week 43

We've had a pretty good week this week. The weather has been really nice as well, which makes it nice to be outside.

Monday evening we had a couple lessons lined up, but the fell through. But God provides, and we ended up teaching two unexpected lessons and picking up 3 new investigators! 

Tuesday we had District Meeting in the morning, which I got to give a training on studying in order to receive God's will. It was really neat comparing our study time to the time the Savior spent in Gethsemane as He took upon Him not His own will, but the will of the Father.

Wednesday morning we did service at the food pantry, which is always good. Afterwards our ride took us out to eat at a really good Mexican restaurant called Chimi's. It was really good. That evening we had Bible Study, and two of our investigators, Torianne and Tori, came! They loved it and are excited to come back this week! It was great!

Thursday we had an appointment fall through, but we last minute set up a lesson with a recent convert named Catrena. We got there with our Ward Mission Leader and were surprised to see that Catrena had a relative over at her house. We invited her to join in on the discussion, and we ended up teaching a powerful Restoration, where she felt and recognized the Spirit testifying that these things were true. It was so cool to have God place her in our path so she could learn of this wonderful message.

Friday morning we were able to meet with a less active, Sister Moore, and then teach one of our investigators named Dorris.

Saturday we were riding our bikes down the road, when I heard a crash behind me. Elder Vergara had gotten a wheel caught on a curb and had been thrown from the bike! Luckily nothing was broken, and for the most part he's OK. Mostly just scratches and soreness. That afternoon we taught Rosemary and Walter, a Spanish part member couple.

Sunday we had an awesome time at Church. It was the first Fast and Testimony Meeting we've had since January! It was great to hear the wonderful testimonies of the members of this ward. Sadly, no investigators came to Church, but I definitely felt uplifted and energized from being there.  That evening we met with the Walls again. Brother Wall has been looking for an answer for quite some time as to when he should be baptized. We really feel he is ready, but he needs an answer that now is the time. Please keep him in your prayers!

The topic of discussion in Priesthood yesterday was the talk by Elder Oaks this past General Conference about the parable of the Sower, found in Mark Chapter 4. I thought it interesting that the two things that stopped the seeds from growing were barriers and parasites. In a spiritual sense, those are two things that really block our growth as well. Barriers most often arise because we are either offended by somebody or our own understanding is limited, causing us to doubt and choose not to work around the issue, while in all reality we can choose to grow around that barrier, much like the roots of a plant, and continue to sink deeper into the rich soil of the Gospel. Parasites are really anything that divert our time and energy away from our spiritual growth. Much like the thorns that choked the small plant in the parable, there are many things in this world that, if allowed, will steal away our time, attention, and energy, so that we don't have enough to grow ourselves. 

However, I know that if we consistently do those simple things, daily personal and family prayer and scripture study, weekly church attendance, regular temple worship, and weekly family home evening, then neither of these things will hinder our spiritual growth. When we do these things, our focus is on the Savior Jesus Christ, who will help us learn and grow in ways we never thought possible. 

I love you all, and I love this work!

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

"We found like three of these little baby bunnies outside our apartment. Spring is here!"

"Biking is the best!"

week 42

So we had a really good week. We're finding new investigators, and more importantly, investigators who are willing to progress.

Monday we didn't do a lot, just the normal Preparation Day stuff.

Tuesday, we had District meeting in the morning, and then I went on exchanges with Elder Almeida in Pagedale. It was good to be there. We talked to a lot of people as we were traveling from place to place on foot and on the buses.

Wednesday morning we exchanged back and then had some Spanish Lessons through the rest of the day until Bible Study that evening.

Thursday was sadly just a bunch of appointments which fell through. Those days are tough, but they make the next days seem even better. Haha

Friday afternoon we exchanged with the Spanish missionaries so Elder Vergara could go do a baptismal interview in Illinois. Elder Hayes, who I actually served around in my last area, was with me for the rest of the day. We stopped by a less active, Sister Moore's, house, and she let us sit down and chat with her on her back porch for a while. We shared a quick message and talked about how she felt when she first joined the Church. It was really neat to see the wheels turning in her head as she remembered all the things she enjoyed about the Church. We invited her to Church, and she enthusiastically agreed! It was really neat. Soon after that, we were able to pick up two new new investigators named Torianne and Tori. They are a young couple with a baby on the way, and they are very excited to keep learning  about what we share. We had a great lesson with them, and we should be going back this evening.

Saturday we kind of accidentally ran into a part member Spanish couple named Rosemary and Walter. They are awesome people, and we invited them to Church, and they agreed as well! That evening we visited the part member family that we've been working with, the Walls. We are really focusing on Daily Personal Scripture Study, because it is so essential to each of our conversion, especially for Brother Wall, who's not a member.

