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| on our way back from zone conference in udon |
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| miracle jars that i've been making for our investigators, you put something good that happens in it each day and when its full you read them and see how great your life really is. |
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Temple Day   |
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a bird attacked me riding my bike, apparently it didn't like my shiny helmet.
yes i cried. |
| Sister Rachel Mullen We had zone conference this week and it was SO awesome. We had to take a small suitcase of our stuff to the bus station and so I strapped it onto the back of my bike and something happened. didnt even bike ANYWHERE, and I fall. haha. but I really landed weird on my foot and pretty much had to limp for the next 2 days. It got super ugly and swollen haha. but it's all good now. The night before all the sisters from the Isan area were there at the Udon house and we pretty much had a sleepover, it was way fun! Cookie dough and talking. It was a total party for a second and I just looked around and was like... how am I to go back home and go to parties. If there isn't Mormon Tabernacle Choir playing in the background and missionary conversation. Can't do it. Will I have friends? Zone conference was amazing. We each had to recite the 10 How To Begin Teaching points in Thai to one of the AP's. Under 3 minutes... woot woot! And then we gave our talks to Sister Senior. She is always so sweet haha. She is definitely a crier and I love her for it. And she'll talk to you while you are giving her your talk. It's way funny. Had my interview with President Senior. I didn't mention Laos, but he spent that time reading one of my emails I sent him a while ago and asked if he could share it in Zone Conference on obedience. Just something about me doing what the zone leaders straight up told me to do... so it wasn't anything crazy. Oh man, and the Elders from Laos came. Seriously, when they walk among us missionaries who are serving in Thailand... it's like they're celebrities or something. way funny. But no seriously, nobody is as cool as them. And one of the missionaries said the opening prayer in Lao. Ahhh crazy the similarities and differences. The sister missionaries did NOT practice our musical number before we did it... I just had to play the piano. But the 5 or 7 key changes are what made it haha. President Senior was then comparing our difficulty in finding the key changes to the struggles saints had to fight for a temple or something like that. I was dying haha. I forgot to mention one time... but anyways. We were teaching English, started with an opening prayer... and then a bat came out of the air conditioning and starts flying around the room. Sister Stevenson and I are on the ground, screaming as we are crawling out. Once we are out of the room safely, we look back and all the Thai students are just standing there. I'm like waving to them... "COME HERE! GET OUT! SAFE YOURSELVES!" They didn't even give a care to the bat. It was the strangest most humiliating thing ever. haha When we went to go teach the Less Active that has been reading in the Book of Mormon this week, Sister Tu... She told us of an experience she had. One of her friends came by and asked what she's been up to. Long story short, she shares and gives a Book of Mormon to her friend! Example I will never forget. She always makes our day. Another is Beer. This is her actual name. Beer is one of our daters and she is one that we started with pretty much and we have seen her grow and progress and open more and more to the Gospel and it's teachings. We went to go teach her one day and she says she has received real answers and blessings from prayer and the book of mormon. But funny experience: We go to teach her word of wisdom and law of chastity. We know she has a problem with both of these. And there sitting on her desk... no joke. is a giant coffee cup and coffee flavored cake roll. Haha I was just like... oh man. perfect. And then as we were about to start law of chastity... her boyfriend walks in! it was SO funny. "it's only awkward if you make it awkward." She lives with her boyfriend but after teaching her these things and how she needs to do them to be baptized, we just saw automatically her true desire to repent and change. It is going to be hard for her because her boyfriend doesn't want her to move out and her parents don't want her to marry him, but I feel so strongly that she will do whatever she can. It was so cute because after the lesson we have been getting to know her more and she started talking about Twilight with the member that was with us. And they were talking about Jacob and how cute he was. And she was like... oh know. there I go again. Thinking she was breaking the law of chastity haha. (keeping our thoughts clean.) I think about all of these experiences and people coming closer to christ and I don't want to leave. But we have about 3 weeks left here of this transfer. Don't know who will be