October 28, 2013

Hola familia!

What a week it's been. It definitely had it's challenges, and some illness, but I've been learning more than ever that obedience brings blessings. Monday was super fun - this cute sister in one of our wards, Sister Cluff, took us out to lunch and then cut my hair. And then we went to a pumpkin patch with our zone, and carved our pumpkins in a cute little barn! It was fun and very fall-ish.

We had a lot of appointments fall through, like with our investigator Slater because he was sick all week. But we did end up teaching/meeting with a ton of less active people and families which is pretty cool. It seems like a lot of our work here will be with those who are less active. They need it just as much as the non members! Often they really never even gained a testimony - and so the way we teach them is just as we would with an investigator. It's all about the basics. The little things that add up to lasting conversion - daily prayer and scripture study, and attending church. Then the spirit does the rest!

Thursday we did the most amazing service activity ever - wash an entire litter of golden retriever puppies!!! It was so much fun and I nearly died from all the cuteness. They are only about 6 weeks old, and are the cutest things in the world. I'll try and send some pictures.

Friday we had to take a sick day. Sister Martin was feeling pretty bad and I was struggling getting over my sore throat/cold thing. It was some much needed extra sleep. I did get to do splits for a bit in the afternoon with an awesome ward missionary to go teach the M’s, a cute older less active couple. So later that evening the Elder Hansen (DL) and his comp Elder MacTavish came to give Sister Martin a blessing. It was really great - I've come to love priesthood blessings. As they were about to leave they asked if there was anything else we needed. Jokingly I mentioned how we had been craving chili for a while... but there was nothing else really. So we were just sitting around when we get a knock on the door and there's Elder Hansen with some chili for us! Then he ran away. It was the cutest thing and definitely made our day.

Saturday was great. We set out for the day with no planned appts, but we ended up teaching 4 lessons! We were even able to find Slater at home and share a message with him. It was awesome and the Lord was definitely helping us out - what a tender mercy. Sunday was crazy as usual, lots of church and meetings. And now it's the beginning of another week! It's crazy how that happens... time! The transfer is almost over. This is gonna be a good week, Halloween night we get to go to the temple!! Woohoo!!!

Anyways, the church is most definitely true. Also starting today, I will be doing a 40 -day fast. Kind of like Lent - I've made a list of things that I will be cutting out that aren't bad, just getting in the way of being as effective and sensitive to the spirit as I should be. So wish me luck! It'll take a lot of determination and self control. A scripture that's given me a lot of encouragement to start this all out it Helaman 3:35:

35 Nevertheless they did afast and bpray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their chumility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the dpurifying and the esanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their fyielding their hearts unto God.

I am striving each day to "yield my heart unto God" so that I can become the servant He needs me to be. He can make us more than we can even imagine! It's pretty awesome.

I love you all and miss you!

Hermana Mackenzie Nelson

Laughter is the best medicine

Hola Familia!!

It's been quite a week. Lots of hard stuff, fun stuff, and miracles. And I officially have a "laughing problem" according to my district leader. So last district meeting we were about to role play having a lesson with a member and Elder Hansen was our member. Right as we were about to start the elders brought up this funny quirk I have where I do different hand motions for different kinds of questions/statements. They just kept saying silly things and we were all dying of laughter. Elder Hansen was like "I can't handle this!" and got up, so Elder MacTavish came in to try but right as he sat down we started laughing again and he said, "nope, me neither!" and he got up. Elder Mutton was able to work through it, but Elder Matthews had to stand in the back of the room. My companion had tears she was laughing so hard. It was the best thing, I've been known to be a laugher in my district (sometimes it can be a problem... like during role plays haha) but it sure makes us all really happy!

Last Wednesday I was minding my own business, doing language study, when President Chambers calls! I was freaking out. He called to tell me that Hermana Nelson (my friend from the MTC that came in with me) got her visa and was leaving Monday. He wanted me to know first hand and not from rumors since he knows we're close. He also said they inquired after my visa, and didn't get much but they said things are moving along. So could come any week now! Craziness.

The work has been great over here. S, our 9 year old investigator, is doing really well and we love teaching him and his family. His little brother C is super cute and is always telling us funny things but he has a speech impediment so we have no idea what he's saying. We found a new investigator this week! Her name is A, she's 11, her mom is a member but her dad is not. She's already been attending church for a while and enjoys learning about it. The only hold up is her dad... he doesn't want her to be pushed to baptism. And then in the last couple days we've uncovered a ton of potential which is super exciting! Yesterday, the last half hour of work, we were heading over to contact a house that had a record of non members living there that had one time professed interest. We knocked on the door and this guy answers - a different family lives there now. He and his kids are not members, and his wife once was. The kids have been invited to several activities at the church building, and he has always wondered about some things and agreed with me that it's important to learn things for yourself from the source. So we're gonna come back Wednesday and hopefully start teaching them! We also have a lesson with a full NM family tonight that we're hoping will pan out. So lots of good stuff in the works!

