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