Makin' My Way Downtown

Well, hello family and friends! I'm just here typing away, short on time as always, so we'll see how this goes!

News of the week: I am FINALLY getting transferred!!! :D Don't get me wrong, I love this area and the people here, but I am ready for a change. I'm headed to downtown Long Beach with an Elder Lee, who I have heard is pretty cool ^-^ So yep, back to Long Beach for me, just the other side this time. But I am SUPER STOKED!!! Apparently I am going to a really good area!

As for investigators here:

- Angie started listening to us again. I think she will progress after we leave. Eduarda is working on getting a job, our fingers are crossed!

- Jared is good, just hard to teach sometimes, because kids. But we have hopes for him too!

- Beatriz's member friend is working with her. She will get baptized someday, but maybe not too soon :P

Something I have really learned lately is something I call the Application Cycle. It has 5 steps: Study, Set a Goal, PRACTICE, Do, Evaluate. Sounds simple, but the more I am on the mission, the more desperately I want to become a better missionary and person. And this cycle really helps! I capitalized practice because it is often the most neglected part. Sure, when you attempt to actually do the thing you set a goal to do, it is sort of practice. But if you do your practicing beforehand, when you actually get to the real life doing it part, you will perform way better! For instance: I study how to teach more simply, I set a goal to use less words and speak more clearly. I practice with my companion, and figure out what things I need to change. Then I go do it, and it works pretty well. And then I evaluate, and decide if I should set the same goal again (if I didn't reach it), or set a new goal! Simple, but it is powerful. We had some spiritual lessons this week because of it.

I have also been working on something I call my rules! A mission statement of sorts, that helps me become what I want to be. So that is fun! Rule #1 is the most important though: Love God and love those around you. I am striving to do that more fully. Love is a verb, after all. It is something you actively do.

I would also like to say that The Book of Mormon is the most powerful tool we have to bring us closer to Christ. Use it.

Welp. I'm out of time. But I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Poulson

Saying goodbye to Huntington Beach

Soccer + Diligence = JOY!!!

Before I begin, I would like to officially announce that soccer is perhaps the best sport ever, and that putting two barrels on the extremities of each side and having no goalie would NOT make it better. A member told us that yesterday... I thought it was interesting. Haha

Well I'm doing this last, which means I am already almost out of time. But I'm going to type quick anyways!

So last p-day one of the other elders had somehow got ahold of a GIANT soccer ball! And he inflated it beforehand... Kind of a bad plan. So we ended up hauling it like that! It was hilarious! We made so many people's days, it was great!

Investigators are doing pretty good! None came to church, EXCEPT that same member brought her friend to church AGAIN! We are super excited about that! We have an appointment set up to teach her this week. We worked a lot with members these last few days, and it has made such a difference! In case you were wondering, it is no longer possible to do missionary work without your guys' help. 20 years ago, tracting worked. Now a days, we need your help.

Not much to say about other investigators. We're working with them. We picked up Jared again, which is great!

We listened to a talk the other day called Currency of Trust, and it was amazing! It talked about how to ask questions and create and atmosphere of trust. It changed the way we think. One of my favorite parts: desire+knowledge+skills=power. Meaning, you can learn as much as you want, but if you don't have the desire to put it into practice, it doesn't matter. And you can have desire and knowledge, but if you don't PRACTICE, it won't make any difference! You must develop skills to be successful at anything. And then turn those skills into habits.

Well, there is a room full of people waiting to email, so I'm gonna dip. I love you all! As my sister always says, "have courage and be kind!"

Elder Poulson

The Power of Godliness

Buenos Dias family and friends and such! I hope you are all doing well :) Before I start, I have heard some speculations that my snail from last week, Jerry, didn't actually exist. I am sure that the attached pictures will clearly rebute any such allegations. ^-^ Haha he is now released back into the wild, so no worries!

