Wise words? from a Sister missionary in Chile

October 26, 2015

I have been thinking a lot about what I can send to you guys. I am not the smartest missionary and I am definitely not the best example, but I guess I have had some pretty cool experiences here in Chile, and messages to share. (wise words will be in upper case at the end of each experience)

 

Ha sido una semana de locos aquí en Hualqui. (It has been a week of crazy here in Hualqui.)We have been working hard with our investigators, Roberto, Cristel, Camila, Zaida, and we have been trying to find someone new. Actually we have really been focusing on that. We need to find new people. We have been fasting to find people to teach and going through all our options. I have never really prayed so hard in my life. And for the first time in a LONG time, I am praying more for other people than for myself. Saturday and Sunday we fasted to find someone, and it was miraculous! We found someone that night!!! Its hard to know if he will actually progress, but WITH FAITH IN HEAVENLY FATHER, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!

We had a crazy week with one of the Converts. She has been making cualquier excusa para que no vayamos a su casa (any excuse for us not to come to her house)...it kinda stunk right. So then we just tell her that we really don´t care and that we will have a lesson outside in the rain. She finally let us in and told us that she wants nothing to do with the church. She is only a convert for 3 months and has started going to another church. It kinda broke my heart. We tried talking about what conversion means and why we make covenants with God (and not with the missionaries or with the Bishop). She just kept saying "No puedo mentir Hermanas. No puedo mentir. No me siento bien en la iglesia." ("I cannot lie Sisters. I cannot lie. I do not feel good in the church.") I just wanted to cry. We have been visiting her for the past 6 weeks like every other day. She doesn't know how to read or write, which may also be why so was never really converted. I just pray that I can help her. WE NEED TO READ AND PRAY DAILY TO BE VERDADERAMENTE CONVERTIDO AL SEÑOR. TRULY CONVERTED TO THE LORD.

We have really focused on making goals and keeping them. I have not always been the best at making goals. Especially before the mission. But here we make them like everyday and even several times throughout the day. I have learned so much. Especially that when you make a goal you pray about it and commit with Heavenly Father to keep it. Because when you do that, he really does make it possible. Read 1 nephi 17:3, its kinda the same as 1 nephi 3:7. MAKE AND KEEP COMMITMENTS, AND DO THEM WITH THE HELP OF THE LORD.

Okay this is the last experience for the week. I forgot to write about the temple experience...so here it is. When we went to the temple groundbreaking we listened to several talks from people in the seventy. It was pretty awesome!!!! I have one thought that just keeps coming in my mind: the Lord has given the people of Chile 3 years (or a little more) to prepare for the temple in Concepcion. And he has given them 3 years to prepare themselves spiritually for the work of the temple. Whatever mistake they have made, whatever trials they need to overcome, it will all be worth it if they can go to the temple. GO TO THE TEMPLE. NO MATTER HOW FAR AWAY. NO MATTER HOW BUSY AND THE BLESSINGS WILL COME.

"In this great work of salvation we have the blessing to invite and help the people come unto Jesus Christ because He is the One who can change and sanctify their hearts. It is not us. When the people whom we are teaching began to praise us we should remember that we are only ministers through which they have believed. Some of us plant, others water but it is Christ that gives the increase. If we begin to believe that it is through our own wisdom or abilities that people are converted, we will lose the help of the Spirit.

I testify to you of the importance of confessing the hand of the Lord in all that we do. We depend on Him for all that we have and all that we do. Each day we must recognize our dependency on Him and work for His glory. I testify that if we do that He will give the increase." (inspiring words from Presidente Arrington)

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! I always pray for you and I know you are praying for me too cuz I feel the strength from the prayers.

 

Hermana Poulson

Blessings just keep coming!!

October 19, 2015

 

Blessings just keep on coming!!! I am staying here in Hualqui with Hermana Heaton!!!!! I love Hualqui with all my heart and I love Hermana Heaton tambien!!! Really it is such a blessing to continue working with her. We love being missionaries!!! She is so fun and loves to work so I couldn't ask for anything else!

This week was kinda crazy. We only have like 4 investigators, we are still trying to find, but sometimes it's just so crazy when you have to meet with the ones you have every other day, and less actives, and Active members.

