Claire's Mission in Armenia: "Our Armenian tatik wishes you a happy day!"

Dearest ones, 

This week we met with our little neighbor, Vala, (I promise picture soon) and when we told her that we were going to write our families in the coming days, she made us promise to say hello to you all and wish you long lives and many children and healthy cows. She is a dear. All her family is in America so she likes us to come over and she fusses over us and whether we are eating well and coming in before it gets dark. 

Carmen is still treading water a bit. The hardest thing about missionary work is seeing people who know exactly what they need to do to find pure, eternal joy, and they just won't do it. She loves church, she has learned all of the lessons, but she just needs to get into the Book of Mormon. It is just so sad to see people get in the way of their own happiness, but I guess Agency is pretty important. 

Zone conference was this week and it seems that slowly but surely our new pres and his wife are getting adjusted. They gave us a great message about the "Hole in the rock" pioneers and it was a very interesting part of church history that I had never heard, I really want to go to the site when I am back in Utah. But they gave us these funny little rocks from there that are born from a mountain as perfect sphereical marbles, and they admonished us to "Be a little boulder" get it? haha. I thought it was great. Zone conferences are some of my most favorite parts of being a missionary because it is a time to recharge and recommitt to the work of the Lord. 

Apparently going to the middle of nowhere in a forest near a dirty little stream with 80 of your best friends and 100 loaves of bread is what is called a branch activity here in Armenia. As missionaries we are not really supposed to plan activities anymore, in trying to get the branch leadership more involved, so we just got on the crowded bus and we were off. It was really a good time and everyone seemes to enjoy themselves. Have I mentioned before how much Armenians love to dance? Oh goodness, the old the young, everyone was dancing and it was just so funny. I will be sure to share the dance moves with you when I get home, maybe we can have a FHE on it or something. haha. 

I just want to give a shout out to senior missionary couples. they are amazing. We have the Redlins, from Minnesota (they live in your mission Meg!) and they are the humanitarian couple. they are amazing! They are learning and working so hard to speak armenian, its amazing how much they can communicate already! They are so great and I just love them. They help us so much, make us cookies and help us be better missionaries and they help so much in the branch. Senior missionaries are the best! 

This week I started reading "Our Search for Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard. It is amazing! Seriously I wish I could just translate it into Armenian and hand it out on the streets and say "read this, and then call us when you want to be baptised." its such a pure and simple explanation of what we believe and why. I just love it! You should all read it! I am sure you can find it at DI for like 25 cents. 

Well my dearest ones. Have a really swell Pioneer day. I wear my handcart necklace everyday and truly not a day goes by without my thinking about how grateful I am for all of the pioneers in my life, those who pulled handcarts and built temples in the wilderness, and those who are just now finding the truth in the living rooms of Armenia. I am grateful for them all. I love you.

Sincerely, 

Sister Claire Margaret Haynie

some of our young women at the branch activity! 

Pretty nature on our way hiking to find a bus to go home!