week #17 -Kingston

Hello Fam, 

Conference was great this weekend!  I enjoyed it so much.  It always seems to fly by so fast. I was able to learn so much from the speakers.  I received a lot of revelation for myself.  I started by thinking up some questions I felt I needed guidance on about a week before the conference.  I gave them some thought and did my best to answer them myself.  I prayed about them.  I prayed that I might be able to hear our Heavenly Father's words for me through conference.  I prayed that the spirit would guide me and that I might be sensitive to it.  I fasted on the day of the conference.  It worked!  I have a testimony that God does speak to us through his prophets.  It is not so much about what they say, but what we hear. The Holy Ghost brings out the things there for us.  I am so grateful for the guidance I received.  Check out D&C 1:38.  It talks a bit about this. 

The week was good.  A little on the slow side with the whole Easter season.  Easter is a big deal here.  Everyone gets work off and does nothing.  On Easter Monday, people watch the "Jesus shows" that they put on tv all day.  From what I have heard, most of them are pretty graphic.  We watched the "Testimony of John the Beloved" on the new church bible videos with one of our members yesterday.  She was relieved that it was not so graphic.  It was very accurate as far as my historical knowledge goes.  I would highly recommend it.  It puts the atonement in perspective (well, better perspective).

We went over to the Hamilton's for an easter get together yesterday.  We had a cultural celebration with all of the Boulevard missionaries, and  few friends, and the family across the street from them.  We cooked hot dogs and marshmallows over an open fire, and discussed each of our cultures.  We had a mash of Jamaicans from different areas on the island, a South African, a couple of Utahns and a Canadian.  I played and sang "White Blank Page" by Mumford and Sons on the guitar for my act.  A few other people sang, and brother Hamilton got out his drum and put on some Jamaican ring games.  It was a fun night. 

I have been doing well.  I hope you all loved conference as much as I did.  Make some changes based on what you learned!

Have a great spring break.  I love you all. 

Elder Pullan

We went croc hunting again this morning.
No luck, but a good time!  Me, swenson, and meacham.
Swenson goes home in two days. 

swenson, beck and evans

Swenson, Meachem and Pulsipher in the gulley.

week # 15 & 16 - Kingston

Monday, March 30

Hello Fam, 

This week has been pretty good.  We had zone conference on Tuesday.  Elder Martinez of the Seventy came to address us.  He is a great teacher.  He teaches so simply that you cannot misunderstand.  He talked a lot about being effective in our work.  We had pizza for lunch, then watched Meet the Mormons.  It made for a great day.  It was awesome to see some of my friends and old companions that are serving in other areas.  

The signs of conversion that we look for in people is in the simple things they do.  Do they come to church?  Do they read their scriptures daily?  Do they pray? Other than these things, you can feel the light in them.  There is a feeling around someone that is becoming converted.  Seeing the before and after is so cool.  They are always happy and have that light about them.  

We were able to have a pretty effective week as far as lessons and teaching went. We have been working with our members a lot lately.  That is the most effective way to do this work.  

Elder Mecham and I got chased by a rainstorm today.  Many people here have zinc on their roofs.  When rain hits zinc, it gets loud.  Elder Mecham and I could hear and see the storm coming from a mile away.  We managed to evade it for a bit, but eventually got caught.  It rained hard for about two hours.  We were soaked and a bit cold for the rest of the day.  I love the rain though, so I am not going to complain.  

I am excited for conference this weekend.  I love to hear the words of the Prophets.  The guidance that they give is from God, and it is priceless.  We need to do everything we can to listen, learn, and apply what we learn in each session. This will lead to safety.  There is a great story in Acts 28? about Paul sailing on a ship to Rome as a prisoner.  It is a great illustration of why we need to follow the prophet.  Take a look at it! 

Sis. Hamilton showed me the video of me chopping that she sent you. I am glad you enjoyed it. There is actually a lot of technique to that. You will have to give it a try when I get home.  

I love you all!

Love, Elder Pullan

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Monday, March 23 

Hey Fam, 

This week has been pretty good.  I don't have to much to say for it, but it has been good. We have put a lot more focus on working with our members this week.  It has been pretty effective.  

Sis. F is back on track for baptism now.  She set her own date and is now working towards the 11th of next month.  She came to church yesterday and really enjoyed it.  I am really looking hard for signs of conversion now.  I don't want to baptize anyone that is not converted to the gospel.  She seems to be back on track and doing well though.  I am so excited for her.  

We took a new convert, Sis. M, teaching with us this week. I love her so much (in a perfectly appropriate way.  You will know what I mean when you have a convert.  Haha). She is awesome.  

We had a cottage meeting over on Sis. W's roof last Saturday evening.  We had a lot of people there (the member to investigator ratio was not the best) but as a first try, it went well.  We watched the restoration movie and had a short testimony meeting.  We had some pepsi and chips as a snack.  Everyone that came really enjoyed it.  It was great.  The members here are fantastic.  

The smoke has cleared up a lot, although the fires are still burning.  They actually started another fire last week to keep di ting bunnin.  I am sure that if people knew who was causing the fires, most people would start a mob and beat them to death.  I am not kidding.  They would.  It is a risky thing for them to be doing.  

I started writing a song this week.  It is one of my first attempts, but I like it.  It is not done yet.  I will show you one a dem days deh.  Soon come.  

I am glad that you are all doing well. Keep up all the good work. 

Stay safe. Remember who you are. You know the drill. 

Love, Elder Pullan

Working in Hamilton's yard with the machete.

Sis. Hamilton

The garden area after clearing it out.

A note to Rachel re: the church in Jamaica

Hi Rachel,

To answer your questions- There is no temple in JA. There will be one day, but the church is going to need to do some growing first. Jamaica has about 5,000 members, many of which are less active or inactive. That being said, there are also many fantastic strong members here that make up the backbone of the church. The church is growing here, and still has a long way to go, but it has been cool to see all of the changes that have taken place over the past two years. Jamaica now has its first stake. 

The nearest temples are in Panama and the Dominican Republic. The church has a program that allows members that need to go for their first time to go for next to nothing.  Temple trips happen semi-annually.  It has been cool to see people go to the temple and come back, just full of light.  I love the people here.  They are incredible. 

As for new members being retained in church, it depends on the person, but I think we do pretty good with retention nowadays. 

Love, Daniel 

week #14 - Kingston

Hello Fam! 

This week has been an intersting one. The landfill over near Seaview Gardens in South Kingston caught fire this week. Apparently this happens every year. People will light the dump on fire so that they can make jobs for themselves. The company that owns the dump has to pay a lot of people to help them put it out. Kingston has been smokey all week. Everything smells like burning plastic. The smoke usually cleared up by the mid afternoon, but it would settle in the mornings. We had to close all of our windows, and even stay in for an extra hour one morning because of it. Like I said, it has been an interesting week.  

The fire is out, and all the smoke seems to be clearing up now. As for the rest of this week, we did a lot of missionary work. Elder Mecham and I have been working hard. We found a lot of people to teach, but most of the appointments we set with them fell through. We still had a good week overall though.  

Sis. F is doing ok. We think she may have some issues, so I am not sure how that will go. I will keep you updated.  

I broke a spoke on my bike and had to go to the bike man to get it fixed. His name is Bike Man Belly. He does a pretty good job. That is about all that comes to mind for the week. Everything has been good though. I am really enjoying the time I have here. I love Kingston.  

Take care. I love you all!

Love, Elder Pullan

week #13 - kingston

Hello Fam, 

This week has been pretty good.  I don't have too much to say... Everything begins to blend together after a while.  It has been that way for me for the past year.  So bear with me. 

