Another Monday in Elko

Well Hello over yonder!!!

So the transfer is coming to a close! It is already week 6! I can't believe it! It has gone by so fast. I am starting to freak out! I can't imagine leaving Elko or not having Sister Purcell as my comp. Everyone in the ward keeps predicting that a change is coming... that Sister Purcell and I are both leaving! So I'll let you know what happens next Monday!

This week was crazy! Early Tuesday morning the zone leaders called! This is what they said, "Sisters, we have bad news, President called this morning..." Our hearts stopped. We were freaking out! What did we do? Why are we being sent home? haha! Then they proceeded to tell us that Bruce, the third member of our companionship (the car we've been driving around in since October), was being moved to Ely. We yelled at those Elders! "We don't car that we won't have a car anymore, It's the Lord's car anyways!!" So ever since last Tuesday, we have been on foot. Which has actually helped the work in the area a lot! Hopefully the weather holds up! 

Rodeo is doing great! Still progressing, but not all at the same time. His faith has increased so much, and it's almost like he thinks it needs to be at a certain point before he is baptized. He is continuing to read from the Book of Mormon and praying, but he just won't come to church. We even offered to walk with him last week! So hopefully we will be able to follow the spirit and help him resolve whatever concern he has so he can continue to come unto Christ. 

Ryan is doing great! He is reading and praying and wants to be baptized, but unfortunately his family doesn't want him to be baptized. Ryan has told us that as soon as he graduates and is 18 he wants to make promises with God! Which that is a ways out, but we are just grateful to be helping him to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We met with both Brother K's on Wednesday! Both of their wives are members, but they are not. Both have been investigating the church since they were married! For one, it's been 30 years!! So we know that they know the discussions and what we believe. Bro Myers' invited Bro. K #2 to read about Joseph Smith's experience and to pray. The Esplin's came to our lesson with Bro. K #1. We invited him to read from the Book of Mormon again and to pray to know if it's true. He is afraid of change. After being a part of one religious tradition for so long, he doesn't want to budge. It must be scary! Mom... I just wanted to say thank you for budging! For having the courage to act on the answer's you received. Because you acted, my life is forever changed! I love you mom!!

Saturday was painted filled! T. is working on painting bedrooms in her home for her kids. Sister Purcell and I spent all day helping her do it! We only painted one little room and it took FOREVER! Hopefully for the next room, we are all pros now and it will go by much faster. We are also hoping to include members of the ward on the next room! 

S. had an interview with the Bishop last Sunday and now has a temple recommend! Hopefully, she will be able to head over to Utah soon to do baptisms in the temple! She is such an example to her family and friends! We had her 2nd new member lesson last night. S. brought her sister and now her sister wants to be baptized! It's exciting! It is an exciting time for the youth because that is truly who the Lord is preparing to receive His gospel!

I wanted to leave ya with a quote today that Donna shared with us...

               

          " I shall pass through this world but once, if therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can say, it would be now. Let me not defer it or neglect it,for I shall not pass this way again." 

I love you all lots! Miss ya like crazy! Ya'll are the best support a girl could ask for!!

                               Sister Fish 

Baptism, Baptism, Baptism

So... Top of the mornin' to ya. Are we Irish at all? Just asking. So how are ya'll?!?! This week was pretty amazing!!! 

On Tuesday, we met with our investigator who was in a rodeo accident when he was in high school (I'm just going to refer to him as rodeo from here on out). Rodeo is doing so well. We went over God's plan for all of us to be able to return to live with him. He understood all of it and has been reading the Book of Mormon. Rodeo says that he is beginning to believe that what we are saying is true! YEAH! We saw him again on Sunday and read through 2 Nephi chapter 4 with him. He is awesome! We love him lots! We think that he might think that he needs X-amount of faith to be baptized, but we know that baptism shows great faith! All you need is faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains so, how much do you need for everything else? Not very much! 

We had dinner with S. and her family Tuesday evening. We really wanted to get over and meet her family before her baptism on Saturday. I've got to be honest. I was kind of nervous! It was like I was meeting my future in laws or something. (Weird analogy I know, but yeah). I wasn't sure how her parents would react, but it was awesome. Her family is great! They had us over for dinner and they are super supportive of S's decision to be baptized!! After dinner, we went over to the church with S. for her baptismal interview! She passed!! Baptism for Saturday was a go!

Friday, we went on exchanges. I went with Sister Wilcox into 2nd ward boundaries. It was a lot of fun. I feel like I learned a lot as well and it really helped me to grow as a mission. So it was awesome! We seriously stopped and talked with everyone on the street! It was great! We also met with a 15 yr. old who is investigating the church. Seriously it is amazing to me that all the young people are wanting to strengthen their relationship with Christ. It is awesome!!! 

