This week was fun! We had interviews with our President which was great. He is the best. We have been working super hard. It was a crazy week because they changed the ward boundaries and made 2 new wards. That can be a little nuts. It will be very hard for the spanish program because they got cut in half. But it will be a blessing. We are now covering 2 wards so that will be interesting- lots of time at church on Sunday haha. Sister Reid is the perfect companion because we just mesh so well and with all these changes its so great to have no stress in the companionship and focus on the area. I at first had a hard time hearing about the changes, thinking about the investigators and less actives we have been working with. But one night it just hit me that God is so aware of each person in this area individually and He knows their needs much much better than us. So whatever happens is for a reason. There is a reason for these changes and we will see the fruits of our labor regardless. 

Remember discouragement is not the absence of adequacy, it is the absence of courage. (Maxwell)

I have been studying recently about the difference between divine discontent and the devil's dissonance. All day long as a missionary I feel divine discontent- that we have to work harder and be more focused and give this work are all. But at times we do feel the devil's dissonance that the Lord is not accepting our works and that we aren't working hard enough or good enough. There is such an importance difference. The Lord lifts and inspires us to reach higher in a positive affirming way. He wants us to be constantly striving for improvement through encouragement and love. Yet Satan will do whatever it takes to tear us down or make us feel bad. It is so opposite, but we can get so confused. Never feel that your works are not good enough, it is simply that we can always do more.

We have 2 new investigators and are going to get a ton more this week I can feel it. We have been passing out Book of Mormons like crazy and we are ready to hit the ground running. With new leadership in the ward it allows for more growth and more opportunities to get the members involved in missionary work. They don't know whats coming for them as far as missionary work goes! Every member a missionary. Within the next decade it will no longer be the missionaries responsibility to find investigators, it will be solely off of member referrals. At least that is the vision. 

I love this Gospel. Read the Book of Mormon. Because when you do there is no way anyone can be confused about its divine heritage. It is truly a testament of the people of the ancient americas and of Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon. 

Tenga un buen dia. Les amo muchisimo!!

Hermana Fischetti 

ALLLOHHHHAAAA

Family friends and all! 

what a week. we got to go to the temple!!!!!!!!!! WE ARE SO LUCKY! The temple is the best place on earth! it was a much needed day of rest and spiritual fulfillment. sheesh its awesome! then JOHNNY! wahooo!!!!! What a treat. We had a great lunch at Old Fishermans Grotto. It was SO FUN! IT was great to hear about the family and it sounds like all is going well. There is nothing better than family! Don't worry I didn't get homesick, but its weird to think the next time ill see you all is in a short 13 months. time is going too fast ah! 

We picked up a new investigator family so that is super exciting! They are totally prepared. Sadly we don't have like 20 baptismal dates like thomas but we are still working hard. They gave us the grossest food on earth though. seriously i still cant get the taste out of my mouth SO YUCKY. it was like this frozen mango thing smothered in chili gross tomato awful sauce, EW. but oh well haha. we tried our best to eat it and then took it to go. 

We had our luau this week! Someone counted 600 people there. YES 600!!!!!!! Can you believe that? We are the best event planners on earth. haha it was such a success i wish i could send you the videos but they are too large. pictures are coming though.  tons of nonmembers. we would be lost with out the wards support though. because of them and their hard work it came together and was THE BOMB. seriously i havent had so much fun in a long time i wish you could see all the videos and everything haha. So that day we were called and said we had a 911 service project and so we went over. turned out it was just someone putting a fundraiser together and needed help with decorations. hahahha same day as the luau. they were complaining about how theyve been planning this event for 350 since jan. i was like weve been planning an event for 350 for a month and its in a few hours come help us! but oh well. we did and had a great time. we learned that elder fakavas nickname is tickle me tongan in the mission hahahahaha 

This week at the wharf i stepped in dog poop and as soon as i did i just started rhyming: there is poo on my shoe what do i do? ive been saying it ever since haha

CONFERENCE WAS THE BEST!!! Elder Hollands talk- i cried through the whole thing it was so awesome. All of it was SO GREAT. Sheesh we are so blessed to hear from a living prophet. i love being a missionary! life is great and the Gospel is true! 

This week we were trying to find someone named Bianey and her sister opened the door and i was like hey is beyonce there? she was like what?? beyonce?? hahahahaha it was hysterical. i do the stupidest things sometimes. 

HAPPY 25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO THE TWO BEST PARENTS IN THE WORLD!!! 2 kids on missions and one tough football/hockey/lacrosse boy! obviously they did a good job. I love you so much!! YOU ARE THE BEST PARENTS I brag about you everyday! Keep up the good work. wish we could all be together but its more fun this way right?! 

Wow what an email. I love you all SO MUCH! Time is going too fast especially this email session.

Be good.

Hermana Fischetti 

It ain't nothing til you call it

Hello !!!!! 

