Talking about Tithing and the Celestial Kingdom at the BAR!

THE KITCHEN BAR:) haha not what you're thinking.. oh great times at the Flannery's.. :)

Anyways

              LAST WEEK!!!! (BEFORE TRANSFERS)

I get to meet my new trainee a week from tomorrow!! I won't know exactly who it is until a week from Wednesday but I meet them on Tuesday for a fun activity;)

It has now been confirmed that the Paramount Stake is getting a third set of missionaries. The four of us (Elder Meyer and Welch and My companion and I) think that they will give us three new missionaries since Elder Welch goes home on Saturday. The three of us will be the only ones who know the area still after the area split. Sounds pretty reasonable to us.. We won't know for sure until Saturday.

Life on the mission is pretty great:) lots of adventures for sure. We topped our last weeks lessons by 7, which is a HUGE increase and we are pretty excited about that:) Hoping to do it again this week, since it's our last and one of us won't be in half of this area after Monday. We're going for it!

I've realized one of the hardest things for me will be saying goodbye to some of the members here. There are so many that are completely awesome! I was sitting at dinner with the Mathews- eating Swedish Pancakes:)- and I realized that I would so miss them when I leave. Same with several other families that I've met and come to really love! I can't believe I've been in Meridian for almost 6 weeks already! I would be perfectly fine serving my whole mission here:) It's constantly changing to. In our area, which is half the stake, we get about 2 or 3 new families each week! Most of them are members which is great!

Another thing I've been doing out here is making a list. A list of what? Things I've discovered while I've been on a mission. Here we go. (No judging me)

1.Eighteen months with out guys is EXTREMELY difficult! Especially when you are surrounded by some of the most spiritual, not to mention good -looking, young men that are on the face of the earth. (I know this is so apostate of me..)

2. Naps are impossible on a mission:)

3. A companionship IS like a marriage.. only worse haha. In a marriage, if you both are struggling with each other, you can go for a drive or something. Can't do that on a mission. BIG no-no..
4. You can only get that  warm right-out-of-the-dryer feeling once a week:\

5. I used to want a cat or dog for a pet... I don't anymore.

6. Missing my kitchen where I can cook fancy meals.
7. Working out right after you wake up is super hard for me.. Need a couple minutes before I can function..

8. Walking in 100+ degree weather for multiple hours is not fun BUT. . . is more successful than if you drive. (We get a referrals, meet non members, as well as several other great experience every time we walk)

9. I love Swedish Pancakes:)

10. The mission really does go by fast - and I'm not even at the point where it starts to fly by! Almost 2 months already!!!

So that is the start of my list:) More will be added every week! Hope life is going great out in the real world and I will write next week!

-Sister Hatch

What OFF Season!

Two weeks left of this transfer.. That's crazy! Not only until the end of the transfer but until I train! We have 9 English speaking sisters coming in and then 2 Spanish speakers. Guess what sisters we have right now. 11 English speaking! (Well, one learning English. I love Sister Chen) We will be getting at least 15 new companionships every transfer. That's a lot! We don't know if there is this much growth in every mission or just ours.We are lucky for sure.

I just saw a guy walk through the library with a shirt that said "What Off Season?" and it makes me think of my family who just drove through my area on their way to a basketball camp for my siblings.. Never an off season haha but while they drove through they also stopped at a families house in the area.

The Flanery's live in the McMillian ward in Meridan and I love them! So laid back and I'm hoping Bro Flanery didn't say anything inappropriate.. he's kind of known for that.. but Ava (their little 6 year old girl) loved them more than anything because my mom said I would share AAAALLLL  of my candy with her. She think she's so cute.. that's probably because she is!

Sigh.. This week has gone by so fast.. We've had some kind of meeting every day this week and I can't believe it's P-day already.

Not much to really report for this week except I finally feel like I may be ready to train this next transfer.. May.. Never know until I get my new trainee:)    (everyone may have to pray a little for that poor girl haha)

Well that's pretty much my life. Just working and being exhausted all the time but a good type of exhausted - if there is such a thing. Love you all!

-Sister Hatch:)

1 Month Down and I still LOVE my Job!

I really cannot believe I've been out 1 month! It really is crazy! Then I look back and sometimes the only reason I can't believe that is because it feels longer! It's not bad though:) Really loving it out here- Except for that one day were it was close to 120 degrees outside and we were smart and decided to walk.. yeah.. not our best idea..