I could hardly sleep Friday night because I was so stinkin' excited for S's baptism. Sister Purcell and I are so control freaky that we stopped by earlier in the day to make sure someone was there to fill the font. We made sure that everything was set up perfectly and ready to go. The baptism was at 4:30pm on March 15th, a day that I won't soon forget!! So many of the ward members were there to support her! Non-member friends were there too! Girls from the dance team and her whole family came. It was incredible. There were so many people there that most everyone had to stand to watch the baptism. The spirit was so strong!! It was awesome!! Elder M ended up performing the baptism. Like any teenage girl, she noticed how cute he was and said "I want him to baptize me!" haha. So it all worked out. Hopefully some day they get married. I guess we'll just have to wait and see! 

Brother Goulding confirmed S. a member of the church on Sunday and gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was an amazing blessing! She is going to be an amazing influence to her friends and family! Sister Purcell's family sent leis so after sacrament meeting, we went over and put them on her. She is so happy! She was trying to hold back tears all throughout the blessing. Love her lots!! 

That was pretty much the week in a nut shell!! Sunday night we taught S. her first lesson as a new member! It was great! I know that baptism truly is the gate to greater blessings and to living with God again! I know that we will see Him again and live with Him after this life on Earth. I love and miss you all like crazy!! 

       Sister Fish

 

Middleof March Everybody...

Hello my wonderful support system...

This week was alright. It would've been better, but the sickness that Sister Purcell and I have been fighting for forever finally caught up to us... 

The work has been going swimmingly here in the desert of Nevada! At the beginning of the transfer we received a gift of more area to work in. We now have a few more streets to roam around in! It has actually been a great blessing! We have been finding so many new investigators and meeting more of the less active members of the ward. 

This past week we met a man who was in a rodeo accident in high school and is now a quadriplegic. A member of the ward introduced us to him and he wants to learn more. Apparently, he has been doing a lot of soul searching lately and desires Christ to be a bigger part of his life! So just like the good little missionaries we are, we taught him about the Restoration and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon to read. We met with him again just yesterday and we read through Alma 34 with him. That incredible chapter about our purpose here on the Earth. It was amazing! The spirit was incredible as we taught him about how Christ is always with him through his trials and how we are here to prepare to meet God. To try to become like Him. Amazing! Love the spirit! Love it! 

S. will be baptized this Saturday at 4:30pm!! I cannot believe the day is finally here!! I am so excited, she is so excited, and we know that the Lord is so excited! It has been amazing to see the changes she has made in her life to enter into this covenant with her Heavenly Father. She is going to be a force to be reckoned with after her baptism. I know that her testimony will touch so many lives and bring many people closer to Christ. 

Friday night we got permission to go to S's dance concert! It was weird being in a worldly thing as a missionary, but awesome, because we were still able to feel the spirit. Sister Purcell was bawling when they performed to Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" since it's all about change and that's just what S. is doing, CHANGING! Then I was bawling when S. danced solo that was dedicated to her father who passed away when she was 1. The song was about how there are so many words we want to say to someone that is gone. The spirit just hit me that she will be able to know her dad. She will see him again! Then, Last night we went over the baptismal interview questions. Everyone bore testimony of how living different gospel principles has blessed their life. It was awesome! 

We met with a junior in high school on Wednesday and he came to church yesterday. He has been going to seminary since January and has been to church a few times already with a friend from school. The youth are the people being prepared by the Lord to receive His gospel! I love it! The rising generation everybody, they are gonna be big. 

Zone conference was great on Friday! I learned lots about how I need to work on not only "doing" but "becoming". The training's were all on developing Christlike attributes. TO EVERYONE WHO HAS A PREACH MY GOSPEL MANUAL: read chapter 6. It is all about becoming more Christlike. It is a pretty wonderful chapter to peruse. 

I love you all so so so stinkin' much! I know that the Savior truly does live and love us! 

                      Sister Fish

                         
Zone Conference Pictures

 

8 months in ELKO!

So it is now March. That's nuts! I've spent 8 months here in Elko! WOW! This week was good. Definitely less stressful and crazy than the week before!! 

Our district meeting on Tuesday was all about finding. Having faith to find and teaching when we find. Good stuff, good stuff. Old people kill me! They are so funny. They can't make up their minds about anything. 

We met a new investigator Vanessa this week. She was investigating the church 5 or so years ago, but after her dad passed away she stopped meeting with the Elders. A few women in our ward have told us to stop by and meet her because she still wants to be baptized. We stopped in during the middle of the week. She is still interested and wants to be baptized!! We left her with a Book of Mormon and a restoration pamphlet to read. She wasn't home at the time we had set up to meet again though, so we'll see what happens...

Of course S. is still doing amazing! She is being a missionary before she's even been baptized!! We reviewed the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her yesterday because she brought two of her closest non-member friends with her to the lesson! It was amazing! We had everyone split off into groups to teach everyone else. (There are a ton of people at the Goulding's home when we teach S. it is quite a party!) The youth here are awesome! And already so missionary minded! I love it!! We are counting down to her baptism on March 15th!! We are so unbelievably excited for her!! 

