Save Some Fun For Me!!!

Hello Fam,
     I am just green with jealous rage right now. Man the fun better continue when i get home cause i am missing out! The trip to Nauvoo sounds so much fun. I cant believe grandma sheila is already at the mission pinnacle. Well good to hear you guys are having a bang up time you truly deserve it! Man i wasnt to sad until you mentioned pumpkin pie! 
     So things are going well. I cant believe it has been a year. We are working on our branch. We really have some out standing people. There is this little boy in our area that we usually see roaming around. I dont know if i mentioned him before, but his name is clifford. I am pretty sure i could fit him in a suit case and bring him home. He is so cool. Every time i see him i give him frooties. He says he wants to come to America so he can eat them everyday. Poor young chap i got another person hopelessly addicted. Anyway he takes and reads our pamphlets and asks questions, its pretty cool. So the other day we get a call from his mom, at first we thought she was gonna blast us for being nice to her son and filling his head with nonsense but she said i am impressed at how highly my son speaks of you guys, can you come visit me. Um, YES! She is a single mother named Linet and she is a very strong impressive mother. She is loaded. Her house is huge,  I forgot i was in east africa for a second. We sat around for a while getting to know each other and sipping coco. She said she has never been married and lost her daughter to leukemia. She teared up and i asked her what she thinks happens when we die. She replied that is the end. I said what if it wasnt, what if you could be with your daughter again? haha it was like seeing a dog on point and their ears suddenly stick up. It was really awesome and so we are seeing her again this week. We really have high hopes for her and her little family. Clifford is 8 years old which is so cool! Man its amazing what the gospel can do. 
     The work here is unlike any where in the world. Kenya is one of a kind and sometimes i want to scream and other times i am the happiest i have ever been in my entire life. haha kinda sounds like a mission eh? Anyway i like how you all wrote separately. I will disclose a little info in each email so be sure to not be stingy and share the highlights. So man i have been wearing a bullet proof vest since i came out and now it seems like a heavy holy christmas sweater instead. It seems like when mission is going the best thats when opposition comes. I assume that is how it goes with most missionaries but i... i just.... i dont like it! Nope no i dont! But anyway i am hanging in there and joseph smith asked the same question when things were going so well then immediately changed. I am doing good though. i am still batting strong easily a solid .300 and my are RBIs are exceptional i might say even though satan is throwing the change up and a filthy curve! This reading of the Book of Mormon is really what is keeping me going. Allot of good stuff in 531 pages. Well thats all for me. Have fun at the raptors and bees games, man our family is bouncing around the country like a beach ball at a nickle back concert! I am jealous, but i should stop cause herd satan was jealous. haha
-Elder Haynes

