Well it has been a mind boggling, wierddd morning. We got transfer news this morning. Our leaders always tell us transfers are always surprising, but WOW… transfers ARE always surprising! So, Sister Nelson and I were 99% positive how transfers would go. I have just been here one transfer and Sister Nelson has been here for 5, so that's 7 and half months. We thought for sure I would stay and she would go....Sister Nelson is STAYING, and I am LEAVING:( I have been praying all morning asking if this is really right and if I did what I was supposed to. At first I didn't think I have done anything at all! But the Lord is in charge and this IS what was supposed to happen. Sister Nelson’s family is all here. She grew up in Draper and her dad and siblings all live in this area. She has been called to serve in Park City. As for me, I got to teach Paula and prepare her, not only for baptism, but for eternal marriage in God’s holy temple. I got to help Lora understand the Atonement and how she can act on the strong faith she has and read the Book of Mormon. I got to teach Rebecca about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, be by her side as she received a priesthood blessing, and help her though some difficult problems she is dealing with in her life right now. Paula is getting baptized on Saturday. Lora is reading the Book of Mormon and has faith she will truly find her answers there. Rebecca is moving and I have her email. I have done what I needed to do these 6 weeks and I will keep doing what I need to do for these people for eternity. I love being a missionary!
We had stake conference this weekend and it was of course so wonderful and inspiring. A theme was ward councils and family councils. It was focused lots on saving souls and working together. Elder Chidister of the Seventy came, along with his wife. I learned so much from both of them. Elder Chidister spoke so much about how Heavenly Father loves us and KNOWS us perfectly. When this was first mentioned, although I knew it was true, I thought to myself how crazy that is, with ALL the people in the whole world, that He really knows and understand our hearts individually. It really boggled my mind and was hard to comprehend, but then I looked out into the congregation as I was sitting on the stand with the choir. I looked at those hundreds of people and it didn't seem crazy at all that Heavenly Father knows and loves us perfectly. It made 100% sense. There is not a doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and everyone of us and His love is great. I'm glad to have been able to reflect on that this morning as I received transfer news.
We taught Paula 3 times this week. The last lesson we gave her a chapel tour, talked about the restoration, and showed her the baptismal font. The sprit was so strong. The first time we taught her she had an absolute testimony of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, she liked the story of Joseph Smith but wasn't sure if it was true and if he was a prophet along with President Monson. We showed her the restoration video and she cried and said she doesn't have any doubts that the First Vision happened and she said she is so old she is never going to have any doubts of this gospel ever! haha She is so cute. Sitting with and teaching cute 80-year-old Paula and her sweet, patient 87-year-old husband, Keith, has really helped me gain an eternal perspective of my mission. We focus so much on baptisms as missionaries, but that is just the first step to eternal life. Paula and Keith have such a pure strong love for each other and they have the big picture in mind; they both know why this is so important. Eternal salvation is being with your family for eternity. Another thing mentioned in stake conference is that as long as we have a relationship with God, we have a family. He is our Father. I am so grateful for our baptismal covenants that help us remember our brother Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father. I am grateful to be with that part of my family.
So funny story of the week, but also the cutest story ever, is again about Paula. We asked her what she was most excited for with her baptism coming up. Paula is 80 and she has lots of life experience and she likes to talk. She usually forgets the question by the time she is done, but she is really sweet ;) She went on and on about her experience with the Church. She used to be anti-Mormon - her whole family is anti-Mormon. Her daughter married a member and he was not the best guy; she says he was a "con artist", so from that point on she has always viewed Mormons to be a bunch of con artist who just try and get you to join their "church or cult or whatever it was" then she met Keith and he is the sweetest man ever, but she still had no interest in the church what so ever...cuz we are a bunch of con artists ;)! She then started crying and said, I never thought it would take me 80 years to find the right path... <3 Annyy way, then we asked Keith what he was most excited for and he said this whole thing began with me sitting down with my wife a few months ago and saying, "ya know Paula, we are only married until death do we part." And Paula said, "well... I don't want to lose you when I die, Keith." He said, “So I told her, well there is only one way around that.” He had tears in his eyes and smiled at Paula, and then Paula flashes her head over to us and pipes up, "YA SEE HOW HE CONNED ME!" HAHAHA I love them.
So exciting that Analisa decided to go on a mission, I didn't know she was planning on one! She and Shandie will both be so great. I agree with you sisters are the best ;) Here is a joke I heard this week: Three Elders ran into a genie and he granted them each a wish. The first Elder said, “I wish our girl friends wouldn't break up with up back home.” The genie granted his wish. The second Elder said, “I wish we could get strong with out working out in the morning”. So the genie made them all buff. The third Elder said, “I wish we could baptize EVERYONE!” So the genie turned them all into sisters. (: A mission president’s daughter told this and then he said, now all I can imagine is three buff sisters whose girl friends won't break up with them. lol
Trust in the Lord this week, we never know how are lives are going to turn, but ask Him what he has planned for you and then listen. The answers probably won't come how you want them to, or even what you EXPECT them to be, but you'll know you are where you are supposed to be, and He will help you know what to do, no matter what situation you are in.
Love you lots and lots!
-Sister Hatch
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