March 30, 2015

HAPPY EASTER/ GENERAL CONFERENCE THIS WEEK! Wooohooo! I'm so excited! It's going to be the best! I'm glad you've been able to watch the Because He Lives video! Keep sharing it with everyone! It's so awesome and is a great, more casual way to share the gospel! We've been working with members with it, and getting referrals from it, it's incredible! 

So Melanie isn't going to get baptized tomorrow :( she's in Palm Springs right now, and it's been SUPER hard meeting with her! I'm really worried for her! So please keep her in your prayers! Yolanda and Bobby are doing really well though! Yolanda came to church again and just loves it! She's the cutest thing! She still won't accept a baptism date quite yet though cause she said she wants to feel more prepared. So we're hoping for sometime in April :) Bobby is a little rascal sometimes haha but I love him! He didn't come to church, but apparently a member saw him outside of the church for a little? We don't really know... but we taught him word of wisdom and setup a plan so he can quit all of his things, and so far so good! He has got to come to church this week though!

We weren't able to meet with the Salazar's at all this week, which was a big bummer! We're not really sure where they're at right now with everything. So many complications that we have to work out with them.... but it will happen :) I love them, and am going to keep working hard for them :)

We had a little miracle this week :) (well and many, but this one I want to share haha) So I don't know if I've mentioned ilayali much, but she's 12 and we haven't really been able to teach her or her brother cause the mom wants to be there when we do, and she's ALWAYS working. BUT! On Saturday we had a lot of things fall through, so the thought came to mind to go and see them, that their mom was home. AND SHE WAS! Woohoo! She invited us in right away even though she was mopping! Which we were surprised! So we had a little lesson with them and invited them to the women's conference that started in 30 mins, and the mom said she had a lot of things to do, but if Ilayali wanted to go with us she could. And she did! So we had to hurry and figure out a ride for her since we can't take her in our car! Which first of all, we were shocked that her mom would let her come with us! Sometimes I take a step back and I'm like wow if some church ladies came to my house and I didn't know them, would I let my daughter go with them to a conference at their church?? uh... probably not! haha so thank you to the spirit she was softened and let her! AND! 2 houses down from them, lives a member, so we ran over there and they let her go with them! MIRACLE! And she loved it all! She said she's thinking about being a missionary! Aw :) I'm so proud :) haha so we were super happy all that fell together so perfectly!

Well hope you enjoy Easter and General Conference! I challenge you to read in all 4 gospels towards the end where it talks about the suffering in Gethsemane and the Resurrection :) It's incredible! And because he was resurrected, he lives and is here with us :) LOVE IT :) Have a great week :) Love you!

Hermana Nelson

p.s. tonight we're getting a mini missionary with us for the week! Ruby from the Mission ward, so I know her! I'm so excited! She's 16 and is super awesome! So we're going to be a trio all week :) woooo! 

March 23, 2015

HOLA :) look who decided to email me this week! Like 10 times! ;) hahaha just kidding no worries I thought it was really funny and enjoyed all your little emails :) It sounds like that event/meeting thing you were act was pretty cool! Hopefully the soreness goes away soon though haha

This week was pretty good! Our investigators are progressing, just slowly :) Once again on Sunday the depression was sinking in when we had no one at church, and I kept having the hope that the Salazar's would be coming since they're always late. So I kept looking back all meeting and never saw them, so I was super disappointed. Then once we stood up, they just happened to be in the only little corner that was barely blocked out of my view haha geez that family causes me so much stress! They're still being stubborn too! Linda still isn't sure about baptism or marriage. BUT! Ariel picked her baptism date! She picked April 25th :) So that's progress! We can only see her on the weekends, so that's perfect :) She's a cutie!

So Melanie! We worked so hard with her this week! She is so fragile! Satan is working SO hard on her right now! She keeps going back and forth with everything! And who knew that a 14 year old would have a coffee problem! But she's been living it and we got her some Pero so it was was good :) But she didn't come to church cause her fellowship was late getting ready for church :( and she was all ready and everything! So we were super bummed! We talked to her about her baptism date, had a really bomb lesson with her last night! She's getting baptized next Tuesday! Yay! PLEASE just keep praying specially for her cause Satan is trying so hard to stop her.

