4 August 2014

Sister Rachel Mullen This is surreal. Last emailing session. I really am so excited to see everyone... But here's the thing: God is whipping out all the miracles my last days here in Kamphaengphet and it's making it painfully hard to leave. We had wonderful potentials at church, have started teaching great people, and the members progress everyday. But I guess that is how I would want to leave an area regardless, so I guess I'm ok. This last week we had MLC and president gave me the opportunity to 'speak my mind' for a second and nobody tore me down haha. It was really good training and it's still interesting to me that he had us all go down there for it when many of the sisters are going to be ending their missions within the next week. Another part of being a leader for the zone is after you receive the training from president, you go out to the areas in your zone and have trainings with them. So that was about 3 days out of our area my last week, but it was such a blessing to go out and the the sisters in the zone. We had planned on one baptism this week, a 17 year old girl, whose been ready from the get-go. But then an older man who passed his interview but went away for some time, came back. AH! He caused us so much emotional mess haha. But he was baptized also. Brother Dotcom, always doing missionary work, even with 'aquaintances' not friends. He brought this 16 year old kid, that has learned almost everything within the past 2 days. And Brother Dotcom is finding success in his crazy amounts of effort in spreading the Gospel. I HAVE to do the same. He's such an example. Last Sunday was so happy. Sad also, but happy. We had two baptisms, and our three daters came to church and loved it, and a;dlkfna;woeljfnasdfn;alskdjf Thank you. Really. This experience has changed everything. Love, Sister Mullen

Sister Jasmine Mullen I KNOW RIGHT? oh my goodness. im so happy though. i feel selfish because i had a dream last night she got called to hawaii and she was leaving october 31st. so im really happy i get to see her before she leaves. i know! i wrote her but i didn't even know what to say, in the package im sending home for you guys it'll have some "home" stuff for rachel. it'll be kinda weird. i felt like sorta secure having her out too? i don't know i don't think it'll hit me because I won't actually be seeing her. Sister Wulfenstein is great. She's such a blessing to me and to the ward. I actually don't like living with people from my intake. I love these to sisters to death and i don't mean for that to sound mean but yeah. Its like really distracting? Especially because we're all from America, they always want to talk about home. But they are solid sisters and they teach me quite a lot, i'm glad i get to live with sister allen again.I always feel like I could have done more to serve her when we were companions and i get to try again now! The Lord is full of second chances. I think thats His favorite blessing to give. Which makes me happy :) This week has been such a miracle week. We have taken out the key indicator of finding hours and we're focusing on teaching. Everywhere and Anywhere! Its been AMAZING! I love it so much. There is so much more faith involved. We have our new name for this month! Its called Ascension August. Cool huh? A sister in our mission came up with it. At first when we started the goal of having a repeat of June, there was a very relaxed feeling, no one really felt the urgency i guess. But then we had a conference call and it was SO good! One of our APs told us it is the Point of no return. OH my goodness. It just changed the spirit of everything. The Leos texted us and said that they're busy August 30th and to move it to September. Ahh i died But then sister Wulfenstein and I prayed to make sure this was their date and not just the date we want them to be baptized on so we can contribute to a "number" but yeah we felt to ask them for August 31st. When she texted back I was so nervous to open it, so we said a prayer and then read it and it said YES! :) Now I know that the text was already written but I know that our prayer contributed. Faith needs to be shown. Gratitude needs to be shown. He deserves everything we have especially for the blessings He's been giving us every day. Yeah other than that! Things are great! Thank you so much for your support. I'm excited for 3/4 of our family to be reunited! I would love to see TONS of pictures :)  Also if you could record her homecoming talk. I just know thats going to be amazing. Ofa atu :) Sister Mullen

28 July 2014

Sister Rachel Mullen We taught, we biked, and we prayed.  2 investigators interviewed and did not pass. I chose to be happy, but then the tears just came. It's supposed to be hard. Our agency is what our Heavenly Father has to deal with too, so this is just helping us become more like Him.  I got to go on switch offs this week also. It was great to get the know the sisters in the zone a little bit more. They were open about their concerns to me and it's so amazing their strength amidst all the challenges and struggles. Sometimes we break down, but when we have the choice to keep working and expecting miracles, we empower ourselves. I can't tell you the strength I feel AFTER the trial when I had just chosen to keep going. That's all we have to decide and then heaven helps us. MLC is this week. I'm planning on what I am going to say on notecards so I don't chicken out and I participate! haha Rough week, but I trust that God knows me Perfectly. I have different lessons to learn from other missionaries. I'm ok with that. Sister Mullen #1

Sister Jasmine Mullen Hello! WELLP. yes. its happened again. Transferss. brrrrrrrrrrrrrup! And guess what. no i didn't not get to keep my beloved Sister Tautuiaki :( she is actually dying in my last area, Maryborough! But i'm doing okay because i get to see her at the mission home. We were so close. I know I say this a lot but she was my favorite companion. Everyone could see it. Presdient said that we were two peas in a pod, haha and then he said, "and i love peas!" haha. But yeah guess what! I now have my beloved Sister Wulfenstein. We were in the MTC together. She's the one that does Kirsten Wiig impersonations. We both laughed. I'm so excited. She's amazing. And she just came from where a huge piece of my heart is, Centenary Lakes. So yes. We have heaps to catch up on. So yeah we had a mission wide full day pday. I love this mission. Its a huge family. I loved South Carolina, but this is definitely where I was called to serve. It was so fun. We got mission wide shirts that say The 105 :) to represent the first time ever that this mission has gotten over 100 baptisms. In the last leadership council I finally said my first thing. oh my goodness. i was sweating the whole time haha. i dont know when i will get used to talking in front of people. i can teach lessons and say prayers on the side of the street, in the mall, at the bus stop like nothing. but when i'm in a room full of missionaries in front of a whiteboard, i've got a red face and sweaty hands. haha. but yeah president had inspiration to have every companionship baptize int he month of august. And you could just feel the load instantly because there are some zones that struggle to baptize even 3. I know that we'll be able to do it soon but the bar was just lowered a little to instead having a repeat of june. Which i'm so excited for. We've been dealing with some pretty dramatic sisters in a region but i feel more confident now and feel like i know how to listen to the spirit better to know how to handle all these situations.  I get to go on trade offs in one of my old areas and the farthest we travel is 2 hours to toowoomba. Its funny because i've had so many companions i get to see them a lot because most are in my region haha! Its funny. I don't know if i've told you about the Leo family. But they are amazing. a family of 5, the dad is nice but not interested but all the kids and the mom are getting baptized. Trying to finalize the date but yeah we set it with them last night. they literally just came one sunday and we started teaching them two weeks ago. She just rocked up and asked us to come. She's had a testimony for so long and is already raising her family in such a righteous way with the standard of the church being her guide. I know i'm not telling this story how it should be told. but just know that they are amazing. Its my second "Maria". I just feel so humbled to know that Heavenly Father trusts me with these amazing souls. i love you! thank you for everything that you are sacrificing for me. This area is taking care of me, we often tell them that they are an answer to our parents' prayers :) love you heaps. sister mullen.