WELCOME HOME ELDER FELLER!

Daniel vs The Last Email

Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 10:45:49 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

This week was crazy!

AJ was baptized, which was definitely the highlight of the week. He asked me to baptize him. It was cool. A lot of his family came in to town and they seemed to be really touched. After we got out of the water he said to me, "thats it!?" with this really excited look of his face. I talked to him while we were changing about how simple it is, but how important it was. He agreed. He told me that before it happened he was nervous, but now he just felt so calm. Then the talk on the Holy Ghost was good, and then Bishop did the welcome to the ward, and he talked about how simple baptism was. It was perfect! I had even said a silent prayer before that Bishop would say something about it. Elder Schick confirmed him the next day. Then I said goodbye after church.

We also taught Alex again this week. We talked to him about everything, and with his parents about everything. It has been so long since he has had a strong spiritual experiance that he's kind of faded away. He still wants to be baptized, but he doesnt have that fire, so his mom keeps asking him if he's sure, and that makes him doubt more. Its a bad cycle. So we talked about what he needs to do, and what his mom needs to do. So hopefully things will be good. I'm sad we couldnt get him baaptized before I left, but it will be ok. He will do good. I know he'll be baptized eventually.

This last week had just flown by. I dont even know what to say. But since this is my last email, I'm going to conclude with my testimony. At district meeting I bore my testimony too. I totally cried in front of everyone. I really have loved my mission. Every minute! It has blessed my life so much. I have learned so much, and grown so much. Now I know why the prophets say that every young man should serve a mission. And I say the same thing. How could you not? How could you miss out on the opportunity to learn by the hand of the Lord every day for two years!? I'm going to miss it so much. I know the work that we are doing is true. I know that God needs our help in getting his children back to him. I know that God has once again reached out in love and restored his church to the earth. The restoration is the most important and valuable thing we can ever know about. I'm so greateful for how much my relationship with God and my testimony has grown. I want to end with what was shared with my almost a year ago, and has stuck with me ever since then. A quote in the Pearl of Great Price from Olver Cowdrey at the very end of Joseph Smith History: "Oliver Cowdery describes these events thus: 'These were days never to be forgotten—to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude of this bosom! Day after day I continued..." Olver is talking about translating the Book of Mormon. But this is how I feel about my mission.

See you tomorrow!

Love,

Elder Feller

AJ's Baptism

The Last San Tan Zone

Water

My Desk

See you tomorrow!

Daniel vs 1 week

Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2012 10:33:37 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

This week was awesome! Lance's baptism went really well. His family even came in to town from Kingman (like 4 hours from Gilbert). He's doing great. He was baptized and confirmed by Lexi's dad, (Lexi is his girlfriend). On sunday at church, the elders quorum president asked him to share about his experiance, and he told everyone his story, and about how he heard the week before has a lot of challenges, and that he was ready, but then things started happening and he almost backed out Thursday night, but then he read and prayed, and felt good, and so he went with it. This was news to us. It was kinda scary, because we would have liked to have known about things like that, but it was more good to see, because Lance handled his own issues. Because of that, I dont worry about him as much. I didnt get a picture with him, but my companion did, so I'll send that later. But I do have a picture of him with Lexi bellow.

 

We also taught AJ again this week. He is doing amazing as well! We had a lesson with him and his sister this week, and he did most of the teaching and testifying. He told her what was up! And all about how he knew this was true, and he wants her to know about it. She's a lot less interested. She's stuck on her hippie beliefs about God. But thats ok. It was really good for AJ to teach her like that. Then on sunday, he bore his testimony in church! He got up as one of the first people, and shared his testimony, talked about how he was listening to this podcast about good business, and the guy said everyone needs a "Mission statement" for their business, or life, and if you dont have one you suck (paraphrase) and so he sat down and tried to come up with one, and he couldnt. Then later he was reading the Book of Mormon, and he decided that he didnt need a mission statement, he already had one. And he held up the Book of Mormon we gave him and said "This is my mission statement!" It was profound from anyone, especially an investigator! Church on sunday was all about Lance and AJ. Everyone was all excited about them. 

 

Monday we taught a new investigator named Robin at our bishops house, in one of the family wards. It was a good lesson, we meet with her again tonight. Nothing much else too exciting happened this week. But it was a really good week.

Next week is my last week! 

 

8 Days.

 

Love,

Elder Feller

 

Untitled 07/30/2012

Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:59:01 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

This week was kinda crazy. Lots of good and bad.

