Another Week!

What a week!
I guess I should say hello first though, so hello family! I love hearing from you all, mondays are the greatest day of the week because I get to hear from the people I love the most!
Anyway, I have a lot to tell you this week. Sometimes I wish I could just send home my journal and let you all read my daily entrys so I don't leave behind something significant. It is hard fitting a whole week in a little (well.. not so little) email. We have been working with this guy named Spot a lot the past few weeks. He called into the Visitors Center and he had been doing some research of the LDS church online, he said he had seen a lot of good and bad and just wanted to know what was true. That is a good step considering he read a lot of anti! It is always great when people come to the source for answers, some people go to their non member friends and ask about us.. but how would they know? The worst part is they believe what they hear from unreliable sources. Anyway so it was great that he came to us for answers. Turns out he is 27 years old and has been a member of the Baptist church his whole life, but he has so many unanswered questions that he started looking for his missing pieces. We have been teaching him for about 3 weeks now and the lessons are going great. He is one of the elect for sure! He is so prepared for this gospel it amazes me each time we talk with him. So on Monday he decided that he wanted to meet with us in person (we had only been doing phone lessons at the Visitors Center) so he came into the Center. It was monday night which meant family night so it was super crowded.. All the displays had a group of people surrounding them and I just knew it wasn't going to be a good lesson.. we had no where to talk and it was really hard to make anything personal because there were so many distractions. I already planned how we were going to make up for the lack of that lesson in the next phone chat. I don't know why I didn't just trust the Lord, he always knows what he is doing. We ended up at the Book of Mormon display where it goes over faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end using scriptures and peoples personal stories on how that scripture helped them in that specific subject. (I will need to show you how awesome this display is someday :) ) Anyway it was crazy... We started talking and listening to the display and it was like everyone else that was there left.. We were not the least bit distracted, the spirit was there 110% and it was so amazing. At first Sister Piggot seemed to know exactly what to say, she was sharing personal stories and relating so well with him and I for some reason was just exhausted and nothing came to mind. I started getting nervous because I felt like maybe I wasn't fullfilling my purpose, but then I realized how much he needed the experiences that Sister Piggott was sharing, and instead of being bugged that I wasn't talking or finding things to say I knew it was ok because he was coming closer to Christ and that was all that mattered. However I still was very in tune with what was going on so that if I was supposed to say someting I would recognize the prompting. Sure enough after we talked about baptism I had the strongest feeling that I needed to invite him to be baptized.. I was terrified to say the least. It is always scary because the last thing I want to do is scare him away from the church. But the prompting was so strong. I think I have always had a hard time being bold, especially to guys for some reason (not that I was attracted to him in any way). I kept telling myself that I couldn't do it and tried to justify and push away the promting. I didn't ask him and we continued on to the video about the Holy Ghost. We talked about how the Holy Ghost has helped us in our lives and how great it was to have the gift of the Holy Ghost and be able to have that with us as long as we let it be. He looked so eager to recieve it, he couldn't believe that he could have that as well. Finally after much prayer during the Holy Ghost film I know that I needed to ask him to be baptized, and to my suprise I just said it, the Lord definately gave me strength. He immediately said yes, and started crying. He later went on to say that right when I asked him to be baptized immediately something popped into his head that told him yes. We were all in tears by the end and I don't think I have ever had a feeling so great. I loved seeing him so happy and feeling like I really was an instrament in Gods hands. As a missionary I am lucky enough to get a taste of what my investigators are feeling, I love it more than words can explain! Although sometimes when someone is going through something difficult it is hard to feel that with them, but helps me to understand how to help them and be receptive to the spirit. His girlfriend sure isn't happy about it but I don't think anyone could ask for a better investigator... he said its hard because he really loves her but that he knows he needs to get baptized and he cannot turn away, he went on to say that maybe she isn't the one. Can you believe that? Talk about sacrifice and trust in the Lord, I cannot even imagine how many blessings the Lord is going to dump on him! He is going to do such great things I am just so happy to have been a little part of it! He is counting down the days till his special day and loves talking about it and keeps asking us what that day is going to be like! (PS I might need some extra money because me and Sister Piggot want to invest in some leather bound scriptures for him with his name ingraven...)
Here is proof that the Visitor Center really does bring about miracles (and that is just one of many). I finally got my first baptism :). Unfortinately there is opposition in all things and in the same week we got our first baptism we got dropped by another investigator. I cannot remember what her fake name is but she is the older lady with cats ha ha. But boy do I love her. She has a crazy work schedule and works graveyards in 12 hour shifts.. anyway she sleeps during the day and her schedule is just hard. She said that it just wasn't working out because she is too overwhelmed she feels like she doesn't have time for her family and that all the things we commit her too are getting overwhelming. We understood.. it would have been so easy to try to persuade her differently and talked and talked until she changed her mind. But for some reason that didnt come out, instead we were so understanding and loving and I know that it was because that was what the spirit was directing us to do. We couldn't leave without a lesson of course so we watched the movie Finding Faith in Christ. By the end she was crying, she was overwhelmed with the spirit and she had no words to explain to us what was going on in her mind. But she went on saying that everything we have taught her has been good, and that she has grown so much and had so many questions answered. She knows its true.. she pretty much told us, she went on to say that she doesn't want to lose what we have brought to her and that she still wants to keep in contact. She wants a break to catch up to family and other things but she was very advant about keeping in touch with us and wants us to send her scriptures once a week until she feels she is ready to met again. SO.. I guess I can't complain, because it ended well and the Spirit was so strong, we did what we could and I do not feel like we wasted any time with her! I love her so much! She hugged me and I just started crying.. she probably thought I was crazy and maybe I am a little (plus I was fasting which means emotions go crazy) but I just felt so much love for her.
There is so much more to say and I wish I could share it all and I wish you all could experience it with me. We have 12 investigators which keeps us so freaking busy, and sadly none of them came to church last sunday... we are working on it. We always seem to find out our weaknesses ha ha but hey without knowing our weaknesses we couldn't make them strong. Know I love you lots and I am so grateful for all the love and support. It really means so much and I feel more than blessed to have you all in my life! Have a wonderful week and I cannot wait to hear from you next week!
Much Love,
Sister Poulson

