This is NOT your home!

HI! This week was wonderful :) First off...I can’t believe I have been out for eight months. Where does the time go?? It feels like yesterday I walked into the MTC. Mission life is craaaazy.  We drove up to Tallahassee Tuesday night and I said good-bye to Sister Carter :( (who is now home in California!) and I got my new daughter (trainee) on Wednesday. She is AMAZING!! Her name is Sister Hart and she is from Boise, ID. We get along super well, have tons in common, and already have so much fun together.  I am really excited about our next few transfers together :)

A few weeks ago Sister Carter and I met a guy named Greg who is 25 years old.  He is currently living in Fort Walton but has been spending many of his days here in Panama City, fixing up his grandparents' house, who have recently passed away. We offered him some help and told him we would come back later and bring the elders to help also. He was so shocked we would offer to help him and was super hesitant because he felt bad, so he declined.  We went on our way. Last Thursday I had a strong impression to contact him again and this time, we were able to teach him the gospel of Jesus Christ, which he LOVED. We offered to help him on his house again and this time he accepted.  We are going to his house tonight with the elders to do some work. He told us that two weeks ago on the very day Sister Carter and I knocked on his door, he was telling a friend on the phone how he didn’t know anybody in the area and felt so alone and just needed some help, but didn’t want to ask. Then, there we were at his door, offering to help him. If that doesn't prove to you how aware God is of His children then I don’t know what will! It also taught me how important it is to listen to the spirit.

We had a great lesson on Saturday with our investigator, Cathy, who is getting baptized on Feb. 11th.  We are all SO excited for that day! We taught her the Plan of Salvation and she was just so happy to have the following questions answered: Where did we come from?; Where are we going?; and, What is our purpose in life?  Last week we taught her about baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.  We brought a member from the ward with us to meet with her.  He spoke about her baptism and how she will be "spiritually reborn." Apparently she didn’t understand what he meant. She told us this week that she has been scared and praying and praying because she thought we meant she would actually DIE when she gets baptized and then come back to life as a whole new person. Cathy has SO much faith because she was willing to even DIE to be baptized!!! I promise that is not what happens, hahaha.  She was so cute in telling us she had just prayed Heavenly Father would give her the strength to do it.  Cathy came to church again yesterday and loved it. She is SO prepared. :)

So y'all are probably wondering why I titled my email what I did. So I have been thinking a lot this week about our life on earth. Sometimes I feel like my mission (or life in general) is going by so slowly, and then at other times, it feels like it is flying by, but, I know I shouldn't be thinking about that at all. I have really been trying to take each day, one at a time, and work SO hard. I have been working really hard, but also have had so much fun doing it. We don’t have to always take ourselves so seriously all the time. We can have fun even when we are doing such a serious work, because trust me, this work is SO SERIOUS. WE ARE SAVING HUMAN SOULS HERE! As I have been thinking about life, it really hit me more than ever that this world we are living in right now...is NOT our home. We can set up camp here, visit here, but shouldn't dig our roots deep in the ground. This is not our home, this is not where we came from, this is just temporary. We are a part of SO much more.  This gospel changes lives and I don’t understand how I got so lucky to share it with those in Panama City, Florida. Life is so good :)

Have a GREAT week! I love you all so much!

- send me love -

2401 Stanford Rd. #503

Panama City, FL 32405

<3

Sister Fletcher

 

FTM

The beautiful beach!

Hot sauce galore!

Ice cream after the hot sauce

Sharks lol!

Elder Galloways "funeral"

My daughter Sister Hart<3

One of my favorite families has
tons of acres of land and
27 horses!

Selfie with Jenna and
Trigger the horse

!!Tornadoo Warning!!

How is everyone? How was the week? Mine was AMAZING. We worked really hard and were able to see so many miracles. For anyone to say Heavenly Father isn't real, needs to look again. He is so aware of all of us. 

I got news Friday night from my mission president that I will be training a new missionary straight from the MTC. I am super excited for this :) What better place to train a brand new sister than in Lynn Haven! I will get to pick her up and meet her in Tallahassee on Wednesday!

The weather was crazy this week, hot then cold then hot then cold. It down- poured rain all day on Saturday and on Sunday our mission president told us to stay inside at around 1 pm because a tornado was coming along the panhandle. Luckily at 5 pm we got to go back out and work again! It was funny because in church, everyone's phones were going off about taking cover for the tornado, but luckily nothing really happened here! I hope no one was hurt from it. 

