Facebook, flying chicken, party killers, oh my! (w/ pictures of course)

 This week was INCREDIBLE. Good thing I've finally caught up in my journal to record it all. 

Miracle Moment of the Week: Our Zone Leaders promised us that if we did few specific things....that'd we'd have a miracle baptism this month. Well, after doing our best at each of those things they specified, and fasting, and praying a whole LOT, a miracle occurred in the last hour of our night on Saturday. Even through all this Facebook craziness, miracles are happening in our own area! Shay, a part member, agreed to be baptized! Just three weeks ago she was telling us she wasn't ready to take the lessons and then this week she'd read clear to Mosiah in 6 days. We asked her to be baptized on the 28th and she said she'd read and pray about it. The next morning at church, she marched straight up to the bishop and asked to be baptized on the 28th. We walked up right as she started talking with him, and I nearly passed out with joy. Ammon would have passed out in that moment I am sure. God is perfect! 

Embarrassing Moment of the Week: Our mission president and his wife came to a lesson with us. We ate a delicious meal before the lesson at the investigator's house and let me tell you, this couple we are teaching are very PRIM and PROPER. It was all going fine and dandy, until somehow the chicken I was cutting flew from my plate to my Mission president's wife's lap. I nearly died laughing, but had to keep it quiet since no one had noticed but Sister Craig. She was having a hard time keeping her giggles quiet too, but she hid the chicken oh so slyly. After the lesson when we walked outside, we finally burst into the long awaited laughing. Priceless missionary life moment. 

Adventure Moment of the Week: This morning we ran away from all responsibility and went on another adventure. We went to the tallest building in Jacksonville, and took pictures on the 42nd floor. We walked around parks and made wishes in fountains. It was a perfect early birthday adventure for Sister Ashcraft. Her birthday is on Friday!

Awkward Moment of the Week: I officially am someone who walks into a room and is expected to correct obedience issues with missionaries. It is NOT my favorite thing to do. This week, Sister Ashcraft and I had to do just that, and it's crazy how instantly laughing and disobedience can stop. We're party killers. But along the way, we do our best to love them into that obedience.

Right Place, Right Time Moment of the Week: We had incredible lessons planned one morning this week, and they both fell through. We were a little bummed about it, but luckily, God reminded us that He is perfectly in control. Because those lessons fell through, we were right where we needed to be when a set of sisters needed extra love. It couldn't have been more divinely orchestrated.

FACEBOOK SUCCESS MOMENTS OF THE WEEK: Have you been waiting for these? Because I've been dying to share them. Mormon.org, Deseret News, Deseret Book, LDS Living....they've all been writing, and sharing about our event! It was on my bucket list to be quoted somewhere big....well ladies and gents - that is now crossed off!! How crazy is that!? Disover the Book reached 81,000 invites and people all over the world were sharing photo after photo of the Book of Mormon covering their faces. The Church's media department has been watching us and wondering how we so brilliantly started this group with selfies to combine members and misionaries online sharing the gospel!! Sister Ashcraft and I didn't even realize that the Book of Mormon photo over the face was a selfie - haha. When Mormon.org said that, we just laughed and laughed ourselves to sleep that night in amazement at how perfectly God does this work. We're currently struggling with invites for this second event, but we just made connections with the tight knit group of LDS admins that all work together online to share the gospel through unofficial and official pages. They've started helping us in the last 12 hours...even more miracles are coming!!! I LOVE IT. Have you joined Called to Share?? What about our second event, Search the Book?? Please please please join us. And invite everyone you can. We're flooding facebook again tomorrow! Woot woot. (By the way, all of the missionaries in our mission that I've talked to are finding investigators online through this event. It's been incredible. Sister Ashcraft and I found 5 investigators this week online alone. Miracles are ABOUNDING.)

Side Note of the Week: I'm officially telling people I'm a Family History major. Yep, said it. And I feel strangely good about it. I'll let you know what that even means in 6 months. LOVE IT.

I know with all my heart this work is led by God. Every night on my knees, I thank Heavenly Father for leading us and guiding us every step of the way. I couldn't be more grateful that this work is His and not our own. I love you all so so so much. Now, I'm going to go live up my last weeks as a youngin'. Have a lovely week!

Sister Hutchins

P.S. Not sure if this is missionary appropriate, but we were laughing so hard. I just had to do it. 

