Hey everyone,
This past week was pretty great in Springfield. To start off, Elder Peters got all four of us in the apartment free tickets to go to the zoo for preparation day. That may not sound exciting for some of you, but for missionaries it's like going to Disneyland. :) So we had a member take us and we spent about 3hours walking around and having a good ol' time joking and seeing all the crazy animals in the zoo. We have some pretty funny pictures to go along with our adventure as well.
We also have a few new investigators for both the Springfield 1st family ward and the University single's ward, which Elder Andersne and I are both stoked about. It always feels good to find someone who is interested in learning more about Jesus' gospel. It truly strengthens my testimony that the Lord leads His servants to those that are ready and those that are ready to the servants. I also feel very blessed to serve with a companion who is easy to work with and get along with. I have gotten along with all of my companions, but Elder Andersen and I are ver similar. Its awesome.
This past weekend was great too because of a nice sleepover we had with other missionaries. A missionary that is serving way up north in the polygamist area of the mission had to have his tonsils removed, so we got him down here to have his surgery in Springfield so he can be taken care of properly. So, last night we picked them up from where they were staying and brought them over to our apartment and had a great time talking and playing games.
Its been great being out here and being around missionaries who are so wonderful in their own unique way and then learning from them has been a blast as well.
Soon I'll be home, but I still got some time left. I love all of you so much and I can't wait see ya'll :)
Sincerely,
Elder Brad Fellows
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Away we go! - sent August 15, 2011
Hello hello!
So, a member called me yesterday and told me that I have 24 days left. Thats pretty crazy to think that my mission is coming to a close. The funny thing is, it doesn't really feel like I'm coming home. I feel like I am just going to another area in the mission to keep on serving.
But, as for the work in Springfield, not much has really changed. After being here for 8 months, I am still trying to piece together the purpose of me being here. There have been many miraculous things that have happened here, but i feel like there is something still missing. I hope i find that something missing. :)
Its been an awesome eperience being on a mission, and I know that I will miss it very much. I was giving me departing testimony in zone conference this past week, and it felt surreal to think that that was the last time I will have a zone conference, but then i sat down and i realized how much i will miss it all. As a missionary, I have felt there will always be another conference, or another exchange, or another district meeting, but for me...
Well, I love all of you and I pray the Lord will smile upon all of you in labors to bring about His work. I know the Lord lives and loves each of you and is mindful of what you go through.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, a member called me yesterday and told me that I have 24 days left. Thats pretty crazy to think that my mission is coming to a close. The funny thing is, it doesn't really feel like I'm coming home. I feel like I am just going to another area in the mission to keep on serving.
But, as for the work in Springfield, not much has really changed. After being here for 8 months, I am still trying to piece together the purpose of me being here. There have been many miraculous things that have happened here, but i feel like there is something still missing. I hope i find that something missing. :)
Its been an awesome eperience being on a mission, and I know that I will miss it very much. I was giving me departing testimony in zone conference this past week, and it felt surreal to think that that was the last time I will have a zone conference, but then i sat down and i realized how much i will miss it all. As a missionary, I have felt there will always be another conference, or another exchange, or another district meeting, but for me...
Well, I love all of you and I pray the Lord will smile upon all of you in labors to bring about His work. I know the Lord lives and loves each of you and is mindful of what you go through.
Elder Brad Fellows
Wheels are turning again! - sent August 8, 2011
Hey everyone,
So, this past Monday and Tuesday we went to Tulsa for ZLC and we talked a lot about preparing for Zone Conference and making sure everything was in order for that. We also spoke about special matters relating to conducting baptismal interivews and correcting missionaries when they disobey. It was also the last ZLC for me becuase transfers has been moved up one day to Wed. 7 September, but I will still be coming home on Fri. 9 September. While I am in Tulsa waiting for my flight, we'll be doing service or something like that.
Also, in the family ward and in the single's ward, the ward leadership is really pushing missionary work and retaining members that have been lost. It's really cool to see a huge collection of saints fired up about helping the people in their communtiy having the gospel in their lives more abundantly. I think by the next two months the work for Elder Andersen and his new companion will be great. They will have a lot to do.
As for my surgery, I am healing fast. The doctor said i will not have any weight restrictions by next week, and he also said that I can go swimming in two weeks. FYI the doctor who operated on me is a less-acitve member and knows the missionary rules :)
Anyway, I love all of you and you are still in my prayers because that's the missionary thing to say in emails home HAHA. I'm just kidding you really are in my prayers and I do know the Lord has blessed and will continue to bless you day by day.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, this past Monday and Tuesday we went to Tulsa for ZLC and we talked a lot about preparing for Zone Conference and making sure everything was in order for that. We also spoke about special matters relating to conducting baptismal interivews and correcting missionaries when they disobey. It was also the last ZLC for me becuase transfers has been moved up one day to Wed. 7 September, but I will still be coming home on Fri. 9 September. While I am in Tulsa waiting for my flight, we'll be doing service or something like that.
Also, in the family ward and in the single's ward, the ward leadership is really pushing missionary work and retaining members that have been lost. It's really cool to see a huge collection of saints fired up about helping the people in their communtiy having the gospel in their lives more abundantly. I think by the next two months the work for Elder Andersen and his new companion will be great. They will have a lot to do.
As for my surgery, I am healing fast. The doctor said i will not have any weight restrictions by next week, and he also said that I can go swimming in two weeks. FYI the doctor who operated on me is a less-acitve member and knows the missionary rules :)
Anyway, I love all of you and you are still in my prayers because that's the missionary thing to say in emails home HAHA. I'm just kidding you really are in my prayers and I do know the Lord has blessed and will continue to bless you day by day.
Elder Brad Fellows
Oops for me!! - sent August 1, 2011
Hey everyone!
So this past week has been pretty great. We were able to pick up a couple of new investigators despite how i have been feeling physically, and we were able to continue helping those recent converts in our ward make it to the temple Aug. 20.
We are still teaching the man who is Jewish. His name is Itai and he is a really great guy who has been letting all we have shared soak in. For most of the lessons in the past, he has been very quiet and listening intently to what we say, but last week he came out and told us what was on his mind. He said to us he has felt the truth of what we have been teaching, and the good spirit that he says we ahve brought into his home, and he has found no fault with the Book of Mormon. He is also wanting to feed us and another famiyl from the ward who have been helping us with the teaching process.
The new people we found last week are really open to hearing the restored gospel and they have already been reading the Book of Mormon. Same old same old...but they are awesome.
So...I kinda over-exerted myself and the hernia came back. Its a little bigger and a little more painful, but i'm dealing with it as best as i can. I didn't understand how irritating a hernia could be. There were a few factors for why it came back, but the main one was this one time i vomitted pretty violently and i felt through my skin trying to get out. Suffice it to say that did not feel good at all.
Elder Andersen and the other elders in the apartment have been really good about keeping me cheerful.
There have been some other crazy stuff that has happened. So, Saturday night Elder Andersen called a recent convert family that he ahd previously taught in an area here in Springfield at the beginning of his mission and they took us out to dinner to Golden Corral. It was such a blast with tons of laughs and their 6 kids had busting a gut all throughout dinner. Then, as we were walking out we somehow got onto the conversation that we drive a minivan and how cool we were to have it :) Then the mom, Sis. Howald, was like, "I love stow-n-go seating" and Elder Andersen thought he would be a cool guy started modeling the minivan and the stow-n-go seating even though he didn't know how to work it well. So he's fiddling around with it and gets his finger stuck in a metal crevace of the seat somehow and gets a little freaked. He thought for a second he would have be like the guy who got his arm stuck beneath a boulder and had to saw it off with a swiss army knife and take his finger off, but gladly that was not the case. We were finally able to get his finger out and his finger was sliced pretty deep on both sides to the point where you can see a lot of fatty tissue. I don't know why it was funny, but how it looked just had all of us laughing, even Elder Andersen. After that, we went to the emergency and they super glued his finger back together and know he's doing great.
Well, thats all for now. I love all of you and pray for each of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
So this past week has been pretty great. We were able to pick up a couple of new investigators despite how i have been feeling physically, and we were able to continue helping those recent converts in our ward make it to the temple Aug. 20.
We are still teaching the man who is Jewish. His name is Itai and he is a really great guy who has been letting all we have shared soak in. For most of the lessons in the past, he has been very quiet and listening intently to what we say, but last week he came out and told us what was on his mind. He said to us he has felt the truth of what we have been teaching, and the good spirit that he says we ahve brought into his home, and he has found no fault with the Book of Mormon. He is also wanting to feed us and another famiyl from the ward who have been helping us with the teaching process.
The new people we found last week are really open to hearing the restored gospel and they have already been reading the Book of Mormon. Same old same old...but they are awesome.
So...I kinda over-exerted myself and the hernia came back. Its a little bigger and a little more painful, but i'm dealing with it as best as i can. I didn't understand how irritating a hernia could be. There were a few factors for why it came back, but the main one was this one time i vomitted pretty violently and i felt through my skin trying to get out. Suffice it to say that did not feel good at all.
Elder Andersen and the other elders in the apartment have been really good about keeping me cheerful.
There have been some other crazy stuff that has happened. So, Saturday night Elder Andersen called a recent convert family that he ahd previously taught in an area here in Springfield at the beginning of his mission and they took us out to dinner to Golden Corral. It was such a blast with tons of laughs and their 6 kids had busting a gut all throughout dinner. Then, as we were walking out we somehow got onto the conversation that we drive a minivan and how cool we were to have it :) Then the mom, Sis. Howald, was like, "I love stow-n-go seating" and Elder Andersen thought he would be a cool guy started modeling the minivan and the stow-n-go seating even though he didn't know how to work it well. So he's fiddling around with it and gets his finger stuck in a metal crevace of the seat somehow and gets a little freaked. He thought for a second he would have be like the guy who got his arm stuck beneath a boulder and had to saw it off with a swiss army knife and take his finger off, but gladly that was not the case. We were finally able to get his finger out and his finger was sliced pretty deep on both sides to the point where you can see a lot of fatty tissue. I don't know why it was funny, but how it looked just had all of us laughing, even Elder Andersen. After that, we went to the emergency and they super glued his finger back together and know he's doing great.
Well, thats all for now. I love all of you and pray for each of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Crazy Last Two Weeks - sent July 25, 2011
Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't written nearly as much as I should have this past while, some things have been going on that have been consuming my thoughts and energy.
About 10 days ago, I had surgery on a hernia, which was not a whole lot of fun to go through. If you are a thrill-seeker, I encourage you to not attempt to acquire a hernia and have it operated on. The operation has been pretty draining and when I feel pain its not the fun kind of adrenaline that courses through my body. I was down for about four days, and then I have been prescribed one week of light duty. So, its not as bad as they thought or thought would be after the surgery, but lately i have been feeling pretty nauseous from the pain medicine.
