Saturday, December 01, 2012
Transfer 4, Week 2?
 

Family and Friends,

 

This week as been really interesting. It was the first week of mass chaos on Temple Square- Christmas lights. We were in guest services when we had about 400 calls come in from people asking about the Christmas lights last Friday and it was just insane! So many people have come and it has been really neat meeting them and having performances from musical groups all the time every hour from 5pm-on. We're on the Square some nights late and it's exhausting. But good. I've been able to play my violin about 3 performances this week with the Temple Missionaries Choir and each time it's just great. Really neat to be able to use music as a testimony too. I love it. It's been so rewarding. I know that the Lord is really blessing me because I know that I'm not practicing like at all, and my ability should be diminished, but it's not.

We took around a really great investigator lesson with sisters from the SLC South mission. It was 3 boys (age 16, 18, & 20). They are the victims of a cruel world, abusive family experiences and just really rough life. They're trying to find joy. One said "Well, I don't know if I deserve to be loved by God." That broke my heart. They've been told too many times that they're worthless and shown that they aren't loved, that they begin to believe it. We testified of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and began to show them His plan for them. It was neat. When we headed up to show them the Christus statue, after a while, one said, "I just want to stay in here forever."

At the end, we gave them tickets to see Savior of the World musical - but it was cool because we only thought we had one ticket left, and then there were 3. I'm going to believe that that was a miracle. We told them that we thought that they were special and that's why we wanted them to see the performance. All three of these boys looked at us straight in the eye with the expression "You think I'm special?" and the Spirit just wooshed in and I told them "I know that you are a son of Heavenly Father, that He loves you and that each one of you have unlimited potential and that He has a plan for you and your life so that you can learn and develop to be all that He sees you to become." It was a neat and crazy experience. Each committed to a baptismal date for December 22- the best Christmas gift they'll ever have. 

 As for my message this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the war chapters I’ve been reading in the Book of Mormon and the lessons we can learn from them.

 In Alma 49:5-9, it talks about how the Nephites had to prepare for the invasion of the Lamanites, and how their preparations are what kept them safe and DEFENDED. It reminds me of Satan. We’re at the point in time that he’s had a lot of practice and just like the Lamanites, has learned and become more crafty and clever of how to enter our homes and our hearts.

Like the Nephites in the Book of Mormon, we must become even more guarded and protect ourselves, homes and children. The things that were okay or on the line 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago, aren’t any more. Those are the very things that Satan uses when we are particularly susceptible.

 “5 Now at this time the chief ^acaptains of the Lamanites were astonished exceedingly, because of the wisdom of the Nephites in preparing their places of security.

 6 Now the leaders of the Lamanites had supposed, because of the greatness of their numbers, yea, they supposed that they should be privileged to come upon them as they had hitherto done; yea, and they had also prepared themselves with shields, and with^abreastplates; and they had also prepared themselves with garments of skins, yea, very thick garments to cover their nakedness.
 7 And being thus prepared they supposed that they should easily overpower and ^asubject their brethren to the yoke of bondage, or slay and massacre them according to their pleasure.
 8 But behold, to their uttermost astonishment, they were^aprepared for them, in a manner which never had been known among the children of Lehi. Now they were prepared for the Lamanites, to battle after the manner of the instructions of Moroni.
 9 And it came to pass that the Lamanites, or the Amalickiahites, were exceedingly astonished at their manner of preparation for war.”

 The next lesson learned is that we must FORTIFY our homes and hearts. We must be prepared with the ammunition to defend ourselves when Satan still sneaks past our guard and line of defense. Those things are church attendance, praying daily and sincerely, and reading the scriptures ourselves and as a family.

When those waves of doubt, inconvenience, pride, contention and impatience come into our homes and hearts, these are the things that will strengthen ourselves and the Spirit to enable us to overcome. Being well protected is not enough.

  18 Now behold, the Lamanites could not get into their forts of security by any other way save by the entrance, because of the highness of the bank which had been thrown up, and the depth of the ditch which had been dug round about, save it were by the entrance.

 19 And thus were the Nephites prepared to destroy all such as should attempt to climb up to enter the fort by any other way, by casting over stones and arrows at them.
 20 Thus they were prepared, yea, a body of their strongest men, with their swords and their slings, to smite down all who should attempt to come into their place of security by the place of^aentrance; and thus were they prepared to defend themselves against the Lamanites.

Satan is too practiced that He can now enter almost any place and situation. We have to fortify ourselves constantly- everyday, everyday, everyday.

We can’t stop.

