2015: My FULL year as a missionary!!!!! ~ January 5, 2015

Mom and Dad, 

Thank you for the fun pictures of your New Year get together and the BEAUTIFUL Grand Canyon and THAT AMAZING WHALE :O and for all your fun updates, I love you both so so much. 

So it has been pretty crazy thinking that 2015 will an entire year full of missionary work and nothing else. exciting and crazy, but I am so ready. Each day brings another challenge, some new and some old, but I am excited to see what the Lord can mold me into and see the lives I get to touch. 

This week was pretty wonderful. Our NEW investigator Jayden is on date to be baptized on February 7th!! It was a huge miracle. She is 14-years-old and is friends with our ward mission leader’s daughter, Sadie. We heard a little about her from Sadie, who said she was asking lots of questions about the Church. Sadie answered a few and said, "you know if you have more questions, I could get you an appointment with the sister missionaries - they know lots more that I do." Heck, yes, champion member missionary! So, she went to church last Sunday with the Durham family and Brother Durham called us on Wednesday and said "Jayden will be here for the night and she wants a lesson, this should be pretty simple because she wants to be baptized." THE LORD IS SO GOOD! We taught her about the restoration on Wednesday, the plan of salvation on Saturday, and we are teaching her again tonight. She is so excited and is just soaking everything in - what a doll. The only concern she has in her mom. Her mom is a less active member and isn't super thrilled with her decision. She wants her to wait at least a year. We are going to ask Jayden tonight to ask her mom to sit in on the lessons with her and hopefully that will help. I so appreciate you praying for all the people I teach. Adding Jayden to your prayers will be such a help and also please pray that her mom’s heart will be softened. 

Martha needs lots of prayers, also. She said she has made the decision to not be baptized but didn't want to tell us because she doesn’t want us to disappear. We told her of course we wouldn't disappear because we love her no matter what she decides! She is constantly swinging back and forth, but I have so much faith in sweet Martha.

Another fun story from this week is we got to teach Steve on the street. Steve is legendary here in Cottonwood. He is probably is in his late 60's or early 70's, he dresses like a hip teenager in bright clothes and is always found wandering the streets with headphones in his ears, dancing like no one is watching. He is actually really talented! But whenever we see him we are driving in our car. On Saturday, he was in our area as we were walking and I was on exchanges with Sister Dodd. I freaked out, I was so excited to talk to him! We told him we liked his outfit he responded "yah, some days I look good.. . other days I look great.” :'D  Anyway, he said he just does what makes him happy and doesn't care who sees him. What a good way to live! We shared a scripture with him and told him that Jesus Christ is what makes us happy and we invited him to church, so we'll see what happens! 

Also on Sunday our investigator Carolyn (the one who gave me Risgrynsgröt and took us to see Music and the Spoken Word at the Conference Center! It was so fun to be there at a time other than conference because we could just sit wherever we wanted - so we got super close! 

I'm glad you received my Christmas card, I’m sorry it was taped up crazy. I have envelopes but not any that were big enough for the card - haha. But stamps would actually be great. (: And, thanks for asking about my birthday, I would love some long sleeve/warmer shirts and some more warm socks and tights (brrr, it is getting so cold), just warm things in general would be fun. I knew I would get sick of my clothes fast but not this fast. lol. But, I am doing so well. So, hopefully that’s not too much to ask for. 

I love you so much familia! 

xoxox, Sister Hatch 

Oh, also pray for Margarita. She knows the church is true but is super scared to be baptized. The Hermanas are teaching her but we see her often. Thanks for all you do!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!