week 29: fishers of men

Monday, May 16th, 2016

HELLLO. This week was bom.com. Hope y'all had a fab week. When someone sees my name they always say fishers of men and think they are so funny haha but I love it.

Monday night we had 3 lessons! We taught sister Pulsipher a temple prep lesson and finished up her lessons this week! She is going to the temple on Saturday! We then saw Dave and Haley. We taught them the word of wisdom. We were like "Dave are you drinking coffee?" "Yes" Dave are you chewing tobacco?" "Yes". Dahh DAVE. So we took his coffee and its in our house lol. He said he is quitting tobacco and was done on Friday, they left Friday for Mexico so we will see when he gets back. We saw them again on Thursday and he was doing good on coffee and says he was planning on quitting the next day. Literally everyone here has a tobacco and coffee prob. So that's a problem. We then saw Donna!! I was really excited for her lesson. We asked her to be baptized in July and she was like is it a problem if I am gonna be out of town? Haha we're like yes, and she said she wants to get baptized this Christmas. In our heads we're like that's 7 months away! So longgg. We committed her to pray to get baptized this summer. It went really well and she wasn't awkward about it (I guess she had been in the past). We really feel that she needs to gift of the Holy Ghost before she goes to school at ASU this fall.

Tuesday we saw the Tisdells, ah so cute. I'll have to take a picture of them sometime to show you but you won't be able to see their personalities cause that's the best part. We finally got to see a less-active this week named Dolly. She is wanting to come back to church so we are excited about that! People here just have the craziest stories...we then had a lesson with Jessica, she is going through the temple soon and is so solid! And her daughter Weston has the cutest raspiest voice, love it. 

Wednesday we volunteered at the 7 day Adventist church and helped put together food boxes. Some people came from the town to get them. We went to Safires (restaurant) and got it Fo free. Crap so much free food here. Like I don't even need to buy groceries. I didn't buy any today haha. We had Ward correlation with the Hamblins, he is a good Ward mission leader and I am happy about that. We saw Tyric and he said he will meet with bishop to get the priesthood! We then saw Chelsea and taught her and her kids patience. They are so cute. She is going through the temple end of this month and we get to go!

Thursday we had ZTM! It was a way good ZTM. We drove to Show Low for it since we are in the Show Low zone, it's about an hour away. There were a few changes to the mission which will be good. There was a training on the Atonement and it was so good. The Atonement is what carries us and lifts us up. That's what we do as missionaries--help them receive the Atonement. We know the way and how we can get there. This whole thing us missionaries are doing is all about the Atonement. The Jex's (a couple missionary) made us really good lunch. We had a lesson with the Armijos. They are doing well. They struggle a bit, they were really excited to tell us they haven't drank coffee this whole week. We didn't even know they were drinking coffee. We brought our Ward mission leader and his wife the Shelton's and it was so good having them there! They brought the spirit of their testimonies of tithing. 

Friday (the 13th) was a weird day, and not just cause it was Friday the 13th. Weekly planning took forever and then all our lessons canceled so we didn't have any lessons. We have been getting the area more organized though and met with our bishops and went over the Ward list! It was super helpful.

Saturday I was on exchange with Sister Kamalu in her area! I love her, she is such a great missionary. We had a lesson in Spanish, oh man I almost fell asleep cause I didn't understand anything. This weekend was stake conference!!! Elder Marvin B Arnold was here with his wife!! He gave a really good talk this past conference about reactivation. Sister Kamalu and I were at the stake center waiting for a member to pick us up and Elder Arnold comes out of the bathroom, and shakes our hands! We just got to talk to him for a bit but we were fan girling like we met Justin Bieber. Stake conference was so good. Definitely the best stake conference I have ever been to! This stake is amazing and the people here are just so good. I love Eagar!

Sunday we went to the youth morningside cause Donna (our investigator) came! It was so good, haha sometimes I miss being a youth. President and Sister Sweeney also came this weekend so that was way good! I love hearing them speak, I'm so sad they are leaving soon. Dave our investigator then met with President Sweeney to be interview for baptism since he is on parole. It went well and President is sending a letter to the first presidency to get him approved for baptism! He is on date for June 25th! Yay!!!! But really I love the Arnold's!!! They are such great speakers and was such an edifying weekend. I love it here and I love the members. They are so chill and funny. There are so many cute families that we eat dinner with and the weather right now is perfect🏼 

We literally only have two investigators right now though...it's a little rough. But the mission is doing a new thing where we have 'prime time' and go out every night for an hour to find. I'm excited for it! This area has so much potential!!

