week #6 -Last letter from Jamaica!

730 days

104 weeks

24 months

17 transfers

9 companionships

5 areas

2 years

1 mission

Countless lives changed. 

The greatest change wrought being my own.

I love my mission.  My mission has changed my life because I now know the truth.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that it is only in and through him that we can be saved.  I know that our Heavenly Father is mindful of each of us and loves us more than we can comprehend.  I know that the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I know of the power of the Atonement.  I have seen it change the lives of those I have taught and I have felt the sweet peace it brings in my own life.  I know that our Heavenly Father is on our side and doing all He can to bring about the salvation of every single one of us, if we will but give up our own wills and choose to follow.  I know that all of this is true.  I know and I have chosen to follow to the best of my ability.  Nothing but my best will cut it, but I know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, my best will be enough.  I hope and pray that I can make it. 

To anyone that thinks that we can repay the Lord through our acts, I will tell you that we cannot.  There is nothing that we can do of ourselves to be saved.  It is only through Jesus Christ that we are saved.  My mission has not been a sacrifice, but a great blessing to me. 

Strive to serve the Lord each day in your life and he will use you for the good of his children.  You do not have to be a missionary to share the gospel.  We can teach in word and deed each day, and with each little act of service we will become more and more like Christ.

Jamaica has been the perfect place for me.  There is nowhere else that could be better for me to learn all that I have.  I love my little island under the bunnin' Caribbean sun.  I love the people of Jamaica and I have been inspired by the faith of many of the members here.  I have learned much from them and made many good friends. 

I am sad to leave, but the next phase of life is calling.  I am excited to take the future by its' horns and begin my life. 

I love you all. I am grateful for all your many prayers and your support.
This is it from JA. 

Nuff Love Breddren. 

Elder Pullan signing off. 

See you all on Thursday!

IM COMING HOME. 

weeks 4 & 5- Portmore

June 22, 2015

(I asked Daniel to share his thoughts on marriage and the state of the family as a unit of society in Jamaica.  Derek & I are speaking about marriage at youth conference on Thursday.)

My thoughts on marriage-

Marriage between a man and a woman creates the fundamental unit of society.  There is no better way to raise a nation than in the homes of its families.  If you try to find a better way to raise the next generation, you will fail.  Family and marriage has been established from the beginning.  It is ordained of God, and will ever be the only way to true happiness.

I have seen the effects of the deterioration of the family during my time here in Jamaica.  Jamaica displays a culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.  It began as slaves brought across the ocean from Africa.  They were later emancipated and Jamaica was nourished by England.  They gained their independence around fifty years ago.  Their roots have not been ones that foster marriage and family.  Although the majority of the island is Christian, the devil has his playground on the old "slave mentality" that was created.  Marriage and family was not a thing among the slaves, and it has not been a priority ever since. 

The Family Proclamation states in its second to last paragraph that nations will suffer through the deterioration of the family.  Come to Jamaica and you will see the affects of people not getting married. There are teenage girls all over the place with young children and no father around to take care of them. They become stuck in a downward spiral because they can't pursue an education and work and take care of the kids at the same time very well.  It is not just the mother that is affected, but the children suffer too. They grow up with no father and take on the same mentality of their parents. 

I do not speak for everyone in Jamaica, but the majority live like this. 

I know that as we follow the laws of God and are married and raise families as He has directed us, we will find joy and our communities and nations will receive His approval and be blessed. 

I am out of time. I will tell you about my week when I get home. 

I love you guys!

Love, Elder Pullan

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

June 15th, 2015 

Hey Fam,

This week has been great.  Stake Conference was yesterday in Spanish Town.  I was able to attend both the adult session on Saturday, and the Sunday session.  Elder Gammiet from the area presidency addressed us, along with Stake President Lieu and President Brown.  I got to see a lot of my friends from Boulevard and from Linstead.  I have been serving in the stake since the day it was created, so I knew a lot of the people there.   

Elder Sullivan and I have been doing good work and having a good time.  Portmore has been hot and mosquito infested as usual.

I am having some mixed feelings as my mission draws to a close.  I have loved my mission.  It has changed both me and the course of my life.  I now know that the Church is true.  I know that Christ is at the head of this organization, and that he called Joseph Smith through a miraculous vision in a sacred grove near 200 years ago.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true.  I have seen these truths change lives time and time again.  The first life it changed has been my own.  I am so grateful for this.  I love my mission.  

The work marches forward as usual. I love you all. I will keep working hard to the very end.  

Nathan- Great job doing missionary work. That is fantastic. Keep it up!

