My Birthday

My birthday was definitely awesome this week, just so you all know. For my next birthday I will be home! That is so crazy. Anyway, I was on exchange with Elder Hogge, a missionary in our district when I woke up on my birthday. They have tennis rackets and courts near their flat, so we got to play tennis in the morning before study! That was awesome. Then we had Zone Meeting, a meeting with all the missionaries serving in the Coventry stake here, so I got to have 26 missionaries sing me happy birthday in the most horrible voices that they could muster. It was great. A few people asked me if I would be doing anything on my birthday and I replied simply enough, "doing missionary work."

The other day I had dinner at this guy's house http://www.mormon.org/richard. It was pretty cool. 

The day after my birthday was my one year mark on the mission, pretty crazy. I have less time to go than I have already done. I don't think my brain has fully comprehended or understood that yet. But I guess that will come over time--meaning before I know what happens, I'll be home. Sometimes it seems like I have been on my mission forever, and sometimes it seems it has not been too long. But one thing is for sure. It has been amazing, and it will continue to be amazing. 

Unfortunately, our friend Peter did not get baptised this week as he is struggling with some health problems. But hopefully it will be happening in the near future. 

Our teaching pool here has gone from a pool to a puddle to pretty much nothing, so we'll be hitting the streets hard this week, with the faith to find the people that the Lord has prepared to receive the fullness of the Restored gospel. Thankfully, the weather has been good. It is going to be awesome!

 Love, 

Elder Seth Poulsen

"Them That Will Receive You"

This week has been good, we were able to successfully introduce our friend Peter to the Elders of the Warwick branch, he should be getting baptized this weekend if everything goes well. He is amazing. Its going to be awesome, we're going to get to drive over there to see it with a few of the members here who got to be good friends with him while he was here. In our own area, we are going to need to be focusing on getting our recent converts further integrated better into the ward (thankfully we have ward council this week, that should be good) and at the same time finding new people to teach and baptize. I am excited! The work of the Lord is good. 

I was particularly inspired by one passage as I studied from Preach My Gospel this morning. "You are to build up the Church by finding “them that will receive you” (D&C 42:8). Such people will recognize that you are the Lord’s servants. They will be willing to act on your message. Many of these people have been “kept from the truth [only] because they know not where to find it” (D&C 123:12)" (p. 156). This made me think of how the people we have been able to teach and baptize recently have been so prepared by the hand of the Lord to receive and act on the message we had to share with them. It is so awesome, and there are so many more people who are ready for it. And with the Lord's help, we will find them!

Love, 

Elder Poulsen

*Mother's note - bonus pictures this week emailed to me from Sister McSweeney, one of the members in Elder Poulsen's ward.  She made a special birthday meal complete with a cake to celebrate his birthday which is on Wednesday of this week.  Happy Birthday Elder Poulsen!!!

Make Sure You Pronounce it the British Way

1. So last p-day we went to a lake (technically a reservoir - make sure you pronounce that the British way in your head when you read it--I think its a French word and so the British way of pronouncing it is more correct anyway). We might go to another, smaller one today if we have time. God's beauty is good. 

2. Boats. I love them. 

3. Nigel's baptism! This guy is way awesome. I know, I haven't said much about him. He is dating a member of the ward here. He has awesome faith and when he is feeling the spirit, he says some amazing things. He almost took me down into the water with him when he went down, he's a bit bigger than the last person I baptized (who was 13 years old, if you remember correctly). But we both made it out alive, so it was ok. 

We have a few more people here on the road to baptism as well. One is this way awesome guy named Peter, he has been to church the last two weeks and to the baptisms. He's got some seeing and hearing impairments due to a motorbike accident he was in (plus more health problems as well), but his mind is so sharp, he all ready has an amazing understanding and testimony of the restoration. However, today he is moving to Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace!). But it will be cool because we'll get to go over there tomorrow to introduce him to the elders there (its part of the Warwick branch, in the same stake as us) and we'll get to go see his baptism in a few weeks assuming everything goes well. 

We also just started teaching an awesome couple who told us all ready that they want to be baptized. We have just been so exceedingly blessed in the work here. It’s awesome! God is so good.

I have been studying a lot about the Doctrine of Christ recently--how all men must take the steps of faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end to find the fullness of joy in this life and in eternity. It is so apparent in the Book of Mormon, and its in the bible too if you seek it. Its so amazing! I am so thankful to be a member of the Lord Jesus Christ's true church Restored to the earth in these times and for the opportunity I have to help other people find it and receive the fullness as well. 

Love, 

Elder Poulsen

Looking for the Muffin Man

Well, this week has been awesome. I've even got some pictures. 

1. Do you know the muffin man? This is in town here. I actually took this picture ages ago, so I don't know if I sent it yet. Even if I did, its still funny. 

2. This is some crazy Albanian soup that Elder Myrtaj made for us. It was super tasty.

3. Jan's baptism!!! It was so amazing. Possibly the most spiritually powerful baptismal service I have been to on my mission. It was so amazing to see Jan get baptized, its been a long journey for her. The member that baptized her is a guy who was just baptized himself about 4 years ago and he came to a lot of the lessons we had with her. It’s been a long journey for Jan. An older member of the ward who came to the baptism said that he remembered Jan coming to church decades ago as a teenager. (Funny enough, she may have been coming along to church with her foster family back around the time that Reed Van Wagenen was serving here) But she didn't believe it then. She does now. 

