Dec 16, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was SO BUSY! thursday we didnt have any time to schedule lunch or dinner, thankfully when we went to see the bishop he fed us, so that was nice! But this whole week we were booked with an appointment after appointment whether it was an appointment to see an investigator or a less active or a member we had no time to think, it was really nice to be that busy i loved it! Yes it is tons colder over here, we got lots of snow and there is suppose to be more coming but since im being transferred to the Kingston zone to the belleville area i don't know what it will be like over there, you can apparently see New York from that area so probably will be even snowier. AND i'll be closer to Richard and Cherise! But we will see by next week. which is when i get to talk to all of you!!! whoop whoop! i love my heavenly father so much, this week he has spoken to me softly many times, and all through serving other people. he is always there, President Monson was so right about that! i never doubted him but i can testify that i have been able to hear as i have gotten closer to him to listen. I love this work, let me tell ya!

so we had our ward Christmas party this Saturday and Shawn came, he is suppose to be getting baptized next Sunday( yeah i wont be here, it stinks) but it will probably have to be pushed to January now. but he came and he loved it! he was able to talk to one of the members the whole night and not get bored, it was pure awesomeness!!!!! we had food and music. the ESL class that i help teach sang ( as well as the missionaries) oh come all ye faithful and it was beautiful. i also sang with the Spanish group haha my companion was playing the piano for them, and during practice i would sit on a chair and just hum and then started to sing quietly to see if i could do it and then the leader for the group pulled me over to stand with the others and i sang in Spanish, it was so cool!! I love speaking Spanish, especially singing in Spanish. it felt more natural singing in Spanish than singing in English did! all in all the ward party was amazing it was a great turn out for a storm hitting us the night before. since im being transferred i dont know what preparation days will be like in belleville so heads up future letters may not be as long. I love you all very much and look forward to talking to you next wednesday!!!!

Love sister Hadley

ps here are some pictures from the party. i dont know which is which but the one guy witht he draker skin is shawn our solid investigator! and then there are the twins the are the best. then there is bishop in the hawaiian shirt gonna miss him, and Janet Taylor she goes teaching with us and there is keysha in the purple shirt she hasn't been to church since before i came and she showed up with her kids and shaquia is one of them she is in the glasses. then there are sister and elder rhees they bring our letters and packages to us when they come to church on sunday, so we were so lucky to have them, she reminds me of you mom! i love her, she is so sweet and kind. then there is sister schoemaker the short one in between sister tebbs and i she comes with us to teach shawn and she has been the best for that she is NOT afraid to speak up!

Dear Mom,

My stomach is getting better, mandi is so right when i am stressed it gets worse, but i take the pills like it says and i have been feeling better. i have had a better week! i just kept turning towards good positive thoughts and scriptures and hymns when i felt down and it helped me stay positive and on top of things! i am excited to be transferred, to experience something new, heavenly father knows what is best, and he seems to constantly push me out of my comfort zone so i knew it was coming.. i even had a dream about it haha but it should be good. i will miss my ward and sister tebbs but like dad says its part of the mission. taking the training wheels off! i loved that quote by sister Holland it was perfect and just what i needed thank you! i loved the picture too. i cant wait until Wednesday next week, im not sure yet about skyping i will find out next monday because i am going to a new area. which i did get my package, just in the knick of time too!i love you and cant wait to speak with you!!!! love Sister Hadley

Dec 9, 2013

Dear Family!

