March 20th 2018 Birthdays and Blah

Good day!

I always forget to forewarn when P-days are on Tuesdays...oh well. Thanks for your emails yesterday! With a phone, luckily, I could read all of them in the morning and lunch, so I skipped the reading part today and could get straight to writing back! Yay!

I love what I'm doing here, and the progress we're seeing in this area! Sister Gillies is continuing to try her best and learn as quick as she can. Since the training meeting there's a lot of things we wanted to improve on. We've had a lot of fun and some great insights from discussing Adjusting to Missionary Life every day in companionship study. Lots of good tools for adjusting to anything!

This week I was sick a lot, which was frustrating! But we still accomplished a lot despite that, and stayed very busy when I was up for it. We taught a new person, a guy named Brian we met at Walmart a couple weeks ago, and have a lot of potential people to teach this week! We've worked a lot more with the members of our wards and, let me tell ya, it's hard to get coordinated but it's so worth it. 

That's pretty much it, though. Just doing the missionary thing, day in and day out. I highly recommend it to a friend. Sorry for the short email, but that's all I got this week...so enjoy some pictures!

Love you all!

Sister Fluegel ​​

Road Trip! March 12, 2018

I thought I lived far away from mission headquarters in Sikeston...out here in the boonies of Mahomet, IL it takes more than 3 hours to get to St. Louis! 

Which is what we did on Friday this week for "New Missionary Orientation Meeting." It's probably my favorite meeting, because our mission president focuses on the basics and the discussions that we have, especially the new missionaries' comments, are so young and refreshing! I know I sound like an old fart saying that, but seriously I love being around young people!

Which has been my joy and pleasure every day of late. Sister Gillies is learning and working hard and of course, teaching me along the way :) The past week we've worked hard, and have plans to work even harder and invite God's power into our efforts this week. It hasn't been easy. I've said it once, I'll say it again: most good things aren't easy.

Which is funny, because this week I was asked to give a talk about this line of scripture in Matthew 11:28-30:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Living as God would have us is not easy! At least not in my experience! There is definitely the most hope and long-lasting joy involved than by living any other way, but it involves effort and work on our part. Jesus Christ's invitation to take his yoke upon me some days excites me, and other days intimidates me. How can I when I feel too weak?

But I have definitely learned over the past few years, especially since leaving home, that I never am pulling alone. A yoke is beam that helps two oxen pull the same load, *together.* Jesus Christ is pulling regardless of whether I am! But when I do, he strengthens me, until indeed his yoke is easy, his burden is light, and I come out of it a better person.

For most of my life, my immediate response to a new burden is "Take it away!" I'm learning, though, that the best response is "Strengthen me!" 

So that's my little thought for the week. Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I have loved being a missionary for all of my 20th year, it's been amazing. As always, I'm sure the best is yet to come!

Sister Fluegel 

P.S. Ed Logsdon in Jacksonville was baptized this past Saturday!! I'm so happy for the Logsdons <3

 

 

March 5, 2018 Y'all Need Jesus

Well hello, if it isn't my favorite people?

I'm happy to report despite having Zone Conference, beginning the long and arduous process of inputting our paper Area Book online, and going on exchanges in Springfield, a few other things were still accomplished this week!

Tuesday was my last day using a paper planner :'( I've gotten so attached to these things! They're like journals! Tuesday we also got to start working at the 1st Presbyterian Food Pantry which was so much fun and full of so many great people. We also dropped off soup to some of our favorite people here, the Woznicks.

Wednesday was Zone Conference! I got to see some of my previous companions, Sister Hardy and Sister Lowe! And lucky Sister Lowe, my trainer Sister Bustillos or Ataya as she now goes by (lol) stopped in Jacksonville and spent the day with the Jacksonville sisters! At least my mission mom and my mission daughter got to witness Darla Logsdon being baptized if I couldn't :) Pictures or it didn't happen!

We also got trained on how to use smart phones in our missionary work...who would have guessed it, but it's been so long since I looked at a screen for more than 2.5 hours a week that I've been getting headaches from looking at the phone!! I've turned into an old grandma!! 

