Week 4: How many Mormons can you fit into a KIA?

This week went by way fast.  I've been sitting at the church for two hours, trying to figure out what to say.  

We were able to meet the bishop and his family.  He is the most involved and spiritual bishop I've ever met.  He's really young and works for the UCF sports department.  He filled us in on what's been going on in the ward.  He told us he was calling a ward mission leader so that was good to hear.  

Lessons have been short this week, but the Spirit has been strong and I've loved getting to know the members.  They are all so real.  They love the gospel and they love life, even though times are tough.  We had dinner with many different families and God to connect with them.  Those were the highlights of my week.

Friday, we went to the temple.  We are so blessed to have a temple in our mission.  It was really spiritually uplifting to be with all the missionaries.  We had a member drive us up and, long story short, we ended up with 6 missionaries in the car on the way back, so the answer to the above question is 7.

We met with a man named Cason.  He works at McDonald's and is really nice.  We are going to start reading the Book of Mormon with him and he's excited to learn about God.  He was the only knew investigator we were able to meet with this week.  The work is slow but God works in his timing.

Elder Cruz told me something that shocked me.  He told me that when he first met me on the frontliner to the airport 2 weeks ago, he thought I was standoffish.  This surprised me.  I thought I was very kind and open, but I was once again humbled by the fact that I am not openly friendly at first.  That it something I've been praying for and something I need to work on.

I have never in my life been so excited for General Conference as I am now.  It's going to be so wonderful to hear from the leaders of the Church.

I wish I had more to write about.  This really was a slow week but I was able to take lots of pictures.  I hope that you all have a relaxing and spiritual Easter.  I love you all.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

Some pictures I got from my cousins.  I laughed so hard when I read them:

      A) I will never forget you.  I hope you have a grate life.  I'm crying wright now. - Ruby

      B) Wy did you leav in the first place.  We miss you - Lily 

      C) Dear, eldor Polson we will never forgit/forgive you.  I hope you get a good career.  We all love you so much. Love Millie.

      D) Dear Mr. Elder Polsen, we miss you over here, and we wish you could be here expeshaly your cosins. Sincerly, Claire

I don't know how we didn't get pulled over.

Elder Gallup, Elder Lester, me, Elder Cruz

Elder Gallup looking very photogenic

The O-Zion zone. #ALLIN

We are professional skyscraper architects at UAP

Week 4: Omni 1:26

This week, we took the car to the shop to get it serviced.  While we were waiting, we went to a customer lounge where there were a few Tv's.  We don't get a lot of opportunities to watch T.V. so we watched the news for a while.  5 minutes in, I felt overwhelmed and scared for this world.  Life is not easy.  It is stressful and unpredictable.  This weekend is General Conference and it allows us to listen to the uplifting words of the prophets.  No matter where you are spiritually.  No matter where you are in your happiness.  No matter where you are in your testimony.  If you get anything out of this Easter Sunday, let it be hope.  Let it be hope that our Savior lives.  Let it be hope that things will get better.  I promise that even when we go through trials, even "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee" we can be happy.  Christ will bear our burdens.

"I have seen enough ups and downs throughout my life to know that winter will surely give way to the warmth and hope of a new spring. I am optimistic about the future.  For our part, we must remain steadfast in hope, work with all our strength, and trust in God." - Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love you all and hope you have a great Easter weekend.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

Week 3: Days Are Weeks, Weeks Are Days

What a week!  It feels like the days go by so slow but the weeks fly by, hence the title.

I finally made it to Florida.   Being on a mission hadn't really hit me until I stepped off the plane and everyone was staring at me.  I out of place and that friendly personality I had in the MTC completely vanished.  I was able to feel like myself again when I thought about my purpose and who I represent.

We met President and Sister Clark near the baggage claim and they took us to the Mission home.  We were having dinner there with all of the office staff when a Visa waiter going to Brazil came over.  He's been here for six weeks and was leaving that night.  I asked him what he's learned by being here and he said "Just like any mission, you can decide if you want to be a good missionary or a bad missionary.  The choice is completely up to you."

I took this in two different ways.  First, you can be an obedient or disobedient missionary and no one's really going to know, say, or do anything.  Second, you can be effective or ineffective in bringing others closer to Christ, depending on your study, work ethic, and obedience.  At this point I was nervous about getting a lazy trainer.

