Porch Gardens


 Iaorana mes amis et ma famille! 


Happy Thanksgiving...and merry beginning of the Christmas season! 

The week started with an incredible lesson with our friends Hector, Billy, and Rita! Billy has gone through some very difficult hardships, including some jail time, and we decided to focus the lesson on repentance. Billy got emotional talking about the regret and shame he feels because of his mistakes, mistakes that have driven his loved ones away from him. It was awesome to be able to testify of the love and care that God has for him, regardless of his past actions. God still loves him. Repentance, forgiveness, and the blessings of purity, strength, and peace are still available to him. 
Funny note of the lesson: we asked Billy if he reads the scriptures. His response: "yeah I had plenty of time to read the Bible in jail!" He is a silly Billy. 
We ended the lesson by inviting them to baptism! Billy said yes! 

The date I extended for baptism was December 11. 

"Wait a minute Sœur Hatch.... isn't that super close in the future? Like next week?" 

Yes. It was an unrealistic possible Baptismal Date but December 11 was the only day I could think of. 
You see, during a weekly planning session, Sister Dailey frowned at me when I suggested a Baptismal Date after December 18, which is the day she goes home. So we then very unrealistically decided that all of our friends would be baptized on December 11. 

On Thanksgiving, we put up Christmas ornaments for our friend Sister Scott! There was a crazy windstorm the night before, so our service turned into a ~Christmas clean up~ as we picked up broken ornaments and gathered up candy canes. 
After that, we decided to sweep the leaves off the porch of our neighbor! I love impromptu services. 

We had our mission-wide conference! I was part of the musical number which was all fine and good until I wacked my hand against the music stand at the end. 

Our roommates told us they had bought a plant last Monday. 
The plant in question: green onions in a jar of water. 
I mean, I understand that roots will grow and whatnot. I get it. But... it looked a little silly sitting on our porch. 
We decided it needed a friend, so Sister Dailey and I put some peas in a cup and put them on the porch. 
No response from the Hermanas. 
Baby carrots in a cup then joined our crop. 
We are farmers.

We had a lot of miracles happen while we walked around neighborhoods and knocked doors! We met our new friends Robert, Emily, and Maria! We also had an incredible lesson about Christ and light the world with our friend Jimmy! Go ahead and watch the light the world video! Share it with your friends! 

Other moments~~~
-got yelled at by a man at a park on Thanksgiving. It wasn't really anything we did he was just sad and needed to yell at someone. 🤷‍♀️ 
-ate Thanksgiving dinner! 
- I got to do service for Days for Girls!
-we walked by this guy who was selling a bunch of hats. I asked if I could wear one. "Hold up... I have the hat for you." He then went to his garage and pulled out a hat that said "BLESSED." 💯

Ma petite pensée spirituelle no to'u mau hoa maita'i roa: 
Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
~D+C 123:7
In the California Riverside Mission, people often use the phrase "99% grind 1% find." While I for some reason cannot stand this phrase, it is very much true. 
This week has definitely been a testament to me that if we work hard in doing what is good, miracles will happen. God's hand will be revealed, if we but cheerfully do all that we can. When we look for the good, miracles and tender mercies are found! Sometimes we feel that we are in the "grind," busy, hard parts of life, but I know that those moments of difficulty will be replaced by moments of joy and fulfillment. There were many moments this week that showed us that we knew what we were doing, we were doing a good job, and we were watched over.  

Love you all! Ua here au ia outou! 
~noela oaoa~

-Sœur Hatch








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