Jan 25, 2016 - White Toyooka

Well the snow has hit Toyooka. I guess I'm warm blooded or maybe now a
Scrooge ,but  when I see the snow fall I'm not too excited. It's
beautiful and wonderful yes, but I can't say I love it very much. It
was snowing pretty hard on Sunday morning and I said "Holy cow
blizzard!" My companion laughed and said "no it's not, if you couldn't
see that pole over there then it would be a blizzard." Well if you
have a hard time seeing the pole is it a blizzard? I'm still convinced
it was a blizzard. But yes it was snowing very hard ,so we don't bike
anymore ,because it's extremely dangerous to bike now.

Fun thing about the snow though, you can throw snow balls at the
elders. Yes I hit sugimoto choro with a lot of snow. We had been
cleaning up the church on Sunday for church and all the missionaries
were shoveling snow after church ended and he acted like we was going
to throw snow at us in the shovel ,so when he turned around I got him
good. Then it turned into a snow ball fight. With the rest of us.
T'was fun.

Last Monday I bought new boots. Just in time for the snow fall! I've
got this system down with gloves, so I have a bunch of extra pairs
that I found and we don't have dryers so you just have to wait for
your clothes to dry ,so I do 2 pairs of gloves everyday and then at
the end of the day, when they are pretty wet I change gloves for the
next day. It works pretty well.

So Monday night we went to Kobe for TTT (Trainee, trainer, training).
We got to the Kobe sisters apartment and we met some other sisters who
were also staying there on the way over, turns out just about everyone
was told by their zone leaders to stay in Kobe. The final count for
sisters was 15... 15 sister missionaries in a 1 room apartment
squished into the study and bedroom. It was fun except when it was
time to go to bed because the. They we had to squish in there. It was
so packed that I was pushed up against a wall with someone's feet
inches from my face. I don't think I slept. I just kinda waited until
it was morning ,but I got to see Gibson shimai! My last companion! She
is also trying ,so we were pretty much latched at the hip that night
and the next day. Gosh I love that girl.

Tuesday

TTT we had out meeting most of the day where they split the trainers
in one room and the trainees in the other. And we got trained ,by the
assistants to the president and then by our mission president. I got
to see another past companion uchida shimai! She looked so happy and
it was so fun to see her. I laughed with her and talked with her and I
was telling her hey I speak Japanese now! And she laughed and told me
I did when I was with her. After training we walked back to train
station with the fukuchiyama elders because I am directional impaired
when traveling far distances I latch on to people going to the same
general direction ,so we went with them because we would catch a train
from fukuchiyama. The poor trainer was battling strep and so he was
half out of it. I told him "don't worry if you fall we will catch" We
got our tickets at the bus station then we had to sit and wait for a
bit. I thought what would I want if I was sick.. Well something warm
and something for my throat, so I grab my comp and we went to this
place that we know sells good nikumons (little bread things with meat
and goodness inside) and then found some cough drops and yuzu juice
(lemon like fruit) that was warm and ran back to the elders, when we
gave the elders the food he had got them the trainee said " wow, I
just feel so loved!" We safely got on the bus and his trainer was out
when he sat down. We parted ways at the station and we caught a train
to Toyooka as we came in it was snowing hard. We got in and I was a
bit worried. We walked out bikes back and because biking was
impossible. From here on out we are walking. We got home pretty late
and we pulled at the phone and turns out we had a lot of missed calls
from the zone leaders. We called back and they were saying "did you
guys make it home? Are you okay?!" We said "ya we're fine," " (sigh of
relief) good! I don't mean to be your dad, but you guys need to answer
when we call! It's snowing pretty bad tonight!" We apologized and then
headed off to bed because we were so tired!

Wednesday
We went out and visited some of our potential investigators, they were
all asleep I think. Ya probably sleeping maybe everyone just likes
afternoon naps. We had to go back to Kobe again because on Thursday we
have another meeting with elder choi he's one of the area 70 and there
was a mission tour! So we had to go back to Kobe. As we left it snowed
pretty hard. We got to Kobe and it was just us at the Kobe sisters
apartment, yay!