One of our investigators, Cathy, is still planning on getting baptized on February 11th. Man, I am so excited for her. I would say she is the most prepared person I have taught this far on my mission, just reading and soaking up every word from the Book of Mormon.  It’s amazing! Over the past month we have been teaching her, she has been living with her ex-husband and his wife because she had nowhere else to go. She is on disability benefits and barely has enough money as it is. A few weeks ago we found out he has been abusive to her and he took away her phone and all her money.  We had no way to get in contact with her. When we would go over for a lesson, the church members advised us to take a male member of the ward with us. We have been doing that and luckily everything has been fine, but her ex-husband has really been stopping her progress in the church. Our prayers were answered!!! He was actually arrested on Thursday for fraud and not paying child support. It was a blessing in disguise. Cathy is now progressing SO MUCH. She is amazing. I am so excited for her and the blessings that will come for her because of this gospel.

I went to Callaway for an exchange this week and Sister Crosby and I had so much fun. We delivered some Bibles and Book of Mormons to people who had requested them online and were able to teach some solid investigators over there. It is just amazing to me that no matter where you are, there are people there, prepared and ready to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So we have a new investigator that a member actually referred us to go see. Her name is Ruth Pierre.  She is about 60 years old and she is fully blind. When we first met her, she was staying in the hospital by our apartment. She had been in there for a while because of internal bleeding and kidney failure. We have been able to sing to her, share messages of Jesus Christ, and really lift her spirits. She just moved down here from Louisiana and doesn't know anyone. We have seen her multiple times this week as she was released from the hospital and is now home. On Friday night, just as we arrived to our apartment at 9:00 p.m., she called us and asked if we could come by to help her find her antibiotics. We rushed over and as we walked into her dark apartment, we found her in the back bedroom laying on the bed. She looked miserable. It was so sad seeing her like that. It truly broke my heart. She was just crying saying she wished there was someone who could stay with her that night because she didn't know if she could make it. I wish we could have. After we helped her find and label her pills, we left and tears were in my eyes, I just couldn't believe or imagine being in her situation. 

Being out here is making me realize more and more just how blessed I am. I am so grateful for all the amazing experiences and opportunities I have had and that my future ahead of me is so bright. I feel so lucky that I can literally have a dream and chase after it, and not let anything stop me, because I am realizing that so many people physically can’t follow after their dreams. It is heartbreaking. It just motivates me to want to do better and be better. God sees SO much potential in us. If only we could see just an ounce of what He sees. I want to live my life feeling truly blessed for what I have and not taking all the tender mercies and miracles I see every day for granted. I feel extremely blessed to be born into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was given the gift of the gospel right away, but I think that gives those of us who were given it a huge responsibility - to share it with the world, to serve those around us, to be an example of righteousness. My mission is changing me and I could not be more grateful. :))

President Smith (my mission president) called me Thursday night and told me some really hard news. My grandfather had passed away that day. I feel so lucky that I was able to talk to him last Monday on the phone to say good-bye and I truly know that he is MUCH happier now, with my grandmother who passed away almost 12 years ago. I know she has just been waiting for him to come home. It was really rough news to hear, but I know that all three of my grandparents who have passed on, my Grandma and Grandpa Keele and my Grandpa Fletcher, are all helping and assisting me in this work of saving souls. I can truly feel them with me at times. I love my Grandfather very much and sure will miss him! I am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the plan of salvation, that I will see him again :)

I love you all so much and truly pray for my loved ones at home every day. Thanks for all you do!

 lots of love,

sister fletcher

Singin in the rainnnn

Josalyn

I love Sista Carter!

Marcie <3

My bud Mitchell
(he let his sister do his makeup hehe)

When members are sweet
and give you flowers:)

Blessed!

Hey!

How was everyone's week?? Mine was...interesting. hahaha. So this week Sister Carter and I have been feeling pretty under the weather, I think due to the weather constantly changing. We stayed home all day Saturday and it was torture haha. It’s really hard for me to stay inside and do nothing when there is seriously so much for us to do here but I know it is important to get rest and the spirit was definitely telling us both we needed it. The problem is, I haven't been able to sleep like at all! I struggled with bad insomnia during the months leading up to my mission and it’s starting to come back again.

On Sunday, one of the Elders serving in my ward gave me a priesthood blessing and all I told him was that I haven't been feeling well. It was SO amazing because in his blessing, he blessed me that I would be able to sleep again. WOW! Is God aware of us or what?!! 

Anyways, we have been visiting a lot of less-active members in the ward and just meeting lots of awesome people! The stories people have and the ways they have seen God's hand in their lives is amazing. This gospel is SO true, friends.