Sunday was a great day. Sister Moore, Rosemary and Walter, and the Walls all were at Church and it was so great to see. They all really enjoyed it, too! It was also really neat to see Brother Robinson bless the Sacrament. He was also called as the assistant 11 year-old scout leader, and his wife was called as the assistant librarian. It's wonderful to see people get involved and incorporated in the Church. It really helps in keeping them active!

It's been a great week this week, watching many people either discover or rediscover the wonderful, simple truths of this gospel. Alma, in his discourse to the people of Zarahemla, taught us this wonderful principle: 

"And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

What a powerful thing it is for each of us to remember the past spiritual experiences we have had (which is much easier when we record them in some way). There is such power for each of us as we draw upon the past witnesses of the Spirit. And when we continue to use and appreciate those experiences, more will inevitably come. I definitely saw this to be true as I started reviewing my study journal that I began using in the MTC. I found some really wonderful insights that really apply more now than they did then. I wonder if sometimes the inspiration and revelation we receive is meant for us to use somewhere down the road, so why not record it?

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

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

week 41

We have had a wonderful week this week, with lots of lessons, new investigators, and wonderful weather that I'm savoring before it gets too hot and humid.

Monday we had a "Spring Cleaning" day for all the apartments throughout the mission, so that took up most of our day. That evening we visited with a less active member we ran into who lives in the same apartment complex as us. His name is Josh, and he's YSA age, so we will hopefully get him connected with some fellowshippers in from the YSA branch in the next week or so. He's great.

Tuesday we had District Meeting in the morning and then exchanges for the rest of the day. Elder Whetton, one of the Zone Leaders, came to Maryland Heights with me. He's an amazing missionary. He's really talented on the piano as well! That evening we had a good lesson with Dorris, an investigator we've been working with for a while now. She had a stroke a couple of years ago, so it's hard for her to understand everything immediately.

Wednesday morning we did service at the food pantry in the morning, and then that afternoon we stopped by a part member family we've be working with. We had set a baptismal date with the daughter a couple weeks ago, and she promised to come to church on Sunday so she could be baptized. That evening we had Bible Study, and Josh, the less active, came with us! It was neat to see that he was sincerely motivated to learn more and come back to the fold. Sadly, we had to leave halfway through because there was a big storm, so President Morgan wanted all the missionaries to head home. It didn't turn out to be that bad, but I definitely enjoyed the thunder and lightning!

Thursday was a bunch of riding around on bikes for most of the day. That evening we had another lesson with Dorris, which was good. She mentioned that she felt very curious about what we believe and honestly wanted to keep learning more. We told her that that desire to learn was from God, evidence that she was on the right path.

Friday we weekly planned, got a new phone, and had a good visit with another part member family, the Walls.

Saturday we had Coordination meeting in the morning, and then that evening we picked up 3 new investigators! It was a family that we had fun into a while ago, and we finally got in the door. Nerman, the dad, is from Yugoslavia, Griselda, the mom, is from Mexico, and they have 3 kids. The daughter actually had picked up the Book of Mormon we had left and started reading it even before we had taught a lesson! We taught them the Restoration and are excited to keep working with them. After that, we were just about to turn in for the night, when Elder Vergara felt that we should go visit one more person. We did, and they ended up not even being home, but we talked to a young man named Jovanne who was really cool. We talked to him about the Book of Mormon for a little bit and then we felt inspired to ask him if he had any deep questions about life. He asked how we knew that God existed. We both testified to him of our own coming to know that He truly does live and love each of us, and the Spirit was almost tangible. It was amazing. We also left him with Alma 30, the chapter where Korihor denies the existence of God. He thanked us multiple times, telling us that he needed that. It was great!

Sunday morning we had a special session of Stake Conference. Our previous Stake President was called to the 6th quorum of the 70s, so we got to see the Stake Presidency reorganized.  Sadly, Victoria wasn't able to come, which means that we will have to reschedule her baptism. It's sad, but we will keep working with her. That evening we stopped by a potential investigator's house and were able to teach him a short Restoration lesson. He said that he had been going through some stressful things recently, but that he knew that the Book of Mormon could help him. It was pretty cool that he already recognizes that wonderful truth!

As I look back upon this past week, I really love seeing all the miracles that happen in my life, and really everyone's life. It reminds me of the counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith in D&C 123:17: 

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

I know that that is so true. As we do our best, God is so much more able to shower blessings upon us and reveal His arm in our lives. As we look for those miracles that already happen in our lives (because they really are there in all of our lives), we will begin to see more and more how much our Father in Heaven truly does love us. I know that to be true.

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

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

week 40

We have had a very busy, but wonderful week. So many places to be, lessons to teach, and testimonies to bear. It's great!!