A lot of powerful things happened this week, hence the title. Plus a member kept talking about Thor, so it's on my mind ;) But I do believe that the power we feel from experiences pertaining to this Gospel is of vital importance. No one could truly be converted or know of the truth of these things without feeling the Holy Ghost and the power therein.

But first, investigators. Beatriz has been busy, and didn't show up to church, so that was kind of disappointing. Angie also has been busy and unresponsive, and didn't come to church. BUT we still had someone come! It was kind of a miracle. A member in our area brought her friend that I taught with Elder Harward awhile back, and who I had thought was completely uninterested. But she came to church and loved it! :D So that was really cool! We think that fasting had something to do with it. If you ever need a miracle, try fasting. I know from experience that it almost inevitably works, and often in ways we never expected.

Eduarda is still working on getting Sundays off or getting a new job. Viola has also been busy this week, but that is okay. We're going to keep working with all of them. Prayer and faith works too :)

One powerful experience I had this week happened in church yesterday. Hermano Rodriguez stood up to give his testimony. Now that sounds pretty normal until you recognize that Hermano Rodriguez was recently hospitalized and is currently in a wheelchair. With the help of three men, he managed to get to the pulpit, and his son still had to stand there behind him and hold him up. Through tears and gasps of pain, this wonderful man boldy bore his testimony, quoting the scripture that says, more or less, that  when you bear your testimony, angels rejoice, and The Spirit is there. Well let me tell you, The Spirit was there! It was crystal clear. I loved it, and I have an immense respect for that humble disciple of Christ.

We also had Zone Conference this week, which was immensely powerful! We watched a video of two recently returned missionaries teaching Elder and Sister Cook the Restoration (the first lesson we teach), with the whole quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency sitting there watching. (No pressure) But they were asked to teach it in four minutes. And in four minutes, they taught that entire lesson with authority and power. I was amazed at The Spirit we felt as we only watched a VIDEO of two missionaries teaching the Restoration.

I can bear testimony to you all that I know now, more than ever, that it is true. That the God loves us, and he has always given us the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth, and he did so again through Joseph Smith, the first prophet in this the last dispensation of the fulness of times. It in reality happened. And if you don't know that for yourself, I would invite you to kneel down right now and ask God to tell you. Because if you do so with a sincere heart and humble spirit, you will feel a love and power you have never felt before, the very same power and love I felt that day and every time I teach this message. If you haven't yet, please: just ask God. You won't leave you without guidance.

That is the best thing I could say to you all, so I guess I'll finish with that :) And this scripture. Our Savior has told us that "the kingdom of God is within you." Remember that all blessings God can give you are based on what you do. So do your best to do good and follow Him, and he will bless you. He probably already is: look around and you'll find more blessings in your life than you thought existed. I love you all!!! Have a pretty adequate week :)

Elder Poulson

Meet Jerry the Snail

Check out Elder Poulson bobble head!!  hahaha!

"Go Rex's"

When Life is Moving too Fast, Make Friends with a Snail

Good Morning family and friends! I'm Elder Poulson, and this is my snail, Jerry. We'll be your hosts for the evening. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the email!!! :D *Crowds Cheering*

This week was quite the roller coaster. It was honestly like someone put me on a frisbee and tossed me back and forth a bunch of times. You would know what that feels like, wouldn't you Jerry? *Canned Laughter* A lot of crazy stuff happened with investigators. 

The biggest news is that we stopped teaching Jared. *Collective Gasps* Yeah I know... I was devastated too. No really though, it was pretty rough. He essentially told us he doesn't want to do anything we ask him to. We suspect there is more to the story though, so we are going to talk to him later this week.

Beatriz came to church this week though! *Cheering* She has been an investigator forever, but dropped off the face of the planet like 4 months ago. We are going to really try to help her progress. Eduarda still needs a different job, and her daughter, Angie, didn't come to church because she had to watch her sister :P We'll see what happens though!