So here is a little about la obra esta semana: (The work this week)

Roberto-we had 2 lessons with him this week. He had a baptism date for the 25th, but it will fall cuz he actually smokes....a lot....But we taught him The Word of Wisdom and The Law of Chastity. The lesson about the WoW was the most spiritual lesson I think I have ever taught on the mission. We started out talking about how obedience brings blessing. And then about how every commandment helps us. Suddenly we just started talking about the WoW and he said that he knows its true just that he LOVES to smoke. Only because of the social aspect, So we are hoping and praying that he stops. I just had this overwhelming feeling come over me and I told him that He loves his son and wouldn't want his son to do anything that would harm him. And then I related it to how our Heavenly Father is the same way. He loves us more than we know and it hurts him when we do stuff that unintentionally harm us. But that no matter what we do in our lives we can receive the forgiveness and love from him. SPIRITUAL MOMENT. We have metas para dejar de fumar. (We have goals to help him stop smoking.)

Cristel and Camila are 14 and 12, from different families but both are investigators, they can´t progress because their parents wont let them be baptized. It makes me cry. I just want them and their families to get blessings!

Zaida. People in her family keep dying and the other ones are just obstacles. But we are working hard with her. It's hard because we have to make sacrifices ie...(get up an hour early) so we can teach her. I just want to really help her. She has so much potential.

 

Yeah sorry the letter is short I will write more next week. LOVE YOU so much!!!

Hermana Poulson

Time flies when you are having fun!! And even faster when you are serving the Lord!!

October 12, 2015

I am pretty sure having fun and serving the Lord make up the perfect sentence. Really that is what I am doing here in Chile. I have never had so much fun serving and teaching and walking and crying and...  Really it is such a blessing to wake up and do the SAME THING everyday. I have grown so much through personal study and prayer. I feel like I just have so many blessings and so many miracles and I don´t even know why! Heavenly Father just really loves missionaries I guess.

It is kinda crazy...This week is the last week of cambios and Hermana Heaton and I are kinda freaking out! I always get a little stressed with cambios and I don´t want a new companion. Hermana Heaton is AMAZING and I have learned so much from her. She probably will train next cambio she is that amazing!! 

Anyways this week I guess I just wanna write about the people I am teaching. I don´t like writing about them because I feel like I jinx their progress. All the weeks that I have written about baptisms that will happen something always comes up and the people don´t make it. It makes me cry! I kinda still have the love hate relationship with AGENCY. I just wanna take it away sometimes so the people don´t make dumb choices. Oh well. 

This week we had some EARTH SHATTERING experiences!! No we did not have another earthquake....just some AWESOME MISSIONARY MIRACLES!!!! 

On Monday we had a lesson at 6. We ended pday early so we could teach Roberto. We gave him a tour of the church. THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG. It was awkward at first when we sat in the sacrament room and waited for 2 minutes, but afterwards we asked him how he felt and he said he felt at peace. That is what I am talking about!!!

On Tuesday the mission presidents wife, Hermana Arrington, came to work with us!!!! I love her so so so so so so much!!!! We visited with Roberto (the investigator I have been praying for my whole mission) and we taught him about the Book of Mormon and how he can find the answers to life's questions. Oh my, the spirit was so strong. We had to translate everything for Hermana Arrington, and I realized I don´t know English gospel words. But really, It was amazing!!! Our member helped us out a lot. He is a convert too and shared his testimony about the Book of Mormon and like his story of conversion. I hope Roberto felt the spirit because I know I did. President and Hermana Arrington accompanied us for the last lesson. We taught a less active/convert/investigator family. Rodrigo is less active. Susana is su paraja y es Investigator. And Fernanda, hija de Rodrigo, es un converso. Man the spirit was really strong then too. We talked about eternal families and their goals. President found their need and invited them to a NDH in his house. I hope Susana gets baptized. 

Well I had a mini cambio on Thursday and Hermana Patterson came with me. I stayed here. I actually knew the sector pretty well so I can figure out where I am and where there are members. I hope that means I can stay here next cambio. We didn't get the vision but we did find a new family to teach. They are kinda humble sweet little people, just they always leave for the weekends. I just want to take away their agency and get them to experience this happiness that the gospel brings!!

