November 25, 2013 Coos Bay, OR

Hey Familia,

We are spending Thanksgiving with The Artchur family and then going to dessert at the Petersons. Both great families we look forward to it. I did get the packages and My comp and I LOVE THEM THANK YOU!!!

I am so glad to hear everyone is well! I am also sending you a package of things i dont need and need fix.  Our P day is very odd this week. I sadly won’t get photos out till late next week due to our P day ends at 1:00 today and then Thanksgiving is another P day all day but we can’t email or do much because they want us to spend time with families. It’s been a pretty slow week though. We have not had much going on but we hope next week will be better! I am learning a lot though, with my Comp. It’s been rough because of how different we are but we love each other so much but it’s hard when we teach because sometimes I don’t get to say a word but she usually has great things to say but then I don’t learn. We talked though about it and she is going to work on making sure I get a chance to teach so I can learn so that will be good. She really is a great trainer we just have our ups and downs and we make mistakes but we are working together to fix them and I’m thankful I have been patient with her and myself.

CRAZY THOUGH!! It has not rained like at all! We haven’t had rain in 4 days and it’s been very sunny but FREEZING!! It’s great though. People say it usually rains in the night which is good but recently we haven’t seen much rain! Oh wells. I love it! I get to see the SUN!

ALL is great though in Coos Bay. Glad to hear all is great with you and dad and the fam!  Thanks for the quotes I love them!! :)

November 18, 2013 Coos Bay, OR

This week has been great! We got to go on exchanges and I got to be with Sister Clove who is a sister training leader. She is awesome and I learned so much from her.  I admire her so much! I sadly got really sick on Wednesday.   I had the flu, we think, and I am still trying to recover from it now. It was really hard though just being away from home and not being able to lay in bed resting and taking meds. Here we have to take it by ear and continue working. My companion, Sister Stirling’s, dad owns the essential oils company Doterra, which is really cool since it’s a really big oil company and so she has a huge stash of different oils that will get rid of my symptoms. So the last few days she has been rubbing oils on different pressure points to help me feel better. It most diffidently helps a ton! It was amazing!

We have found a lot of new people to teach so that’s great! We go out finding a lot which is nice to just being able to walk places to get exercise. There are so many cats though its cray cray! There is one that is near our apartment and whenever we are coming back at night it sits at the bottom of the stairs and then we go up to our door and it starts to chase us up the stars and we pretty much freak out cuz it’s a stray so we shut the door quickly on it! That’s the only funny thing happening right now. Oh I think I told you about the car we get and how we have the devil black box who gets on us for speeding and stuff. His name is Tewi haha.   It’s so funny because there are times he will yell at us constantly.

We went shopping a few times for rain boots and its crazy! THERE ARE NONE! We went to a store today and they had some but the best were too expensive.  Sister Stirling just uses some sturdy boots so Mom could you send me my black boots in the closet. I was going to see if I can buy a cheap pair here but there wasn't any at a reasonable price that I was looking for so I will keep looking but the black ones should also work good. I found a rain coat for 24 bucks at Ross so I am just going to keep my other one haha.  I also found 3 skirts today that are long enough for 50 bucks. I know I am done shopping after today.  I have everything I need. My black pencil skirt though completely ripped up the back!!!! Crazy but I am sending it home with some pics of how my companion did hers and I am wondering if you can take it into Cathy’s to get it fixed with the slit though in the back my comp put like a fan slip thing to allow it to open and not rip again so maybe take it in with the pics and see of Cathy can do something with it.  If not it’s okay maybe just have it fixed. I found some awesome Ducks gear btw at this store that I might get everyone for Christmas so that will be awesome!!

Well that’s really it haha.   Hope you have a awesome week!! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! 

Have a great week and can’t wait to hear back! :)

November 12, 2015 Coos Bay, OR

No Pictures yet.  I sent her the wrong cord.  She is going to go buy one so hopefully she'll send pics next Monday.

Hi Familia!!!

Lots has happened!!! Its crazy! Okay so a lot of this will be long story short because I am so limited on time. My first week was awesome!!! The area is very green and wet but I love it so far. Nothing to harsh with the rain. It’s a very different environment in Coos Bay. The economy is very corrupt and lots of homeless people around. I love the people though. We have lots of less actives but we are working on making them feel loved and becoming active. We have a few Gators (Investigatoes) who are just awesome and hope they continue to prepare to be baptized. I have never felt the spirit so strong when we teach it is truly amazing!.