Let me tell you though, we finally got a ward mission leader, and he is AMAZING!!! So humble and willing to serve! He encourage us to fast and pray, love our companions, work with members, etc., and it just got us all pumped up! I never realized how important a ward mission leader is, because I haven't had one in 6 months, and back then I couldn't understand a word he said XD But I am really excited to work with him! Plus he is in my area, and him and his wife are Samoan, so I'ma get some BOMB food!!!

I learned some valuable lessons about priorities this week. Essentially, it is pointless to make any sort of plan for your life if you don't know your priorities. You won't accomplish what you want to. My companion listed out his priorities, and I followed suite. It was really eye-opening! If you base all that you do on what matters most first, you will never go wrong. For instance, disobedience suddenly seems less tantalizing when your first priority is to put God's will above yours.

I also learned something cool that Elder Bednar said. Something along the lines of "stop worrying if it is The Spirit! Just be a good boy or good girl, keep the commandments, serve people, and it will all work out. So many people feel something and say, I'm not really sure if it is The Spirit. Stop it! Just trust that it is, and act, and it will all work out!" I kinda needed that. I think it is important to remember that if we were ever sure that it was The Spirit we were feeling, it would require no faith for us to follow it. And faith is the law on which God's ability to bless us is predicated. (Jerry is good at that. He feels around with his feelers, and will even stretch out off an edge to the point where he could fall, trusting that something will be there.)

Well, I only have an hour today, so I'm going to sign off. But remember this: The only way to truly progress in this life is to more fully understand and apply the Doctrine of Christ. Faith, repentance, baptism AND the sacrament, the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end are the very process by which we change and become better, until we "lay hold on every good thing", and are "perfected in him." Check out the talk by Brian K Ashton in the October 2016 General Conference for more on that.

Bye, love ya'll! Have a snail-tastic week! ;) *Cheering*

Elder Poulson and Jerry

P.S. - It is very hard to type with a snail on the back of your hand. But I would advise you to try it anyways ;)

This is Elder Bry with a member of our ward, Todd Jorgensen.  Bryan wanted to send home a guitar he was given in his last area.  Todd was nice enough to pick it up while he was in California on business.  So fun to get a picture from Todd of our cute missionary.

Literally the Word of God

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! How are ya'll doing? Just say good to your computer or phone right now, out loud. If you say it, you'll believe it, and then you will be doing FANTASTIC!!! :D Yeah!

So this week was definitely good! A little slow at times, but we had some good successes about every day. So that is always satisfying ^-^

Not too much has changed with Eduarda and Jared. Just trying to help them progress towards baptism. But we started teaching Eduarda's daughter, Angie, and she is AWESOME!!! :D She is super sincere and has some really good questions! So we are excited to teach her. We also managed to FINALLY start teaching Beatriz again. She is an investigator from almost 5 months ago that dropped off the radar when Elder Valenzuela left. But she came to church last week, and we managed to teach her this week. So we hope to help her progress to baptism.

I was reading President Uchtdorf's talk from this last Conference, and what really impressed me is that perfect love can literally overcome any fear. I think we could all recognize that more. After all, the only reason Our Savior Jesus Christ could perform the Atonement was because his perfect love for us overcome his fear of performing such an excruciating act. My Dad also told me this week that we can find more confidence in the fact that we are keeping the commandments of God. After all, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." So if we have perfect loved, we will be obedient. Obedience casts out fear too.

Something someone said in church this week really struck me. One of the speakers said that "We have more scriptures at our fingertips than any other nation has ever had at any time in the history of the World." Think about it. We LITERALLY have the WORD of GOD, our HEAVENLY FATHER, the ALL-POWERFUL and ALL-KNOWING FATHER of our Spirits. How could we ever take for granted the fact that we can access exactly what he wants us to hear within the time it takes to press a couple buttons. Think how much people in the days before technology would have given to have access to such a wealth of information. My exhortation to you all would be to read what are called the words of Eternal Life for AT LEAST 15 seconds per day. Yeah you read that right. At least 1 5 SECONDS per day. Just form the habit, if you haven't already. Opening the scriptures every day will do more for you than nearly anything else you could ever do.

