6 month mark...

June 29, 2015

Oh my, I hate writing that! I don´t even want to think about how short time is here. There is so much work to do and I feel like I have been waiting forever for this opportunity to serve and it's going by WAY TOO FAST!!!

6 months...

Well I guess time really flies in the mission. I feel like yesterday I was in the CCM studying Spanish and trying to be spiritual and enjoy the spiritual high that you feel in the CCM. Now that I have been out 6 months I really feel like the mission is a short time. I can´t believe how short it is! 18 months to give everything I have to the Lord. Really it shouldn't be that hard. 

This week was a hard one. My last transfer I was companions with my Latin twin. I felt like I knew the sector and the people and I was so comfortable and confident with myself. And then transfers came and I ended up in the city with a Chilean and learned that I once again don´t know Spanish and that Heavenly Father doesn't want you to be comfortable: He wants you to learn and grow.

So that is what I am doing now. And yeah it isn't easy, but it isn't hard either. I have witnessed many miracles here in the mission. We call them our daily tender mercies. They aren't really big things like baptism and investigators. They are the little things and the smiles that you see on faces when you teach them about the power of God in their lives and how much more they can do and who they can become with His help.

I am so grateful that I have the support of so many family members and friends. There are a few missionaries that don´t get anything from their families. If you get the chance I want you to send a letter to every missionary that you know. I know it may not be that important and they may not write back, but they will feel of your love and support and that they have someone who cares. 

Yeah so that was my soapbox speech. On to greater things. 

It has been fun to get to know some of the members and talk with them. I am jealous of all the people that are converts to the church! They have such cool stories and experiences with the missionaries. They always make fun of me because I am from the "fabrica" (factory) and that I am a manufactured missionary. Well that is when I try to tell them that I too had to pray to know this church was true.

 

We work a lot with less actives. There are about 400 members in the list of el rescate. But guess how many on average are coming to church...only 100 and that is on good days. We work a lot with the families and we are trying to find incomplete families to teach. I feel like that is how we will find. It is difficult to knock doors because everyone thinks we are Jehovah Witnesses. And the members aren't really giving us references...so its really up to us in our contacts (20 or more each day) and using the list of futures that we have. THERE IS SO MUCH WORK!!! I love it!!! My companion not so much, but we are going to work extra extra hard to find the Chosen Ones!!!

Once again I am so grateful for the best family in the world. I am so jealous that you guys got to do Trek!!! You will have to write down all your memories so I can read them when I come home. I remember trek and how much that helped build my testimony of this gospel and the sacrifices we make as members. Maybe we don´t walk 1,300 miles, but we do have to make meaningful sacrifices. I was reading about sacrifices (see blue below) en la guía de las escrituras y encontré este cita: "José Smith enseñó que “una religión que no requiere el sacrificio de todas las cosas, nunca tiene el poder suficiente con el cual producir la fe necesaria para llevarnos a vida y salvación”. Viéndolo desde una perspectiva eterna, las bendiciones que se obtienen por medio del sacrificio son mucho más grandes que cualquier cosa a la que se renuncie." Haha use google translate!! (in the guidance of the scriptures and I found this quote: " Joseph Smith taught that" a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation " In the eternal perspective, the blessings obtained by sacrifice are greater than anything that is given up." (I used google and LDS.org)

I love you guys so much!!!

Peace out from Talcahuano!

Hermana Poulson

Independencia

June 22, 2015

DAD!! HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!!! And Happy Fathers Day!!! I am sorry it just totally slipped my mind last week. Just know I love you and I thought about you a lot! I wish they let us call on Dia de mi Papì...pero bueno. Sabemos que las mamas son mas importante;)

Okay so the name of my sector is Independencia. Yeah that's pretty much the coolest! I am here in Talcahuano and Yes I did feel that earthquake right as I went to sleep on Thursday. I said to my companion (because we have a bunk bed) "Hermana Bucarei why are you moving the bed". "that´s not me that's an earthquake!" Yeah so finally I have a cool experience with an earthquake!!!! The weeks in the mission are flying bye faster than I ever imagined....I can´t believe that at the end of this month I will complete 6 months in the mission...crazy how fast time flies.

