Week 17: There's gold at the end of the trash tunnel.

Hey y'all, sorry it's been a bit of a different P-day.  We don't have as many miles this month so we didn't go up to the chapel in Eustis like we normally do.  We've been cleaning a lot of our apartment and attempted to fish, which i caught nothing.

This week wasn't that great, but I'm not as discouraged as I feel I should be.  Between Tuesday and Saturday, we had appointments fall through left and right, doors slammed in our faces, and members not answer texts or phone calls.  It honestly felt like no one wanted to see us.

However, there were a few tender mercies throughout the week.  We were getting new tires on our car, and we walked over to Long John Silver's to get some food.  There was a worker outside taking his break and said "Ah, salesmen."  We talked to him for a little bit.  He was confused because he didn't know Latter-day Saints and Mormons were the same thing.  He is religious and everything he was saying lined up perfectly with what we believe.  We gave him our number and told him to call us sometime.

Thursday was Zone Conference.  It was a good meeting and after it concluded, I talked with Elder Pili who I had gone on an exchange with last transfer.  While we were up there, we knocked on the door of a guy named Richard.  He was super cool and the contact went pretty normal (if they actually talk to us).  He said we could come by another time to teach him.  Well, I went back to Apopka, and it's been a while.  Elder Pili told me that Richard is on date for baptism.  I was overjoyed.  We probably laughed from joy for a straight 2 minutes.

Sunday, we scheduled to go see a referral we got from the Elders in Ocoee.  His name is Bill, and we found out he lives in a halfway house for former prisoners.  He told us he had done 20 years in the state prison and 5 years in the federal prison.  He talked a lot about stuff he had seen, and man it was pretty intense.  Bill is a really nice guy.  He has changed his life a lot and is getting back on track.  I could write all day about our interaction with him, man he's awesome, but it was refreshing to meet with someone who wanted to talk with us.  He has so much promise and I'm really excited to see him again.

It wasn't a fantastic week, but I didn't really let it get to me, but Saturday I was done.  I was sick of people not being reliable, not helping us, and not being respectful enough to just tell us they weren't interested.  Meeting Bill on Sunday helped a bit, but I was still frustrated.  We had accounting last night with our district leader.  For those that don't know what that is, your district leader calls every Sunday night to ask how your week went, how they can help, and what you want to accomplish this next week.  Elder Pennock is our district leader.  He's from San Diego, he's a convert to the church, and is one of the most consecrated missionaries I know.  We talked about our not so great week and he had some wise words for us that stuck with me.  He said "Missionary work is a lot like surfing.  You're out there in the water for a while, getting thrashed around, catching nothing.  But once you get past the garbage break, you get in that sweet spot, and then you get a perfect 5 second ride, and you feel like you're in heaven."  I tried my best to recount that, and given, I don't know anything about surfing, but I've gone enough to know what he's talking about.  He said that our endurance will bless us.  Then he said something to recap it "Elders, push through the basura, there's gold at the end of the trash tunnel."  I really needed to hear that.

3 Nephi 27:6 "And whoso taketh upon him my name, and endureth to the end, the same shall be saved at the last day."

I hope y'all have a great week.

Elder Poulsen

Week 17: Mosiah 24:15

I want to talk about the above scripture.  This scripture talks about submitting cheerfully.  That's something we need to be mindful of.  When we submit cheerfully to the will of the Lord and endure with patience, not only will we blessed but we will be happy.  It's so hard to do, but if we pray for patience, God will give it to us.

Mosiah 24:15 "And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord"

Elder Poulsen

Week 16: Why I served a mission.

I haven't caught any fish in three weeks.  Basura.

Tuesday, we went tracting in the south eastern part of our area.  We didn't have any success knocking, but we ran into a few people.  We saw a lady who was opening her car door in her driveway.  We went over and asked her a few questions.  Her name is Rachel and she immediately asked if we were Johavahs Witnesses.  Everyone asks that.  We told her that we were something completely different.  She told us that she had a friend who is a member of our church and she was really interested in learning about what we believe.  Right after that contact, we got in the car and started to drive away when a shirtless guy named Kenny ran into the street in front of our car.  We got out and he asked us for a Book of Mormon.  He said that he had some legal trouble in the past and wanted to get his life back on track.  Isn't it awesome how the Lord work?  Later that night, we had dinner with the Armendariz family.  They are so humble.  They told us that we can come over whenever we don't have a dinner scheduled.  Sister Armendariz doesn't speak much English but Brother Armendariz asked us if we could dedicate his home.  He asked me if I would perform the dedication and it was a humbling experience to have.  I love that family.  That is something I find myself saying to Elder Correia after every interaction.

Wednesday, we had exchanges.  I went up to Eustis with Elder McFadden and Elder McKee.  We did service for the night for a guy who lost his keys in a big brush pile.  We spent hours taking brush off the pile and burning it.  It was so hot I was probably sweating more than I ever have.