Love, E. Pullan

week #3 -Portmore

Hey everyone, 

I had to put together photos from my whole mission and send them to the office so that they can put them in an exit video.  It took up all my time.  Sorry.  This week was good though.  The beach was nice. The work was great.  Nothing out of the ordinary.

It sounds like you are all doing great. I can't wait to see you all!

Love, E. Pullan

week #2 -Portmore

Hey everyone, 

I don't have a whole lot to say, so I will keep it short.

Everything was good this week.  We had Zone Meeting in Kingston on Wednesday.  We talked about reactivating those that are less active and finding new people.  That was my last Zone Meeting…

On Saturday, we went back into Kingston and Elder Sullivan got his Patriarchal blessing. He was pretty excited to get it.  We did some teaching this week.  We have a lot of less- actives in our area, so they keep us pretty busy.

We are going to go and chill on the beach this p-day, so that will be fun. 

We have been extending the challenge of reading 6 pages of the Book of Mormon every day to people.  Many of the members in our branch have never read it all the way through.  If you have not, then do it!  6 pages a day will get you through in 100 days.  Do it and pray to know it is true.  I have done it myself and I know that the Book of Mormon is true. There is not a doubt in my mind about it.

I love you all. 

Tek Cyare.
Love, E. Pullan

week #1 -Portmore

Hey Fam,

Portmore has been great so far.  I has been so good to get out of the city.  I never left Kingston for six months straight.  Kingston was great, but I am glad to have some fresh air and a little room to breathe.  The rumors about Portmore are mostly true.  The heat is bad, however, there is always a breeze, so I think Kingston was worse.  The mosquitos on the other hand are worse than expected. They only come out in the evenings.  If you are anywhere near water, they are terrible.  If you stop moving you will have at least three on you in a matter of seconds.  People use dirty shirts, rags, and kerchiefs to "run" (or shoo) them.  It works well, but you have to keep waving your kerchief around the whole lesson. 

Portmore was built on a bog.  They filled it all in so that they could put a city here.  That is why there are so many mosquitoes.  Portmore is totally flat too - not a hill around.  It is great for biking.

Our area consists of ghetto to middle class residential.  It is huge compared to my last area. I enjoy the freedom and the fact that people are out on the streets all the time.  There are so many people to talk to. 

Elder Sullivan is from Yallahs.  He has been out for six months.  He is a great elder that loves to work hard, and believe me, we are working hard.  We will have this area looking like an area before I have to leave. 

We have a ton of great investigators, less actives and members here.  I already love them. 

I am going to enjoy Portmore.  Living with Elder Biddulph is great. I love that kid. 

I love you all!  Enjoy the SUMMER!

Love, Elder Pullan

Me and Elder Biddulph at the
Bob Marley Museum a few weeks back

week #23 -Kingston (no letter last week due to mother's day phone call)

Fam,

This week has been really good.  The area seems to be building back up again, slow and steady.  I have worked hard this week and I feel good about the time I have spent in this area.  This area is a product of my blood sweat and tears, and the grace of the Lord.  Mostly the grace of the Lord.  I have worked hard here and am proud of the area.  It has come a long way.  When I got here to begin whitewashing, Elder McGregor and I had absolutely nothing to work with.  It now looks and feels like an area.  I never realized how much people care until I tell them I am leaving.  I have many great friends here.  I could not have done it without the help of my Heavenly Father.  This is his area, his work, and his children.  Not mine.  I am glad he allows me to help though. 

That is right.  I am leaving Kingston.  I will be going to Portmore on Wednesday to finish my mission.  I will be serving with Elder Sullivan (a Jamaican, 6 months out, from Yalluhs), and living with Elder Ashworth and BIDDULPH!  Haha.  I am so excited to live with Elder Biddulph again.  We lived together in Linstead for two transfers (12 weeks).  I really love that kid. 

Portmore is extremely hot.  There are a lot of mosquitos, and it is a lot like Kingston.  It is also supposed to be very flat.  That is all I have heard about it, so I will confirm these things to you next week.  It should be a great last area. 

On Thursday, we went and did some service for sis. M's cousin.  We helped a lot of guys dig out a hole for the foundation of part of the house they are going to add on to.  I was digging down in a pit when my hand ran up against either a small shard of glass or a very dull rock. More likely the glass.  It split the top of my middle finger on my left hand open deep.  There was a lot of blood.  I wrapped it in my bandana, we called the Zone Leaders, and twenty minutes later I found myself at the doctor getting three stitches.  That is right.  Only three.  It is not that bad.  Just deep.  It hasn't really been hurting me and is healing up just fine, so there is no need to worry.  All that will be left is another sweet scar. 

