Hi there!

   It has been a pretty great week! It has been pretty hot here, but I guess I can't really complain compared to Utah weather. It is funny how so much time in the rain and in the cooler temperatures makes 78 degrees feel like I am about to shrivel and prune and bake into a cobbler. (yes I said cobbler because that is probably what I eat at least once a week thanks to all the blackberries on the sides of the road) We had some awesome lessons and we are working with some fantastic people. I love missionary work. I decided watching people come unto Christ and seeing them change things that are hard for them is the most beautiful miracle I could witness. We are working with a guy who used to be heavily into alcohol. He was married and had a cute little family, but because of something he didn't consider to be a sin, his life was taken over by the alcohol and he saw for himself how not keeping the commandments only hurt himself. His family split and he started rehab. He is now a huge part of AA (alcoholics anonymous). I just love seeing how the commandments really are for us. They are not a burden, they are a freedom. They allow us to be free to live life to the fullest, and most importantly to gain joy in this life and eternal salvation. He was a refferal from a friend and he has been prepared by the Lord. Every time before he goes to church or we meet with him he prays to have an open mind and be receptive to Gods teaching. I wish I was more like this, so willing to learn and be teachable. After all this is what the Savior asks us to become. He keeps all the commitments we give to him, and he is truly trying. I know that if all the people we taught keep all the commitments we teach them and search for the answer, then every single person would come to know that it was true. Simply, because it is. And it is beautiful. More and more I see how the gospel is for everyone, how it really blesses everyone if they chose to follow it, and I grow more grateful to have it. I don't think I am as scared anymore to raise a family in this world, because I know what to teach my children and I will try my best to keep them "unspotted from the world". 

     There was a girl who came into the Visitors Center the other day. She was 14 and a non-member. I gave her a Book of Mormon and then they left. I was slightly sad that I didn't get to teach more. While I sat there, slightly disappointing with myself for not doing my best, they came back into the center. :). Her and her friend walked up to me and the friend asked if I could teach her the Plan of Salvation. Of course I practically leaped on them with excitement and said yes. After teaching for a little bit I realized that she felt she just wanted to give up, she felt unimportant to God and that no matter what she did she wouldn't be good enough. I decided it is such a shame how the devil can have such a great hold on us as to make us feel that we are not good enough, or that God doesn't care. It is hard to share with someone that he does.. to be honest I feel as though no one is good enough.. but somehow and for some reason, our souls are the most important thing to him. You know that feeling where you just give 110% and realize that it just isn't enough. You know that feeling where you just try and try to make things better but you can't, well that is how I feel sometimes. But that is when I understand the atonement. There are times where I feel like I have given it my all, and that is when our Savior cries to God for us and says "she has given all she can, let me make up for what she can't". For that I am eternally grateful. 

   I love you, and am eternally grateful for your great example to me, for helping me to get here, and teaching me how to endure to the end, and do it with joy!

Sister Poulson 

 

Weekly funny: We were baking a cobbler (surprise I am sure) and I realized that we forgot about the cobbler and it was still in the oven. So I run to go get it while Sister Bothwell has a little freak attack about how she could hear the cobbler sizzling and bubbling. Anyways.. the cobbler wasn't even burnt, and turns out the sizzling and bubbling she freaked out about, was just the sound of the sprinklers turning on outside.