Wednesday, January 29, 2014

! Letter dated January 27, 2014 (21 days!)


By the way....21 days until Sister Bullock returns home!

January 27, 2014

Hi there :)
Not a whole lot happened this week. Soooo this email will probably be the shortest of all time.
·  Investigators: So our investigators are doing well. We've come to see some of the situations a little more clearly. Some aren't really willing to listen yet, but we are there to open their heart for the next missionaries who come. Some are just on the edge, but they need to trust in God and take a leap of faith. Others, we're still not sure about. But one thing I am sure about is that God knows their hearts. He knows what they need. And I have seen and felt His hand in this work everyday of my mission. It's seriously the coolest thing to witness :) I love being a missionary!
·  Another new investigator: We got another new investigator this week!! Ms. Brooke! She is the most awesome lady I have ever met! She knows the Bible like the back of her hand. She teaches us while we teach her! The best part is, she's a member referral. I LOVE MEMBER REFERRALS. They are always the most solid investigators. But anyway, I'll keep you updated on Ms. Brooke.
·  iPads: We get our iPads on Thursday. That's all I know about them. Except for the fact that I get it for 3 weeks, then hand it back in. This is going to be really weird.
·  Weather: When you have nothing else to talk about, go to the weather, right? Maryland weather is like Detroit weather. It seriously can't make up it's mind. It must be an East coast/ Midwest thing... Yesterday was freezing, and today is like spring! I'm very happy about this fact today :) I just hope spring lasts all week long!
Okay, I'm afraid I really have nothing else to say :( Sorry about that. It's a problem I know, but soon I'll be annoying you with all my stories. ...Sorry about that :) (Not really.)
Alright, I love you and miss you all! Thank you for everything! You are all the BEST people I know :) Love you!
Love, Sister Bullock


Sisters Holland, Carcamo, and Bullock striking "power poses" Jan 2014

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Letter dated January 20, 2014

January 20, 2014

Hello my beautiful readers :)
This week has again been a fun week. But, I feel like I still have nothing to write about! So we'll see what I can squeeze out today ;)
·  4 new investigators: This week, we found 4 new investigators! Do you know how great of a feeling that is? Heavenly Father has a hand in His work, and He is preparing people for us to teach! He has softened their hearts and opened their doors! Tracey, Baba, Theresa, and Chuck. They all have varying levels of interest and commitment, but they are all willing to let us teach them. It's really cool. I love being a missionary! It's seriously the best! The Lord has blessed us for sure this week! I hope it keeps up!
·  Sister Carcamo's birthday: Yesterday was Sister Carcamo's birthday :) She had a lot of fun! Sister Holland and I made a birthday sign for her and decorated her wall with it, and we paraded her around at church and at the Visitors Center :) We (Sister C and I) were able to give the coolest tour ever, and we just had fun! Then today, we were able to go over to a members house and Sister C got her hair braided all nicely and such :) It looks really cool. She also says thank you for all the birthday wishes!
·  It's supposed to snow tomorrow: Please imagine my face like this: -.-
·  I love the Visitors Center: I just love it.I can't even really describe it. I could tell you how it's beautiful, or how it's fun being so close to the temple. Or I could tell you about the neat exhibits we have and how fun they are to play with. Or I could tell you about the neat people that come in from all over the world. Or how different and special the spirit is just because we're on sacred temple grounds. Truth is, I want to tell you about the last one. Being so close to the temple and being on the grounds is so amazing! The spirit is always strong, always present, and I love it! I'm so grateful for my calling as a Visitors Center sister :)
·  New addictions: I am now addicted to jalapeno peppers and fruit juice. Not together, of course. But those are the 2 food items I crave the most now. In fact, I drank about 4 big bottles of fruit juice this week. I might need help :)
·  Why I love my mission: I love my mission because I get to help people change their lives. I get to  watch as they recognize the love that God has for them. I love my mission because I get to see the hand of God in all aspects of life! I get a small taste of the love that God has for us as His children. I feel so lucky, and so blessed to be a part of this work. I am proud to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. No matter how many people argue with me, tell me I'm wrong, or slam the door in my face, I know that Christ loves me. And I know that I have the truth. And I am so grateful for that :)
I love you all! Have a wonderful week and don't stop smiling!
Love, Sister Bullock
Sister Carcamo's wall :)

 For my father :)

 I... Have a problem.