Yes it has been quite warm over here, its been great! im enjoying it while it last because it snowed this morning which means the cold isn't too far behind. at nights when we don't have a car it seems to be super cold, i always feel like i have a botaux (idk how to spell that) but thankfully the rest of my body stays warm all thanks to mom and her amazing choice of a winter coat, boots and mittens! I didn't get to hear the Christmas devotional! we didn't have an investigator that could go so we weren't allowed to go, we were sad. But i did get to see and shake Elder Hallstroms hand on Saturday! he came to Toronto for some business with the mission president and talked to about half of us missionary's for an hour because Elder Homer talked for about 45 minutes. and shaking his hand took about 30 minutes, for everyone to get a turn. He said my name and asked me where i was from, i said Washington state, and i was so excited that i just looked in his eyes and couldn't think of anything to say so i walked away without having a conversation with him ha-ha pathetic i know.. next time! unless its the prophet then i really wouldn't have anything to say because i would be unconscious laying on the floor. This week was great! we had so much progress even though we didn't have a ton of time. Mondays we never have time.. Tuesday we got to teach our now new investigator! his name is Shawn, we went in to teach him and he absorbed everything! he has a baptismal date and everything, and hes reading, we saw him again on Friday, and he was still really solid, he had questions and we answered them. and we saw him again when he came to church! I am so excited, i love teaching! except his baptismal date is set for after transfers and my trainer thinks i will be transferred, i kind of think so too. It would be sad to not see Shawn get baptized! But we will see. then Wednesday came and i had my first zone conference! that was so fun!! lots of inspiring thoughts, and all focused on the spirit of Christmas and the saviors birth. Simon Dewey's son serves in our mission and he made these really cool temple recommend card holders as a Christmas gift for each of us. ill have to send a picture next week because i forgot today but we got that and a Christmas card from the first presidency and these cookies that someone made for all the missionaries in the entire mission. its was crazy, they had to make A LOT. i loved zone conference, and while there i got my package with my medicine in it! so i have been taking it and it has been helping, my stomach has stopped hurting me quite a bit! the end of the day when we got home we went to deliver a book of Mormon to someone who had requested one and he became a new investigator, he is Muslim but he was so interested in the book of Mormon. then Thursday was a bit of an off day but we still found a new investigator and taught a less active. Friday was amazing because that's when we got to see Shawn, we also went to the less active lady who is having us wrap her Christmas gifts and we almost finished. she fed us a surprise dinner so that took some of our time, but we only had about 6 more to wrap but we were going to be home late so we had to run, hopefully this week we can go back and finish. saturday was when we saw Elder hallstrom and Elder homer. We got to see our mission president twice in one week too. And we had 6 people come to church Sunday! sister tebbs spoke so that's probably why but it was still an amazing week!! i loved it, i cant wait for what lies ahead. I got a blessing this week of comfort and counsel, and i didnt tell the elder anything about why i needed it, and i didnt need to because Heavenly Father knew exactly what i was going through. Listening to the blessing was like listening to him speak to me directly. i am so thankful for worthy priesthood holders so that receiving a blessing was even possible and i am so thankful that we have a father in heaven that cares about each and everyone one of us. I love you all and am looking for to Christmas!! Love sister Hadley

Ps Happy Belated Birthday Sharia!!! and happy soon birthday to little Brooks!! 

Dec 2, 2013

ear Family,

There isn't much to report on about this week. It was a hard one. We didn't get in to see any of our investigators. They were all too busy for us. The one lady we did have a baptismal date with, we saw her this week but didn't get to teach her, she told us to call later in the day and we will meet, so we called and she wasn't ready yet, she said i am still out but i will call you when i get in, don't call back until i call you. We waited for 45 minutes then gave up waiting. she never called back that night. Sunday we got a voice mail from her because we left a sticky note on her door telling her how much we were sad that we missed her and cant wait till the next time we see her. her voice mail said something along the lines that her pastor doesn't want her meeting with us. she wants to focus on the religion that she has, but she is grateful for how sweet we were to her and how kind we were. that she loves us but for now she doesn't want us to come back. so she dropped us. its sad, but at the same time it was nice, because we kept planning and planning and planning for her, and she wouldn't meet with us, or when we saw her it would be for 5 minutes and we couldn't get enough in. so heavenly father answered our prayer, and now we can focus on those who are more prepared. this week thankfully we have more plans to meet with new investigators, and on a very positive not e we got to see two family from the ward this week who haven't not let us come to their homes. We didn't give up and we finally got in, we thought it would be a little shaky and scary teaching them because it seemed like they had a bad experience with missionaries before, but it went extremely well!! the one family wants to have us over for dinner and they committed to finding some one to invite to church before Christmas. That was the best part of the whole week, was getting in to see them. My companion and i are doing great. There are always things that can be improved in every situtaion and we are trying our hardest to do so. But i know that i wouldnt be the missionary that i am now if i didnt have her as my trainer. She is so uplifting and is always trying to help to understand how to teach better. we wrok very well together. there are also times where is we dont plan before or do a plack of planning things go array so we do better when we plan before hand. It will be hard when we split up becuase she taught me so much i feel like i wont be able to do it with someone else, but i'll wait till two weeks two think about that, when transfer calls come around. I would especially hate to split right before Christmas. I love you all so very much and am constantly grateful for each of you in my life. Something that i read in the Jesus the Christ this week in chapter five i believe maybe it was chapter 4 i don't have it with me so i don't remember but it speaks about how the birth of the Savior was not unexpected, how prophets for centuries prophesied of his coming. I thought how true is that yet people still didn't prepare for him, and then i thought how true is it that prophets have been prophesying of him coming again, since right after his death. We are to prepare now for his coming like those before us prepared for his first coming, im sure i have used it before but its my favorite scripture. Alma 34:32 now is the time for us to perform our labors! I know that our family does so much for those around us already, but i want to ask all of you including you little three munchkins (brooks emma and hadley) to find someone to serve before the years end, there is no greater feeling then the one that comes when we know we have helped someone who needs it. I will do so as well! We have one lady that needs help wrapping gifts and we have been to her house twice so far and the pile of gifts is never ending so i might just be doing that until new years ahaha who knows with her. I am constantly thinking of all of you and can not wait to speak with you all on Christmas!

