Ring Out Wild Bells For The New Year!!!

HAPPY UPCOMING NEW YEAR, absolutely amazing friends and family!!! It is so crazy to think that we are almost at the end of 2020! I remember New Year’s Eve like it was yesterday, with my family and I sitting in the living room talking about our goals and resolutions for how we were going to make 2020 different and truly one of the best years we could ever have. Granted our original goals and resolutions may have been slightly or drastically altered by the Covid-19 pandemic, and many fun things we were looking forward to that had to be canceled or pushed off but regardless 2020 was still an amazing year full of so much growth and change! One highly anticipated new year event would be my decision to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary, of course, this was impacted by Covid-19, but it has allowed me to experience a drastically different kind of mission, a more efficient mission where we reach thousands of individuals daily from the confines of our apartments. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that "if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new". As this very memorable year comes to a close and we look forward to the new horizons that wait for us in 2021 let us remember that change is not bad, but instead an opportunity to become "a new creature" or receive revelation for a "divine reset in missionary efforts'' (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf). I am excited to announce that the North Dakota Bismarck mission has had an increase in baptisms and broken our five-year streak of being one of the lowest US baptizing missions by adapting and changing into a modern-day missionary field. Change doesn't always have to have a negative connotation but instead can be seen as a gateway of new opportunities and experiences. One of my favorite quotes from Elder Yaggie, our area seventy, is "when we exit the comfort zone, we enter the miracle zone". My sweet brothers and sisters let us be willing to change! Sometimes a change will be a refreshing experience, while other times it may be difficult, but no matter what, when we strive to change and align our lives with that of our Heavenly Father we will be blessed and receive infinite more blessing that if we were to stay in the comfort zone. I have gained a testimony of this out here in the Dakotas that Heavenly Father does nothing to this world, except it be for our good and when we do our part to change and become "a new creature" in Him, He will pair His power with our efforts and bless us forever. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS AS WELL!!! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas full of family friends and of course Santa Claus visits. In preparation for, Christmas Elder Post and I were asked to create a short two-minute video showcasing the beautiful nativity sets of members all over the Bismarck stake accompanied by one of our super talented missionaries singing her rendition of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" on the Ukulele. It was kind of stressful not going to lie because we had only two days' notice, but it was so fun to be able to walk and drive around and see all of the beautiful Christmas lights and how brilliantly light shines against the darkness. It was also so fun to stop and meet new members that I have never met before and even be able to try some of their delicious Christmas food. Speaking of food, the members out here know how to cook! On Christmas eve we were fed by the Southam family who gave a literal buffet featuring wontons, egg rolls, a cheese board, crackers and dip, a veggie tray, stir fry, and a bunch of other delicious homemade goodies. We were also fed by the Beeman’s who gave us an entire turkey and ham, politely telling us we needed to fatten up because the negative forties were about to hit. But if I'm going, to be honest, the biggest highlight was of course calling my family back home and being able to open Christmas gifts with them! Honesty was super fun and different Christmas that I couldn't have possibly imagined any better!!!

 

FRIEND UPDATE!!! Of course, with the holiday season, everyone gets super busy with throwing parties and getting together with the family meaning that missionary lessons are kind of thrown to the wayside, but luckily we were still able to meet and teach with some of our friends. One friend that I haven't mentioned yet is Haven who was found through Instagram tracking and is one of the most elect people I have ever met! It is very clear to see that the Lord has been preparing for a very long time. In our first lesson which was more of a bible study about why we need Jesus Christ in our lives, he asked the question of why there are so many churches and why they all practice and believe different things, literally the best possible question he could ask and is now taking the discussions and is now wanting to be baptized into the church. However, the one snag is that he recently moved out of North Dakota and now lives in Louisiana and is currently serving in the National Guard. Luckily some missionaries serve in his area and even have base passes allowing them to meet and teach on-site and even in the barracks. Unfortunately, that means we are going to have to pass of Haven to the Sisters down in Louisiana, but it is still amazing and comforting to know that he was prepared for us to find him over Instagram and to be led to the true Church of Jesus Christ. Being a missionary is so awesome!!!!

