MEET THE MORMONS

This week was so incredibly spiritual, where to begin? 

 

We had the chance this past week to meet in a specialized zone training with our mission President. He discussed a lot about weekly planning and how crucial it is to keep doing it with all our hearts. Our weekly planning starting this week will start at 9 in the morning and end at 7 o clock. But its nice, we have every second of every day planned out for the week. It shows The Lord our plans and that we have work to do. Before the training we got to view the film Meet The Mormons which comes out in theaters October the 10th. I am not going to ruin it for you guys, but all people, Mormon or non Mormon, should go and watch it. It had me crying by the end of it. It's a good way to show the world that Mormons are real people, and that we arent some crazy cult. So anyone that is close with my family, call them up and take them out to watch the movie when it comes out. You'll also get a huge laugh from it too, it has a ton of funny scenes. But I dare so it was one of if not the most spiritual movie I've ever watched. Want to see the life of a Mormon? GO WATCH IT. 

Want to share a weird but funny experience that I had this week. We went to go visit a woman named Elva, shes been heavy on drugs, prostitution, she has 3 kids whom she cannot support, it's one of those situations that we have to be careful with basically. But when we got there, I bent down to pick up my book that I had dropped and WHAM....I had just been hit in the head with a rock. I looked up, and some strange woman was standing in Elva's door. She goes "YOU GUYS NEVER GIVE UP DO YOU?" Then Elva came out of no where and all we hear is and see are cops coming out of no where. Apparently some woman had went into Elva's house and refused to leave the house. So Elva called the cops, she looks at us and says "Hey boys, it seems like every time my life goes crazy theres ALWAYS Mormons around." I never really understood why she threw a rock at me, but its whatever. We then sat down with Elva and read our scriptures with us. Finally the cops got the woman out of the house and we went in with one of the members of the church and said a prayer. But it was one of those moment's that we came home and laughed so hard about. 

Something I have been thinking about is repentance. How many people actually know the process of repentance? I am still learning myself actually. But I read this morning in the book of Acts, chapter 3. You read about Peter and John and how they healed the man with no strength and couldn't walk. With the power of Christ, Peter healed the man and he stood up and walked normally. The man was so happy that he ran and shouted and screamed with joy. People had noticed how Peter had just healed the man and was in total amazement. But Peter, being the great apostle that he was, told the people that they were incorrect, that he had not healed the man, God did. And that they needed to repent of their sins. The people had killed Christ, he resurrected and they still didn't believe in Christ. Peter preached only on repentance, the people couldn't deny the miracle they had just witnessed so what did they do? They repented. Repenting of our sins is so important. We all make mistakes, none of us are perfect but at the same time recognizing our sins is crucial in the repentance process. The people that Peter spoke to had not realized of their sins until they saw the miracle that Peter had performed through Christ's help. It shouldn't take a miracle to recognize our sins, it should be a normal habit. Repenting is something I myself am working on, and I strongly encourage everyone to learn the process of repentance and to start repenting of our sins. Why do we get baptized? To cleanse our sins, right? After that, all the mistakes that we make God gave us the repentance process, SO USE IT. 

5 weeks ago two missionaries here in the area knocked on a door and a young lady by the name of Heather Davis opened it. Soon after, the two missionaries got transferred, and in came myself and Elder Ballard. The last 5 weeks we have been working with Heather and watching her grow through Christ. Her, like everyone else, has made mistakes, had bad habits, and wondered if there was even a God. I've had the chance to watch Christ take her life into his hands and its even greater that she accepted him. Shes a totally different person. Yesterday, I am proud to say that Heather Davis was baptized, and I am so blessed to be apart of her conversion. I never thought 2 years ago when i was baptized, that I would be out doing what those missionaries did for me. Yesterday, I got the chance to experience it. Seeing someones life change is something I can't explain, nor can I even try to explain. It's one of those warm feelings that you get that you only know that God is giving you the feeling, or that the Spirit is there. When she came out of the water she said she felt like a totally new person, and thats what its all about (As my grandpa says). Baptism is so important and the more that I'm here the more that I understand that being baptized is the first step in a life long journey here on this earth. "Matthew 28:19"

Just a couple side notes, hate to hear that the Braves did so poorly to finish out the season, but hey theres next year right? At least we did better than the Cubs...well actually my high school did better than the Cubs...or wait...didn't the Yadkin County Riverside 7th Grade All-Star team do better than the Cubs? Oh well, its whatever.

PAUL GEORGE WILL BE HEALTHY WHEN I COME HOME...Just saying. :)

I love you all, thanks for the letters, it means a ton. 

Until next week,

Con Amor,

Elder Hutchens

 

Me in some slick boots that Elder Manwill gave me.

My companion, Elder Ballard,  and I with Heather moments before her baptism.

Heather's family picture with myself and my companion.

Who would have thought?