We slept in the mission home that night.  When we got up, the sunrise was hitting the pond in the backyard and it was so beautiful.  I've always made fun of Florida for being an unpleasant place, but it's so green and ponds are everywhere.  It is gorgeous in every aspect (scenery, people, wildlife, buildings) and it makes going outside much more enjoyable.  

We went to the chapel to meet our trainers.  My new companion's name is Elder Gallup from Chubbuck, Idaho.  He's a really great guy.  He's been out about eight months and spent all his time in the ghetto city of Sanford.  He has some crazy stories.  We are both very similar.  We have the same taste in music, perfectionist mentality, and hair color.  We got assigned to the University Park area.  It's just east of downtown Orlando and it covers the campus of UCF.  We are whitewashing this area.  For any of you that are unfamiliar with missionary lingo, it just means that both Elder Gallup and I are new to the area that we were assigned.  It makes it difficult because neither of us know anything about this place so we have to start building from, the ground up.

My P-Days are now on Mondays and here is my address:

3334 Mission Bay Blvd. Apt# 135 Orlando, Florida 32817

On Thursday, we went to UAP (United Against Poverty).  It's essentially a grocery store with cheaper food for the less fortunate.  We helped stock shelves of food and clear boxes.  It was a really great experience to meet different people from Orlando and immerse myself in the culture.  Service is one of the most important things we are challenged with on this Earth.  It was such a blessing to help other people and not do it for anything in return.  Seeing people in these circumstances really helps you feel love for them and I know that it's the Spirit working through me.

On Friday, we went to a family's house for dinner.  They are such awesome people.  We had a great time getting to know them and then we found out their son Nicolas is 9 and hasn't been baptized.  He expressed a huge interest and desire.  We asked them if we could come over and teach the discussions and they said yes!  It made my heart so happy, I can't explain what it feels like.  Nicolas also makes the best peanut butter cookies.  I usually hate peanut butter but they were so good, and he was kind enough to write the recipe down for us.

Saturday, I woke up really sick.  I couldn't get out of bed, and without being to graphic, I was not holding in any food.  It was a rough day and I felt bad for my companion, as he just had to sit there.  We were just starting to get things rolling and then had this set back.  My district leader Elder McArthur, a really loving person, called and asked if I needed a blessing.  He sent Elder Lester and Elder Cruz over to give me one.  They are the Elders we are sharing a car with.  They came over and Elder Lester gave such a strong blessing and I could feel the light and the love radiating from his body.  I know I've said this before but there is absolute power in Priesthood blessings.

This city is a melting pot.  There are so many ethnicities and languages everywhere.  It's so cool to meet many different people with different backgrounds.  Without sounding weird, my favorite this week has been the African Americans.  They're so real and loving, and even though I'm a little white boy from Utah they treat me like their own.

Here's some random stories:

Elder Gallup and I were studying when some Jehovah's Witnesses came and knocked on the door.  When two clean-cut men in white shirts and black name tags opened the door, they were a little shell-shocked.  We waited for a little bit and they didn't really say anything so we offered them The Book of Mormon.  They said they weren't interested in our literature and walked away.

Elder Gallup and I wanted to move a desk and chair out of the study room.  Before we knew it, we were deep cleaning the entire apartment.  We gutted out so much junk.  I wish I had taken a before and after picture.  It's clean and we feel the Spirit more.  It actually feels like a home.  Too much of a home actually.  I was making ramen and Elder Gallup was vacuuming.  I asked him if he wanted an ice cube because it was pretty hot, and it scared me for a second because it felt like I was married to him.  Pretty weird realization.

One night I walked into the bathroom and I saw the biggest cockroach I've ever seen, sitting right on the wall.  There wasn't any toilet paper left so I went to go get some from the kitchen.  When I came back, the cockroach was gone, and that is the story of how I burned the apartment down.  

One of the biggest things I've learned this week is that sin does not bring happiness.  The adversary is so good at what he does.  He tricks us into thinking that things will make us happy when in reality, those same things will drag us down to guilt and misery.  However, no matter where we are in life, God loves us more than we can comprehend.  He will never abandon us and it is never too late to come unto Christ.  

