week #20 -Linstead

Hello fam!

This week has been great.  Elder Jernigan and I have been working really hard.  We are working with a lot of good people who will hopefully make the choice to continue to progress towards our Heavenly Father through baptism, and partake of the wonderful blessings that come from it. 

We did a couple of cool things this week.  One was our family home evening with Mark and his family.  Mark's wife was not able to make it, but everything went great.  We discussed Eph. 6:8-15? with them and talked about putting on the whole armor of God.  I had drawn a picture of a man, and each piece of armor mentioned.  We had the kids color the man and the armor, and then the glue each piece of armor on to him.  The kids really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, they were not able to make it to church on account of a funeral.  They went to the Nine Night on Saturday night and stayed up literally all night there.  That is a very jamaican tradition. They said that they will come this next week though.

Another cool thing this week- We watched the restoration movie with a couple in our area. We were able to watch the whole thing with them and their little girl. We explained as we watched and they were able to understand it pretty well.  They loved the movie, and we committed them to pray to know if Joseph Smith is a true prophet or not.  They committed to do so. 

It is awesome to see how the spirit works on people.  Like I said last week, the spirit is ever present in this work.  It is there to testify of the truth of the things we say.  People feel it, so they listen to us.  It has also helped me to learn so much in the past few months.  I really feel like I am growing in a way that could not be accomplished elsewhere.

Nathan- I have seen a few small snakes here, and a lot of big frogs.  The campout you had sounded like a lot of fun.

Congrats on the ordination to a priest, Matthew!

Is everyone excited for General Conference this next week?  I am really excited for it.  It is going to be awesome to hear the prophets advice for us in these days. I know that we have a prophet of God on the earth in these days, and that Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's chosen prophet. He speaks with a convincing power and authority that cannot come any other way. I love to listen to his words. I would encourage you all to write down some questions you  have, and then listen for the answers as you watch conference. I can promise you that the spirit will help you to pick out the answer that your Heavenly Father has for you!

I love you guys! Enjoy the week. Stay safe! 

Love, Elder Pullan

me & elder Jernigan

the guitar

the FHE lesson - putting on the whole armor of God

mornings in Linstead (photo courtesy of Elder Jernigan)

teaching a family (photo courtesy of Elder Kemp)

Welcome to Jamaica, Elder Jernigan!
(photo courtesy of Elder Jernigan)

week #19 - Linstead

Hey family-

My trainee did get here this week.  Thanks for all the prayers!  Elder Jernigan arrived in Linstead on Wednesday night.  He is in the same boat I was in when I went on my mission.  He graduated from high school, then left as soon as possible.  He has bright orange hair and is from AZ.  I have had a great time with him so far.  He is really smart, he knows his stuff a LOT better than I did when I got out, and he is already a great teacher.  It's like he is already trained.   I think that I am going to learn more from him than he will from me.  

This week has been really good.  We have been working really hard in our area.   We have a lot of investigators, and we have been able to teach a lot of people in the past few days.  In fact, I am surprised at how many lessons we have been able to teach.  Not a stale moment yet.

Our investigators are doing really well.  Daniell did not make it to church on sunday, and I don't know why. The last few lessons we had, she seemed to be doing a lot better.  We will see her again later in the week and check.  I think that she is going to make it.   We have been seeing signs of repentance in a few other of our investigators too.  

It is cool to see someone feel the spirit for the first time.  We might not be as concious of it because it is always with us, but there are a lot of people who have never felt it before. When they feel it, they can tell there is something to these things.  They become willing to do whatever you ask them to because they can feel that it is something good.  Missionaries spend a lot of time fretting over whether we have the spirit or not, but I am beginning to realize that as long as you are doing what you should, it is always with us.  The Lord is intimately involved in the work we do, because it is His work. I hope that I will be able to help some people change their lives with the time I have left.

It sounds like you are all doing well. The temple dedication sounded great. Rachel's apartment looks REALLY nice. How did she tie that down?

Matthew is looking like a stud at prom. How did he get to looking so old?

I am glad Grandma's party went so well. I really love her.

Take care guys. 

I love you all!

Love, Elder Pullan

week #18 - Linstead

Hello Everyone,

Sorry to disappoint, but my trainee is still in the states.  His Visa has not cleared yet, so I am still waiting.  I am currently in a tripanionship with Elders Biddulph and Kemp.  I love the both of them, but I still am not a big fan of this whole tripanionship thing.  It has been really hard to try to juggle two areas at once.  We have found varying levels of effectiveness over the past week.  I really hope that my trainee gets through.  If he does not in the next few days, he will probably visa-wait for a transfer in the states, and I will stay in a tri for the next six weeks.  Wish me luck.

