Talofa Lava!
I'm surrounded by Samoans now...so maybe you're thinking I got shifted to Auckland...? Don't worry, I'm still rockin' it here at the VC and still in Temple View. I'm not serving in the New Zealand Auckland Mission...I'm serving in the New Zealand Hamilton Mission. It's all good, I love it here, I feel quite at home in this area. So Sister Italy went up to Auckland and my new companion is Sister Uhrle (pronounced like "early") and she's from Samoa. She was MTC companions with Sister Chan in the MTC and they were really good friends...so you know what that means...we probably won't get along. Jokes. We're already friends, I love it. I'm excited to serve with her, it's going to be fun. Sister Uhrle is new to the VC, so it'll keep me on my toes making sure I'm on top of things to help her get adjusted and know what to do here at the VC. So each of the three companionships in the district, there's a samoan missionary. And then we baptized a Samoan last night. Talofa lava. So yeah, Landy FINALLY got baptized! She's been in contact with the church for 8 years. Been married to an RM for 10 months now, been going to church almost every week, sang in the choir in Stake Conference. The hold up was her family, they're quite staunch in their Samoan Methodist Church, but she finally just told them that she wanted to get baptized, and it was a great baptism. I'm sure her family will follow, it will definitely take time, but I'm sure they'll see the light.
We also had Jess & Bessie get baptized on Saturday. Everything was going great til an hour before the baptism, the Auntie, who's a member, called me up and basically chewed me out about somethings that were not under my control, but I just explained that we were doing what we can at this point to make it an enjoyable experience, and a smooth transition into our ward. So they've been taught by elders and were going to a different ward until last week when the Zone Leaders told us they were in our ward. The auntie was quite upset the elders couldn't be there (since they're out of district) thankfully that was solved and the elders got permission to come, the auntie was freaking out about who else was bringing food (PS there was HEAPS of food) blah blah blah, she just wanted it to be an happy celebration by both wards (I didn't know there was unhappiness from both wards...oh wait, because there really wasn't) and and the auntie said she almost suggested that they wait to get baptized. Oh no she did-nt! She was making things a bigger deal than they needed to be. But it happened. Everything was great. The baptismal room was FULL and the auntie loved us afterwards and said how great it was and is now our friend. I decided the lesson learned was for everyone to CHILL OUT! Thank you, very much.
So this week was full on. I felt like I was constantly running around, and it was crazy, but it felt so good. I wish we were always this busy. Thankfully we've got a lot of potential investigators that we just need to go to work on and so hopefully we keep it up!
I was blessed to be able to go to transfers, I always love being there, just a fun spirit. Got to see Sister Tovale again (we were here together for 9 months and comps for 1 transfer). But being at transfers and seeing the new missionaries, I was just relieved that I don't ever have to be a new missionary again, haha. Not that it was a terrible experience, I mean I loved my trainer and everything, but it's still hard being new and trying to pick up everything you have to be doing and adjusting to the mission-culture and everything. Anywho, glad I never have to repeat that semi-painful experience.
I feel like the Lord has been taking very good care of me lately and He's just gently pushing me along. Little things just fall into place and I guess, well, that things are going quite smoothly and I'm thankful for the opportunities I'm having to grow and realizing the tender mercies I've had to strengthen and develop relationships with people (especially a bishop that I was scared to even say hi to at church...but an experience I had this weekend, I realized that we're buddy-buddy now and he trusts and likes me). (but now that I'm realizing how good things are...I guess it just means not-so-good things are coming, but I've also have to push through some mud to get to this point). Certain things I hear, like at the transfer meeting or at the training we had Saturday morning at the VC or General Conference, are JUST what I wanted and needed. Like at our VC training, Elder McLachlan talked about Christlike attributes and we were talking about charity. I was able to realize what a blessing it has been to be able to (try to) develop Christlike attributes more as a missionary. I still have far to go, but before my mission, I realized I wasn't in situations where I really NEEDED to develop certain attributes. Like stretching my faith and pushing myself WAY out of my comfort zone and learning what it really means to depend on the Lord. Also, developing patience in working with certain people. You don't have a whole lot of control of who you are around as a missionary, but as I've been kind of forced to work with certain people, I've been able to learn to push through certain things and end up becoming friends with them. Whereas, before my mission, if someone was rude/annoying...I could just avoid them. I don't even realize the blessings I'm getting from serving a mission and how much I needed this and these experiences, but am so incredibly grateful to be doing the Lord's work at this time and helping others prepare for the Second Coming!
Funny story of the week: So I was texting a member to see when/if we could come see her mum (the investigator) aaaand...I accidentally sent it to Leesa instead of Lauren. Got a text back that said, "haha, awkward...wrong person" Whoops! I died laughing. If know me, you know I have some funny, but not funny at the time, experiences of mis-texting. It's what us Mullen girls do. I obviously haven't sent a mis-text in ages. Too funny.
Jess's dad/Bessie's partner came to a lesson this past week and he said how much he likes coming to the VC because of the feeling here and especially in the Christus room. He said it's like a big slap in the face and it wakes you up. I love hearing people talk about the feeling here because as members having the Holy Ghost, I don't think we realize how different it feels being here.
Well I think that's enough for this week. It was a great week. I'm excited to serve with Sister Uhrle, we've already had some funny experiences...like Sister Mullen dropping cake of the plate TWICE last night. Uh-oh. Somethings never change.
Alofa atu!
Sister Mullen
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
It's Conference Time, It's Conference Time...the leaves are falling down.
The weeks are FLYING by. The week has gone really fast, but slow at the
same time...as it always does leading up to transfers because I'm
anxious to hear about it. Start praying that I stay here til the end.