2 Nephi 28:32 "Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts."

I apologize because I didn't take many pictures this week.  I will send the few that I have later on in the day and I promise I'll have more next week.

I'm sorry if this email seems a bit jumpy and unstructured.  It's been a jumpy and unstructured week so I guess it's only fitting.  I want all of you to know that God loves you.  I know, without a doubt in my mind, that Jesus lives.  I love you all so much.  Have a great week and look for small opportunities to serve the people around you.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

Missionary trainer  

President and Sister Clark  

Week 3: 2 Nephi 31:20

Happy Monday everyone!

This week was pretty slow at first, because of the white wash situation.  God didn't let that affect anything.  We were able to find 4 new investigators.  It doesn't even feel like we did anything.  We were just doing what we were supposed to be doing.  Just like how Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, He multiplies our efforts if we give everything we have and put faith in Him.  All things are possible through Christ if we trust in Him.  He knows how to succor us.  I know that this is true with all the energy of my soul.  Have a great week!

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

Week 2: Tide Pods and Goodbyes

The day is fast approaching.  I leave for the Promised Land of Orlando, Florida on Monday morning.

These couple of weeks have flown by, but at the same time it feels like I've been gone for months.  There have been great experiences and discouraging experiences.  I have felt a physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion like never before in my life.  Surges of excitement, joy, and exhilaration.  My emotions have ranged from feeling like I could conquer the world, to feeling more inadequate and worthless than I ever have.  There have been sporadic feelings of frustration, glee, hopelessness, and enlightenment.  Missions really are the definition of an emotional roller coaster.  

One of our teachers, Brother Pratt said something that hit me hard.  He said "If you think your job is to teach people the gospel, you're dead wrong.  The Spirit teaches.  Your purpose is to help others come closer to Jesus Christ."  He's exactly right.  We are not teachers.  We are guides.  My purpose is to love everyone and testify of our Savior.

One experience I had this week was when Elder Riggs and I were doing a practice discussion with a teacher.  We went through it and the feedback we got was not good.  I questioned myself for a while.  I felt so deflated and worthless.  Later that night we had a devotional where President M. Russell Ballard came and did a Q&A.  One of the questions that a missionary had was "How can we obtain more confidence?"  He said "Have faith, take it day by day, and put trust in the Lord.  Don't be hard on yourself.  Don't go down the doubt road, go down the trust road."  This gave me some strength.  I can't doubt myself.  I know that I am far from perfect.  To be quite candid, I am not a good missionary, but Christ will be my guide.  "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13

Yesterday, we had a new district come into our zone.  The branch president called Elder Riggs and me to be Zone Leaders on Sunday so we had the opportunity to show the new missionaries around.  I told them some things that I felt were important.  I've only been here for a couple of weeks.  I don't know all the answers and I'm less than qualified to give advice, but I feel like these things have helped me.  First, I told them that they are representing Christ and they should act like it.  Always do the right thing even if no ones watching.  It's such an honor to carry His name next to our hearts.  Second, I told them to try their hardest, 100%, day in and day out, and they will be successful missionaries no matter what happens.  Third, I told them to enjoy it.  Don't be hard on yourselves.  Laugh through hard times.  Make lasting friendships with the people you meet, and love them, just as Christ would.  I believe this applies to everyone, not just missionaries.

There was something hard this week that I didn't think would be a big deal.  I had to say goodbye to my best friend on Sunday.  We sat next to each other during a devotional that night and watched a spiritual movie afterwards.  He came over to my residence to take a picture, we said "Godspeed", and then he was gone.  He left for Cincinnati the next morning.  The built up stress of missionary work, worry about family, and a knowledge that I won't see him for 2 years eventually came out.  I cried for the first time in the MTC later that night.  Even though we won't see each other for 2 years, we'll never lose the special bond we built throughout high school.

It's strange how we grow close to people.  I've only been with my district for 2 weeks but they are my family.  I love them so much and it will be so hard to say goodbye to them.  Wednesday night, we said goodbye to one of our teachers, Brother Bronson.  I could write an entire email about him.  He's so intelligent with the gospel.  We've learned so much from him and I can feel the love he has for the missionaries and God.