Alma 50:1

1 And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up ^aheaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.

 Ask yourselves- "Where has Satan already entered my fort of my heart or home and how can I fight him out of there? And then ask how can I better protect myself and home and not let any wall become weak?" His forces are stronger than they were 10 years ago. Our weak wall that we’ve neglected that withheld things 10 years ago, won’t hold now.

And lastly, ask yourself, "How can I fortify myself and my family better to defend ourselves when Satan does enter?"

Carry on, carry on, CARRY ON!!!!

Love,

Sister Fisher

Thanksgiving Mission Party - Yeehaw!

 November 24, 2012

Transfer 4, Week 1: Gobble Gobble!

 Howdy Y'all!!!!

 So, transfers happened and my new comp is from my MTC class of sisters (we were in the MTC at the same time) and her name is Sister C from Indianapolis!!!

She's AWESOME. It's way fun being with her. We're very similar too. She also went to BYU and played the viola in Highschool, and most importantly, she is a missionary as well with the same objectives and desires that I do! Doing the work the best we can!!! (with the Lord's help of course).

 But I will tell you a bit about our Thanksgiving. So we were on the Square until about 1pm and then we all drove (the Square was closed) to a place and had a huge dinner with all the mission presidency, senior couples, and a bunch of their family, and all 180 sister missionaries! It was crazy!

We learned a few line dances, yee-haw all y'all!!! (the Latin sisters and Polynesian sisters were VERY enthusiastic about dancing too.... what you can do when you're in a mission of all women).  We also did some activities to educate us about the meaning of Thanksgiving. And we got to eat dinner with the General Primary President and her husband. We have connections - but she came to dinner with us!! :) It was pretty neat. We watched a movie and cut out snowflakes and it was just a really nice time to kind of refresh and renew us, our first real break in a while. But, it was interesting.... After a few hours, all I really wanted to do was get to work again. That's the thing that makes me happy. We recreate and relax, so we can get back to work. That is where happiness lies. I just started feeling bored and just had a big desire to get back to missionary work again. 

It was interesting because before my mission, that time to veg and relax,  the time to get away from my work and stresses,  were the things that I looked forward to the most. Now, I know that that time isn't what makes happiness. Serving and working with the people around me is what brings joy  - losing ourselves in the concerns and needs of others. Relaxation and recreation are very important though to enable us to be able to get back to work. Progression in all aspects of our life is what brings true satisfaction and joy. Sister C and I were talking about it.  Before our missions we wanted to 'get away' from our troubles and concerns through watching movies, or hanging out with friends, or sleeping or eating, whatever; but now we realize that happiness lies in working through our problems and concerns and stresses. 

I love my mission. I love it so much. I am so grateful for this opportunity and that Heavenly Father let me come and helped me get here. I am the happiest I have ever been in my life, because I am not thinking of myself. I know that that is where happiness lies in. Look at those around you, and think today, "How can I serve them more?"  I'm sure you are already doing so much. Don't do more. Just do it more effectively. How long does one text message that uplifts someone, or an email with an uplifting video, or just a note of gratitude or a simple, "I love you", or including someone and their problems in a prayer take? Not long. 

 Another interesting thing that happened this week was a Chat that we had (on www.Mormon.org , Chat With A Missionary). It was with a member who was wanting to get his name removed from the church. We asked him some questions about why and what happened. He said that he just didn't think it was true or right. We proceeded to ask him and create a sort of check list with him: 

 

We asked him, "When was the last time that you prayed and read the Book of Mormon?"

At first he typed out "not for a long time",(yes we can see what people type before they send it- it's really helpful because then you can see someone's thought process)-  ,  but a second later he erased it and said: "I pray everyday and I really prayed about this choice and I got my answer."

We asked, "Are you keeping the commandments?"

"Yes"

"Do you pay your tithing?"

He responded, "Well I only believe that I should pay it when I want to, not when someone else is telling me to."

Which then Sister Creal responded, "Well... the person telling you to is God."

Which he then made some comment about how this church isn't true and he doesn't believe it anymore. 

Which I responded (sometimes the Spirit just speaks before you recognize what you're saying), "Well it's hard to know if something is true or not, if you don't 100% do it."

He disconnected after that. 

 But that chat really made me think,  Do I 100% do it? Do each of us 100% try it, believe it, love it? 

 I bet that those might get y'all thinking. Love you all. Thanks for the support and examples to me. Happy Thanksgiving. The Lord has blessed all of us with the most important thing of all - the restored gospel that Christ himself started. 

Love,

Sister Fisher

Wednesday, November 14, 2012
 

Transfer 3, Week 5: ..... let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

  Family and Friends!