Yesterday the wonderful Sister B picked me up to head back to Kearns for H's baptism!! She is the cute 14 year old girl that we had been teaching for a while from when we first got there. It was such a happy day. Hope is the cutest, happiest, friendliest girl you'll ever meet. She gave me a huge hug and it was so wonderful to catch up with her, and then see her baptized! She was so excited. And  a TON of people came out to see, so many people just love her. It was awesome also being reunited with Sister Bingham, and catching up with her. The bishop of that ward came up to us afterwards and said, "I'm pretty sure you two were best friends in the premortal life. Maybe you taught together too!" I totally believe it. And Sister B! She is the best. She drove me there and back and I just loved talking with her again.

So all is well over here. Halloween is coming up, and people go all out over here. Some houses are just too scary for us. There's this one that we can't go by in the nighttime because it's just too much. But holiday time is coming!! The weather has been perfect, which is good because we've done a lot of walking.

Anyways, the church is true and the Book of Mormon is the best! I've realized that I need to use it more often - it's such a powerful book that needs to be shared. It's the best missionary tool we've got!!

Love you all! Miss ya!

Hermana Nelson

October 14, 2013

Hola Familia!

It's been a great week. A lot of hard work, but as always so rewarding. Last P day was really fun too - we got to go mini golfing and laser tagging with the district at Boondocks. Love P days. Tuesday we had interviews with President Chambers! He is absolutely amazing. I left that room feeling like a million bucks. The minute I walked in he just said, "are you always happy?! Every time I see you, you just brighten up a room with your happiness." I nearly cried it was the sweetest thing. That happiness comes from the joy I feel in serving the Lord. It's the craziest thing, because we definitely have hard days and have to overcome discouragement. But there is a joy that's deeper than all that, that comes when you are just totally devoting your time and energy in sharing the gospel. President Chambers also talked about the inspiration he received in placing me here, with this companion. He expressed his confidence in me and it was such a boost. I love him!!

We did exchanges this week with the sister trainers, so I got to try out another area and it was a fun change. And I had a lot of fun with the other sister, Sister Lafond. She told me I'm not allowed to get my visa. People keep telling me that... haha. Speaking of visas, today a bunch of us visa waiters had to go to the police station to get our fingerprinting redone. It's been so long. So it looks like things are moving, but slowly and they probably won't come for a little while longer. Esta bien! It was a fun trip because I got to visit with the other Hermana Nelson. We had way too much fun waiting at a police station.

There are wonderful things happening in our area, slowly but surely. We have a ton of less active families we're going to start teaching, and then a ton of investigator potential. So we just gotta keep praying, and keep working. And trusting. The members are wonderful and so helpful. And guess what! I now have a mission family. The D’s- he is one of our ward mission leaders and we have been visiting them quite a bit. She drives us all the time and they make us food when we don't have any. They are the best.

Last night we had dinner with my MTC companion's family! The O'Haras. They live literally like three houses away from our area. It was super fun and I got to look at some pictures from the MTC. I was just thinking earlier this morning - I have already made so many lifelong friends since I've been on my mission. Each of my companions, families in our wards, and people we've taught. And almost all of them live in Utah so that makes visiting super easy! :)

The work is good, and the church is true!!!

love you all,

Hermana Nelson

ps. sorry for no personal emails this week... the whole fingerprinting thing put us behind schedule! Next week.

"the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees!"

Hola familia!

Well, it's been an amazing past few days since my last email! It's been crazy and wonderful. Thursday we got to go to the Oquirrh mountain temple, and it was amazing. It is a beautiful, peaceful place and it helped give me some needed perspective. I wish we could go to the temple more often... so if you can go then do it!! It's the best. After the temple we did a little shopping with our district. We went to my second favorite place after the temple, Target. It's like coming home.

Friday we did weekly planning with the district and then the elders went and picked up Costa Vida for us. Our district is awesome. Our district leader, Elder Hansen, is super cool and takes good care of us, always making sure we're doing well and if we're not happy then he gives us a pep talk. His companion is from New Zealand (and never seen Lord of the Rings - what a travesty!!) and has a sweet accent. The other two elders are pretty great too.