The work has been going well though. We just found out last Saturday that Elder Andersen and I are going to be in Springfield, Missouri together for one more transfer period(6 weeks), and so he'll be the one that "kills me off" or sends me home. I will have spent 9 months in this area! We were also told that we will be covering the Single's Ward for another 6 weeks, which is awesome! It's so great to be able to work with people your age at missionary work. They have that same fire that you have, and most of them understand missionary life because many of them have been not far away from their own full-time missions. In the family ward, we are still working very hard to get all of the recent coneverts and those less-active families to the temple on August 20. We are excited to be apart of their first temple experience, and i know the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon them to bring more joy and peace and direction in their lives than before. There is one person who were teaching who has been very unique to interact with. He is a Jewish man in his 30s and he came in contact with the church through a friend telling him to get in contact with full-time missionaries. Once we started teaching what the doctrine is of the church, he began to scratch his head because it was very new to him. Unlike most people here in Missouri, he has not had any negative publicity thrown at him abuot our faith, and because he is a Jew, he takes what critics say about other faiths with a huge grain of salt. But teaching him has been interesting, but also slow because we are first working on him building faith. He is a great guy with a good heart and he really enjoys us coming over and visiting with him. Please continue to pray for the people we are working with.
Its been great serving with Elder Andersen. Him and I are very much alike, and we have been getting some work done and having a blast along the way. We joke around a lot of the time, but we get serious when we are teaching. Both of us have similar interests, and so it never is dull with our conversation. I think he is so hilarious too. He always has me laughing with his crazy comments, but right now with my operation it really hurts to laugh :)
Well, thats all for now. This Elder Fellows signing off!!!
Sorry I haven't written nearly as much as I should have this past while, some things have been going on that have been consuming my thoughts and energy.
About 10 days ago, I had surgery on a hernia, which was not a whole lot of fun to go through. If you are a thrill-seeker, I encourage you to not attempt to acquire a hernia and have it operated on. The operation has been pretty draining and when I feel pain its not the fun kind of adrenaline that courses through my body. I was down for about four days, and then I have been prescribed one week of light duty. So, its not as bad as they thought or thought would be after the surgery, but lately i have been feeling pretty nauseous from the pain medicine.
The work has been going well though. We just found out last Saturday that Elder Andersen and I are going to be in Springfield, Missouri together for one more transfer period(6 weeks), and so he'll be the one that "kills me off" or sends me home. I will have spent 9 months in this area! We were also told that we will be covering the Single's Ward for another 6 weeks, which is awesome! It's so great to be able to work with people your age at missionary work. They have that same fire that you have, and most of them understand missionary life because many of them have been not far away from their own full-time missions. In the family ward, we are still working very hard to get all of the recent coneverts and those less-active families to the temple on August 20. We are excited to be apart of their first temple experience, and i know the Lord will pour out His Spirit upon them to bring more joy and peace and direction in their lives than before. There is one person who were teaching who has been very unique to interact with. He is a Jewish man in his 30s and he came in contact with the church through a friend telling him to get in contact with full-time missionaries. Once we started teaching what the doctrine is of the church, he began to scratch his head because it was very new to him. Unlike most people here in Missouri, he has not had any negative publicity thrown at him abuot our faith, and because he is a Jew, he takes what critics say about other faiths with a huge grain of salt. But teaching him has been interesting, but also slow because we are first working on him building faith. He is a great guy with a good heart and he really enjoys us coming over and visiting with him. Please continue to pray for the people we are working with.
Its been great serving with Elder Andersen. Him and I are very much alike, and we have been getting some work done and having a blast along the way. We joke around a lot of the time, but we get serious when we are teaching. Both of us have similar interests, and so it never is dull with our conversation. I think he is so hilarious too. He always has me laughing with his crazy comments, but right now with my operation it really hurts to laugh :)
Well, thats all for now. This Elder Fellows signing off!!!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Happy 4th of July!! -- sent 7/4/11 -- obviously
Hey everyone,
this week has been a typical week in the missionary life. We taught people, some kept their commitments, some didn't. We went finding, and not much luck. A typical week. Bob Brown did get baptized up in Utah this past weekend, and he will be confirmed in Springfield this coming week. Other than that, not much has been happening. I'm doing pretty well. The members are feeding us. They are helping with the work. Elder Andersen is probably one of my favorite companions and so we get along really well, and that makes the work more enjoyable.
i really do wish i had more to write, but thats all for now.
Elder Fellows
this week has been a typical week in the missionary life. We taught people, some kept their commitments, some didn't. We went finding, and not much luck. A typical week. Bob Brown did get baptized up in Utah this past weekend, and he will be confirmed in Springfield this coming week. Other than that, not much has been happening. I'm doing pretty well. The members are feeding us. They are helping with the work. Elder Andersen is probably one of my favorite companions and so we get along really well, and that makes the work more enjoyable.
i really do wish i had more to write, but thats all for now.
Elder Fellows
Change is Constant - 6/27/11
Hello everyone,
So, last week was transfers and Elder Argyle went home. He is the 4th missionary I have seen go home in our apartment. That made me feel really old mission-wise. The apartment now has two new additons. Elder Peters and Elder Andersen(my companion). He's been out for about 17 months and he is awesome. He is from Modesto, Califonia. That is just south of Sacramento in the central valley, just east of the bay area. He and Elder Peters actually both served in Mingo Valley after I was there and so we have a lot of cool conversations about the people we would visit and the members that lived there. Elder Peters is from Orem, Utah and he's a stud too. He and Elder Bell are tearing it up in there area right now and our entire zone is doing really great. I am so excited for the effort that is being put out by the missionaries in and around the Springfield area.
Right now, Elder Andersen and I are covering both the Springfield 1st Ward and the University Ward. They pulled the Sister Missionaries out for a transfer(6 weeks). That was a change. We always have our days swamped with teaching and setting up more appointments so that we can teach new people and help all of them get baptized. That was definiately a change. And every single companionship has changed. I am now the oldest missionary in the zone. Just call me Father Fellows. That is change. I have been in this area for over 6 months(the longest time i have been in an area yet), and I might stay here until my mission is done.
A little info for Dad and Holley. PAY ATTENTION HERE! There is a man named Bob Brown that is going to be baptized up in Murray, Utah this weekend, 2 July at 10am. We have been visiting him for the past few months and he is wanting to be baptized where all the people that were influential in his conversion. It's in the Riverside 5th Ward/Murray Utah North Stake with Bishop Meyers there. He is going to be baptized with the granddaughter of one of his friends. His friend's name is Mary Kay Pearson, and her granddaughter is named Rebecca Anderson. I think it would be cool if you attended that baptism of Bob's. I know it's not very far from where ya'll live, so you should consider going and supporting an investigator we have been visiting.
Well, that's all I got for everyone today.
Love ya
Elder Fellows
So, last week was transfers and Elder Argyle went home. He is the 4th missionary I have seen go home in our apartment. That made me feel really old mission-wise. The apartment now has two new additons. Elder Peters and Elder Andersen(my companion). He's been out for about 17 months and he is awesome. He is from Modesto, Califonia. That is just south of Sacramento in the central valley, just east of the bay area. He and Elder Peters actually both served in Mingo Valley after I was there and so we have a lot of cool conversations about the people we would visit and the members that lived there. Elder Peters is from Orem, Utah and he's a stud too. He and Elder Bell are tearing it up in there area right now and our entire zone is doing really great. I am so excited for the effort that is being put out by the missionaries in and around the Springfield area.
Right now, Elder Andersen and I are covering both the Springfield 1st Ward and the University Ward. They pulled the Sister Missionaries out for a transfer(6 weeks). That was a change. We always have our days swamped with teaching and setting up more appointments so that we can teach new people and help all of them get baptized. That was definiately a change. And every single companionship has changed. I am now the oldest missionary in the zone. Just call me Father Fellows. That is change. I have been in this area for over 6 months(the longest time i have been in an area yet), and I might stay here until my mission is done.
A little info for Dad and Holley. PAY ATTENTION HERE! There is a man named Bob Brown that is going to be baptized up in Murray, Utah this weekend, 2 July at 10am. We have been visiting him for the past few months and he is wanting to be baptized where all the people that were influential in his conversion. It's in the Riverside 5th Ward/Murray Utah North Stake with Bishop Meyers there. He is going to be baptized with the granddaughter of one of his friends. His friend's name is Mary Kay Pearson, and her granddaughter is named Rebecca Anderson. I think it would be cool if you attended that baptism of Bob's. I know it's not very far from where ya'll live, so you should consider going and supporting an investigator we have been visiting.
Well, that's all I got for everyone today.
Love ya
Elder Fellows
Monday, June 13, 2011
Craziness!! - sent 6/12/11
Well, Elder Argyle is going home, and I am going to be serving with Elder Jacob Anderson. There are like 5 Elder Andersons in the mission so it makes it a bit difficult to keep 'em straight. I don't know where he's from...but the odds of him being from Utah are pretty high. I'll keep you posted on that stuff.
The entire Springfield Zone is changing. Every companionship is changing significantly with also the Sister Missionaries leaving the University Ward. My new comp and I will be covering both the Springfield 1st ward and the University ward for some time. We'll have our hands busy, but that'll be good to keep my mind focused.
Thanks everyone for the replies back about Frank. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. I usually don't talk too much about investigators like Frank, but he needs all the prayers he can get. I have dealt with people that were addicted to alcohol and cigarettes and drugs, but his addiction to the booze has gotten way out of hand.
I love all of you very much. Remember that love and the love the Savior has for you.
Elder Brad Fellows
The entire Springfield Zone is changing. Every companionship is changing significantly with also the Sister Missionaries leaving the University Ward. My new comp and I will be covering both the Springfield 1st ward and the University ward for some time. We'll have our hands busy, but that'll be good to keep my mind focused.
Thanks everyone for the replies back about Frank. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers. I usually don't talk too much about investigators like Frank, but he needs all the prayers he can get. I have dealt with people that were addicted to alcohol and cigarettes and drugs, but his addiction to the booze has gotten way out of hand.
I love all of you very much. Remember that love and the love the Savior has for you.
Elder Brad Fellows
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Great Story about the Houston Temple
A few months after an accident, I got a call from a headhunter telling me that he had a position for which he wanted me to interview. I was a little surprised by the call since I wasn't actively looking for a job at the time. As a matter of fact, I was still learning to walk again and use my reconstructed hands. I politely declined and thought that was it.
It wasn't. The man kept calling me and every time I told him why I was unable to accept a job at the moment, he kept telling me that it wasn't important. After a while I decided to go on the interview. If nothing else, it would stop the annoying phone calls every couple of days.
The interview was with one of the largest HVAC contractors in Houston. I've never worked for a contractor before and, quite frankly, contractors and engineers often find themselves at complete odds with each other. I knew for a fact that, in my years of experience, I had been in more than one shouting match with a few project managers at this firm.
The interviewer brought me into a conference room and expressed his thanks for me coming in. He told me that I had come recommended to him as someone uniquely qualified for the job he had. He described the job and, I had to admit, it sounded like a pretty good gig. As a matter of fact, if I had to describe my dream job, this would be it.
