October 27, 2014

Dear Family and Friends

On Sunday we got a phone call from a sister in the branch named Teresa.  She was in North Carolina visiting her sister but her former branch president had called her to see if she could help him out.  It seems that there was this girl Ashley who is originally from Tell City who was in an abusive relationship and had left and the branch president was bringing her back to Tell but she needed a place to stay.  Her mother and sister both live here but she couldn’t stay with them for some reason.  Teresa wanted to know if we could help out until she got home Friday and then Ashley could stay with her.  We talked to Teresa’s branch president and he told us a little of the story but we didn’t know what to do.  We met up with them at Ashley’s mother’s house and said she could stay with us.  I didn’t know if that was the right thing to do but what could we do.  We just asked ourselves “What would Jesus do?”  Ashley said she wasn’t afraid to stay on the street because she had done it before but we didn’t feel good about that.  So from Sunday night until Friday morning we had a guest with us.  She was very easy to have around.  We would take her to her mom’s each morning when we were ready to leave for the day and then she would come back home at night.  She was very diligent in her job search and by Wednesday had a job lined up.  She then went and spent a night with Teresa and then met up with a new friend and moved on to another town.  We see that so much here.  The young people drop out of school, make poor decisions and can’t seem to stick to things when they finally do make a good decision.  We are trying to keep in touch with her and we will see how it goes.

Tuesday and Thursday of the week we helped our friends whose mother passed away clean out her apartment and move all her furniture.  I was surely blessed for that service as I was given several clothing items.  This lady had two closets full of clothes and I was told to take anything I wanted.  Unfortunately for me she was a petite so things were too short but some of her shirts and sweaters fit.  That gave me a boost in the wardrobe department.

On Wednesday our good friends took us out to lunch and then to see an old house called the Holt house.  It was owned by the man who was the attorney general under President Buchanan and was the one in charge of the hangings of four of the people involved in the Lincoln assassination.  The house has stood empty for many years and is now being restored.  As I love old houses it was a treat to see it.  The family cemetery was also interesting to see.  After that we went to a little Amish store and browsed.  After that couple of hours we went to and again cut wood.  Elder Fullmer loves that part of service.  Not so much the moving of furniture though.

The graveside service for our friends mother was on Saturday which was our scheduled temple day.  Because there were 5 women going and we couldn’t get everyone in our car, Elder Fullmer decided to stay home and go to the service with the Elders.  The sisters and I had a good day at the temple   Evan said it worked out well because he was asked to give the opening prayer.   On Friday morning we had learned that one member of our branch presidency’s father had passed away so we attended his service on Sunday after church.  It was very interesting as none of the family except Tim are members so it was a very Protestant service.

We have passed our 8 month mark.  Once again we feel that time is flying by.  Hopefully we are making a difference in some of the people’s lives.  We know it is not us but the spirit that will bring them back so we just keep trying to help them feel the spirit when we visit them. 

 

The gospel is true so what else matters.

The first picture is the information plaque, 2nd is of the house and 3rd is us at the side of the house.

Love to all of you

Elder and Sister Fulllmer

 

October 20, 2014

Dear one and All

This has been an emotional week in so many ways.  We have seen and heard of great blessings of the gospel and the strength it can give us if we will do our part.

We got a text from Angie asking us to get a hold of the elders in Louisville and have them go to the hospital to give her husband Randy’s mom a blessing.  We called Elder Moulton in the mission office to learn who the Elders were that would be over that area and he already had the word.  The chaplain from the hospital had called and got it into motion and the Elders were already on their way.  I love that we are well known enough that the chaplain knew who to call.  I called the temple and put her name on the prayer roll.  On Friday evening we got a message that she had passed away.  It was such a blessing because she had cancer so badly and hadn’t even been able to speak for nearly two years.  Randy used to be a member (don’t know the whole story) and Angie has been less active most of her life.  This might be what it takes to bring them both back.  We never know what effect events will have on different people.   We love them both so much.  I have had experiences with Angie that are so sacred and special to me.

We had district meeting on Friday.  Sister Kuenzle told of how there is a family in their area who has joined the church.  The father was baptized about 3 months before the 11 year old girl and he told her not to take the sacrament until she was baptized.  She said that she could hardly wait until she was baptized and that since she has been that she loves going to Sacrament meeting because she gets to partake of the sacrament.  What a mature attitude for one so young.  We should each strive to make that our focal point of every sacrament meeting and be prepared for that sacred ordinance.