Funny of the week... It was the end of the day and we were going home for the night. I am in charge of the house keys and they just so happened to not be anywhere... we called all our appoinments that we had that day and went to a few places that we went through out the day and they were no where to be found. We weighed out our options and considered sleeping in the car.. the visitors center.. the floor of the other sisters appartment.. and many other crazy ideas. Luckly enough we called our V.C. directors and they were more than eager to let us sleep over at their place. (Which turned out to be the best idea considering we had the most comfortable beds and they made us a gormet breakfast in the morning). Anyway it snowed.. alot ha ha looked like Utah and we almost got stuck at their house for another night. We called our District leaders and they happened to have a spare key.. oops I guess we should have asked them sooner he he. So we went home and there on my desk were the lovely little keys.. my bad!

I love to see the temple!

Hello Familia!
What a week! So.. you know how I was talking about this area being "dead". Well.. it isn't anymore! We currently have 8 steady investigators and more potential as well. I love it! We are crazy busy and I wish I could tell you the story of each investigator. But I am not sure any of you have time for a novel. I am trying to sort out my week and remember what happened this week.. time seems to all mesh together and I am not sure what I have told you and what I haven't. Maybe I should have thought about this before.. Ha ha. I just want to say how great members are in the missionary work! Last night we were at the V.C. and a non-member family came in, it was super obvious considering all the tattoo's and he slightly resembles Jesus with his long hair and facial hair as well. Anyway this was one of the first times Sister Piggott and I got to teach together at the V.C., usually it is so crowded that we have to split and each talk to different people. But it just so happened to be a slower night and we could focus all our attention on this family. We taught the restoration and it went really well. One of the main questions we get asked is "what sets your church apart from all the other Christian churches" which is a much better question than "are Mormons Christian", anyway, the mom asked us that and we talked about prophets and the authority and how that was the biggest difference and an essential difference about our church. A lady happened to be in the V.C. right when we were talking about it, she left and then she came back 10 or so min. later and told me that she could not stop thinking about this lady's questions, so that she had to come back because she didn't want to have to say "I should have said something". Anyway she told us a lot about how the Church has helped her in her life and how it was different to her. At the end the mom who originally asked the question was in tears and telling her thank you and that something she had said had actually been on her mind for a while. It was amazing, I have no doubt that the Lord puts us in places at certain times for a reason. I am just so glad that she not only recognized the prompting but that she wasn't too afraid to act on it, I am so glad that she came back and shared that experience with this family.
The Visitor Center is awesome, did I tell you about the temple security guard and how he brought in a couple that weren't members? Well.. if I did you are going to hear it again. This couple came in with the temple security guard and they went through the whole tour of the V.C. (not that it's that large.. ha ha) at the end they were telling us that they had both been in near death experiences and both exceeded a death date given to them by doctors. He was in a comma and was told that he would never be coming back, so many of his family members were ready to pull the plug and just give up on him. But she insisted that they don't ever give up on him. When the doctors told her that he wasn't going to live she looked them in the eye and said "you can't tell me when he is going to go, and you can't take his life, only God knows and only God has the power to do that". Anyway he woke up from the comma and was only saved because of her faith in God. She knew the whole time that God wouldn't fail her and that He had all the power, she knew that whether he lived or not was not her decision and because of that he is still alive today. They both have the strongest testimonies and know that they are here for a reason. Now we are sharing with them that reason for this life. Turns out that they were in our area and interested in learning more so we have been teaching them and they even came to church on Sunday! We are working with the greatest people. Sometimes I think they are here to teach me instead of the other way around. Missionary life is good! Hopefully soon we will have some baptisms that I can email you about! I love you lots and I thank God every night for giving me you! I always express how great my family is.. one lady said you love that the church is so family oriented because you have a good family situation. And I said no.. because of the church and the faith my family has is the reason we have such a good family situation.
Much love,
Sister Poulson