Saturday was crazy!! Sister Martin had tickets to go with the mission for the AM session, so she left and a cute young woman from one of our wards was my comp. Then I met up with our 9-year old investigator, S, and his mom and we drove up to SLC to join them. Conference was amazing!!! I just LOVE being there, especially as a missionary. Some other crazy stuff happened... like seeing family! I ran into Craig & Aleisa and Nate and Noah. It was so fun to see them and hug them. And then leaving the conference center, I saw a man in front of me who looked oddly familiar. When I asked where he was from and he said Holland, I recognized him as my stake president from Holland! So that was fun too.

My companion about died when I saw another person I know, Keasha Curtis, leaving temple square. It was so fun seeing her too.

Sunday we watched conference and ate lunch with the Duttons. Brother Dutton is one of our Ward Mission Leaders. They are the coolest family and have just taken us in. They even got goldfish for me because it's my favorite snack. In between conference and afterwards we made some good visits and taught a couple lessons. There are a ton of less active families in this area that we're gonna be working with. That's our job here I guess!

General Conference was amazing and I was so sad to see it end. S may have been a little bored (he's only 9...) but his mom who has been struggling with staying active and lots of other issues just loved it. A lot of the talks spoke right to her. There were many talks that I loved. I loved Elder Christofferson's about the moral influence of women, Elder Nielson with his excitement and energy about missionary work, President Uchtdorf's, President Eyring's, and President Monson's.

It is just incredible that we have a living prophet and apostles. I think one of the best things about our church is that we know that God still speaks with us today. He loves us just as much as He did back in the bible days, so why not continue to teach us through revelation? It's amazing and is evidence of how much our Heavenly Father loves us. And now in this exciting era of "hastening the work" we are being called by a prophet to share that happy message with the world!!

love you all! The church is true.

Hermana Nelson

Thank Goodness for P-Day!

Hola Familia!!

My email is late this week because today we are going to the temple (hooray!!) and so it was made into our pday. So this last week and a half has been... long. And crazy! So last monday night we were at Sadie's house teaching a lesson when we got transfer calls. I was pretty surprised to find out that I was being transferred to Riverton, and Sister Bingham would stay and train a greenie. Honestly, leaving Kearns was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do on my mission. Even though we were just there 6 weeks, it was an amazing time of miracles and getting to know people that I love. Plus, it was now time for Sister Bingham and I to part. We are seriously two peas in a pod and she has become one of my closest friends. We had had so much fun together in Kearns. But, the Lord knows what He's doing. We just have to trust Him.

So the next morning we set out for Riverton. I met my new companion, Sister Martin. She is a cute girl who is so nice and down to earth. We have gotten along super well and she's already taught me a lot. She's from West Virginia and went to BYU I before the mission. And we are whitewashing! (again) We are splitting a stake with the elders who were here. So we get to start from the beginning. :) Riverton is a beautiful place and the members are awesome. We have some super cool ward mission leaders, especially Brother Dutton. He and his family just took us right in - they bring us our favorite snacks and we've even got the code to their garage. :) We've been well taken care of. When we came in there was a baptism in one of our wards scheduled for the next sunday. So we got to finish teaching this awesome 15 year old boy, M, and then prepare him for his baptism. It was so great!

Saturday I actually made a trek back to Kearns for Shawn's baptism! Their extended family was there and you could just feel their excitement and happiness. S is an awesome guy and a great father to his adorable little girls. And now they can prepare to go to the temple!

We've been working on getting things started, and there is a lot coming our way. There are quite a few less active families that we're going to start teaching, and the other night we picked up a new investigator! His name is S, and he is 9. His family has been LA for a while and S has been taught on and off but never really had a huge desire to be baptized. We had an awesome first lesson with him, pulled out all our baseball metaphors and he really opened up. And we put him on date for baptism! It's gonna be a full-family effort but we're excited to teach them.

Being a missionary is the greatest (in case I haven't mentioned before). The work is different in this area, we've had to adjust our game plan, but it is rewarding as ever. There is this cute 18 year old girl who has been doing splits with us who wants to go on a mission. Her family is LA and so she's had a rough time trying to stay strong. We were talking with her the other day about her struggles and she said what she's been doing is just surrounding herself with good things. She listens to conference talks all the time, church music, and goes out with us as much as she can. That helps her to get through and stay close to the spirit. We are so lucky as missionaries to by default be surrounded with those things having the gospel as our daily structure, but it's possible at home too. The Lord is always there, always wanting to be with us, but it's our responsibility to let Him in.

The church is true!!! Let everyone know how wonderful it is.

Love you all!

Hermana Nelson