Dirty Kearns

Querido Familia,

So Jake informed me in his letter that Paige thinks my emails are boring. So I'm gonna try and make this one as exciting as I can. :)

It's been an awesome week! It's crazy that we've only been here two weeks, because we've met so many people and have got a lot going on. Yesterday was such a great Sunday. So Thursday night our Bishop in one ward called and asked us to speak on Sunday. And then Saturday night the elders that used to be in our wards mentioned that we would probably be speaking in the other ward too, because the bishop had asked them to speak and he has been out of town for the last while and didn't know we had replaced them. Thanks for the heads up elders! So we got to speak twice! And here's a funny thing - so it's always been hard for me to make my talks long enough. But after I spoke, my companion said that I had spoken for 25 minutes. 25 minutes!!! She only had 5 left to speak. The bishopric was laughing at me because I looked horrified. I'm like that annoying long winded high council speaker. But I guess we made a good impression in both wards because we've been getting a lot of referrals. :)

There's a crazy amount of work to do here. The statistics for the number of less actives in both wards is unbelievable. We had a zone conference on Wednesday, where our zone and two others met with President Chambers. It was AWESOME. We talked a lot about that, about how we need to treat our less actives like investigators - help them progress and make sure they are making the commitments that lead towards renewing their baptismal covenants. President Chambers is amazing. (fun fact - I just found out he served his mission in Italy, Milan mission). He said something that really touched me. He said that the visa waiters should not be considered just as that, but as much a part of the mission as anyone else. For some reason we get to serve two missions, and we are needed here for a time. We are all a big mission family! He also spoke a lot about how amazing it is that we get to serve here in the salt lake valley. Something he said that hit me was, "we can't let this place become like the Vatican in Rome!" The members need to be strong and exemplary here. Salt Lake needs to be known for their strong members, not their inactives! I felt such SLC south mission pride. I can honestly say I would serve my whole mission here gladly. (not that I will, haha). 

We had some bike adventures this week (tires popping), some encounters with people who really dislike Mormons (and blondes), and ran into a group of overly friendly drunk people who had grown up members but didn't care much anymore for the lifestyle. Who says Utah missions are boring??

We love our district! We've been getting really tight, they are fun elders and they take good care of us. The other night there was a crazy lightning storm and our district leader, elder Bennett, was texting us and our landlord all worried because we were still out and about. We have a lot of fun together too. It's so nice to have fun with your district. 

We picked up two new investigators this week! M is still going really well, she actually does the reading and has such a desire to have religion in her life and provide that for her family. We started teaching H, who is the sweetest 13 year old girl who's been involved in the church a lot already and wants to get baptized as soon as she can. We also started teaching S, who is a really cute little 9 year old. Her family has been less active for a while, and really closed off to missionaries. But we've been able to go in and teach them all together, and last Sunday the dad took her and her little brother to church which is a huge deal! They're really opening up to us. 

Life is good in Kearns. The weather is cooling down, members are so willing to give us rides often, and we have fun. Oh and the other day I learned how to mow a lawn! The others were shocked that I had never learned before. Turns out yard work is super fun. Another observation: we are definitely in Ute country! My companion and I are both die hard Cougar fans so it's a good thing the members love us so much...

The gospel is the greatest thing ever. To know that if we put our lives in God's hands he can make more of them then we ever could is amazing. All he asks is that we are humble and exercise that seed of faith. 

Hope that one wasn't too boring... sorry Paige :)

love you all!!! 

Hermana Mackenzie Nelson

The Adventures of Whitewashing

Hola Familia!!

So the big news this week is... I got transferred! Last Monday night we were at our branch president's house when we got the call. Sister Bingham and I were to be whitewashing (both new missionaries in the area) in KEARNS! Sister Monarrez would stay in Draper. And in our new assignment, we are English speaking. And riding bikes. So lots of changes! It was sad saying goodbye to Sister Monarrez, we had so much fun as a trio.

