Sister Fletcher in the Florida, Tallahassee Mission: Alligators, Transfers and Car Wrecks!

Hi y'all!

This week has been absolutely crazy. I can’t think of a better way to sum it up than that word.

Last Tuesday we visited with a lady named Therese. She doesn't come to church very much but she is in our ward. She has been in the hospital because her heart went into a-phib (I hope that's how you spell it). Meeting her has been so great! She is a convert to the LDS church, and here is how she came to be a part of it. So about fifteen years ago, Therese was babysitting her baby grandson and had just put him to sleep for night. She then was planning on taking her life. She laid out all her pain killers on her lap and decided to turn the television on. The first channel that came on played a Mormon.org commercial. Rolling her eyes, she changed the channel. Channel after channel, Mormon commercials were playing about how God and the gospel can change your life if you let him/it. Therese went through SIX channels of different LDS commercials, then decided to give in and call the phone number. She spoke on the phone with a man from church headquarters about what she was about to do. After three hours of conversation, they were both in tears. That's when she decided to take the missionary lessons and then get baptized three months later.

There is no greater sign from God than that! Her story made my testimony deepen. I know that was no coincidence. God was so especially aware of her and knew she needed the truth in her life.

On Wednesday, apparently the dictionary word of the day was “Fletcherize”. So everyone in the ward is now using that word as a joke and now say whenever I'm over at their house, they are being “Fletcherized”. It’s pretty hilarious. Who even knows what that means. hahaha.

We had transfer calls last night and thank goodness, Sister Jackson and I aren't being transferred! I don't even WANT to know how it’s going to feel leaving Fairhope. This place is home. These people are literally my family! But let’s think happy thoughts :) I get to be here at least six more weeks! Unfortunately three awesome elders in the district are leaving.

We went out to eat on Friday night with one of my most favorite families here, the Langi's. They took us to this beautiful seafood restaurant on the Cosway, where you sit over Mobile Bay. We saw some alligators! Finally! They have four little kids and we were all so excited to see some :) Sis Jackson and I shared the “Yo Mammas Platter” which consisted of cheese grits, turnip greens, gumbo, hushpuppies, and fried shrimp, fish, scallops, oyster, and crab. It was awesome and so southern!! haha

Lastly, we got in a car accident yesterday afternoon. We were in a member’s car and were stopped completely and a car rammed into us. Luckily, the member’s car was a medium-sized car with a large bumper on it because if it had been our small missionary car, who knows how much damage could have been done to us and the car. We felt really shook up and not in any pain at first, but as we were getting our vitals checked by the police and fire department, I started feeling really woozy. My head was pounding. then my neck and back started to hurt. It was nothing severe, but both myself and Sister Jackson were feeling like we were going to throw up and the hot hot hot weather wasn't making it any better. They wanted to take us in an ambulance to the hospital but we didn't think it was bad enough to pay for that. The member took us to the hospital and we waited for a while and we went to a bunch of different rooms. Finally, we got in and had some X-rays done on our necks and everything looks okay. It’s just our muscles are tensed up and stuff. Our mission president called us and said itll be worse the next few days, and that is true for sure...we are definitely are feeling it this morning! He called our parents and I can’t imagine their concern when they saw a call from Florida. haha. Everything will be ok :) The elders in our ward and our ward mission leader stayed at the hospital for four hours waiting for us. It was so kind of them. Then the elders gave us priesthood blessings before we went to sleep.

This may sound weird, but I am 100% grateful for this car wreck experience. It didn't discourage me at all!. Laying in the hospital bed for two hours, completely alone, without family, friends, any technology, makes you really rely on God completely. It made me realize for the first time, that God is truly ALWAYS there and you can rely on him ENTIRELY. Because He is all I literally had in that moment. I could picture Jesus Christ at the foot of my bed, comforting me, and telling me everything was going to be all right and to give the pain over to Him, to let Him take it from me. I felt such peace and comfort. Here is the huge reason I am grateful to have been in the hospital. I met a man named Michael who works there who took me to get my X-rays. He is like 35 years old and loves God so much. Long story short, he told me that meeting me was for a reason and that he needs the gospel of Jesus Christ in his life. He is excited to be taught by my companion and me. I can not tell you how purely happy I was to meet him. Who knows, maybe going through that whole car wreck and all the events of that day was just to meet Michael. God really places us where we need to be.

I have never felt such love from my Heavenly Father before in my entire life. I feel the love He has for not only me, but for His children here in Alabama. God is so aware of us and what we need.

Thank you to all who read my letters. I am so grateful for the support, prayers, and love. I pray for you all as well. I hope you have an amazing week, and I invite you guys to think of all the ways God's hand has been in your life every single day, every single hour, every single minute. You will see it, I can promise that!

Love,

Sister Fletcher