 Some may question the title--- it snowed about 14-18 inches in Salt Lake City this weekend. It was insane. I've NEVER seen that much snow in my entire life at one time (except in the mountains of course). 

Thank you Dad for Both of the letters you sent- I received and read both of them. PS Tell B he looks old, mature, and better than he even was before and like he was an excellent missionary! I want to look like that when I come home. I hit my 6 month mark in a week. It's insane. 

I have a huge testimony of fasting now. We had a mission fast this weekend, and we received through chat and the Square and on the phone and in guest services 6 new people to teach. It's awesome. (not that we need more to teach right now.... haah)

 My head actually really hurts right now as I am emailing so most of my email will be in the images I've sent. The last one is an image of one of the MANY chats we took this week, and as you can see, a friend gave them a mormon.org card (which is in the back of the October Ensigns!) and so she checked out mormon.org and then came on chat with us and we talked for a while. She gave us her phone number and now missionaries are going to visit her and we will be talking to her as well!..... and we gave her the church's address. Miracles happen by small and simple acts.

 We visited a ward this Sunday and spoke there. My topic and talk is my take home message of the week, and I know that it is true and WORKS! :)

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Teach When You Find, Find When You Teach -- Nov 2012 talk by Sister Fisher

I’ve heard many people say (myself included before my mission):  I don’t have any missionary experiences, or I don’t know anyone who is interested in learning more. Preach My Gospel shows us that finding and teaching is the same thing.

Maybe one reason why people around us don’t show interest in learning more, is because they don’t actually know what we believe in.

How we speak to our family, how we dress, all of our conversations, the media we watch and listen to, how we use our time, and our attitudes toward meetings and church are all ways to show our beliefs. However, as a youth told us on Temple “Oh, I’ll just be an example to them”----It is no longer enough to just be an example, or show what we believe. We have to share WHAT we believe.

We answer chats, phone calls and questions from people all the time who all say “Yes I’ve noticed my Mormon friends do this or that, but I don’t know why they do it.”

Too often we wait for formal opportunities to share the “why” of what we do and who we are. We wait until we bring them to church and explain to them there, or wait for the missionaries to teach them, or we write our testimonies in copies of the Book of Mormon and give it to them, or we wait to explain what we believe and why we acted the way we did in high school in a letter you write a few days before you go into the MTC.  (Me)

As Preach My Gospel teaches us, we don’t need to wait to share what we believe. Our friends and neighbors already know and can tell that we are different—what they need to know is why we are different.

As President Uchtdorf’s family did, we can all explain or share religious experiences that we have as we go along, instead of waiting for a formal occasion to do so. We don’t have to say, would you like to learn more? Or do you have a few minutes that I can share _________ with you. Or if you just read this you’ll find out why I ________________. As President Uchtdorf said in his talk Waiting on the Road to Damascus, you don’t have to wait to share your beliefs with friends by saying “I’d like to bear my testimony.”

He says: “Years ago our family lived and worked among people who in almost every case were not of our faith. When they asked us how our weekend was, we tried to skip the usual topics—like sports events, movies, or the weather—and tried to share some religious experiences we had as a family over the weekend—for instance, what a youth speaker had said about the standards from For the Strength of Youth or how we were touched by the words of a young man who was leaving on his mission or how the gospel and the Church helped us as a family to overcome a specific challenge we had.

We tried not to be preachy or overbearing. My wife, Harriet, was always the best at finding something inspirational, uplifting, or humorous to share. This often would lead to more in-depth discussions.”—UNQUOTE……..(--President Uchtdorf, in Waiting on the Road to Damascus) Preach My Gospel tells us to share short powerful messages where the spirit can testify of the simple truths we believe in—or the ‘why’. 

As people notice that we dress differently at prom, instead of saying “my parents or my church said I have to” we can explain why we dress modestly by saying “I know that I am a daughter of God, and because of that I want to dress my body respectfully” or “well, one day I want to be married in the Temple, and I need to dress modestly to prepare” or “I dress modestly so that the spirit of God can be with me.”

 

Or when people ask us why we don’t work on Sunday we can share a principle of the gospel that we believe, such as “A prophet of God has said that the way we can keep the Sabbath day holy is by attending church, spending time with our families and resting from work on that day.”

 

When we switch the radio station because an inappropriate song comes on, instead of saying “I just don’t like this song,” we can say “Well I don’t want the thoughts that will come in my head if we listen to this song,” or “the spirit won’t be with me if I listen to this song.”

 

When people ask us about not drinking alcohol or coffee, instead of saying “well I’m not allowed to” we can share how we know that a Prophet of God revealed that those things are not good for our body, or it prevents us from feeling the spirit, or another simple truth.

