First assignment...Framingham, MA !!!!

Dear Family,

How are you all? Its my first Pday in Boston. Funny thing is that I'm neither in Brockton or Cambridge! Turns out there's like 5 or 6 Portuguese areas. I'm in Framingham. Our area is more Hispanic/Brasileiro but it's remnants of a former Portuguese Branch that no longer exists. If I remember there's Marlborough, Framingham, Cambridge/Boston, Brockton and Bedford that are Portuguese and definitely more but idr.    Anyways, my companion is Elder Ponce. He's really cool, he goes home in April/May. He was born in Brazil but left when he was 9 and has lived in Houston Texas for 12 years.

His Last Email from the Missionary Training Center

Dear family, how are you? I’m well. I received your letters and that Christmas card, I really loved that card it was so cute lol. So I sent that one package early last week and then about Friday or Saturday I sent a letter with some pictures, I’ll send some more soon after I get to Boston with my memory card and my new address of my first area.

Grr… I just dripped my chocolate milk on my white turtle neck, which I can’t very well wash because I leave at 6 o’clock Wednesday morning and today is the only day to wash clothes grr

Anyway, so I got a letter from Aunt Donna this week thru “dear elder”, that was cool, it was nice to know she was thinking of me.

Last night was really kool, instead of a normal SED they set up more chairs and in an unusual way, that had everyone facing a corner with some temporary risers, no pulpit at all. For our devotional we had the BYU men's choir perform for us, it was crazy, apparently they are the world's largest men's collegiate choir with, if I remember right, 200 people. But they were very good, and they performed a special song that every year they only sing to the mtc at Christmas time.

So, I’m really super excited, this week we had in-field orientation all day on Friday, which got me really excited for the field. It was funny because at the end of the day the instructors split us into groups to performed a sort of play. It was all about the first few days of being in the field about meeting your ward mission leader and the bishop and going to Ward council and PEC and some of the basic things we'll be doing. Well in the play, the ward mission leader (phones) the bishop and calls the two missionaries studs, because they’re doing really well.... well, in the row behind myself and Elder Stradley was that sister from Scotland. It was so funny because she didn’t totally understand American slang, so I could hear her in her Scottish accent talking to her companion trying to understand what he meant because she thought he was calling them Hot, like how a girl would refer to a guy, rotfl. Seriously, the funniest thing this week.

Also on Saturday was really kool, when we had class with bro. Paulich he had us do a certain activity where one person would sit in the middle of the room, then we all went around taking turns telling that person what we liked best or learned most from them. Then that person would say what they got out of their experience at the mtc or with our district... we all had a turn in the middle doing that including bro Paulich. Then that night we had sister Ririe sit and we did the same to her. And we plan to do it to sis chamberlain as well today.

Anyhow, I really loved my experience here. By far one of the best I’ve ever had. I would say the best, but I know the best is yet to come lol.

So I’ve done something to my shoulder and I have no clue what. I haven’t fallen down stairs, got in a fight, or anything, but early last week I started having pains in my right shoulder right by the blade. I don’t think it’s something to worry. If dad can get better so can I lol.

So I’m excited to hear from you all soon! A few more days and i'll be in the field wherever, doing whatever it is I need to do... turns out part of the new system of things is that all new missionaries are trained for 12 weeks not 6 anymore. I already knew about the extra hour of study though. So with any luck I’ll have one trainer and just skyrocket with my effectiveness to the follow the spirit. With any luck, I’ll never be a missionary who starts relying more on technique than the spirit.

Anyways I love you all I want a family Christmas photo so make sure to send one! I’ll send a Christmas one when I get in the field. I love you all and I'll be calling at the airport on Wednesday.

Love Aric

Going to the Mission Field - Departing 12-14-11

Just as a reminder, Aric asks that you start mailing letters to the Massachusetts Boston Mission office until he get his first area assignment. He leaves the MTC the morning of 12-14-11. If letters are received at the MTC after that date, it will take weeks to get to Aric. The new address is :
Elder Aric Alexander Mullins
Massachusetts Boston Mission
182 W. Central St
Ste 203
Natick, MA 01760

Send him some love!

One last week at the MTC - Email from Aric 12/05/11

Ola,

How are you all?  I'm great! This past week I got my travel plans for the 14th. My plane leaves at like 7 or 8   idr lol but it’s a one way flight to Boston I’ll get there about 5 in the afternoon. There’s going to be like 15 people in my travel group.  Anyways today I’m going to send a package with books and things I don’t need as well as the letters I wrote this past week. 

So I did get to see the Christmas devotional. We watched it the hour after it showed bc 7 o clock is when we have our SED's but it aired live at 6.  Anyways afterwards I and most of our district went to see for the movie night part, a talk Elder Bednar gave about following the spirit which was really super awesome. Seriously, I know there are really awesome apostles, each has their own focus and ways of teaching or whatever, but Elder Bednar is my favorite, IDK why but there's something special about him.

Monday 21 November 2011 - "Two Portuguese speaking Elders named Mullins"

Dear family,

How are all of you? I did get your care pack, it is awesome. I still have chips and salsa and I’m saving the IBC for Thanksgiving lol. I got so many letters this week. lol I got some from grandma and grandpa, you all, grandma Virgie, and one big one from seminary with letters from most of the seminary class.

SYL last week turned more into a really super ESYL (Effective SYL) which is basically using it as much as you can, but still using some English. So this week I'm setting the goal again and going to work hard to SYL all the time.

