Capture the flag Zone style

This week was really fun!

Monday- we had a zone activity and we went out to the beach, it was a ton of fun! We played some soccer on the beach and some capture the flag it was all really fun. It was like the perfect day to go as well.  The weather wasn't the best so the population at the beach was pretty low so that was fun. Ever missionary in the zone ended up showing up which made it quite a bit of fun and we were able to meet everyone and put a face to all of the names that we know. So that was good, all of the new missionaries are so young. They like all just graduated and I'm over here like this old decrepit man - LOL!!! It is so weird... But it was a good day. We took food from a place called cook out, which is like my favorite place ever and ate it out on the beach. Everyone needs to try it, it is the best stuff ever! That night we went out to work.  We were still on bikes but we made it to all of our appointments and we even got to see one of our investigators who we were in need of catching up with. Then we ended the night by giving a blessing to some of the sisters in the district it was a pretty good day!

Tuesday- Was a bit odd our usual schedule was thrown a bit off but we were able to go out and get done what we needed to. We went and taught this guy named Ricky.  He was so cool, and he fed us so that was great! He made super good potatoes and ribs.  It was the best! After that we booked it in the rain on our bikes because our car had finally gotten finished.  We biked up a rode called market which was super sketchy but we made it! Then we were able to make it to our other appointments for the night, so it all worked out. We had our one and only meal of the week that night with this super awesome member who took us to Jimmy Johns! We also got a call that night to tell us that one of investigators baptismal dates will be able to be moved forward significantly so that will be really good.  That was an exciting call!!

Wednesday- We headed up to district meeting in Jacksonville. It was a great meeting, really fun and they had a ton of missionaries in the district up there!  Afterwards elder Rawlins stayed in Jacksonville and I took a new missionary with me to Wilmington for exchanges. All we did that day was teach and it was so awesome. We just went from appointment to appointment. We taught this guy named Tom first and we read Alma 7 with him and focused the lesson on the atonement of Jesus Christ. Then we taught this guy named Lake who is YSA age and that was great.  We read the intro to the Book of Mormon and he committed to reading and praying about it. Great lesson, then we went and taught the restoration to this one lady who ended up not letting us come back, but that is alright! Then we taught Kayla who we talked about reading and praying and it was awesome and she said she had gotten an answer to her prayers and believes it is all to be true!

Thursday- We exchanged back and had a pretty fun day, we went and met with Brother Burwell. We tracted into like 5 muslims and then we tried to visit this bible referral and it turned out to be a bust.. and then we met this man named Lateef Peace!!! It was so funny and a great appointment!

Friday- We went and did quite a bit of teaching, we went and were tracting in this one awesome neighborhood where everyone is super nice and we found this lady named Toni, she was super cool!! Then we went and taught our investigator Gwen, and the lesson went so well. We taught most of Plan of Salvation and then invited her to be baptized, and she said yes if she received and answer to her prayers!

Satuday- we went and taught Laura the rest of the plan of salvation and the word of wisdom and she is so solid!! She is going to get baptized it is so awesome!! She gave her cigarettes to us to get rid of!! It was awesome best day ever!!

Sunday Laura came to church and we had a great time.  The YSA ward was great - this girl went way over on time for her talk it was awesome. A lot of new people moved in and what not with college starting again!! It was a great day and we found 2 new people to teach!!

That was mostly the week if you have any questions just ask!!

Love Elder Hutchings

Craziest Contact Ever!!

Monday- We went and tried to catch some more gators and then got some dairy queen. It was pretty great, I really enjoyed it! We didn't do to much since everyone needed to pretty much get stuff done with transfers so that was fun. That night we went out and worked and we found these 2 new investigators  and it was pretty great. One of them is the daughter of an investigator that we found a few weeks ago.  We are trying to get the whole family to start meeting with us so hopefully that all pans out. We met with a less active that we are teaching and that was fun, he told us he is on this world renowned martial arts team it was pretty funny. Then we ended the night with going and giving some of the sisters blessing for this coming transfer.  One was called to train and the other was bringing in a new leader. So that was pretty cool.

Tuesday- Was transfers we were the only ones who didn't go up.  We were so out of the loop for what was going on but we found out pretty fast because we get a rooster of the mission of where everyone is.  Elder Dobson got called to train which is pretty exciting! We took this YSA out with us to go teach and sadly our lesson fell through but he was a good sport about it.  He tracted with us for a little bit! Then we spent most of the day tracting.  We had a few really good contacts but it wasn't super eventful but that's okay because the rest of the week was!

