"I feel so clean"

One of the best weeks yet!!! I can't believe how fast this went by. Had a super awesome and fun week! We went to the state fair and that was very different from the one in Idaho! A lot of the people that were there were drunk haha you gotta love Kentucky!!! People here super wired and different, nothing like home haha. But I definitely love the people here and there so many different ethnicity! Our area is doing super good and we are seeing a lot of miracles happen everyday as we continue to be obedient! We do one service project a week for this a company called DARE TO CARE, it's a company that helps people with food and supplies! Our job is to go sort the banana boxes and  put food with its own match and they have to coolest system on how to do that so it makes it very easy! But of course we do other service projects as well, we have been trying to teach this one family for the longest time and they keep turning us away. And this week as we were riding our bikes by, we saw him trying to fix his lawn mower and I went over there and asked if I could help, he said his been trying to fix it for along time but he can't get it running! So I said I can fix that lawn mower if you would let us teach you one lesson. And he was fine with it, so I had no clue on how to fix the lawn mower but I somehow managed to get it running haha. And we had that lesson with him and we have a return appointment with his family!! I'm super excited. 

I finally got my baptism and life is good 😊 I got to baptize Sarah and she is just the sweetest person! I was super nervous when I was about to baptize her haha. Anyways I did do it and she only had to go down once haha. But she said something that I'm going to never forget for the rest of my life, she said once she came out "I feel so clean" what a wonderful feeling it must be and I wish I could just get baptized again! I sat down and thought about what she said afterwards and just wondered how I could have the feeling of purity again, I thought of the sacrament, that's how how we can be clean every day! Sarah kept on amazing me that day. After the baptismal service was over. And we were getting ready to head out, we saw the bishop cleaning up the church and she went over and asked what he was doing. And he told her I'm cleaning the church today because it's my turn to clean it this week, there was supposed to be more people there helping but they weren't able to make it so him and his wife were just doing it all themselves. So then Sarah goes and says "this is my church and I will make the time every Saturday to come and clean it" now she really can't do that because others need the blessings to but she defiantly helped gain more testimony this week and memories I can never forget! 

    After the baptism we went on exchanges with the assistance of the mission! It was an awesome learning moment for me! We were in downtown Louisville! It's all gangs and where the drug goes down haha! And I was the driver 😀😀 Anyways we talked to almost everyone that we saw and some didn't want to take to us haha. but we had fun bugging them until they told us to go away! We had one guy we talked to on the street and he asked me for a dollar so I gave it to him, and we started talking and he said his been given the Book of Mormon before. But he doesn't believe in god because of how awful his life is at the moment. And so we bore our testimony and told him the it will bless his life and that he does have a Heavenly Father that loves him.... It offended him and he dropped the big bad he had on his back and he started searching inside it... And Elder Waite was like what are you looking for?? and he said his Gun 😳 and he was like dang it I forgot my gun so he grabbed out a hammer and tried to hit us hahaha. But elder Waite was ready so he didn't hit us and some people across the street  came and calmed him down! And we went on our own way haha.. Gosh I love my mission and I love the experiences I get everyday!! I won't die haha and I got the pants just in time!! Glad to hear the boys are doing well and damitu as well! And I bet it makes life a lot easier to work from home haha! And thank you for the snacks and I love you and hope you have s good week! And thanks for the hymn! I don't if I ever told you but since I been out on my mission, I have been a cry baby haha a little testimony someone share gets me to cry haha I don't why, I guess I'm just wired 😊

Things are getting better and better

Dear Family,

This week has of course been one of the best. Our area keeps getting better and better each week. We have been getting a lot of new investigators and they are all awesome. I can't tell you how much joy it brings me, when they are willing to learn more about their heavenly father. And that's not always the case, sometimes they tell us they are already saved and they know Jesus Christ. It makes it hard to teach them and appointment fall though, but I'm getting better at not getting so discouraged. And always finding new ways to teach so that won't happen. 

I went on an exchange with Elder Andrews. And we came to my area and his been out for about a year. He is super cool and we had a lot of fun. And got a lot of flat tires haha. We started heading back home at about 9:30 and we were about 15 miles awake  from our apartment and elder Andrews got a flat tire haha. So we walked home and on the way home it rained like crazy so we got super wet haha but it was a lot of fun. And got home super late.

