Week 5 - TRACTING!!

Dear Family/Friends

Hey sorry I didn't send an email last week…but I am sending one now though! Everything here is going great! The members are awesome and they love to feed us! Everyone hear knows its my birthday this Wednesday because apparently you (mom) said something about it recently? Also are you seeing all the pictures of me on the Missionary Moms website? That is weird that so many people hear are doing that all the time. 

We did a lot of tracting this week it was crazy! We walked for two days straight and that is all we did. I guess its me getting used to walking in India! I wont have the luxury of having a car there. 

We had this really cool experience yesterday where we were driving to a members house and my trainer and I both looked at each other and said to pull over to this road. We then talked to this lady named Diana that was at the end of the road.  She  was really interested in learning about what we had to share so we are teaching her on Tuesday!  Hopefully, that will give us another investigator so we will have two!   I know its sad we only have two but we also have these things call ITL's which are “Invitations To Learn”.  Every time we invite someone to learn of Christ it counts as one and we have over 10 every day so we know we are spreading the word! It can be hard getting people that are interested to hear more. 

 Everything else this week has been meetings and less active visits. It is hard trying to bring someone back to church because they have very strong opinions on everything!  I love the pictures of Wesley that Katie sent me! I cant believe I am a uncle! Its crazy! 

 I miss you a lot Mom. Everytime I clean or do laundry I become more thankful for everything you have done, so thank you Mom! You made my life so much easier when I was home and I never realized it that much. Ummm something you can do this week is prepare for General Conference!   Well I have to go!  

Love,

-Elder Kulkarni

Week 4 - No email

I (his mom) was able to write back and forth for a few minutes...but that was all he had time to do.  He is doing great!  He loves his mission and loves his companions!  They have been treated really well by the members of the ward they are serving in.  It is so great to know that he is loving his mission and all is well!!

Week 3 - Manchester, New Hampshire Mission

Hey Everyone, 

I have been really really busy since I got to Maine.   My flight to New Hampshire was tiring. I woke up at 3:30 am.  I was really nervous when I got to the airport.  I talked to a lady about my mission and she said her nephew is on a mission right now in San Diego and she said he goes to the "big white church" there and I explained to her that it was the temple. We got to the mission home and we first took pictures with everyone. We had Cafe Rio and it was way good. They gave us a challenge to finish the book of mormon by the time October comes around.  That will be hard but doable!   We slept at the mission home and then the next morning we got our assignments to where we are going to serve.  I am going to the Gardiner Maine area for my training and it is so beautiful! I love it here! The ward members are incredible! They are all way nice!  Its really humid and great!  My companions are Elder Aldous, who is my trainer and previous assistant to the president and Elder Gittens who is new like me. They are  great, I love them both. We all work hard and we all try our best to improve. Elder Aldous leaves after training us so this is kind of like his last stand.  Everything  has been like I thought a mission would be like.  Except we have way more freedom. Nothing exciting has happened yet, so until next time. Read 2 Nephi 31 and learn of the Doctrine of Christ!

Love,

Elder Kulkarni

Week 2 - MTC cont...

The MTC has been great but i am so ready to leave and be able to teach the people of New Hampshire! In my patriarchal blessing, it tells me that i will be serving another assignment to gain experience before I can go and further serve the Lord. I think what it was referring to was going to New Hampshire and gaining experience there. I know there is a reason that I am going and some person or family is just waiting for me to teach them about the message of Christ. I cant believe how much my testimony has grown since I have been here. I have learned for a fact, without a doubt in my mind, that this church is true and that I need to be out here serving the Lord. I have also realized something today. My teacher told us that this isn't our mission. It is the Lords mission. We are not doing this for us. We are doing this for the Lord. That is why I am still out here. If I was doing it for me, I would be home by now because i would be selfish and want to care for myself. But I cant do that. I am on the Lord's time now and doing what the Lord wants. His will is my will.

Week 1 - MTC

Dear Family/Friends:

The MTC is fantastic! I have been learning so much its crazy. I can't believe how fast I am learning how to teach the gospel and the constant feeling of having the spirit is amazing. It is tough being in rooms all day. You start to feel a little anxious and want to leave but I know I have much more to learn. My first companion Elder Kimmins is from Alberta Canada. He follows the rules with exact obedience and keeps us following the rules. My second companion Elder Cordner has such a strong testimony. He is from Alpine, Utah. I don't know how to send pictures yet so they will come when I can. The MTC does feel like a prison though. Just being put in a room for so long is stressful but I am adapting. I don't know why I worried so much about my mission. I have learned so much it is crazy! Way more these past 6 days than I have my entire life. My understanding of the Gospel is so different. Realizing that everything is about Christ. It is centered on Christ and his love for us. I want to share something with you that we learned from a talk by Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ "There would be no Atoning Sacrifice without the Character of Christ." What is the Character of Christ? "The Character of Christ is when Christs turns outwards to people with love, service, and charity when we would turn inwards with selfishness." Think about that and I would encourage you to try to apply that in your life. When you feel like turning inwards in life. Turn outwards and gain that Character of Christ. This changed my whole perspective on my purpose here and how to go and do missionary work. 

-Elder Kulkarni