I started asking questions about the firm...what kind of projects they were working on and so forth. They were one of the biggest contractors in Houston and so he ran down a pretty impressive resume of projects. Then he said, "Oh...and we're doing this church. It's the strangest church you've ever seen.. I'd designed some pretty strange churches in my time. One of them was made entirely of pink glass. When you're especially bored some time, you should try and run down the thermal transfer properties of pink glass. If you find out, get back to me on it because I never was able to figure it out.”
The interviewer continued with his description of the strange church. "Another weird thing is that they're spending WAYYYY too much money on this thing. You know how, whenever we do a church, we're asked to figure out ways to cut costs? Well, not on this job. In fact, they keep asking us for ways we can make it even better."
(It's called 'value engineering'. It happens on almost every job when the owner gets hit with the sticker price of the project and we have to go back and try and work with contractors to hold down prices and yet still keep in a modicum of quality....that's where the shouting matches usually occur. Churches are especially notorious at this game and the end result is usually a facade of flash over substance. You build this really impressive looking church and pray that the next big wind won't come along and blow it all down)
Then the interviewer said something that sealed the deal. "...and the strangest thing of all is that we're not going to even be allowed back in this church to fix any problems. Only members with a special piece of paper will be allowed in."
I fished into my wallet and pulled out my temple recommend, "Is this the piece of paper you're talking about?" I asked.
And so I went to work on helping to build the Houston Temple.
The first job meeting was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.. We all met in a little shack on the temple building site. It was an odd sensation to look out at earth moving equipment shoving mounds of dirt around and get tears in your eyes.
I didn't tell anyone at the meeting that I was LDS. For one reason, I didn't want them to think I was going to come off as a know-it-all. Another reason is that there were some pretty strong protests against building this temple and I wanted to see where everyone stood on the issue. You kind of want to know where all the land mines are before you go traipsing off into the clover.
You may or may not know this but the church sends its own project manager to the site when a temple is built. It's his job to make sure that the specifications are followed in every way. As it happened, the church's representative, a man named Leon, was called away to Salt Lake and so the project manager for the general contractor got up and started the meeting.
"Leon's been called away to Salt Lake and so I'll be running the meeting." He looked around and his eye settled on the Plumbing Contractor, "Gill, why don't you offer us an opening prayer?"
My jaw dropped. First of all, prayers just aren't the standard way that construction meetings are called to order. And another thing is that, I'd know Gill for fifteen years and anyone even mildly acquainted with the man was aware that he was incapable of stringing four words together without cussing twice.
"This is going to be some prayer," I thought...it was. Gill bowed his head and folded his hands and gave a prayer like he'd been giving them in sacrament meeting his entire life. We were grateful for the opportunity to work on the temple. We were mindful of the sacrifices of The Saints. We prayed for safety and harmony among the builders and we consecrated and dedicated our actions to The Lord.
Gill ended his prayer and the General Contractor went on with the agenda.. I wasn't really paying attention, however, because I was still dumbstruck, staring at Gill, and wondering what had happened to him. I was still staring at Gill when the agenda came to me and I was asked to introduce myself to the group.
There was a bit of a pause when I got caught still staring, openmouthed, at Gill. Then everyone started to laugh.
"It's in the specifications," explained the general contractor, "we have to pray before every meeting."
Knowing the crowd, I asked, "And none of you tried to negotiate out of that?"
"Well, we did grumble for a while and then Leon started making us sing an opening hymn as well." I wished I had accepted the job sooner. I might have been able to see that.
I soon found out that I didn't need to tell anyone I was LDS, they all knew, and many times a contractor would sidle up to me to ask me something about my religion or the significance of something in the temple.
"What's up with the twelve cows and the big Jacuzzi?" one would ask.
"Is that Gabriel up there with a trumpet?" (Ooh...a little known fact, but if you'll take a pair of binoculars with you and get far enough away so you can see it from the proper angle, you'll notice a lightening rod sticking out of Moroni's head.)
I took to bringing my scriptures with me so that I could explain the significance of different things and point to their Biblical foundation.
One question was my personal favorite, "Where's the counting room?" Remember the churches I told you about that I'd designed? Well one thing that never got 'value engineered' was the counting room.. It was where they kept and counted the donations and it was always built like a bank vault.
"We don't have a counting room in temples", I said.
"Why not?"
"We don't take in any donations at the temple."
"You mean to tell me that you put all this money into a building and you don't ever get a nickle out of it?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much the case."
The contractor went away shaking his head, no doubt wondering how anyone as foolish as these Mormons had ever amassed enough money to build such wonderful buildings.
Of all my experiences, only one was what I would have categorized as 'odd.' With an opening prayer at each meeting, design conferences went about pretty much like PEC meetings. There was a spirit of brotherhood that just wasn't normally present in construction shacks.
One day, however, the meeting got a little out of hand. Some voices were raised and anger entered the room. When it made it's appearance, I was surprised to notice a letdown that I recognized as The Spirit leaving the room. It made me sad. I looked about the table and I could tell that others were experiencing the same letdown.
It was then that the copier behind me started spitting out blank sheets of paper. Nobody was at the copier and yet it churned out about a dozen sheets of paper and then stopped. It took everyone by surprise and it completely diffused the argument that was going on. Someone made a small joke, everyone laughed and the meeting went on. Little by little I felt the warmth of The Spirit return.
After the meeting, I was going over some items with the General Contractor. I had to make a few copies and so I went to the copier. There was a sign over the copier instructing the sub-contractors to write down the number of copies they make so that their companies can be back-charged. Thinking that I was making a joke, I pointed to the sign and said, "Are you going to give the angels a discount on the copies they made today?" The general contractor looked at me and said, "You know, strange things like that happen around here quite often.."
As the temple neared its completion, the general contractor and I had occasion to chat one more time. I knew that he was a staunch Baptist, one of the churches, in fact, that was so vocal in its protest over our building a temple in Houston. Over the months, we had become friends, and so I felt no qualms in asking him just what his feelings were, as a Baptist, building a Mormon temple. I'll never forget what he told me.
"In ancient times", he said, "Building work was overseen by guilds. The guild masters were the ones who saw to it that the integrity of the craft over which they labored was the best it could be. If you wanted to enter the guild you had to begin as an apprentice and dedicate long years with little or no pay. The master under whom you labored gave you room and board and your tools. Eventually, you became a journeyman in the guild and you got paid. However, if you wanted to become a master of the guild, you had to present a sample of your work to be judged by the other masters. It had to be a work of outstanding beauty and flawless quality for it was the work by which your skills would be judged. It had to be a work that would weather the ages and it was called, 'a masterpiece'."
The contractor continued, "Every building I've ever built has been one where money won out over quality. I've never been able to do the best I'm capable of because of budget restraints. If I'm grateful for one thing, it's that you Mormons don't skimp when it comes to your temples. For once, I'm able to build to the quality I'm really capable of."
Then he looked out over the temple and his gaze came back to me. His eyes were tearing up a bit and he swept his hand back towards the temple and his voice got a little reverent, "This is my masterpiece," He said..
I've been building buildings for almost thirty years. I’ve been doing it so long, in fact, that they are beginning to tear down buildings that I was sure would live as a testament to my presence long after I was gone from this earth.
I'm really grateful I had a chance to work on The Houston Temple.
(Author unknown--at least by us)
It wasn't. The man kept calling me and every time I told him why I was unable to accept a job at the moment, he kept telling me that it wasn't important. After a while I decided to go on the interview. If nothing else, it would stop the annoying phone calls every couple of days.
The interview was with one of the largest HVAC contractors in Houston. I've never worked for a contractor before and, quite frankly, contractors and engineers often find themselves at complete odds with each other. I knew for a fact that, in my years of experience, I had been in more than one shouting match with a few project managers at this firm.
The interviewer brought me into a conference room and expressed his thanks for me coming in. He told me that I had come recommended to him as someone uniquely qualified for the job he had. He described the job and, I had to admit, it sounded like a pretty good gig. As a matter of fact, if I had to describe my dream job, this would be it.
I started asking questions about the firm...what kind of projects they were working on and so forth. They were one of the biggest contractors in Houston and so he ran down a pretty impressive resume of projects. Then he said, "Oh...and we're doing this church. It's the strangest church you've ever seen.. I'd designed some pretty strange churches in my time. One of them was made entirely of pink glass. When you're especially bored some time, you should try and run down the thermal transfer properties of pink glass. If you find out, get back to me on it because I never was able to figure it out.”
The interviewer continued with his description of the strange church. "Another weird thing is that they're spending WAYYYY too much money on this thing. You know how, whenever we do a church, we're asked to figure out ways to cut costs? Well, not on this job. In fact, they keep asking us for ways we can make it even better."
(It's called 'value engineering'. It happens on almost every job when the owner gets hit with the sticker price of the project and we have to go back and try and work with contractors to hold down prices and yet still keep in a modicum of quality....that's where the shouting matches usually occur. Churches are especially notorious at this game and the end result is usually a facade of flash over substance. You build this really impressive looking church and pray that the next big wind won't come along and blow it all down)
Then the interviewer said something that sealed the deal. "...and the strangest thing of all is that we're not going to even be allowed back in this church to fix any problems. Only members with a special piece of paper will be allowed in."
I fished into my wallet and pulled out my temple recommend, "Is this the piece of paper you're talking about?" I asked.
And so I went to work on helping to build the Houston Temple.
The first job meeting was one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.. We all met in a little shack on the temple building site. It was an odd sensation to look out at earth moving equipment shoving mounds of dirt around and get tears in your eyes.
I didn't tell anyone at the meeting that I was LDS. For one reason, I didn't want them to think I was going to come off as a know-it-all. Another reason is that there were some pretty strong protests against building this temple and I wanted to see where everyone stood on the issue. You kind of want to know where all the land mines are before you go traipsing off into the clover.
You may or may not know this but the church sends its own project manager to the site when a temple is built. It's his job to make sure that the specifications are followed in every way. As it happened, the church's representative, a man named Leon, was called away to Salt Lake and so the project manager for the general contractor got up and started the meeting.
"Leon's been called away to Salt Lake and so I'll be running the meeting." He looked around and his eye settled on the Plumbing Contractor, "Gill, why don't you offer us an opening prayer?"
My jaw dropped. First of all, prayers just aren't the standard way that construction meetings are called to order. And another thing is that, I'd know Gill for fifteen years and anyone even mildly acquainted with the man was aware that he was incapable of stringing four words together without cussing twice.
"This is going to be some prayer," I thought...it was. Gill bowed his head and folded his hands and gave a prayer like he'd been giving them in sacrament meeting his entire life. We were grateful for the opportunity to work on the temple. We were mindful of the sacrifices of The Saints. We prayed for safety and harmony among the builders and we consecrated and dedicated our actions to The Lord.
Gill ended his prayer and the General Contractor went on with the agenda.. I wasn't really paying attention, however, because I was still dumbstruck, staring at Gill, and wondering what had happened to him. I was still staring at Gill when the agenda came to me and I was asked to introduce myself to the group.
There was a bit of a pause when I got caught still staring, openmouthed, at Gill. Then everyone started to laugh.
"It's in the specifications," explained the general contractor, "we have to pray before every meeting."
