Panic, Panic, Panic

Hey hey heyyyy!

Sister Hurst and I will both be staying in Billings for another 6 weeks! I knew coming into this area that I would be here a while, and I'm glad because the work is rolling forward in the Monad and Echo Canyon wards! :) lots of changes in my district and zone, I'm sad to see them go to different areas, but it's good to know that God is in charge and he puts us where he knows we will make the most impact. :)

Sister Linney will be staying here in Billings and training a new missionary annnnnnnnnnnnd we will be in a CAR SHARE. Woooooooot. Yeah. I'm MAJORLY stressing about that. It'll be fun though :) and hey, at least we have one car as opposed to no car! #pioneerchildrensangastheywalkedandwalkedandwalkedandwalked #icantoo

This week was AWESOME. So crazy and intense.

Ready to hear about the craziest day of my life!? How about a play by play?

Saturday February 13, 2016
6:23- alarm goes off. So. Tired. But my eyes slowly blink open and I remember. "BAPTISM DAY TODAY" I begin going about my morning routine with a skip in my step.
7:30- Nausea hits quite hard. Ah. Ensues throwing up various times. Oh no.
8-10- Attempt to study. Panic panic panic. I CAN'T BE SICK AND THERE IS STILL SO MUCH TO DO. Sister Hurst calls people to remind them to be there early for the baptism while I'm curled up on the floor willing myself not to be sick.
10:25- Feeling a bit better slash I refuse to be sick and I remember we forgot to print out music for the baptism

10:35-Speed to the church to get a children's songbook
10:45-Speed to the mission office to make copies
10:50- Call from the Ward mission leader saying they won't get to the church on time and if we could please go fill up the font. *panic panic panic* Baptism starts at 1. The font takes 2 and 1/2 hours to fill.
11- speed back to the church. Scrap all other plans for the afternoon.

11:10- We start filling the font and sit down to catch our breath and wait for it to fill. We write a card for Rama and wrap up some pictures of the temple and the savior to give to her. I "practice" the piano.
11:50- the font *seems* to be filling up
12:15- huh. It doesn't look like it's moving. #stillonlyafootofwater *panic panic panic*
12:30- Bishop Rodgers arrives. We come to the conclusion that the font is definitely not filling. Fun fact. You have to put a metal pole into the drain, and a large metal cylinder over it and THEN fill the font. Not just covering it with the metal round thingy. #thanksbishop #wishsomeonetoldusearlier
12:50- .....where is everyone?
12:55-......ummmm....
1:00- still just bishop and us. *panic panic panic* the font is only halfway full *panic panic panic*
1:05- speakers for the baptism show up
1:10- Ward mission leader shows up
1:15- Rama shows up :D *slightly less panicking*
1:20- Rama's extended family shows up
1:25 Elders show up :0 sheesh. We remember we don't have a pianist (I decided that the 4 songs I can play weren't exactly baptism appropriate ;)) and there are a lot of nonmembers. Guilt Elder McMahon to play the piano. #thankyou #ourbad #planningfail
1:35- Baptism starts and we silently pray that the font will be full by some miracle in the next 20 minutes

I am pleased to announce that the font was full, and although the water was VERY cold Rama braved it and was baptized :) She set the example for all of her family and especially for her kids. The spirit was present and she felt very welcomed into the Monad Ward. :) She was confirmed on Sunday. I had yet another *panic panic panic* moment when it was time to start singing the sacrament Hymn and still no Rama to be found. As the singing began, we saw her 4 year old trying to keep the door open and we went and helped corral her 4 kids into a pew with her family. I'm telling you guys, Rama is a superhero. I don't know how she does it every day. As we sat with her cute kids while she received the gift of the Holy Ghost, I thought back to my baptism day and when I was confirmed. That same spirit, and same intensity that I felt that day- nearly 12 years ago- was the same warm spirit that I felt as Rama was confirmed. :)

It was a wonderful week. I absolutely love serving here.  It has been unseasonably warm here this last week, can't complain about that! ;) Although, I could do without all this wind. It has been cool reflecting on the things I have learned so far on my mission and finding different ways to strengthen my testimony. Can you believe it? A year ago I opened my mission call telling me that I would be coming to this amazing mission. I had no idea what was in store, but it has brought me more joy then I could have ever imagined. :) MISSION'S ARE THE BEST.