Wednesday- we took the car in to get the tire fixed because we needed take it into the shop  later and we didn't want the tire to go flat while it was in the shop. So we cut it really close since we took it in right before district meeting, but they got it done before it started so that was good. Then we took the car in after the meeting and we started our bike week off! It was pretty great, I feel so skinny again. We biked all over the place and it was kinda scary.  We found these two really cool new investigators. Then that night we met this less active part member family who is super nice and want us to come back for dinner.  He was so cool, he ran the heart machine for the first open heart surgery here in North Carolina and joined the church in 78. Just a really cool couple who we are hoping to teach!

Thursday- We biked a ton, we biked clear down to where Laura lives so we could have dinner and a lesson with her. It was a ton of fun. We also met with Tate Bagley who is this really cool Priest. Dinner was really good!!  It was a pasta dish and Laure is Italian so it was really good! Then the lesson was just awesome. We taught her all about the plan of salvation and Tate was really involved with it as well! I really enjoyed it and then we were able to commit her to be baptized and she was all for it. She had already asked for her moms blessing and everything!!  It was amazing and Tate was like whoa whoa!!! It was great. Then she gave us these shrimp that she had caught that morning it was super cool! Luckily we didn't have to bike a ton after that because it took up a ton of our night but it was well worth it!

Friday- We got a call and the sisters needed some help fixing a bike so we went and helped them with that and then tracted some YSA apartments which was fun. We had this one guy who opened the door and let us right in and and told us that he will not be converted that he was catholic, but that he would convert us. So after about 5 minutes of us trying to get him to listen to us we both just stood up and walked out because he started  bashing with us.   We needed to leave so we said sorry sir we mean no offense but we do need to be going because this isn't what we are trying to do and what we are about!!  Unfortunately he was like jvihdiubasj and so we just walked out.  We ended up finding 2 people who were super interested in hearing and invited us to come back! Then that night we went out tracting again and this time we meet this guy.. Ken and he idk what was up but he thinks the government is microwaving him with radiation and he had this lab coat and a helmet and everything. It was pretty crazy. He went on for days telling us all about it. Then he gave us this card with his website on it to get the word out - it was crazy. Then he tried telling us that the government can read minds and that the weed smokers below him are government goons who are using pulse cannons on him hahaha it was the best!!!

Saturday- It feels like all we did was bike and it was so hot. As we biked to this recent convert we got dumped on by the rain and what not it was the worst. But we had a great lesson, I thought I was going to catch pneumonia though because his house was so cold!! Then we spent the rest of the day tracting and we found a few people but most everyone was nice just not to interested!! We finished the night by stopping by this family from the Congo and we set up an appointment with them so it was a pretty good day.

Sunday- we had church and it was really good, Laura was telling everyone she had made up her mind and was going to get baptized. It was awesome, sadly, all of the cool sales guys from the YSA ware are going home so we won't have any cool priesthood in the ward except the elders quorm president. But it will be alright!! That night we biked the farthest ever!! We live 3 miles outside of our area so that doesn't help but we biked 30 miles.  The people we went to see weren't even home, it was so frustrating. But we were rebels and went across this closed off bridge!!!  It was completely finished though so we were all good.  It was a great Sunday.  I was so tired from all of the biking this week though it was crazy and really hard but we did it!!

Love Elder Hutchings

 The picture is me being a rebel!!

Our last district meeting

The size of Moths here!!!!

Lots of Exchanges

Well this week was crazy and exciting we got a ton of work done and had some great experiences!! It was pretty busy and I ended up being in Jacksonville for our exchange and now this week I will be going to Hampstead. It will be fun, also we have an exchange with the assistants this week so that should be fun! 

Monday- We ended up going out to the beach which was tons of fun. We got a batchi ball, that one game where you throw the little ball out and then throw your two out and try to get closest to it. It was pretty fun on the beach!!  We threw the Frisbee around which is always pretty fun on the beach! After that we zoomed home really quick and headed out to our dinner which was with the African family who is moving to South Dakota and another member of the ward. It was fun.  We had pizza and we helped them communicate which is always super hard! Then we spent the rest of the night tracting but it was fun, you always meet the most interesting people while knocking on doors!!