Knowing the crowd, I asked, "And none of you tried to negotiate out of that?"
"Well, we did grumble for a while and then Leon started making us sing an opening hymn as well." I wished I had accepted the job sooner. I might have been able to see that.
I soon found out that I didn't need to tell anyone I was LDS, they all knew, and many times a contractor would sidle up to me to ask me something about my religion or the significance of something in the temple.
"What's up with the twelve cows and the big Jacuzzi?" one would ask.
"Is that Gabriel up there with a trumpet?" (Ooh...a little known fact, but if you'll take a pair of binoculars with you and get far enough away so you can see it from the proper angle, you'll notice a lightening rod sticking out of Moroni's head.)
I took to bringing my scriptures with me so that I could explain the significance of different things and point to their Biblical foundation.
One question was my personal favorite, "Where's the counting room?" Remember the churches I told you about that I'd designed? Well one thing that never got 'value engineered' was the counting room.. It was where they kept and counted the donations and it was always built like a bank vault.
"We don't have a counting room in temples", I said.
"Why not?"
"We don't take in any donations at the temple."
"You mean to tell me that you put all this money into a building and you don't ever get a nickle out of it?"
"Yeah, that's pretty much the case."
The contractor went away shaking his head, no doubt wondering how anyone as foolish as these Mormons had ever amassed enough money to build such wonderful buildings.
Of all my experiences, only one was what I would have categorized as 'odd.' With an opening prayer at each meeting, design conferences went about pretty much like PEC meetings. There was a spirit of brotherhood that just wasn't normally present in construction shacks.
One day, however, the meeting got a little out of hand. Some voices were raised and anger entered the room. When it made it's appearance, I was surprised to notice a letdown that I recognized as The Spirit leaving the room. It made me sad. I looked about the table and I could tell that others were experiencing the same letdown.
It was then that the copier behind me started spitting out blank sheets of paper. Nobody was at the copier and yet it churned out about a dozen sheets of paper and then stopped. It took everyone by surprise and it completely diffused the argument that was going on. Someone made a small joke, everyone laughed and the meeting went on. Little by little I felt the warmth of The Spirit return.
After the meeting, I was going over some items with the General Contractor. I had to make a few copies and so I went to the copier. There was a sign over the copier instructing the sub-contractors to write down the number of copies they make so that their companies can be back-charged. Thinking that I was making a joke, I pointed to the sign and said, "Are you going to give the angels a discount on the copies they made today?" The general contractor looked at me and said, "You know, strange things like that happen around here quite often.."
As the temple neared its completion, the general contractor and I had occasion to chat one more time. I knew that he was a staunch Baptist, one of the churches, in fact, that was so vocal in its protest over our building a temple in Houston. Over the months, we had become friends, and so I felt no qualms in asking him just what his feelings were, as a Baptist, building a Mormon temple. I'll never forget what he told me.
"In ancient times", he said, "Building work was overseen by guilds. The guild masters were the ones who saw to it that the integrity of the craft over which they labored was the best it could be. If you wanted to enter the guild you had to begin as an apprentice and dedicate long years with little or no pay. The master under whom you labored gave you room and board and your tools. Eventually, you became a journeyman in the guild and you got paid. However, if you wanted to become a master of the guild, you had to present a sample of your work to be judged by the other masters. It had to be a work of outstanding beauty and flawless quality for it was the work by which your skills would be judged. It had to be a work that would weather the ages and it was called, 'a masterpiece'."
The contractor continued, "Every building I've ever built has been one where money won out over quality. I've never been able to do the best I'm capable of because of budget restraints. If I'm grateful for one thing, it's that you Mormons don't skimp when it comes to your temples. For once, I'm able to build to the quality I'm really capable of."
Then he looked out over the temple and his gaze came back to me. His eyes were tearing up a bit and he swept his hand back towards the temple and his voice got a little reverent, "This is my masterpiece," He said..
I've been building buildings for almost thirty years. I’ve been doing it so long, in fact, that they are beginning to tear down buildings that I was sure would live as a testament to my presence long after I was gone from this earth.
I'm really grateful I had a chance to work on The Houston Temple.
(Author unknown--at least by us)
Monday, June 6, 2011
This week's events - June 6, 2011
Hey everyone!
So, this past Saturday, we had the baptism of a young girl named Raven. Her family had been less-active for awhile, but a few months ago we knocked on their door and started helping them come back to church. They joined the church out in California a little over 3 years ago, and then moved here...but by the mercy of Heavenly Father we were able to help them come closer together as a family and take one more step to the temple.
We have also been teaching this one man named Frank...and he's an interesting guy. The Sister missionaries actually met him first by knocking on his door, and they invited us over because he's in our boundaries. Frank deals with a lot! Since we've been teaching him, we have tried to help him get off alcohol and cigarettes. The cigarettes has been significantly easier than the booze...and oh has it been hard for us to get him off the sauce!!! Elder Argyle and I have seen him sober probably only a handful of times, and when he's not plastered he's hung over. We care for him so much. Frank doesn't really have anyone else to look out for him, so we try to see him every day. We've been trying to get him out to the Addiction Recovery Program meetings, but it's hard because he doesn't have a car. The latest "episode" with Frank was about 5 days ago. He showed up to the institute bldg...DRUNK, and we had a really intense lesson again about the Word of Wisdom. At the end of the lesson, we walked back to his apartment(which is only a block away) and he gave us his coffee, tea, and some "explicit" material. We've also had a Law of Chastity chat with him several times! We had the great privilege of destroying that stuff!!!!!!! The next day he called and he was ticked off...and might I add he was still drunk(I don't know why he continues to buy that stuff when we take it). We met again at the institute bldg and we watched the conversion story of Glenn Beck. That went well because all of the things Frank is dealing with Glenn Beck has dealt with! Since then, we have only heard that a "friend" brought by some marajuana for him. It is has been really difficult for him and us to help him be baptized. He said he wants to, but he seems to be getting sucked back into his old ways.
We also had a new bishopric called...and that's really exciting for most other people, but for nerdy missionaries THAT'S A BIG DEAL!
We're excited to get to work to help Bishop with his vision of missionary work.
Well, at the moment, I have been studying the Book of Mormon by highlighting the Names of Christ-i am currently in 2 Nephi 10, I'm reading the D&C backwards, I'm reading the New Testament again...and the Savior lays down on the Scribes and Pharisees and even the disciples! I am also reading a 90 page disortation by Hugh Nibley on the 3 facsimiles in the Book of Abraham. It's also pretty interesting to read the Inspired Version of the Bible because there are a lot of significant changes that clarify the teachings of Christ and of His apostles. A member in our ward who is trying to get more involved in church gave Elder Argyle and I an Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures and a Book of Commandments. This man is a huge book-junky and he has tons of church literature. Also learning more about the facsimiles has been very interesting...Hugh Nibley has some insights that are pretty intense. It is sometimes difficult to wrap my head around all of the things he says because he uses references I have either never heard of or have only heard once or twice briefly.
Thats all I got for this week. I love all of you very much and I hope your week is one of "much fruit"
Elder Brad Fellows
So, this past Saturday, we had the baptism of a young girl named Raven. Her family had been less-active for awhile, but a few months ago we knocked on their door and started helping them come back to church. They joined the church out in California a little over 3 years ago, and then moved here...but by the mercy of Heavenly Father we were able to help them come closer together as a family and take one more step to the temple.
We have also been teaching this one man named Frank...and he's an interesting guy. The Sister missionaries actually met him first by knocking on his door, and they invited us over because he's in our boundaries. Frank deals with a lot! Since we've been teaching him, we have tried to help him get off alcohol and cigarettes. The cigarettes has been significantly easier than the booze...and oh has it been hard for us to get him off the sauce!!! Elder Argyle and I have seen him sober probably only a handful of times, and when he's not plastered he's hung over. We care for him so much. Frank doesn't really have anyone else to look out for him, so we try to see him every day. We've been trying to get him out to the Addiction Recovery Program meetings, but it's hard because he doesn't have a car. The latest "episode" with Frank was about 5 days ago. He showed up to the institute bldg...DRUNK, and we had a really intense lesson again about the Word of Wisdom. At the end of the lesson, we walked back to his apartment(which is only a block away) and he gave us his coffee, tea, and some "explicit" material. We've also had a Law of Chastity chat with him several times! We had the great privilege of destroying that stuff!!!!!!! The next day he called and he was ticked off...and might I add he was still drunk(I don't know why he continues to buy that stuff when we take it). We met again at the institute bldg and we watched the conversion story of Glenn Beck. That went well because all of the things Frank is dealing with Glenn Beck has dealt with! Since then, we have only heard that a "friend" brought by some marajuana for him. It is has been really difficult for him and us to help him be baptized. He said he wants to, but he seems to be getting sucked back into his old ways.
We also had a new bishopric called...and that's really exciting for most other people, but for nerdy missionaries THAT'S A BIG DEAL!
We're excited to get to work to help Bishop with his vision of missionary work.
Well, at the moment, I have been studying the Book of Mormon by highlighting the Names of Christ-i am currently in 2 Nephi 10, I'm reading the D&C backwards, I'm reading the New Testament again...and the Savior lays down on the Scribes and Pharisees and even the disciples! I am also reading a 90 page disortation by Hugh Nibley on the 3 facsimiles in the Book of Abraham. It's also pretty interesting to read the Inspired Version of the Bible because there are a lot of significant changes that clarify the teachings of Christ and of His apostles. A member in our ward who is trying to get more involved in church gave Elder Argyle and I an Inspired Version of the Holy Scriptures and a Book of Commandments. This man is a huge book-junky and he has tons of church literature. Also learning more about the facsimiles has been very interesting...Hugh Nibley has some insights that are pretty intense. It is sometimes difficult to wrap my head around all of the things he says because he uses references I have either never heard of or have only heard once or twice briefly.
Thats all I got for this week. I love all of you very much and I hope your week is one of "much fruit"
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, May 30, 2011
And It Came to Pass - sent 5/30/11 - finally caught up!
So, as most of you have heard, there was a pretty devastating storm and tornado that went through Joplin, MO this past week. Right now, the number of casualties it has claimed is 166 souls, and 232 people still unaccounted for. They estimated 75% of the city of Joplin has been damaged, if not destroyed, by the storm. It destroyed the stake center there, but all of the missionaries are safe. There was a group of elders that had their apartment destroyed, but they were fine. Seeing some of the pictures is pretty intense. We were speaking to a man in our ward who was giving us a ride to an exchnage about the disaster, and he said it reminded him of the destruction in Germany and Austria during World War 2. Amazing what a storm can do in just a few hours...But, relief efforts have been on overdrive! They have so many volunteers they don't know what to do with them. There are so many people that have gone down there and started helping with the recovery of missing people, and then once that is taken care of, they will move to the clean-up efforts. Right now, we are told that we are to stay in our areas and continue to work. They have too many people that it has made it hard to organize all of them, so they want us to just continue on with where we are.
