Do it for the journal entry!

Hey y'all :)

This week has been better than the last.  Luckily, Sister Hart and I have started to feel better but it’s definitely allergy season here in FL. 

We met a lot of potential investigators this week.  EXCITING STUFF!  On Tuesday, we bought some medicine from CVS during our lunch break, then for some reason, I felt like we should get McDonald's next door.  I really didn't want McDonald's but something inside me was telling me that a McChicken would be a good idea right about then.  We ordered our food and I looked around at the people.  There was a man behind the counter about 23 years old who kept glancing over at us.  It could have been because of our good looks but I think it was really because he was curious about us and what our name tags said.  As we walked out of the restaurant, he followed us because he had his lunch break.  I turned around and said, “Hey!!”  We talked for a while and found out he hasn’t been very religious and has been trying to find a church.  Well, look at that, we have a church ;) We will be teaching him on Wednesday so I will keep y'all updated :)

On Saturday, we decided to go tracting in an area we thought we had never been to before.  We were led to a trailer where a lady lives who has actually taken the missionary discussions in the past!  Amazing!  We will meet with her on Tuesday :) We kept walking and went up to a home the next street over.  We felt like we had been there before.  It turns out the man who lives there is a less-active member who had once been referred to us.  Across the street from there was Katrina and Jason’s trailer! (which basically burned down so they are now living in Parker)  The fact that we were just walking down this street and somehow ended up there was just crazy.  I know it sounds silly that we didn't know that was Katrina and Jason's street but seriously, all the streets here look like the jungle and they all blend into each other.  I can’t believe the places God leads us to.  We were able to talk with the less-active man who has been having a very hard time and we made a return appointment for this week.

This weekend is General Conference!  How lucky we are to hear from our Prophet on the earth today and to hear what God wants for us!  I invite you all to truly absorb and take in the gift of modern revelation and watch all the sessions of conference!  I am SO excited.  General Conference is like Christmas for missionaries!  haha. 

I am truly loving being a missionary.  It is really hard work but I just love the people here.  It makes all the hard times worth it.  To make things more fun, Sister Hart and I have agreed to do a "do it for the journal entry" every day.  We have been doing one (at least) crazy, weird or insane thing each day - something that takes a rush or a ton of courage.  It’s been so much fun! haha  I suggest all you missionaries should do it ;)

I have been reviewing a lot of notes I have written over the course of my mission.  Man, I have learned so much and taken in so many new concepts and ideas.  I was going over what I learned from the Youth’s “Face to Face” broadcast that was held a couple of weeks ago with President Eyring and Elder Holland.  One thing that stuck out to me was the question someone asked about how we can feel the spirit of the Lord more in our lives.  We need to be humble and quiet inside, to literally tell God, "I give up, I will do whatever you want me to, Father.  Thy will be done." Elder Holland then talked about how the Holy Ghost is not willing to compete with the loud noises and voices of the world.  It is called the still small voice for a reason!  So, we need to provide an environment where the Holy Ghost can answer us, where God can speak peace to our minds.  I know that when we do this, we will feel and know answers from the Lord.  He loves us and wants to hear from us, and if we allow Him, we can hear from Him too.

I love you guys!  Thank you for the examples you are to me in my life <3

with love,

sister fletcher

Found a cool wall

Cute Sister Jensen

Hi friend

AHHH

India <33

Obsessed with these children!

Isn't my companion the cutest?!

I love Michelle!

Look what Kim made me!

Lockdown

Hello!

How is everybody??  How was y'alls’ week??  Wow, this week was kind of the worst for me but it can only go up from here! haha  Sister Hart and I were out for four days with the flu.  Being sick as a missionary is the most awful thing ever.  You feel like you are wasting so much time and that there are much more important things to do - BUT I now understand how important rest is.  We have to take the time out to rest if we are sick or we will never get better...I’m really learning patience on my mission! haha.

