Have faith, have hope, live like his son, help others on their way. "He sent His Son" (Children's songbook) 21 MARCH 2016

Friends and family,

What a glorious week of lasts. My heart is full but I have few words.  My mission is over!

We began this week with exchanges. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity these last couple of transfers to have been able to be a trainer for my wonderful sisters and to learn from each of them. I know that the Lord qualifies the called. I have seen His hand so much as I have worked with the sisters here in Wyoming and counseled with them to continue to grow and change and become. He loves us so individually!

We had lots of exchange miracles in both areas so it was such a good start for the week to really take off! We were able to find an investigator family of four and a part-member family with an unbaptized 9-year-old that asked us to come and teach their son and prepare him for baptism! God has given us so much and I wish I could stay to see the end of it. But as you said dad, as we let our light of Christ shine, the spirit of Christ will have a lasting effect. I'm grateful to have been a small part of the good things to come here in Rock springs.

We also had the opportunity to go to the Draper Temple as departing missionaries! It was so wonderful! I love the revelation that can be received as we go to the Lord’s House. I love the clear mind I have at the temple and the opportunity to talk with the Lord.

Saturday was Joe's baptism. It was a beautiful spiritual feast filled with love and the Holy Ghost. I was so touched as Sister Earl and I got up to teach the restoration like we always do at baptisms - while Joe and Brother McDonald were changing. The Spirit hit me so hard about the reality of this restored gospel. As I recited Joseph Smith's first vision, tears came to my eyes. I am so grateful for that pillar of light my brother Joseph saw. I know with all my heart that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, came down in that pillar of light, and because of that we have that light whenever we choose to follow the Savior. I know this because of the bright light in that room at Joe's baptism. I know it because I saw it in Joe's face, in his smile, and in his eyes. It is real, and it is full, and it is complete.

I know that as we have faith, and hope, and live like His son, we will help others on their way. Nothing can replace the tears shed at an individuals baptism or the smile on their face as they are brought unto their Savior or the light that comes into their eyes when they discover and feel the truth of this gospel. I love God’s children. I have loved these last 18 months of dedicated service to my Father in Heaven, to do nothing but help others on their way to Jesus Christ. It has brought me closer to Him. I know that Christ lives and I am grateful to be able to continue to now serve him in different capacities with all of my heart, might, mind and strength. "How great is our Calling".

See you soon. 

Hallelujah ~ 14 March 2016

I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives. 

The Lord showed us so many miracles this week and Sister Earl and I were able to feel His love in every which way. HE LIVES. 

The Lord has shown me miracles every single day of my mission, so I try to share those every week, but it is no secret there are hard days and often hard weeks. The last week, as full of miracles as it was, was really hard. We had nobody to teach. No one in our teaching pool was progressing - we had to exercise our faith and stop teaching all of them. For the last couple of weeks we have spent the majority of our time just searching high and low for those we knew the Lord had been preparing but we just couldn't find them. 

With no one on date we set a goal to have one person enter into the waters of baptism this month. The Spirit came to me as if the Savior was speaking to me and said, "Sister Hatch, I can do ANYTHING; what are you willing to do?" It really motivated us to work even harder and find that one soul before I go home. 

We were pretty saddened with our members as well. We don't have any ward missionaries and it has been really hard to work with our leaders. Sister Earl and I have been praying for what we could do to get everyone excited about missionary work and to really unify our wards. We decided to do a 40-day missionary fast in each of our wards. Don't get too excited, its not what you think. No one is being hospitalized as a result of our project, but it is a period of 40 days where families in the ward sign up for a day and take turns fasting for missionary work. When one family is ending their fast, they join in prayer with the next family to begin their fast, so it is like the whole ward is joining hands to keep the fast going for 40 days and bring miracles. 

Well, let me tell you all that God can do anything and the power of fasting is real.

This last week we went from teaching 8 lessons to teaching 20, we found 5 new people to teach, the members have been giving us referrals upon referrals EVERYDAY. We finally made contact with this excommunicated member of the Church that we heard about months ago and she has just committed to be baptized again! Christy, from my last area was just BAPTIZED!! One of my most favorite less active families, the Reeds, ALL came to church, including their mom who hasn't been for months! My pal Kimberly from my first area came to hear me speak in church! She hasn't been to church since I was a missionary in her area about a year ago. The miracles go on and on and on, but I think the biggest was Joe Toller. Joe has decided he wants to be baptized next Saturday, March 19th. 

It was so amazing! Through out his life he has had bad things happen on good days so he wanted his baptism to be on a day where something hard in his life happened but make it good with his baptism. Last week, even though he told us not to talk about a date, we told him we had prayed about the 19th and knew he would be ready by then. He said no way, too soon. But he committed to pray about it. Well we were down in Salt Lake a lot last week so we were texting him and encouraging him and seeing if he was able to receive an answer to his prayers. He said he still needed to pray and read about it. Then at about 10:00 pm on Thursday night, while we are in Salt Lake City, he says, "Sisters, I would like to be baptized on the 19th!" Turns out that was the day his grandfather is having his services and his grandfathers passing was the reason Joe started coming to church. I know that was not a coincidence. God knows us perfectly and He loves us perfectly.  

