Happy Halloween!! 10/31/2016

It is crazy to think that it is already Halloween again! Last year, the first week I spent out in the mission field was on Halloween. And now it is already that time again!

Anyway, this week was pretty good. Elder Masey and I did a lot of knocking to try and find people to teach. Last week we had a lot of people drop us because they weren't interested anymore, so by Sunday we were back at ground zero. I am sure that they will have another chance to run into the missionaries down the road. I was reminded this week, after being let go by many that we were teaching, that missionary work doesn't work according to my timing. But I take hope in the verse:

"Oh how great the plan of our God!" -2 Nephi 9

God really does watch over all of his children and he will provide many chances for all of us to fully accept his gospel. Going into Sunday it seemed as if everyone had dropped off, Elder Masey and I didn't have anyone that we were teaching to come to church. After sacrament meeting both of us decided to talk to all of the new faces that we didn't recognize seeing if we could find someone that was there for the first time. Turns out that we ended up talking to a lady named T who had just recently moved in with one of the members of our church and they had been reading the Book of Mormon together. T told us that it was her first time at church and that she had been considering baptism. Immediately Elder Masey and I scheduled her baptism date for next week and introduced her to the other women in the ward. We are looking forward to teaching her the lessons this week and hoping that all can go as planned for her baptism this upcoming weekend!

Love you all and hope that you have a great week! And Happy Halloween!!

—Elder Bullough

Found a New Family! 10/24/2016

This week went pretty sweet! Recently the missionary work has been harder to find people that are interested in our message. Due to whatever reason—the days getting darker, the rain coming back, or who knows what—the missionary work has just seemed to be slower. Elder Masey and I knocked with our zone leaders to hope to find more people to teach in our area. As I was knocking with Elder Anderson we went to this place that I had chosen to knock, full of newer apartments, and started knocking. We got to almost the end of the apartment complex and found a guy named B. He wasn't really sure who we were but said that we could come back the following night. So the next day Elder Masey and I went to visit him. To our surprise, he remembered and let us in. Then we stood in his living room and shared our message with him, his wife and their three little kids. As we talked, they told us that they were looking for a church but were put off by all of the money that organized religion makes. We were able to answer some of their questions and afterward they, especially B, were excited to come to church and learn more! I am so grateful for the Lord leading me to that family to teach. One of my favorite scriptures in the New Testament is:

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

The Lord did answer my prayer to find someone to teach that night.

Well, love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful fall weather:

A Great Lesson! 10/17/2016

Last week, I was able to celebrate a wonderful birthday that my mom and a lady in my ward had set up. It was very nice and I was able to eat a cake that was so good and way filling! I will post a picture of it below. Anyway shout out to my awesome mother and family and Sister Osborn who put it all together!

This week was great and I had one experience this past Friday with Elder Masey that was incredible. Late that night we had decided to go see a man named D who we had met before in a group home. As we arrived we started talking to this lady F and she told us how strange it was that we showed up just when she needed it. She then invited us in and got D from upstairs and we all sat down in the living room. There was another man named M who was sitting there at the time so we invited him to stay and listen to our message. As Elder Masey and I began our message the Spirit just entered the room! Each of them had questions and we were able to answer each question and help them understand the message of the restoration. The best part of the lesson was when we related the story of Joseph Smith! It was soon after that, that a flood of tears came to F, and each of us in the room were hit with the Spirit, and we knew it! Not every lesson, or teaching experience I have had has gone as great. The difference is that they let their hearts be opened and they allowed the Spirit to testify of truth! Alma says it best when he was talking to a group of humble people that are seeking the truth:  
Alma 32:27-28  "But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words...Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart."

May we all open our hearts this week that we can be filled! Love you all and have a great week!

Elder Bullough

Elder Bullough's Birthday Dinner Party with the Osborn Family:

Pictures from the WA-TAC Blog (calledtoservewa-tac.blogspot.com):

 

 

One Year Out!! 10/11/2016

So this week on Friday I will be hitting my 1 year mark! A year ago this week I came out on my mission! It's crazy how fast time has flown by. I have seen so many great things out here in Tacoma and have had a great experience so far. I have grown to love serving the Lord and going out every day to declare His message. I have seen many people change their lives and become better through living the gospel. Not only have I witnessed others change though a constant effort to live the gospel, I have also witnessed my own life change and the joy that it has brought me over this year. This past week on Sunday, we had a "Why I Believe Fireside" which was really great. About 5 new members of the ward were able to bear their testimonies and their conversion stories to everyone. J, who was recently baptized this past month, was asked to share his story and testimony. Nervous, yet excited, J gave an awesome testimony about how he has seen the change take place in his new family by living the gospel. He described it as almost a warmth that comes into his home when reading the scriptures as a family. --This is so true! It was also cool to hear how he had been closed off for a long time in his life and wanted nothing to do with religion. But things changed in his life and he began to open up more and more until he began to see and feel a change in his life. 

I am reminded of a verse in the Book of Mormon, when the prophet Alma asks a question to those who have recently joined the church and experienced a change in their lives.

Alma 5:26 "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"  

Well I love you all and hope that you have a great week! 

Elder Bullough

General Conference 10/3/2016

Elder Bullough didn't have time to write a group email letter this week. Here are a few excerpts from his letter to his parents:

This week we got our transfer calls and I will be staying one more in this area. This has now become the longest I have ever stayed in an area. Knocking on doors is kind of different because by now I have knocked out like 80% of my area twice. Haha. Anyway keep me in your prayers that both Elder Masey and I will be led to people to teach and baptize.

I really enjoyed [General Conference] and on Sunday afternoon we went to the Blatters and watched it as a zone.  . . . My take aways [from General Conference]: The Doctrine of Christ is simple but yet easily forgotten. As Brother Ashton spoke of it, he stated that it is an ongoing process in our lives and that we must continually have faith and repeatedly repent so that we can change and become more like our Savior Jesus Christ. D&C 93:12-13 

-Elder Bullough

Sunday Afternoon Session of General Conference at President & Sister Blatter's home: