#41 - Slow down and be patient

Hermana Pacher and Me

One week after bruising my arm

 After I emailed last week we played basketball as a zone and while going up for a rebound I collided with another missionary and hit the ground pretty hard with my elbow and my head. I was really out of it and super confused so I went to the  ER. They said they didn't want to do a CT scan because of possible radiation problems and said that to just check to see if I had really bad headaches in the next few days. They didn't actually diagnose it as a concussion but we're all pretty sure it was at least a mild one. Because of that, I had to stay in most of the week laying down in the dark and listening to mormon channel and trying not to think. So difficult! I don't think I've ever been so bored in my life. All I wanted to do was go out and talk to people, but I realized that God had something that He needed me to learn. Just the Sunday before one of the members of the congregation told me, "Slow down Sister!", and in a blessing I got after my collision all I remember was patience being mentioned. It's true. Often times we get so caught up in the "to do's" and we forget the real purpose of what we're doing. I learned a lot this week just reflecting, listening to messages of prophets, and praying. I encourage you all to take a step back this week. Take a second to remember what's important and don't ever let a thing to be done become more important than a person to be loved.

And I got the package! I loved it so much. And so did my companion, we've already eaten all the fruit snacks and most of the cheese itz. And I'm making finger jello for a missionary dinner we're doing today. [2/17/18 is Marin's half way point of her mission, know as Hump Day because you're over the hump and are on the home stretch]

 I feel a lot better now. When I went to the ER and the mission nurse put all the information into the computer, she found out that I'm supposed to get my blood checked every 6  months because of low platelets that I found out about right before my mission. We went to the doctor again on Friday then -but good news!- My levels are still good. I just bruise really easy. So lots of weird medical things but we're all good now.

On Friday we helped out at the Senior Center Valentine Dance. The first time we went to the senior center, they didn't want our help, but then we just started doing things and now when we show up they say , "We're so glad that you made it!". They're so sweet and I love spreading the gospel through service. The pictures are from the dance. Dory is in the blue sweater, she's in the police department and pretty much runs the place, and Etta has an opal ring like me too! 

Love you all!

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#40 - Miracles and changes and a Model T

This week was so great!! First off, I got my first ever library card. They're cleaning the church today so we're emailing at the Library. My whole life I've never gotten a card, I guess we learn lots of different things on our missions. [Side note from Mom: She actually had a library card as a child, but since we moved to an unincorporated area when she was 4, she hasn't had one] But I don't really get how to forward pictures so we'll see what happens. The one that's attached is from a meeting we had last Friday. Sister Jeffrey has the red hair and Sister Malpica has black hair. I'll try to send some of service this week.

 We went to go move some wood and afterwords they gave us a ride in their 1920s Model T, it was super fun.

This week we saw lots of miracles in finding. At one point we were in Kingsburg and trying to find people that spoke Spanish. We decided to look up our favorite scriptures on the GPS. I plugged in 1227 (For Ether 12:27) and then picked a random street. We started knocking on some apartments and this one lady just let us in immediately. She told us how she's looking for a church and about her struggles in life, and we connected right off the bat. It was incredible! And a few weeks ago we got a call from a lady in Madera (my old area!) who speaks English but knows a bit of Spanish and had talked to this guy who worked on her house. We called him but it never really worked out to go see him. We called him again this week and he came Saturday night to the church for a tour. He's already been reading the Book of Mormon and a book by Thomas S. Monson and said yes to baptism.  Then yesterday at church our friends said he would try to make it for the last hour (Sacrament Meeting) because his tooth hurt in the morning. But he told us right in the middle of the 2nd hour, my companion and I jumped up and went to the lobby and this random member who we'd never really talked to before offered to drive us right then to go pick him up. God works miracles!! When we have faith and do everything in our power to be obedient and expect miracles He sends them, I know He does!

Also- update on the mission, they are changing a bunch of missions around the world (it looks like this is happening to Chicago West too), and they're closing the Modesto mission up north. So in July we're getting three new stakes added to our mission. We'll be at about 180 missionaries. I think it includes Stockton, which is kind of fun because when my dad was here this mission included those areas. It will be quite a change to merge missions. Also, they announced that we will be getting technology. Not sure if it's smart phones or ipads or tablets but by April we should be using something like that. It's going to be very different but great!

Love you all!

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#39 - The incredible power of Jesus Christ

Zone conference

This week we had zone conference! I got to see some old companions and we got a picture of a whole bunch of us who used to serve up North in Fresno West. Our mission president talked about agency and following the Spirit to make decisions.

