week 54: change is like manure

Monday, November 7th, 2016

Helloooo.

So this week has been good but crazy. Ugh so we had an alignment meeting last night and basically one of our wards is in Show Low Stake now; other is still in Pinetop but it's not called that anymore. It's called White Mountain Arizona stake. And 1st Ward is called Show Low Creek Ward and 2nd Ward is now called Show Low Ward, Baja they basically have the same name. How confusing is that. So yeah we are in two stakes now which we can totally do but President doesn't like missionaries splitting stakes even though it has been done lots before. So we need to talk to him. I would DIE if I lost any of our wards or investigators. Change is like manure, it stinks but helps things grow.

Monday night we got together as all of the missionaries in the mountains and played games and such, it was pretty fun. We then had exchanges and I was in Fort Apache (reservation) for two days. It's a whole other world over there. So yeah I was there for Tuesday and Wednesday. First day was with just Sister Kamalu, love her and then the second day Sister Paul joined us and we were in a trio, they have so many investigators! It's crazy. It's like they are in a different country. But yeah being in Apache was fun.

Thursday I was back in my area, it had felt like I was gone forever. We had ZTM and since I'm an STL I had to give a training. Sister Gulley and I planned it that morning cause we had no other time to do it. It was crazy. The training went well I think...it was on effective planning. The zone leaders trained on baptism which President trained us on at MLC. It was good hearing it a second time. We read 2 Nephi 31:13 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism--yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel." I love this scripture and how it says that we witness unto the Father when we are baptized. Baptism is a witness and testimony that you have repented and are willing to stand as a witness of God. Baptism is a sign to show God that we are willing to do it. It just makes sense why Christ was baptized, he was an example. It wouldn't make much sense if he said "go get baptized" rather than "come follow me and be baptized". The second one just sounds a lot kinder. It's cool cause in our doctrine of Christ reading of the Book of Mormon, I get to focus on my purpose. Cause that is our purpose as missionaries, the doctrine of Christ. The rest of the day was just really good and I was just motivated to do missionary work. We contacted a lot of people. We met this man named Kenneth who is a less-active and had a lesson on his doorstep. We then had the funniest lesson with Zach on the law of chastity. Here are some quotes from it to describe it better:

- "Zach will you live the law of chasity?" "I will pray about it" "no Zach that's not what we asked you!" " okay I will really really really really try" lol
- *zach trying to explain why the law of chasity is important and then get flustered and then says "wait what are we talking about?"
- "How are you doing with the law of chasity?" " I don't cusss...I don't cuss....I don't cusss...." lol
- "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. Are sleeping bags okay?" Lol

Basically they need to get married, I think he is saving up for a ring now. But hopefully this winter it will happen.

Friday was weekly planning, I asked someone to be baptized over the phone, it was a potential I had never met and Sister Suter said we probably needed to drop him. So we did over the phone. I feel like the longer I am out, the bolder I am. But in a loving way of course. We then we over to the Deal's and had a lesson with Jayce. It was good. We had a lesson with the Cuiriz family so we had a member with us named Perla. She speaks Spanish. They weren't home so we went to contact a referral named Sandra. She and her daughter Joselin took the discussions a couple years ago. We aren't sure why the missionaries dropped them, probably not keeping commitments and Sandra isn't married, but has lived with him for 23 years. But we had a lesson with them and Sandra doesn't speak English super well so it was good we had Perla with us. We are going to keep teaching them and if we feel like the Spanish Elders need to teach them then we will. Joselin speaks English and Spanish both very well. I'm excited to teach them! She just needs to get married..

Saturday we had a potential named Glenda but we had no info on her other than the fact that the Turkeys knew her. So we went to the Turkey's, the cutest old couple ever and Glenda is their neighbor. Glenda is a less-active but doesn't want to come back. We had a good lesson with her though. We then saw Mark and brought a YSA guy to have a hand off lesson cause Mark wants to go to YSA which I think will be really good for him, Mark is hilarious. The member present was perfect and he was getting him involved in the activities and such. We then had a lesson with the Cuiriz family, well it was really just Raphaela cause the kids didn't want to come and they are the ones that speak English. So we had our members pretty much just do the lesson, they read chapter 1 in Spanish with her and she was so much more responsive. So since the kids aren't interested we are going to start having the Spanish Elders teach her. Which is sad for us :(

Sunday was church, Deanna and Zach both came! They are so awesome. We had some good contacts and gave away a lot of Book of mormons. That book is awesome & free, why wouldn't anyone not want to take it?! But yeah we then had the alignment meeting and so we didn't have any lessons. Oh and they are making a new stake in the mountains so like everything up here is changing.