K ready for an awesome quote? I don't know where it's from sister ballew shared it with me oh & also I love my companion (don't tell her I said that though)

"You were in the war in heaven and one day when you are in the spirit world you will be enthralled with those who you associate with. You ask someone in which time they lived in, and you might hear, I was with Moses when he parted the Red Sea or I helped build the Pyramids, or I fought with Captain Moroni. And while you are standing there in amazement someone will turn to you and ask, 'which prophet time did you live in?'. And when you say President Hinckley or President Monson a hush will fall in every hall and corridor in heaven and all in attendance will bow at your presence. You were held back 6,000 years because you were the most talented, most obedient, most courageous and most righteous. Remember who you are!"

Something we learned at ZTM was that Christ was sent to this world because we are the only world that would crucify our Savior, but he was also sent here because we are among some of the most righteous valiant saints. These are the last days and I am proud to be facing the Savior :)

Have a blessed week! I love you ALL

xoxo

sista fisha 

HALEY AND HER KITTENS

FREE ICE CREAM I'M DOWN

I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS PUPPY

We found a Jesus sign so of course we had to take a pic

DAT SUNSET DOE

FREE DQ EVERY WEEK

WELCOME TO EAGAR

SONIC&BAE

I love this book 😍

week 28: star wars, tacos & mothers

Monday, May 9th, 2016

HI.

This week has been so good! yay it was so fun talking to the fam and Kelsey and Kaitlyn! Can't wait to see you ALL in ONE year! Feels like forever though..

Monday we had FHE with the stake presidency! It was so fun!! We have FHE with them every first Monday of the month. Our stake president is the best. It's so fun being in a small town cause everyone knows you and the missionaries here are like celebrities. People ask for our picture quite often which is odd haha..so I got to look run way ready all the time jk that's a joke.

Tuesday we saw some less actives. Sunny and grandma (the Tisdells) and their son Colin are the BEST. Sunny got baptized a few years ago and he is a hoot. They want to get to the temple. Rachelle one of our investigators texted us and dropped us :( I never had a lesson with her but it was so. She is pregnant and is saying her hormones are wack and she is just so stressed. Our teaching pool is pretty low right now but we have our hopes HIGH. Tuesday night we got a car! #blessings we drove to Show Low to get it. We had to put some other Elders on bike oops. We then taught Jessica her last temple prep lesson! She is going to the temple in June!

Wednesday (maytheforthbewithyou) okay anyways, we had a lesson with Tyric. He is 17 and their family is recent converts and they want to get sealed but are waiting for their son Tyric to get the Aaronic priesthood. Hopefully he will, I guess he missed his last two appointments with Bishop. We ate dinner with Mark and Lenna Hamblin. They live in Nutrioso which is about 30 minutes away. Their home is very nice. We had a lesson with Dave Erickson SR and his daughter Haley. David is so funny. He is pretty much blind. They are both recent converts. We then had a lesson with Donna, one of our investigators. She is about to graduate and she is very cute. She has a boyfriend on the mission and we think she is waiting to get baptized until he gets home...She is so solid though and goes to seminary.

Thursday (CINCODEMAYO) we met with Cyndie (less-active). She is a bit crazy. She smokes and likes to talk a lot. People are a bit crazy up here in Eagar. We saw Sally and taught her the importance of paying tithing. She is a less-active who wants to get to the temple. We had dinner at Steve Hamblin's, it was his birthday so we had tacos of course. We had a lesson with the Armijo's (recent converts). They are very cute and I love them.

Friday we went out to lunch to Avery's (really good bbq) with Brother Ayres. He takes us out to lunch every week #blessings. We had weekly planning pretty much all day. We then went to Daryl's and had dinner with them. He then taught us the plan of salvation. I love the Gilliams. They gave us a referral and we have been trying to see her since. She never answers but she has puppies who just chill on her deck and they are the CUTEST. They are so chubby and I love them. I might have to steal one. jk.

Saturday we did a ton of service. That morning we went with Dave Erickson and Lisann and her family to go branding!! hahaha yes I helped brand cows. It was a little sad but it was so fun. We got to sit on the cows (which was a little hard cause they move a lot when they get branded) but who wouldn't/ ouchhhh. It was a little sad to watch but it was so different. I am definitely not in Scottsdale anymore. Also we get free dairy queen every week which is so bad but so good! We helped the Ballejos pack and move. And then we helped Dave Erickson Sr move stuff around in his yard. haha I don't even know. He has so much junk in his yard. He wanted us to level out this area in his yard so we dug this ashes and put them into a wheelbarrow and then he takes the wheelbarrow and dumps it 20 ft away we are like WHAT DAVE. haha he is so funny. He is such a hoarder. I love his daughter Haley, she is 14 and is the cutest. We went over to his son's Dave Jr and taught him a lesson. He really wants to get baptized but he is on probation so we need to talk to President about it. 