The longer I'm here, the more I know that I'm supposed to be in Orlando.  The adversary has been working hard on me, but I still push through with the help of Christ.  

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." - Ether 12:27

Have a great week!  

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

It's amazing what entertains you 

when you don't have a phone

Last time seeing Elder Santistevan

I met another Elder Poulsen

Don't worry, I didn't eat any

Our district with Brother Bronson

Our district with our Branch President

Week 2: Luke 22:42

In all of the pain and turmoil we go through, sometimes it's hard to find peace and comfort.  

I always find it hard to have faith when I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel.  When I think about faith, I sometimes make the mistake of thinking that it is the act of trusting in God, that He will give you what you are praying for.  This week I've rewired my brain to think differently.  Faith, for me, is knowing God's will and being at peace with it.

As cliché as it sounds, God has a plan.  He knows us and knows what we need.  His timing is not a coincidence.  When we learn to trust in God's timing, I know that we'll be happy, even if our world seems to be crashing down.

I listened to a talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, called Grateful in Any Circumstances.  He talks about having a grateful heart no matter what our circumstances are.

"It might sound contrary to the wisdom of the world to suggest that one who is burdened with sorrow should give thanks to God.  But those who set aside the bottle of bitterness and lift instead the goblet of gratitude can find a purifying drink of healing, peace, and understanding... 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."

I know that life is not easy, and sometimes there's nothing we can do about it.  However, if we put our faith in God, believe that everything will work out, and always have a grateful heart, we will be happy.

"If you do your best, it will all work out.  Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.  The Lord will not forsake us." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Have a great week, and remember that God loves you with an infinite love.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

My Travel Information for March 12th

Greetings Elder Poulsen:

Your training at the Provo MTC is nearing completion. We hope you have found your time here inspiring and productive.

Attached you will find your itinerary for travel to your mission. Please read over the information carefully. The attachment includes your airline(s) and flight information along with luggage allowances. We recommend forwarding this information to your family so they will know your travel plans.

There is no need to print this itinerary. Please note the check out time and you will receive a copy of the itinerary when you depart.

If you have questions, please come to the Travel Office in S2-119 between the hours of 8:00am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

MTC Travel Team

MTC Parent

     We are excited for Elder  Poulsen  to arrive in the Florida Orlando Mission.  He is scheduled to arrive late afternoon on  12 Mar 2018.   Sister Clark and I will welcome him at the airport and bring him to the mission home, where he will be able to email you of his safe arrival.  We will enjoy a dinner together along with the other arriving missionaries, and have a short orientation and devotional.

     The next morning he will go to the Chapel where he will receive some training, meet his new companion, pick up his bike and travel to his proselyting area in one of the eight zones in the mission.  The safety of our missionaries is very important to us.  We discuss safety with them frequently in our trainings.  We do everything we can to ensure they are healthy and safe.

     We are looking forward to meeting Elder Poulsen and serving with him.  We know  he will have life changing experiences as he gives his/her all to serving the Lord. 

     We love all of our missionaries in the Florida Orlando Mission!  They are choice spirits of our Father in Heaven, with strong faith and devotion to Christ, chosen to come to earth at this time to help hasten His work in preparation for His Second Coming! 

With great love,

David K. Clark, President

Florida Orlando Mission

Week 1: Pilot

Hello!  My name is Elder Poulsen and this is my companion Elder Riggs, would you like to hear a message about Jesus Christ?

I have completed my first week at the MTC.  It's been full of spiritual experiences and lots of restless sleep.  The first thing I learned here is that my first name for the next two years is Elder.  I met my mission companion Elder Riggs and he is awesome!  He's kindhearted, loves the gospel, and knows how to have fun in the work.  The sad thing is that he is not going to be serving in my mission, but I know he will do great things.  He's from Boise, Idaho and is serving in the Zimbabwe Harare Mission.  He's going to have to hand wash his clothes and drink from a water filter, so I'm starting to really appreciate being stateside.  It has also been very cold and for the first time, I'm glad I was called to a warm climate.

We have two other Elder companions and two Sister companions in our district.  Elder Thomas and Elder Marple are serving in the Florida Orlando Mission with me which was pretty cool to find out.  Sister Langi and Sister Hyatt are serving in the Micronesia Guam Mission. Sister Edwards is serving in the Australia Brisbane Mission and Sister Cobbley is serving in the Australia Adelaide Mission.  Elder Matu and Elder Bodily are serving in Australia Brisbane Mission as well.

