The Family Unit

Dear Family,

 

I had another great week. A lot has happened this past week. We have been working hard to build up the ward. In this ward we have a lot of less active members, part member families, and people who has fallen away from the church for different reasons and don't really want to get back in church. We have been working so hard to get them back in to church. We have been working with ward councils. This past week we were able meet with two of the ward council members. We were able to go over the ward report with them. They really helped us a lot and gave us a lot of referrals. This week we are going to contact those referrals and going to try to meet up with other ward council members. 

We were also finally able to have lesson with the Offei-ansah family. They are really great family from Ghana. The husbands name is Nana and the name of  his wife is Esther. They have two little kids. They were taught by the missionaries before I got here. Right before I got here the missionaries lost being in contact with them because Nana and Esther were really busy with work and schooling. We were finally able to sit down and have a lesson with them. It was a good lesson, kids were tired and crazy but we were able to keep their attention for just long enough. We established some expectations for them and they said they are still interested in learning more. Esther seems so solid and wants to meet even if Nana isn't there. She loves the temples and told us how she really want to go inside. The last time they were taught was about there months ago. So we reviewed the restoration and focused on the Book of Mormon and on families. Nana said that's what interests him most about the church is the family unit. They both are really great and I'm so excited to work with them. The only thing is that they still have really busy schedule.

The people in the ward still treat us super well and feed us a lot. You could not believe what I had at the bishops house. He is from Philippians. He invited us to his house for dinner last Monday. He made me try Belut. Belut is egg embryo that is ready to hatch. It is usually embryo that is 18 to 21 days old. They take that and cook it. As you eat you can see the the head, the legs and little feathers of the chick. It's almost like eating a baby chicken haha. It taste just like a boiled egg. looking at it was so gross thou. 

You experience with a lot of different things out here. I'm just really grateful for all this things I'm experiencing out here. Along with helping others, everyday is a learning experience for me. I hope and pray that everything will go well for you all. Thank you for all your support and prayers. 

I hope you all will have a great week! 

Love Elder Haws. 

Sorry I've been so bad at it but here are some pictures 

 Mubarek's Zone Leader

 Mubarek with his Aunt Kaeley at the MTC---She's a teacher there.

Mubarek and Benson at the MTC.  They ran cross country in high school together.

Donations

Hello, 

This is just a quick note for those who have asked about donating to Mesafint's and Mubarek's mission funds.  You can donate through the your LDS account with the online donation form. Our Archer ward account number is 23264.  You can select Mesafint or Mubarek name from a drop down list.  Thank you for your kindness in preparing our boys to serve missions and for any help with the financial side of having two missionaries out.

Thanks, 
Alyssa 

I'm so grateful for the priesthood

 I had really amazing week. It went by like a blink of un eye. Out here time just flys by so fast. First off investigators, it was pretty slow week with investigators. Most of them called and canceled it on us. Most or our lessons was with the less active members. We've been trying so hard to get them back In church. Bobby is the one who is progressing the most out of our less active members we've been visiting. Ever since we met him he has been keeping all of the commitment and has been going to church.

Yesterday after church we went and visited this guy named Bob Young in rehab center. He is in rehab center for hip replacement. He is a convert to the church and it has been 4 years since he has joined the church. He is really amazing guy, has really great testimony of the gospel. He has been having a lot health problems and hasn't been to church for long time because of that. He still read his scriptures and say his prayers. We were able to talk with him about atonement little bit. We told him how God is really aware of his situations and knows what he is going through. 

On Saturday we had opportunity to attend a baptism at the beach. President Phillip's of the elders quorum eight years old son got baptized. It was really cool experience, I had to to give a talk on baptism. The baptism was at the sunset and it was so beautiful. President Phillips also had a new baby couple weeks ago. They decided to do baby blessing right before the baptism so we had opportunity to participate in that as well. That was my first time participating in baby blessing, it was really cool experience for me. 

Saturday morning was the dedication of the priesthood restoration site in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Pres. Nelson was the one who dedicated it. We went to church and watched it, It was really cool. You should watch it if you haven't had a chance to watch it yet. It's still on LDS.Org. In ensign of September 2015, there is also great article called "Joseph Smith in Harmony." It is really great article, it's explains in depth what happened in Harmony, Pennsylvania. I'm so grateful for the priesthood that was restored back to the earth through prophet Joseph Smith

 

That is so cool how  Mesafint's patriarchal blessing came in the mail. I don't remember him getting one when he was at home. Did he get it out on a mission? I'm so glad he got one. He is having really great experience on his mission too. It makes me so happy when I read his emails. Being out here is truly a blessing, it has changed me a lot just for being out here for this long. I think I lost the copy of my patriarchal blessing somewhere. It would be great if you are able to order a copy of it for me. 

It looks like you guys had pretty fun week with demolition derby and trip down to Utah for Chaltu's talk. Long car trips are always fun, I love those times we had. That is so awesome how Mariuma got baptized. I didn't knew that shat she hasn't been baptized yet. I'm also glad Abate is going back to church. Running to ER still didn't stopped ha? I thought it would stop since me and Mesafint left. Poor Gutama, I hope his finger will get better soon. So is he out from football for a while? That is so cool how awesome Tofik is doing at soccer. I hope they will do well on his coming home game as well. How is Everett doing with school? It so awesome how Luke is walking. 