We had a branch social on Saturday.   It was the Fall Festival which the branch usually holds out to the Branch Presidents because he has a large place where we could have roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and had a hay ride but because of the poor weather we moved it to the church.  This meant that we went back to all the less actives we had given invites to and let them know the venue had been changed.  It was just another good opportunity to contact them.   There were several kinds of chili, some of which were great and some just okay.  We have learned which members of the branch are the really good cooks and know to get their food first before it is all gone.  Our Relief Society President makes a killer carrot cake that is always the first dessert gone.  We all know that if you want a piece of Eva Mae’s cake you get it before you get any other food or you won’t get any.    Everyone visited and just kind of rotated tables and talked to everyone.    When Penny started the karaoke going it was hard at first to get people singing but after they started groups singing it was really fun.  One of our less actives did come and seemed to have a really good time.  Our 6 boys in the branch had fun doing the games, running around and trying to sing along.  We all laughed when William who is 3 was sitting behind the karaoke machine and was really feeling the music and was swinging his sword and mouthing all kinds of nonsense.  A non-member lady Deb we have helped move two different times came but not her husband.  It turns out that she and several sisters in the branch were great friends growing up.   She kept saying she needed to go home because she does a very early (2 a.m.) paper route but she stayed clear until we started cleaning up.  Maybe this will get us in to teach them.  One of the sisters said that Deb was actually one of the girls her mother liked her to run around with growing up.

I have spent several hours this past week preparing for the talk I gave yesterday.  The inspiration just kept coming from every meeting we attended and so many experiences of the week.  Even on Saturday night I went back in and added and revised some parts of my talk as things were said at our social that gave me new inspiration.  As nervous as it makes me I felt that it went well.  I know that I certainly learned many things from all the preparation and study which I did.  The topic was "Why a testimony is not enough".  It was a good reminder to me that a testimony reguires action to keep it growing or it is too easy to become complacent.  So many of our less actives say they have a testimony but after such long periods of inactivity what do they really have a testimony of.  President Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk on testimony just this last conference.  If you didn't hear it be sure you read it.

We are involved with a new venture this week.  It is not one I particularly relished at first but we just had to ask "What would the Savior do?'  I will write next week and let you know how it all goes.  Is that a good enough teaser?

The gospel is true.  We need to all do our part to move the work along.  Help the missionaries in your area in whatever way is possible in your particular circumstances.  Feed them, go to lessons with them, do their mending, drive them places they may need to go.  Somehow get involved with the missionary work.  Let us all strive to strengthen our testimonies as we share them with everyone we possibly can.

Love

Mom and Dad etc.

October 13, 2014

Hello one and all,

This past week at zone meeting we had some great training by our Zone Leaders.  Elder Newbold told of an experience he had while in a bike area.  He and his companion were nearing the end of the day and were on their way back to their apartment when they saw a man on a bike in the distance.  He was going really slowly and they caught up to him so stopped him and asked him about himself.  His name was Tom and he was interested so they set up an appointment to teach him.  From then on he was either not there when they went for appointments or cancelled the appointments and rescheduled.  They were about to give up on him.  One evening they got a call just as they were about to retire from this man Tom.  He said that this was the end and they thought he was saying that he didn’t want to try and meet with them anymore but he said “You don’t understand.  I have taken a bottle of pills and this is the end”.  They hurriedly got into their car and started to his apartment.  They passed a policeman on their way and stopped and told him what was happening.  The policeman got help and the got Tom to the hospital where they were able to pump his stomach and save him.  Another day when the Elders got home there was a man standing by their apartment.  It was Tom.  He had just moved in with his sister across the street from them.  They learned that he was so down and out because he had no job; his wife had taken the kids and moved to Florida and was divorcing him , he only owned his bike, he had been living with his mother and now was going to live with his sister.  It worked out that they taught him the gospel and he is now in the Elders Quorum Presidency and dating a member.  Elder Newbold stressed how a 3 second decision could have made the difference in this man’s life.  If they had ridden by that first night and not stopped to talk to Tom he would probably be dead now.  It shows how a split second can make a difference in someone’s life and we don’t know what things we do that will affect someone.

 

Elder Pritchett, one of the zone leaders, told of how his dad is not a member and the rest of the family had all been less active as he grew up.  The elders in his town in Arizona were continually working with his family to try and reactivate them. He finally got his life together and came out on his mission.  One of the missionaries who had been one of those working with his family back in Arizona lived in Lexington Kentucky where Elder Pritchett was assigned to serve at the time.  One day as he and his companion were teaching at a less active member’s home, the member who went with them was that missionary who had helped his family.  They chuckled at the thought that the last time the two of them had been in a less active home it had been Elder Pritchett’s home.  The power of missionaries and member missionaries is unmeasurable.  It makes all the difference to the missionary work if we have the help and support of the members. 

Evan spent a good part of one day out to a member’s home cutting and hauling wood.  Bro. Zellers cut the trees down, Evan trimmed all the branches off and cut it to shorter lengths and the Elders hauled the branches and loaded them on the wagon and hauled and stacked the wood.  Sister Zellers and I kept them fed, ran errands to pick things up for them and worked on a Christmas project she is doing for her granddaughters.  Evan really enjoyed the whole day but certainly felt it the next day.  He thinks he can work like the 20 year old Elders and I must say that he certainly held his own with them but paid for it with some sore muscles.

