Oso Perezoso Dallin Poulson 3/28/2016

Here we are again! 

On Tuesday, we were waiting for the keys to the church and a drunk guy came up to us and made up a story to get us to give him money. While he was talking, Elder Toolson made me laugh like crazy. He just starts sniffing the guy. The guy asked if he smells bad, then continued on like nothing happened. Then Toolson side hugs him and the guy just smiles. Toolson Grabs his head and pulls it to his shoulder, making the weirdest hug I have ever seen. The guy didn't even notice and it was hilarious. Finally we gave him 1 lempira and he blessed us and thanked us. 

This week was Semana Santa. Basically the week where everywhere except the beach is a ghost town! There wasn't anybody here for the last 3 or 4 days. No businesses are open, the streets are empty, and people don't really want you bugging them on their vacation! But we did anyway! 

We helped a family in the ward move houses on Thursday! We were the only ones helping so we were there for many hours. It was fun though! We got them completely moved in and had a blast. Foam noodle sword fights with the kiddos every once in awhile too. I almost had to drive the truck cause the dad was pretty exhausted! It is huge! 

Had a little party with hamburgers to celebrate Monique's (our recent convert) 15th birthday. It was a good time.

We didn't have a ton of set appointments this week due to Semana Santa, so we just contacted all day and stopped by. We found new investigators so I am pumped. We're already halfway through the transfer so we have to work like machines to get some baptisms! 

We had interviews with President Dester. He is such a good guy! Its always the happiest 10 minutes of my life! He told me about when he was on his mission and he got sent to an area that had never seen missionaries. He started the church there with his companion in a hotel. Also a huge earthquake hit and 25,000 people died.  By the time he left they had 20 members! Really cool story, I didn't do it justice. 

It's all good in the hood out here. 

Til next week!

Have a happy week! 

Dallin

BIG week! Weston Poulson 3/28/2016

First off I'll start off by apologizing for last weeks email! I was in a big rush and it was kind of everywhere! 

Anyways! This week was one of the longest weeks of my life! But the FASTEST weeks ever! haha I don't know if that makes any sense but to start things off, after I logged off we went to p day sports. And it was sunny and 45 outside (Great Weather) so we all decided to go down to a park and play ultimate! I've got the forehand bomb down, I thank last years disc golf!;) But that was the funnest pday so far!

Now, Wednesday.. Wednesday we knew it was going to rain and "Sprinkle" but it turns out, that means hail! haha riding bikes down hills in hail is one of the worst things ever! Kinda feels like someone's got an airsoft gun pointed at our face with a tight grip on the trigger! haha our faces were so red, luckily my freckles helped blend it all in! But we did service! Helped prime a member in our branch's house! It was fun but i got paint on my shoes.. GROW UP!  Haha its all good though. 

Thursday we were in a lesson later that day and we came out with a good 2 or 3 inches of snow! I LOVE WISCONSIN! That made things pretty fun!

We still did morning sports the next day though!!

Friday was pretty regular, got some PHO with brother Sanchez, that's always AWESOME!

SATURDAY WOOT! Saturday was the most I've ever worked in a day! Typically we teach 3-7 other lessons on a given day of the week! But Saturday morning elder Neves asked me what we had for the day. All I saw was a lot of tracting! I said jokingly "We'll probably teach like 30 other lessons". Half way through the day we realized that was a realistic goal! So we did, we taught 30 lessons! Number 30 being kind of a cool one! We were on the bus riding home and I had to teach one more person about the restoration to meet our goal! The man who walked on scared the living turd out of me. Probably 6'8" 350lb black man with a big ole beard walked on. Well, I was holding the pamphlet in my hand and knew I should teach him about it so I mustered up some courage and turned to him and to my surprise I saw the biggest grin coming out of his beard as he reached forth his had for my pamphlet! His name was James and he was like the happiest jolliest person I've ever met in my life!! haha He is so cool! 

