So many miracles!

This week has been amazing! I am so grateful to be a missionary during the hastening!
Monday was just a normal preparation day, although Sister S and I did eat lunch at Buffalo Joe's. They do these stuffed burgers, soo good!!!

Tuesday we did a little bit of service for one of our investigator's, she is moving a couple of blocks away, so we helped her move a dresser set.

Wednesday was an awesome day! We had District Training meeting, which is always good! After that we had an appointment with an investigator who lives about 10 miles away. Her lesson went really well, but afterwards was so awesome! We decided to stop at a gas station near her home where Sister S and Sister F (Sister S's last companion) had OTMed an employee. We went there to see if she was working, she was and it was really slow so were able to have a really good lesson on the Book of Mormon, we used the Questions of the Soul from Preach My Gospel. It is such a good way to find out peoples' big concerns! At 8:30 we weren't sure what to do, we felt really prompted to go see an investigator we've been teaching at a gas station here in Pawhuska (we don't spend our whole day in gas stations, I promise!). She wasn't working, in fact, the woman that was working was someone we had never seen before, which is pretty unusual in Pawhuska. It is so crazy when, out of all the potential investigators in the world, we find less-active members!

On Friday we had an appointment at the library with someone that we OTMed last Monday. He wasn't there, but when we walked in a girl walked in right behind us. We felt like we needed to talk to her, so we did. She was having kind of a hard day, we had her pick a question of the soul. She said that she had already been taught all of the answers so she just kind of picked a random one, I was nervous when we read it with her, because it didn't seem to apply to her, and the verses that we decided to read didn't even really seem to answer the question, but after we read she said that she felt a lot better. It just attested to me the power of the Book of Mormon!!

The biggest part of Saturday was the General Women's Broadcast, I was so excited for it! I learned a lot, I've been working on making "small plates," not making "large plates" when I take notes at things like that, so writing my feelings and impressions, not direct quotes. I love that we have the opportunity to hear from the general authorities. I know that they truly receive revelation from Heavenly Father and that they have the power to tell us what He wants us to do.

Sunday was awesome! We had 4 investigators at church!!! We had been averaging at 1 or 2, so 4 was really exciting. One of them has only been once, she went to stake conference, so it was about an hour away and the session that she went to was when they tell you all the statistics, so she thought that we did that every week. We had been calling her every morning to give her a wake-up call, but that wasn't working so we decided that we were going to go to her house before church and wait for her to get ready. We told her we were going to do this, and when we got to her house she was waiting for us!!
This week had it's fair share of miracles and disappointments. "Such is the life of the black name tag." It's easy to focus on the disappointments, but it's more fulfilling to focus on the miracles. The disappointments were results of the agency of others, so there wasn't much we could do about them, the miracles on the other hand were able to happen because we followed promptings.

I am so glad that I have been working on fighting my fears and following promptings. We have seen so many miracles because we've been following the guidance of our Father in Heaven. I know He is aware of us as missionaries and of those that are in our pathways. I know He is aware of each of you, and that he loves you immensely.

I hope you all have an amazingly wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Fleck

Good Old Pow Pow (Sister S's nickname for Pawhuska...)

This week Pawhuska and I got acquainted, and now we're great friends! We teach some really amazing people here in Pawhuska!
On Wednesday we taught one of our investigators who has been taking the lessons for a while, her lessons always get very off topic and sometimes it was hard to feel the spirit. She hadn't been keeping her commitments and we weren't sure how interested she actually was. We had been talking about maybe putting her in the hands of the Lord (dropping her) and letting her heart be softened. The last time we had visited her we invited her to download the Gospel Library App on her Kindle so that she could listen to the Book of Mormon. We went into the lesson on Wednesday and she told us she had tried to download the app, she wasn't able to find it, but she tried! The lesson was completely different! We still got off topic, but the spirit was there! We were so excited!! Plus, we saw her when we first got to the library, so we helped her download the right app, so now she can listen to the Book of Mormon while she cleans! YAY!
Sister S and I sometimes have a hard time filling the 8-9 PM hour, on Saturday we prayed during dinner for help to know who to visit during that time. We do normally pray to know who we should visit that day, but we've never really prayed specifically for that time. We both felt like we should visit this family that we found in the area book during weekly planning. We went over and they were really nice. They let us in and we got to know them a little bit. We taught them about family prayer and assigned each of the kids a job to help it get moving (i.e. one keeps an eye on the time, one gets everyone gathered, one assigns who will say the prayer). The kids were pretty excited and wanted to say a family prayer right then! We were asking the mom when we could come back and it turns out that if we had gone by at 8:00 on any other day, it wouldn't have worked out! Miracles happen all the time!!
Sunday was good. We taught the Stop Smoking Workshop with one of our members to an investigator. It didn't go as well as we would have liked. From now on when we teach it with members, we will role play it with them so they can weigh how to do it more effectively. We do keep the investigators in our personal, companionship, and district prayers every night, and that has been helping I think.