Well, I have basically 3 weeks of being a 'greenie' and until I find out where I will be next transfer and I cannot wait! We are thinking that our stake will be split. At the moment, our stake is split in half missionary wise. Sister Dickey and I are in Paramount 1 and Elder Welch and Elder Meyer are in Paramount 2 (just the names of the areas. We have 5 wards and the Elders have 4 or 5- not sure). Elder Welch is leaving at the end of this transfer meaning there will be three of us left who know of the area and they have been searching for another place to house the missionaries so... we hope that it will just be us three here hopefully haha we will each just have a new trainee:) 

I don't know how the missionary work is going in Utah but here it's going like crazy in most of our wards. The McMillian Ward is definitely the most into it. It make our job a whole lot easier when we have ward members like they do. Sister Stevenson (wife of our WML) just found out that I was training next transfer (she served in..Virginia I believe..) and she said "I know how you feel.. I trained as well- second transfer out. Except she barely knew english, we were on bikes in the winter, driving through snow and -- We had to wear panty hose!" haha You just have to know her. She is so bubbly and funny but then she has those times when she tries to be serious and.. it doesn't work. Her children are going to be soooo solid one day! No joke. We sat in on their family night meeting and.. wow! Her oldest, Asia, is ten and the cutest little girl you have ever seen but she knew it. Everything. We read Alma 26 and she explained it and said thing I never realized about that chapter! Her younger boys (8, 5, 3) will be there soon, as well. But love Sister Stevenson. Going on exchanges with her on Tuesday to a couple of members houses.

I would just like to make it known now that I completely love my job:) I cannot even explain how great it's been so far! My favorite experience so far has been working with this one investigator. I really enjoy it when ever we go over because it really feels like a good home. She has two kids and they are as funny as can be! Last week when we went over we played the cup game (where you do a rhythm as the cup gets passed around. don't know how to really explain it but if you know the game you know what I'm talking about) with her youngest girl who is about 6. Funnest time ever. We are teaching their family tonight how to do a family home evening night so I'm super stoked for that. Everything just seems to be put in place for her. She does like to drink wine and that is possibly what might be the hardest thing for her but as she grows in her testimony like I know she can, I know she will know what is right.
My companion is trying to get me to start a video journal right now. It wouldn't be a huge step because I film different parts of our area on our way home so you might be getting few of those soon haha 

I just want to say thanks to everyone who sent me those "Green"ie packages.. Ha Ha Ha.. very funny.. but my district and mission liked all of the candy:) we made the green cookies for last p-day and everything else just got passed around during volleyball. Thank you all again and I hope life is great and yeah.. Love ya!

-Sister Hatch:)

It's True..........

You may be asking yourselves "What's true?" and I mean the gospel, of course haha!

But there is another thing that I've discovered in my two weeks of living in Meridian and that is.. I live on Pinterest. What?! Let me explain.. no....It'll take to long.. Let me sum it up. If Pinterest was an actual place, like tangible and right in front of you, Meridian Idaho would be it. Seriously. I'll send pictures when I can but yeah.. amazing here. I realized this last Tuesday. Everything is perfect and no two houses are alike. It's insane. Lots of home projects, beautiful landscaping and there is this one family (The Impomeni's) that cook amazing Italian food like I did back at college. I was just experimenting but they are just Pros at it! So yeah.. I still live on Pinterest even when I'm out in the Mission field.

Oh! I learned last Monday (after I sent my e-mail) that something crazy is happening in 4 weeks.. So today, our missions officially split. We knew as soon as we received our first assignments what mission we would be in but today is the official day. Now in our mission we have 12 sisters but one is leaving at the end of this transfer so in reality we have 11. I learned on Monday that our next transfer we will be getting 12 NEW SISTERS! Do you know what that means?!?!?! I'm going to be a trainer in 4 weeks!!! Ah! It's crazy.. But I'm excited:) (maybe not so much for the new sister.. haha you all might want to pray for her that she doesn't go crazy because of her new trainer). When we were in the MTC we had the thought that we might be trained by someone who had only been out for 6 weeks but I don't think any of us thought much about being the actual trainers after our first 6 weeks. Insane. The amazing part about this whole ordeal is that in the next 3-6 months our total number of missionaries will TRIPLE! I'm sooo excited:) at the moment, we have 72 missionaries covering our mission (Boise, Meridian, Star, Eagle and soon in Idaho City). We will have over 200 missionaries in 6 months. The work is moving forward fast! We are all so excited here for that:) I'm not sure if I will still be in my area or if they will have me open an area (yikes!) because of the sheer number of missionaries coming out. They will most likely split our area and.. sadly.. we most likely will lose our car :'( we have the smallest area in the mission so pffft. There goes our car.. Oh well haha to a better cause I guess:)