Love this area, love the VC, want to be here for Christmas lights. So
pray for me :)
We were struggling to have lessons this week and didn't really find any new investigators, but still ended the week with a miracle! So it balanced out. Last Sunday, a member came up to us and said he had a cousin who's daughter was planning on getting baptized soon and he found out she lives in our ward...but she's been meeting with the elders. We hadn't heard anything. Talked to the Zone Leaders, said they would find it out. Took them a week to get back to us. Turns out they thought she lived in the other sisters' ward, but it's actually in ours, so that's why they never told us that the elders were teaching them. So Sunday morning we get a call that we have two people getting baptized on Saturday, Jessica (the daughter) & Pesi (the mum). The elders started teaching them because their fellowship who introduced them to the church is in the elders ward. That's not how it's supposed to work, so now that they're kind of being pushed to us, it's a little bit of a drama because of course the investigators don't understand what's going on and why it's a big deal to go to a different ward, blah blah blah. They're fine getting baptized in our ward ,but want to keep going to the other ward after they get baptized. I tried explaining that we were "in charge" now when we were trying to set up a lesson and the interview, but they are (naturally) a little attached to the elders. ANYWAY--dramas. But they're getting baptized on Saturday. And it was cool talking to them, they were definitely prepared by the Lord. Especially the Mum. She said she's been going to heaps of churches, and they all talked about baptism, but no one ever specifically invited her to get baptized ,so she took it as a sign when the elders DID invite her. Woot woot. Like it says in good ol PMG, people are not likely to change unless invited to do so. The mum also had 3 questions before she even met with the elders, and the elders answered those questions in the first couple of lessons. I know the Lord is preparing people...it's just hard to remember on those days when NO one wants to see you, including your investigators, and the people on the street don't want to talk to you either. We had more than one day like that this week.
We also have another baptism on Sunday, Landy, who's married to an RM and been involved with the church for 8 years who finally decided she's ready to get baptized. Yes, please! Can't wait for hers!!
Conference-FINALLY! Ahh, loved it. I took some questions to Conference, and I always try to answer my questions with what I know/think I should be doing anyway, but I was trying to stay open and trust that the Lord would answer my questions as I watched Conference and I definitely got answers I was not expecting, but still what I needed. Pres. Uchtdorf was definitely one of my favorites. To be honest, one of my questions was some goals for the post-mish life and I feel like that talk was written just for me. Just a reminder to have fun when I go back. I know I have fun in the math lab, but my math lab days are over. I need to have fun just for my social sake so I interact with people other than nerdy engineers, haha. Oh my gosh, I'm going to be an engineer. But also to have fun now, which I am. Life is great, even if people don't always want to talk to us. This past week I've been overwhelmed with the love I have to be a missionary at this time. It's a great time to be doing the Lord's work...especially in New Zealand.
Themes that I noticed throughout Conference: living and studying the gospel principles, doing the Lord's will, tragedies (didn't it seem like a lot of people were telling sad stories of kids dying??) & having faith through those tragedies and trials, service, temples, temples, temples. (I hope you aren't taking for granted having access to the temple. I hope I don't do that when I go home. I have sat outside the temple almost everyday for the last 10 months...and it is so out-of-bounds for me. I hate it. So take advantage and go!), being converted in your heart and letting the doctrine go deep down, family and marriage. I feel like trials and family are always themes of Conference. Satan is definitely attacking the whanau ("family" in maori) and trials will always be apart of this life, so it makes sense. And my FAVORITE thing that stood out to me again and again in Conference was how much God is aware of each and every one of us. Saturday morning during personal study, I came across D&C 84:116, "Let him atrust in me and he shall not be bconfounded; and a chair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed." And then I heard heaps about how much God loves us and is aware of us. And it's true. I don't even know all the hairs on my head! They fall out all the time and I don't even see them. God is more aware of us than we are of ourselves. He loves us, what a comforting thought that is. He loves us more than we realize.
Well that's long enough. Have a great week! Love yous!
Ofa atu,
Sister Mullen
PS Finally had a hangi. It's a maori thing. Cooking the food in an underground oven. Real unique NZ food: chicken, pumpkin, kumara, and potatoes. It was really good and some of the best chicken I've had in NZ...but my goodness, I can't take anymore of that meal! We had it three times this week. Like most other weeks. That's all they feed you in NZ. I feel like I'm becoming a pumpkin connoisseur because it all. the. time. Love it though. I'll definitely miss pumpkin and kumara.
We were struggling to have lessons this week and didn't really find any new investigators, but still ended the week with a miracle! So it balanced out. Last Sunday, a member came up to us and said he had a cousin who's daughter was planning on getting baptized soon and he found out she lives in our ward...but she's been meeting with the elders. We hadn't heard anything. Talked to the Zone Leaders, said they would find it out. Took them a week to get back to us. Turns out they thought she lived in the other sisters' ward, but it's actually in ours, so that's why they never told us that the elders were teaching them. So Sunday morning we get a call that we have two people getting baptized on Saturday, Jessica (the daughter) & Pesi (the mum). The elders started teaching them because their fellowship who introduced them to the church is in the elders ward. That's not how it's supposed to work, so now that they're kind of being pushed to us, it's a little bit of a drama because of course the investigators don't understand what's going on and why it's a big deal to go to a different ward, blah blah blah. They're fine getting baptized in our ward ,but want to keep going to the other ward after they get baptized. I tried explaining that we were "in charge" now when we were trying to set up a lesson and the interview, but they are (naturally) a little attached to the elders. ANYWAY--dramas. But they're getting baptized on Saturday. And it was cool talking to them, they were definitely prepared by the Lord. Especially the Mum. She said she's been going to heaps of churches, and they all talked about baptism, but no one ever specifically invited her to get baptized ,so she took it as a sign when the elders DID invite her. Woot woot. Like it says in good ol PMG, people are not likely to change unless invited to do so. The mum also had 3 questions before she even met with the elders, and the elders answered those questions in the first couple of lessons. I know the Lord is preparing people...it's just hard to remember on those days when NO one wants to see you, including your investigators, and the people on the street don't want to talk to you either. We had more than one day like that this week.
We also have another baptism on Sunday, Landy, who's married to an RM and been involved with the church for 8 years who finally decided she's ready to get baptized. Yes, please! Can't wait for hers!!
