Seminary Week (January 27,2014)

Caption This:

Elder's kinda go crazy when they don't have a p-day for 11 days. We love them still:) I wish I could send the video of this situation.. maybe when I get home I'll just make a video of all the fun things that have happened over my 18 months as a missionary.

So today has been awesome. Not only is it p-day but we had the chance to teach seminary today! It was so much fun! Except it was early morning seminary... had to get up at 5:30. You know me and mornings. We don't get along well. Anyways, they are having an "Invite a Friend to Seminary Week" so they had us come in to talk about how important it is to invite. Love it.

We came back to do our studies.. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. anyways haha we got a text last night from a referral that we have been trying to contact. We met this girls roommate last week and gave her our card to give to Olivia (the referral). Late last night, we got a text from Olivia asking if we could meet today. We set up a time and she is a total golden investigator! The referral is from a friend who is serving in Texas right now and it is totally working out. She's driving down to Utah this weekend to go to church with a friend. Who does that?? We're not complaining though:) She's super shy so it will be fun to see how this all works out.

She did say something that made me think. About ten minutes in, she said that all of her friends were Mormon (she's from California). She loved how they didn't go out to party or any of that. She also said she would have gone to church if they invited her. They never did. It just makes me think how many people that I have passed over though out my life. She was waiting for an invite that never came until one of her friends randomly sent in a referral telling Sister Missionaries to get over there.

Anyways, here's to a normal week! (If there is such a thing)

Sister Hatch

3 Nephi 3:15

Take Us To The Temple Elders (January 24, 2014)

This week has been very weird. I'm e-mailing on Friday. What's up with that? I can tell you exactly. 

We're going to the Temple!!! Woooo!!! 

Okay, I haven't been to the temple in... almost 5 months! That's way to long for someone who drives by it at least once a week. If we didn't have one close I wouldn't complain but.. we do. Our mission is becoming very strict on getting as much proselyting time as we possibly can so we are only allowed to go to the temple when our mission president authorizes it and it has to be on p-day. P-day is usually Monday but since the temple isn't open on Monday we have to postpone our p-day. Ours got pushed back to Friday. We are still super excited and gladly give up our relaxing time because there is a new temple film!

We found out last week and we immediately told our Zone Leaders/Co-District Leaders and this is the conversation that followed:

ZLs: What anti-mormon website did you smoke today hahahaha

Us: haha no really a temple worker told us! 

ZLs: It's been out for a while homies

Us: No! It's a new new one ya twerp nuggets!

And so on. That is what brought around the "Take us to the Temple, Elders!!!"

We appreciate our leaders so much. 

We are so excited:)

Love you guys and will write more on Monday!

Sister Hatch

Down and Derby (January 13, 2014)

Saturday was probably one of the funnest days. Bishop Mason, Sister Bozant and I had the chance to judge a Pinewood Derby. It was great! They really went all out and decorated the gym as if it were a race track. So much fun:)

We have had a super great week but first...

Transfers were today! I am now with Sister Pratt!! She's awesome:) I've been with her for about 2 hours and this transfer will be a blast!

Back to our awesome week. One of our progressing investigators disappeared about 2 months ago. We were super upset because she was progressing and had excepted a baptismal commitment.. Then she disappeared. We called her, stopped by her house. Nothing. We tried again about 2 weeks ago and we met her husband who is a LA member and found out a lot of crazy stuff. Long story short, we began to teach him and try to get to go back to church. We stopped by on Saturday and he was gone but she was home. She was super excited to see us and wanted us to come and teach again. I love it! We are so excited to pick up where we left off:)

We got in contact with several others and.. just a good week. and then Sunday came. We had a member speak (she reminds me exactly of Markell Cox) and she just reaffirmed a lot for me. Everything testifies that there is a God in Heaven who cares immensely for us. The wonders of technology and of the human body and everything that we see everyday. She also said a really thought provoking saying that has been going through my head and has been coming back to me as I have studying the Old Testament for the past few months: "Adam went through Spiritual Death so we could have Physical Life. Christ went through Physical Death so we could have Spiritual Life."

I also just had a debate with a man here in the Library. I answered his questions with scriptures from the Book of Mormon and the Bible but he just wanted to shake my faith. We come in contact with these people everyday but they always make my faith stronger. He finished talking with me and sat in the computer by Elder Scott who is talking to him now. It sounds like he is trying to do the same thing to him. I feel like those in 1 Cor. 1:27 where the high and mighty try to tear down those who have the truth. They just talk themselves in circles. We still love them anyways:) Nathan will accept the truth one day. I know it.

Hope you have a great week and hopefully my mom will post this and my other e-mails;) (love you, momma k!!!)

