Week 44: #RIPElderAdair

We finished off Elder Adair's last week as a missionary.  It was atypical but that's only fitting for a missionary seeing as that's how every week is.

We started the week off by calling our families on Christmas.  It was a stress reliever that we both needed.  It was great to talk to them and open presents together.  It's good to have a little "normal" time.  Our President was nice enough to not give us a time limit on calls, so I got to spend most of the day with my family.  I can't believe that I've already called home twice.  Time flies.

On Wednesday, I was getting dressed while Elder Adair was just getting out of the shower, and our power went completely out.  We were super confused as to what happened and after some investigation, we realized that the rest of the surrounding area had power so it was just our house.  We went about our day and made some phone calls to get it fixed.  We went over to Larry and Fran's house, the sister of the Mission President in the Washington D.C. South Mission.  We shared a Christmas video with them and talked a little bit about our church.  They didn't seem extremely interested but they were very nice.  We are going to stay in touch with President Caplin and keep Larry and Fran on our radar.  The power was still out at this point, and because all of our appliances are electrical, we had no way to eat, so we treated ourselves at the "Fenney Grill".  We had no power for the rest of the night, we might as well have been camping.  We made the most of it though.

The next morning at about 7, we got a call from an electrician who said he would be there at 8.  We did our normal morning routine and got calls for the next 4 hours saying he was "on his way".  We couldn't leave our house because he said he was close, but showed up at 12:30.  He walked in, worked his Orlando Magic, and the power was back on.  He said he'd been doing electrical work for 25 years but had never seen a breaker quite like ours.  That's the latest episode in the saga of "The Sumterville Bungalow".

Friday was Elder Adair's departing temple trip.  We drove down to Orlando in the morning and saw the beautiful white building in the morning sky.  All the missionaries going home this week went through a session with President and Sister Clark... and the Assistants.  I'm not really sure why they were there, they literally had no purpose, but I guess that's just a perk of being in the high chair.

Saturday, we had a really cool lesson with a woman we've been teaching named Donna.  She's always a great listener and loves reading the Book of Mormon.  She has struggles committing to one church, so its hard seeing her getting baptized, but she sure does love the Savior.  We went over and she seemed to be having a harder time than usual.  She was tearing up talking about a lot of the struggles she's been going through recently.  There's a particular picture of Christ from the Church's Bible videos that she loves.  We've always wanted to get her a copy.  I have an awesome friend back home who made a crafty little thing with that picture on it.  She told me that I should give it to someone because "giving is always better than receiving".  It couldn't have been any more divine.  Donna loved it and burst into tears.  It was exactly what she needed.  I've never seen anyone so grateful for something so small.  She thanked us and thanked my friend.  Even though my friend is in Utah and doesn't know Donna, she made her day, and impacted her immeasurably.  

“You never know. You never know whether you do any good. You never know how much good you do.” - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Elder Adair is pretty much packed up.  He's ready to fly home and continue on with his life.  I'll miss him a lot.  He's been a great companion and a great friend.  However, as for me and the Sumterville area, the work moves on.  I'll be getting Elder Taylor.  He's been out for about a year and a half.  He was actually trained in Viera 1 so that will be something to talk about.  I've met him a few times and like what I've seen.  I'm super excited for this next chapter of my mission.

My heart is full of love and gratitude because of the mercy God has for me.  I know that without Jesus Christ, I would be nothing.  I owe every breath that I breath to Him.  Growing closer to Him these past few months have been the most rewarding thing of my life, and I'm excited to continue on this path.

Have a great week.  Love y'all!

Elder Poulsen

Last District Pic

Treat Yo' Self

"Campfire Song Song"

Orlando Florida Temple

Donna & Elder Adair

Jar Jar Binks

Week 44: 2 Nephi 2:8

Something that I've been pondering a lot and had a great conversation with another missionary about is tribulations and the blessings that come from them.  We often times think about the negative effects that come from trials and how if we can just get over the hump, we'll be good.  Sometimes we need to look at the positives of trials.  Easier said than done, but when we recognize the purpose of our hardships and see them as opportunities to grow closer to Jesus Christ, we will be happier.  We come out stronger and with a better vision of life.

Paul said "And [the Lord] said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

My hope is that we can all look at how our trials have blessed us.  I hope to get to the point where I can always be grateful for my trials just as Paul was.  They truly offer contrast in our life and help us appreciate the Savior and His Atonement.

Elder Poulsen

Week 43: I'll Be Home for Christmas... If Only in My Dreams

What an interesting week it's been.  Not super memorable but it was still a good time.  We didn't have a lot of time to find this week.  We stopped by a few members and shared a Christmas message.  We are really trying to encourage the ward to share the gospel, but they tend to shy away because they've grown older and are tired.  We'll get there though.

We had our exchange with the District Leader this week.  I went up to Belleview to be with Elder Blomstedt and Elder Moore.  The first night, we were stopping by a few dots in our area book.  It was getting dark about the time we were heading into the more country part of this area.  There was a dirt road and at the end of it was a house.  Someone that had contact with missionaries before lived there.  We were driving on fairly hard dirt and all of the sudden, we hit a patch of sugar sand and our car was stuck.  We tried to get it out but it was in vain.  We called President Clark and told him.  We could hear Sister Clark laughing in the background.  It was funny but we were sort of stressed.  We had the Elders in the other side of Belleview come pick us up and take us home.  We left a note on the car saying we'd come back in the morning.  We finally got our car back after a long process.  There's really no point of me telling this story but it makes life interesting.

We had our Christmas Devotional this week.  It was really great.  We had half the mission like we always do for Zone Conference but we heard uplifting talks from President and Sister Clark, heard musical numbers, and sang Christmas hymns.  It was super spiritual.  My favorite mission meeting we've ever had.  President Clark quoted something super profound.  I can't remember what it was from, but it says, "Despite external circumstances, Christmas, like the kingdom of God, is within you."  I loved this a lot.  It goes along with Luke 17:20-21, "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

We were blessed with 3 referrals this week.  One of them was from the Mission President in the Washington D.C. South Mission.  We called President Caplin and his wife.  They were super loving and wanted us to go see his Sister in The Villages.  She said she'd love to have a Christmas message shared with her.  We are going over on Thursday.

"And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal." (Helaman 8:15)

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:10-14)

That's about it for this week folks.  I love you all and want you to know that your Savior loves you.  Have a great week and Merry Christmas!!

Elder Poulsen

Elder Blomstedt and Elder Moore

Car got $tuck

Getting the car fixed

Ma Boi Elder Pottle

Pic from last week

Week 43: Luke 2:1-14

President Clark quoted 2 Corinthians 3:3 during our Christmas Devotional.  It says "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."

I love this scripture.  As Christmas comes to us tomorrow, I've been thinking about my testimony of the birth and divinity of Jesus Christ.  I can write, say, and think I have a testimony, but where true testimony is written is in the "fleshy tables of the heart".  Our experiences and acceptance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ allow us to truly feel our testimony.  To know with a surety that He was born, died, and rose again.  There are many things I do not know, but one thing is written in the fleshy tables of my heart.  That is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of the Living God, that He was born to Mary in Bethlehem, that He died for our sins and afflictions, and that he conquered death on the third day.  Nothing can make me deny that.  I know it to be true because of the experiences I've had.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Elder Poulsen

Week 42: G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Raised In The South)

This week was strange.  It was one that felt like an eternity during the day but when I look back, it feels like a few seconds.

I feel like we talked to a lot more Southerners this week.  Specifically Florida natives.  It's a different world when working with those people.  They are very proud of their Southern heritage.  I've heard things like:  "The Northerners are taking over.  We gotta go find somewhere else to live." and "Only Northerners sweeten their grits." and yes, even the very cringey "Did you know the South actually won the Civil War?".  It's been really interesting but funny.  Oh, and I've actually become very fond of grits.  Tasty stuff.

We had a few lessons with Mark this week.  For the first one, we taught him the Word of Wisdom and the temple.  He was really receptive and it was really powerful.  He talked about marrying his girlfriend and getting sealed in the temple.  It's really cool to see his desires change over time.  The second lesson was pretty dang spiritual.  We were planning on teaching the Law of Chastity but when we showed up to the chapel, he looked different.  He looked tired, stressed, and annoyed.  When we sat down, I instantly knew that we needed to focus on scripture study and prayer.  He had a few rough experiences and wasn't feeling great.  The lesson was exactly what he needed and it was a huge testimony builder for me.  I know God is aware of Mark and his struggles.  He touched us so that we would teach exactly what we were supposed to.