Alejandro is still doing awesome, I really hope that he will become a member of our church. I think he'd be a great example of a good priesthood holder in our branch. 

I know that a lot more stuff happened this week but there is no way I can fit it all in a email! But the spiritual thought comes from Easter! Study the entire atonement of Christ! Elder Neves assigned me to give a training on it for this next district meeting and it was a lot of fun to study it and learn more and more! 

My Birthday is on the 14th of April but I'm probably being transferred on the 13th! Just so you all know for letters and stuff my address might change! 

Love you all so much! Have a great week!

Wes

More stuff...

So I told ya I would forget something! But this week we taught Jesus, (hey-sus) and it was pretty cool! He told us as we were inviting him to act on what we were teaching him that he doesn't feel worthy enough to be friends with us. He said that all we do is care about other people and helping them. He said "you are like angels. I'm SERIOUS!" haha he's a super awesome man. But then we told him that he needs to give himself more credit for what he does! He helps congregations of people enjoy coming to church and coming closer to their beliefs! The lesson went really well!

Yesterday as we were leaving the Rivera's (Member family) A guy walked past their house as we were walking around to grab our bikes and go to a lesson. As we got out of their yard he turned around and said to us "Okay, I just walked past you guys and it was like you were glowing with light. I felt impressed that I needed to come talk with you and ask you for a prayer. I feel like doing something really bad right now because my family needs some help so if yall could help me with a prayer, that'd be great. I don't want to do this" So we prayed and then assured him that if he did what was right in the eyes of God that he would receive the blessings he needs! PRETTY COOL!

La Pascua and MUNCHED ANKLES Weston Poulson 3/22/2016

Well, this week went by QUICK! To start things off we had a zone conference on tuesdayII I Learned a lot about the Restoration of the church of Jesus Christ. Our mission, as I've said before, have a goal to teach the first vision 4000 times by Easter! Our zone teaches it more than any other zone in the mission. It's safe to say we put the team on our backs! haha no but me and Elder Neves tracted after zone conference and I saw this cool alleyway as we were riding by so I wanted to knock it! And take a cool picture;)

Anyways so we found a guy named Alejandro! He said we could come back on Saturday to teach him more about our church. He actually has a lot of friends in Idaho who are of our church I guess! But what is cool about this is that he came through with his commitment. We showed up Saturday morning and he was home!!! And he told us his family went out to eat breakfast together but he told them he had to stay because we were coming! In my area this is a MIRACLE! MILAGRO for those of the spanish culture! haha seriously I was so happy! He couldn't make it to church yesterday but he said he could this week so keep him in your prayers! We were assigned to find the first bishop when our branch becomes a ward. My money's on him! 

Hah but something funny, I mean FUNNY happened this week! So we were walking to our bus stop when Elder Neves tried to troll me and pretended that we needed to run for the bus! I knew better, I knew when it was coming so he didn't fool me but karma sure did catch up to him real quick!! As he stopped running and was at a regular human walking pace, he turned his head to say something like "dangit, I thought I'd getcha!" or something of that nature I couldn't tell because of what happened! "GET ON WITH IT" but he just stepped on the edge part of the sidewalk where the grass starts and his poor little ankle like flipped inside out! ahha he dropped like a sack of potatoes!! I immediately knew it was bad so I really tried not to laugh, I PROMISE! but I couldn't bite my lip any harder! hah he had a balled up fist ready to go once I got close enough. Anyways he had a hard time walking that night but the best part is the next day. He wanted to ride bikes! hah he turned it again on the slope of the sidewalk!! haha help me come up with a nickname for his ankles! It's too good, I thought I had bad ankles! 

ANYWAYS! good week though. One of our investigators invited us to watch him play his guitar at a church! it was cool, he did a good job! I took a selfie.. These churches are everywhere here! talk about a great and spacious building! The weather has been hovering around 37-44 degrees and i just want it to skip this phase and go to summer! I guess it might snow this week so we'll see. 