Oh and so here is a little about my sector....

I am in a barrio...it is HUGE and there are tons of members that care a lot about us. One day we went without lunch (we made it in the casa) and half the ward freaked out and offered to make us lunch. The members here really really love the missionaries so you have nothing to worry about.

It's always hard to make changes and move on. I got really homesick this week, but not for Layton...for Bulnes. I hope I have the same love for the people here, it will just take some time. I love the area and my companion. Its just really different and I am learning that you have every companion for a reason. 

Wanna hear the good news of the week!?!?! POR FIN they are starting the temple in Concepcion!!!! October 17th President Uchtdorf will come and do the groundbreaking! Then within 3 or 4 years they will have a temple and I have all the intentions of coming to the open house! I am so so so so so so so so so excited!!! These people here have been praying for their temple and POR FIN VA A LLEGAR!!!!

Hermana Bucarei and her old comp had like 3 people ready for baptism...and all of them are like dying. Franco is 14 (he comes from a familia menos activo, but he has the desires still, just that church is boring...). Coni is 14 (her mom is a member but wont let her be baptized). and Fabiola is a single mom with 2 kids. She is awesome it is just hard to get her to come to church because her baby is like 2 months old...Honestly I am praying like crazy. For some reason it is really really hard to find people. We work a lot with less actives and part member families. I think that is where there is the most hope here. There are tons of less actives...like the ward list is 400 people and the attendance is about 110....

Here is something I learned this week. I don´t know if you remember my first girls camp. Mom and Dad gave a FHE about Temporary Happiness and Eternal Joy. I really honestly have always remembered that. I don´t know what exactly happened, but I just remember that we talked about eternal happiness. I have thought about that a lot. Yeah sometimes the church stuff is boring. yeah there are so many "rules". But just think about the eternal joy that comes from living the commandments.

One member gave me a huge lecture on why she wasn't living the law of chastity. She said that she was happier living how she is and that I was bad for telling her to repent and get married. All I asked was if she really loved her partner and if she only wanted to live with him here on the earth. She said that I was calling her to repentance. That I was judging her. I wanted to cry. Not because she hurt my feelings...but because she is so content with living with her sin. Satan has great hold of her heart. I was reading in the book of Helaman. This is like right before Christ. No matter how hard they tried to preach the gospel Satan always had hold of their hearts. They were content with their sins.

MY challenge to you is to not be content with your sins. Repentance is not a punishment. It is a gateway to Eternal Joy! Sorry for getting preachy hahaha.

Love you lots!!

Hermana Poulson

TRASLADOS....

June 15, 2015

I am going to a new sector!!! Chao to my little home of Bulnes....You all know me and you know that I have been crying literally all morning since 7:30 when we received the news of cambios. I have been calling the members that I want to visit and it has been so stinking hard...I will miss my family here. I called Manuel and I just started bawling!!!! I know he couldn't understand a word I said but I hope he knows how blessed I am to know him. We made him a photo (which cost 2 dollars to print) and made a cute thing so he could remember us! Oh how hard it is to say goodbye. 

Seriuosly Hermana Gonzalez and I have had the GREATEST time of our lives here this cambio! I have found a sister in zion! She is my latin twin! and although we haven´t had the success we think both wanted, we have both learned so much! I have never laughed or smiled as much as I have this past cambio! We gained the confidence.... of the President, of the President of Elders Quorum and also of many of the members! Presidente Baeza said this to the other hermanas: "Yeah I will try to do visits with you guys but if Hermana Poulson and Gonzalez need me I am going with them!" Seriously, I HAVE THE CONFIDENCE OF SOMEONE!!!! He started crying today when i called them and said I was leaving....oh how i will miss my family here in bulnes....

