Loving Life and the Mission

It finally hit me this week, that at some point my mission will end. It was a rather painful moment to actually grasp that this incredible opportunity to serve my Savior with every bit of my day....doesn't last forever. And that somehow, I am actually one of the "seasoned missionaries" now. But I think this realization was actually a blessing because a renewed passion for this work followed immediately after it. Now I see that I have got to kick it into gear and utilize every second I have left. This mission has been one of the most precious gifts I have been given-18 months to fully dedicate all of my time to my Savior. I remember my Stake President mentioning that as I sat in the art gallery of the Jerusalem Center on of the only phones during an interview. I didn't quite understand it then, but now I do. Hallelujah for the next 2 and half transfers.

I love everything about a mission. I love the INCREDIBLE members who go above and beyond to make you feel loved by surprising you with a homemade meal (especially when Shay hasn't cooked a meal in two years!! Goodness-I'm obsessed with her and her family). I love when a less active 20 year old agrees to sing in a musical number...so he comes to church to practice in his earrings, tattoos, and slightly inappropriate t-shirt. I love when I can end the day feeling like I did my absolute best to talk with everyone I saw that day, regardless of the crazy things people tell me (Example A: "I am the Lord, sweetheart." WHAT do you say to that?). I love walking into church on Sunday, and knowing the names and life-stories of all the ward members sitting in the pews and LOVING them to death. I love conversations late into the night with my companion about how we are going to reach our baptism goals. I love those nights that I somehow have the energy to stay awake and really pray/receive answers from my Father in Heaven. I love posting things on the I Follow Him page and seeing hundreds of people spend their time liking and commenting on GOSPEL-centered media. I love carrying cute notecards in my purse (thanks madre) everywhere I go for those perfect moments when someone needs a few words written down for them to feel loved. I love testifying of the many promised blessings that come from living the commandments and feeling the person across the room start to understand how true that is through the Spirit.

I JUST LOVE THIS LIFE. SO SO SO MUCH. When I say I feel like I am the most blessed missionary around, I truly feel that way. Life is oh so good. If you haven't had a chance, watch Elder Bednar's Social Media #sharinggoodness devotional. We're giving a training on it this week at Mission Leadership Council. CAN'T WAIT.

Love,
Sister Hutchins

 Shay's scrumptious dinner

 Mandarin Zone!!

 #ifollowhim

 10,000 participated!!

Darling Sister Bowers birthday P-day!

Oh, happy day! (w/ really cute pictures!)

OH HAPPY DAY.

 

I know this is probably my 3000th time saying this, but I love being a missionary. This time is going by so quickly, I really do consider each and every day the biggest blessing in the world. It makes me laugh to think I use to consider it a sacrifice to serve a mission. Little did I realize the incredible blessing it is to dedicate every ounce of my time to the Lord. I'm forever grateful for the mission age change at the perfect time in my life. God has a plan for each and every one of us. It is individual and it is perfect for who He needs us to become. I know that is true.

 

MIRACLES ARE ABOUNDING IN MANDARIN. Sister Petramalo and I are finding people like crazy, teaching more lessons than I have in quite some time, and working our tails off. And yet, it's the best feeling. I seriously love this sister-she has incredible faith, a love for the gospel, and a powerful focus. The last 10 days as her companion have been a tender mercy from the Lord. He knows exactly what we need when we get close to that breaking point. Can I tell y'all about a miracle family we've found this week?

 

Part 1. We started the week on trade-offs. On this trade-off, a visiting sister and I had 20 minutes to find a new investigator before racing to a family home evening lesson. She was working on following the promptings of the Spirit, so everything was working out well with our plans. For a weeks now a certain street had been standing out, but we somehow never got there. We went directly to that street and I simply asked this sister where she felt good about. It threw her off her groove a bit, but she picked a place and led the way to which houses she liked. No Answer. No Answer. Drum roll please....On the third door, one of my soon-to-be favorite people in the world, stepped out onto her porch. Within a matter of minutes, she was crying, we were setting a return appointment, and my companion and I raced off to get to our FHE. Her name is Carrie, by the way. I love that God can work so quickly and powerfully through our limited time. We only had to talk to one person to find who God had prepared.