So here's a quick funny story. On Tuesday, I had to get some blood work done. I had fasted the night before into the morning and I was feeling pretty shaky, but not too bad. The nurse called me back, stuck the needle in my arm and started to draw the blood. I don’t really mind needles at all, but as we were talking and I saw the blood was coming out, I said, “I think I am going to pass out...”  The nurse said, “WHAT?” She hurried to call for help. Before I knew it, two more nurses were around me, grabbing my face saying, “Stay with me!!” But I was outtttt. Next thing I know, I am in another room, laying in a reclining chair, with wet rags on my face and a fan blowing on me. It was pretty crazy. We had an appointment in fifteen minutes so I told the nurse I really needed to go.  The nurse walked me out to the lobby to meet up with Sister Carter and told her she needed to watch me closely. I was laughing, telling her I had just passed out. There was a man in the lobby sitting across from Sister Carter wearing a ski mask and he said, “How bout you smoke some pot to make you feel better?” I couldn't really understand him so i asked, “What?” He said again, “You should smoke some pot!” I was like, “Uhhh???” Then he said, “You know, weed?!” hahaha It was hilarious. So many interesting experiences here in the south. Oh and don’t ask me why he was wearing a ski mask in 80 degree weather....

I can’t believe my companion, Sister Carter, is going home in just one week! I am sure going to miss her. The mission goes by way too quick.  Each transfer feels like it’s getting shorter and shorter, but Sister Carter and I are going to kill it this week! I’m excited for everything we have planned :)

At the conclusion of this letter, I wanna touch on a subject very near and dear to my heart, ED SHEERAN, HE’S BACK!  Thank you to all those who have sent me emails these past few weeks about his new music.  Y'all know me so well ;) but seriously, after 2 and a half years of silence (besides his deluxe songs on his multiply album) he has released new music! If anything would make me come home early from my mission, it would be Ed Sheeran's music. So having said that, if anything has to prove how true this gospel and church is for me to stay out here, it’s that. haha Just kidding. I would never leave my mission, but I can’t wait to enjoy his music again! My purpose is so much greater right now, and I don’t wanna be anywhere but here serving God's children in Lynn HEAVEN. I feel so blessed :))

I hope you all have an amazing week. Thanks for taking the time to read!  I love you all so much :)

Zone Bonfire

Tradeoffs...our friend Lenny!

YES!

Friends

<3 These Sistas!

Sister Crosby

Lynn HEAVEN!

Dear those who still read my emails ;)

This week has been another great one. I have never been so tired and exhausted in my life, but I think that's what the mission is intended to do - to wipe us out spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. It is a good kind of exhausted, one that I love to feel every night because it means we have tried our hardest each day. Whitewashing has been so much fun. We have been able to have a fresh view with fresh eyes for Lynn Haven and although Sister Carter and I feel kinda overwhelmed sometimes, the work is really progressing here.

There have been a lot of crazy things happen this week and I won’t go into detail, but wow! You truly don't know what you get yourself into when you head out on a mission, but that's what makes it all the better! It’s exciting and every day something new and crazy seems to happen.

We have a new investigator, Margaret, who we met at the Salvation Army a few weeks ago and she told us about the time when she found God and knew He was real. It was a beautiful story. She spent some time in jail a while back, being convicted of something she did not do, and while in the jail cell, she was praying and praying for release. She opened up her Bible one morning to Psalms Chapter 146, where it says the Lord looseth the prisoners; that God will set the prisoners free. Later that same day, she was let out and proclaimed innocent. It’s so amazing learning from so many personal experiences of those we teach, just how much God's hand is in all of our lives. I know God's hand continues to be in Margaret's life because she ran into us and is now able to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, something she has been waiting for!

Another one of our investigators, Cathy, who we have been teaching for three weeks or so, has committed to getting baptized. She is SOOOO solid, like seriously, knows the Book of Mormon is true and has already read through Jacob! (the third book in the Book of Mormon) She is going through a lot of trials at home, but I know everything will work out as she reaches out to Heavenly Father at this time. She loved church yesterday and knows that is where she should be every Sunday. Cathy plans to get baptized on February 4th and I am just so excited for her!!!!!

So this week I have been reading conference talks and studying the topic of living in the now and being happy where you are, not having regrets or worries. I have been studying the conference talk: Of Regrets and Resolutions by President Uchtdorf, and got some amazing insight from it. (I recommend looking it up!!!)  It touches on three things people usually regret when at their death bed. One being not spending enough time with those they love. I have been thinking about that and I realized that those I love and who I am devoting my efforts to right now are here in Lynn Haven. I truly love and care for our investigators, so what I should do is give them my time. Time is so precious! I need to always be compassionate towards them and not appear like I am in a rush. I think sometimes as missionaries, we are in such a rush to get from lesson to lesson that we forget to stop and care for and love who we teach. The Savior wasn't in a rush when He healed and blessed and taught, so we shouldn't be either.