Craziest Week Ever (w/ pictures!)

While driving over the to library today for emailing, Sister Ashcraft and I were trying to remember what went on this week. Honestly, I've never had a crazier week in my life - haha. I can't even fathom how to begin this post. 

Our week in list form:

*We traveled the mission hitting zone meetings to give trainings. And throughout ALL that driving we were in the infamous "AP Clergy Van." I was nearly dying all week every time we drove. Missionaries in a minivan with a clergy tag. I mean part of my heart thought it was the greatest thing ever, the other part was mortified that I could even consider it great - haha. 

*Somehow we fit in two 24 hour tradeoffs in. Florida Jacksonville Mission is the best mission in the world. These sisters are gems.

*Interviews with President. These happen every four months or so. I couldn't be more grateful to serve under President Craig. He has a knack of ministering to the one that I love.

*FACEBOOK EVENT. I mean HOLY COW. Over 12,000 group members and 50,000 invited to #discoverthebook in less than 4 days!! This has been one incredible roller coaster, full of deleting anti-posts every few hours to blocking marriage proposals up the wazoo from strangers living across the world - haha. But in all seriousness, it has been incredible to watch members and missionaries jump on board. Over the past few weeks with this Called to Share group I've felt very much like I've been walking in the dark, with the faintest light ahead of me. Every time everything seems to go black and I don't know which way to go, a light flicks on in the distance and miracles pour out as we follow that revelation from God. 

*Praying constantly. One night in particular I had gotten rather discouraged about something and was praying for quite a while. Right as I mentioned something in my prayer at 11:03 pm, our phone buzzed and that prayer was answered perfectly. Heavenly Father is so aware of us and He is especially aware of this Facebook Group "Called to Share". I have been gaining the strongest testimony of how truly He is in charge of this work.

*A darling old woman we began teaching a few weeks back used to be adamant about never joining our church. Whelp, ladies and gents....she just asked us if she could come to church this Sunday. The Spirit is a powerful tool. Her heart is changing. (Yes, by the grace of God, we sometimes fit in teaching appointments....sometimes.)

*We had a meeting at President's one night with the APs that went quite longer than any of us anticipated. But at the end, Sister Craig offered the prayer, and as we knelt in prayer, I felt so at home...it was crazy. Flashbacks to family prayer in the Hutchins home all growing up. It made my heart oh so happy. 

*We ventured to St. Augustine this week and had the world's perfect companionship date. Complete with touring a gorgeous old lighthouse, eating Northern Florida's best pizza, and delicious ice cream. Slipping out of the world for those few hours and into our little perfect afternoon was divine.

*We emailed every FB mission president in the country about this Facebook event....and the very next morning missionaries were jumping on board from Tennessee and Washington DC and all sorts of places. My heart was melting with joy. We even had a member of the 70 call President asking what we've started on Facebook.

I know there is SO much more I could share and tell you all about, but for now, that's all I have in me to type. I love this work. I love being a missionary. And most of all, I love that the Lord is hastening His work ONLINE. Right now. If you haven't already....JOIN US.

p.s. I made a list of the ways you can help =)

Here's a small list of things your family can do to take part and help in this online effort!

1. Invite Facebook friends to the Group - Called to share - and to the event.....Discover the book and future events

2. Post your own picture and hashtag on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Vine, etc and tag your friends and family.

3. Personally message 20 people to ask them to participate in this effort with you!

4. Share the group and 4 events in person at home wards, ward councils, and online on Facebook pages.

5. Ask for the help of those you know who are famous/well known. Think big!

6. Find a friend online who wants to learn more? Direct them to your son or daughter's profile!

7. Pray the event will find those that are looking to discover the truth!

Facebook Enigmas and Needing Help from YOU [yes you!] (w/ very cute pictures!!)

Oh do I have one crazy story to tell y'all. I hope you're ready for one of the craziest, hardest, and best weeks of my mission.