I love this quote from general conference. Elder Christensen said,"We need not be timid about testifying of Joseph’s mission as prophet, seer, and revelator, for the Lord has always worked through prophets. Because of the truths restored through Joseph Smith, we know much more about our Heavenly Father and the Savior Jesus Christ." Whenever I bare my testimony on fast Sunday or really whenever, I am trying to always testify of the restoration, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. That is was make our message so unique!

My ponderize scripture for the week:

Alma 26:15 "Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work." How wonderful is that? It's true when you first meet/teach someone, they don't seem as happy, don't have that light. But when they start their conversion and reading the Book of Mormon that light and His love encircles them. This gospel changes hearts.

Every night in my prayers I am really focusing on giving an account to my Lord of my day and efforts. It makes me stay motivated and try harder the next day. I'm so grateful to be an instrument in His hands!

--xo: sister fisha

Sister Kamalu signing up for classes

trio

ZTM

Halloween is over

Zach!

RAIN

Bro Phill & Jackie

Getting pulled over

cows

my humble abode

week 53: H A P P Y H A L L O W E E N 🎃

Monday, October 31st, 2016

Hiiii friends.

This week has been good! It flew by and I can't even really remember what we have done. Oh I hit my year mark on Friday! That was weird, I feel like I just came out. I have learned so much, ah. I can't imagine my life without my mission.

Monday we saw Zach and taught the plan of salvation. Holy cow it was such a struggle cause he was asking so many deep doctrine questions and when we answered them he would ask more so we barely got through our lesson haha. Jehovah witnesses have similar but very different beliefs. But we asked him at the trunk or treat on Wednesday and asked him if he was going to get married to channa and he said yes and we asked him when and he said probably this winter!! Yayayaa!! We need to focus on the Book of Mormon with him and feeling the Spirit.

Tuesday we had a lesson with Keith who just hit his year mark. He asks some really good questions, we talked about the atonement with him. We had lunch with Brother Duncan. He takes us and the YSA Elders every Tuesday to taco Tuesday. We then had a mini missionary with us for about 5 hours, her name is Loa, so that was fun. We had a lesson with Sister Bliss who is less-active. She is old and stubborn. She just needs a lot of love. We then had a good lesson with the Cuiriz family. We taught them the restoration. They don't know much about religion, only the mom does and she doesn't speak English super well. I mean she understands well but it's hard cause we can't communicate. It was cute cause before we left the little kids were already reading the Book of Mormon. They were so excited. But they all loved it and the Spirit was there.

Wednesday we saw Tewana and her sister Shenia. Tewana wants to get to the temple by the end of this year! Which is awesome! We are going to help her get her there and the ward as well. Her and her nonmember husband both came to the ward's trunk or treat that night too! We then had district meeting, woot woot. We found a less-active family named the Carters. They are ready to get back to church though. Her kids are adorable though. We then had our trunk or treat activity this week and that was a lot of fun, so many people came!

Thursday we did weekly planning so that took up most of the day. We saw Sister Bottoms. We taught her the restoration. We then went out to white mountain lake with Charlie and he bought us pizza for dinner at the red house and it was so good. We had an appointment with an investigator but she canceled. So we went out finding.

Friday I went to MLC (mission leadership council). It was really good. We went to Payson for it so it was a drive. I got back right at dinner and went to the house with the Wallaces. Good burgers. Our less-active Jaimie was then having a hard time so we helped her out and stayed with her for a while. Her grandma passed away and someone threw a rock at her window so she was having just a hard day.

Saturday we had interviews with president! It's always good talking to him one on one. We then saw Sister Tuetken, and read about the stripling warriors. I love that story. We went finding at the apartments and had some good contacts. We then went to the adult session of stake conference. It was so good. President and Sister Robinson spoke for a little bit. They are doing boundary changes next week and I'm not excited about it, I'll be so sad if we lose our investigators.

