Thanksgiving

FAMILY!!!

Wow, what a fast and great week I've had!  So it started with I thought that all cats, when you throw them or they fall, they land on their feet right?  So I picked up Garfield, a fat orange alley cat.  And well, I threw him!  He landed on his feet!! But as with all scientific experiments you must do them twice!  So I picked him up and threw him again and he landed on his head.  Oops!  He is fine but I felt really bad. :/  Kinda like when that bird flew in front of my BB gun when I was little. 

Man, thank you so much for the package!!  I loved it!!  The toys and that head scratcher, I love it all!  Thank you so much!  You guys are the best support system.  So we had dinner with a newly wedded RM (return missionary) and I asked him how his mission was, he couldnt talk!  He got all choked up!  Wow!  What a missionary he must have been!  He is a spiritual giant. a little guy but his spirit is extremely valiant and powerful you can just feel it when you are around him!  He is going to come out on splits with us soon.  

Man, so Thanksgiving was awesome!  We went to the Ruberts, then the Moss's and then the Bucks and then the Carlsons!  It started out great until we decided to turn it into an eating contest.  Then by the last dinner, I won by an olive!  I almost threw up just from an olive!  It was awesome!  I've never felt so full in my life.  At the Carlsons, all the guys in their famliy relaxed by the fire!  Their family is crazy, so it's fun to be around them, reminds me of ours.  

Some missionaries went to Walmart that night because it was an all day Pday and one got run over by an old grandma with a shopping cart! bahahaha  Funniest story ever.  The Boera's sent me a package!  Woohhoooo!  It was great!  I am sending them a letter today!  That little football you guys sent me, we turned it into a 10-10:30 game!  We play at night and we just throw it around trying to get it into each other's goals or boxes haha.  It's way fun!  I tend to spazz out so I need to move stuff away so it doesn't get destroyed.  

So we went to see Toya, who is a JW, to teach and we didn't know why we were there.  She couldn't meet with us, but her sister came running to the door and said she had been praying to find out our bishop's number all day! We knocked on her door for no reason, really!  How crazy!  Everyday we see miracles.  Literally.  

Oh man, so I got 30 minutes of alone time the other day, I ran outside and tried to come back in and the door was locked!  I was very underdressed haha it was 20 degrees out and Elder Miller was in the bathroom!  I tried every way of getting in and finally just sat there.  It was freezing but funny and a good journal entry.  We lost power in church the other day!  It was cool to have the speakers talk without the microphone.  Jack talked about how our house didn't flood and the blessings of having a missionary out serving righteously.

So I want to send a quick spiritual thought:

As representatives, servants, and disciples of Jesus Christ, we have a mighty calling.  Yes, this is to every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  In Luke 9:62 it reads, "no man, having put his hands to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God".  We are called to always be on the Lord's errand!  The Lord doesn't need the prettiest people, or the most famous, the wealthiest, or the most popular.  He needs and is calling for righteous disciples.  God has put the paper in front of us and when we were baptized we took the name of Jesus Christ upon us.  We promised to stand as an example.  In Mosiah 18:9, it reads, Stand as witnessess of God AT ALL TIMES, and in ALL THINGS, and in ALL PLACES.  You can't expect on Sundays to have the spirit with you and renew your covenants and receive blessings, if during the week you are fooling around with partying, girls, inappropriate dancing, vulgar language and hundreds of other deceitful sins that are not just ok but promoted in today's society.  We must always stand as a witness because "Isreal, Isreal, God is calling..."  He wants to bless us and make us happy.  There is a very detailed yet simple court layed out showing us what lines we need to stay within to play in the game.  When we let our standards fall, saying "oh this bathing suit is ok, or oh this party is ok, or oh it's ok to do this on Sunday", it's the little things that catch us and ensare us.  Those things are what takes the light out of our souls and out of our eyes.  Everyone realizes when that light is gone.  But most of all, the Lord knows.  Some members today are stuck in a rut of doing the bare minimum.  By doing this, you are robbing yourselves of the infinite blessings of Christ.  We are called to put our hands to the plow and never look back.  In that scripture, Jesus rebukes his disciple, for after Jesus asked him to come and preach side by side with him, he asked if he can go say goodbye to his family first.  We all accepted the call.  When we not just obey God's commandments, but do the extra work, go the extra mile...that is when the angels come.  It is when we step down from worldy taking and step up for the cause of Christ that miracles happen.  So DO MORE.  Climb the extra step, crawl that extra inch, reach that next goal. and watch the Lord work miracles within.