Yolanda was in LA this weekend helping her friend with cancer.. so she didn't come. But she's doing really good! She's reading and praying and LOVED church last week! So she'll be coming this week! Her son Bobby didn't come either cause he thought yesterday was Saturday... haha but he ended up coming to a baptism last night, and we gave him a church tour after! It was really powerful! He loved it! 

I also got to go on exchanges in Riverside again! It was so fun ;) and guess who I saw just by luck when we were teaching the english class? TheSixtos!!!! :) Aw :) they're doing so good! The boys were at the church for scouts. Love them :) 

This week I had my last temple trip as a missionary :( oh man. Talk about hard! Luckily Hna. Juarez knew exactly how I felt, so we had each other :) I just can't even believe it! It really made it start to sink in that the end is coming :( I'm so sad, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve! It's been the hardest and best thing of my life! I wouldn't trade it for anything! I'm going to keep working harder and harder these last 2 months to live up the time I have left :) Hope you have a great week and find ways to serve others! Love you :)

Hermana Nelson 

Last Temple Trip

Beauty P Day

March 16, 2015

Buenas tardes :) Tuvimos una semana tan buena! It was a really good week! We have just been working so hard the minute I hit my pillow at night I'm out! We had a lot of meetings and trainings this week, so it was busy! Not to mention all the work that we're doing with our investigators and members! We were able to kind of figure out some people this week to see if they really want this or not and were able to pick up some new investigators too!

So Yolanda and Melanie were the ones who came to church this week! Yolanda is so awesome! She was sitting outside waiting for us Sunday morning all ready to come when we got there with her ride :) she's doing really good, but we found out she has word of wisdom problems, so we're going to have to work for that... but! All things are possible! 

Melanie is Arely's friend who is a recent convert. She's 14 and she's come to church and mutual activities before and really likes it! She's on date to be baptized next week! Yay! We just have to keep working with her and helping her resolve a couple concerns that she has. Not to mention it's kind of hard to meet with her cause she's always gone! So if you could keep her in your prayers that would be greaaaat :) 

We have no idea why the Salazar's didn't come! Aye. I don't know what to do with them! I love that family so much and I want this so badly for them, but we just keep going in circles with them! They progress, then they don't. SO. Hopefully they start acting more this week, or we might have to drop them :( 

Miracle though! Do you remember April?? We found her again! And we was going to come to church yesterday, but her step-dad left all the kids there so she couldn't leave :( but her baby is doing well, and we are going to start teaching her this week! Yay! We just decided that it was because April needs to get baptized in April ;) 

Beatriz is still MIA :( If we can't contact her this week, we're going to have to drop her. So pray that we find her! 

Good start off to the transfer! We're working hard, having fun, and sharing the most important thing with the best people :) Our leadership in our zone is awesome this transfer that I'm learning a lot and there's just so much missionary fire with great missionaries, and 4 brand new missionaries too, that it's really fun! Well hope you have a great week! Make someones day :) Love you!

Hermanititita Nelson :) 

pics: my daughter and my granddaughter! 3 generations serving in the same ward! Aw it's the best watching my baby train :) She's great :) 

we played soccer on a field today with all the missionaries in our stake! So fun! But I'm super out of shape! 

March 9, 2015

Hellllllloooo :) Sounds like you guys have been having fun! I miss watching sports so bad! You really learn what you really like and what you really don't like on your mission! Speaking of which, I tried sushi again today and still don't like it haha. 

I'm sure you're wondering what happened with transfers! I'm staying here and Hna. Santoyo is going to Moreno Valley! My comp is Hna. Juarez! Do you remember her? We sat by each other on the plane ride to Mexico then ended up being companions in the mtc for like 2 days before they switched her into the advance spanish class! We've been waiting for this day our whole missions! And now we're finally comps! Woo woo! We're super excited! And guess what else! I'm going to be a grandma!! Hna. Carlson is training! Awww I'm so proud! And the best part is that she's staying too so we'll all be in the ward together! I'm so pumped! We got new Zone leaders and a district leader as well that are super good, so it's going to be a great transfer!