We also had a spiritually uplifting week by being able to attend the Salt Lake temple, and go to zone conference. I received such good revelation there and was also able to give my first zone training with another Sister Training Leader, Sister Uelese! I was so nervous, but the Spirit really helped us out and I think it turned out pretty good. Our training was about being bold, optimistic, and happy. It’s a good way to live (: President Eberhardt taught us about the Atonement and how we can apply it both in our lives and in our missionary work. We talked about setting goals and helping others to come unto Christ with real intent. Sister Eberhardt talked about obedience and the power we have as missionaries when we not only follow Christ, but represent Him in every way. 

We got to end our spiritual feast by a super filled Sunday. We had the opportunity to sing, speak, give a lesson, and bear our testimonies in church in different wards. After church we had a full day of teaching the gospel. The spirit was hugging my heart tight and didn't let go the whole day.

God can do anything. Hallelujah. 

https://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_SU_3-13-2016_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

Sister Hatch's Weekly challenge: Invite someone you know to meet with the missionaries. "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together. That which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light, and contiueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." D&C 50:22,24

"How great shall be your joy." ~ 7 March 2016

Hello, beautiful people!

I can't believe another week has come and gone. Our trio is back to two and we are looking for work. We are beginning a 40-day fast which has been a huge help just in unifying the ward.

I just want to bear a quick testimony of the power of the Atonement.

This week was a little slow - full of lots of hard work with little results.  But as I sat in our first sacrament meeting I was engulfed with the love of my Father and felt completely cleansed by the redeeming grace of my Savior. I was overcome with emotion as I thought about the sacrifice our Savior made so that we don't have to make any real sacrifices. Yes, He asks us to keep the commandments, and He asks of our time, and He asks of our heart, but we see that as we give Him those things, He gives us more than we lost. There are no sacrifices in the Gospel. Only exchanges for something better. I know there is true joy when we serve the Lord with all our heart, might , mind , and strength. I have never been happier in my life.

--

XOXO, Sister Hatch

...The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. ~ Matthew 20:28 - February 29, 2016

Its Trunky Monday so I just have to start by saying this Thursday I will hit my 18-month mark. What happened to my mission? I'm so confused.

Anyway, life continues to be exciting with both of our areas, exchanges, meetings down in Salt Lake City, and more SNOW. None of it stops. Especially the snow.

This week we had many miracles. We were able to find two new investigators, which that alone is a miracle because we just dropped our last investigator last week and had a teaching pool of zero for this first time in my mission. Each of our 2 new people were miracles. Kelsey we found while going through an unbaptized list. We didn't find who we were looking for but Kelsey was there instead. She said she had never really been religious but maybe would want to be more into it when she had kids. She was pretty closed until we started bearing testimony to her of how the restored gospel blesses individuals and families for generations! As we spoke she lit up and asked us to come again.

Joe is a non-member who just showed up to church for the third time this Sunday! The 1st time we didn't know until he left that he was a non-member. The 2nd time we gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read and pray about it but we couldn't set up a time because he was leaving town for a funeral. This time we set up a time to meet and found out he has been reading and praying and wants to be baptized! HUGE miracle. We are excited to start working with him.

Sister Kennedy's area has work happening so it has been a tender mercy to work with them. Two of the people in her area were people Sister Earl and I found and were teaching them for awhile until we realized they weren't actually in our ward so its been cool to work with them. Both of them are preparing for baptism this month.

My favorite part of the week though was our visit to the hospital. We have been looking for people to teach and heard of an idea to go put our name on a list at the hospital as clergy for people to contact in times of crisis. While there, the lady at the front desk - she wasn't a member -  said there were some people in the ICU who could really use our message. We went up and told the nurse who we were and he told us the room numbers of people who were really struggling. We had the beautiful opportunity to visit with a man named Allen. He could barely speak and his eyes were dark, as we came into the room and told him that we were representatives of Jesus Christ, his eyes lit up and were filled with tears. We showed him the video "Because He Lives" and bore testimony of Jesus Christ’s Atonement. He almost laughed and said, "He did that for no reason." I said He did it because He loves you Allen. He said, "He loves us all" and more tears filled his eyes." We said a prayer with him and he kissed our hands goodbye.

I love what Allen said because it is true. Jesus Christ didn't have to do what He did. There was no personal gain for Him. It was 100% selfless. I am so grateful for His grace and the blessing I have to stand as His official representative. Though perfect, He came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. I feel so close to Him when I get the chance to minister to the sick and afflicted.

God loves you individually. He loves us all. As we reach out our hand to those in need, we are only filled with more of His love.

Keep loving!