week 3: AZ BABY

Monday, November 16, 2015

This week has been crazy. First off everyone should send my more pictures and emails because I can read them everyday when I have internet (which I have internet everyday) but I just can't respond til mondays. 

Everyday is getting better. My companion is awesome and is helping me a lot. It's so overwhelming cause I want to know and learn everything but it takes patience! Also I am so bad with names and trying to figure out who is who without meeting them is hard. But I know you can receive revelation for you investigators even though you haven't met them. I still haven't met a lot. Like I said this week has been crazy. Everyone kept telling us your first week isn't supposed to be like this. Like I had an exchange my second day here and I didn't even know what I was doing yet. The exchange was meant to happen though because the sister training leaders knew we needed help. They helped us clean our apartments and made time for us to unpack!! (reminds me I need to send a picture of our apt, i will next week). I'm finally settled and getting the routine down. Anyways pretty much all the sisters got a blessing from our district leader, elder johnson! He is so awesome. Literally it was the best blessing I have ever received besides my patriarchal blessing. He is so in tune with the spirit and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I LOVE my district SO much. Literally everyone is my best friend. We have so much fun. 

On my exchange I got to teach my first lesson! His name is Will. He is from the ysa and is investigating. We taught him about obedience. It went well and I think I did okay. Also I'm learning to love everyone especially the people I teach! So far it has come pretty easy. It is so amazing to see people softening their hearts. I didn't realize how much socializing you do as missionaries. You get to meet SO many people and talk to everyone! People just open up to you. Also the STL's apt is so nice and it was great getting to know them they are so nice. We spent 2 hours in the mission office helping sister landry sign up for classes at byui. I'm so sad her and sister taylor are leaving! Also I have been sucking at taking pictures and I promise I will do better we are just so busy ALL the time.

We've knocked on a few of less actives doors but a lot don't answer but hopefully one day they will. The members are so nice and feed us so much!! Literally I am in the nicest area and I have been in the nicest houses...it's so fun! I have to walk like a mile just to get to the bathroom inside some members homes lol. but oh my goodness people just want to get us fat here I swear. We always have dinner apts. It's so fun getting to know them. I'm trying to be myself. But my true self is too blunt and loud sometimes so that won't do. I got to be dignified...which is hard cause I'm not lol. 

I got to go to a baptism on saturday. My companion was playing the piano for it. They were 9 year old twins. They were so cute! The elders taught them. Also planning is not fun and idk how I will do it for 18 months but i will get over it. Being a missionary is awesome and it's an amazing calling that I get to wear this name tag. Everyday I am striving to become more Christ-like. I love studying and learning. 

So the strange thing. We got to serve at a silent auction saturday night. It was so fun! It wasn't proselyting, it was just service. I guess elder jones is a ceo of this company, it's called the mayo clinic. So basically wealthy people came to bid on things to donate money for them! It was so great! The theme was denim and dreams. Everything was american and everyone was wearing denim. We all got american flag scarves lol. Our district got to help and a few others. A lot of members came and were so surprised to see us there. We helped with the tables and were trying to advertise and answer questions, but we mainly just talked to the people and got to chit chat. It was a nice break from missionary life and felt SO strange. Haha there was good live music going and we got permission to stay up late. We didn't get to bed until midnight!! We then got to tell people if they won the bid and it was just so fun. Best service ever right? Except it was reallly unorganized at the end cause we had to put the items with the bidder number bag and it was just so confusing and chaos. The lady in charge was sure sassy too. lol. It worked out though. I was SO tired by the end. It was a good bonding time with our district though. Sometimes I forget I need to be with my companion all the time and just leave her. It has only happened twice but people just laugh at me when it happens. I'm just not used to being with someone all of the time! i'm an independent person!! 

There are a lot of rules but I am trying my best to follow them all. My companion and I are really trying to not be late but we get lost everywhere! lol. our dang gps gets us lost. I love my companion and we are trying our best. We have a lot of lessons this week and I am excited!

I met with a vietnamese family this week, the luongs. They are recent converts! They are SO cute! We are helping them get to the temple. The wife and daughter (mainly wife) does not know english at all so we have the husband translate so it makes things longer and harder but they are so sweet. We are going to be helping lynn (the 9 year old) with her hw everyweek. and hopefully get members involved. We are trying to get the members involved!

Sunday was the longest day of my life. 2 ward councils and 2 wards to go to. I was at the church for 9 hours. I kid you not. blessings?? It was so nice meeting everyone they are so nice. Literally I was so tired. We didn't even have time for lunch so i was eating a granola bar during meetings lol. We need the members to come to lessons!! I invite ya'll to get involved with missionary work because fellow shipping is everything!

