Mi Blanca Navidad (de verdad)

December 28, 2015

Wow can I just say how nice it was to see you and hear from you all??? I miss ya'll so much and it was so great to be able to see you and to see Grandma and Grandpa tambien. I have been thinking about them a lot and I feel bad that I couldn't send them anything. Thanks for the clothes too. My companion and I share everything anyways so we are good.r) (We learned on our skype call that her companion didn't get anything for Christmas :'( So we are glad Kylie could share with her.) It's kinda fun to have a companion that is the same size as me. We have fun together and it was good to have such a fun Navidad.

There were so many fun things that happened this week in the mission. First off was the Christmas Conference. It was so good to see all my companions and my friends that I have made here on the mission. I love all the people here. The only problem is that now all my new friends live in other parts of the world. I have found some of the best friends in the world. I will need to come back and visit my Chilean families one day. And also just plan a world tour to visit all my friends;) The conference was really spiritual and each zone sang a Christmas song and then we watched a video with pictures from all the missionaries. I saw all my friends that have died (gone home) and then all the crazy stuff that missionaries do in the house....Elders are CRAZY!!!! They dressed up as Mario and Luigi and also made up all sorts of raps in Spanish. Haha I feel so mature and boring now.

Christmas Eve was awesome. We ate Dinner for the first time in almost a year and we had a Christmas devotional with the Familia Moya. It was awesome. I feel like they are the most like my family. There are 5 kids and they are all silent and spiritual and their dad is in the Stake Presidency. Haha so eating with them did make me a little trunky (Like homesick). 

CHRISTMAS DAY I saw my family!!! WOOHOOO and we talked a lot. You looked so good and so happy. After we went to Conce to hang out with all the missionaries. My comp doesn't like to play sports but we went and had a GIANT water balloon fight!!!!!!! I was in Heaven because it was the hottest Christmas ever experienced by Hermana Poulson. Then I played soccer with the elders and Hermana Heaton. We are really like the Dream team! AWW I miss her!!!!

Saturday we had a DOUBLE BAPTISM of our two investigators!! Zaida y Cristel!! And the other Hermanas had one too!! It was the most people baptized that weren´t in the same family!!! Way to go Hualqui!!! Cristel's parents are menos activos and so it was sooooooo good to see them at her baptism and then at church the next day so she could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!!!! Also the daughter of Zaida is now listening to the MISSIONARIES!!! WOOHOOOO!!! I love her!!! Her name is Javiera!!!

Yeah and so that pretty much sums up my Navidad. Hope you all take this time to make goals for the next year and to include our Heavenly Father in the plans, because he knows us better than we know ourselves and he knows who we can become and what we need to do to achieve that. 

LOVE YOU TONS!!!

Les Quiero tanto y deseo lo mejor para ustedes en el proximo año 2016!!! 

Hermanita Poulsonita

¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Feliz Navidad, Feliz Natal, Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!

December 21, 2015

Well can you believe it? Its almost Christmas, the day we get to celebrate the birth of Christ. How neat is that? I was reading the other day in the book, Jesus the Christ, about how Jesus is the most well known person in the world. There is so much written about him and people all over the world know him. And there are Holidays that we celebrate WORLDWIDE to commemorate his birth. That doesn't just happen with anyone. 

Anyways I know that this is probably another lame letter from Hermana Poulson but I just want to share with you 15 reasons (because its 2015) why Christ is important para nosotros. (for us)

1:   He is our Savior. Como dice la escritura Ha Nacido un Salvador

2:   He is our Friend. He will never leave us.

3:   He is our Redeemer. No matter how imperfect we are, He has his hands stretched out to save us.

4:   He is the Counselor (I don´t remember how to spell it). He has all wisdom and all power.

5:   He is our Brother.

6:   He forgives us.

7:   He is a super hero. Mejor que (better than) Captain America because He conquered Death.

8:   He gives us JOY. True Joy not just temporary happiness.

9:   He is Eternal. Which means all this is FOREVER.
10: He knows US. Like all our trials all our happinesses. 

11: He is our ejemplo of how to really live the gospel.

12: He is here to help us get back to the Celestial kingdom.

13: He Created the world so that we could come here and try to become like Him and our Heavenly Father.

14: He is the only one capable to carry out the Atonement and to break the bands of death and frees us from the grasps of Satan. (wow that is powerful)

15: He is the BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT IN THE WORLD.

