Week Four

Hey guys

This week has been pretty crazy. We had to wake up super early at like
3 and get ready. I wasn't really that tired on the way here but I did
sleep on the plane. I was super excited to leave the MTC but I kind of
want to go back. It was really hard to leave Elder Huntley because of
how close we got in the MTC and it is a lot different being out in the
field. My new companion is Elder Moore. He is a really good teacher
and I know I can learn a lot from him but we just haven't bonded like
I did with Elder Huntley. It is different only being with one person
all the time than being with my district. Elder Moore can't drive so I
get to drive already which is awesome because I really missed
driving. I get to drive a Jeep Compass and it's a really cool car and
most people that are new to an area usually don't start off driving.
Elder Moore just has to tell me where to go. So far I have been
driving more than biking. If we go to a different town to proselyte we
put the bikes on the car and drive there since they are like 10-15
miles away. Elder Moore has been here for awhile now so he knows his
way around pretty good.  Getting to the apartment has been pretty
hectic because they had bed bugs so we had to kind of move back in and
we didn't have beds and so we are sleeping on mattresses on the floor
in our living room. The branch has been super helpful especially
Sister Burton, they have gotten us blankets, an ironing board, garbage
cans, a couch, and a chair for study. It has been super nice going to
dinners we have a lot of left overs.    

Since getting here I have had to get used to the humidity. It is ways
different than Idaho and it has been pretty warm. We have study in the
morning til 10 so I usually don't feel what is like in the morning.
Brother Brimhall was telling me about the tornadoes and how cold
winter was haha

We have taught a lot of cool people already. The very first person I
went taught was a Russian named Igor. He is super smart and can tell
you anything but he is a Jew and believes that Christ hasn't come yet.
He makes bread and he gave us some to take home and it was so good. He
talks a lot though and it was hard to get a word in. We are teaching a
girl that goes by Little Fawn. She is Native American and can make all
the cool things like dream catchers and things like that. She lives
with her boyfriend and has two kids. Her oldest is named Ezra and he
has been coming to church the past couple of weeks. She just had a
baby a month ago so they haven't been to church for a while. She had a
hard life and had a lot of addictions to overcome but she seems like
she really wants to start living better. We taught a girl named Ashley
and Elder Moore said that he had never gotten into her
house but we were able to go inside and give her a blessing. We
invited her to be baptized and she said she had already been baptized.
We had to explain that it wasn't by the proper priesthood authority
and we invited her to church but she wanted to take a tour before.

Elder Moore and I have been having a lot of luck finding new
investigators and they seem really interested and are super nice. We
met this couple in their drive way and gave them a card and we are
meeting with them this week. We didn't catch their names tho. We
finally got a hold of some potential investigators that we hadn't been
able to meet yet. Tamara is the one that answered and she is a figure
skater and she works at four different rinks so she has to travel a
lot. She said we can come back and actually have a lesson with her but
that's only if we can catch them home. She is super nice and I think
she will want to talk to us about it more.

My first Sunday was really good we have to be to church early for
meetings and then after we have to go out and teach some more. But it was
good to start meeting all the members and getting to know them. I am
excited for p day tho because it is really hard to adjust to
missionary life. For me it wasn't hard until I got here but Gordon B.
Hinkley tells a story that really helped me. He says, “I was not well
when I arrived. Those first few weeks, because of illness and the
opposition which we felt, I was discouraged. I wrote a letter home to
my good father and said that I felt I was wasting my time and his
money. He was my father and my stake president, and he was a wise and
inspired man. He wrote a very short letter to me which said, ‘Dear
Gordon, I have your recent letter. I have only one suggestion: forget
yourself and go to work.’ Earlier that morning in our scripture class
my companion and I had read these words of the Lord: ‘Whosoever will
save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my
sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.’  I know that I am here
for a reason and that I can change lives and I have already seen that
I can. I got to do like Hinckley's father said forget yourself and go
to work. It has been getting easier but their are still times I
struggle. I love you guys and I'll talk to you next week.  