Tuesday- We went around and met a bunch of less actives in the ward. Some of them were super friendly, like this one lady who wasnt interested in coming back and was super suprised that we knew where she lived but it was funny and good. We found this old guy, and sadly he wasn't interested but he was really nice and talked all about his life with us for a few seconds. Then he said his neighbor would talk to us and that was when we met Annette.  She is this sweet older lady who was agreeing with everything we were teaching her about according to the restoration! It was pretty great! We spent most the rest of the day tracting again, but then we went to see the African family that is moving with the bishop so he can see what he can do to help them.  We got just about everything squared away! That ended up taking up most of the night but it was definitely needed!!

Wednesday- We woke up and then headed up to the Jacksonville district for their district meeting. Which the drive up there went great, not much traffic or anything and the meeting was really good as well!! Then I stayed up there with Elder Rowley. He was super cool, he is a pretty big guy like football player looking guy but I had a ton of fun with him. We ended up teaching this group in a car, the contact was really scary. I just like saw them and pulled a card out and motioned that I wanted to give it to them. Then while they sat in the car we taught them the restoration, which was super funny because they were like cracking jokes in between stuff. It was really funny and they all said they were interested in learning more so we set up a time to go back and teach them. It was a ton of fun and just funny the whole time I was in Jacksonville!

Thursday- we exchanged back and that is always nice. Then we did all of our planning for the week when we got home which was exhausting like always but we got it done fairly quickly so that was nice. Then we found this awesome little family out tracting. We shared with them the restoration as well, and they were like thrilled by it! They were like you definitely need to come back! So that was really awesome! Then we had a meeting with one of our investigators Karen, and this girl has worked with the missionaries for like 4 years, and keeps backing out super close to baptism.  We had a great lesson with her and we showed her this awesome video which really got through to her.  We set a date for her to work towards and I think it will actually happen this time!! Then we met with the African family to drop off a suitcase which we were fixing for them! 

Friday- We worked really hard and it was hot and not to much happened, we tried following up with some people but it didn't really work out but we found some one else so that was great!!

Saturday- This day was the bomb! We went and met with this guy who was super funny his name is Joe.   He kept telling us to stop calling him sir and what not.  It was a pretty great lesson with him on prophets and how that all works! Then we went and visited with a recent convert named James who is the sweetest old guy who was baptized not to long ago, he is the best!! Then that night we went and taught this other African family.  They are super elect and we found them because they were using wifi from another complex and were out on the side walk hahah!! It was funny but we had a great lesson with them. We taught them about faith and repentance which went great, considering the father was like I know the Book of Mormon is true!!  Then he told us that we  teach the word of GOD and that he wants to come to church!! It was so amazing!! Then the sad part came in, because we were like can you come this week and next week? And he was like this week yes next week no, this Saturday we are moving to Ohio!!!  Ughhhh  it was heart breaking!!!! But that's alright we will send them as a referral to the missionaries there!!!

Sunday- we had a boat load of Africans refugees there, and then the other really awesome thing happened!!!  Will, my recent convert here in the second ward asked me to give him the Arronic Priesthood!! It was really awesome I am so excited for it!! Then that night all of the Africans sang and danced for us it was really cool!! They are amazing people.  Definitely a super cool experience!! 

Love

Elder Hutchings

Temple Trip

This week has been pretty interesting, I wont give any spoilers because those are just the worst. It has been a really good week. A lot of interesting things happened and I was all over the place, well all over the zone!

Monday- We got to go have dinner with the YSA branch president, that was interesting. He doesn't really like missionaries or doing missionary work, so that makes it tough. But we had a great dinner to be honest. They had this really good roast thing and some potatoes. What was really awesome was they live super far down at the bottom of our area, and it is like right on the beach!!   We had a great view of the ocean while we ate it was really scenic! Then that night was really interesting, we went and taught this couple and this is my first lesson with them and they are living together and what not but of course it is the law of chastity lesson with them. It went really good, we started by showing this one video and then talked to them about what it was and why its important! It was a good lesson, and they both committed to live it. He is a member also so we were hoping they were living it!! They are super interesting people.

Tuesday- We went and met with this investigator Shea, she is really awesome. We found her last week tracting and went back this week. We just mostly went back over the restoration because we only taught her on the door.  She remembered a ton though. She was like yea it all makes sense and she was like I was looking forward to getting the Book of Mormon as well!! So she committed to read it and pray.  She said if she received an answer that it was true should would be baptized, which was cool. Then we had the member with us bear his testimony on the Book of Mormon. It was a great lesson! Then we spent most of the day tracting.  It was a good day though and we found quite a few people. We also took the car into the shop to get an estimate so that went well. It was a great day!