I love Pawhuska, I love the members here, the people we teach her, and the people we haven't met. I know I am where the Lord needs me to be! I love you all and I hope you have a great week!
Much Love,
Sister Fleck

Sister S and I

Our pet cat La Hermana Gato

La Hermana Gato and I 

Pawhuska (Yes, it is as small as it sounds!)

This week has been a lot of fun! My last few days in Broken Arrow were really good. We saw a lot of people that I wanted to say goodbye to and I got pictures (will send later (:).
It was kind of sad to leave Broken Arrow! I felt like I had just gotten there, but I was so excited about Pawhuska because I love small towns. We had to leave really early, S, my new companion, and Sister F, her old companion, met up with Sister L and I. Sister F was going home, so she and Sister L were companions until Sister L new companion got to Broken Arrow.
My first day in Pawhuska was great! We taught a couple of lessons and I learned a lot about the new area! Sister S and I get along really well. We have a lot in common and we connect so well! We have a lot of fun together, but we can also work when it's time!
Pawhuska is great! I love it so much. Broken Arrow (while an amazing area) looked really similar to Utah (minus the mountains), it's a lot of suburbs, so I never really felt like I had left home! Pawhuska, on the other hand, looks a lot like what I imagined Oklahoma to be, so I really feel like I am somewhere different here, and I love it!
Soon after we got to our apartment on Thursday morning we left to go to a Soup Kitchen to volunteer. We do that every Thursday and Saturday. It's a lot of fun and there are some really wonderful people that volunteer with us.
Friday was Zone Conference, and it was awesome! Elder Tad R. Callister came to speak to us. It was just so inspired! I learned some really good analogies to help explain different aspects of the Restoration better! The Training things that we did before he spoke were awesome! Sister S and I learned some good ways to improve our area, and we were so excited to start trying them, and continue using them!
On Saturday a lot of our appointments fell through, so we did quite a bit of tracting. One thing that we do as missionaries is clover tracting. When we go for and appointment or stop-by we try to tract their next-door neighbors on each side and the house across the street, especially if the appointment falls through when we get there, because we have been sent there for a reason! Each time we clover tracted on Saturday we got at least one potential investigator! CLOVER TRACTING WORKS!
On Sunday we had church! It was really good! There are about 20-30 members in the Pawhuska branch and they come from several surrounding towns. Some of them are even from the Bartlesville ward and have a stake calling to attend the Pawhuska branch!! But, I know that one day Pawhuska will have a ward, and it will be huge! :D
I love it so much here and I know that I am supposed to be here at this time for a reason! I love the work I am doing!
I hope you all know how much I love you. I hope you also know how much our Father in Heaven loves you. He knows you by name, He knows the desires and intent of your heart. No matter what you have done in this life, I promise you that He loves you, and I can promise you that because I have seen His love in the lives of those I teach, and as I have asked to develop love for them I have felt the love He has for them. We are all His children. He loves us all infinitely, and eternally.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Fleck ♥

From mom:  Sister Fleck's companion is from Utah and has been out about 10 months.
If any of you would like her mailing address in Pawhuska just send me an email :D

Transfer Calls!!!! Do I Stay or Do I Go?