I was able to see all of the wedding photos, and they are really great. Shay looks really beautiful in her dress, and I am excited to have Taylor as a brother-in-law. It was really great to see the rest of the family. Ben and Will are huge!!! That is so crazy. What have you been feeding those monsters?! 
It was also really great to see many family members from Mom's side of the family like aunty fran, grandma and grandpa Lury, Johanna and her mom, Bishop and Sis. Lauck, and Bro. Shroedter(i hope spelled that right). And I don't know how you talked my mission president into letting me come to the wedding!!! You must have some pretty good connections in order for that to have happened. I'm also really glad I was able to dance with the bride! 
It looks like it was a ton of fun, and I am so glad to see Taylor and Shay so happy.
The work has been going well. I do not know why I do not have much to talk about in regards to the work this week. I am trying to stay really focused, but it has been a bit difficult at times. I thank all of you for the encouragement you gave me in your emails. I really needed that extra. For the last 5 months, I have seen a missionary in our apartment go home...so the apartment has been pretty trunky for awhile, but I'm working out the kinks in myself and I have a rejuvenation of the spirit of missionary work, especially in these last 24 hours.
I promise that I will never, ever give up.
Elder Brad Fellows
3 Nephi 5:13
Hola Peeps!! - sent 5/23/11
So...I heard there was someone who got married....
I am so happy for Shay and Taylor being married. Being able to go through the temple to be sealed for time and eternity is one of the great blessings our Father in Heaven has given us while here on earth, and I look forward to seeing them when I come home.
The temple is such a beautiful place and the Spirit is present in the House of the Lord so that all who enter might be comforted and instructed from on high about God's plan for us and what our possibilities are. I read somewhere in mom's email that I was able to attend...or maybe it someone else who looked exactly like me...don't let President Merkley find out. HAHA 
Please send my best to all the people at the wedding. Tell them I miss them and I love them. I hope they are all healthy and I pray for all of them. I wish I could been there, but I'll see everyone soon enough. I still have some things to do here in Springfield.
As for me, the work going on in Springfield is going well. The two people that we have set baptismal dates with came to church. The first one is Raven Gordon. She is a 9 year-old who's family is becoming more active and we are helping them make friends in the ward. The second one is a man named Frank Stoops. He is a man in his 50s who has had a really rough past, but since he's been meeting with us he's been recovering from those things that have had him bound for decades. Sometimes he has relapsed, but we have not given up on him, and he is determined to be baptized and to shake off those chains that hold him captive. There is also a man who is RLDS with whom we are visiting. Well, he's from a church that broke off from the RLDS church when they became the Communtiy of Christ. He's a hard one to figure out, but he is a really nice guy and we love visiting with him and his wife. We are also helping quite a few less-active families attending church again. With many people, there has been something that has happened in the past that has pushed them to cease going to church, but Elder Argyle and I have working out the kinks with these people and miracles seem to be occurring. Slowly but surely, the Lord is pouring out His blessings upon th heads of these people.
Also, for the last couple of days, we have ahad some pretty weird weather. There was a tornado that touched down in Joplin, MO wiping out much of the city and many people are announced dead. All of the missionaries are safe, but an aparment complex that a set of elders were staying in were destroyed, and the stake center in Joplin was also destroyed. It has been said by reports that 89 are pronounced dead from the destruction. Events like these make me ponder on the great plan our Father in Heaven has for all of us as His children, and I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who knows all things and who is watching over these events, not only in Joplin but all over the world. Because of the knowledge that comes from the restored gospel, I know that those people are now in a place where they are able to teach and to be taught more about that great and eternal plan, and one day, they will return to the earth to be resurrected. This is all made possible through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
I love all of you and I pray for all of you, and once again and I am so happy and excited for Shay and Taylor.
As always...Never give up! Never, never give up!
Elder Brad Fellows
Another Week in the Life -- sent 5/19/11
This past week has been semi-eventful, but only semi-eventful for missionaries. I have noticed that missionaries' experiences are very different from normal people's everyday expereiences. Missionaries find the weirdest things amusing and the oddest things important. I am slowly trying to wane myself off of the "scripture jokes" because no one at home would probably find those things funny.
Anyway, we have been trying to our best to help our investigators come to church, but it seems as if gettin them there is like climbing a mountain. I do understand where they might be coming from because there are times when I do not want to get up and go to church when I could sleep in or use those three hours to catch up on work at school or at home. I wishb they catch the vision of the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy.
The work here conitnues to move forward here in Springfield. We have our Mission Tour coming up next week. Elder LArry W. Gibbons of the Seventy is coming and speaking to our mission, and there will be a Q&A session which I am very excited for.
Thats all I have for today. I love all of you and I hope you are having an enjoyable week.
Elder Brad Fellows
Mother's Day - Post Game Update -- sent 5/9/11
Hey everyone,
So, as many of you know, Mother's Day was just yesterday and I spoke to my family(many of whom are reading this email).
It was so nice to hear from all of you. To hear your voices was a priceless gift to receive, and I thank my Father in Heavan for being apart of this family.
There was a family with whom we had lunch with that was able to have Skype, but it would have been too much of a hassle, so I decided to just call. It would've been really cool if I had been able to see all of you and speak to you.
Yesterday was really uplifting in church. Every time I hear the Primary sing to the mothers or fathers makes me beam. The children who are Primary have such tender hearts and they understand who Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ really is.
The one "interesting" thing that happened was during one of the talks. The youth speaker spoke first, and then the next speaker got up, and she started spekaing about her "mothers". She said while she was growing up, her mom was a great lady, and she learned much on how to be kind, loving, and a good disciple of Chrst from her. She then said later in life her dad married another lady, and she comments that she had always wanted two moms(IN SACRAMENT MEETING). I think it would have been okay...if she had clarified that she is a convert from the FLDS community living in Stockton, MO. But we had two investigators at church, and three non-member nursing students sit with us in Sacrament Meeting. i think we might have some things to talk about with all of them this week when we meet with them. I'll keep ya'll posted.
So, I have found my USB cable to download pics, so i thought i would send some with this email. I hope you enjoy the photos.
I am so glad I was able to speak to all of you yesterday. It was great to hear how things are going in your lives. Just remember that the Savior is always there to lift your burdens. We are not perfect, but we may be perfected through Christ.
Know that i love all of you very much and I pray for you every night before my head hits the pillow.
Elder Brad Fellows
Rain! Rain! Rain! -- sent 4/25/11
Hola!
So, last week, we heard that a number of thunderstorms, tornados, and high winds were on our way and they would last for some time. Well, I don't know how the rest of the mission is being affected by the weather, but it has not stopped raining since the beginning of last week. I feel like i'm in Seattle...even though i've never been there. I've only heard it rains a lot there. Weather like this does not completely stop the work but it does create an irritant.
Something really interesting happenen this week. So, on wednesdays we have our district meetings where we go to the institute building right next to MSU campus, and after the meeting a student attending comes walking into the institute and tells us of a man thats preaching on campus. So, Elder Bracken quickly jumped on that and all four of us that live in our apartment walked over to the campus with this student member. When we got to the place, we saw this old man in his sixties walking back and forth on this pavillion telling all of the students around him that they were sinners and they needed to repent and that he was sent from God to preach the truth unto them. It was quite entertaining, and there was quite a crowd of students heckling him because he saying things that he had no authority to say. A couple of things he stated were that you can have no sin in you to preach the gospel; he had also seen Jesus Christ 4 times and He gave him authority to preach the gospel; he also stated that he was perfect...anyway he talked a lot about sinning and the avoidence of sin. But, Elder Argyle and I had a good conversation with a guy who was watching and we invited him out to church at the university ward. Something good may have come from that guy's rant.
Anyway, I hope you are all doing well and are safe. I pray for you every night that God will protect you and that you will be blessed in your temporal daily activities.
I love all of you very much and I thank you for your support.
Elder Brad Fellows
I don't have a clever title for this email ... sent 4/18/11
Hey everyone!
So, we had a bpatism this past weekend of a young man that goes to the University Ward her in Springfield. Some people didn't think that he would get baptized, but we had hope for him. He's kind of a crazy guy who gets his kicks and giggles out of making other people uncomfortable, but he's hilarious.
This week has been pretty normal as far as missionary work goes. There isn't really much to report on the subject. We did have some great experiences with feeling the Spirit, but I cannot remember them from off the top of my head.
...i don't know what to write...this is a first...
Something that I really liked hearing in general conference was my favorite quote:
“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we came here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven.”
-Orson F. Whitney
I love all of you.
Something else that I have been thinking of recently is a song by Josh Groban:
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy
I...I will lift it for you
Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I...I will break it for you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I...I will be there to find you
Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I...I will shine to guide you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
You are loved
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
Don't give up
Every one needs to be heard
You are loved
It's just the weight of the world
When your heart's heavy
I...I will lift it for you
Don't give up
Because you want to be heard
If silence keeps you
I...I will break it for you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
Don't give up
It's just the hurt that you hide
When you're lost inside
I...I will be there to find you
Don't give up
Because you want to burn bright
If darkness blinds you
I...I will shine to guide you
Everybody wants to be understood
Well I can hear you
Everybody wants to be loved
Don't give up
Because you are loved
You are loved
Don't give up
It's just the weight of the world
Don't give up
Every one needs to be heard
You are loved
Sincerely,
Elder Brad Fellows
General Conference Favorites - from April 4, 2011
Well, general conference was amazing and I wanted to share a few of my favorite talks with all of you, and I hope you read the ones that have been dear to my heart:
1. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's "Ensign to the Nations"
2. Elder Dallin H. Oaks "Desires and Actions"
3. Elder Richard G. Scott's "Love in Eternal Marriage"
4. Elder M. Russell Ballard's "Flecks of Gold"
and the winner is...
President Thomas S. Monson SMACKDOWN TALK AT THE PRIESTHOOD SESSION!
I hope you all have the chance to read and/or listen to those talks given at conference. It was an amazing conference where the "pure doctrine of Jesus Christ" was taught.
I love all you. Spread the "pure love of Christ" and "pray unto the father' for the gift of charity. I know He will grant the righteous desires of your hearts.
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, March 21, 2011
Just another day in paradise!
Hi everyone!
Things seem to be going better in the life of Elder Fellows.
I think the weather becoming nicer has lifted my spirits so much! I love the springtime.
The work is continually going. The other day, I thought about how in everyone else's life around me(excluding other missionaries) they are continually changing in their day-to-day routines...most of the time.
As for a missionary, it seems to be the same thing every day, but I like the structure of missionary life because it keeps you focused on your purpose.
I have thought about a lot of things lately pertaining to my calling, and i realize that I do not have much time left on my mission, so I gotta keep working hard so that I can say that I did my best at the end of it all.
This is my little missionary work for all of you today:
Check out the new mormon.org website and create a profile on there.
I have been on the site and it LITERALLY takes only five minutes of your time to create a profile. The new website is significantly different from the one before, especially the "I am a Mormon" ads. You'll love those. I reccommend Alex Boye's, but that's just because I love music. Browse around and become familiar with the site.
