Well another week gone it was a good one, plenty was learned and plenty was taught. I think you all will be happy to learn that you are related to the penguin slide champion, after daily planning (at 930) so it was more like nightly planning was when this title was won. It was our district leaders birthday, all of the hermanas in our district got him candy and stuff so I felt left out of the festivities so I promised him that at the end of the day that I would run down our hallways and see how far I could slide on my belly. The highest bet was thirteen tiles and that guess was my own, well I out did myself and slide nineteen and a half tiles down the hallway on my stomach, don't worry mom I took my suit off.
My companionship is going a lot better now, he is talking and contributing to lessons more which is good, now I'm on to the next step reteaching him (from our first week here) the importance of planning, when I first tried explaining it to him he said something along the lines of -Elder Hutchins it tells us in the scriptures that we are not supposed to plan before hand what we are going to say, besides I more of an in the moment kind of guy-, hmmmm so I turn to him cock my head and say reeeaaaalllly well then.....but don't worry we are getting there, step by step. By the time he gets to the field he's gonna be the best darn missionary west of the Mississippi (hes going to California).
In other news I hope to be hearing soon from mom that Lavinia was indeed picked up by her feet and hung upside down, then told hey that's from Greg or errmm Elder Hutchins. Also I am sending out a few letters this week so they should get there before I get home in 2015. There is a funny story in Lavinia and Isabelle's letter that you should make sure circulates the family and local church news dad.
There is one missionary here who has gone on an ALL cookie diet because the food makes him sick..... he is convinced it is working because he has lost 17 pounds, oh boy he also is going to Concepcion Chile..... these next two years will be life changing for him.
On a happier note I want you all to know that learning about the gospel is the best thing that we can do, it make life so much happier and so much more worth living. We had a devotional by Elder Holland this week (from a DVD, not live) and he said, "There might be a more exciting time to go on a mission, but I don't know when that would be....you all must have done something right in the council in heaven" he also told us that the prophets from the other dispensations knew that they would fail, that ultimately the gospel would be lost from the earth and that the people would enter into Apostasy, but that they could keep preaching, they could keep singing praises to our Father in Heaven because the knew that WE WOULD NOT, that we would not fail, but for the first time in the history of the earth how ever many thousands of years that the gospel is here to stay. It is not going anywhere and we are going to make sure of that indeed we, (This statement includes all of you who are going to go on missions, aren't going to go on a mission, are currently on a mission, or have already been on a mission) are bringing to pass Joseph Smiths prophecy that: "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing {and no hallowed hand will}; persecutions may rage {they have} , mobs may combine {they have}, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, BUT THE TRUTH OF GOD WILL GO FORTH BOLDLY, NOBLY, and INDEPENDENT, till it has penetrated every continent {even Antarctica} visited every clime {even MT Everest}, swept ever country {including china}, and sounded in EVERY ear {be it dictator, president, king, or warlord}, till the purposes of Go shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." And remember the purpose of God is his work and his glory, which is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. God lives my dear family members and friends and his admonition to Peter still stands, Feed my sheep, if we love him, if we claim that this is his true gospel show it, share it. Jesus is the Christ and remember this work cannot be done by missionaries alone we need YOU to help no matter where you are you can help to bring to pass the purposes of God. He loves us and he will be with us as we strive to do his will. There truly is no better time to be a missionary, SO BE ONE! go out and bring this good news to all those who are kept from it because they no not where to find it. Remember After your mission of 18 months or 2 years we are not to go back to fishin (see john 21) We are to feed His sheep and to follow him. I love you all with all my heart and I know that God does as well. Just as he knew the name of a seemingly obscure 14 year old farm boy from New York, he knows our names he knows your name. Keep the faith, fight the good fight, press on in the work of the Lord and may the spirit guide you in all that you do and say, only then will you become all that you can become. I love you and you are in my prayers.
Elder Hutchins III of Gales Ferry CT