Love Sister Hadley

Dear Mom,

My coat has helped tons!! i am staying so warm:) i did get and extra blanket and a straightener both work really well. The name of the woman is Ayse Hitchins (who the story is about) and Kristen Mckendry ( the only way sister Hitchins could get her story out, the one with the writing contract). I am feeling like i want to be home for Christmas, and sometimes think i am not good enough to do this. But i know those are the thoughts of the adversary and am trying to put them behind me. I am learning so much right now about eh saviors birth that i did not know before. I am loving it! I love that i get to serve people all the time! My stomach is still hurting me but im doing the best i can when i don't feel 100% myself and when i just want to stay in bed and sleep it off, i get up anyways, because i know someone needs me. Mom i love this work so much, i know i havent seen anyone be baptized yet but i have seen the spirit touch people and that has been amazing to witness. My companion and i are doing really well, we are trying to get out of this root together, its been hard but we can do it! i know we can! i havent gotten the medicine yet, i am hoping to get it on Wednesday at zone conference. The couple who normally brings our packages to us on Sundays, went home because of a death in their family so they weren't there and probably wont be coming back. I wish i could have said goodbye to them, they were the best! I love you!! I love the quote you shared, very inspirational. i cant wait for christmas!!

Love, Sister Hadley

Nov 25, 2013

Dear Family! So much happened this week!! Tuesday we met with a woman that was given to us through text, and she told us while we were getting to know her and where she is at with her understanding of Christ, and reading with her in the Book of Mormon, that she could feel certain things stand out to her, and they made her happy and warm! that was the first time in any of our lessons where someone has said anything about the spirit testifying to them. So we explained to her what that was and why that was happening, it was an amazing experience, it just sort of started the week off on the right foot. Wednesday we were planning on dropping by these amazing less actives( i think i have mentioned them before, if not the husband is partially paralyzed and bed ridden in a home gets up a few times a week, the wife lives in an apartment with their dogs, she is very lonely and she goes to visit him a lot!) We were going to see sister teepel in the early afternoon and brother teepel after her but she canceled so we thought well we will still go see him. we get into the building and to his room and the door is shut (the door is never shut) so we asked and they said his wife was in their. we thought about leaving because we didn't want to interrupt but we knocked anyways. she opened and laughed and said she was actually expecting us to drop by. Anyways she had come to church with us the week before (the first time in 13 years!!) but as soon as we got in her husband was so excited he mentioned how much he loved that we took her to church with us, he said ok who is giving the spiritual thought, so we read with him and after he said who is giving the prayer?, we laughed a little because of how excited he was. it was beautiful to watch her take care of him when he couldn't for himself, it reminded me of how Heavenly father has been taking care of our family and picking us up when we couldn't pick up ourselves. I love them and i love that they are both together rekindling their love for the gospel we are simply there just to nudge them. I love this work. We finally got in contact with one guy who we have been wanting to teach for weeks, and he wants to learn first but we asked him about his family and he said we can teach them as soon as he feels it is right first, unfortunately he is too busy this week but next week we get to teach him. i am so excited because he has no religious background so instead spending a ton of time with scriptures from the bible and the Book of Mormon we can just go strait to the Book of Mormon!! All week (well basically all month) we have been inviting people to come out to a special fireside by a woman in our ward, who wrote a book about her past (mom this is the book i was talking about a couple weeks ago, i think, maybe just last week) and that fireside was this sunday. We had one person that we invited come, that part was pretty lame but he still enjoyed and actually asked how he can get in the temple afterwards. But before going to the fireside i was excited to hear her speak because i had hear d a little about her book , i wanted to see how it could change the hearts of those listening and i certainly got my answer! because i was listening i learned a lot for myself. Sister Hitchins lead a very sad life in the beginning and she didn't even go into that much detail but by the end of the fireside she had me in tears. She spoke mainly on forgiveness. she said that she forgave her two sets of parents that lied to her and were very mean to her. it took her a while but she did it and now she helps them out. it hit because i have people that i know i need to forgive, and i cant move on with what the lord wants me to until i do. I don't know how i am going to do it, but she really inspired me to. I went to say thank you to her and i couldn't even get the words out of my mouth because my body decided to cry again, that was embarrassing standing there as a missionary, but she was sweet about it. I cant even explain in words how much that fireside and her story meant to me, i wish you all could have been there, it was great, it was the best ending to my week i could have asked for. The weather is getting very cold here and i am so happy to have my coat!! it started snowing on Saturday and i got my coat Sunday, it was perfect timing! bring on the winter! i am so excited we start caroling and living Christmas cards next week so we have been studying the birth of the saviour and memorizing scriptures like crazy, its going to be an amazing Christmas, i want to stay here for one more transfer! i love my area and my companion and these members. Heavenly father truly knows each and every one of us and is wathing over us! I love you all. im praying for all of you, i hope you get well spence and that each and every one of you are finding missionary experiences it is the time for us to perform our labors (alma 34:32 my favorite scripture)
Love you, Sister Hadley