 

Part 2. A few days later, Sister Petramalo and I come back to Carrie's for our return appointment. Her 16 year old daughter, Victoria, joined us, as well as her 21 year old handicapped daughter, Courtnie. That hour in their home was incredible. We got to know them, their struggles, and teach the first lesson. Both Carrie and Victoria have agreed to be baptized in September. We are going to start teaching the husband this week too. I love teaching families. I love it. I love it. I love it. I don't have the more sensitive spirit of discernment, but there is something different about this family. They are ready for the gospel in a way I have only felt a few times on my mission and it makes my heart so happy.

 

Here's a few random tidbits:

1. There are people surrounding us that are ready for the gospel.

2. #IFOLLOWHIM Event is going to be INCREDIBLE this Saturday. Have you joined it?
3. I am beginning to pick up TERRIBLE SOUTHERN ENGLISH. "Get out the car." "And I be like..."

4. Scribbling my favorite quotes and ideas and inspirations into my scriptures is one of my favorite things. I love it.

5. I cracked my iPad screen..."You win some and you lose some."
6. If you are feeding the missionaries - I promise all they want is fresh fruit.

7. There is nothing prettier than a planner full of teaching appointments.

8. Getting in contact with the leadership of all the facebook missions all across the country to combine our efforts through a specific mission leadership group-TAKES FOREVER.

9. My companion and I have way too much fun at night after planning.

10. Mandarin First is incredible. If it were God's will, I'd beg you all to pray I spend the rest of my mission here. HEAVEN IS HERE.

 

Love y'all forever!

Sister Hutchins

 Sister Petramalo is obsessed with watermelon. Not casually obsessed, but nearing crazy kind-of-obsessed. We seriously laugh more than is healthy.

 Taura makes the best Pico De Gallo on the planet. Don't worry I have the recipe...but I think it may be more of an art of Taura's than something that can be learned.

  I heart Sister Petramalo.

Darling Peruvian family fed us a scrumptious Sunday dinner. Yum yum.

Meeting an Apostle (w/ pictures!!)

There is always so much I want to share, but I decided that this week, instead of sharing a lot of good, brief points, I'll just tell y'all about one experience.

On Friday, we were talking with President Craig and he told us how Elder Christofferson, one of the 12 apostles, was visiting the Kingsland, GA Stake to set apart the new stake president. I let it go pretty quickly when President mentioned there was no way he could fit it into his schedule to meet with the missionaries of our mission. But then come Saturday, President Craig called us and asked if we'd been praying pretty hard. We didn't understand of course, and then he said that Elder Christofferson had worked through his schedule and he had a 2 hour window that he could meet with 4 zones of missionaries before his flight. HALLELUJAH. The very next day, the four Jacksonville Zones (our mission has 8), gathered in the Hendricks building and had the privilege of a life-time to sit and hear an apostle of the Lord speak to us.

For the first 20 minutes, Elder Christofferson shook every single missionary's hand. It was not only incredible to talk with him for a few brief moments, but really it was incredible to watch as he was able to help each of us feel of the Savior's love simply and powerfully through his own actions. He reminded me of when Christ visited the America's in 3 Nephi 11;15 and spent time "one by one" with everyone in the multitude. And it just got better from there.

Elder Christofferson spoke for a few brief minutes, then he opened up for questions. I've always heard about experiences where apostles have done this, but never actually been a part of them. As missionaries began asking questions, one I've been really pondering stood out in my mind. I asked him the following question: "How can we make every prayer powerful and sincere?" He made an initial joke about all the times he fell asleep on his knees with his companion during their night-time prayers. Then, he began explaining the importance of listening. We tend to go on and on in our prayers about what we need, what we're grateful for, what's on our minds. But, to ultimately have spirit-guided, powerful prayers, we have to give God the opportunity to GUIDE them. He invited us to pause during our prayers, to slow down in between the things we're praying for, and really listen. "That," he said, "is the key to powerful, sincere prayers. Then you can let the Spirit guide them." Prayer really is my favorite thing. As Sister Training Coordinators, we decided to create a transfer theme for all of our sisters. This transfer's theme is from 3 Nephi 19;26. PRAY ON. We are so excited about it. There's a lot more to it, but for now, that's my catch phrase of late. I love it.