We have a great district.  All the missionaries are so spiritual and I've realized that the MTC is pretty much EFY on steroids, except everyone actually wants to be here.

I don't get to connect with the Sisters as much as I would like, but I have learned to love the Elders as I would my brother.  Elder Riggs is the person that I have spent all of my time with.  He is my best friend here.  We look out for each other and help each other grow closer to Christ.  Elder Matu is the funniest of the bunch.  It seems as soon as we get done with breakfast he looks at his watch and asks "When is lunch?"  He also loves snacks and sings in the shower.  He's the funniest missionary but he is so smart.  He also has a strong testimony and you can feel the Spirit and his love every time he talks.

Elder Riggs and I got to teach our first couple of investigators this week.  It is really cool to actually get some experience.  They might be members or non-members, they actually don't tell us, but we treat everyone the same because whether they are a member or not, everyone benefits from coming closer to Christ.  It was nerve wracking at first but after we met them, we started to feel a love for them and the love that Our Savior has for them  It's an amazing experience.

Missions are fun and very rewarding but there are also difficulties.  I came to the MTC sick and was sick for a while.  It was hard to concentrate sometimes and I felt like death, but the Lord gives strength.  I also had struggle sleeping.  Even though I was very tired, the overwhelming feeling of missionary work along with my sickness made me not able to fall asleep until 1 or 2 AM.  I do get discouraged and irritated frequently, but it's a humbling experience.  There were also some pretty annoying Elders with negative attitudes in the district that just left, but all I could do was be kind.

If any of you have questions like "Are you busy?" "Is the food gross?" or "Are you tired?"  I'll just answer by saying yes.  Not only are we up for sixteen hours a day but feeling the Spirit constantly is exhausting, but something crazy happens every day.  I forget that I am tired until the end of the day because I'm so focused on doing the things we should be doing.  It's a huge blessing that keeps me going.

Just to let you know some of the daily or funny things that happen.  Every morning our alarm goes off; I hit the off button and the first thing I say to the Elders is "Oh ye that embark in the service of God."  It's really cheesy but it actually starts the day off really well and it reminds us of what our purpose is.  Another thing, the three Elders in my room and I were getting dressed and we hear "DANG IT!" from the showers.  Elder Matu comes out and says "I left my watch on in the shower, fool!"  It was the funniest thing.  "And finally, in all of living have much of fun and laughter.  Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." - Gordon B. Hinckley.

Side note, a few of you have asked where you can send packages and letters.  In no way am I begging for anything, but it makes our day when find out we have mail.  I have been telling a lot of people that I am here for two weeks but I was wrong.  I'm here for three weeks but now I have two weeks left.

I will let you know the address in Florida when I get there, but for now, you should write all of the following on packages and letters: 

Elder Chandler Lorin Poulsen

MAR12 FL-ORL

2005 N 900 E Unit 129

Provo UT 84602

You can also email me anytime.  I can read them throughout the week but I can only respond on Thursday.  Thank you so much everyone for emailing and sending mail.  It really does make my day.

My first day here, I randomly bumped into my best friend Elder Santistevan.  It was really cool to see him, and he started tearing up.  I don't think I've ever seen him cry.  We got to see each other throughout the week and at one point found ourselves walking side by side and for a split second, I felt like he was my companion.  He is such a good guy and he will be a great missionary.  

That brings me to my spiritual point.  Everyone says to everyone "You're going to be a great missionary!"  They're right.  Everyone would be a great missionary.  I invite each one of you to find an opportunity to be a missionary, whatever that means to you.  Serving, loving, sharing the gospel.  Anything that will help better others and bring them closer to Christ.

I have also loved reading the scriptures this week.  It's almost like food.  For the first time in my life I feel like I can't go without it.  There's so much truth that God gives us.  It's right there and if we just focus and read, we will understand.

I wish I could keep writing emails all day and tell you each individual thing that happened but time really does fly in the MTC.  I will try to be more descriptive of things next week as I was just getting settled in.

