Nebraska is Home

March 27, 2017

Hey Family and Friends!!!

Wow, this week has gone by so fast! It was wild!!

First of all, TODAY was a blast. Sister Willmore and I went and took some fun pictured in downtown Omaha. There is a little park there that has amazing statues of the pioneers. It makes it even more special being able to serve at the Trail Center. :) Then, we went to the Pedestrian Bridge, and took pictures on the Nebraska/Iowa line. It was a lot of fun!

We had Zone Conference this week, and it was INCREDIBLE. The whole focus was about having a Mighty Change of Heart. It was amazing being able to reflect back on how my heart used to be, and how my heart has changed so far on my mission. The key to a Mighty Change of Heart is living the Doctrine of Christ. As we are doing so, it allows us to be worthy of the Spirit, and we will desire to become better. As we are purifying ourselves, we are allowing the Holy Ghost to change us :) After Zone Conference, we had Zone Olympics! It was so much fun. I actually won push-ups and sprints!! Yes, I was very sore the next day. But.. It was worth it. 50 boy pushups won me the gold! (plastic)

I don't know how many of you were able to watch Womens Conference on Saturday, but it was so great!!! There was a talk by Bonnie Cordon, and she focused on Proverbs 3:5-6. It reads : "5 ¶ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." She talked about how we should not be "leaning", because as we lean it means we are off balance! As we are standing strong as a witness of Christ, we will be immovable! I loved that so much! So powerful. That connects to missionary work so well. I CANNOT do this alone; there is no room for leaning. I must give all that I have to Heavenly Father, and he will help me be a true representative of His Son.

Sister Willmore and I had an interesting/cool experience this week. We had a little bit of time before our dinner appointment, so we went to go find in an apartment complex. We went through one apartment building, but felt like we shouldn't knock on most of those doors. So, we headed to the building next to it. The first door we knocked on was a man named Tim. He came right outside and was happy to talk to us. In the middle of our conversation, he asked us if we were wearing contacts, and we told him no. He told us that he studies eyes, and ours are very different for some reason. He was looking at them in all different angles but couldn't figure out what was different about them. It was cool because we know that he was seeing the light of Christ. At first, he was very hesitant, but the more we talked, the more interested he became. We asked him why God had us knock on his door, and he instantly opened up about everything he was going through. He has had a tough life. He asked where our church was, and said we could stop by again. There is even a member of the church that is on the floor right above him! Hopefully we will be able to see him again soon :)

I am sorry right now in advance for all of the pictures! There are a lot this week. But I hope you all have a great week :) I can't wait to hear all of your insights on general conference!!! You are in my thoughts and prayers. I love this work with all of my heart. I know I am where I need to be, and I have never ever been happier.

Love,
Sister Missy Hutchison

17 MONTHS!!!! So crazy

Rain pic!

our junk food... 

NOM Olmpics! (worked off the junk food)

Pioneer statues!! 

Found myself a Boyfriend! 

Running with the girls

My mission!!! Pioneers + Nebraska!

Omaha!!

Nebraska/Iowa

two places at once! 

same! 

this one is important because I will never be able to jump this high again.

Another Week in NOM!

March 20, 2017

Hey Fam and Friends!

I can't believe it is already Monday again. The weeks feel like days and the days feel like weeks. :) That is about the best way I can explain it.

It was a pretty great week this week. I feel like it was super crazy, so a lot of my week is a blurr. So, I will do my best to try and remember. All I know is last week was a pretty hard week, but Heavenly Father blessed us so much this week :)

We found a cute family!! We were out finding, and had no luck. It was about time for Ward Coordination, and so we headed out of the neighborhood! As we were driving, Sister Willmore instantly flips the car around and says "JUST FOLLOWING A PROMPTING HERE", and we drive past this cute family getting out of their mini-van, about to walk into their apartment. We parked a little ways away so we wouldn't seem creepy, and ran up to them! We asked if we could share a message about families, and they said yes! (which hasn't happened in a long time for us). We shared a quick message of the restoration with them, and asked if we could come back. They instantly said yes, and we set up an appointment for this evening. We are excited. They are a cute Spanish family. They speak English well, but I have a feeling we will end up handing them over to the Spanish Sisters anyways. But, it was a neat miracle, and a testimony builder of always following your promptings. (yes, we were a half-an-hour late for Ward Coordination #worthit)

We found another family this week. It is a family of 3. They were a little hesitant letting us in, but eventually did. After they realized that we weren't robots, they started warming up to us. The mom is Christian, and the dad is Pagan. They talked a lot, so we only got through a few points of the restoration. But, they welcomed us back with open arms! So, we are excited to go back.