It has been a GREAT week. It started out on the right foot with sister reid and i treating ourselves to clam chowder at the wharf on p day. It was the best, can't wait to take Johnny and Denise there THIS WEEK!!! I am so excited to see them. While we were at the wharf some mid 20s boys invited us to go sailing on their yacht... sadly we had to decline but its good to know at least we still got it..... hahahahahahha

On Thursday we had our sisters retreat and it was a treat. Oh my gosh it was the best day! All the sisters, there are 104 of us (the only mission with more is Temple Square) got together and had workshops and guest speakers it was fantastic. I got some new clothes because we had a clothing exchange so that was exciting. President gave a really great talk also. He talked about this story from the 1940s in the negro baseball league. Three umps were sitting in the dugout talking about how they called strikes- the youngest said, i call it how i see it. the second said, i call it how i feel it, but the third who was in his late 70s was quiet. As he walked out the youngest asked what he thought and he replied "It ain't nothing till you call it." How true is that? When we meet people we can immediately judge them by how they look or the feeling they give, but how we react to them can change their opinion of themselves and the opinion of others... sometimes forever. I thought about some of our investigators coming from really hard backgrounds and if we can look at them with the love the Savior has for them, we can help change their lives. I have seen it happen. I know the miraculous power the atonement holds. But it ain't nothing till you call it. Every time we meet someone we have a decision to make- we can take them as they are right now and nothing will change. Or we can imagine their potential and their divine rights as a daughter or son of God and then their is no stop to what they can do and who they can become. It ain't nothing till you call it. Call it right.

Also at Sisters retreat I had the mission nurse look at my leprosy on my arm because it hasn't been healing very well. She said that it was actually shingles! That is why it hurt so bad. I am very lucky though because it didn't spread down the nerve channel and its actually healing well for shingles. They are caused by stress and I did have a very stressful last transfer. All is well though don't worry. So I am continuing to take good care of it so I don't have any ugly scars. 

After Sisters retreat I went on exchanges with my STL to her area in Gilroy. It was really fun!!!! I love going to new areas and meeting new people. The greatest part though was that we went to this nursing home where an old woman with alzheimers lives. It was a very sad place and usually she is always zonked out. But the day we went she was wide awake! So we got to sing and talk to her. But she kept pointing at Sister Billings tag so she gave it to her. She lifted it to her mouth and I thought oh how sweet shes going to kiss it! NO instead she started to EAT IT. She tried sticking the whole thing in her mouth it was hysterical. So that was a great part of the week. 

On Saturday we went to RS general conference. I LOVED President Monson's words. They were so inspired for the people that were listening. When he stood up to the podium I started to cry, never in my life have I felt the Spirit bear witness to me like that, that he truly is a Prophet of God. I just felt such a strong love and reverence for this man. I am so grateful to have a Prophet on the earth.

That is it for the week!!! I love you all SO MUCH!! Really I do! I can't WAIT to see Johnny this week. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you! I will try really really hard to write letters this week... but we are going to the beach haha

Love always,

Hermana Fischetti 

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Week in paradise

HELLO!

Wow what a week! I have a new companion Hermana Reid. SHE IS THE BEST! We are having SO much fun together. We came out together on the same day and I feel so lucky. We are tearing up seaside. We had a baptism on Saturday for C and her son! It was such a spiritual day. Sometimes though baptismal days are the hardest, so stressful and I feel like Satan works at us the hardest when the greatest good is being done. So it was kind of a tough day for both us, but everything ended up fantastic. Wow I love being a missionary. I got a great letter from my brother Thomas this week! The first mail I have had in a while, so round of applause to him. We were super busy this week picking up Sister Poznanski's trainee, helping to finish Sister P's training and Sister Reid was area training her. But now we can focus back on our area. General Conference is coming up and everyone better be getting ready! I have never been so excited for Gen Conf in my WHOLE life. It is going to be great. Sounds like the family is doing well, please tell Mikey poo I hope his fingers feel better :(

We rearranged our house so thats been great. Nothing better than a fresh start. And now we only have 4 sisters in our house which is such a relief. I love Seaside I really do. President called the other night and said I would most likely be in this area for 3 more months. I felt like a weight had been lifted, I never want to leave! I know one day I will but for now there is so much work to do. We are gearing up for the luau so everyone please pray for the preparations. We want it to be a huge success and know it has the potential to be fantastic.

One funny thing. Last week I really needed my bands trimmed, they were ugly. And this sister just cut her own hair and it looked awesome so I asked her to cut mine! HAHA bad idea. So it was a busy day and the only chance we had was in this bathroom at the sketchiest thrift shop ive ever been to. So shes cutting it in a bathroom full of mirrors, i look up and i almost pass out. she cut like 4 inches off. my bangs look AWFUL. pictures to come...

All is well. We can always use all the prayers we can get. Mom and Dad a letter will be coming for you in the mail this week... hopefully unless i take a nap. Love you all SO SO SO much!!!!

