A baptism, a major miracle, and a funny story! 24 November 2014

Hello my beautiful family(: 

I am just so grateful for alllll of you and being able to hear from you especially this week with Thanksgiving coming up. Let me just tell you a little about Utah missionary life. We have 3 scheduled thanksgiving dinners at 3, 5, and 6. One with the Pickerings, one with a single mom named Barbra who has kids who aren't members of the church, and then the family who signed up to feed us, the Fankhousers. She has a granddaughter who wants to be baptised so we are excited to hopefully get to meet her and start teaching her soon. Kinda funny, her name is Myriah and she is living with her aunt Karen Hatch! So crazy. Anyway, I hope I don't die after 3 Thanks giving dinners. Stratton's voice is constantly speaking to me at dinners telling me i need to eat everything and not offend people. 

haha (:

Well this week was AWESOME! We had Billie's baptism and it was beautiful. Billie is amazing and on fire and is going to bless so many peoples lives. I can't wait to see what amazing things she does. This baptism was really special for me because she is the first person I have taught from the beginning. She has been taught before but has expressed to us that we were the three missionaries and personalities she needed to take the steps she has taken. But holy cow she really is just golden. She bought a study journal because she was so excited to know we would be teaching her the new member lessons and she wants to make sure she takes notes to understand everything. She talks about how excited she is for her 5 year old son, Andrew to serve a mission and how she is a pioneer for her posterity and she is so excited to be that example. I wish you could have seen her face light up when we told her about the temple and baptisms for the dead. (I loved that cool statistic by the way, Dad!) Oh my goodness. It is just way to fun to be a trio of sister missionaries with a young single mom, it involves lots of squealing and jumping up and down and crying together. haha  I love her so much!  Sister Britton and I sang at her baptism. It was such a wonderful baptism she had lots of support from her friends that have been through her side in the rough life she has had. Most of them are not members and she is so excited to share the Gospel with them. She told us she is going to bring one of her friends with her to her new member lessons. Also the first missionary she ever met was Elder Quinton who is now an Assistant to the President and so she wanted him to come and be the one to baptize her - even thought he only taught her like once and she wasn't really interested at that time, she remembered him immediately and wanted  him to be a part of it. It was really neat. 

Major miracle of the week:

So we have been having trouble finding new people to teach. At the end of the day on Saturday , after the baptism, we saw our zone leaders for a couple minutes to drop off a church key. They asked, as always, what they could do for us and we said, "pray for us to find a new investigator!" Elder Gray looked at his watch at said, "you've got an hour and 20 minutes - go find them." So we prayed and went to the non-member's house we had planned to visit, said a prayer, and realized that wasn't where we were supposed to be. We felt we needed to be at the apartments. So we went there and remembered a young couple that our investigator Martha had mentioned a few times who ran away from the FLDS community. We walked to his door just the same time he was walking out. We talked to him a little bit and found out about his background and he invited us to come teach him and his girlfriend! We are seeing them tonight and we are so excited! I am so grateful for prayer! 

My companions are doing awesome. We have all become really good friends. (: I actually LOVE having Sister Britton be a Sister Training Leader because it means she goes on exchanges every week. So not only do we get to work with all the other awesome sisters in the zone, but I get the chance to be in charge of the area and its really preparing me for next transfer. I don't know what will happen but Sister Britton has been here for 6 months now, so I feel like I will be taking over the area. I am super nervous, so her calling was for both us, I think. It's scary when she leaves but I learn a lot. 

Funny story of the week:

We were teaching Anabel one of her new member lessons and her whole family was there so we were going around asking her siblings what the Holy Ghost feels like to them and when they feel it. We got to cute little 11-year-old Anabel and she says, "I mostly feel the Holy Ghost when I go the dentist." She said she was sacred to get her teeth pulled so when she was waiting to have the dentist pull them she said a prayer. "Right after I prayed they put this mask on me that made me feel all happy and warm, I think its called laughing gas, but i was thinking that it should probably be called the Holy Ghost gas." :'D haha it was too good. 