Elder Bullock

Elder Moore and I at the apartment in New Prague, MN

Jeep Compass I get to drive

My desk at the apartment

My room at the apartment

August 25, 2016

The following day we received the following e-mail and pictures from the MMM home:(With contact information removed)

25 August 2016

Dear Brother and Sister Bullock,

On Wednesday afternoon 24 Aug 2016, my wife, Mary Faith, and I greeted Elder Tayson Wayne Bullock at the Minneapolis St. Paul Airport and welcomed him to this great mission.  He was happy and excited to begin his mission.  Thank you for all of your efforts to prepare him for the adventure that lies ahead.  We understand what a great sacrifice you are making to support your son.

We drove from the airport to the mission home and took pictures of our new missionaries. We then had lunch and provided a mission orientation. I also interviewed each missionary.
At about 4:15 pm, Sister Forbes and I introduced them to their trainers, who greeted them with big smiles and bear hugs. We sent them off to their assigned areas. Elder Bullock, has an outstanding trainer, whom I carefully and prayerfully selected. In three weeks, we will bring them back to Bloomington for a day of training in finding, teaching, and goal setting and planning.

Your son joins a remarkable corps of accomplished and dedicated missionaries. There is a great tradition of obedience and accomplishment in this mission. He will serve with missionaries who desire to build the kingdom and who are willing to sacrifice their all for the cause. We serve in a beautiful part of the Lord's vineyard where mighty rivers and beautiful lakes are plentiful. We are privileged to serve among faithful saints.

Please encourage your son to obey all mission rules. He will become stronger, more mature, and more self-disciplined as he faithfully follows the rules. His first area of service is the New Prague Area, of the Lakeville South Zone; his companion is Elder Jacob Raymond Moore.

Regards,
Stephen W. Forbes Mission President

All the new missionaries that arrived on August 24, 2016

At the luncheon for all the newly arrived missionaries

Elder Bullock with his first companion in the MMM, Elder Moore

August 24, 2016  

Elder Tayson Bullock arrived to the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission today safe and sound.  Here is a real brief email:

Hey Mom I haven't gotten my iPad set up so I'm gonna send a quick

email on my companions iPad, Elder Moore. The flight was good and it

is way cool here. I am in New Prague which is south of Minneapolis. I

don't have a lot of time, but I love you guys!

Elder Bullock

His P-Day changes to Mondays

WEEK THREE- Heading to Minnesota tomorrow

 Hey

I am so excited that I am leaving tomorrow! I loved the MTC, but sitting in class all day was getting kind of boring. It almost makes me glad that I am not speaking a language. Sometimes you get to learn a language while out in the field which I think would be better so I don't have to be at the MTC forever. 

This week was really good I was able to be a host for the new missionaries last Wednesday. I liked it, but it reminded me of when I came and I didn't like that. The first Elder I hosted was Elder Plata. He was from the Phillippines and he as going to Korea. He spoke English which made it easier. He flew in early so I didn't have to see him say goodbye to his family or anything. The next two Elders were both from Layton and were going to South Carolina. Elders Gillingham and Micheals. I picked them both up from their parents and then I took them to get stuff and dropped off their bags.

Last week I told you that Elder Holland was coming. Well I kind of lied, he was just in Provo and rumors started that he was coming here. Holland is one of my favorites so I was kind of sad, but Bonnie L. Oscarson came and spoke to us and she did a really good job. Sunday The Nashville Tribute Band came for our devotional and they talked and sang about Joseph Smith. We were in the choir so we got to sing with them which was way cool. After we watched two films that have never been shown before to the missionaries. They were both about Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and how they translated the Book of Mormon. It was really good and I am glad I got to see it.

On Friday we had Infield Orientation which is just like a big class for every one that was leaving that week about how it was going to be like in the field. They had a live play that showed how a new missionary usually is. Elder Severn was called out of the audience and actually got to be in the play as the new missionary.  I actually didn't get to see him do it because I was in a later play where they called a different missionary to be in it.