Kentucky is definitely a wired place. There is a lot of Africans and and a lot of refugees from all over the world. Most of them are from the Middle East so I get fed a lot African food and a lot of Middle East food. Lol it's like a foreign mission. Anyways one of the family's I'm teaching is from the Middle East and she is getting baptized this coming Saturday and she asked me if I could baptize her and her son. I have never been so happy and when she asked if I could, I didn't know what to say. So I just sat there and froze for a little bit. I'm super happy and super exited that she asked me and I can't wait until it happens. Sarah was a Muslim and the rest of her family as well. She got divorced so she can become a Christian. She is always teaching me a lot of things and my testimony gets strengthened every time we teach her. 

Things are getting better and better everyday. The weather has been really good. It makes biking a lot easier when it's less hot. My companion and I are a lot alike, so it's pretty sweet. I'm loving serving a mission and it gets easier and you get more settled in everyday. It also makes the days and the weeks go by faster, when you lost in the work. 

To answer your question I guess haha. No I thought the people in America would be a lot nicer but not in Kentucky haha but we are really good friends with the gangs around here so they help out a lot. My area is very ghetto and a lot of white trash haha. Everyone is very religious and you will find a church almost everywhere.. It's like one church per mile haha. People mistake us with the Jdubs and they say they don't want to talk to us sometimes. But as soon us we say we are not they are like "oh sorry we hate those peoples and they invite us in hahaha. Kentucky has a lot of bugs a lot. Some of my favorite are the fire flys haha. They light up at night and they are like sparks. 

I'm baptizing this Saturday and I don't what to do because I don't have any baptismal clothes for it 😁 Can you have mom send me my baptismal pants? Anyways good to hear mom is enjoying her job. I saw a quote this week and it said "a woman of infinite worth" and it reminded me of her and made me a little home sick haha. Nice to hear the boys are likening there games and hope everything is going well. And no I didn't get transferred. Here is the food I hate to eat this week 😋

Family means everything

Hey Family!

I heard about the soccer deal! It made me so mad to hear Damitu was cut from the team!
I can't believe he would cut her off the team after all the time and effort she put in
to it. And i guess it's nice that she isn't mad about and just doing
cross country instead. She sure has impressed me with everything she
has been doing and her attitude towards things since I been on a
mission! I sure love that girl haha.

And that's sad to hear about Kayla! Hard times teach us a lot of
things and I'm glad mom is over there supporting her! One thing I have
learned that I didn't think would be that important is family. Family
means everything. And mom is sure Amazing with giving care and be
there when she is needed!  anyways hope everything works out for them
and hope it will all be better soon!

This week hasn't been the easiest week for me. My patience has
for sure been tested a lot haha.. With the mission work and companion.
But I guess it's all for something and I have been learning a lot from
it. Been working hard even though things hasn't been the easiest. But
on the bright side we have a baptism coming up and I'm super exited!
It's Sarah and her son and they are from Pakistan and she is a Muslim
and about to become a Mormon!!!!!!!

We got 5 people to church and they all enjoyed it! But we had to
get up early in the morning and bike 5 miles to their apartment and
got them all up and ready for church and found them all rides so it
was kind of hectic but an adventure. We have been having some issues
with the bishop of the ward. He doesn't really think missionary work
is that important and we need to work with the ward and he doesn't
understand that. We had a general authority come this week and give us
a training on it. And man I love being trained it makes my week so
much better.

 I tried Pakistan food, Indian food, more African food and tie food haha it's like I'm
in a foreign mission haha. Anyways I love you and glad you guys are
doing well.
Love,
Elder Mesafint

Mom, I'm about to tell you something that will probably make you a little mad

Hey mom! 

     Thank you for your letters, and it sure puts a smile on my face when I open the mail box and there is a mail inside it. Let me start out by saying how proud of Gutama I am (He fasted for Mesafint and Mubarek to be able to find people to teach). It makes serving a mission 10 times better when your little brothers are influenced in a good way. And I'm so thankful he was able to fast for me and tell him that his prayers were answered! We had 6 new investigators and we got 15 referrals. We had 14 lessons and we were just busy. And it just made me feel super happy when you told me that he did that. I know that God hears and answers our prayers. And it may not always be how we want to to get answered but he sure does answer them. 

     This week has been full of miracles! We had a new missionary training thing earlier this week and they challenged us to be bold and to be 100 percent obedient. So on Tuesday we had the opportunity to go to a religious party thing and there was a lot  of different religions. And we had our own section and we were teaching the restoration and there were about 20 people there listening to us.  One of them got up and asked, "so are you saying your church is the only true church in earth today?" I said, "yup I'm glad you heard me correctly." Everyone was so shocked and some were offended but we got two sold investigators out it. So it was nice I guess haha. And I've been super obedient this week so the lord has definitely blessed us quit a bit. 