I am outta time, like I said time flies when I am having fun, so I will let you go for this week.I love you!!

Love,

Hermana Poulson

I read a really good talk by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the 70. It is about being perfect. It really really really helped my perfectionism. I feel like that is my greatest trial of the mission. But with the Lords help and la expiacion puedo cambiar. (and the atonement I can change.)

"Understanding the Savior’s freely given atoning love can free us from self-imposed, incorrect, and unrealistic expectations of what perfection is. Such understanding allows us to let go of fears that we are imperfect—fears that we make mistakes, fears that we are not good enough, fears that we are a failure compared to others, fears that we are not doing enough to merit His love.

The Savior’s freely given atoning love helps us become more forgiving and less judgmental of others and of ourselves. This love heals our relationships and gives us opportunities to love, understand, and serve as our Savior would.

His atoning love changes our concept of perfection. We can put our trust in Him, diligently keep His commandments, and continue in the faith (see Mosiah 4:6)—even as we also feel greater humility, gratitude, and dependence on His merits, mercy, and grace (see 2 Nephi 2:8)."

Half way there... and 15 hours of conferences

October 5, 2015

Can I just say that I am on like a spiritual high?? I promise that is a good thing. It's so inspiring to sit and listen to conference for like 8 hours. I feel like every talk answered one or more of my questions. 

With 8 hours of Conference, 2 hours of the Women's conference, we also had 5 hours of ZONE CONFERENCE!!!! Woohoo!! I learned a lot from President Arrington about what I should be doing as a missionary. Every night we have a planning session, and we set a number of goals for what we want to accomplish tomorrow. We make specific goals and then find the names of the people to fill the goals. I have officially been out for half my mission and I still feel like I have SO MUCH that I could do better.

 

We were talking the other day and I really haven´t felt like I have made a difference here in the mission. I felt like I was a disappointment to the Lord, Presidente Arrignton and to my family. I felt like I always had so many expectations here and I just wasn't living up to them.

Don´t think I am depressed, I am just a little bit of a perfectionist hahaha. But in the conference I just felt an overwhelming feeling of love and support. From my family, my friends, my companion. And most of all, My Heavenly Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. I realized more than ever that we are not alone in this great work. I thought about how those newly called apostles felt. I bet they felt overwhelmed and super super inadequate. I felt the same way. Listening to their testimonies reminded me that really this is Gods work and whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies. That is one of the MANY inspirational thoughts of my conference weekend.

 

As a missionary the only thing I wanted was for the investigators that I am teaching to come and listen and feel the spirit. We called Roberto like 5 times that morning to remind him. We went to the church and set up our English session. I was sitting there listening to President Uchtdorf's talk just wishing that Roberto could be there to listen. It was a talk specifically about how you can find happiness--exactly what Roberto wanted to know! And just as it reached the middle of the talk there was a knock on our door. ROBERTO CAME!!!!!!!! Once again Heavenly Father answered my prayers. 

The conference was amazing! Seriously I don´t think I could limit it to one talk that changed my life....But I would have to say that some of my favorites were President Uchtdorf, President Monson, and Elder Durrant. And of course I loved hearing from the new Apostles.. None of us were right on our guesses by the way, I guess we aren't as inspired as we think. Like I said before I bet they felt unqualified and nervous. But really they are amazing and called of God.

 

The best part about conference is being able to apply what I have learned in the coming months. I have learned so much about what it really means to be a disciple of Christ and to become truly converted. And how to find real happiness in life. I hope you all take the Challenges from our Prophet and the other apostles. And you better do the scripture challenge, we have been doing it as a mission and really it has added such a power to our work here. We can help people come closer and closer to our Heavenly Father and the blessings of Eternal Happiness. 

Sorry for the randomness of this letter, Just know that I love you and I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have to be an instrument in the Hands of God in bringing people to the FOLD. I may not have the most converts, but I will come back more converted to this gospel, and that is all He asks for.