Something else people often regret is not becoming who God wants them to be, not living up to their full potential. I am realizing more and more every day, there is no better time than now on my mission, to start to realize who Heavenly Father intends me to be.  I can start becoming more like my Savior by following His example and loving and serving as He does. This is something I have always really tried to do on my mission, but I can always do it even more.

The last regret people often have at the end of their lives is finding happiness, regardless of their circumstances. I am learning that we truly control our happiness and that our external circumstances do not. It is empowering to know that if we aren't happy, if we don't like the way things are going in our life, we can change our attitudes. We can change how we react. We can choose to be happy!

I truly loved this talk and everything I learned. I am learning more things pertaining to the gospel every day and it is amazing how much I am able to apply it and teach it to those we teach and visit. I am so grateful to be a missionary, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is what it really feels to be happy!

I hope y'all have a great week and stay warm! I sure am here in Florida :))

love,
Sister Fletcher

Cathy!!

Cute British kids!

Red-bearded dragon - slightly terrified...

Mitchel - a precious kid we teach
playing my guitar

Conferences wohhooo

Oh What A Wonderful Life!

 Dear friends,

This week was stellar, like seriously, amazing. I am so happy here in Lynn Haven. The ward has such high expectations for the missionaries here and it’s refreshing. In the past few weeks, after getting the mapping all done, we have been able to bring a lot of members out with us to see the less actives and new investigators. I already see how much of a difference and impact it makes on the people we teach. Member presents are SO necessary in missionary work.  Sister Carter and I have also been able to do a lot of awesome member finding lessons after dinner with members and it seems to already be making a positive impact in the ward. Everyone is so excited to get involved and help us and to bring investigators into their homes so we can teach them. One thing I have been able to really see is how special the spirit is in member's homes. I want investigators to feel that, to notice the difference, to recognize that that is something they want and need in their homes. 

I feel as though I am finally becoming the missionary God has always wanted me to be, the missionary He knew I could always be, and I have never been happier. It is truly as you lose yourself that you find yourself. We have found that the most happy we have been this week were the days where we were so exhausted because the day was just so jam-packed with lessons, tracting, and just talking to everyone we saw.  We continue to see miracle after miracle here, as we listen closely to the direction of the spirit. 

On Saturday, we ate lunch and then decided to tract at the mall (talk to people about the gospel). On our way out, we saw a man with his head down on the bench. It was freezing cold outside (for Florida) and raining, and he just looked really sad. We approached him and he lifted his head.  We saw that he was actually a teenager, about 15 years old. It turns out he is in DCF, a program where the government takes the child away from their family to live with another family. The family this boy had been staying with dropped him off at the mall with no money or phone and told him they MAY be back that night. We were shocked and felt so sad for him. He was embarrassed about it but we were able to help him and get the police involved. It just scared me to think of what could have happened. The spirit led us to him for sure. It is amazing what happens when you follow spiritual promptings!

I was praying really hard on Thursday because I felt somewhat overwhelmed and inadequate. I was thinking, “There is no way I am good enough for this area.” But as I was sitting there, pondering many things, Heavenly Father answered me and said, "You are not good enough Sister Fletcher, but I am." That’s when it hit me so hard! Who cares if I feel good enough or not, who cares if I even am good enough or not. This is Heavenly Father's work and it will roll forth with or without me, but how amazing it is that I get to be an instrument in God's hands in this magical place of Lynn Haven. It is simply up to me to be worthy of the spirit and to turn outwards always. If I do that, if I focus on others and try my best, Heavenly Father will qualify me, and He has already been doing that. I know that I just need to fully submit my will to His, to allow Him to use me in whatever way He sees fit. Humility is everything on a mission, it is everything in life - humility AND gratitude. I just feel so grateful!!!

We have one investigator named Candy that we met this week. She lives in very humble circumstances and just needs something more in her life. We taught her the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and as we told the story of Joseph Smith's humble prayer being answered, tears were just streaming from her eyes. She accepted an invitation to be baptized and felt in her heart that this message is true. Time and time again I am able to witness these experiences, but each time it just gets sweeter and sweeter. I love these people so much, I just can’t even comprehend how much God loves them! 

Well, I hope you guys have an amazing week and Happy New Year!!! See you all this year ;)

<3

Sister Fletcher

Baby it's coooold outside!

Giant beach ball!

New Year's sleepover
with crazy makeup!

Convertible cruising'
with my favs!