Monday, August 1, 2011

August 1, 2011 Transfer Week

Dear Fullmer Family!
This week has been such a crazy but awesome week! Just to let you know, I'm alive and after this letter you will know where I am. It's too bad that the blog hasn't been updated with the transfer info. I'll ask President Anderson what's up with that. 
 
Anyways... My new area is... Riverside Park East area. This area is in Ft. Lauderdale about 20 minutes away from the mission home. It's a really big area, well a lot bigger than my last area which is probably the smallest area in the mission. My new companion is from Central, Arizona (which is actually not in the center of Arizona.) It's in the south west corner of the state. He's been out for about 9 months. He's a great Elder and we've been getting along really well. It seems like we've known each other for a long time. 
 
I'm serving in another branch again with about the same amount of members as my last area. In the branch we are serving with 2 sisters as well. It's been a little different working with other missionaries in the same branch because in Miami Beach we are so secluded from other missionaries. It's really fun though. The branch is awesome. 
 
No one in the branch plays piano whatsoever so I am officially the branch pianist... yay... I get to play for the choir and for all of the hymns in sacrament meeting. Now I wish I had practiced the hymns more when I was at home. But I get to practice quite a bit here. It's really fun and a good way to meet more of the members. 
 
The branch president is a really awesome guy. He and his wife are from Chile and they have lived in the states for about 15 years or so. We had dinner with them yesterday with the sisters and it was a really nice night. He is so humble and so giving and all he wants to do is help. For the 5th Sunday meeting yesterday he gave a lesson about how we need to be spiritually prepared and also physically prepared. He says that it is a neccesity to come to church because when you are here you get spiritually prepared for the week. He talked about Captain Moroni and how he prepared his army spiritually before he prepared them physically. It was a great lesson and the spirit was really strong. 
 
In this area we have quite a few investigators. Not many of them are progressing but they are slowly getting there. There was this one woman that we taught on Saturday who has been meeting with the missionaries for quite some time. We decided to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon with her and after the 1st paragraph she started talking about how last week she was really frustrated with work or something like that and she decided to read the Book of Mormon. She said that peace filled her heart and she received an answer that what she was reading was true. She testified that Jose Smith (Joseph Smith) is a true prophet and that this is the only true church on the Earth. I just wanted to baptize her right then! Haha. That's the problem though. She's been living with this one guy for a long time and she wants to marry him. He doesn't though. She can't get baptized unless she gets married or she moves out. Yesterday we fasted with her so that there will be a way for her to get baptized. I know that somehow she will get baptized soon. 
 
That Palmyra trip sounds like it was a blast!!! I hope that we'll be able to go there after my mission as a family. Back in Miami Beach they did the same trip with a bunch of families from the branch and they absolutely loved it! I'm so glad that you were all able to go. That sounds like such a fun group as well. Let them all know that I love them! I really want to go to the sacred grove someday. I'm jealous that you were all able to go but I'm very happy for all of you. Sorry Sam that you had to be on vacation on your birthday but I guess it's better than being at home by yourself watching tv... Well I hope you liked the superly awesome card that I sent you. I saw it and know that you'd love it! Haha. Thank you for telling me all about the trip though. Don't worry, I didn't get homesick, just a little jealous! Haha. I'm sorry to hear that it was so hot and humid.
 
This last week we were really low on miles on our car so for the past week we've been on bike! On Friday we biked 16 miles in FLORIDA! Then on Saturday we followed it up with 15 miles. It was SOOO HOT!!! But I've been living in it for about 3 months so I'm pretty much used to the humidity. I remember my 1st week was dreadful so I know how ya'll feel. (Ya'll...? Haha... I'm growing into the south i guess...)
 
Ohh ya Elder Reese! Last Wednesday I was able to see him! He's doing really well. He seemed really nervous about all of the changes going on but that's exactly how I felt. :) His new companion was actually in this area. They are serving in Blue Lagoon East which is in like Coral Gables... Miami. I replaced his companion and everyone here keeps telling me how great a missionary he is so I know that Elder Reese is in good hands. 
 
Well in this new area we live really close to the chapel once again which is a huge blessing! There is a family history library here so we come here to write emails instead of the library. I like it a lot more! Our apartment is nice. It has kind of a weird smell to it but after a while you just get used to it. It's so much more quiet here than my last area. I've been sleeping like a king! :) 
 
Anyways I hope everything is going well for all of you in SLC! I hope you all get to catch up on your sleep. Also I hope that Stephen's new job is going well. I'm interested to see what he gets to do there... Thank you also for the directory. If you can find a newer one that would be great but if not that's alright. Also I got a letter from Bishop DeJohn yesterday. Dad, you said that he's been sending me DearElders but I haven't gotten any of them. I'll make sure to write him back though. He's awesome! Also, my shirts from Missionary Mall haven't come yet either FYI (or PSI (por su informacion)). 
 
Thank you for all of your love and support. I have a feeling that this transfer is going to be the best one yet. It was really hard to leave my last area and say goodbye to the people that I have grown so close to but that's just part of missionary work. Now I get to meet more new people and add them to the list of awesome people! 
 
This mission is amazing and I know that the Lord is strengthening me everyday. He loves us all so much and we just need to always remember Him. He's there for us all the time. Being able to help Him in His work, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, is such an incredible blessing. I really have been finding the "joy and being led forth with peace. (My missionary scripture)" Thank you for all that you do for me! I love you all so much!
Con Amor,
-Elder David B. Fullmer

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