moving, but it really is important that we work our hardest to help these people the best we can with the sure time that we have here. Yesterday, Brother Boy did NOT wake up for church. So what did we do? That's right daddy. I shared with him, 2 Nephi 4:28. And let him know this is how you wake up for church. AWAKE! AWAKE MY SOUL! NO LONGER DROOP IN SIN... da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da Be still oh my heart, give place no mooooore for the Enemy of my soul. rejoice rejoooooice. That is me singing mormon tabernacle choir. Ok that's all for now. But one thing I have learned and has motivated me this week is this: Thailand needs a temple. How lucky am I to be serving in a place where it is not yet available to the members here? We are working for not only baptisms but convert baptisms. Meaning if it suddenly rains on a Sunday, these members of the church are still going to go to church, regardless of the Thai culture saying you will get sick if a drop of rain hits you. We are here to produce real growth and sometimes the relaxed life of the people here in the Isan make it seem impossible. I have felt like it's going to take a miracle. But "God has not ceased to be a God of Miracles" Miracles are to be produced BY faith. Something amazing is going to happen and it is all dependent on my faith that I have in Him. We have the potential to see miracles people! That is straight up God's hand in our lives, and all we need to do is believe? What's the trouble. This work IS impossible. IF you do it alone. Put every effort of faith and trust and confidence in the one who designed you and let God's will take its course. Sister Mullen #1 | Sister Jasmine Mullen NO! There's pictures! You have to get one of those adapters. I don't know how to get them off. but i took TONS so you guys could see them. Thank you so much for all the emails! That was such a special thing for me! I haven't read them all yet but I was sooooo excited to see them all :) Man Brian! haha thanks for the pictures. What is your calling? you're always speaking in different wards! Must be a good one. Thats so cool that Sister Moss is leaving. Could you somehow get sister linder and sister langi's email addresses for me! sister langi sent me a letter here and i want to talk with her! Being out here and having some members who are just AMAZING makes me wish i was that way to the missionaries back home. I was telling a girl in our ward today about how when them missionaries would come over looking for you i wouldnt even offer them water or anything! Shame right? We went to the temple this morning! Man but everything was going wrong. We were late, (we have to wake up at 3 to catch the train) we missed our train and the back up train, we missed our connecting train and then we got to the temple and we about to go in and then it WAS FULL. And then we were super sad because we wanted to see the new video and we started talking about how we were the unprepared 5 virgins. Haha, its funny now but man that made me feel like poop. BUT THEN! we just decided to stay until the next session, So we did and we got to see the new video. WOW. I understand SO much more just from today than I ever have. I've been praying really hard to be closer to the spirit this week so this was exactly what I needed. I feel like Joseph Smith and I've been reading his history a lot. Talking to people of different faiths is so hard sometimes because it makes me question things too. But its good because if I don't know the answer, I do exactly what my investigators do: I read and pray. OKAY SERIOUSLY. I NEED TO TELL YOU. This week was so great! So hard but amazing. Really the hardest day I've had so far on my mission was a few days ago. We were doing a car fast and Sister Hwang and I had appointments in Morayfield which is a pretty far walk so we decided to ride our bikes. WORST IDEA IN AUSTRALIA. I love riding bikes. I'm just too scared now. If you look on my memory card there's a video of a bird attacking me and sister taivei that was pretty funny. ITS NOT FUNNY ANYMORE. As i was riding my bike a magpie attacked me. like pecked me TWICE. It was already a draining day physically and mentally and then that happened. So i was frustrated and too scared to move. but then we said a prayer and my attitude was kinda like okay satan, attack me with as many magpies as you want, i'm still gonna work. i guess he heard that because then sister hwang's bike chain broke and ripped open her leg and we were locked out of our flat. but then as we were so frustrated with everything our members honked and smiled at us. don't laugh but sister hwang started crying. man it was exactly the boost we needed. I came out on a mission for Heavenly Father, but the reason its so easy to stay is because of the members. But yeah we almost have 3 baptismal dates. two are for the EDMONDS! it happened on trade offs but they called me because they knew i would be excited. Tracy and Jade will be baptized the last day of this transfer! I almost peed my skirt! And our recent convert Greta (the girl who was baptized when i first got here) her little brother wants to be baptized but we haven't set a date yet. its amazing. We have so many progressing investigators now and I know Heavenly Father is answering my prayers everyday. Thank you so much. Seriously all the support from people back home keeps me grounded. I am able to stay obedient and know always that this is the Lord's time because of you and mom and just everyone. I don't want to let the Lord down and I don't want to let you guys down. Thank you for all your prayers. Love you! Sister Mullen #2 |
| Sister Rachel Mullen Dear Family We did not have anyone at church this week again. We have been trying week after week and we really thought that one of our investigators would come but she didn't. We are planning on going to pick her up next week for church. But she is a dater that we never thought connected with us much. And the member that would always teach with us left for Bangkok so we definitely weren't sure where we stood with her. But we just stopped in one day and told her, hey. Baptism. She talked about how after she agreed to be baptized, lots of things just came in. I don't know what came over me... but I was like... You know who Satan is right? Haha she's like yeah. We just told her that when she decided to be baptized, Satan did what was necessary to distract her or to think it wasn't able to happen. We had her pick another date and told her we can make this one happen. She gave us both bows from her store. Daddy, แม่ Champ (the housemaid while you were serving here) taught Relief Society and somedays she just looks at me more than normal. Especially when I don't wear my glasses. She says we have the same eyes. And she just loves telling people she knows my dad. She was talking about you in her lesson and was just looking at me the whole time she was teaching. I think she really does remember you when she looks at me. Sister Jiam died this week. She was a recent convert of about 4 months. She was amazing and such an example. Many were sad, but oh my goodness. The Gospel really is good news. She was Baptized! and with such a strong testimony in the Savior. So many people looked up to her and I really think this is going to help the members do family history work. I can't imagine what kind of missionary Sister Jiam is right now in the Spirit World. Probably really really amazing. haha My baby led all the lessons this week! She is doing way good and she used a How to Begin Teaching Point yesterday in a lesson! She's doing so good and we are just loving being a happy companionship with the members. They love laughing at us... so we let them. She is so patient with me right now because we have Zone Conference this week and the sister missionaries in the zone are doing a musical number and it just happens to be a pretty hard song on the piano. So I will just bang it out and see what happens. haha It should be good though. Taught a lot about tithing this week. Getting people ready for when a temple is here. As we have been teaching it more, I have come to know better the importance and the blessings we receive. It's not about money at all! Sure the church needs money to build temples... but it is about that temple recommend. As these people pay their tithing, they are keeping a commandment. That qualifies them for worthiness to enter into the temple. Thailand is so close to having a temple. We are preparing them to be ready to go in. We taught an less active about the plan of salvation yesterday. He didn't come to church when he told us he would. He woke up late. After we had him put little pictures together of the plan of salvation, we shared a scripture about christ being the light and life of the world. Everything about this plan, is possible through Christ. I asked him if I told him Jesus Christ was going to be at church would he wake up and go? He said yes. I said how? He said. Motorcycle. Haha. I asked why? He said he wants to see Him. I told him Jesus Christ is at church every Sunday. Teaching these lessons, especially about church attendance because not many of the people we are working with are coming, has strengthened me and opened my eyes to what being a member of this church should look like. Every Sunday we should prepare ourselves to partake of the sacrament. We should be going to church and expect to see Christ because He really is there. until next week Love, Sister Mullen #1 | Sister Jasmine Mullen thank you for all of the pictures! my heart is always filled with gratitude when i see how much the people at home are supporting me and missionaries everywhere. It makes me want to work harder. Thank you. you should tell your previous students to come back to the school and teach the kids this year what they learned last year! Thats alright. How has your week been? Mine was alright. I don't think I told you about when I tried to help a less active move. It was all very sudden and basically we borrowed a members trailer and it took too long to get returned so the member was mad at me and it just all kind of blew up in my face, the song from wicked "No good deed goes unpunished" kept playing in my head. I felt like Rachel, relating everything to a musical. Anyway yeah so once that blew over I've been trying to keep the peace between everyone. And then our District leader called asking for us to help move one of their investigators tomorrow into our ward boundaries. It felt like it was happening all over again. So with members scolding me with everything we're doing wrong and what we need to do better, and the stress of trying to help our investigators, and tracting into people who are disgusted by my nametag, all while i'm continuously gaining weight and can't stop it, I can truly testify that "The tough times will out number the good times. But the good times will always out weigh the tough." I have had so many prayers answered this week. I have truly felt that "arm of mercy extended" towards me. This week I tried serving every second I was able. Well I learned very quickly how tiring that was. Sister Hwang and I worked very hard to work hard and work smart. There was one night I was so tired. Just spiritually, mentally, and physically exhausted. I said a prayer, I really just cried. I just needed some help. The next day after my prayer, the whole atmosphere of our flat changed. We were all working hard. We were all trying our best. I still was tired but I didn't feel alone. A result of all our hard work was miracles! We had another amazing lesson with the Edmonds. We stopped by randomly (we have a set appointment every tuesday) They said they loved that we did that because it seems like once a week gives a lot of time for satan to work on them. They are so ready for baptism and we will be able to set a date with them in 4 days! (Monte the dad, gets his work schedule then so i've been counting it down!) Jade wants to serve a mission. She can't wait to get baptized. Tracy doesn't feel ready yet she is still working really hard to give up smoking. We had the opportunity to go with them to a parent youth fireside last night. IT WAS AMAZING. I needed to go more than them haha. Lauren Nicholson spoke. Look up his "I'm a mormon" video. Its so good. he is legally blind and plays the guitar. He finished reading the book of mormon for the first time using a magnifying glass and it took him 7 years! He's now finished reading it 43 times. It was an amazing fireside and just what I needed to keep going. Oh man it was another week of so many rude people. Can't blame them though. We are a peculiar people. But one day we were tracting and contacted these 2 old guys. One was really nice, the other didn't say much. Anyway when we were leaving I tried to shake their hands and said "nice to meet you" The nice one gladly shook my hand, the other one, WRINKLED his nose at me and shooed me away. I WAS BEYOND ANGRY. Haha it was one of those times where i was laughing but i wanted to punch something kind of angry. Luckily my companion loved me enough and we said a prayer and continued onward. haha man it was funny though. Anyway, thats it for this week. I have so many other things i would love to share but you guys can just read my journal or something later haha. Oh i could really use a banana bread recipe, and mommy's sweet rice recipe and egg roll recipe. thank you! love always, sister mullen #2 |
| Sister Rachel Mullen This week has been wonderful. So I told you about the investigator that we have that our leader said she could be baptized if she came to church for 3 hours but it was ok if she had to go back to work? And then how we were told after that it wasn't ok... well we officially told her on Tuesday and we told her we would help her and to just trust in God's timing. I was so happy after we told her, to finally get it off my chest and she did not take it bad at all. She is gone this week so we are excited to keep working with her! I really just want to talk about yesterday (Sunday). Well... on Tuesday we had the Zone Leaders come to Mahasarakham for a training. They emphasized that President Senior wants us all in our teaching to really focus on tithing. We had 24 New Melchezidek Priesthood Holders in the Khon Kaen District sustained last week and now it is really important that they continue to be worthy and be full tithe payers. So we learned how to teach tithing and stuff like that in our training and it was really nerve racking because I myself have never taught tithing! haha but it went ok. And we have already had the opportunity to teach it to a Less Active last week. And by the end of it, she wanted to pay tithing, she was way excited! So amazing experiences... yesterday was way awesome. We did not have people come to church, and we kind of knew it also... So we woke up extra early and went and sang hymns at the morning market. It stunk, sure there were some pig heads on tables, but we felt a light. It was so much fun and we spread some joy. We went to sit down and a man that sold fried chicken asked if he could buy our hymn book. We said we have tons at church, want to come?? Haha but he works all day. But then he actually asked... "I want to read your scriptures." We gave him a Book of Mormon. And I know that he will read it. It's