SO! This week has been crazy! We had so many meetings and so many service projects and of course they were all so good and so fun, but we just felt like we hardly saw our investigators this week! The Salazar's were the only ones that came to church, and once again they were giving me a heart attack that they weren't going to come, cause they're always late! haha goodness. These people are going to give me so many gray hairs! (good thing I dye my hair haha) They're doing pretty good.. still progressing like a snail (verrrrrry slowly) we had a good lesson with Linda and Jesus about getting married. Jesus realllllly wants to, but Linda says she's still not ready. We really need a miracle with this one. PRAY THAT LINDA WILL MARRY JESUS! (Jesus Salazar haha I just realized that in English it sounds weirder, cause it's like Jesus.. anyway ha) 

Beatriz we weren't able to see at all :( she's moving! Well.. moved! Luckily it's still in our stake, she just moved into her parent's house, but it's in the Elders area :( but we might still be able to teach her, so we'll see! Hopefully!

We had a couple really good lessons with Bobby this week. We had a really powerful lesson about the atonement and the sacrament and he said, "woah, I feel weird. I feel like I'm like floating." "That's called the Holy Ghost Bobby." hahaha love it! That was the first time he has ever felt that before so it was so cool! BUT! The little punk didn't come to church and we don't know why! He was so set to go and he was going to follow us there, then when we got there, he wasn't there! So we have no idea! 

I also had another cool experience this week! I love the mission cause I feel like I'm really getting closer to the spirit and recognizing the promptings I get! We were driving to a potentials house, when the thought came to my mind to go and visit Hna. Pinto first, an inactive member. She just had another chemo therapy treatment and hasn't been doing well. She said she has been feeling really depressed and alone. She said she prayed asking why God abandoned her, and then we showed up. She started crying saying that she know he hasn't and that he sent us to her in the perfect moment. It was such a humbling experience knowing that we can be answers to people's prayers! It's in moments like that when I know that's exactly where I needed to be in that exact time. Man I love the mission. It's the best. Hands down. 

Well that about does it! We've just been cycling through a lot of people lately, dropping and picking up, to see who is elect! Thanks for your prayers :) More are always welcome as well ;) Hope you have a great week! Love you :) 

Hermana Nelson :) 

March 2, 2015

Hey! :) Really?? So you're studying Spanish then? That's fun! You'll have to get good so I'll have someone to talk to when I get home :) Yeah! That baptism was the best ever :) I actually got a letter from the Sixtos this week that just made my cry! Probably the best letter I've ever gotten! Love that family! They're excited to meet you guys too! 

This week was good! We've been working so hard! We had some really good lessons with the Salazar's this week! The spirit is always SO strong in the lessons we have with them! I want this so badly for them! It's still really complicated with the marriage stuff, getting answers and now apparently Ariel's mom (oh yeah one of the girl's name is Ariel! Pretty funny!) doesn't want her getting baptized? So we're working with them. Like I said... it's all reallllly complicated. So please keep them in your prayers :) AND! Oh my word! So Sunday, church had already started and they were no where in sight! I was getting so nervous wondering where they were act and since they haven't come for 2 weeks I was thinking oh no, they have to come! So I was just praying in my head the whole time that they would still come, but once they already passed the sacrament, my hope was getting dim. I wanted to text them so bad seeing where they were, but I told myself not to since we were in sacrament meeting haha so I prayed in my head telling Heavenly Father that I really just wanted to text them, but I knew I shouldn't so I'm just going to leave it in your hands. And guess what! THEY CAME!!!!! Holy cow. MIRACLES. We were so happy! Such a relief! 

Another miracle! So this week when we went to visit Olivia, Beatriz was there who is a referral from their family that we had talked to before, but had never had much luck having an actual lesson with her. So we setup an appointment for Sunday morning and then Olivia invited her to come with them to church! Go Olivia! haha so we went Sunday morning and she was all ready for church! yay! :) we had a really good lesson with her and she accepted baptism for the 22nd of March and she came to church too! AH! She's super cool! She's a young mom with a little girl and she's pregnant! She's really cute and I'm super excited about her! She seems really elect! 

Olivia we're still not sure about.. she's stubborn. But she's been reading, praying, and coming to church, she's just still unsure about baptism! Pray for her too! We have a lot of other people that we're working with, they're all just really hard haha but the gospel changes people, so we can it can change for them too :) 

And! I went on exchanges with Hna. Dulong in Riverside! So fun! It was so weird though! Being in the same area with the same comp! It felt like old times! AND! I got to surprise Jorge so it was fun :) 

Well that about  does it! We're excited for this week, it will be a good one! But it's so crazy cause it's already transfer calls again! But I think I'm staying! Have a good week! Love you :) 

Hermana Nelson

p.s. we went bowling for a zone activity today and it was super fun! And I actually did pretty good hahah