Monday, we played basketball for a while, which is always great. That evening we had a good visit with the Robinsons. He received the Aaronic priesthood a couple weeks ago and should be receiving a calling soon, too.

Tuesday we had District Meeting in the morning, a Spanish lesson, dinner with a member, and then stopped by to talk to a potential investigator.

Wednesday morning we did service at the food pantry. After that we went to lunch with a member and one of his friends, which was cool. That evening we had Bible Study at the Payne's home.

Thursday we stopped by and talked to an investigator named Dorris, an older lady who was raised Baptist, but is willing to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. That evening we had a short visit with a recent convert named Catrena.

Friday we had Zone Conference, which was a blast. I love being in big meetings with a bunch of missionaries. There is such a powerful spirit. That evening we had a lesson with Denise and Dejah. Denise, the mother, is really having a hard time accepting that the Great Apostasy actually happened. It's amazing how many people out here have trouble accepting that. I never thought that would be such a pivotal point in the message of the Restoration, but it is. Without the Great Apostasy, there would never have been a need for a restoration. After that lesson we met with the Walls and challenged each of them to write down a question that night and pray and ask God that He would answer that question the next two days at General Conference.

Saturday was just wonderful. I absolutely LOVE General Conference!! What an amazing blessing is to receive such wonderful counsel from modern day Prophets and Apostles, called by God.

Sunday morning, a Spanish Investigator named Hector picked us up and came to the morning session of Conference. Yay!! He really enjoyed the messages. After the afternoon session, we taught Victoria, a teenager who never had been baptized because her mother was less-active. She is planning on being baptized on May 2, but she will have to gain the courage to come to Church for the next 3 weeks. 

I think one of my favorite talks from General Conference was Elder Holland's powerful testimony given of the necessity of the Atonement. What a wonderful message to know that Christ truly did pay the price for our sins, die, and rise again to die no more. Another talk that stuck with me was Bishop Causse's. I hope that I can be more amazed and in awe at the wonderful gift of the Atonement.

I hope each of you enjoyed the inspiring messages from General Conference! If you didn't get to watch all of them, then watch them! If you already did, then read them and study them because there is a wealth of wonderful direction from our Father in Heaven.

I love you all and I love this work!

I know that He lives!

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

week 39

Hello all! It's been a wonderful week to be a missionary! I'm definitely loving this wonderful Easter Season where there's so much to be grateful about, especially the fact that Christ lives!

Monday this past week we emailed, shopped, and then Elder Bishop packed up for the transfer Wednesday.

Tuesday we had District Meeting, and that was about it for that day.

Wednesday we had Transfer Meeting in the morning, and I got my new companion, Elder Vergara! He's awesome! He's originally from Mexico, but has lived in California for the past few years. He has a great desire to serve and bring every one we possibly can to the knowledge of the gospel. That evening we had Bible Study at our ward mission leader's house.

Thursday, we had another District Meeting, just to get to know everybody in the new District, and it went extremely well. It was our first District Meeting together as co-District Leader, and it turned out really well.

Friday evening we had an awesome lesson with the Walls, the part member family we have been working with. The Spirit was super strong, and he definitely felt it. We are just going to have to be patient with him as he overcomes some of his own concerns.

Saturday we had one of my first lessons in Spanish, so I was basically useless. Haha But it was still a great lesson, and the Spirit still feels the same in Spanish. 

Sunday we had Church in the morning, a great visit with a less active sister in the ward, a lesson with Victoria, the daughter of a less active member, who just agreed to be baptized on May 2!!!, and then we had a great lesson with Rafael, a man we found about a week ago who is super open hearted and has a ton of faith that God will truly answer his prayers.

It was a great week, and Elder Vergara and I are really looking forward to the rest of this transfer.

Also, just a few days ago, the Church released the Easter media-initiative for this year entitled "Because He Lives." They came out with a brand new video about the importance of recognizing the fact that Jesus Christ lives. If you haven't seen it yet, watch it at HeLives.mormon.org!! And then after you watch it, share it with everyone you can!! It has such a wonderful, inspiring message of hope and peace. We are so excited to share this with everyone we meet, and I hope you are, too!

I know Christ lives! And every day He is there to help us and guide us. 

Joseph Smith bore such a powerful testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ: 

 22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

 23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

 24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

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

Love,

Elder Fullmer

week 38

It's been a wonderful week here in the Maryland Heights area. We were blessed to find 5 new investigators this week, which is the highest I've seen since I've been here! 

Monday we ended up going to the zoo, which was a blast! It's fun having faint memories of going there as a kid.

Tuesday morning we had District Meeting, which went really well. After that I went on exchanges in the next area over, Pagedale. I was with Elder Fa'anunu, a really awesome missionary from Tonga!

