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
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