Nov, 17, 2013

Dear Family,

This week was awesome!! the lords timing is everything! So we lost henry, he's not ready right now but he said he would keep reading and praying and he said maybe later we can come back to teach him, we also had to drop another one of our investiagors the one that reads in arabic, he never has time for us. BUT even though we had to drop two investigators we gained three!! let me tell you how.. so the first one was given to us in a text we still haven't meet with her we are working on it, shes just busy. The second one was a former investigator and we knocked on her door a couple weeks ago to get to know her and to try to teach her again, but she wouldn't let us in she wasn't feeling great, so we called her a week later, and dropped by but she didnt answer. This weekend we went to drop by her and she opened her door, she wasnt feeling well again and said she was gonna need to go to the doctors we explained to her what a priesthood blessing was and asked her if she wanted one, and that got her questions rolling, point of the story she wants to come teach her this week and after that if she feels comfortable she will recieve a blessing at the end of the week!! i am so excited, she seems like an amazing woman and we only got to talk to her for 15 minutes! then while i was on exchanges this Friday night we received what seemed to be a tender mercy. Durig nightly planning with sister Degroot (that's the sister training leader i was with) we were talking about something i cant remeber but we then moved into how it has been very difficult lately with trying to find people to teach and not seeing anyone progress, and how hard it has been to start my mission that way because that's now how i pictured it and that not what i wanted, how hard it has been to keep thoughts of wanting to go home out of my head, and she started to speak to me, but as she was speaking it wasnt her, it was heavenly father telling me that everything is gonna be ok, telling me how proud he is that i am out here, just inviting people to come to hear of his plan, and i started to cry silent tears, as soon as i did i could feel so much being lifted off my shoulders, i dont even know how to explain it correctly, but as she was still talking my district leader called and i wasn't sure if i should answer and a thought came into my mind, "answer it" so i did, and my district leader said that he had a solid investigator for us. A man named robert is moving from oshawa into our area he has been taught everything except the commandments but is already living the commandments, he has a baptismal date set for dec. 8. i couldn't even respond to him because what was controlled crying before became very uncontrolled. the lord heard me, he is always watching over me and my companion but until that moment i hadn't felt it. now i do and i know that whether or not this man is actually baptized the lord does prepare people for certain times in their life to receive the gospel. We may not understand what is happening and why we have to go through so much turmoil but he does, and that's all that matters, because in the end he knows that all our hard work will pay off and the blessings will pour out abundantly, if we continue to do our part. So much happened this week but i wanted to share this with all of you to let you know, that yes the mission is hard dang it! But even though i have thoughts of coming home, i really don't want to. I know i am where i am suppose to be, these people need me! even if it is just to hand them a card, that is a starting point all in its own. This work is so amazing!! I just love to see it touch peoples lives. This one girl on the bus as i was talking to her she asked me what i was doing here and i said i am trying to share with people a message of  happiness, that i know is true because it was once shared with me! i told her that i try to talk to as many people a day that i can because i want all people to be happy, just like i am.she said thats awesome, and i said yeah its pretty amazing would you like to learn more and she said yes! but shes ysa age so we wont teach her but she will be able to learn more all because i sat next to her and started talking! Spencer i am keeping you in my prayers as well as everyone else. I hope everyone is doing well. Good things will come to those that work diligently. mom that scripture was perfect to how my week went, the lord definitely put me in my place. I love You all!!

Sister Hadley

P.s. i got a bob and her is a picture of it. the one is with the sister i went on exchanges with and the other is with the roger family, she helps us teach and we have come really close with their family but they are moving back to the states soon

Dear Mom,

I love you and that you shared your favorite quote, i remember when you shared that with us the first time, i just pictured you saying it all over again. I knew asking you for advice would be better than jumping to the mission office. Say thank you to  amy for me! i honestly don't take a ton of ibuprofen but i wont take any more, promise! its getting colder here, suppose to snow tomorrow but rain and sun the rest of the week with lots of wind (that's what makes it cold).christmas ideas: i could use another white undershirt longsleeve or short sleeve, mine for some reason have these weird stains( they are like yellow, but i didnt get anything on them) and they are both like that and they are from seagull book, im telling you its odd..  Lipgloss, im running out of that .. umm maybe a hymn book with my name on it.. everyone keeps thinking my name is amanda.. or one with no name on it.. but if not thats okay ill just cover it up with tape. but i honeslty i dont need anything really just pictures of everyone in the family and the clydes too, i want to see little cody and kenzie and cade and boyd and nicole! a scripture i found this week studying was Luke 1:37 basically says nothing is impossible with God. That one little line goes a very long way! i love you and pray for you, i hope you have been able to have the experiences you wanted. i havent heard anything from elder hadley, i hope he is doing well. tell patrick and sharia to write and michelle!! 

