Waiting on a Miracle

May 23, 2016

Like you all probably know by know I love miracles!!!! And this week we have seen so many that I have no idea what to do!!! Lets start with Monday! We slept!! That was a first because I feel like we are literally running all over the place stressing about so many things. But it was good to just relax. 

Tuesday we had a really great District class and learned about How to Begin teaching and how we can improve. The first lessons are SOOOOO vital to the life of an investigator. And we have seen an improvement this week. I love how God works. I then had a mini cambio with Hermana Diaz (brought back the Arise memories....oh no) She lived with me last cambio. I have stayed in my zone for all the mini cambios. But that's okay because I love my sector and all the members here...even when they bail on us last minute. 

Wednesday we just worked hard and found some new people. We are always finding. And that's a good thing.

 

Thursday we had a really great day with tons of citas fijas (fixed appointments) and tons of stuff to do. We were in a Trio with Hermana Dominguez because Hermana Cortèz went to Conce for the newbie conference. We had members to do divisions (splits)...and then (like always) the members cancelled. So we literally had 8 different citas fijas (fixed appointments) and there was no way to lograr todas estas citas.(to be able to achieve/reach all the appointments) Oh believe me I was stressed and I called every member in our phone. NO ONE ANSWERED ME!!! But it's okay because somehow we had really really short lessons and were able to lorgrar (reach/achieve) lots of our metas.(goals) But also by this time we had only 1 lesson with a member. And our goal for the week was 7. I was sooo upset. We were being so obediente and so diligente and we just weren´t seeing any results. That's when we prayed super super hard and it was probably the most faith filled prayer of my mission. We prayed for God´s help to reach our goals. We put goals with faith, hoping that we would lograr them. Oh just wait to see how many miracles happened.

Friday, we did divisions (miraculously) with a mom and her daughter. And we completed practically half our goals. Then Chemy left with us to visit a family. They are soooo good but are just too lazy to change. (crazy lazy Chileans) haha But with faith they will one day have the desire to change. That's about it for Friday.

Saturday we went to make food with a less active mother, her daughters are Literally insane. I am so grateful my mom loves me and has never beaten me up or yelled at me. Thanks mom for Loving me soooo much!!! You are the best!!!!!! Afterwords we went and ate a weird dish called boudin de lentejas (boudin of lentils)....I don´t recommend it to anyone. She explained that it was like lasaña...Jamas(Never)!!! NO me gustó..... but we also completed with all our goals!!!! And MORE!!! It was seriously sooo rewarding. 

Sunday. Our investigators came to church!!! I love that feeling. Also we went to teach primary. It was pretty sick. Until they all started whining...

Monday again!!! We celebrated Thanksgiving. We had an asado (roast) and each companionship brought food. It was pretty dope. I invented my own brand of stuffing. It's called Hecho Por Hermanas (Made by Sisters) it will be making its way to the states shortly. ;) I found out that my friend Elder Rojas is going to be the next assistant. I can´t wait. 

I really have nothing else to say about this week. Other than something cool that we learned in our studies. I will share with you our revelation:

This is from Elder Renlunds talk.
“Tienes que saber que el Señor no te ha llamado por lo que hayas hecho. En el caso tuyo, probablemente sea a pesar de lo que hayas hecho. El Señor te ha llamado por lo que Él necesita hacer a través de ti; y eso solo sucederá si tú lo haces a Su manera”. "You have to know that the Lord does not call you by what you have done. In your case probably despite what you've done. The Lord has called you by what he needs to do through you; and that will only happen if you do it your way."

Algo maravilloso ocurre en el servicio de un misionero o misionera cuando se da cuenta de que el llamamiento no tiene que ver con él o ella, sino que tiene que ver con el Señor, con Su obra y con los hijos de nuestro Padre Celestial.  "Something wonderful happens in a missionary's service when he or she realizes that the calling is not about him or her; rather it is about the Lord, His work and Heavenly Father's children."

This week we have focused on not making this about us. Yeah my email probably sounds a lot like how I just wanted to meet my goals. But I promise it isn't like that. We have been working so hard to find good people to teach and not because we want more numbers or to look like we are having success, but really to find the people God has prepared. We know that we are imperfect people trying to do a perfect work. And we are helped and guided by the Perfect Person. We just need to be humble and be willing to do all he asks of us. That has been the greatest thing I have learned this week. I know that I am imperfect. I am trying my hardest everyday to give Him my all. I don´t want to have any regrets at the end of my mission! I am so grateful that I have a great companion that knows how to listen and teach by the spirit. I am so blessed to have seen so many miracles this week. And not just miracles in the work,but in many different aspects of my life! 

