Claire's Mission to Armenia: "Golder than Gold"
Dearest loved ones,
I'M 22!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohooo! Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. you are simply too kind.
This week was filled with pure joy. It began with not much sucess. There was a very hard meeting with Edward and his family. He just talks and talks and never lets us get to the lesson and Sister Bobzien and I have decided to pull in the big guns and bring the Branch President with us. The sweet YW pres who came with us last time, was just no match for Edward and his constantly in-use mouth.
So I have now turned the age of 22. I had a great B-day, starting with a lunch on Monday from our lovely Senior Couple, the Stones, from Washington D.C, they are here doing Humanitarian work in the villiages of Armenia and Georgia. Anyways they had cake and birthday napkins and it was swell. Then on the actual birthday Sis B cooked me breakfast (no I did not have it in bed) and then we went to district meeting where they all sang to me and we had a cake. Then we had a few meetings one of which was with Rima, a long time member who makes the best dolma on the planet! She didn't even know it was my birthday but she made my favorite Armenian dish! Twas amazing. So at Rimas, her granddaughter who works nights was asleep in the living room, and so we had to have the lesson in whisper. So you thought Armenian was hard, wait until you try to understand a 70 year old woman with only 5 teeth, trying to speak Armenian as quietly as possible. Sister B and I had to supress a lot of laughter. Then we went to visit some perpetual investigators who are wonderful and the son played the accordian for us. It was beautiful, my favorite food, one of my favorite instruments, and a little kitty even followed us around for about a half an hour. it was a good day.
This week, on April 24th was Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. There is a beautiful memorial in Yerevan and people from all over go there on that day and place a flower in a circle around the eternal flame. We, as Americans, were not allowed to go there on the actual day, (Because of the big mess that America has yet to acknowledge it as a actual genocide, but with 1.5 million Armenians killed, what else do they think it is?) we went two days later, early in the morning, there was no one there besides us and a few elders and the sky was blue and the thousands and thousands of flowers were still there, it was beautiful to behold.
We have been witness to a miracle.On Thursday when we were walking and a little family, a mother and son and daughter, stopped us on the street and asked us about our church. They said that they were just walking around trying to find a church, so we walked over to the church together and started the first lesson and everyday since we have met and their baptismal date is set. They understand, they love the Gospel and they are truly progressing, they loved church and the depth of their spirituality is evident in how they have embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are from Greece, but the mother is Armenian, and so sometimes she has to translate for the kids, but the lessons go so smoothly and they are just wonderful. Sister Bobzien and I truly feel so blessed. They used to attend a mega church in Greece, with some cult of personality creepy leader who commaded Mara, the mom, to divorce her husband. After her divorce she realized how bad the situation was and got out of Greece, to come live with her relatives here. They are in the process of trying to move to France, but in the mean time they have found the Gospel! We were talking with Mara the other day and she said that she thinks that God allowed her to be in this hard situation right now so that she could find the truth. amazing. what a prepared woman, and the kids too! They answer our questions and understand so well! We are feeling on top of the world. The Lord is preparing this people. I always believed that, but now I know it for sure. I love this work so much. I am in constant awe of the majesty of the plan that Heavenly Father has for His children. I am grateful every day that I have the priviledge to be here sharing that message of hope and joy. The world is a beautiful place! I love you all!!!!
xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox Sister Claire Margaret Haynie. age 22.
I'M 22!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohooo! Thanks for all of the birthday wishes. you are simply too kind.
This week was filled with pure joy. It began with not much sucess. There was a very hard meeting with Edward and his family. He just talks and talks and never lets us get to the lesson and Sister Bobzien and I have decided to pull in the big guns and bring the Branch President with us. The sweet YW pres who came with us last time, was just no match for Edward and his constantly in-use mouth.
So I have now turned the age of 22. I had a great B-day, starting with a lunch on Monday from our lovely Senior Couple, the Stones, from Washington D.C, they are here doing Humanitarian work in the villiages of Armenia and Georgia. Anyways they had cake and birthday napkins and it was swell. Then on the actual birthday Sis B cooked me breakfast (no I did not have it in bed) and then we went to district meeting where they all sang to me and we had a cake. Then we had a few meetings one of which was with Rima, a long time member who makes the best dolma on the planet! She didn't even know it was my birthday but she made my favorite Armenian dish! Twas amazing. So at Rimas, her granddaughter who works nights was asleep in the living room, and so we had to have the lesson in whisper. So you thought Armenian was hard, wait until you try to understand a 70 year old woman with only 5 teeth, trying to speak Armenian as quietly as possible. Sister B and I had to supress a lot of laughter. Then we went to visit some perpetual investigators who are wonderful and the son played the accordian for us. It was beautiful, my favorite food, one of my favorite instruments, and a little kitty even followed us around for about a half an hour. it was a good day.
This week, on April 24th was Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. There is a beautiful memorial in Yerevan and people from all over go there on that day and place a flower in a circle around the eternal flame. We, as Americans, were not allowed to go there on the actual day, (Because of the big mess that America has yet to acknowledge it as a actual genocide, but with 1.5 million Armenians killed, what else do they think it is?) we went two days later, early in the morning, there was no one there besides us and a few elders and the sky was blue and the thousands and thousands of flowers were still there, it was beautiful to behold.
We have been witness to a miracle.On Thursday when we were walking and a little family, a mother and son and daughter, stopped us on the street and asked us about our church. They said that they were just walking around trying to find a church, so we walked over to the church together and started the first lesson and everyday since we have met and their baptismal date is set. They understand, they love the Gospel and they are truly progressing, they loved church and the depth of their spirituality is evident in how they have embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are from Greece, but the mother is Armenian, and so sometimes she has to translate for the kids, but the lessons go so smoothly and they are just wonderful. Sister Bobzien and I truly feel so blessed. They used to attend a mega church in Greece, with some cult of personality creepy leader who commaded Mara, the mom, to divorce her husband. After her divorce she realized how bad the situation was and got out of Greece, to come live with her relatives here. They are in the process of trying to move to France, but in the mean time they have found the Gospel! We were talking with Mara the other day and she said that she thinks that God allowed her to be in this hard situation right now so that she could find the truth. amazing. what a prepared woman, and the kids too! They answer our questions and understand so well! We are feeling on top of the world. The Lord is preparing this people. I always believed that, but now I know it for sure. I love this work so much. I am in constant awe of the majesty of the plan that Heavenly Father has for His children. I am grateful every day that I have the priviledge to be here sharing that message of hope and joy. The world is a beautiful place! I love you all!!!!
xoxoxoxooxoxoxoxox Sister Claire Margaret Haynie. age 22.
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