Saturday, we had our exchanges with the Zone Leaders.  Elder Watteyne came down to Sumterville to be with me.  We had a really great time.  Elder Watteyne is super personable and always has a smile on his face.  We talked a lot about pride and how it impacts our lives.  We also of course talked about eternal families.  (We are focused but still hyped for marriage).  It was really cool to get someone else's perspective on it.  We also had a cool finding experience.  We were in a neighborhood in Wildwood and prayed for guidance to a specific person.  We stopped by a few potentials, formers, and knocked a few doors.  Nothing.  We had about 10 minutes until we had to leave for dinner, so we prayed again and then decided to stop by one more potential.  While we were walking there, we saw a guy walking his kid in a stroller.  His name is Jason and he was really friendly, which felt good cause everyone earlier was standoffish.  He has a faith in God but has many questions.  We told him about the Book of Mormon and he said he wanted to check it out at the library.  We told him we would bring him one on Thursday.  It was really great because we felt like we were supposed to meet him, and everything we did earlier led us to that point.

One more experience that we had during the week.  We had a few lessons that fell through and we didn't have any idea what we were going to do.  We prayed about where to go and we got a specific prompting to go visit a less-active family.  I felt weird about it because we had tried many times before but they were never home.  We decided to give it a try.  We went by and she was on her porch.  She said that she wasn't even supposed to be home at that time.  She was really nice and was grateful that we stopped by.  She hadn't seen anyone from the church in a few years.  We are going to go over and meet with her kids who aren't baptized yet.  It truly was a tender mercy from the Lord.

Thats about it for the updates.  Today we went fishing in the Lecanto area and then went all the way out by Crystal River to see the Gulf.  Not very many missionaries can say they've seen the East and West coast of Florida on their mission.  It's good down here in the FOM.

That's about it for this week.  Love y'all.

Elder Poulsen

Phatty

Family Pic

 #BonesOnTheBeach

I don't remember posing for this picture

Week 42: Alma 7:10-13

This week at Sacrament meeting, we sang "Away in a Manger".  I've heard this song a hundred times but I've never focused on the words, especially the third verse.

"Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;

The stars in the heavens looked down where he lay,

The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

"The cattle are lowing; the poor baby wakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.

I love thee, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky

And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

"Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And fit us for heaven to live with thee there."

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  This time of year is wonderful.  It reminds us of our Lord and the duty we have to serve others, not only during the Christmas season, but throughout our lives.

Elder Poulsen

Week 41: Jesus is a girl

We had a pretty good week.  We had some amazing tender mercies.

On Thursday, we had our Zone Conference in Oviedo.  I was able to see a few people that I know and I also saw Elder Pottle which was awesome!  The meeting was pretty boring honestly but the Apopka Ward catered which was cool.  I got to see a few ward members there.  After it ended, we went to Jeremiah's with a few other missionaries.  It's a super good Italian ice place that started in Central Florida I believe.

During the week, we've found a lot of critters in our house.  Elder Adair lifted his laundry bag up and a huge wolf spider was just sitting there.  I kind of freaked out but Elder Adair stepped on it.  Luckily there were no babies on its back.  Another time, we were clearing out all the old food in our refrigerator.  We never use our front door unless we take out the trash.  We opened the door and a snake slithered in.  We aren't sure what snake it was but it definitely wasn't a mere garder snake.  He b-lined it for the pantry and again, I freaked out.  Elder Adair had no fear and destroyed it with a wooden baseball bat.  Good times in the bungalow.

I had a doctor's appointment in DeLand.  On our way back, we decided to stop by Darlene because both Elder Adair and I served in Apopka.  He actually baptized her.  She's awesome.  We also stopped by a Jamaican Restaurant in South Apopka that I love.  We had lunch with the Apopka Elders there.

A little funny story.  The entire ward met together in the chapel for 3rd hour to learn about the new two hour program coming up.  Elder Adair and I sat in front of the family who has a primary aged granddaughter.  She's one of the very few primary kids in our ward.  Her name is Bailey and she's adorable.  I leaned over and gave Bailey a card that showed Mary and Baby Jesus.  She took it and said "Aww.. Jesus is a girl."  It was so funny, I was not expecting it at all.  Kids say the darndest things.