been hard not really recognizing if these people actually have that desire to learn, but it is getting better. Pray for the gift of discernment everyday. Training is coming. We have been going to the church to study so we don't have to sit on our beds and study in our Small apartment room thing. I kept forgetting to take the training book, but she is doing great. We are helping each other with How To Begin Teaching Points. We are having switch offs again with our Sister Training Leader and she called our District Leader and asked him if we have any problems. He told her, no. We love each other to death. Haha. Seriously though, we talk ALL the time about having to write the things that happen that are memorable down RIGHT after they happen. Hasn't happened, so we definitely need to do better and improve. Oh but here is something funny. So we tried tracting this week. Asked Sister Mullen #2 how to tract because we don't do it here. Just street contacting. But you know how they have gates, not really doors. So we just yell... (in thai)... HELLO!!!! IS ANYBODY THERE!!!!!!! haha. It's kind of fun. But we were going and we came to a fork in the road. Looked down both roads and there were dogs both ways. Two big ones, vs and small black one. We start our way down the road with the small black one. It sits down as we get closer, then eventually lays down. ah so cute so as we go passed it I kind of start talking to it and high pitch squeals, you know. And then it gets up so fast and starts growling and barking like a crazy mad dog. ugh. Also, my brakes were awful. Had to get them fixed. but before I did... we were inviting and we see a man on a motorcycle. I'm like lets talk to him. Sister Stevenson stops and starts talking to him. We are on the top of a small hill. So as I am braking... nothing happens. She keeps talking to him as I just continue riding down the hill with every intention of turning around and coming back. haha it was so funny. I couldn't stop! We have been teaching Elvis, an English teacher from Cameroon. We have taught him the Restoration, Plan of Salvation, and yesterday the Gospel. I don't even know how to describe it. We teach him in English, so that is a new and exciting thing, but he has so much love for Christ, and God. We are just so happy when we go to teach him. We pray for experiences, like teaching him, with our Thai investigators. He really opened up yesterday and was asking how we feel we protect our spiritual lives. He is so concerned about living in Thailand, where believing in God and Jesus Christ is not the popular thing. EVERYWHERE, pretty much, tells us not to. But by doing those small and simple things, we can make sure that we are on the right track. He then was just expressing his gratitude for us. He says it makes him feel good when we come over to teach him. He was even starting to cry. Ah. It was amazing. We have to take members to his house because he is a male investigator, so we took Sister On and Brother Night who is a Less Active. And Elvis and Brother Night just hit it off, even with a language barrier, They were both speaking Thai-glish. It was So amazing and just that whole lesson I could just see this Less Active baptizing our investigator from Cameroon. After that we went to go visit the grandma of the 15 year old investigator we have. We believe she is going to let her start coming to church, now we just need to emphasize the importance of being baptized soon rather than later. She wants her mom to be here for her baptism and her mom comes twice a year. So her baptism is set for New Year's Day. Just praying that she can receive personal revelation that waiting such a long time can be hard. Not to be a downer, but Satan is real. When we are making these decisions to do good, he comes in and takes us if we aren't strong enough. And just reading my patriarchal blessing this week it puts such an emphasis on the Holy Ghost. This is the most Precious gift from our Heavenly Father. And to wait that long for it would be hard, especially with ALL that temptations and things of the world. We NEED these things in our lives. She Needs the Holy Ghost. So we are hopefully going to meet with her this week. Ok so after that, it gets funny. We went to a members house to ask for a phone number, they end up feeding us our dinner, sending us home with the rest of it packed, and the other member that was there left early... to pack up the curry she had made so that she could give that to us also. (Oh man, she made masaman. That curry with peanuts and chicken and potatoes and onions. We had it after church and shared a bowl with the elders. they ate ALL the potatoes. I was LIVID! so I was happy when she gave us more) Then we went to return the tupperware that Sister Wright let us borrow with our note that was about 3 weeks late. She loved it. We sat and talked with her for a while. She didn't come to church but she is just always so happy and way cute. Her husband is finally coming to Thailand soon so I know they will be such a strength for each other when they are together. She then said she made thom yum chicken in a crockpot and was like, I'm going to give you some. Then she was taking FOREVER and I was like... what is this. what is she DOING?! She comes back and she has made our FAVORITE salad. It's like with cucumbers and tomatoes. I don't know what she does, but ahhhhh. it is SOOOOOOOOOO good. She knows we love it and she just made it for us, that night. So we went home with a TON of food for Sunday haha! way fun. But we say this every week, but I am SO sure of it. Investigators are coming to church this week. It has taken awhile, but I know it is happening this week. The Sisters are finally going to have people at church. It's been hard, but the wait was worth it because each and every one of these people are increasing in their faith in such a way that I don't think any way is better. God's work. Also we have a Less Active we are working with. She is older and has a daughter who is not a member. When we first starting seeing her, it was a whole ordeal to get her to pray, to read, to do anything. We have been telling her the stories of the scriptures and from the very beginning and this last week left her verses to read and when we came back... She had read them!!!! She was able to tell US the story. And this is the lady who, when we First went to go a simply share her a scripture, she had to Dust off her book of mormon. She thanked us for what we were doing with her. She thanked us for giving her things to read. It was so special and we learn SO much from her, she doesn't even know. Good week. About to have a better one though. Love, Sister Mullen | Sister Jasmine Mullen Hello! That's good. Just don't tell any kids to write their name with blood. HAHA. I do miss going at the beginning of the year and the kids always being in awe of me and rachel, like we were celebrities or something. But I sorta get the same effect wearing this badge. Its just not really awe, more confusion haha. Im so sad to hear that about the Gordon family. I love them so much. Hopefully they'll be sealed soon. What! Sara is already home?? I was at the temple with her the night she got her call. That's so crazy. Where is Jimmy going? Haha I'm sorry to hear about the disney cd. Chuck them out of the car. "Don't talk like that". Yeah my companion is great. She is still sick. Its just a cold but she's been working her best. I try really hard to keep myself busy when we stay in so that I don't get cabin fever. She relies on me to determine if we should stay in. She is too afraid to decide as well because she feels she is getting lazy. But she's not, she's just too weak to work sometimes. This week was great though! Full of miracles.And more doors slammed in my face than ever haha. TRACY CAME TO CHURCH! My excitement and surprise I guess wasn't hidden well because she laughed when she saw me and said "Don't fall over! I made it" It was great. Hopefully we'll be able to FINALLY set a baptismal date with her and her daughter tomorrow. Her family is the one with the excommunicated husband who have the goal of being sealed in the temple soon. My goal this week has been to serve every second. Because I'm set apart, I'm never alone. That gives me the opportunity to be serving every second I'm awake. If I'm just with Sister Hwang, I can serve her. At church, I can serve the ward members. I'm trying to get out of the thought that I can relax when I'm not around investigators. So I'm trying to stay motivated all day erryday. Oh here's a challenge for anyone. I'm reading the BOM again and if anyone is about to start they should do this with me. I'm counting the number of times that it says "But His hand is outstretched still." I've counted 20 times so far. So I've got a ways to go. But you guys should so I know the right number. I'm thankful for my mommy this week. Surprisingly, I've developed some of your attributes. I LOVE CLEANING. I'm always cleaning. I cleaned the other sisters' room the other day just like mommy would for me and rachel. It feels good. Today we hiked a mountain with bishop's wife! It was fun. Oh and I cut my hair, myself haha. I love you and I miss you all very much. Leading this area is so hard but I'm learning more to trust in the Lord and trust that He is giving me the promptings that I do have. I also adopted what Sister Mullen #1 said last week, "Work hard, but Work smart" I thought that every second. So I'm still working at it, Sister Hwang is so patient with me though. Thank you for everything you do for me. I know that everything I have is sacred. Oh and I'm starting a book that I think you guys should start too. I have noticed that doubts creep into my mind alot. Its hard teaching people when what they say starts making sense haha. Im just too easily persuaded and then i have to say a prayer to clear my mind again. But i'm starting a book where I write down every reason why I know without a doubt that the church is true. Pretty much every spiritual experience I've ever had. Its gonna take a while but It'll be worth it. Okay I'm really done now. Love you! Sister Mullen #2 |