Miracles Every Day

Hey Family,
      Man it sounds like you guys are having a summer dream! I am jealous really only slightly cause i know all that will be there when i get back. Thanks for always taking the time to write! It really means so much to see you letter in my inbox. Man i bet you really had a blast this last week. I love our family and i honestly forget sometimes how cool they really are. Matt, you are serious?! A triathlon. I am so proud and surprised. haha i just laugh out loud so hard. You havent been drinking as much coke to prepare. I know that is something that your dad would say without skipping a beat. And about the cabin, i think it is a must. Man i miss boarding so much. But this makes you appreciate those things even more i guess.
     What a awesome week it has been. Not so much on the work side of things but on the spiritual side for sure. So we had zone conference and our them was the atonement. Man i am not gonna lie i totally did work son! Man the spirit was strong. President said I gave the most powerful training in all the zone conferences this round. That made me feel real nice. Man zone conference preparation is hell but seeing the fruit of you stress is so sweet. We ate ourselves silly and learned so much. We were challenged to read the book of mormon before christmas and i challenge you to do the same. Getting the fullness of the atonement through the book of mormon. If you guys read 5 pages a day you will easily have it done before then. I love the book, and i have missed it. I have been studying the bible so much lately i have almost forgotten how much more i love the book of mormon. The funnest thing about zone conference though was to have the APs and all the other zone leaders stay at our flat. We hardly slept. I think slept is a huge exageration i believe blinked is the proper term. So i went and had a few ping pong paddles made on the street and it only cost me 3 bucks. I love Africa(kinda). We stayed up all night playing ping pong drinking coke and eating african made popcorn and  frooties. It was so freaking fun. The best part is one elder in kisumu who just came on mission also stayed with us. He is from Leeds england. Dude the kid is so freaking funny. They he says things make me laugh so hard. While were playing ping pong and it came down to game point he would say "For queen and country" hahaha i cried i laughed so hard. I also got him to say "That was one of the all time great world cup goals" ah man funny stuff. He is also a firm believer that the americans would have lost the revolution if God wasnt on our side.(Restoration) haha that one we can agree on. Man it was so fun. Did i mention the church is true? Oh in case you forgot it is.
     So like i said it was pretty full the whole week so not much work in our area. But something amzing happened. The guy i told you about who stays way far came to church. He and his 5 kids and wife. They have been saving for months to be able to make it and how amzing it was to see them make that sacrifice. Like we are talking a two hour trip(one way) and a months salary to come to church. Say it with me 1 2 3 "the church is true" Brother david got confirmed and he will receive the priesthood next week if he is not running on kenya standard time. Also we are still waiting for sister miriam to get married so she can get baptized. Brother muthoka our recent convert taught the investigators class on sunday and did a bang up job. I am so proud! He is so converted. He gave the lesson on work and self reliance. Some members were like saying that life is hard and that they deserve assistance because on their hard lives. He said no your bogus and lazy. Everyone born in this world is given the same opportunities. He told the members to quit being lazy. haha i loved it! He said there is no such thing a poor circumstances just poor lazy attitudes. The branch really needed to hear that. In our effort to reactivate people the cry for poverty is the same. They said if Luba or church money is there there they will be also. Its such a hard situation. 
    Anyway other than that we are continuing on. I love my mission!!!!!! We see miracles everyday and my love and patience is growing too! I love you all so much and thank you for the constant support!


-Elder Sephers

The Church Is true and the Book is Blue!

Hey guys,
    Meree i am really sorry what you are going through, but as we Haynes know it all happens for a reason. I am so glad you are healthy though. If you have seen what i have seen, health is one of the greatest gifts of god!
      So we had a tremendous week! Man we have been receiving an intense amount of persecution lately. Here in Eldoret there are literally thousands of churches. They dont even know what they believe either. People text us every day to repent and quit worshiping joseph smith. They tell us to read scriptures that totally contradict what they are saying. haha its funny. Just today on the way to the store a guy stopped us and started bashing us telling us we arent in accordance with the bible. He asked what is said when someone is baptized. I told him in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost. He said he would give me 10,000ksh (approximately $130) if i could show him where it says it in the bible. Man thats how i know people do not read. Matthew 28:19-20. They bite off more than they can chew! haha Bible bashing is so fun but it doesnt go anywhere. Anyway we get called devil worshipers everyday but in the pit of disrepair, "as our hearts were depressed and we were about to turn back the lord grants success." We found two amazing families! Man i love teaching a whole family. I have never felt such joy than see them walk into the church late(this is kenya). The spirit is was so strong. And brother david was baptized yesterday. He had me do it which was a special experience but man that water is soooo cold! 
     So things are so Great! Man the Lord is so involved in what we do everyday. One guy we met named Andrew came to church last week and we met him on tuesday. He said every time he saw us he felt his feeling like he had never felt before. They way he described it made me laugh. He said it made his blood move fast and tingle. Man the spirit is so cool. We would always walk past his work and wave with a smile(flirt to convert!) He said something was pushing him to come. He just came to church. He doesnt speak much english but enough. He brought his wife and child on sunday and they were astounded at our church. They loved it. We are teaching them english class every week and are totally loving and learning. We snook up to surprise him at his work and found him reading the book of mormon. He can barely speak, but he understands the BOM. He says thats how he knows it true he feels good and doesnt understand even the bible. Man i Love My Mission!!!! Uh my heart is full and my gratitude to the Lord is past full! This is gods work. 
    I am going on exchanges today with elder Vitason. He speaks like no english but man when he teaches it broken kabisa but the spirit is with this little guy. He is so funny too! Man i love mission i cant even tell you how good i feel and the experiences i am having. I am also very fond of my bed! The Lords work is not walking the the park. Anyway i am so pumped for this next week. It seems like time moves faster every day too. Sorry i dont have much time i will write more next week! Keep the  faith and know that Jesus is ALWAYS there. Man i just cant even describe it! AHHHHH!!!! I love this true and living church. And i am learning so much! I love guys so much and i know the Lord is providing daily for my family! Dont give up the fight!

