July 7 2014

Heya family and friends, :)

So President gave all of us missionaries the assignment to visit every member in the ward--active/in-active or whatnot--every month. 

So this week we have been trying to visit our less-actives in the ward. Most of the time, they don't quite always work out. Sometimes they're not at home, or the people there say that they've moved away, or apparently they died eight years before. Yeah, but we've nearly conquered all the people in our area! Meaning that we've gone to nearly every house!

 

It's been really really great to try and find these in-actives, because there are so many people who are just too sick to go out and walk to church. Just think, nobody really has cars here--except for taxi drivers, and really well-off people. So if you don't have a car, you have to walk a pretty far distance to get to the church. So of course, some of them really just can't come to church. 

So we're the first contact some of these members have had in years with the church. It's super sad to think about it. I mean, they say that they still love the church, but they just can't come to church. It makes me sad that visiting/home teaching isn't really up and running in Armenia. The leaders are trying, but the members here just don't get what it is. :)

 

We found out from F today that she will most likely be leaving this Wednesday for Iran. :( So Sister L, Sister R (one of our senior missionaries), and I are going to take her out to lunch tomorrow. She says that she still isn't quite sure if she will be going this Wednesday, but it's possible. I just kind of hope that she'll stay forever! ;)

 

We have been surprised lately because R, one of our newly-picked up investigators, who we have been visiting on and off lately has come to the last two weeks of church! We were surprised because we just dropped in one day, and invited Rita to church the next day. Then she came! So that was happy. Then she came last week too! So because of that, we have decided to pick up that family again. We talked about temples yesterday, and M (R's daughter-in-law) liked the idea of being with her family forever even after death. I did aim a lot of that part towards her--using her children as examples--and she really loved that thought. :) So that's happy!

 

We've been meeting with V too. She seems like she's doing better. She doesn't seem to be passively-aggressively be making fun of the church anymore. That was what I was hoping for--that she would be more open to the gospel and what we believe.

In every lesson that we have with her, we try to give her the best fighting chance of feeling the spirit and having that change of heart. We think that if we can do as much as we can, then she will be able to experience that change of heart. She is technically progressing right now. She has read up to Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, she comes to church every sunday, and she says that she prays. So she is on the right track to having that change of heart! :)

 

So we hope that we truly can help her out!

 

Hey, I have been getting quite the collection of story books!! Before my mission, I bought this children's book online so that maybe I could start to read it and try to get a head start on my mission language. Yeah, it was 20 DOLLARS! Ridiculous. And then I come here, and the same brand of the book is here and it's a little less than five bucks. So yeah, that online book was a rip-off. But I've started this little collection of fairy tale books which are AWESOME for my language. I was gonna take a picture, but I forgot. :)

We have been looking for Harry Potter in Armenian. We've heard that it's here somewhere. So we've been trying every bookstore that we can! Haha It's gonna be SWEET if we can get that.

Speaking of reading, I've only got four more chapters and then I finish the Armenian Book of Mormon. Woot woot! (Almost done!) 

So confession, I got a bit home-sick this week. It kinda killed me on the fourth of July when I realized that all of the Fielding family was getting together this year for the reunion. That day, I sang mom's family reunion song, well, that was a mistake. It was like a stab to the heart. That's okay though. I just gotta remember that it's only three days, and then they'll be done. Shouldn't think of family I'm not seeing. :) Well on the upside, we heard a firework go off at night on the 4th of July. 

Sorry that this is the LONGEST letter EVER. Hah 

That's what's happened this week. Love you all!

 

Sister Fielding

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures this week. I'll try and do better!

Dear Ambi

I know you felt sad and homesick about the reunion but the good news is that you only have to miss one where everyone else had to miss two-- Anna, Mo, Aaron and ty will all miss 2..... So I guess you planned that right!  It was a good reunion but what you 5 did for the spirit of the reunion is much better then being there.  We are so proud of you- our lovely daughter.  But yea, if you could find out your release date.  I think you told me before that you had to go an extra 3 weeks- so that would mean that you'll be released on April 2nd.  If that's the case, then we'll come in on April 1- and meet up with you on the 2nd and we'll leave Armenia on the 5th (cuz for some reason there are no flights on the 6th or 7th....... do you know why?)  Dad and I are going to go see paris for a week before we pick you up.  I need to know if there are any problems with that at all.  You need to get this cleared with your president because it does cost a ton of money and we need to have everything in order :)  But we are excited to see your mission!   You'll have to line up what you would like to show us and who you'd like us to meet.  I did send your package and forgot the 3x5 cards!  i'm sorry...... The small box cost $64 to send!  insane!  I will send you a CD though :)  Sorry about those cards........

Take care, love you!

Mom