We found two more of our less actives this past week.  One told us very emphatically that she didn’t want us to try and see her but the other’s life has just changed in a dramatic way and we may see him come back to church.  We will certainly keep in touch with him and encourage him to make the changes in his life he needs.  He really wants to be happy and we know this would be the way to find true happiness.

 

We had a wonderful Stake conference this past weekend.  Elder Foster of the 70 was our visiting authority and because he is over the Family History he talked a lot about the new program to find and save our families.  He did a presentation showing how even those of us who think all of our genealogy has been done will probably find people who still need work done.  He had a man come up who thought his work was all done and in just a couple of minutes found someone in his lines that the information was there but the work had not been done.  I spent some time today looking at my lines but I didn’t find any temple work that needs done.  I did get the information for a family here that was missing one child in their family and got it ready to have this man’s work done and seal him to his parents.  I also have another brother I am trying to find to get this family complete.  His name and death date are on the family headstone but the dates don’t fit in completely so I will do more research.

 

It is really turning into fall.  From last week to this the trees have changed colors and the forests are so beautiful.  We have had some much needed rain.  Evan has three little watermelon growing from some seeds he just tossed out and they seem to double in size every day.  If the weather stays warm until November as it usually does here we night get some small watermelon.

 

We love you all and enjoy hearing from you.  We both encourage each of you to become best friends with the missionaries in your area.  They are there to help you and you should each be there to help them.  It takes all of us working together to bring this great work to pass.  Don’t let a 3 second opportunity pass you by when you might change someone’s life.  The gospel is true and we should joyfully share it. 

 

Love

Elder and Sister Fullmer etc.

October 6, 2014

Dear One and All

 

The real highlight of this week was the district meeting we had last Friday and lunch afterwards.  The training was about Amulek teaching with Alma and was compared to Amulek being the branch member and helping the missionaries.  It gave me some things to put in my talk.  I had coupons for the Ponderosa(a buffet place) so after meeting we all just went there.  We sat in their banquet room and Sandy was out waitress.  Evan and I got up to leave before all the missionaries were ready to leave and Sandy stopped us before we got to the door and said she was so impressed by the group.  She liked how polite and quiet the kids all were.  She said that her daughter and granddaughter were members of our church and her son-in-law had joined and they had just done something where they were put together forever.  They must have gone to the temple.  We asked her if she would be interested in learning more but she said she just plans on going to visit them and be sure to be there on a Sunday so she can go to church with them before she has anyone else tell her about the church.  We went back in and told the missionaries what she had said and to be sure and leave her a good tip.  Most of them didn’t have any cash on them so we left $10 and Elder Jacobsen said he had a $5.  The missionaries are just such a nice group of young people.  We all need to be aware of our example daily.  We never kknow who is watching and the affect we might have. 

 

Evan is still enjoying collecting his chestnuts.  He gathered another bucket today and has quite a bunch.  I don’t know if he will ever get them all roasted but he is enjoying it.  He is also looking forward to this Wednesday because he will be cutting wood again with our friend Greg and the Elders.  There is so much wood laying around Greg’s property that just needs to be cut to length that he will not have to buy wood for the winter if they can get a good supply cut and down where they can get to it.  Evan really wishes he had a table saw to cut all the scrap lumber the neighbor has brought to Greg’s. 

 

 We are so glad we have a laptop computer.  When we got to the church on Saturday to watch conference we learned that the cable had been cut by the lawnmower people and we had no way to watch it through the satellite.  We just hooked the laptop through the system and were able to watch it.  Sunday there was quite a group there to watch so it was good we were able to do that.  It seems that conference weekend doesn't last nearly as long as it did when I was trying to keep a housefull of kids watching and listening.  Now it is over way too fast.  Wasn't it a glorious conference!!

We have a busy schedule this week with Zone Meeting, wood cutting, taking the Hermanas for a dentist appointment which will take a good part of the day and then we have stake conference this weekend which means a trip on Saturday and again on Sunday.  Three trips to Evansville and one to Huntingburg all in one week will add the miles to our trusty old car.  We are blessed that it is still working so well.  New tires are in the near future but we have planned for it.

There's not much else to tell this week.  We are busy and are still finding the less actives.  We found one more we hadn't met before but she can't come to church unless her son comes which isn't going to happen any time soon.  She lives about 20 miles out and doesn't drive.  Everyone has their reasons but I think hers are more valid than most.

  WE are enjoying our time here and can't believe how fast it is flying by.  Remember to share your light and be an example as our missionaries are. The gospel is true and we are so blessed to have it and we need to share with everyone.

We love you all.

Elder and Sister Fullmer

Mom and Dad

Evan and Trudy

Grandma and Grandpa