Love Sister Hadley

 

Nov 10, 2013

Dear Family!!

What a week! Whew! There are some definite ups and downs, more ups than downs though so thats great!! we still dont have very many new investigators. People are just too busy to see us, even when we show up on their door step, if only they would give us 5 minutes, but they dont even give us that. We'll get em though... eventually! So one of our investigators has been in pakistan for two weeks and he just got back so we met with him and talk him about the gospel of jesus christ,(faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end) as we did so i felt impressed to invite him to be baptized again( we have invited him before and he wouldnt commit because he had a valid concern as to why not, and we thought we had gone over that and resolved it) but he didnt accept apparently his concern never really went away. We dont know what to do, been praying hard for this guy, he needs the gospel in his life, he needs a closer relationship with christ, hopefully through much study and prayer we will know what to teach him by the next time we see him. Henry (im not sure if i said his name last time but the one who came knocking at our door asking for reading material) is having a bit of a hard time accepting the book of mormon as scripture and accepting joesph smith as a prophet he also is afraid that he is wasting our time, but we were able to share the restoration video with him, and he watched it on his own, we saw him in the hallway and he said it shined alot of light in on the situation. But we had to go and he had to go so we didnt go into detail about it, when we see him this week we will have to follow up with him better. But i see alot of promise in him he reads the scriptures, here and there on his own, and i know that when everythings starts to click in his head he will be so much more happier and confident in himself. I cant wait for the day! He needs this so much, and he started searching on his own i only hope he gives us enough time to teach him how to build a realtionship with heavenly father and Jesus Christ so that if he does decide hes wasting our time then he will at least have the scriptures and prayer to turn to.  our other investiagtor came to church!! and we got him a copy of the book of mormon in arabic, so he can start to understand what he is reading now! I am so excited to see where these three will go! i Know that the lord prepares people at certain times to learn  of his gospel, and these three are prepared, they just need time. We went and saw a less active lady who hasnt been to church for quite some time now, and shes a bit bigger, big enough to eb on dissability. but she is the sweetest woman! the first time we went last week, she talked our ear off!! adn we almost had her at saying yes to coming to church, but then she changed the subject, and yesterday wehn we saw her she let us pick up trash around her house and clean up her kitchen a little bit. nedt week we are going to go and wrap her christmas gifts for her kids. I love being at her house( even if my clothes get covered in cat hair) my favorite part is just that i get to serve her, becuase she cant do things for herself i love being able to do them for her! It helps that her sense of Humor is outrageous! Enough about me, things are going well here, they are starting to turn around very slowly!

whys everyone getting hurt? sheesh!! spencer i hope you heal right, and mom you too that sounded so painful about your hand, i would have been bawlin like a baby, you're too tough for your own good! I love all of you so very much and enjoy hearing about you, seriously is the best part about starting off my week! I cant wait till christmas to be able to talk to all of you. im also excited becuase as a mission we will be reading the entire old testament the entire doctrine and covenants and the pearl of great price, in one or two days.. im not sure.. but the point is we are reading all of them. its gonna help me reach my goal of reading every single page in my quad during my mission. i have already strted over with the book  of mormon and i started reading in the new testament, its such a blessing to know all of the scriptures especially when peopl want to know how the bible and book of mormon work together. I love the scriptures! they are my anchor. i didnt take many pictures this week but here i a picture of our zone that we took on monday of last week right before transfers. fun group of missionaries they are so inspiring. Love you all!!!

