Wednesday, March 27, 2013

3/25/2013

Hey Family :) how is easter break? I have been looking forward to emailing you all. So today we got the car back! I am not sure if i mentioned that we share if every other week, so my bum is getting extra tight haha. We have to walk a road like 1050 like 4 times a day. Sister Long hasn't gotten a bike yet so we walk EVERYWHERE. But ya we got the car back but his morning we woke up to snow! people here are super dramatic haha it was like maybe a foot and I am pretty sure school got canceled and everyone is home from work. But because it snowed we aren't allowed to drive the car so we just walked like 20 minutes to the library to email haha I am sure I look like a drowned rat!
Thankfully no more super interesting dinners! That family keeps signing up for dinner and we dont know what to do haha we don't wanna go back.
I am super glad the Foutz's called you :) I was excited when they got my information so they could contact you guys. They spoke in our ward and did such an awesome job. Don't worry I am being safe haha. Alot of the people we teach...actually all of the people...are african american. We are teaching a lady named Miss Kim. She is such a sweet lady. The other day it got stormy out while we were walking and she made me wear her coat and gloves home. and when we leave her house late she has us call her to make sure we made it home safe. I bet you like hearing all of this mom :) She keeps us safe. Miss Kim said her first prayer with us the other day. Such a moving moment. It wasn't long or fancy but she talked to God. And that is ALL that matters. She also has comitted to working towards being baptized on April 13th. She has this cute grandson named Aiden that I took a picture with to send home. She is sooo cute. He even has a baby fro.
We are also teaching this 18 year old girl named Jandell. She is super sweet and really needs a friend. ( she just moved here) When we taught her about the restoration and about how we need that preisthood authority to baptize she paused and said...yeah that makes sense. I have always felt like the guy didn't do it right anyways. ...Wow! She made our job easy haha. she also is working towards being baptized on the 13th. She does work at starbucks though and we havent taught the Word of Wisdom yet so this could get interesting. '
The family we wanted to take to the temple...well some things have happened and we are learning a bit more about the situation. We have decided to take a few days from them and let the mom work through some things. The family situations are horrible hear. I cry multiple times for these sweet kids that are brought up in such sad situations.


Kade :) I am glad you liked the missionary activity. I can see a really small photo over on the side of you in a name tag! I like it! Hang it up somewhere you can see to help you remember everyday to work towards getting to wear it every day. Also, I know scriptures are hard. But I am challenging you to read the Book of Mormon before I get home. I k now as you do you will learn to love the scriptures. I have became quite attached to my Book of Mormon.
I am glad you are liking track ash :) I bet you will break some records! Keep working hard but remember to spend time with family too. I look back to junior high and high school and that is one of the things I regret is not spending as much time as I could have with you guys.
I hope you all have fun in provo! and have a fun easter :) study some scriptures about Easter together this year to make it special.
LOVE all the way from Odenton Maryland
Sister Fullmer