Last night we met with the Holdimans, less actives. they are an older couple and they don't go to church. We got them to read the book of mormon. They are the funniest and so stubburn and blunt I love it. We read the bom with them last night and invited them to try to apply it to their lives as they read it.

Anwyays life is good and crazy and busy. So much goes into this work. Like texting and calling! baha it's fun. also it rained a ton yesterday and it was the best thing ever. The members are complaining it is so cold and i just laugh cause it's like 60s?? or higher. it's still nice. Just gets cold at night and in morning. Also can I just say I hate mornings!?? i'm trying to get a good work out in the morning but it is just so hard when you feel like death. At least we have a gym in our complex. 

Life is great and being a missionary is the best thing.

p.s. the cockroaches are getting better and I don't have lice

I love you all! 

Sister Fisher

week 2: cockroaches, lice, and cactus

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Man where to begin. I'll start with my last days in the mtc. I loved my zone too much and I am so grateful for them and how we just built each other up the last two weeks. We all have different strengths and personalities. Sister fairholm and I are best buddies. Like we get each other so well. She was not my companion but we were in the same district and room. LOVE her. 

In brief the mtc was great, I mean the food sucked and sitting all day in a classroom isn't the greatest but we made it so fun. I thought it would never end but the last few days went by so fast. I'm grateful for all I learned there.

I packed that night and we woke up at 5am to go to the airport. All of us hopped on to a bus to get to the train station. We took a train to the airport. Man it was so funny traveling in a large group. And some of the elders had never been on an airplane so it was just very entertaining. Being in the real world is STRANGE. lol. 

We landed in Arizona around 1pm. I was exhausted. The mission president and his wife greeted us with some elders. They are so sweet. I already love President and Sister Sweeney. We then went to the mission home which is next to the church building and man it is so nice. Biggest church building I had ever seen. We ate pizza and talked and took pictures. Then we had orientation meeting and such. We then went street contacting! (tti) I was kind of nervous but it was fine and went wellish. Some other sisters took us and we split up. I went with Sister Israelson (she is awesome and normal) to Old Town scottsdale. Cutest town ever. It reminded me of Jackson Hole. The first person we tried to talk to was too busy shopping. It was a hard area to street contact and everyone is busy. But we got out a few pass along cards! We walked by this man sitting on the street and then decided to turn around and talk to him. I'm glad we did because we asked him if He wanted to meet with the missionaries and he said sure! We got his contact information. His name is juan. Idk if he was just trying to be nice but he was cool. We then had dinner (cafe rio style) and got to meet more missionaries and such. Us sisters got to stay in the mission home. It is pretty nice and was nice to stay in a house!

We woke up at 5:45 to work out with president lol. So funny. Also the weather is perfect here and scottsdale is SO nice. We then had a driving video to watch. And then we had a meeting and found out who our trainers will be! Crazy stuff. Well I had an interview the night before with President and he said my trainer has only been here 6 weeks. I was like what...He felt impressed that we should be together. So I pretty much knew who it was because there is only one sister there who had been out for 6 weeks. My trainer is Sister Jones! She is from grants pass oregon. She is 19 and is awesome! She goes to Utah state, wants to go into nursing. I'm excited to see why we are supposed to be together. We will both help each other along. But I think she is a natural missionary unlike me. I have no idea what I am doing! immabehonest. We are in the north scottsdale mission! So the richest area ever...talk about hard but we get fed like crazy and they spoil us so that's good. Guys i'm trying to not gain weight but idk man. We are over two wards! Larkspur and McDowell mountain!

We then had transfers meeting and I was feeling really overwhelmed with all the missionaries. I hate not knowing anyone. I hate being new and such but everyone is welcoming. I then had a drivers test and got a tiwi card (stupid device that tracks how fast you are going and such and tells you to slow down which notifies the people). Then we got my stuff and went to the church to do some ipad training and set it up. Then we went to dinner with some members at some mexican place. They were nice! I'm having a hard time figuring how I will be as a missionary. I have a personality and it's hard to know how much of it I can show. Like figuring out how to be myself and a missionary is hard! My companion and I get along so far but I already can tell we are a little different. We left a message with the family. Ah real people are scary! And we were with a recent convert as well. And then we went to cold stone, the bishop took us out and we talked to him! His roommate in college lived in sammamish! He was so excited to find out I lived there. He knew all the roads. His friend is of the last name bull?? I think. His wife's parents are the mortensons in our ward!! (the patriarch). His friend passed away 7ish years ago from cancer. very sad. Some of you might know him! I just thought it was a small world. The bishops name is jorganson. But we just tried to get a vision from him for the ward. 