Thursday was exchanges, and to end my great day in Springfield we all went to Walmart and got some "Y'all Need Jesus" and "Team Jesus" tshirts....aaaand took some selfie stick pictures. #noshame

It was good to finally be back working in our area after that though. I wouldn't pick anywhere else to be but here in Mahomet/Champaign! There's so much potential in both of the wards for missionary work, and I know as we keep working hard our enthusiasm will be contagious. The Mahomet Ward were all in shock practically when Dan Ryan, an investigator, came to church yesterday. He stayed all 3 hours and participated a lot in the classes! 

Another miracle was Sandy Woznick, who has been less active for years, coming to church in the Champaign Ward. It was amazing to see her there, and later that evening when we met with her, her nonmember husband said he had been trying to get her to go and was so happy she did. He's really warmed up to us, and I think as Sister Woznick continues to progress he will see the changes and joy in her and want that too. 

We also picked up two new investigators, the siblings of the investigator we picked up last week! 

It is still quite the struggle to balance working in two different areas, especially when one is 30 minutes away! I am learning so much about myself here, and who I need to become. The more I progress the more I see how much progress there is to go! But that's definitely a good thing.

Well I'm sorry this turned out so long. If you made it this far you deserve a handwritten letter from me! Email me a monkey emoji and I will ;)

Love ya lots!!

Sister Fluegel

February 26, 2018

Well good day fellow friends!

The clear sky finally decided to make an appearance the past two days, ending Sister Gillies' running theory that the sun doesn't exist in Illinois. Who knew!

This week we have been working hard on trust. The trust of our ward leaders, trust of the members, and most importantly: God's trust! We were able to meet a lot of members, do a lot of service, and spend some time finding. On Friday we decided to include in every prayer our goal to find a new investigator, and the Lord miraculously provided! The sister of an old referral we tried to meet let us come in and share the Restoration, and afterwards the referral himself and their other brother came upstairs and talked to us, agreeing to join the lesson next time! They also mentioned their youngest sister has been reading the Book of Mormon recently, so she will be there at the lesson too! We'll have a full house!

Then on Sunday we found out that she got the Book of Mormon from one of the youth in the ward who is friends with her, so she's coming with us to our next lesson this week. I was planning to work with the youth more in this area, but now I'm really excited to!

Something cool I learned about in church this week (I swear I learn something every week, it's crazy what happens when you don't play on your phone the whole time!) was that "coming unto Christ" is less about what we do, and more about what we become. "There is no metric for conversion," as one very science-y person put it, meaning there's no real way we can measure it. But there are often signs that follow it! 

So to put it simply, YES we are asked to *do* things by our Father in Heaven, but it is less about the *doing* of our performances (be it reading scriptures, praying, church-going) than about the spirit in which we do them. Which makes so much sense to me, in every aspect of my life. Do I go to school to learn, or to just get it done? When I read my scriptures, how much do I actually *want* to get out of them? When I do something for someone, is my intent truly to help them?

God isn't here to change our habits. He's here to change our hearts. Let Him start! 

<3 Sister Fluegel 

Pictures: 

#1 Twinning!

#2 A member crocheted hats for us!

#3 New mission phones....

And two videos for your entertainment ;)​

February 19, 2018 Mana-mina! (doo doo, dododoo)

Actually, its called Mahomet, but the second I heard the name that's what I thought of! 

Well folks, I may not be covering the largest population of people I ever have on my mission, but I'm definitely covering the largest population of Mormons! I feel like a Utah Missionary!

Not quite--Sister Gillies (from Farmington, UT) and I are the missionaries for only two wards, Mahomet Ward and Champaign 1st Ward. But they both have huge congregations of active members! Mahomet reminds me of my first area, a big mix of neighborhoods and just a little country. Champaign I've visited twice before--but going back as a missionary is already quite the different experience! City life! So many people! Lots of young people too, which for some reason is weird for me. I've turned into a small town girl I guess.

Sister Gillies and I hit the ground running our first day...and by that I mean DRIVING. For FOUR HOURS. Since then its been go-go-going, meeting lots of the wonderful members and teaching a few lessons! We were trying to find a place for lunch on Saturday and ended up exploring the entire southern half of Champaign, haha. 