Time flies when your having fun!

I feel like usually I have so much to say. But this week has been so busy and crazy that I don't know what to say. We got 2 new Investigators, Marv and Mertle.. ha ha hainess I know.. and they are awesome. I love when members help us out. We have been so busy doing visits and meeting with our investigators that we literally do not track anymore.. so finding people is harder. But... we have the best ward ever and they help us out in so many ways! A brother in our ward has been friends with Marv since high school (maybe even before) and he had this prompting that he should invite him and his wife to church with him on Sunday. Anyway they came! And when he asked if they wanted to meet with the missionaries they said yes! I love it when that happens! And I love when the Lord prepares people for us! Anyway they are awesome.. what more can I say! Marv loves us ha ha. He announced at church to a whole lot of people that we are his new girlfriends, then he insisted that he be our adopted dad while we are on our missions and spoil us like crazy. So ya.. he's awesome right?! She is awesome too! She is feeding us tonight actually! They insisted on feeding us dinner before our lesson tonight and apparently she is a great cook. And by looks of Marv it is pretty obvious :)! We are excited for that. Our first lesson went on for hours though.. the member friend came with us and he decided he was going to teach the lesson.. ha ha I was so frustrated but looking back it was kinda funny, and I guess it wasn't completely awful considering they invited us back and our now our adopted parents.
The Visitor Center is going great! I love going there and being all dry and warm ha ha and it is always well lit! I swear Oregon doesn't like light.. it is always dark because of the clouds,trees, and then people decide not to have street lights or porch lights for that matter. Which does awful things to Sister Piggots clumseyness ha ha. Oh.. and did I tell you they love pets. When I say love that is almost an understatement.. they are better than children to some people. Not only do they all have them, but they sit and eat with them using the same fork and plate.. weird right. Maybe the Lord sent me here to adapt to pets, but I think I still won't like them when I get back lol. Anyway.. that was a random tangent. The other day we had a man call into the Center who is 27 and has been baptist his whole life. He asked if we do lessons over the phone, so.. we called him yesterday and taught him the restoration. It was awesome!!! He felt like he was doing something really bad by researching other churches, but he said that he just had this hole that the Baptist church didn't fill. (Sad but we love to hear that.) So we filled his hole! Ha ha.. weird. Anyway, it went really well, at the end he was crying (yes a 27 year old man in tears) and he explained that he didn't know why he was crying but he wasn't sad, and that he had the most amazing feeling. Oh my goodness it is so great when things like that happen. And I started to realize how lucky I am to always have that feeling, and to know what it is. So many people go throughout their life not having it, and here I am having it all the time and taking it for granted. He loved the feeling of the spirit and even said that he wanted to have it all the time. We told him he could! And if I could play it out right now I would say that he will be getting baptised fairly soon! It is funny how different all our investigators are. We are still working with.. oh crud I forgot her made up name.. ha ha but we are still working with her and she is doing awesome. She loves everything about the church and we even invited her to be baptized, she says that it is very possible but she wants to be sure, which is totally understandable. And great! She is a slow progressor and Bill (the Baptist) is a speedy one! Sparkle is no longer in the picture. She was so stoked to meet us and invite us back but when we came back she wasn't home. Which was weird because before that I had this feeling that I needed to write out notes in the chapter of the Book of Mormon we were reading to help her understand.. I wrote a lot of notes. So we left that at her door and that was that, I just hope someday she will come across it, or someone will and be helped by my notes! Ha ha I think the Lord knew that she wasn't going to be home, and that we weren't going to be able to teach her, so He had me teach her in a way that she will be able to find when she is ready. Lucy and Gucy have been so busy that it is hard to find a time to meet with them. Sometimes I forget that people have lives ha ha I think everyone is just a missionary and thinking about the gospel all the time. So hopefully we will be able to meet with them sometimes in the next week (which is hard again because we are sooo busy.. our whole week is already planned with a ton of lessons which is great). We have a lot of new investigators :) some from the V.C.!! Anyway.. This letter was a little more boring than the rest but I am just so drained right now. Ha ha it has been a crazy P-day filled with service, stitches (not on me), and skitsofrenic emotional draining people (who I love). I hope you are all doing good. I love you millions!
Sister Poulson

