The Englishman, The Dane, and The Cricket

Sounds like a start of a bad joke, right?

That's what we said.  This past week we received, 41 new missionaries into the Idaho Boise Mission and one of them was paired up with our Co-Zone Leaders. This transfer our Zone Leaders are Elder Birk and Poplin with Elder Hughes as their third companion who just came out. Funny thing is Elder Poplin can make that annoying cricket noise, Elder Birk is from Denmark and Elder Hughes is from London. So we have the Englishman, The Dane and The Cricket, literally. It's going to be an interesting transfer to say the least.. We now have missionaries from Australia, Puerto Rico, Zimbabwe, UK and several different countries. I wonder what their reaction was when they heard they were going to Boise.. Hmmm..

 The bikes are going great! -ish. It's not all as bad as I first thought. The only bad thing was we set up all of our appointments last week when we still had our car so we've been biking hard between them. And skirts. Bikes were not made to be rode with skirts on..

We finally got an investigator to church! I cannot tell you how happy it made us! They have to come to church 2 consecutive times before their baptism so one down and hopefully next week as well as we head for the 28th. We are finally building up our teaching pool and have some good strong leads that we hope will turn into strong investigators. Several have been so prepared to receive the gospel, they have no idea. I wish I could tell you everything about every person we are teaching.. It's so amazing. There are still some hard days but still loving it.

Sorry for the shortness but the library is really cramping down on times so gotta go but stay awesome!

-Sister Hatch:)

The "J" and "H" Adventure Continues. . . .

This week has been an exciting one to say the least.
Right now, our district is in a competition called "THE MASTER FINDER!!!!!!!" (Yes, with 7 exclamation points t0o haha) I think that we should be getting extra points because both my companion and I have been sick for a couple days so haven't been able to work that much. We did get 570 pts the very first day out so we were hoping to beat Elder Tingle (our diligent yet insane district leader who has won every transfer for the past year..) and his companion.
The rest of the past week has been interesting to say the least. We were going to set to baptism dates two weeks ago but those appointments both fell through. Then last week we decided that we were going to turn one of them over to the Nampa Mission because that is where she is living right now. Her plan was she was going to move here after her baptism but that is most likely not going to happen so yeah.. Those Nampa Missionaries get a PURE GOLD investigator. Lucky them. We will still try and see if we can go to her baptism buuuuuut since that's in another mission.. I really doubt it. Even though her stake center is two miles from where I'm living at the moment. The other one we did set a date with for the 7th which was awesome! We told her parents that she NEEDS to be to church on Sunday (she's 9 and parents are coming back to church) but things got understandably crazy for them so they couldn't make it. We decided to push her date back a few weeks to let her parents know that she needs to be to church every week.
I don't know if many of  you remember my first letter home but my first week at the MTC I became a Professional Missionary Kickboxer! It was so legit! Last Monday you will never guess what else I am now professional at.. RUGBY! Totally haha one of my new favorite sports. I will tell you that it was touch not tackle. We missionaries aren't THAT apostate.. JK but it was a blast. Not sure if I will play when I get home but we'll see. It is a whole lot simpler than I thought. A member in our ward, her granddaughter came up this past week and she said she could hook me up;) so we'll see. I think I'm too much of a wimp, though haha
Other than that, nothing really new or surprising.. Except it's pouring right now! Super excited! I hasn't really rained here since I came out:) My companion is really excited because she's from Arizona and they really don't get this kind of weather.

Oh dangit.. I was going to share what I learned at our amazing Leadership conference but I'll do that next week. Exciting things are happening in the Idaho Boise Mission:) and times up for this Sister. Love you all!

-Sister Hatch:)

My Boise Roller Coaster Ride

I am starting to get the feel that a mission is just a roller coaster.. One bad week, then a good,  and then a meh week, and amazing week the next! Just saying..