We went home planned and SLEPT. I woke up and we went to the gym!! Yes we have a small gym in our complex. It is pretty great. Then study time and now we are here. Our pday is just on wednesdays this week because of transfers. Normally it will be on mondays. So every 6 weeks if you don't get an email from me on mondays its cause of transfers so don't freak out! 

Okay so I am feeling overwhelmed but I just need to pull through. I'm just trying to think of all my blessings and try my hardest. We got lost a few times yesterday because our gps is crazy. So much to take in. But I'm saving the best (or worst) for last. Okay well we are living with another companionship, sister oldham and sister devlin (she was in my mtc district so it is so comforting to live with her again). Sister jones and sister oldham were companions before so they are close. Before we got to the apartment they told us we had cockroaches in our apt! LOLWHAT. and sister jones has (had) lice! so i have to check her hair soonish. Baha what are the chances. They feel so bad but it is fine and it is just the missionary life. They bug bombed it so there are dead cockroaches in some places. It really isn't that bad. But it is gross, they are really tiny ones. So that's my funny story of the week. I had lots more but my mind is blanking.

Like I said the area is beautiful. Weather is great. 70s? Cactus everywhere. There are like little red mountains which are pretty. But it is not my Washington. I'm hoping to sometime get to serve in the mts, a reservation or nm during my mission but we will see! I'm grateful I am not on a bike!!

I have met so many people and I am so bad with names! oh well. All is good in AZ. I am trying. The first week is hard but I will somehow get through. I'm relying on my companion and the Lord. Also planning is so hard and just calling and texting people. haha oh well. It can only get better right?

Peace and Blessings,

Sista Fisha

generation of trainers

 me and my trainer sister jones

sister fisher has arrived in arizona!

Sent: Monday, November 9, 2015 5:18:36 PM
Subject: Missionary Arrival Scottsdale  AZ

Dear Parents:

Thank you for your patience! Your missionaries have safely arrived and are busy, finally doing the missionary work they have dreamed about!

The flight arrived at about 1:15; it took longer than usual to claim luggage and that threw off the whole day!

After claiming their luggage (nothing lost!!), they arrived at the Mission Home for a feast of pizza and chicken wings.  After lunch they had their pictures taken with President and  Sister  Sweeney.   They look sharp and very missionary like! What a great looking bunch! We are thrilled to have them.  Pictures will go out this week to the printer and then I will mail out hard copies to you.  This can take up to 2 weeks unfortunately and longer for international mail.

Following lunch, they attended orientation and met the Mission Office staff and learned how each of us support their efforts. They were individually interviewed by President Sweeney.  

As I write, they are out proselyting with experienced, well-seasoned, cream of the crop missionaries.  When they return, they will have dinner (Café Rio style) in the Mission Home.  A little wrap up meeting in the ward meeting house (next door).  The Sisters will be housed at the Mission Home for overnight lodging, and Elders tucked away in an apartment.

Tomorrow is another day full of meetings and training, driving tests, iPad orientation and companion and area assignment;  lunch and another spiritual meeting in the chapel.  Around 3pm they will be off to their assigned area with their companions.   Also in attendance will be in field missionaries who are being transferred.  This will be a big group of about 125 +/-.

All of this comprises what we call a transfer cycle which lasts 6 weeks. And then we repeat it all over again, sending home released missionaries and getting a new group.

You should receive your first emails Wednesday from your missionary.  During the transfer, preparation day moves from Monday to Wednesday. And next week, preparation day returns to Mondays for the remaining 5 weeks.

I remind you, the holiday season is upon us!  Please send all Christmas cards & packages before Thanksgiving.  The mail will be distributed at zone conferences 2^nd week of Dec. when the missionaries attend the temple and have a big luncheon.  The last transfer is Dec. 14^th for an additional mail run. Thereafter, mail goes according to who is going that direction.  We don’t have the help of drivers to deliver up the mountain on Christmas eve this year. So it is imperative, you do not procrastinate Christmas this year! Do not mail to a missionary’s direct address.  Last year we had a lot of theft.  Send all mail throughout the mission to the Mission Office, address located in my signature.

Thank you for sending us your very best to serve the Lord.  We will do our very best to watch over them, motivate them, counsel them, teach them and love them!