My trainer is very good at pushing me but in a good way she works us hard and I have grown so much from her and her example. We do lots of tracking which is great so that we stay active and I don’t gain weight, YES!!!!!!!!

A few funny things about Coos Bay is that is like Mexico wtih their stray dogs but it’s with cats! They are everywhere and people love cats!!! AHHHHHHH EWWWWW!! hahah but there are some I have come across that are not too bad so let’s hope I don’t turn into a cat lady though when I get back haha. Oh and Lots of spiders.!! They all are huge with massive butts!!! It’s really scary! I got a few pics that I will send next week! So with cats and spiders maybe for Halloween next year I will be cat women or spider man!

Something that is just awesome is that we do have a car and it’s a 2014 Chevy Cruse or so it’s very nice but yet idk why we have it in such a low class area haha.

Awesome story. last week we were walking to a investigators house at night and we saw these two homeless men walking towards us. I was scared at first but I said that I will talk to everyone. So I grabbed my comp and we talked to them. They were not all there, if you know what I mean, but one of them talked about paintings. So..... I pulled out a pass along card and said here is a painting and an invitation to read the Book of Mormon. He was like okay cool and then we went on our way out to just walk away so we did. Scary but I knew that if I gave him a pass along card and loved him that spirit would protect us. 

We have a great ward and had ward council Sunday. It was interesting but love them. 

 

Well I love you all so much and hope you all are well. Can’t wait to hear back from you!!! have a great week!

 

Catherine.fletcher@myldsmail.com

 

 

 

November 6, 2013 Arriving In OR..First Area Coos Bay

SURPRISE!!! We had the most wonderful gift last night. President Young called to let us know that Catherine Fletcher arrived safe. He had nothing but wonderful things to say about her.
Her companion is Jessica Stirling from Pleasant Grove, UT. She is 6'1". He said, "who could refuse to listen to a message from these spiritual giants ."

Catherine is assigned to the Coos Bay area which is a big vacation, recreation, and shipping industry city and 2 1/2 hours away from Eugene.
It has one stake with 8 wards. Her zone has 10 sister missionaries.
Her preparation day (do laundry, email family, write letters, see the local sites) is on Mondays but this up coming Monday they have a big mission conference with a general authority so she will have her prep day Tuesday and will email us then.

President Young said we will get an email sometime today, from the mission office, with pictures of Catherine and her companion. As soon as I get them I'll post.
I sent her camera cord so she should be sending pics of the MTC and her new area by Tuesday.

                                          All the missionaries that came with Catherine.

                                          Sister Catherine Fletcher...she's official with her badge.

                                         Pres and Sister Young with Catherine

                                         First companion Sister Jessica Stirling

                                               Internet pics of Coos Bay

November 5, 2013 MTC

Hey,

I am just  letting you know that I am leaving tomorrow and will be calling around 9-11.   Please have your phone on you so  that you won't miss my call. My flight is at 11:30, I believe, and we are just getting ready to head out. I sent you a package with a few things that I don't need so look out for that. I wrote a note with it. My companion's helped me write it, you will sure get a laugh out of it. All is well here though I am really going to miss this place. One thing that I have noticed about being here is how much it feels like home. I felt like before I was so nervous to come but now after it being 2 weeks already I know this is where I belong. "This is Home" song by someone I forgot but its from the movie Spirit and I keep singing that song because of how much I can relate to it. I love you all so much and miss you. I have learned so much here and look forward to learning much more in the field. Tell Matt and Mark thank you for the letters. I will write them letters soon. Oh and its crazy. I have met so many people who  know people I know. I met one of Matt's friends. I will tell him his name in the letter because I forgot. My teacher was Matt Restierer's companion from his mission. I saw the Pitcher boys. We got a picture so  maybe see if they can send it to you. I saw Lyric from the movie "Singles Ward" which was awesome. And My other teacher new Dalton Galke. There are just so many connections its great.  So no worries I am in great hands in the MTC. Oh and just so you don't freak out, they have lots of amazingly cute clothes here and  yes I bought a skirt. It's from the MTC store and the brand is Mikarose. Your right mom about the store name haha sorry I argued, but it was not bad pricing at all so when you see the receipt  you will now know ahead of what that was. I hope all is well with everyone. I will write back on Monday I believe when I get to Oregon. Oh and Mom can you send me Sarah's address I would like to send her a letter and I never got her address. Thanks :) Love you and miss you!! Talk to you tomorrow when I am at the airport.  Oh and can you send me my camera connector that goes into the computer. I am not  sure if you could find it but if not then could I just go buy one if that alright so I can upload and send pictures. Love you!!!!!!!! \