So a couple of things from the week, when we weren't dying with the flu... Remember Katrina and Jason??  On Tuesday afternoon when we were over at an investigator’s home, we got a text from Katrina which read, “House fire, call 911”.  We freaked out and eventually got a hold of her.  Their trailer had caught on fire along with a couple of their neighbors' trailers.  That evening we came out to help them along with the Bishop, Relief Society President, and a few other ward members.  We arrived around 8:00 p.m. to see the fire trucks’ lights blazing bright and many people gathered around.  Katrina ran to us and hugged us as well as did Jason.  Even though we tried to push him away because we can’t hug guys, he said, "I’m not part of your church so I can hug you all if I want." haha... Anyway, it was the saddest thing in the world.  When I looked at their trailer, destroyed with glass all over the floor, I couldn't help but cry.  It just broke my heart.  Katrina and Jason are literally my family here.  It is awful what they are having to go through but I’m glad so many good people from the church were able to come and be of support to them.  I know everything will be okay and work out.  God always delivers us, even when it seems like our whole world has turned upside down.

This morning when I was getting ready for the day, I went to plug something into my electrical outlet but sticking halfway out of the socket was a cockroach!...yeah so that was fun.  Summer is just around the corner here in Florida and I’m super excited for all the creatures to come out...NOT!!

Amidst all my studying since we have been home bound for a good portion of the week, I have been thinking a lot about the temple. Man, do I miss the temple. Not going for ten months is probably one of the hardest things I have ever done and I still have eight more to go!  I then think about how lucky I am to have even had the opportunity to enter the temple.  Some people have to wait years to attend the temple due to distance, financial, etc. so I know I can wait just eighteen short months.  As I have been pondering the temple, I thought about the fact that when we are there, in the House of the Lord, we are in the world but not of the world. Every time we go to the temple, we leave a better person.  In the temple we are able to be endowed with the power from on high, we can associate with the spirit of the Lord.  WOW what a blessing that is.  I miss it so much.  I miss the peace and comfort the temple offers. 

So everyone who is able to go to the temple...GO!  Do it for all those who can’t! haha  I promise that as you set aside the time to go, the Lord will bless you. It’s interesting because when we go to the temple, we think we are helping other people, which we are, but honestly, the temple helps us just as much.  The spirit there is so pure, so sweet.  Man, I could talk about the temple for days!

I just wanted to close this email by saying how much joy serving the Lord has brought me.  I've truly come to know my Savior in a more personal way than I ever have.   This is the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints!  Anyone who sincerely asks and prays will know this is true.  This church and this gospel offers SO much purpose to so many lives.  It is incredible.   I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world,  He is your Savior, and my Savior too.

I love you all :)) 

xoxo,

sister fletcher

Sicklys

Youth Conference

When the elders bring 

Traditions

When a general authority calls you out

Hey y'all!

This week has been great!  We've been working with the members a ton!  It’s been way fun to go into so many amazing family's homes and help them do missionary work.  There were ten baptisms around the mission last week, and nine of the new members were found through ward members.  WOW!  Tracting (knocking on doors) is now our last option when finding investigators. We dropped a lot of our investigator pool this past week and are really looking for new people. I am so excited :)

Friday was seriously a day of miracles.  Sister Hart and I arranged a medley of hymns where we sing and I play the guitar.  We are actually performing a couple of songs this coming week at our mission conference!  Since we had songs prepared, we decided to take my guitar with us.  I felt strongly that we should teach a member lesson for one of the older couple's in our ward so we dropped by their house and they actually had their neighbor over visiting.  We ended up talking to him about the gospel for a while.  He mentioned how much he loves music, so we grabbed my guitar outta the car and sang him a few songs.  It was so cool to see the spirit fill the room. Later that day we went to a less-active member’s home, Katrina.  We have visited her a few times and have gotten really close with her and her boyfriend, Jason.  Jason cracks me up.  He always calls us losers, punks and nerds but he loves us so much.  We joke around with him so much.  He thinks that you should only pray to God when you are really angry and that He only listens when you cuss at Him.  Of course we all don't believe that but Jason is coming around.  He also LOVES music so we brought my guitar and sang and played for them.  The  spirit was so strong.  He actually loved it!  He said, “THAT’S how you are going to get me girls, through music." It was amazing!  We invited him to come to church since he has never been.  He replied, "I literally want to punch your face because I love you guys so much that I have to come." AHHHH!! hahaha