    After the baptism we were in the hallway talking to one of our investigators who came to see the baptism. He said that he has been with some different churches over time. Jan came up and said, "Ya, I used to be with another church, but this is the true church" 

     What an amazing, powerful, testimony. 

     As I sat in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, my joy was full. Julie was there as she has been for the past three months, sitting with members she has become friends with. Jan was there and was confirmed a member of the church by Elder Myrtaj, and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. Nigel, another one of our investigators was there, preparing to be baptised in the coming weeks. And Peter, who we just met on saturday, was there, also absolutely loving the service. We have been blessed with such great miracles in the work here. I hope that it can continue to progress as the members get more involved as well, bringing their friends along and everything. God is so good. 

     I hope you all have an amazing week, full of the spirit. 

Love, 

Elder Poulsen

What a Week!

Its been good. A few mornings ago I tried to stop a young man so I could talk with him about the gospel. He did not stop, but rather he kept walking, stating that he was starving, and really needed to go get his breakfast. In the moments afterwards I reflected on the experience, I drew a parallel between this young man and Esau in the Old Testament, who sold his birthright for a bowl of pottage. Similarly, this young man denied the opportunity to learn about the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that he could satiate his hunger. What great blessings he is missing! One day he'll get another chance, and I sure hope he takes it. 

The other day we were able to watch "Joseph Smith: The Prophet of The Restoration" with a few of our investigators. Jan in particular was amazed by the great sacrifices the early saints made, changing their lives as a result of the prophetic council which they received. I was able to let her know that the steps she has taken to change her life including praying often, keeping the word of wisdom, and constantly studying the scriptures are comparable to the sacrifices made by the early saints. And we know that when we keep the commandments of the Lord, we are blessed. Jan passed her baptismal interview on Saturday, and she will be baptised this coming Saturday on the 8th of March. 

Well, anyway, as you can tell God is awesome and this is His work we're doing out here and it is pressing forward. I just read an awesome talk by M. Russell Ballard called "Trust in the Lord" from last General Conference. It taught me that we should all pray for missionary opportunities and then listen for the Holy Spirit giving us guidance as to what missionary actions we should take, intending to act on the revelation we receive. We will be given the comfort and strength to do these things. 

Have an amazing week everybody. 

Love, 

Elder Poulsen

Small World Moment

So about a month ago I had dinner with a couple in the ward here and upon my mentioning that I was from Fresno area, they asked if I knew Reed Van Wagenen. I said yes, and they informed me that he, Terry Reynolds was taught the Gospel and later confirmed a member of the church by Elder Van Wagenen 30 years ago. Crazy how these connections can happen. Also crazy that I am laboring in the same area as someone who we know did decades ago. Anyway, I thought it would be cool if you could give Reed their email address so they could be in contact again.  

The work here is going so well. Jan, our miracle door knock find, will be interviewed for baptism this week and probably baptised the week after that (if not that one, the week after that). We have another awesome guy we started teaching this week, a friend of a member in the ward. 

One thing I have learned so much on my mission and I keep learning more and more about it even when I already think that I have already learned a lot about it is loving people, really trying to understand them and their point of view, their situation. Being patient with them. Explaining things in a way that they will understand. Seeing not the bad things about them but the good, and helping them to overcome their weaknesses without focusing too much on them. One Elder in my district taught me about how constructive it can be to use "and" statements in helping people. For example, "I think you are great at x, y and z, and you would be even better if you were to a, b, and c." Above all, I know that God is awesome, He loves us and wants us to be able to learn and become better, so we need to be humble and let Him teach us. Its so awesome! 

Love, 

Elder Seth Poulsen

Julie's Baptism

I unexpectedly had a notice on my screen come on that this computer is about to shut off real soon, so I have not time to write anything. The baptism of Julie went well this week, enjoy the pics. I can explain them more later. 

The other pic is us with a mini-missionary who was with us for a few days, the other one is a reunion of our MTC district, almost a year later. 

Elder Poulsen

*Elder Poulsen's answers to these questions:

Boone: Hey Seth. I am sad to have you not here but it makes me happier when I read your letters. So here is my question: Have you ever cried of joy or of sadness?

Elder Poulsen: Boone, I feel the same way. I am sad to not be with you, but I am always so glad to hear from you whether it be a letter, an email, a picture, or anything. I have cried many times in my life, both of joy an sadness. I think both have happened on my mission as well, as we have many sad and many happy things happen. For example, it is sad that there are so many people that don't want to listen to us teach them about the gospel, but then we also have amazing things happen like J, our friend who was able to overcome her addiction to alcohol and on Saturday she was baptized! 

David: Can it be fun at sometimes while being a missionary?

Elder Poulsen: David, being a missionary is fun all the time. Being a missionary is like going out and making great new friends, and then you can baptize them so you can be friends with them in the celestial kingdom forever. Its so awesome!  We definitely had tons of fun with Alex Watkins, who we taught when I was in Wales. We would play sports with him on p-day and stuff. And even on days where no one really wants to listen to you, you still always have your companion to laugh and joke around with. Its awesome! You also get to do fun stuff like ride your bikes down big hills, ride on trains and on double decker buses, and more. Its different depending on where you go on your mission, but that's some of the fun stuff we get to do here. Today after I'm done emailing, we're going to go play football (soccer) and table tennis with some other missionaries. Its going to be a blast!

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