There was a young man in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who saw a mormon.org ad, checked out the website because he was intrigued, looked at a couple of profiles on there, and was touched by the Spirit. So, he decided to find a local church building nearby and attended that following Sunday. That evening, he was invited to dinner at a member's home where he received his first lesson from the missionaries...He was baptized 2 weeks later.
I love all of you, and never, never give up.
Elder Brad Fellows
Things seem to be going better in the life of Elder Fellows.
I think the weather becoming nicer has lifted my spirits so much! I love the springtime.
The work is continually going. The other day, I thought about how in everyone else's life around me(excluding other missionaries) they are continually changing in their day-to-day routines...most of the time.
As for a missionary, it seems to be the same thing every day, but I like the structure of missionary life because it keeps you focused on your purpose.
I have thought about a lot of things lately pertaining to my calling, and i realize that I do not have much time left on my mission, so I gotta keep working hard so that I can say that I did my best at the end of it all.
This is my little missionary work for all of you today:
Check out the new mormon.org website and create a profile on there.
I have been on the site and it LITERALLY takes only five minutes of your time to create a profile. The new website is significantly different from the one before, especially the "I am a Mormon" ads. You'll love those. I reccommend Alex Boye's, but that's just because I love music. Browse around and become familiar with the site.
There was a young man in Baton Rouge, Louisiana who saw a mormon.org ad, checked out the website because he was intrigued, looked at a couple of profiles on there, and was touched by the Spirit. So, he decided to find a local church building nearby and attended that following Sunday. That evening, he was invited to dinner at a member's home where he received his first lesson from the missionaries...He was baptized 2 weeks later.
I love all of you, and never, never give up.
Elder Brad Fellows
THE BEST PREPARATION DAY EVER!
Hey everyone,
So, today we just got back from the most epic prepararion day that I have been apart of on my mission.
About a month ago, Elder Argyle and I were speaking to the other zone leaders (Elder Monson & Elder Howe), about doing a combined zone outing, wherein we gather together much like we would for zone conference, we have a multi-zone meeting where we instruct for a little bit, and then we have an activity.
Well, a lot of ideas were thrown out onto the table, but the one idea that looked the most appealing was to go see a show in Branson!
So, we conversed more and more and we saw that there was a show in Branson that is performed by members called "The Hughes Brothers" and they would let missionaries come to their show for free.
This was all very exciting, but the one catch was that we now had to get it approved by the mission president. So, we organize everything we were going to present so that he understood everything that would go on with the multi-zone activity, and then....
THE CALL WAS MADE
President ended up approving of the activity(YAY!!!), which made us extremely happy (that is one of the biggest understatements of the year), and now we had to coordinate rides for 38 missionaries to get to Branson for this little shin-dig!
Well, I don't want to bore you with all the craziness that went along with coordinating rides, but we finally got everyone situated to get to the activity......
WHICH TOOK PLACE TODAY!!!! :)
We gathered together an hour before the show and us and the other zone leaders instructed on how all our efforts as missionaries are not wasted. It was, in my opinion, what all the missionaries needed to hear that day.
Then, we went to the show...AND IT WAS AMAZING!
Then, afterwards, 12 of us missionaries went to Lambert's Cafe "The Home of the Throwed Roll"
That was an absolute blast, and we had so much fun eating there. The food was good, but the experience of going to one of the best restaurants in the country was even better...especially when you are with a lot of missionaries whom you love and care for.
Anyways, this day has been such a good stress release for all of us.
I love all of you, and I hope you all have a great, stress-free week.
Elder Fellows
So, today we just got back from the most epic prepararion day that I have been apart of on my mission.
About a month ago, Elder Argyle and I were speaking to the other zone leaders (Elder Monson & Elder Howe), about doing a combined zone outing, wherein we gather together much like we would for zone conference, we have a multi-zone meeting where we instruct for a little bit, and then we have an activity.
Well, a lot of ideas were thrown out onto the table, but the one idea that looked the most appealing was to go see a show in Branson!
So, we conversed more and more and we saw that there was a show in Branson that is performed by members called "The Hughes Brothers" and they would let missionaries come to their show for free.
This was all very exciting, but the one catch was that we now had to get it approved by the mission president. So, we organize everything we were going to present so that he understood everything that would go on with the multi-zone activity, and then....
THE CALL WAS MADE
President ended up approving of the activity(YAY!!!), which made us extremely happy (that is one of the biggest understatements of the year), and now we had to coordinate rides for 38 missionaries to get to Branson for this little shin-dig!
Well, I don't want to bore you with all the craziness that went along with coordinating rides, but we finally got everyone situated to get to the activity......
WHICH TOOK PLACE TODAY!!!! :)
We gathered together an hour before the show and us and the other zone leaders instructed on how all our efforts as missionaries are not wasted. It was, in my opinion, what all the missionaries needed to hear that day.
Then, we went to the show...AND IT WAS AMAZING!
Then, afterwards, 12 of us missionaries went to Lambert's Cafe "The Home of the Throwed Roll"
That was an absolute blast, and we had so much fun eating there. The food was good, but the experience of going to one of the best restaurants in the country was even better...especially when you are with a lot of missionaries whom you love and care for.
Anyways, this day has been such a good stress release for all of us.
I love all of you, and I hope you all have a great, stress-free week.
Elder Fellows
Monday, February 28, 2011
18 months!!!
Hey everyone,
So, last week was a pretty eventful week...but then as a missionary EVERY DAY IS EVENTFUL.
Elder Argyle and I began to go through the entire ward list, which is about 19 pages long, and visit all of the names that we felt impressed to go see this transfer. It's a pretty big list, but it's pretty cool to see some of these people. There have been many diferent responses to us being on their doorstep, and for the most part they have been pretty warm and receptive to missionaries. We've actually have set up three separate opportunites to serve these families, so we are praying these opportunities will open doors for teaching.
We also had zone conference this week, and it was great! I had the opportunity to conduct the meeting...and I'll be honest, I as kinda nervous. But, I got over that quickly and just had a positive attitude about it. It was weird. I have spoken several times in sacrament meeting and at various other meetings, but I can usually do that with not much problem at all. I think it was because Pres. Merkley was there. A lot of really great things were spoken about in regards to us, as missionaries, preparing ourselves to help our investigators make and keep commitments. We also spoke about how our investigators can receive revelation as they attend church, and so we had a workshop on that. Then, Elder Argyle and I instructed on how as missionaries, we are to teach people, and not lessons. So, we went into how we can ask effective questions and then listen with love so we can help them gain faith in Jesus Christ and repent of those things that need to be changed in their lives.
This week, I am also coming up on my 18th month mark...and it's kinda freaky! I feel so old in the mission. At transfers, I looked at all the missionaries that were around me, and i thought "you have been out so much longer than they have", and then it hit me how old I was in the mission. I wonder if that's how it'll feel when I reach the age of 60 or 70 or 80....
Anyways, to celebrate, the missionaries in our apartment are going to buy uncooked miniature drummettes, some buffalo hot sauce, and we are going to grill some hot wings that night! I am so stoked for that!
Now that I have said all of that, it is time for something I learned out of the Book of Mormon. President Merkley invited all of the missionaries in zone conference to read the Book of Mormon, and highlight all the names of Christ in one color, the words he speaks in another color, His attributes in one color, and the doctrines and principles taught in another. As I was reading, every time something good happens, whether it be they got out of Jerusalem, or Nephi and his brothers returning with the brass plates, or when Nephi and his brothers return with Ishmael and his household, Lehi and his family always offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. I thought to myself, "that is so humble of him to always give thanks unto God, and to sacrifice something". In our own lives, we now offer a "broken heart and a contrite spirit", but what does that mean. Well, I think of a broken heart as something like "godly sorrow", an so when we go to Lord, we go to Him in humility with something to be mended because broken implies that something is not correctly situated or complete. Contrite is a feeling of remorse or penitence for something, so it implies a similar thing than the first statement "a broken heart", but it speaks about our spirit. So both our hearts and spirits are in a state where we are feeling like our ways are not His ways, so we give those things the natrual man is endowed with to the Lord, thus offering a sacrifce to Him.
I love all of you, and I pray for you often
Elder Brad Fellows
So, last week was a pretty eventful week...but then as a missionary EVERY DAY IS EVENTFUL.
Elder Argyle and I began to go through the entire ward list, which is about 19 pages long, and visit all of the names that we felt impressed to go see this transfer. It's a pretty big list, but it's pretty cool to see some of these people. There have been many diferent responses to us being on their doorstep, and for the most part they have been pretty warm and receptive to missionaries. We've actually have set up three separate opportunites to serve these families, so we are praying these opportunities will open doors for teaching.
We also had zone conference this week, and it was great! I had the opportunity to conduct the meeting...and I'll be honest, I as kinda nervous. But, I got over that quickly and just had a positive attitude about it. It was weird. I have spoken several times in sacrament meeting and at various other meetings, but I can usually do that with not much problem at all. I think it was because Pres. Merkley was there. A lot of really great things were spoken about in regards to us, as missionaries, preparing ourselves to help our investigators make and keep commitments. We also spoke about how our investigators can receive revelation as they attend church, and so we had a workshop on that. Then, Elder Argyle and I instructed on how as missionaries, we are to teach people, and not lessons. So, we went into how we can ask effective questions and then listen with love so we can help them gain faith in Jesus Christ and repent of those things that need to be changed in their lives.
This week, I am also coming up on my 18th month mark...and it's kinda freaky! I feel so old in the mission. At transfers, I looked at all the missionaries that were around me, and i thought "you have been out so much longer than they have", and then it hit me how old I was in the mission. I wonder if that's how it'll feel when I reach the age of 60 or 70 or 80....
Anyways, to celebrate, the missionaries in our apartment are going to buy uncooked miniature drummettes, some buffalo hot sauce, and we are going to grill some hot wings that night! I am so stoked for that!
Now that I have said all of that, it is time for something I learned out of the Book of Mormon. President Merkley invited all of the missionaries in zone conference to read the Book of Mormon, and highlight all the names of Christ in one color, the words he speaks in another color, His attributes in one color, and the doctrines and principles taught in another. As I was reading, every time something good happens, whether it be they got out of Jerusalem, or Nephi and his brothers returning with the brass plates, or when Nephi and his brothers return with Ishmael and his household, Lehi and his family always offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. I thought to myself, "that is so humble of him to always give thanks unto God, and to sacrifice something". In our own lives, we now offer a "broken heart and a contrite spirit", but what does that mean. Well, I think of a broken heart as something like "godly sorrow", an so when we go to Lord, we go to Him in humility with something to be mended because broken implies that something is not correctly situated or complete. Contrite is a feeling of remorse or penitence for something, so it implies a similar thing than the first statement "a broken heart", but it speaks about our spirit. So both our hearts and spirits are in a state where we are feeling like our ways are not His ways, so we give those things the natrual man is endowed with to the Lord, thus offering a sacrifce to Him.
I love all of you, and I pray for you often
Elder Brad Fellows
Beware of the Groove!!