Thursday
So we had the elder choi meeting! It was awesome. He's from Korea ,but
his English is almost  We all took a huge picture with him, when he
walked in the first words he said to us was "do you think I'm
handsome?" We all laughed and said  "yes". "Good I think so too." He
replied. Our mission tour was really cool, we learned a lot about what
we need to do and how we need to do it. They really put a huge
emphasis on teaching repentance and baptizing people. One thing I
loved was "if you don't know what to say talk about the savior because
you can never talk about him too much.. Always have you name on your
lips"after our lunch 3 people got an interview with elder choi. I was
one of the 3. I was beyond nervous. But it was really cool and I got
good advice for some Questions that I had and he told me how I could
go about doing it. After the meeting we went to nishiwaki to stay the
night there, we got there with some time so we tried to find some
people in the area. We didn't have much luck and when it was time to
go we went to the apartment, we got In and as I was stepping inside I
tripped over the stair and fell on up the stairs because I was
exhausted. My comp freaked out and some of the other sisters did too,
see I would have been fine except I had a huge bag on my back because
of all the traveling so I had no balance. I was fine and I am fine I
just got a narly bruise now.

This week we visited a woman named Sugiyama. She's got this glow and I
am convinced she is one of the nicest women I have ever met, but we
found her on accident. We were looking for a less active members house
and we stopped in front of her house and she had came out thinking we
had a flat tire and she wanted to help ,but she helped us find the
way. We had visited her before and gave her a plan of salvation
pamphlet and decided to visit her again. We went to her house and she
opened the door just smiling she came back with our pamplet and showed
us the copy that she had made herself with highlight marks in it she
told us she made her own ,so we could give it to someone else. We
talked a lot about the plan of salvation and she said she didn't
understand the part about heaven we explained and explained ,but she
said that she just didn't get it. I testified about Christ and about
his atonement and about how since we are not perfect we cannot go to
heaven unless we believe in him and use his atonement. We taught her
how to pray and she got really quiet after. She said she would pray
everyday and she is really really just awesome!

"There is no lasting happiness in what we possess. Happiness and joy
come from what a person is, not from what he or she possesses or
appears to be."(how to find joy). You know I've met a lot of sour
people not just in my mission ,but just in life. And I used to wonder
why are they that way? Maybe something bad happened this morning, but
honestly no matter what happens you can always choose to be happy.
Happiness isn't something we just get, we have to choose to be happy
and then we actually become happy. The happiest people I have met are
the ones who went through the hardest things. So friends choose to be
happy! I promise it's probably the best choice you'll ever make!

Loves,
Fullmer shimai

Here's some pictures, for bean shimai and the rest of you who just
scroll to the bottom!

Got in a fight with the stairs and they won

Jan 18, 2016 -Jaw-breaker

Hello hello lovely people.

Monday
So this Monday we put together a little dance with glow sticks I stole
the idea from my last companion Gibson shimai ;). We did it for our
game night. Well game night was sad because it was us the elders and
the one primary kid in our ward ,but it was fun though and we still
made the video with just the 5 of us.

Tuesday
Cold... So cold. I don't know if rain or snow is worse ,but I can tell
you a mix is the worst thing ever! We went and tried to talk to some
of our investigators ,but sadly no one was home or maybe everyone was
sleeping. I'm going to say they were all sleeping. We had ekaiwa, only
2 people came. Tom and the other guy. Man I feel awful I can't
remember the other guys name ,but gosh it's so funny. Today was
emotions and we some how got to the topic of what I did before my
mission. Tom could not understand that I lived in Texas ,but went to
school in Utah. "You go every day to school? By airplane?" "No one
time I flew to Utah, and then I stay there." " but house in Texas? So
fly home everyday?" I laughed and just said I moved to Utah and just
lived there because it made more sense that way. 10 minutes passed and
the other Guy said "dormitory.. You lived In a dormitory." I stood
there with my mouth wide open saying "how do you know that word?? But
ya that's exactly right." Sometimes the words they know surprises you.

