Week 48: 寶长老 (Bǎo Zhǎnglǎo)

It was a pretty basic week.  I have a few things to talk about.

First, we went down to Orlando on Saturday for a baptism.  It was someone who Elder Taylor taught in his last area.  It's actually a Chinese Branch which is super cool.  The lady's name is Ming and she is adorable.  Cute little old Asian lady.  Her smile was super contagious.  It was a really great service.  The branch president and his wife are both from America, are fluent in Chinese, and adopted two girls from China.  I talked to the branch president's wife and daughters who were super nice.  They give every missionary they "like" a Chinese missionary name.  So I am now "Bǎo Zhǎnglǎo" which basically sounds like, in a rough way, "Po Chong-Lao".  It was pretty funny.  After the baptism, our member ride had to stop at Costco to get his hearing aids fixed.  Id say about 80% of our ward wears a hearing aid.  Anyway, while Elder Taylor and I were waiting, we walked around and tried all the free samples, and I kid you not, we ran into 3 separate member families.  We'd just hear, "Hey, Elders!".  Elder Taylor and I were just laughing about it because, A, anytime you're in a store or restaurant on a day that's not Monday, you always see members.  I guess it's just God's way of keeping us on track.  B, they all probably thought we were just chillin' at Costco on a Saturday afternoon.  Dang, these Orlando missionaries are scrubs.

We had one really cool finding experience this week.  Two Sundays ago, we stopped by one last person for the night. We went looking for a woman.  We knocked on the door and a guy came to the window and said "We're good." and walked away. We left the house and drove down a few houses, and pulled over to report it.  I opened the area book on my tablet and was about to stop teaching this woman, but my tablet wouldn't work.  We waited and waited for it to work, and then a car pulled up to us.  I don't know how, but he knew it was us. It was the same guy who said they were good.  He told us to come back during the day and that he'd be open to talking to us.  It was a miracle.  We went back this week and had a lesson with him.  His name is Jeff.  He was extremely receptive.  Probably the most receptive person I've met on my mission.  He asked so many key questions like "why are there so many translations of the Bible?" and "why don't church's do missionary work?". Elder Taylor and I feel like the lesson went very well.  It flowed and the Spirit was present.  Not once did Jeff have a problem with what we said.  He was so agreeable and receptive.  It was too good to be true.  Elder Taylor and I were hyped for the rest of the day.  It was complete divine intervention.

That's all I have, hope you have a great week!

Elder Poulsen

Week 48: Helaman 5:6-9

In Elders quorum, we talked about Elder Holland's talk on reconciliation.  It was beautiful and simple.  I love the idea of forgiving people and moving on.  It only hurts us when we hold grudges.  We should always forgive to benefit them and ourselves.

"Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

Elder Poulsen

Week 47: He Maketh Me to Golf in Green Pastures

I'm going to be pretty brief.  Not much happened but a few things happened that were worth mentioning.

Last transfer, President Clark came up to our ward for church.  He talked to me after and asked me how the area was.  I was pretty blunt with him, telling him that the ward is pretty unmotivated and the work is slow.  He told me a lot of things, but one thing he said was "I don't care if you're on the golf course".  I didn't really think about it at all last transfer but finally we took it to heart.

Our new ward mission leader has been really pushing hard for member work and has led by example.  He invited us to come golfing with him and his friend.  It worked perfect because President gave us permission!  Never would I have guessed that I would be playing golf as a missionary as a proselyting activity.  For someone who hasn't swung a golf club, Elder Taylor did pretty good, and I wasn't too shabby either for being rusty.  It was a good time.  We were able to talk about the gospel in a very natural way and we are planning on going golfing again with them this week.

"So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way. That way is through the members of the Church." - President Gordon B. Hinckley

We were walking around a neighborhood near our house one evening when a guy came out yelling at us.  He asked us in a very contentious way, what we were doing and why we were out at night.  We tried explaining to him that we were missionaries for Christ.  He told me that if I wanted to meet Christ any sooner, walk onto his property.  He threatened to shoot us if he ever saw us again.  Definitely not the best environment and afterwards, I said a few choice words in the car.  I realized that my charity is not where I wanted to be.  God has given me many experiences in the past few weeks to evaluate my charity and try harder to love those that persecute me.

The last thing of the week, Mark got baptized on Saturday!  He moved up to Jacksonville and was being taught.  We were able to FaceTime in and talk to him.  It is crazy to see the change he has gone through since the first time I met him.  The gospel has really blessed his life.  I am so grateful for being a witness to his miraculous change.

That's about it, I hope y'all have a great week and enjoy the snow.  I sure miss it.

Elder Poulsen

OG Mark

They call me Arnold

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Week 47: Alma 36:24

I have been thinking about hope a lot this week and I came across a talk by Elder Uchtdorf.  He talks a lot about hope and how it sustains us when life isn't going our way.

"I wish to speak today of the hope that transcends the trivial and centers on the Hope of Israel, the great hope of mankind, even our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.  Hope is not knowledge, but rather the abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us. It is confidence that if we live according to God’s laws and the words of His prophets now, we will receive desired blessings in the future. It is believing and expecting that our prayers will be answered. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance.  In the language of the gospel, this hope is sure, unwavering, and active. The prophets of old speak of a “firm hope” and a “lively hope.” It is a hope glorifying God through good works. With hope comes joy and happiness. With hope, we can have patience, and bear our afflictions.” - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I know that hope will get us through hard times.  We need to have hope that God will fulfill His promises.  Praying for hope, faith, and charity are essential to this life.

