Sprinting to the Finish

¡Hola Familia!

All the ward members are starting to say goodbye to me and I just keep telling them, "hey! I still have another week left!" because I intend to keep working hard up until the very last second. The other hermanas had a baptism saturday and a ton of people came. At the end we were all in the cultural hall when hno Matias, the ward mission leader, makes the announcement that it was also a surprise farewell party! All the sudden pictures of my life (literally my whole life - like half baby pictures haha) started going on the big screen with my favorite song in the backround. That was when the reality of it all came crashing down and I started to cry. It was lovely though to share that moment with them, I`ll post some pictures so you all can see. 

Besides that rude awakening we had a lovely week. I`m a little short on time so I`ll mention the most important parts. :) We are still teaching A and his son J. A is a big smoker and we have been helping him out to quit. He`s gettin there! He said at the beginning of the week that we was not prepared for baptism. But miracles happen and the spirit changes hearts! We had a great lesson friday, saturday they came to the baptism, and sunday to church. A told me saturday night that he feels baptism is close for him! Sunday after church we set a new goal for saturday the 1st. He said he wants to be baptized before I go. :) Woohoo!! 

M is still doing great, and this semana we started teaching her cute little cousin V! Her mom is in a similar situation - she fell away from the church a long time ago but wants so badly to find peace in her life again and come back. 

I`m doin good. Starting to get a little nervous.... but loving each day. I have a feeling I`ll be crying a lot this week. 

I`m pretty sure I`ll be able to write next monday, even though by then we`ll be in Bahia Blanca. But I`ll give a good wrap up then. :)

This is the Lord`s work. We are His hands.

love,

Hermana Nelson

Felicidad

¡Hola familia!

Another week came and went! They are FLYING by. I am trying so hard to appreciate and love each one. 

This week was pretty great. I´ll try and mention a few of my favorite things.

Yesterday N received the priesthood! It was the most wonderful thing. Also he came to church in a full suit and shiny black shoes. :) I didnt recognise him at first. It was so awesome, and just to see him so happy and excited. Moments like those just make you so glad you came on the mission!

We had interviews with Presidente Parreño this week, which was great as usual. B drove us up there and got to talk with Hermana Parreño. She is super awesome and really encourage B to keep going, to keep reading and progressing towards baptism. B is still pretty hesitant, but I know it will happen someday. 

We started teaching this week a cute little girl named M. She is the daughter of an awesome inactive lady, L, who we have been working with. They all came to a ward activity on thursday and had a wonderful time. I love teaching kiddies!! She has been reading her book of mormon for children (the one with the cartoons) and really loves it.

We have been workin hard and teaching a ton! It sure is a lot of fun. There are little challenges each day but it is all so worth it when someone listens with pure intent and we can see them increase their faith. It is such a blessing, an honor, to be able to be a representative of Jesus Christ. Most know so little about Him, and what He did for them. There is nothing like helping them understand His role as Savior and Redeemer. That is why I am here!

Love you all,

Hermana Nelson

aventuras, colectivos, y BAUTISMO!

¡Hola Familia!

Well, this has been quite the interesting week. Things got a little crazy when we got a call tuesday afternoon saying that we were to take a little trip - I needed to go to Buenos Aires to get some paperwork fixed. And almost everything about this trip didn´t go according to plan. So wednesday morning we left for Mar del Plata, an hour away. Then 7 hours to Bahia Blanca. We stayed the night with hermanas there, then the next morning went to the office. I was to travel with Hermana Chesler, another hermana who I knew from my time in Bahia, and Elder Pauni. My comp stayed with another hermana. We set off for the airport with Elder Spaunbauer and Elder Cruz from the office, to get there and find out that all flights had been cancelled for the weather. After lots of phone calls on the part of the office elders, they decided we would go in bus that night. After working the day in the area of Hermana Chesler, we set out for Buenos Aires in bus at 10:30 at night, arriving the next morning at 7 in Buenos Aires. It was a crazy day! The city was so full of people coming and going because there were some big events going on and a long weekend was starting. We hung out in the area office for a while, then after lunch headed off to the US embassy - SO weird hearing random people speaking english. Anyways after some unexpected complications I finally got on another bus at 7:30 that night to head back. I arrived in Mar del Plata at 1 in the morning, slept a bit at the house of the hermanas there, then 9 the next morning (saturday) we were back in good ol´Balcarce. Por fin. The trip was actually kinda fun, We bonded quite a bit, and the lady in charge of us there, M and the chauffer A were so good to us. 

