June 13, 2017 Elder Ballard & 11 months

IF YOU READ ANY OF THIS, PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW PARAGRAPHS. 

This week has been absolutely amazing. It flew by, but it was awesome.

First strange thing that happened. We taught a less active this week who is less active because she doesn't think we put Joseph Smith on a high enough pedis tool. I was seriously like, Sister so&so... people literally have yelled in my face because they think we worship Joseph Smith and you think we don't praise him enough?!? 

Needless to say, she has a very strong and firm testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel, but she seriously needs to understand that the church is called "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" because we believe that Jesus is the Christ. Yes, we do believe that Joseph Smith has done a whole heck of a lot for us in these latter-day, but we don't worship him neither do we think we should. I mean, the first of the "big ten" is Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me. 

I was confused.

Another strange thing that happened. We met a very "spiritual" man while tracting. If you've been a missionary, you know what I mean by spiritual. 

Seriously, he was legit though. He was basically talking about the creation and everything in nature. He said, "You look at everything in this world - everything that God has created - and you just can't help but think there is no possible way everything just happened to work out."

I was like, "yes, I understand my friend."

Seriously, I look and everything from the mud that we drive in while we go to the reserve (basically went off-reading/muddling while trying to get to a supper appointment) to the giant pine trees that have been growing here for who knows how long; as I look at all of God's creations I think to myself there is truly a supreme creator who is the author of diversity.  

Anyway, we talked for a while. Turns out he is from Victoria, BC.  However, he is so interested in the Book of Mormon. He GAVE us his information so we can talk more about the Book of Mormon with him.  He was truly a miracle.

⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️

This is the part you should read:

We had the amazing opportunity to shake Elder M. Russell Ballard's hand and to hear from him for two hours and fifteen-ish minutes.

First, I thought he was a pretty big guy (like broad shoulders and tall), but he is shorter than I am. 

Second, while I was listening to him. I learned that he is a human. He talked about his mission, and said something like "if you don't know the gospel, if you don't know the scriptures, it's okay. Even I don't know everything." 

Then he said, "Don't ask me where Kolob is because, I do not know." 

There was also one part of the meeting that really just hit me hard.

At the very end, it felt like he was looking very deep into my heart (he was looking at my section, but directly at who I don't know) and said, "you cannot realize what it means to Him for the effort that you are making."

As soon as he said that, I had tears streaming down my face. What he had said literally just pierced my heart. Lately, I have felt like everything we have been doing - going to the reserve every other day, hours upon hours of knocking on doors, getting our hopes up when an investigator tells us they are coming to church - has been in vain. And in that moment, Elder M. Russell Ballard had calmed my troubled heart by one sentence. 

Friends & Family,

Jesus Christ has taken upon himself every single one of our pains, sins, and sorrows. He knows what it is like to feel alone. He has experienced that. Although he never sinned because he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, he knows what it feels like to make mistakes. 

What I learned from the meeting with Elder Ballard is, Christ knows exactly how I feel when we drive a half hour through mud and rain to get to the reserve and have every single one of our appointments fall through. He knows what it is like to feel disappointment. However, our efforts our not in vain. 

I am so so thankful that I know about the knowledge of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. He is my friend. He is your friend. The knowledge that I have of him has blessed my life and please remember that the invitation to each of us is always the same, "Follow Him." 

Thank you everyone for your time, and if you made it all the way through, you're a champ. 🏆🏆🏆

Also, HBD to me next Monday #20 🎉🎁🎈🎊

June 6, 2017 You. Are. Loved.

Hello family and friends,

This week has been awesome to me!

We went on exchanges with our sister training leaders and it was so
fun! I went to Meadows (back into the city for a day) with Sister
Cable! Sister Cable and I came out at the same time so it was fun to
finally get to know her! We had so much fun talking about how we are
almost at our year mark and how crazy nuts that is to us!

Seriously, it was awesome! I learned so from her!

This week has been pretty much great! I think I will have a lot more
to say next week because #ELDERBALLARDISCOMING I am pretty excited
about that!

This week I have been able to feel our Heavenly Father's love for me
again and again and again. We watched "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the
Restoration (theatre release)" and I seriously am so thankful that
Joseph Smith did what he did, so we may have all of the blessings that
we have. The Book of Mormon is my greatest source of solace and peace.

