This week has been great! Next week is going to be crazy!!!! We have transfers and Sister Kent is leaving and we will only be here in Green River three days this week. The rest of the time will be spent down at meetings and such in Salt Lake City. After this I am heading down to Park City to be with Sister Flake until tomorrow night while Sister Kent and Sister Nelson head down to the mission home for Sister Training Leader stuff. Then we have exchanges Wednesday and Friday we will all be in Salt Lake City all day for meetings then we get to go to the TEMPLE - all the departing missionaries AND their companions get to go (: and then we will head down to transfers Monday morning. Yikes! Somewhere in between that we will do some teaching haha.
Actually we have a lot of great appointments coming up. We have this awesome new less-active member couple from deep in the south. She cooks us southern food and told us, "I am SORRY, but I can kick Miss Paula Deen in the TEETH with my cooking!" lol She did make us an INCREDILBE apple pie. They are really excited about coming back to church. They saw us and just yelled their address to us out of their car window when they were driving down the street and told us to come. They are ready to return and work on being sealed in the temple! Miracles every where.
In response to your questions about my lovely friends: Israel is doing awesome! He was so emotional as he told us about his experience with getting the gift of the holy ghost. He said he knew the power of God is real and that he loves us, but he said the feeling of the gift of the holy ghost was amazing - he said he didn't know something that special could happen to anyone and that anyone could feel that in their life. He is SO happy! He works at a Little America hotel and it is always busy in the summer so they always hire extra help and this summer he will have time to come to all 3 hours of church so we just have to wait a few more weeks. We are going to be doing his new member lessons in lots of different members homes so he can get to know his ward family better; speaking of which, we found out he has lots of responsibility to take care of his mom and nieces and nephews in Mexico. That is why he has to work so much. Please keep his family in your prayers. He is so humble, we had no idea.
The Paperinis are the most kind people. It is going to be a journey for each of them but the Lord is really working on them. Bishop told us on Sunday that a few months ago he had tithing settlement with the Paperinis neighbor and felt prompted to leave the neighbor with a Book of Mormon, something he hadn't asked anyone else to do. The Bishop told him, “there is someone you know that needs this Book of Mormon," ....it was the Paperinis (:
Mattio Paperini works for the oil company, Solvey. He started in Italy a little over ten years ago and then they moved him to Belgium; he was there for 6 years and then got moved to Green River, Wyoming. haha They have been her for 3 years and really like it. What a change!
The Clarks are doing so good! Gerri said, “we will be at church because we don't have very long to make the '3 times' before our baptism requirement!” (In our mission an investigator must go to church 3 times before they can be baptized.) Her husband, Adam, said, “no, we need to go to church, just because we need to go to church - no matter what the rules are.” It was great to hear that testimony. They are also helping a less-active member friend get back to church. Proud moments as a missionary. haha. Gerri and the kids and her less-active member friend came to church, but Adam’s back is still causing him lots of pain so he didn’t come. :( He needs lots of prayers.
Sister Kent and I spoke and sang in sacrament meeting and I think it finally hit her yesterday when the bishop announced from the pulpit that she was going home. It was an emotional day for her. Usually that means I am emotional, too, but the Lord really helped me to keep strong and be the one to kind of say, “its ok, lets go do missionary work!” haha She is awesome and was very grateful for that. She is such a wonderful example.
I really need to give a BIG thank you to Bishop Miller for all he did for me as a seminary teacher. I will write him and send it home so you can get it to him.
Good to hear about every one - especially Cierra. I’m glad she has decided to serve a mission. She is so sweet and is going to be an amazing missionary. I will miss her! It will be over two years that we will not get to see each other!
Glad you got to see Elese Houser. I still feel like it was just yesterday we were having tea parties in the summer and playing with baby bunnies! Time is SO WEIRD!
I can't believe school is over after this week! So crazy. I can't believe Micah is graduating and Karson will be a JUNIOR! And Jasmine and Taylor are GRADUATING. Ugh, time freaks me out.
So good to hear about the new bishopric! YAY RON! He is the best. I love that Sister Turley bore her testimony - what a wonderful example of how the Atonement really can help us to become what the Savior would have us be.
Here is my answer to your question, Dad, of how fasting has made an impact on my mission. I love fasting! I ESPECIALLY love fast offerings. I love that the Savior loves us so much and wants us to receive the blessing that come from serving, particularly giving to the poor and needy, and no matter who we are or whatever our circumstance, we can do that through fast offerings.
My favorite fasting experience on my mission was with our investigator Jayden from my first area. Her mom is a less-active member and she was the only thing keeping Jayden from baptism. Jayden attended a sacrament meeting in her ward and it was all about the law of the fast. She had lots of questions during her next lesson with us about how it worked and then asked all of us if we could do a special fast to have her mom’s heart softened. It was so special to see her willingness. Her mom did change her mind and instead of making her wait at least a year, she said she could be baptized on her birthday, which is this summer! I don't know how she is doing now, but I know that when you fast with real intent, you can just feel Heavenly Father telling you, "I'm working on something for you, thank you for your faith."
We just taught mission prep class yesterday and along with you, Mom - talking about your wonderful primary class - I am just amazed at the youth! I don't know if I can say this yet, haha, but I feel like I understand now what everyone always said to me and the youth my age when I was growing up. It is so true that each generation just keeps getting stronger and stronger! Just thinking about the youth a couple of years younger than me who are preparing for missions... they are strong! The world is going down hill, but holy cow, we have some strong soldiers on the Lord’s side. God’s kingdom continues to be built with a new kind of strength! I can't wait to have my own children to see the strength they will have!
Love you!
xoxo, Sister Hatch