This week I was able to give Sister Parker a blessing of comfort because she has been having a hard time here. I was an amazing experience and I was guided by the spirit and said things I never would have said before. Elder Lytle has been sick all week and one day he stayed back in the residence. In class one day he asked Elder Huntley and I to give him a blessing. I did the annointing and Elder Huntley did the sealing. It was a cool thing and I am getting more comfortable doing it.

Every time we go to the temple we do endowments for Elder Huntley's family. I asked Elder Huntley if he could teach me how to search for what they needed. I haven't found anyone that needs an endowment so I haven't been able to do my own. I did find out that Elder Lytle and I are related through Charlemange. I actually didn't know who he was, but apparently he was a famous king of like Germany.

Kaelin committed to be baptized which was awesome. She was kind of late so we didn't get to teach a full lesson, but we felt the spirit and talked about baptism and repentance. She was our last TRC and that was the last time we were able to teach her. We did get to teach a random guy walking with a gold tag, which means he was like a TRC. We walked up to him and just started to talk to him. He told us he was from Peru and he had a really hard name. It was like Baurlo or something. We were supposed to be back in class in fifteen minutes, but we ended up talking to him for half an hour. We talked mostly about faith, but he had a lot of questions so we taught a bunch of different things. At the end he gave us hugs and told us that he loved us which was kind of awkward, but he was really nice.

In our district meeting on Sunday Elder Huntley and I had the lesson. It was about obedience and we really didn't have a long lesson prepared, but we had a really good lesson and I shared more than I usually do. You guys know how much I like to teach people and to talk in front of people.

So tomorrow at the airport I have to pay all of my fees, but they reimburse what I pay and put it on my mission card. I bought a call card so that it doesn't cost me a millon dollars to call you guys. I don't know exactly how to use it, but I'll figure it out. I wouldn't mind if you sent me my cowboy boots when I got to Minnesota I have been kind of missing them. I don't really get to wear regular clothes that much anyway.

I wish I could have been up to elk camp with you guys. I have been talking with some Elders about hunting and things like that so I know I'm not alone. I told Sister Cope that I was from a small town of 800 and she was kind of surprised. She is from Sacramento so she is used to big cities. She told me that my mom and her mom were emailing each other which I thought was kind of cool.

I am in Alma right now and I'm reading about Alma and the sons of Mosiah. They are good stories and make me excited about my mission. I don't think I want to serve a 14 year mission though. anyways I love you guys and I'll talk to you soon I guess.

Elder Bullock

Provo temple- on an early morning run with Elder Huntley

Elder Severn and I

Elder Rossell and I

Elder Lytle  and I

Me photo bombing Elders Lytle and Huntley

Elder Metler

District Sisters and I

WEEK TWO

Hey guys!

   First I have to say that I don't think all my emails will be that long. I only have an hour and I accidentally took like two hours haha. The first week was a lot of new information so I could write about a lot. This week seemed to fly, when I first got here the days went by so slow, but now they go by way fast. The days seem like weeks and the weeks seem like days. It is crazy to think that I already leave next week. I leave on Wednesday and have to wake up at like four in the morning. I have been teaching some more TRC investigators and I think it has been going well. Our new one is Kaelin Holdaway and she knows a lot about the church already so we are just teaching her the stuff she doesn't know. Our only problem is that we teach lessons and don't really teach the people and what their needs are so we will try to be working on that. It feels like we are therapists and are trying to figure out what would help them with their problems. I wish I could have been at Trevor's farewell, but I guess I can be at his homecoming haha. The food is alright, but I don't think it is as good as some people say it is. How long the line is depends on what time your breakfast, lunch or dinner is scheduled. When my district goes the line is usually pretty short but if we are late it gets pretty long. When Kyle goes the line is way long. I don't really eat that much, but there is a lot of people that are still hungry when I get full. 