And of course, Elder Christofferson saved the best for last. As he bore his testimony of the gospel, he paused, seemed to look every missionary in the eye and said something like, "My purpose in coming here today was to let you know one thing: The Lord accepts your offering. Your service is accepted by the Lord." The spirit filled the room in a deeply powerful way. If it hadn't been so spiritual, it almost would have been funny how quickly the sniffles around the room started all at the same time. I know countless sisters that needed to hear that. I needed to hear that. I LOVE how though God truly is a God of justice, and commands us to live a certain way and to do certain things, He also is a God of mercy and shows us incredible, unconditional love, even in the face of our many imperfections and weaknesses. That sacred moment in the chapel with an apostle of the Lord accepting my service on behalf of my Savior is one I will never forget.

He ended everything by saying, "I know, because I KNOW that Jesus Christ lives. You are hearing it now from the lips of an apostle. I hope you never forget it." My goodness, I love his boldness and power as he spoke. Elder Christofferson isn't an apostle I would have pegged as the most amazing speaker in the world, but I now know he is perhaps one of the most Christlike. I really am the most blessed missionary alive. I love this work. I could truly serve my Savior forever, and I will...just in different ways in the years to come.

Sister Hutchins

Singing "I Believe in Christ" in church

I keep meaning to send you a photo of what happens by the end of a humid day. This
was a tame straight hair day. But really, that was nice and straight in the morning. I need to capture the truly horrendous days soon before August ends!

Nice and Simple

To keep it nice and simple....

Transfers are here once again! I have a darling new companion starting tomorrow named Sister Petramalo! I really do love having companions. It's one of my favorite things about the mission. These incredible sisters teach me so much.

This week I got to go on a trade off in Lake Butler and do some service with the lovely Wades and hug Ganeene. I also got to finally eat ALLIGATOR and Kangaroo!! And we gave my favorite training of all time about developing a relationship with Christ at missionary leadership council. I'm not really a crier when I feel the spirit...at least since being in my mission. But as I bore my testimony of my Savior and how my mission
has brought me so much closer to Him, I got more than a tad choked up in front of the entire mission leadership council. I seriously love my mission. More than I will ever be able to convey. Helping others develop a relationship with Christ, and in turn developing that relationship for myself, is the best work in the world.

Love you, 
Sister Hutchins

p.s. I Follow Him, the event on Facebook already has 50k invited! Will you join us and then invite your friends to join with us as well?! We can't wait for August 16th! This really is the perfect event for the South and all these Christ-loving people. Here's the link! 

https://www.facebook.com/events/917012334981525/?ref_notif_type=like&source=1

Side Notes and Miracle Notes

Side notes I love:
1. My Welsh ward mission leader and I performed in Sacrament meeting. I accompanied on the piano and in the middle of the song, a sheet of music fell down. I have never dove to the ground faster in my life. Somehow, the song didn't completely fall a part...most people didn't actually notice. And to make it even funnier, one of our investigators, Anne, clapped as the song ended. Thank goodness she is a spitfire and doesn't care that she clapped alone. I love that woman. All the members LOVED that she clapped and somehow that one moment helped break the ice with everyone. Anne is the ward's new best friend. Hallelujah.

2. My darling dad sent me flowers on my birthday (aka July 1st). Those flowers arrived on the 23rd. The woman in the apartment office was very upset for us and ready to call FedEx to complain. Sister Ashcraft and I were giggling too hard to even care. The smell coming from that box was strangely hilarious and the woman kept holding them.

3. I didn't know how much I had missed mashed potatoes. I don't know how the South missed the memo, but apparently their equivalent is mac and cheese. This week we were fed mashed potatoes twice, and I felt so at home. I'm pretty sure this cute recent convert family that feeds us every Wednesday is going to feed us mashed potatoes now for the rest of time because I got so excited about them. I didn't even realize I like mashed potatoes that much.

Miracle Notes that I LOVE even more:
1. A man, named Fred, that we've been teaching for quite a while now (husband of a member-Pat) finally set a baptismal date. I've never met a man with so many questions in my life. I'm still stunned that he agreed to a set date, and though the date is NOT solid, he still is finally working toward something and is opening his heart little by little to this actually being the fullness of the gospel. Fred and Pat feel like my grandparents here in Mandarin. They are this darling couple in their 70s that just got married in May. Love 'em.

