The Haywards Missionary Adventures

Hello Everyone, I want to let you know that I am having a blast. I am enjoying every single moment that I am having out here. I want to share my thoughts about missionaries, I am still in Woodward as you all know and in Woodward there is only me and my companion for missionaries. I have been praying that there would be more missionaries around me. I HAVE BEEN BLIND. We are all missionaries you do not need to have a badge to be a missionary. When we are baptized, we are still invited to follow Christ's example, even before we are baptized, we are invited to follow his example. Jesus Christ the best missionary there was did not have a badge. Member Missionaries DO A LOT. We are the ALL the Lord's servants, and there are times where the full-time missionaries cannot be there but the help that you Member missionaries bring is so helpful to the gathering of Israel. My companion and I have recently set two more baptisms for kids ages 10 and 11. They are both so excited to be baptiz...

Hello everyone, this week has been very ghost town. Not many people here because the oil field has gone down. A lot of the people we were teaching have now left. But we have two little kids that will be getting baptized soon. I am very excited and happy for them. I love you all. I want to share what has been on my mind lately. The Book of Mormon, I want to share the power of the Book of Mormon. The power is life changing it is very powerful, please read it. I started the Book of Mormon over just a couple days ago my goal is to have it done by the 20th of November. I have already learned so much from it, the understanding that comes from it is indescribable. The biggest thing is your testimony grows. The scriptures are really a powerful tool. They should be used for power. I just know that God does love us he cares for us and wants us to succeed but sometimes you need to fall to succeed. It is very true, sometimes even the best people fall. If we fall don't give up, keep reading kee...

Do a little more... 9/30/2019 Hello everyone, I love you all!!! This one is going to be short. I had another baptism yesterday, Woodward is Booming. 😂 I have enjoyed every minute of it here, I recently have hit 3 months, so I want to let you all know my testimony. I know that Heavenly Father loves you and me, I know that I am teaching the True and Everlasting Gospel. I know that this Church is true, I know that Heavenly Father wants to hear from us, I also know that He would not give us anything more then we can handle, I know that President Russell M. Nelson is our Prophet today and that he was called of God. I know that Joseph Smith was and is still a Prophet of God, I have studied and thought about all of these things and I know them to be true and much more, I know for sure though that Jesus Christ has gone through the Ultimate pain so that we don't have to. All these things prove the first thing that I know and that is God loves us. Please know that and if you don't k...

9/9/2019   On an Island...   Alright I have almost spent 3 months out here in Woodward Oklahoma, it is definitely feeling like I am all alone with my Companion on this super tiny island secluded from all of the other missionaries. We call this are banishment. I have loved it though it has been so much fun and everyone here is getting excited about something. We have about 12 people who we are teaching right now, and 2 of those 12 are getting baptized. I know this is not a number thing for success but I would like to share our numbers with you all. ACTUAL:GOAL, Baptism 0:0 Baptism Date 2:2 @sacrament 6:9 New Friends 3:4. I just want to show you guys just how much Woodward is growing when I first got to Woodward it was flat zeros across the board. I am not saying that things have started happening because I am here, but I am saying is that God has prepared so many people, and they are coming to us. I am so excited that I get to witness Heavenly Fathers work move forward in...

I will get to the subject line a little bit later but right now I would like to share 8 things I have learned so far, some have been repeated from last time. 1. "I am weak!" This is not a negative statement, nor is it saying that I am Physically weak Either but it is Positive, I have learned that by relying on Jesus Christ or others is OK. It is fine if we as humans are incapable of doing things alone life was never meant to be done alone. It is OK to be weak. 2. They are not rejecting me but they are rejecting the gospel. I have come to find out that when people act negatively around the missionaries they are not rejecting us but they are rejecting the Gospel and Jesus Christ. 3.I am a very compassionate person, and when I see people down or sad I tend to be a little sad as well. I have learned that one of my talents is being compassionate to others and wanting people to be happy. 4. The Spirit is stronger when preparation has happened. I have learned that when planning ...

First thing is first, the Tiny Miracle, you know that random caller I talked about last week? well we went over to visit him and he told us that he was ready to be Baptized!!! We discussed about a date, and he said well next Saturday, we were kind of shocked, but we talked him out of it, and we moved it to the 7 of September!!! I am so pumped; he is so ready as well and he knows so much. We also made a lot of amazing contacts this week. Sadness… transfers are happening this week and we were waiting for the call to know who was getting transferred, we got a call close to midnight and the fun has begun as we were listening to who was going where and who was staying, they finally got to Woodward and they said "Elder Hayward you are staying! Elder McWilliams you are going to Ardmore." after they said that I was like no! I was able to create a great relationship with him and now I have to say goodbye. Why do I have to be put through this torture? So now I must take over my firs...

This past week has been insane. My companion and I have seen really weird miracles, one of which we were walking in the park trying to OYM people in the middle of the day in 106 degrees and it only felt like 110 degrees. (so not to hot.) We were doing OYM's and then all of a sudden we receive this call. I answered it very sheepishly, and said, "Hello it is the Missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." He then proceeded to tell us he wanted to come back to church and that he didn't really know how messed up his church was and he liked the way he felt when he came to our church. So we proceeded to tell him when church started how long it was and where it was at. He told us that he would see us Sunday. After the call I looked at Elder McWilliams and told him that we just had someone who told us he was going to church. He didn't believe me. Well Sunday rolls around and guess who shows up? THE RANDOM CALLER!!! I was so happy to see him and final...