We stayed up pretty late packing up, it's a huge transition especially for Sister Bingham who had been in Draper for a whole year. A friend with a truck drove us and our suitcases (and bikes - ahh!) over to our new house the next morning. Here in the mission Kearns has the nickname "Dirty Kearns" because it's... definitely not Draper. We were livin large in our last house and getting so spoiled with our car and whatnot it was time we were humbled a little bit. So they are splitting the area, the elders that were in this stake before are taking three wards and we are taking two. So we met with the elders, they split the area book and gave us some contacts on our phone, and then we went out to try and get a handle on the area.

It's definitely been an adventure to say the least. It's also been such a blessing - at times in Draper, especially as a third companion to two very established missionaries, I felt a little like I was just tagging along sometimes. But here Sister Bingham and I are both new, and are starting from scratch. The members are so excited to have sisters in their wards, it's the first time there have been sister missionaries in this area! So there's lots of excitement involved in that and the fact that there are now 6 missionaries in 1 stake (including the Spanish elders) which is a big deal in Utah. It's been so fun getting to know them. The first night we ate with the B family, he is the High Councilman over missionary work for the stake. They're a young couple who both served Spanish speaking missions. Sister B was SO excited to see us, it was the best welcome ever. She's been such a blessing - she drives us places, and the other night she took us around to meet some of the ward members.

In Kearns, tracting actually works! We have found a TON of less active/inactive members, I heard the other day that one of the wards has 600 listed members but only about 150 come. So there's lots to do. But we've already got a ton of appointments set to come teach inactive members. One of them is K. She is the cutest older lady who has struggled a lot with cancer in the last number of years. She hasn't been going to church for that reason and others. She's married to V, a Hispanic man who is not a member. He takes such tender care of her, it's the sweetest thing. So we're excited to start teaching her, and maybe V in the future.

Speaking of tracting though, the other day we were looking for a PI when we saw this young couple with their little boy sitting outside their house. We stopped to talk to them, and found they are nonmembers that had just recently moved in with her grandparents. They asked lots of questions and we shared a little about the church and the Book of Mormon, and asked if we could come back and teach them. They said yes! So last night we went over and we taught M (the girl). It was amazing. She is so prepared, and even though she's had a hard life, she is still so open hearted and has a desire to know God better and have religion in her life. We didn't get to teach her much because it was late, but she was more than willing to have us over tonight. So we're pretty excited about that.

It's amazing how much work and potential is popping up after just a week. The Lord is helping us and these people to come together, so that we can do great things here. And it's fun to see the excitement of the wards and stake, we're trying to keep that help and really get the members involved. There's no such thing as the members and the missionaries that work in their area, the two groups should be inseparable. We need them and they need us!

The work is definitely a little different here. The good thing about bikes is that we are constantly being seen out and about, and we are constantly stopping to talk to people. The bad thing is that it is so HOT!!! And there are many fewer outfits I have that work for bikes. We get home at night just exhausted. And I won't mention the sweatiness. But we sleep well, and honestly it's so rewarding. When I can look past the discomfort it brings me so much joy to realize that I am really starting to lose myself in the work. This is the best thing I have ever done!!! There is not a doubt in my mind that this is the Lord's work.

I've also been so happy to be with Sister Bingham. We actually have a ton in common, and have really similar personalities. She is so hardworking, but is super fun and positive. (woops--I think I just complemented myself indirectly). It's a stressful thing to be whitewashing a new area and starting totally new, you have to have a lot of patience. So it's a good thing to already know and love your companion.

I love you all and miss you! Thanks for sending updates! The church is true.

love,

Hermana Mackenzie Nelson

Dios-idencia

Hola Familia!!