Wednesday- We woke up at about 4 so that we could be ready to go up to Raleigh because we had a temple trip. Which was awesome by the way!! It was also mashed up with the zone conference, in which I was the one who was asked to conduct. That was some pretty scary stuff, but it went well and it was a great one.  The instructions at the Zone Conference were really good and the temple was the best! After that I went down on exchange with the tabor city elders, which is the farthest west part of the zone, and the drive down took forever. We rode with this one senior couple and to be honest it was so scary!! We didn't get home till about 7 so it was a nice long trip for sure! Then we went out and worked that night which was a ton of fun.  The elder I was with is super tall and really funny! Then while we were out we found these 2 guys and they thought I was older then the missionary I was with it was crazy funny because I think he looks a ton older then me!!

Thursday- the morning was going great, until I got a call from Elder Rawlins saying that we had some emergency in the zone.  That meant our exchange back needed to be pushed to a later time in the day.  We eventually exchanged back and then we needed to exchange again with some other elders.  I can't go into the detail on everything but it was crazy. Everything ended up going super well, but I spent the day in Wallace which was a ton of fun that is for sure!!  We tracted all night long which was fun!! I ended up feeling pretty sick that night but I powered through it and made it so it was all good!! While out tracting we found a bowling ball and I threw it in the air trying to make it sink into the ground... I don't think I threw it high enough!!

Friday- We exchanged back that morning and did a ton of planning stuff and then I'm not to sure what happened that night but it went well I'm sure of it!!

Saturday- we spent the morning knocking doors all day and it wa so hot, then we knocked more doors and more haha!!  It was spent all day knocking. But we got some rain which cooled it off that afternoon which was a blessing. Then someone gave us a gallon of water that day it was weird. That night was amazing, we went and taught a lesson in full Swahili, it was crazy!! But they are like really interested and want to read the Book of Mormon. We are going back this Saturday to teach them more!!!

Sunday- we went to church and then we had a small bit of a break in between but we had to use that time in which  to be finding out where a recent convert family was moving. The ones from Africa to be exact!!  It was the saddest news that morning!! But we got it all figured out and what not. Then after sacrament meeting for the YSA ward we booked it to go help this part member family move which was the bomb!! Then we had an awesome dinner with these really nice members! It was great then I don"t really remember what happened that night!!!

Great week this week, 

Love Elder Hutchings

Happy Fourth!!

Hey everyone, I hope this week was good for y'all and that it was a good 4th of July. It was pretty interesting here. I had had a pretty great week myself, I will tell you more about it!

Monday- We had a zone activity and it was tons of fun! We had most of the missionaries from in the zone gather together and we played this like lacrosse but with milk jugs.. Elder Rawlins found them by various means.. (in recycle bins) hahah It was a ton of fun. (Dont worry we washed them.) Then we played some soccer, it was a really fun day for sure. Then I went on an exchange with an Elder named Elder Cox, he is super funny and we mainly just tracted that night, but we found a few new people to teach. It was pretty great!!!

Tuesday- Was the Fourth of July, and we started it right by going to the ward breakfast. It was really good - tons of pancakes and sausage!! Then since it was Tuesday we did our accounting and by We, I mean I, and man was that exhausting!! It is so hard to do by yourself its crazy.. but I lived and its all worth it. Then it was a regular day basically. We had a few appointments that we went to and visited some less actives but it was a pretty basic day. We found a few more people to teach so that was awesome.  I was a bit skeptical because it was the Fourth but it all turned out good!!  That night on the way home we were able to see some of the fireworks going off over the tree line. Sadly though we mostly just got to hear them!

Wednesday- That day was crazy. We picked up Elder Rawlins and his companion for the day and then headed down to Shallote for their district meeting. Then I stayed in Shallote with a new missionary while Elder Rawlins took his trainer back to Wilmington for the day for an exchange. Yeah, I like wasn't with Elder Rawlins most of the week it was pretty funny!  Shallote was fun, it was hot and of course their car was in the shop so we were on bikes. It was pretty warm.. but it made me think of Chance since this missionary was the same age in the mission as Chance would be... but it was fun and it is weird to be around a missionary that young again!

