Back in Black... Or in Carlin

Hey everybody!!!

So things have taken a dramatic turn here in the Nevada Reno Mission.... I am back in the East!! (Dun, Dun, Dun). Who would've thought that I would be on the East side of the mission again! I seriously thought that I would never see Elko again until after my mission, but here I am. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways!! I am in the small town of Carlin, it is just like 20 miles outside of Elko. The area we cover is huge too!! We cover a place like 40+ miles away. The area we are in was closed for 12 weeks and so my companion and I opened it back up again. It is kind of like we are starting from scratch, but with a little more guidance than just a blank piece of paper.

The ward here is incredible!! We live with Brother and Sister Knight. They are awesome and just take such good care of us!! The members are so strong here, the ones who are active in the faith that is. There are a lot of people who are not presently participating! Hopefully that changes soon!!

So last week was crazy! Monday night we had the sisters from Winnemucca stay with us because one of them was headed home. So we dropped her off at the mission office Tuesday morning and then we spent the rest of Tuesday in a trio! It was fun! We had a great lesson with Pat. I think he really felt the spirit. We are trying to make sure that his lessons are just really spiritual experiences so he can't deny that he is feeling God's love for him and that what we are telling him is truth.

Tuesday evening, we had transfer meeting. We got to see all the new missionaries get paired up with their first in-field companion. Then President and Sister Hermansen spoke to us! It was a truly wonderful meeting! Five missionaries stayed in our apartment Tuesday night! 3 of us were on the floor in sleeping bags! That is just mission life for ya!

Wednesday morning, Sister Irwin, Sister Rogers, and I went over to the mission office with all of our stuff, in our new Chevy Colorado!  (That is what we drove here to Carlin and now drive in Carlin). So we caravan-ed behind the transfer van and trailer all the way to Elko, all day Wednesday!! It was crazy! I drove, but I hadn't been sleeping at all last weekend!! But we made it safely!!

The rest of the week, Sister Rogers and I were figuring out our new area and getting organized!! We were even able to meet with a few people! I am so excited to be serving here!! To give you an idea of just how small our ward is, there were only 7 women in Relief Society on Sunday! I just went from a super huge ward to a really small one! Kind of weird!

I love and miss you all! Hope you have a great week!! 

            Sister Messervy

Sorry it's Short...I already know it!!

So I am getting transferred!! No more Highland Ranch ward for me. So sad!! I am going to miss so many people here!! Crazy!! 

Guess where I am headed though... haha!! I will be in the Elko zone once again!! But I am actually serving in a town called Carlin. We are getting Double transferred in (pink washing an area!) My new comp will be Sister Rogers. I've heard good things so I am excited. And I'm excited to go back to the East!! 

Sorry it is short. There is so much to do. Lots of packing and I am just a bundle of stress!! 

Thank you all for your love and support! Love and miss you lots!! 

Sister Fish

Rolling...Rolling...Rolling

I can't remember how the rest of that song goes... is it even the word rolling? Oh well, who knows!!

So this week was pretty dang slow! Not a whole lot to report on because not a whole lot happened! 

We had a really great lesson with Dee on Tuesday about how baptism is essential and so necessary to our salvation! We also saw Pat and we were so sure that he'd make his baptismal date, but we have to push it back again! At least this time he is actually making progress. Slow progress, but still, progress is progress! 

For dinner Tuesday night, we had dinner with the women and young women of the ward. They had a summer salad social that we were invited to. It was a lot of fun and the salads were so yummy!!  

Thursday night, we did family history at a member's home with a recent convert family! Family history is the coolest thing. I think when I get home, I might become an indexing addict, but we'll just have to wait and see! It is so much fun to search for ancestors and link generations. It was really exciting to watch this family enjoy it as well and to see the success they had in growing their family tree!! 

So we have actually been talking with the maintenance man of the apartment complex we live. It has been super fun to talk with him and to slowly share the gospel with him. He is a riot too!! Remember that there are always people around you to share the gospel with!!!

Well not much else to write, so I better quit!! Sorry it's a short one this week! I do get a call on Sunday to hear if I'll be staying or going! So I'll let you know next week when I know!!

Love you all more than a hungry bear loves salmon!!

