11.30.14 tasmanian holiday happenings 

Our week was really good! We got to do a couple things that were out of the ordinary so it made for a fun week. We got to do district meeting over the phone and thats always pretty interesting, something always goes wrong but it makes for a funny meeting. Ha, Tasmania is like its own mission. We are so isolated down here! It will be like going to a new mission when I go up to the mainland again! I'd be perfectly fine to die here though. (finish her mission)

On Thursday was TURKEY DAY but funny enough we went out and had Korean food. We went with K and A C. They are the best! It was the best food too. I loved it. We went and got cold rock ice cream after that and walked around the city (because it's nice and warm out). On Friday we decorated the flat w/ all the Christmas stuff we had. We have a cute tree and tinsel and turned on some music and decorated it at lunch. I started missing home a bit then, wanting to listen to the normal Christmas music and go out w/ family to Christmas parties and get gifts and food and that but then I remembered what Christmas is really about, its like Savior gave me a hug and told me I had everything, that I wouldn't miss out on anything this Christmas as long as I remembered Him. It was was cool! Christmas really is a special time of year. The real reason everyone is so happy this time of year is because of the spirit of Christ, it has to be!

That night was a relief society party. We made cards and fudge. FUGDE is so good and Michael Buble was singing my jams, my Christmas jams. I loved it while it lasted! Then Saturday we went to Devonport to practice for the Christmas party. We are in the lovely  Devonport stake choir :) its good fun. The party is Saturday so get ready for some pictures. Its supposed to be a night in Bethlehem so we will be dressed up.

Then Sunday there were heaps of people there. It was the primary program and I kid you not I've never laughed so hard. It was the cutest thing. Yoo our Korean investigator came. He doesn't know english well so he doesn't like church much, but we had soup Sunday. Its where an auxillary brings food and everyone eats it after church. Its the besss. After that we went to Deloraine for a UYC devotional. Took me right back! I'm the only one of us that was @ UYC left here in Tas. It was so good. Youth spoke and sang and it was good! We went w/ S and L P. They are awesome!

So yep it was a fun week! Still loving missionary life. Australia is the best! :)

Today we woke up to rain & thunder, its definitely summer time! Thank you everyone who has sent mail or emails, I get all of them and love them! I will write back as soon as I can. ;) Love you all!

Love,

Sister Hatch #1

Yummy Korean food

FHE at the W's on Monday nights

The roses are crazy right now, they are beautiful and EVERYWHERE!

We walked up and there was no door, I was thinking it was like 9 3/4 and tried to get through...but

Not quite cold stone

Decorating the flat

Devonport overlooking the port and Spirit of Tasmania

11.23.14 I hit 6 months this week! 

Dear home,

This week has been, wait for it… awesome good as ever. On Monday we did nothing too exciting just got food. Yeah
I guess that's an alright day. We got Mexican food, definitely not Arizona Mexican but still good. We walked in and
there were paintings of the saguaro cactuses and that, it almost felt like home but they didn't even have chips and
salsa, at all! But I had some good rice and it was fine, we're in Australia there's not much we can do. :)

One of the highlights this week was my letter from our dear G, she moved to Adelaide a couple weeks ago she is so
excited about the gospel and it's so amazing! She really wants to go to the temple and she was called as ward
missionary! She's already telling it!

Another has to do with wonderful J and H. Last week R spoke in general priesthood meeting and this week was
ordained an elder and now has the Melchezidek priesthood!! He was also called to serve as ELDERS QUOROM
SECOND COUNSELOR. Only been a member for two months. He'll do great things! And we've gotten to spend
a lot of time with H. Well she is just amazing. The way she studies the scriptures and is so hungry to learn more is
 so so cool to see. She's such a good example to her family! Hayley is so special.

