Monday, February 24, 2014

I fell like last P-day was 9 years ago... Why does time feel so fast, though??



Let me tell you about a miracle that happened this week. So we got a referral from the Morning Sun Ward sisters and it was for a man named Rafael in apartments on Lake Mead. I wasn't feeling the best so I laid down during lunch to sleep before going to contact the referral.. We ended up sleeping 30 minutes longer than we should have. So we shot up and away we went to find Rafael. I turned into the complex and totally passed it on accident. We turned around the corner of a building and this rather large man kinda stares at us then starts walking toward the car waving us to come to him...
Everyone. Meet the hand Christ. The man is 27 and he is what we would consider a "former investigator." He has had a super hard life and it has just gotten worse when he found out his girlfriend of four year (who was in jail during the conversation for DUI) cheated on him. He was describing his heart break and it made me so sad. He is a big, Hispanic, man and he was crying. It's so crazy to listen to his story. He explained that he was praying for the first time in his LIFE out loud. He was kneeling on the floor in the middle of his humble living room and he was crying out loud to God that he just needed someone to talk to that could point him in the right direction of what to do with his life- cue missionaries stage left!
I have such a testimony of being in the right place at the right time! :) Chris said one of the most beautiful prayers I have ever heard in my life. He prayed to God and thanked him for "soliders (us) to help him [fight] in the war between good and evil." And it didn't stop there... This is one of those moments I will have on replay when we have our all knowing iPads in Heaven. :) Chris is having a difficulty progressing because of all his past vices and... well a lot of things. But we will continue to work with him for another could of weeks or so. He said that all he really really wants is peace in his heart. That is something I have found in the gospel and it is something I want to help HIM find!! :)
Funny quote of the week:
"What is a grapefruit spoon even used for?? It's not even useful."
"Unless you have a grapefruit."
Our favorite investigator broke up with us this week. It was tear filled but he had very valid points and we had to respect his decision. I might write more about it next week... still a little fresh wound. I have no doubt that the Lord is looking out for David. I know that he is a son of God and that he means a lot to Him! I know that David is smart and that a lot of things will point him back to the truth. Man, I just love him so much!! :)

Sorry... I am running out of time so I am bullet pointing all the rest of the things that happened this week:
  • Sister Kelepi was sick so I went crazy being home for 1 1/2 days
  • We taught a lesson to a devout Jewish man!
  • I did Leilani's hair and make up for a dance and she looked GREAT!
  • We stayed on track during weekly planning for the first time since Kelepi and I have been companions...
  • WE GOT PIZZA HUT STUFFED CRUST PIZZA!!
  • I had 2 doctor's appointments :) Woop for leaving the mission twice. Routine stuff.
  • District meeting was inspiring, and at the beginning we all introduced ourselves and asked odd questions. I was asked "If you were to pick which crystal was in your light-saber which would you choose?" and "Are you closer to your Mom or Dad?" I said they're both about 1,000 miles away. It depends if Dad's at work or not.... hahahaha. #FieldsHumor
  • We had dinner at Macayo's. I love Macayo's.
Over all it was a pretty normal, busy, boring missionary week. I am just a happy person today :)

WRITE ME!
Sister Molly "the coolest ever" Fields
Nevada Las Vegas Mission
9270 S. Maryland Pkwy
Las Vegas, Nevada 89123

Monday, February 17, 2014

Half of my mission was going to be in Sunrise.....