Well, that is my 2.37 cents for the day. Umm... Yep. Ya'll have an above average week! I love you all! Let me know if there is anything I can do for any of you. Chou!

Elder Poulson

Self Worth and Feeling

Hey, this Elder Poulson, emailing live from the not-so-eventful library in Huntington Beach California! How are ya'll doing?

Well, I am low on time, because I had to catch up on some emailing and such. BUT I will try to give this a good go anyways!

The highlight of this week was of course skyping my family! It was great! And for all of you who think you have the best mom in the world, you're wrong. I do ;) And I love her! ^-^

Investigators wise:

-Jared is good, but progressing slowly. He is a 10 year old kid, so I don't really hold it against him.

-Eduarda now has a job that works her on Sundays :P So we are working on helping her figure that out. Baptism is a commitment to go to church for the rest of your life, after all.

-Sandy is busy as ever, but she is reading the Book of Mormon, so that is good!

-Alfonso is just the strongest convert ever! He goes to everything church related, and it is amazing! He really does have great faith :)

I really felt guided by The Spirit this week! We ended up finding another "unknown" less active member, and we are going to teach her relatives! So that is exciting :) And we found them because against all logic, we followed The Spirit. Something key that I have learned is that you will never be sure it is the Spirit you are feeling. A lot of the time, you just have to have faith that if you are trying to follow the Spirit, despite uncertainty, God will make sure you are blessed for your efforts!

Just two nuggets, and I've got to dip.

- Your self-worth has a direct relationship with your effectiveness. You CANNOT be effective and get a lot done if you don't love yourself and find value in your own abilities. I read a quote today that said that the key to a peaceful life is to find value in yourself and your contribution, NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS CONTRIBUTE. Comparison will only destroy you. Find self-worth in the fact that you are a son or daughter of God, and as such, are heirs to the greatest kingdoms of God, no matter what perceived weaknesses you have. The talk self-worth by Hyrum W Smith is one of the best I've ever heard, so if you want to, you should listen to it or read it! Also, Elder Holland's talk this last conference.

- Put some feeling into what you do and say. I feel like sometimes we are so tired and going through the motions that we don't really put feeling into what we're doing. I think that the best way to light up your life is to let your feelings shine through in what you do or say. The secret to fulfillment is to feel :)

Welp, I'm gonna go now. I love you all! Take care! Remember that God loves you!

Elder Poulson

A sweet member Mom sent me these pictures from Sunday Dinner at her house.

Mother's Day SKYPE CALL!!

Best Mother's Day gift ever.....I got to skype with my favorite Elder.  Elder Bry looked so great and is doing fantastic.  We had so much fun talking to him and being able to SEE him.  His smile just makes me feel happy!  Oh how I love that boy of mine!!

Here is Savannah's instagram post....love the picture!!

Be Like a Horse

Hey family and friends! I am way low on time today, so I'll get right to the point, but I hope ya'll are doing fantastic! :)

This week was good! We worked hard. We found out that I am staying yet another transfer here, which will make 5. That is about 7 months. So a lot! But I am sure I will love it :) I am where God wants me to be!

As for our investigators:

-Eduarda wants to get baptized on this next Saturday, but didn't go to church because of work... So we'll see. Soon though!

-Jared, Lesley, AND their Dad went with us to the Los Angeles temple visitor's center this week! It was a good experience all around. I had never met their dad, but he was a nice guy, and we were able to talk to him about Jared being baptized. Jared didn't come to church either though because Lesley got sick and he is too shy to go without her :P But it is okay, he is doing good still :)

-We are teaching someone named Sandy who is SUPER sincere! She is way busy, but we think she might accept this wonderful message and receive the blessings of baptism. So that is exciting!