Sister Hatch

3 Nephi 3:15

Year of the Potatoes (January 6, 2014)

Actually, despite popular belief, there aren't that many potatoes in Boise. More eastern but not Boise. What a conundrum.

So Happy New Year! Crazy stuff going on. Fireworks were going off until 2 AM.. It would be really cool if I didn't have to wake up at 6:30.. 

My companion was actually sick Monday night until Friday so we didn't have to much of a party going on.

Transfers are this week! I am so stoked. The last week of a transfer is always the longest because on Saturday (in the IBM) is when you will see how you will spend the next 3 months of your life. Crazy! Transfer predictions have been tossed around and no 2 are the same. It's going to be fun:)

We got a new bishop in one of our wards. It will be fun to see how it all works out. He was actually the Home teacher of one of the LA we are (trying to) work with. Hoping we can pull the "New Bishop" card and get Blake active! We'll see how it goes.

Hope everyone's New year was great!

Love you all!

Sister Hatch

3 Nephi 3:15

We Love Boise! (December 30, 2014)

We love Boise:)

I am kinda sad right now because we can't stay up late on New Year's Eve:(

You know how NYC has the big apple drop?

Guess what Boise is starting this year?

You'll never guess..

Actually you might.

But, They will now be starting

The Big Potato Drop!

How Idahoan is that??

Anyways, you can share in my sadness how I will miss this sight.. haha

So, Christmas was amazing. It really does feel like it was forever ago. But it was only Wednesday. I loved talking to my fam. My siblings are getting so tall.. not fair.. Oh well. I guess God just lets us grow until we are perfect and some of us didn't talk as long as others;) I am soo kidding. I wish I was perfect but I'm far from it. Total work in progress but I will get there!.. Some day. It makes me think of the new youth theme, Moroni 10:32. "Yea, come unto Christ, and be e perfected in him.." We are not meant to be perfect now (of which I am so glad because I am so not). It's a continual process as the scriptures state over and over "line upon line, precept upon precept" (Isa. 28:10, 2 Nephi 28:30 and several other places). I'm just at the beginning but I'm working at it and that is all that matters!

Exchanges were this week! I was with Sister Bennett who is from CANADA! She debunked all of my Canadian myths that I've heard. Except, they actually do say "Eh"! Sister Bennett is more of a "hey" but the idea is still there. I have two Elders in my District from Canada and She is in our zone. We appreciate (because we can't say "love") those missionaries:)

All I can say is the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

I also have to add that I don't think I have as many pictures with anyone than I do with Bro. Miranda. That Flyboy... We are living with the Miranda's right now (yes, that is their LAST name) and Bro. Miranda thinks he's Superman. Or else he would but Superman is trademarked. So he is Flyboy hahahah We love him:) 

Love you and Happy New Year!

Mosiah 16:9 (December 23, 2014)

So much happening this week, so little time to blog about it..

Let my first and only Christmas on my mission begin!

We heard a lesson at church yesterday and it's really stuck with me. Its based on a talk given by Elder Uchtdorf during the 2010 Christmas Devotional.  What is Christmas about? Looking back to the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Everything is center on Christ, as it should be. As time goes along, the world seems to go farther and farther away. We should always remember to Look for our Savior in all things this Christmas Season.

He then brings up another idea, while we are looking back, we should also look ahead at the coming year with 'new eyes' You'll just have to read the talk because I cannot do it justice.

One of my favorite things about being on a mission so far is seeing the Christmas Traditions that each family has. Some families have huge, month long traditions and others have short and simple ones. We had the chance to participate in a really interesting one where each member of the family lit a candle and then read a scripture of Christ. It didn't matter if it was Christmas Oriented. We had some dealing with the resurrection, The Mosaic Law and his birth. It was really neat to see. It was focused and based on Mosiah 16:9.

I get to call home on Wednesday and I'm super excited:)

Speaking of Christmas.. It's going to be an interesting one. You see, on a mission, there is really no such thing as holidays. There are days where they you have (have not get) to go home earlier, days where you get a lot more packages than usual, days that are normal and days that people are a little nicer. No holidays. It's fun:) Tuesday night we are having dinner with a potential investigator as well as breakfast on Wednesday with another potential. Really interesting story how those came about for another time.

I also discovered that reading the Ensign at Olive Garden is not weird.. Don't ask:)

Hope everyone has an amazing Christmas!

Love you all!

Sister Hatch

Frozen Selfies (December 9, 2014)

Not of me. I gave my camera to a brother in one of my wards and I left for a sec and when I cam back he had 5 selfies on my camera... Gotta love those English people..

This week has been COLD! Not as cold as Utah but still.. I wasn't outside for hours and hours walking. Brrrrrrrr... And I could wear pants back then, too!!! Elders are so lucky.