Please consider me your point of contact throughout the mission for any questions or concerns.

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work.  And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”   D&C 64:33

Sister Llewanne Bass

Mission Secretary

Arizona Scottsdale Mission

week 1.5: "sista fisha!"

Friday, November 6, 2015

HI GUYS! thanks for all the emails!! hopefully i will have time to respond individually. it is so hard cause we don't have that much time!! hmm where to begin!

Time here in the mtc is strange. It was going by really slow and then all of a sudden I leave monday!! but i am so excited to get to az. i'm ready to leave the mtc. i feel so trapped! idk how people are here for 9 weeks. awful. i mean its great but at the same time I feel like I will learn just so much more in the field. I really love our district they are like family. and my zone!!  really sad because one of our zone leaders went home tuesday night. I was at devo and I saw that one of the zone leaders was alone. Then after devo we had to go the front desk for my companion and there was elder dimick sitting there by himself. I asked what he was doing there and he said he is going home. I have no idea why but i felt way bad. That's so hard. Also for his parents. 

Anyways so our first "investigator" was our teacher and she was role playing someone named cindy. She was prepared for us so we just started teaching and we had our last lesson with her wednesday! She said yes to baptism and our teacher said we did well but sometimes we straight up sucked. teaching is hard!! you really just need to be guided by the spirit. and if it's not there...it falls apart. 

Our trc investigator is named sharon rogers. oh man is it so hard but i love teaching her! okay so we actually think she is a real investigator but who knows she could be a really good actress. long story short she moved here 3 years ago from tennesse because her lds friend debi helped her get here to get away from her husband who was abusive. and she has been divorced 3 times. abused by her father when she was young and she lost a child 14 years ago when he was 2 months old. and she was suicidal. so yeah.. we have to be careful what to say and we can't be too pushy. I wish I could go into more detail but yeah it is hard cause she has a bad relationship with God and she doesn't trust Him. So she won't pray!! We try so hard to get her to pray and our lessons are good. but she talks so much!! we pretty much can't teach her anything if she won't pray and doesn't know that God loves her. Our last lesson is tonight and she said she would try to pray so I am hoping she did!! wish me luck!

anyways we pretty much just sit all day and it sucks but I like class for the most part. role playing isn't that fun but whatever! I am tired all dayyy pretty much. I sleep like a baby at night. We have a lot of fun here though. some people take things too seriously but not our zone too much lol. We are good when we need to be though. The elders are so immature though...not all the time but sometimes. all I hear is "page 33" referring to the white handbook. they are 18 what do you expect. I've seen a lot of my friends little siblings it's so weird! i'm a grandma here but I like it cause I have a lot more experience with some things. 

I hope you all had a good halloween! I didn't really notice it was halloween. some people dressed up a little and some girls went around trick or treating with their pillow cases. The weather has been so nice and warm here and then all of a sudden it's freezing! like the past two days it's been snowing a little. But we are never outside, just to walk to classes. We did go to the temple sunday for a walk! It was so fun! I'll send pics. We go again on sunday. And we actually get to go inside today! I'm so excited!! ive never been to the provo one. And it will be nice to just stop and think. We never really do that here. It's go go go. which is good cause i don't get homesick cause im so busy. 

The work is so sweet though. I love being surrounded by missionaries who all have the same purpose. Ive met so many awesome people! also the devos have been so good we had one of the seventy come. oh and i saw character of christ (which everyone told me to see including out branch president. It was so good it changed me life. president bednar is amazing. and so blunt i love it.)

Everyone has been struggling and there has been so many tears shed. but i think everyone is good now. I have been fine though! I got sick yesterday (it's just my throat so i am fine) I think I get colds easily. i cant wait to go to the nice weather in az! We leave MONDAY morning!! crazy. also we are one of the few missionaries that have ipads and it is so nice!! but also the elders get way distracted....airdrop and photobooth....I still like carrying my scriptures around and paper copies cause I just like it!! paper is best. ill get used to the ipads someday. It is so great for mormon messages and such though! and pictures.

My teachers are sister masterson and sister bangeter I can't remember if I said that last email but they are great! they are too nice and positive sometimes though... I'm like I want harsh feedback to make me better!! they both just got married. Other teachers come and help and it's great. I've been playing volleyball during gym some days and it is so fun!! lol i love it. everyone calls me "sista fisha!"

I'm not sure what else to say. I'm gonna miss everyone here but I am so glad so many people are going to scottsdale! it will be a party. Im nervous but excited. 

Thanks for all the emails and love

much love,

sister fisher