Elder Poulsen

Week 46: I Shall Not Want

We had one cool miracle happen last night.  We were about to go home for the night and we thought about stopping by one more person.  We went to a lady who we met earlier in the week and said she didn't mind us coming back.  We knocked on the door and she told us to come in.  We ended up teaching the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited them to read the Book of Mormon.  We were able to teach 3 people and there are other people that live there too.  We don't often find families here, so it was a huge tender mercy when they let us in and listened to us.This week was really hard.  I've learned that sometimes we will do nothing wrong and still get harmed because of the agency of others .  I've been struggling with this idea for a few days.  Obviously the natural man wants to get mad and fight back.  I was reading in Alma 60 when Moroni wrote a letter and accused Pahoran of neglecting the army.  After receiving the letter, Pahoran reacted perfectly.  He didn't fight back or try to prove his innocence, rather he praised Moroni for his passion and love for God.  I've been trying to think more like Pahoran and allow others to accuse and treat me poorly.  It's easier said than done, but if we pray for charity, God will help us obtain it.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." (Psalm 23)

These scriptures really helped me this week.  Relying fully upon Jesus Christ.  I know that when I allow Him to help me, when I rely on Him to ease my burdens, I shall not want.

Elder Poulsen

Week 46: John 6:66-69

I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures from the Book of Mormon:  "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." (Mosiah 24:13-14)

I know that the Lord truly does visit us in our afflictions.  I have seen it in so many people, both family, friends, and strangers.  I've seen it in my own life.  God is completely aware of us and will help us through the hard times.

Elder Poulsen

Week 45: Hog Jowls

Just to warn you, this email is probably going to be pretty boring.  I'm struggling to find things of worth to talk about but I guess you won't have to read as much, so that's good.

The first week of the transfer is over.  Elder Taylor is super cool.  He's from Pismo Beach, California and has been out for a year and a half.  I'm learning a lot from him and we are pretty similar.

This week was super long.  We did 25+ hours of finding with almost no success if you look at numbers.  I'm one that doesn't care about numbers.  If I try my best and post all zeros, it doesn't bother me.  I don't base success off of statistics.  I do hate it when missionaries force return appointments on people just so they can check them off.  That should never be your motive in missionary work.

Here's an interesting story.  We were out stopping by potentials last night in a neighborhood in Wildwood.  We saw a guy's profile named Nate and thought we'd stop by.  The gate was closed, so we didn't want to intrude. There was a number on his profile so we gave him a call instead.  We called him and he was super nice.  He told us that he'd be down to meet with missionaries and talk about the Book of Mormon but he's since moved to Virginia.  He's going to college at Shenandoah University.  We told him we'd send his number over to the missionaries in his area and thought nothing of it.  Later, we got a call from the Elders who we sent them to. They're in the Maryland Baltimore Mission.  I looked on the record for their phone number and the names of the Elders, and there it said, "Elder Steenblik".  It's Elder Tanner Steenblik from my home ward.  It was really cool talking to him!  It was almost surreal.  What are the odds that we'd get in contact with Nate, send him to the right missionaries, and have that be someone from my home ward.  It was a really cool tender mercy.  God is truly in the fabric of our lives.

This week, I feel like Ive been more in the south than I usually am.  I've tried "hog jowls" with black-eyed pees, which I can say is the first meal I've had on my mission that wasn't great.  I've met a lot of people who are Florida natives, and someone told us, "If you can cross the creek on a hickory log without it breakin', you've done good."  He was using that analogy to agree with something we said but I honestly have no idea how it applied.  Crazy Southern people man, I love it.

This week we had our first 2 hour Church meeting.  It was strange leaving so early but I thought it was good.  It gave us the responsibility to prioritize the true doctrines of the gospel.  Our Bishop talked a lot about recentering everything to Jesus Christ.  Everything we do, say, and think should have the purpose of bringing us closer to Him.  Brother Campbell, a member in our ward, said something to us a few weeks ago that stuck with me.  He said, quoting something he heard, "A lot of people say that Latter-day Saints are not Christian, and that they don't worship Jesus Christ.  The fact is, they are obsessed with Jesus Christ.  They can't get enough of Him."  Over the past few months, I've definitely seen that in others around me and myself.  I love talking about, thinking about, and studying Jesus Christ.  He has helped me more than I could ever comprehend, and any little bit of understanding that I can obtain of Him is highly sought after.

In closing, this week was pretty boring, but the small things that I noticed throughout my days, bore witness to me that God lives and is aware of an inadequate, oblivious, blonde kid from Cottonwood Heights, Utah.  He loves me and supports me.  I know that to be true of all His children.  Love y'all!

Elder Poulsen

Elder Adair and I

Last family pic

Zone pic

Fishing this morning

Just chillin'

Florida has the most beautiful sunrises

Elder Taylor and I

Week 45: Galatians 5:13-14

I listened to a talk by President Russell M. Nelson.  He talked about "The Living Christ" and how some people don't take advantage of it, or even know it exists.  I took his challenge to read and ponder it.  The last two paragraphs hit me hard.

"We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.  We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

I don't really need to add much to this.  I know my Savior lives, and if I'm here for anything, it is to serve and follow Him.

Elder Poulsen