    

Last Wednesday one of the Sisters in my district went home. It was kind of a sad thing since we fasted for her and the other Sisters, that same day she told us she was going home. I do think that our fast helped her in her decision though. I think that it was the right decision for her and that she just wasn't ready to go on a mission. I have been a part of so many blessings and I love to give blessings it is an amazing experience. Neil L. Anderson came and gave a talk for our Tuesday devotional. It was so cool to be so close to an apostle. Jeffery R. Holland is coming tonight and we are going to try and get front row seats. Holland is such a good talker and I am so grateful that I get to listen to him speak. On Sunday we got to watch 17 Miracles. It was way different to watch it while on my mission. I thought how a mission is nothing compared to what they went through. I would encourage you guys to watch it.

   I guess that Dori is good friends with Elder Huntleys Aunt Maren and Sierra is friends with his cousin. It really is a small world. Joshua, my cousin, sent me an email and told me that he knows Elder Rossell because before Elder Rossell left he baptized his best friend and Joshua was one of the missionaries in his ward. He sent me a picture of them after the baptism, I'll try and send the picture if I can. Braiden told me he was thinking of cutting his hair before I left so I was wondering if he was going to do it. He looks good and I like it. There are six Elders in my room. Elder Huntley and I, Elder Fenske and Elder Rossell, and Elder Brown and Elder Lytle. Elder Metler and Elder Sevrn are in a different room. Then there are the three sisters, Sister Benson, Sister Rosier, and Sister Parker. Sister Ullom is the one who went home. I think we are getting a new Elder in our district because he is staying longer because of medical problems so he will be in a trio with Elders Metler and Sevrn.

I am still loving the MTC , but I do want to go Minnesota already. If anyone has any questions just email me and I'll try to answer you as soon as possible. And I don't mind people sending letters haha Elder Brown get like three a day. Love you guys

Elder Bullock

Me the Provo temple

Elder Huntley and I after attending the temple

                                         

My Provo MTC district

Top row: Me, Elder Lytle, Elder Brown, Elder Huntley, Elder Severn, Elder Rossell, Elder Metler

Bottom row: Sister Rosier, Sister Parker, Elder Fenske and Sister Benson

Missionary Swag

Posin'

Elder Kyle Laga and I at Provo MTC

(Elder Laga is formerly from Marsh Valley and good friends with Tayson)

Sister McKee and I with our companions

(Sister McKee is from Marsh Valley)

Elder Bullock, Elder Case and Elder Morris at the Provo MTC. 

WEEK ONE

Hey! 

     The MTC was way different than I expected, but I love it and I can feel the spirit all the time. I miss you guys a lot and when I left you guys I was to, but they welcome you so well and make you feel loved and comforted. The first day I met my Companion and my district. My companion is Elder Huntley and he is awesome. We get along super well and we really haven't left each others side since we met. He likes to play water polo which I think is super awesome and he is from Centerville, Utah. I'll explain districts a little bit, our district has 12 people, 4 Sisters and 8 Elders. We go to class together  and lunch, church, devotionals. We are super close as a district, a lot more than the other districts. Elder Lytle is a lot like Kyle Laga, he likes theater and can talk to you forever and make you laugh, he is from Nevada. Elder Brown is his companion and he plays the piano really well. Elder Rossell is our district leader and he is from Arizona and is a Cardinals fan! He has so many stories and is a good leader and keeps the other Elders focused. The Sisters are awesome Sister Benson is super nice and she helps us feel the spirit. I have been able to sleep pretty well, which is unusual, but I have to imagine my puppies sleeping next to me.