Conference-FINALLY! Ahh, loved it. I took some questions to Conference, and I always try to answer my questions with what I know/think I should be doing anyway, but I was trying to stay open and trust that the Lord would answer my questions as I watched Conference and I definitely got answers I was not expecting, but still what I needed. Pres. Uchtdorf was definitely one of my favorites. To be honest, one of my questions was some goals for the post-mish life and I feel like that talk was written just for me. Just a reminder to have fun when I go back. I know I have fun in the math lab, but my math lab days are over. I need to have fun just for my social sake so I interact with people other than nerdy engineers, haha. Oh my gosh, I'm going to be an engineer. But also to have fun now, which I am. Life is great, even if people don't always want to talk to us. This past week I've been overwhelmed with the love I have to be a missionary at this time. It's a great time to be doing the Lord's work...especially in New Zealand.
Themes that I noticed throughout Conference: living and studying the gospel principles, doing the Lord's will, tragedies (didn't it seem like a lot of people were telling sad stories of kids dying??) & having faith through those tragedies and trials, service, temples, temples, temples. (I hope you aren't taking for granted having access to the temple. I hope I don't do that when I go home. I have sat outside the temple almost everyday for the last 10 months...and it is so out-of-bounds for me. I hate it. So take advantage and go!), being converted in your heart and letting the doctrine go deep down, family and marriage. I feel like trials and family are always themes of Conference. Satan is definitely attacking the whanau ("family" in maori) and trials will always be apart of this life, so it makes sense. And my FAVORITE thing that stood out to me again and again in Conference was how much God is aware of each and every one of us. Saturday morning during personal study, I came across D&C 84:116, "Let him atrust in me and he shall not be bconfounded; and a chair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed." And then I heard heaps about how much God loves us and is aware of us. And it's true. I don't even know all the hairs on my head! They fall out all the time and I don't even see them. God is more aware of us than we are of ourselves. He loves us, what a comforting thought that is. He loves us more than we realize.
Well that's long enough. Have a great week! Love yous!
Ofa atu,
Sister Mullen
PS Finally had a hangi. It's a maori thing. Cooking the food in an underground oven. Real unique NZ food: chicken, pumpkin, kumara, and potatoes. It was really good and some of the best chicken I've had in NZ...but my goodness, I can't take anymore of that meal! We had it three times this week. Like most other weeks. That's all they feed you in NZ. I feel like I'm becoming a pumpkin connoisseur because it all. the. time. Love it though. I'll definitely miss pumpkin and kumara.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
New Zealand's Most Wanted
Oh my goodness, HEAPS of experiences I want to share with you this week. It was full-on, but good.
Onto the good news of the week: Hong actually got baptized! This whole experience was a HUGE tender mercy. It all went so ridiculously smooth. We were able to teach him everything in a couple days since he's home for school holidays. We were waiting for Satan to make an appearance, and Sunday morning I thought I wasn't going to be able to get a hold of him to make sure he was up for church and coming to get confirmed...he didn't answer the first time, but he answered the second time. I feel like my more recent baptisms have been huge because they're part member families or Tongans, but his was small, but it seemed just right for him. Oh, the only thing that didn't go as planned was that we were planning on showing a DVD while he was changing, but the chapel doesn't have a DVD player, so we had to use a VCR....does anyone remember what those are? And then we found a random, old, 16 minute VHS in the closet. It was still good though, thankfully the church teaches the same things as it did 30 years ago, haha. One of the highlights for me was that we had one of the young men in the ward baptize Hong and it was just fun to be able to give him the opportunity to baptize someone. And also to get the young men to speak at the baptism as well. I love good, young men. Nothing gets me excited like seeing young men who are going on a mission soon.
Speaking of going on missions: we were SHOCKED that they changed the age! Wow sir. A random member sent us a text in the morning, and then had it confirmed by our ride to church. It was a cool experience though, just knowing that I already have that solid foundation that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, so whatever he says is game and it is from God. So I could instantly accept it without even trying to debate. Might sound dumb, but it was a testimony building experience for me. Just a reminder that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and no matter what I hear about him or whatevs, I know that he's a prophet and no one will change my view of that. Of course we've been talking about if we would have gone when we were 19. Me, probably not. But I've also had to many confirmations that this is the mission experience I needed...after I was 21. And I'm also so thankful for the experiences I had from my earthly years of being 19-21. Plenty of bad experiences that I would have rather skipped, but I still made some great friends and had experiences that got me to where I am today. I figured if I needed to go when I was 19, I would have been born in a different year. One elder kept telling me, "what are we going to do with 19 year old sisters?" & I kept saying, "What are we going to do with 18 year old ELDERS??" I don't think I'll really see the effects of it as a missionary, but I am anxious to see the effects. I definitely think it means more sister missionaries...woot woot. Girl power.
So we had a training as a zone this week from our mission president about the way we talk to people on the street and making more normal and talking WITH them instead of talking TO them. It was great and I learned heaps, but I felt like it should have been called "Missionary Social Skills 101." Haha, seriously. I said something I learned was that we even though we're missionaries, we don't have to give up all social skills and be awkward... even though we mostly are and do things that are not acceptable unless you have a nametag. Does anyone remember when I said a member told us, "I've never seen a missionary be natural?"
Something I've been thinking of is how great it is when you are living the gospel to be able to have that hope that there are always good things in the future. Yeah, you might have to walk through some nasty as mud to get there, but it will be good in the end. There will still be blessings along the way. And after this life, life will be wonderful and only full of great things! Ahh, I love it. I love being able to look to the future and know that things will ALWAYS get better from here, as long as we are doing our part and keeping our covenants. I guess, in a way, that applies to me finishing soon. Ouch. I really said that. But it's true. So it's just important to remember that there are still great things waiting in the rest of my life, even though I won't be living in the beautiful land of the long white cloud that has become my home and I'll have to go back to listening to ugly American accents, haha. Really though, I hate the way I sound sometimes.
Something I've also noticed is the growth in the missionaries around me: my companion (Sister Somma), especially Sister Chan (the sister I trained), other missionaries around me, and this elder that has been one of my zone leaders for the last 4 transfers. And it's been great to see that. But I also wished it was easier to see the growth in me. There is this member who stopped in the VC, I served in his ward one transfer and he said that I'm not the same person I was 4 months ago. Yeah, I know I've grown heaps, but sometimes it's not so easy to see and I feel like the same ol' spastic Ally who makes really weird noises sometimes and thinks she's pretty funny sometimes...and likes to party. All I can say is that I've loved being a missionary. Without a doubt the best decision I've made. There have been some ultimate highs, and some ultimate lows, but it has all happened for a reason.