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| Elder Gong, the Asia Area President was in Thailand for District Conference and wanted to share this picture of your missionary and companion. Sister Mullen is a wonderful missionary and Sister Senior and I love working with her. Thank you for sharing your daughter with us. President and Sister Senior |
| Sister Rachel Mullen This week, our key indicators were a little down. We had a lot of unexpected things happen and then meetings but they were all great. So awhile ago we asked our district leader what the options were for one investigator we have who has to work on Sundays because she has a contract and he had said she could be baptized if she could come to church for 3 hours. She has been interviewed before but didn't pass because of working on Sunday. We told her the news the day we reviewed with her the Restoration. She has such a testimony and began to tear up as she told us what she believed. It truly was remarkable. But then we were told that it depends on what kind of work she does that would allow her to pass the interview and when we were told that my heart just sank. She was so happy to continue learning with us. We fasted this last week so we would know what to say and how to say it and I don't quite know just yet, but I am feeling more peace about it and I know that everything will be ok. I just feel so bad. I should have questioned more or not have taken that for the answer that she could still pass her interview. I just feel I should have known better before I went and told her. I don't know. But we an amazing weekend. Friday we had a training for leaders... So the Zone Leaders, District Leaders, and Trainers were there and we learned about teaching skills and finding. We got so many great ideas to help us be better. I cannot wait to try things out! I got to see a lot of the other sisters in my group that were training and just being able to talk about the struggles that we have ALL been having white washing into a new area and training after training. It was just really nice. President Senior comes up to me afterwards and is like, "Sister Mullen. You look like you have lost weight." It was really only because I wore my black skirt, but whatever. They hadn't seen me since I had the Dengue. haha Went back to Mahasarakham with Sister Madsen. some of my photos aren't working so I will send pics next week maybe? But yeah, we had switch offs and it was so much fun being with her. On Saturday she broke Sister Stephenson's bed! Hahaha I will try and send the picture next time. But wow it was so funny. We went with the members to the meetings in Roi Et. Elder Gong of the 70 was there. You may get a picture emailed to you. But it was SO amazing. I played for the choir and we heard wonderful things about temples. It was Sister Senior's birthday and she talked about how her sister who has been less active in the church for 17 years texted her a picture of her temple recommend and she went through the temple on her birthday. I was of course bawling! Sister Gong told us a story of a girl who made a list of 10 things to do before she could be baptized and the last and final thing was her interview... which she did not pass. And when her friend called and asked how it went, She said she was discouraged and did not see the point in learning anymore. But her friend then just said: "Don't give up. We were supposed to go to the temple together, remember?" That meant so much to me because with all of this stuff that has happened this week with our investigator who has to work on Sundays, I know that trusting in the Lord is number one. And I realized that expressing the importance and sanctity of temples and how it can bless HER life, this investigator will be able to choose and overcome whatever challenges may be in her way of baptism. Because baptism LEADS and points to eventually, the temple. And that is where the blessings of the fulness of the Gospel lie. I am so grateful for the temple and while I miss it right now so much, it makes me work hard. For these people that I love to not have one yet, it makes me wake up in the morning thinking about our mission vision. a Temple. And when it happens it will make all the trials and struggles worth it. Sister Mullen | Sister Jasmine Mullen Aw I'm glad mommy got to meet him. I was really excited for him to go over and meet you guys. We were in the temple celebration together He was in the Hmong group. It was so weird to think that we saw eachother at least once a week haha. My new companion is great. Her name is Sister Hwang. She is from Korea. Her English is AMAZING. She is very hard working. We are very excited to work with eachother. I was happy to hear her say that she sees a lot of our investigators having so much potential. She's been sick for 3 weeks though. I love not being the sick one but I hate it too. Its like since I'm her companion I have to use my discresion for what she needs. She always tells me she's okay because she doesn't want to hold us back. But then if we bike somewhere she passes out. (That happened saturday at an investigators home) But I also don't want to get cabin fever. But i think way too