I Have the Priesthood

Really, this time. Last week when I drove up to the Boston Temple, I mentioned to just about everyone that I just got back off my mission to France (most of them asked). And ALL of them responded that I should be an ordinance worker because there are a lot of people from Montreal who are coming down while their temple is closed for mold obliteration and I could speak French with them. So I talked to my stake president (which is really easy when you eat from the same fridge). And voila quoi. C'est fait. I will work au moins every Saturday from 7 to 18h. My ward actually had a youth temple trip, so we went up at the same time as them, I got set apart, and did a session. I officially start next week. I have the priesthood. But for all of you who listened to Dallin H.'s talk, we already knew that. 

On another note, I've been waking up at 4am every morning to help get my brother in shape for basketball season. He's a junior and 6'4" and still growing. All the other kids are short, but also black, which means they have extra muscles automatically built into their calves. Cheats. But hopefully we can whoop him into shape. Also hopefully tryouts come soon because I don't know how long I want to be doing this. Although I do like when I get to box him out. That's my favorite part. Here's a picture of me playing basketball in high school without digging too far back into the archives. 

Good news of the week. I have a job now and housing for when I go out to Utah. Yay. I'm going to live with my best friend Lauren. I like her. She is a good human. On her birthday, she said, "I wanna feel the heat with somebody". So, like any good friend, I helped her out. It took a while for the heat to get started, but we felt it. We felt it together. (See picture). 

My job for the moment is working with a man named Chris Albanese, a lawyer. Although I don't do lawyery things. I just kind of do odd jobs for him and his wife. I used a leaf blower to clear out his flower beds and he was really impressed. Like too impressed. I wonder what other chumps he's been working with. 

And I made a skirt for myself. For some reason I put that on my list of things to do. And I have to do it here because I don't own a sewing machine. My mom somehow talked me into making three. It's nice because it gives me something to do with my hands while I'm catching up on all these movies my little sisters want me to watch. I also bought a few different piano books to practice, including some Les Mis and Imagine Dragons stuff. I'm also working on technifying some hymns, although I have to wait for my brother to get back from some Catholic retreat so he can help teach me the tricks of Garageband. T Sizzle and I already played around a little with it and decided it needed a nice rap in the middle of a Nearer My God to Thee/I Am A Child of God mashup. Obviously that means we have to write it ourselves. I wrote a practice rap to see how hard it was. I'd like to think it's comparable to Eminem and Blackalicious. I expect to have a few number one hit songs before you hit the next transfer. Enjoy.

Yep. Made this with my hands. 

Get up, get up, get down on your knees

Fixed against those fine fenced filibusters of philosophy

Something so magical cannot be conceived

Gifts so generous cannot be received

The richest of the rich are remarkably in need

We need to ask, we need to act

Do whatever we can to get back on track

Knock off the frustration

With the large scale lack of liberal donations

No taxation without representation

Gratification instantaneously

Simultaneously asking and receivin’

Justin bieber’s new hit CD-better be believin’

Green galore, great gobs of greed it’s

Ruining the society, catastrophe

Calamity, crocodilian collection of casualties

Bank Baba’s bills don’t grow on trees

Work for the wages, a virtual storm of pages

Pleadingly proposing to prodigious sages

Enough is enough, animalistic appetites for the answer

Graciously granted bargains you didn’t beg for

Increased endurance a godsend in war

He condescends, so we can ascend

Personal philosophies so perfectly penned

Termination, the end, bow your head

A prayer ain't a prayer until you say amen. 

There you have it. And tonight I did a fireside all about my mission. At the end, they said, no, keep going! And the bishop said maybe there'll have to be a part two. I also had an ami at church. I like to call him J Money. His real name is Jacob Money. I took him to gospel principles and then to nursery. Nothing like getting your amis to do service. And I had a rootbeer float. And went to institute, where the engagement was to pray 5/7 days in the next week. Weak sauce.

I'm Back!

Who ever thought this day would come? Not I, said the Little Red Hen. And let me tell you it was weird. Starting with weekly planning because I'm still not over it. Two hours into weekly planning, Elder Erickson calls and says, Sister Hutchins. I'm so sorry. The only way for us to get you to Lyon before your plane leaves on Tuesday morning is for you to take a train up Saturday morning and spend the weekend in Lyon. To which I responded, I hate you. 

Turns out I was fine and found another train I could take. I had a great day at church. I only wish I had more time with those wonderful people. They are fabulous, all. May or may not have forgotten to tell them I was leaving until I bore my testimony in Sacrament meeting. Oops.

