A Fisher of Men: Learning is Progress

Hey so this week has been so awesome!!!!

To start out, though, I wanted to compare how I have felt this past month. I felt as if I have been kind of set back in terms of progression and missionary work. That is how I felt at first...I realize the actuality of my situation is totally the opposite, as I look back at it today.

I remember my 8th grade year at JJMS, when we had a captain’s practice with the seniors of the varsity team. There was the one guy I looked up to as a hero almost, he was big, fast, aggressive, friendly, well liked in school. To me, he was what I wanted to be a few years down the road. It was during one of the practices, we were doing 1 on 1's and the rotation worked out to be me on offense against him on defense. I grinned and got all excited to zip around him and score a goal on the new goalie. (That’s what I thought.) As I took off skating, I couldn't help but smile big because I was now playing with this teammate that I looked up to so much. I cross center ice with a full head of steam, then to the blue line where I don’t even know what happened....all I know is I hit the ice, slid into the boards, and the play was over. As I gathered my thoughts and started getting up, he reached his hand toward me and said great job. I thought to myself, Great Job?? That was horrendous!! He helped me up, dusted me off, straightened out my jersey and put me on my way. Now I can relate this to my situation here on my mission. I was doing great, getting baptisms, teaching more lessons than most companionships, I get put up to a leadership calling early on...I thought I was just grabbing success each day. I get put with Elder R, we baptize people even against our harsh odds, things were great. Until I get a challenge. I get a new companion who really dragged me down at times. The adversary did not want us teaching, so both of our tempers got in the way, laziness hit him, frustration hit me. It was a whirlwind. The next thing I know, we are having dates drop, having less teaching appointments. To me, I felt as if all progression had halted. I got knocked down, I felt as if I had failed. I wasn’t able to do it all at the same time and still exceed with flying colors. But at the end of it all, it hit me. Heavenly Father has cut me down to help me grow. My purpose this past month was to be cut down, to grow in other areas, rather than achieve success in the common areas I was used to. Heavenly Father, even though I didn’t pass with flying colors, is still here to pick me up, dust me off, tell me I’ve done a great job and set me out on my way again. The stories just aligned the other day to me. I just need to put myself aside and trust in the Lord’s plan for me. I have grown more in having hope, patience, and trust. I now know that He is here for us, and has a different plan for us than what we all planned for. I really have felt my Father’s love as I pray to him begging for hope and for help. It came to me as an experience on a hockey team. This week will be the highest teaching week yet. We have so many lessons set up. Last night, I was just driven. I called every person I know that we can teach and set up 2 appointments each this week!!! I am so excited.

Ok, so back to my fantastic week! We had a huge water fight with all of Brother Packer’s family the other night! We filled up a bunch of water balloons and sneak attacked them when we were coming in for the night. We all got soaked and it was just spazzy, crazy fun. The next night the little circle that our house is in had a big firework party, so we went and watched...well it turned out to be more running for our lives!!! hahaha I loved it. So a big canister with 10 shells tipped over after the first shot haha, so as you can imagine big mortars were flying everywhere!!! They were exploding in front of us, shooting past us, haha I was spazzing like crazy running in circles jumping over chairs! IT was so funny! Nobody got hurt, well just a few minor burns. So it’s all good. M&M – makin’ memories, as Parker and I would say. The 4th was crazy!!! We had a float in the town parade haha. We threw out over 40,000 tootsie rolls!! We were standing up on the float and I have never had so many people yell for us in our lives. Every group of people just bursted out screaming for us...at the end of the parade we were told that we were the #1 float in the parade!!!! So exciting! When I saw a family I knew, I just bombarded them with candy haha. So then we were able to stay out till 11!!!! We went to watch the firework show in our town...it’s the biggest one west of the Mississippi!! Well we didn't get to watch any of it because a poor guy drowned in the Snake River (drunk + swimming=bad). They postponed the fireworks till 11!!! dahhh so we had to go in! Our house was vibrating from the huge bangs.

The next morning during studies, I heard someone mowing the lawn, so I opened our window and started talking to whoever it was in my high pitched girly voice haha. They didn’t hear me, so I thought....I started to climb out of our basement window haha, well his granddaughter was watching me the entire time :/ really embarrassing...so I just sneaked around and squeezed through the window and shut it. The whole family now makes fun of me because of it. Well, I had to get revenge on the one who was head of the teasing...so in testimony meeting yesterday I got up and told everybody since all the men in the Packer family has gotten up but one, he had to go. It was pretty funny.

Anyways, I am having a blast, and doing work like I’m dying. Only 13 months left of this, so I better make it good. I love my mission, I love my area, and I love my companion. I love you all so much! Tell everyone in the family that I say hello! Also tell Keri Bryant that I say hello and I will write her when I get some time, I promise! She gave me a birthday gift! I love you all! Have a great week! Enjoy the weather and enjoy life!

xoxoxo

Love,

Elder Fischetti

"you miss 100% of the shots you don't take."