I love you all and hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! i am grateful for each one of you! Thank you for your prayers and support! I will try and send some random pictures that i just haven't sent yet. (: 

-Hi Easton(:

-Have you figured out how to send videos of my choir yet? If its on YouTube you could probably just link it from there. Tell those cuties I love them!

Love,

Sister MaRiah B Hatch

Quick and Wonderful Letter - 17 November 2014

It was so good to hear all about the Phoenix temple dedication! I love the temple so much. There is a lady we just had dinner with who was less active when Sister Britton first got here. She really wanted to be sealed to her husband who died a few years ago. She just got her recommend and we are hoping to get permission to accompany her for her first time to the temple because she has no one else to go with, all her family is inactive. I hope we can go! We have seen her family's heart change so much - all because we serve them in their yard every Saturday. They just made us the most delicious meal to thank us, its the grandma, Donna, who is going to the temple. Her daughter's name is Tina and Tina's 23-year-old daughter is named Ashley. We are hoping to get Tina to church soon. (:

Soooo, on Saturday, Billie is getting baptized!!! She is a single mom with a little 6-year-old son named Andrew. She has truly been prepared! We started teaching her about 3 weeks ago and she just soaked everything in. She has had a crazy hard past and has been through some horrible things. But she is literally the most kind, down-to-earth, easy-going person I have ever met. We put her on date to be baptized the middle of December when we taught her the second lesson and later decided she was going to be prepared way sooner, so the next lesson we expressed that to her, trying to be really gentle because we didnt want to freak her out and as we began to bring it up she just started shaking her head YES, really big! She was like, "YES! December 13th just seems so FAR OUT THERE! I am EXCITED To be baptized! I know this is right!" She looked at a calender and chose with in seconds the same date we prayed about, November 22! So this week has been crazy full of marathon lessons to teach her everything she needs to know before Saturday. She is so excited and is already talking about how she is a pioneer for her posterity and they will have the truth becuase of her decision now and she has talked about how she sees Andrew as a missionary every time he gets dressed for church. AH she is so READY! I LOVE HER!! I can't wait for Saturday!

Also we have two new investigators! Marlene and Antonio. They have been married for 19 years and do eveything together. They say they are like gum. We told them about the priesthood and eternal marrige; you should have seen their faces light up! Marlene looked at Antonio and said "double gum!" - it was way too cute. 

I love you all! Sorry this a quick one today. Things are good and I love you. Happy birthday again dad! And, mom YES you can send me the videos. I can't watch you tube at a members but if you email me them I can watch them. Also, I am sending a package home. I have a blanket for my tiger Lily. This lady in our ward is in her late 80's and she makes quilts ALL DAY. She makes like 5 a day and send them all over the world! She said I could have one for Lily. Also we teach this lady, Teresa, who collects hats. They are on her wall from floor to ceiling in her bedroom. Anyway, she let us all pick one to keep, so I have this gorgeous pink rose hat from the late 1800's that I am also sending. 

Keep being awesome. You are all the best!! LOVE YOU!! 

Pray for Our VETERANS

Things are going great here. I always have fun stories and many miracles through the week - life is good. I am learning everyday, which I am so grateful for because I have much to learn! I love people though. I love making a difference in the lives of people I love. I love becoming a part of their life and knowing I had a role in making it better. 

We have been meeting with the cutest, bubbliest, funnest, most amazing single mom. She just heard that she removed her records from the church and we are not sure why yet. But she loves hanging out with us and praying with her and her kids and sharing scriptures. She has especially been having a hard time this week because of Veterans Day coming up. She was in the Army and has really sad experiences. She has lost lots of friends due to PTSD, not from actually fighting in the war. Please pray for Kimberly and also John this week as we remember our veterans tomorrow. I'm so grateful for our soldiers who sacrifice more than we know so we can live the lives we do. They are a lot like our Savior.