We had a lesson with Mark this week.  We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Bishop was there to help.  He understood what we were telling him and he had a lot of great comments.  The Spirit was really strong and we felt that he was ready for baptism.  We invited him to be baptized on December 29th and he accepted.  It has been a great experience for us to see him change just in the few weeks we've known him.  He said he's "going to do whatever it takes".

We had an amazing experience with prayer on Saturday.  We had a few stop bys that didn't go anywhere.  Feeling deflated, we stopped the car to look for a next person to stop by.  We said a prayer and asked for specific promptings that would lead us to those that want to hear the gospel.  As soon as the prayer was finished, and I mean right as we said "amen", I put the car into drive and checked the rear view mirror.  There was a guy walking on the sidewalk.  I had that natural man come in and I thought about driving away, but I remembered the prayer and new this was an opportunity to show God that He can trust us.  The guy was super awesome.  His name is Jeremiah and has heard of our Church.  He was totally down to have us come over.  We taught him about the Book of Mormon and how important families are.  We set up a return appointment for Tuesday at 11.

I know that God lives and is aware of us.  I know prayer is powerful.  I know Jesus Christ is our Savior.  If I can help one person remember Him, my mission will be successful.

"But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." (1 Nephi 1:20)

Elder Poulsen

Jeremiah's

My homie Darlene

He thought he owned the place

Week 41: John 14:6

While we were in our lesson with Mark, Bishop said something very profound that I absolutely loved.  He said, "We are today, where we most desire to be."

It really got me thinking about our desires.  Really, everything revolves around desire.  What do we desire to do?  Where do we desire to be?  Who do we desire to be?  When we have righteous desires, we do righteous things.  It's just that simple.  I want to align my desires more to be in harmony with God's way.  I want to more fully desire to love God and keep His commandments.  I want to desire more to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  It is through Him that we obtain perfection and peace.  We just need to have the desire to follow Him.

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." (2 Nephi 31:20)

Elder Poulsen

Week 40: I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

This week was pretty straightforward.  We had a few lessons and service opportunities.  It is now officially Christmas time and it's strange to see Christmas lights on palm trees and no snow on the ground.  Today it was 82°F so it threw me off a bit.  It'll be my first Christmas away from snow and the mountains.

We were able to teach Mark a few times.  We met at the chapel with a member, Brother Duffee.  We taught him the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation.  He received it well and has read the Book of Mormon.  He is a stud.  He's progressed so much in the little time that we've known him and we are excited to see where he goes.

Zone Training Meeting was this week and there were some great trainings.  The thing that stood out to me the most was the training on hope.  They talked about the kinds of circumstances that would cause us to be discouraged.  We all go through a lot of hard things. Physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion.  No matter what our attitude is, our circumstances will stay the same.  When we have a positive attitude, we are able to endure with more joy.  I've been trying to implement that to my life.  I know that my circumstances won't change, but if I think positively and thank God for every single thing, I will be happier.  I know that to be true for everyone.

We went to a place in Inverness in the Lecanto area on Saturday.  We were with our whole district putting together Christmas presents for less fortunate children.  It was really fun because we actually had the names of the kids and their interests.  We were able to pick out things they'd like and wrap them.  One kid named James really wanted Pokémon items.  Elder Adair and I hooked him up with a bunch of Pokémon pajamas, cards, a backpack, and a stuffed Squirtle.  It was super fun and rewarding at the same time.

Last night was the Church's Christmas Devotional.  They were broadcasting it at the stake center in Eustis.  We weren't able to go, but Brother Duffee took Mark to watch it.  I am so impressed with how the ward has helped and welcomed Mark.  He needs friends and the ward has taken over.  I am humbled to see the love they have.

"Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me.  And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—" (3 Nephi 27:13-14)

That's all I have to report on.  Have a great week y'all!

Elder Poulsen

Chef Bad-Boi-Yeet with the Sisters

Last P-Day in the wilderness

Leesburg Zone

Week 40: Matthew 17:20

This week, I was pondering about humility and how we come to obtain it.  I thought about how sometimes we only rely on God if things don't go our way.  Only if we want something.  Sometimes we rely on God in good times, without having a circumstance to bring us to humility.  In an inspired scripture study, I came across Alma 32:12-16 which says, "I say unto you, it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye should learn wisdom; for it is because that ye are cast out, that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble.  And now, because ye are compelled to be humble blessed are ye; for a man sometimes, if he is compelled to be humble, seeketh repentance; and now surely, whosoever repenteth shall find mercy; and he that findeth mercy and endureth to the end the same shall be saved.  And now, as I said unto you, that because ye were compelled to be humble ye were blessed, do ye not suppose that they are more blessed who truly humble themselves because of the word?  Yea, he that truly humbleth himself, and repenteth of his sins, and endureth to the end, the same shall be blessed—yea, much more blessed than they who are compelled to be humble because of their exceeding poverty.  Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe."