I was able to give a talk in church on Sunday.  We had been asked to do it for next week, but Friday night we received a phone call and the news that it would actually be this Sunday.  I prepared on Saturday, decided I didn't like what I prepared, and rewrote the whole thing on Sunday morning.  I spoke about conversion.  I compared conversion to a screw.  With each application of the Gospel of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism/sacrament, Holy Ghost, Enduring to the end), the screw turns.  Over a lifetime of consistent effort, this screw will eventually be driven so deep that it cannot be removed, except by our own rebellion.  I felt like I did a really good job.  I just hope that some people were able to learn and grow from it.

Daniell is a little shaky right now. She went to her "other church" today. Pray that she might be able to get an answer to her prayers. I really hope she makes it.

All is well.  Don't get sick anymore lydia.  That's no good.

Mom- Happy Birthday. I hope you had a great one.  Thanks for being such a great mother to me.  I didnt realize how great a mother you are until I got to see how most other people live.  I could not be the person I am today without you.  Thanks mom.  I love you.

Take care this week fam.

Love, Elder Pullan

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

Hi Nathan-  Here is some more Patois for you:

Wat'gwaan mi ghetto yute?

Do mi haffi write unu inna di straight patois? Mi nah no if unu is gwaan fi undastand di 'ole ting. Gud luck m' yute. 

Mi have taught menny menny peeple ere in Jamaica. Mi luv it ere. Mi 'ope unu get fi serve ere or somewhere else wid lizzawds too. 

It sounds like you had a great time in Seattle Nathan!   The lake sounds like fun.  How is school going for you?

Love,

Daniel

week #17 - Linstead

Hello everyone!

Transfer calls were yesterday!  Big news!  I will be training a brand new missionary!  I am very excited to meet him.  I will not even know which one I am training until the transfer meeting on Tuesday.  Elder Runyan will be flying home on Thursday.  His family moved from Utah to North Carolina a few weeks back, so he will be flying "home" to there, then returning home for school a few weeks later.  I am really going to miss him.  I have had a great companionship with Elder Runyan. 

Elder Runyan bore his testimony in church yesterday. He talked a little bit about all he has learned and how we have been sent here for a reason. As he talked, I felt the spirit bare witness to me that one of the reasons I have been sent here is to train whoever it is I am training.  I am excited to meet him.  I am so grateful to my trainer for all the help he gave me, so I am looking forward to returning the favor. 

This week has been good.  We actually have a few people that are going to get baptized!  One is named Daniell.  Daniell is an awesome bright teenage girl.  She is already living the commandments, keeps all her commitments, and is committed to follow the example that Jesus Christ has set for us and be baptized on Oct. 5th if she continues to prepare well for that date.  It will be totally up to her whether she makes it or not, but I know that if she continues to do the things that we invite her to do, she will be able to know for herself that these things are true by that date. 

I was studying the promises the Lord gives us for being baptized this morning.  One great place that they are mentioned is in Mosiah 4:11-12.  The thing that stood out to me is that we are promised that we will "Always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God."  Can we ask for anything more?  I challenge you to look for these blessings in your life. I know that I have seen them in my own. I have never been happier.

I am no longer district leader. That position was passed to elder Kemp so that I can focus on my trainee.  I am excited for this next week.

I love you all. I know that the gospel is true. Stick to it and you will find happiness. 

Love, Elder Pullan

The District

Beautiful Jamaica

week #16 - Linstead

Happy Birthday Matthew and Lydia! My big 16 and 11 year olds. Wow! You guys look a lot bigger than how I left you. Your birthday parties sounded like a lot of fun. I am glad that you had a good one. I give you my best wishes for your last year without your bro around. Make it good!

I don't really have too much to say for the week.  Just more missionary work.  The other two elders in my house are Elder Kemp and Elder Biddulph.  I don't have an address on our house.  It is by the bottom of Dee Side, on King street though.  That might help.  They don't really use addresses here.  Just areas, and maybe lot numbers. Not often though. You just have to know where you are going, and ask around if you don't. 

Jamaica is a very very different place than america.  Upon coming here, I realized that many, if not most people will have a vastly different life experience from you.  We are born and live in privilege.  I think we have a lot of responsibility to do good with what we have.  I also think that a lot of people don't realize this because they are not really aware of what they have. Everyone could use a good year or two in a third world country.  It will flip your perspective for sure.

