Claire's Mission in Armenia: "Sacrifice within us makes room for deity"
Dear loved ones,
First of all, thank you so so sooooo much for all of the letters and love. We finally got to go to the big city this week, and our mailbox was overflowing with love from all of you and I am so so so grateful! Some of them took 2 weeks to get here, others a month and a half, so I got Christmas wishes along with the Valentines. Thank you, your words and support really mean so much to me. I just love you all so much!
Well this week, though still hard and without a ton of success, it was a rewarding and beautiful week. The sun has come out and though it is still a little chilly, well maybe a lot chilly, but with a little sun, everything seems better and brighter. So this quote, "Sacrifice makes room within us for Deity." was said by Sister Haglund, part of the new Senior couple who live in our neighboring town. We had a Zone training meeting and it was simply amazing. So much about Sacrifice and love and finding joy in service, even if we don't have outlandish success. It was really such a breath of fresh air. I just love the principle of sacrifice, it is such a principle of power, when we truly get out of our own way and get rid of the things that are taking us away from the Lord, He fills us with His power, His comfort and His peace.
The work this week has been hard but we had some surprise lessons which were great, reconnecting with some old investigators and helping them rekindle their desire to learn more. It was good to see the spark of light within them rekindle just a bit when we invited them to pray and continue meeting with us. The Lord is so good, so mindful of every single one of His children, that love really just takes my breath away.
This week was March 8th, which is Eastern's Europe's Woman's Day. It was a lovely day, with strangers on the street actually talking to US. All the woman walk around with flowers in their hands and it really is just beautiful. Our elders in our district were just wonderful, they bought us flowers and and cake and a little goodie bag of nailpolish, lotion, eyeliner and lipstick, they really are the best! Anyways it was a lovely day when I was especially glad to be a Girl! Also it was a wonderful opportunity to testify to people on the street of our Divine Nature as Daughters of God, it was really lovely.
Well in other news, the Mission is having amazing success, last week there were 11 baptisms in the mission, (pretty amazing with only 40 missionaries).We attended one of a former investigator of Sister Arslanian in Yerevan, it was a beautiful day, baptismal days are really just about the most beautiful there are. Also, such a tender mercy, while in Yerevan, I finally ran into the Sister missionary, Sister Manukyan, from Armenia that I had met on Temple Square before heading into the MTC, it was such a moment of pure joy to see her and speak to her in her own language! So grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. He really is amazing.
This week my personal study was simply amazing. I read Alma chapter 26-29 and there simply could not have been anything more apropos. I love Alma 26:27, it has quickly become one of my favorite scriptures as a missionary, just talking about how we must bear with patience our afflictions and the Lord will give us success. It is such a beautiful promise from the Lord. He does not take away our trials and afflictions but He does make us able to bear them. Also I love Alma 28:14 which exhorts us to be dilligent in the vineyard of the Lord. This work is of eternal value and importance and I just feel so tremendously blessed to be a part of it. Also this week I reread Elder Cook's October 2012 Conference talk, "Can you Feel so Now?" I just love it, I wish I could just play it over a megaphone across the whole world and especially the members of the church. What a powerful message of integrity and faith. Read it!
Well my lovely friends I love you all so much, miss you lots, but I am just thrilled to pieces to be here in Armenia. I truly love it.
Sincerely,
Sister Claire Haynie
Ps. I have received a few letters from people in the ward who accidentally write to "Zratsakan" instead of "Vratsakan" I don't know if its maybe wrong in the ward bulliten or something, but luckily they still make it to me!
Ps. Elder DeBry, can't wait to get your letter, also Elder Wood says Hello!!
First of all, thank you so so sooooo much for all of the letters and love. We finally got to go to the big city this week, and our mailbox was overflowing with love from all of you and I am so so so grateful! Some of them took 2 weeks to get here, others a month and a half, so I got Christmas wishes along with the Valentines. Thank you, your words and support really mean so much to me. I just love you all so much!
Well this week, though still hard and without a ton of success, it was a rewarding and beautiful week. The sun has come out and though it is still a little chilly, well maybe a lot chilly, but with a little sun, everything seems better and brighter. So this quote, "Sacrifice makes room within us for Deity." was said by Sister Haglund, part of the new Senior couple who live in our neighboring town. We had a Zone training meeting and it was simply amazing. So much about Sacrifice and love and finding joy in service, even if we don't have outlandish success. It was really such a breath of fresh air. I just love the principle of sacrifice, it is such a principle of power, when we truly get out of our own way and get rid of the things that are taking us away from the Lord, He fills us with His power, His comfort and His peace.
The work this week has been hard but we had some surprise lessons which were great, reconnecting with some old investigators and helping them rekindle their desire to learn more. It was good to see the spark of light within them rekindle just a bit when we invited them to pray and continue meeting with us. The Lord is so good, so mindful of every single one of His children, that love really just takes my breath away.
This week was March 8th, which is Eastern's Europe's Woman's Day. It was a lovely day, with strangers on the street actually talking to US. All the woman walk around with flowers in their hands and it really is just beautiful. Our elders in our district were just wonderful, they bought us flowers and and cake and a little goodie bag of nailpolish, lotion, eyeliner and lipstick, they really are the best! Anyways it was a lovely day when I was especially glad to be a Girl! Also it was a wonderful opportunity to testify to people on the street of our Divine Nature as Daughters of God, it was really lovely.
Well in other news, the Mission is having amazing success, last week there were 11 baptisms in the mission, (pretty amazing with only 40 missionaries).We attended one of a former investigator of Sister Arslanian in Yerevan, it was a beautiful day, baptismal days are really just about the most beautiful there are. Also, such a tender mercy, while in Yerevan, I finally ran into the Sister missionary, Sister Manukyan, from Armenia that I had met on Temple Square before heading into the MTC, it was such a moment of pure joy to see her and speak to her in her own language! So grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. He really is amazing.
This week my personal study was simply amazing. I read Alma chapter 26-29 and there simply could not have been anything more apropos. I love Alma 26:27, it has quickly become one of my favorite scriptures as a missionary, just talking about how we must bear with patience our afflictions and the Lord will give us success. It is such a beautiful promise from the Lord. He does not take away our trials and afflictions but He does make us able to bear them. Also I love Alma 28:14 which exhorts us to be dilligent in the vineyard of the Lord. This work is of eternal value and importance and I just feel so tremendously blessed to be a part of it. Also this week I reread Elder Cook's October 2012 Conference talk, "Can you Feel so Now?" I just love it, I wish I could just play it over a megaphone across the whole world and especially the members of the church. What a powerful message of integrity and faith. Read it!
Well my lovely friends I love you all so much, miss you lots, but I am just thrilled to pieces to be here in Armenia. I truly love it.
Sincerely,
Sister Claire Haynie
Ps. I have received a few letters from people in the ward who accidentally write to "Zratsakan" instead of "Vratsakan" I don't know if its maybe wrong in the ward bulliten or something, but luckily they still make it to me!
Ps. Elder DeBry, can't wait to get your letter, also Elder Wood says Hello!!
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