Anyhow. I flew home and it was less stressful than I ever imagined it. I kind of just sat there in a bit of a stupor, not being able to function like a normal human. I finally got home at 19h in Providence, RI. I carried my bags full of rocks and scriptures down the escalator and there they were. Approximately three feet taller then when I left them. 

I was famished and so we went to Wendy's. Love the JBC.

I had an interview and was released by my father. Then I went and took a long, hot shower where the shower head was above me. I didn't cry too much, but I think it's because it doesn't feel real. The mission is the realest thing you will ever feel. Normal life is dull comparatively. It's not hard to see why RMs go inactive. Je suis paume. Sorry for the lack of accents, but I have an english keyboard now. I feel so out of place and I don't know what to do with myself. So day one, I raked the lawn until my hands bled. Then I mowed the rest of it with a ride on lawn mower. This is my lawn and house if you can see it.

Day two my mother took me shopping to get a phone. I pay for it myself and it has internet access. She left me alone for a while so I tried to go through some old boxes of stuff I have, but promptly gave up. We went to Five Guys for lunch and I got a new toothbrush. I learned the Party Rock dance. Thank you, YouTube. And I played some basketball. My dad brought me home stuff for a rootbeer float.

Friday I went to the temple. I left really early to get to a session at 10am. It snowed. But the trees were beautiful. Kind of like these ones. 

Then I got to the temple late because I got lost in Boston. But then I saw people from Montreal (their temple is closed for mold) so I could speak French with them, I saw my aunt, Becky. Then I saw a bunch of people from my home stake. So that was a miracle. 

Then all day Saturday, I drove my brothers and two kids in the ward and three nonmember friends to Boston again for EFY for a day activity. I hung out with my mom and read the scriptures and put pictures on Facebook during the day. Some of my sister's friends found me and spouted off facts about me and took this picture to send to her. 

Then I committed my brother's friend to baptism during the dance portion that I went to. All in all, a good night. Sunday I gave a talk and my family came to visit and skyped Carolyn Carter and my BFF Lauren and my sister Hannah and my brother Derek. There you have it. Love.

GLORIOUS

Elder Hutchins

French. I thought I would never come up with enough of these, mais voila. Our ami Raphael told us this week that the French are really feminine, which is why they are so into style and art over comfort and fun (cough cough, America). Those are his words, not mine. But I testify of their truthfulness.

We had a GLORIOUS week. It always feels good to be in your sector and have things happen. (Glorious is a word I learned from Elder Kearon. I like it a lot). 

We went to a natural park last p day called L'Esterel-with beautiful red rocks and blue ocean. The pictures do not do them justice. I wanted to climb all over the rocks. But I made myself wear a skirt so I wouldn't be as tempted.

L'Esterel National Park

This week we dragged Akima around with us to visit some members. It's good because she has no job or anything and so she just sits at home and thinks of really bad ideas. So I decided to occupy her. Hehehe. Never have Sister Hutchins occupy you. I literally made her run around like a hooligan all day. But she was tired and it worked.

She also got to teach Raphael with us. That was good. We taught the plan of salvation. Akima didn't understand very much because she is Portuguese and has only been here a year, but in the middle she just testified of the BOM. Raphael had a lot of questions answered. He says we are his ray of sunshine in the week and that our visits give him the force to keep going. I say the Spirit is here. We are promising you a lifetime of this. What joy!

Lion King-Get It?

The Carpios and we had a great rdv where we taught about the sabbath day. They invited us to their concert and promised to come. They were so close! They came via train and waited for a long time for a bus that never showed up. Progress though.

We had great other visits with Sœur Delval and Lapierre, encouraging them to give out a dedicated BOM, like the ward mission plan says. They're both wonderful sweet older ladies that work so hard despite their loneliness.  

We also saw Sandra and Tongi finally and had a wonderful, spirit filled rdv. They fixed some goals and made some serious progress. 

We had dinner and rcm with the Perez couple, the missionaries, and our amis Raphael and Vanessa. I loved it.

Ok, here's the good stuff. Elder Kearon came this week. We had a zone conference with half of our mission and it was glorious. He taught us some good things, but I loved his emphasis on energy. Rising to a new sense of commitment. Scratch and bite. Have fun. Be happy. I like those things because I know they are true. 

These past few weeks have been a very interesting experience for me. I kind of took a step back and analyzed in spiritual moments what was happening. I feel glowy. I feel like my whole mission, I've been crammed full of light and love and all things good. I literally can't contain it. It just flows out of me from a never-ending source as I teach and testify and smile and laugh. It feels glorious.