July 25, 2011 Utica, New York

Hi Family!

First off, Happy Birthday to everyone in July! There are too many of you and I have limited time. Well, this week was HOT HOT HOT. Holy cannoli (yes there is a little Italy here) I was melting! It was up in the 90s + humidity. So nobody was outside; one of the members here refused to go outside and the thought of walking the 20 feet to her car was too hard for her to think about. The entire time everyone complains I just think about how it is 120 in Arizona everyday. You guys are troopers. But it is cooling down thank goodness so maybe some good families will be sitting outside on their porches so we can talk to them.

This week was full of helping people - since it was so hot and we are in a walking area we needed to find things to do inside. So we did lots of service. One such act of charity was helping a family go to the hospital - the mom has agoraphobia so she can't leave her house since she is afraid of people. But she said that if we were there she could do it. Interesting experience since her daughter has muscular dystrophy, she has agoraphobia, and we missionaries can't look at anything (TV, magazines, etc) so we were an interesting group all together.

We also came in contact with a less active member who is awesome. We walked in her house (one thing that is so funny - less actives have no problem letting the missionaries in their house and welcoming us back all the time, but most wont go to church) and she said, "I like my coffee - that is a stupid rule - and I don't like callings where I have to teach children. I am a teacher! I don't want to spend another day with kids!" But after a really good conversation she said she needs to go back to church and that she would come. At church yesterday I looked out the door and saw her coming up. Then members of the ward recognized her and ran up to her giving her hugs. She almost had an assembly line of hugs and greetings, a very heart warming moment to see the love of the ward members reaching out to her. WAY better than coffee hour at the Methodist Church (which, btw is the only reason why she goes to that church). She even stayed for Sunday School, when she said that she was going home. Can't wait to meet with her again this week.

But as for investigators: Norma might be moving back to her mom's house and she feels too overwhelmed with her four kids to bring them to church. Not much we can do to help her. We have lots of appointments with our potential investigators too so hopefully with this heat wave going away we can meet with more people. We are teaching a family tonight - they all smoke so we are starting with the Church's program on quitting smoking. It is amazing! If I am a weight loss counselor when I get back I am totally stealing it and changing it to fit weight loss. Anyway I am really excited, hopefully we can teach them too! Oh and the missionaries in the ward (there are 4 of us) are teaching in the 3rd hour of church next week. Focused on the Savior and missionary work, hopefully it helps! Keep your fingers crossed... and pray as well.... Yeah, that is a good idea.

Gotta run but that is my week! Hope everyone had good one too. BYE!

P.S. Jimmer Fredette lives in my mission. Sister Duncan, my companion, served in his ward. Be jealous; I am not.

July 18, 2011

Hi Everyone!

So this week went by fast! I guess that is typical. I really need to get over it. But the work is moving right along here in Endicott! We are finding people slowly but surely and hopefully our efforts will help us to find golden people. We have an investigator who is progressing wonderfully! She reads and tries to soak everything up. Only problem is getting to church - nobody here has cars, kinda frustrating when it takes 2 hours to walk to church - no, we haven't tried it yet but I was hoping to convince Sister Duncan that sacrificing our ride and walking so that our investigators could have a ride to church would help... she didn't go for it haha. So the only thing stopping her from getting baptized is church... but at the same time if she isn't willing to go to church so she shouldn't be baptized

We work with a lot of less actives who are all really good! They are very willing to let us in and talk about the church, but also getting to church is a little hard since they don't have cars. Different world over here - the bus system is the common mode of transportation. We are working with a girl who really wants to come back to church and have it for her family. She is starting to try to bring the spirit into her home more and her husband is opening up to having us stop by. It has been a slow process but the spirit works wonders, he even went to mormon.org to chat with missionaries!