Well I think my letter is really disorganized. Better luck next week;)

Con MUCHO amor y besitos, (With LOTS of love and kisses)
Hermana Poulson

Just a normal week in the life of a missionary

May 16, 2016

Well it's been one of those weeks. I think I stressed myself out without Hermana Romero. Pero Bueno....it's been a great week. I have no idea why Heavenly Father just wants to give us so many miracles. It must be because Hermana Veron is AMAZING!!!!!! So anyways this week was full of all sorts of exciting stories.

First was my Mini Cambio with Hermana Panek!!! I love her so much. We figured out that she knows my roommates from College!!! How crazy is that?!?!?! So we spent a good couple minutes talking about all the crazy dumb things I did in college...haha it made me miss Morgan and Emily.....sigh....but in our mini cambio I stayed in my sector and we saw a lot of blessings!! We found a really awesome family that just got married in the summer. Macarena is a friend of Hermana Bucarei and she is sooooo ready to just be baptized. She is a nurse so we had a great connection. I think it was one of my greatest Como Comenzar a Ensenar moments.....And we are helping them to progress! I just love seeing miracles. Hermana Panek is a great missionary and great friend.

Second was the day in the rain. I don´t know if you remember pictures that I sent from last year....well here it rains kinda a lot. Layton doesn´t really get much rain. And so i kinda maybe got a little soaked. And my companion and I may have forgotten our rain gear. And our citas may or may not have all fallen through right in the heaviest part of the rainstorm. But let me just say it was splendid. WE HAD THE BEST BLESSING/MIRACLE ever!!!!!! We were doing our normal contacts in the rain trying to get people to stop and listen to us. When all of a sudden a door opens! And out comes a lady. We did not say "Alo" or anything. She asked if we knocked on her door or rang her campaña. But I swear we didn´t do anything. And so being the good little missionaries that we are, we started talking to her. At first she wanted nothing to do with us. And then suddenly she just invites us into her house. We start getting to know her more and talking about religious stuff. She has been looking for something more in her life!!! And it was the best!!! I love Golden Investigators!!! But then the problem came...her husband hates....and I mean HATES the church. So this week we will be having secret meetings in the house of a member. But really she is amazing!!! Pray for MONICA;)

Lastly our Interviews with President. Ahhhh it was a sad but exciting day. We talked about a lot of good things. Previously I asked Pres if he would do my last interview and of course he said no...:`( but we talked about all the things I have learned here on my mission and we did a mini last interview. I can´t really share all of it cuz it was really personal and I cried a lot;) But I am so so so grateful that Presidente Arrington was and always will be my mission president. I have grown soooo sooo sooo much in these last 16 months. We admitted that at the beginning I didn´t really live up to my potential as a missionary. I didn´t have the confidence in myself or the spirit. But we talked about how much I have grown and how I have become the missionary that God needs me to be. TRUNKY WARNING: It doesn´t end when I finish the mission. I will keep progressing and growin=)

Also Presidente may have almost killed us (Hermana Arrington, Hermana Veron, Elder Alder and Elder Mace) We went to lunch with them....Chileans drive really really crazily...but we ate really good food. STEAK!!! it wasn´t rice and chicken!!! WOOHOOO.

Well I think the spirit left my email. So I will leave you all with my testimony that I know the Church is true. I know that Christ loves each and every one of us. He helps us to progress! I am a witness of his love and mercy, even if there are times when we feel like we don´t deserve it. 

LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
hermanita POULSON<3<3<3<3

Our trio is down to two...

May 9, 2016

Well it's been a pretty sweet weekend. I loved loved loved being able to talk to my family. You guys are the greatest blessing in my life. I don´t think I really appreciated you that much while I was home, but here in the mission I just love you all to pieces and I love the fact that I have the best family ever!! You guys are so amazing and I am so so so so so blessed to be your Daughter, Sister, that annoying person that lives in Chile and writes you random emails every week ;) 

SO it's been crazy. I am not even sure if it is real. I don´t want my companion to leave. (Sister Romero) It has been such a great opportunity to serve with her. She has helped me to grow and I am a better missionary because she gave me the best example. I think every single one of my companions have helped shape me into who I am today. I am so GRATEFUL that I have companions. I love it. She is going home to México...so now I have a place to go vacation in winter woohoo!!! But on the serious note, I love the friendships that I have here in the mission. I love the people so much. All the members here are amazing. Yeah they have flaws too, but you just gotta love them with all the Christlike Love you can have.

