#34 - Feliz Navidad y Christmas Miracles

Chuy's Baptism!

 On Friday I got a call from Hermana Balls and Hermana Feldman in Madera that Chuy was getting baptized on Sunday and President was going to baptize him! Not sure if y'all remember him, but he was the one that came to stake conference and we were outside in the parking lot for 30 minutes singing and praying and pretty much dragging him into the church because he was so terrified, but afterwords he fell in love with the Mackays and had a total change of heart. President came out teaching with us to him once, and has gone back a few more times since I left. He has made so many changes in his life and really has used the Atonement of Jesus Christ to get baptized. His whole family came to the baptism as well and they're all being taught now! I'm so greatful for two sister missionaries who contacted him on the street last February so that he gave us that call in July and that I was priviledged to see this miracle. I couldn't think of a better Christmas Eve.  A member took me up to Madera (which by the way, Hispanics celebrate the 24th more than the 25th and I couldn't believe how sweet she was to do that, it's almost an hour up North). I arrived at the end of Sacrament Meeting so I saw a ton of members that I knew and love so much. All the missionaries sang Silent Night in Spanish as an interlude and Chuy's mom starting crying, the Spirit was so strong and I just felt so much love for everyone.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We only had an hour of church, and it was combined with the English ward. The Monroy's brought a friend that we had met before and will hopefully start teaching soon. There's this little girl named Alex who we met our first week (she's on our records but moved to the English ward) and she sat by me. She didn't want to go up and sing so I told her that if she did I would give her a sticker, then she ran up haha!

After church we caroled to a few members and friends. Then one family picked us up and we spent Christmas Eve with them, I got to play the duet part with their little girls on their piano pieces.  Afterwords Hermana Oldroyd and I headed back to our apartment and had a little Christmas celebration. Thank you so much for all the gifts and cards! It was very sweet.

Our Palm tree Christmas tree

Christmas Day we skyped our families, ate pazole, went over to a few members' homes, and then the  Brandts (the senior missionary couple) invited the whole district over for dinner. Our mission president also said that we could watch one Disney movie, and we had to have the cars parked a 6:30, so we went to another family's house and watched the Lion King that night. 

Christmas Day dinner at the Brandt's

Also this week, the elders had a baptism and one of our investigators made it! His wife's a member and their whole family came. That was definitely a miracle as well. Also it was a miracle that the font got filled, the hot water wasn't working at first so we had this chain of missionaries with pitchers of water from the sink trying to fill it up. 

Exchanges with Sister Peterson (blonde) and Sister Dixon (Reddish Blonde)

This week was also exchanges. I went up to Clovis with Sister Dixon who I know from Madera, and their area has an assisted living home. So we painted with one of their investigators and talked about the Book of Mormon. When we walked in the lady asked if we would play the piano so then we sang to them, I was grateful I brought my little hymnbook (Thanks Chels!)

We painted with one of the investigators at an assisted
 living center and talked about the Book of Mormon.

Love you all so much. Have a great New Year!

Silvina Monroy took us to Fresno last monday for some shopping

#33 - Weirdest Phone call ever

On Tuesday Sister Oldroyd was a bit sick so she stayed with a member while I went and visited some less actives with another member in the ward. We ended up talking to one of their sisters who isn't a member and we're going to start teaching her!

Christmas Zone Conference

We dressed up our district leader like a Christmas tree for one competition.

Christmas Tree Competition

Hermana DeLeon and I were in charge of playing the piano

Then we had Zone Conference where we really focused on being consecrated missionaries. The time we have to serve God full time is extremely short, so why shouldn't we give everything? That includes talking to everyone, being positive, focusing thoughts, and ending each day telling God that I did my best and will try harder tomorrow. President Mackay showed the Piano Guys O come O Come Emmanuel Video, and it really touched me how He really came to be our Savior. One missionary said, "He took the time to get to know you personally in the Garden of Getsemane, take the time this Christmas to get to know Him personally". Then we did a "sing -a-mony" Which was missionaries going up and explaining their favorite him, then we sang it. It was really fun for Hermana DeLeon and I who were in charge of playing the piano. After that we did some fun games, we dressed up our district leader like a Christmas tree for one competition, and Hermana Oldroyd and I got second place in a cup stacking game.

Miracles this week was finding Daniel again! A month and a half ago we talked to him and taught him a bit. Then he moved, but we decided to knock on his door on Friday to see if he was home for the holidays and he was! And he accepted a baptismal date and committed to keeping the word of wisdom (not drinking coffee or tea, after we offered him Abuelita) and went to church on Sunday!!! He says he prefers English though so tonight we have a lesson with him and the elders to transition him over. He's so awesome!!