Crazy story for the week: So we got a referral and naturally we called to set up an appointment. I couldn't understand her but we arranged for Friday around 1:30. We go to this SUPER ghetto apartment complex and knock on the door. We enter a 1 room apartment with a mattress on the floor, which we sit on. She goes off on another church organization and saying how they wont help her get what she needs. Sister Duncan says, "You know that we are not that church right?" She says, "Yeah, I know" So I respond with "So.... what are you expecting from our visit?" Basically she wanted a free handout from the church. When I said the church would help if she was willing to work. She responded with but I can't get a job - if I do, Social Security will fine me for having a job AND receiving their checks...... ???????? Uh... first off not my question, second that is the point- doing something with your life. Wow. We wont be going back to teach her.

But we are finding lots of people to teach and we are teaching more. I feel right at home when we are teaching and testifying. If people would open up we could help them have happier and more fulfilling lives through our Savior. People are sitting on their porches waiting for life to change but it wont until they do something about it. Answers are at their fingertips but sometimes they don't want to accept it. That's okay, we will find those that do and until then we just find, find, find! Off for more adventures this week! Until then!

Letter from a man we met on Temple Square

Dear Sisters, Nelson and Despain

Thanks for sending me your email and I will be sure to have anyone I meet interested in the Church come speak to you guys. You guys are awesome. I mentioned to you that I wanted to write you a quick thank-you letter. I don't want to sound cheesy or anything, but the day I got to speak to you guys really had a good impact on me. I always make fun of people when they talk about that "light in their eyes or about them" because I have no idea what they are talking about haha, but after talking to you guys, I know what people mean. You guys really had something about you that was just so pleasant to be around. I am so glad I chose to walk around Temple Square for a little while and just enjoy the peaceful environment it provides. Speaking to me that day really made me a happier person. It made me want to be a better person as well. Thank-you both for your excellent examples and your willingness to talk to total strangers. I see a mission as a success when you can see changes for the better in yourself, and in others, and you guys sure made a great impact on me. Don't ever forget how wonderful your mission experience has been. It will keep you going if things get hard when you get back home. Thanks a lot again, and maybe I'll run into you guys again someday.

See Ya,
Nick W.

July 11, 2011: New York Utica Mission

Hey Family!

So I am in New York! More specifically a city called Binghamton. It is in the southern part of the state for those of you who said, "Where's a map?!?" I left Temple Square for the airport around 5 a.m. and my plane took off for Chicago around 7 a.m. I was terrified to be all by myself in the real world but all pumped to share the gospel with people. So the girl I sat next to on my first plane ride - returned missionary from the Palmyra Visitor Center. So we just talked about missions the entire 2 1/2 hours. Got off the plane and attempted to call Mom and Dad collect (sorry if it cost you a $100 but I am worth it? Right?!?) Then my next plane left, again all excited to share the gospel... totally fell asleep. Oh well, nobody was sitting next to me anyway. But I arrived and was greeted by my new mission president and my new companion, Sister Duncan, from Centerville, Utah. We had a few hours to kill in Syracuse so we went street contacting for a bit before my first ever dinner appointment. We found a potential but we can't teach her since we live two hours south of Syracuse.

First dinner appointment - awesome! I ate so much food because it wasn't tortillas and peanut butter, which isn't bad by the way. I gave a spiritual thought then headed south to Endicott/Binghamton.

We work in a walking area so it feels huge. We split half the city with Elders but we never see them. It is very different to only be with and see my companion everyday and not 170 other Sister Missionaries. This mission has less than 100 missionaries and only 14 Sisters! As for our area it was opened 2 transfers ago after being closed for a few years, and despite the work that the previous missionaries have put in we hardly have any investigators. But that will change as we talk with everyone! Hard part is that we walked for 4 hours and talked to two people - slight change of pace from Temple Square.

The skills that I learned as a missionary on Temple Square are the same that we use out here. Everything: knocking on doors = RC, street contacting = contacting people on the Square, teaching lessons = phone lessons. It is all the same, just applied in a different way.

Working with the ward is neat, too.
1) They feed us.
2) They offer to drive us places and teach with us.
3) They try out missionary work themselves which helps. Because where we are at, the only way we will find people to teach is through members because street contacting and tracting is 95% ineffective. So if I haven't stressed it enough my whole mission - GO SHARE THE GOSPEL. It would make our lives easier. Thanks.