So... about the was... I am staying in Sunrise!! With Sister Kelepi! So half of my mission will be here. In Temple View YSA. Except they combined the Sunrise and Central zones. So without moving anything I am in a new zone. We are now the second largest zone in the mission with 14 companionships. There is a lot about the mission organization that changed- now we are back to one set of APs, the Spanish zone was absorbed into two other zones, and North and Northwest are one zone. We get to move back to the English district! Elder Steed is the District leader of our district, Elder Anderson is going to be the district leader of the other English District (who was previously a zone leader in Central) and AP Murphy is coming to be a district leader of the Spanish District. Our new zone leader is Elder Smith (with Elder Johnson- sounds like a bunch of Mormons, huh?) who was a Central Zone Leader. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS WARD SO LONG THAT I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST FOUR missionaries in each ward. I was going through it the other day. No one is the same. It is kind of lonely because I feel like I have seen it at it's best and it's worst. I feel like we used to be more united- but I guess it's good that everyone is working so hard they feel like they don't need to know the missionaries in their area. haha. I am happy to be able to stay with Sister Keleps! She is so fun to be around and she is so willing to learn and apply what she learns. She teaches me something new every day. I love the "greenie" outlook of the mission and I have been lucky enough to have that around me my whole mission. (With the exception of the 6 weeks with Grandma Pierson who actually goes home Tuesday. You feel REALLY old [mission years] when one of your companions goes home... It's heart breaking.) I am ready to beast it out this last transfer here. I want to leave the area not just better than I have found it but better than I have ever seen it!! I know that it is more than possible. I want to have superb memories of my last six weeks in Sunrise!
Last Monday night was such a tender experience for me. We had dinner scheduled at the Scholl's and they asked us to be there at 5:30. There were balloons hanging from the ceiling and tons of people there just walking around... It was strange. I felt like I walked into someone elses' party. Then I saw a cute little bouquet of fruit and the card said "from you family in Oregon." I just loved it so much I needed a picture but the camera was in the car - SOLUTION: go get the camera! haha. When we walked back in everyone was in the living room and they threw balloons at me and yelled "SURPRISE!" I literally felt so loved the whole evening. We had salad and Hamburger Helper. Then we ate little ice cream cupcake things and I opened presents (a notebook, scarf, lotion and nail polish- all useful, beautiful things) I was feeling like my birthday was a little boring. I was excited to finally have something that felt like... my birthday. I hope that doesn't sound selfish but It's just what a girl wants, I guess. I was feeling a little fever-y at the party thing. I just thought I was warm because of how many people were there and how many...
NOPE! Pneumonia. Woo hoo. That was not very fun. I was out of commission for like 3 days. I went to the "comprehensive cancer center" because it had the only LDS doctor that could squeeze me in right away because I was hard core having a real hard time breathing. And it was on exchanges- that was kind of weird to be there with someone that wasn't my companion. But I love Sister Swerdfeger! They prescribed SLEEP and antibiotics. I took the horse pills for 3 days and now I am feeling SO much better! I finally have energy. I feel like I have been sick for a long time and it just manifested itself so much that there was nothing more I could do but stop working and lay down so I don't die. I realized that I walk really fast. I am trying to learn a balance between getting a lot done and doing all the needs to be done. I am one to just work, work, work. But I have learned now (maybe-- again?) that there are righteous times to slow down and do a fun or restful thing or two. I am really grateful for all the people that have helped me to get better! Thursday I slept on Chaunee's bed while Sister Kelepi went out with Leilani. (PS, let me tell you for a second how much I love Leilani. She took us to ice cream for my birthday and she bought us cute colored contacts, she always goes to lessons with us, she texts us just to say she loves us... she is perfect! Plus we get to have lessons with her whenever we want because she is a recent convert that is anxious to learn all the ins and outs of the gospel. I LOVE HER.)
Moral of the story- I am healthy. :)
OH HEY! We have an atheist investigator- coolest teaching experiences ever. I love that there are things I have never focused on that need to have the focus in lessons. I seriously am so grateful for the learning experiences I have been given lately. I have felt a little like I was plateauing and going through the same things all the time. I have such a testimony for just talking to Heavenly Father about how you feel in prayers. Sometimes I don't know how to or what to even ask for. I know, now, that he really has all knowledge! Just let him know how you feel and He will give you what you need to feel better! :) I wish that I could explain it better. God just LOVES YOU. Okay, people. He does :)
This has been a long week but a quick transfer. I am grateful for my mission. It may or may not have hit me this week just how long I have been out... I am starting to freak out.
I had my first homecoming dream this week. Oh my lanta those are the scariest things ever!
I love you all!
Still here smiling in Sunrise!
Sister Fields :)

Monday, February 10, 2014

Happy Birthday and other things



Monday- nothing real cool. Except Keleps gettin' her ears pierced. It was so fun to go with her and to hold her hand. We were taught a lot about faith. She, I am pretty sure, mumbled some choice Tongan words based on her facial expression. Over all I know she is happy about her decision. She is happy to have that extra little boost of confidence.

Tuesday we had exchanges. I was in Sister Ena's area with her. She is so precious. She has been out for almost six months and has had a lot of hard things happen at home but she still teaches (and sings!!) like an angel. We had a really cool experience with a less active member. His name is Steve and has has an INCREDIBLE story. He was driving to work one morning and someone pulled out in front of him so he had to swerve and he hit someone walking in the road and killed him. Apparently the man had intended to be hit. He wore all black and was walking around at night because he wanted to... not live anymore. This man was explaining the story in horrific detail that scared me and just softened my heart all at the same time. He had tears in his eyes, family... It was incredible to see this grown man so, low I guess. I really learned that the Atonement (Christ's life and sacrifice) is for EVERYONE! We knelt and prayed with him. He asked me to pray that the pain goes away. We were all crying... He said that he finally gets it. He said "I feel like I can finally breath in my heart after all these years." (about 6 I think.)
I am so grateful for that experience. I wish I could explain it ALL! I need to write in my journal more.
Wednesday was MLC and that was so long and so fun. It is still amazing to be in a room full of dedicated missionaries. I took TWELVE pages of notes in 6 hours... Crazy, crazy. I know that the church is Christ's. Woo. :)
Thursday.... Oh Thursday was the exchange. Oops. The days just run together. Tuesday we left the mission for a successful doctor's appointment. Verdict: I need to take a little "me-time" a day and I won't be as shaky. I love to have so many resources for help so quickly.
Friday was Zone Training Meeting and Weekly Planning. I did a training on defining member missionary work and how to combat the "weight-gain" of doing "MMW" wrong. It was pretty comical. I think it was fun to hear the missionaries role play saying no to food and sitting talkative members down to have a spiritual lesson. I think it went well... But nothing will every stand up to the training on being a consecrated missionary I did... 3 MONTHS AGO? Why does time go by so fast.
Saturday was Aaron's baptism. 


I feel like I have been successful as to the "numbers" of baptisms I have had on my mission but I have never experienced what happened Saturday February 8th at 4:20ish. Aaron was put under the waters of baptism there was like s sonic boom of spirit that just blasted from him. It was undeniable. I just loved to sit there. He just stood after, for a second... We all just waited in silence. His testimony after he changed was this:
"I used to define myself by my past, now I define myself by what God sees in me. IN the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"
WOW. EVERYONE. WOW.






I had an excellent birthday. Thank you for all the love int he form of presents, emails, letters, and thoughts. I love you all.
Saturday is transfer doctrine day! AHHHH
SMILES FROM SUNRISE
~SISTER FIELDS