I got transfer calls on Saturday morning.  I was allowed to give a farewell testimony to the Boulevard ward.  After church, I spent some time getting contact info for people that I love here. 

This morning, we woke up at 4am and caught a ride with a member named David to Holywell (pronounced Holly-well) national reserve up in the blue mountains.  The sisters drove their own car.  We got up there  early and enjoyed a beautiful view of Kingston.  The vegetation and climate reminded me a lot of Seattle.  There was a nice cold bite in the air, and a short hike to a small waterfall.  Holywell was incredible.  It has been so long since I have been hiking in the mountains.  The air was cold.  Do you know how long it has been since I have felt cold?  It was amazing.  I did not want to come back down.  I will send some pix.  It was the best p-day of my mission. 

Yep Nathan.  7 weeks!  Mi soon see unno.  I have not seen any fish lately.  I will let you know if I do.  I have heard there are crocodiles in Portmore...

Nice job on your tests Lydia! That is great. Keep up the good work. 

I love you all.  Thanks for all of your prayers and support.  They keep me going.
Love, Elder Pullan

Sis. Bailey, Thompson, Rampersad,
Elder Pullan, Mecham, Evans and Beck 

week #21 -kingston

Hey fam, 

This week was great.  

Our monday trip back to the fort was interesting.  It began with a lot of bike problems on the way to Parade (downtown kingston. look it up).  We met up with elder Davis and Johnson from the downtown there and caught a bus to Port Royal. There was not all that much out at Port Royal, so after looking around, we went to Fort Rocky.  We ran and jumped and threw flips just like I had planned on doing.  It was a lot of fun.  

Tuesday, we helped out the Project Sole people hand out shoes. We went with some other missionaries in the morning to Salvation army headquarters and loaded up the vans. Our first stop was down in Jones Town.  The bishop of the Constant Springs ward had no idea where he was going so we ended up taking a detour through Tivoli Gardens.  That was pretty exciting. The people who put on the project sole are all return missionaries, so it was fun to talk to them. Jones town was crazy. Unno tink unno know ghetto? Nah mon. People were yelling and pushing and scrounging for shoes the whole time. It was not very controlled. The next place was a lot better. It was a little school up near August Town. We handed them out inside of the school. It went a lot better. The guy that was filming the project was named Aaron.  He does freelance film and lives in Hawaii.  We had a great time talking together.  We are a lot alike. When the day was done, we all went to Chill-eat-o's for some Jamexican food.  It was great.  

Wednesday was Zone meeting.  We learned a lot more about how to bring the spirit in our initial contacts with people so that they will keep their appointments.  It was a good refresher.  I am sure it will help.  

We did more service for Sis. Hamilton on Thursday, and I went on a trade off with elder Beck on saturday.  

We had to drop a few investigators on Sunday because they did not come to church for the umpteenth time in a row.  It is always hard to do, but if they will not put forth the effort to learn and grow and progress, then they can't get anywhere.  We did have an investigator named Sis. A at church. She had a great time there. She made some friends and really enjoyed it. She is very prepared. I am excited for her. 

That is the week for you.

Your week sounded great Lydia! What a fun activity!

I love you all. 

Love, Elder Pullan

week #20 -kingston

Hey fam,

This week was better than the last one.  Don't worry.  We are still struggling with investigators.  We talk to people, but they don't keep their appointments.  We work a lot with the members in our area and have a good relationship with the bishop.  Sometimes things are tough so that we can learn lessons, not because we are doing anything wrong. 
I am working hard and I know things will pick up soon enough.  When we don't have anything to do, we go and find on the streets.  Many people work during the days and there tends not to be a whole lot of people out, but we do all we can.

You think Sis. Hamilton has a heavy accent?  Haha.  She is about as proper as it gets. Unnu nah gwaan fi undastand nah 'eavy accent.  (You won't be able to understand a heavy accent.) It takes some time to get down.  I can't blame you.  We usually do service for Sister Hamilton, or anyone else that asks.  Generally this happens once a week or so.

I ran into an insane rasta this week. Not the first time that has happened, but ask me about it when I get home.  I will have stories to tell.  I have not told you all of them for your sakes.  Haha.

Wednesday was great.  After District Meeting we went to KFC.  One of our new investigators saw us as we were locking up our bikes and handed us $2000 for lunch.  I was dumbfounded.  It made my day.  It paid for the four of us and really increased the troops' morale.