SO..for some reason I didn't make the connection. But when I got here the President had told me my companion was Elder Ballard. It didn't hit me until I was in my room Wednesday and I was looking at Elder Ballard's photos. I saw his dad and I go.."hmmm, this guy looks familiar." I was looking at a Ensign and came across the apostle Elder Ballard. I said "Hmmm, I feel like I've seen this face before today." Out of no where it hit me, I go "OH MY GOSH MY COMPANION IS ELDER BALLARDS GRANDSON." I asked my companion and he just smiled, I am under the impression that he's not allowed to tell or that he chooses not to admit it, but how cool is that? One day I'll be able to tell my kids I served with an apostles grandson. Way cool, no?

So this week was awesome. We had the best temple trip in the world. We got up at 4:30, rolled out went and got dressed and took that long drive up to Tri-Cities. The temple here in this mission is so beautiful. It's certainly been a blessing to be apart of a mission that allows me to go to the temple. After the temple we took loads of pictures. I'll send some with them Email and some more will be on my blog. I've gotten to know some friends here in this mission that i hope I will be able to keep through out the rest of my life. Was certainly a neat experience. 

The work here in the Washington Kennewick mission is moving so forward and I am so blessed to be apart of it. THIS coming Sunday, I will experience my first baptism. My companion and i have been working with a young lady named Heather, and boy is she golden. It seems like every question we ask her she comes back with the perfect answer. She is so excited to be baptized and we are just as stoked for her. Its awesome seeing peoples life's change through Christ. From the time that we first met her, until now, shes a totally different person. You can see Christ in her eyes, and see the changes that she has made. I just hope that Sunday the Spirit will be there and Heather will feel the difference in her life when coming up from the water. We are also working with another young lady named Hannah. She is also just as golden. She has a baptism date for October the 18th, and she is AWESOME. We have been working on things with her, and now her parents are investigating the church a little. But Hannah has always wanted to be baptized, and I'm just the lucky one that gets to help her. We also have another baptism coming up for Christina Canwell, coming up in mid October. I am so blessed to be apart of the work here, I know I say that a lot but I mean it. I feel the Lord's presence every single day. I have found that yes, I am here to help change other peoples life's, but at the same time I see my own life changing. My relationship with Christ is inevitably growing stronger every day. I look over to the beautiful mountains sometimes, or I look up at how pretty the stars are, and just think to myself..."There has to be a God." None of this happened by chance, the Holy Ghost is real. Not only do I sense its presence every day, but other people around me feel it as well. 

A long with how spiritual the week has been its also been a funny one. We had an area authority come to speak to us this past week, Elder Risenmay. He asked myself and my companion to come and teach the first lesson in front of the whole sacrament meeting. After we did I had 4 people, 4 PEOPLE come ask me if I was from Australia? I mean is my accent that heavy? Have people out here never heard anyone from the south? I've also had people ask me where North Carolina is located, or is that another country? People out here must live under a rock their entire life's. 

Love you guys so much, and thanks for all the support. Cant wait to talk to you guys next week! 

 

Con Amor,

Elder Hutchens

Elders in the district

Elder Ballard and Elder Hutchens in front of Columbia River Washington temple.

Elder Hutchens in front of temple.

Elder Hutchens, Elder Heldt and Elder Visker.

Elders and Sisters in the zone.

Spiritual Week

What a week guys, its been so incredible to serve here in the Washington Kennewick Mission so far. I'm not even sure where to start. 

We have been working with a girl named Christina. She has parents who are both 7th Day Adventist preachers. They don't like the Mormon faith at all, and for the longest time they have forbid her to get baptized. Shes 21 years old and has already applied to BYUI. Yesterday we got a phone call late at night and it was her. She said "I told my parents im getting baptized and theres nothing they can do about it." So we a baptism coming up soon for her, I believe it will be this week. But her example of knowing what she has to do has been a testimony strengthener for me. No matter what, she has said from the beginning that she wanted to be baptized. So hopefully this Saturday will be the day she finally gets baptized, ill keep you posted. We also have another baptism coming up for a girl named Heather. That will be the 27th of September. Shes 16 years old, we started working with her and trying to explain all the things that we could to make it clear for her. We went and visited her, the first thing she said was "Elders, i know its true, things just clicked." So we set her up for a date to be baptized. Also we are working with another guy named Reyes, hes also 16 but was raised Catholic. After talking to him and working with him, hes starting to come around. Hopefully soon things will click for him but he says he feels a lot of peace and joy when he is at the church. Yesterday at church we had 4 investigators at church also, thats the first time I ever had any investigators at church and it was such a blessing. 

If you guys cant tell the work here in the Washington Kennewick Mission is going forward very strongly. The Lord is blessing the people here and opening up their hearts. I am so blessed not only to be serving here, but to be serving period. We pray for these people every single day, with that being said i see the power of prayer. We had prayed so much for Christina to tell her parents, and just like that she did. God is changing these peoples life's and as a missionary I have the rare opportunity to see the life's changing. I never realized how some people rely on missionaries so much. We have an investigator named Elva. Shes 35 years old with 7 kids and no job. The Elder that was working in my area before me had been working with her for a while. I suppose she got really close with the Elder and when she found out I had taken his place, she sat down and started crying her eyes out. In that moment it was like i realized the significance of the power of a missionary. How some people put so much stock and feelings into missionaries. 

