Monday, May 28, 2018

Week 5 in New York- 2 months

Hey Family & Friends!
Ups :
-Transfers are this next Monday!
-It's my 1 month in the field today!! 2 months with the MTC!
-We have Elder Manes coming to talk to us this week!! So excited!
-We have found a couple New solid investigators this week!! They are the best! But most of them aren't young single adults so we will have to pass them off to other missionaries in our zone!
Downs:
-Homesickness has been pretty high this week! Haha not going to lie! But it's okay I'm doing good! It's sooo hard not being able to hold little kids!! Haha
Spiritual Experience: I had a very humbling experience this week..
-We were driving to one of our appointments and I was just feeling really overwhelmed and stressed.. I was talking to my Companions about how I felt. I was feeling that I had so much to do and learn and I was trying my best to focus on one thing at a time and not get overwhelmed but as I focused on the one thing I felt like I would be so behind on everything else because there was even more things coming up each day that I had to do! Everything was just stacking up on top of each other and I couldn't even remember half the things I already had to do. And it was just getting crazy in my Head! Haha We decided we would continue this conversation after the lesson with this young girl we met the day before.
-We finally got to our appointment and knocked on the door.. As we were waiting a young man opened the door! He was the brother of the young girl we were supposed to teach but she wasn't there! He asked us who we were and we decided to share a message with him! As we were talking to him he told us that he had a belief in God and that he had such strong faith that God is always there for him and his family..
As he continued talking we found out that he is taking care of his 3 sisters and niece and he's trying to find a job and that they are getting kicked out of their house by the end of the month! But with all of that happening he knows that if he has faith in God everything will be okay even if he has to go to a shelter for a while! He said he will do whatever he can to keep his family safe. Seeing how much faith in christ this young man had as he was struggling with all these different serious things I began to be humbled and realize that my problems were very small and all that I needed to do is have faith in all things and rely on my Heavanly Father just like this young man did.
-Little did i know as I was walking up to the door for this appointment... that this girls brother was going to teach me how to have more faith and Christ and to trust in him. I was humbled and I couldn't be more thankful for the lesson that I learned at that front porch by this kid my same age.
-As the conversation continued.. We got his number and invited him to a baptism we have tomorrow night. We wanted to go to this baptism but none of our current investigators could go. As we invited him to the baptism he said with light in his eyes that he would love to come! And that he's been looking for a church! It was a miracle! We had been looking all day for someone to come and witness this special baptism! And by the very end of that night we were able to find that one person!
-Later that night the young man texted us saying he was excited to come watch the baptism of the kid in our congregation and then he asked us, "would I be able to get baptized at all?"
-What!!?!!! Yes!! So we put him on date tonight!!! We are so excited to be able to teach him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Meeting him was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced so far! There was 3 miricales in 1 conversation!
1) I was taught a very important lesson that lifted me up and re-focused me on having faith in Christ instead of all the "downs" I was feeling!
2) We had been looking and asking everyone we could to attend this baptism all day long! And late that night we had found that 1 person! God is so good!
3) He asked us if he would be able to be baptized! The spirit was so strong at that doorstep!! And I know that God had been preparing this young man to hear the message of The Gospel Of Jesus Christ!
Missionary work is the best!! Im so grateful to be apart of God's work! And for Him to work through me to bring others closer to Christ! LOVE YOU ALL!
Love, Sister Nelson


This pic is titled.. " This is the consequence when i woke up and found the window opened. " Also don't mind my blinding highlight! hahaha

Trio Pic

Another Samsung selfie haha!

Downtown Buffalo! (The humidity is crazy)

Monday, May 21, 2018

Week 4 in New York

I think it's week 4!!? Right? haha I never know what day or week or time it is being out here!! I lose track!! Haha!!! It goes by so slow but soo fast!!! Crazy!! This week has been really really good!!! The mission keeps getting better everyday!
UPS:
-I had my first dinner appointment in a home with 2 students names Collin and Lio!! We don't really get fed dinner too much out here in the Buffalo YSA! But it's okay! The lesson went really good and the food was really good too!
-We had one of the 70 come and talk to us. His name was Elder. Dunnigan! It was absolutely amazing! His talk was very inspiring and helped me better recognize our authority as missionaries in this area and he had all the missionaries stand up in stake conference and it was so powerful!
-We have to give a missionary training to like 4 districts of elders since we're the only sisters in our area and it's soo funny because I literally haven't been out here even a month yet and I'm telling all these people that have been out forever how to teach a lesson!? It's so weird honestly! hahaha
-All of our progressing investigators left this last week back home from college! And they have all been passed on to new missionaries! It's been sad saying goodbye but I'm so glad that they are all continuing to take lessons and become closer to Heavenly Father. It's been so cool being able to see their lives change from the knowledge they receive about this true gospel.
DOWNS:
-Yesterday we were late to one of our appointments because we left our entire lesson in the car and so we had to go all the way back from the train stop to our car and then sprint to our car grab the lesson ran back to the next train stop then ran 25 minutes to the girls house that we were teaching then taught the lesson then ran 25 minutes back to the train station to make it home on time! It was so crazy!! I've never ran that fast in my life!! hahah especially in heels and a skirt! 