Work is still going out here. We're mostly teaching member families the discussions.  We teach to investigators and everyone we meet. I really didn't notice until now that it was so much easier to share the gospel before my mission. I had a lot of friends who I could have and didn't. I guess I was afraid they might have been offended by it but I really wish I would have because they wouldn't have been. On a side note, there is this amazing book everyone should read. It's called "The Everyday Missionary" or something like that. All the wards bought a few copies up here and it's going around to everyone. It is really good I hear so start reading! Members are really the key in missionary work now. Everything you saw at the broad cast last week goes with what I and every missionary will now learn. If you haven't watched the broadcast, it is on lds.org and it's amazing.

I'm not quite sure what else to share. I can't believe it's already been a week again! Well, then I think about how tired I am and then I believe it's been a week.. I love it out here though:) Not a fan of the 110+ degree weather but it works (beat that heat Utah!). It's been really humid out here for some reason, too. I believe it's because someone is always watering their lawns.. Sister Dickey thinks otherwise.. Speaking of Sister Dickey.. We are awesome today, and everyday, and we match:) We are that cool haha!

I hope everyone is doing GREAT and love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Hatch:)

Hello from Sunny--I mean Stormy Suburbia!

It's Crazy, Crazy, Crazy! but in a good way:) - except for the rain today..

Just finishing out the week so it's been fun. My companion, Sister Dicky, and I are opening up a new area so it's been a fun ride:) I guess not technically opening an area but before us, was an Elder's area so we're not familiar with the area in any way.

We are covering 5 wards with between 150-300 members each so it's a pretty member dense area in 2 square miles. Everyone is a member, was a member or their parent/spouse was a member so basically they all have a pretty good knowledge of the church. The elders before us, Elder Mayer (only been out three months now) and Elder H....I don't know how to spell his name, worked mostly with the members. Teaching them the lessons and such so I feel that is was we will be doing a lot, as well. We also are going to try and recontact some part member families (PMF) that we think might respond better to sisters than elders (no offense to those elders out there but- we can get into some doors you can't).

Our district is the Paramount Ward with us and then Elder Welch and Elder Mayer. Mayer was the one who covered our area before us (we live in the same room as the elders when they live in our area.. it smells like boy in our room. Not stinky boy smell but more like-- Axe i guess you could say.. or knowing Elder Mayer it's some expensive version of it). Then we have 3 districts in our zone. Oh! I get to see Elder Usevitch in our district meetings since he is companions with our zone leader. It's nice to see a familiar face now and then.

Getting to know everyone that we can is hard enough but then we also have to know the name of the streets. I miss the grid system of Utah.. But the area is gorgeous here! We drove down one street (I believe it was Cagney) and we were looking around for a camera! Seriously! Perfectly manicured lawns, trees lining the streets, people walking their dogs and the sun setting very colorfully behind it. All I can say is if I were ever to live in a subdivision (which I probably won't) this would be the place. Perfect Suburbia. (We figured there was a reason that this area is named Paramount)

We hope to really have it pick up with the members and investigators in the area. It has been a long couple of days. When I think about it, it doesn't feel that long but my companion and I both fell a sleep during our studies this morning.. and slept for close to an hour. We're exhausted and it's only the first week. We figured that it is probably because of the fact we are trying to get everything down now since we are both new in the area. 8 hours of sleep is totally not enough time to sleep when you work each day as hard as we do. Our third day out here was really discouraging but It's starting to pick up a bit. We do have one new investigator that really reminds me of Jaime Hansen so I thought that was really fun. Also, we're trying to do a switch up on an Eternalgator family (Eternal Investigator). They have been reading the BofM a lot with the Elders but don't want to take that last step. We're hoping to get them to it. We met with a PMF for a few minutes but hoping to get back to them this week. Those are really the only families we've been meeting with. Mostly members here so it's still really good.