This weekend was so great! Two of the elders' friends got baptized and we got to do the interlude in the middle. We talked about faith and how it grows. We started off with a little cup and filled it with candy, then when it got filled we said that God sends us trials so that we can expand our own knowledge. Then we grabbed a bigger jar and started filling it more (showing actions of faith, prayer, study, going to church, serving). We kept using bigger jars, because we can always learn more, and grow more, we just have to keep going and showing faith.

This week I got a new understanding of how powerful this message is that we share. When we teach people, we often start by explaining the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. You may ask, why did there need to be a Restoration? After Christ was crucified, His apostles tried to continue that true church that He established, but people were very wicked and that proper Priesthood authority that Christ brought was lost. People could not perform miracles, receive ordinances, and the guidance of a living prophet wasn't on the earth. Then, in 1820, a boy named Joseph Smith went and prayed about what church was true, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him that none of them had that proper authority and power. In time that Priesthood power was given to Joseph Smith and he became another living prophet, the exact same church that Jesus Christ established was brought back. And that is the wonderful message I share with people every day!! The power of God is real, it's stronger than anything else, I know that God is looking out for us and if we pray to Him, He will guide us and send us His love. I am so grateful that that Priesthood power was brought back to this earth.

biking around kingsburg

Love you all!

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#38 - Where did the week go?

Sister Pacher and I

Sister Gillespie and Sister Johnson in Lemoore

 The Pictures are of Sister Pacher and I and then Sister Gillespie and Sister Johnson in Lemoore. And Sister Corn and Sister Deleon in Corcoran! We had a mini exchange with them this week, doing studies and then staying for a few hours. Sister Gillespie and I went to Lemoore Christian Ministries and helped organize old clothes for people. A few people that came in spoke spanish, which was fun, and then we got burritos.

Sister Gillespie and I

On Tuesday we went down to Corcoran with Sister Corn and Sister Deleon! I've loved seeing how other missionaries work, and I've been learning a lot from their examples! Also, being Hermana Elote and Hermana Pescadora for the day was pretty fun!

Sister Corn and Sister Deleon in Corcoran!

Our district leader gave us a goal to find a family to teach this week. So we've been praying a lot to find one. Yesterday we had 30 minutes before dinner and decided to head over early and talk to their neighbors. We drove by a house and I said, "They have Christmas lights, maybe they're Spanish!" so we knocked on their door, and they are actually members of the English ward that haven't been a while. I've realized recently that sometimes the Spirit guides us to something that we know or knows that we'll act on (Like Christmas lights) to help find or build others up. Focus on how you feel the Spirit this week, there's so many different ways that God can touch us!

Love you all!

--

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#37 - Exchanges and Sherem

On Tuesday I got to go down to Lemoore with Sister Johnson who I came out with. We talked a lot about how much has changed and how we've grown. She just got transferred into her area so we went on some adventures meeting people. Also, she's an English sister, and a few times we ran into some Spanish people and it was really fun to talk to them! We met this guy on the street and he told us to visit his sister, which we sort of thought was a joke, but when we knocked on her door we asked to sing "I am a Child of God" and she said that her daughter had just told her about how she knew that she was created by God, and it really touched her! Then that night we made pancakes with m&ms and random Christmas candy - it was so good! I'll try to get pictures for next week.

Visiting a retirement home and holding a member's 30 year old bird

  

Wednesday  we went to young women's and we were asked to go because this nonmember who only speaks mostly spanish has been going. But then she couldn't make it, and we wanted to make sure that we still had an investigator there. We stopped by this house of two girls we've taught twice and they said they could make it! They made really good friends and I can tell that they're going to love being in young  women's when they're baptized. 

Friday we had interviews and we asked if we could meet with President Mackay together for a few minutes to ask about doing a pep talk at zone conference- I think he's going to let us do it! We also talked about how we've been doing more accounting recently. Every night we should pray and ask God if our offering for that day was enough. But instead of waiting until 10:30 when we're completely exhausted and aren't really thinking, we've been doing it as soon as we finish up numbers, area book and plans. We'll do a companion accounting and go through our whole day with God, and then we separate and do our personal accounting prayer. It's really helped strengthen the Spirit and help us repent and change daily. 

