The Armpit of Montana

Oki everyone!

Oki is hello in Blackfeet :) my new companion learned it while she was on the Rez and she has been teaching little phrases to me :)

Well my friends, family, and loved ones, it's been a psycho week. I can only hope that this email gives you at least a little glimpse into the head of Sister Fletcher. Let's go right to an explanation of the title of this email. Stranded in the armpit of Montana. Yep. It was a grand adventure. Good ol Butte, Montana. Yes. I DROVE TO BUTTE. Like. I was behind the steering wheel for 3 1/2 hours through the most INSANE canyons I've ever seen. Scary. But, missionary protection is real and we were safe and didn't have a problem :) So we meet the sisters there and swap companions and then decide we are going to head to lunch together really quick. Sister Hallett is driving the truck with Sister Hurst and I'm in the Rogue with Sister Wach. We are following the truck. Turn out of the parking lot, and go less than a quarter of a mile and we see the back left wheel of the truck FLY OFF and the truck skidding to the side of the road. We were luckily only going 20 mph so no one was hurt.

Picture this.
4 sister missionaries
On the side of the road
It's snowing
30 degrees (if not colder)
Stranded in the armpit of Montana

There were many miracles that came though :)
M1: Sister Wach is a master mechanic. She braved the wet and the cold and got her hands dirty trying to fix the truck. She's awesome.
M2: After 2 hours of being stranded the vehicle coordinator FINALLY called us back and reaffirmed with us what we had already been planning on doing. Good to get some help ;)
M3: My fingers and toes are still attached.
M4: Lots of laughing as Sister Wach and I huddled next to the truck and prayed that our phone wouldn't die and that the sisters would come back with the Rogue and food.
M5: 2 hours later.....McDonald's never tasted so good.

We made it back to Billings safely and have been trying to catch up with life ever since! Thursday we had Mission Leadership Training in The Heights. That's what the locals call the part of Billings on top of the rims. The spirit that was felt and the things I learned were all MUCH NEEDED. It was focused on listening and love. :) There's a quote in PMG by Elder Holland that has grown to become my favorite one, "if we listen with love we won't need to wonder what to say." It's so so so so soooooo true. I've been trying really hard to implement that in teaching this week and have seen so many miracles with those we are teaching opening up to us about their concerns.

My testimony has also grown a lot this week in my understanding of why I was called to the Montana Billings Mission. I wasn't just called here to teach specific people and bring them the gospel. That is a VERY important part, but I've been learning that there is so much more. I was also called here to be with specific companions. To serve closely with specific ward members. And especially I was called here to have a President Wadsworth as my mission president. I have so much love for him and Sister Wadsworth. They are superheroes. Honestly I don't know how they do it all, but they do. I know that I will be forever grateful for the example they have set for me and the counsel they have given me when times are great and when times are hard.

The work is rolling forth here in the Mighty Monad ward :) We finally will get a ward mission leader next Sunday! Going on 5 weeks without one! Haha needless to say, I'm stoked. We can do so much more when we have one. :) lots of progressing investigators. Annika and Shelby (the two 9 year olds we are teaching) are doing AWESOME. Pray for them and their families. Shelbys family- the Realbirds- came to stake conference yesterday :) also. Stake conference was AWESOME. "Spiritual
patterns are better than spiritual events" Think about that for a second. Spiritual patterns are better than spiritual events ISN'T THAT GREAT!? It's true true true. When we have built up spiritual patterns in our lives, we will have more spiritual events. :)
The church is true.
I love Montana :)
And I love all of YOU! :)
Love,
Sister Fletcher :)

 

First off. The dog in the car. SO FUNNY, Sister Styer snapped this pic as I was galloping to the car.

 


Elk burgers! Also. Ignore the trashed apartment. Still unpacking and deep cleaning ;)

 

Sister Styer and I stalked each other on Facebook before our missions and she is basically my favorite human. Such a good missionary. Keeps me laughing.

Coolest compi ever.

 

Selfies cuz #stranded

The Fab Four