week 20

So this week has been a different week, considering it was Elder Jones' last week of the mission. He left early this morning, and I will be staying with the other ward's Elders for the next couple of days.

We have been meeting with a lot of members, and we're hoping that this will get their own missionary work kick-started. It's also been good just getting to know the members of the ward. It's amazing how many people I meet on the mission. It's often hard to keep track of all of them!

We also got transfer calls this past Saturday. I will be staying in the Weldon Spring ward, and I will be training a brand new missionary! I'm a little nervous, but at the same time I'm excited to see what the Lord has for me to learn.

I also had a good study of humility this past week. One of my favorite scriptures I came across was in D&C 67:10: "And again, verily I say unto you that it is your privilege, and a promise I give unto you that have been ordained unto this ministry, that inasmuch as you strip yourselves from jealousies and fears, and humble yourselves before me, for ye are not sufficiently humble, the veil shall be rent and you shall see me and know that I am- not with the carnal neither natural mind, but with the spiritual." I've come more and more to know that that scripture is true. The more we humble ourselves and accept and seek the will of God, we are able to more clearly see His hand in every aspect of our lives. He really does love us, and everything He does is for our benefit and growth.

I love this work, and I love all of you!

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

Peter with the now departed Elder Jones.

week 19

So this week has been a pretty great week. 

It started off with last Monday. We went and met up with a bunch of other Elders in our Zone and we had a giant Nerf War and then afterward we played a game called Bird Flu, which is just another version of Dodgeball. It was a blast, and we were super sore for the next couple of days.

I think the best part of this week has been the plan we have been forming to begin working with members. President Morgan at Stake Conference encouraged the missionaries to become engaged with the members. Then Elder Martino talked about working with members to plan out how they are going to do their own personal missionary efforts. So, we have been calling almost every member on the ward roster and are trying to set appointments where we can get to know the members and plan out with them how they are going to do their own missionary work. Then possibly the most important part is to follow up on the commitments we leave with people. So many times we ask members to do things and then we and them both forget about it the next day. So, we are now putting a heavy emphasis on making sure whatever we ask members to do gets done. I really now understand the importance of following up, especially after reading Elder Ballard's talk entitled, "Following Up." It really is how any organization gets things done: by assigning tasks and then following up until they are accomplished. We already can see that this program is beginning to work. We have 26 appointments set up for this coming week!! Most of them are with members, but we really hope that as we continue to encourage and follow up with members, they will begin to catch the fire of missionary work and start finding us people to teach. 

It has been such an exciting thing to feel the Spirit guiding both Elder Jones and I as we have made plans and learned things that have prepared us to get this ball rolling. We are so excited to see this work.

It brings to mind a wonderful scripture from D&C 68:6: "Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come."

I am so grateful to have that wonderful calling to proclaim to the world that Jesus is the Christ. He is the Son of God, sent to the Earth to atone for the sins of the world. He opens His arms wide open to receive us, and it's my privilege to lead others into those loving arms. My heart is filled with joy and love when I think of what my Savior has done for me and for everyone in this world. The cleansing, redeeming, enabling, and changing power of the Atonement is real. I get to experience that every day as I seek to more fully do the will of the Father by following the guidance of the Spirit. 

I love this work. I love all of you.

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

week 18

So it was a pretty fun week this week, with Halloween on Friday, and then Stake Conference Saturday and Sunday.

In the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference, pretty much all that was talked about was missionary work! It was awesome! One of the biggest points that was emphasized was the power that the members have in sharing the Gospel, and how essential they are in the conversion process of EVERY investigator. It makes me so much more motivated to work more with the members and help them learn how to better do missionary work themselves. Elder Martino, of the 2nd quorum of the 70 was the presiding authority there. The Stake Presidency was reorganized, so it was cool to witness the change in leadership that happens in the Church, and the many testimonies of how these men are truly called of God.

One really cool scripture that Elder Martino shared was in Alma chapters 9 and 10, where Alma begins to preach in the city of Amonihah. At first he is rejected, but then he is commanded to go back and again testify to the people. So he is obedient and goes back. He finds Amulek, who Elder Martino thought was a Less Active member of the Church, and strengthens Amulek and all of his household. Then when Alma goes to preach again, he is still rejected by the people. But then Amulek gets up and testifies of what Alma had taught. In Chapter 10 verse 12 it says, "And now, when Amulek had spoken these words the people began to be astonished, seeing there was more than one witness who testified of the things whereof they were accused, and also of the things which were to come, according to the spirit of prophecy which was in them."

Elder Martino pointed out that it wasn't until the member got up and testified that the people "began to be astonished." The missionaries are here to teach, but the members of the church are here to testify and really bring people into the fold. It's through members that missionary work works best, because they are the ones who can talk to their friends and really show love to those who they already know. I would encourage every one of you to think of your friends, and make an active effort to invite them to come unto Christ and partake in the wonderful blessings that God is just waiting to shower down upon them.

I love this work, and I love all of you!

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

He's not sure why this was in their apartment, but said if anyone needs a large print copy of the Book of Mormon... :)

week 17

So I don't have a lot of time, but It was been a really good week this week.

The cool part of this week was teaching a couple, Russ and Sandra, who have been going to the employment office for the past couple months. They have become really good friends with the missionaries there, so they had us all over for dinner. We got to teach them the Restoration, wich went really well.

I have also been studying Happiness this week, and how we can find joy amidst the trials and hardships of life. A few of the most prevalent paths to happiness that I found include gratitude, service, obedience, and trust in the Lord. 

One of my favorite scriptures about that is found in Mosiah 2:41: "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God." 

We truly are happier when we obey the Lord's commandments.

I love this work and I love all of you!

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer