So some exciting news this week... THE ELDERS ARE GETTING A CAR!!! WOW It has been super crazy hard to coordinate the car with them... and yeah. We will stop there. We are just feeling quite blessed :) Our feet have about had it with the walking...
[Lisa says: remember that with Tara's foot problems that it was good that this is typically a driving mission - the elder's car accident just has derailed that for a few months and had these sisters sharing a car with them and walking or biking part time. This is was difficult in this rural area with their contacts being so far away from each other. It has been a blessing because they have been able to meet more people doing street contacting and walking in their neighborhoods more.]
Also, transfers! We are both STAYING!!! Wahooo Franklin for 6 months! And this transfer has an extra week actually so 6 months and a week! HA let's see what the next 7 weeks brings!
We sure were working hard this week, and The Lord truly blessed us! We had a solid lesson with D, sorta. He had just woken up so he was super out of it... but we just told him our purpose and kind of determined if he was serious or not. It was good, we are still praying about it but we are getting there!
We didn't get to meet with R [10 yr old] this week, But we will see him this Wednesday! At church yesterday, he had a little name tag that said "Missionary in training!" AWE it was sooo cute! We will have to get a pic for sure :)
We traveled down to the far reaches of NC to visit a less active member with the Ws. They are such a sweet couple :) He just kept telling us how he fell in love the first time he saw his wife #precious. But this less active member totally wants to come, he just needs a ride! He also has health problems, so it will be a week by week thing. But it was great to meet with him and re kindle his flame of the gospel.
Met a super cool guy on the street named K! We stopped and started talking to him, and he was all, "Wow, I just feel the spirit when I see people like y'all spreading the word!" Then he even started to get emotional and told us about how Christ helped him back out of some hard times. Then he was all, "Do you have a card or something?" We both, shocked, fumbled around to find a card and we told him we would be in contact! WOW it was great! He loved our names too, everyone does :) [meaning that they rhyme - Sister Poulsen and Sister Olsen]
Then more blessings on Sunday! We were going to deliver a bible, but was unable to find the address. So we just started knocking. One girl was nice and sent us on our way with a smile. Then next door let us right in! We stood there and talked for a bit! They had just moved in, so we told them they could call us any time they needed help and they appreciated it so much! The man just kept saying "I love missionaries, out working in the vineyard!" HA it was awesome! Then we walked a bit more down the street and knocked on a potential who I thought was a woman named Mary. But Mi. opened the door. She was sooo sweet and just so happy to talk to us! She talked about how she was an alcoholic 10 years ago, but through her brothers death and the "grace of God" she got sober and has had a great relationship with Christ ever since! We gave her a Book of Mormon and set up a time to come talk to her about it later!
On a side note, while we were talking to her, they had the superbowl on and I saw Atlanta score their first touchdown!!!! WAHOOO! God put us there just at the right time ;) HA it was a score for the Falcons and the spirit! [remember that Tara has been a falcon fan for years and was sad to not be able to see her team in the big game this year.]
Then before going in for the night to eat dinner, we tried one more referral. She had ordered a Bible and a Book or Mormon. Now, when we tried to stop by a few days earlier, she had opened the door and closed it and did not open it when we knocked. So I was less than expecting her to answer. But, as we were walking up to the door, she opened it and we quickly said hello and we introduced our selves! We told her we were here to deliver her items! She let us right in, and seemed to be touched by the message of the Book or Mormon! We are seeing her again Thursday! WOW it is crazy how nothing can happen for weeks... and then BOOM! #blessed
We had a wonderful testimony meeting yesterday, and that is where my thought from the week comes. It is from Elder Cook. It says "Our testimonies of [Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ] need to remain pure and simple." A member of the ward got up and bore a strong, but super simple testimony. Now context, he is in the Navy and he interrogates people for a living. Let's just say if you didn't know him, you would not look at him wrong in fear of him breaking your arm. But he got up and just simply said "I know that this church is true." And with tears in his eyes he expressed gratitude for it and how it has helped him out of a dark place he was in. Then he sat down. But I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. It was amazing. And it hit me that I have a testimony, but it is so wide that it isn't pure and simple as elder cook says it should be. So I am going to focus more on strengthening my testimony in the Savior and Heavenly Father. And I know as I do that, that all the other principles will fall into place.
[watch above or read Elder Cook's talk here]
Have a very blessed week y'all, LOVE YA!!!
Sista Poulsen
[bonus from Question email:
Q: We have heard about the neat changes to missionary schedules but I have been reading about other parts of that training day. What did you learn there that will help you to be a better missionary?
A: WOW that is a deep question. Basically what I have seen change the most is that with not counting lessons anymore, I don't feel that I need to push a conversation into a lesson and I can just be a normal human and have a conversation with another person and not force anything. I mean we need to teach the message of the restoration always but that I am not focusing on the numbers anymore and just truly on the people and what the spirit is telling me. That has been super awesome and a big help for me. ]