We taught Brenda this week! She is a Seventh-Day Adventist and loves the bible. She is very detailed oriented, but wants to learn about different religions from the inside. We left her with passages to read from the Book of Mormon and she had a lot of questions regarding the Plan of Salvation. Sister Purcell invited her to be baptized when she comes to know that the things we have taught her are true! She just wants to read the Book of Mormon and make sure that it's timeline aligns with the Bible's. Good thing it does because it's true! 

Love you all!!! Stay safe and have a happy Easter season!!

                              Sister Fish

Baptism!

This is little Nathan Madsen! His family is in our ward and he asked us to speak on the Holy Ghost at his baptism this past Saturday!!

Still in Elko...

Hola family!!

So still in Elko! By the end of this next 6 weeks, I will have been here for half of mission!! Yay, yay! 

This week was crazy!! We had another Sister with us and she was getting transferred so we had to make sure she and the area she was serving in was ready for elders to come. It was crazy! We got to meet a few of the people in her area too and man, I almost wish we were covering both 4th ward and 3rd ward. 

David was one of the people we met. He is southern and boy is he witty. Kind of flirty, but really looking for God in his life! Funny story, he got Sister Purcell blushing so bad by winking at her. We were all busting up. On a more spiritual note, as we taught him more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ he accepted the invitation to be baptized when he comes to know these things are true. My heart was pounding because he already knows, he just expects a certain level of perfection from himself before he makes covenants with God. 

We had an amazing discussion with S. last night at the Goulding home. It was girls only because it was on the Law of Chastity, but it wasn't awkward teaching it at all. We sat around the kitchen table and just talked. There was laughing and the spirit was there teaching everyone. I felt like I learned a lot more about that law as we discussed it. I am so excited for S. to be baptized. Mostly, I am excited that she is excited!!! We love her to pieces! She is already thinking of serving a mission! She's great, great, great!!

Being a missionary is an emotional roller coaster! I feel super bi-polar a lot of the time! I love it though! There isn't anything else I'd rather be doing at this moment, than serving the Lord. I know that I am a child of God and that He is won't put me through anything that I can't handle! 

I love ya lots! 

          Sister Fish

 

Transfer DAY!!

 

 

 

This is Pam, her daughter and Grand baby.  The Elders in our ward taught her and she invited us to her baptism this past Saturday.

 

 

 

Haole Girl!

So... How's it going?! This week was incredible. The Lord allowed Sister Purcell and I to accomplish miracles this week. He must love us or something! We heard from our zone leaders last night and (long pause) Sister Purcell and I are both staying in Elko! We are so excited that we get to be here for S's baptism in March and to continue working in this area! I cannot believe I have been here for 7 months now. Whew. Long time. Who knows if I will ever see any other part of the mission.

 

Elder Miller who has been here the whole time I have been here, went home this week. Sad face! Elder Brito (his comp) is getting transferred as well!! So we will be working with 2 new elders for at least the next 6 weeks!

We have another sister with us until Wednesday because her companion finished her mission and left on Sunday evening. Sister Harmer is awesome. She is so bold and her testimony is strong too. She is as sweet as cake! 

So S. is doing so well!! She went to the Thompson Family's baptism this week and loved it! She felt the spirit so strongly and was almost in tears. She cannot wait for her own baptism! She has been so prepared by the Lord and isn't letting anything get in the way of joining Christ's church. We love her so much!

During the week we were able to meet a part member family. We went back on Sunday to meet the whole family! Brother Brandow is Hawaiian and is actually from Sister Purcell's home town, Laie!! It was incredible because they were able to talk about so much! We talked a lot about families and how the gospel blesses them! Oh man was the Spirit thick! I love being able to feel the spirit so strongly! It was seriously incredible!! 

We met a guy named Patrick on the street. Boy was he ever a sassafras! Oh my goodness. It was hilarious! And he wanted to show us a tattoo on his arm, but you could tell he was deciding the best way to reveal it to us. He was going between just rolling up the sleeve and taking of his shirt. Thank goodness he just rolled up the sleeve! Sister Purcell and I were laughing so hard after. Who knows he could've been pretty ripped under all those layers! Too bad we'll never know!

Sister Purcell is incredible! Seriously I learn so much from her all the time! I love her to pieces. I have learned a ton about Hawaii from her. I am a haole! (That means I'm white). Surprisingly, we have met a lot of Polynesians and so I've learned a lot! It just goes to show that the Lord is mindful of His children and that we are in our town/city for a reason! 

I know I say this in almost every letter, but I truly am grateful for all the love, support, and prayers! I love you all and so does the Lord. He knows you and watches over you. Everything happens for a reason and we are on this Earth to experience the most happiness.

I love you all so stinking much and miss ya like crazy! Sorry it's kind of short this week! Today has been way crazy! 

             Sister Fish

We went outside Valentine's morning and found boxes of chocolate on our ca! Hooray for the single life. Happy I have a companion and love serving a mission day!