Friday, January 11, 2013
Transfer 5: Week 2---- Happy Birthday, Brasil, Brasil, Brasil, Portuguese lessons, and Elder Perry

HELLO Friends and Family!

 Because so much happened I'm just going to type up my journal entry for this.

 Day of Miracles. It started off with our two investigators emailing us and H told us she got the job that we were all praying  for her to get! And the other went without smoking for 4 DAYS cold turkey already! (Which we were also praying and fasting for!)

And then we accepted a Portuguese tour and when we got there, they were the same people we took around the Beehive House on Sunday!! They were so sweet and brought Brazilian chocolate for us :) yum yum! *(and this awesome coconut stuff?)

 It was a nice tour. And next we went to open the Joseph Smith movie in the JSMB and we were so exhausted by the snow and cold and went to the bathroom and on the way out I accidentally (as I was getting my coat on) pocket dialed a random sister missionary and she happened to be at west gate where they get tours and assign them and Sister O came  on and I said "Oh sorry for calling!" and she said "What? You want the 5 portuguese?" and of course we said yes. We didn't even know about it at all. They had just barely receivied it and hadn't texted it out yet!! MIRACLE #1.

 It was a whole family from Sao Paulo Brazil. They had never heard of our Church or anything and they were ALL EYES and asked sincere questions the entire two hour tour we were with them. IT WAS AWESOME. In the middle of the God’s Plan presentation, I looked at my watch and saw that it was 6PM. At 6:30 Elder Perry was coming to give a fireside but we hadn’t set things up for it because the tour went kinda long. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn’t leave the tour because I had to stay with my companion and this golden family. So I started texting and left the room (I held the door open with my hand so I wasn’t apart from my companera) and called some people but no one answered and I was panicking and then realized the keys to the doors were not with us. Basically just horror. Chaos. Panic. Panic. Panic. And then, just as all was lost, guess who walked by... The only sister missionaries who had the keys, just passing by, talking to no one yet.

They rescued us. They ran and grabbed the keys and started opening up the theater. By 6:15, we invited the family to learn more and THEY ACCEPTED. Miracle #2. A whole Brazilian family of 4 + a girlfriend. They were really touched. Golden family. Then we scurried to the theater to find a microphone and podium for Elder Perry, and miraculously, a working microphone and a beautiful podium, was already there. Miracle #3.

 So we just smiled and acted like everything was under control and waited for Elder Perry to come, and ushered all the people into the Theater.  Oh, and I breathed. J At 6:28, from the entrance, an apostle of the Lord and his wife walked up to us. Elder Perry’s wife is so classy and kind. I shook her hand and then I looked up (because he was very tall) and said hello to Elder Perry and I shook his outstretched hand. The only thing he said to me was, “What worthwhile thing have you accomplished today?” And I was astonished because I realized amidst the chaos and adrenaline in the last 15 minutes, that we had just given a beautiful Portuguese family the gift of the gospel. So I told him,   “We were able to teach 5 wonderful Brazilians about the gospel and they accepted to receive missionaries.”

It was really neat. They went in and my companion assumed that we should go like we usually do and introduce and welcome everyone, but honestly, and apostle of the Lord walked in the room, I’m not going to ssay aaaaaannnnything.

So we closed the doors and put up the reserved sign just for Elder Perry’s daughter (?) to walk up and ask us how to work the microphone, and so we came back in while they sang I am a Child of God, and I walked down and crouched and gave Elder Perry the microphone and showed him how to turn it on and off.  He was so gracious and kind and said thank you. 

And then we miraculously took a couple through God’s Plan presentation, and realized that all our number goals for the day were accomplished. Miracle #4.

Guests Goal = 4, actual = 6

Member Goal = 6, actual = 6

Received Goal = 1, actual = 1

It was amazing. The restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. Wow.

Love you all, thanks for your support and kind wishes this week!

Love,

Sister Fisher

One year older and wiser too.

Oh, and PS- It's a blizzard here. We just closed the buildings of all the Visitor Centers here for a snow day. Too much snow even for Utah! Like a foot and a half. CRAZY.

Also, just by the way, 141,000 people visited us at Temple Square in the month of December.

And last year, we baptized in this mission a whole stake of people.  Crazy. wow.

 Friday, January 04, 2013
Transfer 5, Week 1: Boa tarde!!!! (Good Afternoon) VIVA BRASIL!!!

Boa tarde!!!! ----Good Afternoon Family and Friends!

 First before I say anything else, 

HAPPY EARLY 22nd BIRTHDAY RACHEL !!! 

(Everyone give her 3 hugs from me- that's an order! )

 As for this week............................TRANSFERS HAPPENED!

My new lovely companion is Sister S from BRASIL!!!!!!!!!!!! We're both in our 5th Transfer and she's an amazing teacher. We already took a tour of Temple Square yesterday in PORTUGUESE!!!