Love Elder Haynes
Ps The Church Is true and the Book is Blue!

Keep On Keeping On

Hello Family,
   Man it has been a rough week! Hang in there meree! This email was really scary to read actually but it is so good to know she is okay. Matt you and Meree need to get away just with the two of you and just relax, Aug 7th maybe. haha Meree i will keep you in my prayers. Man i am sorry all these things are going on right now. I hope you all are doing okay. I am so happy for the ward you are in. It seems like you should stick around this place. I only attended that sunday but it was just so different from the sunset wards. I am glad you are being nourished in that place. 
     So you got the DVD and CD with Pictures i sent with another missionary!? Its about time he went home in Feb. haha sorry i am bad about pictures. It is really difficult to print, upload and or send them to you guys. Hey at least we will have a good time when i get home going through them with everyone. 
     This week has been a little rough. We were supposed to have the two baptisms but didnt. Sister Miriam is still breaking the law of chasity with her boy friend who is a member. I talked to president B bout it and he said they need to just get married before she gets baptized. He said "You know once you have tasted that sweet nectar its hard to stop" We both had a good hard laugh. haha I would go crazy without that man leading the mission. I cant imagine a Ronnie in the office. So the other baptism, David, who actually just might be the next Branch Pres, showed up sunday for his baptism and there was no water to the font. We asked the BML to fill it days ago but when we went to turn the water on on sunday nothing came out! So this is kenya and sometimes(always) these things happen. Luckily he has such a strong testimony he understood so we are hoping for next sunday(if there is water to dunk him in of course) Our Branch Pres is pretty crazy and doesnt love the members. Two of our investigators got up and left the meeting during his testimony which was more of a blast the members talk. Its interesting to see the church in early stages here and wonder if it was any different than the early days of the church in the 1800s.
         Anyway other than that we are doing great. My comp makes me laugh so much. Every night i make him tell me a story which he usually just makes up. With his little bit of english he says some outlandish things that just tickle me pink. I am so grateful to have him and will be so sad to lose him at the end of this month. Our area is in the heart of the rainy season. Every day it rains, NAY, It pours at 3 oclock. Its like amazing everyday without fail. It is nice cause i love rain, but the mud and the cold really make people not want to talk. They stay in and think you can get malaria from the cold. haha people here are so funny.
        In response to porters question, I have eaten so many mangos i cant even count. I think it will be hard to not have them around any more especially for 4 cents each. Good deal eh! This zone is so fantastic and we are so united. We played ultimate frisbee today and i think white and black alike thoroughly enjoy themselves. It was a little crazy trying to teach them how to throw the thing but i told them short clean passes wins the game. So they picked up on it pretty well. Anyway thats about all i have for you. Thanks for all you guys support. It helps so much. I am trying my best to keep you updated. I will send some pictures soon. I love you all so much and am so grateful for you love and support. Well keep on keeping on! Our theme for Zone Conference on the 20th is Andersens talk from this last conference, "What Thinks christ of me?" It is an amazing talk and makes you do a little soul searching. If you can get your hands on a copy i highly recommend it. Well till next week. 
 