Here is the story of my week! after freezing in the bus for 4 hours (we got stuck in the mountains) I think I had hypothermia for the next couple days! But a miracle of the mission is that I didn't get sick! YAY!!!

 

There are stories in the mission that change you. And this is one of my stories. So we found an investigator last Friday and we taught her the Plan of Salvation. She had so many questions and really had a desire to learn. This past week we had Lesson 1 with her (the restoration) and we even brought the chosen member!! She was committed to coming to church. The next day we talked about the Book of Mormon and how it answers our questions. She has SO MANY questions!!! And then came Saturday...we were having a Noche de Hogar for Hermana Lino. and we got a text...."hola niñas! i tried calling you but your phone was off" (that's a lie) "I want to tell you that I found my faith this week. And it isn´t with you guys...I am sorry but I think its better if you don´t come visit me anymore...chao.." Yeah that is pretty much a break up text. 

We think she was reading a lot online about Mormons...which is sad because that isn't how this works. How can you pray about something and not get an answer that its true?! Maybe I am not the missionary that will baptize her...but I know that there is someone waiting for me! I will bring the World HIS TRUTH!!

That is all....I love you guys so much and I can´t wait to read your emails next week!! Chao!!

Oh P.S. I will be in Talcahuano Norte.

Chao!!!

Moroni 8:3!!!

Hermana Poulson

Welcome to the Winter Wonderland!!

June 8, 2015

Well now I can say bienvenidos a invierno...its super freezing here and I am wet! haha but i love it!

We had a couple days of rain which is really good! Chile is kinda in a drought...but not like Utah! I like the rain because it isn't as freezing. We wake up to fog everyday. It super gorgeous and the sunsets at night are unbelievable! Chile is BEAUTIFUL!!!!! 

Today for p day we went to the mountains again! I have like 100 more fotos! and this time with snow!!!! I don´t wanna sound trunky (like homesick) but it reminded me sooo much of my home! We had a snowball fight with 3 zones of Chillan. (like 40 missionaries). I was soaked past understanding, but I had so much fun! all my Latinas have never seen snow so it was a wonderful experience! I LOVE WINTER!!! but now I think I need a hot chocolate or something;)

This week I had a mini cambio with Hna Lorea. She is my hna lider from Argentina and I realized that I know way more Spanish than i thought! I am actually learning something here!!! YAY!!!! In all the zones of Chillan (Viejo, Chillan and Ñuble) there are only 3 gringas....I am learning so much Spanish! But it's hard because every Latina is from a different country and they all have their own accents! Hermana Lino is dying this week. And cambios are next week so I will probably have more to say then...just know that I am doing well here, even if I don´t have investigators or baptims!

Here is a summary of my week! We knocked doors everyday and had Noches de Hogares con los miembros aqui! Nothing too exciting, but guess what, we had a miracle AGAIN!!!! We were knocking doors like normal...all the people here have fences and you don´t really knock doors, instead you shout "Hola" or "halo" and if the people are nice they let you in, if not they politely (or not so politely) tell you that they have their religion and they don´t need another. But here is the miracle: we said "okay lets knock this door!" and we did and someone answered and invited us in! We taught her about the plan of salvation, which is my favorite thing besides the atonement, baptism and the Book of Mormon;) She had sooo many questions and we are visiting with her again today! I love it!!!

Oh and I can´t forget this: one of our investigators houses is haunted! and I am not joking...It is really haunted! the 12 year old girl had nightmares and something ripped out her hair in the night and it wasn't her...so yeah we aren't visiting them because I don´t wanna be haunted for the rest of my mission!

I am in love with my mission! I can´t even explain how much I love it! The time goes by sooo fast and I feel like before I know it I will be 6 months...a year...and home!! Freak I don´t want that to happen!

I love you guys and all, but here I only have 18 months to preach the gospel and get to know the people here (and if I am lucky, I will be friends with them in the future) but with you I got all ETERNITY!!! I love you so so so so so so much! stay warm for me okay!??