I apologize for the fat chunk of scripture, but it really hit me and went along perfectly with what I was pondering days before.  I started thinking about my own life and when I was compelled or not compelled to be humble.  I've taken it upon myself to not only humble myself when things don't go my way, but in all things.  Always doing the right thing no matter what.  I know we are truly blessed beyond comprehension when we follow God in turmoil and prosperity.

Elder Poulsen

Week 39: Scooter the DJ

Holy cow, what a week.  Literally... there are a lot of God-fearing cows out here.

This week I experienced my first Thanksgiving away from family.  It definitely wasn't the same, but it was good for what it was.  I was hoping to be in Melbourne for Thanksgiving, but the ward welcomed me in.

As I mentioned before, I've been transferred up to the Sumterville Ward which is considerably bigger than Viera 1.  We live in the city of Wildwood and cover roughly 600 square miles.  When I first got to the Sumterville bungalow, the musty smell hit me harder than transfer calls.  It was actually more humid inside the house than it was outside.  It is literally a cottage in the woods and I feel like I am at a summer camp.  It's pretty awesome.  I am no longer living the cushioned coastal life.

Let's talk about a few things this interesting area in Sumter County, Florida has to offer.

We cover 95% of Sumter County and it has the oldest median age in the country.  With my experiences at church and out proselyting, I can confirm that statement.  There is a massive community established here called The Villages.  It's hard to explain, you really have to experience it to understand, but it's basically where older folks go to retire.  Yes, that stereotype about Florida is real, and I'm living that reality.  There is plenty of entertainment, restaurants, clubs, and shopping.  Everyone gets around by golf cart.  There are golf cart specific paths.  There are about 700 golf holes in the villages and it's free if you live there.  I'm telling you, it's something else.  Words can't describe The Villages.  Most of our active members live there so we see a lot of it.

While walking around one of the town squares, we bumped into a guy who was visiting his mom for the week.  After talking for a little bit, we found out he is the Miami Marlins mascot!  He also works for the Florida Panthers and said he'd hook us up with free tickets anytime.  He was super chill.  It's not everyday that you get to meet a mascot for a professional baseball team.  On Thanksgiving night, we went to one of the town squares to walk around and talk to people.  No one was really interested in talking to us because they were too focused on the concert that was going on.  This guy named Scooter the DJ was up on a stage getting everyone hyped.  I've never seen 65+ year olds dance to "I'm Sexy and I Know It" quite like that.  It was an sight to behold and Scooter the DJ lived up to his name of being the best entertainer in The Villages.

The other parts of the Sumterville Ward are ghetto areas and rural areas.  There are some poorer areas in Wildwood that we went proselyting in.  There were tons of people outside playing dominoes and listening to music.  It was pretty fun.  There are also a lot of cows and fields.

On Sunday, we drove to the chapel for ward council.  When we got there, we realized that no one was there and that we probably weren't having it.  We waited in the chapel and a few ward members showed up.  I was introducing myself to people when the bishop came up to me.  He had a guy with him and told me his name was Mark.  The bishop walked away and I talked to the guy for a bit.  It turns out that he is going through some rough times and was looking for peace.  His fiancé is a member and told him that he could come to our church.  He stayed for all three hours and even asked questions and talked in Elders Quorum.  We struggled to find all week and then a new investigator fell into our laps.  During sacrament meeting, Elder Adair leaned over and said "President is here."  After a few seconds, it finally registered, and my first thought was, "What did I do?".  Of course, the one time he shows up we are teaching gospel principles.  President and Sister Clark were really helpful in answering questions and bringing the Spirit.  They had other obligations in the surrounding area and decided to stop by.  It was the most stressed I've ever been at church, but it ended up being really good.