-Elder Haynes

PS As for the Package i have never missed wild berry skittles, peanut M&Ms, and Tropical starbursts so much in my life, Just a thought though! haha

Life Is So Different Here

Hey Guys!!!!
    Meree I love you so much! You are such a great example and such a great strength to me. I have learned so much here and i know we will see little peanut before you know it! You know i am thoroughly convinced that God is building the Haynes family for reasons unknown to us at this point in time but down the road all of what we have been through as hard as its been i know its for a reason. Any intelligence we gain in this life will rise with us in the resurrection. I realize that our life has helped me out here. I still have much to learn but i know if i hadnt been though that, things would be very different. One elder i actually couldnt stand at the time but grew to love(lesson learned i know) said something that really made me think. He said You dont have control over others actions, but how you react is entirely within your control. That has made me think allot and couldnt be more true. But i will say i have never met people who have been through the ringer like us but i am sure grateful. Look how out of control other people are! haha We are pretty dang awesome. Jesus shapes us into usful tools with life experiences. Just like Zions camp in church history, It prove pointless to some but out of it the Lord sifted the wheat from the tares and called his 12 apostles from those faithful men. Its just like Abraham being called to sacrifice Issac! If that isnt faith i dont know what is! I Now see each obstacles or trials in our life is the refiners fire. He wont give us more than we can handle and he only give us to make us better. There was a saying coach Ward used to say, Pain is weakness leaving the body! and What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. I see that with my hard companions. During those obstacles I really see who and what i am. I have learned so much from each one and wouldnt have it any other way! Good old Jeff Holland said The thing the Lord enjoys most is being merciful! Sometimes that is hard to see when trials come. But what most fail to realize is his mercy might come in the form of hardship that is a key to unlock the next door. Meree I love you Big Sis, I know that if anyway can handle this it is you! I pray for the family each day but specifically for you! When it gets the hardest i know who is there to lift the load that is just to heavy to bear. Gosh, Our family is so cool!
          So it has been a pretty so so week. We sent missionaries off and received the next day. We have a solid zone right now! We are working on getting all the flats upgraded. Lots of guys are getting sick in the mission. Haha Sister B is so great. She reminds me of Mark Hadley and that the truth will be told despite your feelings. Haha its just a good way to live. She yells at lazy elders. Most are sick cause they wash their bedding like every few months and never wash their towels. Here you gotta do that every week. But man washing bedding and towels by hand is no easy task. My forearms just might win over my future wife. I mean moving a wet towel from the washer to the dryer is strenuous let alone washing, rinsing and ringing out. I dont work out on laundry days. haha But anyway we are getting things on the right path. I am doing a training in our Zone DDM this week. We are gonna make Eldoret the talk of the mission. Matts of love really is the key. You cant change anyones attitude unless they are killed with kindness. Thats our motto this transfer!
          We got some good news and some more good news and some bad news. Well so last week Brother Muthoka was confirmed. So this sunday he received the aaronic priesthood. It was a great thing only that after we found out the Branch pres never even interviewed him. haha kenya makes me laugh. we are working on them. Oh so Sister Miriam moved out of her boyfriends house. We read a chapter with them that really just slapped them in the face. 1 Corinthians 7. They are called to repentance and she will be ready for baptism this sunday! Also, We met a guy named David. He was taught everything along time ago and just moved to our area from the bush. He knows EVERYTHING! He also is getting baptized on sunday also. He just glows when he enters the church. Man what a cool guy and really is a tender mercy of the Lord. So now for the bad news, That other couple that the husband is a member but the wife(not really wife) both disappeared after our talk. We have been to their house so many times but of course they dont tell anyone and just go and of course they dont have a phone. Yeah communication is hard for some. So we are praying for them and hope they come back soon. But other than that things couldnt be better. The branch is improving and we have high hopes. 
        So today we played basketball as usual(watch out Matt) and then went to "the market." Its a giant place where hundreds of people are selling fruits and veggies. Man we are healthy cats this side. The saying an apple a day keeps the doc away has been changed to mango. I think Peaches best up their game upon my return or mango has seized the sought after position of "most desirable fruit." Anyway thats about all i have to report this week. I hope you guys are doing good! Did Tish have the child yet? How is Nicoles? By the way can you email me Nicole max and marias email? I love you guys so much and thanks for all the support. I wouldnt be able to do it with out you! 