I am jealous that you will be going to the cabin soon.  I really love Seattle, and the cabin. 

Elder Biddulph is healing up surprisingly fast.  He is the one who crashed his bike.  He is doing well though.  He got his tooth filled in Spanish Town the other day, and he got the stitches in his elbow out on friday.  I am glad to see that he is up and going again.

Not too much has happened for me this week.  I have been working hard, but we are going to have to stop teaching a lot of the people we have been working with.  I hate to drop them because I see their potential, but when they are not willing to act, we have to move on and seek those that will.  My companion will be going home on the 11th of september.  It is a little weird to see him on the home stretch.  I will be there soon enough though.  Time flies too fast.

I love you all! Enjoy your week and stay safe!

Love, Elder Pullan

week #15 -Linstead

Hey fam,

First off, I got your package.  I hung nathan and lydia's drawings up on the wall.  I have enjoyed the snacks too.  It is sooo good to have clean shirts.  I feel a lot less grimy now.  We will see how long that one lasts.  Thanks though! 

The picture I sent from Kingston was actually me and the three other elders I live with at Tracks and Records, a super nice restaurant started by Usane Bolt.  I was able to get a good burger there.  It reminded me a lot of America.  I have not been many places that nice in a while now. 

Zone conference was great.  Elder Cornish came and talked a lot about conversion. He also talked about how we, as missionaries are the only ones who have the keys to find, teach and baptize converts other than the twelve apostles.  So without our efforts, no one else would be able to enter into the covenant of baptism by the proper authority and make it to the celestial kingdom.  It sort of puts things into perspective.  This work is so important.  I really enjoyed seeing some of my old comps and friends there too.  It is always good to get back together with other missionaries.

I did manage to get a guitar in Kingston.  I will have to send a pic next week.  I am considering sanding off the finish and painting on the top, then re-applying an enamel.  We will see what I end up doing though.  I have really enjoyed playing it this week. 

This week, elder Biddulph got into a bad bike accident.  He was coming down high mountain in the dark.  He hit a pothole and his handle bar snapped.  He chipped out half of his front tooth, got a lot of road rash, and had to get a few stitches.  He is doing a lot better now though.  I am grateful that it wasn't worse.  He was able to get the care he needed, and he is ok. 

We also had one of our investigators hide from us this week. I am sure that others have hid before, but this happened to be the saddest attempt I have ever seen, considering the fact that I saw her poke her head out the door and make eye contact with me on the way down to her house.  We went down and called at her house and her two young boys came to the door.  We asked if she was there and they said no.  We finally convinced the little boys to "Ask their mom what time we could come  back".  The smaller one did.  He came back around crying and holding his hand because his mom smacked him.  We took the opportunity to tell her how ridiculous she was, and left.  Haha.  It made for a funny experience.

That is my week for you.  All is well.  I am working hard. 

I hope you are all good.  I love you very much.

Love, Elder Pullan

week #14 - Linstead

Hey fam,

This week has been a good one. Elder Runyan and I have been working very hard. We have a lot of good investigators. I really really hope that they can go somewhere. It all comes down to their desires though. It is almost annoying sometimes. They won't give up a bad thing simply to allow a good thing to come into their lives. Even when they know that their life would be better when the accept the gospel. 

To explain the pictures, two nights ago, we had a fry chicken cook off. We whipped it up with breadfruit and festival and enjoyed a late night meal on the veranda. The night finished with a quick clean up, and playing guitar. 

The other picture is of me and my friends, planting a tree. This tree was actually a dead branch off of a breadfruit tree, but we attempted to make the kids believe that it would grow. It didnt work, but I think that they did enjoy the fun. Crazy white guys planting trees. I doubt they will ever forget it.
                
I will be going into Kingston on Thursday for zone conference. I am really looking forward to it. It should be a good one. I will also be getting a guitar in Kingston. I figure it will be best to learn on six string rather than five, so I guess I will probably sell the new one off before I go home. I really do love the guitar though. One thing I have learned about myself out here is how much I love music. I really can't go without it. Back home I would just listen to it while I drew, but now that I don't have that, I have to make it myself. I am having a great time with it too. Thanks for all your efforts to teach me music mom. Sorry I couldn't stick with it. I guess with me, if I lack the motivation, it won't  happen. 


I hope that your first week of school is good everyone! Tell me how it goes.
I love you all!
love, Elder Pullan