I do not know how but we didn't take any pictures this week!!? I'll make sure to do better next week!! Love you all!! Thank you so much for all the support and prayers coming from back home!!
Love,
Sister Nelson

Monday, May 14, 2018

Week 3 in New York

Hello Family and Friends!!! We are on week 3! Half way through the transfer! So crazy! I love my area sooo much!!! 
UPS: 
Oh my gosh!! Talking to my family on Mother's day!! I literally was crying the entire time!! Haha I love my family so much!! I definitely needed that video call! It was so amazing!! AHH!
-Francisco came to church for the first time! And his baptism date is still set for June 9th!! Its been so cool teaching him!
-Everyone at the collages are leaving for the summer so now we go into Downtown Buffalo everyday to contact and there are sooo many crazy funny people down there! I can't believe we're allowed to be contacting there! It's pretty sketchy!! Haha But being down there we have met a lot of people and hearing their stories and the way they view life is so sad and I know how much the message of the gospel will be able to bless each of their lives! And bring them so much happiness! So even though it's scary It's really amazing that we are allowed down there to be able to share that message with as many people as we can!
-I got to Skype into a meeting this week and see my 8 MTC sisters!! I love them!
-Josh got called to white wash an area and to be District Leader!! AHH so cool! I'm so excited for him! He is doing so GREAT!
DOWNS:
-Francisco is leaving back to New York city so he is getting New missionaries there to baptize him and teach him the rest of the lessons so it's a little hard not being able to be there for that but I'm so grateful that he is changing his life and coming closer to God and accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ.
-So.... I just found out our windows in our apartment don't lock and it literally terrifies me every single night! Cause I mean we are in Buffolo New York! My companions are so chill about it and say I'm crazy and that we are fine! But I don't trust it! Good thing they sleep next to the Windows! Haha (I don't care if I'm a baby I'm calling the landlord ASAP) Haha
-My companions are ALWAYS so hot and I'm ALWAYS freezing in our apartment! #saintgeorgeproblems so we try to compromise haha it's a struggle! They always try to sneak the Windows open when I'm asleep! But NOT on my watch! Hahah
SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE : 
 On Saturday evening we were driving around to all of our appointments that we scheduled and almost all of them fell through and it was hard cause I was feeling really anxious to do something and not be in the car and to at least talk to a few people and as we were in the car driving back we had about 15 minutes left till we had to be home for the night so I was like "We need to park and pray and talk to at least 1 more person tonight!" So we parked and I said the prayer before we got out of the car and asked Heavenly Father to help us find at least 1 person in this short amount of time that this message can help tonight! And so we get out of the car and we see this young adult so we rush over to him and talk to him and we ask if he has time for us to share a message with him that will change his life and he said yes! And so we start our quick lesson off with a prayer and after the prayer he began to tear up and told us "Dang! I really needed that tonight! Thank you so much for what you do!" And we got his contact information and I'm not sure how it will work out! But overall I know that Heavenly Father heard my prayer and he answered it. And I see little miracles like this every single day of my mission and I know that God is really preparing people! I'm so happy that I can be a representative of Jesus Christ and share my testimony with lots of people everyday! This work is very tough! But those little moments really make it so worth it!
I hope everyone is having a great week!!! I love you all!!
Love,
Sister Nelson


My Trainers and I 


Picture on Canal Side

Super pretty over here at Canal Side 

Comps and I in our Apartment 


Monday, May 7, 2018

Week 2 in New York

HELLO EVERYONE!

So this week has been a lot better!! Honestly last week was such a struggle!!! Like SO overwhelming! Haha but it's getting better! And i was struggling a little with my 2 companions this last week but iv'e been more focused on the work and praying a lot so its been a better week overall!

UPS:
-I invited Fransisco a student that we have been teaching for a week to be baptized and he said YES! Its just so cool to see that the lord really is preparing people to hear this great message and accept it! 

-Mothers day is so soon and i get to see my family im SO excited!!!!
-Sunday we had 5 russian guys we met show up to church and they were so funny and it was just so cool because they went up and bore their testimonies!
DOWNS:
- This week i saw my first silver fish in our apartment and i literally cried it was so BIG! Good thing my companions not afraid to kill things! Haha
-A lot of students we are teaching are leaving back home for the summer or are super stressed with finals! So its been pretty hard to get solid investigators!

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE:
This last week we got to go to Mission Leader Council! And i had such a cool spiritual experience that really helped me look at my mission differently and to realize whats really important and it was just such a humbling experience! I'm so grateful for Heavenly Father and all the little tender mercies he puts into my life to help me become who he needs me to be!
I love you all!! Hope you have a great week!
Love,
Sister Nelson
Me and My old Comp from the MTC ( I miss her so much)

When we were able to leave the MTC and go to Temple Square 

Me and Sister B! (She is Kenn's friend from St. George! I LOVE HER)

Terrible phone camera but here is the requested selfie!

Last group pic from last day at MTC