Sunday was the rest of stake conference. It was all so good. We had another lesson with the Cuiriz family that night. We brought the Macneilles who speak Spanish so that was really good. We read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with them. It's very hard to teach when half of them speak English and the other Spanish. They are just so cute and I love teaching them.

My ponderize scripture of the week is Jacob 4: 7 "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

On my mission I feel like my weaknesses have been magnified, it happens as a missionary. But it has made me realized how much I need Him to do His work. I need his grace & guidance & help. He gives us power to do these things, he didn't leave us alone to do this work.

"By the grace of god it rains, but unless we plant seeds, we receive no harvest" - Legrand Richards

We need to work, we need to plant those seeds and have faith it will grow. We are an instrument in his hands and it is by grace that we are changed and that the people we teach change and come unto Christ.

I hope you all have a safe& fun halloween, we're gonna go have a tri-zone party up in the mountains, we had a reverse p-day today.  

--xo: sista fisha

carving pumpkins 

Proselyting is fun!

the district

the cutest girl in the world

random

1 YR w/ mtc comp

idk

cards on halloween

week 52: lakes, pumpkins & donuts

Monday, October 24th, 2016

hello my peeps!

This week has been really good! I already love my new area! And I'm more in civilization so it's great! We actually have stores! So I am in pinetop zone but actually serving in show low. In 1st & 2nd wards. 1st Ward is huge! The area and amount of people and 2nd Ward is small in both categories. Oh and idk if I mentioned but I am a STL (sister training leader). And I'm STL with my baby, Sister Gulley! So that's way fun. We are living together and she is training so I have a grandbaby!! But yeah I love my companion so much! She is awesome, it will be a great transfer.

So last Monday I was still in Eagar, weird cause it feels like it has been forever. I wrote 33 letters to my people there with a picture and handed it out to everyone! So that took a while but I'm grateful I did. Cause those people changed my life. We went over to the Henrie's and made tie dye aprons, it was fun. She really wanted to do that with us before I left. We then had dinner with the Stake President and his wife. She made hot fudge and you poor it over icecream and it's actually really good. I guess it's an Eagar thing. We saw Crystal and her kids and then I said bye to Haley :(

Tuesday I pretty much finished packing and then Mark and Lenna drove me to Show Low! I got my companion and then we went to the apt! Our room is so small but I'll live with it haha. I was so spoiled in Eagar. I'll send you pics of it next week. We had dinner with our ward missionaries in 2nd Ward, Nancy and Leroy. They are a mother and a son who are converts. They are so cute and funny. They are so good and go door to door finding us people to teach! The Webbs want us to teach their daughter Jhade who is about to turn 8 so that she can decide on her own if she wants to be baptized. So we taught her the restoration. We then had a lesson with the Sandovals. They have 6 boys and one girl so it's crazy. We had an awesome lesson on the armor of God and printed people and then they drew on the armor.

Wednesday we saw Tewana who is a less-active and her husband is not a member. She is 22 and wants to get active! Which is awesome cause we are hoping to start teaching her husband! Her little sister lives with them and she is really active. They are really cute girls, they have been through a lot. We saw Sister Bottoms, she is less-active and she had just had knee surgery that day so we went to see how she was doing and shared a message. We then went to go see a potential named Lynsey and she let us in and we shared the because of him video with her. She talks a lot...but it was good. But we got a text this morning from her and she dropped us...then in 1st Ward they do this thing where they called it splits but the high priests go out and they are delivering cookies to every member of the ward before Christmas! So we went with our ward mission leader and his wife (the Gilmores) and did that. It wasn't really productive on our part so we will probably not go anymore. Or just go see the less-actives.