 

All in all, this week has been absolutely amazing and full of so much joy and happiness. I hope that we remember that change is sometimes a good thing at that through change we can become better than we ever could if we remained in the comfort zone. I am so thankful for all of you and your sweet Christmas messages, cards, and packages, and am also so grateful to be a missionary here in the Dakotas. I love you all so much and hope that 2021 brings happiness, warmth, and of course amazing blessings. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

 

Sent with love from,

Elder McMullin :)

Photo Gallery!!!

1-5) North Dakotans Love their Christmas Lights

6) The Southam’s Singing Christmas Carols to us and giving us food (it was soooooo good)

7) Family Christmas Gift Opening

8) Christmas with the Comps

Merry Christmas From The Dakotas

Hello wonderful, amazing, and kind friends and family!!! 

Let me tell you it does not feel like Christmas without being around you, but regardless MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! 

 

This week and p-day have been soooo busy and chaotic and I unfortunately don't have time to write a super well thought out letter, BUT I do have time to share a quick spiritual thought as we all approach the Christmas Weekend. I just briefly want to talk about gifts and how the greatest gift that the world has ever received is Him, our Savior Jesus Christ. Through Him we have the wonderful gift to be cleansed from sin, and be able to live again after this life with a perfect body. No gift this great has ever been given and ironically it is free, all He asks in return is our hearts and loyalty. My Brothers and Sisters Christmas is a wonderful time of year, full of happiness, peace, joy, and family. Let us remember that all of these gifts and more would not have been possible if it were not for the very first gift of Christmas. As Christmas inches closer and closer let us also inch closer and closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. I know and have a testimony that He loves each and every one of you and that He is always with you every step of the way, no matter how dark or how light the path you may be on. He is the gift, and He is waiting for you. My sweet Brothers and Sisters I love you all so much and I wish I could write you a more detailed event list of my week, but know that I love you and that your Savior and Heavenly Father love you!

 

Sent with love and Christmas Cheer!!!

Elder McMullin :)

 

DJ MCMULLIN IN DA HOUZ!!!

FELIZ NADIADAD FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!!! Not going to lie this week has been AWESOME, despite quarantine and arctic gusts sneaking upon us in the middle of the night. This week we had the absolute pleasure of having our area seventy and his wife (Elder and Sister Jaggie) virtually tour the mission while richly testifying about our Savior Jesus Christ and the importance of keeping "our eyes on the Brethren". In Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 we read/learn that the word of the Lord "shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by [his] own voice or by the voice of [His] servants, it is the same". In these trying last days with pandemics, violent civil unrest, and natural disasters it can be difficult to hear the voice of the Lord as well as His plan for us in these Latter-days just as it might have been for Peter to see past the wind and the waves while walking on water towards Jesus Christ. The difference between these two events and their outcomes may be that when Peter began to sink he cried out to the Lord for help and took his focus away from the world and focused it on our older brother, our Savior Jesus Christ. In these trying last days, we see many hardships, however, let us take away our focus and attention on these trails and instead shift our focus and faith to the brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and First Presidency, and most importantly our Savior Jesus Christ. Brothers and Sisters if we consistently and constantly keep our eyes on The Brethren I know without a doubt that we will not be led astray, but rather become receptive to more blessings and miracles that will help soothe us in these trying times.