I can't tell you how excited I was to finally see pictures of little Skye! It was hard to wait. She is so beautiful! I can't believe Matt and Angelica are parents. They look so perfect with her though - what a cute little family. I can't wait to meet her in 15 months. :)

The only thing that could make up for missing my new niece is being a missionary. Fortunately I know this is where I'm supposed to be, and the blessings come every day. It was a good week, I learned and grew so much as a person and as a missionary. When more is demanded of us, we grow the most. Wednesday my companions had to go to a leadership council, and normally I would just go with some other sisters in another area. But we had two appointments scheduled with investigators, and so we decided that I should stay in the area and find someone here to be my companion. I'm not sure if I've mentioned them before, but there's a family in an English stake, the Kuhns, who are super awesome. Even though the parents don't speak any Spanish they've helped us find and teach a number of Hispanics in the area. They have a daughter preparing for a mission, and a son who just got back from his mission in Chile. The daughter was my companion, but I spent the morning with most all of them studying and whatnot. One of the lessons fell through but the second was with A and her daughter G. The RM son helped me out with the teaching, which was awesome because he is an incredible teacher. G is a really sweet girl, she is shy and quiet but you can tell she just wants to do what's right. A really wants the gospel for her children. It was a great lesson - they readily accepted everything, and just took it all in and were so willing. We talked about a baptismal date and she said her son will be joining them next week and she'd like them to all be baptized together - so we'll have to see when he arrives what the timetable will be like. So it was definitely an adventure being on my own for a lot of that day, but at the same time it was so cool. It gave me a chance to recognize all that I was capable of, and to kind of take charge a little more. But I was relieved to be reunited with my companions once again.

Thursday we had a mission tour with Elder Mervyn B. Arnold of the 70. He actually was the speaker at my last devotional in the MTC! It was so incredible. It's impossible to go over everything we talked about, but basically it made me want to just go out and do work. We read through 3 Nephi 11 and discussed the Doctrine of Christ, talked about finding those who are prepared, and how to help people to experience true conversion through repentance. Elder Arnold is amazing, he spoke with great urgency and passion. It is good to be reminded how essential our work is, missionary or not, and the great responsibility we have to share the gospel. At the end of his closing remarks, after talking about our purpose, he said, "Now I don't care if you're a visa waiter or what. The Lord knows where you are and there is nothing random about it." That really hit me hard. I've heard that a lot, but it's hard to really believe it all the time. But those words came from the Lord.

Yesterday I had my first mission illness!! I woke up in the middle of the night suddenly sick. I thought it was food poisoning at first, but it didn't go away and neither of my companions were sick and we had eaten pretty much the same stuff. So they got a young pre-mish girl to come babysit me while they went to meetings and church. I felt fluish all day, just weak and hot&cold. It was the strangest feeling to lay about all day and do nothing. I took like 4 naps! Just after they came back from church the elders came and gave me a blessing. It was really cool. Elder Tui, my district leader, gave a really sweet blessing that not only was for my sickness but also had lots of words of comfort that I needed. The priesthood is amazing. It is a power used not only to direct the church and all other great things but also to personally, individually, bless people like you and me.

The church is true. :)

love,

Hermana Nelson

Bendiciones

Hola familia!!

What a week. This week I'll hit my 3 month mark on the mission. :) Crazy right?? This week was great - we are still having a hard time meeting with our investigators as much as we would like to (it's like they have lives or something) but we started teaching 3 new people! So that was definitely a miracle.

So last Monday we were all out of money, and so didn't have anything with which to get money. We were at Walmart just getting a couple little things when this lady comes up to us at the checkout line and says "I just payed for the elders, and now I want to pay for your groceries!" We told her we didn't get anything, but she said to go get a cart and fill it up. She walked around the store with us, added things to our cart and talked about her son who just left on a mission. It was such a blessing! So we were able to get food for the week. As we were leaving our AP's walked in the store and she ran over to them to go pay for their groceries. (that's what happens in Utah - missionaries everywhere on Pday!) She was such an example to me of finding joy in service. She was having such a good time just buying groceries for the missionaries! What a wonderful way to live.

