Week 38

Dear Family & Friends, 

Sorry I am sending this a day late, but we had to stay inside all day yesterday because Brazil was playing. That's what we have to do whenever there is a Brazil game, stay in the house. It's not very fun....I mean, I love studying the gospel, but 14 hours is a little much - haha!  After the game last night, a huge group of cars and motorcycles loaded with people drove past the hotel - we're still in the hotel, but we found a house this week and we're in the moving in process! - they were honking their horns, blaring music, people screaming...it was nuts! I saw a big old pickup truck pulling a trailer with a giant speaker blaring on it. I guess people here like soccer or something. 

This week was pretty slow because we were looking for a house like crazy - the hotel is getting a little pricey for the mission. I also had to go to Fortaleza with elder Marcum because he cut his finger when the glass door in our bathroom exploded on him. So, i didn't do much teaching this week, but we had our first baptism, Jorge. There is no chapel or baptismal font here, so we had the baptism at our hotel - it was different, but still cool. I would send pictures, but this particular computer isn't accepting my photo adapter. I'll try again next week. 

Com amor e um abraço,

Elder Poulson

Week 37

Dear Family & Friends,

This week was soooo great. We are basically just teaching the Restoration to everyone, because we are opening the area!  I'm loving it, it's so great. All of the people here want to talk with us because they have never seen missionaries before. We have run into a couple people who have already been baptized, or have at least gotten to know the church before in Fortaleza. They have run up to us with the most excited looks on their faces telling us how they have been praying so hard for the church to arrive in Quixada. It was so great to see those people have their prayers answered!

Sacrament meeting is in a house, because there are only about 15 members right now, and it will be a while until a chapel is built. This Sunday was a great meeting, we had about 6 investigators there, and they all liked it, felt the Spirit, and we will have baptisms next week! 

I'm loving it here, I am seeing the Lord's hand in His work almost every day, and I love serving Him and the people in this city. 

Love,

Elder Poulson

3 Nephi 9:14-18

Week 36

Dear Family & Friends,

This week was pretty different. We got to our area late Tuesday night. We had to take a charter bus out there, and it's about 2 and half hours. We are staying in a hotel until we find a house to live in. We worked in the new are for two days, and it is the coolest thing ever, because virtually no one has seen missionaries before, and everyone wants to talk to us. The two days we were there were pretty awesome, but on Friday, we had to come back to Fortaleza, and we've been here since then. We should hopefully be going back tomorrow. 

One of the coolest experiences I had last week, was when we started teaching this little group of people, 3 or 4, outside their house. As our lesson continued, more people started showing up to listen, it was so cool!  By the end of the lesson there were about 10 people there. Afterward, one of the women there offered to feed us dinner!  We were complete strangers to her and she wanted to feed us dinner. 

I'm loving it here!  I hope you all have a great week!

love,

Elder Poulson

Week 35

Dear Family & Friends,

Today I am being transferred. I am leaving the Castelão area and going to a place called Quixabá, which is about 3 hours away. My new companion is Elder Botelho. This is his very last transfer, so hopefully he'll have a lot of good stuff to teach me! So what I know so far about this area is that it only has 4 companionships, two of elders and two of sisters. My companion is the district leader. I don't think it's even a zone. That means that the church isn't too well known there, and that means a lot of people for us to talk to and teach! We'll be leaving by bus here this afternoon. 

This past week was a pretty crazy one. We spent all of Wednesday in the hospital for my old companion, Elder Oliveira. Literally all day. We arrived at the hospital at 3 o'clock, and got home at 11. One of the longest days of my life haha. Thursday was interviews with the mission president and training at the mission office, and that took up most of the day. Then when we all went to leave, the buses had all gone on strike, so we couldn't go home! The mission president had to taxi us all to our houses with his car, so we got home a little late. I got sick on Friday, nothing too serious, fever and a few other things that don't need to be mentioned but it's all good now. Saturday, we were finally able to move!  I found out about the transfer yesterday, so that means I just got to pack my bags twice in 24 hours. Our week last week was pretty slow for teaching and proselyting, so I'm excited to get to work this week! I wanted to send some pictures but I left my thing that puts pictures on the computer in my suitcase, so it will have to wait until next week. But thank you for your thoughts and prayers! 

Um abraço,

Elder Poulson

Alma 7:10-11