Thursday- Elder Rawlins and I were finally back together in our area. it was pretty great, but it was funny we had this weird lesson with a recent convert and he got talking about some worldly things which was pretty funny!!  Then we met this lady who was like the government in controlling the weather hahaha!! It was a fun day, and I don't remember much because we were both so tired!!

Friday- Honestly, I don't remember much other then the fact that that night we ended up getting in a car accident. It was so crazy and awesome. Okay, so it would have been really bad. So we are driving straight down College Roadd going about 45 headed back home because its 9.  As we come up to this intersection this guy decides that he thinks he can shoot the gap.. well he didn't have enough time, so we slam on the brakes and turn the steering to the right.  We went into a drift and instead of T boning him like we should have we just ended up nicking the back right side of his bumper. It was a crazy miracle and it was amazing everything was in slow motion. The good news was everyone was okay and no one was hurt, which was really good because he had kids in the car. It was an interesting night so we went and got slushies after that - We needed it!! 

Saturday- spent most of the day filling out our accident report from our accident and some other stuff. We met with this guy named Mario!!  We were talking to him and idk how but he some how was like yeah man I smoke to much weed hahaha!!  It was super interesting.

Sunday- we got 2 people to church which was a huge sucess and we were happy about that. One of them was one of the Africans that we are teaching. His name is Sumili he is so cool and he said that he loved church it was really awesome! Then he also invited us to come and play soccer with him so I am pretty excited for that!!!

This morning we went fishing and I caught a crab it was exciting!! Fun week this week I was ecstatic!!

Love Elder Dylan Hutchings

Making some smores!!

Yummy!!!

Elder Rawlins making a double smore!!

The fender bender

Catching a crab!!!

Deadly Chinese Food

Monday- After emailing we played this nerf game called zombies it is really fun and kinda crazy, but it was really enjoyable. Its a lot like raptor or ghosts in the grave yard but you have nerf guns and your hunting the zombies.  It gets pretty scary to be honest! That night we went and visited some less active members and tracted around where they lived. It was a quite night not to much happened. Then being a zone leader we account with President James, kinda scary (haha) but not really it went really good and was quite fun! 

Tuesday- we did a ton of less active hunting and knocking the houses around them. We also met this lady who was totally a member of the church, we walked up and I tried starting the contact like with a regular person, then she like got all hostile. She was like grrr basically it was funny and it was totally her.  We called the number on the directory and she answered, but she tried telling us it wasn't her and we were like yea sure! Then that night was really awesome, we had a lesson with a couple named Travis and Katelyn, they are characters. They aren't married but have a kid together and what not, the sisters gave them to us.  Their lesson went way over and we had to teach them all of the basics of why we were there and what we wanted them to do and recommitted them.  It was interesting and lasted a long time, but it made everything work out! That placed us perfectly to intercept Nick!!  He is the nicest guy and he is going through a hard time, and he is ready for the gospel! It was amazing! We got to give him a Book of Mormon and share a ton about the plan of salvation, mostly on the atonement of Jesus Christ!

Wednesday- I went to the Wilmington 2nd ward for an exchange it was so much fun!! We mainly just tracted all day, but it went really good. The best was that I got to go and teach someone I had found when I was there. Her name was Marlyn and she is super cool.  She remembered me and everything. It was a great lesson and Brother Grishman came with us. It was like the best blessing ever! Brother Grishman also took us out to eat that night it was really awesome, just a great day in the Wilmington 2nd ward!!

Thursday-everything fell through and we were suppose to have like 4 appointments it was kinda sad but it was all good, we tracted a ton and followed up with some people it was a good day!

Friday- This is the day that the deadly food came in, and not for me I'm totally fine!!!! So we went down to the bottom of our area and worked there all day, and it went really well!! Then to save miles we were like well we will get something to eat that is cheap and stay down here.  Well Elder Rawlins is allergic to nuts. We decided to get Chinese food... well long story short the sauce that we ate had peanuts so we spent most of the night in the urgent care.  He is doing great and I didn't even freak out!!!!  The nurses thought that we were like pretty chill... so we get Elder Rawlins all treated but while in the urgent care we taught the nurses the restoration lesson, it was awesome!! Then we left as Elder Rawlins was high on benadryll , it was so awesome!!!

Saturday- nothing really happened!

Sunday- we got 2 people to church and it was exhausting, but they came even after we thought that they weren't!! It was the best, then we had church for the rest of the day, it is great I really like it!! 

That's my week in a nut Shell hahha!!!!!

