Sister Fletcher in the Florida, Tallahassee Mission: Zion is the Pure in Heart

Such a great week!

So Trent, the 16 year-old boy getting baptized next Saturday, is on fire! We taught him on Wednesday and Friday. Both days we were able to have three other youth in the ward come share their experiences and fellowship him. He is so excited to be a member of this church and to go to the temple just a few weeks after his baptism.

Sister Hart and I did some service with the elders on Friday evening, pulling lots of weeds and shrubs. We all got ATTACKED by a type of bug native to Florida called, “sand gnats.” A member in our ward told us they are so small and all they have is a mouth to bite. We literally have red dots all over our bodies. I thought mosquito bites were bad, but these are worse. I have never been so itchy or uncomfortable! lol But, I’m not sharing this to have you all feel sorry for me because it was actually a blessing in disguise getting bit by all those bugs. Sister Hart and I were out for dinner with a member on Saturday night and he told us we really should stop by the store on the way home to get some anti-itch cream. Instead of going to the Walgreens or CVS right by our house, I felt that we should go to the Walmart instead. We walked to the medicine aisle and guess who was there?....Rafael and Yanelli, the father and daughter who came to our church building the last two Sundays! The phone number they gave us didn’t work and when we stopped by Yanelli's house on Tuesday, no one was home. We were so worried we wouldn't be able to reach them, but of course, God put them in that aisle, at that exact time, so we could set up another appointment to share the gospel with them. It was SUCH A BLESSING. To say this was just a coincidence would be crazy. I have had so many experiences like this happen on my mission, I don't know why I would EVER doubt this gospel. Sister Hart and I think we got all those bug bites simply to run into Yanelli and Rafael. It was definitely worth the pain to me!

We had a lot of investigators come to church this week, which seriously gives me a type of joy I cannot describe. The one we were most excited about was Greg, who is really progressing and changing and wanting to get baptized on March 18th. He enjoyed himself so much and felt so good all day. He said he wants to do nothing but serve everyone now!

I had the opportunity to meet an apostle of the Lord on Saturday and it was such a treat. Elder Stevenson from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came to Tallahassee to address us, as well as Elder Maynes and Elder Parker. The following day, Elder Maynes came to the Panama City Stake and spoke in our stake conference. There were several things Elder Maynes spoke about that really impressed me. He focused on the gospel and how important it is to spread it to God's children. Something he repeated a few times throughout his address was, "Zion is the pure in heart." It is good to establish the church, but it is better to establish Zion. It is good to be active, but it is better to be faithful. As he said this, it confirmed my faith even more...that the church is NOT the gospel! They are two separate things. The church and the organization of it is so good, but it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Church is meant to support our testimonies and to support us as people. It is a place where we can come together and worship our Savior Jesus Christ. Good, pure in heart people, who live Christ-like lives, who serve and love and comfort, those are the ones who are true followers, true disciples of Jesus Christ. As missionaries, we teach about the gospel of Jesus Christ day in and day out. It is a gospel that will change your life if you let it!

I feel so grateful to be a representative of Jesus Christ, to be wearing His name on my heart. I know with every ounce of my being that Joseph Smith, a humble seeker of truth, saw God the Eternal Father and his Son, and that they called him by name. He reigns as the prophet of the restoration of the gospel. Three years ago I stood at the foot of his grave in Nauvoo, Illinois, and felt the spirit stronger than I ever have. I know the Book of Mormon does nothing but purely testify of Christ, and that it can bring anyone closer to Him than any other book. This gospel is true, it is Christ's. I know it with everything inside of me. There are SO many blessings that come if you allow the truth into your heart. I am SO grateful.

SO much love,

sister fletcher