Saturday
We got to see our skateboarder investigator and the elders met her
too. Turns out Dale choro is really really good at skateboarding. Was
I surprised? Yes. He was doing tricks and going off jumps and the rest
of us stood there kinda in shock. Annie (our investigator) said "ya
it's cuz he's an American". I guess me and my comp aren't true
Americans because we can't skateboard. Darn it. I better step it up
then. We played basketball today.. Man did we play. It was probably a
funny sight to see because it was the elders and us and our young
woman (mako) and we were at this really dark park using our lights to
see. So it was us against the elders. Mako is pretty good ,but I now
know why they say to be careful playing basketball. So the elders were
talking and of course when a game gets heated words are Said and
people play a bit tougher. It's all fun and games until someone gets
hurt. And usually that's me. So I was standing by the hoop throwing my
arms up when someone came near, well one of the elders charged and I
fell down and my jaw bit down biting through part of my tongue and
then slamming shut. I sat on the ground and pointed at the elder and
said "not cool! Not cool man!" I sat out the rest of the night. When
we got home my jaw locked up and I couldn't move it. I couldn't talk
or eat the rest of the night.
Sunday
I woke up with a pounding pain by my ears and my jaw was still locked.
We didn't go out today because I couldn't move my mouth to talk
anyways. We called the mission president and she said to go to a
hospital and get an X-ray. My trainee did so well. I'm so proud of
her. I had her call members and we got a hold of one who too us to the
hospital when we got there, the member had no idea what happened and
my comp tried to explain ,but the person we were with is Also like 65
so she had some trouble hearing and piecing together what she was
saying. I tried to talk but my jaw was still locked up and shooting
pain would go up my jaw through my ears ,so I just didn't move.
Luckily the hospital had a nurse who spoke English so my comp
explained it to her. I got X-rayed and turns out no fracture or
anything just a sore jaw. And a bit of some swollen joints. Yay lucky
me ,but I will be fine I just have to "not use my jaw" so take it easy
for sometime. No singing or talking really big. Or moving my mouth in
crazy ways.

"One of life�fs early lessons should be that there is great power in
the compounding effect of little things that we do each day. Small and
simple things are at work in your life right now--working either for
you or against you. Just as the Lord uses such things to build you up,
Satan uses them to distract you and lead you slowly, almost
imperceptibly, off the path."

^this is a quote I found this week that I really really liked. I have
a testimony of the small things. It seems that the little things build
upon each other. Little by little we get better or little by little we
get worse. If everyday I do something kind for someone my heart will
change and slowly my personality will too. If I let the little
stresses build up in my life, (school, work, social life, etc) build
up they become this sea of hopelessness and I will sink and drown. But
want to know something amazing? even if we feel like we are drowning
in this sea of hopelessness we are okay because we have a lifeguard
who walks on water and will grab us by the hand sighing "oh ye of
little faith". Because honestly anything is possible with Jesus. He is
in our midst. He is with us.
Love you!
Love,
Fullmer shimmy

Jan 11, 2015 - Little Band

hello all! It's been a good week that's for sure!

On wedenesday we got to go over to Nishiwaki. We had a companion exchange with our sister training leaders, which happens to be my lovely trainer Bean shimai and her companion Allen shimai. Those two are too fun! so funny story we took a 4 hour train ride to get to Nishiwaki ,and we got off at the wrong stop. -_- My bad! So as we got off the train I got a sinking feeling as I looked around and I was thinking oh my gosh.. I cant believe I got off too early ,and of course my trainee will always follow me. And right after the STLs called and were like "hey where are you guys?" we decided to meet in the middle ,but there wasn't really a middle. It was dark and we don't know the area very well at all I mean I had only been there once, but it was okay because I had this cool pen that had a light in it. THANKS MOM! who knew I would need a pen with a light in it! so I used that to light the way. We went up this bridge and in the distance I heard some kind of screaming sound and saw lights moving up and down. Bean shimai called and said "GO BACK TO THE BRIDGE AND WAIT!" and then hung up so we went to the bridge we were just at and low and behold the STLs came around the side of this cliff carrying their bikes on their backs. needless to say we found each other.