2. Anne and Sean (also people we've been teaching for AGES) clicked with a recent convert family we brought over to their lesson. And because of that incredible relationship, Anne and Sean came to church this Sunday. There really are two parts to conversion-the social (hello members-that's you) and the spiritual (hello missionaries-that's me). The desire they have now to read the Book of Mormon, come to church, take the lessons, and learn more is awe-inspiring. I can't tell you what kind of answer to prayer members in lessons really are.

3. I learned a BIG lesson this week that I somehow wish I could imprint on my mind and heart forever and not forget it. This past transfer my area that I've been serving in has been struggling a bit. Sister Ashcraft and I would go to other areas, serve there and see incredible miracles, and then come back to our own and see things fall a part. It was throwing me off my groove. Then, come emails last Monday, an old companion of mine sent me a CES devotional talk to read from Elder Bednar called "That We Might Not Shrink." It was the perfect answer to my fears and prayers. All my mission, especially since January, I've been learning all about faith in miracles-incredible miracles. From the Facebook Event with #discoverthebook to the Starlings being baptized. But at some point, I need to have faith in God's will, even when His will is NOT to have those miracles. It doesn't mean He can't perform them, it just means they aren't part of His plan. It really helped me to pause and ponder my faith. Do I have the faith to continue pressing forward if those miracle baptisms don't happen this month? Do you have the faith to press forward and choose the right if something you've been praying for doesn't happen? I'd like to say my lesson has been learned, but I'm still in the midst of learning it. All I can say is that God has perfect timing. Even in the midst of trials, tender mercies surround me more than I can ever adequately email about (1 Nephi 1:20).

I love you all. I love the Lord. And I LOVE this work. Oh and by the way, a new facebook event is coming up on Called to Share! We'll be releasing it on Wednesday. I'M SO EXCITED FOR "I FOLLOW HIM." Join us in spreading WHY you follow your Savior. I'll be bullying y'all more individually next week through email. Happy Monday!

No Zipper Issues and Strong Testimonies

I found Proverbs 17:22 this morning and it made my heart so happy. I actually giggled in the middle of personal study and my companion got a bit of a kick out of it.  "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." It definitely sounds a bit more like Shakespeare than scripture, but I loved it anyway. Here are a few funny moments of the week, because let's be honest, there are some flat out hysterical moments in missionary life (or at least my missionary life).

1. In Ward Council, I feel the need to sit up straight and act a bit more like a grown up than usual, but this week I lost a bit of that composure as I looked across the room and saw an elder serving in my ward with MY name tag on. I had to do a double take, look down to check to see that my name-tag was in fact, still on, and then look back more puzzled than I've been in a while. I tried to point at him slyly to my companion and suddenly the entire ward council was following my gaze, the bishop was laughing, and calling him out and my new name tag (that I ordered 4 months ago) was tossed to me across the room. Favorite quote of that morning, "Will the late Sister Hutchins say the closing prayer?"-Bishop Reading.

2. As we were getting into the car one day this week, my companion was telling me why she was grateful to be a missionary. Here I was ready to here some profound wisdom, and she listed off that she loves being a missionary because she never has to worry about her zipper being down. The pro and con list was already in favor of the Pros, but it just got a bit longer. I'm learning to love this skirt thing more and more.

3. We ate dinner with a part-member family in my ward last night. We had been warned by the wife to keep things very casual with her husband and not to be pushy with the gospel. I expected a rather awkward dinner conversation that night, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that though her husband is not a fan of our beliefs, he is a fan of us. By the end of dinner we were all hysterically laughing as this couple bickered back and forth about the toilet seat the husband had just purchased. Favorite quote of the night,"Sisters, come here and just look at my toilet seat."-Husband. "Wait, look at mine!" -Wife. Oh the joys of missionary life. 

Along with the oh so funny moments of missionary life, come the oh so powerful ones as well.

1. Trade offs have become such a normal thing in my missionary life that I almost don't realize them happening anymore. We went on two this week and on both trade offs, both sisters needed a bit extra TLC. Through rather long conversations, the Spirit began to flow and answer the questions and worries of these dear sisters. I'm always so stunned when a sister presents her troubles to me and somehow, ever so perfectly, they find their answer by the end of the trade off. I never know the answer they need, but I trust that God does. Thank goodness for that.

2. Members are the best thing in the whole world. We invited a cute recent convert mom to join us a for a lesson with an investigator this week and it was literally the best member match up I've ever witnessed. I do believe we may have just witnessed future best friends meeting for the first time. Just about made me want to cry with happiness.

