Heavenly Father is blessing me with talent I didn't have :)

On Friday we had the opportunity to drive up to Vegas to have a Sister's Luncheon. This was my second, but it was very different from the first. In the first meeting 13 weeks ago was in President and Sister Neider's home. We had thirty girls and that was so many! We had to pull chairs in from the kitchen and President was pretty much peeing his pants because he was so happy. It was a unique spirit we had. There was a little training from the APs, but they didn't have too much to say. Sister Neider gave a wonderful little talk on the refiners fire and President talked about how much he loves Sisters, and how much more he loves sisters than Elders. I was there with Sister Berger, and only knew her and my MTC sisters. I really had no idea what I was doing as a missionary but I knew exactly where I was supposed to be. And it was in that room, with those girls.

This past Friday was a whole different experience. We had to go to the mission office, which is a stake center. There were almost 70 sisters and the training was four and a half hours. Lunch was bigger, and there was more to be learned. The spirit was tangible! It was an amazing thing. There was girls crying left and right. People think I'm the type to cry. I'm not :P I really just wanted to jump up and sing though. This week has been so great. I feel like I every day I wake up and literally see a new person in the mirror. A better and happier person. I miss my friends and family but there is nothing I could do to make me better for them.

SPEAKING OF FAMILY> I have a new aunt. She is adopted  in so please assume your respective relative role (ie, mother is her sister, father is her sister-in-law, and brother is her nephew). Her name is Sister Diane Wheatley. I am taking her home with me! :) We knocked on her door about two weeks after I got here and it was less than a month after she lost her mommy. She says all the time "my girls came at the right time." She is so nice and so open to coming back to church. She knows the Lord sent us. Just goes to show I'm right where I am supposed to be! She says we aren't like other missionaries who just convert, get people to church and leaves. She knows we are there for her and to help her cope with everything that is going on. It is not our responsibility to be her "friends" because that is what the ward it for. But... she is our aunt. It was AWESOME to see her in church, AND in Relief Society. She swore she would never go again and she was there. So happy! :) 

Also, way cool fireside thing we had yesterday, no? OH MY GOSH! Kim was there, I am super jealous of her. Jeffery R. Holland conducted and he is just pretty much the largest spiritual giant I have ever witnessed in my whole existence. He testified of what a marvelous opportunity it is to be part of this work in this time. Also, they said that we are going to start using facebook/blogs/social media to help us with proselyting. What a genius idea. I am excited to find out when our mission is staring up on that.Did you miss it? Here's the link... you'll love it! http://www.lds.org/church/news/members-and-missionaries-to-partner-in-work-of-salvation?CID=HPL2P01W01032&lang=eng

I love you all. And I love Jesus!

 

Hugs from Havasu! :) 

Sister Fields!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Doncha kno?

What a wonderful week we have had. Last Preparation Day we played tennis at four o'clock... it was a little warm outside. Luckily I don't think it got any higher than 118* that day. However, our car was in the sun for that hour and was 180* when we got in it. That is less than pleasant! My face was super red but I have yet to sun burn. it is actually quite a miracle.

We have been doing a LOT better with coordinating members to have them at all the lessons we teach. We have over 22 ward missionaries now so it's crazy and awesome. Our Ward Mission Leader has two assistants and a secretary. We have a ward dinner thing we do now. There is an active family that invites a less active family or two to their house for dinner, along with their visiting or home teachers. When this happens people are able to make friendships outside of the chapel. The point is to bond our ward, our community, and to bring the lost souls back. People come to Havasu to hide. They think that they can go under the radar and get away from the church , or family, or friends... That's not how our Heavenly Father would want things. He wants us all to work together to be "fishers of men." It is our responsibility to be friends to those people who live near us. " Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Joe and Marilyn Thayer are set for baptism on the 29th of this month. I am super excited, and so are they. They are anxious to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion, and also to go to the temple. We had two amazing lessons with them this week, and they decided that they are ready. They are willing to make all the changes in their life to receive the blessings the Lord and our God has in store for them. One thing they were really worried about was tithing. They said they barely make it by now and they are afraid of what would happen. Marilyn said "I don't know how we are going to do it.... Just that we are." What strong faith they have! I love being able to see the change in them! I can't wait to see them in all white! :)

Saturday was Sister Pence's 28th birthday. I love to surprise people and to gift them but you can't relay do that when you have to always be within sight and sound. I bought her an ice cream cake last P-Day and just put it in the freezer hoping she would forget about it. I also wrapped all the little gifts I made her (It was a binder I decorated with a collage and a framed Living Christ with "My commission is to do what he wants done" modge-podged on it. It was actually pretty cute!) in Christmas paper I found in the garage and put it under a Christmas tree I also found out there! It was so small... I'm pretty sure it was just a piece of a bigger fake tree. I sang "We wish you a merry BIRTHDAY" and brought out the hot chocolate. I also woke her up at 4:15 in the morning and sang "Happy birth time to youuuuuuu" with the ice cream cake and a candle. I know she was a little worried about how things would go being on a mission and having a birthday but I would say it was A-OK. The Haucks took us to dinner at Red Robin. YUMM! We also had tons of success in the field. It was SO SWEET! :)

Kiel got the Priesthood Sunday morning and he blessed the sacrament. It was such a humbling experience seeing him up on the stand. How happy he is! I love being a missionary. I love sharing the joy that comes from living the commandments of God. I love... GAH! I just love the gospel.