On Friday, there were a couple of cool experiences.  We decided to stop by a lady named Sister Zych.  We had never met her and we honestly have no idea why we  chose her specifically.  We rang the door bell and waited for a while.  Normally, we'd leave because it was too long for someone to still be coming to the door, but my companion and I kept standing there when she answered.  She told us that she was really overwhelmed.  Her husband had passed away a few months ago and her yard was overgrown.  She had no one to help her and we told her we'd be more than happy to help.  It was such a miracle because I know that God prompted us to go see her.  She said "This is an answer to my prayers, I had no idea who to reach out to."  We then went over to a less-active member's house.  He's been meeting with us for a while and has some things he needs to work through.  We read the Book of Mormon with him and invite him to do things that will help him.  This particular time, we felt like we should read Moroni 7 with him and invite him to pray more.  He responded so well, more than he usually does.  He told us that he really needed to hear that.  It was a day of miracles.

Saturday, went to do service at Sister Zych's house.  Her yard is huge and is on a lake front.  I got to ride one of those big John Deer mowers.  It was actually pretty fun.  We got a lot done and she was emotional and grateful.  I told myself while I was on the mower, it was super loud and I saw Sister Zych smiling and tearing up, "This is why I served a mission."  I was so grateful that we were able to help her.  It was the highlight of my week.  That night we went to have dinner with the Gonzalez family.  They moved in 6 months ago and are fairly young.  He's a convert from Peru and she's from Hawaii.  We had a great conversation and found out they will be blessing their 3 month old baby on July 1st.  Diego asked us if we'd be in the circle to bless the baby and that was an exciting thing to be asked.  After dinner I said to Elder Correia that they are already one of my favorite families.

All in all, it was a good week and I was blessed to help a few people.  Joy comes from putting your own desires away and helping others.

Have a great week.

Elder Poulsen

 

The keys are in there somewhere.

 

The Burg

Leesburg Zone

Week 16: 1 John 4:18

This week, I've been thinking about the trials we go through.  We go through a lot of hard times, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves in those hard times.  There is a lot to love about life, and even when we are going through hell, we can still see the sunshine.  We need to pray more and ask for help in our struggles.  We need to try our best to have hope.  Hope is a wonderful thing.  When we do these thing, we can be happy during times of hardship.

Mosiah 24:13-14 "And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."

Elder Poulsen

Week 15: Why do people live here?

Hey y'all, it feels good to finally have P-Day again.  Also, I only recently realized that I've started saying "y'all".  It's now a part of my vocabulary and I'm not really sure how it happened.  Oh well.

It is so hot, bugs are everywhere, and you are wet as soon as you step outside.  I have no idea why people live here.  God has a sense of humor.  He put me in the exact opposite of my ideal climate.  But that's ok, hopefully winter will come fast and I can enjoy it.  I hear winter time is lovely here.

Transfers sent a lot of missionaries to a lot of different areas.  I saw Elder Lester at service when we went to Second Harvest.  He is the funniest guy, I love him so much.  I got my new companion.  Elder Correia is from Sugar House, Utah and he's awesome.  He's a lot different than Elder DeVroom, but I think it will be a good transfer.  Elder Correia is a tracting missionary.  He loves knocking doors and doing the classic missionary shtick.  Door knocking isn't my favorite.  It's hot and I haven't seen a lot of success come from it, but it's a great way to get over fears of talking to people and it makes for some pretty interesting stories.  I also find that I am much more tired at the end of the day if we spend a decent amount of time tracting.  The main reason why I'm not a huge fan of it is because it gives off the impression that we are "selling" something.  People think we have ulterior motives so they are almost always defensive.  It doesn't give off a good first impression and out of the hundreds of doors I have knocked on my mission, I have had 0 return appointments.

Because Elder DeVroom left the Zone, we have a new District Leader named Elder Pennock.  He's super awesome, and even though he's been out for less time than most of our District, he knows what's up.  He has a genuine care for the people around him and he has really tied us together.  It helps when there is a support system around you.  No one has to go through life alone.  It's hard sometimes and we need the people around us to lift us up.

The highlight of our week was our lesson with Gwen and Patricia.  We were at our apartment planning for the day, when we looked at a report of a media referall.  It was a woman named Gwen, and she had requested a Bible, but there was no report of a delivery, so we called and asked her if she had recieved it.  It turns out that she never did and said we could come over right away.  We booked it over and saw Gwen and her friend Patricia outside.  Gwen invited us inside and Patricia was happy to join.  Apparently, Patricia hadn't been to Gwen's house in 2 years and that was her first day back.  The odds of that happening are so small and I know that God played a part in that.  We talked about the Book of Mormon, and read the introduction, which has slowly become one of my favorite things to read with investigators.  They were both overwhelmingly receptive and wanted to come to church.  Never have I had someone come out and ask when our church was.  They both wanted to reschedule appointments and it turned out that Patricia lives really close to the chapel.