We went and did some service over at the Hamilton's last week.  We have been helping Sis. Hamilton plant a garden.  We went over with machets and cleared the back corner of her yard, then turned the soil (with machets).  We bucked up on a huge nest of red ants while we were doing it.  The red ants here are huge.  They get half an inch long, and their bite can make you bleed.  We burned out their home and I escaped without a bite.  Sis. Hamilton's garden is looking really good now. 

Elder Mecham and I have done some really good work this week.  We have found a lot of people, and we have been working with our members.  We have taken a few of our members out teaching with us and that has made all the difference.  The testimony of a member makes all the difference.

Sis. F didn't make it to church, so we had to push her baptism date back.  I am sure that she is going to make it though.  She is becoming converted now too.  It is so cool to see how people's thoughts and behaviors change as they come unto Christ.  He truly makes it possible for us to become our very best selves.  He has helped me to become a much better version of myself over the course of my mission.  I am so grateful for the changes that have happened in my life.  The mission has shaped me into someone who will be able to govern myself and live a happy successful life.  I am so grateful for it.

Elder Beck and I went on trade off on Saturday.  At the end of the night, we bought some drinks from a local shop and sat on the curb to make some calls.  A big man walked up right next to me.  I looked up and watched as he teetered back and forth.  This large drunk man took a seat next to me with a drink in his hand and an unlit cigarette in his mouth.  I could smell the rum on his breath.  He began to explain to us how he wants to quit drinking and smoking, but he doesn't know how.  He told us all about the issues he is having with his family and told us that he wants to be happy.  We offered the atonement of Jesus Christ as the answer to him.  We walked him back home and set up a time for us to come and visit (when he is sober).  I was glad that we were able to help him so much that night.  I hope that he has the same good intentions when he is sober.  Elder Beck will soon find out (he is serving in the area). 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I know that this is Jesus Christ's true church here on the earth today.  All truth necessary for salvation is found here.  Stick to the gospel and you will find joy.  Convert yourself and you will be able to help all of those that are around you.  When we hand our lives and wills over to God, he makes much more of us than we could ever make of ourselves.  I know this to be true.  I know Jesus is our Savior.  I know He lives. 

Everything is going well. I hope that you all can say the same.
I love you all very much. Take care of yourselves. 

Love,

Elder Pullan

week # 11 & 12 - Kingston

March 2
Hey Fam, 

Great job on the plays everyone!   You all look so good.   I am sure you did great. 

This week was transfers.   Elder McGregor headed to Santa Cruz, and I received Elder Mecham from Yalluhs.  Elder Beck is now training a newbie named Elder Evans.   Elder Mecham is from Pleasant Grove.  He has been out for almost as long as I have, so we both know what we are doing.  We have been trying a lot of new things over the past few days and trying to figure out what is effective.  We are going to do a lot of good work while we are together. 

We had an investigator come to church this last Sunday.  Sis. F was able to come for her second time and has really been enjoying it.  She is in her early twenties. We have been able to see some huge changes in her over the past few weeks.  She excited to learn more.  She is making changes in her life. You can see the light in her, and she is excited to get baptized.  We are working towards the 21st of this month (baptism date) with her now. 

This week has been a good one. vWe rode to the email shop in the pouring rain this morning.  We plan to go and shop, and then I will probably go back to the house and play guitar.  I have finally found my instrument!  I know that makes you happy mom.  All of your efforts are paying off.

I love you all! Have a great week. Pray for snow next season!

Love, Elder Pullan

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Feb. 23

Hey everyone!

This week has been full of missionary work.  As usual.  And I can't really think of anything to say for it. But it was good.  It always is. 

Transfers- We played some football (soccer) on Saturday morning.  We always get transfer calls on Saturday mornings.  The call came in the middle of our game.  I am going to be staying here in Kingston!  I wasn't expecting this, but I am good with it.  It is from the Lord after all.  Elder McGregor will be going to Santa Cruz.  I will be receiving Elder Mecham from Yalluhs.  Elder Mecham has been out almost as long as I have, so it should be fun to do some great missionary work with him.  He should know what he is doing by now.  I doubt that I am going to die (finish my mission) here in Kingston. Coming transfers will tell though.  You never know.