Love Elder Hutchings!

Wilmington... The Home of My Mission

Well I also remembered that I forgot to tell everyone that since I am now in the first ward I will be learning Swahili as well!!!  There are a ton of African refugees here in Wilmington. So i will be getting a name tag in Swahili!!!

Monday- Was the dreaded day of packing, but i skipped that till the night. So we did our like cleaning real quick then we bounced on out so we would be able to email quick. Then we were able to play a ton of basketball with the priests from our ward... and that was super fun! They are all characters and pretty funny, and one of them is so tall!  Then that night went by really fast, we had dinner with a member and then sadly I needed to start packing.  I started with my study desk and hurried to get that packed before I had an appointment. Then we went to that appointment and to be honest from the way the first appointment went I was not excited to go back and teach them more.  They were just not open to listening to what we had to say and we had really gotten into some stuff that they didn't understand. But it went really well and we were able to teach them about the plan of salvation and they were a lot more open and it just went a ton better!

Tuesday- was crazy like always on transfers. We got picked up and I grabbed all of my stuff and went to the stake center there in Raleigh. We were there for quite a while but it was fun. We got to help with some of the new cars that were getting sent out! So that was fun and then I got some home made root beer, it was a ton like grandmas but not quite as good.  It was a nice little like whoa there is home for ya!! Then after being able to find Elder Miller, Elder Dobson and Elder Millers trainee, Elder Garlick got a huge posterity picture which was a ton of fun!! So transfers were really great being able to see a ton of people and take pictures! Then at about 2 we left for Wilmington, and man this is like the 300th billion trip I have taken back down, and it was still pretty great!! That night we like rolled in and I threw my stuff in the house, (which I have already lived in) then we went straight to work. It was great we found a few new people and this older guy named Lundy let us right in. It was pretty cool!!! We got to teach him the restoration and he understood it pretty well, even though he was like 87 years old!

Wednesday- we went to district meeting, everone that was still here was like what your back... it was pretty great! Then I had to go shopping after that for some grocery's it was great!! Then we went home for our language study.. Swahili. It is great I am learning slowly but it will be good. Then we went out and worked a ton. I was able to meet Cecil and Melissa who are some characters, they are engaged and he is 39 and she is 64 it is weird!! We gave Cecil a blessing and both of them felt the spirit really powerfully. Then they committed to be baptized on July 22.   They are ready to start coming to church and being solid in everything!! Super cool experience!! 

Thursday- we went out to knock doors that morning and we were about to leave this area that we were in and then we felt like we should knock these one doors and boom we found Christine!! It was really cool we taught her the restoration right there on the door and she was like yea come back here Saturday and teach us more!! It was really cool. Then we needed to to weekly planning which took a long time because as zone leaders we had a ton of extra stuff to plan for like - going on exchanges with all of the district and elders in our zone. Then that night we got a call to do a ton of stuff for the zone and then we taught a few people and got one of our investigators to come to a class at the church. We then ran home and packed up our stuff because we had a meeting on Friday and we were driving up that night to Raleigh to stay with the assistansts! It was a crazy busy night!!

Friday- we spent all day in leadership meetings, it was kinda crazy we were there from 8 till 4 it was really good and inspiring but after that long, you are just super tired. Then when we put all of the supplies for the zone in our car we walked out side and man our eyes hadn't seen sun in what felt like forever!! Then I drove us back home, nice long car ride back to the house. Then it was eat and back to work which felt really good because sitting all day is not the best!!!

Saturday- we went and taught Cecil, it was on the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the lesson went so good. Then in the middle of it Cecil started confessing some stuff to us and we were like yea you can repent and he is so funny and I quote him '' ima tell you sumptin!!!'' hahah its the funniest thing!!! That night was crazy though, we had a lesson in Swahili and our recent convert was like drunk it was insane, everything at the end went kinda crazy but the ones we were teaching believe the Book of Mormon is true and want us to come again. Now we just need to re teach the word of wisdom to the recent convert!! Haha crazy night!

Sunday- I got to meet the ward and I saw a ton of people from the 2nd ward, and they were excited to see me! It was great, and now since I am a zone leader we cover the YSA as well! So I was at church from 7 till 4 it was nuts and exhausting. But we got Cecil and Melissa to church which was crazy because everything was like going against them, but they made it!! Then sadly after church they called us and dropped us:(  Melissa was being weird all church so we kinda felt it coming. But we will find more people to teach. Like Dawn, Christine's mom, we went back because we forgot and were off time for their lesson Saturday and boom now she is interested as well!! It is awesome!! The area is great and so is the missionary work. Even working with the Swahili speaking people is awesome, I don't understand much but it is pretty great!