Our miracle this week is that we have a new investigator in a ward that hasn't had any investigators for at least six months! We came in contact with this AWESOME less active man, John who wants to start coming back to church. He is this hard core military guy in the army who just has the most beautiful heart and the most beautiful testimony. His girlfriend, Andrea, is our new favorite person. She is just the most real, down to earth, coolest girl you will ever meet and she has been through a lot. She said she has never know how to grow spiritually and she wants to learn. So we are teaching them both now and we are sooo excited.

Also teaching people truly is fun. Oh my goodness I love teaching little kids! There is this family we teach - their mom is a single mom, she has 3 kids - they are recently reactivated but there mom just doesn't really know anything. So every couple weeks or so we come and have them act out a scripture story. This week we are doing Nephi getting the plates. They are so fun! And they always get so much out of it! It's amazing to see their testimonies grow just from learning the scripture stories. Also there is this cute little girl named Maloo, her 12-year-old brother Christian is a recent convert who we still teach, and instead of calling me "Sister Hatch" she calls me "Mister Egg." haha She is the cutest. The best part about being a missionary is being a friend to so many who you wouldn't get the chance to meet, unless you were a missionary! Oh, so awesome story. So the grandpa of this family is a composer from Brazil and he just created this beautiful piece that he wanted to send to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but English isn't his first langue so Sister Britton and I got to help him with it! Like putting the syllables of the lyrics in the right places with the music. Anyway, he had a meeting a man from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the man LOVED HIS SONG!! So it is going to be shown to Mack Wilberg soon and hopefully they will sing it someday! So special. I love Utah. 

I am doing well. I'm so grateful everyday for the spirit that guides me, for knowing that the lord knows and loves me and everyone I teach, and the Christ is my savior. I am trying to understand his atonement better each day so I can be a better missionary.

SOO happy to hear about LEE!! [BYU residence hall friend from China who will be baptized this month] - Yay!! Send her my love and congratulations!

That’s amazing about the Allen twins! So cute! Love Lindsey’s email. They are amazing. That whole situation is just so happy. I love their family and Braden and Heather’s family and the beautiful unity they share.

You are a champion, mama! Always doing so much and blessing so many! Tell Scott thank you for being with my beautiful family while I am gone and I wish I could feel his sweet spirit of joy and love! I hope he works out going to school here in the states! ...or maybe.. BYU?? haha He's such a cutie!

I just sent you Karina’s card so you could call her and talk about it. She would love to hear from you and you would LOVE to talk to her. She is doing amazing by the way. She has truly seen the hand of the Lord in so many aspects of her life and her heart has opened so much to us. She calls us her angels and thanks Heavenly Father for sending us everyday. Things like that make all the hard things here worth it. I love her so much!

I love hearing from everyone! I am going to send a letter home today so tell everyone who has sent me letters I have not forgotten them - especially Karson and Amy. I LOVE their letters and I will write back as soon as I can. We just don’t' have a lot of time.

I can't believe how quickly time goes. I have so much to learn and so many people I need to help. I am so grateful for this experience and for your prayers. Thank you for you're example. <3

Sorry I don't have lots of time today. Today is one of the elder’s birthday , so for preparation day we are throwing him a little party. Our zone activity is going to be capture the flag but instead of normal tagging we are filling up panty hose with flour so when you whack each other the flour flies everywhere. So for all those who think missionaries are boring.. we have real life fun. (: haha.

I love you and I can’t wait to hear from you next week!

XOXO Sister Hatch

Baby Lily is PERFECT!

Family! 

