Monday, January 26, 2015

Charity

Loving the pictures :) And that is quite the story. Haha. Put a smile on my face though. This week went by really fast except nothing really stood out. Just a lot of tender mercies. We are being blessed all the time. I just need to remember to look for them. 
Drew is not baptized... yet. And he wont be baptized on the 31st. The Elders taught him a few lessons and Drew still wants to meet with us but he wants to meet with the Elders more too. He also is also really struggling with Joseph Smith and his testimony of the restoration. He didn't go to church yesterday but the Sunday before he got a priesthood blessing. The past week has been stressful because we have just been getting updates from the Elders of how the lessons are going and what he needs. But we have definitely given him calls and been dropping by to get updates from him and to see how he's doing and making sure he is staying busy. Tuesday we will have a lesson with him and set a solid date and set goals and really try to be instruments in Gods hands. I totally feel like I am walking with faith with this one. 
Daniel and Carolyn are doing great though! They are getting baptized on Feb. 22nd and are really progressing! They are starting to see the blessings of the Gospel and it is cool to hear them bear there testimonies of that :) we have been bringing members to there lessons too and it has really helped them progress. Carolyn shared at sunday school that one day Daniel was really struggling one day and she told him to not let go of God and he will help and then the next day we knocked on there door. I love how they are recognizing God in there life. 
Also, Tim, who got baptized last month got the Aaronic priesthood yesterday and plans to go to the temple this thursday! He is doing great! I am so excited for him!! 
But ya! That is my week! I also have to give a training tomorrow at district meeting and it will be my very first training! I am excited but I don't want to do it haha. At Zone Conference our district leader gave us a commitment to pray for charity and when he followed up with us and asked if we did it I was honest and said that I did not. So when he asked me to give a training on love and charity and how that relates to working with members. So I told him, "It's because I didn't pray for charity isn't it!" I told him I learned my lesson. haha It was funny. I love my district. We always have so much fun. We work hard though. I promise :) 
Have a great week all! 
Love 
Sister Fisher 

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Me and my companion

Just a couple of pictures. Me and my companion





St. Louis Arch

HEY! Yesterday was Martin Luther King day and apparently they close a lot of things that day so we got permission to go on the computers today! This week to be honest was kinda awful. We had a hard time setting up appointments with people. Like honestly. It is like people have other things to do or something. Too busy to hear the valuable message we have to share... haha. Also Drew had his baptismal interview this week. It was okay but we have to move his date back to the 31st instead of having it on the 24th. He is struggling with some commandments that he opened up to our district leader about. I felt awful. It was the worst news ever but I know we can prepare him for the 31st. He really does want to be baptized and change his life.
Daniel and Carolyn who I found tracting in my first transfer, we set a baptism date with them for Feb. 22nd. I also found out that Daniel is really good and singing and playing the guitar. I knew he played but I didn't think he was good haha Which is awful of me to say but he didn't really look like someone who could sing. And his voice when he talks just didn't sound like he could sing but I guess you learn new things every day. He was really good and he share with us a gospel song that he wrote. it was really good. He has grown a lot since we have been first meeting with him. They have just been happier and they have been really seeing the blessings from reading the Book of Mormon regularly and exercising there faith in Jesus Christ. 
On Sunday I couldn't keep anything down. It was only a 24hr bug that I caught though. I was fine the next day. 
I went to the St.Louis arch last monday! That was cool. I even sent you guys a cool post card that I got there! You need to tell me when you get it! :) 
But to get to the top of the arch you ride in these tiny pods and then you look out tiny windows to see out. It was a great view. 
My ward is pretty great. there are a lot of great families and they really look out for us. I really like the Arellanos. Brother Arellano makes fantastic tacos and they are so much fun! I always laugh when I am there. 
You asked how the people of Missouri treat the Mormons right now. No mobs have run us out of Missouri yet. For the most part the people are really nice here! And for the most part, people know who Mormons are. But we have met people who have never heard of Mormons which is crazy to me. I have never had anyone really yell at me yet. Which is a bonus. 




The pods we rode up in and the Mississippi River.




Have a great week! Love you!

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Off to see the arches

This week has been crazy. Really hard And really exciting! Our investigators are really challenging and I don't know how to help them. It is amazing how people view life and what they have been through. And how much I really don't know. I am young and I haven't experienced much about life. I have lived in a small town in Southern Alberta my whole life. What do I know? I just know that there is a God and He is so loving. And I know that I have a Savior who is Jesus Christ. And because of that I know everything will be okay. I just got to remind myself that God knows His children so well and I am just God's instrument to help them. It isn't much that I know but I guess it is enough. I have been thinking about that a lot. Faith in Jesus Christ and the enabling power of the Atonement is something I have never really trusted on in my life until now. And it is something that I need to exercise and remind myself that He is on my right and on my left, with me constantly lifting me up. 
I definitely understand the term pooped. But somehow I am still going and happy and full of energy! And I could not have done this with out my Savior. I don't really understand it but somehow because of Him I can do this.Thank you for your emails. I miss you guys! I can't believe Tianny is leaving on Wednesday! I feel like she just got her call last week! I also will be sure to send you a short video for grandpa's birthday next monday :) I am so excited for today because I am finally going to the St. Louis Arch! It will be great and I will send you some pictures! 
I hope you guys have a week of ease and happiness this week! Big smiles and keep your chins up! 
Lots of love!
Sister Fisher