A couple days ago, we were teaching our 9 year old investigator, Dylan. He was having a really hard day, and wasn't participating in the lesson. Out of no where he starts telling us that he doesn't believe in God, and that Jesus Christ isn't real. It really was hard to hear. In this whole process, Dylan's mother was being so mean to him, and bagging on him in front of his face. It was hard to see! Sister Willmore and I were shocked when we got back in the car. How can a child believe that he has a loving Heavenly Father if he doesn't even feel loved by his own parents?? A child needs parents who will listen to them, and be understanding. A child needs parents who actually show them they love them, and will always strive to be helping the child come to a greater understanding of God's plan. We decided we are going to hold a family home evening about family prayer and scripture study. That will truly bless their family and bring the spirit in their home! I am so grateful for my mission, and how it teaches me about what kind of mom I want to be.

There was another Missionary Musical Fireside yesterday. It was so good!! It was all centered on the importance of The Family. The spirit was there in abundance :) I was able to sing a solo, and it really was such a fun night.

This week, I have really tried to focus on the Sacrament. That is something I felt prompted to do in my studies, and it was amazing. I hung up some sticky notes to remind myself to pray to be prepared for the Sacrament in every prayer, and it worked :) During the Sacrament yesterday, I partook of the bread, and my heart didn't feel the same. It felt very heavy!! Then, I partook of the water and I physically felt a release from my chest. It was amazing. I knew, in that instant, that I had been cleansed and purified. It was the most incredible experience. I am so grateful I have grown to know the importance of the Sacrament.

It was a great week, and I look forward to seeing more miracles this week :) I love being a missionary. Have a great week!!

(I came across this scripture in my studies this week, and I fell in-love with it. Prayer is POWERFUL!!) "24 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus prayed unto the Father, he came unto his disciples, and behold, they did still continue, without ceasing, to pray unto him; and they did not multiply many words, for it was given unto them what they should pray, and they were filled with desire. 25 And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto him; and his countenance did smile upon them, and the light of his countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof." 3 Nephi 19:24-25

Love,
Sister Missy Hutchison

The squad at the Fireside

Let us teach your friends

we really do try to sleep.. It just doesn't happen sometimes. We get distracted

love her!!

Kale came to the fireside and loved it!! He went to the temple last week, and couldn't stop telling me how happy it made him :) He is on FIRE with the gospel right now! 

Cold Again!!

March 13, 2017

Hello everyone!!

Another week has flown by here in Nebraska :) I hope you all had a good week! I had a great one, like usual :) I love my mission more than anything in the world!! Like my subject line said, it is cold again! It was aboout 70 degrees last week, but then snowed last night. Nebraska needs to take a chill-pill.

A cute senior couple took us bowling again this week. When people ask me how my mission has changed me, I will be able to say that I became a professional bowler!

I mentioned this last week, but for the past 3 weeks Sister Willmore and I have been praying to find a woman named Shannon. She has a family of 4 and owns a red blanket. No, we have not found her yet, and it has been pretty frustrating. We feel like we are trying our hardest, and we are praying soo hard to find her, but nothing has happened. Sister Willmore and I have never had more rejection in our lives! It has been rough.. I was feeling kind of discouraged, holding back tears after someone just yelled at us, but then a talk from Elder Holland came into my mind. I felt like I heard Elder Holland's voice say "Why would it be easy for you if it was NEVER easy for Him." That hit me so hard! It is so true! The Holy Ghost definitely set me straight. I know that Satan is really working on Sister Willmore and I because we are SO CLOSE to experiencing a miracle. We know Heavenly Father is preparing someone for us to find who is prepared for the gospel, so we need to ignore the adversary and keep on being diligent :) We are excited for what lies in store!

Sister Willmore and I took a very interesting member tour this week. It was this older woman and her two adult kids. They seemed kind of stand-off-ish at the start, but we continued to the tour anyways. We were at the bust of Joseph Smith, and Sister Willmore and I were testifying of the Restoration, and one of the women just kept looking at her watch. After we testified, we pointed out to her that she was looking at her watch, and asked if they were limited on time. She replied with "Yes. We only have a few minutes. So, can we just cut-out all of the 'touchy-feely' spiritual stuff? We JUST want the history... But, don't worry, we are good Mormons". I was so shocked!! My mission call did not say "You are called to serve as a "tour guide", it said "You are called to serve as a MISSIONARY". It really hurt mine and Sister Willmore's feelings, but we just went on with the tour. The very next day, I read a talk that is called "Converted to the Gospel Through His Church". (here is the link, I strongly suggest you guys read it! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/04/converted-to-his-gospel-through-his-church?lang=eng  )  It was so good, and it reminded me a lot of that tour. It talked all about how there are members who are perfectly active in the church, but less-active in the gospel. It really made me think about what kind of member I will be after I am home. Will I be the member who sits on their phone during sacrament meeting, but who goes to church every week? Will I be the member who thinks going through the temple once or twice in a couple years is good enough? Will I be the member who goes to one of the Lord's Visitor Centers and refuses to feel the spirit? The answer is a big NO :) We need members who take notes during Sacrament meeting, ponder application of what they learn, and members who use the Sacrament properly. We need members who value and understand the covenants they make in the temple. We need members who understand that conversion is a never ending process, and you can never have a "strong enough testimony". I am so grateful for the precious truths I am able to learn on my mission. I am changed every single day.

