29 May 2013

Sister Rachel Mullen I would post something from Sister Rachel Mullen, but she chose not to e-mail this week. I am sure she is busy - although she wasn't too busy to email her friend Kaitlyn. Oh well, I'm not bitter.

Sister Jasmine Mullen First MTC Letter Hello everyone! I can't believe it's been a week here! I feel like I've been here for 6 months! But at the same time it's gone by sooo fast. I LOVE MY DISTRICT. They're the greatest people I've ever met. We get along so well! Sometimes a little too well haha. By the end of the day, our study time is pretty much us getting distracted and laughing for two hours. My companion Sister Bailey is amazing. We get along so well. Always on the same page. Mommy would love her. She wakes me up early, likes being early/on time to things and makes me eat healthy and exercise. She is also one of the greatest people I've ever met. Such a spiritual giant and she always strives to be the best she can everyday. If we weren't here together we'd probably never be friends. I'm so grateful we are though. She looks like Ashley Tisdale so since I'm Asian my district has a joke that I'm Brenda song. Haha so dumb. Anyway the first couple days were hard and challenging. But I MADE IT TO SUNDAY! I really only broke down a couple times. Okay shocker! I have only cried like 3 times here. its so weird. My district doesn't believe me that I cry at everything but its a good thing because I want to be able to talk haha. THERE'S SO MUCH TO LEARN! We would read/study for like 12 hours, making us super delirious. We had our first "lesson" with our "investigator" "Jordan" who was played by one of my favorite teachers Bro Gill. We went in there and it was AWFUL. Worse than awful, just down right embarrassing. I was just saying everything I knew and he laughed at me ! Just the rudest person ever. When we were done role-playing I couldn't even look at Bro Gill. I think he could tell I was crying because he was being nice to me hahah which never happens because of his sarcasm (speaking of which my 'nickname' in our district is sister sarcasm, I think we all say that coming_ Anyway, as I've learned in the past few days, I've learned that I DON'T HAVE TO BE GOOD AT TEACHING. I just need to be prepared enough in my testimony and be able to create an environment where the spirit can dwell. everyday me and sister bailey learn that , that is the most important thing. WE DIDN'T EVEN USE THE SCRIPTURES THE FIRST FEW TIMES! Crazy. We thought "we didn't need them"Funny though bc after we did the spirit was definitely there and Jordan started CARING! He's still the rudest person I've ever met, but he cares about happiness and the gospel. and he knows its more than what he originally thought it was. And for that I love him and I want him to know its true. We have another investigator K-min. She says she'll listen to us. Super nice. but knows she doesn't want to be a part of our church. I'm excited to begin with her. Okay a couple more things. Yesterday I had a great experience with Sister Allen. We were role playing and the activity was to read a chapter of the scriptures to liken it to any question the investigator had. Her question was , "what is my purpose" GREAT. Deep hard question. I wish i was a scriptorian so I would know exactly what to say. So I just flipped to Mosiah chapter 5. UM WHAT. it was more than PERFECT. We both felt the spirit so strong and afterwards she said, i was legit about to start crying, that was so real and so spiritual. She told me I was a good teacher, haha biggest joke. It was just that I allowed the spirit in and i was real about it. I wasn't trying to be a sister missionary. But yeah it was a super cool experience. The point of it was to realize that yeah, I happened to flip to a really good chapter about it but we can liken any scripture to any point in our life, it will help us no matter what. But i do encourage everyone to read that chapter in Mosiah. It's AMAZING. I will never read it the same again. Last night we had a devotional and afterwards we talked about what we learned. As if our district couldn't be more unified. It was the best experience of my life. We all felt the spirit and it was just amazing. One sister (wulfenstein) said that we're so close because we developed our friendships with Christ in the center which is so true. and our bonds are stronger and mean more to me than any one I've ever met. The elders in our district are just amazing and we all love each other so much. they offered to give us blessings. I didn't get one but every other sister did. It was amazing and you could feel the love radiating in the room. Elder Salmon is our district leader, he's amazing. Elder Nicholson is so fun to joke around with. Its funny because they all remind me of someone i know at home, but I think its just because I feel like I've known them my whole life. We have an inside joke "thank you for your testimony" we say that whenever someone says something that like no one responds to or is just awkward haha. its the best! Oh okay literally I've seen SO many people here. Sister Udall(Jenny Gordon's roommate) Sister Newman, Alex (Sara's friend) Holli my roommate from spring, Evan, Aries, sister browning, and soooo many others. its crazy. my zone leader was a guy from my mission prep class. so that was awesome. I think that's it. I'm loving it here! Every hard second. I leave for Brisbane Sunday! So crazy. Ahhh! But I'm excited. I love you and thank you for the support. I am striving everyday to be like Ammon. And to become a scriptorian and just be the best missionary I can be. I can't believe I'm doing this and that I can do this. The only reason I know I can do this is because my Heavenly Father knows I can. I'll send pictures later today! LOVE YOU! Sister Mullen #2/

19 May 2013

Sister Jasmine Mullen

MTC Mailbox #219

AST-BRI 0604

2005 North 900 East

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

Write soon!  She's only there 2 short weeks. 

12 May 2013

Dear People,

Just talked to family! SO WONDERFUL! Missed you ALL! And everyone is just as weird. 

So we had a miracle day. Pretty much we were at the mall. I sat next to this man. I pull out a Thai Book of Mormon. Ask him to help me read the word "prophet" in Thai and then Joseph Smith. Then I'm like, hey do you know him? 

BOOM! Lesson. Book of Mormon placed. Got his phone number... I can only do this for so long. The whole --- I just got here to Thailand, help me read this word bit, and then slip in the Gospel Lesson. haha

ok. I know I don't send enough pictures. But lets ask ourselves, do we want a good quality blog? Or a few pictures...

English class is going well, if anyone has any ideas for simple games for learning vocabulary, or grammar, send them my way!!! I am definitely the hit of English though. Seriously. People want to come to my class. INTERMEDIATE, What What!!

Neil L. Anderson is the apostle coming this weekend! Have to go to renew my work permit tomorrow morning, what?! President Senior and his wife surprised us in our ward yesterday. Sister Senior sat in on a lesson after church. I said the First Vision and asked our investigator to be baptized. I don't know if the air wasn't working or what, but I was SO HOT! or maybe it was just because Sister Senior was there. Anyways, I have worn my bangs down the last couple days. That's a miracle I know it. Still sweating, but it's not taking a toll on my hair as bad as it was. I planned on sock buns my whole mission, but the helmet just squashes them when it's time to ride my bike.

Oh my goodness, I'm here in the internet cafe and there is probably the cutest little 7 year old girl playing a bloody war game. Hahaha

The work for a temple is getting real. It's going to happen. Seriously when you just hear President Senior talk about our plans, what we need to focus on, there is no doubt that it is happening. I feel so blessed to be a part of this. I can't see myself being anywhere else. Only been here in Bangkapi one month yesterday, and I don't ever want to stop talking to people. Seriously, literally actually wearing the missionary tag, it gives me so much strength. I am Always thinking of Christ, and trying to act as He would. It's the best feeling in the world right now.

Ok, that's all for now. Remember, every member a missionary.

Love, Sister Mullen

 

**Family, did you get my letter yet? I have only sent one. The post office is a little far.

**Don't forget to send a cupcake recipes jas :)

5 May 2013

Seriously, it gives me a stomach ache but... a Big Gulp at 7-11 of Ovaltine. YUM! We had switch offs. It was pretty cool. Learned a lot from the other Sister. Oh! We have an investigator guy who lives about 40 minutes away so we usually just teach with the lady that lives nearby and we would teach there at her own house. And she is CRAZY! haha no, she is so funny. But she talks a lot! And answers the questions we ask him and so we planned it where we would take a couple other members to teach in HIS house. But when we got there, we seriously were just standing outside for maybe 3 minutes and then I hear her...

"SISTERRRRRRS!" We had to tell her we were there to teach him and she was like, come. come to my house. So plan, ruined. haha I told the story that night at our coorelation meeting and the Ward Mission Leader was like. I will talk to her. I'll tell her she's forbidden to speak and stuff like that, it was just SO funny haha.

This last Sunday was a boy in the ward's last Sunday. He is going to Provo to be a missionary in KOREA! Ah, it is SO amazing!!! The members here are So amazing.

There was a cool promise from President Senior that I didn't hear about until I went to another Zone's Zone Training... He said, If you focus on RCLAs (Recent Converts and Less Actives) every other key indicator will go up. I thought that was so interesting. We talked about the apostle that is coming on the 18th/19th and how he is probably going to get us pumped for a temple. But there is SO much work that needs to be done. Supposedly there are about 30,000 members in Thailand (i don't REALLY remember) and only 4,000 or so are active. Again, don't remember the numbers, but it was something crazy. I also learned the importance of family history work and work We need to do to get them started more on it! I wish I had our geneaology binders! It is so cool to tell people about.

sorry. so off task. Anyways, went jagging for the first time EVER in my mission. We just hadn't had time for her to take me. I LOVE JAGGING!!! (by the way, jagging is passing out pamphlets to people on the street)

We had a really good District Meeting this week about the Spirit and recognizing it. We each shared something we learned.

I DEFINITELY learned that NOW is the time to learn to recognize it. No time to waste. I'm never going to be closer to God than on my mission. We are set apart as missionaries to set aside all worldly comforts to force our selves to rely and come unto the Comforter. I know that that is SO true and there is nothing that should distract me from fulfilling my purpose and doing it in a Christ-like manner.

Love you all!!!

Love, sister mullen