That is so great how it mentions in your patriarchal blessing about the blessings you will receive if you paid your tithing. It is so awesome how you saw that blessing right away after you paid your tithing. I know that God will bless us if we are obedient to him. The blessings do come even if it have to be on the next life. 

My favorite scripture is alma 37:6-7. By small and simple things great thing comes. Over here the weather is definitely getting cooler but it's not at the point where I need to wear my winter close. The weather is really nice now. It starting to cool down at nights. You don't really have to ship my winter clothes now but it will be nice if I get them at the end of October. . 

Thank you for your letters and everything. Hope things will go well for you guys. How is grandma Hill and grandpa Hill are doing? I haven't heard from them for long time. Please say hi to them for me. I hope you guys will have a great week.

 

Love Elder Haws.

 

The Spirit was so Strong

Hi. I hope you all are doing great! 

I had really great week, it went by so fast. We did a lot of service for people in the ward. I love doing service for people out here. We all ways ask the people for service opportunities. We also had a zone training this past week in Harrington Delaware and it was really great. The spirit was so strong. I also had opportunity to go on a exchange with the zone leaders. It was really good, I learned a lot. 

it was really good week as far as teaching goes as well. We met up with Bobby again this past week. We taught him at church. We had a powerful lesson with him and his girlfriend Mckenzie. We didn't knew that we were going to teach Mckenzie until 30 minutes before the lesson. We were just planing to teach Bobby alone. He then texted us and asked us if he could bring Mckenzie with him. Mckenzie is not a member but has met with the missionaries before. Her dad is a preacher and doesn't really like our church. We had really great lesson with them. Mckenzie kept telling us how she really felt the spirit in the lesson. She had a lot of deep questions for us. We really focused on her and tried to answer all of her questions. We talked a lot about repentance, atonement of Jesus Christ, plan of salvation and priesthood authorities. She talked little about her baptism in her church and asked us if her baptism means nothing to God. We told her how her baptism means a lot to God because that shows her willingness to follow him. At the end we talked little bit about priesthood authority and how God has led her to farther knowledge. We asked her if she would be baptized by proper authority since she knows more now. She committed to be baptized. We are excited to teach her. The only thing is that she doesn't live within our ward boundary. We are planing to teach her for little and then going to transfer her teaching records to the missionaries in her area. 

The church was really good yesterday. We had really good speakers, I really felt the spirit as they talked. We had couple of investigators and less active members showed up at sacrament meeting. That was really nice, I was really happy to see them. We also had to teach the priest quorum yesterday. We taught them from preach my gospel about missionary work. It went really good, everyone participated. I'm so so grateful to be out here and experience all this things. Along with helping others it's been really good leaning experience for me too. I'm so grateful for all the things you guys have done for to get me out here. 

I love all hope you will have a great week. 

Elder Haws.

Instrument in the Hands of God

Hi mom and dad. I hope everything is going well for you guys. 

I had really amazing week, it went by so fast. This past week we did a lot of service for people in the ward. We went with a member and helped a single sister with laying down a flooring. We spent about 4 hours there and we are still not done. We are going over some time this week and trying to finish it. We also helped another member who is switching a house in the ward. His name is Jason Phillips and he is really nice guy who is elders corm president. We spent two days helping him move out from his old house and move in to his new house. They had so much stuff, I never seen that much stuff in the house before. There is no way that we could get it done with in two days if the members didn't showed up. About 7 members showed up including the bishop. 

It was pretty good week too as far as teaching the teaching the lessons goes. I've definitely seen the hand of the lord in my life so much since I got out. When I was at home I didn't really believed when people says the lord will lead you to the people that he has prepared for you. But now I do really believe that and I've seen it a lot out here. Yesterday after church we had two lessons but both of them got canceled on us. We then decided to go see this former investigator named Jenny who has been dropped by previous missionaries in the area. When we knocked on her door, one of her son came out and told us that she is not at home. As we turned around to leave, her other son and the dad arrived. We said hi to them and told them how we were there to see Jenny. The dad went in but the son stayed back and talked to us on their front porch. His name is Bobby. He told us how he used to be a member of our church and how he left the church. We slow start talking him about why he left the church, he just let everything that's been going on with his life loose. We talked about so many different aspects about the gospel to help him. We talked about how God is loving and always watching out for us, we talked a lot about the Atonement and how it changes our lives. He was just so happy we showed up. He told us how he has been thinking about God lately when he does all bad stuff like drinking and smoking. He also told us how much he misses the church. Since he left our church he has been to many other churches but never felt the same. He said that he always felt like something has been missing In his life. We testified to him that what he is missing is this gospel. He wants to get back to church and he wants to start turning his life around. He also said he wants to go to the addiction recovery classes to help him stop smoking and drinking. We committed him to read the Book of Mormon and go to church. He is really nice guy. He wasn't born In the church, he was a convert. He stayed in church for about 3 years then left for a lot of different reasons. I think now he is going to do what ever it takes to get back. 

That is really Gods hand, him leading us to Bobby. We didn't knew nothing about Bobby before we met him and it wasn't our plan to go there and talk to him. It is amazing to me how God does great thing by small and simple steps. I know that God really loves and cares about each one of his children. I'm so grateful for this gospel for peace and comfort it brings to our lives. I know that this gospel can really change our lives. I'm so grateful to be "instruments in the hands of God."

Thank you so much for everything. I hope you guys will have a great week 

Love Elder Haws.