Seriously, in the midst of all the chaos going on in the world, I am
so thankful that the Book of Mormon can provide peace.

That's really all I have for this week!
Love you all! ❤️


Also, I seriously can't believe my childhood best friend, Sister
Tabitha Williams, turned 20 today! HBD Tabitha, love you!

Sister Lexie Rex Fisher
305-8925 51 Ave. NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5J3
Canada

Pics:
1. Fruit By The Fruit Eating Contest (still got it)
2. My cute comp and I
3. Exchanges with Sister Cable

May 30, 2017 Wetaskiwin: home of the Lamanites

¡Hola mi familia! (I am just considering all of you family)

So, I have been transferred to Wetaskiwin!! It is a small little city
an hour outside of Edmonton! And it's warm! It's so warm here. It just
makes me so happy!
I am now in a branch of about 150 active members! It's really
different from my two other areas! It is the first time in my whole
mission that I have had an actual chapel in the church building!

So, here is the best part about our area... we have.. 19
investigators. NINETEEN. that is seriously crazy to me! We have 6 of
them on date (some of them just passed their date)! This area is
seriously crazy popping!

Wetaskiwin was a big culture shock to be quite honest. There is a
large percent of First Nations people here. There are probably more
First Nations people here than there are white people. We cover a
large reserve of the First Nations people here, it is awesome!
I finished the Book of Mormon this last week and started reading it
again, the stories of Lamanites are starting come to life. It is
seriously so cool!

I love how I have literally been able to teach the descendants of the
Lamanites! It is also a testament to me that prayers are answered!

The prophet Enos prayed that "the Lamanites would not be destroyed,
that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites;
even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be
brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps,
they might be brought unto Salvation."

Friends and Family, there is a God. A God who knows us and loves us. A
God who is so merciful to bring about another testament of Jesus
Christ, so we may truly know that Jesus is the Christ.

Heavenly Father does answer prayers and he has again shown me that
though the Book of Mormon!

I love you all very much!

Sister Lexie Rex Fisher
305-8925 51 Ave. NW
Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5J3
Canada


1&2 generations (ps. Sister Waite is training again & I didn't get a
pic with her other trainee)
3. Sister Ard
4. That awkward moment when....

May 23, 2017 I Like to Look for Rainbows

This week has been great, unfortunately transfers are tomorrow. I will
tell you all about what is happening next week, but I am very very sad
to say that I am leaving my lovely town of Wainwright! I have made so
many wonderful friends and family here, but I hopefully to one day see
them all again!

The baptism this weekend was incredible. It ran very smoothly, except
Brother Morris left his phone in his pocket while he baptized Lindy,
Lakeisha, JJ, and Tyson.

I am so thankful for the spirit that I can always feel at baptisms.
They make covenants with our Father in Heaven, and they come closer to
him. Sister Blackburn and I sang "When I am baptized." Lol, after the
baptism I leaned over to sister Blackburn and said, "glad everyone
loved our song." I struggggggllleeee. Hahah

This week we had a lot of people drop us. It's just discouraging
sometimes, but then I was reading in Alma and it said, "And we have
suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we
might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy
would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some." This
helped me realize that I am here in Alberta to 'save' those who are
ready. My joy has truly been full just by helping a small number of
these people come closer to Jesus Christ

Anyway, I love you all!

May 16, 2017 Unspoken Heroes - aka mommmmmm

Hello everyone!

This week has been awesome! 

We had the travelling sister training leaders come out Wainwright and that was great! I learned so much from them!

Also, exciting news: LINDY, LAKEISHA, JJ, AND TYSON ARE GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY !!!! 

They have worked so hard for this and they deserve it. I am so thankful that I have been able to help them along the way to conversion! We are just so happy for them and the decision they have made to be baptized! We love them so much!

I know that I talked about my mom just a few short weeks ago, but Mother's Day is something special! I love my mom so much! She raised me to be a strong, independent women (so did my father, but mom is cool #sorrynotsorry). A member in our branch, Brother Orr, gave a wonderful talk about mothers. I honestly wish I had a copy of his talk it was that good. I can't remember exactly what he said, but he talked about how mothers are always watching, listening, and caring. I know my mom is 15 hours away from me, but somehow she can still send her warming love even through the cold Canadian winters. Again, I can say that I would stand with the stripling warriors and say, "We doubt not for our mothers knew it." 