    A day in the MTC is usually a lot of study and prayer. We pray before and after we do anything which is really nice. My days are so much better with prayer. We wake up at 5:30 to make sure we can shower first and then read our scriptures for a bit then meet in our classroom at 7, sing a song, have prayer then go to breakfast. The first couple days I was here I was never hungry, but I ate anyway. We then go back to class then have a lesson with our teachers Sister Thompson and Sister Turner. Every day is already planned for us so we follow that. We have personal or companion study to help teach our investigators. We start with prayer to know what they need to know to help them come unto Christ. The first day we had an opening devotional and at the end what they said is that we can do anything through Christ. The first investigator we taught was Amanda, which was Sister Thompson acting like a person she taught on her mission and she acts like Amanda would. They do a really good job at doing this, when teaching her I didn't feel like I was teaching Sister Thompson I felt like I was teaching Amanda. We are Teaching Sister Turner acting as Erin right now and will meet with her a couple more times. 

We have a thing called TRC and I don't remember what it stands for, but they give us little papers with a little bio about a person and then we prepare a lesson for them. We teach by the spirit and when we prepare what we feel they need to know to want to come unto Christ. Our first TRC investigator is Austin Putnam. He likes hunting a lot so when we met with him we really got to know him and let him feel comfortable with us. We met with him for 25 minutes which was not enough time. We were going to teach him about the Restoration since he already believed in God, because he is a Baptist. We weren't able to get into the Restoration because he had a lot of questions, but that was okay because we are there to teach them about everything in the gospel and it is more important to answer what questions they have so that they will want to know more. He asked what we think of other religions perception of the Bible and I explained it to him like this. If you have a mirror and it falls and a whole bunch of people grab a piece they only have part of the mirror. So all these other churches only have parts of the truth. After the Great Apostasy there wasn't anybody to make sure they were teaching right doctrine and they started to change things and have different ways of reading scripture. Our church is the only church that has the whole truth because we received revelation through Joseph Smith. We then explained about the Book of Mormon and how it is just another Testament of Jesus Christ. Our Second investigator was Yui Kuwahara, we weren't able to teach her because she couldn't make it yesterday. She is from Japan and doesn't have a religious background and likes to read, playing badminton, and things with art.

  Since I got here everyone was just telling me to just make it to Sunday. The days seemed so long and the things I did in the morning seemed like I did them the day before. Monday went super fast though and its crazy I've been here for almost a week. The days go by slower, but the weeks go by super fast. On Sunday we got to take a walk around the Temple which was nice. I got pictures with my district and companion. but I don't have the pictures with my district on my camera so I'll have to send them later. We have the chance to go to the temple which I really want to go since I was only able to go once. We were able to partake of the sacrament on Sunday and it was the best sacrament I've had because I learned that we need to repent every single week for anything whether it is big or small. I am so grateful for the Atonement and what it does for all of us. What Christ suffered for us and I am sure while on the cross he was not praying for comfort for himself, I know he was praying for others that they may have comfort. Like when Peter cuts off the ear of the guard and Christ heals him even though he had just been in the Garden of Gethsemane suffering for us, bleeding through every pore. That is the Character of Christ, which I was able to watch. Instead of thinking of yourself saying I want, I want you yo think of others and how you can help them. On Sunday we had Matthew Holland, Elder Hollands son, come talk to us for a devotional. He talked about Joseph Smith and started with his child life and what he suffered. I don't have a lot of time to write, and hour, so I would encourage you to look up about his child life. He shared a scripture that I thought was awesome: D+C 135:3 "Joseph Smith, the prophet and seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus, for the salvation of men in this world that ever lived in it." 

Elder Bullock

 My companion Elder Huntley

 Look how organized that closet is

View from the MTC

Elder Case from back home

Provo temple

                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                       

Elder Tayson Wayne Bullock was set apart as a full time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the evening of August 2nd, 2016.  He entered the Provo Mission Training Center on August 3rd, 2016 at 12:30 pm. We were grateful that another family member was entering the MTC the same day and at the same time.

      Elder Colten Bullock and Elder Tayson Bullock

It was an emotional day but also a memorable one.  Two years seems an eternity at this point.  Tayson will be blessed for his efforts and we believe that his family will be as well.  We love him with all our hearts and are proud of the man he is becoming.  How could we not be when he is such a great example, a humble and kind person? Let the count down begin......

Love you Tays,        Mom and Dad