"Oh, goll"

Dear family,

"Oh, goll" --- that's my new catchphrase.  It's really caught on with all the other missionaries...aka my Comp, Sister HEDELIUS and Elder DuVal (one of the assistants).

So... This week was pretty much amazing! I'm going to do my really original "day by day" email format, mostly because it helps me remember what I actually did throughout the week. 

Monday: Pday, we mostly just spent the day running errands and packing up all of Sister Wuehler's stuff.  We ran around trying to say goodbye to everyone in the ward and basically were juts stressed out the whole day.  It was a blast! :) Oh, we also went to the church to say goodbye to some missionaries and the elders that were playing Volleyball got a little carried away and I ended up getting hit in the face.. like 3 times.  How embarrassing.  But it's cool, I didn't cry or anything.  Haha.

Tuesday: Transfers! I spent the morning in a bunch of meetings for trainers, Then, I finally got to find out who I was training.  And the winner is.... Sister HEDELIUS!!!!!! She's incredible! She's the one and ONLY 19-year old sister in the mission and she is the BEST.  We were so excited to get paired up together.  I think we hugged and jumped up and down for like 5 whole minutes before we even let President introduce  us.  We are serving in Rabbit Creek and the Bush Branch here in Anchorage.  Transfer meeting was really good.  I got to sing my song, "one more chance" and think it went pretty well.  I've gotten lots of compliments on it so that's got to be a good sign right? After transfers we headed out and got straight to missionary work.  And, in true missionary fashion, all of our appointments, and back ups cancelled.  Haha just another day in the mission.  I told Sister H that it was normal and that it happens a lot.  She is just such an excited new missionary that she was just happy to be here.

Wednesday: Missionary work! we worked really hard to try and contact as many people as we could.  We didn't really get to, but that's okay! We got to teach Katrian, a member of the Bush Branch over Skype that night.  It was really fun.  I'm so grateful, for technology and the capability it gives us to reach those whoare in very remote, far off places.  We also spent some time with Sister Beesley helping her to clean the house and plan some really fun upcoming field-trips, trainings, and stuff for zone conference.  We have been dubbed the "Assistants to Sister Beesley".  I've even started answering her phone for her lately.  haha!

Thursday: VALENTINES DAY!!! Tried to contact more people --- they weren't home.  Then we had the most amazing Valentine's dinner with the wonderful Stacey in our ward.  She is a recent convert and is such a warm person to be around.  We had steak and potatoes and salad for dinner, with hot fudge sundays and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.  When Stacey prayed to bless the food she prayed for Sister hedelius and I by calling us "H-squared".  We had to told her to call us that, mostly as a joke, but it totally stuck! It was hilarious! We then had a really spiritual lesson with our investgator, Billy{from the Bush Branch}, over the phone.  We were teaching the Restoration of the gospel, but because he has been calling into church for so long, he ended up teaching a good majority of the lesson.  We were so impressed, and the Spirit was so strong throughout the entire lesson.  At the end, Sister H committed him to baptism! He's praying about a date this week and we'll meet with him again on Thursday.  We were so excited and sister H even cried! I love seeing how much joy can come from sharing what we love with someone we know.  There is nothing quite like a brand-new missionary who is so incredibly full of the Spirit accomplishing all that they set our ro do.  It makes me so happy! :D We spent the rest of the night --- way passed curfew -- at the mission home having a musical/rehearsal/jamsession in preparation for a new song we recorded.  IT was Elder Durfee {the AP that isn't Elder DuVal} and I with elder Meek {hwho is serving in Wasille} It was really fun.  But a really late night.  We left the mission right before 11.  Of course we walked outside to get in our car and found it had snowed about 2 inches... thankfully the AP's are really nice guys and totally scraped off our car! They're the BEST!

Friday: Iditarod Service!!! We will be doing quite a bit of service for the Iditarod over the next few weeks.  This week we helped to sort and pack a ton of food and supplies for all the volunteers for every checkpoint.  It was really fun! They took our pictures and put them up oin the official Iditarod website.  Ya'll should try and find it online! :)

Saturday: Musical Field Trip!!! We spend the entire day, from 10am-10pm, with President and Sister Beesley in Wasilla recording a bunch of new music for the CD we're giving out at Zone Conferences this transfer.  We went to a couple of baptisms in the area too.  The first one was in a Samoan ward, so we didn't understand what was said.  It was so amazing to see that even though we couldn't understand any of what was said. It was so amazing to see that even though we couldn't understand what was being said, the Spirit was still so incredibly strong.  E Durfee, E Meek and I recorded, "Jesus Savior, Pilot Me".  The elders did such an amazing job coming up with a really beautiful arrangement of the song for the guitar and banjo.  I must say, it's pretty rad.  Hopefully I can get some CDs made soon and send them out to those who want them.  I also recorded 3 or 4 songs with the ever-wonderful Sister Ashbrook.  After all the recording was done, President took us out to Senor Taco for some yummy mexican food then we all headed over to the baptism of 12 year old boy.  When we went to talk to him after his baptism, I congratulated him on his big day and asked how he felt.  After oindering it for a few seconds he said, "I feel the Holy Ghost".  Um.. yeah!!! It was the cutest, sweetest thing ever.  I instantly started crying, because I'm me, because of how pure and true his statement was.  What a sweet boy.  We ended that day with some more recording then finally headed home. {Side note: Mom and Dad when I was in Wasilla I saw Elder Summers mission-board thing.  Don't worry, I got a picture with it :) }

Sunday:  Sunday is always the busiest day of the week just because we go to a million meetings, a ward, and a branch.  Plus, we study for 3 hours a day and ahve to fit it in sometime.  I love it though! It's strange to think back to the days when my Sundays were full of church and naps.  It seems like so long ago. 

Well, like I said, Sister Hedelius and I are doing great.  She is INCREDIBLE missionary and person.  We are basically the same person in two separate bodies.  We both LOVE Dr Pepper {Yay for the first come who actually drinks soda!} and grey's anatomy.... OH and country music! We have so much fun teaching, learning and laughing together.  Yesterday was a pretty rough day for me, and I can't even begin to tell you how much Sister Hedelius helped me through it all.  I know I can't really pick my "favorites" but she might be my favorite companion yet! I can't wati to see what the next 10 weeks are going to bring :)

I love you all and hope ya'll have a fabulous week!

Remember: The Lord loves you, I love you, and the church is true no matter what!

Love always, Sister Hatfield