Elder Haynes
Ps So someone still lives in our house there in mount vernon?

Working Hard

Another Transfer!!!

     First off Happy Fathers Day Yesterday! So as another transfer goes and its obvious why president put me here. I am ZL again. There has been allot of changes in the zone but its a good thing. Change motivates. Luckily i am staying with a good companion!!! We are still together for another transfer. He is such a good kid. We are still working on his english but he is good! We had some cool experiences this week. One, Her name is Miriam, She is engaged to our BML. She is progressing so well and really has a firm testimony. I love teaching her cause she is very intelligent and asks a million questions. It makes me grow so much to study to find those answers i dont know and when i find them in the scriptures it is amazing. She asked us the other day why we say jesus created the earth. Man finding scriptures for that through the bible was fun! She said it only says god in Genesis. Of course we know differently because the Pearl of great price but it was cool to prove it through the bible. I have one question that i need everyones help on. How do we know Adam was a prophet. Most people here dont believe that. I mean of course the pearl of great price says it clearly but in genesis the scriptures i use dont satisfy. We have tried every angle but it doesnt seem to please. Maybe they are just stubborn and dont want to see but i feel like i can get more out of it i just need a little assistance. 

       So on Wednesday we had a awesome experience. We went deep into the bush and did some service at a school there. When i say bush i mean it. So The senior couple said there is a awesome place near three big water falls that we could do ddm. So it was a pretty cool experience. We got to see some amazing waterfalls and got to have ddm right there. It was pretty cool, It was almost like that seen in the testiments. I felt it was a sermon on the mount type deal. Dont worry i got some awesome pictures you just wont be able to see them for a while. Selfishly i want to keep all my pictures so i can go through them all with you and explain them cause you might see some and wonder what the heck. Anyway, we got to teach these students who have never been more than 5 km from their home since they were born. Some are seniors in high school. Crazy! Its so different for them. Life is just what it is. Mud hut, you only eat what you grow, you walk two hours to and from school. Its just like camp 24/7. I think i would be just fine with that. haha as long as i had a gun in my hand. I have a little inner desire to be Jeremiah Johnson just for a time. Except having a kid who doesnt talk and a indian woman wife who makes nasty food. I'll pass. So we taught the children about our home countries. Kinda what we produce what we eat what we use for transport etc. When i talked about snow they were so confused! Man that was hard to explain. It made me mad though cause they kept talking about Obama! He is such a hero here and it makes me so mad. Everyone here says they know his dad and he wasnt born far from eldoret. Yeah he was born here. Hmmmmmm..... interesting! Elders in kisumu actually met his grandma and gave her a Book of Mormon so Obama might return to testimonies of joseph smith but i doubt it. Otherwise things are Kama Kawaida! (like usual) So my swahili is nice here. People are so happy that a white guy knows how to speak. I mean it is minimal but it makes me feel cool. haha 

     So thats whats up. Lots of good. On sunday we started sacrament meeting with more investigators than members. So either we are the greatest missionaries on planet earth or the branch in which we serve is completely bogus! All in favor of the second on manifest it!!!! Man we have had some hard missionaries here. The last missionaries here baptized like 6 people which is awesome but are completely inactive. We have tried and still trying to contact them to get them to church but some found out the church is more than a welfare program and left all together. This is really sad but is the main problelm here. We are trying to help but its a uphill battle. I like when a member has been a member for years and is just hearing there is such a thing as a welfare program. We met a white guy from St. Louis in town the other day who moved here to start a church. He decided none of the churches were right so he just decided to start another. Now that puts the total at 2,342 churches in eldoret. haha At his church its just a business and they pay out every week and the have more people attend on sunday. Man satan is good..... REALLY GOOD! It makes me sad but the scriptures say "Many will hear but few will accept"

     Anyway life is good. I am healthy and eating well. I am taking care of my feet, dont worry meree! I will keep meree in ma prayers. I hope she is doing better. I miss you guys and its good to hear the ball game traditions are still in full force with no signs of stopping in the near future. Well i love you guys and hope you are continuing on well. Vumilia paka mwisho! endure to the end!