This church is true.  The priesthood is the authority and power to act in God's name.  It is real.  Young men, stay true to the priesthood that you hold, it is an honor to have it, do not take the priesthood or your calling lightly. Women, you are just as important, if not more so.  Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God at this time, take heed to his every word.  He is speaking as if Jesus Christ were here.  Follow the Holy Ghost.  Don't blaspheme before God and man by asking for temporal and physical signs of the truth.  The Holy Ghost is here to testify, teach, and lead us.  What more can we ask for?  The Book of Mormon is true.  It really is recordings of Ancient Prophets from the Americas.  How blessed we are to have that!  I love this gospel, every single part of it.  I love the lines of worthiness that are put before us.  They are there for our happiness.  If you haven't done so yet, try it!  Try being exactly obedient and feel that happiness.  It will come.  Blessings of righteousness always come. Whether now, later, or in heaven.  They do come.

I love you!! have a great week! I am doing excellent!

Love,
Elder Fischetti

Simple Service and Spirit Animals?

(Our letter to Elder Fischetti this week revolved mainly around the opportunity that we had here at home to go down to Far Rockaway, Queens on Sunday to serve the people who suffered so much from Hurricane Sandy.)

Dear Family:

That is so cool!!  I'm jealous!  Missionary work is the best, isn't it?  The Lord works miracles!  I see it every single day, don't ever doubt Him.  We have 6 families having us over so far for Thanksgiving!  Yeah!  I don't know how it's going to all fit!

So last night, we went to the Burbanks, a non-member family's house, they invited us in and we basically had a Family Home Evening with them!  We played a Monopoly card game with them for a few minutes.  We definitely gained their trust and they invited us back on Friday. He is a hunter and construction worker, we got along really well.

The Hills have had a hard week.  A few problems have come up and they called us first!!  I felt very loved that they come right to us when they have struggles!  We gave some council and read scriptures, and both times when we showed up, people were mad and crying, and after the spirit entered their home with us, when we left they were laughing and having fun! We also helped fix up their truck!  We replaced windshield motors and brake pumps.  

So my spirit animal is the Black Panther.  Way cool!  The dad, Sonny, dreamed of it!  He said I was in attack mode protecting his family.  My Indian name, I can't type it on the keyboard, but the translation is The Guardian.  They said I have a very tender and loving heart but when something threatens those I love in a physical or spiritual way, I won't let anything touch them.  He said he can actually see people's spirits.  Not even kidding!  He said my spirit isn't afraid of any evil spirit.  They said I have way too much energy and that outside of teaching lessons, I am very sporadic!  They love to have us over for family prayer every night.  They are progressing very well and when temptation comes around, they have learned to take it and seek the good out of it!  

Look at 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12 vs 9 & 10... out of clutter find simplicity, in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.  That scripture talks just about that.  Take joy in reproaches for God's sake.  When we have a trial, there is always a way we can grow from it, progress and move forward.  The bishop is helping organize people to help the Hills, they don't have much money and no furniture!  So we are getting some for them along with food!  It's great to see a community helping out!

Oh man, the other day we were walking down the road and saw an ambulance so we asked if we could help, they invited us in and we helped load up an elderly lady onto a stretcher. She was sick and needed help!  Police were there as well!  Talk about a comforting group of men!  Ambulance guys, police, and the Lord's workers. 