November 14, 2011 email - "Walk Around the Temple"

Bom dia familia

I’m doing well! This week I’m trying to SYL the ENTIRE WEEK!! Today will be the hardest because it’s Pday, so pray for my success please!!

Yesterday was like the best day ever!!! The talks were really great, but the very best part was when Elder Stradley and I went on the Sunday walk. Our district had gone without us. So we went as they were coming back. It’s been kind of wet out, it rained yesterday, so they didn’t stay as long as they could. So Elder Stradley and I went ran into a good friend of ours Vanhin Edwards, he's going to Finland and will leave about the same time as us… Then we stopped to talk to the Anziani, the Italian Elders, in our branch who came the same day as us. When we were about to leave, we start walking the way we came. All of the sudden I get the feeling/idea to go the other way around the temple

Monday, November 7, 2011

Another email from Aric!

Ola Familia!

Tudo Bem? Tudo Bem para mim! Everything is going well that is... lol

I mailed off some photos on thursday, we get prints super cheap, and every week we get $6 on our church cards for free spending. I plan to send the memory card home this week, though i might do it sooner if the store has memory cards to buy.

Anyways, things are great even when its hard to think it is. I'm learning so much and becoming more and more at easy with talking with strangers and things. Portugues is coming along really well,  I haven't quite hit the wall I think, but even when I do its more like a loop where I learn a ton or become a little more fluent with what ive learned then learn a little more and so on.

Being here at the MTC has totally given me a lot of direction for my life perspective as far as things I

"Ola" from the MTC

"Hi every one!

Its another p-day everything is going great!  Today we decided to get up early and do laundry first then go to the temple so we can beat the mad rush and get everything done right away. I wont be able to check email after this session until next monday so keep that in mind if you reply. lol

So I've learned so much not only about teaching by the spirit and following the spirit but also about my mission. We met an Elder who is going to serve in Las Vegas. The kool thing is he is orginally from portugal and was living in Brazil when he came here. We were talking to him and it turns out there are 3 entire dialects of portuguese in the Boston area and they are very different. So obviously there are a lot of Brazilians there

Email from Aric

We received this email from Aric and he said to pass it along. Enjoy.
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Querido familia,

I'm doing well, I love you all. The MTC is really awesome. Its right across from the Provo temple on BYU campus. and the temple is part of the MTC campus.  This morning my district went to the temple. It was great to go and be reminded of the blessings the Lord has given to me. It was very crazy. We got up at 5:45 and left at 6:30 for the temple. My campanion, Elder Stradley, and I didn't get to do iniatory work until after 8:30.   I love being here, it is so very hard.

The First Letter(s)!!!

We got our first letter, I mean letters from Aric today. That's right not one, but two! Both were wrote on his first night.

Aric writes, "...(day one) was such a challenging day ... I've already learn so much and it goes back to gospel basics - A of F 4 and faith, hope, & charity."

His companion is Elder Matthew Sam Stradley. Elder Stradley is from West Jordan, UT and was born just 16 days after Aric. They will probably be companions in the mission field too! That's right, Elder Stradley is also called to serve in the MA-Boston Mission as a Portugues speaking missionary! How exciting. Aric and Elder Stradley are the only two Portudues speaking missionaries in their district who are not going to Central and/or South America.

Unfortunitely, the second letter was to inform us he need $21.00 for a flu shot. lol - At least it's mail!!!

He promises to write at least twice a week while at the MTC.

Entering the MTC - Photos from Sister Larsen

We received some photos from Sister Becca Larsen and just wanted to share some. As you know, the Larsens picked Aric up at the Salt Lake City Airport. After lunch, they stopped outside the Provo Temple for a couple photos before heading over to the MTC. Enjoy!

A Wonderful Sendoff from SBN

Well, on Tuesday October 11, 2011 @ 7:30 pm Aric was set apart as a Full Time Missionary by Stake President Chester Gibson. Elder Mullins picked Red Robin as his last dinner in Indiana for the next 2 years. And as a missionary, he couldn't watch TV that night. Yep, that's right...he missed NCIS. lol

On Weds October 12, 2011 @ 7:10 am, Elder Mullins left the South Bend Airport enroute to Salt Lake City on Delta Airlines. He was met in Salt Lake City by the Larsens and taken to lunch. After a bite at "In and Out" (Is this place like Sonic or something?), Aric entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) @ 1:10 pm.  -- The above photo is of Teresa, Aric, and Angela at the airport just before he entered security. I thought TSA was going to pull him out of line for a more detailed search because I was wearing my pistol and taking photos. They even sent two different guys toward us during check-in...I got the evil eye both times! LOL

A Wonderful Open House & Missionary Farewell!

Thank you soooo much for making Aric's Open House and Missionary Farewell a success! I don't think there has ever been so many people in this small apartment. We had a great time with all our friends. Thank you for taking time out of your day to come and say good-bye to Aric.

Aric says thanks for the wonderful cards, notes, and thoughtful insights ... the gifts were nice too! ;)

Well, he will be offically set apart Tuesday night then we take him to the airport Wednesday morning.

He's Going on a Mission - Massachusetts Boston Mission!

Well, if you have not heard, Aric has been called to serve a mission in the Massachusetts Boston Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Since Aric, I mean Elder Mullins, will not be able to keep everybody up to date with his daily life while serving in the Boston area, I will blog the experiences he shares with the family ... letters, emails, photos and the like.

Feel free to comment, ask questions, search the blog, and click on the links.