-Elder Haynes

10 Months! Already?

Hey Family,
    So man you guys are staying busy! It was cool to hear about your lesson in Elders quorum. Man we are working so hard out here to have people get that witness of the Book of Mormon but i always have to remember one of gods greatest gifts AGENCY. Its the best worst thing in this world. I have learned so much from that principal these last 10 months. Anyway thank for sharing what you guys are learning spiritually. It really makes me happy to know you all are growing. Matt you sound so busy! I love wearing my provident building shirt. Everytime i put that baby on i wear it with pride! Its cool you will be getting some time to spend with ryan this summer. And golfing sounds so much fun. Speaking of golfing, Yeah i went today! Yeah i know right who knew. We found this AMAZING course and it was so much fun. It was pretty expensive but so worth it! Man this place is so beautiful. I actually played so terrible which is no surprise. Golf is frustrating man. I am used to picking up on things so quickly and that one will take some serious time. This is one of the christlike attributes god is teaching me on mission. Teaching is an understatement he is beating humility into me. haha but man we had a blast. Meree do you think it is just by coincidence you keep getting called to girls camp planner or what ever its called. I am sure god has a reason your there. I hope you can convince those classy ladies to relax and have a good time. I know your cheesy sense of humor will penetrate their hearts soon enough. I know when i first moved in i thought you were a kook, but it grew on me in a hurry! :) Bronzen its good to hear your doing good! I miss you my not so little brother! Are you lifting everyday? Cause you should be! Man i am so excited to wrestle you when i get home and still kick your prideful butt. I think you will give me a run for my money! I am so glad you are working hard with matt. That is a great way to spend a summer but dont get to caught up in making money and forget to have fun. I still have some regrets from working to much and not having enough fun before i came out here. HAVE FUN. I think baseball will help with that. I should have continued to play school sports and stay involved. It was kinda a different situation for me though so just work hard and be smart.
       So i have a crazy story to tell you! So you know how i get when i stuff just shouldnt happen. You know like coincidence or small world stuff, I had a massive one of those this week. So i told you about that guy that stays very far from us in that super beautiful place. He called salt lake from the number he saw on the old gospel principals book. He called for 4 years before someone could help him. So the person he got in contact with was a kenyan serving in salt lake. So you remember at our family reunion last year when we met that sister missionary at the salt lake temple, sister Amuli was her name, yeah just so happens it was the same girl and i talked to her this week. She has finished her mission and is back in Nairobi. Can you say small world? No no really its okay i want you to say this out loud ready 1 2 3 SMALL WORLD! Right! I am still a little weirded out by it and still feel like throwing up every time the thought gallops across my thoughts. Any cool stuff. So We had a baptism yesterday. Brother Muthoka. Such a good guy! I was so humbled, he asked me to baptize him. Man this guys bore such a powerful testimony. He said "I have been investigating churches for a long time and this is the only one who could tell me who restored the authority." He is so humble. He doesnt have much more than his mud hut and a few pots and pans but he has everything now. I love this church. But man going from the 2 hottest places in the mission to the coldest that water in the font was sooooo cold. I was struggling. Burrrrrr! I felt like Kramer when he joined the "Polar bear club." 
      So we have some problems with a few of our investigators but they dont comprehend it as africans. So Sister dorine is a recent converts wife, but they arent married we found out. Here in africa there is something called tribal marriage that is acceptable by the church, but he is neither legally or tribally married. He just decided that she would be his wife and thats it. So he doesnt see that she cant be baptized if she is living with a man and not married, and he is not worthy living with someone. So we have really got our work cut out for us because its not wrong to him. Also the other sister Miriam is also staying with her future husband at the moment and is not married and he is also a member. So maybe just keep this situation in your prayers. Well thats whats going on right now. I love you guys and i miss you allot. I miss inside jokes! Time is flying though. 10 months!!!
-Elder Haynes