Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Family,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful Turkey Lurky day and stuffed yourselves well! I definitely did and had a great Thanksgiving! It was nice to be able to have Thanksgiving with the ***** family. They are such a great family and I'm grateful for their hospitality. The food was amazing! I'm definitely going to miss Thanksgivings with 70 degree weather but ohh well... 

I can't believe that Christmas is less than a month away... Honestly there really isn't anything that I need or want. I was thinking about it and there really isn't anything. Actually, a new belt would be nice. With me coming home a couple months afterwards I don't think I need anything but if I think of anything I'll let you know. An iPhone 5 would be nice :) Haha. Thank you for the 100 days till I die package that you sent me! I know you didn't want to focus on the short amount of time I have left but that is EXACTLY what my companion keeps reminding me of. Everytime time someone asks how much time I have left he, without hesitation declares, "94 days!!" or something like that. So thanks Mom :) The caramel apple was amazing and I really like the Apple shirt. My favorite part was the compilation of memories from throughout my mission. I loved being able to rememer all the things that have happened and to see the change that has happened within myself.

This past week we had a baptism!! ******** was baptized! I have never seen anyone have so much opposition before he got baptized and also after he got baptized. Satan was working hard on him. The morning of the baptism, he could not get out of bed. Every fear was entering into his mind and he said, "I was ready to give up!" He was up since 4 AM and the baptism was scheduled for 9AM. He was mulling over everything and was fearful of what to do. When it got to 9:15 we got a bit worried and the senior couple drove over to see what was going on. The man who was to be baptized described it as an angel came as an answer to his prayers. The missionary related to us afterwards of the spiritual experience he had as he talked to Orlando. The man got in the missionaries truck and came to the church. I had the privelidge to baptize him and he felt so amazing! As we came back after changing my companion gave a talk and then as he sat down, a man walked into the church and stood up and started preaching how the baptism we had performed was wrong. I had never seen anything like it. We went over later that night and the man who was baptized was struggling a bit with his family. He's in a hard situation but what he's beginning to learn is that Christ can take pain and frustration away. He's a great man and we were so happy to see him be baptized.

Besides having the baptism it was kind of a difficult week. Well even the baptism was difficult. No one really wanted to see us and it was kind of tough but we're looking forward to this new week:) I can't believe that transfers are next week... It's been going by so fast. I really hope my companion stays. We get along really well and we're having a lot of success. I don't see him leaving but there is a chance... Who knows.  Someone asked about Key Limes. I haven't seen any key lime trees but I have seen a key lime pie :) I had my first one this past week! SO GOOD!!! Way better than the one I made back in SLC :) Haha. Hopefully I'll see one soon. I don't think it's really lime season right now but maybe I'm just blowing snow since I'm not from around here. This past week we have been spending the majority of our time on bikes since we are running short on miles but I'm not complaining. This is probably the best place in the USA at this time to ride your bike. The weather is absolutely beautiful and you just feel like a missionary when you're riding your bike :) It's been fun! I have some pictures to send but I'm not really sure how to attach them to this tablet but I'll do my best :) Anyways, I love you all and I hope you all have a wonderful week! 
-Elder David B. Fullmer

He wrote his letter while lying in a hammock on the military base. 

Week of Gratitude- Happy Thanksgiving

Dear Fullmer Family,

What a week we had this week! It has been a fantastic week! I'm very thanksful for all of my blessings.This past week I was reading the talk by President Monson entitled "Consider the Blessings." As I did so I read the challenge that he gave us to take an inventory of the blessings in our lives and if we do we will be happier and recognize the Lord's hand in our lives. So during a personal study session I decided to do just that. I wasn't in the best of moods but I decided to do it anyway.  As i did so, all of the feelings of discouragement left and I ended up writing down blessings for the whole hour. It was one of my favorite study sessions that I have had. I invite all of you to do the same thing, especially this week of Thanksgiving and I promise you will be happier and this will be one of your most memorable Thanksgivings yet.