P-day was today and it was.. Interesting.. I saw Sister Haas for the first time in a week so that got me excited! And.. as you all know very well.. I SUCK at sports. Like.. yeah we'll not go into how bad I am.. We played ultimate Frisbee today and I basically just walked up and down the field. I didn't really get the Frisbee that much until Elder Jones and  Sister Edstrom took pity on me and told everyone to throw it to me.. It was pretty sad.. they meant well but yeah.. don't need to point out how bad I am! haha So I went and sat by Sister Allen after I made the "play of the game". A.K.A. when they all made a perfectly straight path for the Frisbee to come to me then off to some one else.. it's soooo pathetic I know.. but volleyball next week so hopefully it will be better.. probably not.. but at least I know how to play the game this time haha but I'm still pretty bad.. Funny story, I was talking to Elder.. Tinkle I think his name is.. anyways He asked my name and I said "Kelc...er Sister Hatch.." Everyone laughed haha... Well.. it's a missionary thing if you all aren't laughing right now.. It's hard to switch. That is actually the first time I have said, or almost said, my name from my past life. Crazy.. Oh, I learned Sister Dickey's name is Chelsy so were were like, ya know, meant to be together:)

Anyways, write you all again next week!

Love, Sister Hatch:)

Still Alive!!!

So.. yeah:) I'm still alive! Sorry I couldn't pick up the phone if you did call the airport. I got put on the first direct flight thankfully! (I was able to sit by Sister Haas. Seriously, we think we were just meant to be together) I was going to try and call from the Boise Airport since we were going to wait for the second direct flight but the Mission President was there when we arrived so I didn't get the chance. But I'm here in Boise:)

When I first arrived, they threw all the bags in a trailer and since most of us weren't there, they took us out to Cafe Rio (usually they have pizza but.. not everyone was there). Then off to the Mission Office to find out who our temporary companion would be. I was paired up with Sister Tonuu (Ton-oo-oo haha) loved her! She was from Samoa and had been out for a year. We went out tracting as soon as we were paired up! Crazy! No break but they said they rarely went tracting it was just a fun experience. Then we had dinner and another meeting before packing an overnight bag to sleep at a member's home.

Next day, we arrived at eight for breakfast and to start training and around one we were paired up with our trainers! And my trainer is..... *drum roll*... Sister Dicky! Love her:) She is from Ohio Kirtland Area and I believe eighth in her family out of 15 kids.. yeah 15! Kinda fun haha but she is great:) went straight to work after. Not really, actually.. She was new to the area that we are serving in. Oh yeah, you don't know where I'm serving! Well... at the moment we are in the Paramount Stake in.... Meridian, Idaho! Still Idaho Boise Mission! Told you I would still be here;) It's great! But anyways, she is new to the area as well so we're both learning but it's only about 1X2miles so really small but 5 wards. We met with 2 Ward Mission Leaders (WML) yesterday and stopped by some members homes but really going to start working today after I'm done with this e-mail.

Oh another funny story. One of the A.P.s (Elder Jones) is from Richfield. He is from Dad's ward, actually. Elder Jones says he remembers me coming to the ward some years ago haha connections are really great:) but he played against Gunnison in Soccer before he graduated in 2010 and was friends with several of them.

But everything is going really great so far:) Overwelmed but Sister Dicky is great. Really lucky I got her and yeah.. Still in the Boise Mission even though that doesn't change for most until the first. Hopefully meeting our Mission Presidents either this weekend or next. The new president is actually related to our current mission president so it's kinda sorta really funny:)

Anyways, I'll e-mail you all again on Monday! Hope everything is still going good and stuff.. OH! One more thing. So you know when I was in Washington how we got to drive that brand new Camero that only had like 72 miles on it? That is like the car we are driving now. Not a Camero (Chevy Cruze) but still brand new:) It is really nice and I really like it haha but I'll write again on Monday!

Love, Sister Hatch:)

If you want to know where I'm serving, the streets within the area are Ustick, Meridian, Ten Mile and Cherry Lane I believe. It's the suburb area. One street in the middle of our area is Bell Tower. I love Meridian and if I wanted to live in the Suburbs (which I really don't), this would be the place. It's beautiful!