If you haven't noticed, I love my mission so much. :) Thank you for all of the love and support I receive from each of you every week. It strengthens and motivates me :) Have a wonderful week!!!!!

Love,
Sister Missy Hutchison

" 9 Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life." 3 Nephi 15:9

Sister Willmore and I bought matching owl Moo-moos. So cozy. 

A picture of how we felt after someone just set their 7 dogs on us

A smiling pic! 

Bowling crew

I LOVE MY MISSION :)

March 6, 2017

Hello Family and Friends!!

Wow, this week has FLOWN BY. Wasn't it Monday just yesterday? It feels like it!!

I had a really great week. I am loving being in the Walnut Creek Branch with Sister Willmore. I am probably going to have a 6 pack by the end of this transfer, because Sister Willmore and I laugh SO HARD together. It is crazy to think that we live about 10 minutes away from each other in Utah, but we probably would have never met! We spent like a half an hour saying random people that we knew, and we made so many connections, it was hilarious. A mission has blessed me in SO MANY WAYS, and finding best friends has been one of them :)

Almost 2 weeks ago, Sister Willmore and I prayed and asked Heavenly Father who we need to be searching for. As we paused and listened to the spirit, we felt prompted to find a woman named Shannon, who has a family of 4, and she owns a red blanket (random, but that is what the spirit said). We have been searching for Shannon EVERYWHERE!!!! No, we have no found her yet.. But we haven't given up hope :) We just have to have the "faith not to find". Yesterday in testimony meeting, this woman bore her testimony about a girl who came into the family history center because she wanted a copy of The Book of Mormon. This woman's daughter is a member, and recently went to her grandchild's baby blessing, so this experience made her curious. She doesn't want missionaries right now, but she is definitely soul searching and she lives in our area somewhere. The spirit testified to me and Sister Willmore that this woman is who we are looking for. We have no idea what her name is (probably Shannon) or which house she lives in, but we ARE going to find her :) If you all could start praying for me and Sister Willmore to find Shannon, that would be awesome :)

We have a 9 year old investigator named Dylan. He is so cute!! His mom is a less-active member, but is recently coming back. The Elders are teaching her boyfriend, but she said that "sisters are better with children" so she asked us to teach Dylan. We asked him to listen to the spirit during the closing prayer, and when we asked him how he felt, he said "I feel good. I have never opened my heart like that before!" It was adorable!!! It totally makes sense when the scriptures always say to be like a little child.

We were out finding families this week, and met this teenager named Ragina. She is so sweet and said we could come back and talk with her and her mom. We went back many times, but each time we would go over there, the mom wouldn't be home! I think we went like 4 times without much success. But, the spirit kept telling us to keep on trying. Last night, we knew that we had to go. So, we tried again! A little boy answered the door and he said his mom was home!!!!!!!!! She was on the phone for a few minutes, so we talked to the family a little bit more. The mom's boyfriend was there, and he told us that he knew we were there for a reason, because that family really needed to come closer to Christ. They actually lived in Salt Lake City for a year, so that was a super fun connection that we had with them. The mom got off of the phone, and was SO EXCITED to see us. I can honestly say she was jumping up and down when she walked into the room and saw us standing there. She hugged us and said that she was sorry that we kept missing her! By the time we got talking to her, we had to go home because it was getting late, but we set up a return appointment, and are really excited for it. Her name is Rebecca and she is such a sweetheart.

This week at the Trail Center, Sister Willmore and I were calling people who had ordered a Bible to confirm their requests and offer them copies of The Book of Mormon. We were talking to a woman named Barbara, and she was super nice. She said that she would LOVE a copy of The Book of Mormon, and would be totally fine with missionaries stopping by. I was about to end the call, but then something told me to ask if I could share a message with her. The natural man kept saying "she is probably busy", "you have more people to call" and "you'll just annoy her". But, the other voice told me that Barbara has potential and needs to know the message of the Restoration. All good things come from God, right? So, I ignored Satan's lies, and followed the Spirit. When I asked if I could share a little message with her, and was excited and said "of course!" So, I was able to share with her the restoration. As we talked about Joseph Smith, she started to cry and she shared some spiritual experiences with me. She was really feeling the spirit and said she KNEW that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that there had to be a prophet today. I invited her to be baptized and she said "Yes, of course. I really need to be baptized. Yes!" It was such an amazing lesson over the phone, and it wouldn't of happened if I would have listened to the adversary's lies. The missionaries in Georgia are so lucky that they get to teach Barbara!

This week my heart is so full of gratitude. I love my mission more than anything in the world. I am so happy every single day here, and there is nothing more rewarding than serving the Lord. I wake up every morning so grateful, and go to sleep every night so happy. I love my mission :)

Sorry this email is so long!! I didn't realize how large it was until I just read over it again. I love you all!!

Love,
Sister Missy Hutchison

16 MONTHS. Where is the time going?

We went bowling last P Day!! I got a 94! 

that form..... 

a whole new meaning behind "the field is white" 

Searching for them 'gators

dead corn.. Yum

Watch out, 'Braska