Ah, one more thing: a less-active came into the VC on his way from Hastings back to Auckland. He wants to come back and knows he needs to, and specific experiences I've had allowed me to really click with him and share certain things with him and I felt like I was definitely the one who needed to talk to him. Feels good knowing that I specifically needed to help someone. Hope he really did go to church like he said he was going to.
Random story:
-We were trying to contact a part member family that lives out in the country, and as we were knocking their door, they're two little piggies and two mommy piggies (maybe one was a daddy piggy) came up and surrounded me. Momma piggy was sniffing/licking my legs and the baby piggies were licking my feet and trying to eat the tassels on my shoes. LOVED it. Haha, they're so ugly, but so cute at the same time.
Quite a long email, but it was a good week! And I have so much more I could tell. I'm like changing my life over here...naturally I should have a lot to tell, right?
Love you heaps, have a fantabulous week!
Anxiously waiting for conference,
Sister Mullen
Onto the good news of the week: Hong actually got baptized! This whole experience was a HUGE tender mercy. It all went so ridiculously smooth. We were able to teach him everything in a couple days since he's home for school holidays. We were waiting for Satan to make an appearance, and Sunday morning I thought I wasn't going to be able to get a hold of him to make sure he was up for church and coming to get confirmed...he didn't answer the first time, but he answered the second time. I feel like my more recent baptisms have been huge because they're part member families or Tongans, but his was small, but it seemed just right for him. Oh, the only thing that didn't go as planned was that we were planning on showing a DVD while he was changing, but the chapel doesn't have a DVD player, so we had to use a VCR....does anyone remember what those are? And then we found a random, old, 16 minute VHS in the closet. It was still good though, thankfully the church teaches the same things as it did 30 years ago, haha. One of the highlights for me was that we had one of the young men in the ward baptize Hong and it was just fun to be able to give him the opportunity to baptize someone. And also to get the young men to speak at the baptism as well. I love good, young men. Nothing gets me excited like seeing young men who are going on a mission soon.
Speaking of going on missions: we were SHOCKED that they changed the age! Wow sir. A random member sent us a text in the morning, and then had it confirmed by our ride to church. It was a cool experience though, just knowing that I already have that solid foundation that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet, so whatever he says is game and it is from God. So I could instantly accept it without even trying to debate. Might sound dumb, but it was a testimony building experience for me. Just a reminder that I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and no matter what I hear about him or whatevs, I know that he's a prophet and no one will change my view of that. Of course we've been talking about if we would have gone when we were 19. Me, probably not. But I've also had to many confirmations that this is the mission experience I needed...after I was 21. And I'm also so thankful for the experiences I had from my earthly years of being 19-21. Plenty of bad experiences that I would have rather skipped, but I still made some great friends and had experiences that got me to where I am today. I figured if I needed to go when I was 19, I would have been born in a different year. One elder kept telling me, "what are we going to do with 19 year old sisters?" & I kept saying, "What are we going to do with 18 year old ELDERS??" I don't think I'll really see the effects of it as a missionary, but I am anxious to see the effects. I definitely think it means more sister missionaries...woot woot. Girl power.
So we had a training as a zone this week from our mission president about the way we talk to people on the street and making more normal and talking WITH them instead of talking TO them. It was great and I learned heaps, but I felt like it should have been called "Missionary Social Skills 101." Haha, seriously. I said something I learned was that we even though we're missionaries, we don't have to give up all social skills and be awkward... even though we mostly are and do things that are not acceptable unless you have a nametag. Does anyone remember when I said a member told us, "I've never seen a missionary be natural?"
Something I've been thinking of is how great it is when you are living the gospel to be able to have that hope that there are always good things in the future. Yeah, you might have to walk through some nasty as mud to get there, but it will be good in the end. There will still be blessings along the way. And after this life, life will be wonderful and only full of great things! Ahh, I love it. I love being able to look to the future and know that things will ALWAYS get better from here, as long as we are doing our part and keeping our covenants. I guess, in a way, that applies to me finishing soon. Ouch. I really said that. But it's true. So it's just important to remember that there are still great things waiting in the rest of my life, even though I won't be living in the beautiful land of the long white cloud that has become my home and I'll have to go back to listening to ugly American accents, haha. Really though, I hate the way I sound sometimes.
Something I've also noticed is the growth in the missionaries around me: my companion (Sister Somma), especially Sister Chan (the sister I trained), other missionaries around me, and this elder that has been one of my zone leaders for the last 4 transfers. And it's been great to see that. But I also wished it was easier to see the growth in me. There is this member who stopped in the VC, I served in his ward one transfer and he said that I'm not the same person I was 4 months ago. Yeah, I know I've grown heaps, but sometimes it's not so easy to see and I feel like the same ol' spastic Ally who makes really weird noises sometimes and thinks she's pretty funny sometimes...and likes to party. All I can say is that I've loved being a missionary. Without a doubt the best decision I've made. There have been some ultimate highs, and some ultimate lows, but it has all happened for a reason.
Ah, one more thing: a less-active came into the VC on his way from Hastings back to Auckland. He wants to come back and knows he needs to, and specific experiences I've had allowed me to really click with him and share certain things with him and I felt like I was definitely the one who needed to talk to him. Feels good knowing that I specifically needed to help someone. Hope he really did go to church like he said he was going to.
Random story:
-We were trying to contact a part member family that lives out in the country, and as we were knocking their door, they're two little piggies and two mommy piggies (maybe one was a daddy piggy) came up and surrounded me. Momma piggy was sniffing/licking my legs and the baby piggies were licking my feet and trying to eat the tassels on my shoes. LOVED it. Haha, they're so ugly, but so cute at the same time.
Quite a long email, but it was a good week! And I have so much more I could tell. I'm like changing my life over here...naturally I should have a lot to tell, right?
