Dear Family and Friends,

We have received Annie's travel arrangements. She is in fact going to Rome. She will leave the Mesa mission on August 21 and fly to Chicago, There she will meet up with the group from the MTC, onto Frankfurt, then to Rome
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers on her behalf.
-Marybeth (Annie's mom)

Hello!

The investigators here are going well. I'm rediscovering that I'm not a very good teacher, because I have a hard time explaining things simply and being patient. So pray for me! Or give me tips! Ha, it's hard to teach simply and every time I try and teach to their needs, I find I go way over their head. Luckily, Heavenly Father knows I'm not perfect and I have a whole book (called "Preach My Gospel") to help me learn how to teach better. I'm working on it! I know that everyone is a child of God and deserves special care! I'm just trying to sincerely act like it, which takes (for me) time.

One investigator has been ready for baptism, but because of scheduling/family conflicts, is having the baptism in a couple weeks. In some ways, I feel like we're spinning our wheels because we've already taught him "everything he needs to know." But that's a new revelation about mission stuff: you never know everything about anything! We teach people across a whole spectrum: some have lots of faith in Jesus Christ and some have very little. So we work with everyone at their level (this is where the patience thing comes in) and help them strengthen their faith wherever they are at. Increasing faith in Jesus Christ is really a lifelong process... it's not something we just "get." Y'all know how I LOVE checking things off checklists and to-do lists, because I feel like I'm progressing. But that's not how faith works. The only real way I measure it is to look back in time and ask: "Where was I a year ago?" and compare myself then and now. When I do that, I can see a difference, sometimes for good, sometimes for bad.

I'm also starting to learn about mission exhaustion. Not that I'm sick or run down (I get eight hours of sleep a night and have a whole HOUR to make lunch, a huge improvement on my school schedule), but it's hard to be chipper and serving 24/7. I have found some things that help me:

-- deep breaths
-- singing Footloose songs (often with adapted lyrics to make them mission appropriate)
-- teaching/visiting with people. I can go into a lesson/visit dead tired, and after I come out, it's like I'm a slingshot of energy. As I focus on other people and their needs, I do feel re-energized. That's why I try and focus on always making appointments.
-- watching clips from "Special Witnesses of Christ," an old DVD from the LDS church, where prophets and apostles share their testimonies of Christ. It gives me Spirit!
-- eating Twizzlers

But I'm great. Yep. Send me mail and fruit snacks and I will recepricate!

I'd like to give a letter shoutout: Thanks to Hayley, Svenna, Matt and Peter for your epistles of love! Also, to whoever sent a package UPS, it's being rerouted, but I thank you for whatever is inside!

Love ya,
Sis Fuller