Mama Missy knows a lot of things. She knows when I need comfort. She knows when I need love. She knows when I am sad. My mother also knows that Jesus is the Christ. She knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet. She knows that families are forever. She knows that Heavenly Father knows each of us by name, and has taught me all of those principles. I am so thankful for her.

Thanks mom! ❤

Sister Lexie Rex Fisher

305-8925 51 Ave. NW

Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5J3

Canada

Pics:

1. TBT, because moms day.

2. Skyping with the fam.

3. Moms day

4. Cute comps

5. TEN MONTHS

One of the Most Spiritual Experiences on My Mission

So, as you probably know, I have been having a hard time understanding
why Louis left the church. I just have been super down on myself
because of that!
Anyway, on Sunday we went to Jason & Lori Orr's (you should add them
on Facebook and tell them thank you because they have made me feel so
at home.) for supper! After the spiritual thought, Brother Orr asked
if we needed priesthood blessings. (While I have been here he has
given me numerous priesthood blessings) and Sister Baxter asked for
one, the spirit told me I needed to get one.
After Sister Baxter's blessing I asked for one. It was a moment where
I knew that I was testing Heavenly Father to see if he was really
aware of me. This is the first thing my blessing said, "Be comforted
and know that he is well aware of you Sister Fisher. He knows the
things you ponder and pray about. He is aware of your sadness that is
in your heart when people turn away from the Gospel."
I had not mentioned anything to him about Louis. Not even an inkling
that anyone I know had left the church. I literally sobbed. I could
not get control of myself. I know that God is aware of me. I know he
loves me. I know he knows my heart. Isn't that just amazing.

May 5, 2017 Happiness is Simple!

Sorry that I haven't written in idk how long! 

This last week has been full of fun though! 

We went tracting the other day, and there was this guy outside with a freaking PARROT ON HIS SHOULDER. I said, "Sisters. We have to ask that guy about his fetching bird."

So, we did!

Sister Blackburn gets out of the car and says, "hello sir." And he says back grumpily says, "hey." 

BUT THEN... HE SEES OUR NAME TAGS!  

"ARE YOU THE MORMONS?!?" 

In unison, we all say "yes"

He then just goes on and on about the Elders that have served here in the past! He loves the Mormons, needless to say he is a potential investigator now. He also let me hold his parrot.

We went to Edmonton for zone conference last week! It was amazing! Sister Pattison gave us a training on getting to know each other... we had to pick out colours of M&M's and answer the questions based on what colour they were... may I just add, we had to talk to elders too... as we were receiving instruction on how to go about this activity... I felt a strangely familiar feeling, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time. We went into the cultural hall together to do this activity, it was literally as if I had gone back in time to my first junior high school dance. Me, awkwardly sitting there while everyone else was chatting away, then when someone comes up to you, and asks you the only question that they know... "so what's your favourite colour of toothbrush?" 

I knew that feeling all too well!! My insecure grade 7 self came out, and I just felt too awkward doing that activity. 

The rest of the training was fantastic! My favourite part was when President Pattison gave his training! There was one part in particular that has stood out to me the most. He said, "Elders and Sisters, I want you to know that even at the lowest point of your mission, you are still exceptional. You need to see yourself as Jesus Christ sees you." I having been thinking a lot about that.

Friends and family, I want to stress the importance of that sentence. You need - in order for you to truly know your purpose in life - to see yourself as Jesus Christ sees you. There is a quote from "The Fourth Missionary" that reminded me of this. Elder Callister (at least I think that is who it is by) says, "Trust Him  that he will make of you, immeasurably more, than what you will ever, ever in all eternity, make of yourself. He will create of you a masterpiece. You will create only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man. He will create a God." 

Imagine if everyone knew the eternal truth that they are children of an Almighty God, who loves them. Imagine if everyone who has walked the Earth knew that they had a purpose in this life. I try to think of that as I am tracting. I try to think of that while I am teaching. I know that each of us is a child of God. I am thankful for that knowledge and that I get to teach people about the knowledge I have. It changes life's. I am a witness to that! I know that as we see ourselves as Christ sees us, happiness WILL come! 

Well, I love all of you & hope your week is grand!
Also, it's like 26° C here, and I'm sunburnt. Hahaha
Pics:

1. Petri the Parrot

2. Zone Conf 

3. DQ