Hey everyone
So, the last couple of weeks have been kinda weird for me. For awhile, I was not feeling very comfortable because of all of the "different" situations I was in, and it kinda threw me off my "groove". I now know why the old man was so afraid to throw off the Emperor's groove...because no one likes being interrupted in their routine that they are used to.
But, with that being said, I learned a great deal about relying upon Heavenly Father to guide through these last couple of weeks. I have, many times, went to my own personal liahona and sought for direction as to where I should go and how can I accomplish what I have been commissioned to do. I know that many of you, if not all of you, know what I am talking about. None of us like to be taken out of our comfort zone; none of us enjoy the trials that come to us unexpectadly. But, I was reading today in the 2 Book of Nephi, where it speaks of our first parents, and the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy" brought me to contemplate on how the life we have here on earth should be one centered on the Lord Jesus Christ because we know that through His atonement, all mankind may have that "joy". So, that should be our quest everyday. Also, in 2 Nephi, it spoke about how, "there are things to act, and things to be acted upon" and that "men are free, according to the flesh" so that we may choose for ourselves to have joy in our lives or misery. Now, as we choose the first, we can enjoy all the blessings that our Father in Heaven has for us, but if we choose the second, we become more ensnared by the "angel that fell from heaven" and who became "miserable forever" and thus, becoming miserable like him.
So, moral of the thought: Choose to be happy today. Even when someone cuts you off while you are driving, or while you are waiting for someone to call you that you love, or while you are trying to find a job, or while you are overloaded at your current occupation. Remember to choose joy over misery when the Bishop asks you to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting when you are petrified of speaking in front of people, even when you cannot handle the pressures of having to go do home/visiting teaching.
Remember to choose joy.
...I am sorry if that sounded "preachy". I just read what I wrote and it sounded very very preachy. That's not what I'm trying to do.
Anyway, the work has been going well. We had dinner last night with an investigator family of 5, and we ate Puerto Rican rice and pork steaks...ohh it was so goood. And then, we watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, and it was really great! They have been reading he Book of Mormon daily, along with the New Testament from lds.org...so, they have the audio of the scriptures playing while they read along from the books! And they have read the entire Gospel Principles manual(by the way, if you want to give a non-member ANY kind of literature, First: The Book of Mormon Second: The Gospel Principles manual).
They have a lot of things they have to overcome, but they want to change and they want to be an eternal family.
Oh, and something cool I read today: So, in 2 Nephi 1: 10-12, Lehi is speaking to his sons Laman and Lemuel, and lets back up to verse 9 as well. In v. 9 , Lehi says that he has "obtained a promise" from the Lord that those that are brought out of the land of Jerusalem will, in essence dwell in the land and shall prosper in the land, IF THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS (ok, duh...that's the big theme in the Book of Mormon), but in the following verses, it states that if Laman and Lemuel's posterity are not righteous, OTHER PEOPLE will come, "and he(the Lord) will give them(other nations) power, and he will take away their possessions". So, this is a prophesy of "nations" coming over and taking over the people that inhabit the land A.K.A. the Lamanites.
Ok...so from these few verses...we have just proven the Book of Mormon true
I do not know what was taught in schools in the early 1800s (i do not have the textbooks at my disposal), but I do know the history of the United States at the time Joseph Smith was translating the gold plates. Andrew Jackson was president. The Louisiana Purchase had barely taken place, and not much of anything past the Rockies we owned. The Mexicans were fighting with Texas. The "Trail of Tears" would not be taking place until AFTER the saints were already in Missouri (1838). HOW COULD JOSEPH HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALL OF THIS BEING A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHESY WHEN MUCH OF IT STILL HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE? Now, Coronado, Cortez, and Columbus, and others had come over...but that was more Central America. Young Joseph, at 20 years-old, in Pennsylvania, probably did not know much of what was happening with all of these things. Anyway, just some food for thought.
I love all of you, and I pray for all of you constantly. I am so happy to be serving a mission, and I am excited to see all of you sooner rather than later.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, the last couple of weeks have been kinda weird for me. For awhile, I was not feeling very comfortable because of all of the "different" situations I was in, and it kinda threw me off my "groove". I now know why the old man was so afraid to throw off the Emperor's groove...because no one likes being interrupted in their routine that they are used to.
But, with that being said, I learned a great deal about relying upon Heavenly Father to guide through these last couple of weeks. I have, many times, went to my own personal liahona and sought for direction as to where I should go and how can I accomplish what I have been commissioned to do. I know that many of you, if not all of you, know what I am talking about. None of us like to be taken out of our comfort zone; none of us enjoy the trials that come to us unexpectadly. But, I was reading today in the 2 Book of Nephi, where it speaks of our first parents, and the scripture "Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have joy" brought me to contemplate on how the life we have here on earth should be one centered on the Lord Jesus Christ because we know that through His atonement, all mankind may have that "joy". So, that should be our quest everyday. Also, in 2 Nephi, it spoke about how, "there are things to act, and things to be acted upon" and that "men are free, according to the flesh" so that we may choose for ourselves to have joy in our lives or misery. Now, as we choose the first, we can enjoy all the blessings that our Father in Heaven has for us, but if we choose the second, we become more ensnared by the "angel that fell from heaven" and who became "miserable forever" and thus, becoming miserable like him.
So, moral of the thought: Choose to be happy today. Even when someone cuts you off while you are driving, or while you are waiting for someone to call you that you love, or while you are trying to find a job, or while you are overloaded at your current occupation. Remember to choose joy over misery when the Bishop asks you to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting when you are petrified of speaking in front of people, even when you cannot handle the pressures of having to go do home/visiting teaching.
Remember to choose joy.
...I am sorry if that sounded "preachy". I just read what I wrote and it sounded very very preachy. That's not what I'm trying to do.
Anyway, the work has been going well. We had dinner last night with an investigator family of 5, and we ate Puerto Rican rice and pork steaks...ohh it was so goood. And then, we watched Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, and it was really great! They have been reading he Book of Mormon daily, along with the New Testament from lds.org...so, they have the audio of the scriptures playing while they read along from the books! And they have read the entire Gospel Principles manual(by the way, if you want to give a non-member ANY kind of literature, First: The Book of Mormon Second: The Gospel Principles manual).
They have a lot of things they have to overcome, but they want to change and they want to be an eternal family.
Oh, and something cool I read today: So, in 2 Nephi 1: 10-12, Lehi is speaking to his sons Laman and Lemuel, and lets back up to verse 9 as well. In v. 9 , Lehi says that he has "obtained a promise" from the Lord that those that are brought out of the land of Jerusalem will, in essence dwell in the land and shall prosper in the land, IF THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS (ok, duh...that's the big theme in the Book of Mormon), but in the following verses, it states that if Laman and Lemuel's posterity are not righteous, OTHER PEOPLE will come, "and he(the Lord) will give them(other nations) power, and he will take away their possessions". So, this is a prophesy of "nations" coming over and taking over the people that inhabit the land A.K.A. the Lamanites.
Ok...so from these few verses...we have just proven the Book of Mormon true
I do not know what was taught in schools in the early 1800s (i do not have the textbooks at my disposal), but I do know the history of the United States at the time Joseph Smith was translating the gold plates. Andrew Jackson was president. The Louisiana Purchase had barely taken place, and not much of anything past the Rockies we owned. The Mexicans were fighting with Texas. The "Trail of Tears" would not be taking place until AFTER the saints were already in Missouri (1838). HOW COULD JOSEPH HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALL OF THIS BEING A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHESY WHEN MUCH OF IT STILL HAD NOT TAKEN PLACE? Now, Coronado, Cortez, and Columbus, and others had come over...but that was more Central America. Young Joseph, at 20 years-old, in Pennsylvania, probably did not know much of what was happening with all of these things. Anyway, just some food for thought.
I love all of you, and I pray for all of you constantly. I am so happy to be serving a mission, and I am excited to see all of you sooner rather than later.
Elder Brad Fellows
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
This one is out of order...should be reversed with the one below
Hey everyone,
So, we got word from the Assistants that there's this storm that about to blow through Missouri, I think, starting tonight, and it's suppose to go until Wednesday some time. It's gonna get pretty cold here, and I am kinda excited because usually when things like these storms happen...MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP!
So, the work is going great! We had a baptism of a 10 year-old girl a couple of weeks ago, and we are having 2 more people being baptized this coming Saturday. My companion and I are very excited for these two being baptized.
The first person's name is Ashley Gossett. She is a 9 year-old, and her mom is a less-active member of the church, but her dad is not a member. The family has been a big focus for the people in the ward, and they have been very excited for Ashley to be baptized.
The next person is a 37 year-old man named Chris Dwyer. He is AWESOME! He was previously an active Catholic member, but since he's been introduced to the restored gospel, he has been soaking it all in. For quite some time, he was attending Institute twice a week here in Springfield, and he has been STUDYING out of the standard works and the manuals for Institute for 2 HOURS EVERY DAY. He is very knowledgeable about the gospel, and he has a tremendous testimony of the truth of it all.
He is also ex-military, and so he also soaked up the structure of the organization of the church. He's great.
We are also teaching a family of 5, a couple and they have 3 little girls. They are so great. They have come to church a couple of time already and they have enjoyed both times. They also have been reading from the Book of Mormon, but they have almost finished the Gospel Principles Manual. We are actually going to be eating at their house next week.
Oh, and here's a thought for everyone. This is something I came across in my study, and I thought of all of the people in my life, and the things we go through in this mortal probation. Here it is from the Doctrine and Covenants, and this revelation came to the saints while the persecution was very severe in Missouri.
"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament--the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.
(D&C 98:1-3)
I hope all of you pull something from this. I love all of you and pray for you constantly.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, we got word from the Assistants that there's this storm that about to blow through Missouri, I think, starting tonight, and it's suppose to go until Wednesday some time. It's gonna get pretty cold here, and I am kinda excited because usually when things like these storms happen...MISSIONARY OPPORTUNITIES OPEN UP!
So, the work is going great! We had a baptism of a 10 year-old girl a couple of weeks ago, and we are having 2 more people being baptized this coming Saturday. My companion and I are very excited for these two being baptized.
The first person's name is Ashley Gossett. She is a 9 year-old, and her mom is a less-active member of the church, but her dad is not a member. The family has been a big focus for the people in the ward, and they have been very excited for Ashley to be baptized.
The next person is a 37 year-old man named Chris Dwyer. He is AWESOME! He was previously an active Catholic member, but since he's been introduced to the restored gospel, he has been soaking it all in. For quite some time, he was attending Institute twice a week here in Springfield, and he has been STUDYING out of the standard works and the manuals for Institute for 2 HOURS EVERY DAY. He is very knowledgeable about the gospel, and he has a tremendous testimony of the truth of it all.
He is also ex-military, and so he also soaked up the structure of the organization of the church. He's great.
We are also teaching a family of 5, a couple and they have 3 little girls. They are so great. They have come to church a couple of time already and they have enjoyed both times. They also have been reading from the Book of Mormon, but they have almost finished the Gospel Principles Manual. We are actually going to be eating at their house next week.