Explaining the title: We got this phone call from a private number and this guy said he was named Javier and gave us an address to go to. He said he got our number from the tarjeta (little cards we passed out at the Kingsburg parade). So we go at our scheduled time and no one answers. Then we stopped by on a different day and this 20 year old girl answers. We ask if there's a Javier that lives there and she says that her dad is named Javier but he died in 2008! No one else lives at that house but her mom. She started crying and said it was a sign and she got the  chills and it was really cool but also really freaky! We have no idea who called us but we should be teaching them some more this week. 

Saturday we were part of this food drive at the high school. I loved talking to people and making them smile, I accidentally said Feliz cumpleanos instead of Feliz Navidad a few times, but that just made them smile more haha! It was kind of like the Bishop's storehouse with people running around with carts.  We even ran into some old friends!

Not too many pictures this week, hopefully I'll have some more with Christmas! If you want to see the funny pictures from zone conference go on the california fresno mission blog!

Also, my preparation day will be Tuesday next week so I'll email y'all then! Have a very Merry Christmas! I know that Jesus Christ lives, this season is a time to remember Him and to give. I want to encourage you all to think of something you can give Him this Christmas. Maybe it's an old habit you want to stop, maybe it's a commitment to read the scriptures more this year, or to reach out to someone that you haven't talked to in a while. Our mission president promised us that if we do that, and consecrate ourselves, we will come to know Christ more this season. I am so grateful that God is loving enough to send us His Son. I love you all so much, thank you for all your support and the joy that you bring!

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#32 - Sisters' Retreat at the Mission Home

Last Monday we all headed up to Fresno. The Corcoran sisters in our zone gave us a ride and we got to go to the mission home for a special Sisters' retreat. It was so much fun!! There's 45 sisters in our mission right now, and I realized that I knew quite of a few of them. All of the pictures for this week are with them. Sister Feldman and Sister Balls said that Madera is going great and Chuy's looking to get baptized Christmas Eve!!  The picture of the 6 of us are the sisters I came out with. It was so cool to talk about how much we've learned and see how incredible they all are. We ate taco soup and President Mackay gave a lesson on what Jesus Christ did for us and how much He loves all of us. It was like a real family home evening!

Sisters I came out with

Then, because we were going to the temple the next day in Fresno, we got to spend the night at the mission home. We spent the last hour of proselyting time caroling to all of the Mackay's neighbors. I love the smiles people have when we sing to them! The next day we went to the temple and it was fantastic as always. The have the cute nativity set up outside and it was fun to be in my old zone again. 

Then last night, the stake had a big nativity festival. There were hundreds of nativities set up and music going. I absolutely love the Spirit of Christmas that's here.

We gave lots of service this week. On Wednesday we learned how to make tomales with a family, Thursday we dug a hole to put in cement (I very much thought of you Dad doing home projects), and cleaned part of a lady's house. #LightTheWorld has been going so great! For the "bring the children unto me" day we wrote notes to the kids in our branch and ding dong ditched them. Their parents on Sunday said it meant the world to them, the littlest things can really make a difference!

I've been writing down miracles every day in this little notebook, I encourage you all to do the same! When you have the eyes to see them, they're everywhere.  One of the ones I saw this week is the new mutual theme "Peace in Christ" Which is Doctrine and Covenants 19:23 - the scripture I put on my missionary plaque! Christ truly offers us peace when we turn to him.

Love you all!

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#31 - #LightTheWorld

This week was so great!!

Fresno fog is so real
[Her dad says this isn't fog]

Making candy cane pass along cards while watching the District

 Starting the first of December, this initiative to help people serve started, called #LightTheWorld. There was a young women in the english ward who was in charge of building a float for the Kingsburg parade and we helped her out with it. The pictures will probably explain it better than I can, but we tied a bunch of candy canes to light the world cards, we put up a fireplace and Christmas tree, and there's this beautiful picture of the nativity on the back. Then all the missionaries in our zone came up to be in the parade. It was really weird to actually sit on a float instead of marching, but I got some pictures with some of the youth in their band! It was so much fun though! We sang Christmas carols and passed out cards and it was the perfect way to start the Christmas season. And Kingsburg is our area so we're excited for all the referrals!

The Float

I'm with the band!

Afterwords we rushed over to the branch Christmas party - it was FANTASTIC! There were so many non members there. Even some of our investigators who we thought had sort of disappeared because we haven't been able to teach in a few weeks came. And they brought friends! The little kids did the nativity and at the end I got to lead them in singing "Mandó su Hijo" (He Sent His Son). What really made me smile was watching all the other missionaries interact with the people there. There are a few investigators whose husbands aren't very supportive who came, and I kept seeing the other elders laughing and having a great time with them. This district is seriously fantastic! 

Nativity at church party

Tonight there's a sisters' retreat at the mission home, and then all the sisters in our zone are going to spend the night and then go to the temple tomorrow. 

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Hope you all are doing well! I am so excited for this Christmas season. I know that God did send His Son to come and be an example, teach, perform miracles, sacrifice and live again, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to help share that light with people here. Go and #LightTheWorld as well! 

Love,

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704