Hello

I don't have a lot of time so I am going to try to make this one shorter lol!

Sister Piggott was telling me that her stake president said to her before she went on a mission " Elders go on their missions because they made a promise to God while in heaven that they would, Sister go on missions because they made promises in heaven to people that they would come and find them and teach them the gospel." I loved this! I love thinking that I did make promises to people, and I told them that because they wouldn't have the gospel I would come find them and give them that great opportunity so they too can live with their father in heaven forever. I am so lucky to be trusted by God and by the people here!

The other day at the V.C. (Visitors Center) a lady came in on a wheelchair completely bright eyed and full of sunshine. She was so sweet and so nice and I just loved her. I watched a film about families with her called Gods Plan and after it I bore my testimony on how lucky we are to have eternal families and the greatness of Gods plan for us. Then she said "My whole family is inactive.. completely inactive, where does that leave me?" I felt really bad and at first I wasn't sure what I was going to say, I haven't been where she is and I needed to know how to help her. I started talking about how God knows her and he knows her Children and a lot of other comments. Anyway time went on and she said thank you, but a few min. later I had this feeling that I should read her the bookmark Grandma Poulson gave me. I love that book mark! I walked over to her and told her to read it because it reminded me of her, her eyes were bad so she asked if I would read it for her. I choked back tears and read it to her, we talked about it and how God knew us before this life and he knew we would forget him, but there will be a day when we marvel at the wounds in the Saviors hands and realize all that he did was for us, and that God made a promise to us that he would not forget nor forsake us but that he would never give up on his children and always come for us. And that he would not leave us comfortless but that he would keep trying . She was sobbing at the end and the spirit was so strong. We were surrounded by amazing technology and the thing that touched her the most was on a small piece of 10 cent paper.
By the end of last month we were out of miles. We wrote down that we were going to go drop off a Book of Mormon to someone who had requested one online. We figured that was a pretty big step so we would for sure do that. Anyway we got there and he wasn't home and the miles were out. So.. we went tracting down that street! It was freezing.. and raining pretty hard! And to be honest I wasn't too excited about tracting, but.. I sucked it up and off we went. We first met Roy (not his real name), We knocked on his door and we knew he had just been smoking. We gave our usual schpiel and before he said no we started talking about him and asking questions about what he was doing in Lake Oswego and so on. He said he was trying to fix his life. Before I knew it I started talking about trials and how God and this gospel helps us through trials. He accepted our invitation to come back! And if that wasn't enough we went a few houses down with little success and then ended up at Norris's house. He answered and again we gave our schpiel. He said he was a Mormon.. well was a Mormon. We talked and turns out he stopped going to church when he got married because his wife was not a member and it caused a lot of problems. He was sooo shocked to see us. But in a good way! He said he hadn't opened the door in 2 years and now he does and it is us. We talked and he kept saying things like "I can't believe your here!" He asked where the church was and said that he was at a place where he could now come back to church (he was divorced as well). It was a neat experience and it was the first real time that I felt I was in the right place at the right time. I don't know what was going on before or what his life was like, but he knew and we knew that we needed to be there!
The Lord works in mysterious ways! Neither of us had a prompting to tract that street but the Lord made sure we were there! I love being part of His work!

I love you all!!!
Sister Poulson

Quote of the Week: "the gospel does not make life easy, it makes it possible"

Funny of the week: We called a lady to confirm a lesson and a man answered the phone.. It was very obviously a man too lol. Sister Piggott asked "Hi! Is this Suzy?!" ha ha poor guy insisted on now getting a voice change..