Monday I went to the departing dinner at the mission home with all the people I came out with going home. Because its just going to be 4 of us going home on the 14th, they let us come to this dinner. It was weird... I was there, and everyone else was headed home, and I just went back to my area the next day for district meeting. We ate dinner, and half way through I just started feeling nervous... Then afterwards we watched the slide show with everyone's pictures. Then we did departing testimonies. I was the very last one, and no one really cried a lot, but because I was last and it just kept building, when I got up there, I lost it. It was kind of embarrassing, but it was all good. haha. I was choking up the whole time, and when I sat down I started crying a more. It was tough. Then that night we all spent the night  at the AP's house. I went on a tour of ASU campus with Elder Gibby on our way back to their house. The next morning I got up with them, and went to the office, and they all got in the action-van to go to the airport, and I sat in the mission home with Elder Lindquist and talked with President until our ride came... It was weird. But I get to do it again in two weeks.

Tuesday I was wiped out all day. As soon as I got back to my area we went to Circle K to get some Mountain Dew so I could stay awake for District Meeting. Then we watched 17 Miracles because it was Pioneer day. It was good.  That night I taught Gibson again. He tried to drop me! (I was on splits with our WML, Matt Parisek) I wasn't having it. So we tried to get him back, and we did a pretty good job. Its all up to him now. We talked about how he was going to come to know God. He is really against it. That makes it tough. So we'll see how things go in the future with him. 

The rest of the week is so hard to remember!  Wednesday we snuck into transfer meeting even though we're not getting transferred. I was supposed to have a temple recommend interview, so they let us come. It was my last one! It was a good time though. Our zone kind of got rocked again. Two areas whitewashed... but one of them was for a good reason. Our problem DL and Elder Parrott are gone. Which is sad. But they're both doing well now. We got Elder Krueger back in his old area! He's a new senior comp! and his companion is kind of struggling. But he'll do a good job. Its weird that he's back, but whatever. Its cool. 

Thursday was ZLC again. It was actually a good meeting. We talked about a lot of good stuff. Including the "new P-day policies" they're making. There was a pretty big discussion about it, and no one really got anywhere, so they asked us to fax in the next day what our version of the pday policy would be. So Elder Schick and I photocopied the white handbook and faxed it in. I hope they get the message. Its funny, because there's always big dumb discussions (I wont say arguments) in that meeting, and people are always just trying to sound a little bit better. But Elder Schick and I just sit there and when they're talking we turn to the answer in PMG. Its not hard, people just need to do what they're supposed to.

Alex also fell off date again this week! His mom left us a message saying he wasn't ready, and wasn't committed enough. I think she's trying to avoid us a little bit because she didn't get back to us. We're still trying!

Saturday was a rough day but it ended well. It was awkward all day because everyone was busy doing their own thing and no one really wanted to talk to us. But that evening we taught a new guy. His name is Hunter, and he plays football for ASU. He visits the Penrod family every weekend because he has no other friends from Arizona. He just graduated from High School, and he's from the Bay Area somewhere. He's awesome. We watched the Joseph Smith movie, and he seemed pretty touched. They told us after we left he started reading the Book of Mormon right away. Which is awesome. He's going to football camp for the next few weeks, so I wont teach him again before I go.

Sunday we taught Lance again. He is doing so good! We're getting ready for his baptism this week. His girlfriend's mom called the Bishop kind of freaking out, and so he talked to us about making everything perfect. I guess she's just "like that" which isn't a problem. But its funny. Bishop said he even pulled the "Zone Leaders" card to get her off his back. We went over to talk to the mom to calm her fears about the baptism a little bit. It worked.  But the mom told us that Lance said, "Even if we break up, I'm still getting baptized." So that's always good to hear. He's awesome, and fits in the ward really well. Everything is good. AJ is still looking good for the 11th too. He even brought his little sister to church this week, and were meeting with her next week. 

Love,

Daniel

Elder Jackson and I 

The Temple 

San Tan Zone 

Schick and I messing around in the car

Daniel vs 2 Years

Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:48:25 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net

I hit two years last Saturday!! Its crazy. I'm supposed to be flying home tomorrow, but I'm not! Its kind of a weird feeling. I have my departing dinner tonight with all the guys I came out with. Then they leave and I stay.

This week was crazy. We had a ton of lessons so it was really good.

On Monday we taught a new guy. His name is Gibson, he's from New Jersey but his family came from Haiti, but he works at a prison here. He came to the singles ward with a girl. It was a tough lesson because he told us he didn't believe in God... So we tried our best. We're meeting with him again soon.