Anyway life is good! We are working with a young mother named Norma who really wants to go back to a church and have a relationship with God again. We found a man named Alex who doesn't like his church but is interested in checking ours out. And we are working with a part-member family. The 11-year-old son isn't baptized so we are working to get him ready. We will see what adventures pop up this week!

Karly's New Mission President in Utica, New York

Kevin McRae Bulloch, 57, and NaNon Whittaker Bulloch, three children, New York Utica Mission; Cedar 17th Ward, Cedar City Utah West Stake. Brother Bulloch is a ward Young Men president and a former counselor in a stake presidency, bishop and counselor, high councilor, stake Young Men president and missionary in the Montana-Wyoming Mission. Institute instructor, Church Educational System. Born in Cedar City, Utah, to McRae Nielsen and Lillian Hansen Bulloch. Sister Bulloch is a counselor in the ward Relief Society presidency and a former ward Young Women president and counselor, ward Primary president, ward music chairman and member of the stake Primary board. Born in Panguitch, Utah, to Donald Carlyle Whittaker and Vila LaRen Ackerman.

July 4, 2011... New York Utica Mission!

Hi Everyone!

So BIG news: I am going OUTBOUND! I am actually really mad/excited to go. It is so busy on the Square that I don't want to go, but at the same time I know I need to go. Regardless, I am called to the Utica, New York Mission. I leave on Wednesday! Many of the Sisters that I came out with are going outbound as well, so I don't feel that alone. Sister Perez will be with a Sister from Mexico so she will have a companion that actually speaks Spanish and not one who tries to act like she does. We had our mission meeting at 7 a.m. this morning and because it is the 4th of July we are taking our p-day late. Half the mission is at a park; playing games and eating food while the rest are on the Square. We switch halfway through the day. Should be exciting! Yay food! I have to pack though and help Sister Perez move to a different apartment complex so no p-day for us. I heard that my p-day will be next Monday though; another sister just returned from the Utica Mission so she said that she would fill me in on all the particulars.

Well, this week was great! We had a few days where we needed to get Sister Perez's passport all taken care of and that took about 2 days. We got lost in West Valley so I know that area VERY well. If we ever decide to take a family trip out there I can direct us around. It was all the fault of Google maps I want you all to know. I don't think the internet gets the grid system so it flipped the south and west streets.... so frustrating. The next day I skipped on the directions and found the Uruguay Consulate myself. Took about 2 hours less. But it is all taken care of and now Sister Perez can stay in the USA. I am such a good companion.

Some last miracles from Temple Square: We were flagged down at the Tabernacle by one of the senior couples to help this couple understand that there would be an organ recital in the Tabernacle. Come to find out they are from Uruguay! And they want to be baptized... you know common desire here on Temple Square... so we graciously accommodated by helping them meet with missionaries. Later in the week we were asked to show three people around from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They were firing questions right and left and it was so frustrating because they were not good questions. It was more like "What do you feel about blacks and the priesthood?" "How does the Prophet get chosen?" "Why can't you be the Prophet?" "How many members are in Salt Lake City?" "Why do you take the sacrament every week?" One right after the other. Aka no spirit was there. Every time we would try to drop them by inviting for missionaries so we could leave they would ask another question or ask where the bathroom/drinking fountain was. I couldn't wait to leave these people somewhere but when we finally were able to say that they had such wonderful questions and asked if they would like to discuss them with missionaries back home, they accepted. The only one that was quiet was the one that has read the entire Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, and parts of the Book of Mormon. I hope they will be able to listen to what they missionaries have to say.

Well, happy 4th of July! Hope the pancake breakfast was as yummy as always (minus the fake orange juice and sausage). Funny story: This morning we had a Sister who could sing the National Anthem really well and she happened to be from Great Britain. President then got up and said how wonderful this holiday was that we are celebrating our independence from Great Britain.... slightly awkward and everyone laughed. Anyway watch the fireworks for me. I will call you from the airport on Wednesday! I am so scared! I will be out in the real world - no bodyguards, security cameras or emergency alarms. Insane people usually find me... this could be an interesting three months.

"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere... New York, New York!"

Karly Sighting... Eric Larson