Don't think that I am going to tell you my fate right away. Transfer calls are Saturday night, I had to wait all week, so you have to wait until the end of my email!!
After emailing last week Sister Lawrence and I went to one of the members houses because the buttons were all falling off of Sister Lawrence's coat and the member offered to fix them for her, then we went to the mall for a while. I was looking for a dress, but wasn't able to find one that was modest enough in my price range.
On Tuesday Sister Lawrence went to MLC, so I was here in Fair Oaks with Siser Schuerman. We had a lot of fun, we got lost a couple of times, but we got around alright. (: When Sister Lawrence got back we went to a nail party that we had been invited to at one of our investigators houses. We were so excited for her. So many sisters from the ward showed up! It was great!
On Wednesday I went to Claremore with Sister Mah'alona. It is a great area! The members are amazing! It was Sister Lawrence's first area, so it was a lot of fun to hear the members talk about how much they love her! Last weekend an investigator from Claremore moved to Fair Oaks so while Sister Lawrence was here in Fair Oaks she and Sister Jeppson went and saw them, so we got a new investigator!
Thursday was a really good day! A couple of weeks ago when I was on exchanges with Sister J, we found some really golden potential investigators. Sister L and I have tried going back to see them, but no one ever answered, but on Thursday, THEY DID! We taught them the first lesson, it went really well, and we set up another appointment, so we have another new investigator!! Woohoo!!!
Friday was zone training! It was really great! President Shumway kind of said that these transfers were going to bring a lot of changes! I was so nervous that Sister L was going to go and I was going to stay in Fair Oaks!!! After Zone training we did two exchanges called Blitz exchanges, so we just swap for about 4 hours. I went to both of them, I was in Owasso with Sister E and Sapulpa with Sister G. It was a lot of fun! I love both of those Sisters so much!
Saturday I went on a blitz with Sister T in Tulsa, the Spanish area! It wasn't as overwhelming as last time because it was only a few hours. It was still a lot of fun though.
Well, I can't think of anything else to put it off, so I might as well get to the good stuff! When the zone leaders called I was so nervous! I was so sure that Sister L was going to leave and I was going to stay and take over Fair Oaks. Sister L answered and they asked how she was doing, she said that she was sad because it was transfer calls and she didn't want to leave Fair Oaks yet. They told her that she shouldn't be sad because she was staying. I was so relieved! I knew then that I was going to leave! I am headed to Pawhuska, Oklahoma with Sister S! I am excited! It is going to be so much fun!!!
We are going to go to the zoo today with the rest of our district! I am pretty excited! It is going to be a lot of fun!
Love, Sister Fleck

Crazy Week, or Crazy Saturday

So much happened this week! I will try to keep the email short so that you don't all feel like you're reading a novel!

On Wednesday we had a Sisters' Training in Arkansas (I can't remember the city). It was so awesome, I really loved it and I learned so much! Sister Shumway showed us a video about Esther and talked about courage and dignity, and then invited us to read the book of Esther, I've been working on that in my personal studies. It's so good! She is such an inspiration! President Shumway talked about measuring ourselves with God's ruler, not ours. He invited us to go to the topical guide and read all the scriptures there about peace. It seems like kind of a big assignment, but it's not really that much.

On Thursday and Friday we did exchanges with the Owasso Sisters, I was in Owasso with Sister A, who came out on the same day that I did! That was a little scary. We have both been out for just barely a month and we were taking over the area! They do a scripture study every week, it's pretty cool. Mostly members go right now, but they are hoping that people will start bringing friends.
After we exchanged back at the stake center, we headed to the mission home to exchange with the sisters in Sapulpa. I was with Sister S here in Fair Oaks! It went pretty well (:

After we exchanged back on Saturday we Sister L and I had a lesson with one of our progressing investigators. We taught him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, endure to the end). It was an amazing lesson. After we went over all the steps Sister L asked him what baptism would mean to him. He knew where we were headed with the question and told us that he wanted to make sure that he was really ready before he got baptized. We suggested that he set a goal of a specific date for him to work towards and if he didn't feel ready by then, we could move it. He agreed and we set a date for April 12th! We are so excited! Sister L told me about the first few times she met and taught him, he has grown so much! I am so grateful that I got to have a small part in his conversion.

Oh man! I ran out of time! I will write about the rest of my week in my letter home. I haven't even gotten to the best parts yet! Mom, could you type the letter up and post it on my blog please?
Love,
Sister Fleck ♥

Here is the video she spoke about
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-30-for-such-a-time-as-this?lang=eng  

Here is another video that is wonderful I found when searching for the other one.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-03-084-when-all-is-said-and-done?lang=eng

The song is When All Is Said And Done by Kathrine Nelson (I found it on the EFY 1999 album)

Continuing :D
Let's see, where was I?  I believe Sister L was in Sapulpa.  It was nice to exchange back, because of how the exchanges worked Sister L and I hand only been together for about an hour in a 36 - 48 hour period.  For roommates this doesn't seem like much, but for companions that's madness!