It all began on Wednesday at our Mission Leadership Council (MLC). My Mission President had asked my companion and I to give a training on how to be effective on Facebook. After we gave our 45 minute training that we had prayed, fasted, and prepared for....President Craig pulled my companion and I aside during lunch and asked for more. He wanted us to break down the walls our mission had been limiting ourselves with. My stomach dropped...we didn't have anything else to share...or so we thought. When we stood up there after lunch, the strongest Spirit filled the room. For an hour, the leaders of the Florida Jacksonville M mission bounced ideas back and forth. And over and over again, I felt like I had to tell them to think bigger. Go further. We all felt that something big was coming, but when President pointed at Sister Ashcraft and I and asked US to head whatever this bigger and better ENIGMA was...my stomach dropped all over again in the midst of all the excitement.

The last five days have been a whirl of praying, meeting with the APs and President, brainstorming, scribbling on whiteboards on my knees at midnight, fasting, and laughing at our new found obsession. I've never had something consume my thoughts so much. The Spirit in that MLC reminds me every morning that this is even bigger than I can fathom. We're not giving out all the details on this viral Book of Mormon project just yet because when this hits, we want it to hit the mission, the members, and the rest of world all at once and roll out from there. But details will be coming next week and you can bet your bottom dollar we are going to need each and every one of your help. So, at this very moment...consider yourself recruited. You've been called to serve a Facebook mission for the next month. And if this is going to be viral...we need all the help we can get.  We've got a list of specific ways our families and friends can get involved that will be coming out in the next week. Oh my goodness-I almost can't contain my excitement. This is going to be SO good. 

In Mosiah 2:8, King Benjamin had to do more than merely speak his words on the tower...but he had to write them to reach everyone. In our day, we can't just touch enough people face to face anymore. We have to use technology to reach anyone and everyone around the world. And we're going to start testing those waters as Facebook Missionaries starting here and now. OH MY WORD-I love my life. I love this work. I love answered prayers. And how guided by God every ounce of this work is. 

When you see an event on Facebook go up that's titled something like "Called to Share the Power" jump in. I can promise you, we need you. Sharing what you love the most really is the best work in the world. 

Sister Hutchins

p.s. If you wanted to know what I want for my birthday....I want your help in this viral Book of Mormon project. Nothing would make my heart happier. 

p.p.s. You know that feeling when you are exactly where you are supposed to be? Not just kind of there, but EXACTLY there? That's what I felt fill my heart this morning as I washed dishes and prayed for more guidance. Life is WONDERFUL. 

p.p.p.s. My new address is 3900 Oldfield Crossing #613, Jacksonville, FL 32223.

 MLC Sister Training Leaders....we were missing a few. 1000 souls is our goal for baptisms for this year. We're oh so excited and committed to it. We'd love and appreciate your prayers =)

 I heart Sister Jensen and Sister Phelon.

 By the grace of God, my darling MTC companion and I went on a trade off the on our year mark...it was LOVELY. 

My ward's MASS of missionaries=)

Big Changes and Summer Roasting

Welp dear world, it's officially hit. Summer is beginning. I can feel the heat of asphalt through my shoes again. I've started putting on layers of sunscreen and I'm becoming insecure again of hugging people when I feel oh so icky from sweating all day. But with a few bad things, comes a WHOLE lot of good things. From fun summer fairs to go street contacting at, to my hair getting blonder again, to gorgeous sunshine and fun thunder storms all in one day, to there being SOOO many people outside all night long....Life is getting oh so good. Hot summer nights are my favorite out on the mission. So dear Florida Summer-bring on the heat. I'm so ready for ya. 

So all I have time for this lovely Memorial Day is sharing my favorite secret of the mission. Ready? Just this week I started getting used to this new area and my new calling, and it became a tad daunting. As we were driving home the other night so many things were running through my mind. From a 45 minute training we're presenting to all the leaders of the mission this week, to a power trade off the following day with a struggling set of sisters an hour away, to a ward activity we're behind on planning, to our own struggling area, to the three 24 hour exchanges we're going on this coming week, to the many people in the ward who's names I can't keep straight just yet...on and on and on.....And then, as I stepped out of the car, I smelled that perfect honey suckle smell (one of my three favorite smells in the whole world....up there with Lake Tahoe air and Cinnamon pine cones) I was reminded so simply and powerfully, that Heavenly Father loves me and is working through me. It felt like the weight of the world disappeared. 

Look closely at the THERMOSTAT!!!