Elder McGregor is from Old Harbor.  His mother has been a member for a long time.  He and his younger sister got baptized about three years ago.  He had to give up a few things to get baptized, but he says it was worth it.  He was very prepared to receive the gospel when it came to him.  He was in Alma in the Book of Mormon by the time he got baptized.  He says that that is what his testimony comes down to (as it does for all of us)- The Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon is undeniable evidence that this gospel is true.  I can add my witness to his.  The Book of Mormon is true.   I know it, I live it, I love it. 

We had zone meeting on Wednesday.  We talked a lot about finding and setting goals.  It is always encouraging to go to zone meeting. 

I have been studying through the Christlike attributes in Preach My Gospel lately.  They are great. They cause you to evaluate yourself and become better.  I would reccomend it for all of you. 

Great job/good luck on the plays everyone!  I am sure you did/will do great!

I love you all!

Elder Pullan 

Nathan- There are no seals or sea lions in Jamaica unfortunately. It is too warm for them here. There are a lot of fish and lizards though. Jamaica also has mongoose, and many rastas that consider themselves "lions".

Me and Elder Mecham

just another beautiful flower!

week #10 - Kingston

Hey Fam!

Thanks for all the birthday presents!  The Swarm shirt Matthew made looks great!  I am impressed!  I really like the tie I got too.  I have worn it a couple of times already.  My birthday was good.  I was able to avoid getting floured, and we went out for lunch.  Other than that, we didn't do too much.  I will make up for the missed festivities a year from now. I was able to tell someone that I was twenty years old the other day... It was strange.  I sound old, but I sure don't feel it.

 

We had district meeting on Wednesday.  We discussed using Family History as a finding tool.  There seems to have been a huge focus on that from the church lately.  It is definitely important.  We have been using it this week to find.  It has been cool to see how people that may be uninterested in the church are able to begin to take part by taking an interest in Family History.

I had an interview with President Brown on Friday.  It was really good to speak with him.  It always is.  Transfers are next week, and I think I may be leaving.  I will let you know Monday.  This transfer likely will determine the area I will die (finish my mission) in.  Time has gone by so fast.

I gave a talk on missionary work in church on Sunday.  It went really well.  I shared about the restoration of the gospel, how we are part of the only true church, and what that means for us.  I committed everyone to ponder and pray about who they know that they can share the gospel with, and reiterated the promise given to us by the Lord in D&C 100 to them. The spirit was able to guide me and I could tell that the point was made.  I am so glad it went well.  I could not have done it on my own. 

Elder McGregor and Elder Beck got there patriarchal blessings this week.  Jamaica finally has a patriarch, so they were able to get it done.  I need to go back through my own blessing to gain direction for my life.  It is such a blessing to have such a blessing.  Haha.  I hope you all caught that one.    

You asked about Sis. M's conversion.   I will sum it up to you as fast as possible (with the time I have left).  She is 16 years old.  She is the younger sister of a recent convert.  We began to teach her something like two months ago.  She had been taught before, but just wasn't ready.  Elder McGregor and I talked her through all of the lessons.  She did a pretty good job of keeping commitments, but still had some doubts as her baptism date drew closer.  A week before the baptism, she told us that she was not going to get baptized.  We frantically tried to say the things that would help her to do otherwise.  The spirit was able to guide us and we committed her to fast and pray about it that Sunday.  She did, and she recieved her answer a few days later.  We were so happy for her.  We could see the light in her as she progressed, and now that she is baptized, she is just beaming.  She received a calling this week.  She is the Laurels president or something like that now.  She was really happy to get the calling.  We are so excited for her. 

I love you all.  I want to tell you about E. McGregor, but it is going to have to stay for another week.  Suffice it to say that he is awesome. 

Have a great week!

Love, Elder Pullan.