                        Sister Fish

Labor Day...Already?!?!

GAH! Can you believe that it is September already! That is seriously so crazy! Even the leaves here are showing signs of fall! It is coming quick I tell ya! I hope it comes fast because I can't wait to wear cardigans!! I love layering! It is probably one of my favorite things! (Thanks for letting me ramble off for a minute about how much I love fall!) 

 

Well.. what to say, what to say... This week was pretty good! On Monday we did that usual p-day thing and met up with other missionaries! Then we had dinner with our ward mission leader and his family. From there, we went and did family home evening with a part member family. We talked all about the restoration. How Christ established his church, how after he was crucified, the authority to act in His name was taking from the Earth, and then finally, how the church was restored through Joseph Smith! We even taught all of that, using visuals of a piece of paper, and cups! Pretty cool! 

 

Dee is my favorite! She is just the neatest lady! She is all about gardening and being thrifty and frugal! She also doesn't sugar coat a thing and just tells it how it is! We were finally able to teach her about the restoration as well in a member's home! Sister C bore a powerful testimony about why baptism is essential, and now Dee wants to know why! 

 

Shawn and Pat crack me up! We met with them at the Aland's home and taught about Christlike attributes! After we went running with Pat. We are trying to help him replace his smoking and drinking addiction with other things! So, tonight we went running! It was pretty funny! I think Pat wanted to cus us out the whole time, but he seemed to enjoy it too! He was laughing and talking most of the time :) 

 

Wednesday was a great day too! We read through the introduction to the Book of Mormon and a few chapters in it with J. Seriously, the Book of Mormon has become my favorite book as I read and study from it each and everyday! I love the stories in it and I love how applicable they are to my life! Sooo relatable even though these people in it lived like, what, hundreds of years ago! Make time to study from the scriptures! It helps your day go so much better if you've read the word of God.

 

We also had lunch with an investigator who we haven't seen in forever! Which was great! We were able to answer some of her questions and chat with her some more!

 

Of course, we saw Pat again with Bro Fritter. We talked about the Doctrine of Christ! It was a pretty good discussion! On Saturday, Pat was able to attend another baptism. As he talked to some of the other missionaries there, he admitted that there is no place for sin in God's kingdom! WOHOO! He admitted it and even out loud!! Yea! I hope he remembers that because it will really help him as he works to overcome some of his struggles!

 

Zone conference was on Friday! I love zone conference, but at the same time, I don't love being reminded just how much I still need to work on as a missionary and as a person!  But there will always be something to work on and perfect.. what's a girl to do? 

 

We were able to see Destiny and her family and it was a really good time! We read through some of the Book of Mormon with them and even had some dessert! "When Mormon's meet, Mormon's eat!" has never been truer since I've come on a mission!!

 

We had a really great week and lots is happening!!!! I am so grateful to be in the service of my God and your's! I am grateful for the Atonement! I know that it is infinite and because of that sacrifice, we have the power once again on earth to bind families for eternity. Through the priesthood power, there is no till death do you part, there is only eternity! I love you all so much! Thanks for all the love and support!

          LOVE!!

             SIster Fish

 P.S. Look up the talk by Jefferey R. Holland "Missionary Work and the Atonement" because it applies to you as member missionaries!  

Slow Week

This week was kind of a slow one! I don't know why, but not a whole lot happened! So sorry for the short letter!!

 

We were able to see Pat this week! We talked to him more about the Book of Mormon and how it answers questions of the soul. We read through Helaman chapter 5 with him and there was a verse about peace that really touched him. You could see how the spirit behind the verse affected him. 

 

I heard from Juan this week!! He is a recent convert who just left on his mission! Now he is officially in his mission as of today!! It sounds like he loved the MTC. He was actually a district leader while he was there! He is going to do great!

 

J seriously kills me! She is the funniest old lady on the planet! She is just so spunky! We talked to her about the apostasy. She had heard it all before and she told us that she has been praying about whether or not Joseph Smith was a Prophet for a really long time, but hasn't felt like she's received an answer yet. We plan on reading the Book of Mormon with her, because it is through reading it that you come to know whether or not he was a Prophet. Because now 17 year old boy with a fourth grade level education could have written it without the power of God. So I'll keep you posted on what happens there!!