I alone couldn't be a sister training coordinator. I couldn't talk to complete strangers and invite them to church. I couldn't have scriptures come to mind right in the moment our investigator needs them. I couldn't do any of it. I'm pretty sure my 20 year old self would self combust. But with God, with my Savior, with the guidance of the Spirit....this work is moving forward. It's not failing. It hasn't blown up yet because I'm here. It's actually getting better. All because God's hand is in this work. I simply get to step back and be a tool in God's hand. I'm FINALLY realizing none of this has been me. Not one stitch of it. All of it has been because of Him. So when people compliment me or thank me for my service or act amazed at something we've been apart of...I'm beginning to just shake my head and hold fast to my favorite secret of all time: It's never been me. You're praising God. You're thanking Him. You're amazed by Him. Oh how grateful I am that this work is His and that I have the privilege to be a tool in His hands, no matter how small of a tool I may be. 

Whoa, hope y'all enjoyed my rant session this week =) Love you all and am praying for you like crazy. Happy Memorial Day!!

If I was at your door, wouldn't you want to talk with me? Hahaha.

Combining my Jerusalem world and my mission world - PERFECTION. 

Snapshots of Missionary Life (w/ SO MANY pictures!!)

Hey y'all!

Oh goodness, I'm already losing my y'all. I'm back in the city, and a rather nice part of the city. Hello traffic, busy neighborhoods, and more than plenty of people to talk to! It feels a bit like whip lash. And while my heart is still in Lake Butler, I know this is where I am supposed to be. I can feel it. 

Are y'all ready for some snapshots of missionary life? That's the plan for today's blog. Enjoy =)

1. I love Brother Rusty. Goodbyes in Lake Butler were a little heart breaking. But I'll be back! Mother Daughter Reunion trip next Spring for the Starling's sealing =) 

2. I had never seen an alligator. So naturally, our last P-day our zone ventured to Alligator Park. And yes, I finally laid eyes on a gator. It may have been a baby one...but it was a gator! Only took my 11 and a half months to realize they we're myths. (And I was wearing my Florida Gators shirt...perfection in a moment. That's for sure.)

3. Each place I go, I take pictures of my feet. This one was perfect. Not only are we are on lovely Floridian grass near some gators, but it's with a few of the sisters in the zone. Perfectly captures my three transfers in the Lake City zone as an STL.
 

4. I love Sister Cline more than words can say. These past two transfers with her have been a piece of heaven.

5. A man has 18 peacocks in our neighborhood that just roam. We LOVE it. And after 4.5 months...I finally decided to document them. Naturally, while bending down to take a picture with it, it scurried away, I died laughing, and Sister Cline captured the world's most awkward photo. Love it. 

6. Goodbye's nearly break my heart, but amidst the sadness, I felt more love than I can even express from darling people in Lake Butler. The Starlings post-it attacked my car. Excuse the apparent crying that had been going on it the picture.

7. I LOVE THE STARLINGS. I LOVE GANEENE. I LOVE THEM ALL. SO MUCH. I love that when we leave on our missions we think we are leaving our families and it's so hard. And then, you end up finding some of your long lost family along the way.

8. Hello Mandarin First ward. Hello Sister Ashcraft! My darling 27-year-old companion from Idaho. Hello Sister Training Coordinator calling. Hello sword fights of course. (We're getting along really well as you can tell.)

9. Oh the blessings of being close to the mission home! We had the privilege of having dinner with our Mission President and his wife, with our investigator. God is so good. Such a powerful lesson about the Plan of Salvation.

10. In short, I'm one happy missionary. I love Mandarin. I love Florida. I love my Savior. And I absolutely love serving my fellow sister missionaries. It's a privilege to be surrounded by such incredible, faithful daughters of God. Miss ya. LOVE YA.

Transfers & Tender Mercies (w/ pictures!!)

Hey Y'all!

Changes are in store today....hello TRANSFERS. My time in perfect, darling Lake Butler has sadly come to an end, and an entirely different kind of adventure awaits. I'm being sent back to Jacksonville to be a Sister Training Coordinator. I really have no idea if that calling even exists in other missions, but I'll be serving over the Sister Training Leaders in each zone. It's a tad daunting to say the least, BUT God has everything perfectly in His hands.

To finish out the tradition strong, Sunday's pow wows was ALL about the tender mercies we have seen in Lake Butler. And oh my word, I have never seen so many tender mercies in my life. Let me tell you about a few before I race off to a zone activity/packing like a mad woman.

