Do The Instructions Make Sense?

What's up everyone, not much happened this week unfortunately. We spent a couple days trying potential investigators or less active
members with no luck except for one. They all either moved, weren't home, or didn't want to talk to us. We went to the sisters recent convert Sharon's house with them on Wednesday because we've been trying to teach her grandson Chris and her husband Roy. We've been trying really hard and give them lots of chances to meet with us but they just aren't ready to commit to meeting with us after talking to them again. On the bright side we were able to have lessons with some less actives this week. The one I mentioned earlier in this letter is a lady we've been trying to contact for a couple months now and she's very busy and hard to contact. On Tuesday we went over there and she was there and invited us in! So we had a lesson with her but unfortunately couldn't set up a solid time to come back because she doesn't have time for us which is lame, but we were able to set up a lesson with her less active son! So that was cool.

 The other less active we had a great lesson with was a guy named N. His parents and little sister are all super awesome and active members, and he doesn't really like talking about church with them. Last week when we were on exchanges Elder Ramos and Elder Wilson just stopped by their house and he was down for us to meet with him which was sweet!  So we went over on Thursday night and had an awesome lesson with him and he agreed to start reading the Book of Mormon on his own and to have us come over and read with him once a week! So that was sweet.  He's like 23ish I think and he's like probably 6'7" and 300lbs and has a big beard. He's huge but he's super nice. He is definitely a gentle giant. 

On Saturday we had a lesson set up with L which we were
excited about especially because she said she had "some questions
about y'all bible" when I was on the phone with her. We also had
planned to do some service for her, so we went over Saturday morning and she wasnt there and we were like dang it she always does this, so we called her and she said she "be home 'bout 2 uhclahck" so we went back later but were tight on time because we had promised to help the ward prepare for their youth roadshow musical thing and after raking up her leaves and cleaning up her yard for like 45 minutes we had to go and we had no time to do a lesson with her because she left to go to the store while we were there and then when she got back we had to go so that was a bummer, so hopefully we can have a lesson with her this week.

We still haven't heard from M, that hooligan! It's

been really disappointing because we were seeing such a big change in him as he progressed and read the Book of Mormon and now he is off the radar and probably very sad. It reminds me of an article from this month's Ensign titled "Do the Instructions Make Sense?" They make a great analogy about how when we are following a map and go off course, the instructions no longer make sense because your surroundings aren't familiar and you don't know where you are! Similarly, when we aren't doing the things we are supposed to do and stop reading our scriptures (the map), the instructions (the guiding words in the scriptures) don't make sense and we get lost. Also sort of like the Liahona.  Joseph Smith said “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by
any other book.” I know what he said which can be found in the
introduction to the Book of Mormon is true. The Book of Mormon changes lives, we just have to read it! Love you all

- Elder Poulsen

Made this tie out of a skirt I bought last week at Salvation Army.  

Cut it up and made a killer tie.