Love, 

la Hermana Poulson 

Moroni 8:3 Recuerden siempre!!!

Oh and Copa America starts next week...and I can´t watch futbol..I'm gonna die!!!

Correction! I get to watch Futbol!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Knock Knock, Whose There?

June 1, 2015

Tracting....

Oh my so the title of my email pretty much describes my week! Literally we spent about 3 hours every day knocking doors! There isn't much to say about that other that I have the sound of "Tengo mi religion..." "No" and "Pasan en una otra vuelta..." 

Haha I have heard some pretty crazy things this week though. One of the people wanted me to visit so he could look at my eyes (we call these people snakes) and another told me that I had perfect white skin....and It was a woman... One of the houses had this crazy guy that told us "I don´t have a name...." when we asked if we could pass by another day when he remembered his name he told us "Yeah come back in the year 2018. I will be ready then" 

There are really funny people that we have been contacting...I feel like all the crazies come to me! We found someone that wants to learn more about the church but she believes HEAVILY in reincarnation....and can´t understand the Plan of Salvation. We found someone that is a real witch and makes potions out of herbs and dirt and natural things. She said she could give us a juice that would make us better teachers...

My companion and I are trying to look for the ways to smile and laugh. Its hard to always be happy when you are trying so hard and no one listens. But honestly the more you try to be happy the easier it is to be happy. 

Okay that is enough about tracting...now to my life lessons of the mission:

FOLLOW THE SPIRIT!!!! I hate to admit it but this week I didn't listen to the spirit. It is so sad. This week in our plans we supposed to visit Pueblo Seco (that little town that I take a bus to travel to every week) and I didn´t have enough plata to make the trip and I just really didn't have the desire to spend 2 hours in a little town and with Hermano J. Ed.... So when the bus came for PS I told my comp that we could do more work here and visit some menos activos instead...and something deep inside me told me that was wrong. But I let the Natural Man win and man it was the worst decision ever. As soon as the bus was too far to run our phone rang. It was Hermano J. Ed "Hermanitas don´t come. My friend (who was going to be his Fiance) died. I can´t do this" and hung up. We ran but couldn't catch the bus. We called Presidente Baeza. He drove us to PS and we taught J. Ed about the plan of salvation and about temple work. (She was taking missionary discussions but got sick with cancer of the pancreas)

Moral of the story: FOLLOW THE SPIRIT!!!!

Other story is the power of TESTIMONIES. In my contacts and knocking doors we only have about 2 minutes, if that, to share the gospel with them. We started bearing our testimonies more and I really think that helped. The people really don´t want to listen and i think sometimes they want to kill me;) But If I can give them the chance to listen to my message and feel the spirit, who knows, it may change their life. I only have about 2 minutes to talk to these people and the most important thing I can do is share my testimony. I can invite the spirit into their lives and touch their hearts. We have tried to talk about their lives and how Jesus Christ is a part of their lives. There really is a power to a testimony. I think of the story of Ammon and how he shared his beliefs with the Father of King Lamoni. He didn't teach the lessons or invite him to be baptized. But his testimony wrought a change in his heart and when Aaron went to teach the king, he was able to teach because the king was more receptive. 

I feel like that is how I am as a missionary. I may not be the best missionary and baptize the world, but I am planting the seeds and maybe in the future some missionary can teach the people that we have contacted. 

I won´t lie, the mission isn't easy, but I can say that this is the best thing I have ever done with my life. I am so focused on everyone else and I have learned so much more about the gospel. Really this is the only time of my life that I have to give 100% to the Lord. And I am not going to give that up for anything! I love my Savior and this is how I can demonstrate my appreciation and love for him. I know it isn't much, but I don´t want  a day to go by that I don´t give my all to Him. 

I love you so much and I am so grateful that I have family and Friends strong in the gospel. You guys are the greatest blessing of my life! 

Chao!!!!!

Hermana Poulson