Tender Mercy #1: Having the world's best team of missionaries here in Lake Butler. I have never worked with such incredible young men and women. Their faith and service is what helped make Lake Butler home for me. I adore them all. No matter how dorky we all may very well be-y'all are jealous. LB3 FOREVER. (p.s. We've become a famous little service team...from axing trees, hacking bushes, demolishing burned homes....we LOVE service.)

Tender Mercy #2: Here in Lake Butler, the entire ward has become my family. I don't know how they all won my heart so quickly...I think it may be that Southern charm. However, I do have two people I adore a little extra. We call them our Southern parents. Brother Rusty and Sister Sandra have been our home away from home, our safe haven in the middle of a hard day. I couldn't be more grateful for their incredible love.

Tender Mercy #3: I ADORE MY COMPANION. Between Sister Call and Sister Cline, my time in Lake Butler has been every missionary's dream. Serving beside Sister Cline has taught me so much about how the Spirit works and how invaluable helping other's feel loved really is. I really am the most blessed missionary around.

I LOVE YOU ALL. I LOVE MY MAMA (happy mother's day!!!). I LOVE THE GOSPEL. And I am even beginning to LOVE change. I know it's for the best and I cannot wait to tell y'all ALL the many things I'll be learning. Missing you...but NOT for too much longer =)

Long-Johns and Lessons Learned (w/ HILARIOUS pictures)

Hey Y'all!

To stay true to this transfer's traditions....Our weekly pow-wow last night in our ever-present fort with darling Sister Tsai and Crawford was divine. And this week we shared our lessons learned....Here's a taste of the lessons I learned this week:

1. The work really is hastening. No joke. Miracle of all miracles. Do y'all remember how we were struggling to teach lessons? Well, there was a day this week where we taught four member present lessons. Aka we taught 4 lessons and each had a member there to make them even more powerful. My jaw just about dropped when the day ended and each lesson went according to plan. From teaching a mother of seven with recent convert, Ganeene Starling, to having a miraculous lesson on Facebook with a man in India with a returned sister missionary who just got back from Peru, to teaching a mother and daughter with one of our favorite sisters in the ward, and then ending the night with that same member teaching this dear older woman sharing all about the Book of Mormon....Sister Cline and I got back in the car stunned. 4 member presents in one day....in Lake Butler....might as well make the history books. And this week is looking just as promising. All I can say, is God's work is hastening. 

2. God knows what's best. When suddenly out of no where we have progressing investigators ready to come to church, we thought it was a sad thing that we didn't have church this week. The Fort Lauderdale temple was dedicated this past Sunday so we didn't have our normal 3 hour church block. Little did we know this was ALL a part of His plan. We prayed about what to do, and decided upon a church tour instead. Let me tell you, it was an hour of divinity. With three investigators, one darling member family, and Sister Tsai and Sister Crawford....we began our adventure touring the church Sunday morning. It hit me as we came back into the chapel at the end of the tour how much I absolutely love church. We are so blessed to be able to go to church each week. And really what hit me most of all, is that God knew these darling women didn't need to come to "church church". He knew they needed to have personal spiritual experiences there first with us to then help them have the desire to return the next week for church. God knows what's best.

3. I learned that sometimes (quite often really) I live in a happy little bubble. I naturally assume every missionary is obedient, happy to be here, and ready to work. The longer I'm in a leadership position...the more I've learned this isn't true. I thought for a while I had just been naive all my mission and that I needed to reality check. But this week, I went back to my old happy bubble ways because I realized I wasn't being naive. I was seeing people as they ought to be...and really as their potential truly is. When we look at people as their potential...instead of where they are, they often rise to the occasion. Hello happy bubble. It's good to be back.

4. I'm in love with the Book of Mormon. During this 90 day read, I've gotten to the point where we'll walk out of a lesson or be talking as we drive and I'll whip it out to make a point, or scribble in a new thought that reminded me of a scripture I read that morning. Best thing ever. I love the Book of Mormon.

5. Sometimes, it's A-okay to act like a kid. I'm only 20. So this week may have involved some 10pm tackling wars and matching footsie pjs and hysterical laughing. Perhaps a little too much hysterical laughing.

I love you all....so so so much. Can't wait to chat with the fam bam this week!!! Happy Mother's Day indeed!