Jason and Katrina came to church on Sunday!  It was amazing! Elder Parker from the Area of the Seventy came to speak to our ward.  He really liked the meeting.  For some reason, the time on our phone didn't change Sunday morning for daylight savings so we literally thought it was 9:00 a.m. instead of 8:00 a.m...which meant we missed our Ward Council meeting...when the general authority attended....yeah.  It was actually the worst.  During Elder Parker’s talk, he literally called us out (in a funny way of course) about sleeping in.  Man, it was hilarious. Everyone was staring at us...

Trent was ordained on Sunday and received the Aaronic Priesthood.  I am so proud of him!  I can’t wait until he can pass the sacrament next Sunday :)  This gospel is amazing!

Well, I hope ya'll have a great week!  I will be enjoying another day in paradise here in FL :))

lots of love,

sister fletcher

Bike riding with the
cute Huntsman Family

Conservation Park!

Visiting the Mexico Beach District Meeting

I'm gunna miss Sister Crosby:(

Got my hair chopped off...

Biking for days

Beautiful mansion in Calaway

Yeah, we made a mess

The cute Mann girls

Trent got baptized!! 3 // 6 // 17 :))

Dear family and friends, 

This week was wonderful :) First things first, Trent was baptized on Saturday and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday! It was an amazing service. The spirit was about the strongest I have ever felt. Several youth in the ward sang the EFY medley, “As Sisters in Zion/Armies of Helaman”, and holy heck!! It was a tear jerker. Of course, I was the lucky one to give a talk on the Holy Ghost following it.  I cried pretty much the whole time but I got through it lol.  I love Trent SO much.  I can’t wait for his exciting and beautiful future ahead.  I can’t wait for him to go through the temple, to go on a mission, and to one day get married in the temple.  I have never seen that kid happier.  This gospel truly is a gospel of JOY! 

This week we did a lot of finding and are really focusing on finding through members. It was so funny, after the baptism when we were gathered around eating refreshments, India and I were talking to one of the youth, Audrey.  She told India that she has inspired her to want to share the gospel with everyone, and that includes with her boyfriend.  I said I want his information asap so we can start teaching him hahaha.  Sister Hart and I joke that "if you date 'em, we dunk 'em" hahaha.  India and Trent are the perfect example ;) 

Today, one of my favorite families in the ward is taking us on a bike riding trail along Panama City Beach.  I’m so excited! It’s refreshing doing things like I used to every once and a while.

Sister Hart and I found out last night we are the only companionship in the zone staying together for another transfer. (#blessings) I’m so glad I get to be in Lynn Haven for at least six more weeks! I love it here. I NEVER wanna leave.

Missions are amazing, they are truly life changing.  I already owe everything I have to my mission and I’m only half-way through.  Missions teach you how to better understand people, how to read people, how to love people.  They teach you about life and about the gospel in greater depth.  It’s so funny because as missionaries, we think we are giving up so much to serve God and doing all of this hard work for Him, but in the reality, we are the ones blessed so much more for our service. In the end, you can never do more for the Lord than He can do for you.

I love you all! Have a great week :)

love,

sister fletcher

Trent's baptism

Katrina

Sister Olson on our
9 month mark

Idaho vs. the California kids 

Cute baby turtle

Trent's confirmation

Chris and me taking a red-head picture
in honor of Ed Sheeran's new album

Greg, our investigator in the hospital,
still reading the Book of Mormon

Cute India!

We are real-life missionaries
knocking on trailer doors