Love you!!

T'was the Night Before (Monday June 17)

Looks like I do get to e-mail you again:)

Anyways, just doing a last load of laundry before I head out to Boise! So excited I cannot wait. We have to be at the travel office at 4:30 but before that we have to eat, dress and pack all of our things out of our room.. talk about a lot to do waaaay to early in the morning! But I am so excited:) I really want to send.. oh! One of my instructors sent us all a picture and I will forward it to you. Brother Fuller was one of our teachers that we said today. Sister Knowlten was the other and she taught us the 14th Article of Faith: We believe in spiritual Karate and round house kicking Satan in the face! we love her! I will send more pictures hopefully when I get to Boise and get access to a computer that is not on a deadbolt... 

I cannot wait to talk to you all tomorrow! Just the thought of it makes me sooo excited! We land in Portland at 9:22/10:22 so be ready around then. Only if our plane isn't delayed because that would just not be good.

I really can tell you that I now feel like a missionary! My companion, Sister Haas, and I had a really cool experience this week that I so want to share but I'll do it when I get home in a few months because I can't express how great it feels. I hope that I can feel like that again sometime soon and I will because that is my purpose here. I cannot wait!

Oh! I have a song that I want Macady to sing for me:) either just cuz she can or for my homecoming. You choose. I don't know what it is called but an Elder sang it last night and it just melted my heart. I believe it's called "I Know" and some of the words are (in random order. left my journal in my room sooo.. yeah) -I know and he knows I'd give my life for it. I cannot deny it. The world may hate me The truth of it sets me free I want the world to know what I know. Something like that.

 Cade- I want you to learn this! Please, King Julian?? haha oh loved how you signed that letter btws..

I'm trying to think what else you might want to know.. Everything is really good... I wish I had my journal but left it back in my room. It had a list of things I wanted to tell you but I guess you'll just have to wait;) it's okay haha

ahhhh... the smell of laundry..

I really can't believe I'm leaving my district peeps for possibly the rest of my mission.. I guess it's okay since half of them are attending BYU but still. It won't be the same. I feel I have always had real good luck when I'm starting out things. This first year of college, I had the best roommates that I could possibly ask for! Now, I have the best (and most likely the best singing and loudest) district at the MTC. Speaking of singing, so last week I sang in sacrament with sisters from our zone and then this week our district sang since it was our last week. I cannot tell you, and I don't mean to brag but, we were good haha really good. In our sacraments, there are about 36 so not very big (and 11 of us sang) but there was not a dry eye.. It was cool.. need to stop saying that word.. but I can't think of a different way to say it. The spirit was so strong in that small room and I was just so grateful to be apart of it.

But I gotta get going so I'll talk to you tomorrow:)

Love you all!

Sister Hatch

Okay.. few more minutes I guess:) Sorry you're not rid of me yet;)

There is only one thing I'm upset about right now.. We are missing a world wide broad cast that will be coming from here on Sunday. Well, I'll still get to watch it but I wish I would be here.. It's the first presidency so sorta a BIG deal around here. A historic event of sorts. Although, we have been apart of many of those these past few weeks. My group was the largest they have received ever in one day: 947 missionaries. Apart of the largest Relief society they have ever had: 1297. And I was there when the first gathering of all the missionaries in the MTC gathered from Main and West campus at the Marriot Center last Tuesday (as some of you already know). There have been a lot more first this past week but those are the main:) It's been quite a ride! 

And I realized in my past letter I never said what I wanted you to send. I did really love the candy but it's going to last a loooong time. Shared most of it with everybody but it's still going to last. I need to know how much is on my card. If you could just send me an update everyweek I would love that. I'm not going to spend it if I don't have to but I will need to buy some things in Boise when I arrive. I bought most of it here because the book store is 40% off! Love it! I bought a cheap set of scriptures because the more and more I taught with investigators I realized my scribbles on the side confused them.. So I just bought a soft back set. I would like those earasable highlighters. Also, I think I left my face wash there. Um.. I don't know.. I wrote it all down but back in my room. Maybe I'll tell you tomorrow. I do need another pair of jeans. We aren't supposed to wear super skinny jeans while on the mission..

But I'll talk to you guys tomorrow:0

Love you!