Sister Fletcher in the Florida, Tallahassee Mission: The Divine Gift of Gratitude

How is everyone? :) I miss you all! This week was a good one. So on Tuesday we taught a lady named Johnie Varella. She is absolutely precious. I have been to her house three or four times now and every time we go over there, she makes us all food and sends us home with cakes, pies and peanuts. It is SO humbling because she literally has nothing. She is barely getting by. Every time I leave, I feel like I wanna cry because of how amazing and selfless she is. The longer I have been here in DeFuniak, the more I have been able to witness so many kind acts done by the amazing people in this town. We visit Johnie because she doesn’t come to church and we are trying to help her back into activity. She always does way more for me than I feel I could ever do for her.

On Wednesday we had exchanges with two sisters from Crestview. I was able to go on trade-offs with Sister Saunders who I absolutely LOVE. We had so much fun and taught a spiritual lesson to our investigator, Teresa, who is set for baptism on December 3rd still. She knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith saw God and she can’t wait to enter into the waters of baptism and receive the Holy Ghost. I am so excited for her. Sister Saunders and I also went to visit a less active sister who is in a rest home. She was laying down on her bed and looked super uncomfortable because her legs were hanging over the edge and her pillow was literally half-way down the bed. Sister Saunders and I got on each side of her and tried to lift her up THREE times but couldn't. She is literally a 100-pound lady that we couldn't lift! We were all just laughing and laughing about how lame we are. Then this nurse came in and lifted her with no problem. yeah...haha

On Friday night we had dinner and an awesome lesson with the Mook girls. I think I mentioned them last week. They have four young daughters and we teach two of them (ages 8 and 10). They are going to have their dad baptize them in December or January. They are definitely one of my favorite families on my mission! Every time I am around them, it makes me wanna have kids but then I snap out of it haha. I just hope I have girls as sweet and adorable as them! Hopefully one day :)

We had a family history event at our church building on Saturday and had a much better turnout than I expected! We had an hour presentation about family history and then did one-on-one training with the people there. It was a great event! Family history is so amazing. It really helps link the gospel in as well. The week was great but yesterday was the best day! We had FOUR investigators come to church! Honestly, having the people you are teaching and continually inviting to come to church, actually show up to church is the best feeling in the world! Marissa Johnson and her Grandma Sandra came and loved it! The Mook family also came :) It was the BEST! They mentioned that because they came to church and partook of the Sacrament, they are now spiritually full for the week. Then that afternoon, we went to a rest home to share a message with more less actives. I had my guitar with me to play them some songs. After we left one of their rooms to go see another woman, a lady who works there stopped me to ask if I would play in the hall for everyone. She pulled a chair up for me and I started singing and playing. There were about ten people there initially but by the time I was done with the first song, I looked up to see more than thirty people standing around me listening. It was amazing! Music really has blessed my life so much and brought the Spirit in times I needed it most. It’s so cool to be able to sing and play for people and help them feel of God's love through music. It is such a great missionary tool honestly!

With Thanksgiving coming up, I have been reflecting on gratitude. I have been studying a talk my mom sent me last week, called “The Divine Gift of Gratitude”, by President Thomas S. Monson. It has brought me to think a lot about what I have and how truly blessed I am to be here serving the Lord with everything I have. So many times we see what is lacking in our lives. We need to focus more on our blessings and how truly great we do have it.

In the talk, President Monson says, "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has!" I believe that to be true. We should always live in a state of thanksgiving! and I need to take my own advice! It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself. I have been kinda doing that, wishing I could spend Thanksgiving with my family, but I am now realizing how grateful I am to have sweet families in the DeFuniak Springs ward who want to feed us on Thanksgiving, that I can be in a home with a family! Many people don’t even have that, and that breaks my heart. I am just so appreciative of the life I live.

Lastly, President Monson emphasizes to not just express gratitude, but to live with gratitude in your heart! Let everything about you radiate gratitude and joy! I am learning this more and more :)

I love you all! Have a very Happy Thanksgiving :)

<3,

sister fletcher