Love Sister Hadley    

Oct 28, 2013

Dear Family,

What a week! It was still a little rough, but we focused on the simple blessings and that made it all the better. even though the week was rough we werent sad, we were surprisingly happy. First we had exchanges this wednesday, i was so scared for them! apparently the sister that i was with was sister tebbs trainer and she wasnt very nice are welcoming at the begining, but by the end she warmed up. so i wasnt sure how my day with her was gonna go. It went so wel!!!! she taught me to not be afraid of talking to anyone. I feel like i have never had so much succes than what we had in those 24 hours, even though the appointments fell through, we went to visist other people and by doing so we got a refferal, so we went to contact the refferal eneded up teaching her, and inviting her to be baptized it was amazing! The woman we taught was disabled and lived byherself on her couch cuz she didnt have a bed, it was sad, i felt so much sorrow and love for her. i seriously wanted to tell her she could have my bed, but i dont think that would go over so well with the mission president. anyway she was such a chosen daughter of god, i loved getting to meet her. then we went and tracted apartment buildings. first you should know, i dont like tracting or so i thought, becuase people never open their doors or if they do no good comes from it. but i think aprtment buildings are different, we spoke with 3 or 4 different people that made return appointments! the people were so nice, even if they didnt want us there, normally thats not the case. then we taught a lady who had been disfellowshipped. she wasnt able to take of the sacrament for six years! six years!!! thats a long time .. plus she couldnt read the scriptures or pray in public. but she still read and prayed privately, her experience has made her so much stronger, she has never wanted the gospel in her life the way she does now, her hearing is this november and it sounds like she'll be able to pass, hopefully anyways, ive been praying she will. so exchanges changed my view on how i approach people and do things. interesting that night when we switched back we went to see a man who afteer telling us was excommunicated, hes in his thirtys has a family two little boys who are about 3 and 1 his wife isnt a member but walking to their home you would not have thought so. .it looked like a picture perfect mormon family, if there is such one. .anyways he went through a lot too but they way he handled it was different, he let it tear him away from the church and now doesnt believe in god or life after death. it was the saddest thing ever. to hear him say he knows he wont live with his family after death. My companion actually started crying, and she never crys. It just goes to show that trials define us, they are there to mold us into who we are to become. Ultimately through our lowest points in life, we either cling to that which we know will bring us happiness for forever  (Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father) or we cling to the things that mask over our anger and saddness, things that bring us temporal happiness (worldy things, Satan). I saw both situation in one day, it strengthend me so much, seeing that woman go without christ and The lords spirit for six years, i know i never want that and if i do, i want to be like her, working so hard to better myself so that one it can be in mylife again, thats what i want that man and his family to do.. we're gonna have to work on it!! It was such a great week. we then had one of our new investigators commit to baptism on friday, and saturday we went to see two less active familys! they are so great. this one family the little boy wouldnt leave me alone so i talked to him while sister tebbs talked to the mother, so she could feel of the spirit without distraction. and she did, but the little boy said to me randomly i love you and i miss you, i know that little kids may say that all the time, but this little boy looked right at me and said it, i dont know if that was carson or not.. but to me it certainly felt like it, it was something i needed to hear after a week of crazy up and downs. i loved that quote you shared with us, i know its true. i love you all and i pray you are all doing well! patrick adn sharia look good in their homecoming outfits, and the gravestone was perfect!! i loved gettng to see that. really quickly, my bishop came up to me sunday, and said he watched the boise state game and loved it, he noticed spencer when Sorenson got hurt, he said it was the sweetest thing to see him take off his helmet, but then he shouted," but he is one ugly dude!" i started laughing and said why becuase of his stache? and he said yeah, and i laughed and said eh you get used to it! he just laughed! oh how i love it when people i harldy know come up to me to talk about spencer and the game. Love you all!!

Love Sister Hadley

 

 

Oct 28, 2013

Dear Mandi, and family!

The week was interesting, it was great though! meeting some crazy people. this one lady just got here and escaped from iraq about a month ago, she loes it here but wouldnt let us talk about religion. searching hard for elect adn prepared people! poor emma, oes she have a bruised eye too? looks like it in the wilks picture. sounds like everythings is going well, love you all!!!

Sister Hadley

Oct 21, 2013

Dear Family,

This wasn't a great week, but i did learn how to approach the coming week because of it. Our appointments kept canceling and the ones that we went to and taught have either told us that they aren't ready right now, to come back at the beginning of the year, or they are leaving for a few weeks, so we have to push pause. Its quite frustrating actually. This week has left me feeling like I'm wasting time, precious time to teach those that really are prepared to hear the word of the Lord. Sunday was great because i gave the baptismal talk at a young girl's baptism. her name is aurora her mom is a member but dad isn't and a lot of her non member family members were there. i was so nervous before i got up, but the spirit directed me on what to say very well, i found that i didn't even say most of what i had prepared, when i looked away from the little girl i saw her mom crying and her father listening intently. That little girl is such an example to her family and she doesn't even know it yet, it probably the best day this whole week to witness her performing the same ordinance Christ did some time ago, and to see her walking in smiling ready to receive the holy ghost.  So this next week, well starting today. We are going to go out and find new people to talk to! open our mouths with everyone, and as easy as that is to say i know its going to be difficult, but it is going to be so worth it. i have to remember what elder bednar said, "its not about you" and he didn't really say that, he loudly proclaimed it. i have seen that as i forget about myself and just speak i am doing what i am suppose to be doing when out on the street, i just have to apply that more and not get shy or afraid. I'm excited to see how and what this week will bring! oh and we have transfers this Wednesday and I'm super nervous for that because i wont be with my companion I'll be with someone new, only for a day but still, she'll be watching me closely so she can tell me what to improve on!  Ya spence! that's great about the game, one of the members in our ward( ex bishop, bishop Wilde) said" I saw your brother play this weekend, He did played great!" i said thank you and he said, "oh, don't thank me!". i cant believe pat went to homecoming! that's so exciting for him. Good luck sharia with the play if it hasn't happened yet! sounds like you have all been very busy with the dairy, i can't even imagine the barn being so clean! with a newly painted ceiling, i hope that it the inspection goes well, i will keep the dairy in my prayers. I love you all, and hope and pray each day that you are doing well!