I learned a WHOLE lot of Spiritual amazingness this week, but here is some of the more profound parts:

-We can act without fear. We just have to realize that God will take our actions and make them work out for our good if we are STRIVING to do what he asks: not just if we succeed in doing so.

-We are like horses. If you haven't had the chance to see the new Meet the Mormons clips, you REALLY should watch them! The horse one was amazing! I learned so much! Basically, think of God as the rider and us as the horse. To be short, I will just say that God gently tugs on the bridle, and we must follow to avoid danger and run freely. Give heed to the rider, my friends.

-Don't be sifted as wheat. That is Satan's goal, and someone this week told me that to be sifted as wheat means to give in to being plain, average, and like the whole world. But as saints, we can't just be as common as the wheat. We have to stand out! We are expected to be the difference and the differents in the world, so that others can see our light and discover God's will for them through this one and only true Gospel.

-The Doctrine of Christ is central to living a happy, successful life. Study the Doctrine of Christ: meaning faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. That is the pattern of progression that will make us happy!

Well, other than that I'll just say that I love being here, and I hope you all equally love the goodness of your lives! Keep at it, follow God, and you'll be happy! :) Bye love you :)

Elder Poulson

Simplify and Act

Hello queridos amigos and familia! I'm sick of saying "how are you?" and pretending that you all are saying "good" back, so I'm just gonna spill the news.

So I was making a breakfast shake, like I do every morning, and the bottom of the blender thing came off... I felt like that had happened before, so I put it back on and decided to test it (mistake #1) But of course me being me, my mind got ahead of itself, and I tested it without putting the lid on (mistake #2). So I turn it on, realize as the shake starts splashing that the lid isn't on, and in my haste to turn off the machine, I hit the side of the blender pitcher (mistake #3). Three strikes your out, and I ended up with milk all over my jacket and shoes, a giant mess of ingredients on the counter, and my companion staring at me like I was crazy as I stood there repeatedly hitting my head on the wall. It was quite the adventure! So yeah, that is the news I had to spill. Cause it was a spill. Haha get it? Well I made myself laugh at least ;)

But I suddenly feel like a jerk for not asking, so HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING?!?! Hopefully you're doing great! If you're not, hopefully this email somehow makes you feel better! Or if nothing else, gives you a laugh or two ^-^

I have a WHOLE lot to write about this week, and not too much time to do it, so bear with me.

So Alfonso had quite the week. I can't give much details, but basically he was kicked out of his house. He has gotten help from the Bishop and will be living with a member, but it was a pretty rough experience for him, as one would expect. But I just can't even tell you how amazed I am by the faith he has shown through it all! He sent us twenty texts rapid-fire the night he got kicked out, and we told him to read the Book of Mormon (he was staying at and investigator's house for the night) and pray to know what to do. The next he told us that he had felt the Spirit answer him, and that he knew exactly what to do! He said he loved reading the Book of Mormon and really felt the Spirit while doing so.

Long story short, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is not only real, but can be extremely powerful and prevalent in our lives if we permit it to be. As far as I can tell, Alfonso has done what God has asked these past few months, and he is receiving the promised blessings of doing so. And all of us have the same blessings promised to us, if we are obedient to God's commands. So I would invite you all to continue to strive to do that.

The other amazing news this week is that Eduarda is no longer living with her boyfriend, which means she can get baptized! So that is very exciting! She is currently planning on being baptized at the end of this month, but it might happen sooner. Time will tell.

