MisSIONary work (sion significa zion en espanol)

November 16, 2015

Guys can I just say that life is so much more rewarding as a missionary. We are teaching so many people and I feel like I haven´t done anything significant, yet we have about 6 or more lessons everyday. Seriously we run to the house every night and plan and we are about ready to DIE. I have never felt so good and tired at the same time. I love staying busy even if I get stressed out. I feel like I need two more of Hermana Heaton and I to do all the work and visit all the people. 

Like usual it was pretty crazy this week. We have the same investigators still and we are working with them to overcome their difficulties and challenges. And this week we found about 5 menos activos, which shouldn't be that hard because there are more than 1,000 miembros and only 170 come to church. We prayed to find new people and we have been finding, just in weird ways. We started up an English class a couple weeks ago and people are coming. Well actually just a family, but still!!!

 

Wanna hear a miracle this week (of course you do). We are teaching Camila, She is a teenager 14 years old. We had a lesson with her and her boyfriend. We have been teaching her for about 4 weeks and her parents HATED us when we first went in their house. Like after the first lesson I wanted to cry and never return. But we went back and we had another lesson with her parents on Halloween and it was one of the best lessons of my life. We had another lesson with her dad yesterday and we just felt the spirit so strong and they accepted the invitation to come to church and pray!!! Camila, Isaac (the bf) and Jorge (the dad). The mom wants us to come back and teach her too!!! YAY!!! MIRACLES ARE REAL!!!!

Roberto and FELIX (his son) came to church. I had to talk in church yesterday. I talked about obra misional (obvio)(missionary work) (obvious)and how it feels to be a convert. I talked about testimonies and conversion and how everyone even as a member needs to be converted or at least find their testimony. It was really spiritual for Roberto. I wrote my talk out in the morning but as soon as I stood up to speak I didn't look at my paper and just started talking. Don´t ask me what I said, but I know when I prayed that morning for the gift of tongues it WORKED!!!! 

I have never felt so much love and so much support from my Heavenly Father. Really the scripture in Ether 12 is true. I have never felt so weak as a missionary. And then I realize I need to rely on the power of God to help me. It is so amazing I have really felt the powers of Heaven helping us in the work. There is no way we can do this all alone. We should never have to do anything alone. We always have the help of our Savior, Jesucristo. It may just be little dumb things like finding the courage to invite someone to repent, or having to contact a huge group of jovenes. But really I know that Christ is there to support me. 

I just wanna leave you with the challenge that I have left all the members this week. I was listening to a talk one morning about the power of the Doctrine of Christ. I will send the link so you can read it but really it changed my life!!! So here is the challenge: Write your testimony or your feelings about the church in this moment on a piece of paper. When you are done staple it shut and put it in the back of your Book of Mormon. Start reading the Book of Mormon again, and look for doctrine of Christ. When you finish write your testimony. Then open your old testimony and look how much your testimony has grown. Really if you do this your life will change. You will live the gospel of Christ. and His spirit will be more fully in your life. I know that is true. I am going to finish reading the Book of Mormon as a mission in December, and I will start again and finish before Conference. I hope you can join me in the testimony challenge!! I love you!!!

here is my testimony challenge

https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/todd-b-parker_true-doctrine-understood-changes-attitudes-behavior/

Con MUCHO CARIÑO y AMOR!!!

Hermana Poulsonita (they put -ito o -ita on the end of every word)

No Shame November

November 9, 2015

Well here it goes. This past week has been slightly crazy, but full of blessings. Hermana Heaton and I have been doing some work here in Hualqui. I have honestly been so blessed with such a good companion. It's like that song from Frozen. "We finish each others...Sandwiches...That's what I was gonna say!" But really though, we are both working really hard and we are so focused on the work. 

I didn't have enough time last week to write about this, but I just am still so happy that I can´t even handle it!!!! I saw all my friends from the mission last week!!!! I saw Hermana Burnham from the CCM, who replaced me in Bulnes, and is now in my old sector of Barrio Independencia. We almost cried. I missed her so much. It's so crazy how close you get to people, even if you are only together for 6 weeks or less. Also I saw Elder LeCheminant, which was like a blessing. I was so excited that I almost hugged him and yelled MATT but then I realized that probably is not a good idea, being we are both missionaries. It reminded me that I love HOME and seeing people from HOME. And last of all I saw my Latina twin, Hermana Gonzalez. I was in the oficina just waiting for the Elders to finish something for me and I saw Hermana Gonzalez, we just ran and hugged each other and cried for half an hour. I have made some of the greatest friends in the mission. I love it here!