Love Sister Hadley

October 7, 2013

Family!

OH how i love my mission. the people that the lord has put in our paths have gone through so many trials and still are, each day they struggle with knowing whether or not there is a purpose to life. i just want to take there faces look them strait in the eyes and tell them that there is, and for them to believe me, but it takes a lot more than that. This one fellow we just met this week he was put in a orphange at the age of 5. So were his siblings but they eneded up going back to his parents, and he was abandoned. so he has been living by himself since chidhood. He tells me that his grandmother on his dads side taught him about jesus christ, to help the needy and the poor, to give part of your money back to the lords children because he has given us so much, when he tells us of the things he believes i sweel up inside with so much joy because honsetly its basically everything we believe in. we are going to teach him today. but yesterday he came to conference and after i talked to him alone because my companaion was behind me talking to another incvestigator that came. anyways he said he has tried to end his life but says that he thinks the reason he can't pass on is becuase the lord decides when we go, he also expressed that important people or thinigs are taken out of our lives to make us stronger. And i just got excited to share my story. he listened so well as i told himi about my experience with imoirtnat people being taken out of my life when i was younger, but that had to happen in order for me to meet even more important people ones that have changed my life for forever. and even in that amazing part of my life some one very dear and close was taken away from me and that reason i am still trying to figure out perphaps for a reason i will find out in the future, but i also said that i know it doesnt stop important poeple will be taken away from me in the future as well, and if they werent i would not have turned to the lord, if they wernet i would not be the person i am today, if they werent i would not be here today sharing what i know to be true. it contiued to get a lot deeper and always going back to the love our heavenly father has for us. but he just makes me want to teach even more people everyday! i cant wait to see where his life goes. oh and he has a really bad stutter but it doewsnt bother me and yesterday when we were talking he hardly stuttered at all!!! That is all because of the spirit!

canada thanksgiving is next monday so i wont be on next monday but i will be on wednesday. its starts to snow november or december so maybe by then end of this month would be good. the blankets we have are very thin and so is it gets colder in our aprtment during the winter im gonna have to sleep with tights on!! and maybe a few pair of socks.. or just by a heavier balnket, ill cross that bridge when i get there i guess. the enrtire time jeffery r holland was speaking i could not stop thinking of our family, teo things that stuck out are Hope is never lost!, and Broken minds can be healed, when he said that i thougt broken hearts can be healed too. Also i loved when the prophet spoke because he said the more the storm the more the strength, and i can definetly see strength in our family. also i loved this, "Whether its the best of times or the worst of times he is with us." that stuck out so much with me because when i was at school when little carson passed a way i drew away from christ, i wasnt happy i wasnt understanding why any of that had to happen, and i got angry. that went on for maybe a week and a half, but one day during church someone bore their testimony of prayer, so i decided i would ask why, and so i did and i started to read my scriptures again and when i did i could feel the comfort and love through them i knew what i had donw wasnt right i knw that drawing away from him wasnt the answer and the oly way to get the answer to ask him, and although i still dont fully understand i know that what Prophet monson said is true, whether its the best of times or the worst of times He is with us, we are the ones that draw away not him. i like the scripture in 2nephi chapter 7 verse 1 it goes perfectly with all of that. i love all of you very much and keep you all in my prayers! life here is great! its hard but great i dont want to be anywhere else right now. the lord trully knows each and everyone of us, i find comfort in that each day as i go and teach his children.

Love Sister Hadley

First Mission Pictures

From April's Mission President

BRENT L. SCOTT, President

CANADA TORONTO MISSION

197 County Court Blvd Ste #203

Brampton, ON   L6W 4P6

Phone: 905-452-7484

 

24 September 2013

 

Mr. and Mrs. Alan Hadley

1079 W 1000 S

Springville, UT 84663

 

Dear Brother and Sister Hadley,

 

We are grateful to receive your daughter, Sister April Hadley as a new missionary in the Canada Toronto Mission.  We are including a picture that we took with her at the mission home when she arrived.  Her testimony and enthusiasm for the work are evident.  As her mission president and wife, we thank you for the sacrifice that was made to prepare her to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  As parents who have sent children on missions, we recognize the feelings involved in sending a son or daughter on a full-time mission for the Lord.

 

A dedicated service to the Lord brings many blessings to many people.  As a full-time servant of the Lord, Sister Hadley will be blessed with a greater knowledge of the gospel, as well as a stronger testimony.  She will touch the hearts of many people, and those whom she will teach will be able to change their lives as they receive the peace and knowledge that comes through the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.  King Mosiah related the comforting message from the Lord that he received when he inquired about sending his sons into the service of the Lord: “Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life.” (Mosiah 28:7).  The Lord relates in Doctrine and Covenants 84:80-85 that His Elders and Sisters will be taken care of well.  It requires a lot of faith, but we know that the Lord is watching over us all.