Here's a pic of me with downtown Milwaukee in the background! (Yes I'm cutting my hair!)

This week's Spiritual thingy is on acquiring a testimony of the Book Of Mormon. I'll ask you this, do you have a testimony of it? I won't be a hypocrite! I didn't but the only way you can get one is to READ IT! It's the word of God and will testify of its truth every time you read it as long as you do so with a open heart with real intent! 

But that's about it for this week! I always remember stuff later on through pday sorry! but I'll get better, I promise! I hit 5 months out today! Pretty cool:) movin' on! 

Love yall! have a great week!  

HOLD IT DOWN!;)

Wes

Baleadas con sabor, sabor! Dallin Poulson 3/21/2016

The weathers getting hot again! noooooo! 

This week was pretty great. Got some interesting things to tell, that's for sure! I'll jump right in. 

Well there's like a 40 year old woman that we contacted that will not stop blowing up our phone. She has... ulterior motives... we'll say, so we don't reply anymore. Not cool though, she has a husband and kids and tries to hit on me. Maybe we`ll send the Sister Missionaries over there!!! 

We were visiting a less active family and started talking about the Book of Mormon. The dad opened up to us and shared his testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. He said he used to hear voices telling him to kill his wife and kids. The missionaries gave him a Book or Mormon with the promise that if he read it, his problem would go away. He said that as he read the book the voices went away and haven't returned. Wow! He was almost in tears telling us and it was a powerful moment. 

Well we are likely having another baptism on the 9th of April! Angelique, the younger sister of Monique whom we just baptized, wants to get baptized and the mom is cool with it! Only problem is that she is 9 years old and doesn't like waking up for church sometimes haha. 

So I saw a tarantula, just in the street. It has begun. Hope I never have to deal with spiders out here. There's a ton of  cockroaches all of a sudden! We also have really chill little lizards that are always crawling around the walls in the house. They eat bugs so we let them be. 

We found the craziest old lady ever on Friday! We knock at the door and see her inside. She wakes up and says that she was praying but to come inside! okay cool. We enter and sit down. She says she is a 7th-day Adventist but thinks we should all love each other. Cool! maybe this will be a great visit!  She then goes on to tell us that she lives in the states but comes down to Honduras a couple times a year to hike a certain mountain and read the scriptures and pray to God. She claims to have had visions and revelations. She told us that the animals teach her many lessons in the forest. She asked me to help her send a fax to the president of Honduras to protect her sacred spot on the mountain. She said that her husband left her for another man. She got waaaay too explicit with her medical conditions. She offered us a drink and it turned out to be a laxative when I read the bottle. Woohoo. Said that she went to the Los Angeles Temple and that Joseph Smith loves gold more than God. She kept speaking to me in broken english so I would understand, even though I could. She has been baptized 3 times. Baptist, Adventist, and then once in a river in Jerusalem. Said she traveled across all the United States of America and many other countries. All and all, I really do not know what happened in that house. Still really confused. But she gave us each a TON of ziplock bags because they're super useful! 

I helped our new investigators get his motorcycle running! But then it stopped a couple minutes later and wouldn't go again. I'm thinking it's the carburetor! Maybe we'll do a `service project`` for a couple hours! They came to church this week so I am really excited about Josue and Bessy! 

Hope you all have a great Semana Santa! (Holy Week)! Happy easter! 

Dallin

PICTURES! includes: VICTOR the little blind guy that we teach, my ST PATRICKS DAY SOCKS, and a cool case for my leatherman I had made! 

https://goo.gl/photos/ZpKPnwZejEzDBWYZ8

Que Calidad Compa Dallin Poulson 3/14/2016

Here's me and him after lunch today. Yes, I am rocking the sandals. And my $1.50 shirt.

Howdy y`all!