Exchanges with Lemoore Spanish (Sister Pachner wouldn't get in it because she's sick)

Then we went into another round of exchanges- this time with the Lemoore Spanish sisters! I got to be with Sister Feldman here in Selma. It was so fun to catch up on the last couple months since we were companions last. We actually got to share our joint experience of the miracle of Chuy with someone. Also, the heat went out in our apartment so that was an adventure with getting space heaters from members!

Preparation day sports and pizza with the district

So the title, there's this guy in the Book of Mormon named Sherem, and he is called an anti-Christ because he tears down others' faith and doesn't believe that Christ will come. We started talking to this guy yesterday and he wasn't believe us and literally said, "Show me a sign!" exactly like what Sherem says in Jacob 7. But his friend seemed genuinely interested in what happens after this life so we're glad we talked to them. 

Also, random goal for the week: Sister Pachner is sick and sneezes, and I can never remember to say Bless you. A lot of you know that I've had this problem for years and I am going to fix it now haha! 

I found a DUNKIN' DONUTS!!!

Love ya!

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#36 - No Mires tras de ti, New Year's: Look Not behind Thee

Fresno Mission Blog: 2018 begins with a powerful force for good hard at work -
the inspired missionaries of the CFM mission leadership council.

The subject comes from a video that we watched a few times this week about not looking back. It's on mormon channel and youtube if you want to look it up. https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/new-years-look-not-behind-thee

It's about Lot and how his wife (in the bible) looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. It's a brand new year and while we have to keep in mind what we did last year and how we can improve, we can't dwell on the past, every day we get to start over with repentance, and every Sunday we can take the Sacrament and be completely clean again. This week we shared a scripture in Helaman 3: 35, which talks about being sanctified or made holy when we meet together at church and take the Sacrament. On Friday we shared this message with this family that hadn't been to church in a while and they came on Sunday! Understanding the true purpose helps us change. (TDUCAB!) If you haven't already, make some goals for the new year, and a plan to do them! (or if you've already stopped your goals, start again!). 

Fresno Mission Blog: WE LOVE OUR MISSIONARIES ON THE MISSION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
NO MATTER HOW GOOFY THEY MAY BE AT TIMES.

Hermana Pachner is awesome! I'm trying to send a picture but the camera is kind of being weird with ones we took today. She's from Maryland but was born in Guatemala and then adopted, so she's learning spanish as well! And she was just serving in Lemoore where our branch president lives, so she knows them really well. 

Fresno Mission Blog: Studies, training, and lots of counseling together......

We had the coolest experience this week with the First Vision (When Joseph Smith saw God and His son Jesus Christ). It was dark and cloudy and we were teaching this guy named Alex. Then we got to the part where we say "I saw a pillar of light ...above the brightness of the sun" and the sun came out so brightly! So I stood up and stood in the sun and said the First Vision and he was like , "Wow! That's so powerful!"  Then when talking about the Book of Mormon he said, "This is such a powerful book". And we just met him a few days ago. Also, his friend joined us once, and then the next day we changed our appointment but no one had his number to let him know. When we got there, we said, "Let's pray so he comes!" No sooner had we said this, but he comes walking down the street. MIRACLES EXIST! They are everywhere. 

On Wednesday we went to Young Women's because there's a nonmember there who is from Mexico. She's so cute and we taught her a few days later, and then she came to church! She's already read the first 5 chapters in the Book of Mormon as well. I've learned this week that God has definitely prepared people for this message, we just need the faith to find them!

On Friday we had a council meeting and we talked about being "agents unto ourselves". There's a lot of rules as missionaries, and every mission has some individual rules as well. We had a great discussion about how God doesn't want to tell us every single thing that we need to do.  A lot of times we ask, "Can I wear this specific thing", or "Can I do this specific thing". But our whole purpose here is to learn how to act for ourselves, use the agency God gave us. We just need to be obedient, and truly follow what the Spirit says to guide our decisions. 

Before eating, singing our thanks.....[You can barely see Marin's face
as she plays the piano, which she seems to do a lot!]

Before dismissing with a hearty cheer to resume their great work in the 'campo misional'

-- 

Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704

#35 - New Year!

Hello! So this week was crazy, and we last minute ended up going to the Sequoia's today so we don't have a ton of time. I made a recording but the internet's really slow today.

Sister Oldroyd's getting transferred and going to Lindsey! I'm going to be with Sister Pachner. I'll send pictures and more info next week. Love ya!

 

 Hermana Marin Fisher

California Fresno Mission

1814 N Echo

Fresno, CA 93704