Week 13: I am feeling this. Call it the Holy Spirit or the passion of the Christ, I am lovin’ these people!

Hey y'all, this week flew by fast.  

On Monday, I was able to go fishing with some Elders in a lake near a member's home.  It was fun to just relax with that.

Side note: my title is a quote from The Office, if you didn't already pick up on that.

On Tuesday, we met with Marc and talked about the Book of Mormon.  About halfway through, his friend Gregory walked in and started asking us questions.  He asked for a Book of Mormon before we could offer it to him.  Both Marc and Gregory are pastors of their respective churches.  They are both fairly receptive to the things we have to say, but both of them want to take their time to know for themselves that it is true, which was music to my ears.

We are having a hard time contacting Marysel.  She has a lot on her plate and I only wish we could help her out.  She hasn't been to church yet.  We just want her to feel the Spirit and meet ward members.  There is true power in congregating and being with a ward family.  Keep trying to be a beacon of light to everyone you meet.  Your testimony will grow and you will help a lot of people that you might not even realize you are helping.

On Thursday, we knocked on the door of a potential investigator who had met with Sister missionaries several months ago, but never had any more contacts.  His name is Basil and he's from Jamaica.  We asked him what his experience was the last time he spoke with missionaries.  He had a few words to say that weren't too nice.  He is a very devout Catholic and wasn't too fond of the Book of Mormon.  I tried to bear my testimony and then explain the genius of the Book of Mormon, that if it isn't true, our church is a complete fraud.  If it is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church again restored to the Earth.  It's either one or the other, no in between.  He wasn't having any of it.  Elder DeVroom started to get a little frustrated and argue just a tad.  I doused the fire real quickly by bearing my testimony and thanking him for his time.  I had this sincere love for a man I had met only 4 minutes prior.  It is amazing how much God blesses us with Christlike love.

I went on an exchange with Elder Fenn who is in Eustis, just up north.  It wasn't a very productive day if you're looking at numbers, but we found one man.  He made the whole day worth it.  We had just knocked on the door of a current investigator who wasn't home.  We saw a guy sitting on his porch across the street so we went and said hello.  I am usually a shy person with people I don't know.  I don't like talking to people if I don't have to, but I was extremely blessed in this instance.  The conversation went so smoothly.  I just went into it knowing that I was making a friend.  I had the gospel in the back of my mind but I really was focused on him.  His name is Tavaris.  We talked about his kid and his job.  The topic naturally went into religion and he talked about his frustration.  He said there are so many churches that teach pretty much the same thing.  Why do they all hate each other?  He didn't like the monopoly of certain sects and was searching for a church that he could worship the Lord and not have to worry about the "politics" of it all.  We answered a lot his questions and introduced him to the Book of Mormon.  He had never heard of it and took it with open arms.  The coolest part of the whole conversation was when he told us that he had goosebumps up his entire body.  It was about 85 degrees outside.

All in all, it was a good week that went by fast.  I don't have the entire repertoire of missionary work, but when I do my very best, God compensates me in the departments that I lack.  I am content with the work that I did and know that I was a disciple of Christ everywhere I went.

Do not hesitate to email me, even though I am horrible at responding (I apologize).  I'm also really bad at taking pictures.  I always say that I will and then it's Monday before I know it.

I hope y'all have an amazing week.

Elder Poulsen

Elder DeVroom, Elder McKee, and Elder Fenn

Cosmo and Wanda think they slick.

Here's a cliché missionary picture

Trite fish picture

A chip I pulled out of the bag that looked like Utah. 

I did NOT cut it or break it or anything.

Here is a funny video that Elder Lester sent me.

It is a video we watch for part of our training

but the way that it is recorded makes it out of context

and it is so funny! haha

Week 13: Ether 12:4,6

This week I started a new type of marking system on one of the cheap blue Book of Mormons.  I have topics like agency, faith, tithing, and everything in between.  The more that I've searched the scriptures and found ones that mean a lot to me, the more my testimony has strengthened.  I invite y'all to read, study, and ponder the scriptures.  There is absolute, true power that comes from doing that.  It weaves a tapestry of knowledge and peace that you won't find anywhere else in the world.

1 Nephi 15:24 "And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to 

destruction."

2 Nephi 32:3 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do"

Elder Poulsen