Thursday we saw sister Tuetken who is a less-active. We had a really good lesson with her. She started crying and really wants the best for her grandkids (she is raising them). She comes off and on. She knows she needs to come every week. We then had this miracle! We prayed and got out of our car to go see a potential but then there was this guy standing outside of his house. We started talking to him and immediately he inviteed us in! We are like wait is someone else there? Cause we can't go in with just a guy home. And he is like yeah my mom is. Sweet. So we go inside and his mom is SO nice. Her name is Rafaela and her son's name is Victor, he is 19. They are Hispanic and Rafaela took the discussions 3 years ago. Anyways they really want to learn more. We had an appointment with them yesterday but it fell through...but we are excited cause it's a family! We had a lesson with Amanda and Richard, Nancy found them. It was our first lesson with them and we taught the restoration. It was going really well and they said they knew it was all true, so then we asked them to be baptized and they were like "no." lol I felt like it was off errand of angels. But it was kind of funny. But yeah it doesn't make sense but they are just like feel good people and they don't really think there is one right religion. She was like I got baptized in Guam, how can you top that? Lol. We are going to drop them when we see them this week. We then saw the Mills that are returning less-actives. They have a parrot in their house and it has the most creepy laugh. It was pretty hilarious. We had a lesson with Zach, our investigator. It was the 2nd lesson with him. It was really good and he wants to get baptized! He has some fears and such so we told him to pray about a baptismal date. He is dating a member and he goes to church every week. He used to be a JW so he is worried about his family shunning him which is understandable.

Friday we went to Panda Express! It's so nice to have options for lunch! Brother Phil takes us out to eat every week, he is like the new Brother Ayres. I saw some yw from Eagar there, that was fun. It's good they are so close. We had a first lesson with Clarise. She took the lessons about 5 months ago and I guess the elders pushed her. But she really wants to know more and she said us showing up at her door was a sign. She is Navaho and has four kids and is married. I asked the husband if he would like to join next time and he said yes! It was a really good lesson. We then had dinner at Jessica Deals'. It's a PMF and her brother is a less-active and we teach her 8 yr old son to make sure he is ready for baptism. I love that family!! Jayce is the 8 yr old and Marc is Jessica's brother. We then had a really good first lesson with a women named DeAnn. She is so sweet and nice. She has good fellowshippers who have been inviting her to activities. The Spirit was so strong in her lesson. She is so prepared and she came to church! She said she liked it!

Saturday we went to Show Low Lake and picked up trash along it with 1st Ward. It was such a nice day I even got sunburned. It's so pretty here! Not my Washington but it will do. I'm definitely a mountain missionary. It was fun getting to know the ward, we had a BBQ after. We had dinner with our ward mission leader in 2nd Ward, the Willis's. They are funny. I already love the members and people here! 2nd Ward hasn't had any baptisms this year but that will change!! We saw Jaimie who is a returning less-active. She is a single mom with two kids. She is very cute. She is very stressed though, it's hard when you just want to do everything for someone but you can't!

Sunday was good. It was the primary program in 1st Ward and it was so funny. Lots of people were there. I like both of the wards! We had a lesson with an investigator named Pasty and holy cow we couldn't even teach the restoration because her dog is Satan! Man it was rough but so so funny. So we are going to teach her at her neighbor's who is a member. She hates leaving her dog alone though. This week was good! We had 5 new investigators!

Today we did a morning hike, it was so pretty. And then we went to the saddest pumpkin patch ever...there were only two pumpkins left lol. And then we got donuts! Members own it and you can create your own donut! It's pretty cool.

I'm in Mosiah in my reading. In chapter 14, verse 5 it says "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." I love this scripture. I know that we can be fully healed through Christ. It reminded me of this quote:

"The Atonement leaves no tracks, no traces. What it fixes is fixed. It just heals, and what it heals stays healed. The Atonement, which can reclaim each one of us, bears no scars. That means that no matter what we have done or where we have been or how something happened, if we truly repent, the Savior has promised that He would atone. And when He atoned, that settled that. The Atonement can wash clean every stain no matter how difficult or how long or how many times repeated.” - President Packer

When we get a deal cut, we get a scar. But repentance is not like that. There are no scars because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. And I am so grateful for that.

I also read Mosiah 15:16 "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!" I wanted to know more about what that meant and so I looked in the institute manuel and Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, “These familiar passages, written first by Isaiah but spoken of and inspired by Jehovah himself, are often applied to anyone--especially missionaries--who bring the good tidings of the gospel and publish peace to the souls of men. It is he and only he who ultimately brings the good tidings of salvation. Only through him is true, lasting peace published."

He is the Prince of Peace! I'm grateful to share this peace with others! Have a safe week!

--xo: sista fisha

baby missionary

Show Low Lake

Idk

morning hike

The saddest pumpkin patch

DONUTS