2/9/2014
It is so great to hear from you!
Thanks for letting me know about the Super bowl. I didn't hear about it! Sounds like a crazy game. It always seems like some of those big games turn out to be flops just like the BYU bowl game did. This is what I heard from everybody about it. Maybe BYU will be better next year!
It sounds like it is still pretty cold over there. We just got out of the cold season! It got pretty cold here J Just kidding, it felt cold but it was only like 70 degrees. Haha.
I am glad you guys are doing great!
I have been doing great this week. Except for ever body seeming to be on edge and there has been a lot of stress for the Chinese New Year. I have been working double time to be the peace maker over here. Despite the stress, something really cool happen yesterday. Everyone got fired up to do member missionary work. Everyone is now helping out. The branch president from a long time ago stopped by to visit. He bore a powerful testimony about member missionary work and how that will help the full time missionaries so much! :) It was great! Everyone is now getting on bored with it! Even our less actives are helping out.
Health wise I am doing ok.. kinda.. I have been sick with a head/throat cold all week as well as my knee has started to act up. I am not sure why, but it hurts to walk around, although, I can ride my bike just fine. If my knee hurts next week, I will go to the doctor. It just takes time away from the missionary work.
Here is the quote of the week:
A member said over the pulpit this week and said "we have a mickey mouse in the white house so the second coming is on its way!" haha it was so funny!
The Elders in Singapore went to go visit Marie Lofthouse’s grandson. They couldn’t find him. The address she gave is missing an apartment number. He also isn’t answering the phone. Please get with her, the missionaries really want to talk to him.
Thank you so much J You guys are the best!! I love you so much!
Love your son,
Elder Fletcher
2/16/2014
Prison warden Kenyon J. Scudder has related this experience: A friend of his happened to be sitting in a railroad coach next to a young man who was obviously depressed. Finally the man revealed that he was a paroled convict returning from a distant prison. His imprisonment had brought shame to his family, and they had neither visited him nor written often. He hoped, however, that this was only because they were too poor to travel and too uneducated to write. He hoped, despite the evidence, that they had forgiven him.
To make it easy for them, however, he had written them to put up a signal for him when the train passed their little farm on the outskirts of town. If his family had forgiven him, they were to put a white ribbon in the big apple tree which stood near the tracks. If they didn’t want him to return, they were to do nothing, and he would remain on the train as it traveled west.
As the train neared his home town, the suspense became so great he couldn’t bear to look out of his window. He exclaimed, “In just five minutes the engineer will sound the whistle, indicating our approach to the long bend which opens into the valley I know as home. Will you watch for the apple tree at the side of the track?” His companion changed places with him and said he would. The minutes seemed like hours, but then there came the shrill sound of the train whistle. The young man asked, “Can you see the tree? Is there a white ribbon?”
Came the reply: “I see the tree. I see not one white ribbon, but many. There must be a white ribbon on every branch. Son, someone surely does love you.”
In that instant he stood cleansed by Christ.
His friend said, “I felt as if I had witnessed a miracle.”
I found this during personal study this week. I love the power of love and forgiveness. It is so amazing to see the love that others show. The love we show to others directly affects their lives. There are many good things we do, that we might not see the fruits of but no act of service of love is in vain it always is carried to human hearts by the Power of the Holy Ghost.
It has been a crazy week. It has been crazy with trying to figure things out, and helping people come unto Christ, the Word of wisdom, church councils, college and just tons of things have been on my mind.
My mission president has been talking to us all about our goals. He is very interested in our futures. I told me that he will write a letter of recommendation to get me into BYU if I really want to. But now, I don’t know if really want to. I know that I have tons of time to make this decision; it is just on my mind today. I am thinking about doing something in business management.
Well despite all these questions, I am doing great. I feel more spiritual then ever this week. I have had so many opportunities to bear my testimony. I am also a lot more confident in my Chinese. I actually like speaking Chinese more then English.
The pictures I included are of a monkey that was so cute! And a member that has about 70+ chickens for cock fighting. Very interesting!
Transfers are this week. Here is how you will know if I am getting transferred. On Saturday if I will withdraw $60 from the checking account, I am going to the east, $100, I will be in the west and nothing, I will either stay here or be going to Singapore. The money will be the cost to ship my bike. The mission will reimburse me for it, but I have to pull it out of the account because I will be all out. Oh and if I don’t email you on Monday, I will be training.
Well I love you guys so much!!
Love your son
Elder Fletcher