Well this past week we had Zone Conference in Killian and it was amazing! We learned so many wonderful things. President Anderson let us know how we need to think less of ourselves and think more of others. 

Homestead and Miami Zones

It was a great Conference to be able to see other missionaries. In my zone alone I have three previous companions so it was fun to see them again. It's suprising but I don't really mind being secluded down in the keys away from everyone else. It just makes it easier to focus on the work and to get less distracted. So with Zone Conferences this past week Tuesday was pretty much shot for working since all together we were in the car for about seven hours... Knowing that, our time to work was much shorter for the week. So my companion and I knew we needed to use every minute of every day as effective as it could be used. We did things that had never been done before in this area. We were able to have eight investigators at church which was awesome!

One experience that I had this past week was when we went to go visit the ***** family. They are such an amazing family! We shared scriptures and experiences with him and the Spirit was very strong... He looked down and then looked up at us and said, "I know what I'm missing! I need to do more missionary work!" He made the resolve to work more with us and to share the gospel with his friends. We left a blessing on their home and then they asked if we have plans for Thanksgiving. We said we hadn't made any yet and they invited us over to thier house for Thanksgiving! I'm really excited for it. They have a five kids who are so hilarious and a lot of fun! So Thanksgiving will be great!

This past week we had a branch Thanksgiving party this past week in Key West! It was amazing! It was nice to be able to get to know the branch members better and to have some great food. Also, yesterday in Marathon they had Branch Conference where all the Stake Presidency came down, which includes President ****, and my former Bishop in Miami Bishop ******. It was great to see them again and to talk with them. They all said to tell you all Hi! It was like sitting down with old friends that I hadn't seen in a while.

Ohh yeah, I was asked to give a last minute talk about how to teach by the Spirit in the Key West Branch. Lets just say I've come a long way in being able to prepare talks. I had about 15 minutes to prepare and I needed to give about a 15 minute talk. I feel like it went pretty well! Haha.


Plan of Salvation doodle he sent his sister

Unfortuntely we weren't able to baptize ******** this past week. Some things came up but he is for sure getting baptized this Saturday. Please pray for him to be able to make changes necessary for his baptism. He's a great guy and I'm so excited for him!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful blessings in my life, first and foremost my family! Thank you all for always being there for me and caring so much about me! I love you all and I know that the Lord gives us all of our blessings and we need to show our gratitude for all of our blessings. I love you all and Hope you have a great week!
-Elder David B. Fullmer

Greetings from the Florida Keys!

Dear Familia,

Feliz Navidad! I can't believe all of that snow!! That's so crazy... Not gunna lie, I'm not really looking forward to that in a few months... These past few weeks have been just right. It's pretty funny because you can tell the natives from the tourists because lately all of the natives have been wearing coats and scarfs because to them right now has been really cold! It got down into the high 60's and people were asking us, "how can you be in short sleeves? aren't you freezing?" We just laugh and tell them that they're crazy! Sorry to hear about all the snow but it's about that time again.

Yesterday we had a cool experience. So the senior missionary couple live right off of a little canal so their back yard is basically a canal. We came home from the baptism and there were three mannatee's out in the canal! Super legit! . Ohh yeah, we had a baptism yesterday!! ******  got baptized. He is a member referral from his fiancee. They're really cool. Apparantly he has been coming to church with her for quite some time but when Fantasy Fest was going on the Elders came up here (in Key Marathon) for a few weeks and the week before I came down here he was introduced to the missionaries. He invited them over for dinner and the rest in history. He has worked in like three different restaurants and his food is A Ma Zing!!

 Everytime we go over to teach him he feeds us and then we have lesson. I believe that's how every lesson should be :) So we had been teaching him for about two weeks and he was pretty hesitant about baptism. Last Tuesday we went and met with him, he made this breaded chicken bake thing with cheese and a sweet marinara sauce with asperagus.. Ohh yeah the lesson... We asked him how he's been feeling about baptism and he shocked us a little. He said, "I did what you told me to do and I prayed and I've been thinking about baptism a lot and know it's no longer if I'm going to be baptized. It's when..." I asked him, "Will you get baptized this Sunday?"  He said, "I work!" He then told us he gets off of work around two so we told him we can have a baptismal service at 2:15. We did! He works every other Sunday so next Sunday he'll be getting confirmed. It was such a nice baptism!

