Short & Sweet

Dear Fam,
   Sorry about the laptop. You know that thing was way over due. No worries on the letter. I know you guys are busy. Have you been using my laptop. I hope so or its just going to waste. Its good to hear you are all so successful and growing spiritually! You are all such great example to me! I am so excited for christmas and am so grateful for all the packages that are headed this side. I am so spoiled! Sorry i dont have much time today but i wrote the excitement of ths week in matts letter (See the Previous Post) . I love you all and am so grateful for all you do and keeping me out here. I love you so much.
Elder Haynes


P.S. Here are some P-Day pictures in Old Town Mombasa with a few of us Elders and the Scott's.

The Lord With Us

Matt & Fam, 
   Thanks for writing. I can always depend on your letters for a good laugh. Man reading about Loa really just made me home sick but now im good. As for my first week with him, We committed two familys to baptism and had 11 investigators this week at church. I will say though he is not the missionary i thought he was. He is probably the most feminine man i have every met. Its rather uncomfortable at times. We dont really have anything in common but a desire to work and thats all that matters. I am so happy every day here. I wake up with a smile knowing i will get to have an awesome experience with someone. We have met many new people this week. We really had to get a whole new teaching pool since Balyejusa left. It seems like the ones we contacted are all golden. If you get someone to come to church off of a contact on the street that is pretty good and we had three. So remember me telling you about the Wilson guy a while back. He is very religious and Protestant. This guys finished the book of mormon in like two weeks and didnt just read it he performed an otopsi and completely analyzed every inch of that thing. We met and discussed for an hour the jaredites and the 12 tribes and it was deep stuff and we proved the book of mormon through the bible then the bible through the book of mormon. He says it makes perfect sense but he cant go off his feelings as an answer. Mind you we have been praying for this guys night and day. We committed him again to pray and really open up for the answer. This guy hasnt been to church yet because he has responsibilities at his church but just decided to show up the next day at sacrament meeting. When he entered the chapel right after the opening hymn i saw him i felt the spirit so strong. He saw me and waved and quickly sat down at the very back. He stayed for sacrament, but right when after the closing pray he bolted. I dont think i have ever seen someone get out of there so fast. So late that night i received a text from him. It said, "The Lord has shown me the way. I know its true with all my heart. I love you and God bless" Talk about the coolest experience ever. So the next day i had to see him. So we get to his house and he and his wife were discussing how he was gonna have to start his own business cause the church he goes to invested in his business. This guy is giving up everything for the lord. Talk about amazing. He says once he leaves his church and figures how to get money for his new business he wants to be baptized. I know that the church is true with all my heart. And that the Lord is doing this work we are just his instruments. It seems every time i feel down the Lord proves he is with me every step of the way. I will keep you updated on this guy. I am out of time so i got to go. sorry i didnt say much i just had to share that with you. Thanks for all you do and matt i am so so happy so are so busy with work. I know the Lord is blessing you guys so much for your sacrifices. Thanks for all you do and the great example you are to me. 
-Elder Haynes

Transfers! Thank The Lord!

Hello family!!!
    I have some amazing news. My comp has gone home!!! Whoot whoot!!! I have been comps with Elder Kunz for the past week and will still be until this friday until my new comp gets here. His name is Elder Mbezema. He is from Zimbabwe and he is a stud. He has been out about six months and has the fire. I have heard he is the funniest kid around. I am so excited. It has been a blessing being with elder kunz. He is our district leader and is a great example. We get along so good and have had so much fun, and have worked hard! I had no idea mission could be this fun. I hope it continues. We have got all the dead weights moving out of the zone and have some really good ones coming in on monday. So i am not trying to harp on my last comp but while he was here we have never had more than four investigators at church. Yesterday we had 12. Thats right! Man i felt the spirit strong. The Lord just showered blessings down from heaven. It the happiest i have been in a long time. Anyway not much else to report. I know you guys are busy, but i hope all is well. I havent had a chance yet but i want to send you a few things for christmas and another SD card. Hey if you could, could you send that sd card back after you have made a cd, with the pictures still on it. There are a lot of africans who dont have cameras and want me to send them pictures from the mtc. Thanks for all you do. Happy thanksgiving!!!! I love you guys. Take care.
Elder Haynes