       Our bike rides have been increasing as we get more investigators. We have a little bike computer things attached to the bikes and it tell as how many miles we got each day and this week, we have had 30 miles almost everyday. So I don't know if that's quite a blessing or not haha but I'm learning to love it. 

     I had the opportunity to work with some transgender people this week, and it really was a humbling experience for me to see what they have to go through. I really never thought much about gay and lesbian but now that I have to help them it's kinda hard and challenging to know how to help them. But we have couple people in my ward and they were able to come teach them with us. I know that every challenge we get is for a reason and it supposed to help us and help us learn who we really are and what we can be capable of doing. 

       Glad to hear you guys are enjoying your summer haha.  A summer isn't a summer with out the one and only mesafint tho. Haha I'm happy you got your job and super awesome your prayers were answered. Okay mom I'm about to tell you something that will probably make you a little mad but please don't be. Once I got into the mtc, I had a really strong feeling that I should get my patriarchal blessing but I didn't really thing much of it and once I came out on the field, I kept getting more and more so I finally just talked to the president about it. And he told me I should get it and act on those spirit promptings, so I got it this last Sunday and it was sure a beautiful blessing! And it talks a lot about you and dad so that's pretty cool. I'm going to send you a copy when I get it from salt lake in the next couple week. Anyways I love you and miss and glad to here everyone is doing good.

Love, 

Elder Haws

Please, Just Listen

Hey Family, 

       This week has been by far my favorite since I have been out! 

Anyways let's start with the food part because food is always a

great way to start :) . I got fed 8 times this week. I got

this African family, we are teaching and she tries to feed us every

time we go. The food is probably the worst thing I have put in my

mouth!!! It's like rice and you put this green nasty sauce with an

awful texture in it! Anyways that's that worst one so far haha. It's from

the Ivory Coast.  There are a lot of people from the Ivory Coast here 

because of the from the refugee camp or something like that.. But 

anyways we get fed a lot. There is a family in my ward and they are 

taking us out to an Ethiopian restaurant this next week.. so I guess you 

could say the church is true! :) haha j/k. 

I got to go on two exchanges this week as well. We teach Redgi and he is 

super great and he is 29. He is super exited to get baptized and his been 

reading the Book of Mormon a lot and is so willing to learn more. He came 

to church yesterday. He really liked church! He said he felt the spirit.  It's super

awesome and we love him.

We are teaching the Culor family. They are just the best! The mom is from Africa

and she loves the church. She wants to get baptized! Her two kids do as well.

She says, "I have a son in Africa. You look just like him and I'm going to feed you every

time you come over. I want you over at my house everyday and

I'm going to start calling you by his name!" Haha! She is super sweet

and her whole family was also able to come to church this Sunday. It's just the 

best feeling in the world. She had an extra key made for

her house and she tried giving it to me because I'm like her son. It's always fun to 

be over at their house!

I'm having so much fun! I had the opportunity to attend zone

conference this weekend---I could say I would definitely go once a

week if I could. It's super nice to get trained and it helps so much with

the work.  It helps you accomplish your goals. This week was

actually the first time we have been able to reach most of our goals

and it's super awesome! I got your letter---thank you. Yesssss,  I

would love to have you send me your testimony for sure! And super good

to here that mubarek is doing good! I actually have a family we are

teaching that are from his mission and they would like to know what

ward he is in. They said they probably know his ward!

Anyways it's been super fun and I've been learning a lot.  I definitely miss you

and didn't realize how good I had it when I was home and just everything. 

Things can definitely be hard on the mission. I thought being a missionary 

meant, walking and just knocking on people's doors all day. It's kind of really

hard to just be obedient and following all the rules. I have been getting blessed a lot. 

I don't know why we have all the little rules on the mission and

in life but when I live by them, the blessing I get from are  just

amazing!!! 

I got thinking the other day and was just wondering why I

ever even did drugs and all the other crap I put myself through instead of 

just being good and living by the commandments. I would

have just been that much happier but since I have been on my mission I

have learned so much. I don't know why many things happen sometimes

but you just learn to have faith and follow God. I learn to have faith in God's

timing. When I see the people in Kentucky, and they don't have the

gospel in their lives, it's the saddest thing ever! It's like, "please, just listen 

and you need this in your life and the blessings.  I don't know  but it just 

makes me appreciate what I have in life and the gospel in my life! 

We taught this family the other day and they weren't very religious. They had 

a little girl about 7 years old. When we started the lesson, we wanted to open with a

 prayer. She wanted to pray so I was like go ahead and she said, "I don't know

how to pray. I have never prayed before." That just made me cry a

little bit. It's so sad and it's just an eye opener I guess.

Love you lots and miss you❤️

Love Elder haws ❤️