16 September 2013

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