Jared is also doing great! He came to church despite throwing up that same morning... Which was both AWESOME and a bit concerning. He was determined though! Of course, he only stayed for the first hour, but I'm proud of him :)

A couple other fun things:

- We had a ward activity this week, and at the activity we played a game called Chubby Bunny... Basically, you go around in the circle and, without swallowing, put a marshmallow in your mouth. You then have to say "chubby bunny." And then you go around the circle and give everyone another marshmallow, and with each marshmallow you have to not swallow and still be able to say "chubby bunny". So I decided to do it along with a lot of other people... It was horrible. I'm never eating marshmallows again XD But if you so desire to see a video of me playing chubby bunny (chances are that will just be my mom), go to [https://www.facebook.com/groups/664840110294133/..or watch clip below]. I didn't win though :P

- We have been randomly playing soccer with kids in complexes as a way to get the comfortable enough to listen to us, and it has been working! We also found some kids digging holes for fun. They said they like to bury stuff and then dig it back up a couple years later... I was suddenly grateful that I had stuff to do as a kid. XD

As another missionary once phrased it, here is my spiritual nugget for the week. I really learned a lot this week, but this was my favorite part. The scriptures say "seek, and ye shall find." If you are like me, you have heard that a billion times and haven't thought much of it. But in a talk by President Uchtdorf in April 2016 connects that phrase to a quote by Abraham Lincoln: "People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." When I read that I had an epiphany: WE CONTROL OUR LIVES. Now I get that that is a generally accepted fact, but think about it a bit more if you will.

We are sent here, the scriptures say, to "act or be acted upon." The scriptures also say, in Helaman 14:30-31, that "ye are free; ye are permitted to act for yourselves... ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you." Basically, as President Monson has told us, "decisions determine destiny." What we choose to do determines our own happiness and the end result of our lives. If we desire good, we will have it. If we give in to the world and desire evil, we will have it. The door which you knock on will be opened unto you.

So as Elder Ballard counseled us this last general conference, take a moment and have a little self-interview. Figure out if you are making the decisions that are going to take you where you want to go, and permit you to do the things that you truly want to do. Is your current path going to allow you to "return and receive" all that God has in store for you? If not, that is okay, because YOU CAN CHANGE THAT. You can act. So as Elder Yoon Whan Choi said in his general conference talk, "look up!" Defeat the fears that are holding you back by the power of your faith. Believe in God, believe he is, look to Him, and ACT. Make the changes in your life that will allow you to become everything you have ever dreamed of becoming. And plan to "Return and Receive."

Act. Don't just be acted upon.

And as the subject line says, simplify. The most important actions are those based on counsel from God, through family, the living prophets and apostles, the scriptures, your church leaders, and through personal revelation. Don't get caught up in the world.

Well I always have more, but that is all for this week. I love you all, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them! Have a fantastic week!

Elder Poulson

Chubby Bunny Shorter Video

https://vimeo.com/216326620

Life is Good Until you get Stabbed

Goooood morning family and friends! How are ya'll doing? I'm doing great, thanks!

So this week was pretty exhausting, but it paid off! I did in fact get stabbed, but only by a needle so that they could take my blood... Which didn't help me to be less tired! But hey, it was fun!

The main event this week was that Alfonso got confirmed! Elder Harward came back to do it, so that was fun too. Alfonso felt SUPER good afterward, I loved it! I don't know if he has ever felt the Spirit so strongly. It was pretty amazing :)

Other than that, this week was strangely eventful. We went to the temple on Tuesday as you know, which was also our p-day. Elder Ramirez had to go to some papers stuff in another zone, so wen went there on Wednesday. Thursday I got stabbed by some Lady. Friday and Saturday were pretty much just spent trying to find people to teach, which was unusual for us. Usually we have someone to teach.

We actually made a game to try and get each other to talk to more people! You get points mainly for talking to people. The zone leaders ended up joining in and everything, it was great!

Umm... Yeah. Not too much more to report. Just moving along, doing the work!

I learned something really cool the other day! Someone was talking about how someone had asked them why our church doesn't used crosses. They responded that we don't just not use crosses, but any other symbols. That is because it is not necessary to use a symbol to show the rest of the world that we follow Christ. Our symbol is who we are and how we act. If we really are members of the true church of God on the Earth (and we are), it should show in everything we do and say and are. So yeah, I thought that was cool!

Well that is about it. Love ya'll! Keep up the faith!

Elder Poulson

Easter Package from Home