October 26, 2014

Good morning,

To be perfectly honest, I am having a really tough time right now. I spoke in church yesterday and it was really hard to hold back the tears. I have grown to love the people here so much. I have learned so much from them and my testimony of this gospel has grown as I have watched them rely on the Savior and His gospel to get through their trials and problems. The mission has been such a huge blessing in my life and a big part of me doesn't want it to end. I cannot believe how fast time goes by. But, another big part of me really wants to see all of you! Two years is a long time and I am so excited to come home and start the rest of my life! The only trick is gonna be taking everything that I learned from my mission and applying it to life at home. Don't be mad if I go through a little bit of culture shock for the first few days or so. Anyways, his last few days has been really fun and really sad. On friday night we had a dinner appt. with one of the families in the ward. When we should up, we found out that all of the auxiliary leaders had planned a surprise farewell party for me. Then saturday after our baptism we went to the Pineda's house(one of our investigators) and had family home evening. Sunday was the worst though... While I was bearing my testimony in Sacrament all of the members started crying. haha It was really awkward. I also don't have a whole lot of stuff to bring home with me because I have given most of my clothes and things to members. We have more than enough at home.. We ate dinner at the Esquivel families last night and have an appt. with the Velasco's later tonight. It's gonna be a good day. Tomorrow morning I will go to bacolod and have my exit interview with President then on Wednesday I will get on a plane. It's gonna be a quick 4 days so get excited! I will try and find some cool stuff for you guys in bacolod tomorrow. I love you all, see you on thursday. Oh, and make sure you go to the right terminal!

Love,

Elder Pulsipher

October 20, 2014

Good morning family,

This week has been a stressful one. We are doing everything we can to get our investigators ready for baptism but sometimes it just takes a lot of time and a lot of faith! Yesterday, I had my last zone conference in the mission. It was sad to realize that I wont be apart of this great work in the Bacolod mission very soon. In the month of September alone, Bacolod mission baptized 590 converts. Highest in the world by far... This mission really is moving at the Lords pace and I am going to miss it. But I feel good about being able to come home and apply all of the things that I have learned to my service in the church as a full time member. There is no more room for "sunday mormons" in this church. "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess"... The work continues. I hope that all of you are enjoying helping others come unto Christ as much as I have for the last 2 years. I love you all so much and am so grateful for all your letters of support and prayers that have uplifted and strengthened me during my full time service as a missionary. This is my last week in the field so I will be sprinting as fast as I can. I really do love the Philippines and the Filipinos so much, I have learned so much here and I have seen first hand how the gospel takes bad people and makes them good, then takes good people and makes them better. I love you family and I can't wait to see you next week! I found out that I will have my very own ERC training with the Greene couples on next Tuesday, Then I will get to spend Wednesday with President Lopez before he takes me to the airport. Well family, I love you. You are always in my prayers and I know that the Lord is watching over you. "TILL IT!" this week and We'll talk again on monday.

love,

Elder Pulsipher

October 12, 2014

Good morning!

This week has come and gone so fast! I hope the next one does too because I really want to see you! But we are working hard here and we have 2 baptisms lined up for my last 2 saturdays. About my arrival in the airport mom, it's fine if it's just you guys. They can all just come over that night. And I am super excited about that watermelon... This week was awesome. I spent a lot of time thinking about the things that I have learned on my mission. I also read over my patriarchal blessing a few times. Until the other day I thought that a lot of my blessing was about my mission and the things that I would learn, accomplish and the people I would help here. But the other day I realized that it's not talking about my mission. My mission has been my training ground for me top learn how to serve in the church for the rest of my life. Most of the blessings promised there are blessings yet to come. The end of my mission will mark the beginning of my "great work" in helping build the kingdom of God.  I also was so uplifted and inspired by general conference. There will be lots of trials and persecutions that come at us as we continue in the faith. But God's message to us is to never give in... Never compromise the things you you believe. We need to start now, strengthening our testimonies and standing up for what we believe. There is no place for members who want to stand on the sidelines. Our Savior needs us in the game! I love this work! I can't wait to come home and see you and continue on living he Gospel and doing what we can to hasten the Lords' work. Try not to miss me too much! 2 weeks na lang :)

Elder Pulsipher

September 29, 2014

Well, I never thought that the day would come that I am not very excited to tell people that I am going home. I don't know if I am scared about going back to regular life or if the Philippines and the people here have just become a part of me. A part that will be hard to leave behind. But anyways, On transfer day, I was positive that I would be out of Aguisan! But, then on Monday night I heard through the grape vine that I was not the one leaving... my companion was! So wednesday morning we went to Bacolod and I picked up Elder Villanueva. An even smaller Filipino from mindoro (upper island of the Philippines). He is a fairly new missionary. He was just trained by elder moody and then thrown at me. He is a really quiet little guy but I will do my best to break open his shell. I am getting pretty good at that... Anyways, I am sure that you got the text from Elder Ellis' mom earlier. They came and picked him up and since I am in Bacolod today, we went bowling and out to lunch with them. They are a really nice couple. Oh yeah, I am in Bacolod today because tomorrow morning at 4 am I will fly to manila by myself to get my fingerprints done and go to the temple. It will be a fun experience and I will get to use my tagalog a little bit.. It is rad that the stewarts got to listen to a sister come home from the Philippines on sunday. If she spoke tagalog that means she is from luzon... Lame! But, maybe I will get to talk to her when we are up there for kates baptism. On saturday, it was family week here in Binalbagan stake. So we had a stake baptism and I was super bumbed because our investigator didn't show up! So we watched them take the picture and sat in the back as the program started and then sister Maryjoy Jabagat came running into the building! She made it! After the baptism, we found out that she had to wake up at 5 to go to the beach and collect crabs and sea snails so that she could sell them so that she could pay for the travel fare to Binalbagan... She is so awesome. Her to daughters will be baptized this Saturday. On sunday, we only had 5 investigators at church but they will all be baptized in the coming weeks. On another note, I had another testimony building experience with death this week. A daughter of a less active came to us on thursday night because her 3 year old son was sick. Very, very sick. He had menangitis and was in a lot of pain with a bad fever. We gave him a priesthood blessing and the next night we came back and found him laying on the table. Lifeless, but in peace. His mom sitting next to all that was mortal of him. We sat down with her and shared a little bit about our heavenly fathers plan for us. While we were talking, she told us that it wasn't painful for him when he died. He was sleeping peacefully when he stopped breathing. Just helped me realize that my ways are not Gods  ways. Sometimes we all just need to humble ourselves and submit to Gods will, whatever that may be. I love you all so much and I can't wait to see you in a few weeks. Pray that I don't get stabbed in Manila and pray that I magically loose 15 lbs before I come home. 

