A Week to Remember

This week I will definitely remember for the rest of my life,

Brothers and Sisters,

I know that god lifts us to do the things that he requires if we just rely on him. So my companion became district leader and that pushed a lot of responsibilities on me as well. But this week my companion informed me that we were going on exchanges with the English Elders and that I was the one who was going to be leading our area for the day, and I was going to be taking one of the English trainees. Wow, I have to admit, I wondered if I was going to survive the exchange!! I was stacking up all the reasons why I was inadequate in my head. "I am still in training, my Spanish is not the best yet, I don't know the area yet, the other Elder is still in training and doesn't know any Spanish.” I had all these reasons in my head as to why I wasn't ready to do it. But then the coolest thing happened. I gave my worries to the lord in fasting and prayer and He did not let me fail!! It ended up being one of the most fulfilling days of my mission. I realized more than ever that I am capable of doing the impossible with the lord’s help. I gained a stronger testimony of the gift of tongues and that I know a lot more Spanish then I give myself credit for. I learned that bearing your testimony of truths opens hearts very quickly. One man in particular told us that as we were talking to him he felt "goose bumps" another lady opened up and told us all of her problems. I was able to bear a strong witness that she needs the gospel. I was able to bear my testimony very powerfully the whole day that the atonement of Jesus Christ has the power lift us through hard things because literally Christ was lifting me. That day, where I was almost convinced I couldn't do it before hand, became the most successful day of my mission so far. I know it was because I submitted to the lords will, and he made me more than I could ever be alone. I thank heavenly father for the strength to conquer fears.
So about my area, we are having a hard time getting our investigators to progress. Sometimes I think they think we are just church guys coming over to their house to share a message, instead of servants of the lord who want them to progress to Eternal Life. We plan being more bold in letting them know what our purpose is. WE NEED THEM TO COME TO CHURCH! That is so hard in our area. Probably hard in every area! They just don't know the importance of it right now. People often get too caught up in work, their lives, and everything that they don't realize the message we bring is of significance and  that it is much greater than any worldly treasure. But even though we aren't having numbers success, I sincerely believe that my companion and I are doing the best we can. Heavenly father will lift us and allow us to work many miracles as we continue to be obedient and rely on the Holy Ghost to guide us.

Friends and family, Let god lift and shape your life. I promise you won't regret it.

Love,
Elder Fuller

PS Bowen told me to tell you this: "Tell everyone I know how to do a back flip on the ground now and a bunch of trampoline tricks because that elder taught me!!!" :)

Book of Mormon Testimonies

HEYYYY EVERYONE!!

Another full week. A mission is definitely the most exhausting thing I have ever done in my life. HAHA BUT I LOVE IT!! I gave the prayer in sacrament meeting yesterday in all Spanish! I thought it went pretty well. I am starting to love doing little things like that to get me out of my comfort zone. It helps me to recognize that I am growing, learning and getting stronger everyday. Also the fact that I'm doing my best to surrender to gods will.

EVERYONE! The BOOK of MORMON is so important. I would love it if all of you could send me your testimonies of the Book of Mormon and how you gained one. I want to hear of all the different ways the spirit testifies of truth so I can better help my investigator recognize answers to prayers. PLEASE, I would appreciate it!! Consider this verse, D&C 4:4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul.

Send to :

Elder Bowen Fuller

1814 N Echo Ave.

Fresno, CA 93704

This week I learned that the Book of Mormon is the sickle in this verse. The instigators that embrace the book of Mormon are that ones that are ready and white. So in order to harvest the lords crop and help as many people as I can, I need to have an even stronger testimony of the book of Mormon. Hearing from you I believe will help a lot. I already know that the Book of Mormon is true but hearing from you will allow me to help them. If my investigators never gain a firm testimony of the book of Mormon it will be so much harder for them to last in the church. It may even be impossible!

This week was wonderful though! We met some very prepared people, and I believe they are white. I could just see the acceptance and light in their eyes when we talked about the book of Mormon. We have two investigators set on date to get baptized on the 29th of this month. However, in order for this to happen we need a miracle. The both are prepared, both keeping our commitments, both are amazing, BUT THEY WORK ON SUNDAYS so they can't come to church!!! ahhhh that is the hardest thing. They both want to go to church, but they need to provide for their families so it's difficult. Right now, I don't see a way to get them to come to church, but I know god does. I know if we use the book of Mormon we will be able to meet their needs. I pray they will be prepared for the 29th.

Oh another cool thing I learn this week was how to remember things better, like names and stuff. I was reading in the scriptures about the holy ghost and I had the prompting, "listen with your heart, not your mind." So when someone tells me their name, I shouldn't be thinking so much about memorizing their name I should be listening with my heart and actually caring about what their name is and who they are. 

HAHA its just a thought but it's kind of cool

AHH I love you all, but I am running out of time

Hold to the Rod, the word of God, The BOOK of MORMON!!!!

con amor,

Elder Fuller

Hello Everyone!

HELLLLO EVERYONE!!!

How did everyone like conference????!!!! Everyone email me your thoughts about it!! 