Feliz navidad (Chile)

Feliz natal (Brazil)

Merry Christmas (Utah)

Feliz Cumpleaños (part 1) & Feliz Cumpleaños (part 2)

December 14, 2015

Oh my!! I was so overwhelmed to open my email and see like 50 emails from everyone back home. I just sat at my computer and cried for a good couple minutes. I feel so much love. Seriously I love everyone so much. Thank you! Well its not every day that I have a birthday in the Mission. And its even rarer when it's on a PDAY!!!! So we did all sorts of fun things today. We went to the beach for an activity. And it was so much fun. It was lots of walking and we got lost in a cave and then walked all the way back to Tome in the RAIN!!! I have never had rain on my birthday. It was so hot this week and my face is scorched. And so it was nice to not die of heat. Then once we got to Conce my companion and I met up with Presidente and Hermana Arrington in the oficina and we went to LUNCH!!! It was a really good american restaurant similar a applebees. I was in Heaven! I love Presidente and Hermana Arrington!!! SO MUCH!!!!! Really I just LOVE Being a missionary.

I am gonna send my email in two parts because my email time is running out but I will buy another card in like a minute.

So chao for now and I will send part 2 in a minute!!!

Hermana Poulsonita

so this week was a little crazy. We didn't exactly get all our goals but it was amazing. Zaida is progressing hacia su bautismo.(to her baptism) She didn't come to church Sunday, so that's a little disappointing, but it was raining??..... BUT there was a MIRACLE!!!  LIKE A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE BUT EVEN BETTER!!!! So Cristel is the investigator that I have been teaching for 4 months now and she is the 12 year old. Her parents are both less actives and she just wants to get baptized so bad!!!!!! And we went to talk about the interview questions and have her parents there to see that she really has a testimony. And her dad said that he wouldn't let her get baptized. I cried. How could you not let someone choose to receive the GREATEST blessing of her live?!?!?! So we invited them to church again and to pray to see what they should do. We read the scripture in Mosiah 18 that talks about if this is really the desire of your hearts. And it was so beautiful and sad at the same time. So that whole day I walked around almost in tears and prayed and prayed and prayed that Cristel's dad would have a change of heart and that she could get baptized. And so Sunday came and we were in church and Cristel runs to me and says "Hermana Poulson Voy a Bautizarme!!!!!! MI papa dijo que Sí!!!!!!!" I cried again and just hugged her. HEAVENLY FATHER HEARS AND ANSWERS PRAYERS!!!!

Margot and Roberto are still hangin in there for now. And we have been doing everything in our power to find new people. We are knocking doors, contacting, and even singing Christmas songs. We will fast and pray and find the people that are prepared. I am sooooo Excited for all the events of CHRISTMAS. It is really a whole lot different here. I love it. All the people are so nice and really want to listen to a message about Christ.

Well I will end with one funny experience this week. I was asked to play in church and I didn't know what songs we were singing and I didn't have time to practice and so I just got up there and messed up a lot. Then I played a musical number and the Hermanas sang. It wasn't good but I love playing the piano and feeling the Christmas Spirit. The SPIRIT of CHRIST!!!

And also a spiritual insite. We really need to remember why Christ was born. He was born to save us. He saves us from Heartache and sadness. And He is here to help us every step of the way. When we remember that Christ is a real person, who lived and died and loves us we can have the strength to conquer whatever situation. I am so grateful for him. I have learned to apply the atonement and try to live a more Christlike life. And I want to give him a gift this Christmas. I will give him a CONSECRATED missionary. One who is willing to give her all without holding back. 

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE EL SALVADOR this CHRISTMAS???

con mucho amor del otro lado del mundo,

Hermanita Poulsonita (ahora la Viejita)

with much love from the other side of the world,

Sister Poulsonita (now the old woman)

My Life in 3 Idiomas

December 7, 2015

I have loved staying in my same sector and of course I cried when Hermana Heaton left me for Tome, but at least I know she is doing amazing things there and that I will see her for Christmas. The Zone leaders made so much fun of me when I cried. But I told them that when the Dream Team gets separated after being together for 3 months, you at least need to be a little sad. I was really so stinking nervous to be companions with Hermana Forest. Not because she is from Brazil but because I just am still trying to figure out what I am doing and everything ;)

I didn´t even need to be worried. Hermana Forest is the BEST! I am not even joking. I feel like I keep finding my best friends here in the Mission. They all speak idiomas diferentes y viven en otras países. (different languages and live in other countries) But still! I love it. I never thought I would have so many friends. I love all the missionaries and I love the people here. I wish I could just send you the pictures of me and my peeps but my Memory card has a virus entonces voy a limpiarlo y enviar los fotos la proxima semana. 