Sister Bullock having dinner in the mission home with the January 2014 new arrivals

 Mom's note:  29 days!!!

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

90% Proselyting....Letter dated January 13, 2014



2-0-1-4  = 2014

January 13, 2014

HEY. This week has been pretty fun, but I spent way too much time playing around at the Mall today... So my email might be short... Again! (Don't hate me!)
·  90% proselyting: Being in my area more is completely awesome! I knew I liked proselyting a lot from when I was full-proselyting last February, but to be honest, I was nervous about being 90% proselyting this transfer. It scared me to bits, actually. But it turns out, I love it just like I loved being full-proselyting in Bowie! I love talking to people and being out with them. It's a whole other side of missionary work. I am so lucky to have the best of both missionary worlds (Visitors Center and Proselyting). Seriously, it makes my mission the coolest mission ever. The people on New Carrollton remind me a lot of the people in Detroit (well, maybe more Westland/Livonia). I almost feel at home here. I seriously love being a missionary!
Sisters Holland, Carcamo, and Bullock

·  Hermana Carcamo: She is the definition of cute! Go look up 'cute' in the dictionary. Her picture will be there. No but really, if you think of a definition for cute, she is the embodiment of it. She loves being a princess, she loves kitties, she loves pink, she love girly things, and fluffy things. Oh, and soft things. And flowers. She's kind of like a 9 year old trapped in a body of a (almost) 20 year old. But she knows how to work and she does it. Gets stuff done. That could be her fifth name. Fernanda Camila Gets-stuff-done Caramo Fenandez. I wish that really was part of her name . That would be cool. But anyway, she's from Chile. The very bottom island (named Line of Fire... but in Spanish) close to Antarctica. Penguins live there. Sounds like a really cool place to live. (No pun intended.) She took 2 semesters of English at BYU before her mission. She turns 20 on the 19th (Sunday). She's pretty awesome. I think I'll keep her around for the next 5 weeks.
·  Night of Music: Mom called me out on it, I did indeed participate in the Night of Music on Sunday. I'm sure stuff about it will be up on the mission blog soon. Me, Sister Holland and 2 Elders sang Come Thou Fount. It was pretty. The 4 of us actually sang it in sacrament meeting a few weeks ago, so it was fun to do it again. It's kind of fun that I've had the chance to develop a talent on my mission. Not that singing is a talent for me, but it's been fun to...Sing. Does that make any sense? I don't know. Still cool. The program was actually really nice though, Sister Eyring did a great job!
·  Visitors Center: I MISS BEING IN THE Visitors Center. One shift a week isn't enough. I know early I said I loved having more time, and I do, but I miss the Visitors Center. I miss being with the sisters, I miss having responsibility, and I miss meeting the people! I have met people from 89 different countries because of the Visitors Center. It's so stinking cool, I can't even get over it! I'm only there on Sunday nights now and it kills me a little bit, but Sunday nights are the best shift so it's okay, I guess. Again, I am truly so lucky and so blessed to have the call I have :)
·  Maria: Last night while working at the Visitors Center, I met this woman named Maria. She came in with her member friend. She had been meeting with missionaries, moved, met with new missionaries, then dropped. She felt rushed and pushed to be baptized. The thing is, Maria knows that the church is true, she just won't let herself recognize it. She's afraid. And as we were talking, Heavenly Father taught me something that I was able to share with her: Heavenly Father is going to let us fall sometimes, but He will never let us hit the ground. He will always catch us and support us. How cool is that realization? We only need to trust Him! Everything WILL be alright because Christ Atoned for us. Have faith- That is all we need to do (well, and repent and be baptized/take the sacrament, receive the Holy Ghost and put it all on repeat, but still!) The point is, we never have any need to fear. I love that! D&C6:36 Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
·  Hopes, dreams, and goals: This week, my hope, dream and goal is to make sure my companions know that they are my number one priority. I just feel like they need to be loved, and they need to know they are loved. So I'm going to be more patient and humble and meek. I'm going to smile and laugh more. I'll serve them in both word and deed. I tell you this so you can follow up with me next week! Haha, keep me accountable!
Alright, I think that it is for this week :) I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Love you!!!!