Love you heaps, have a fantabulous week!
Anxiously waiting for conference,
Sister Mullen
Friday, October 5, 2012
How is it Already October?
Another week come and gone. But it's been a good week. Daylight
savings...love it when summer is on it's way and it stays light so late.
Now people won't tell us we're out so late at 7:00 pm since it'll still
be light!
Highlight of the week: Hong from Cambodia! So Hong has been to church twice. A bit of language barrier, and we were trying to set up a lesson with him weeks ago & he kept saying, "Just come get me for church. Yeah, yeah, just come get me for church." So he's been to church twice, he's been to mutual the last two weeks and is planning on going on the camp with the YM in a couple weeks. So we went and saw him Saturday and he was keen to come to church, we dropped off a white shirt and tie...and now he's preparing for baptism this coming Saturday. He's 15 and skinny as and I just love the kid. So we've like hardly taught him, but we taught him Saturday after he agreed to prepare for baptism this week and again yesterday and he's just so sweet, humble, and keen to be good! He was telling us how his brother left yesterday but they don't know when he'll come back, and he said, "my brother is not very good, but I'm not like him, I'm good." Love it. And apparently one of the YM counselors took him to the VC on the way home one night from mutual and showed him President Monson. Yes, please! Only concern is the parents don't speak English, but we obviously have to get permission from them. So Hong is trying to talk to them and explain the situation. We'll see. Hopefully all goes well! Haha, the whole situation just makes me laugh. And whenever I call and Hong answers, all I say is, "Hi Hong!" and he knows right away it's me.
We had a lesson with our favorite couple, Kimi & Leesa (he's LA, she's the investigator...they're getting married in January, and unfortunately they don't want to live separately til then, so she'll get baptized then. PS was shocked when we found out she's only 19. I feel so old.) And we printed off a talk to read with them...and I felt so old school because they were using their phones/iPods to look up the talk on the gospel library app they have.
So we do "sisters trade offs" once a transfer now. I was with Sister Agavale, who Sister Chan is training. It was kind of funny when we were evaluating the day and seeing how we're almost at opposite ends of our missions. She's been out 3 weeks....and she thinks I know it all. HA! It's always different to have a "full proselyting" day, but it feels good. (We don't come into the VC when we have trade offs.) Sister Agavale is from Samoa and it's always humbling to serve with islanders. Different culture that us, proud, stubborn Americans have heaps to learn from. I definitely could feel how sincere she is when she talks with people and how she just wants to help people! ...including her companion.
Something that someone said in Sunday School the other week that has really affected me is that you can believe, have faith, and find evidence of God helping you out...OR you can not believe, not have faith, and find evidence to support your ideas thinking that you did things all on your own instead of recognizing a tender mercy from the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father really is there helping us out and having faith just makes things better and really can give you power and strength to do what the Lord wants & needs you to do. I feel like it's helped me a lot to react better to certain situations too. Like not getting defensive and think that people/missionaries think I can't do something or I won't remember to do it when they're just trying to help out or to remind me. Does that make sense? Maybe an example would be better: we went on splits for church yesterday and the Bishop told Sister Somma "make sure the parents know!" when talking about Hong getting baptized. And instead of saying, "Uh...yeah, Bishop! Of course we will...they have to sign the baptismal record!" I said, "Oh, yep, we definitely will make sure they're okay with it." I think that's something I've needed to work on lately: not refusing help. And I guess controlling my sass...which I have a lot of at different times. :)
Love you heaps! Ofa atu!
Sister Mullen
PS For those who don't know...Dad sent me a nun calendar for the year, and October's picture is the funniest I've seen so far and I just had to pass it on.
PPS Having a companion who knows English as a second language makes for some funny comments sometimes. She was always confused why people say, "oh, it's chilly," when it's not hot...because you eat chilis and they're hot. Valid concern, that doesn't make any sense, but it still makes me laugh.
Highlight of the week: Hong from Cambodia! So Hong has been to church twice. A bit of language barrier, and we were trying to set up a lesson with him weeks ago & he kept saying, "Just come get me for church. Yeah, yeah, just come get me for church." So he's been to church twice, he's been to mutual the last two weeks and is planning on going on the camp with the YM in a couple weeks. So we went and saw him Saturday and he was keen to come to church, we dropped off a white shirt and tie...and now he's preparing for baptism this coming Saturday. He's 15 and skinny as and I just love the kid. So we've like hardly taught him, but we taught him Saturday after he agreed to prepare for baptism this week and again yesterday and he's just so sweet, humble, and keen to be good! He was telling us how his brother left yesterday but they don't know when he'll come back, and he said, "my brother is not very good, but I'm not like him, I'm good." Love it. And apparently one of the YM counselors took him to the VC on the way home one night from mutual and showed him President Monson. Yes, please! Only concern is the parents don't speak English, but we obviously have to get permission from them. So Hong is trying to talk to them and explain the situation. We'll see. Hopefully all goes well! Haha, the whole situation just makes me laugh. And whenever I call and Hong answers, all I say is, "Hi Hong!" and he knows right away it's me.
We had a lesson with our favorite couple, Kimi & Leesa (he's LA, she's the investigator...they're getting married in January, and unfortunately they don't want to live separately til then, so she'll get baptized then. PS was shocked when we found out she's only 19. I feel so old.) And we printed off a talk to read with them...and I felt so old school because they were using their phones/iPods to look up the talk on the gospel library app they have.
So we do "sisters trade offs" once a transfer now. I was with Sister Agavale, who Sister Chan is training. It was kind of funny when we were evaluating the day and seeing how we're almost at opposite ends of our missions. She's been out 3 weeks....and she thinks I know it all. HA! It's always different to have a "full proselyting" day, but it feels good. (We don't come into the VC when we have trade offs.) Sister Agavale is from Samoa and it's always humbling to serve with islanders. Different culture that us, proud, stubborn Americans have heaps to learn from. I definitely could feel how sincere she is when she talks with people and how she just wants to help people! ...including her companion.
