Mission Savy : Sometimes, you just have to Pow, Wow.

Hi ya'll!!!

What. A. Week. BUT. Before I start. Let me clarify something. I actually do have time to breathe. Especially when riding a bike ;) hahahahaha. I realized that I have ended both of my emails saying something along those lines. Silly me. So don't you fret. I am alive and well and also breathing.

This week was CRAZY. Because of the holiday, we did a ton of “tracting” and finding because no one would make an appointment with us with all their family in town. I've learned that the easiest conversation starter around here is the weather. Ask anyone and they'll tell you that it's a record breaking summer, the hottest since the 50's, and that everyone is going to start buying AC. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that I would be able to fly all of you out here to hear it for yourself! So yeah. IT'S HOT. But the Oregonian inside of me is adapting slowly.

We had exchanges with the STL's on Wednesday! So fun! I was in Missoula for the day with Sister Major. She's great. Funny story, we didn't have a dinner planned, so we asked the Employment Specialist Sisters if they could feed us, we show up and the Zone Leaders also didn't have a dinner so we went out to Mackenzie's Pizza. So. Good. So good in fact...that Sister Major and I ate our large pizza...faster than the elders. *facepalm* After dinner we went “tracting”! Woot! I learned a lot from Sister Major. She is so friendly to everyone and knows how to talk to absolutely anyone! I'm working on that :)

On Friday, everyone on the western half of Montana went down to Helena to meet the new mission president! WE LOVE THE WADSWORTHS!!! They're great. I'm so excited to see the things that they will add to the mission to make it even better. It's been cool to look back and see God's hand in the timing of all of this. I felt a lot of urgency to get my papers in when I first started them. So much urgency, that I finished them in a week! I think that urgency was because I needed to have time with the Mechams, to learn from them and be with them, and then be able to see the mantle pass to President Wadsworth. Now I have two mission presidents to love. Two Mission Mom's to love. And I get to feel of their love for me. It was really great to see my MTC sisters too! And it's always amazing to be together with a big group of missionaries. We always sing the Army of Helaman song, and I cry every time. A member of the 70 is coming next month to our mission! Woot!

I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July!! It didn't feel like the 4th here...so that was really weird. Sister Rammell and I decided to spend the day in Arlee. We started off the day by going to the parade and passing out mormon.org cards and then headed over to the Pow Wow! THAT was an experience. I absolutely loved it! The native culture here is SO cool. We watched some of the dances, and talked to as many people as we could. We also accidentally snuck into a rodeo...not sure how that happened...but it was actually a tender mercy because we ran into a recent convert that we haven't been able to contact! After that we had dinner at a huge family reunion here. Not sure who invited us...there were about 150 people there...haha but the dinner was great! We spent the remainder of the night “tracting”. It was good to come home to the Krantz's and spend time with their family that night for a little bit. It felt like I was at home in Utah.

Something that I've learned since being on a mission is having a desire to serve. It's so simple, but can sometimes be so hard, especially when you get home at 9:30 at night and still need to update the area book and plan for the next day. But guess what? I had a desire to come on a mission, and now I'm here. So that's it? I'm good to go? ha. That's funny. ;) "If you have desires to serve God ye are called to the WORK." Desiring to do something is good, but it needs to turn to action at some point. But before we get to that action, we need to continue to develop that desire, because God helps us when we do something as simple as desire. I wanted to share something a friend of mine shared in a letter this past week, "If you have the desire to be the best you can be, get ready to be spiritually slingshot, rocket boosted, trampoline bounced into a rollercoaster of progression." It's a real thing here on a mission and even at home. When we take the first step, God is there waiting to help us. :)

I love you all! Keep me updated on your lives! Shout out to my roommate Kaeli and friend Ryan who are getting married in a month! :D Love you both :) And thank you to my family for the letters and package! So. Much. Sugar. I think you all want me to get fat. :P hahaha Miss you all.

Love, Sister Fletcher