March 16,2015

Spring has come to Indiana or maybe it is summer already.  We went from 12 inches of snow on the 6 of March to not even needing a jacket on the 12^th of March.  It has been very nice since then and we love it.  We momentarily we think of what August might be like because we are starting this beautiful weather so early in the year but we won’t let it stop us from enjoying the now.  However because of the warm weather we are having some major flooding.  As we have gone to Evansville for three days in a row (Zone Meeting, Saturday night stake meeting and Stake Conference) we have watched the water continue to rise.  I wish I had taken a picture of one barnyard where the cows are standing around a feeder and each day their area has gotten smaller because of the water.  I have taken many pictures of the water but only posted the five.  It shows though how much the water has risen.  Our one member family who had originally moved into town decided to go home after making arrangements with the Girl Scout camp director to go through the campground and over the hill.  It means that Greg rides the 4-wheeler about a mile, walks across the smaller area on 2x10’s and then has his car parked there (he left it there before the water got up on the road on the one part) and then drives around the Girl Scout campground which takes him up a long hill but makes it possible for them to stay home.  It does mean that we haven’t been able to see them for nearly 3 weeks.  The water is supposed to recede by this weekend but we shall see.  The river is moving so swiftly and there is so much debris in it that it looks to me like it could take longer.

Because of all the water we haven’t been able to visit others of our less actives.  They live up or down dirt roads which are pretty impassable because of the mud.  We hope to be able to get back in to see them in the next week or so.  They always welcome us in but have warned us that now isn’t a good time to try and get to their places.  Most of them park quite a ways from their houses and walk in.  I am sure that Idaho would love to have some of this problem right now.  My friend sent an email saying that the farmers are already getting into their fields in Idaho which doesn’t bode well for the summer.

I was able to hopefully clear up some family history problems in the branch this week.  After talking to one of the Family History missionaries I knew how to send the information to Salt Lake to release some names and to record some that we had proof that the ordinance had been done.  We are going to start having a night every other month (or more if there is the interest) getting together at the church and working on family history.  As the members become more comfortable with the programs they will be better able to find things on their own and not need to rely on someone else helping them.  It is the old adage of give a man a fish and feed him for a day but teach him how to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.  I can and would love to do the work for them but I will only be here a short time and then they are back to their own devices. We have also found two of the less actives who are interested in their family history and this might be the road to their coming back.
We love you all and pray you are all helping the missionaries in some way or are talking to your friends (Opening your mouths-the theme of our conference) or doing family history or temple work which all is part of the hastening of the work.  We each are important to the work.

Love

Elder and Sister Fullmer

Picture #1   Part of the road stopping us from seeing our friends  #2 Notice the pavilion behind Elder Fullmer #3 The far tree line is the edge of the Ohio river so you can see how far the water is out.  #4 Our park behind the flood wall.  See the top of the picnic table.  #5  The flood gate was put in and you can see a little water on this side.