Love Y'all! 

Elder Hutchings

GEOFF GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! AMAZING!!!

Monday- We played a ton of basketball, then we had a big zone activity that kinda failed because we didn't have the volleyball net.  We played soccer instead so I really liked that! And then we got to have this sweet bbq! This investigator called us and invited over, and so we got 2 dinners it was the best... funniest thing was he was like yea pool is open as well bring your trunks hahahah! We were like only if your wearing all white! haha it was funny though!!  The burgers were really good!

Tuesday- We went with Geoff to the bishops house for dinner and a lesson.  While we were there we planned out Geoffs baptism and I was asked to baptize him!!!  It was so cool!! Best night ever! Then after that we went and confirmed everyone on the program!!

Wednesday- This was as Elder Toblers last district meeting and it was good! I really enjoyed it! Then we got to do service because of my skills. This older less active lady in the ward was having a problem with her duct work so guess what??  I crawled up under her house and fixed it!! It was awesome I used all of my know how from working with dad!! It wasn't my best job but it fixed it completely and I even replaced some of the parts!! It was awesome!!!!

Thursday- We planned for the week and it was fun we made a ton of records and made notes it was great!! Then we went and met with Geoff and he was so excited he is the best!! We taught him all about families and temples and the priesthood!!  Then I showed him how the ordinance of baptism would happen and it was great!!

Friday- cant really remember!  (I can never remember these days!!!  Hmmmm)  

Saturday- We got a real treat that night,  Brother Peedin took us out to eat at this amazing Mexican place that was so good!!! Then we got a call from President James!!  I have been called to be a zone leader, back in Wilmington!! It was crazy and I am so Excited!!!!  Then, because Brother Peedin loves us he was like were getting ice cream!! It was so much fun!!! I loved it!

Sunday- We got to church early and it was crunch time for the baptism!!  We needed to make programs and get a video from lds.org and for both we needed the internet and guess what the internet is down!! Of course so we figured that all out and then Geoff showed up for church.  He was glowing and walking on air!! It was the best, we got him his jumpsuit and then church was amazing just perfect for him again!! Then the Baptism happened and everything went so smooth and almost all of Geoffs family was there it was amazing and I baptized him. Then I had to tell him that I was leaving but I got his number and gave him my email so we will stay in contact!!!

Today - We are playing ball with a bunch of priests from the ward and then we will go teach tonight and I will have to pack so it will be interesting!!!

Love Everyone 

Love Elder Hutchings​

Geoff ready for Baptism!!!  

Geoffs amazing family!!!

Elder Malyon and I with Geoff - what an amazing day!!!

Sad/Happy Transfer Day!!!  I will miss Raleigh!!
But I Love Wilmington!!

Playin Some Ball!!

Monday- Well we started off this week with an awesome night! We got invited over to a members home who has this non member living with them.  We got to go and hang out there and we were able to teach her so that was really awesome! While we were waiting for dinner we got to play some basketball with their son Evan and it was really fun just an awesome night and it kick started a really great week!!! There are some pictures attached from basketball!

Tuesday- we met with Geoff and whoa it was amazing.  He missed church last Sunday and he hasn't been to church yet and we have a rule that they have to come to church twice before they can be baptized. He came today and he will come tomorrow and that will give him 2 Sundays and then just baptized that Sunday!!  The other thing was the word of wisdom because you have to keep it for 2 weeks and we hadn't taught it yet so we didn't know if he was living it yet.  We taught it Tuesday and he was like yea I have been keeping it and the last time I had coffee was  awhile ago.  It was a miracle!!! We had his baptismal interview before church and yea it is pretty crazy, everyone is like how are you two pulling this off!!!! He is so ready for everything and he loves it all!! It is amazing how prepared he is to receive the gospel!

Wednesday- I went on exchange with elder Tobler our district leader and it was really fun. We tracted like all day it was really fun though because they have a ton of weird people in their area... for instance we are knocking on doors and next thing we know this door opens to us and ahhhh this lady answered without pants on we were like uhhhhhhhh hahahaha!!! So we gave a door approach and then she was like yea I need to go and get dressed and we were like uh yeah here's a card hahaa byye! It was so funny!! 