1 Nephi 1:20 "..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."

Friday, I had the worst stomach pain I've ever had in my life.  It was like heartburn mixed with the feeling of needing to puke.  I couldn't get rid of the feeling.  I took a lot of tums and tried to throw up but nothing worked.  I was pretty immobile the whole day until I called the mission nurse.  She told me to get some Omeprazole and after a while, it really helped.

All in all, it wasn't that exciting of a week, but we did all we could, and that's all that matters.  I have a reoccurring feeling throughout my days that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and I am exactly where I am supposed to be.  It's a great feeling to have because it is comforting when things aren't going your way.

Alma 29:9 "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy."

Have a great week, love y'all.

Elder Poulsen

I'm sorry I don't have very many pictures.  Life isn't anymore interesting in Florida than it is in Utah.

Here's a bad picture of 

Elder Correia that I took last night.

Also a picture of me being dumb.

Week 15: Doctrine and Covenants 6:36-37

One thing I have been thinking about this week is how blessed we truly are.  I have seen a lot of things that are sad.  I have heard stories that cut to the core.  Whether it be temporal or spiritual, we are all exremely blessed.  The more we focus on our blessings and focus on the good things, the easier it is to get through the day, and not focus on the bad.  It doesn't make the hard times go away, but it puts our lives into perspective and helps us understand that not all of life is doom and gloom.  I know the more we focus on our blessings and develop a more grateful attitude, we will be happy.

"When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

Elder Poulsen

Week 14: I'm a human juice box

Hey y'all, this will probably be a shorter email than normal.

This week has gotten really hot.  The heat isn't too bad because we are in and out of air conditioning, but the bugs are coming out more and more.  I probably have 4 new bug bites a day and I even put bug spray on.  It's like they're immune or something.

We had interviews with our President on Teusday.  I told him about a possible bone marrow donation that could happen in the next 2 to 5 months.  I am a possible match for someone in need of a bone marrow transplant and it would be while I'm on my mission.  He told me that it's a very high possibility that I'll be cleared to do it.  That is really exciting news!  Because transfers are tomorrow, he hinted the idea that Elder DeVroom and I would stay in Apopka until Elder DeVroom went home in August, so that is what we expected to happen.

We were able to meet with a couple new people this week that were new.  Austin and Karma are 10 and 8.  Their mom is less-active but wants them to be baptized.  They are really sweet kids with Haitian heritage.  We are teaching people with so many different cultural backgrounds.  We only have one white person in our teaching pool.  The diversity is pretty awesome and makes it more interesting.  Orlando is the definition of a melting pot.

On Thursday, we felt like we needed to go see Teresa.  We knocked on the door and she answered it in tears.  She had been going through a rough time and really needed us.  We read D&C 121 and 122 with her.  We talked about trials and the reason we had them.  We gave her a blessing, and immediately her  changed.  We love her a lot.

Friday, we got in touch with Marysel and her kids.  We invited them to church and had a member call to tell them how excited they were to meet them.  She said that she was positive that she would come.  Sadly, she wasn't able to make it, but we have high hopes for next week.

Saturday, we received a call from President that we didn't expect.  Elder DeVroom would be moving to Melbourne in the Cocoa Zone as a Zone Leader and I will be staying in Apopka.  I was happy to hear that i was staying.  I love Apopka and i don't feel that my work here is finished.

Francisco recieved the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday.  I was able to be a part of his ordination circle too.  It has been humbling and an honor to be with him and talk about the gospel with him.  He is the most receptive person I have taught, and honestly we aren't even teaching him.  We just discuss the topics and he talks about how much the church has blessed his life.

We had Elder DeVroom say goodbye to a few of the ward members that we got close with.  He will be missed and I know he'll do great things in Melbourne.  I get my new companion tomorrow, Elder Correia.  I won't be in training anymore and I will be leading out.  I'm excited and nervous at the same time.  I have been trying to take one day at a time and it seems to be working.  I don't think too far into the future and I try to worry about only the things I can control.

All in all, it was a good week.  The work continues to move forward.  Thanks y'all for bearing with me.  God lives.  He loves us and wants the absolute best for us.  Sometimes we have to be molded and moved into shape to the person He wants us to become.  "...know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."  He didn't say "some of these things", He said "all these things".

Have a fantastic week.

Elder Poulsen

Francisco.  He's a quiet man, and doesn't smile much,

 but he is a happy guy :)

The Pickard's.  Our ward mission leader.

Week 14: Helaman 5:12

I love Apopka.  I love the members and the people I teach.  I love the people that are rude and the people that give us weird looks.  Everyone is beautiful.  I have been praying for Christlike love and God has provided.  I try my best to look at everyone the way Jesus Christ would.  It has helped me be happier and not take everything so personal when people aren't as nice or reliable.  Pray for Christlike love.  It is real and it can be obtained.  We will be happier as we look at everyone as the child of God that they are.

Moroni 7:47-48 "But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen."

Elder Poulsen