Week 25: The Book of Mormon Belt

Hello everyone!  This week was so long.  I don't think I've been as exhausted as I was this week.

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday.  We were blessed to have Elder Costa and Elder Carpenter of the Seventy come and do a mission tour.  They spoke to us about a lot of things, mostly pertaining to working with the members.  Elder Costa is an Area Authority over the North America Southeast Area.  One thing he did say in his heavy Brazilian accent was, "I'm tired of people telling me that my area is the Bible Belt.  I want it to be the Book of Mormon Belt."  Florida isn't as much in the Bible Belt as Georgia or Texas, but there are plenty of people we run into everyday that know the Bible very well.  I'd say that 90% of the people we talk to believe in God.  That's way more than the average of America.  It's just helping them understand the Book of Mormon that will help them progress.  The Elders talked a lot about flooding our respective areas with the Book of Mormon.  There is great power in reading and understanding it.

On Friday, the mission had MLC (Mission Leadership Council).  Elder Pottle is the District Leader so he went up to Orlando with the Zone Leaders.  It was about six in the morning when the Zone Leaders showed up.  They had another set of Elders that were with them.  We had to fit six guys plus a bike, into a five seat car with one seat down.  I sat on Elder Thomas for 45 minutes on our way up to Merritt Island.  The plan was for me to spend the day with Elder Wallis and Elder Blomstedt in Merritt Island, for most of the day while our companions were at MLC.  It was a really good time and it was nice to get into another area.  We had to bike all around the island because we didn't have a car.  We wanted to make it up to Port Canaveral, but we didn't have a lot of time.  That day was probably the highlight of my week.

On Saturday, we taught a guy named Herb.  He's been meeting with the missionaries for a long time, but just hasn't quite found his click.  The frustrating thing for all of us is that he knows that the commitments we leave him will help him progress, he just hasn't done them as often as we'd like.  He wants to start praying more and make that a part of his daily routine.  He said, "It's like what I tell myself about working out.  You can't just wish to be skinny, you have to put forth the effort."  He understands what he needs to do, we just need to help him fully keep his commitments and he will progress more than he ever has.

Other than that, it was just a long week of going hard in the paint and being completely exhausted 24/7.  The members continue to be awesome and supportive.  I would go insane if we didn't have awesome members.  Today we went to the Brevard Zoo with the Zone Leaders, Satellite Beach Sisters and Viera 2 Sisters.  It was a really good time.  It was one of the best P-days I've had.  I'm really grateful for how tight our District is.  Everyone is comfortable enough to joke around with each other, but we are also all very focused on the task at hand.  We help each other through hard times and give advice daily.  It's definitely so,etching that has helped this transfer go by more smoothly, considering how difficult of a time Elder Pottle and I have.

Mosiah 4:15-16 "But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.  And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish."

I hope y'all had a good week.  I hit six months tomorrow.  It feels like six years and six days at the same time.  It has been a very difficult but rewarding experience.  Even though life sucks like 75% of the time, if we focus on the blessings we have, the Plan of Salvation, and the love God has for us, we can be happy each and every day.  Have a great week.  In the words of Darlene from Apopka: "Love y'all, bye."

Elder Poulson?

 I don't really know what to say about this.

The lil' bird freaked me out. 
(Peep my name tag, it's spelled wrong.)

Zone Conference with the southern half of the mission.

Week 25: Mosiah 3:17

On Sunday, we had a member of the Stake High Council speak I'm Sacrament meeting.  His talk was about patience and the importance thereof.  He talked about the story of Alice in Wonderland.  I'm going to paraphrase, but he talked about when Alice asked the Cheshire Cat which way she should go.  He asked her which way she wanted to go and her reply was that she didn't care where she went.  The cat them told her that it didn't matter which path she took if she didn't know where she wanted to go.  It's a fairytale story, but the lesson is salient.

If we don't know where we are going, it doesn't matter what path we take.  I've taken it upon myself to focus my mind on that principle.  I want everything I do to reflect where I want to go and what I want to be in life.  It's something that is so simple and is a no-brainer, but often overlooked.  I invite y'all to do that same thing.

Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

Elder Poulsen