Stuff happened this week so that's awesome! My companion and Elder Purcell went home this week! R.I.P. Elders! I got my new companion! His name is Elder Matamoros, from Managua, Nicaragua! He`s a good guy and we're gonna get some work done this change(transfer)! 

We have been contacting a ton this week and found some really awesome people to teach. Probably about 4 that are really "pilas" (awesome, reliable) as we say. 

We had a super weird day on Friday. On Thursday we met a guy on the street and he said that he wanted to pass by our house and share something with us. That's odd, but okay cool. Well he actually did on Friday. We ended up going on our porch, he asked if we could start with a prayer. Thinking we would talk about the gospel we agree and I offered the prayer. What does he do next? Whipped out a 4Life product booklet. For 15 minutes he tried to explain to us about some miracle health powders from Utah. Then he moved on to the pyramid scheme and tried to convince us to be salesmen with him. Kinda bugged me, I wont lie. So I told him who we are, what we do and that we really aren't the people he's looking for. My companion told him to finish so he talked for another 25 mins, still trying to get us to join him with all the points, prizes, and levels in the market networking. 

Later my comp told me that I macheted the guy pretty hard. I didn't think so but maybe it's just a difference in culture. 

Directly after that odd encounter we go to a members house. They had two chickens that they wanted to kill and eat so my companion volunteered us to do it. He did it super clean and professionally. Mine was pretty bad. I really made a mess. Lets just say that they offered me another white shirt for the day because mine had a lot of chicken blood on it... Fun experience though! See the pics!

We were contacting that morning and ended up giving a blessing to an old lady minutes after meeting her. She asked us to come in and pray for her health. So we explained what it was and she had faith in it. We`ll go back soon to see how she is. 

Yesterday was fast sunday and I may or may not have broken my fast 3 times by accident. People offer a drink or snack and I forgot! But I kept my fast going anyway! Not sure how that plays out. During the testimony meeting, little William went up and in his tiny high pitched voice shared his testimony. It just melted my heart! He teared up and finished his testimony cause he couldn't talk! After church we gave the sacrament to an old blind man named Victor. Afterwards he was saying a closing prayer and halfway through started crying in gratitude. He was so happy to receive the sacrament and to be able to renew his covenants. It really made me think for sure. 

Little William and Elder Purcell! 

Side Note: It's normal out here to tell people they're getting fat, so yeah I got told I am getting fat! Don't they know that it is still BULKING season and its all muscle? Jokes, I am getting fat! Gonna have to hit the gym a bit harder!!!

Its been a great week out here! Getting HOT again though! 

Have a groovy week everybody!

PICTURES! 

https://goo.gl/photos/TAwyDs4zNNxCet1w5

Helmets On Bikes, Climbing A Telephone Pole, Service, Hood Basketball and RAIN! Weston Poulson 3/14/2016

Well, as my subject line reads.. WE GOT BIKES! The english Elders in Milwaukee live right down the street from us and they have like ten bikes. So we took two! With our bus passes and bikes we are weirdly fast getting around town! It's so nice! Could use a better seat... THAT'S FOR SURE! Now, before you look at this next picture... yes I was riding when I took this picture and I KNOW! my head is huge!! haha I barely squoze my old melon in that little helmet! and I look like a dork but whatever, I own it!:)

Then it rained a ton yesterday, that made things really fun on bikes! Especially when your brakes are sub par when it's sunny out, when they are wet? well, they don't work!:) Found that out crossing a big street at the bottom of a hill! about got clapped by about 3 cars on my way through! I made it though! I was shaking pretty good when we knocked the guys door though!

Also, we were walking down a street when I saw a pole with rebar sticking out of it. Figured that meant I was supposed to climb it, right? Well I did! As I'm up there I hear this drunk white guy come out of the corner liquor store (which are on every corner, I swear!) and said some choice words to me! "Get off the pole you stinkin' monkey!" Hah idk why he felt so but I didn't care to find out! This mono hopped on down!