I've Been Craving Something Sweet

  I am so sick of Bronzen!!! That kid is the luckiest little... well he's lucky! (Bronzen won yet another gun at the youth Coyote Hunt this year and I have never won anything!). Sorry just had to get that out there. But yeah dont worry about sending things. They will get here. Its not as bad as i thought. As for wrapping i would love you to. Usually they will unwrap a couple of things and get lazy and just charge you a base price. Elders receive every package. Sometimes it takes a long time but it gets here. But i would appreciate a couple sticks of old spice please. That other stuff i bought wasnt meant for Africa! haha But no we dont go to the mission home for christmas. We are so spread out it would cost so much for transport. Sometimes i forget how big this mission is. Two countries is rather large! We are however having a little potluck box car social type deal at the Scotts! hahaha It should be really fun. One cause we will have all these dead weight guys out of the zone and two its with the Scotts. All these guys ask why i like them so much. They are like grandparents its awesome. Also if its with the Scotts it means dang good food! So i have been dying lately for something sweet. I got some recipes that can be made on stove top. Did you know you could make peach cobbler on on the stove top. Who knew! So i will try it this week. I have made rice pudding a few times which is nice and it makes me think of Mark and Sheila! Meree and Matt it is good alright! I think that is what i will take to the christmas dinner. But yeah this week has been really good. I got to go on exchanges with the district leader on wednesday then the zone leader on friday. Wow its a real change to work with people that want to work. My new comp better be ready to tear it up. It was also nice just to have a break from my comp. But PTL he is going home in two days. Meaning i will be bouncing around the zone with different companionships  until my new comp gets here next week some time. Just now that i am not going to be in my area for a few days it has really turned around. We are teaching a lot of new people who actually want to learn. Its turned from one golden day a week to two or three and its looking up. I think the Lord just didnt want me to receive a witness until the trial of my faith. But things are really looking up! The purpose of the exchanges  was to see if this new training program is taking root and being applied in my teaching. It was a big confidence builder to hear what they had to say after the exchange. The whole purpose of this new program is for the one being trained after the program is completed can directly train. Kind of a scary thought, but we will see what happens. I am so happy to read your letters and hear you guys are being blessed. You deserve it. I am so thankful for you and constantly think about how bogus i was at times. You guys have do so much for not only me but bronzen especially. I am sorry if there is anything i have done to offend you or anyone else in the whole family for that matter. I have seen what i want out of my mission and what i want to become.  And Bronzen wouldnt be where he is without you and i love and thank you and  the Lord constantly for that. I love you guys and hope all is well. Please remember to bring a scale for thanksgiving to weigh in before and after and send me the stats. Its now tradition. Tell everyone i love and appreciate them and all they do for me! 
-Love Elder Sephers

It's Not A Dress!

Well hello st. geezy Ut.
How i everything? Halloween sounded fun. We got ice cream so that was cool. haha but yeah zone conference was awesome. President B and I are so tight. Seriously i dont think i have ever loved and looked up to a leader before as much as this man. And Mama B is so awesome to. They are always so caring and concerned. They are building zion here in Kenya. The dress you saw in those pictures is actually very manly here and its not a dress its a Kanga. They are very comfortable and fashionable, so why dont you try opening up that mind of yours. haha But yeah it was a blast. The trainings were so good and i felt the spirit so strong. Disobedience is really big in the mission right now cause there are so many old missionaries that are just dead, including my companion. You would think that guys could go two years without facebook but its the biggest problem on the mission. You know its bad when the district leader and zone leader are on exchanges and watch the movie shooter on their dvd player that is supposed to be for training purposes. It really makes me mad. But luckily so many missionaries are going home soon including my comp. Wahooo!!!! Two weeks. Man im excited. I have never met someone who is more bugged by me than a dying missionary. 
      The work is moving. I was really getting down on myself earlier in the week. Its hard to see when you are being as obedient as you can and you arent seeing the fruits of your labors and a bogus companionship is getting referals and baptisms right and left. I know your not supposed to compare but its really hard. I just remember Utchdorfs talk about those guys in the airforce running faster than him and he didnt smoke or drink a day in his life and they did all the time. I just need to be humble and rely on the lord. I am learning early on in mission. I remember Holland saying that every elder is called on a mission for a different reason. Some are baptizing missionaries, some are there to help their comps, some are there to just love the people and strengthen the ward. I have read my patriarchal blessing like 5 times this week and looking for my true spot to shine. I think that this next transfer will be so different and the Lord will really open my eyes.
     So yeah i got to see a few guys from my group. Elder Pocock who is seriously now like my closest friend is serving in kilili. No power, no water, and no beds. They are as bush as bush can get. He loves it and the stories he told me were so flipping awesome. He is so positive about everything and is a great example to a lot of missionaries. I want so bad for that to be my next area. I want to serve in the bush. He sees animals right and left. I just am really excited to serve around someone who shares my same interests and likes to laugh and joke and even talk to me for that matter. You know your comp is bad when he is treating investigators like they are idiots.
     But yeah i have really lost my appetite and its showing. I am down 15lbs now. It is getting so much hotter everyday and the summer hasn't even hit yet. You wake up to a sweaty pillow and sweat all day. I dont want you to worry about me going to the doctor just know i am good now and it has nothing to do with my feet. So there is more and more fruit on the street. Oh thats one thing i havent told you yet. It is like a constant flea market wherever you go. Its kinda awesome. Orange country flea market is lousy compared to what you can find  on the street here. I am actually looking at buying a cheap blender so i can make some fruit smoothies in the morning but we will see. 
     Our investigators are doing well. All except bro Samwell. Last week he lost his job and someone broke into his house and stole everything he owns. Satan knows how powerful this guy  will be if he gets baptized so he is really working hard on him. He was at church the other day and asked me for a blessing. I was really humbled by this and panicked and just butchered the blessing. I hope the lord still accepts it cause this guy really needs help. Other than that people are doing good. Over 50% are muslim so its hard finding new people to teach. The ones we do contact are bible savy and wont listen. It was nice to fast yesterday and i hope the lord will grant us success. Pray for me please. I love you guys so much and see the result of a loving family in my life daily. 
-Love Elder Haynes 

