BEST DAY EVER (w/ pictures!!)

BEST DAY EVER. Yes, I do believe we had one. Can I tell y'all ALL about it? Beautiful. January 26th is going to forever hold a special place in my heart.

Let me just list out the perfect moments from that day:

BRANNON'S BAPTISM: I wish I could convey in words how grateful I am to have been apart of that whole experience. There was this absolutely perfect moment during the program. After the actual baptism, we came back in and the entire youth surprised Brannon and performed a special musical number. Wanna guess what song it was? THREE KINGS FOUND THE LORD. Yes that Forgotten Carols song that was my theme song during Christmas this year! And as they sang, Brannon, this faithful, darling, 14 year old boy, started to cry. And by the time it had ended, he had thrown his arms around his non-member mom and they were crying together. I simply cannot describe the Spirit that filled the chapel in that moment. I can't even begin describe the testimony Brannon shared because I'd start crying right here in the library.

NEW INVESTIGATORS: We've been struggling like crazy to find people to teach. But the Spirit was guiding us yesterday so clearly. I felt we needed to go to an area, and then Sister Call had a potential investigator's name come to mind once we got there. We're now teaching a family...they loved the Plan of Salvation. God knew exactly what goals we were falling short on with the end of the week coming up, and He miraculously placed these precious souls in our path.

WE TAUGHT A LESSON ON FACETIME: Yes, you read that right. This week, the leadership of the mission were given their iPads. And it is NO coincidence that I began teaching a man living in Colorado just this week over facebook that was EXCITED to facetime. BIGGEST MIRACLE EVER. These iPads are opening so many doors. I can't quite handle it. The church is so true.

So here's the take home lesson if you just skimmed that and are shaking your head at my gushy missionary self: I used to think perfect moments were for movies. And that they couldn't happen in our lives. The past couple years, I found more and more of these perfect movie moments in my own life. And on my mission, I've found SO many perfect movie moments. These perfect movie moments don't last long. They are only a minute. But it's in those perfect, God-sent minutes where I know with every fiber of my being that God's whole purpose is our happiness. The closer I come to my Savior, the more perfect moments I am privileged to experience. I've never been happier. And I could not feel more blessed to have this opportunity to share this joy with the darling town of Lake Butler. And goodness me, I get Sister Call by my side every minute. OH HAPPY DAY. What's not to love about missionary life?

Sister Hutchins

p.s. If I defriended you on Facebook, it's not because I don't love you. It's because of some missionary rules I didn't know! WOOPS. Keep sharing and following my miracles blog though. That blog is providing SO many opportunities to teach. And I LOVE any help I can get to get it out for the world to see.

Play Pretty Now (w/ picture!)

Are y'all ready for some Lake Butler updates? I thought so!

Did you know everyone in tiny, cute Lake Butler refer to each other as Sister Mary. Brother Thomas. No last names. Why? Because everyone is related to everyone. We have 40 Waters family members alone!! I love the South. Using their first names just makes it all so homey.

I LOVE that moms here tell their children to "Play pretty now!" as they walk out the door. You can bet I'm adopting that phrase. 

Sister Call got an iPad! And I'll be getting mine oh so soon. Talk about crazy! We'll be teaching a facetime lesson tomorrow. Our minds are currently being blown by how many doors technology can open.

The 14 year old boy we are teaching is getting baptized on Sunday! He has such an understanding of the gospel that we walk out of lessons with him with our mouths hanging open. We can picture him on a mission and it just melts our hearts.

I want to share with you a quote I stole from Sister Call. It's from a book about a girl in Uganda or something....who knows-but it describes my view on the world PERFECTLY.

"Sometimes I want to spend hours talking with my best friend about boys and fashion and school and life. I want to go to the gym; I want my hair to look nice; I want to be allowed to wear jeans. I want to be a normal young woman living in America. Sometimes. BUT I want other things more, all the time. I want to be spiritually and emotionally filled every day. I want to be challenged endlessly. I want to be taught by those I teach and I want to share God's love with people who otherwise might not know it. I want to work so hard I end everyday filthy and too tired to move. I want to make some kind of difference, no matter how small, and I want to follow the call God placed on my heart. I want to give my life away, to serve to the Lord with each breath. At the end of the day, no mater how hard, I want to be right here in" Jacksonville.

Oh how happy I am to be serving. It's right where I'm supposed to be. Love you all.

Sister Hutchins

P.S. We had a Mission Leadership Council meeting in Jacksonville...and who did I get to see but  my darling MTC companion Sister Phelon! I'm still praying it's in God's plan that we get to serve together before the end of my mission.

Lake Butler...HOLY COW (w/ pictures!!)

I almost have no words to describe this week. I do believe this has been one of the most drastic changes I've had on my mission. I had NO idea what I was headed for, but oh my word-I LOVE IT. Sister Call and I are serving in the smallest town of our zone, and one of the smallest in the whole mission. It's an entirely different kind of missionary work from the fast-paced city life in Timuquana. Here's some details about this lovely place:

*Less than 2000 people...I'm serious.
*You are either Baptist or Mormon (FIrst chapel built in Florida was in Lake Butler. Woot woot.)
*The ward is INCREDIBLE.
*We could knock every door in less than 4 days.

*We serve with a set of Elders in our ward as well.

*We've got a market, but no grocery store. I'm still holding out for a Piggly Wiggly in one of my areas. 