Sorry it tilted:/ That's why we have necks though!;)

Then we did a service project! A lady in our branch had us come trim one of her trees down! Elder Neves did this type of work all summer before he left on his mission! so naturally he hopped on up there and did it all! Hah we helped obviously but.. there was a little bit of this!

​Just kidding! I was the rope man! Wasn't bad. Then he made me try to climb the tree up there with him and well, I'll stick to the telephone poles! hah just about made a tumble on the other side of the fence! Our branch member sure did think it was funny.. Hah it was though! So I just stood on the shed roof! 
Elder Neves is a monkey for real! he was scaring the crap out of Brother Campbell! haha

I pretended to throw it on Elder Reina, his reaction was funny as you can tell

That service project was a ton of fun! I'll send more pictures from this week in another email, I can only fit 4! but it was a great week. Things have been fairly slow as far as getting our investigators to progress and come to church! Something I'm really trying to work on! But, it is what it is! 

Also the new easter video "Hallelujah" is out! here's the link to it so you can all watch it! its pretty good!

https://www.mormon.org/easter

Go check out my brother in HONDURAS!      http://tracking2brothers.blogspot.com/

Love you all! Have a great week! 

Elder Weston Poulson

As far as our investigators go and who we are excited about: Salvador Rivas, he's pretty cool and we were able to give him a baptismal date this week! The issue he has right now is that his church is at the same time! So we are just working with him on that! President Cutler wants us to find the bishop when this branch becomes a ward! So  that's what we are hunting for! 

If you zoom in, you can see the ballers! haha we hooped a little with them, it was fun and awesome! The court was like on a slant so that was interesting! They did not expect me and Elder Neves to do too much! hah we put em on skates!!!

Some cool graffiti I found under a railroad

¡HOLA! Weston Poulson

Haha sorry, for the first time ever I had no idea what to put for the subject line on this email! But it was a good week!! Some interesting things happened, that's for sure!! Our upstairs neighbors got in a huge argument that was SO entertaining for a couple of bored elders at 10 o'clock at night! Not sure what was going on, wifi must have gone down or something... So we were taking a bus to go to our correlation meeting when all of the sudden our bus pulls over, not at a stop, and the bus driver mumbled some stuff and got out and walked into McDonalds.. Kinda weird! that's for sure!! I guess you gotta have your Mckey- D's when you gotta have it!

Ten minutes later he came out with a grin on his face, 24oz coffee and we were off!! 

This week, Elder Neves had me try some "Pho" pronounced "Fuh" It's Thai food I guess and it was probably one of the greatest things that has ever touched the inside of my belly!! I took some pictures of it but they were before I put all of the stuff in it! It's so good!!! 

Anyways, last night we had the opportunity to give a blessing to a non member, non investigator. Her friend who is a member, Hermana Alvarez (Goes to the Kanosha branch) asked us if we could do it for her! She has recently been diagnosed with cancer and is trying to find every way to rid herself of it. Elder Neves was picked and gave a great blessing! It was a very spiritual experience and something that I'll never forget. 

Last night it warmed up a little too and today is like 60 degrees outside so I'm pumped about it! Here's a pic of me on my front porch last night just for kicks and giggles! and a picture of the "UTAH BOYS" haha IDKI just made that nic-name up but yeah, we're all from utah i guess..

​I cant tell if we were trying to look good or messing around. Take it either way I guess!! haha hope you all had a great week and have another one! HOLD IT DOWN!   Weston

¡JUE! Dallin Poulson 3/7/2016

This morning I was swinging in the hammock outside, minding my own business, and singing a little bit, when all of the sudden, SNAP! The rope broke and I fell hardcore! 

This week was probably the most averagely average week ever. 

The weather was great! Rain and sunshine and nothing to complain about! 

We had a really great district meeting about obedience and also the importance of having the spirit with us. I really liked it!

My comp is going home this week! And one of the ZL´s in the house is too. Its been an interesting week as they are ´´dyeing´´ on the mission. I didn't really get baggy though so that's good! 