So I'm slowly learning a bit each day. It's fun! (Italian.. Portuguese.... what's next- Spanish? Probably! Or maybe Korean or Russian or Finnish or ASL or Latvian or Tongan or who knows!)

We also moved to a new apartment which is very spacious, so you shouldn't feel sorry for us even though it was 14 degrees F this morning (in skirts may I remind you). 

We live with two wonderful sisters, one from India and the other from Canada. 

We have a new assignment too! I'm out of guest services and we're now the member events coordinators!  So we scheduleand set up and introduce member groups in Temple Square. For example, next week, we have a Stake who is coming and reserving a theater and none other than ELDER PERRY is coming to speak to them, so... yeah we get to meet him too :) Pretty cool. And we get to help host and give devotionals for ward YW/YM groups, YSA groups etc. Pretty neat.

Sister C gets another TEXAN companion and she'll stay in Guest Services. :) But we're both happy and still get to see each other a lot. (we're kind of used to change by now, this is my 6th companion)

 A lot has happened in this short amount of time, but one of the coolest things that happened was this morning. 

 I was calling to follow up with a lady who called in back in November, and I was able to teach her about the Book of Mormon and have missionaries come by and give her one. I never found out how it went and didn't hear back. 

Well today I called in (I called a few weeks ago but no answer) and she told me that last weekend SHE WAS BAPTIZED!!! We started talking more and wow, it's so neat to hear. 

I typed up some of the words she said, because they are powerful!

I asked, "What in the beginning caught your attention?"
She was talking to the missionaries through the screen door (like the third time they came to talk with her through the screen door, she felt this peace and the anxiety just leave them, and she thought gosh I'm just really looking forward to them coming back again). She said it was just the way they handled themselves and she just felt their kindness. 

She said "it was just a miracle that they came to my door while I was having such a problem in my life. And they were so comforting." (they brought that spirit that comforter in) 
She had this feeling that it was just meant to be at this moment at this time! 

When we talked about her baptism this is what she said:

"There's just no words to describe the joy I feel. 
All I knew is that when I came up out of the water, that this was just the right thing to do, it was just right. We sometime have that feeling. It was just a wondrous thing. I sort of felt a connection with Heaven, with my Heavenly Father. Like being at one with the universe, feeling connected with it. It gave me a lot of awareness. It was just meant to be. This was the right time for me.
There's something inside of us, but we're usually too busy to listen. When the missionaries came by I would listen, but it wasn't until afterwards that I would think about what they said and it would stay with me."

It's to hear people talk like this and have this experience, why I am on a mission and why we all must share this precious gift that we have with the whole world. Just hearing her speak filled me with enthusiasm, love and excitement.

 Who is on your mind right now, who needs the gospel to shine a light to their life and bring them hope? 

It could be a struggling member, a friend, a coworker or someone in your class at school. It could be your cello teacher, or your karate instructor from 6 years ago. But there is someone, that each of us knows, who just like this wonderful lady above, who are "having such a problem in life" and NEED what we have. The desperately need this in their life, they just don't know it yet. 

 Now is the time. Don't wait. They need this now in their life. Each moment, each minute is precious. Share with them the greatest gift you have. It's a gift they will be grateful to you for, for the rest of eternity. Don't wait until the next life when they come up to us and say "why didn't you share that with me back then?"

 Sister S and the other sisters at Temple Square would love to call them and share your love for them, and your love for the gospel with them. Please email us your precious friends and family contact information at : askaquestion11@mtc.byu.edu (and say it is for Sister Fisher )

Love y'all tremendously,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 Sister Fisher

 

*SHOUT OUT to Sister Burchett who is going into the MTC!!! She'll rock California! :) Love you and proud of your courage and desire to serve the Lord!

 

Saturday, December 29, 2012
Transfer 4: Week 5! Merry Christmas to all!

 So.....I had a double sinus/eye infection this week. I was put out of work for a few days, but was still well enough to call home (had enough of a voice at least!) and stay up for the MADNESS of Christmas at Temple Square with 180 sister missionaries, Santa Claus (He came!-- it was one of the Senior couples but still HILARIOUS- some of the sisters had never seen Santa before and this was their first Christmas coming from non Christian countries). It was a Christmas to remember. We had tons of snow and it was full of gift giving, gift receiving, surprises, a few Christmas movies, laughter, (some sickness for me...) and lots of love from our wonderful Mission Presidency, senior couples and their families all to help us on our first Christmas away from home. Yet in some ways these wonderful sisters and Temple Square have become home. My home away from home. There's no better way to celebrate Christmas than by wearing Christ's name on your badge over your heart.