So last week looked like it was going to be a pretty good week. Then came Tuesday. I was so excited because we were going to set two baptismal dates and everything and then I woke up and.. I was so sick. Not that much fun but we went to all of our appointments because I'm stubborn and I don't like to cancel but we got a call around 3 from our WML saying our 2 appointments had cancelled on us (the ones where we were going to set the dates) so.. Yeah I'll just spare the details but we just contacted the rest of the day. We rescheduled one of the appointments for Thursday but they cancelled again. We were totally alright with that because we just happened to find an new investigator that night! Super excited! 

Anyways, all you future missionaries, prepare for a roller coaster of a ride for 2 years:)

I just want to add that I really don't want to leave this stake anytime soon! We just had a stake conference and.. Wow! Totally revamping the way they do member missionary work! Love it! Every family is to make a Family Mission Plan and he just gave several ways to improve those missionary opportunities:) Our mission president also spoke and.. You can just feel the hastening going forward. At full speed!

I could go on for a while about the greatness of the work but I'll stop:) I'm sure I'll have more to add next week. I get to go to a leadership training this week for all of the Zone, District, Area (me) Leaders and such. I'm so excited. It's tomorrow and Wednesday so I'm going on exchanges with Sister Wightman who is also going. Super excited and pumped to see what new training they have in store for us.

Love you all and see ya next week!

-Sister Hatch

Exciting Times Ahead

Just saying.. It has been such a good week! I've been kind of down because when our area split, the Elder's took all of our investigators that we found pretty much.. So we've had to start over on the finding process and haven't really had any luck with that until this past week.
We have 2 new investigators that we found and they... are going to be interesting to teach. Both are strong in their beliefs and subborn but they said they would be willing to let us teach them. We are really going to have to rely on the spirit to soften their hearts and we'll just do our best with teaching them. And then there is the other investigator... She's just making everything more difficult for us. Love her to death, though! She has been taught for the past couple months and been going to church for over a year. She is going to get baptized but not until after her wedding. But she lives in Nampa which is in a completely different mission. She's been going to our ward for over a year with her fiance and his family and they say that they want to move here but I don't know if they can do it for the next while so... all sorts of confusion with the bishop here and the bishop there and the Mission President here and the one there...  It's going to happen though. Setting a date tomorrow night for the 28 of September. Actually we're setting 2 dates tomorrow. The other is with a girl who is turning 9 on Saturday so 'technically' she is our jurisdiction after that. We want to have it the first weekend in September with the stake youth baptism because she is still that age category.

Other than that, not much excitement. haha It's all exciting actually! And Sister Johnson is amazing! She's getting old though.. It was her birthday and she turned 20 so I have to give her grief for it:) I'm actually still one of the youngest sisters in our mission so everyone here is old compared to me. But we have fun. We bought her a BSU shirt last Monday since football season is about to start and those Idahoans.. Boy! The love their BSU! I can't wait for October because there are a lot of BYU fans here as well and I guess it's always a HUGE deal when they play each other. I had a BSU shirt from the AMAZING Larson's who buy all the missionaries who stay with them a shirt to remember them. I love it!
Oh! We both bought new scriptures! The new 2013 Version. Sis Johnson had a little incident with some hand sanitizer and.. she needed a new set lets just say. 

We have a lot of fun:) But we do get a lot of work done. We've exceeded our teaching goals this week which are already above our actuals for the week before which is amazing! We're really getting into the swing of things here. We are starting the 4th week of the transfer which is CRAZY! Sis Johnson and I are hoping we stay together next transfer, as well. Don't wanna separate!
Anyways, It's so amazing to see the miracles that happen being on a mission. I love how the Gospel can truly change the lives of all those who are willing to receive it. Truly it is just the greatest thing to be a missionary and be an instrument in the lords hands. Well I hope all is going well for you! Take care and I wish you all the best :)

Sister Hatch

One Day at a Time

First I want to say...

               THE MERIDIAN TEMPLE JUST GOT APPROVED!!!!!