The ZLs had a baptism this week so we´re on fire here in LA ENTRADA, COPAN. Last night we were having baleadas at a members house like usual on Sundays. We ended up finding out that there's a lot of beef in the branch and thats why it hasn't progressed for years. I hope during my last change here we can do something to get the ball rolling here. 

Super short email this week! I do have a bunch of pictures from the other elders cameras to upload though! 

Check out what my brother weston has been up to in WISCONSIN! 

tracking2brothers.blogspot.com

photos, a mix of everything! forgot my camera this week!

https://goo.gl/photos/ouzJaWYVY8KsVttT6

¿QUE PINTAS? Dallin Poulson 2/29/2016

The baptism went great! It was really spiritual and just a great experience! Monique was confirmed a member and received the Holy Ghost yesterday. I got to participate in that and it was an awesome experience. We are teaching her family too so maybe we'll have a whole family soon! Who knows? 

After the baptism on Saturday we had a talent night at the church! It was way fun. As missionaries and some other members we did a pretty hilarious skit involving pretty much every stereotypical honduran person. I was the gringo tourist guy. Other groups in the ward did skits, Juan Carlos our Special friend lip synced an entire song! I will get pictures of that and  the baptism from my companions camera next week. 

Sunday just felt like Sunday this week. I don't know what it was but it just felt GREAT! I blessed the sacrament in spanish! It felt a lot more special because I now have a better understanding of the importance of the sacrament. We got invited to have baleadas at some members in a different branch! I am terrible at making tortillas though! Can't do it! The members love us though so that's awesome! 

The week started off pretty cool (as in weather). Then it got really really hot for two days. Then it switched to rain and cold in the middle of the night and I got hit with a pretty rough cold/head flu. I couldn't really function so we took a day off. But I am feeling great today so we're back at it! 

My comp has 1 week left on his mission so hopefully we go hard! 

We met a kid that can play the accordion and he let me play it. SUPER HARD! His family was super interested in how family oriented our church is so we're going to teach them!

 PHOTOS!

https://goo.gl/photos/UAbmz7CM6YFFWenz6

WALTER - KING WHEY and leap day 2/29/16 Weston Poulson

This week was pretty good! 
Me and Elder Neves go to see a member in our ward named Walter and he is seriously so awesome. Hes 100% active and a great priesthood holder and I love meeting with him every Monday. We have become really close to him and his daughter. His little daughter NEVER talked to us before but now she loves us and actually lets us play with her toys. ("whey" is a word you only use with close friends, don't say that though ahah) So we always say like "Que onda whey" and he calls us whey, that's how you know your good buddies! haha ANYWAYS! focus weston, FOCUS! 
This week was his birthday and he said he was going to have a nice little party this week with his family and said we could come and join for a little bit! well, things got LIT! Walter showed his true colors, busted a couple moves on the dance floor, and as usual, I wont the Limbo! But this was one of the funnest nights on my mission by far! Here's a picture with like half the people that were crammed in the basement! 

The missionaries with Walter!

I have a funny video of him dancing but I don't think it will send! but hes honestly the best, I'm buying him pizza tonight should be fun!

But I found a really cool poem this week that I can PROMISE you all that it will be helpful to you at some point in your lives. Things can and DO get really tough out in the mission field but they also DO get better if you go forth with faith in Christ.

 

Its called "The Race"

Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!
    You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
    and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
    still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
    Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
    head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
    the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
    you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
    “To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
    the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
    And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
    another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

I challenge you all through those hard times you may be having that they do always get better. Its not a matter of whether or not you "WIN" per say. Its about whether you can fall down, GET BACK UP, and finish. 

LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!

PS: HUCKED THE OLD DISC THIS WEEK FOR MORNING EXERCISE!! WOOOO! :)

(Elder Neves on top, leftern side of disc, waiting for the amazement)

CALL ME JORDAN! ...