 

CON MUCHO AMOR Y CARIÑO,

Hermana Poulson

Milagritos del Señor

September 28, 2015

and by the way its HUMP DAY!!! In like 2 days I will have been a missionary for 9 months. Well that just sounds weird... I wanna just freeze time so that I can be a missionary forever! I feel like I haven´t been a missionary for that long. I just want to keep working and serving. You have no idea how many blessings you see as a missionary. Sometimes I just wanna video my life here so you can all see it, even if its in Spanish and you can´t understand anything;)

Anyways on to the Milagritos. (that's like little miracles just so ya know). 

This week was incredible if you already couldn´t tell. We had District class on Tuesday. We were dedicatedly studying english when suddenly Presidente Arrington and Hermana Arrington come in. They stayed with us the whole time. Elder Ragan (mi lider de distrito) taught us about the ODPP. What is that? Well it stands for Obediencia, Diligencia, Perseverancia, y Persistencia. We were invited to apply this counsel during the week. We were challenged by E´ Ragan to enter 5 houses everyday. So like 3 with the vision (which I will explain later) and 2 more just knocking doors. Hermana Heaton and I were definitely up for the challenge. 

At the end of the week we entered over 30 houses. That has never happened in my life here. We somehow entered extra houses everyday. We used every excuse possible to get in and share a message. I hate to admit it, but we used the bathroom excuse about 5 times this week and it worked every time. Now maybe the people were annoyed and maybe we wont be getting back into their houses to really teach them, but we left every single person better than we found them. We applied Como Comenzar a Ensenar with every person, found a tiny need, and shared a scripture according to their need. Talk about Miracles. I felt so empowered this week. I know that wasn´t me! It was the LORD!!!

So in the mission we have this thing called the Vision. We need to visit a Member, Less Active/Convert, and Investigator every day. And they all need a member to accompany you. Really it doesn´t seem that difficult, I mean how hard it is to get someone to come out and work with you. But believe me it is hard! Its easier in mi barrio because I have about 170 members to choose from. But still they all have lives and jobs and studies. And the sweet little missionaries are the last priority. (this is all just preface para prepararse para los milagros)

And I know numbers are not important but we got 7 days of the vision!!! That has never happened to either of us!! It was seriously miracles. We found new investigators and we helped our old ones. We taught lessons and invited every investigator to be baptized. Not all of them accepted of course but they all listened and felt the spirit. 

And this is probably the miracle, greatest of all!!! Saturday night was crazy. It was raining cats and dogs. But we were still trying to be the friendly happy missionaries that we are and share the gospel with people. We were in the sector called, la arboleda (the same word for sacred grove just fyi) and we went to visit a contact from like a week ago. AND it was the craziest thing ever. My companion and I knocked the door, He answers but he is alone so we can´t enter. and plus we had a cita on the other side of the town. So we say "can you wait like 20 minutes and we will come back and if not can we pass by Wednesday?" So we literally ran in our dresses and rain boots to the other side where there was a member and our cita. We tried getting into the house but they wouldn't answer the door. So then we ran to la arboleda to visit with Roberto. And HE WAITED FOR US!!!! We started talking. We got to know him a little more. He is recently separated and has a 4 year old son. AND HE FEELS ALONE. HE IS SEARCHING FOR PEACE AND ANSWERS. He has been praying for a while to find this peace. And then we talked to him on the street one day. We were so excited and nervous. We talked about baptims, because we always invite to baptism in the first lesson. He acepted FECHA!!! And we invited him to church the next day.We called him that morning and he said he would try to come but that it was his weekend with his son. So we just prayed and had faith that God would work miracles. AND HE DID. Like 5 minutes before church ended he comes in and one of the counselors helped him find us!!! He apoligized for not coming earlier and it was amazing!!! He is really interested in the church and finding peace. HEAVENLY FATHER WORKS MIRACLES!!!!

Okay that is about it. I am so happy and excited for this week and this conference. We are so blessed to have living profetas hoy en dia. And we are so blessed to be able to hear from them. I invite you all to go to conference with questions and really pray and fast to receive answers. I promise that Heavely Father will answer your prayers por medio de uno de los mensajes que van a escuchar esta fin de semana. I have no doubt that Prophets are called of God. That they have the authority and revelation to guide us in these latter days. I am so blessed to be a missionary and share this truth with the world. I love you all!! thanks for all the love and support during these 9 months. I LOVE YOU!!!

Hermana Poulson