Needless to say, it will be a very interesting time here.  I'm excited for the next five weeks.  My new companion's name is Elder Adair.  He's from American Fork, Utah and has been out for twenty-three months.  He finishes his mission this transfer so I will be killing him off and getting another companion when the new year rolls around.  I can't believe it's already November 26th.  I very distinctly remember that February day when I stepped into the MTC and had no idea what I was doing.  I still don't know what I'm doing but, the experiences I've had have changed me and I am so grateful for them.

"...and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.  The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?  Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." (Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-9)

Love y'all!

Elder Poulsen

My last night in Viera.  

The Grover's and 1/2 of the Snavely's.

A Holy Cow

The Belleview District

Haven't fished since Apopka

New Address:

3220 County Road 511, Wildwood FL 34785

Week 39: Mosiah 5:2-5

Reading in the "How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes" section in Preach My Gospel, I read the section on hope.  It says "[Hope] is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good."

There are many great blessings when we have hope.  I've taken it upon myself to have more hope in missionary work and in my own personal life.  I know that it is important to have hope in everything we do, because we will drive ourselves nuts if we don't.

In that same section, there is a quote written.  It reads, “Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have ‘moved away from the hope of the gospel’  Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down.” - Elder Neal A. Maxwell

I encourage you all to pray for more hope and then spread that hope to others.  If we all do that, we will make the world a better place.

Elder Poulsen

Week 38: Bidding Adieu to Family

What an interesting week it was.  To cut to the chase, I'm being transferred to Sumterville which is in the Leesburg Zone.  I'm going to try to swing an exchange with the Apopka Elders.  I was also informed that Elder Lester is going there.  That's going to be so awesome.  Elder Hekking got his visa and left for Madagascar today.  Elder Changchum is going to stay in Viera 1.  I'll give a brief recap of the highlights of the week.

Tuesday night we were able to teach Daniela one of the new member lessons.  When I walked in the house and saw her, I was thrown back.  It was the first time I had seen her since her confirmation on Sunday and she looked physically different.  She had this absolute glow about her.  She was smiling more, laughing more, bearing testimony more.  It was amazing.  I have seen a very real change in her.  She always asks why she hasn't had this in her life sooner.  I am so excited for her to go to the temple and continue in this wonderful gospel.  She is a living testimony that the saving power of the atonement of Jesus Christ is real.  I have witnessed it.  I wasn't the only one who noticed the glow.  My companions and her aunt in the Viera 2nd ward noticed too.

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? ... I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name."  (Alma 5:14, 48)

We went over to a guy's house on Saturday.  His name is Ben and he is planning on making a pathway in his backyard.  We dug up a lot of sand and moved it another part of the yard.  We also cut up some roots that were deep in the ground.  Something that would have taken him 4 times as long.  We sat down, had some water, and got to know him.  He is such a nice guy.  He really appreciated what we helped him with and respects what we do.  He was more than willing to have us back over.  He has so much potential.  I wish I could go back and talk to him more.

On Sunday, I had to say goodbye to a lot of great people.  I'm definitely going to miss Viera 1.  I've made so many friends and met some amazing families.  It was bittersweet to say goodbye to people yesterday.  People were very supportive and loving.  I'm so grateful for the members of this ward.  It has been a life changing experience for me.  I have learned and grown so much.  My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the great times and the hard times in this area.  I don't want to leave, but I know that the next chapter in Sumterville will be good for me.  I love this work and I know that Jesus Christ is at the head of the Church.

Elder Poulsen

Cocoa Zone

Brayden (A youth in our ward)

Little Brynn Baird

Brother Rojas (Our ward mission leader)

Daniela

This is something Brayden always does

Week 38: Matthew 26:39

I wanted to share an excerpt from a talk I was reading.  It's from Elder Uchtdorf's talk in the April 2014 General Conference titled "Grateful in Any Circumstances".

"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what.  This type of gratitude transcends whatever is happening around us. It surpasses disappointment, discouragement, and despair. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer.  When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. In grief, we can still lift up our hearts in praise. In pain, we can glory in Christ’s Atonement. In the cold of bitter sorrow, we can experience the closeness and warmth of heaven’s embrace.  We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly short sighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?  Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.  This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind."

I know this statement by Elder Uchtdorf is true.  We don't have to happy with what's going on, but when we have a full grateful attitude, we will be happier and the Lord will bless us.

Elder Poulsen