I Love My Life (w/ picture!)

I officially can't handle my love for missionary work. Sometimes I have to take like a mental breathing break to comprehend it all. My companion and I have laughing fits constantly to let out our excess joy. Sometimes these fits are a tad irreverently timed, but we're working on it. =)

Ready for our miracle story of the week? Last week, during weekly planning I turned to Sister Cline and told her that I was getting this feeling that Trina would be baptized on her birthday just like her son...but Trina has been wanting to be baptized since September and she was not living the commandments the way she should to ever be baptized. It's been a long road and Sister Cline just kind of agreed that it would be a good idea, but not likely. (She's not a debbie-downer, in all honestly...my logic was telling me the same thing. haha)

Fast forward 5 days, Sister Cline is on crutches after a terrible youth volleyball night ankle roll. We're a bit bummed to be set back this way, but as she's putting her foot up in different member's homes, I've just served my little heart out. To say the least, we weren't getting a lot of missionary work done, but the most miraculous text of ALL time came in right when we needed it. No joke, in a text....Trina told us she was ready to be baptized on Monday - her birthday which was only 4 days away AKA TRINA IS BEING BAPTIZED TONIGHT!!!! That prompting that she would be baptized wasn't just a passing thought - it was the Spirit trying to get my attention and provide me with some hope during the slower week. God is sooo good.

And here's a few tid bits of loveliness for y'all:

1. Lesson Learned: To get out of member's homes in a more timely manner-Sister Cline and I now have a little nose scratching signal. Yep, we feel brilliant and sly every time.

2. Embarrassing Moment: Being mocked by my Stake President at his family dinner because I'm SO missionary minded, that when they mentioned that someday I'd be married...I couldn't even process what he was trying to get at. Oh goodness. Jaclyn - I'm praying you've got it all figured out how to transition me back to real life.

3. Over-joyous moment: Realizing we have 100% retention. I nearly fell out of my chair. I love this ward. They hold on to these recent converts like gems. 

4. Heads up: Transfers are next week-If they transfer me away from Lake Butler I do believe I'll have a panic attack. Fingers crossed Sister Cline and I are together in Zion one more transfer. It's funny how fast we fall in love with our areas. I always imagine there's no place better to be, until I go to the next place and can't imagine anything better than that one as well. Love it. 

5. I LOVE YOU. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. And I'm praying as always that y'all are catching this hastening the work fire at home as well. There's nothing better than the spirit of missionary work in your heart. I love sharing what I love the most. 

p.s. I get to go to the temple this Thursday!!!! HALLELUJAH.

Miracles, Deliciousness, Facebook, and Twinners (w/ pictures!)

I absolutely loved March 12th. It felt like my birthday of the mission. Reading miracle after miracle, hearing my ward share their testimonies on Sunday about the event and it's influence, and just realizing for the millionth time how much God's hand is in our lives was stunning. I am SO grateful for your help and participation. If you could have been in my spot and seen how far a simple status event could go, you would be equally stunned. I love online missionary work. In just a matter of days, this event, aka all the people who participated, touched more people that even live in the county I serve in. God is so good!

Happy St. Patty's day!!!! Normally I kind of giggle at the companionships that color coordinate, but today...we color-coordinated and somehow it turned into a twinner day. I love it a little too much. Companionship unity for the win.

Ready for our perfect moment of the week? We were eating dinner at the Starlings and Stephen walks in with the most decadent desserts in the world. I wish this picture did them justice. I feel a bit selfish going over to see the Starling family now...it's like an hour of spending time with my real family. I adore them more than is even healthy. And one of their sons is getting baptized now too! Hallelujah. And their 17 year old daughter is already talking about her mission. Goodness gracious. I love it. I love it. I love it.

Oh and can I tell you my miracle story through this miracle blog!?!? One night last transfer, we knocked on a door and the family who answered was NOT interested. We told them about the miracles blog and asked if we could share one of their miracle stories. They let us in =) A half hour later we were friends over facebook and chatting away like we'd known each other for years. About three weeks later, the mom of the family sees a post of mine on facebook and asks what I meant about a forever family sealed in the temple. A week later, we were at her home teaching her all about it! The next morning (this happened this week) on facebook I had a message from her all about how she was up all night tossing and turning about what it would mean to her if her family was sealed in the temple. The many miracles that are coming through this blog are almost too much for me to handle. I love how God can work so powerfully through the small things.

Hope all is well on the other side of the country! I might maybe may be turning into a small town girl. I love Lake Butler!


Sister Hutchins

Tidbits and Hairy Business (w/ Picture!)

Hello World! We're officially past halfway and immersed back in the work again. Oh how I love this life. I can't wait to do missionary work for the rest of my life.

Favorite Tidbits of the Week:

This March 12th Miracle Status Event is my favorite thing in the whole world. The more I pray for divine inspiration about online missionary work, the more ideas come. And no matter how many ideas crash and burn, God knows we're trying our hardest. I have a really good feeling about things to come.