So like I mentioned above we have been exposed to Covid, again, and have been in Quarantine for the past seven days, again, but luckily we have still had some amazing spiritual experiences and also a lot of fun as a companionship. As you may have read in the caption I have started creating my own reality tv series called "The Real Houseplants of Bismarck" and let me tell you things are going down (and it's not just my sanity level)! Currently, Sherman and Tiffany are separated due to an argument about Tiffany's overspending on various ornaments and Jewelry instead of trying to save money for an upcoming trip to Europe they plan on doing with their old college friends Hank and Linda. I bet that this is only a momentary lapse in their relationship and that they will eventually get back together and realize that overzealous spending is just an element of Tiffany's already over the top personality and should be gradually reeled in, at least that my opinion, but we will have to see what happens in the next episode. In other news the members in our ward have been super caring and loving by ordering us Doordash, randomly dropping off desserts, and sending super sweet texts about how much they miss us at Sacrament Meeting. One Sister in our ward who recently sent out a Son on a mission to Argentina has been especially looking out for us, so much in fact that she has called almost every member of the Relief Society and has scheduled meals for us almost every night of the week, and reserved us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner. Honestly without the "Real Houseplants of Bismarck", Sister Southam, and the other super kind and caring members of the Bismarck 2nd ward, Quarantine would have been a lot harder and less fun.


FRIEND UPDATE!!! Unfortunately, with being in quarantine and all we had to cancel all of our in-person teaching appointments and try and do them over Facebook Messenger or Zoom. Both Eugene and Hope said they would rather just wait till we were out of quarantine for our meeting rather than do it over Zoom. Not the response we were hoping for but we have still just been checking in on how they are doing and mostly everything is going well. Elder Post, Garner, and I have also really tried to friend thirty-five people and have twenty conversations a day with people on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, it was super hard but luckily we were able to do it and we have started seeing some truly amazing blessings happen! For starters, I have been messaging this one guy from Dubai who is now living in Bismarck for the past week and it turns out he's a pretty cool guy and is a marketing expert for a couple of oil drilling and refining companies around Bismarck and Mandan area, he also has a side job of DJing at various events all over North and South Dakota. One day completely out of the blue he messages me and says, "I think I've got something that you will enjoy" and then adds me to a private Facebook Group with DJs, Sound Technicians, and singers from all over North and South Dakota. BUT if that wasn't good enough, he gave me a shout-out when he added me saying I was a pretty cool guy and that people should message me if they want to talk to someone upbeat and positive, but also loves talking about business and business development. So now I have tons of super cool people messaging me asking me questions about where I am from, why I am here, and why I have a black shield on my chest in my profile pic. So awesome am I right!!!!


Now for one last miracle that happened this week, on Saturday we were kind of feeling bummed out about life and felt like weren't making any difference and simply wasting Church resources, when Elder Post got a response from a guy he has been messaging on Instagram saying he was down to do a Bible study tomorrow at five. We get on the video call and this guy is only twenty and honestly super cool, but straight ELECT. What was originally going to only be a fifteen-minute Bible Study turned out to be an hour-long conversation about Jesus Christ and why he gives us challenges in life like losing a loved one or struggling with various sins. It was such a powerful lesson, but it got even better! At the end of the conversation Haven (the guy we are talking to) said he felt so much happiness and joy that he wants to do these every two days if his schedule allows, BUT IT GETS EVEN BETTER!!!! We were about to say the closing prayer when he says "can I ask you a super dumb question that has been bothering me for a while? I have attended various churches like the Baptist, Catholic, Evangelist, and Lutheran faiths, but they all practice different things and say different things, how can I find the true Church of Jesus Christ"? Low-key we almost exploded with excitement and told him that we have the perfect answer for him and we will tell him on Tuesday, to which he responded, "I'm counting down the minutes, thank you for my brothers'!!!!!! So basically, I'm now counting down the minutes and practicing the Restoration Lesson each hour so it's perfect for him.


All in all this week has been extraordinary and a true testament that the Lord knows us and what we are going through. I know without a doubt that we have a Savior and Heavenly Father that love us, so much in fact that one of them was born this Christmas Season to be our mediator and Savior. I am so grateful for my mission and all of the wonderful experiences that I am having and for the wonderful people of North Dakota. I love and miss you all so much, but I hope that this letter finds you warm and well during this truly amazing time of the year! Love you all so much!!!