3. During weekly planning this past Friday, Sister Ashcraft and I were finally led to the root of why we're struggling in our area. We're trying to do too much ourselves. It's time we stepped up our game with our members. I am oh so excited. And to confirm that to us even more, President Craig spoke in our Sacrament meeting and in the 3rd hour all about member missionary work. LOVE IT. 

We've been focusing on meeting all these unknown members in our area. We were visiting an older man in our ward, and in the middle of the conversation I just asked him what wisdom he would share with us. He replied, "I need to get back to church." That was not the answer we were expecting, but you can bet your bottom dollar we are re-teaching this man the lessons now and he is working on getting back to church. Love it.

LOVE YOU ALL. I just finished the Book of Mormon again for my mission's 90 day read (it took me 110...woops! I'm a slow poke). I love that precious book SO much. We write our testimonies in the front cover of all the Books of Mormon we give out and it hits me so often how incredible it is that we have this second witness of Christ in our lives. When is the last time you gave someone a Book of Mormon? 

Love, Sister Hutchins

Goals and Promptings (w/ lots of fun pictures!!)

After three back to back trade-offs Monday through Thursday all over the mission, we saw an incredible miracle in our own area. It truly has been one of my absolute favorite experiences on the mission yet, and though it hasn't turned out quite how I'd prayed for, I'm oh so grateful for it. 

Sister Ashcraft and I have set really high goals this month as I've mentioned before and those goals have caused me to spend quite some time on my knees praying to know where we are going to find the people The Lord has prepared. One night this week, the letter "D" came into my mind. I just assumed it meant that we should knock on streets that have "D" starting letters. I felt a little weird about it, but I decided it'd be better to go forth with faith than let the chance of finding someone to teach pass by. Little did I realize what He was trying to tell me. 

Remember the big #discoverthebook Facebook event we were doing? We did it with the intention of sharing the gospel I know, but I am continually stunned with the fact that it worked out SO well. We received a referral the very next day after that "D" prayer from a set of sisters in Gainesville. A woman had asked for a Book of Mormon from them on Facebook and they gave us her address....a woman named DEE. She let us straight in and was more open than anyone I have ever met in Mandarin. She asked questions, LOVED Moroni's promised in Moroni 10:3-5, came on a church tour the very next day, stayed for all three hours of church the day after that, and kept talking about a feeling that our church has that she hasn't been able to feel in other places. I really have been stunned for the past four days. The Spirit is usually a subtle thing in my life, but I've found that as I ask more and more specific questions, we really can receive incredibly specific answers. God will and does answer us. 

Just like in 3 Nephi 14: 9-11 when Christ says, "Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" I know that He answers us perfectly.  After those three days, I really could tell that God was answering me. 

But often, we look at our circumstances, and feel like God is NOT answering us or is answering us the wrong way. I know with all my heart, that if we do all we can and wait patiently, that His perfect plan will come about. Just this morning Dee asked to stop meeting with us. And honestly, most of our other investigators decided to drop us this week too. At first, my heart felt like it was breaking and doubt filled my mind that maybe God wasn't hearing my prayers. But then I was reminded oh so quickly, that God's ways are not my ways. His thoughts are not my thoughts. This is His perfect plan and as I continue to work my little heart out and trust Him, my will will become His and His miracles will come about perfectly. I truly am so grateful that I can completely and fully rely on my Heavenly Father. Not one bit of me doubts that He has a plan for Dee, Carla, Cindy, Fred, and Isaac. I couldn't have said that a year ago. 

I'm so grateful for the many lessons I learned on my mission. They are more precious to me than I can even describe. I know Heavenly Father loves us. I know there are prepared people all around us, but we can't be afraid to face a little heartache along the way. More often than not, it's through those heartaches that God can guide us even better. My goodness, I love being a missionary. I love this perfect gospel more than I ever believed was possible.

Side note: I adore my companion. We tend to analyze the world through personality colors (Red, Blue, White, Yellow) and somehow began analyzing Book of Mormon prophets and characters this week. This led to us having our own Book of Mormon personality twins. It's made us laugh so hard. I don't know if any of you have this in your mission journals, but y'all should start drawing. 

p.s. We went to the ZOO. LOVED it.

pps. Pictures are from birthday, 4th of July, and zoo fun. :)