Wednesday we picked up 2 new investigators, Denise and Dejah, a mother and daughter who are really eager to learn about the Book of Mormon and how it testifies of Christ. It was a really neat lesson.

Thursday we sadly dropped one of our investigators who wasn't progressing. It's always a sad thing, but a necessary part if the work is to move forward.

Friday we Weekly Planned, taught Ira, one of our investigators, and then had visits with Josh, a recent convert; the Walls, a part member family; and the Robinsons, all of which went well.

Saturday we picked up another new investigator named Larry. We were planning on teaching him about the Restoration, but felt prompted to teach the Plan of Salvation. It went really well, and he was very receptive to what we had to say. That evening we had Transfer Calls... Dun dun dun... Haha Elder Bishop is heading off to Waterloo, Illinois, and I'm staying here in Maryland Heights. Not only that, but I'm getting a Spanish companion, Elder Vergara! There's quite a large Spanish-speaking portion of our ward, so we will get to help out with that, particularly. To make things even more exciting, we will be serving together as Co-District Leader!! I've never even heard of that happening before, but I'm really excited! It'll be a blast!

Sunday we had Church in the morning, which was great. That afternoon we picked up two more new investigators: Dorris, an older Baptist lady who is willing to listen, and a man named Rafael from Mexico (it's a good thing I'm getting a Spanish companion because his wife only speaks Spanish).

It's been a really amazing week seeing God place people in our path who we truly hadn't anticipated being there. He most definitely is always watching over us wherever we are.

One thought that came from a talk in Sacrament Meeting this week was about the story of the Brother of Jared. In Ether, it talks about how he made the barges "tight like unto a dish" so that the water wouldn't seep in through the cracks. In a similar manner, our lives, families, and homes must be "tight like unto a dish" in order to keep out all the evil influences of Satan. However, just keeping the bad out is not enough. Like it says in Ether 6:3 "And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness." We must also fill our "barges" with the light that shines always, which is the light of Christ, for our Father in Heaven desires that we not "cross [our] great waters in darkness." I definitely thought it was a very cool thought.

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

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

[Peter ran across this old photo of our family that was taken by a family we knew well when we lived in St. Louis. The boy on the left is their son and he would often baby sit our kids. Hard to believe our family was so young and small back then!]

week 37

We had a really good week this week. The past few weeks we have really been focusing on finding and talking to people, but this past week we have seen a shift from finding to teaching, which is exciting to see.

Monday we played basketball for about an hour and a half, which was a blast. It felt super good to just run around and release some energy. That evening we met with Clarance, an investigator we picked up about a week ago. We taught him the Restoration, which went extremely well. The Spirit was definitely there, and he really has an open heart and a willing mind.

Tuesday we had District Meeting in the morning, and then that evening we went to visit a part member family that we're working with.

Wednesday morning we did service at a food pantry and then met up with the other Elders in our District to do exchanges. Elder Brown, the District Leader, was in Maryland Heights with me, and it was a great exchange. We picked up a new investigator named Ira, an older man who already had a Book of Mormon and was interested in learning more. The lesson went really well, and we're hoping to see him again this next week. We also talked to this really nice lady named Robin for about a half hour just out on her front steps. We should be going back to see her this week as well.

Thursday we taught Ron again, and we're really trying to get him involved and engaged in what we're teaching. He's pretty apathetic about most things, so hopefully we can help him find his purpose through the gospel. That evening we taught a really nice man named David, who just recently moved into the area. He said he had talked to missionaries around 20 years ago and didn't remember much, but was willing to learn more. We had an amazing lesson with him, and the Spirit was super strong. We are really excited to see him progress.

Friday morning we planned for our week and then taught the Walls, a part member family in our ward

Saturday evening we got to go to Stake Conference, which was wonderful. Elder Renland of the 70 was there, and he really had some amazing stories. I also ran into a family named the Parks, who I guess was pretty close to my family when we used to live in St. Louis. I vaguely remembered them, but it was still fun to finally meet someone who remembered me!

Sunday we had another session of Stake Conference, which also was great. One of the speakers spoke about how each of us uses the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. Do we embrace them or lay them to the side and not use them? He pointed out 4 very important gifts that each of us has been given: agency, laws and commandments, time, and the Atonement. It was some really good food for thought. 

One thing that Elder Renland talked a lot about on Sunday was the importance of being grateful. He pointed out a portion of King Benjamin's address found in Mosiah 4:11-12: "And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

What a wonderful promise that as we remember God and all that He has done for us, we will ALWAYS rejoice. That principle is so true.

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

The Church is True!

Love,

Elder Fullmer

Peter is serving in Maryland Heights and he found this sign. He was happy to find this for Sarah and Jeremy who live in Baltimore, Maryland!