I played Monopoly with Elder Braby one night, I kicked his b...! ok (I am not sure why he chose to share this other than the fact that playing Monopoly in our family tends to be a highly competitive activity...maybe he is trying to let us know he hasn't changed that much haha) 

Stake President Walker gave us some referrals!!  What a compliment, he hasn't done that in years!  I love my mission and I love always being on the Lord's Errand.  I hope you guys are doing well!  You are always in my prayers, the Lord loves you and knows every single thing you go through.  When things get hard, turn to the scriptures.  In Ether Chapter 2, when they are building the boats, they consult with the Lord FIRST!  He knows everything!  He can invent anything or come up with or fix any problem.  Turn to the Lord!  It's that easy!  Seek answers with faith!  Read from the scriptures and the Lord will give you thoughts and ideas. Heaven inspired ideas are the best ideas possible.  They can change our lives.  I love you all so much!  Stay safe, work hard, but play harder haha jk.

Love,

Elder Fischetti

-The leaders of tomorrow are going to be those that empower others.

Elders Fischetti and Braby

Elders and Sisters in Saint Anthony

 Sometimes we forget they are just big kids doing big works

 Elder Fischetti's Native American Indian name: The Guardian

 Elders teaching the Hills

Elders Fischetti and Braby with the wonderful Blacks!

Kickin' It In High Gear

MOM!!!

WoW what a busy week you sound like you've had!  Thank you for the advice, it's true everything we have is from the Lord so who are we to boast?  I am glad you are all doing good!  Man that breaks my heart that Grammy kisses my picture :( so sad haha.  I miss them too.  

The snakes in our house, well I don't know but they are starting to leave from the basement. Grandma's story yuck!!  I would freak out!!!  (I shared a story with Thomas in our letter about a time when I lived as a little girl not too far from where he is serving and his grandma went down to the basement one day to find a nest of baby snakes in the sheets she was going to wash). yuk.

But man let me tell you about my amazing week!!

So it started at the DI, (Deseret Industries is a thrift store).  I bought a banana suit for $5 like the original Jamba one...and I wore it into Jamba Juice and got a free smoothie!!!  yeah pretty cool. 

The other night we were ready to go in 15 minutes early, it was 5 degrees out and dark. But I said "one last knock."  So we did, it was a guy named Danny and he started venting to us about how he has been trying to quit smoking and get back to church!!  Miracles happen when we endure!  We are meeting with him This week!  So exciting!  

We went to teach the Hills Wednesday night, but they were all sick!  So we gave them blessings!  Roseline, their daughter, had an ulcer attack and I gave her a blessing, she was healed the next morning!!!  Amazing.  

Elder Braby and I are closer than close!  He is the man and we just are always laughing, running around, and just having the best time ever!  Too bad he is being transferred. :(  He is going to be a zone leader.  I love being super busy and having a million things going on at once!  That's when I excel because of my ADD.  I kick it into another gear and just make it work.  My new companion is coming up here on Wednesday.  His name is Elder Miller, he is my mission brother, Elder Aiono trained him as well!!  So I am super excited to meet him.  I have only heard good things about him.  

We have been taking a lot of youth on splits recently, (splits are where young men go out with the missionaries to be a "companion" with a missionary while they work - it helps the youth learn about what it is like to be a missionary before they go themselves) they are all amazing and I love them!  Cad is coming out with us tomorrow night!!!  Cad is basically my best friend haha.  We switched ties for a week, he wanted to wear my red one.  He wants to serve a mission!!!!!  I told him I will make it to his farewell!  Either way I will make it work.  

A lot of moms out here go on missionary mom something - it's a website, Mom, become a part of it, all the women out here talk about trying to find you so they can update you!!  Pretty cool!  

Then a lot of people found out about my energy. haha  We were sitting next to the Church's at a fireside and they were both whispering and laughing, they were talking about how I couldn't sit still for the life of me.  Jack said he wants to give me a 5 hour energy to see what happens. haha  Baad idea.  I just have so much cooped up energy and I just get it out all day.  Then when I'm sitting, it's just almost unbearable.  But it's good, without it I wouldn't be so crazy to do the Lord's work.  