So on Wednesday we met a lady named A and her 12 year old daughter G. They had investigated the church about a year ago, and A really wants her children to start learning again, because she wants that support and guidance that the church gives to youth for her kids. A is really sweet, hopefully we can also get her more involved even though she has a crazy work schedule because she already has a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I'm excited to keep teaching them.

Also that day, we had an appointment set up with R, our investigator who is always working and who has had to miss all of our appointments for the last couple weeks. She has a son, A, who also investigated the church with her a couple years ago and even was working towards a baptismal date. We went over with Hermana S from the branch, who is friends with R. We pulled up to the house and no one was there - and R wasn't answering her phone. It was almost 9 and we were feeling kind of discouraged that she cancelled again But Hermana S was like, "A might be here!" and knocked on the door. And he was home! She asked if we could come in and talk to him for a bit. So we ended up teaching him briefly, and invited him to be baptized and he accepted! He still has that desire to read the Book of Mormon and learn more about the church. So that was a miracle!

Thursday we had training for all the 1st transfer missionaries - which includes me even though I've been here 7 weeks, because I came in a little early as a visa waiter. It was really good - President Chambers talked about the importance of baptism as our first covenant with Heavenly Father, and how it all points us towards the temple. He also said something that really stuck out to me about the sacrament. Oftentimes it's hard to focus our thoughts during the sacrament, and our minds wander a little. But in taking the sacrament one of the promises we make is to always remember Christ. How can we make that promise when in the very moment we are making it we are breaking it? 

We had an incredible lesson this week with our investigator JL. Just a recap - his wife of 6 months is a member, he is catholic but has been investigating the church for her. He's been reading the Book of Mormon but has a lot of little questions and doubts. He is waiting for an answer from God, but believes he hasn't received it yet. So we had a lesson schedule for Thursday, and really prepared a lot for it - I spent a while reading about how we recognize the spirit. We just knew that we needed to help him have an experience where he could recognize those quiet, peaceful feelings that come. Often he would just get so caught up in having discussions and wouldn't take time to listen and feel. So we started by inviting him to just listen, and pay attention to his feelings. We watched the Restoration DVD - the story about Joseph Smith and the first vision. And then we testified. The spirit was incredibly present in that room as we each bore sincere testimonies of the experiences we'd had in feeling that these things are true. His wife also shared with us, she has such a solid faith and trust in God. And then I asked him to read D&C 6: 22,23. He shared that he had felt such peace when he had visited temple square and such. And then, to all of our surprise, he pulled out a calendar on his phone. He said our ward mission leader last Sunday had challenged him to set a date for his baptism, and he had. He got emotional when he explained that he had become a new person on November 17th, and so he wanted to plan to be baptized on that day. It was such a cool moment!!

One more story. So we met this Hispanic man through an American family in our area a few days ago, and were excited to get something set up with him. We talked to him a bit and he said he had not heard of the Book of Mormon, didn't have religion in his life, but believed in God. So we set up to teach him later that day at the American family's house. A couple hours later the sister called and said he had to leave, and so couldn't meet with us. We were disappointed. So it was like 8 that night and we were stopping by an apartment complex to see some members. We were pulling out to leave and my companion goes, "hey, is that JM??" And it was! He was sitting there waiting for something. So we went over and started talking to him. He was super willing and was soaking it all up. He's been struggling with drinking but wants to give it up. We taught the restoration, and about the Book of Mormon. Right before he had to go we invited him to be baptized and he said yes! We were so excited. As we were leaving we saw a brother from the other Spanish branch and mentioned to him what had just happened. He said, "JM? you mean that short older man with the white hair? Oh yeah, we have his records in our branch. He's a member." My companions and I were DYING we were laughing so hard. Such is missionary life!!

Anyways, life is good, Draper is the bomb (and really hot), and the church is true. 

Also, the Book of Mormon is the best.

love you all!!!!

Hermana Mackenzie Nelson