Something that someone said in Sunday School the other week that has really affected me is that you can believe, have faith, and find evidence of God helping you out...OR you can not believe, not have faith, and find evidence to support your ideas thinking that you did things all on your own instead of recognizing a tender mercy from the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father really is there helping us out and having faith just makes things better and really can give you power and strength to do what the Lord wants & needs you to do. I feel like it's helped me a lot to react better to certain situations too. Like not getting defensive and think that people/missionaries think I can't do something or I won't remember to do it when they're just trying to help out or to remind me. Does that make sense? Maybe an example would be better: we went on splits for church yesterday and the Bishop told Sister Somma "make sure the parents know!" when talking about Hong getting baptized. And instead of saying, "Uh...yeah, Bishop! Of course we will...they have to sign the baptismal record!" I said, "Oh, yep, we definitely will make sure they're okay with it." I think that's something I've needed to work on lately: not refusing help. And I guess controlling my sass...which I have a lot of at different times. :)
Love you heaps! Ofa atu!
Sister Mullen
PS For those who don't know...Dad sent me a nun calendar for the year, and October's picture is the funniest I've seen so far and I just had to pass it on.
PPS Having a companion who knows English as a second language makes for some funny comments sometimes. She was always confused why people say, "oh, it's chilly," when it's not hot...because you eat chilis and they're hot. Valid concern, that doesn't make any sense, but it still makes me laugh.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Pictures
-NZ Sunsets...never get old
-Dinner with the Ueleses. He served his mission in El Paso, and I love hearing him talk about it. And I just love, love, LOVE this family.
-It looks like I'm really riding the tiger, right? ...we had fun at the zoo this week for p-day!
-Dinner with the Ueleses. He served his mission in El Paso, and I love hearing him talk about it. And I just love, love, LOVE this family.
-It looks like I'm really riding the tiger, right? ...we had fun at the zoo this week for p-day!
-Jumping picture...in front of the temple...surprise? This was when our last District leader (the one next to me) was going home. Sad day. I hate sending missionaries home. And we've sent someone home the last 4 transfers.
-We had dinner with a recent convert yesterday, her husband ain't a member and isn't keen to learn, but she always tells us when he asks about us when we haven't been by in a while :) His heart is softening. Anywho, their kids were having a blast putting on our gumboots and walking around in them. Sorry, Sister Somma, I'm sending the picture where I look good and you don't, haha.
-We had dinner with a recent convert yesterday, her husband ain't a member and isn't keen to learn, but she always tells us when he asks about us when we haven't been by in a while :) His heart is softening. Anywho, their kids were having a blast putting on our gumboots and walking around in them. Sorry, Sister Somma, I'm sending the picture where I look good and you don't, haha.
-Loving the car.
-Hating the bikes.
-Hating the bikes.
-the 4 musketeers. We've been in the same district for 3 transfers. Sis Tovale finally made it up to Auckland, she's been here since before I got to the VC. Weird not having her at the VC. And I have loved being able to serve around Sister Chan for more than our 2 transfers together. I feel it's only been a month since I picked Sister Chan up from Auckland, and now she's been out over 4 months. Where is my life going??
Growing Pains
All I can say is that I had NO idea what I was getting myself into when I came on a mission. Still encountering new experiences that are pushing and pulling me in directions I didn't even know I could go or that mattered. And it's painful sometimes. But I will forever be grateful for the experiences I've had as a missionary...good and bad. I'll never forget any of it. And there has been heaps of growing this week...and it has not been particularly enjoyable, but besides all of that...we've had some amazing experiences this week.
First off: my favorites right now are Kimi & Leesa. Kimi (he's the male) is a less active coming back to church, Leesa is the investigator and just soaking up the gospel! They moved into our area a couple weeks ago and I have LOVED teaching them...probably because they're pretty much our age, so we feel like we're legit friends with them. They're getting married in January (6 days after I leave...I was praying that it was going to be while you're here, Mom & Dad, but unfortunately not). So the deal was that she was getting baptized after they get married in January, but we decided to have her pray with us to know if she should get baptized in October instead. She did not want to pray in front of us because she still doesn't feel comfortable, but we were a little persistent, and she prayed, and it was amazing, and one of the most powerful experiences I've had and she got her answer that she should be baptized in October. That was friday, they came to church on Sunday, and we had a lesson afterwards at the VC and obviously went over the Law of Chastity and how they can't be living together, and they had talked about that since our lesson on Friday. They don't think they can handle it living separately right now, but when talking to them, I've never felt so confident that God would provide a way for them and bless them so much in return. So we're still working on them. Despite what happens, we'll keep teaching them and loving them. After our lesson on Friday night, Kimi said, "Now I agree with my dad when he always said, 'Sisters are the best.' " ...feels good to hear that, haha. (PS they've met with elders in the past, but it hasn't really gone anywhere and they just decided recently to move forward in the gospel...and then they moved into our ward.)
Other miracle of the week was our little eternigator friend, Landy, decided she finally wants to be baptized!! She's met with 13 sets of missionaries, got married to an RM in January. She's busy as and is so hard to set up appointments with...but she knows it all, it just getting her to tell her family (they're quite involved in their Samoan church). And we heard at church on Sunday that she told Bishop she wanted to get baptized, so we went and saw her last night and she told us too! Oh my goodness, it was a miracle. Just scheduling problems. This weekend is "too soon" for her family, she'll be gone the next weekend, the next weekend is General Conference (which I am so frustrated with!) and so it'll be the NEXT Saturday...after transfers. Kill me. We're still hoping it'll happen this Saturday. Why not? Especially because Oct 20 is AGES away!!
Part member families, or part member couples in these cases, are my favorites to work with. Even though we're not baptizing a family of 12, but it's basically like baptizing a family knowing their kids will be raised in the gospel and bless their family for generations. It's just so rewarding!
We also went to the Temple this week...haleluja! (..however you spell that) It has been too long since I've been in, but nonetheless, still felt great to be there. I really do think everyone is better looking in white :) I had a cool experience last week with George...I think I wrote about him last week, a random nonmember who came to the VC, and he tried to go inside the temple and he told me how it was a completely different feeling in there...even being in the VC didn't come close to it.
