Christmas Day 2012

Hey Family,

        They gave us a few minutes today to email home since its christmas. We just got out of a devotional with Elder Nelson and it was awesome! We sat on the front row because I got Brother Ellis (the guy who runs the show) to save seats for my district on the very front row. But anyways, he was awesome, he spoke about the shooting in Conneticut and the power that the Saviors Atonement has to heal us. I dont think I have ever felt the spirit as strong as I did this morning. I just wanted to bear my testimony to you of the Savior. His atonement is real. He knows us and loves us. I feel that love and grow closer to him through using his atonement every day. He knows what my problems are and made it possible for me to be forgiven of my sins and change my life so that I could be here today. I love you all so much and I know that as you use the Saviors atonement in your lives, you will be able to have the spirit with you more abundently and more often. Merry Christmas everyone, I am really sorry but Christmas wont be as good without me.

Love Elder Pulsipher

December 19, 2012

December 24, 2012

December 24, 2012

I miss you all so much! Christmas will be pretty cool here, we just have devotionals all day. Im really happy you told me about Skousen because I am reading through the Isiah chapters in Nephi right now. This is the second time I've read through the Book of Mormon here and it is amazing to me how much more I am getting out of it. I am trying to go really slow and really try to apply it to my life and the lives of my investigators. That is what my companion and I have been doing for the last few days with our investigators is just reading the Book of Mormon with them and showing them how they can apply it to their lives. We ended up getting both of them baptized. I know that irt is only role playing but the spirit was still there so strong and I can feal it influencing my life more and more each day. I love it, and  then how much I am strengthening my relationship with my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I got my travel plan this last week and I am supposed to leave monday morning but I still don't know if my visa will come. I will find out today or tomorrow. Ill try to shoot some more MTC pictures home today if I can figure out how to do it. I will send home my extra sweaters and probably my alarm clock this week because I found out on the travel plans that if its over weigth, the fee's start at $300. I dont think you can pick them up here but you can call and find out. ... I am growing such a strong testimony of this gospel and of the real healing power that this atonement really has. I know that the Book of Mormon is the work of God and I know that it can guide us in our lives....

Elder Pulsipher

It is so good to hear from you, this past week has been pretty rough for me but thats not important. I did get a couple letters from family and freinds and that made me really happy. There are a couple guys in my district who rack in like ten letters everyday though. I still look forward to opening a christmas present every day and I specially loved the letter from everyone yesterday. I dont know when Ill be able to call you yet from the airport or even if I will be leaving. I got my travel plans last week but I dont know if my visa will come. Ill find out today or wednesday. I will be flying to San Francisco, then to Hong Kong, then to Manilla , and then I dont know from there but I hope my visa comes because I dont want to be transfered somewhere else. The language is going alright, but I am definatley not comfortable with it yet. It will come with time when I get there though. I have been looking at some of my teachers pictures and the Philipines is soo beautiful and the spiders are the size of rabbits there. I cant wait.I will send you some more pictures of the MTC today and hopefully I take some good Christmas ones this week. Tomorrow the schedual will be pretty easy but we just have a Christmas lunch and then a sack dinner like Thanksgiving. I am getting more exited about sharing the message of the gospel every day know though. My testimony is growing so fast here and will grow even faster when I get in the field....Elder Pulsipher 

December 17, 2012

My week went pretty good this week, but time just starts going faster and faster, I want to be the missionary that I need to be but sometimes I feel like im getting left behind. Its hard but I know I'll be OK if I trust in the Lord. I should get my travel plans this week but I dont know if my visa will be here in time for me to go with my district. That is really bothering me. I got to host the new missionaries coming in this week and it was really kind of funny because I got kind of tired of the crying after a while and would just start walking away with the missionaries bags while they stood there crying. Builds character.... I got to work in the Temple this morning because it is closed for cleaning, Its really awesome how much work they put into even the smallest things in the house of the Lord. If all goes well I should leave on January first but I have my doubts. And no, I dont get to call home from the MTC on Christmas, sorry. But the schedual on Christmas will probably be somewhat like Thanksgiving. I made friends with the executive secratary and I have been trying to get him to tell me what apostle is coming. I chipped away for a while and got him to tell me that it was someone from the first presidency, but it wasn't the prophet. I think its Uchdorf but well see. Thats cool that you found my mission presidents facebook. From the letters I am getting from him, it sounds like he is pretty strict. Like, really strict. But thats probably a good thing....Let everyone know that I love getting mail.

Love

Elder Pulsipher

December 10, 2012

.. I started the Book of Mormon when I got here and I will finish it and start it again this week. It is strengthening my testimony so much and I love it more and more, the more that I read it. ... I was called as district leader last week so we will see how that goes. I decided that what I need for Christmas from you is some pictures of my family and friends because I forgot to bring any... So if you wanted to send me some that would be awesome. ..I love all of the little christmas gifts and the little notes that go with them. Last night I opened the one about shelter and how the Temple is a place where we can be safe from the world. It was great to read before I got up at 5:30 this morning and walked to the Temple in the snow. I want you to know how much my testimony of the Book of Mormon is being strengthened and how much I can feel the Lord blessing my life for what I am doing. I am so greatful for the gift of the spirit because I know I would be a terrible teacher without it. The Lord is making the missionary that he wants me to be and I can see it...
    Elder Pulsipher

December 3, 2012

...That language is going awesome, my teacher told us last night that we were proggressing faster than any of the other districts and we could be fluent by the time we left the MTC. That would be awesome but I don't really see it. The food is getting pretty old. I will usually just get an apple and a salad for my meals because I feel like I'm getting really fat. But I love getting healthy food and my district loves eating mine too so dont hesitate to send more if you want. I wont get my travel plans until two weeks before we leave. I guess thats just how they do it. ...Another week went by and I've already been here over a month. Time is starting to fly and I am realizing how much harder I need to work evey day. I love this gospel and I am so greatful for the opprotunity that I have to be here. My testimony is strengthened every day and I learn so much. I feel like I have already learned an entire missions worth of knowledge and I know that I will only learn more and strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father more.
...We are teaching in straight Hiligaynon now with no notes and our lessons are going really well. I just finished memorizing the First Vision yesterday and that was definitely the hardest thing I've done yet. I think it is so crazy and awesome that the spirit is there testifying no matter what language you are speaking.
... I went to the Temple this morning and as I was sitting in the celestial room the most powerful feeling of love and comfort came over me and there was no doubt in my mind that this is where I need to be right now. Its funny that you talked about the atonement because that is what I've been thinking about most of this week. I never realized just how all encompassing the atonement really is until I came here, the more I learn, the more grateful and the closer I feel to my Savior. This week was so good. On tuesday, my companion and I were teaching a Lady named Maria Theresea and while we were teaching her, I felt prompted to start talking about how the gospel blesses families and how she feels about hers. She almost started to cry and told us about all the things in that her family is struggling with. I could tell that she was feeling the spirit so strong and so was I. It was an amazing experience and my testimony was strengthened so much. I know that what we are promised in D&C 100 is real, and the spirit is there to guide us as long as we live worthy of it. ...I want you to know how much I love the Savior and I can't even comprehend how much He and our Father in heaven must love us. I am so grateful for this opportunity and I am going to work as hard as I can on my mission because I know why I am here. And I know who I represent...