"We've got to pray just to make it today!"

Darling Familia, 

Usually I have a little bit more steam in me when it comes to emailing time, but after the emotional roller coaster that was signing onto BYU.edu or the first time and scrolling through classes, I don't have much left in me. Especially with trade offs starting in a few hours, goodness haha. Say hello to the wave of sleepiness overcoming me. If none of this makes sense, I wouldn't be surprised.

I've found on the many trade offs with sisters that I've gone on, every single one (NO JOKE) has ended with us discussing prayer. Every problem, concern, fear, question has taken us to a serious study and conversation about prayer (Check out Richard G. Scott's Supernal Gift of Prayer talk). As I listen to these dear sisters telling me their heart, I've realized I don't know all the answers...not even close. And even when I do, telling a sister an answer on one 24 hour trade off, only provides her with temporary relief. Helping her develop that relationship with Heavenly Father will provide her with eternal relief. That concept of giving someone a fish, instead of teaching them how to fish applies all too well. I used to go into trade offs trying my best to find a different answer other than prayer because I felt like it was my crutch, or go-to answer. Now, I pray for more opportunities to bring up prayer with these darling, faithful sisters. 

Just this week on a trade off, I laid down after vocally praying in the other room, to hear the sweet sister next to me sniffling. I had this internal debate for two minutes in my head about whether I should let her sleep it off til morning or ask her what was going on. Of course, my curious self won out. She told me how during her personal prayer, she'd found her answer to becoming more of the woman she needed to be by the end of her mission and do you want to know what it was? PRAYER. I had to hold in a giggle as she spoke. Christ saying to his disciples, "Pray on" rings through my mind day in and day out now.

A few nights later, I was praying before going to sleep for quite some time. Mandarin has become a sacred place. I've had to grow so much here, and because of the hard times, I fallen all the more in love with it. One of the struggles has been recognizing the fruits of all my labors.  I was reminded of a dream I'd had a month prior that never made sense. (Long story short about the dream-Thomas S. Monson had been explaining to me that it was well worth all the work that it was taking to get to the one person he needed to give a blessing to.)  I finally looked at it with spiritual eyes, and instant peace filled my heart. Even if my time here in Mandarin was solely for Shay, or solely for me to grow myself and learn crucial life lessons, that was more than enough. "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God...And if it so be that you should labor all of your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy." 

Often sisters ask me what I've learned most of my mission. I can honestly say, I'm finally learning the importance of prayer. The best part of my day is when I kneel down at night. That relationship with my Heavenly Father has become more real to me than I can even describe. Prayer is one of the most precious gifts we've been given from our Father in Heaven. And as I do on every trade off, I'm going to extend a similar invitation to y'all. Find one aspect of your prayer that needs to change and starting today, CHANGE it. It could be that you need to switch the position you pray in so you can stay awake longer. Or perhaps you want to try vocally praying every night to make that communication more real. Maybe you could try focusing more on the words you use when addressing Heavenly Father, or really slowing down when you say "in the name of Jesus Christ" to process really how crucial the role of our Savior is. All in all, I LOVE PRAYER. I love it, I love it, I love it. And I love y'all too. Have a marvelous day! 

Sister Hutchins

p.s. Family flashback moment of the day: "We've got to pray just to make it today!"