Hermana Fischetti

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increible! catorce meces mas?! AY AY AY

Can you believe it??? I am 1/4 of the way done! That might not seem like a lot but I feel like time is flying way too fast. Yesterday was the last day of the transfer and wow lots of changes. I am staying here in Seaside, Sister Poznanski is training in the area next to ours, Sister Jensen is getting transferred to another area in the mission and my new companion, Sister Reid, used to be in Sister Poznanski's new area! It will be a lot of fun but it is a little stressful moving packing and getting the house organized. I am really really excited for this next transfer! We have so many great things coming and it is going to be awesome. The ward is really on board with missionary work and are getting pumped up for our Luau. It is certainly exciting. Our luau is going to be AWESOME everyone should come to it. The Tongans are doing a straight up roast pig. sweet right?

Another exciting thing that happened is that K was baptized!!! WAHOO! It was really so incredible. Her testimony is so strong and is such an example to me. She is just so rock solid. We are thrilled to see the example she will be and the influence she will  have in the lives around her. The baptismal font room was packed! The ward was so supportive and it made a big difference in bringing the Spirit.

This week we will have a lot of changes. The mission is tough because everything is always changing. But we learn to adapt. At times it can be really hard, but it is so worth it. I was reading in D&C 15 this AM when it says that preaching repentance and bringing souls to Christ will be the most worth to your soul. I totally believe that. As hard as a mission is, it does have the most worth in changing us and helping us reach potential we didn't know we had.

I love my mission. It seems like time is going too fast. I know I won't be ready to come home when the time comes. As much as I miss my past life and all of you, there is no where I would rather be. The worst part of a mission is thinking about that one day you have to go home to reality. Where you will have to get a job, find a spouse and not have everything provided for you. I think that is how Satan likes to discourage me the most. The hardest days for me are when I think about going home. But I do know how much the Lord loves us and that everything will work out in its proper time and place. Know that I am constantly praying for your success and happiness.

Tenga UNA BUENA SEMANA!!!!

Les quiero mucho!

Hermana Fischetti

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Temple Trip!!!!

WOW! What a week here in Seaside! So many things where to begin... First off, thank you again mom for the greatest package known to mankind. That was SO awesome. Thank you. We got to go to the Oakland temple this week!!!! Seriously it was a miracle. One of our investigators, C, is progressing and we just love her so much. We wanted to take her to the temple but we had to find a ride and so all week we were calling calling calling but finally a member with a 15 seater van said they could take us! It was SO great because then she could bring her kids and we could all go. It worked out perfectly. We just had such a spiritual day at the temple. It was certainly a day to remember- walking around the visitors center and everything. Wow. She has a desire to be baptized so we are working on the word of wisdom and baptism will hopefully soon follow.

Being a missionary is the best! Transfers are coming up so I am nervous about getting moved but I don't think I will. We had some change in leadership in our zone this week so that was crazy. But our President is so inspired and I just love him. I feel so lucky to be in this mission serving with him.

We had THREE investigators at church this Sunday! I am pretty sure that is the most my whole mission! So we were super super pumped up about that. The work is really moving forward it is incredible. We are SO excited because our ward is really catching the vision of missionary work. They have a goal to give the missionaries 12 solid referrals in the month of September. So wow that is awesome.

I am doing well. The poison oak is healing but it is scarring really badly so I still look like I have leprosy don't worry Mom I am putting bio oil on it and other stuff to help it heal.

I love you all so much! The Church is true and the Book of Mormon has the capability and power to change lives. We are seeing it here in Seaside and I know that it can happen in all of our lives. I love you!

Hermana Fischetti

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Another week in paradise

Hello family!!!

Sorry this is a day late! All the libraries were closed on Labor Day :( Anyways! How is everyone doing? Hope all is well in the real world. It was a tough week because I kept thinking about going back to school and how much fun everyone is having because its the best time of year! Back to school last year was like the best week ever. I hate not being focused so it was a trial. Also it was a tough week because poison oak is taking over my arms and I look like I have leprosy... so thats great. Haha but all is well! Really I love it!

Last night we threw a bonfire for FHE AND IT WAS SO FUN! I will try and have time to send pictures. But a ton of the ward came and it was a blast. The sunset was to die for. I can't believe how lucky I am to be serving in the most beautiful place in the world. Not many missionaries get to have bonfires on the beach for Labor Day. It reminded me of Montauk and all the wonderful memories we have as a family on Labor day.

One of our investigators is getting baptized on September 14!!! We are SO excited for her, she is the greatest ever! I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to help her come closer to Christ. It is the best.

Missions are so great, they really are. The greatest thing is how much we learn and grow. Before my mission I was a total me monster. Everything was about me ... always! And even though I have a long way to go, the mission really teaches you how to lose yourself. Forget about your own needs and own ideas and get to work. It is the Lord's work not ours. I feel blessed to be learning this now because I know how much it will help in the future if I ever get married or stuff.

I read a great talk this AM and in it was the scripture Ezekial 36:26- "I will take away the stony  heart our of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh." Then he talked about how some consider the greatest operation is the heart transplant, but sometimes our bodies reject the new heart. But the real miracle operation is what the Lord does to our hearts- the spiritual change of heart. But if we are not doing the daily things to keep it healthy our bodies will reject it. We need to constantly be doing the things that matter, prayer, scripture study and serving those around us.

Anyways, I love you all SO much.

Hermana Fischetti

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