Also the ward went up on the Spirit of Tasmania (boat) to the temple. So I sent about 10 kg of worth of clothes to be
taken to the Tassie  room at the mission home and one of the bags got brought back down!  The best part of the
week was that I got to talk to sister Stewart! Last time because she flies out to the USA today. Stewie, if you're
reading this I love you!! :)

We get to go finding a lot here in Australia. Unfortunately 80% of people are completely non-religious so it makes
tracting etc hard. But we still manage to find amazing people like N and G and H and R. Anyway! We were knock
knock knocking and met  guys called Will and A probably 22-ish? They were really cool and interested. We talked
with them for probably 45 minutes. A was really outgoing and funny, his personality reminded me of JT or Macky
Slade! Haha. We made a return appointment and they started joking about a date and A prayed I would kiss him.
PROBABLY NOT A.

Oh another story when finding. We knocked on a ladies door and she said we were from hell and need to read the
bible and yelled a few more things and told us to leave…then we said "have a good day"! :) Then she said "I hope
you DON'T have a good day, I hope nobody opens the door and nobody listens to you!" And she claims to be
Christian. Haha so funny it really is crazy how I'm numb I've become to that sort of thing… I love it when it happens
 because it just turns into a good story! I prayed for her. :)

Ah I remembered another story it's been a good week guys. A less active member we visit called M told us she
didn't want to get baptised and that she thinks that everyone in the Book of Mormon is high on a drug! Man
so awkward to have her say that and then sit here… what do you even say? Haha I don't know one thing led to
another and now she wants us to teach her like she's a new investigator… true. I'll let you know how that goes.

Two birds flew right into the car yesterday and we have a kookaburra living outside or flat!

Something I've learnt this week would be about the enabling power of the atonement. It is so real and half the time
is the only thing that gets me through the day. For example on Friday I felt horrible, just felt like sleeping all day, my
body hurt and…just didn't feel good. But I didn't want to stay home! I'd rather be out doing something. So I prayed
really hard for the cool enabling power and went out and after a few minutes finding I forgot I was ever sick. It didn't
completely go away but I was able to get everything done. It was a miracle!

Did I say I hit 6 months this week? Only 12 more to go! That'll fly. It's crazy how fast time goes.

Christmas is so soon! Send me stuff! :) It doesn't feel at all like Christmas. It's getting warmer and warmer every day
and nobody has a tree. America is pretty cool when it comes to holidays. Send me pictures pls!

Will be spending Thanksgiving with sister A and brother K C! Thanksgiving doesn't exist here so we're having our
own party.

Hope all of you have a good holiday and eat lots of the orange pie for me.

XOXO
Sister Hatch #1 (her aunt McKala who just went to Texas is sister Hatch #2) 

11.16.14 there is a kookaburra living outside our flat! 

Hey everybody!

It was a SMASHING week in the Launceston Tamar area. The work just gets better and better every single day, and BREAKING NEWS...I will be staying in Launceston for another 6 weeks! I AM STOKED! me and Gibby (did i tell you the story about sis G's nickname?) are going to tear it up this next transfer. It'll be good. I'll be here for Christmas!! :)

I got your lovely Halloween package this week, it was awesome! Thank you heaps. I don't think you understand how happy mail makes me! and every missionary, for real.

Oh I have been wanting to tell you all this for ages I just always forget. Ok I drive on the left side of the road in the right side of the car, all backwards and that ya? Well just think about parallel parking in the USA on the normal side. Hard as. Then multiply that by 100 and thats how hard it is to parallel park on the other side all backwards and I've definitely held up traffic for about 10 minutes trying to do this. BUT I succeeded and now I'm a master at opposite parallel parking! I've learned so much on my mission.

Have you all heard of the dodgy ozone layer her in Tas? I guess there is no ozone layer over us and so the sun just burns you like fire. I didn't believe them but nek minnit (slang), I go out for 1 hour and get so burned! It's a weird sun, just burns, it doesn't hurt and will hopefully change to a tan tomorrow. My skin just literally hasn't seen sun in about a year so, its struggling.

Okay the funniest thing, we were picking up Maddi to go out finding right. We crossed a main street and got her and on the way back across Gibby's shoe made her slip and she fell right there in the middle of the street. I thought she was going to get ran over but she didn't and got up and I just, I didn't know what to do because it was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen but I didn't want to be that rude selfish person laughing at hurt people but ya, good fun.