I HEART MY SISTERS. Lake City Zone. Is it weird that we all wore blue? Hope not...we planned it for our picture. Gotta love sister unity =) Zone meetings are my favorite.

We taught a youth Sunday school class this week and challenged the youth to hand out a Book of Mormon to someone in the next two weeks. These youth are STUDS.

Personal Revelatory moments are about the best moments in the whole world. I could spend hours of my knees if we had the time. I've never before realized how much Heavenly Father has been trying to answer my prayers all my life...and I just haven't been paying enough attention.

Have I told you my companion is an almost Olympian? She won the National Lugeing Competition in 2003 at 13 years old!! Not only that, but she's a college soccer player. Aka...we are exercising fanatics each morning. We wake up at 6...not even 6:30 and get to work. P-days are plank days....Even laughing hurts. I LOVE it. And sometimes I have to pray a little extra hard each morning when we wake up that I'll survive.

Sorry this email is a bit scattered, I'm multi-tasking on Facebook and trying to get the word out about this Miracle Event still. If you haven't joined it already....you should! And you should invite your friends!! LOVE IT. And I sure LOVE you.

https://www.facebook.com/events/817563478259782/?ref=br_tf

p.s. Did I ever tell you I finally got a haircut? But not just any kind of hair cut...but an 8 dollar one? Let's just say it wasn't the best decision of my life. I have layers that are....I don't even have the word for it....not the cutest. I'll be letting those bad boys grow out-that's for sure. Fingers crossed my hair looks a little bit more normal in 9 months haha. Common sense lesson for the week: Don't ever get your hair cut at a place named Hairy Business. No matter how much it makes you laugh.

BEST BLOG EMAIL EVER, but really!! (w/ GREAT pictures!!)

 

 Are you ready for the darling, STARLING miracle?

First off, you must know that Lake Butler is Zion. I've decided. Everyone knows, loves, and reaches out to one another in this perfect little town. As a missionary, I feel like all I do is sit back and watch God's miracles pour out upon these incredible families.

The darling, Starling family miracle all began when member missionary work lessons hit the scene in October with dear Sister Call. The Bishop's family jumped on board with these lessons and who would appear in their radar, but the Starling family who had JUST posted a Facebook status that they were looking for a new church to attend.

Fast forward 4 months, include a few friendly chatting visits with the sister missionaries and quite a few invitations to come to church and various activities (though they kept falling through) from the bishop's family, and then came February....the month of ALL things lovely and wonderful. God's timing is powerful and finally everything aligned to bring the Starlings, the bishop's family, and my companion and I altogether for the first lesson. It was without a doubt the most powerful 90 minute lesson that I have ever been apart of. With the Bishop and his wife testifying alongside our lesson, Ganeene and Stephen were already blown away and recognized truth. The next night we finished the first lesson and invited the parents to be baptized. Ganeene nearly died with excitement about setting a solid date to be baptized on. She told us she felt so strongly that God had been leading her whole life to this very moment. And Stephen, the rock of faith in the family, told us he was excited to hold the Priesthood. When they came to church that week, after a perfectly timed church tour the day prior, they felt so at home. They loved it, and their 5 kids fit right on in.

Over the following two weeks, two of their daughters, decided to be baptized as well. A whirlwind of lessons began to catch their two daughters up. Every activity days event and mutual activity was attended too. And you can bet even before Ganeene was baptized, she was raising her hand in Relief Society and sharing her testimony.

This past weekend, 4 of the 7 were baptized. Two are not yet baptismal age, and their 15 year old son is currently taking the discussions with the elders (we made him nervous haha). I can honestly tell you that the past two days of baptisms and confirmations, and even Stephen receiving the Priesthood, have been the single most incredible days of my life. I have never been so happy. I do not believe more happiness could be possible. The opportunity to love, share my testimony, and then help this family take one step toward their ultimate goal of being an eternal family has been the privilege of a life-time.

My three PERFECT moments (it's been REALLY hard to narrow this down) are the following:

1. Ganeene sharing her testimony at her baptism....she told her whole conversion story and then began sharing her belief and gratitude in having a prophet on the earth today. Hearing her testimony, that just three weeks ago I was testifying ALL about to her, was mind blowing.

2. After the family was confirmed (took nearly half of Sacrament meeting) they were asked to stand for the ward to welcome them in. It was almost too much for me to handle watching this family I have grown to LOVE with my whole heart, stand and see each and every hand in that chapel nearly SHOOT into the air. 

3. I don't know how God could be so kind, but by the grace of God...we were able to slip in and see Stephen be ordained to the office of a Priest. As we slipped in the furthest door in the chapel, just before the ordination began...Stephen caught our eyes and gave us his perfect finger wave. And in that moment, it hit me that we helped this family get here. God used Sister Call, Sister Cline, and me to help bring this absolutely darling family to the gospel. Heads up-I've never cried out of such pure joy SO MUCH in my life. 

Missionary work truly is the best work in the WHOLE wide world. I could live this life forever.

p.s. March 4th is my exact half way mark on the mission. HAPPY HUMP DAY!!