much and I need to relax, I know. I make myself crazy sometimes. I've really been relying on the atonement to help me this week. Oh it was pretty cool at zone meeting we talked about D&C88:73. The time is NOW. He is hastening His work now. And we need to be ready for it. This wave of missionaries is an amazing thing, but if we do not take control of it, it will turn into a destructive tsunami. The Lord didn't lower the age of missionaries so that we could just have and abundance of them. He lowered it so that MORE could be done. If all of us do not have that sense of urgency, nothing will happen. We have to work harder, pray harder, walk faster and trust more that the Lord is with us. I've also seen that I am so quick to give into the little doubts I randomly get, but to grow my faith i need miracles. Crazy right? But its true, and I'm working on dismissing my doubts quicker. Because I know that the closer I get to truly understanding the doctrine of Christ the harder Satan tries to drag me down. But anyway! I did see a miracle yesterday. Craig got up and bore his testimony. He has the strongest testimony. He loves the gospel. I cannot believe we knocked on his door. The Lord's timing is such a mystery to me. But i know that right now Craig is an important part of God's plan. I don't really even know if that's happened before, but I do have hope that something will happen to Craig to bring him closer to Heavenly Father. It was father's day yesterday, so happy father's day again! But it did kind of stink because all of our appointments fell through and not many people were at church. Its alright though. We'll smash it this week. Kind of a short email for me but its just a lead up into the many miracles that will happen next week! I'm excited. I love you. Have a good week! P.S. I didn't have many emails this week and at first I was kind of sad but I am grateful now because it gave me time to actually really read through my president's email. Usually I just skim it, but its exactly the uplifrtment i needed for this next week. I just wanted to share it with you. Acquiring spiritual knowledge was emphasized in our last new initiative. This initiative will have great merit if we make a focused, concerted, and diligent effort to engage ourselves with all of the components of the initiative that have been revealed. For example, as we witnessed the missionaries quote Doctrine and Covenants 4 in our transfer meeting, my heart leaped with joy. I know that each of these recitations will have an impact on all of you. What we will be releasing as a refocus on our daily planner, the enhanced study journal, and how we focus on making and keeping sacred covenants, will raise the level of our combined spiritual prowess and stature. In an article that is quoted in “Preach My Gospel”, Elder Richard G. Scott taught a vital process for helping us “recall” spiritual experiences, “see” new insights, and “recognize” the new growth that we are experiencing. In Elder Scott’s General Conference address on “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” he identified the following process to follow when we discover some new doctrine and knowledge from our Father in Heaven. I suggest you consider these five steps in your personal study and pondering. His formula is as follows (part quoted in “Preach My Gospel”: Understood: As each element of truth is encountered, you must carefully examine it in the light of prior knowledge to determine where it fits. Ponder it; inspect it inside out. Study it from every vantage point to discover hidden meaning. View it in perspective to confirm you have not jumped to false conclusions. Prayerful reflection yields further understanding. Such evaluation is particularly important when the truth comes as an impression of the Spirit. Valued: You show knowledge is valued by expressing appreciation for it, especially in heartfelt prayers of gratitude. The Lord said: “He who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:19). Obeyed: Obedient application of truth is the surest way of making it eternally yours. The wise use of knowledge will permeate your life with its precious fruit. Remembered: Powerful spiritual direction in your life can be overcome or forced into the background unless you provide a way to retain it. Brigham Young declared, “If you love the truth you can remember it” (Discourses of Brigham Young, sel. John A. Widtsoe, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954, p. 10). Knowledge carefully recorded is knowledge available in time of need. Spiritually sensitive information should be kept in a sacred place that communicates to the Lord how you treasure it. That practice enhances the likelihood of your receiving further light. Expanded: This thought refers to rich benefits that come from your efforts to enlarge, extend, and increase your understanding of truth. Use the scriptures and the declarations of the prophets to expand your knowledge. You will find that efforts to share knowledge are often rewarded with more understanding as additional light flows into your mind and heart (see D&C 8:2-3). |