Thursday- We had district meeting today because of the power being turned off in the church for maintance reasons and then we had weekly planning so we got like nothing done until about 3.  Then we got to go meet with this investigator who has been investigating forever... and we set a baptismal date it was awesome!! and that is really all that happened!!

Friday- I don't really remember...

Saturday we tracted  a ton and visited a bunch of people but no one was really home. Then it was awesome, we got to do service and it was tons of fun. We helped this old lady do a bunch of cleaning outside it was funny and she was like so happy for it!! It felt really good to help her out even though it was just like raking and some small jobs. It was cool because she gave us a bunch of snack stuff hahaha it was great!  We visited this less active family who are really cool and we might start teaching one of the kids so he can be baptized.  It could be super amazing!!

Sunday- Jeff came to church and it was amazing!! We had his baptismal interview before church and it was the best Sunday ever!!  He loved it so much and he passed his interview and now he will get baptized next Sunday I am so excited!!!!!! It will be the best!!! Then we had some Asian bbq it was so good!!!  Then that night we went to get our bikes from our ward mission leaders house so we get there and we were gonna bike home and he was like oh no! So we stuffed our bikes in his.... Kia Soul hahahhahahaha it was the best!!!! that morning was crazy we had 2 appointments and then coordination and then ward council and whoa!!!! Busy day!!

This week has been amazing and just crazy but it has been so awesome!!!!

Love Elder Dylan Hutchings

Playing some Ball!!!

Look at that sunset!!!!!

Missionary LIfe!!

Monday- We had a ton of Elders come down from the zone and we had a huge game of basketball and it was tons of fun. My team won the first like ''BIG'' game it was funny because we weren't the ones who should have won it was pretty funny! It was a fun day though and apparently a holiday. What was really fun was we got invited to a ward party thing. I got to play some corn hole game with a few kids while we waited for dinner. Then that night we went and visited a less active named James.  He is a super sweet old guy and is really lonely.  We just absolutely brightened up his day by visiting him, it was really a good visit. 

Tuesday- Was suppose to be crazy, we had 4 appointments lined up and ready to go and then boom it all came crashing down!!  One person called and dropped us and the rest weren't there for the appointments. It was so lame!  We decided not to let it get to us so we knocked doors all day and kept on going. It was pretty interesting.   Then yet again as we were going to contact a less active my GPS runs out of juice and none of the cords in the car work for it. So I was so frustrated but I was like well I know how to get to another place with a referral and what not so we went and did that.  Then we tracted to finish out the night and we found Charles, this cool old guy who we were able to teach the restoration to on the door and he invited us to come back it was really awesome.

Wednesday- I got to go on exchange with Elder Carrel who is one of my favorite missionaries ever!  It was a ton of fun. We got to go tracting and we found Alexis who is this super cool young mom.  She was offended at her old church but is interested in finding a church that she can go to and she has a kid so it will be awesome!! We kept working and then we got to go visit a less active named Charlie Harper.  He had a goal to be at church on Sunday, which he came to... but it was an awesome lesson! That night Elder Carrel got feeling super sick it was pretty bad so we ended up calling it a night early but it was a ton of fun!!!

Thursday- Nothing really happened we planed for the week and then went tracting and found a few new people but other then that we just exchanged back and what not but it was still a good day!

Friday- We ended up having to drop a few investigators so that was sad but the best part was these 3 old ladies of the ward took us out to eat and it was just funny and cute!!  They treated us to a place called Zaxbys it was really good! There are a ton of placed out here that I want everyone to go to it is so great!!!

Saturday- Jeff told us he was still super sick and wasnt going to be able to make it to church which was a huge bummer because we will need to move his baptismal date back... but it is okay he will get baptized!! We went and did service and whoa it was insane! We helped this family move and whoa there were so many cockroaches! It was awesome and elder Chui was there it was awesome!!

Sunday- Charlie came to church and so did another investigator named Michelle it was really awesome!!!! Then we had a great dinner and we got told we were the best missionaries the ward has had in a long time!!  It was really funny!! And church was great!! 

It has been a great week I loved it!! And we had this one experience where we were knocking and this guy answered and we were talking to him and he was really cool and nice.  Then his wife came out and was like ohh mormonism well our lives have been changed by Jesus and we both were like yea us to and she was like what and it was pretty funny!!!

Have a great week everyone!!!

Love Elder Hutchings