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.

Happy New Year!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Ahhh I do believe I'm a tad dorkier than your average missionary, but please love me through it. I love New Year goals! Sadly, my goals from last year were a bit of a stretch with deciding to go on a mission. BUT my theme that I had picked for the year matched beautifully with my 2013 experience. My theme had been:

"I want my life to radiate what happens when God has a person's heart at His full control, when every event or circumstance is simply another avenue to know Him better and show forth His glory."-Elbie Harris

From Jerusalem to coming on a mission, I have truly learned how to give Heavenly Father more of my heart. I've got a long way to go, but this year really did help me become closer to who I want to be. I love it. Have you set some lovely new goals for 2014? You really really should. Think about it, you have a limited amount of New Years left-make it worth it =)

GUESS WHAT? Last week we decided that we were going to find a family of four that wanted to go to the temple. WE FOUND 'EM. Oh the joy the gospel brings. The father is Italian and very family oriented, and the mother is Filipino and darling. With faith and specific prayers, I have been learning how much Heavenly Father really does answer us. It just brings me so much happiness. This week we are praying to find someone who we can find, teach, and baptize in three weeks. How incredible would it be to watch someone transform so quickly with the gospel!? 

CHRISTMAS WAS LOVELY. We went to breakfast with an investigator. Dropped off Peppermint kisses to a less active sister in the hospital. Gave a gift to a less active sister who told us she finally believes the Book of Mormon is true! Ate Christmas lunch with darling Robin and her family who is getting baptized in January. Raced to eat Christmas dinner with a Muslim family (that sentence cracks me up). And ended the evening at a member's home to Skype our families. It was truly a wonderful day. (So sorry for the fragment sentences!)

I love you all. I love this gospel. Enjoy the random pictures =)

Sister Hutchins

Happy (almost) Christmas [w/ pictures!!]

Happy Christmas darling family and friends!

Do y'all wanna hear the cutest Christmas story in the world? Of course you do! So our apartments have been under construction recently. The past two weeks they've been painting like crazy and one of these painters is our good buddy. I don't quite recall how we all became such good friends, but we absolutely adore Ron. After a week or two of just talking as we walked in and out of our apartment, he told us he felt God was telling him he should talk to us. (Good sign right?) The next day we left Christmas sugar cookies on his car with a note. The next day, he left a poinsettia on our doorstep (NEVER have flowers made my heart melt more than at that moment). And then the day following that we asked him if he wanted to hear our message about Jesus Christ. His response was my favorite. "Well, thank you. I've been waiting for that invitation." Now isn't that the best kind of missionary work? Friendship established first, a dash of service, bring in a dose of Christmas cheer, and then BAM start teaching! I LOVE IT. And I love Ron. And I love how happy everyone is at Christmas time. 

Here's my short and sweet Christmas message for you! Never have I felt so privileged to be out serving a mission as I have during this lovely season. As everyone is turning to our Savior as we celebrate His birth, I have felt such gratitude to be serving Him this Christmas. There really is nothing better I could be doing. I hope you each have a magical Christmas. And I pray you'll ponder what you are giving back to your Savior this wonderful time of year. I love you all and am praying like crazy for you. Happy Christmas!

Sister Hutchins

p.s. This week my companion and I are determined to find a family of four that want to go to the temple. We're excited. Throw in a few extra prayers for us. We know that lovely family is out there - and we are going to be led to their door. 

 My lovely MTC district....6 months later at your mission-wide Christmas =) Love them. Can't believe it's been so long!

 The darling and incredible Sister Craig. I love our mission mom! And of course the lovely Sister Hibpshman =)

I LOVE MY NEW SKIRTS. I mean, don't you want to read the Book of Mormon now? And thanks for the decorations!!! Our apartment is oh so homey!

200+ Days of Craziness

Oh my word, where to begin? That is always the question. Well, hey, guess what? I've hit 200 days on the mission. CRAZY.

Let me start by telling a little story. One day, I got called to play the piano for the mission-wide Christmas devotional. I happily agreed, glad to have an excuse to spend time on the piano. But then came the day of the performance...and the elder I was accompanying walked into the room I was practicing and asked what song I was playing. I laughed and told him he was funny. Sadly, it wasn't funny at all. Long story short, I had learned the wrong song. I had one hour to practice the new one...it was 8 pages and had 3 key changes, and 5 sharps. I was not excited to say the least haha. But strangely enough, I learned one of the biggest lessons of my life through this experience. Hopefully, I can make this make sense. 

With the song I originally practiced, I had been able to control how well I knew it and have it go my way in a sense. In other words, I could make sure it went well relying upon myself. When the songs switched, my plans were ruined and all I could do was pray that God would help me through it. As I sat at that piano with shaking hands and a mountain of a piece to play in front of me, I played relying upon my Savior. It was NO longer according to my plan, but Heavenly Father's plan. So often, I try with all my might to make plans and be in control, but God has a plan and sometimes I get in the way of it. God has a plan, and if I rely upon Him and let Him take the lead in my life, things may not turn out perfectly (just like the actual performance haha), but He will be able to use me as a tool in His hands to bring the Spirit and touch other people's lives. And really that is entirely what I want...to be able to let God touch the lives of all those I meet and love and serve. (And as a side bonus, we actually managed to pull that piece off and the Spirit didn't leave the room...no matter how many wrong notes I plunked out haha) Anyway, thank goodness for epiphanies right when you need them. I am so grateful to me serving and working my hardest to let God take the lead. It really is an incredible thing when you can feel that you are following His path for you.