I have been feeling the Christmas Spirit. I love the video HA NACIDO UN SALVADOR!!! Seriously it is beautiful! I just wish more people here had TVs with flashdrive spots. But oh well I seriously love the spirit that the videos bring. We have been focusing a lot on Christ and I have been studying the Bible (I know I bet you are surprised) and the Book of Mormon. I just love learning more about Christ. Really I know he is my salvador and I love him. I had a great conversation with the other Hermanas in the house (Prettyman, Miner, Long, Forest y Yo) and we were talking about how we can really have a relationship with Christ even though we don't see Him or speak to Him. It really got me thinking about how I have had a relationship with Christ. I know it is a deep question. But that will be my invitation for you guys. Think about your relationship with our Savior. Really really think about Him this Christmas:)

Love you ALL SO MUCH AND I CAN´T wait to see yáll:) 

Hermanita Poulsonita

o en portugues...SiSTER POULSON

Yes I will be Trilingual;)

Hualqui - we're here to stay...well I am

November 30, 2015

Once again the cambios have come and we are a little sad. Hermana Heaton is leaving to Tome to be comp mayor of a gringa and I am gonna stay in Hualqui. I am going to be with a Brazilian!!! And I don´t know Portugués!!! Hermana Forrest. We will see how it goes. I could almost do a world tour of South America to visit all my peeps! And my companion from the CCM is coming to visit me!! Well actually we will be together in the same casa for CHRISTMAS!!! I am so excited to see Hermana Long. I went out for Ice Cream today with Hermana Burnham and Hermana Evenson and Hermana Miner and Hermana Prettyman! We are a whole bunch of GRINGAS!!!

Cambios are so hard and I am so sad that my sister is leaving! It is always so hard and sad. There are so many good families here and we have so many investigators! We had stake conference and it was INCREDIBLE!!!! You know how normally people don´t even wanna go to stake conference well we had 3 investigators come!! Margot and Joaquin and Zaida!! And a miracle happened this week. Zaida WANTS to be BAPTIZED!!! Like she is really preparing for it now!! She read the Word of Wisdom and stopped taking CAFE!!!! She is so amazing!!!

We are preparing for Christmas and I want you all to watch and share the video "Ha Nacido un Salvador" (A Savior Is Born) it is super cute and spiritual. I love sharing it with people and seeing how the little things can bring the spirit into their homes. 

Well I am going to leave now so just keep smiling and I will make plans to see yall at CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

Hermana Poulson

Sacando PUROS 7s

November 23, 2015

Sacando 7 means that you get a 7. In the schools here they do numbers from 1-7 and 7 is the best. It's like saying getting straight As. And that's exactly what Hermana Heaton and I have been doing this week. It's been pretty rewarding, at least for me! This week we saw something amazing happen. We had 4 investigators this week and they were all progressing really well. They all have fecha for December. I have been stressin lately for them. Zaida received her answer that the church is TRUE. Roberto is still smoking but he is reading his BOOK OF MORMON and PRAYING!!! Manuel was doing so good and almost made it 1 month without smoking and drinking, but Saturday night he fell.... Cristel is doing AMAZING!!! She is preparing for her baptism in December. But the reason it is SACANDO 7s is because this week we put fecha on 3 MORE!!! THAT IS 7 INVESTIGATORS WITH FECHA BAUTISMAL!!!!! Margot and her son Joaquin, and Susana!!!!! Oh my I just need to talk about how MIRACULOUS that was!! 

Thursday we went to Concepcion to the House of PRESIDENTE ARRINGTON for a Noche de Hogar with him and Hermana Arrington and the family of Rodrigo (MA) and Susana (I) Annais (CR) (hija de Rodrigo) and Fernanda (CR) (hija de Susana) and Sofia (daughter of rodrigo and susana). They have the desires to get MARRIED and BAPTIZED!!! So we taught them about lesson 3, which is the gospel of Christ. We talked a little about los pasitos como la FE, el ARREPENTIMIENTO, el BAUTISMO, y el DON del ESPIRITU SANTO. (the steps of faith, repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost.At the end we talked about PERSEVERAR hasta el FIN. (enduring to the end) We talked about the temple and how the blessings of the temple are so amazing, but how we need to be doing our part. Every member of the family has to do their part to reach EXALTACION como familia. Oh my the spirit was so strong and Presidente testified and we testified and then invited her to be baptized. She doesn't want to get baptized until February....but still we are working towards that goal!

And so we were in Conce all day Thursday and we almost didn't get the vision. So we ran to visit with Margot and Joaquin. They are the investigators that are coming to our ingles clase. We taught them about the The Plan de Salvacion. It has been so cool to see them change. At the beginning they just wanted to learn English and have never had any desires to enter a church, but now they ACCEPTED FECHA and are preparing for baptism!!! I am so excited!!! I love being a missionary and seeing the changes in the people. 

The other reason it is sacando 7s is because we have gotten 7 days of the vision (lesson to an active member, lesson to a menos activo with a member present, and lesson to an investigator with a member present) FOR 3 WEEKS!!! I feel so blessed to be a part of the Lord's work in this part of His vineyard. We are just working hard and being persistent. A lot of the elders keep asking what our secret is and really I don't know. I am not a perfect missionary but I love working and serving the people. Well I think this is the last reason why sacando 7s. It is because I read the scriptures and pray every day. 7 days a week. (even multiple times during the day). And that really gives me the strength to go out and work and give everything I have. I love being a missionary!!

and I love my family at home!!

con amor, 

Hermana Poulson