Monday, January 5, 2015

IPads soon

Hey! Wow I did not know that Grandpa Rice passed away. So sad. They were all great people. But I did know that Grandma and Grandpa were going to the Dominican! That is Awesome I hope they enjoy it down there! I want to go there someday :) 
My new companion is Sister Gadi and she is so awesome and so much fun! I LOVE her! She is from Los Angeles California and has met many celebrities like Usher, Vanessa Hudgens, Ron from Harry Potter and many more! And it's like no big deal to her any more because she sees them so often! How cool is that!? And she has been to disneyland like a billion times. If I could live in any place in the USA I would live in LA. St. Louis would be second place ;) I love it here. She is also a convert to the church! She has been a member for 7 years! She grew up going to a Catholic school. 
I had a really good week. I just feel so blessed. We had a really good lesson with a investigator/Less active named Lulu (She says she is a member but we can't find her records. Don't ask. It's complicated.) She is 24 and she has a little boy named mosey. But we started teaching her the restoration and was talking about how we have a loving Heavenly Father and we came to understand that she didn't know what it meant to have faith. I felt prompted to share with her parts of Alma 32 and taught her that faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things but rather a hope for things we cannot see that are true. And then we read on and I explained how she can build her faith even if all she has is a desire to believe. In tears she told me, "Wow. I totally got that. That really makes sense." Near the end she thanked me and said that she got more out of this lesson than any other one we had. She also started dancing around smiling saying, "I got faaaith!" And she was so right. She really does have a lot of faith and she didn't even know it. She then said she is going to try and come to church next week :) I knew that Heavenly Father was working through me in that lesson. It wasn't about getting another number on our key indicators. It is not about baptisms. I don't even know if she was a member or not. That lesson showed me what it means to be a missionary. Bringing others closer to Christ is my calling and it feels so good! 
I found a quote a  random ensign this week and it has really stuck with me. It says, "Gospel learning and teaching are not about mastering facts; they're about mastering discipleship." 
That is so true. I can definitely testify to that. I don't want to shove doctrine down peoples throats. I don't want to argue with people and try to prove that they are wrong. Christ never did that. I want to serve others and love them. Even if they don't believe what we share. I love this church so much. I love Christ so much! He was really the perfect example and I want to strive harder to be like him! There were so many tender mercies this week. I could go on and on but that is definitely one that stood out :) 
On a totally different note, me and sister Gadi wrote a rap of our key indicators that we got this week and performed it to the district leader when he called us last night. I goes:
Hold up Hold up! 
Tell me what you see (what you see)
Pull up swerve, see these Sisters tryin' ta preach!
Watch them say what up doe to da people on the streets 
Gadi and Fisher on da track now here's our numbers on da beat!
Zero baptisms and zero confirmations
But hold up don't hate
cuz we know we got a gator with a baptism date!
And those who came to church ya we really wanted three,
But only Drew came so that makes one progressing.
And as for member presents, we got a solid 3
And can I get a holla back for four OLTs
Add on six LAs and two RCs 
contacted two referrals and got zero in received.
Lets rap up this rhyme cuz we're runnin' out of time
two new investigators 
Webster Groves is on da grind!

Haha We are having too much fun :) but still working hard I promise! You can have fun and be a missionary at the same time! It is possible! As long as you remember to CHOOSE to be happy. Now let me interpret the Missionary Lingo:
Gator = Investigator
member presents = Lessons with investigators with a member present
OLT = Other lessons taught. (Lessons with no members present)
LA = Less Actives
RC = Recent converts

Also rumor has it that we will have ipads in our mission in the next 6-12 months! I really hope so! An Elder in my District that just came out two transfers ago said that he got to use ipads in the MTC! I guess we will have to just wait and see. Check out this article about it!

 
I love Sundays. My Sunday looked like this:
6:30am Wake up, pray, brush teeth, do morning stretches
7:00am text Drew and remind him to read his scriptures haha Shower and get ready for the day.
8:00am personal study time
9:00am Companion study time
10:00am Weekly planning for the coming week
11:00am Leave to go to church and photo copy things for the Missionary Coordination meeting
12:00pm Missionary Coordination Meeting
12:30pm Fast and Testimony meeting starts
1:30pm Hunt down the bishop to get him to sign a baptism record. Hand the missionary calender to the primary. Rush to Gospel principles class.
2:30pm Get missionary calender from primary and head to relief society and receive an answer to my prayers from listening to a wonderful lesson. And say thank you to my Heavenly Father in my heart :) 
3:30pm Try and find a baptism record for someone but realize that they haven't done it yet. But I am still patient and happy :) Answer questions for Young women leaders about less actives we are visiting.
4:30pm return home and have an early dinner
5:30pm contact a potential named Matt and taught him the restoration. He had a lot of good questions but then told us he didn't want to learn more.
6:30ishpm contacted another potential named Kerry. Had a good conversation with him and shared a little message with him and set up an appointment to see him Saturday.
7:00pm Visited a less active named Sister Montgomery. This is the first time I have met her so we got to learn a little bit about her. She has a big fat pig named Louis. He was adorable. Shared a message with her.
8:00pm Tried contacting other potentials but no one would answer the door. Was freezing my toosh outside haha 
9:00pm returned home and planned for the next day. Reported our numbers to the district leader.
9:30pm Report our day via text message to the ward mission leader and get ready for bed. write small paragraph in journal because that is all I have time for.
10:30pm Lights out. Pray and give thanks to my Heavenly Father for a busy day. Sleeeeeep :) 

The end! haha A busy day is always a good day because it feels like I am getting stuff done :) The Lord is definitely my strength and I am blessed. 
The new 2015 youth theme is out! and it is D&C 4:2 "Embark in the service of God" I am so excited for this theme! It is so good! Look for opportunities to serve/love someone this week with all your heart! And count your many blessings :) 


Have a great week!! 
Love Sister Fisher :)