Our GPS at one point landed us in a neighborhood. That morning I made a promise that, if God would help me recognize he was prompting me, I would obey it without question. Well, when we landed on that random street I got a distinct impression we were supposed to be there. So despite the crazy sleet raining down we got out and started looking for the reason why. By the end of the street we were at a crossroads and I was thinking we should head back, when I saw the cutest green house! We knocked, and ended up bearing testimony of the Book of Mormon to this really sweet woman. Miracles, my friends. 

Sunday was crazy, getting to all our different meetings and trying to participate in both wards even though they overlap! Gahh!! We missed a few things, so that's something to work on. Sister Gillies is so positive about everything though, she's a very unique person and I look forward to learning from her for the next 3 months :) 

Other random stuff: Our apartment is rad, I stepped in dog pooey, Bekah got baptized back in Jacksonville and said "I did it!" right afterwards apparently, haha, and people here are even more flabbergasted that I'm from Belvidere, IL/Rockford Area! Can't blame them!

I love you all <3 

Sister Fluegel

Pictures 1-2 Saying goodbye to Bekah!

Picture 3-4 Making cookies for all of our investigators before I left!

Pictures 5-7 New comp, more selfies 

Picture 8 #candid

February 12, 2018 "It is Good for Us to Be Here"

Hello my good people. I am thankful to have a little more time to update you today! This morning Sister Lowe and I have been working getting the apartment in order, mainly getting all my stuff packed up for her new missionary! After finishing her training Sister Lowe will begin training a new missionary! I'm really proud of her and can't tell you how proud I am of the missionary she is.

I will be headed to a new area, with a new missionary as well! So essentially the same thing is happening as did 3 months ago--I'll be walking in with her to a new area without a clue, learning as we go! The best way, in my opinion! Haha.

This week has been jam-packed of amazing things, including helping Bekah James get ready for baptism! That will be this weekend, so I'll miss the actual thing by a hair, but I'm so glad I got to join her on this part of her journey. She's an amazing person--queen of sarcasm and sass, but amazing nonetheless ;) I don't get along with her at all obviously...

Darla and Ed continue on their course to ask, seek and knock! Darla is continuing to prepare herself for February 24th, and we're talking to Ed about his own goals as well. I love them dearly, their house is a home away from home to me. Darla and Bekah came to the Relief Society's Spa Night, which included yoga, painting nails, facials, and dipping fruit in a chocolate fountain! So basically everything a girl needs in life. Bekah did Sister Lowe and I's nails really cute.

Another great happening I mentioned last week: Bill Decker is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! He's continuing on the path forward, and talked up a storm when we reviewed the first lesson again this week. I wish you all could meet this man. He lives in a town with a population of 20ish people, but he's like no one else you'll ever meet. He's moving forward on the path and doing great.

I went on exchanges this week and had fun in Edwardsville IL as well! Other highlights: we got a toaster oven from the Pittsfield sisters, Sister Lowe got sick for like the 10th time in the past 3 months and lost her voice this time, and some of the members of our ward are starting to reach out and do missionary work on their own! Woohoo!

Also this week we found out the mission is getting smart phones! No more dinosaur flip phones! So yeah, that's exciting too. Just lots of great things, as per usual. It has been sooooo good to be here in Jacksonville and help the people in this area. I am sorry to leave, but also happy to go where the Lord wants me to go! Then, like now, I will say, "Lord, it is good for us to be here." (Matt 17:4)

I love you all!

Sister Fluegel 

February 6th, 2018

We took an almost 3 hour drive to St. Louis this morning, had a slight disaster trying to find a library, and made it to Logan University of Chiropractics (which one of my favorite people graduated from, you know who you are;) to email for a spare minute!

So to make it short: Bill Decker was baptized on February the 3rd! And then he picked up other people we're teaching for church on Sunday! We're throwing him right in, haha.

Darla has remained smoke-free! So she wants to be baptized on her birthday, which is February 24th :) her husband Ed just finished the Book of Mormon and told us on Friday he also knows it to be true! They want to be married in the temple :) I am so happy for them!

Our other investigators are doing really well! We *might* see another baptism this week, which could also be my last! We'll see. God is in charge, not me! I am so happy for the time I've been here and for the people I've met.

I love you all!! Pictures or it didn't happen? 

Actually I have no time to download them, so you'll just have to believe me until next week ;)

Love,

Sister Fluegel