God loves each and everyone of us.  He is aware of our struggles and wants us to be the best we can.  I know that, as clear as water.  I have felt his love and I know that it could from no where else but God.  I love this work.  It has been very short and very hard, but more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.  I love you all and encourage you to tell me what's going on in your lives.  I hope your next week is filled with blessings and joy.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen

 Elder Riggs​

Elder Riggs and me

First time seeing Elder Santistevan

 Elder Santistevan and me

Elder Marple (left) Elder Thomas (right)

Elder Matu looks like Will Smith in MIB

Week 1: Doctrine and Covenants 122:7

Hello everyone!  

I hope all is well and that each one of you had a great week.

First off, I want to talk about my journals.  I have decided to keep three different journals on my mission. My first journal will hold all of my notes, thoughts, and spiritual impressions throughout my mission that will help be a better missionary.  My second journal will be my "large plates", containing day to day things, and stuff that happens that will be fun to remember.  My third journal will be my "small plates", holding all of the most important spiritual things that happen and things I feel will be very important to know for the rest of my life.

I want to do my emails in the same way.  

If you know me, you know that I like organization and that I'm some what of a perfectionist.  I want to organize the emails the best I can so they won't be confusing.  This is the first and last time I will ever have enough time to write this much so soak it in like a sponge.   

I will have three groups of emails:

- First, I will be sending a large plates (mass) email.  This email will be sent to every contact I have and will contain more of the day to day things that happen.  I may include some spiritual experiences if I feel like they should be shared, and my testimony of that week.  This will be marked with the week of which I am writing about and some title that I creatively came up with myself.

- Second, I will send a more personal email.  This email will be reserved for close family and friends that I have a stronger connection with and with those who might want to know more about the deeper spiritual experiences.  A "small plates" email if you will.  This will be marked with the week of which I am writing about and a scripture that I feel is important for the week.  I encourage you all to read it.

- Third, I will send an individual email to everyone that I can.  Hearing about the outside world is great but I feel that I need to focus more on the spiritual aspect of things, so if I don't address certain information, don't think that I ignored your email.  However this doesn't mean that I don't want to hear about what's going on so write away!  I would absolutely love to know how everyone is doing spiritually, whatever that means to you.  With the limited amount of time I have here at the MTC I don't think I will be able to go into great detail in these emails but they will be personalized conversations and I may share things that I feel prompted to.  Please don't feel ignored if I don't write to you every week, you will here from me soon.  These emails will be easy to recognize as you will be the only person that received the email.

I will tell you now that if you received this email, you are on the "small plates" email.  I won't mention this group in the other email, to avoid any hurt feelings.  I am choosing to write this email based on spiritual prompting.  Anyone not receiving it should not feel left out.  If there's anyone that you feel needs to be on this email, let me know, but I would like to keep it smaller.

Now that that's settled, I want to talk about some awesome experiences I've had.  When I got here on Wednesday, I was really sick, and it got worse that first night.  When I woke up, I asked Elder Riggs if he would give me a blessing and Elder Thomas and Elder Marple joined.  It was really cool and I got better each day until I felt completely better on Tuesday.  The priesthood is real power and it does heal.  

Along with the blessing, every night I have had a hard time falling asleep, but I pray every time and tell God that I don't care when I fall asleep, but ask him if he will send a blessing to make my REM cycle count for the night, and I absolutely know that he has.  I haven't been tired in the mornings.

On Sunday night, we watched a talk by Elder Bednar to the MTC.  In it, he talked about becoming converted and being more like Christ, basically calling out all the selfish missionaries who feel sorry for themselves when things dont go their way.  He said "Get over yourselves." It was really powerful and gave me a lot to think about.  I am not here for me, I am here for God and his children.

I have built such a love for the Book of Mormon.  I need it everyday to feel the Spirit.  One of my favorite scriptures this week was actually the scripture I used for my missionary plaque which is Alma 37:36.  It says "Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever."

Such a fantastic scripture to remind us to do everything in the name of the Lord.  Everything we do should involve Christ because we need his help and support.  That scripture has helped me a lot this week.

One last thing before I close.  I have loved wearing my missionary tag.  I am so grateful to represent Christ and it has been a huge honor.  I can't wait to get to Florida.  

I hope you all have a great week.

Much love,

Elder Poulsen