Another highlight of the week was seeing a family from Tauranga. The parents got baptized just a couple weeks before we got to the are and the mum came out with us HEAPS to lessons. Their kids got baptized a couple months before the parents, and they were at the temple because their son is going on his mission in a couple weeks and the parents told me they're planning on getting sealed in December. They weren't even my converts, but it was just so exciting to see them and hear how great they're family is doing. They're living the dream you want for every convert!
One of the many, many lesson learned this week: how important faith is. It really is the first step of the gospel, but easy to brush over. I've just had it reinforced how important and basic faith is. Don't leave home without it.
Ofa atu!
Sister Mullen
First off: my favorites right now are Kimi & Leesa. Kimi (he's the male) is a less active coming back to church, Leesa is the investigator and just soaking up the gospel! They moved into our area a couple weeks ago and I have LOVED teaching them...probably because they're pretty much our age, so we feel like we're legit friends with them. They're getting married in January (6 days after I leave...I was praying that it was going to be while you're here, Mom & Dad, but unfortunately not). So the deal was that she was getting baptized after they get married in January, but we decided to have her pray with us to know if she should get baptized in October instead. She did not want to pray in front of us because she still doesn't feel comfortable, but we were a little persistent, and she prayed, and it was amazing, and one of the most powerful experiences I've had and she got her answer that she should be baptized in October. That was friday, they came to church on Sunday, and we had a lesson afterwards at the VC and obviously went over the Law of Chastity and how they can't be living together, and they had talked about that since our lesson on Friday. They don't think they can handle it living separately right now, but when talking to them, I've never felt so confident that God would provide a way for them and bless them so much in return. So we're still working on them. Despite what happens, we'll keep teaching them and loving them. After our lesson on Friday night, Kimi said, "Now I agree with my dad when he always said, 'Sisters are the best.' " ...feels good to hear that, haha. (PS they've met with elders in the past, but it hasn't really gone anywhere and they just decided recently to move forward in the gospel...and then they moved into our ward.)
Other miracle of the week was our little eternigator friend, Landy, decided she finally wants to be baptized!! She's met with 13 sets of missionaries, got married to an RM in January. She's busy as and is so hard to set up appointments with...but she knows it all, it just getting her to tell her family (they're quite involved in their Samoan church). And we heard at church on Sunday that she told Bishop she wanted to get baptized, so we went and saw her last night and she told us too! Oh my goodness, it was a miracle. Just scheduling problems. This weekend is "too soon" for her family, she'll be gone the next weekend, the next weekend is General Conference (which I am so frustrated with!) and so it'll be the NEXT Saturday...after transfers. Kill me. We're still hoping it'll happen this Saturday. Why not? Especially because Oct 20 is AGES away!!
Part member families, or part member couples in these cases, are my favorites to work with. Even though we're not baptizing a family of 12, but it's basically like baptizing a family knowing their kids will be raised in the gospel and bless their family for generations. It's just so rewarding!
We also went to the Temple this week...haleluja! (..however you spell that) It has been too long since I've been in, but nonetheless, still felt great to be there. I really do think everyone is better looking in white :) I had a cool experience last week with George...I think I wrote about him last week, a random nonmember who came to the VC, and he tried to go inside the temple and he told me how it was a completely different feeling in there...even being in the VC didn't come close to it.
Another highlight of the week was seeing a family from Tauranga. The parents got baptized just a couple weeks before we got to the are and the mum came out with us HEAPS to lessons. Their kids got baptized a couple months before the parents, and they were at the temple because their son is going on his mission in a couple weeks and the parents told me they're planning on getting sealed in December. They weren't even my converts, but it was just so exciting to see them and hear how great they're family is doing. They're living the dream you want for every convert!
One of the many, many lesson learned this week: how important faith is. It really is the first step of the gospel, but easy to brush over. I've just had it reinforced how important and basic faith is. Don't leave home without it.
Ofa atu!
Sister Mullen
Oh Hey...
I can't believe how fast the weeks are going now, I feel like I just emailed y'all a couple days ago. I can't believe it's past the middle of September...I'm still disoriented with it being cold this time of year...I feel like I'm in February...probably doesn't help that I never got a "Summer Holiday" either so everything is a big blur.
So last weekend everything was looking sweet as in our area...but it's funny how quickly things take a turn and don't work out that well. We've still got heaps of potential...but working on turning it into reality and not potential. One of the best parts was that we got this referral from other missionaries awhile ago for Hong, from Cambodia, 15 years old. We stopped by to see him, but he didn't really want to set up an appointment, and just kept telling us to come pick him up for church, but then he wasn't able to come to church. So last Saturday, we called in to see him again, and were trying to set up for later in the week, and he just kept saying, "yeah, come get me for church." So we called a member Saturday night to give him a ride, and Sunday morning, he was still keen to come (by the way...bit of a language barrier with him, but we definitely understood that he was eager to come to church), I explained to him that it was going to be a different church meeting (because we had Stake Conference yesterday...and getting a new Stake President...so it was really really different.) but he kept saying, "Okay, come pick me up for church." Sweet as. The member brought him to church and Hong showed up with a Cambodian Book of Mormon that apparently he got from his brother who got it from missionaries ages ago. The member was laughing at us when we found out he had a Book of Mormon and it didn't come from us. Anywho, he's just going to heaps of churches (showed us a program from another church) so hopefully we can teach him what makes this church different.
Sister Chan (my super quiet, but awesome companion I trained from Hong Kong) told me this week she feels like she is so loud now after being my companion, haha, I loved hearing that. Not that anyone would describe her as being loud, even now, she's still pretty quiet, but glad to know I could help her out in that way...especially now that she has a pretty quiet companion.
Rode our bikes a few more times this week. Funny how sometimes I actually want to ride it (only short distances though :) )...mostly because it's always an adventure riding our bikes and I'm always laughing...mostly at how ridiculously it is to ride a bike wearing a skirt. Seriously though, skirts on bikes is the worst idea EVER!
