Dear world,
I don't know what happened, but I've officially hit a pace on the mission that is exhilarating and entirely exhausting all the same time. I've never been so busy and oh so happy in my life. I don't know how we suddenly have so many people to see, but it is the most incredible thing. I thought I'd give you a sneak peak into one of my days....ready?
GOOD MORNING.
6:15-Roll out of bed. Companionship prayer. Personal prayer. Brush teeth, wash face, ponytail up, shoes on.
6:30-Run laps around our apartment complex. Feels oh so good. Almost chilly weather.
6:55-Back inside stretching. Throw in a few push ups and some planks for good measure. Daydream of running half-marathon with Jaclyn.
7:00-Shower. Oatmeal. Get ready. Memorize scripture. Get organized for the day. All while listening to EFY music.
8:00-Personal Study. This is definitely the best hour of the day. This week, I'm studying the questions of the soul answered in the Book of Mormon in Preach my Gospel, reading the New Testament all the way through, and studying for specific lessons we teach each day. Oh and of course still going through General Conference notes. LOVE IT.
9:00-Companionship Study. We go over what we've learned in personal study and make more detailed lesson plans. Usually we do LOTS of training, but today we role played one of our lessons with a less active, who I call Marilyn Monroe, all about the Atonement. The spirit was amazing. I love role playing for lessons. It is the best prep.
10:30-Wrap up Companionship study early. Pray. Grab all of our stuff and literally run out the door.
10:45-I get to play the lovely piano as prelude to our district meeting. This seriously makes me so happy I can't really handle it.
11:10-District meeting begins. Stellar spirit every time. We learn more about Golden Hour...our ultimate focus on baptism and practice doing invitation role plays. And we even took a district picture. Yes, it's already the end of transfer #3. CRAZY.
12:50-The Normandy Sisters give us cookie dough as a thank you for always taking care of them (They are sadly always sick. I don't quite know how they manage it.) I love Sister Sullivan and Sister Martinez.
1:10-Lunch time back at our apartment. Hello frozen burritos, fresh mandarin oranges, and cookie dough of course. All while reading the awesome October Ensign.
2:00-Facebook time in the public library across the street. Lesson with a potential investigator back fires. He starts sending me all sorts of links so anti-Mormon websites....Please please please go to Mormon.org for your facts about what we believe.
3:00-Harvest blessing (remember that mighty prayer I described way back when?) with a potential investigator who lives in our apartment complex. She felt the spirit before we even prayed with her. SO COOL. (Since this day...we've actually started teaching her. I have never taught such a golden investigator!! I love BENITA!)
3:30-Go over to serve a different potential investigator. Oh my word. This poor woman has had two brain surgeries recently and is currently suffering from seizures. Her whole life has flipped upside down. We helped clean her apartment for a little while. I helped darling Cynthia bandage something...long story short, I can't believe I had the ability to stomach it all. God was definitely with me. As I was doctoring her, she broke down into tears wondering why God had saved her to keep on living. The spirit was so strong in that room as I began talking to her. I don't even really know what came out, but by the end we were all crying and holding hands as we prayed together. She wants to come to church with us this Sunday. I don't know if I've ever felt God's love for someone so strong as in that moment.
4:20-Wipe up the tears (thanks for the tissues Allyson) and run to the car to our next appointment.
4:30-Marilyn Monroe time. OH MY GOODNESS. After never having been able to say she felt forgiven, she said that after we prayed the last time we were with her (another golden Harvest Blessing) she felt that weight begin to disappear. She's grasping the Atonement! She wants to work toward the temple now. She is finally ready. I love this woman. And as we left...she stuffed the most delicious meal into our hands.
5:45-Naturally we didn't have time to eat that delicious meal, so we stuffed down some fast food (I love diet coke) and raced on.
6:20-EPIPHANY. We took that delicious food and gave it to Cynthia, the woman who had suffered through two brain surgeries and hadn't been able to stand long enough to cook homemade food for herself or her daughter in months. Thank you Heavenly Father.
6:45-GOLDEN HOUR BEGINS (This is a new mission goal...an hour dedicated solely to finding) begins. We try to contact a few referrals but no one is home...so we just begin walking and talking to each person we see. After an hour in that apartment complex we've got 5 return appointments and a lovely new investigator. I love GOLDEN HOUR. And just get a kick out of the names for me...Dewanna, Kesha, Detria, and Donna. I love it all. Don't ask me how we only talk to women. Men are never outside!
7:50-Drive to contact a different referral. Not home. We're about to leave, though we have NO back ups because we've already exhausted the rest of our plans for the night, and I feel a third prompting to knock on the door in front of us. I hop out of the car, drag confused Sister Hibpshman along with me. And BAM. Suddenly we're teaching the entire first lesson to Roynesha and Tyrone (Yes Ryan I know you're jealous that's actually his name). This darling brother and sister (21 and 19) were so curious about what we had to share. We're so excited to keep teaching them. And Tyrone sings gospel music beautifully. Hello Sister Act 2.
9:20. RACE HOME. Beaming with joy at our night. NEW INVESTIGATORS BABY.
9:32-Walk in late. Feel a little bad. Instantly kneel to begin planning with prayer as we drop out bags. Giggle with excitement at reaching so many of our goals. God is great.
10:00-End planning with prayer again. Begin filling out teaching records and potential investigator forms.
10:15-Hurriedly organize a few things, get ready for bed and kneel to have bedtime companionship prayer.
10:33-My personal prayer time in the other room. Hello favorite part of the day. Scribble for a bit in my prayer journal.
10:45-Walk back into bed room. Sister Hibpshman and I tell each other what we love about each other (it's a companionship tradition...be jealous) and talk excitedly about our love for this work and the miracles we saw ALL day long. We finally realize how late it is.
11:00-OUT LIKE A LIGHT. Exhaustion sets in. I seriously love bedtime on the mission. Sleep is so vital.
Side note: Holliday got baptized this SUNDAY! She is a gem and the spirit in the room was incredible. She has taught me so much. I love when people we are so new to the gospel are the one's teaching us. She is literally glowing with the joy of the gospel every time we see her. She gets confirmed this week! I love this work so much. I do happy dances all day. And I love you all. So so so much. This church is so true and is truly the source of my happiness. I wish I could somehow shout it out to the whole wide world.
Sister Hutchins
p.s. I just finished my 20th week on the mission. Out of 80. I'm a little freaked out this is going by so fast.
p.p.s. It's starting to feel like fall! And I found my first fall leaf! There are maybe two trees that actually are turning colors in all of florida...but we found one of them!
p.p.p.s. Zone P-day bowling...is quite fun. Especially when playing with my mission mom and my mission daughter. Please appreciate the family picture.
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