Claire's Mission in Armenia: "Playing with the Big Boys Now"

Well my dearest ones, your little Sister Haynie has been gently dropped into deep water.

Transfers came this week and I am senior companion, and together with Sister Kellis (from my MTC group!!), we are opening the area of the Center of Yerevan. Yes, we are with the cool cats, the high class, in the busiest, big-city part of the city. To say I was overwhelmed would be a serious understatement. The Lord has helped me calm my nerves so far, but as President Carter said when he told me of our move, I will rely on the Lord more that I ever have in my life and this time of my mission will prove to be the most rewarding of my entire time. wow. Well that is a promise from my Mission President and I have complete faith in that. As incapable and humbled as I feel by this new and very huge responsibility I am excited for the challenge and just to grateful to have such a capable companion by my  side. 

I was awfully sad to leave my dear little Malatia, which I just came to love so much. The people there will forever be close to my heart. My last day there, we had sister splits, with our Sister Training Leaders, which are basically the female APs for the mission. I was with lovely Sister Henriquez, who is from Chile, and it absolutely beautiful and just about the most loving person I have ever met. She was trained in Malatia, so we had a great time visiting her converts and some of the investigators she had there. She is an amazing example of me of actually living the pure love of Christ. 

It was hard to leave my dear Sister B too. She has been such a rock, and for her last transfer she is training in Malatia, so I am glad to be leaving everyone that I love in such capable hands. Before transfers, we attended our first  Armenian funeral together. It was a little different than their normal funerals, because it was held at our church (the man was the brother of a member) but let me just tell you, it was different than any other funeral I have ever been to. The casket was set on a table at the front of the room and there were women sitting around it just wailing and crying uncontrollably and fainting and throwing themselves over the body and I just have never seen anything so tragic in my whole life. As I was witnessing it I just had such a reassurance from the Holy Ghost that the Plan of Salvation is real, there is a life after this, and when we are separated from those we love, it is for just a  short moment in the scheme of eternity, I am just so grateful for the peace that the Gospel brings into my life. 

So...center...It is the heart of town, will all of the cool shops from all over the world, and all of the embassies, and the president himself lives in our area...maybe he would be interested in bringing a little of the peace of the Gospel into his life... haha. But its great. We are still in the getting lost stage, trying to find our way around, but we have a good map, so we will be fine. Also, the biggest plus is that we have the Yerevan Metro in our area!!! It is one line with about 8 stops, but its still cool and I love home much it reminds me of Paris and London. Center is home to the richest of Armenia, in fancy apartments driving even fancier cars. Our church building it right behind the Gold Market and we see Lambroginis on a daily basis. I also saw a woman walking a cat on a leash. it was NOT happy. Sometimes rich people have some goofy ideas. 

We are starting from basically zero, the four other elders in our branch sort of took turns working in Center for the past 2 years when there have been no missionaries assigned to center, but now we are hear and ready to pound the pavement. We have a wonderful senior couple who is leaving in a week, so sad to see them go. We went with them yesterday after church to see the cutest little old man whose name is Minas and is Armenian but is from Lebanon and most recently France. So cute and just so sad, because he just lost his wife. We taught him a Plan of Salvation lesson and he didn't focus terribly well, but I hope it gave him some comfort. He is moving back to France soon, so I got his address and I hope to give it to some missionaries there who can teach him in French, my french is just a little rusty. 

Well the work is hard, but just so good. it feels to work hard and then go to sleep and know that you earned your rest. I love it. Sister Kellis is great, we are still learning about eachother, but Its going to be great, she is an amazing missionary, and I know that between the two of us and the Lord we can do great things. I have been reading the Old Testament recently and read in Nehemiah today, capter 6 verse 3. I think Elder Eyring gave a talk on it once, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down." I feel that way. So many people come up to us and ask us why we are not at home, married and having children, and that is what I feel like saying to them, I am doing a great work and cannot come down. This experience is just so important for me right now. I seriously can't think of anything better that I could be doing right now. The time will come for marriage and babies and all of that, but in order to be the best prepared for that, I have to be here right now, doing all of this. I may cry and feel like a little ant carrying a very large leaf, but my spiritual muscles must be pushed to the limit before they can grow, this I know. 

love you all!!!

xoxoxox Sister Claire Haynie