This weekend was the church open house.  On Friday night, we went to the church and helped clean and set up.  Each different auxillary had its' own room.  My art was in high demand.  I ran about with a box of chalk and designed the chalkboards of anyone that asked.  I did a lot of typography of words like "young men" and "Melchizedek Priesthood" in chalk.  I would have gotten a picture, but president Brown has asked us not to carry our cameras on us unless we have a specific reason too.  That is why I don't get too many pics now a days.  The open house was a success.  It cleared up so many misconceptions that people have about the church.  It would have been good if we could have gotten more people there, but we will focus on that next time.  The open house was put on by the stake.  Elder Beck and I gave five minute presentations in the sacrament hall.  We discussed our belief in Christ, his Atonement, and watched the church's most recent Easter video. Everything went great.

We will be helping out the salvation army with shoes tomorrow for most of the day. We will be sizing people's feet and getting them what they need over in Waterloo.  Most of the Kingston district missionaries should be there. It will be fun.

Elder Meacham and I are going with Downtown (Davis and Johnson) out to Port Royal and Fort Rocky today.  I have never been out to Port Royal, so we are going to explore it.  It is a tiny town.  Fort Rocky is the place we went to to play capture the flag a ways back.  We are going to run and jump and climb all over the abandoned ruins.  It should be fun! I am excited to do some more running and jumping and climbing.  Don't worry, I will be safe. I should have some pictures for you next week.

I forgot to answer your question about dying in Kingston. If I do die here, (finish his mission) it will be fine.  Kingston is great, and I would be ok with that.  I would like to go somewhere else and get to know one last area before I leave, but we will see. I have one transfer left, so there is a chance I will leave. I will know in a few weeks.

I love you all!  Take care,
Love, Elder Pullan

The following was in an email to Derek: Thanks Dad. I am getting to the bitter sweet end of things. I am really excited to see everyone, but it is going to pierce my heart to leave my island. I will not be returning home at the end of my mission, I will be leaving it. Again.

week #19 - Kingston

Hello everyone! 

Just another week here in Kingston!  

I did a lot of missionary work this week.  Things are still really slow, and we had to drop a few of our investigators.  We don't get all that many member referrals, and many of the people we find will set an appointment, but will not keep it. Things are a little rough, but they will get better.  We just have to keep seeking those that are prepared and make sure that we are following the spirit.  If we do that, we cannot go wrong.  

I have not gotten the box to the Hamilton's yet.  We did not see them last week. We will get it to them this week for sure.  

I am currently looking at architectural programs. BYU has no architectural program, and I think I am going to be an architect. I think it is too late to apply to other schools for this coming year though. Any advice? 

It is great that Bryson is coming here. He is going to have the best mission ever!  It will not be a Hawaii mission or tea and crumpets, but if you want stories to tell, this place has more than enough potential. He will do just fine.  

Nothing too big happened this week. I will let you know when something does. 

It sounds like you had a hectic week with prom and easter. It looks like it went great though.  Matthew is beginning to look like a man.  Everyone looks so old. 

I am excited to see you all soon!

I love you all,

Love, Elder Pullan

week #18 - Kingston

OBAMA DAYA.  Thats right. Mr. President came down this week. Everyone loved it. We (being Americans) heard plenty about it this week.  I guess he gave 70 million to Jamaican schools OR something?  Great.  Where is that money coming from?  But, enough with the politics. I have never been much of one for politics anyway.

This week was average.  Teaching people, a few rainstorms, no investigators at church.  That is the way it goes sometimes.  We did get called on Wednesday morning by the bishop to help out with a funeral at the church.  We went and I got to mess around on the piano for a while. I love the piano. Now that I understand chords and music because of the guitar, the piano is a lot more fun.  Maybe I will pick it back up and teach myself when I get home.  We will see if I have the time for it.  

We will probably have to drop a lot of our investigators this week. We have tried to talk to quite a few people, but most of them have not been interested enough to set a time to meet with us.  I am sure it will pick up this week though.  I am not worried.

Hmmm... Well, that is my week for you. Nothing too exciting.  Sorry.  Nothing new this week.  Cutting weeds with machets is fun for the first bit.  It continues to be good until your hands blister up. Then it is not so fun.

Nathan- I am excited to get your letter. I will look for it. If you want some patois, try yazeeme. (yah-zee-me).  It means "you see me?" It is generally hypothetical way of asking someone if they understand after you explain something.  Yazeeme?

Lydia- Thanks for the email. I hope you get your letter from Sophie tomorrow too. That sounds like fun.

Spring break looked great! I hope you all enjoyed it.
I love you all.

Love, Elder Pullan

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.