Question: So I am trying to fetch data from Firestore, when I console log it I got the content of my collection back, but when I move the code to a function I am not able to return it back.

This code works:

```
const db = firebase.firestore();
db.settings({ timestampsInSnapshots: true});
db.collection('story').get().then((snapshot) => {
snapshot.docs.forEach(doc => {console.log(doc.data())
    ;})
})

```

This doesnt work. (it compiles, but doesn`t return anything):

```
...
getMyStory = () => {
        const db = firebase.firestore();
        db.settings({ timestampsInSnapshots: true});
        db.collection('story').get().then((snapshot) => {
        snapshot.docs.forEach(doc => {
            let items = doc.data();
        })
        });
        return this.items;
    }

    render () {

        return (
        <p>{this.getMyStory}</p>
);
}

```

What am I doing wrong?

Answer: 
The main problem here is that you are trying to render async data synchronously, which isn't possible to do with react [(not yet at least)](https://reactjs.org/blog/2018/03/27/update-on-async-rendering.html "( not yet at least)").

When rendering async data you will usually leverage component [state](https://reactjs.org/docs/state-and-lifecycle.html).

Below is a standard usage pattern when loading and rendering something async.

```
class YourComponent extends Component {
  state = {
    items: []
  }

  // This method is called when the component mounts
  // Usually  a good place to do async requests
  componentDidMount() {

    db.collection('story').get().then(snapshot => {
      // After promise is finished set data to local state
      // When setting state the render method will be called, thus rerendering the UI
      this.setState({ items: snapshot })
    })
  }

  render() {
    // Access your items from local component state
    const { items } = this.state;

    return (
      <div>
        {items.forEach(doc => {
          // Render whatever data is in your document
          return <p key={doc.id}> { Your data goes here }</p>
        })
        }
      </div>
    )
  }
}

```
```
import React, { Component } from "react";
import firebase from "../config";

class App extends Component {
  constructor(props) {
    super(props);

    // Reference firebase in this.state, creating a global key-value pair
    this.state = {
      roomsRef: firebase.firestore().collection("rooms"),
      rooms: []
    };
  }

  // Retrieve data from firebase and set state
  getDb(db) {
    db.get().then(querySnapshot => {
      querySnapshot.forEach(doc => {
        let room = doc.data();
        room.key = doc.id;
        this.setState({
          rooms: this.state.rooms.concat(room)
        });
      });
    });
  }

  // 
  componentDidMount() {
    this.getDb(this.state.roomsRef);
  }

  render() {
    const rooms = this.state.rooms.map((r, i) => <li key={i}>{r.name}</li>);

    return (
      <div className="App">
        <section className="room-list">
          {this.state.rooms.length === 0 ? (
            <p>loading...</p>
          ) : (
            <ul>{rooms}</ul>
          )}
        </section>
      </div>
    );
  }
}

export default App;

```