April 14, 2014

Sooo I am going to tell you a story and I don't want you to freak out and I want you to remember that in every single moment of the day I have the protection of Heavenly Father's angels. So this is a part of the letter I wrote to my mission president:

This week has been quite a life-changer. One of the members in our ward called us one night and asked us to meet her at her work the next morning with the elders to meet with one of her friends who is going through a really hard time. We met with her the next morning and the elders gave her a blessing. This woman's name is D. She was a former investigator of two sets of missionaries and is a drug addict who's been through detox rehab and a few different 12-step programs to get clean but each time, she's relapsed. She really REALLY wants to change her life, but is having a hard time finding and using her resources. We've started meeting with her frequently to help her see that she is a daughter of God and has the power to overcome this addiction. It's been a whirlwind week. Neither Sister H or myself have been this close to hard drugs before so we're treading unmarked territory. We both feel like we've changed a lot in just the last week. The first time we met with her, we shared Joshua 1:9 and started showing her how the Lord is with her through times of trial and will give her strength. Suddenly she burst into tears and started spilling everything to us. That was a powerful moment. I've never seen anyone that low before. She was in so much emotional pain, after all, she's lost everything she has from her kids to her job. I remember sitting at her table when she burst into tears, Sister H rushed over to comfort her and I stared off into space for a moment while the complexity and intensity of the situation sunk in. This woman was the kind of person that you always hear about: somebody who was so deep into drugs and so low that they didn't have anywhere else to go. And I was sitting at her kitchen table about to get very involved in helping her find salvation from the chains that she's found herself in. I don't really know how to describe in words exactly how I felt, but I can say that it changed me. So I know that as missionaries, there isn't a whole lot that we can do for her physical well being. Luckily, her member friend is going to help her find a new apartment today because where she's living is not a good place for her, considering that all her drug using 'friends' know where she lives and frequently come over for a hit. I know what we can do is rally the troops. We've already introduced other members to her so she can have a network of real friends who aren't going to offer her drugs. We are attempting to meet with her every night to keep her out of temptation's path (although that's been thwarted twice by temptation itself). We are keeping in mind our safety by meeting in the church building and we have pepper spray in our bags at all times. I know that as long as we are doing our part to remain safe, the Lord will send his protecting angels to accompany us. We have also introduced her to Personal Progress...even though she's not a young woman, I know that this program will help her see her individual worth and help her to overcome the addictions that she is having.

It's been a crazy week.

That was the big thing that happened last week. It's been a crazy experience, but I can testify that Heavenly Father is protecting us. I have felt his protection.

So apart from that, we are still meeting with Nathan and preparing him for his baptism this Saturday! We're really excited for it!

I love you all so much! Thanks for all your support!

Hermana Hutchinson