Have a great day!! :)

Love your favorite missionary!! :D

 

The song she is referring to is by Switchfoot.  Here are the lyrics and link to listen to it.  She is right...it's perfect for her right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cKNleDdUFY

"This Is Home"

 I've got my memories
Always inside of me
But I can't go back
Back to how it was
I believe you now
I've come too far
No I can't go back
Back to how it was

Created for a place I've never known

 

Now I'm finally where I belong
Where I Belong
Yeah, this is home
I've been searching for a place of my own
Now I've found it
Maybe this is home
This is home

 

Belief over misery
I've seen the enemy
And I won't go back
Back to how it was
And I got my heart set on what happens next
I got my eyes wide it's not over yet
We are miracles and we're not alone

 

And now after all my searching
After all my questions
I'm gonna call it home
I've got a brand new mindset
I can finally see the sunset
I'm gonna call it home

 

Now I know

Yeah, this is home
I've come too far
And I won't go back
Yeah, this is home 

 

 

                                

                                                         Catherine and Sister McCleary

                                                                        Provo Temple

                                                                  What is this?  Fall colors?

                                                   Catherine found Jean Hsu

                                                 Catherine found Dakota Johnson

                                         Ramsey Caroll with Catherine and Sister McCleary

                                                                      Study time

                                                 Catherine and Sister McCleary

                                                          Catherine not use to SNOW

Where in the world is Sister Catherine Fletcher?

  Catherine with her companion, Sister McCleary, Colton and Scotty Pitcher

Ocotober 30, 2013 Provo MTC

NOTE:  Catherine forgot the cord to her camera so she was not able to send pictures.  She won't be able to send any until she is in Oregon.

 

To Fam!

Here in the MTC things are great we had our first investigator on Monday and my comp and I ROCKED IT! we are on the third visit and she accepted to be baptized. I know its goin to be different in the field but it will be great practice and so far I am lovin it. My comp sister Mccleary is awesome. We have so much fun here together and the other set of sisters that we room with are as well so fun and we have a blast. We have awesome district. The elders are so awesome and pretty cool. Sister Mccleary and I will go play basketball for our workout with them and it will be blast racking up a game with the elders. 

The food is alright too. I mean they have good stuff but my comp and I refuse to gain weight so its for sure healthy time and work out time! Thank goodness she is willing to do that with me!! :)

The weather IS COLD!!! I am dealing with it fine but when I dont have a coat when I am outside I AM A POPSICLE! But When I do it get warm. Thank goodness I brought my ONESIES!!! they have saved me at night. I got pics of those that I will send ;)

It is so spiritual here!! I LOVE IT! At the end of each day I am spiritually tired in a good way. There is so much I am learning and finding through the Scriptures as I study them like no others haha. I love personal and comp study though. I learn and grow so much from the knowledge I gain each day. I am so happy that I am here in this amazing environment of wonderful people who have made the same choice as me. Its bee a true blessing and testimony to me knowing my purpose here as a missionary. My purpose here as a missionary is to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive his restored gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the End". I love that and will remember that always as I serve the next 18 months for my Heavenly Father. Thank you so much for all your support and being such great examples to me. I love you all so much and will write you next when I am in the Field. 

LOVE YOU XOXOXOXOXOXO

October 23, 2013 The Adventure Begins

At Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Mark (Cat's brother), Kristi Rush (BFF), Kirstin Grazulis (Mark's girlfriend) taking Catherine to the MTC (missionary training center)

There she goes...

October 22, 2013 Last Day Home

Packing

Last meal at Benihana

This is the first practice post for Sister Fletcher's new missionary blog. She serves in the Eugene, Oregon mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Also, she's a cutie. (Written by Jenn Taylor who helped me set the blog up.)