Thursday

So I got to go with my trainer again! That's always really fun! We were walking back towards the church after lunch when the elders called and said "hey there are two people at the church and they want to talk about God , you might want to come over here." So we booked it over there and when we got there we were introduced to these two women. One was 21 and the other lady was her mother. They were so prepared! They just said teach us about God. So we all did. Bean shimai alluded to the restoration and the mom asked can you teach that to us right now? Sadly we couldn't because they didn't have time ,but Bean shimai asked them to be baptized. They both said "what is that?" and as we explained the mom got a bit worried and she kinda went quiet. She then told us this crazy experience that happened to her about 20 years ago. She and her husband went swimming in the ocean and these two foreigners came up to them and said to them "do you believe in God?" and they said yes and then the two guys dunked them and said "hallejuha! Congruations! Praise God!" and then ran away. They were just thinking what the heck was that?! so she thought that was what we were talking about we all jumped up and said "No no no! its completely different!" the daughter just laughed and laughed and so did we ,but we all made sure to let her know that it was not that at all! After the really neat lesson with them we headed out to go talk to some people. We met the coolest guy named Hiro. I called him super Hiro and he loved it! He was way way cool! I hope that they teach him again.

Friday

We got home later than we wanted to ,but we decided to go visit a member. She offered to doseki for us whenever. So we have a member who will do lessons whenever. She wants to help us practice teaching lessons so we have an appointment for next week to practice with her. Then we went to see a member we hadnt seen in some time at church, we went to her house and brought chocolate with us for her. We got to the door and she wasn't home ,but as we turned around she walked up the stairs! Yes! We got to teach her and we found out that she has been telling her friend about the church and stuff, she is trying to set up an appointment ,so that we can meet her sometime next week. YAAAA! I'm so excited! 

Saturday

Busy busy busy day! We went to visit a less active member and she had a friend over. Her friend decided to stay for the lesson. I said the opening prayer. After we opened our eyes, she was crying, she kept saying "I feel something! What is this feeling?" She said she felt warm ,but it was a good feeling. :) The spirit is so real! The less active bore her testimony through out the lesson and we it was amazing to me the same woman that told me that she didn't believe in God anymore was bearing her testimony about how she knows that he lives and loves her! The spirit was so awesome and real. We are meeting next Sunday and during this time we decided that we were going to form a band called "Little band" so I will be on the triangle. Gosh it was so funny. After that we headed to the church for a lesson we had with a recent convert, and that went really well, then we tried to go to the park to play basketball with our only youth ,but the court was completely covered in mud, so we all sat staring at the muddy pit.. and someone went "Well... Anyone hungry?" and went and got sushi instead. 

Shogatsu= new years

So I've been teaching alot about new years lately, one thing I like about new years is that we can look forward with this hope for the future. What is in the past is in the past we can only move forward we can not go back even if we wanted to. Reflecting on the past isn't a bad thing ,but longing to be in the past or dwelling on past mistakes is not a good thing. I can't say I will ever forget my past mistakes as much as I wish I could I simply can't ,but the guilt and pain that comes from the mistakes is gone. I am changed. It wasn't simple. It wasn't easy ,but I am changed. Jesus is my savior. My redeemer. He is everyone's savior. He will never say no not you again or turn you away, the times that you need him the most he is there. I promise that he is there. I know he is there. He always walks along side us. The first step is wanting to change and repenting. Repentance sounds scary and painful ,but it is the exact opposite it's freeing and changing. It's turning away from your past mistakes and turning towards God. It's letting Christ in. The Atonement covers everything, absolutely everything. Every heart ache has been felt and he knows what you are going through because he went through it too. Just let Jesus in and I promise he will heal every broken heart and wipe away every tear. Live forward in the best way you can!

