Not Broken? Don't Fix It!

Here is a little part of the email Hayden sent me.  I am grateful he is so happy!!

"I`m doing super well.  It was a really good week.  We had another baptism of a guy named Manuel. Super special dude. He`s been to about all the churches, but the BOM convinced him that ours was the true church.

The teaching situation is super great!  We have found almost 50 new people these past two weeks. So the sector is back up and running with a lot of people that are gonna get baptized. This change has flown by! This next week will be changes again.. but President told us we would be staying together another change! Haha it`s pretty crazy.  He`s just been saying that if it`s not broken, he`s not gonna fix it. "

And guess what?  We are now on our second set of holidays without Hayden.  Halloween? Check!   The next time we carve pumpkins, HE WILL BE THERE!

Press Replay

If you had a "replay" button for your life, when would you press it?  That's one of the thoughts I've had this week since reading Hayden's email.  I can think of moments I'd like to delete or moments where I wish I had a slow motion button, but I can also think of many I'd replay.  I'd replay my wedding day (for many reasons...one of which is I never had it recorded on video...what was I thinking?), the birth of my children (except I'd fast forward to the part where they were placed in my arms), the day I finally got up on slalom waterskis (it took FOREVER), and many more times where I felt Heavenly Father's hand in my life.  

As far as Hayden's wishes go, I'm grateful missions are only two years.  I'm afraid I'd need a fast forward button if they were any longer.  I think most Missionary Moms would agree!

"Hey!

I`m doing super well!  We worked way hard this last week and the sector is back up and running. We also had interviews with President and he said that Ballard and I would be staying together for another change. So that`s good news! 

We've been having the usual ghetto experiences. I had a little, tiny greenie with me in divisions this week and he got scared after some gunshots. Such a cute little guy! Haha I always see the greenies and think how much I would give to be in their place...I love the mission! I`d kill to press replay. Haha it`s passing by so fast! 

We went to the temple as a Stake activity with new converts. It was SOOO cool to see all of the fruits we`ve had in the temple. Such a big activity. It`s been such a blessing to work in one of the functional stakes in Chile. 

Haitians are still dope. Chileans are still funny. The Peruvians are still very interesting. 

Elder Clegg

Life in Estación Central...(Central Station) Is rolling."

Good Problem to Have

There are lots of "good problems to have" in life.  For example, leftover Halloween candy, everyone wanting to sit by you at lunch, or choosing between three favorite pairs of jeans.  (Still waiting to find that one pair.)  Hayden has found a good problem to have.  He describes it best.

Hey Guys,

Well...I haven't written a group email in a while! Haha but we`re all good! 

This past Sunday was lame, because it was the first Sunday in a while that we haven`t baptized. Whatever!  Haha! 

We've been looking for lots of "new's" because our investigators have been baptized...It`s a good problem to have!  

We find like 20 new investigators every week, but the majority of them don`t want to progress, so we don`t ever pass by again. Right now we`ve got Pablo...recovering from a cocaine addiction. French Love...Haitian., Jess...Hatian, Michael and his family...Beasts!  We teach a ton. 

Today we went to the temple. It was fun. I like the temple. It`s in the rich part of Santiago. So it`s kinda nice to escape the ghetto! 

Have a good week! 

Elder Clegg

Content

In my last email to Hayden, I asked him about the group emails.  He says his time on the computer is used up with ZL responsibilities.  He also mentioned that he'll try to throw one in when he can.

Hayden is content.  In fact, I don't think he has been more at peace in his life than now.  He loves seeing the miracles that come from serving our Heavenly Father.  In his email to me, he writes, "We had a miracle baptism of a really cool lady! She was so prepared for the gospel and just received everything. Her son took his life and so she really stuck to the plan of salvation. She talked to us because we looked happy when we knocked her door...so that's why she let us in. Before the mission, I thought being funny and doing dumb things was being happy...(well, skiing is being happy), but now I realize that just being content and loving what you're doing is the real source!"

I miss this boy of ours more than ever, but knowing he is content, makes me content.

Fear of the Font

So no group email again this week.  It could be due to a couple reasons.

1.  His time on the computer is being used up with his other responsibilities.

2.  The group email didn't send.  (This has happened multiple times with our personal emails.)

3.  He likes to torture us and keep us guessing.

He did share his favorite missionary scripture with me.  He says that he gets pumped every time he reads this one...Alma 29:1-2

1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

 2 Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

I also know he had a couple of baptisms this week.  He said sometimes people are super afraid of going down in the water and it ends up being an interesting baptism. I guess one of the week's baptisms qualified as that scenario.  What a sacrifice for that sweet new member!  If you were to tell me that I had to go down in a font full of snakes, I'd REALLY have to have some serious faith!

Understanding the Plan

Hayden didn't write a group email this week.  He mentioned that some of his email time is spent doing  Zone Leader responsibilities, so he doesn't always have time to send out a group one. Instead, I'll share a few lines from the email he sent me. (That's nice of me to share, isn't it?)  In my email, I asked Hayden how he handles investigators who are angry at God for circumstances in their lives.  I loved his response.  I ALWAYS need a reminder of these things, especially when life gets tough.

"An investigator who is mad at God for wronging them doesn't really understand who God is and that he has a plan for us. They don`t understand the Plan of Salvation and why God would give us trials... They don't understand that he as a Father gave his only son to be sacrificed by the world.. You just have to help people to understand. Rely on the scriptures!"

“The great plan of salvation is a theme which ought to occupy our strict attention, and be regarded as one of heaven’s best gifts to mankind.”

Joseph Smith

Earthquake

As I was driving home Wednesday evening, I heard my phone buzz.  I waited until I was stopped (see, Autumn?... I was being a safe driver) and looked at the text.  It was my good friend asking if Hayden was okay after the earthquake in Chile that evening.  I wanted to puke.  I got home, found Mike and asked him if he had heard about the earthquake.  He had not.  We got online and started reading the reports.  We had no idea how far reaching the damage would be for an 8.3 earthquake.  So we waited, watched the news and we prayed.  I was able to feel a sense of peace when I went to bed that night.  I wasn't panicked, just completely unsettled.  
The next morning, we awoke to read more reports.  The earthquake occurred about 140 miles northwest of Hayden, but the damage was widespread.  In my search for information, I came across a Facebook post written by Hayden's Mission President's wife (BLESS HER!!).  She reported that all the missionaries in their mission were safe and accounted for.  Another post from a fellow missionary mother related the news that the Mission President had given his missionaries 15 minutes that day to email home and assure their families.  I must have checked my email every five minutes until Hayden checked in.  Finally he did.  He was upbeat and even cracking jokes.  That's Hayden for you...

"It picked me up and shook me like a dog!"  Name the movie, LOL. 

Haha don`t worry.  I`m completely fine, but love that I get to check in with you!

I can say I survived the biggest earthquake of the year so far... Haha! 

Love you all,

Elder Clegg

In his email to me, he asked if I had already called the Mission President.  (No, thank you, I did not. But...I thought about it.)   In his email to Mike, Hayden mentioned that he was on splits with another missionary when the earthquake hit.  They were walking in the street and definitely felt it.  Elder Ballard, Hayden's current companion, would later report that back in the Haitian sector, those people were completely stressed and frantic.  I think many of them had lived through the huge earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010. Please include the people of Chile in your prayers.  They need it.

P.S.  If you are wondering, the movie quote came from Monsters, Inc.