The one where is doesn't rain...because it snows!

Hi everyone this is Elder Fillmore emailing from OREGON! So crazy I'm here!

Wednesday, November 2nd! 

At 6:30AM we checked out of the MTC and headed to Provo Station to catch our train to the airport. Once there, my comp and just chilled while we waited for our flight to OR. We landed in Eugene, Oregon early afternoon and as expected it was pouring down rain and I was like oh boy haha here it all starts.

We made our way to grab our luggage and walked out of the airport and boom the sun was out so that was a tender mercy!  We were met by the APs Elder Yeager and Elder Hepworth, super cool guys. We got loaded up and on our way. We traveled to the mission offices in Eugene and when we arrived, we were greeted by President and Sister Weekes. It was so awesome to meet them F2F for the first time and they are super cool people. It will be hard to see them go when they finish their mission in July 2023.  

We then got going with a short welcome meeting for all 19 new missionaries to the OEM and that was so cool!  After a bit, everyone was introduced to their new companions, everyone except for me. I found out I wouldn't be meeting my comp until around 9pm. I still had a 4 hour's drive ahead of me to my first area, Klamath Falls (KF). I drove with Elder Hepworth and wow the drive was super awesome and the snow on the trees was crazy. Yeah, the trees here are enormous. After a loooong drive, we made it safely to KF and met my comp Elder Nelson, who is from Cedar City, UT. He has been out for 11 months, 7 here in KF! I am his 3rd trainee. He is definitely a stud and a solid trainer! Once I got all settled in, and unpacked, it was late and man I crashed right asleep as it was a long day of travel.

Thursday, Nov 3rd,

The first morning in KF, I woke up to about 3 inches of snow! After studying we went to work out at a members gym in his small garage. He had every piece of equipment you can think of lol. After a good workout, we got all ready and went food shopping because I didn't have any obviously. The MTC converted me to frosted flakes lol because I had that every day for just about 3 meals lol (sorry mom). I definitely got a box of those and more “real” food. Haha. It was a good first chill day as we went around meeting some other elders and just getting to know them and getting familiar with the area.

Friday, Nov 4th  

I had my first district council so that was fun to see all Elders together! And we had a lesson on what is true joy and how to have it in our personal study and our comp study. I got some super cool insights about that! Then we did some teaching/role play with the other elders on the Restoration for the new missionary training. 

After the council meeting, we had a service appointment at a member's house. There I met the Ralph’s, an older couple, so nice and just down-to-earth people and they were so funny holy crap we were dying of laughter trying to replace a sink and help install a new ceiling fan, and oh boy was it a challenge.

We kinda got the sink halfway done, but they needed to buy some parts to finish it. We will be going back next week to finish. Progress on the ceiling fan was slow and we only got the old one off, luckily we didn't come to the service project alone Elder Willoughby and Elder Nelson,  and yes there are two Elder Nelsons, haha, but they were the ones tackling the ceiling fan. More work is to be done next week. 

After the service, we had a dinner appointment and a visit with a member family. The Toms family took us out for Chinese food. It was actually super good as I got the chicken and fried rice! So that was fun and so nice of them to take us out to dinner!  Bonus as there were leftovers so we gotta take it home so that was nice!

Saturday, Nov 5th

Saturday was a busy, but also not planned day. We started off the day with a loose schedule and we started to make appointments for visits. That's when my comp remembered that Georgene was needing some help with her fence. Georgene runs a dog rescue shelter and she needed help putting up a new fence for her dogs so they wouldn't fight. So after using the post pounder to pound T post in for like 4 hours we got it all set up and looking nice or as nice as we could get it! Her dogs were barking the whole time so all of our ears were ringing in bed that night. Super glad that we had help again from Willoughby and Nelson.

Once we got done with that fence, we hurried home as well as we could because of the Tiwi (the computer in the car that doesn't let us speeeddd) haha. We hurried because we had our first teaching visit with  Shannon, Shannon struggles with chewing tobacco and the missionaries have taught him everything twice about the church so now they are just helping him along with trying to kick that habit, luckily with it being winter here, he's not able to work on the farm and always had that habit of taking it so that's good he's not on the farm anymore. We shared a video with him from the 12-step addiction program and I shared with him a scripture Alma 35:15. Overall it was a good lesson and we just needed to check up on him! We also invited him to church so we will see if he attends!!


Sunday, Nov 6th 

My first Sunday in the field, and it was a great Fast Sunday. We went to the Keno Branch, which is about 45 minutes away. The branch had only 21 people attending so that was definitely a shock to me haha especially with being used to a big ward back home haha. I shared my testimony whcih wasn't that hard as there wasn't as much pressure with 21 people looking at you lol but it was super awesome to introduce myself to everyone personally! 

Definitely an older branch but they are so nice and so sweet! And guess who ended up coming to church Shannon did! Super glad he was able to remember to come to church! Definitely made my day! Next Sunday, we will attend the Yonna Valley Branch. 

So that was my first week. WOW. A lot of great work ahead and we are starting Facebook finding and messaging this next week. Also prepping for the Light the World activities coming up in December. Man, I love my comp and my area. So much of it reminds me of home and central Utah. Even though we live in Klamath Falls, our assigned area is south of KF and it is huge. It takes us about 2 hours of travel. Grateful that we don’t have a mileage limit on our car. We are only 17 miles from the California border haha. 

Love you all. 


Travel day! Elder Israelson and me chillin' before our flight

Grateful for the two names I bare each day. 
ps. this is my Grandpa Fillmore's name tag when 
he and grandma served in Australia a few years ago. 

Meeting President and Sister Weekes

The drive through the mountains to my first area, Klamath Falls, OR

Almost there, beautiful sunset

My first morning in KF and the first snowfall.
 It melted by end of the day. 

My companion Elder Nelson (green coat), Elder Willoughby, Me, 
and the other Elder Nelson doing service at the dog rescue. 

Me with one of Georgene's pups

Quality fence job, right!

Having dinner with the Tom's

Me and Elder Willoughby working so hard obv 
while Elder Nelson works on the ceiling fan

My comp and I working on replacing the Ralph's bathroom sink. 

Our area Keno, OR (west) to Yonna Valley, OR (east) down to California. Let's GO!!






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