Love, Sister Bullock
Cleaning the chapel

Packages for Primary Children in New Carrollton

Name tags of the Sisters going home with Sister Bullock in February


"Love"  

Sisters Tuft, Clement, Nakatsuka, and Bullock "professional jumpers"
Sisters Natkatsuka,  Clement, Tuft, and Bullock's "death" picture.
 It's a tradition to take a "death" picture at the end of the mission.
Mom's note:  By the way....Kelsey will be home in 35 days!!!!   :)

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Last Transfer of my Mission....Letter dated January 6, 2014

Angle Moroni 
Sister Bullock on the roof of the DC Temple Jan 2014
January 6, 2014

HELLO. 
And Happy New Year! It's transfers time again! Are you excited? Is the suspense killing you? IT"S THE LAST TRANSFER EMAIL YOU WILL EVER GET FROM ME. 
...That just made things really weird. Now my heart hurts. Dumb! Dumb idea, Sister Bullock. Mission life forever!! (Once again, my letter is short this week. Sorry.)
·  Festival: Festival is over! I can't believe it! It was a pretty successful Festival! We had almost 100,000 people in our center, and we sent over 300 referrals. That's over 300 people that are on their way to hearing about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! HOW COOL IS THAT? Seriously awesome if you asked me! And the sisters did it in companionship's! I am so proud of our sisters here! They are so fabulous and they are truly qualified servants of the Lord! Aaaaand now the VC is pretty quiet... Such is life.
·  Temple: As you might have seen on facebook, I was able to go to the top of the DC temple!! It was the best day of my week... And perhaps one of the best days of my life! I love the temple! I love seeing the temple, I love being inside the temple, I love being on top of the temple. I just love the temple!! <3
·  Last 6 weeks: I can't believe this is my last transfer! The mission has flown by so fast! These last 6 weeks are going to be the best 6 weeks! It's funny though, all the missionaries around me are asking me what it feels like to be starting the end... And I'm here to tell you, it feels exactly the same. I don't feel like it's my last transfer. I don't feel like I'm going home. I have work to do, and I'm going to do it! Mission life is seriously the best!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!
·  Transfers: Okay, here it is. Transfer update! Sister Holland and I are staying together in New Carrollton and we're being joined by Hermana Carcamo! This is her 5th or 6th transfer, but it will be her first transfer in the English program! She is from Chile and is just the most adorable little thing I have ever seen! This transfer is going to be fun :)  Hopefully we can figure out how to fit one more person into our apartment... Should be easy though! Also, more news: I'm going to be a grandma! Sister Croese is training this transfer! Her trainee is from Tahiti! How cool is that?? AND. i am no longer a VC trainer after Wednesday! I am stepping down to let a younger sister (Sister Smith! I love her) take over the "Trainer life". Aaaaaand I'll probably only have like 1 shift a week at the VC. We have 2 full-pros areas because Temple Square is sending us 2 sisters for their out-bounds (if they aren't allowed to work at a visitors center, why send them to a visitors center mission??). And we're also doing a 90%-pros thing working towards having a half-and-half mission where not every sister serves in the VC. There will be pros sisters and VC sisters. My area will be 90%-pros. I can't say I'm a huge fan of that idea, but it's coming from Salt Lake so I'll go along with it. And that should be about it for the transfer report!
I love and miss you all! i'm sorry the letters are so short, but I have a feeling they might remain short, if not get shorter, this transfer... Only because I'll be able to tell you everything in person soooon! I am so grateful for all your support! I really do appreciate everything you do for me :) I love and miss you! Be safe, strong, and happy!
Love, Sister Bullock

2013 Creche Exhibit
Reflection of Temple in Visitors' Center Window
Sister Bullock on the last night of Festival 

Sisters Holland and Bullock
Sister Holland and Sister Bullock
The sisters built a fort after the Creche Exhibit was taken down
taken from the roof of the DC Temple
Sister Croese and Sister Bullock
Sisters Croese and Bullock
The view from the top of the Temple
Another View from the top of the DC Temple
Sister Bowman and Sister Bullock
Saying good-bye
Saying good-bye to Sister Robertson (her visa came for Brazil)
Sisters Robertson, Bullock, and Natkatsuka