Long story short, I haven't been on the Square since Christmas night, and this is the first time out of my apartment since our doctor's visit. But I have an angel companion who has been taking care of me because obviously I can't wear my contacts, so I'm blind and pretty stinking weak because my body is really tired so I've been sleeping a ton, and when I can't sleep, I've been reading Jesus the Christ, which is seriously now my favorite book I have ever read. That's a big deal. I love it so much.

Anyway. I'm feeling cheery enough and feel so 100% different being on the antibiotics in the first 5 hours of it than before. Slowly making gradual progress. Don't think I'm well enough to come back to the square after pday but I'll just take it slow. Sister G told me to as well. This is just the time of year of sickness too. Luckily practically all of our investigators we can't contact because they're on vacation or etc. so being sick really was perfect timing. I'm so grateful for Sister C. She even woke up with me a night ago when I couldn't sleep because I was coughing (we got a cough supressant the Dr. recommended as well yesterday) and just talked to me between the inconvenient hours of 3-5AM. 

Honestly, through this whole process what have I learned this week? How much I love being a missionary. And how much it kills me to not be out there doing the work and cooped up inside and not able to bless other people. How much even this morning, I loved and was rejuvenated and so happy to just greet the people passing by, even though my voice isn't very melodious yet ;). There have been times that I can't sleep when I was sick. But there will always be treasured in my mind of my mission the memories of then going in the living room and bringing a pillow out and cuddling up and reading the book, Jesus the Christ. Wow. I have learned so much about Jesus Christ, and learned to love Him and my Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost even more. Understanding their different but so important roles, and how they testify of each other, and how all of them want our success and Heavenly Father's great master plan of Salvation, of Success, of Joy, of Happiness, the Perfect Plan, is flawless. The only flaw, is our agency. It's our choice. We can follow the formula, so to speak, and follow the Prophets of old and new, and follow Jesus Christ and become everything that we need to become, or we don't. It's our choice. We get exactly what we want. Our choice is the most precious gift the Father gave us of all, and Jesus Christ's whole purpose is to support our choice, to guide to direct, to be the builder of the Architect's great Plan for each one of us to come here and learn, grow, experience, and become more refined and finished. 

 A few interesting things that I have learned from Jesus the Christ about Jesus Christ are these. Jesus Christ was a master of scripture and well read, studied and pondered all things. He learned from all His surroundings and observations from 30 years of reflection before He taught- the lillies of the field, the foxes, the carpenter, the merchant, Pharisee, rich man and poor man, etc. When Satan tempted Him or the Pharisee or Scribe with scripture "it is written", Jesus Christ didn't just come to earth with a remembrance and with perfect omnipotence and knowledge of all, no- He had to study and learn the scriptures and the teachings (including the very words which He, Himself told Prophets like Moses and Abraham) to be able to quote and teach and expound the scriptures. He had the very same veil of forgetfulness that each one of us, the other children of our Heavenly Father, also had. He had the exact same agency that He and the Father so preciously perserved. He could have chosen to do evil, He was capable of it. But He didn't. It says in Jesus the Christ that He grew from "grace to grace" or that He grew from good to even better- but that He too was progressing in life here. He didn't have a perfect understanding of everything that He would do when He surprised the Elders in the Temple when He was only 12 years old- even though He had a very good understanding and inspired questions and comments. He had to prepare for 30 years for His short ministry too. 

 I guess, basically what I'm saying, is that it's okay. It's alright that we're not perfect (or as the Bible Dictionary defines perfect as = finished) yet. Jesus Christ even had to progress according to His age and experiences that He had. However, it's this incredible perfect Plan that I spoke of before that matters. It is that Plan where we receive mercy and justice and are judged according to our understanding at the time of our actions, and that it doesn't matter how far we are along the path but just that we're on the right path. That there is repentance and an atonement that can cover all the unfair things in our whole life, all the things that others do to us, and what choices we make and consequences we chose for ourselves. All things will be made right. Right will win. We must be patient in our progress and not frustrated that we don't understand everything yet or that we still have weaknesses. Our Savior Jesus Christ understood that as well. 

 We must ponder, pray, study and learn and research as well. That is what following Christ's example means right? If He still had to do all of those things- how much more important is it for us to plant the "SEEDS" (Spiritual Experiences Every Day) and weed the "WEEDS" (Worldly experiences every day). 

 Well, anyway, sorry about the ramblings today. Wow do I love this gospel and know that it is true. I know this is the continued revelation and continued teachings of Jesus Christ's church today. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know my Redeemer lives and loves me too. I know my Heavenly Father has a plan for my life and it's a perfect plan, better than anything I could have planned for myself, and I know He has one for you too. Onwards and Upwards!

 Love,

Sister Fisher

 

PS (Thank you so much to all for all the letters and packages. They mean a lot to me and my companion and Fijiian & Mongolian roommates! I will slowly get back to you all... I've been sick.. haha)