We once again had 3 people in the church with fecha bautismal. Which was AMAZING!!!! And it was the baptism of Janieer. She is a jovencita de 14 años. She has been coming to church alone for like 3 months. Cristel, our investigator was REALLY EXCITED!!! She will probably be the next baptism. She has been going to church for almost 6 months. When she gets baptized in December she will have been an investigator for 6 months. It has been so fun to teach her and see her testimony grow. She wants to be baptized sooner but we have to wait because her Dad who is Menos Activo, doesn't want her to be baptized. But Heavenly Father has softened his heart enough to let her be baptized. 

Roberto still smokes like 4 cigarros a day. He is improving a ton. We had a lesson about the plan of salvation with him and hno vittorio and hna lily accompanied us. Roberto has A TON of QUESTIONS. ALWAYS!!! So we talked about if we are good people but don´t go to church or act on the truths we have been given. And we talked a lot about Exaltación. And how amazing it would be to live with Heavenly Father and Jesucristo. 

Manuel is getting help. Professional help. For his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He has been clean for 2 weeks. 

Our less actives are coming back!!! Rodrigo had an accident and cut off his fingers. By a miracle he healed. He has 3 damaged fingers, but it could be so much worse. His girlfriend (for 10 years, they aren't married....yet...) said that this really helped her to see that she loves him and wants to be with him for forever. It takes an accident like that to help someone realize that this is the true church and that Really Families can be Together Forever!!!!

 

Well that is the story of this week. I love being a missionary and sharing my testimony. I love seeing the changes in the people. Really it all comes down to the (blue) compromisos que hacemos con Dios. él es el unico que puede ayudarnos a cambiar nuestra vida. Realmente el Evangelio mejorará cada aspecto de la vida. Y con Jesuscristo siempre hay segunda oportunidades para empezar y cambiar. Lo siento por mi espanol...pueden usar google translate...jajaja

(commitments/covenants we make with God. He is the one who can help us to change our lives. Actually the Gospel will improve every aspect of life. And because of Jesus Christ there is always second chances or opportunities to change. Sorry for my Spanish...may use google translate...lol)

LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!!
Hermana Poulson

What time is it? It's summer time!!

November 2, 2015

It has been sooo hot here. Its only like 27 degrees celcius, but I feel like I am dying and sweating like crazy!!! Haha it doesn't help that my companion and I are always running from place to place. It has been super hot though and since Hermana Heaton and I are the WHITEST missionaries in the mission we burn SUPER EASY, all the members make fun of us.

The miracles are coming in hot too!! This week we found a couple new people. Actually it was kinda crazy. Last Sunday we went to a MA (less active) and her non member son was there. So we started teaching him and he wants to get baptized. He has TONS of problems with alcohol and drugs. It is just SOOO hard to overcome addictions. But we are teaching the simple principles and praying a lot. All the members and the other missionaries are telling us that it is not worth it. Sometimes that frustrates me.

 

I need to go now. but I just want you to know that I love you and will write more next week. Sorry I had to do some things for the investigators so I didn't have lots of time. You guys will be my priority next week.;) I LOVE YOU.

siempre estan en mis oraciones,

Hermana Poulson

Since her letter was so short I thought I would include some of her answers to a few of our questions.

Are majority of the people poor? What kind of work do the men do? do lots of women work too? If so what do they do?

kinda. there are lots of people in my ward that don´t have jobs. there are LOTS of people that do construction and just not enough jobs. There are a few women that work so that they have money. usually in day cares or in offices. 

What is the main mode of transportation? Do very many people have cars or do they walk or do the bus system?

buses. there are 4 families that have cars but that's about it.

These cookies are called Toddys. i will buy some for dad :)

This picture is for my Grandpa (2nd one)

Elder LeCheminant!! I saw him today :) (For those of you who don't know - Elder LeCheminant is from our ward and just got to the mish a couple of weeks ago. After his 6 week stint at the MTC. (Last picture)