I am staying here for the next 6 weeks for sure till next transfers.  So you can continue to send mail to my direct address.  For Thanksgiving, we already have families calling us to have us for dinner!  We have 4 dinners that day already!!  With all of our most living families.  I am super excited since it's an all day P-day, we can have some fun with the families.  We had a Turkey Bowl for one of the wards in the snow the other day, it was so much fun, it was old guys vs. young guys.  I have so many close families out here, I love this area!! 

Man, have you seen the new Ferrari f70???  Jack showed me a picture...wow!  But material things don't matter...but it's a work of art!!  Ok, moving on haha sorry. 

So the Hills, the native american family I have been working with, Elmer the dad was a medicine man for years and years so I asked him if he can find out my spirit animal!!!  He said he will tonight, yessssss life complete.  They had us sign their Books of Mormon for them, they came to church and said every talk was meant for them!!!  Yesss success!  They accepted to be baptized on December the 29th.  They said they will do whatever it takes to make it work.  I love them, every time we go over it's just such a spiritual experience!!!  

Well, I love my mission.  I love it so much.  I know why they call it the best 2 years, it's because it is.  I miss home and you so much! and our entire family, but I just love my mission!!!  I hope all is well at home!  I'm so glad you are all ok!  Tell the rest of the family I say hi!  I love my mission.  I can't say it enough.  It's hard but so great!!  Have a great week!!  I dont think I need anything at the moment. maybe some CD's from Deseret Book, or your own CD's you can make.  We can choose what music we listen to as long as it uplifts us.  

Have a great week!!  Never stop growing and never stop excelling.  The Lord Expects.  He expects us to choose the right.  So do it!!!  I love you all!!!  Miss you so much!!!

Love,

Elder Fischetti

Our missionary - so proud and happy to be serving.

 Well, I guess we can say he is no longer a "greenie"!

 Elder Fischetti received a free smoothie for donning this banana costume 

he picked up at the D.I. to his local Jamba Juice.

We need to find out a little more about these.  Intriguing.

Elders come and go in people's lives but leave their tracks for others to follow.

The Best Two Years

Mom!!!! (Elder Fischetti's letters are to everyone, but I write our "family" letter, so sometimes he writes to me)

Yes, I am able to drive now, thank you so much for taking care of that!! (driving record needed to be sent to the mission office so he can start driving). Holy cow, that storm really destroyed a lot!  I can't even believe it!  We can't watch the news, so I just rely on people's words.  This election is so nerve wracking!! (Elder Fischetti's email this week was written on Election Day, prior to results).

I bore my testimony in another ward about missionary work. I said "Some advice to the youth, sisters and brothers, prepare.  Prepare to serve a full time mission.  There is no work that is more important at this time in our lives.  We are given a commandment and a promise to serve and if we do our lives will be forever blessed. Just as our brothers and sisters before us put their whole heart and soul into the gospel and building the kingdom of God here upon the earth, we Must put our hands to the plow and never look back. NEVER." It's true, we can't slow down!  

We are starting a mission prep class for all of the youth on Sunday evenings.  The Stake President is really excited, and calls us his missionaries!  I love my mission, I can't say it enough.  It is such an honor to be out here.  When people ask me how my mission was, I don't want to be one of those guys that say "it was good, or fun or cool."  I want to be like Jack Church, who still to this day - 16 years later - wears his name tag on the inside of his suit coat every Sunday and when you ask him how his mission was, he looks to the ground, and with tears in his eyes looks at you and says, "It was the most amazing time of my life."  Every second that passes is just one less second I will be here for!  Just as in hockey, every second counts.  There is no such thing as making up for lost time, so I have really been taking advantage of every second of my mission.  "You have 2 years to do it, and an eternity to think about it." 