And let the side notes begin!

1. One of our investigators who is getting baptized this week, quit smoking...but here's the catch...Somehow as I was throwing out her cigarettes, I found myself offering to do this with her. I told her I would stop drinking caffeinated sodas and we'd push through together. So ladies and gents, she has smoked her last cigarette and I drank my last Diet Pepsi. They say you come home from your mission a little bit different right? Haha I am so grateful to be able to do this with darling Sister Lemon. She's a gem.

2. We're currently teaching the most golden investigator I have ever met. He's incredible. And to give you an even better picture of it all-he's 47, black, has gold teeth, and has quite the history in prison. And yet I can honestly say he is the most pure-hearted man I have ever met. It makes my heart so happy. I love that change is so possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

3. The Muslim man we are (kind of) teaching, woke up late and shaved so fast he cut his face twice so he could get to church. Don't ask me why this little tid bit makes me nearly die with happiness.

4. The word's "Always remember Him" in the Sacrament prayers...are my absolute favorite. I'm trying best to let Christ be apart of each bit of my day and I have seriously never been so happy in my life. You should try it. There really is nothing more divine than letting your Savior in.

Over and Out,
Sister Hutchins

Busy as Ever and LOVING IT

Hello Dear World, 

Every week you learn a lot on the mission. Sometimes, I selfishly was a bit of a reprieve, and it seems that God then teaches me EVEN more. Let me tell you all about what I've learned this week.

1. Studying diligence and then truly becoming diligent is amazing and exhausting and lovely. My mind is constantly running. I honestly can't stop. I'm writing thank you's while we're eating lunch, getting out of bed to write down to do's and people's names that I can't get out of my head, and praying with any free moment I have. I went to take a 20 minute nap last week on P-day...I ended up laying there praying for the people we were seeing that night and finally receiving an answer to what we could teach one of our investigators. So the lesson here...JUST DON'T STOP. There's no time to waste. And I can nap in a year anyway haha.


2. I no longer remember famous people's names,  bands, movies, TV shows. People are now constantly saying, "You've been out too long, but Vine is..." Strangely enough, it makes me heart happy to know I'm out of the loop. I'm officially a missionary.


3. There's a HUGE difference between praying, and praying with real faith and desire and SHOOT. My companion doesn't spend as much time emailing as I do....so I have to run. BUT I LOVE YOU ALL. But side note: HAROON CAME TO CHURCH (that Muslim man I told you about). I've never been so shocked in my whole life. I want to cry and dance and run all at once. God's work is pushing forward.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON =)

P.S. If you could share my miracle blog on your Facebook walls that would be greatly appreciated! That's the only way it's going to be seen by the world =) LOVE YOU ALL.

Hello "Real" World!!

Hello Dear World!

Have I told you that when I talk about my life back home I refer to it as the "real world?" My companion just rolls her eyes and keeps asking me when I'm going to realize I'm in the real world haha. But I swear, this style of life is not quite real. It's divine.

I've got a random list of things to share today. Hope it's not too scattered.

1. We're kind of teaching a Muslim family. But only kind of. The family isn't too interested, but the father is. After literally FORCE FEEDING us more delicious food than I have ever consumed at one time (it's been a week and I'm still full) the husband/father walked us out to our car in the rain and said, "I love Jesus Christ. Please keep coming back and trying. We'll soften their hearts over time." My jaw almost hit the pavement. This man kept referring to us as angels. I'm still so grateful we chose to knock doors in his neighborhood. Even if it takes years for his family to open up to the gospel.

2. I've decided that the scriptures are like journals written by men of God. If we truly are recording our spiritual experiences in our personal journals...those entries become personal scriptures for us. I've found so much guidance in reading back over my journals and in writing in them each night. Please please please tell me you all have journals. I love them.

3. I have had SO many experiences on my mission that always stun me. I've probably said, "Whelp, I never saw that happening on my mission" 12 million times. But here's the strangest one yet. Yesterday, I carried an investigator's Hispanic, hemmoraging grandmother to our car and raced her to the hospital. Yes, I know that broke mission rules. No, I do not care. And yes, I'm definitely grateful that part of mission routine is working out in the morning. Usually we're saving souls. Occasionally, we're saving lives. Thank goodness God places us in specific places for a reason.

4. I had another epiphany moment during our Fast and Testimony meeting yesterday. If I leave nothing else on this earth when I die, I want to leave my testimony of Jesus Christ. Thank goodness I have all this precious time to share with everyone I meet my witness and sure knowledge that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I really do have the best job in the world. 

5. NELL CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY. The most darling 35 year old blind, less active member came to church. I am still doing happy dances. We've been meeting with her for a while now. She said she'd come once, but ONLY once. By the end of Fast and Testimony meeting she was apologizing for having to leave before Sunday School and promising to stay longer NEXT TIME. I do believe EVERY single testimony shared that morning was shared specifically for her. Oh how grateful I am for the spirit witnessing to her that church is where she needs to be after 14 years of not going. I LOVE IT.

And I love you! Have an incredible week. And Smile! Someone sacrificed Himself for your happiness.

Sister Hutchins