Ah there is a kookaburra living outside our flat!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JETT! I LOVE YOU!

So in the mornings we run. Launceston is HILLS, big hills. We live on a hill called Balfour hill. It's crazy, lie a 90 degree incline I'm almost positive, ha no, but so steep and long and I have to go into 1st gear to drive the car up and I ran up it! So steep it was basically as fast as a walk on flat but man it was hard exercise though.

Tonight I ATE KANGAROO STEW. It was good. J L made it so now I've officially eaten kangaroo. You can call me an Aussie.

Monday we went to Deloraine for zone pday! So fun! We made a video for the Christmas thing and ate food at the Triffitts (1st bishop) house! Stayed at E and A G's :) Love them. Just E and S were there w/ us though. It was good.

Then Tues we had zone meetings w/ all the Tas missionaries! Zone meetings are good, they give me an extra boost for a few weeks. We learnt about missionary stuff, it was great. The spirit was strong!  ZL's Elder S and C did a training about baptism invites and it was so cool. They are such good missionaries. Elder C will be going back up to the mainland but we were lucky to have him and still S! I also got a blessing. The priesthood is the coolest thing. I definitely didn't understand the POWER of it before my mission.

Speaking of priesthood, J got the Melchezidek priesthood yesterday and spoke in our stake general priesthood meeting. He's only been baptised like 2 months! He's going to be a general authority one day, wow it was amazing seeing R and H grow so much in such a short time. They are fireballs! They love the gospel and they get it. It's all about setting and achieving goals that move us closer to becoming who God wants us to be. Constantly trying to be better...being humble enough to change! They are such good examples to me and everyone. I love them so much!

A lot of time this week was spent finding, mostly tracting. On sat we did it for 5 hours straight! And if you all forgot the weather here is opposite to America so its so hot out! Thats when I got a little burned. About half way through we were sitting there at a door and it hit me what I was actually doing. Literally knocking on random doors telling them about religion and prayer and that. I mean ya its awesome and what I love doing now but it was so weird when I actually thought about what I was doing, it happens. We'll be driving along and I'll just suddenly realise I'm on the other side of the world in AUSTRALIA w/ this girl I only met 6 weeks ago and it'll just blow my mind for a couple seconds and go away. Like I go back in to a dazed and oblivious state again. Haha so weird.

I blinked and 6 months went by. 6 months on the 21st of Nov! Almost halfway, 1/3 right now, time flies.

Hasta.

Send me mail.

Love you all.

Love,

Sister Hatch #1

ps for all you animal lovers....bible dictionary page 217 #4 (revelation of John)  ANIMALS will be resurrected!

Me and Sister G being Lamanites

Tas zone 

Sisters from Tas zone and Jackie

Tasmania Zone

11.9.14this gospel is real and changes lives! 

Everybody!!  Okay I know I say this every week but this week was amazing, this week was the best. I'll just go day by
day, miracle by miracle. Monday we helped Yoo with his English project. Then later went bowling with all the district in
Launceston. It was so beautiful outside. 25° I reckon (around 70-80 Fahrenheit) beautiful, and we were inside throwing
balls around knocking pins down but it's fine, it was fun. Random but I realized I need sunglasses really bad… anyone
want to help the poor missionary in Tasmania where there is no ozone layer?

Later we went to dinner at Wheelers like always on Mondays but this time Simone Triffitt (Lisa's sister) from Del ward
came to see me!! And brought the kids and made chocolate ripple cake because it's my favorite! She is the BEST. I
love the Triffitts… and the Wheelers! It was such a fun night!

After that we went and saw Georgia. She is just amazing. She wrote down her testimony/baptism stuff and let us read
it and I just… I don't know. I wanted to cry because of the pure joy and happiness I felt through the word she wrote.
Wow it was so cool. This gospel is real and it changes lives!