Monday, March 18, 2013

Odenton, Maryland 03/18/2013

Hey family :)
So I am hoping you are on the computer right now cause if you are we can email back and forth! Odenton Maryland how do I sum it up...haha everyone here is not white. There is some really rich parts of town and some really poor parts! the garbages are yellow which means I obviously am supposed to be here :)
My companion is Sister Long. It's crazy that she is already a trainer and has only been out six weeks. She is awesome, we both have alot in common. Sometimes I can tell we both have really strong personalities though so I just need to lay back some. My apartment is the most ghetto thing I have EVER seen. haha its funny though because it feels like home. The wheather has been nice here so far. somedays we have to wear a coat and other days its pretty warm! We have to share the car every other week with the Elders in a different area so this week we get to walk and ride everywhere. I forgot to take a picture of my bike but it is a real beauty. I can't wait to ride it! When I first got off the plane in Baltimore sister Richards just ran and gave us a huge hug. :) I felt so welcomed. The first night we slept in a hotel and I was able to hand out my first pass a long card to Claudio the Phillipian/Italian man. He was so friendly :) It was my first experience really talking to someone about the gospel.
On the plane I sat by all missionaries so I didn't get the chance on the plane. But when I first got off the airplane I just felt like everyone we passed was looking at my name tag. It feels so good to be a representative of Jesus Christ. The next day we had transfer meeting where I met sister Long. Like I said before she is way cool :). We both are super hard workers so that is good. We drove back to the partment and unpacked. Then we went to the grocery store....I don't even know what to get. I have ate Kashi cereal for the last few days but haha I can't continue doing that forever! Way too much fiber haha. I also realized that I am going to need more food so brands like Kashi are just a tad out of my leauge haha. they give us 155 dollars a month to spend on all personal items and groceries. That first night we met a new investigator named Anton! He was the only guy home so we talked him in to coming outside for the lesson since it was my first day. We also are teaching a family that wants to get baptized! A single mom and her 3 kids. We are hoping to take them to the temple visitor center this week. Total we met 12 new investigators since we first started together which has been a blessing. We are teaching a 50 year old man that is super smart in the gospel. We read the 3 witness, 8 witness, and jospeh smith testimony with him which really uplifted both him and me! How could the Book of Mormon not be true! You all should read it! This man came to church on sunday too! The ward is super young, but there are alot of really friendly families.
Sister Long and Me, and my first Ritas - Better than Zeppes!
I already taught my first "drunk" lesson. There was this family we met one day that let us in to talk. Her teenage girls were super interested but not so much the mom which was a real bummer. she wouldn't let them come to church. The mom had two friends over though at the time. Both of which were drunk. He told me he climbed on top of the angel moroni at the D.C. temple. It was funny, and I knew we were safe. don't worry. I definantly have to listen to the spirit alot out here to discern where and where not to go. We are super obedient to not get to any unsafe situations.
Over the weekend I had my first missionary meal haha. We got invited to a members house and when we get there the place is just covered in cats haha. and sister long is allergic. So anyways we go sit down and there is these grey lumpy balls of dough and gravy and saur krat for dinner. Let me mention there was cat hair in all of it! hahaha. on the walls, in the food, cat food on the table! Man...so yummy :) haha to top it off after I said the closing prayer she looked up at me in all seriousness and asked if she could be sealed to her cats for all time and eternity. Even the "normal people" here are way more out there than anyone I have ever met. Yesterday we felt like we need to stop at a less active girls house. she wasn't there but her dad was. He let us in and we were able to teach him the restoration. At the end he said how he was in an addiction recovery class and how that day he had been reading in the book how he needed to become closer to god and give god his will. and then we knocked :) coinsidense...I don't think so. we get to go back and teach him today!
so far my time has been wonderful! some days are really hard and other are super fun and you feel the blessing pouring out! keep praying for me I really need it. and have family home evening. I just feel like I need to tell you to do this :) I love you guys! Sorry I can't individually email you all back I just have a ton to say! Please write me so I get stuff in the week! and friends too! haha my address is 1223 Scot's Manor Apartments # A Odenton, MD 21113 :) love you all and miss you!

More MTC Pics

Sister Anderson and Fullmer
Sister Fullmer and Sister Beeton






 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Second MTC Letter

Hey fam bamily :) I was hoping that i would have an email from you today :( ah thats okay. I am sure this week has been crazy with cheer tryouts and such. How did it go? Love you ashie. You are so gosh dang beautiful. I have a picture of you guys hanging up on my closest and all my roommates just think you are so gourgeous. So today is my P day again! I can't believe that is has already been a week since I last emailed you! ALOOOTT has happened. So first off I will give you an update on my companion. So I told you how she finally told me that she has Asberger's disease, well she keeps telling me more and more disabilities that she has. It is really hard because I feel like I have to babysit her. I have to wake her up, wait for her, etc. etc. So... we will just say that it has been hard to say the least. It was really hard the first week having patience with her but this week has been so much easier. The teacher pulled me aside and asked me how she was doing...and I told the truth. She can't keep up walking and she can't ride a bike at all she said she falls everytime...and so he told me I needed to tell my concerns to the branch president here since we are going to a BIKING mission haha. So I was way nervous because I can't even describe how much I love her. I know 100% that i was put with her for a reason and I know that Heavenly Father trusted me to take care of her. I decided that it would be best if i talked to him so that way she wouldn't be dissapointed in herself and maybe they could put her in and area out there with a car. It was 100% out of love. Anyways that night she broke down in tears and told me that she felt like she needed to talk to the branch president about it. She was pretty upset because she said that they whole time she had been trying to ignore her problems but she needed to be honest for the people of baltimore since she would be to slow to do the work walking or riding. The elders in our district were able to give her a blessing. They blessed that her physical body would be able to keep up with her and blessed her to have courage. I have always loved the preisthood but I don't think I have ever felt the power of it more than I did in that room. All of us were weeping. She later told me that she was born 4 months early and that when she was born her grandpa gave her a blessing that if she didn't have a purpose here on earth then just for god to take her, but if she did, then to let her live. I know that she will have many purposes here on earth and I know without a doubt one of them was me. She taught me how to love with the pure love of christ, and that is the greatest gift that nayone could ever give me. I love her so much. But long story short she had to go to the doctor and they might not be sending her to baltimore anymore. we find out on monday. I am so thankful that the holy ghost prompted her to take care of it on her own so I didn't have to interfere. I am thankful that I have been able to be here for her every step of the way.
Jaron Miller this a shout out to you!!! My companion was taken through the veil at the temple by the one and only....AL FOX!!!! try not to be too jealous :). Also Megan Marsden!!! this is a shout out to you!!! I saw Matt conelly at the temple and the only name I could remember was...well...just ask him about it haha. It was so funny! Also Caleb Christensen this is a shout out to you!! You have a twin brother here at the MTC. It's so weird haha I thought for sure it was sibling and I asked but..no. So I call him Caleb anyways.
My time here at the MTC has been one of the hardest but most enjoyable things I have ever done! I am learning so much. I am even reading the bible dictionary daily haha. We get to teach progressing Investigators and that is so cool. It feels so real. I will say things and realize that the spirit put those words in my mouth because I can't even remember what I said. I know that because I am a representative of Jesus christ that I can see others the way he sees them. and that is the best feeling ever. Today I have to lots and lots of wash and start getting packed to leave! I have loved the packages you sent! especially the apple sauce :) haha and grandma even sent me cookies which me and my companion ate last night :) I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family.
Everyone here calls me T swift but I guess that is no suprise there haha it is actually really funny. I get it probably at least 6 times a day. I
I seriously love you guys so much and thank you so much for the support getting mail is the best ever!
Read your sciptures every day. Take it seriously. If you do all the dots will connect and you will realize with out a doubt that jospeh smith restored our church and the the bom is true. I can't even describe the way I feel right now. I have never felt this way. I don't want to ever lose it. I know that my redeemer lives. I know that he suffered for me individually and knows what I am going through. But I know that he also did that for my investigators that i will have. He sees them as what they can be. I can't wait for the day I can run to him and feel the nail marks in his hands and in feet and know just as much as I always have that he is my savior. My master physcian. It's just like how john the baptist is told as a child of his work in preparing tyhe way for the Messiah. He prepares himself his whole life to baptize the savior. I know that I need to prepare myself to see and help that conversion in others.
Families are forever. The church is true.
LOVE
Sister Fullmer