Elder McMullin :)


Photo Gallery!!!
1) The Good ol' North Dakota Weather
2-3) Sweet Members and their Meals

I Have Unintentionally Opened A Resort.

Hello, amazing friends and family!!! Not going to lie, this week has flown by and it feels like only yesterday that I was writing to you all about the wonders that are Bismarck, North Dakota. To start off this email, happy 7th day of December! This only means eighteen more days till Christmas- can you believe that! The spiritual thought that I would like to share with you all this week focuses on the wonder and beauty of Light. This holiday season light is everywhere from beautifully decorated Christmas trees to colorful Christmas Lights on houses, even to our Bishops light up Christmas ties that he wears for the month of December. But where does this light come from? This kind of light is powered by electricity, a substance lacking life or soul and whose power is limited to the length of a cord or wire. Compare this "artificial" or "man-made" light to that of the Light of Christ. This light has the ability to shine everywhere, inspire change, and pierce even the darkest of areas. In the words of Elder Jeffrey R Holland "It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ's Atonement shines". This Christmas season let us flood our lives with Light. Let us experience the temporary joy of artificial light while also letting it inspire us to share our light with others and become beacons or reflectors of the Infinite Light of Jesus Christ. A fabulous way to do this is to get involved with the 2020 Light the World program whose mission is to spread the light and joy of the one and only "Light of the world" (John 8:12). My sweet brothers and sisters this year has been hard on us all, but let us take advantage of this Christmas season and spread joy and light, rather than Covid, and remember to seek out the one and true light source, our Savior Jesus Christ. 

 
FRIEND UPDATE!!! This week we had the wonderful opportunity to be able to meet twice with Brian and have some really good discussions about the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation. So far, he seems fairly interested and has been asking a lot of really good questions. Hope, (Brains girlfriend) is also doing AMAZING she has repeatedly been bearing her testimony about how much happier she has been feeling when we come over and visit and how she is starting to feel the spirit more and more in her life. This week they also invited us to come over on Saturday and make authentic El Salvadorian pupusas which are like a Spanish Dumpling cooked in corn oil and topped with cabbage and Sals (so good)! They are both so awesome and I am so excited that our relationship is growing and that they are getting so close to being baptized! On the other hand, we have hit some snags with Eugene, but I know that if we keep working with him and reach out with extra love and tenderness, we can begin getting him back on the covenant path. I love all of these people so so so much and I am so grateful that I can be involved in their lives and help bring them lasting happiness and joy! Missionary work is awesome!!!! 
 

Now you may be wondering what's up with the caption, well let me explain. At the beginning of this transfer Elder Post and I thought that we would be all on our own trying to get our Advertising workload under control. However, this is not so. This past week we have had the actually super fun opportunity to have new Elders crash with us for the night and some parts of the day. Elder Post and I have tried our hardest to make them feel comfortable and welcome by giving them the nicest bathroom, cooking Omelets for them in the morning, and cleaning up after them. Now the problem is every Elder in the mission wants to come to Bismarck and crash with us and check into the McPost Resort and Cafe. Even the assistants to the President (our next-door neighbors) have tried to check themselves in. Needless to say, life here in the NDBM is awesome and it is so fun to be able to meet new Elders and fun past companions or friends. 
 

All in all, missionary life is awesome!!! If any of you are debating whether a mission is for you or not, jump in head first with faith in the lord and you will see amazing blessings and have an amazing experience. Love you all so much and hope this Christmas season is full of happiness, joy, and most importantly light. Love you all and miss spending Christmas with you!!!! 
 

Sent with love and Christmas Cheer from, 
Elder McMullin :) 
 

Photos!!! 
1) My gnome brethren celebrating Christmas 
 Cheer: https://www.comeuntochrist.org/light-the-world-2020/the-christ-child