Hello family,
It has been weird starting over with a new area and a new companion. I loved my last area and I know that with time I will grow to love it here as well. We met a few of our investigators this last week. It is funny how different they all are from my previous area. My last area I taught a lot of older people who mostly struggled with finding their testimony and the truth of the message we shared. This area has a strong testimony but struggles with keeping the commandments and following the way of God. There is a couple that we are teaching and they are really great. I guess the sisters had been leaving pamphlets and pass along cards on the door steps and one man ran up and asked if they were the ones that were leaving the stuff on the door. They scaredly responded yes. Turns out he is a member (very less active) and had been looking for a church building around the area. Also he is living with his non member girlfriend and now we are teaching them both! We had an amazing lesson with them about the tree of life. I love the scriptures in 1 Nephi 8 and 11. It sums up life and my goal in life very well. Life is hard and there are lots of mists of darkness, but among all of the mist we have something to hold onto and guide us away from the evil of the world. And that is the gospel. The gospel is a place where we can forget how small and insignificant we may be and work towards what we want to become. Sometimes I feel as a missionary I have to be perfect, because messing up means someone’s salvation, but the gospel does not teach that, it teaches to try our hardest and do our best, and if we do that then God will be pleased with our efforts and our faith. Anyway this girl, Sarah (not real name again) has some problems with the word of wisdom. She loves the gospel and she wants to get baptized. It is just hard to change. Change is hard, it really is, but it is so worth it. I remember before my mission I was thinking about how different a mission would be, how I would have to give up a lot of things that I so regularly did and become better, it was hard and it was scary, and it still is, but I know it is worth it! I have seen so many blessings that have come from my mission and this change that I know without a doubt that the Lord knew I would need this to have a more full and blessed life and be able to share the blessings more freely. For her it is just taking the step, to change and know that God will always come through for her, and even if it's hard, there is no sacrifice too great for the blessings of salvation.
Another one is working towards a mission, it will be a lot of work but if it is really his goal and he really wants that then it is possible! We are also working with an older guy. I love him! He is so sweet and nice and he has no bad bone in his body. Sad thing is he doesn't see his worth. He was reading the conference ensign and together we read from Jeffery Hollands talk: "I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines." By the end he was sobbing. The spirit was so strong. I love that no matter what we have done and where we feel we are at, that the atonement covers everything! There is nothing to dark or deep that can not be made whole through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He almost dropped us recognizing this spirit that had touched his heart as an emotional weakness. I believe it is a strength. When we are vulnerable to God, that is when we become closest to him and recognize him working more fully in our life. I really hope he gets baptized, he doesn't see that he is worth it. But truth is, none of us are, the gospel is greater than all of our worth, but to God, we are worth it! We are all sinners and have all begged for mercy, and that is what the gospel is, not to be perfect, but to become all that we can be.
I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing week. Keep reading the scriptures, the more I read the more I know of the greatness of God. He really does love us, we really are so blessed, if we just remember!
Sister Poulson
Funny of the week: During Sister Bothwells prayer "please help us make and keep commandments".. ha ha I bet you didn't know that as missionaries me make commandments ;).
Stupidity of the week: After contacting a non member by name, he said "I used to be a member" my response "oh so you used to be a member?" him "well.. ya... isn't that how you knew my name" haha oh I love when things like that happen!
It has been weird starting over with a new area and a new companion. I loved my last area and I know that with time I will grow to love it here as well. We met a few of our investigators this last week. It is funny how different they all are from my previous area. My last area I taught a lot of older people who mostly struggled with finding their testimony and the truth of the message we shared. This area has a strong testimony but struggles with keeping the commandments and following the way of God. There is a couple that we are teaching and they are really great. I guess the sisters had been leaving pamphlets and pass along cards on the door steps and one man ran up and asked if they were the ones that were leaving the stuff on the door. They scaredly responded yes. Turns out he is a member (very less active) and had been looking for a church building around the area. Also he is living with his non member girlfriend and now we are teaching them both! We had an amazing lesson with them about the tree of life. I love the scriptures in 1 Nephi 8 and 11. It sums up life and my goal in life very well. Life is hard and there are lots of mists of darkness, but among all of the mist we have something to hold onto and guide us away from the evil of the world. And that is the gospel. The gospel is a place where we can forget how small and insignificant we may be and work towards what we want to become. Sometimes I feel as a missionary I have to be perfect, because messing up means someone’s salvation, but the gospel does not teach that, it teaches to try our hardest and do our best, and if we do that then God will be pleased with our efforts and our faith. Anyway this girl, Sarah (not real name again) has some problems with the word of wisdom. She loves the gospel and she wants to get baptized. It is just hard to change. Change is hard, it really is, but it is so worth it. I remember before my mission I was thinking about how different a mission would be, how I would have to give up a lot of things that I so regularly did and become better, it was hard and it was scary, and it still is, but I know it is worth it! I have seen so many blessings that have come from my mission and this change that I know without a doubt that the Lord knew I would need this to have a more full and blessed life and be able to share the blessings more freely. For her it is just taking the step, to change and know that God will always come through for her, and even if it's hard, there is no sacrifice too great for the blessings of salvation.
Another one is working towards a mission, it will be a lot of work but if it is really his goal and he really wants that then it is possible! We are also working with an older guy. I love him! He is so sweet and nice and he has no bad bone in his body. Sad thing is he doesn't see his worth. He was reading the conference ensign and together we read from Jeffery Hollands talk: "I do not know who in this vast audience today may need to hear the message of forgiveness inherent in this parable, but however late you think you are, however many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made or talents you think you don’t have, or however far from home and family and God you feel you have traveled, I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines." By the end he was sobbing. The spirit was so strong. I love that no matter what we have done and where we feel we are at, that the atonement covers everything! There is nothing to dark or deep that can not be made whole through the atonement of Jesus Christ. He almost dropped us recognizing this spirit that had touched his heart as an emotional weakness. I believe it is a strength. When we are vulnerable to God, that is when we become closest to him and recognize him working more fully in our life. I really hope he gets baptized, he doesn't see that he is worth it. But truth is, none of us are, the gospel is greater than all of our worth, but to God, we are worth it! We are all sinners and have all begged for mercy, and that is what the gospel is, not to be perfect, but to become all that we can be.
I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing week. Keep reading the scriptures, the more I read the more I know of the greatness of God. He really does love us, we really are so blessed, if we just remember!
Sister Poulson
Funny of the week: During Sister Bothwells prayer "please help us make and keep commandments".. ha ha I bet you didn't know that as missionaries me make commandments ;).
Stupidity of the week: After contacting a non member by name, he said "I used to be a member" my response "oh so you used to be a member?" him "well.. ya... isn't that how you knew my name" haha oh I love when things like that happen!
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