We had another bautismo this week!!!! Miguelina got baptized. I think I told you about her. She was the contact that actually contacted us after we got off the bus. She was GOLDEN!!! I have honestly prayed for an experience like this my whole mission. She progressed sooooo fast and it was amazing to see how much the gospel changed her life in just 2 and a half weeks! She was smoking, living with a pololo (kinda) and was almost at the point of death from a weird disease. But she had the faith and strength to find us and talk to us. And together we helped her come closer to our Savior and our Heavenly Father, and THEY changed her. Her family is NOT supportive of the church and told her she was joining a devil worshiping sect. Her pololo (boyfriend) told her that she was crazy. He said that she changed a lot and finally admitted that at least the changes were for the better. YEAH GOD SOFTENED HIS HEART!!!! 

We are kinda overwhelmed by all the converts we have. We are working with Carlos, an old man who has cualquier enfermidad,(any illness) but he is enduring and enjoying the gospel! Also Margarita,...oh i love her so much. She is like a heavenly grandma who is passing through lots of health issues. Also we are working with Claudia and Fransisco who are just progressing and loving every second of the gospel. They went to the temple and are both serving in Young Men's and Young Women's. And my little boyfriend Augustine....awww I just love that family so much!!!!! Also Brenda is just on FIRE!!! She is going to speak in church next week!!!! And she wants her son and her boyfriend to join the church. She just has a love for the Obra Misional and the gospel. I feel like we are best friends from the pre-existance!!!! Cristan is getting a little lazy. He has a hard time getting up at 9:30 to come to church and studies all the time so he never can have citas...but when we go it's a PARTY in the house of Cristian (a veces sin cristian) (sometimes without Cristian). Oh my too many good memories!!! Sandra is...interesting. I love her. She is really really really shy and it's hard to open up to us. But we are working with her. Her boyfriend Rodolfo kinda looks like the guy that plays Captain Hook in Once Upon a Time....weird huh?;) So that's a little summary of the converts!!! I love MISSIONARY WORK!!!!!!

We are also looking for tons of people. I wish all the people wanted to hear the gospel. But sadly they all have their own religions and so many of them are hard hearted...but it's okay! I know the Spirit can soften any heart that is hardened!!! 

I finished reading Doctrina y Convenios this week. Estoy tan agradecida que tenemos profetas vivientes hoy en día. Nos ayudan a saber lo que Dios quiere para nosotros. Sé que José Smith fue un profeta y que Dios tenía una obra maravillosa para él. (I am so thankful(grateful) that we have living Prophets today. They help us to know what God wants for us. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that God had a marvelous (wonderful) work for him.)

Well I am not sure what else I should write. I know Mom wanted more of the miracles I see every day. I know that you are probably all sick of my miracles. Let me just tell ya...Sometimes I feel like Heavenly Father should be sick of blessing me so much ;) We have had so much éxito aquí en (success here in) Chillán!!! One of our many miracles is that Heavenly Father always gives us a taxi!!!! We have been walking around our sector and it's HUGE and it takes like 1 hour to get from our house to the sector where all our converts live...and we go there a lot. But randomly the buses and colectivos (groups) have been giving us FREE RIDES!!!! And then we give them FREE LESSONS!! AND FREE FOLLETOS!!! (free literature) and that is why I think they love us so much ;) We also have been doing 20 contacts each of us everyday. That means we talk to about 60 people sometimes more. And we still have time to have lessons with all our people! And find more new people to teach!!! Heavenly Father just loves us too much ;) He wants to give all of us blessings!!!

Well Hope this letter makes up for the crappy one last week!! Love you bunches!!

Hermanita Poulson, ¡¡¡¡¡¡su misionera FAVORITA!!!!!!

well this letter kinda stinks...

May 2, 2016

Hey what a week. I haven´t got lots of time, but I feel like I will just see you in a couple days!!!! I love being a missionary and I love my sector, my companions and practically everything. I am a little nervous because Hermana Romero will be leaving me this week. I don´t know what I am going to do without her...But it will be good. I am loving my time with Hermana Veron. She is a sweetheart. We are working sooo hard and we will help more people come unto Christ.

 

The people here, they are amazing and so humble. I love teaching them. We have been able to find lots of people. I think our biggest problem is helping them understand the importance of church. I love being a missionary! I love helping people come unto Christ.

Sorry it's so short I had to fill a couple forms for missionaries and leader stuff. 

Hermanita Poulson