After exchange we taught one of our investigators the Gospel of Jesus Christ...wait, how much of this did I already talk about?  I think I finished that part... either way, HE HAS A BAPTISIM DATE!!! YAY!  So a couple of weeks ago when I was in Owasso with Sister E we had dinner with this investigator whose son was baptized about 4 years ago. While I was there the son was asking what my area boundaries are.  I told him and gave me his dad and step-mom's address.  Sister L and I stopped by there last Sunday.  One question we ask as missionaries is if they go to church and where they go.  They go to church at -------- on Saturdays.  They invited us to go and we can go to just about any church (there are a couple that we're not allowed to go to) as long as we're invited by an investigator and as long as it doesn't interfere with our church.  So, we went! It was a is this non-denominational Christian Church, to be honest, it didn't feel much like church, that I am use to anyway.
Sunday was good. Church as almost canceled because of the weather.  Sister L and I were really glad that it wasn't because we really felt like we needed church after Saturday's, like we needed to be reminded what church should be like!

The weather was insane though! It was snowing, hailing and raining at one point and it hailed sideways for a while!  We felt really bad for the Indian Springs Elders who are on bikes! :(
Today (Monday) We went to the mall! IT was a lot of fun! I found a couple of small things.  Nothing major though.
I love you all! I hope you have a wonderful week!
Scripture of the week 1 Nephi 17:13

  13 And I will also be your alight in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my               commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

I hope you all know how much your Heavenly Father loves you and that He will be "Your" light in the wilderness if you let Him

Love Sister Fleck


Lizzie does a Sticky Note of the Week to us this week's quote was
"Who are the members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?
We are a people who love the Lord with all our hearts, souls and minds.  And we are a people who love our neighbors as ourselves"
Joseph B. Wirthin

Letters to Porter's Crossing Ward

Here are two letters Sister Fleck wrote to Porter's Crossing ward and the Porter's Crossing Youth.

Feb 10, 2014
Dear Porter's Crossing Youth
Hi!  How are you all doing?
I wanted to share something that I learned in the MTC with you!
We are constantly told to read the scriptures, we are told that we can find answers and promptings in them.  It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I knew how.  I knew that it would happen, I just thought maybe there was a trick that I didn't know.  The good news is, there isn't a trick!
Start off by eliminating as many distractions as you can. I know that having no distractions is impossible, but get rid of the distractions that you have control over (yes, this does mean turning your cell phone off).
Next, pray.  You might consider: thanking Heavenly Father for the opportunity or asking for understanding.  Then, if you have a question, or concern, share it with Him.
Now it's time to study!  Stop every verse or two and ask yourself, "What does this mean?", "What doe it mean to me?" or "Why was this verse include for me in these latter-days?" and other similar questions.  If you don't know what something means: as word, phrase, or whole verse, look at the footnotes, cross reference, look in the index, Bible Dictionary, or Topical Guide.  Do the same if a verse stands out to you!
Be ready to take notes! Write meaningful references and why they are meaningful.  Write thoughts, feelings and impressions that you have.  They might be unrelated to what you're studying, but because you're in the right frame of mind the Holy Ghost can communicate with you!
When you are done, pray again!  You could thank Heavenly Father for the opportunity to study again, thank Him and maybe even share with Him the things that you learned!
Preach My Gospel (page 17) says "Studying is an act of faith..." If you don't get an answer right away, that's okay!  Sometimes our faith needs to be tested (Ether 12:6)!
In an article by Elder Russell M. Nelson, in the October 2011 Ensign (page 11) he says "It was God's love that prompted Him to command Nephite prophets to keep a sacred record of their people... These teachings are now available in the Book of Mormon."
I know that as you study the scriptures you will find answers, comfort and insight that you might not have even known you needed.
Please don't let this wonderful tool go to waste like I did for so many years.
Love Sister Fleck

Letter to the Ward
Hello to the Porter's Crossing Ward!
Hi! How is everyone?
I'm doing really well! I am in an area called "Fair Oaks" in Oklahoma.  Fair Oaks is a ward in the town just outside of Tulsa called Broken Arrow.
It is a really neat area, it reminds me of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs.
The Fair /Oaks ward reminds me a little bit of Porter's Crossing Ward! It's a little smaller and there aren't quite as many kids.  But the members are almost as awesome as the Porter's Crossing members ;)
I've  been wondering how the challenge of 10,000 ordinance is going? I am sure it is going well.
Sister Shumway (the mission president's wife) was talking about how we are all brothers and sisters, when I first got to Oklahoma, she said that we all knew each other in the pre-mortal existence, then she reminded us that so many of our brothers and sisters don't have the joy of the gospel in their lives.  She imagines, and I agree, that we probably promised some of our brothers and sisters that we would share the gospel with them when we met in this life.  Don't forget that promise.  Don't forget how important missionary work is, and why it's so important.

Love Sister Fleck