The miracle of the week, and the most wonderful part of all, was the baptism and confirmation of N!!!! An investigator of the other hermanas, J, also got baptized. It was a beautiful service. We werent in town for the last couple days, but thanks to the help of Hermanas Burgos y Ortiz and our district leader it all turned out great. :) He was baptized by Ezequiel, the hermano who initially invited him to meet with us and is such a great support for him. Sunday when he received his confirmation, I was so full of JOY seeing him up there and hearing the beautiful words of his blessing. He is 18 years old and I´ve already told him that now we´ve got to prepare for the mission. :) I asked him what it was that made him decide that he was ready to be baptized - he said he just felt it. He saw how he had changed during these last weeks, the peace and calmness that had come into his life. As he began to make reading the scriptures and praying a new habit in his life he just felt that it was time for him to be baptized. So he did it! woohoo!!!

The church is true, there is no doubt in my mind. This is the Lord´s work. 

Love you all,

Hermana Nelson

¡Que Firmes Cimientos!

¡Hola familia!

Wow, what an incredible general conference weekend! It all goes by so fast. I am looking forward to reading all of the talks when they come out. We watched conference in spanish which was fun, but I will for sure have to go back and study to get everything. :) The talks by the native speakers were AWESOME! All the members here were so excited and just loved it. It is easier to understand and to feel the power of their words when we hear them speaking directly. What a great new thing. 

We were able to have a good number of our investigators join us for conference which was really great. N came to a session on saturday and also the priesthood session. V who had gone a little MIA this week showed up for a session. And B came with her two daughters!

That would probably be my favorite thing from the week - the little miracles with Band her family. So as I´ve mentioned its super hard to find B because she is always working. So tuesday´s trip to Mar del Plata is super important. We talked a ton and it was so great - she is just so tired and worn down by her life, and needs so desperately the relief of the gospel. We talked about how the gospel is a pattern for our lives, and how God gave it to us because He loves each one of us so much and wants us to be happy. We talked about baptism - at first she was saying maybe later on, but I felt so impressed to ask her a really direct question - If you know that baptism will bring blessings and happiness into your life, why postpone that? Why postpone being happy? That really impacted her, and she committed to do her best effort to reach her date. It was amazing because I had no idea what to say to her to help, and I knew that our time was precious. I prayed so hard before our conversation and it turned out to be just what she needed. That´s the miracle of words guided by the spirit!

Later this week we went by the house to visit and met her other daughter, L. She is 21 years old and super cool. We had a great couple lessons with her and the other daughter Gisela this week. They are so receptive and love our visits. I just love them so much!!! They accepted also baptismal date goals. :) We talked a lot about priorities with them - and when a young returned missionary girl named K came with us to a lesson she shared her testimony with them about how the gospel, and making time for habits like going to church, reading and praying really changes and blesses your life. due to the spirit they felt in those lessons they committed to come to church and came to the last session sunday!!! It was the happiest thing ever.

I loved loved loved conference. One of my favorite talks was by Elder Bednar - especially because he was talking right to our investigators and it was what they needed to hear. Something that really touched me was his story about their two sons, when the older one tries to help his little brother when he gets hurt. The spirit taught a really powerful lesson to me there. Sometimes we in our sincere efforts to help our brothers and sisters dont know exactly how to do it. We struggle and sometimes fail, but our love for them is true even in our imperfections. What our heavely father sees is that we are trying our best. He looks on in love and pride, grateful that we have listened to his plea to "love one another". 

I am an imperfect missionary and disciple of Christ, but I know without a doubt that I am called of Him to do this work, as are each of you as His children. He is so proud of us when we do our best and love our neighbor. I know Christ lives, that He loves us and that He directs a living church. This is HIS work.

love you all,

Hermana Nelson