 

We were also able to get in touch with a family who we haven't seen in forever. They are going through a rough patch, but are turning completely to the Lord to help them go through it! It is wonderful to see them at church and really ready to move forward in the gospel! 

 

Exchanges was good! I learned a lot from Sister Rae!! She is awesome!! 

 

Lauren's birthday was on saturday, she got a quad for her birthday and is so happy to have all the scriptures in one!!  We of course gave her a picture of her two favorite Sister Missionaries!! 

 

Well, I don't know what else to say!! Not a whole lot going on! I love and miss you all like mucho mucho mucho!!!

                    Sister Fish

 

Back to School

School started this week in good ole' Nevada. I feel like school just keeps starting earlier and earlier every stinkin' year. So everyone who is going back to school, I want to wish you a happy year of learning. :)

 

This week was awesome!! We found two new investigators. One is a man in his 60s. He recently had a stroke so is now in the local nursing home, Manor Care. We were able to leave him with a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet. We will be going back to read the Book of Mormon with him and teach the discussions. Our second investigator is R. She was referred to us by a less active member in the Eagle Canyon Ward. R has been going through a rough divorce and already has such great faith in the Lord. She is Christian, but hasn't been attending a church around here. She is currently looking for one and we were able to show up at just the right time! She has been so prepared. R was very receptive to all we had to say and she is planning on reading the Book of Mormon! We are excited to see what happens as we go back and visit. 

Pat is continuing to progress. Sunday morning, he called us before church to let us know that he'd be there! He also called us this morning to confirm that we'd be meeting with him this week! It is exciting to see that he is contacting us before we are contacting him. That is huge!!! 

Rita was able to share her testimony at a fireside yesterday evening. She was telling us just the other day how she feels that she needs to share her conversion more so she can keep the fire of her testimony alive. She has one powerful testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ too! Her son Cameron blessed the sacrament for the first time on Sunday! He did so well! Their family is doing amazing and are continuing to progress in the gospel.

We are starting to work with Sister H's mom Janice. Janice is a hoot and a half. She has a lot of spunk and just recently lost a sister. The Bishop went over to talk with her and provide comfort during her time of loss. She told him that if it weren't for her smoking habit, she would be a mormon. So we are starting to build that relationship with her and build her faith so that she will have a desire to quit smoking and be baptized. Janice was a church on Sunday and she really enjoyed the service! 

I just have this strong feeling that we can see a miracle this transfer. That someone in our area is prepared for baptism. I don't know if we know them or not, but I know that someone is ready to receive the gospel with their whole heart. I know that as we strive to be diligent and exactly obedient, we will find them!

It's crazy how time is flying by and everyone is growing up! I am so grateful to have this time to be a missionary in the Lord's service, on His errand! 

I love each of you so much and hope you have an awesome week!!

           Sister Fish

END WEEK...

So... last week was the end of the transfer and I know you all are wondering and waiting, like you do for the next episode of your favorite soap opera, for what is happening with me, my companion, and the area. I'll end the wait now by letting you know that Sister Knight and I are staying together and we will be in Highland Ranch ward for another 6 weeks! We are just switching apartments!!  So my new mailing address is...

           6717 Rolling Meadows Dr. APT 2414

           Sparks, NV 89436

That's pretty much effective immediately! So we move in on Tuesday! That'll be a fun Tuesday!

This week was pretty good! We met a new investigator. This man was working on his boat, and so we just started talking with him. Which lead to us telling him who we are and what we do. We left him with a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet. We have a return appointment to see him this week too!! 

Instead of interviews this transfer, we received a special training from President and Sister Hermansen! It was amazing! It was all about how we can be better dedicated and more consecrated missionaries!! 

We met with Pat a bunch this week! A few of the lessons were rocky because he likes to be contrary to everything. But in the other lessons, he was more humble and you could tell that he was feeling the spirit, especially when we talked to him more about the Atonement. How God sacrificed His son, Jesus Christ, for us! 

Not much else to write about this week! We had a going away party for Elder Jones at Rita's on Sunday! We are all sporting some pretty nice wigs! Love you all to pieces!! 

            Sister Fish

 

Wig Party!

My district

Me and Knight