Tuesday we had district meeting over the phone… We put the phone in a cup to make it louder… It worked we just
looked a bit ghetto. Chinese others are supposed to come but they didn't come fast enough so we were just at the
chapel alone I don't know….this (over the phone) thing is pretty weird. Then we went finding and found a new person
(family) but mostly pretty places to take pictures haha. Everyone was at Uni so ya.

Wednesday we saw Hayley during the day, I love Hayley so much! Then saw Yoo. We were able to set a date for
baptism with him! Crazy! Then we went and ate dinner and saw Hayley and Rome that evening. We talked about
patriarchal blessings… wow those are pretty cool. PS I love them. They are awesome. I use the word awesome too
much I really need to expand my vocabulary or somethin.

Then Thursday we went tracting and found the coolest guy called Ian. He's got a son and I'm stoked to go back to
them. Wow miracles in finding people. On Friday we went on splits, first time ever! It was SO GOOD. Lisa Wheeler
came w/ me and we set a date w/ Natasha! Miracles!! Lisa and her just connected and it was good. We got to send
the zone a call-out about that! The ZLs committed us to set up a date before next thurs and we did it the next day
w/o even planning it, crazy. Miracles everywhere. 

Saturday we saw Hayley. We went out and it was such a nice day out so we set on the trampoline for an hour and I
finally got some sun! I mean you can't really tell but I did serious, I am so white it's scary. Worse than Edward at the
moment.

I told Hayley she needs to have another baby before I go home! If she is preggers by Feb it will be possible! She said
she'll try :) haha no just kiddin!


Okay but wait, the best was later that day we went tracting and met a guy called Adrian. In his 20s, going to Uni,
really cool. And ATHEIST. He said that right off so I expected him to tell us to leave. But he kept listening and talking
and being cool. Then asked us to come in for water… we couldn't b/c no girl. Then after more time he decided to
bring out chairs on the porch and we sat there for about 45 minutes teaching him. He doesn't believe it but is still
willing to listen. I felt like I should teach about BofM and we did and read the intro w/ him. He said he would read it.
What! Like this guy is so cool. So atheist but has so much potential. I prayed the whole time that he would be
softened, from the moment we met him, prayed… and it worked. We are going to see him this week. So stoked! Pray
for him :)

That night we went to Jenny Jones for tea, she made us Mexican food! It was so good, I miss that stuff. And then we
went to the Kings. The best family ever! We had so much fun w/ the boys and Lisa. We got there @8:30 and felt bad
because Kobe (youngest) usually is in bed and hour earlier but it was a lot of fun still. We had cup stacking wars and
just hung out. That family is so amazing, I just love them so much. The boys are so sweet I want my kids to be like
them. :)

Sunday! Woke up…tried to write my talk for church then went to Hayley and Jerome's for a lesson. I felt like we
should teach David a Bednars talk from two years ago on the atonement focusing on the enabling power. We went
and had such a good lesson. I think talking about the atonement just brings the spirit so strong. Rome said it was
exactly what he needed and he didn't know he needed it until we taught it. Wow it was the coolest thing. Having
people you love so much tell you that you helped them with exactly what they needed is the best feeling.
I prayed a lot to know how we could help them and God just let us to the right thing.

I've learnt so much that God really does care. He answers our prayers! I feel 100% out of my comfort zone 200% of
the time, doing hard things, but I always just pray my heart out and expect the help and it always comes. God is
great! And the atonement is real, it changes us.

Did I tell you I'm never coming home? I'm going to live in Australia and be a missionary forever! I just love it so much!

After church we were with Hayley and Rome was in an interview for ages. So we waited and when he came out
Pres Walters (stake) followed him. Rome looked stoked he said he was interviewed for the Melchezidek priesthood!!! 
He will be getting it next week!!! I wanted to cry. I am just so happy. I think the look on his face and excitement in
him made it so much more special. This means the world to him, I'm so beyond excited/happy. :)

Natasha came to church this week too, she loved it. As always! No coincidence that it's always exactly what she
needs. Did I tell you we set up a baptism d8 w/ her? MIRACLE!! And my talk went well! I got to speak with Maddi
and Bishop Rogers so it was pretty special. First time speaking in sacrament meeting on mish. I spoke at UYC
though.