First MTC Letter

Hey fam :) So today is Saturday. So all the missionaries here can have P days are P days are on random days of the week. Mine will be on Saturdays :) I have loved the MTC so far. It has been like a little bit of heaven. Are district is SOOO fun! We are all going to Baltimore and we all get along so great. We all eat together and have tons of fun :) My companions name is Sister B. She was on a mini mission in Salt Lake City before she was given the call to come to Baltimore. So what better companion to have? I mean she has already been a missionary! She is from Farmington. My roommates and the other companionship of sisters in my district is what gets me through. We love each other so much and have really learned to help each other. I was having a bit of a hard time with being patient last night and Sister Schofield just reminded me that I have been put with certain people for a certain reason and that I can do what my heavenly father asked of me. I was having a hard time like I said being patient with my companion and then it hit me how selfish I am really being. SOOO selfish. I was so concerned about being late, and impressing teachers with being on time and things i have learned, and finding just the right lesson for our investigator mike ( which is really our teacher, but we teach him like he is a progressing investigator so that is kind of cool). But i realized last night while praying that I need to be selfless and help sister b with her time here at the MTC. I am not going to lie and say it is all easy. It is already the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but I am so thankful to my heavenly father for blessing me with this experience and for trusting me. and also for giving me situations in the past that have prepared me for this.
I have learned tons already! It blows my mind how the simple fundamentals of the gospel that I always thought were so clear, become so abstract to me here. There is so much depth even behind the little things. hahaha I just have to tell you one of my teachers looks exactly like Gavin but has a british accent. And that's all I am going to say about that. I really have been so focused and I truly have left behind the worldly things and focused on my mission. I know that I have been given the authority to be a missionary and its crazy cool when I really take advantage of that promise. It's like words just start coming out that I have never even thought of before.
But continue praying for me! I need every prayer I can get. The lord has given me a huge challenge and so far I have done okay and I get excited but than I remember, it's day 4. haha. So every night please pray for me to have patience with my companion and that I can show love and charity towards her. I literally do everything I can for her cause sometimes its hard for her. Like this morning I woke up 30 minutes early with here to make it to personal study on time ( we are ALWAYS late) and ...sure enough we were still late. I even made her bed for her. But I am learning to love here more and more each day. I really do love her!
Have you ordered my bike yet? Also you really should send me a phone card for the airport because it can cost up to 20.00 there to make a five minuted phione call! I got your package today :) and I love it. and your Dear Elder. Thank you! I love getting mail it just makes all the hard stuff of the day seem okay. Ashie and Kade I love you and miss you lots. Good luck at cheer tryouts, you will be amazing! Meg sent me a letter too! so hopefully I will have time to get back to her today. I mean its P day but we are still sooo incredibly busy here. I need to send grandma a letter too. :) Tell everyone that I love them and uhhh listen to some fun. for me kade. I heard an Eagles song today in the mailroom playing and my ears thought they had been to heaven and back haha. That was the first time I have heard music since I have gotten here, and I told everyone with me I was gonna remember that song for the rest of my life haha.
Alright be safe :) and i love you
LOVE
Sister Fullmer