Or when they ask us about why we don’t date until we’re 16, or we date in groups or are very careful with how far we take physical affection, we can share “that we know that marriage is very important to God, and that we must keep each other clean and respect the standards a Prophet of God have established to keep us safe.”

When we teach as we find (or as we have the opportunity to share), and not waiting to find before we teach, our friends will be interested in learning more because they will actually know what we believe, not just how we live our life.   When we refer quickly and simply to the truths we know, or the why behind what we do, I know that we will all have many more missionary opportunities. We’re not asking you to work harder, just smarter.

As we share short powerful messages we will help direct those who are seeking for the gospel, but don’t know where to find it, actually find it.  We will be able to share all the blessings and guidance that we have from the restored Gospel, with all those around you that you love. We will also more effectively keep our covenant we made with our Heavenly Father at baptism, to “stand as a witness for God at all times and in all things and in all places.” 
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Love,
Sister Fisher
PS. Sorry about the short letter today. Next week will have more.

An eraser that's big enough for all our mistakes. Just like the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

    Music and the Spoken Word broadcast, Sundays 8am Mtn time

 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

 

Family and Friends!

So this week I ate some octopus flavored chips from some island I don't remember where. They actually do exist! That was an experience. 

One way to help the work:  We keep on getting these people on chat that say, "oh yeah, I read that in the Book of Mormon. I checked it out of my local library." ---the only way the Book of Mormon gets into a public library is if people donate them. So go donate a copy today! (please!)

We were also chatting with someone this week who we taught about how God is her Father and He loves her, and that prayer is actually communication between God our Father and us, His children, and the purpose of life, and that Heavenly Father (God) actually provides a way for us to make it through life, on the best path, the path that leads us away from unnecessary heartache, and a sure way that brings happiness and peace and true joy, not just a path that we have to learn, from trial and error. This is all she said: "It's too good to be true." 

That's the thing. It is too good. But it is true. That's a testimony that I have from this week.

 So the next thing I'd like to say about this week is this phrase "No rules." R, our 17 year old friend who we are teaching the gospel too, who can't get baptized because he has to get off of parole first, told us when we taught him about the For the Strength of Youth, told us, "well, I grew up having no rules." I was shocked. Appalled. He basically could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. I'm sure his mother thought that this would create a relationship where he would be good enough friends with Mom that he'd tell her everything. However, that's not the case! He still does whatever he wants, and still doesn't tell her anything. He tells us! Over and over again we ask him if he's read the scriptures we've sent, if he prayed, if he did x and y and z, and over and over again, we have to tell him, well I guess we'll call you back in an hour when you have time to do that. And only THEN does he remember. He keeps telling us the reason why he just can't force himself to do it, is because "he is just too lazy". He missed church this past weekend because he didn't wake up to the other missionaries calling him 5 times. It's just sad. It's hard to see someone who wants to change, but is a victim of their own lack of discipline. He plays too many video games and watches too many TV shows/movies and forgets that 6 or 8 hours have just passed by and voila! The whole day is gone. 

I just feel sorry for him. It's always going to be hard to follow commandments, be disciplined, a mission will be almost impossible unless he gets this under control, and what does this stem from?  "I have no rules." He's not happy. He wants to change. He wants to avoid drugs. He wants to become a different person, get a job, go to school etc. But he can't. Because he's too used to having "no rules". 

This is a thank you to my parents, for forcing me to do things (good things) but I sometimes didn't want to do, and for making me do it anyway. For helping me to see that just doing work- no matter if you didn't want to or do want to, is necessary to get what we really do want. 

To all of you kids out there, thank your parents for teaching you correct principles, for caring enough about you and your welfare to give you rules and to help you be disciplined and in control of yourself.

This is the reason why we have rules and commandments. Like I told about the Chat above: Commandments are the "path that leads us away from unnecessary heartache, and a sure way that brings happiness and peace and true joy". I know that to be true. 

I also know that the Gospel and the grace and mercy and the enabling POWER of the Atonement can change people. I know that will be true in R's case. He might have to learn first and see even more of those consequences first, but I know we can all change. That is true.

 Love you all,

 Sister Fisher

 P.S. (We had a) mission halloween party (the Square had to be closed down at 5pm  so....We got to watch Harry Potter 1 on Halloween... to everyone's IMMENSE surprise. A lot of the foreign missionary sisters hadn't seen it :))

 

 

 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Transfer 3: Week 2

Family and Friends!

