is a baby and a mom and dad and I have no idea where they are from but they eat bread and pose for pictures. I have found that they generally keep interesting animals at gas stations here, I have seen an exteremly large dog in a cage, whose diet was carrots, and at another one there was a hawk in a cage and another, a peacock. I guess they just want to keep their customers happy when they fill up.

We live on a street with a lot or meat shops. Like ten at least. They are just little shacks with sad little sheep tied out front and occasionally a severed head declaring to passersby that the meat is fresh. I generally just try to hold my nose and avert my eyes as I walk past. All I can think of when I see it, especially at this time of year, is the little duck in Babe that says, “Christmas means carnage” haha. In Armenia, it surely does. 

As a missionary there is a lot of focus on goals, for lessons, for the language, for personal development. Sometimes it can been a little overwhelming and it’s hard to know just where to start. This week, Sis F and I had a long  talk about goals, and it just really hit me how important it is to set reachable goals but to also set goals that will make you stretch, but most importantly, to have a plan to reach those goals. I really have such a testimony of that, a true testimony that when we prayerfully set goals, the Lord will help us accomplish them. 

I wish you all such a beautiful and wonderful Christmas, full of love and hope and beautiful things, and yummy things to eat. This is the most wonderful time of year to be serving our Lord. To celebrate the birth of our most wonderful Savior, and to share His message of peace to the world, is the most rewarding work of all. I love you all so much. Have a really swell Christmas.

Xoxo sincerely,

Your favorite Armenian Sister Missionary, Sister Claire Margaret Haynie

Merry Christmas to you!

The bear!! This one is the baby.