Something I've been off/on about for ages is trying to recognize the tender mercies the Lord gives me everyday. So now I'm trying to be better about it again, but it really is so good to try to notice that, because they're always there, and it just shows how much Heavenly Father is willing to help us out. I don't know if I've said this before, but I don't believe in coincidences anymore...anything good that happens is a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.
One of the many many tender mercies of the week: we were on foot in our area yesterday after church for a couple hours (it's just a massive neighborhood). It was POURING all morning, so we put on our gumboots and serious raincoats and were prepared for the rain! We came out of our first appointment at 3 and it was sunny as and beautiful! ...and remained so until we got home at 7:30 last night (for the record we go home early on Sunday evenings...don't think we're being dodgy missionaries :) ), and then it started pouring again. Heavenly Father is too good to us. Not all of our appointments went through, so we were walking around for a couple hours in our gumboots and massive raincoats over our bags in the best weather we've seen all week. Our bags were so heavy and my legs were killing me at the end of the night. But I'll take it over tromping through the rain for hours! Been there, done that, hated it. Ha.
Things are going good. Going to the temple this week and I'm giddy like a little kid. Love the new VC directors, the McLachlans. They're just so...lovely! Just great to be around and I'm excited to serve with them. The Hardy's (the couple from Clinton, UT) left today. So sad, but I know I'll see them again. So we got the fulltime couple to replace them, the Bakers. He is from England, she is from NZ, but they live in Utah...well did, before they got here. Experiences I had this week and having so many new missionaries here (young and senior couples) I realized how I'm the old foogy here and so everyone looks to me because they think I know what I'm doing...who signed me up for this job? The McLachlans wanted me to take the Bakers on a tour to "show em how it's done." Oh my, I still have so much to learn myself! But just definitely have had it reiterated to me lately that the Lord calls us in our weaknesses and blesses AND qualifies us in the work, as it says in D&C 35:17, "And I have sent forth the afulness of my gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph; and in weakness have I blessed him;" I now understand what my MTC teacher meant when we asked him when he felt like he finally knew what he was doing as a missionary and had the skills down...and he told us, "I never felt like that ...I always had things to work on."
That's it, see y'all at the same time next week.
Love,
Sister Mullen
So last weekend everything was looking sweet as in our area...but it's funny how quickly things take a turn and don't work out that well. We've still got heaps of potential...but working on turning it into reality and not potential. One of the best parts was that we got this referral from other missionaries awhile ago for Hong, from Cambodia, 15 years old. We stopped by to see him, but he didn't really want to set up an appointment, and just kept telling us to come pick him up for church, but then he wasn't able to come to church. So last Saturday, we called in to see him again, and were trying to set up for later in the week, and he just kept saying, "yeah, come get me for church." So we called a member Saturday night to give him a ride, and Sunday morning, he was still keen to come (by the way...bit of a language barrier with him, but we definitely understood that he was eager to come to church), I explained to him that it was going to be a different church meeting (because we had Stake Conference yesterday...and getting a new Stake President...so it was really really different.) but he kept saying, "Okay, come pick me up for church." Sweet as. The member brought him to church and Hong showed up with a Cambodian Book of Mormon that apparently he got from his brother who got it from missionaries ages ago. The member was laughing at us when we found out he had a Book of Mormon and it didn't come from us. Anywho, he's just going to heaps of churches (showed us a program from another church) so hopefully we can teach him what makes this church different.
Sister Chan (my super quiet, but awesome companion I trained from Hong Kong) told me this week she feels like she is so loud now after being my companion, haha, I loved hearing that. Not that anyone would describe her as being loud, even now, she's still pretty quiet, but glad to know I could help her out in that way...especially now that she has a pretty quiet companion.
Rode our bikes a few more times this week. Funny how sometimes I actually want to ride it (only short distances though :) )...mostly because it's always an adventure riding our bikes and I'm always laughing...mostly at how ridiculously it is to ride a bike wearing a skirt. Seriously though, skirts on bikes is the worst idea EVER!
Something I've been off/on about for ages is trying to recognize the tender mercies the Lord gives me everyday. So now I'm trying to be better about it again, but it really is so good to try to notice that, because they're always there, and it just shows how much Heavenly Father is willing to help us out. I don't know if I've said this before, but I don't believe in coincidences anymore...anything good that happens is a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.
One of the many many tender mercies of the week: we were on foot in our area yesterday after church for a couple hours (it's just a massive neighborhood). It was POURING all morning, so we put on our gumboots and serious raincoats and were prepared for the rain! We came out of our first appointment at 3 and it was sunny as and beautiful! ...and remained so until we got home at 7:30 last night (for the record we go home early on Sunday evenings...don't think we're being dodgy missionaries :) ), and then it started pouring again. Heavenly Father is too good to us. Not all of our appointments went through, so we were walking around for a couple hours in our gumboots and massive raincoats over our bags in the best weather we've seen all week. Our bags were so heavy and my legs were killing me at the end of the night. But I'll take it over tromping through the rain for hours! Been there, done that, hated it. Ha.
Things are going good. Going to the temple this week and I'm giddy like a little kid. Love the new VC directors, the McLachlans. They're just so...lovely! Just great to be around and I'm excited to serve with them. The Hardy's (the couple from Clinton, UT) left today. So sad, but I know I'll see them again. So we got the fulltime couple to replace them, the Bakers. He is from England, she is from NZ, but they live in Utah...well did, before they got here. Experiences I had this week and having so many new missionaries here (young and senior couples) I realized how I'm the old foogy here and so everyone looks to me because they think I know what I'm doing...who signed me up for this job? The McLachlans wanted me to take the Bakers on a tour to "show em how it's done." Oh my, I still have so much to learn myself! But just definitely have had it reiterated to me lately that the Lord calls us in our weaknesses and blesses AND qualifies us in the work, as it says in D&C 35:17, "And I have sent forth the afulness of my gospel by the hand of my servant Joseph; and in weakness have I blessed him;" I now understand what my MTC teacher meant when we asked him when he felt like he finally knew what he was doing as a missionary and had the skills down...and he told us, "I never felt like that ...I always had things to work on."
That's it, see y'all at the same time next week.
Love,
Sister Mullen
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