L is going to be baptized this Saturday. Wow. She has an incredible story I'd like to share from this past week. Recently her health declined and she was in the hospital for a few days for high blood pressure (just the stress caught up) but now she's doing fine again. She said that was the reason why she wasn't baptized this past Saturday was because she was in the hospital- (a really good excuse! :) But the cool thing is what happened to her 11 year old- J while she was gone. The Mission President of the mission that she lives in, heard about what their family has been through, called L and told her that he and his wife were coming to take J to stay at their house with their family for a few days while she was in the hospital. The Mission President (blessed inspired wonderful man!!!) took J to parks and a go-cart place and just helped him have some fun for a few days, and he was particularly thrilled to be able to sleep in a big waterbed! And turns out--- the Mission President's profession was a counselor! Wow. The Lord puts the right people at the right times in our lives. J didn't want to go to a counselor, but he was able to open up and release some of the things that have bothered him and talk it out with that Mission President -- someone who could really help him- someone trained and someone very inspired too. It's awesome. L is now going to be baptized this Saturday at 4pm!!!

She is so neat! She's planning already on inviting all her friends, neighbors and coworkers to it! And she's such a good missionary example because she is planning on having a dinner party in a few weeks where she has a ton of her friends over.... and just happens to invite the missionaries! :) And they'll come over and she wants them to come have a lesson. Her friends can stay and listen if they want (to the amazing message that helped her through the most difficult part of her life) or they don't have to listen, that's fine. Wow. She is an awesome missionary already--- and she's NOT even a member yet! Wow!

So other cool story of the week. We were on Chat (assignment) and we were chatting with this guy and he was telling us that he knows the Book of Mormon is true, and how he knows that is because he read it every single day when he was in jail and that he came close to God and wants to change his life and start over all because of that. We also found out that he's just a 17 year old kid! We've been talking with him on the phone now and he wants to be baptized, but a few days ago we found out that he's still struggling with an addiction to drugs. We told him the story of the chicken and the Eagle.... It was how an eagle was raised on a chicken farm and the farmer told everyone that that was who the eagle now was and that's all he'd ever be.  That he'd never fly and he'd never know he was an eagle, all because he was raised to be a chicken. But a man didn't believe that. He told the farmer that if he could spend some time with the eagle and bring him to a high mountain top and let the eagle feel the wind between its feathers that he would remember that God made him an eagle and he would spread his wings and fly. So he picked up the eagle in the farm and lifted it in the sky and said "You are an eagle, spread your wings and fly!" but the eagle saw the chickens all around and just hopped off and began eating with the other chickens. But just like the man knew, the next day he instead brought the eagle to a tall mountain top, and held it high in the air. The eagle felt the wind around it's wings and saw the majesty all around him high in the sky. The man then said to it,  "You are an eagle, spread your wings and fly!" and with that, the eagle looked into the sky and spread its wings and flew away.

We likened that to the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's (in the Book of Mormon) who buried their weapons of war in the ground, putting their temptation out of sight and out of mind. The other thing about the Anti Nephi Lehis is that they changed their name to this. They changed their identity after they repented. They no longer reminded themselves of their past and held onto those sinful things (which, at the time, the Nephites were wicked). They learned from their mistakes, and casted their past away and went forward in their lives. They truly repented because they shedded and casted out the previous person they were. The accepted (as we all must) that we are a new person, a new being made clean and brand new through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

The eagle had to be removed from its past, from the world it knew before and from the negative influences all around that were convincing it that all it was was a chicken and could never reach its potential as an eagle, what it was created to be!

Another thing we told him was to get a clean piece of paper. Then poke a hole in the paper. We then told him to try and tape together the hole and make it look new again. That is what some people think repentence is like. We still have scars of our past, but Christ just heals them. But that's not true. Each time we repent, we get a new piece of paper. A totally new, whole piece of paper. We called it his "eagle" piece of paper, and the one with the hole was his "chicken" one.

What are his dreams, potential, and the person Heavenly Father wants him to become and knows he can become? That's the eagle sheet of paper.

Who is the person the devil wants us to be, and keeps us from going on and becoming new and better, but instead discouraged and depressed? That's the chicken.

 That's my challenge to you all this week.

What is on your eagle sheet of paper, and what's on your chicken? After you write all those things that Satan wants you to believe on your chicken sheet of paper, go and bury it in the ground like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, never again to remember or be discouraged by the lies and false things, and stick your new sheet of paper your Eagle sheet, and put that by your bed, to look at each day and remember, that you are an Eagle, spread your wings and fly. Cast away all of the chicken thoughts and only embrace the truth- God made you to be an eagle.

Love you all,

Sister Fisher