Sunday (HAPPYMOTHERSDAYMOM) shout out to my amazing mother. She is the best xoxo. We had a lesson with Sheila, we think she is sill smoking and she wants to go to the temple. She is really funny and loves to talk.

I'm really just trying to get to know everyone. Missionary work is very different up here. Like I really am in a different world.

Thank you for all your support. It means a lot! I love your emails and pictures! I'm having so much fun up here with my companion and the people of round valley.

A quote from a talk I read this week, "Fill your life with service to others. As you lose your life in the service of Father in Heaven's children, Satan's temptations lost power in your life" -Elder Scott. I love it and I love serving others. Getting lost in His work and serving His children is the best use of my time right now. There is no more important work than lifting his children up. When we serve others there is no room for satan.

I love you alllll have a blessed&safe week

xoxo

sista fisha 

Mark Hamlin in Nutrioso

CINCO DE MAYO

PUPPIES

Matching with Dave

Branding is my new hobby

LOL THAT PUPPY

Skyping the fam!!!

Virtual house tour ft. bae

Eating cake batter ice cream with the roomies

week 27: the town where the people have more fingers than they have teeth

Monday, May 2nd, 2016

Okay SO so much has happened. I got transferred to Eagar in the mountains and it's pretty much in the middle of no where but it's GREAT. Small little town with like a DQ and a safeway. But yeah pretty much it's a huge culture shock from north Scottsdale. I don't even know where to begin...

My last week in Scottsdale was great. It's honestly a bit of a blur right now and can't really remember what happened haha. Transfers do that to you. It's just so strange cause I was there for 6 months! We met a lot more potentials in Scottsdale and had a lot of great street contacts. There was a lot of stuff going on with Zach's baptism BUT it all worked out and he got baptized on Saturday!! Yes I know a day after I left!! #mylife but I am so happy he got baptized. I got to facetime him after he got baptized and he was so happy. It was hard saying goodbye to the people I have grown to love. I really could see so much growth from the time I was there. I'm blessed for all I learned in that area. And I am SO excited for this transfer!

Okay so my companion's name is Sister Ballew. And what she is awesome. She is from Mesa, yes I know Mesa. She has been out 15 months and I will probably be killing her but who knows, President likes to switch things up. She is super cute and we are gonna get along great. So Sister Grow (my MTC companion) is taking on my old area with Sister Gulley. And Sister Grow was in Eagar so we are basically switching places. There are two sets of sisters here and we share a house. And it's so much fun. Sister Oldham came up with me and is with Sister Kamalu. We live in a trailer/doublewide/house thingy. haha I don't even know but it is SO nice and big! Like we have a Jacuzzi jet hottub. lol. I'll take pics later and send them. Things have been just so crazy.

The ride up to Eagar was so nice. I think it took 5 hours to get there. We are in Show Lo zone. And it's SO cold! haha well not really but compared to what I was used to. But I am #soblessed to be in the mountains for summer. Right now it's like 50's and sometimes rainy but I think it will get warmer soon. I love it though. It's really windy here though. It kind of reminds me of Rexburg or like Yakima or something. Just these really small houses. A lot of people here work at the power plant. I don't know everyone here is so friendly and funny. Not that many trees here. There is more else where in the mountains but not really here in Eagar which is sad. President Hamblin (the stake president) says people here have more fingers than they have teeth. lol. These people are crazy. I know I will just love it. Last night all the missionaries in Eagar met with him. He is so nice and funny. I've never gotten to know a stake president so well. It's just so good and they are so excited about missionary work here. I'm still trying to figure it out but this town is full of a couple families. There are so many hamblins I don't even know. I think the population is around 7,000. I've met lots of people.

We went to a baptism for the sisters on Saturday for a cute 9 year old. I guess the work in our two wards (1st and 3rd ward) have died a lot. And there is a lot of finding to do. I am really excited to work and get to know everyone. It's just a whole different lifestyle here. AND okay so we are on bike but we share a car with the sisters BUT yesterday was our first day riding and Sister Ballew had bad asthma and so we called President and we are getting a CAR! What miracles!! So I don't need to buy a bike anymore! (hopefully) but it was going to be a struggle cause our area is somewhat large. It was kind of fun being on bike for a bit though. Definitely the mission experience.

I read a talk this week that I really like is from Richard G Scott and he says "Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give peace to guidance and inspiration from on high." I love that. The scriptures should be our best friend. I have come to love mine. I don't always understand everything and we never will but it brings so much peace and light to our life!!

wish me luck in eagar <3

xoxo

sista fisha

Sister Gulley

Tayllor

Sue!!

I miss the valley sunsets

ROAD TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS

Zach's baptism, ignore my face

Zach's baptism