I love you all soooooo much :)

Love,
Sister Fletcher :)

 Billings Zone

 Cute letter from Kelsey

We went to Scheels last week and I got this wonderful sweatshirt :D too bad we can't wear logos....so I will be sending it home soon :( the grizzlies are in Missoula.)

 Love her.

For Reals

Hey y'all! :)

So. I just realized that my email last week was a NOVEL. So sorry if I put you all to sleep with that one. Hahaha it's therapy for me okay!? First off, shout out to my new little cousin Sophie Jean :) I'm going to be your favorite cousin- you just don't know it yet. So don't let anyone tell you anything different mmkay? ;) also. Shout out to Sister Wright-my last companion- (nope. I still can't call her by her first name. Ah) SHE'S ENGAGED. Crazy girl. I'm excited for ya :)

GUESS. WHAT. We had 4 investigators at church yesterday :D it was awesome. I LOVE SUNDAY AND I LOVE IT EVEN MORE WHEN PEOPLE ACTUALLY COME TO CHURCH :D Our ward mission leader picked up A and his girlfriend (he is the less active that I talked about last week) and they came to church and LOVED IT. And R came with two of her kids. And THEN the 9 year old girl that we are teaching came with her parents. And then a potential that we have been trying to contact just showed up at church with his wife who is a member! It was awesome :) and it's really cool meeting with people that come to church later in the week and seeing their progress just skyrocket. :)

R is doing awesome :) we reviewed the commandments with her this last week and talked about the word of wisdom and tithing. She accepted it all and said she is excited to pay tithing and see the blessings that come from it. :) she will get baptized on Saturday! :)

We met with some investigators on Monday night last week and...wow. It was sure an experience. It was the first time we had met with them, so we were going to share the restoration. Yeah...that didn't happen. We almost get to Joseph Smith and it just completely derailed. They started whipping out bible verses left and right and before I could blink they were having us read somewhere in Thessalonians! But even when stuff like that happens, and I panic that don't know the bible well enough, I know that I can share my testimony with them  and the spirit will come right back into the room. A simple testimony is SO powerful. All it comes down to is them being willing to read the Book of Mormon and pray with REAL INTENT to know if it is true. The promise at the end of the Book of Mormon in Moroni 10:4 is that if you read it with a sincere heart and with real intent he WILL manifest the truth of it unto you. That's an absolute. God only works in absolutes.  He WILL tell you if it's true or not. So how do we keep up our end of the bargain? A sincere heart. I think that that means that we have to want to know. It doesn't do any good to just read the Book of Mormon objectively. We have to be honest with ourselves which leads to the real intent part. Real intent means that when we do find the Book of Mormon to be true we will act on all the things it teaches to our best abilities. If we aren't willing to act, why would God give us the answer? It wouldn't do us any good! I encourage all of you read the Book of Mormon, and to read it with real intent. THAT is when miracles happen and answers come :)

Welp! I love you all lots and lots! :) smile. Be happy. Work hard. :)

Love,
Sister Fletcher :)

-side note from the mama: no mono but she most likely isn't healing from a sinus issue. Headaches, neck pain. Hmmm. Maybe immune to antibiotics. She's in an area that she is very allergic too:) but the Lord knows that so I'll let the He and the doctors figure it out. I trust them. 

 

Just chilling with Thomas Jefferson

hahahahahahahahaha I love the south side :) I also love that we are home by 9 and never outside at dark ;)

needed to use the wifi at McDonald's...felt bad...bought some ice cream. Seemed like a good excuse eh? ;)

chillin in primary and playing the music Super Bowl #itotallywon #allthesongsmemorized