Sweat, Sweat, & More Sweat!

    Man it is so good to hear Matt is staying busy with work. Man i was just a curse! No i think that the Lord was testing you guys saying if you get seth out on a mission then the blessings will come! It makes me happy that you guys are finally getting what you have been praying for, for so long. Oh and happy Halloween i guess. haha not much of a holiday here. Im glad you are doing missionary work and the lord is providing opportunities for you to share what you know to be true. We havent gotten any info on a stop smoking thing which is something that could really come in handy with this investigator. if you come across the program let me know. So zone conference is this friday and i am really excited to see pres. That man should be an apostle. It will also be nice to see some guys from my mtc group. Two weeks till transfers!!! My comp goes home very soon which is a good thing for both of us!!! haha So i had an interesting week. I dont want you to worry but i had to go to the doctor last tuesday. But he got me the goods to get me better and im okay now. Last week was kinda slow on the working side which makes me kinda mad but i had to take it easy. Im good now though. One thing that has been really hard is kenya power co. is on strike so we havent had electricity in a while so yeah its hot. We only have a fan to keep cool when we are home and when that doesnt work we sweat sweat sweat. Showering by candle light is quite an experience as well. haha all our food in the fridge went bad to. Luckily its back on now. Aunt Teresa has written me a couple of time though. Please tell bronzen too send me all the pictures his heart desires. I love seeing whats going on back there. Tell porter if he prays really hard he will get a new bracelet for christmas. hopefully i can find one his size. 

     So sundays seem like the fruits of our labors for the week. If we were successful they will attend church. Last week we had 7 commit to come and even call sunday morning to make sure and only one showed up. I am really down in the dumps on sundays. I feel like we arent getting through to some people. The lord does things in his own time i know but man it would be nice if it could be a little faster. So for our progressing investigators we have Nicholas, Samwell, Leonard, Jackson, Caroline, Henry, Lukas, Wilson, John. They will be baptized i promise you that, it will just take time. We had a investigator last week say they felt in their heart it was true but they cant go off their feelings as their answer! Are you joking what else do you need. I am learning a lot of patience out here. Hopefully our baptisms for the 19th of november will go through, but if they dont attend church consistently we have to push it again. Each person we teach though is so awesome and they read the bom everyday. I just know what elder holland said about the book of mormon and converting yourself. so i hope this will take affect  with these people. We are doing good things are moving. Tell matt no bells palsy. And yes i will be able to watch a home video if you send it. Have you seen my ipod or video camera by chance? I really never thought the cards would take the series this year. Im not even mad though, thats impressive good for them. Have you guys got a chance to talk with the scotts? How is sheila doing? Tell her i would love to hear from her. If each of you could have something from africa what would it be?

-love elder haynes