So the Hills, the Native American family, are doing really good.  They bore their testimony to us of how they love us coming over and teaching them.  This week has been a little slow on lessons since we split the Stake and gave 90% of our investigators to the Sisters (sister missionaries).  It's ok, the Lord wants us to focus harder on these wards for a reason!  We found 2 new families and 2 new investigators yesterday!!!  Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven.  I love the families out here, they are like my second family, I love all of them so much. 

The other day, I went down to our basement because our house is known as the snake house.  I now know why! I saw a snake right in front of my face!  YUCKKK  I hate snakes!  We want to go snake hunting with the boys in our stake. haha  But we can't risk getting bit, so probably not!  

An older lady had us over for dinner, she kept saying how nervous she was to feed us, she was so adorable!!! She said she woke up early and all day prepared the food and the table!  She had her nicest dishes out and it was really fun to be with her.  She is adorable and like a grandma now haha. 

I witnessed a miracle, we were trying to find a house the other night, and no matter what we did, we couldn't find it.  Then a man came running to us and said he had to talk to us!!  So we went into his home very cautiously, and we found out his brother committed suicide the other month and now he needed help.  We are teaching him now and he is changing slowly but surely.  We weren't ever supposed to find that house we were looking for, we were supposed to find him.  

We went to a Figure 8/Destruction Derby (maybe he means Demolition Derby?) the other day. haha  It was so funny to watch!  All of the true Idahoans came out of their shells and it was almost like a movie! haha  We only stayed a few minutes, but gave away 2 Books of Mormon.

I want all of you to read 1 Nephi 16, but read it to discover new knowledge.  Especially in verses 30 and 38, it talks about the liahona, which runs on faith and obedience and will lead you to the mountain of the Lord. It's a message within a message.  If we are obedient and faithful, our liahona (or the Holy Ghost) will lead us to the mountain of the Lord!  Faith and trust in the Lord and anything is possible.  If we don't show faith, he can't work miracles.  It just isn't possible.  It's easy - almost too easy.  We have a clear description and example on how to live the happiest and most successful life possible!  It's called the Book of Mormon!  To all of those who have not read it...READ IT.  It is the Only book with a promise.  The promise is that if you read it and pray about it with a sincere heart and a desire to know if its true... You will receive an answer.  It's a promise!  Just give it a try. There is no better way to know how to live to become exactly what you want to!

This church is true. Jesus is the Christ and Savior of this world.  I will never slow down from doing the work of the Lord because I know the messages and teachings of this gospel are 100% true!  There is no doubt in my mind of that.  The Holy Ghost can talk to everyone, pray and ask for help and you will receive it!  God is there, he loves each and every one of you.  I know that for a fact.  As a servant of the Lord, I can promise things, I promise that if you read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, you will recieve an answer.  I also promise that if you are struggling, turn to the Lord in prayer.  Pray always in your hearts and expect an answer.  He will give it. Always stay on the Lord's team.  This church is true.  Everything about it.  The Priesthood organization is the largest most powerful group of men in the world.  The Relief Society is the largest group of women in the world as well.  I know that The Book of Mormon really are the words of prophets and of God.  I know that Joseph Smith translated it through the power of God.  I know that Thomas S. Monson, our prophet, speaks to God directly.  He literally speaks to him.  He knows exactly how to lead this church.  To Know is to DO.  We know this church is true and to all of those that don't already know, search for the answer and when you recieve it and know this church is the church of God, Act on it!  

I love this gospel, I love my mission, and I love serving other people.  I can't explain how much I love my mission, words don't do it justice.  I am having the time of my life.

Have a great week!!  Stay safe and help others!  Lean on the Lord and may He walk beside you and carry you when needed.

Love,

Elder Fischetti

 

You have a heritage: Honor it

You will meet sin: Shun it

You have the truth: Live it

You have a testimony: Share it

 Elder Fischetti and Elder Braby - New Companions

 Elder Fischetti with Cad

 Cad's Baptism Day

The Boys with Jack Church, their best friend!

 The Elders' Idaho Bike Rack 

Can't resist?

Snow Fun