Love always,

fullmer 姉妹

Jan 4, 2016 - First sunrise of 2016 🌅

Happy New Years everyone! I hope everyone had a blast and got to celebrate with their families. The holidays are busy busy busy, good and bad because people come home for the holidays bad because people are gone during the holidays.

So so this week was crazy weird, you would think that everyone was staying up late with fireworks and celebrating like we do in America. For some odd reason everyone wakes up at 6:00-6:30ish to watch the first sunrise. Well we were up anyways.. But we didn't have time to go watch the sunrise, we had to go to fukuchiyama for district meeting, so we did like normal and then we headed to the store to grab food because we were going to make nabe as a zone. Well unlucky for us.. The grocery store wasn't open... Almost nothing was open on New Year's Day because it was a holiday. So as we were going to fukuchiyama.. No one was on the trains and no one was out. I'm not kidding and just saying no one was out like a few people.. I mean absolutely no one was out. I asked sugimoto and he said that its because everyone was sleeping and they wouldn't be awake until around 9:00-10:00. New Years is the only day people really have off from work so everyone just stays home and relaxes. Wow.. Quiet the opposite in America. I was not expecting that. We had a really good meeting, it was all in Japanese ,but man it was so good we talked a lot about the atonement and about why we need Jesus Christ and how to teach people of the importance of the atonement. The poor trainees didn't understand a lot of it. No one felt like translating for them, so they just had to try their best , to understand... My trainee said she got like maybe 15%. Yay she's learning! 

When we came home we biked over to the Tada's house with the elders because we were invited to have dinner with them and share a message, we got there a little early so we planned out a bit of a lesson with them and while we were doing so , Tada kaicho (president Tada.. The branch president) pulled up in his car and we freaked out and hid behind another car. He walked up to his door and then he turned around and walked towards the car and we were still hiding, he gestured to the door and walked to the side of the car we were hiding behind and we just scooted over when he came. Windows are clear so there is no doubt he saw us ,but in our minds he didn't see us ,but we refused to be seen.. Finally he kinda just gave up and walked inside and then we all went to the door about 5 minutes later, his wife said she could see us from upstairs. So ya no point of even hiding! So we had dinner and then randomly Tada kaicho set up this projecter and he showed us videos he had put together for missionaries who end their mission here. It was really cool to see and then after we had seen quite a few.. He turned to elder dale and he said "you are next... Send me pictures" we all got a good laugh, but the older missionaries will never say they are going home soon and if you joke about it with them, they sometimes get mad! We taught them about hope today, and about when you have hope you hope for better times even if right now is hard, but it's true when you have hope, you have faith that even though right now is hard or something will be hard it won't be forever.

I believe life is made up of little moments. Those moments are the sweet times that we will look back on and sigh "life was good". Life is good. Life is to short to worry about the small things. Actually I think it's too short to worry. 

I read this the other day and it made me rethink life. 

"So much in life depends on our attitude. The way we choose to see things and respond to others makes all the difference. To do the best we can and then to choose to be happy about our circumstances, whatever they may be, can bring peace and contentment. … We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.” (President Thomas S. Monson, “Living the Abundant Life,” Liahona, Jan. 2012, 4)

Oh and I like this one a lot too

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “I witness that with faith in the Savior and obedience to His teachings, happiness never ends, but sadness does.”("finding joy in life" general conference 1996)

Oh and also here's a scripture too: 

"Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)

I feel like they say things better than I do ,but I know that we are meant to be happy in this life, b if we didn't experience sadness we wouldn't really understand joy. The trials are blessings because they teach us that Heavenly Father trusts us and knows we are strong enough to handle  trials. Don't get me wrong trials are not my favorite ,but I know because of them we become stronger spiritually and we become closer to God. Remember , we are never alone in this world and we will never be alone because God loves you more than you can even imagine ,so because he loves you so much he gave you a savior. And you know what else is amazing? Jesus Christ loves you too. He gave his life for you, that is truly the purest act of love. I know that he lives and I know he will always help us. I love you guys! 

Love,

フルマ姉妹

愛しているよ!

Here's some pictures for you people who just scroll to the bottom to look at pictures.. You know who you are!