Oh, and here's a thought for everyone. This is something I came across in my study, and I thought of all of the people in my life, and the things we go through in this mortal probation. Here it is from the Doctrine and Covenants, and this revelation came to the saints while the persecution was very severe in Missouri.
"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament--the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name's glory, saith the Lord.
(D&C 98:1-3)
I hope all of you pull something from this. I love all of you and pray for you constantly.
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Stormin' Mormon Missionaries
Hey everyone,
So, the storm that hit us last week REALLY slowed down the work. We ended up just doing a lot of shovelling and pushing people's cars out of the snow. We haven't been able to get out and drive, so we were not able to see many of our investigators, but we hopefully will be able to see them soon and teach them.
The entire mission was affected by the snow, and here in Springfield, we acquired about 12-15 inches of snow plus about an inch or two of ice underneath it all. Fortunately, Springfield did not get hit the hardest. The thing about Springfield is that it is not equpped to handle such storms, but that's okay.
This week has been really weird for me. We got transfer calls Saturday night, and Elder Smith is going to St. Robert, and I am staying here and getting Elder Argyle. This entire zone is changing around, and now I will have been the person who has probably been here the longest. I am a little worried, but it'll be a wonderful growing experience for me. I have thought about all the things I have been through on my mission the last week, and I feel very good about the things that I have pushed through.
Lately I have been tired, but I'm doing my best to keep trucking! I feel so blessed for the enegy God has given me.
That's all I have for this week. Transfers are coming soon.
I love all of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, the storm that hit us last week REALLY slowed down the work. We ended up just doing a lot of shovelling and pushing people's cars out of the snow. We haven't been able to get out and drive, so we were not able to see many of our investigators, but we hopefully will be able to see them soon and teach them.
The entire mission was affected by the snow, and here in Springfield, we acquired about 12-15 inches of snow plus about an inch or two of ice underneath it all. Fortunately, Springfield did not get hit the hardest. The thing about Springfield is that it is not equpped to handle such storms, but that's okay.
This week has been really weird for me. We got transfer calls Saturday night, and Elder Smith is going to St. Robert, and I am staying here and getting Elder Argyle. This entire zone is changing around, and now I will have been the person who has probably been here the longest. I am a little worried, but it'll be a wonderful growing experience for me. I have thought about all the things I have been through on my mission the last week, and I feel very good about the things that I have pushed through.
Lately I have been tired, but I'm doing my best to keep trucking! I feel so blessed for the enegy God has given me.
That's all I have for this week. Transfers are coming soon.
I love all of you.
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, January 24, 2011
A Day In The Life
Hi everyone!
Well, someone in the family wanted to know what it is that I do from day-to-day, so here is the schedule:
Every morning, I wake up at 6:25am and we work out for about 40 minutes in the morning, and since there are four of us in the apartment, we alternate taking turns in the showers, but me and Elder Cinger, who is going home in a couple of weeks, just let the other two go first. Then from 8am to 9am, I have personal studies. Then from 9am to 10am, Elder Smith and I have companionship studies. Then, the rest I'll break it up into the days
Monday, we have preparation day. The first thing we do in the morning is we come to the church, and e go into the family history center and email. Then, we either play basketball, or we just skip that, and we go shopping. Sometimes, Elder Smith and Ihave to go do something for another missionary inthe zone, but that doesn't happen very often. Then, we go back home, and we clean the apartment, and we get ready to go to our dinner appointment. After 6pm, our preparation day ends, and we go out and teach people.
Tuesday, we have a normal day of finding, and teaching.
Wednesday, we have our district meeting, and we alternate going to the different districts, and we take time to instruct the missionaries on the focus that mission has. The rest of the day, we go finding and teaching, and we also have our Missionary Coordination Meeting with our Ward Mission Leader every wednesday night.
Thursday, we are either on exchanges with other missionaires, or it's just a normal day of teaching and finding new people.
Friday, we have our weekly planning session. In that, we spend a few hours to get ready for the week that follows, and then we go out and keep doing what we do best.
Saturday is also another day of finding and teaching, but sometimes we have baptisms on Saturdays.
Sunday, we have Sacrament Meeting at 11am and we get out at 2pm. Then, every night on Sunday, we call in the indicators for the entire zone to the assistants.
Then...we go again!
Thats my schedule, and every moment is a moment dedicated to the Lord.
I love all of you
Elder Brad Fellows
Well, someone in the family wanted to know what it is that I do from day-to-day, so here is the schedule:
Every morning, I wake up at 6:25am and we work out for about 40 minutes in the morning, and since there are four of us in the apartment, we alternate taking turns in the showers, but me and Elder Cinger, who is going home in a couple of weeks, just let the other two go first. Then from 8am to 9am, I have personal studies. Then from 9am to 10am, Elder Smith and I have companionship studies. Then, the rest I'll break it up into the days
Monday, we have preparation day. The first thing we do in the morning is we come to the church, and e go into the family history center and email. Then, we either play basketball, or we just skip that, and we go shopping. Sometimes, Elder Smith and Ihave to go do something for another missionary inthe zone, but that doesn't happen very often. Then, we go back home, and we clean the apartment, and we get ready to go to our dinner appointment. After 6pm, our preparation day ends, and we go out and teach people.
Tuesday, we have a normal day of finding, and teaching.
Wednesday, we have our district meeting, and we alternate going to the different districts, and we take time to instruct the missionaries on the focus that mission has. The rest of the day, we go finding and teaching, and we also have our Missionary Coordination Meeting with our Ward Mission Leader every wednesday night.
Thursday, we are either on exchanges with other missionaires, or it's just a normal day of teaching and finding new people.
Friday, we have our weekly planning session. In that, we spend a few hours to get ready for the week that follows, and then we go out and keep doing what we do best.
Saturday is also another day of finding and teaching, but sometimes we have baptisms on Saturdays.
Sunday, we have Sacrament Meeting at 11am and we get out at 2pm. Then, every night on Sunday, we call in the indicators for the entire zone to the assistants.
Then...we go again!
Thats my schedule, and every moment is a moment dedicated to the Lord.
I love all of you
Elder Brad Fellows
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Year of Change
Hey everyone,
So, as most of you know, I was transferred and was put in as a zone leader in Sprinfield, Missouri. I love the area that I am in, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve these people here; member, non-member, missionary alike.
My area is about a fifth of the size than Eldon, and I am right in the city. It is quite a bit different than the country. I feel I was kinda numbed to the experience of being in the northernmost part pf the mission I love being here, though. The ward I am in has been great. They do not seem as tightly knitted as did the branch, but that comes with the territory of it being a ward here with many more people in the building. My companion's name is Elder Michael Smith, and he's awesome. He's from Cedar Hills, Utah, and he has been out just one transfer longer than I have. We are both fairly new to being a zone leader, so we both feel like we will be doing a lot of growing here serving together. We get along great, and we teach very well in unity. The area, in the past, has seen a lot of success because experienced missionaries have been here for a long time, and so the ward really does trust us with the work. We are being fed very well, in fact, last night, someone made us home-made hot wings!!! They were so good and we had a great time.
The investigators we are currently teaching are wonderful, but I'll fill eveyone in on them in the next letter.
I do not have too much time to email as I once did, and I do my emailing at about 10:15AM every Monday, so that anyone who wishes to know can plan accordingly.
I am so happy that I am serving on a mission, and I have been rejuvenated to spread the gospel to every home, and I know the Lord will bless Elder Smith, myself, and the ward as we put our shoulder to wheel. I know there is a blessing predicated upon every law in Heaven, and I know in whom I trust.
I know this new year will bring a lot of change to our lives, and that's a good thing! Change is good...well, the right kind of change. I have made a couple of new year's resolutions, one of which is to read a chapter from the Book of Mormon every day so that I can finish way before the year is up, and if I finish that, I'll move onto the New Testament...and if I finish that, I'll move onto the Doctrine and Covenants.
I hope all of you have made at least one new year's resolution. BE RESOLUTE in your resolutions, and I hope that you keep me accountable for mine.
I love all of you, and I am praying always for your health and safety.
Elder Brad Fellows
So, as most of you know, I was transferred and was put in as a zone leader in Sprinfield, Missouri. I love the area that I am in, and I am grateful for the opportunity I have to serve these people here; member, non-member, missionary alike.
My area is about a fifth of the size than Eldon, and I am right in the city. It is quite a bit different than the country. I feel I was kinda numbed to the experience of being in the northernmost part pf the mission I love being here, though. The ward I am in has been great. They do not seem as tightly knitted as did the branch, but that comes with the territory of it being a ward here with many more people in the building. My companion's name is Elder Michael Smith, and he's awesome. He's from Cedar Hills, Utah, and he has been out just one transfer longer than I have. We are both fairly new to being a zone leader, so we both feel like we will be doing a lot of growing here serving together. We get along great, and we teach very well in unity. The area, in the past, has seen a lot of success because experienced missionaries have been here for a long time, and so the ward really does trust us with the work. We are being fed very well, in fact, last night, someone made us home-made hot wings!!! They were so good and we had a great time.
The investigators we are currently teaching are wonderful, but I'll fill eveyone in on them in the next letter.
I do not have too much time to email as I once did, and I do my emailing at about 10:15AM every Monday, so that anyone who wishes to know can plan accordingly.
I am so happy that I am serving on a mission, and I have been rejuvenated to spread the gospel to every home, and I know the Lord will bless Elder Smith, myself, and the ward as we put our shoulder to wheel. I know there is a blessing predicated upon every law in Heaven, and I know in whom I trust.
I know this new year will bring a lot of change to our lives, and that's a good thing! Change is good...well, the right kind of change. I have made a couple of new year's resolutions, one of which is to read a chapter from the Book of Mormon every day so that I can finish way before the year is up, and if I finish that, I'll move onto the New Testament...and if I finish that, I'll move onto the Doctrine and Covenants.
I hope all of you have made at least one new year's resolution. BE RESOLUTE in your resolutions, and I hope that you keep me accountable for mine.
I love all of you, and I am praying always for your health and safety.
Elder Brad Fellows
Transfers are here again!!
Hey everyone! My companion and I got transfer calls, and I'm leaving to go to Springfield, MO.
My address is:
1005 E. Division Apt. A
Springfield, MO 65803
I'm really excited to go Springfield. My companion's name is Elder Michael Smith. I also think that I will be in that area for awhile, but you never know with what the Lord wants. They are making me zone leader there. I was go glad to have the opprotunity to speak to all of you on Christmas, and I will be speaking to you again on Mother's Day. I've gotta get going. I'm being transferred a day earlier than usual, so I have to take care of a lot of things.
Sincerely,
Elder Brad Fellows
My address is:
1005 E. Division Apt. A
Springfield, MO 65803
I'm really excited to go Springfield. My companion's name is Elder Michael Smith. I also think that I will be in that area for awhile, but you never know with what the Lord wants. They are making me zone leader there. I was go glad to have the opprotunity to speak to all of you on Christmas, and I will be speaking to you again on Mother's Day. I've gotta get going. I'm being transferred a day earlier than usual, so I have to take care of a lot of things.
Sincerely,
Elder Brad Fellows
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