I have been anxiously waiting to see my sweet niece! Thank your for the pictures!! She is so beautiful I cried! Heather and Braden do good work! I can't wait to see her when she is a year and a half old. Keep sending me lots of updates! I love that Easton is already so protective of her. He will be the best older brother, Lily Maelynn is a lucky girl. haha Easton is a crack up ;) Give them both lots of love for me! Its only been 2 months sinceI last held a baby and I'm already dying! So many cute little ones in this area, I just want to hold them and love them!! It's so fun, I actually found my "mission baby" twin - we have the same birthday because she was born the same day I entered the MTC, she is one of our ward missionary's babies, so today is both of our 2-month birthdays!! So sweet ;)

I love hearing about the choir and all the fun things going on in happy Holbrook! Mom, I'm am so grateful for your love and willingness to help all, you are such an example. Love love love you!!! Tell choir I love them - both my select choir kids and my swing thing choir that I still feel like I am in ;) Tell Demi she's a champ and to email me when she is stressed. I know that life! 

I'm glad the Petrified Forest marathon turned out! Speaking of Mike doing that; I miss the McClellans! Tell them I would love to hear from all of them ASAP! ;) Also glad to hear about our amazing stake conference lead by our amazing stake president ;) I LOVE your challenges, dad! I am definitely going to do that [highlight and study when prophets quote prophets at General Conference] when we get the Ensign. I have been reflecting on my testimony a lot lately and how to make sure I am always continuing in my conversion. Your challenge and notes on what you learned from Elder Holland will be helpfull in my studies! Thank you mom and dad for your amazing example! And Karson thank you for the letter, I will hopefully have time to respond today. You are amazing and I'm so excited about your calling! - I hope your studying lots from Preacg My Gospel, especially chapter 13. Ward missionaries and ward members in general are SO important! "How Great is our calling." 

Sister Bates is our 3rd sister! She is from Rocklin, California!! But she doesn't know the Passeys. She is a sweetheart and looks like Velma from Scooby Doo. haha. 

And yes you are right the COLD has finally hit. I'm glad I get to use the excuse "I'm from Arizona" because I look pathetic all bundled up compared to what everyone else is wearing. ;) The Lord is really blessing me because I am as far south as our mission gets. I am SOOO grateful to not be in Wyoming right now! God is good. 

We have had a bit of a slow week this week but lots of good things are happening that will show results soon. We have this golden investigator named Billie Jean and we are working with her alot. She is a single mom with a 6-year-old son and we have only met with her a couple times and she is preparing herself for baptism. She is actually in the Elders area but requested sister missionaries. She is so fun and has definitely been prepared by the Lord. I love teaching her. 

Thank you for praying for some of my investigators! I specifically told Karina that you pray for her and she was so touched. She said she can feel everyone's prayers working. We get to have dinner with her tonight! 

Halloween was AMAZING!! It was the first time I got to go inside the Salt Lake City Temple! I loved the live session!! And I love learning more in the temple each time I go and receive personal revelation. It was a special experience. It astounds me know that the temple was built in the 1800s and that it took 40 years to build. I always knew that, but being inside just gives you so much more of an appreciation. It is so beatiful. Also, being with our entire mission was a blast! The talent show was so fun and President and Sister Eberhardt just make my heart happy. I love them so much!

I love being a missionary even when it's hard and I am so greatful for the love and support all around me. I am so blessed and am grateful for you, my wonderful family, for raising me in the the gospel and being an example of love, light, and truth. Thank you for all you taught me and blessed me with. I know that it is because of you that I have the strength to be here now, doing what the Lord needs me to do. I love the Lord for giving me you and for giving me our Savior. He lives and His atonement can heal us all. I love seeing the atonement work in the lives of others as I visit and teach them. I'm grateful for the spirit and know He can be our best friend as we listen and follow his promptings. I'm know we can get strength, direction and peace from reading the Book of Mormon and other scriptures. And I know that missionary work is the LORD's work! He will help us as we trust and follow Him. I'm so blessed to be able to share my testimony everyday. I love you. 

-sister hatch 

p.s. my invitation this week is for all of you to pray for a specific person you want to share the gospel with and ask how you can bring them closer to Christ and then DO IT! The Lord helps us when we ask.