*Everyone either works at the school or the prison

*The entire town just leaves their doors unlocked

*EVERYONE IS RELATED TO EVERYONE

*I live in a trailer because there are no apartments here hahaha

*And yes, everyone knows who we are in our little red car.

So the mystery is...how do we do missionary work? We'll let you know when we have some kind of big epiphany, but let me tell you our new little theme. I've been reading in Alma recently, and the Army of Helaman is described as firm and undaunted. Isn't that the best description? That is everything Sister Call and I want to be in this area. And as we've been trying to be just that, miracles have been happening! We just have to put in our whole effort and God provides the rest.

Yesterday, a 14 year old boy that has been coming to church with a family in our ward agreed to do the lessons with us. Guess what? He agreed to be baptized in two weeks! If nothing else, this ward is getting more and more excited about missionary work and that is truly how we are going to bring more souls unto Christ. I'm so excited. A ward excited to do missionary work is like the best present in the whole world. Happy New Year indeed.

Can I just go on and on about my darling new companion?? Sister Kember Call is from Seattle. She's been out for 11 months. You know those people God places into your life so perfectly that are truly meant to be another best friend? That is truly Sister Call. I can't wait for you all to meet her someday. She goes to BYU and wants to be a tax attorney. I LOVE HER. I do believe I could write a book all about my love for her. She has taught me so much these past 4 days.

All in all, I've got a feeling I'm going to be here for quite some time. I'm so ready to know every single soul in this town. I'd say I've got 4 and a half to 6 months to meet, get to know, love, and serve each person. I'm ready =)

LOVE YOU ALL.

Sister Hutchins

P.s. Remember how I was always kidding about saying y'all? Not anymore. Fam bam, look forward to my "hickified" self on Mother's Day. 

P.p.s. The sisters in my zone are darling. We're trying out some new things with them from prayer rolls to lesson learned texts to better motivate them...miracles are just around the corner. Can you feel it?

P.p.s. My new address is 14865 SW 92nd Way, Lake Butler, FL 32054....There are 3 stoplights in this town...just three hahahahaha.....

 Favorite park in the world. Good-bye Timuquana.

 I LOVE SISTER CALL. Like really really I do. Jaclyn you will love her.

Seriously, HOLY COW!

Incredible Things and a TRANSFER

If there were words to describe this week I'm pretty sure angels would be singing them. I don't know what happened, but all this sowing we've been doing....is leading to INCREDIBLE THINGS. We've got 6 people who are preparing to be baptized. Are you stunned? Because my jaw is just about hanging open. My favorite is a woman who ran up to the Elders because she hadn't paid tithing because she no longer liked the church she had gone to for so long. A few days later, we went to go meet her and see if she wanted to know more. Guess what? SHE DOES. BEST first lesson I've ever been apart of. I could cry about it right this very instant.

Wanna hear another gem of a moment? We FINALLY got to teach this very elect man again after 2 months of him saying he really needed to focus on finding a job. I don't know what changed, but suddenly he agreed. In our lesson, he just looked at me and said, "I feel as if something is missing, and I just feel like YOU are the one who is going to be able to tell me something that is going to touch me." In that moment, I maybe have never prayed harder in my life to have the spirit speak through me. I'm not quite sure what I said, how I said it, or if it even hit him all that hard, but he couldn't stop thanking us. He agreed to be baptized when he receives a confirmation about the Book of Mormon. My heart is melting.

Side note: I'm in the midst of all those war chapters in Alma...and you want to know what's oh so fun to do? NAMING ALL THE WARS. It's the only way I keep the story line straight. Let's see, we've got The Battle of Strategum. The Prepared Boy Scout Conflict. The War of Words. The Un-Unified Nephite Destruction. I mean...you're jealous. I know it.

And now, let me tell you about my favorite moment on my mission thus far. I may just start crying as I write this up. Long story short, we've been helping this darling less active sister accept the Atonement in her life. And she was the very last sister to stand to bear her testimony in Relief Society...And she said, that she learned the Atonement applied to her and that Heavenly Father really loved her, because of the missionaries. When you love someone so much and have prayed for them harder than you even knew you could....and something like that happens....All I wanted to do was whip out a video camera so I could replay her testimony for the rest of eternity. If we did nothing else with these past 4 months, having God work through us to touch her was more than enough. I LOVE HER. I love this gospel. I love missionary work.

Here's the big update-I'm being kicked out of Timuquana. They are sending me off to Lake Butler...all anyone can tell me about that place is that there are more cows than people haha. I'm so excited-it's unhealthy. I've also been called as a Sister Training Leader. I'll be over the sisters in the Lake City Zone. God has a whole lot to teach I do believe. I can't wait to start, but I really do feel as if I am leaving a bit of my heart here in Timuquana. I've written more love letters to members and investigators than I even knew were possible. I love these people, this area, and how close I came to my Savior here in lovely Jacksonville. They say you leave your heart in San Francisco. I officially feel as if half my heart is in SF, and the other half will forever be in Timuquana.


Over and out Jax West....
Sister Hutchins

p.s. Has anyone else noticed that I am transferred according to college semesters...I spent Summer term in Kingsland, Fall semester in Timuquana...here's to Winter semester in LAKE BUTLER. Woot woot.

P.p.s. If I'm getting obnoxiously in love with missionary work, I think it's a sign that you should go share the gospel with someone in your life. Deal? Deal. It really is the best thing I have ever been apart of.