Well then today we are going into Deloraine to have zone P day! Yes we get to dress like Lamanites and make a
video for the mission Christmas party. I'm so stoked! And we get to go to Bishop Triffetts house to eat and all. It's
like going home. Going back to my place of birth! And we get to stay with Emily Gilligan tonight! I love her. So stoked.

Alright well ya this week was so awesome. Miracles everywhere. I just love this missionary stuff, who knew I'd be
saying that. Ha but man if any of yous reading this is wondering about a mission stop wondering and just go. It'll be
the best thing you'll ever do.

Send me mail! Love you all. 

Love 
Sister Hatch #1

Simone Triffett and kids

11.3.14 fasting brings blessings! 

What a great week! It was the best yet! On Monday night the AP's (Elder McCleary) called and asked if we would give a training at zone conference, what! Sister Gilbert's 1st ever and only my 2nd zone conference but said yes, obviously. They said we would be doing the second part with Sister Maxwell. We trained on planning for fifteen minutes! We prepared all week (3 days) and still got everything ready for Georgia's baptism on sat. We were so busy! 

We did a worksheet and different stuff for the training, it went really well. We were with Georgia every day and prepared her as much as possible! She is just so amazing and prepared, it wasn't hard. And we had her interview tues night. It was good, she passed :) We didm't have a lot of direction for the training and....its a big deal training at zone conference so we fasted. Serious...fasting brings miracles. If we fast God has to help us :) and He did! It was really cool, God is real and loves us so much! 

We drove to Hobart early AS on Friday and had zone conference. It was Halloween so Sister Maxwell brought orange stuff and decorations, it was cute. :) They don't celebrate Halloween here though, only a few do. America is pretty cool as far as holidays go.

Zone conference was so good, I loved it. We had a cool experience with the zone leaders training. (Elder Sergeant and Elder Cavanaugh) They trained on teaching with spiritual power it invited the spirit really strong and then we did an activity. We all lined up shoulder to shoulder...not touching...with companions in front of us lined up as well. We had to hold hands with companion and just look in their eyes trying to see their spiritual power etc. We did it with everyone, switching every 10 seconds. Man it was so cool. I felt like I was seeing all these missionaries the way God sees them. By the end I had tears. We ended with our companions and I just cried! We hugged and cried, it was really cool.

Then we drove home that night and did the programs for Georgia's baptism, yo! She was so excited, her mom came as well. We got everything ready and set up and it was great! She brought her mom and she told the coolest story. Georgia's grandpa was talking to mormon missionaries just before he died. Her mom said it changed him for the better, although he didn't join. Georgia just found that out! I felt like her grandpa was the one that lead us to her. Our ancestors are around us!! I know it. Now she's excited to go to the temple and do work for her fam! Georgia is amazing.

Baptism was great!! It was perfect and Georgia bore her testimony at the end, it was so cool, thats what makes all of this completely worth it, I love this work. Then Sunday she was confirmed and received the Holy Ghost! Also amazing. We gave her signed scriptures as well. She brought those and I could hardly tell she was a new convert. Fast and tesimonyt meeting was good. We had Natasha there (investigator). Jerome bore the most powerful testimony. He is so special!

Then in gospel principles, wow that was cool. We had testimony meeting in there as well and Rome bore his testimony again! Told his life story and how he got to where he is and I just felt the spirit stronger than I ever have. I can't describe the feeling. It was just amazing! Then Georgia did the same THEN NATASHA! WHAT!! They all made me feel so special letting me know how happy this gospel has made them. And it was just amazing. That is what makes every hard day worth it! Seeing these people I love change and become happier people. Its amazing. I love being a missionary, I'm never coming home! Love you all. Write to me!! If you send a letter I promise to write one back. :)

Love

Sister Hatch