Another really cool experience that i had this past week was when we went to go visit the **** Family. About six months ago while I was serving in Miami we got a call to go give a blessing to a sister in the hospital. We went and it was this very frail old woman. We gave her a blessing and then a few months later I got another call for the same woman who was in the hospital for another medical condition. This time looking even more frail. I gave her a blessing thinking that she didn't have much more time to go but hoping that she would get better. Well,  I later got transferred to Belle Glade and never heard any more about her. Well when I got transferred to Key West I remembered how Sister **** lives in Key Marathon. I asked about her and this past week we went to go visit her and she has made a full recovery! She had open heart surgery and many other surgeries. However for the past month she has been able to walk to the end of her street daily, something she hasn't been able to do in four years. I talked to her on the phone before I saw her and she said to me, "Elder Fullmer, I was praying that you would come down to see me before you leave. The Lord has blessed me through you. I've been telling everyone I meet about the blessing and i know it's because of the Priesthood that you bear" She is known to the doctors as a walking miracle. She's in her mid 80's and she's doing amazingly well! There is so much power in the Priesthood and I'm so blessed to have been a part in this blessing and to see the results of the Lord's hand. They have a young man staying in their home who is now interested in learning the Gospel and will hopefully be baptized in a few weeks. This is the beginning of many reasons why I know I've been called to serve in this area at this time.

 

Well that's about all I've got to say. Thank you for all of your wonderful letters! Thanks Whitney and Marc for the great package with pictures and (kind of late) postcards :) I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

-Elder David B. Fullmer

Another Week in Paradise

Dear Family,

What can I say... I love my area!! This has to be the most unique opportunity of a lifetime! Sometimes I can't believe I'm actually serving in the Florida Keys! Haha. So we got a call from President Anderson saying how he wants us to spend more time in Marathon because of the success that we've been having. We're going to be spending at least two days a week in Marathon and the rest in Key West. So my area covers all of the keys except for the top key... Key Largo. Other than that, it's all in my area!

There are so many wonderful people that we meet everyday. ******** came to church yesterday in Marathon and from what we heard he loved it!! We were in the Key West branch but we will be in Marathon next Sunday because ******** will be getting baptized next Sunday. So in Key West we are living in a trailer... but a very nice trailer. We actually don't live on Key West but an island just off of it called Stock Island. I still don't know my way around this place very well but it's beautiful. A couple days ago we drove past the Southern Most Point marker and it made me really happy. I haven't gotten a picture with it but I will be soon!

However, being missionaries we get a privelidge most people don't. There is a military base called the Truman Annex that goes more southern than the southern most point... which I'm at right now. The branch president works and lives at the Truman Annex and so we come here an email every Monday and then play basketball with some of the soldiers. It's really awesome!!

The branch down here is absolutely amazing! There is a young man named ****** who is 17 and a senior in high school. He's a referral machine! He brought his non member girlfriend to church because he told her, "I'm going on a mission in a few months... You need to come to church.....Haha. She came to church! He got up and bore his testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and it was very powerful. He's going to be an amazing missionary. So in total this past week we had eight investigators at church, with 11 new investigators. It was a very good week!

Sorry, we don't have much time today. I'm using a tablet to email and I'm really not used to it and don't really know how to use it so this email will be a bit shorter than most. However we did have some great experiences this past week where we met some really cool people. On Thursday as we were coming down it just seemed like we ran into everyone that we needed to. We met with many recent converts that we hadn't seen in a while and also some former investigators. It's been a very special week! Well I got to go! I love you all very much! I hope everything goes well for you all! I pray for you all the time!

-Elder David B. Fullmer