Don't miss me too much...

Elder Pulsipher

P.S. - Kristi, I think that it's super awkward to randomly give out books of mormon and was never very good at it. The situation has to be right. Invite someone to your house for family home evening. Then teach your kids about how the book of mormon has blessed your life. Then offer on to them as a gift :) GOD IS LOVE :)

September 21, 2014

Helloooo,

The time is going by so fast! You guys know that the batch ahead of me goes home today! Which means that I am next in line! BTW, today is transfer day again so we are gonna be waiting for a call tonight. I am pretty sure that I will be transferred to Bacolod because that is what President usually does to "white" missionaries before they go home. I am super excited by the way to go feed the homeless people on thanksgiving. But the will have to forgive me if I don't have a whole lot of empathy for them because I have seen a lot of very, very poor people in the last 2 years... Last week was awesome. We got to baptize sister Rebecca Genabe and sister Asherrie Esquivel. We found them both through less active families who are now coming back to church! This work is awesome. On sunday, we had stake conference and 1,180 people showed up so we ended up standing... BUt it was still an awesome meeting. President Lopez showed up and spoke on member missionary work. I love listening to President speak because he knows everything about the gospel. He speaks with such power even though he is such a small guy. It's actually kind of funny. But anyways, the work here in Aguisan is going great! This has probably become my favorite area. I love the people here even though I am persecuted all the time for being a huge white american... It's all good though because it is helping me be more like Jesus... Today, we are going to go play basket ball in Binalbagan with the other missionaries so that will be fun. Then it's back to work! It is nonstop here in the mission field and it's gonna stay that way until the end! I love you all. Keep on enjoying your time in paradise and dad, don't make any car choices without me... 

Keep it real,

Elder Pulsipher

September 14, 2014

Listen, I just wrote you all a sweet email recapping all of this weeks festivities and then my computer shuts down! The Philippines never fails... to fail. But the most important thing I wrote was happy B-day to my favorite big brother who I am sure had a sweet party this week. I hope that the family took care of you. I will just have to give you my sweet present when I get home... But in other news, today is transfer day! There is a possibility that I could transfer to Bacolod tomorrow morning which would not be the worst thing ever. We had a baptism on Saturady, Sister Florejoy Anono Gregorio. Don't ask me how they come up with these names because I still have no clue. The weather was not the greatest this week because there was another big storm in Luzon( the islands right above ours). So we worked soaking wet and walking through flooded streets this week. So much fun! But when it rains here no one comes to church so yesterday we were hit hard. Only 3 investigators. We are just going to have to work extra hard this week to make up for the loss! I am trying super hard these days to not think about home but every time I try my eyes seem to find there way to another calender. The members here are not helping me either. All they want to talk about when they work with us is what America is like and what my plans are when I get home... But, I am still focused on the work! I love you all so much! make sure that you say hi to Grandma and grandpa for me. Only a few more short weeks! But until then,

Peace, love, happiness,

Elder Pulsipher

August 31, 2014

Family!

How are things going back in paradise? Wonderful i'm sure.. For everyone who is wondering. My arrival in San Diego will be on October 30, 2014 at 2:00 pm. I just told you today so that you can prepare, I have pretty high expectations for my homecoming... Another awesome week this week here in the Philippines! We baptized another hood rat this week and two other kids from less active families who are now coming back to church! Sometime I wonder if I deserve all the blessings that I have been blessed with here. I know that God is so aware of me and of all of us. He knows what all of his children feel and what we need. This week will will baptize Gerald! He is the last hood rat that we have been teaching. There are a couple more but I'm not sure if President Monson could make those kids change. But we will keep working with them. In other news, last Monday I am pretty sure I broke my foot so I have been walking with a sweet ganster limp all week and I am going to try to play basketball today even though it hurts like crap. We'll see how it goes... I am really sorry that my emails are really lame now a days. Honestly, the days go by so fast that I don't remember half of the stuff that happens during the week. We just teach people. Oh yeah! I did get my package on Tuesday and made the mistake of opening it in district meeting. My companion was wondering what why some of the nuts looked a lot like pills... Good times... Well, thanks to you I have enough tigers milk bars to get me to the finish line so here goes the sprint! It's time to go to work! I love you all so much and I'll see you in less than 2 months.

Peace, love, happiness 

Elder Pulsipher