On a mission your attitude towards conference changes so much, at least for me it did. I went into conference not just wanting to hear word but feel it as well. The spirit was able to teach me some amazing things that I will benefit me for the rest of my life. Also because I went in with this attitude, conference flew by, and it was definitely the fastest conference I have ever watched. What seemed like the longest week end as a young teenager watching conference, was the shortest week end as a missionary. 

Granted, you don't have to be a missionary to receive conference in this way, but I know if it wasn't for my mission I would have not been spiritually prepared enough to learn the things I learned. Missionary work increases your spiritual capacity in an incomprehensible way if you let it.

One talk I loved was president Uchtdorf's talk when he talked about how there isn't just physical and emotional illness, there is also spiritual illness. I had never thought about it in this way. Spiritual illness doesn't just effect people who are sinners and are doing bad things, it is also effects righteous people. For example, many of us in the church get so caught up in the stress of following the commandments and magnifying our callings that we forget the joy of the gospel. We are faithful but we are not allowing the light of the gospel to truly have effect on us. As members of the church we truly need to enjoy the gospel more. "When we don't feel the light, It may mean we are not in the right place." Friends and family the joy of the gospel is available to all. We just need to step out of the shadows of this world and into the light.

Also I really loved how much everyone paid so much respect to President Monson and Robert D. Hale's in their talks. When President Anderson talked about Robert D. Hales last words to the church and President Monson's promises to us I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the truth and the spirit of what was being said. Robert D. Hales said " Our faith prepares us to be in the presence of God." Wow it was so powerful hearing that. 

Friends and Family, Brothers and sisters, Study the words of the prophets everyday. WE will be protected from the pitfalls of this crazy world.

Ok my mom asked me to explain my area to you all. So I am in Visalia California about an 1 1/2 hours south of Fresno California. It is an awesome area and it reminds me a lot of mesa. Very similar demographics and weather. The people are wonderful people, every once and a while you meet someone who is a jerk but that is probably the same everywhere. The members in the spanish ward take care of us and feed us all the time. My companion and I have the nicname fire and Ice because of our hair hahaha. Oh guess what, my companion has gained 40 pounds during his mission. He was super skinny before his mission though because he is a really good cross country runner.

Any way, Love you all!

I challenge you all to re watch conference, love more, and serve more everyday ahah get off your phones and look around you!!!!!!! I wish I would have done that more before my mission!

Strengthen the kingdom for me

Love,
Elder Fuller

Conference Weekend

Hey everyone!!!

To be honest, emailing is so stressful hahah. I just love all of you so much and I want to tell you every thing that is happening and everything that I'm learning but that would be utterly impossible. Just remember, if I don't have time to email you back individually know I love you so much but sometimes on a mission you have to give up things or people you love for god. But hey, please keep emailing me even if I don't respond. It is strengthening for me to be able to hear about the miracles in your lives.

But I just want to start of by saying sorry for last week. I wasn't able to say all the things I wanted in the group email and I only had time to email my mom and the mission president individually. This week I hope I get to more of you.

So the first experience that I would like to share with you all is an experience my companion and I had with our investigator's Ricardo and Daniel. They are 10 and 14. Their mom really likes us to teach her boys the gospel so they will grow up and be good men. We are trying to teach her as well but she is more difficult sometimes because she is busy allot. But anyway, we walked up and we saw Ricardo and Daniel playing a football game with all of their friends. So I went running up and was like " allright! Who's team am I on." So my companion and I were on separate teams and we played a quick football game with them. It was fun because all of them would have to try so hard to tackle my companion and I!!! It was super fun.  But it got dark while we were plating and when we were done I realized my name tag was gone. So we enlisted Ricardo and Daniel to help us find my name tag. We could not find it for about ten minutes and we were about to give up but my companion and I had the impression "teach them about prayer." So we called them all into a circle and we asked them. " Do you want to know what I do when I really need help with something?" They said yes, and we told them "we pray!". We all sat in the circle and I said the prayer for god to help us find my name tag. We went back to look for it, couldn't find it for a little bit longer and I was getting worried because I wanted these kids to have a stronger testimony that prayer works. So I said another prayer in my head, I said "Heavenly father, I don't care about my name tag. I'm not worried about my self and what I want. But I love these kids and I really want their faith in prayer to increase." I opened my eyes and I looked up and there was my name tag!!!!! Hahahah it was so awesome. We were blessed with the experience to be able to teach them in a way that they would remember. I know that was a small experience but I felt so happy. I know heavenly father works in mysterious ways, most of the time it is through small and simple things as it says in Alma.

So for each of you. I feel impressed to tell each of you something. As we are going into general conference, don't watch it to hear about big prophecies and grand huge things that the prophets may or may not tell us about. Listen for the small things, the small promptings, the small stories and count your small blessings. If you do this I promise you that all these small things will multiply into something grand and something great. Brothers and Sisters, I know this is true. If you want to find more happiness don't wait for something big to happen, go pic up all the small things and create something big out of it. Build it line upon line, Brick upon brick, precept upon precept, rep upon rep.

Family and friends I am doing so well, so many things out here are so out of my comfort zone and scary but the lord never fails to strengthen me when I need it. :)

Enjoy conference and you better watch it!!!

con amor Elder Fuller