We also had an interesting Monday night. Monday night around 8 myself and Elder Ballard came in and i had to go pee. We heard a knock on the door and he went to open it up and no one was there. It freaked us out a little. That night after I had went to sleep, my companion woke me up at 1 o lock. He and Elder Manwill were up and both of them said they had weird feelings. They then heard someone trying to open up the window and Elder Manwill grabbed a golf club, and he said after that he never heard the noise again. We called the cops and a cop came and checked everything out. After he left we went down to the church and I slept in a pew. Was one for the ages for sure, not only scared the pee out of me, but I'm not sure how safe i feel in the house anymore. But we fixed the windows and everything so it should be good. 

I love you guys, and can't wait to continue reading all your letters and packages. It means the world to me. Getting a letter and packages is like Christmas. I'm so thankful for all the support that has been shown and I'm so thankful for all the prayers. I hope i can make you guys proud back home, not only you guys but Jesus Christ. 

Thanks so much for everything, love you guys!

Con Amor,

Elder Hutchens

Cruisin' in style

Elders in the Zone

A yard full of chicks

Back in the Game

HOLA FAMILIA Y AMIGOS. 

So for those of you who don't know, I had to go home for around a month or so due to some complications. With that being said I was called to serve in the Washington Kennewick mission, spanish speaking. I just got here last Friday and I love it!! The people here are great and I love my mission President. 

So being out here on the West coast its easy for people to pick out my accent, especially a North Carolina accent. My companions, my district, my zone, every one makes fun of how I talk. Its okay though because they dont have a cool accent like myself. Being here in Washington serving is so much different than serving in Argentina. I guess that also has a lot to do with the culture, the Mission President, and the food. Everything is just so different. I like it though, actually to be honest I love it. A long with that the only thing I dont love is the lack of Bojangles. No one here has heard of Bojangles, no one. They have all heard of Pop Eyes and KFC, but not Bojangles. Thats one thing I am going to miss. My companion is super awesome!! His name is Elder Parker Ballard. He is a very very relaxed guy, which is always a plus. We work well together and it seems that we are helping the work here in Washington move forward. 

Adjusting back to missionary life was very difficult but so satisfying at the same time. I am almost fully adjusted and am loving it. The one thing thats bothering me the most is the 3 hours of sleep I lost. So i go to bed at 9:45 every night. I just feel like I am supposed to be here, it feels great.

The Washington Kennewick mission is a mission of high expectations. I walked right into about 5 investigators that I think personally will be baptized. I'm in a zone called the Walla Walla zone, and its a little town almost identical to Yadkinville. So naturally with that being said I feel right at home. But the expectations here are high, lots of work here is being done and the missionaries are doing a great job. We have an investigator named Reyes. He was Catholic all his life and he left the church due to some problems he had with doctrine or something. Anyways, he says there is no God but is looking for something that would restore his faith. He had a lot of great questions about our church and he is really progressing. We have been working with him and I've been praying that he will see the light and that he can be baptized and brought into the Church of Christ. 

We had lessons with some less active members and some people that are extremely less fortunate. The people confide a lot in us and it almost puts a lot of pressure on us to say the right words. I've been praying for God to help give me the words to say and to help guide these people closer to Christ. Its difficult sometimes because my words aren't exactly what these people are looking for. It seems like we are looking for the same thing; happiness. I can't make it clear enough to everyone that happiness is Christ and Christ is happiness. If people can just wrap their mind around that, things would go so much easier. 

I just want you all to know I love you so much and thanks for the support. Going back home wasn't the easiest choice at all and almost an even harder choice to go right back out. But with the love and support of my family, my friends and my church, I know that this mission will be the best thing to ever happen to me and not only me, but my family. Today I had one of my missionaries that taught me, send me a picture of the day I got baptized, I'll send it out to you guys. Anyways, my strength every day is Philippians 4:13. I shared that with my Ward this past Sunday. I actually had the chance to go up and take 10 minutes to introduce myself and to tell my story. I feel very fortunate to be in the position I am in and even more so to be serving Christ day in and day out. Again, thank you all for everything. It literally means the world to me. I'm not going to let you down, ever. Returning with honor is my main concern. 

Con Amor,

Elder Hutchens

pictures: myself and Elder Ballard in front of our car, myself and Elder Ballard our first day and our first P-day. Also, March 16th, 2013; the day I was baptized. 

Elder Ballard, Elder Hutchens and their wheels

Elder Hutchens with Elder Ballard on the first day in Walla Walla.

P-day in Washington

March 16, 2013
Baptism of Tanner Hutchens

Goodbye Again

Tanner will be continuing his mission in the Washington Kennewick Mission, Spanish Speaking.  He left early Friday morning after being set apart Thursday night.  There were several people there to support him and who love and care about him.

Tanner and Grandpa Paul

Tanner with good friend Todd Eldredge

Tanner with Mom Stephany and Grandpa Paul

Tanner, Mom, Grandpa and Mary June



Tanner with President Marsh

Tanner with Charles Teague

Tanner with Janell Eldredge and Keri Marsh