 

After prayerful consideration, Sister Crystal Tebbs, one of the outstanding missionaries in the mission has been called to be your daughter’s first companion and trainer.  Sister Hadley’s current address is:

 

1423 Mississauga Valley Boulevard #412

Mississauga, ON

L5A 4A5

Canada

 

We are sure that Sister Hadley will love her mission as she stays dedicated and focused on the Lord’s work.  We promise to love and care for her.  We testify of the truthfulness of this marvellous work of bringing souls to a knowledge of the Savior.

 

Serving a full time mission can be the most significant and rewarding experience in a young person’s life.  It is rigorous and challenging and requires great spiritual focus.  Successful and happy missionaries abide by a strict code of conduct and obedience.  Thank you for supporting and sustaining your missionary in this great work.

 

Once again, we thank you for the faith you have shown to the Lord and the sacrifices that you are making.  We feel it a great privilege and responsibility to care for your missionary while she serves the Lord and pray daily for her happiness, well being, and success.

 

 

With love and gratitude,

Brent L. Scott

President

Sept 30th, 2013

Family!

Canada is amazing! its a lot different than home, too many buildings not enough farmland. hardly anyone lives in a house or at least i havent been in many homes just apartments. my companion is truly amazing, shes not mean and she does a very good job on pushing me to talk to people and because of that we had two investigators the second day i was here! and now we have four and three potential investigators. so one of the most amazing experiences i have had was when we stopped this young girl only a year older than i. we shared a basic principal with her and you could see how strong she was in her baptist faith but also i could tell how much she hungered to know of what we were testifying of, by the time we were about to say good bye she asked if she could pray with us, right there on the sidewalk! ha it was amazing!! we went back to teach her this week but it didn't go so well, we will see how it goes next time. There is another investigator named brendan and we ran into him because one of the less active members we went to visit weren't home, and you could tell the lord had prepared him for us, he wanted to know the purpose of life and he knew that there was some kind of god or something watching over us. we made a return appointment and met with him. it went well he shared the Restoration lesson and he took it well asked lots of questions and we left him a book of mormon to read so we well see how he feels this Wednesday when we go see him. i am so excited for him i cant explain it. then we went to meet with this guy named jamaal we had never met him before so we got to know him and taught him the restoration as well, he has been baptized twice before so that might be a concern, but he seemed very interested and when we bore our testimonies you could see him paying very close attention we asked him to read the intro page and a verse we left with him and then as we were about to say a prayer and leave i felt impressed to ask him to church so i did and he came! when i saw him there i cant explain the happiness i felt! The lords work is so amazing, its hard and i have needed so much help from the scriptures but the lord does help and that's the beauty of it. i love reading my scriptures every time i learn something new! i have started reading again but this time while i read i will focus on the Restoration and so far i have learned so much from the 8-15th chapter in nephi ion the Restoration of the gospel. i've read i t before but its never stood out to me like it has now. I'm hoping to do this with more than one topic. to re read the Book of Mormon multiple times but each time with a different topic in mind. i Love all of you and am so grateful for all of your support, each time i go to my desk i see our family picture and think of everyone of you and how grateful i am to be a part of each of your lives for forever.

Sister Hadley

Sept 20th, 2013

Dear Mom,

This week was harder i have had some rough patches with my comp but i have talked to her about and she seemed to take it fine, it was that she cuts me off when im talking and her stinky feet! but i love her and i learn so much from her, we do so well together when we teach. when i get angry i say a prayer, when i get down i remind my self of how long ive actually been here, and when i feel inadequate i turn to the scriptures. i love how much i have already come to know the scriptures, i dont notice it until my companion points it out but she tells me that if she needs to know where a scripture is i am able to tell her right off the spot, which is amazing to me because i have never been able to do that but i know that things are definitely being brought to my remembrance,  i have started color coordinating my scriptures, such as section for repentance baptism faith plan of salvation with tabs and my scripture markers, our teacher showed us how to do it and i absolutely love it. i did get a flu shot and i did go to the temple, today actually. it was amazing to go with my district. i love it here this work is so amazing. its hard at times thats for sure but i cant wait until monday when i realize how hard it really is and how much more the lord will help me. we were told in a devo talk by elder bednar, it was on video its called  character of Christ, anyways we were told its not about us, forget yourself and by the end of the mission you'll actually be the missionary that you wanted to be, so im trying. I love you all. Thank you for being such an amazing mother and example to me, you and dad have showed me how to work and be studious, if i didnt have that i can honestly say that i dont if i could handle all of this, i love you.

Sister Hadley

MTC Sept 13th, 2013

Thank You!! i absolutely love it here!! my companion is amazing and the work is easier when we both work simutaneously! i sent as letter to mom telling her that i dont have her email address and explaining the first day! if you could pass that along to her it would be great. i love you all very much! the gospel is true that i know!

Sister Hadley