OH! And I sprang my wrist. Probably just too much knocking doors and shaking hands. ;) But whatever it takes! Ice and the pain is virtually gone. Really, I'm fine. Just wearing an ace bandage in all my pictures :P Probably not pretty purple and bruised like Mom.

Let me know how all of you are! :) What is trending on twitter?

I love you!! :)

~HUGS FROM HAVASU
Sister Fields

*Something clever about it already being 1,000* outside*... My face is melting off.

SATURDAY IS SISTER PENCE'S BIRTHDAY! She is going to be 28, nine ages older than me. Which means when she was graduating high school I was 9, when she graduated college I had just finished middle school, and now we are just the bestest of friends. It is amazing how it is working out.

OH, TRANSFER NEWS: I am staying here in Havasu, continuing the 12 week training program with Sister Pence. I'll be the senior companion and she'll be the senior citizen. ;) I think that is so funny. I will be here until at least July 30th! Yay for the hottest transfer in the hottest place. If you are at home checking the Lake Havasu City weather add ten degrees to it. The fathers of this city's government pay people to advertise 10 to 15 degrees cooler so tourists still come. I know because a ton of members have said that and proven it with their home thermometers. 

KIEL WAS BAPTIZED on Friday. Joe quit smoking after promising her would smoke his whole life. Marilyn got a priesthood blessing, and now wants the constant companion of the Holy Ghost. We have 21 investigators, and I am determined to be at all their baptisms. Our mission president asked us, starting tomorrow, to read the Book of Mormon in 75 days. It's a little over seven pages a day, and almost half of our investigators are doing it with us. I am so excited.

Honestly this week has been wonderful. I have done a lot of self reflection and improvement, and I am setting and achieving goals to be a better missionary and a better person. 

HUGS FROM HAVASU!

~Sister Fields

Hello June! Where did you come from?? It was March yesterday...

 Family History Sleep over

 MTC Stocker Molly

 Elders Solarzano and Moreno and Sister Fields and Berger. We went on a hike on April 29th

This is Lauren Rasmussen and me at the MTC.

Tonight at nine (or maybe, like 9:24ish.. we always run late) I have officially been a missionary for three moths.

Where has the time gone?

Oh my gosh.

Weird.

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT"S COURTNEY"S BIRTHDAY ON THURSDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE HER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND SHE IS GOING TO BE SEVENTEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :)

People were serious when they said that the time goes by super fast. I feel like yesterday Dad and I were sitting in the Portland airport talking about how the time would go by. He said something that will stay with me forever. "You don't have to go, but you should." Every hard day I can hear those words ringing in my ear. This is what I should, or need to be doing. And I know it. I have already had people say to me that I came just at the right time for them. I am so grateful to be here. HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING!!! (So great.) (<--- Sorry, mission inside joke. ;) )

This last week i got the best and worst texts in my whole mission! One of our investigators sent us a 76-page text message saying... not nice things. To me specifically, she texted "That ill-advised Miss Fields asked me what I'd done to 'remember the Sabbath & keep it holy ' ... well, it varies as duz life's paths. But it duznt say 'remember the Sabbath and keep iit holy....by going anywhere uncluding church.' I must say I saw that question not as legitimate but as an 'aha! Gotcha!' I advise u select a more sincere approach by beginning with a more sincere approach." She continues with "U dont seem to know how or be willing to back up what u say. Ur declarations have no validity."

Wow. STAB! She put me in a little rut. I felt as if I didn't have adequate teaching skills to be on a mission. Seriously, sad night. However the next day.. maybe two days later I got the best text message EVER!! Sister Neider, our mission president's wife, sent " thank you for a sweet closing statement of today.!! U brought a wonderful spirit sis Fields."

And in my interview with the President he said I am a "wonderful example of a young missionary, and excellent trainer and a fantastic person." WOO! He specifically told me my strengths as a missionary and a few things I need to work on. It was so good. And I realized I am a good missionary. I don't have to have every lesson be a perfect, baptizing lesson to be a good missionary.

Friday night we had the Family History sisters spend the night. They met with some of our investigators (Oh... we have 17 now. BOOM!) on Friday at our Family History Center to teach them about how to do that. I loved it. I will attach a few pictures! :) Their names are Sister Monson and Sister De Greif.

ALSO, CAN I PLEASE JUST SAY HOW MUCH I LOVE MY COMPANION?! Sister Pence does the black lady voice, and a little kid voice... It cracks me up. I probably cry so hard I laugh pants ten times a week. :) She makes the days long, in a good way. When we walk away from a disappointing house she just lifts me right back up. I am happy to have her here with me! :)

Good quote from this week: "Oh, I miss your brother." Sister Pence said this to me when I was telling her the millionth story about Eli. I talk about him a lot... And I carry his picture (and my family picture) to brag about how cute he is. :)

I love you all!

God be with you!!

Hugs from Havasu!!!