Super exciting times up here! The past month there has been a has been a HUGE debate. We've been fasting and praying that it would be approved and it was on Thursday at 6:54 (I think). The ground breaking should be happening soon.. So excited!

Anyways, this week was another hard week. I just have to start admitting to people that I have no clue what I'm doing and just go with it. Because that is the truth! I'm just thankful that Sister Johnson is understanding of that and we are learning together. We are still getting along and working really well together. Actually, we had an AMAZING lesson with a less active and... Ah! I love it! We finally figured out, after months of her being taught, why she doesn't want to move forward. The spirit was so dense in the room, it was crazy! She started to ask us questions about the Temple and why everything is so 'secret'. Sister Johnson and I tried to explain that it is 'sacred', not secret. That was getting no where. Then I was prompted to ask if she wanted to work towards the temple and it just.. ah! Opened up everything! I love all of the inspired questions! That has been my biggest weakness the whole time I've been out but I really feel like yesterday, everything clicked. Long-story-short.. We are going to meet again on Saturday and challenge her to start coming back to church.. and teach her more about eternal families. She started to tear up when we were answering her question about marriage in the temple so getting the feeling that it is the place to start.

I don't have much time, sadly, but I am so grateful that I know what I know. Saturday was probably the hardest day I've been out so far but Sunday totally made up for that. Out here is so great to learn, I have learned so much about the gospel. The thing that most of us are needing to learn now is how to teach those things that we know. We know so much but it's sharing those thoughts and feelings and truths that we know.

Anyways, just a thought.

Hope life is great for everyone and I'll write again next week!

Sister Hatch
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1gj...it?usp=sharing

Still Surviving!!

Actually, just in a daze right now. We made our teaching record that we usually have with our usual 6 1/2 days in 4 so it was really great I think.

Anyways, I've survived my first week of training! So great! Sister Johnson is amazing and I can't believe how much so since she's only been out a week now. Hopefully I can keep up.. But it really has been a great week.

UPDATE about our mission:) The former Paramount 1 Area covered the Paramount, Crosby Park, McMillian, Baldwin Park and Coppercloud wards but Elder Tingle and his new missionary just had to come in and take Paramount, Crosby Park and Coppercloud from me.. actually it's okay. Those were our more productive wards but I'll get by. We also picked up the Tully Park Ward from Elder Mayer. So we now cover 3 wards but it is still the same size as when I covered the 5 wards. Tully Park is the last ward that is a full square mile still and also they have a 60% inactivity rate.. so have some work to be done there.. We're excited though:) Trying to build up member trust since the Elders before Elder Meyer and Welch kind of.. to put it lightly.. killed it. There was no member trust I guess when Meyer and Welch got assigned there and we are still feeling it now but we will get on that:) Super excited for a new ward and a new adventure!

The place where we are living now is pretty nice. We just have the whole top floor of the house to ourselves! Including my own Queen size bed:) haha the only thing I pulled rank on.. but it's great. We live with the Young's now who are almost too nice. going to be an interesting transfer.  

So about Sister Johnson. We are so alike it is not even funny. Seriously. Except she is a little more quiet compared to me. We make the same comments, jokes, think alike, LOVE the same kinds of food (which could be a huge problem) and just a bunch of other things. It's going to be a real fun couple of weeks. Hopefully we don't drive each other crazy. It's a strong possibility.

Nothing too crazy has happened this week except for traffic this morning.. we're not going to talk about that.. but I hate driving in the city.. especially when construction is being done.. worst 20 min of my life..

So yeah. That's my week. Training, trying to find my way around Meridian and such. Also, going to the temple this week with my district because they have a new film! Can't wait. A lady in one of my wards works at the temple with all of their tech and said it came out on Tuesday and we've heard a lot about it. Wednesday is a long ways away!

Hope all is well where everyone reading this is and I'll try to have a more interesting week coming up.. Oh! With my things that I've learned..

