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)

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