We have had a lot of fun over the past few weeks preparing for the holidays getting to know everyone we can and using the season for an excuse to share a message about Christ (and the Restored Gospel). We got a couple inches of snow this week so we had the brilliant idea to go around to our neighbors (we live with members) and offer our services to shovel their walkways for them. Nothing "successful" came of it but everyone knows who we are now and where we live. The people across the street wave to us every time we come outside so that's a bonus! Maybe one day the time will be right for them. 

We are really preparing for the baptism we are going to have on Saturday. We are super stoked and it looks like it's going to be a blast. Pictures next week!!!

Anyways, hope you're doing good and enjoying the holidays!

Sister Hatch:)

Miracles in the Work! (December 2, 2014)

Just saying.. I love missionary fights:)

So transfers were this week and our wards were getting switched up so I sent a text to my Zone Leaders to see if we have the same wards or not.

Me: Are our wards changing or are we good??

ZLs: You will be covering Idaho City.. So sorry Sisters..

ZLs: HA! Just kidding! You will cover cv and ot still

Me: Liar! And they say trust your leaders.. 2 Ne. 9:34

ZLs: HAHAHAHA:) d&c 121:39

Me: Don't be unrighteous.. DC 6:35

ZLs: You crazy!!!!!! You stole my own scripture!!

Me: Your scripture? Isa 55:8

That's how missionaries do it:)

Anyways, on a happier note, you may remember an investigator I wrote about before and us teaching her mother. We still haven't gotten in with the mother but we received some fantastic news this past week.

This week has truly been amazing! , Alyssa is our 14 year old investigator who has the faith of someone born into the gospel and then some. She has been taught for almost a year and has been going to church activities since she was 10. Alyssa lived in the middle of no where and was taught in the Columbia Village ward and then moved to the Oregon Trail ward so in both our wards. Everyone out here knows and loves her. Alyssa's parents had said from the start that she is not allowed to be baptized into the "Mormon" church and have stood strong on that point. She has wanted to be baptized since January but since she is only 14 she would have had to wait several years. This past summer her parents said she could be baptized when she was 16. We were so excited to get called to this area because we felt with Alyssa being taught by Sisters her parents would feel safer with us teaching rather than Elders. 14 year old girl with 20 year old guys.. I wouldn't with my daughter. Anyways, we got a text from Alyssa on Tuesday night saying that her parents agreed to let her be baptized! It was truly a miracle! We thought it would take a few months at the least but the Lords had was in this process all the way. Sister Bozant and I are so excited! It's going to be amazing!!! December 14th is the day and we expect a pretty big turn out... I'll have to update you on that after it happens:)

Love you all and hope your Thanksgiving was amazing!

-Sister Hatch

Anne Hathaway As A Ginger (November 25, 2013)

I must say this week has been interesting..

On Tuesday, we had a Leadership exchange with all the Area, District, Zone and Sister Training Leaders. I was super excited because I got to go on exchanges with my MTC companion! Sister Haas and I had a lot of fun being together again after 6 months. We both tried different styles of the work. She is in downtown Boise and I've only served in neighborhoods so it's really different ways of doing the work. So while we were together, we met this one guy named Cameron. He attends BSU and is from Alaska. We were talking to him for about an hour about different aspects of his belief and ours. It was a really interesting experience. But what topped it off was before we left, Cameron asked if he could pray for us. We said sure and we went to fold our arms and he just grabbed my shoulder. I really freaked me out because on a mission, Sisters don't have any contact with guys besides handshakes. He began to tell me that I will be healed (from my stutter), all demons should leave, and going on and on and on. It was really sincere but I really didn't think it would work. First off, he didn't have the priesthood. Second, I had no faith that it would. He was a really nice guy we just differed on a few key religious issues. It was just a weird experience. 

The leadership exchange was also really neat because our whole district (those that stayed in the IBM) were there. District Picture!! It's crazy to think how much has happened over the past 6 months. We all have trained at least once (Sister Haas and I have trained twice), opened a new area and were the first to really start off the growth in this mission. The work is moving forward like no other!

The rest of the week was interesting. Thursday and Friday I started to get sick so we only got to work half days and I was out Saturday completely.. Just this time of year. I'm hoping that the worst part is over.

Friday we had a District meeting that was interesting. Role plays are always the worst part except this week we didn't just do role plays. We did them in front of the District. I was paired with Elder Ficuir and we were teaching Anne Hathaway (a.k.a. Elder Martin). It was.. interesting. I think it was pretty good but E. Ficuir would not speak at all.. sigh.. those greenies..

Oh! Like I mentioned before, it's almost been six months since I've been out. Sister Haas and I were talking about it and we will be home either around the 20th of December or the 5th of January depending if we extend or not. (That's the secret) We'll see what happens! We still have a full year until that point so we'll see.

Love you all and Enjoy the Holidays!