Tuesday we taught Alex again. We finally pinned him down to a baptism date! August 11th. And I told his mom I was going home after that to guilt her into keeping it on that day... Was that bad? I thought it worked really well...

Wednesday we taught AJ in the morning. He is seriously doing amazing. I cant even believe it. We talked about the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel, and he just gets it! He's super excited about being baptized on the 11th. We talked alot about repentance, and then we could tell he was thinking, and then he told us, "I think I've started my repentance process without knowing it." And we were blown away. The next day we went to the visitors center with him in the morning as well. He was pretty touched by it. It was good for him to visualize everything that happened.

Wednesday night we also taught Mason, the guy who was excommunicated. The lesson went really well. We tried teaching one thing and then ended up teaching another... We just talked a lot about the Atonement. Then we gave him a blessing after. It was a super spiritual lesson.

Thursday we had another incident with that same district leader I talked about before. He was accusing his companion of not having a testimony that Joesph Smith was a prophet, because he was writing in his journal at 10:30 at night, when he was supposed to be sleeping. Its ridiculous, I know. This guy is a tool. That's the only way to describe him. We went over at 8:30 in the morning, and ... corrected him... Sharply. I had had it. I was done dealing with him. So I just let him know exactly how I felt about everything he's done. It was not nice.

On Sunday, we taught Lance again. He's doing great. Still on track for the 4th. We taught him all the commandments, and he's all good. We settled some things about the baptism as well. I guess his girl friends mom was freaking out because she wanted the program to be perfect, and I guess she thinks we've never done this before or something. haha. That's ok. We'll try extra hard. 

That was all the highlights from the week! 

Love,

Elder Feller

Daniel's Mission Address

For those who would like to write to Elder Feller please do so now!!!


He will be returning home August 14th so do not send anything past the 7th.  His address is:

Elder Eric Daniel Feller
Arizona Tempe Mission
1871 E. Del Rio Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85282-2882

Email:eric.feller@myldsmail.net

We are so proud of all the wonderful work he has done in Arizona and can't wait for him to return home!!!

We love you Daniel!!!

Daniel vs Week 6

Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:49:30 -0700
From: eric.feller@myldsmail.net


Today is the start of Week 6 of what would be the last transfer of my mission.

According to my D&C countdown I only have 29 Days left.

Woah.

This week was great.

We taught AJ again, and had a really powerful lesson on the Plan of Salvation. We also checked all the commandments off, so he knew what was coming. And then we extended the date of August 11th, and after a moment, he accepted. He said, "lets do it." And then looked at his phone and said, "That's when my mom will be in town." And Elder Schick and I were stoked. He's doing great. I don't know how it all happened, but he just attached himself to the church after the first time he came. He drives in from Ahwatukee for every lesson, and for church. On Sunday, he just fit right in. He makes comments and everything. In priesthood meeting, he told everyone how to use the Gospel Library App, and in Sunday school, he thanked everyone for baring their testimony a few weeks ago, and said it really helped him. We're going to double up on lessons from now on until he's baptized, because he asked to so he could be ready.

On Wednesday we taught a guy who has been excommunicated, and wants to get back into the church, who's name is Mason. I was on exchanges with and Elder who has been out 7 months. He's a stud. He gives me hope for the future. Haha. The lesson was really good. We didn't know what to expect, but we just talked about our relationship with God. He has been praying, and we committed him to keep doing that and read the scriptures. It was a really good lesson.

On Sunday, we also taught Lance again. He started the lesson by putting himself on date. We had set august 11th before. But he told us he for sure wanted to be baptized and asked if he could move his date to the 18th because something was going on on the 11th. I was so excited I didn't even care that that was after I left. I've taught a lot of girl's boyfriends, but no one as awesome as Lance. And this lesson went really good because his girlfriend didn't make it again. Not that she's bad at all, she's great. But he's a lot more open without her. He fasted on fast Sunday to feel the spirit, and told us that he really did. He said, "I felt something I've never felt before." Later on at church he asked me if I was leaving in August. I told him I was, and then he said he might move the date up to the 4th so I could be there. That would be awesome! I'm hopeful, but its all up to him.

The ward has asked us to start meeting with these two semi-less-active teenage girls. We had a really good lesson with them on Sunday night. They know the church, but just never stuck to it. The lesson went good. We talked about our relation ship with God, the atonement, and the Restoration, and why it all mattered. It was a powerful lesson.

love,

Elder Feller