14. Running at 6AM for service is great. Just prepare to get soaked by all of the sprinklers.

15. The church keeps FANTASTIC records on everything and everyone!

16. Carrots are my new favorite snack:)

-Sister Hatch

It's the Best of Times...It's the Worst of Times (But mostly the worst)

So.. It's been a crappy week..

Simply put. I'm not going to hide or deny it. 

On Monday, I started to drive.. In the city.. which I have never done.. and it was.. Interesting. Monday was also probably one of the hardest days of my mission so far. I just did not want to do anything. We went to P-Day sport and I thought that it would make me happier. and it did! We played volleyball for a bit but then my (bossy) companion wanted to play dodge ball so we started a game of slaughter ball and none of the Elders would hit me! Not that that is a bad thing usually but the only time I got out was when I was standing by Elder John who had the ball. He started to throw it at me but then stopped. I just told him to hit me! Oh I was so mad.. I understand to a point where you can't really play as rough with sisters but you still got to play with them.. This happens every week by the way but I was having a hard day and yeah.. I was done. Then I snapped at one of the A.P.s.. Okay, not really snapped but I wasn't happy. I was sitting in the overflow area and he told me to come play (as A.P. Elder Jones always does with people on the out skirts of games) and I told him I didn't feel like it. He kept telling me to come play and I simply (and a little more curtly) said I didn't want to because I didn't want to be patronized while playing sports. Defeats the purpose of the whole game! Anyways.. yeah.. I felt horrible after that but he said that the next week he would smoke me  at dodge ball when we played again... we made zucchini bread after that, though:) I was still really down but we went over to the Flannary's  and yeah. We made zucchini bread. Super good. Then we went back out to work that night again. Our day off isn't really our day off.. and then.. Tuesday came.

A story first. When I was in the MTC, I started having this really bad chest pain and had several test done but they gave this huge long explanation that basically sums up to be that I have it because I'm stressed. So now, if I get even a little stressed, it feels like a heart attack almost and just sucks. 

Now on to Tuesday. I woke up and I could sort of feel it but wasn't to bad so I just went on through my day.. Around 10 I was just curled up on my couch and didn't want to do anything just  because it hurt so bad. Luckily, and thanks to some help from upstairs, the A.P.s came over to get an Elder's bike. My amazing companion asked them to give me a blessing. She didn't tell them what was up but it was one of the most spiritually moments of my life. Elder Denton (who was going home at the end of the week so he's in Arizona now) gave me the blessing and.. he knew.. It was amazing. I don't know why I need to always be reminded of the power of the priesthood (I also had a blessing in the MTC) but I guess I do. And I am so grateful that I am surrounded by so many spiritual young men who hold this gift and I love it! And I love the sister, too:)

Wednesday was a little better but not much. I could still get out to work which was the most important thing.

The rest of my week was pretty normal. Until Saturday.

Saturday was a fun day because of *drum roll* TRANSFER CALLS!

Totally crazy this transfer!!! We are getting 35 new missionaries and 12 of them are sisters. For me, I am loosing 3 of my current 5 wards to Elder Tingle and his new Missionary and then picking up a ward from Elder Mayer who covered 4 wards in the stake. We now have 3 sets of missionaries in the Paramount stake instead of 2 so exciting times! And I would be happy to stay in this Stake for a while:) The stake presidency are amazing and really have a heart for Missionary work. The goal for next year is 120 baptisms! Insane! I am so excite though:) They will have 10 wards next year in this stake so one baptism every month in each war. wont be too bad:) I'm so Excited!

So a quick addition to my list before I have to go:

11. A no-carb diet never works (unless your Elder Jones who gets skinnier and skinnier every day!)

12. When you walk everyday, you really do get holes in your shoes (need to buy a new pair today)

13. When you walk everyday you also get funky tan lines..

Anyways, I'll send more to add on the list later.

In the mean time, check out Mormon.Org. It is super neat to watch the lives of others. I love this one:mormon.org/lindsey

Love you all!

Sister Hatch