Hello Family,

    This week was great! We started off by teaching a group of Spanish people English. Well.. Sister Denault did! It was simple, they had a hard time pronouncing their v's.. but Sister Denault was so encouraging and loving. Not to mention very energetic, and patient.. I need to work on that! Then we went to the 12 step program. Don't worry.. I haven't taken up alcohol or drugs or anything like that on a mission, we were just visiting :). I walked into the room and I was overcome by the Spirit. I looked around thinking, I love these people. They were so humble to come, so humble to bare testimony, and they were soo supportive of each other. I thought to myself, this i what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is about, helping people become better.. helping them and myself to find God and know that we are never alone.. we don't have to bare it alone because we never are. Nilson struggles with his testimony in English.. he was so nervous, but he tried so hard and I was so proud of him to just open his mouth and to say he felt blessed. I loved so many people in that room and I kept praying for God to help them. My prayers aren't always as sincere as they could be so when my heart is full of love and really broken and contrite I try to pray in that moment. Earlier that day we went to a new investigators that we are teaching, Shay. It was soo awesome! Guess what I got to do?! Have you guessed mow a lawn because if you have you are wrong.. we painted a fence! I felt like Tom Sawyer.. ha ha. It was awesome! It was nice being outside working on something while talking about the Gospel. The Spirit was there, at least I thought so.. She's a little closed but not completely. I really think is trust us :). She said she was going to read the Book of Mormon :)! I have really learned that being a part of the true Church does not make us higher up than anyone else, I know many people who are more spiritual than I without the fullness of the Gospel, it really just provides us with more knowledge and reminds me of how important it is to share it. 

    Conference was amazing!  I loved Elder Hollands talk! I keep telling Sister Bothwell that he will be the prophet in the last days.. she disagrees lol. I don't know what it is about him but it just pierces me to the soul when he speaks. The whole time I was sitting there thinking... be the best I can.. because I love God.. I love Christ.. not because of what other people are.. don't be stupid and don't ever give up.. I am his disciple, I represent him. It was a good reminder that serving the Lord is too important not to give my best 100% of the time. After Elder Hollands talk our investigator Roy who wont pray was sobbing.. something really got him in that talk. And I had this strong feeling that he was ready to follow Christ, to trust him. Then President Monson got up and he said "never delay a prompting." After thinking about any prompting I might have passed up, I got this feeling that I needed to invite Roy to be baptized again.. I was terrified. You think it would get easier with time but it doesn't.. it is still hard! So after he dropped us and after about 5 invites to be baptized I got the courage to sit him and Sister Bothwell down and this is how it went: "Roy... Do you love Christ?" "yes..." "then will you follow him and be baptized by someone holding that authority from God on Oct. 27th?" His answer was almost yes.. then he had the same issues he has had before even after every conference talk spoke on the atonement and feeling worthy as we accept and follow Christ (key words being follow Christ). However, he gave God an ultimatum. Which if you ask me isn't the greatest. If you love Christ, keep his commandments. We are already so indebted to Him that who am I to ask for an ultimatum. But he said if he gets a job before the end of the month he will be baptized and he's see that as a way of God telling him that this is the right path for him to follow. So.. I will be doing a lot of fasting and praying. Ken also came, he loved conference! 

     Ether 12:6. It is not in the busyness of the world that brings us success, it is in following Christ and feeling of his atonement. That is the only way to feel a broken soul, to follow him! Also we follow Christ because we trust him, and we love him, not because we have seen a sign or were struck by lightning. However I have to say that sometimes I wish people could be struck dumb, it always seemed to remind them to get their act together and follow Christ. However.. I have found in my life that it is when I take a leap of faith, knowing that somehow something will work out, that that is when miracles happen. Remember how I almost had to wait 6 months to go on a mission to earn money.. well we all knew that God needed me to go then, so because we all had faith that it was going to work out and we did our parts, look where I am :).

   Have the greatest week ever! I love you,

Sister Poulson