This week flu by! lol literally I got the flu on Friday morning. Mid discussion with an investigator I started feeling icky. For the rest of the day i was in my bed trying to sleep it off. In the afternoon I was woken up to 6 Elders ready to give me a priesthood blessing! I didn't even ask for it, what a blessing! I was blessed that I would heal quickly and learn from this and that I did! after 15 hours of sleep, it was out of my system and I was back to work! Wow, the priesthood power is amazing!

This week has been going by so fast, despite my flu! Last Pday we went curling as a district! I got to meet more Elders and Sisters which was really fun. The next day was my first district meeting. I like them, other than being grilled to get to know me with questions we learned how to teach more effectively especially using members and I got to bear my testimony. The craziest thing happened too, my zone leaders made us meet them at the steak center after our dinner appointments one night, that like never happens unless we need to deliver something or (what I thought was the case we are in trouble lol. Elder Wilde told us they had a interesting dinner appointment. One with a little blue eyed pigged tailed girl who kept on saying "Gickie!" THEY HAD DINNER WITH LINDSAY & KYLE! I was so jealous! they got to see Mayley and everything! They were able to send me things from her though which was lovely.

My favorite scriptures I used in my study this week were D&C 20:77, 79 the sacrament prayer, and Pres. Erying's talk in Gen Conference on "Help them aim High" read them use them love them, I used it in some lessons this week and they are perffff!

I love you all my times up! I'm off to Waterton for Pday with the sisters!

- Sister Nelson XXX and handshakes!

Wind & Walmarts...thats right I'm in LETHBRIDGE!

Hola Fam Jam & friends!

On Thursday 17, Pres. & Sister Nicholas shipped me off to Lethbridge AB to start my first transfer! The very place I thought I had said adios to for 18 months I am serving in until Feb 27 (my new MTC report date, if i receive my visa, so keep me in your prayers). I am serving with 2 Sister friends, Sis. Thorpe and Sis. Nielson. They are fabulous people with fabulous testimonys! We are living with a member and her granddaughter, they are such kind and giving people. The moment we got my bags inside we left to start the good work. So for the past couple of days we have been doing "stop bys", teaching appointments, meetings and dinner appointments. Our area covers 3 wards Forestry, Fairmont and Lakeview (its a YSA ward). I have seen a few people I know but mostly I have met people from all sorts of places, we are currently working with a family from Sudan. I thought I would run into more people I would know but you know Lethbridge folk don't cross over the coulees, that WAY to far away LOL. 

One less active family we are working with has a son who has difficulties reading.  Sis. Nielson, who is a teacher, has offered to help tutor him once a week. He's 8 years old, can't focus and hates reading. As Sis. Thorpe and I visited with the family I was able to notice something as I watched this little boy struggle to sound out each word. He would figit, easily be distracted, become frustrated and want to give up, until Sis. Nielson got him back on track. I was overwhelmed with compassion for this little boy when I realized that was me 13 years ago! I was so humbled and thankful for that experience. Here's an excerpt from my journal that day: 

How blessed am I, that like this boy I had people who cared enough about me to spend countless hours with me. Heavenly Father does send angels to us, and because of them I graduated High School (with honors in English), attended University and am now serving a mission where I get to teach others of Gods words. The angel for this boy it was a Sister missionary, for myself it was Mrs. Nikatzu (5th & 6th grade teacher), my family but most of all my mother. I still remember to this day why an "e" looks like an eel so that's why it makes the "eeeeeeeeeee" sound. I love my mom so much.

On Friday night we made Tubby Dog style wienies for dinner because a dinner appointment fell through! Hot dogs with PB & J and cinnamon corn pops! Yummm...nom nom! Delishhh, hey don't hate on it until you try it! On Saturday there was a baptism we brought an investigator to, he really liked it. The sisters having been working with him since September and the progress is slow but that's ok, in Gods own time! Also I do not have mom, dads, or any of the siblings emails other than Aaron, Lindsay, and Shawn so please tell email me 1st so I have them. :)

Peace and blessings, peace and blessings! CTR brother and Sista friends!

<3 Sister Nelson

Very Merry Unexpected Blessings

On Tuesday September 11, 2012 at precisely 10:15 am I heard the doorbell ring.  Can you guess who it was for? You guessed it, me! At the door I was greeted by the mail lady who wanted to hand deliver my mission call. The secret to receiving this V.I.P. service is to continually badger the mail carrier and chase her down the street on occasion. Later that evening with my family, hands trembling, I tore open the white envelope and read: 

"Dear Sister Nelson, You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Utah, Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission. ... You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Centre on January 16."

I was not expecting that. In fact I was dreading it. I was told by a friend to pick the two places I would least like to serve and decide that is where the Lord would send me. This way if I got the less desirables, I would already be content with the call and if I was called else where I would be that more exited.  The first was Winnipeg, Manitoba  and the second, as you've most likely already figured out, was Salt Lake City Temple Square. However, the moment I read my call my nerves were smoothed over with peace. My Father in Heaven knows me better than I can comprehend. He is aware of my strengths and weaknesses, those of which will benefit the people I encounter. I know that Heavenly Father called me to serve in the Temple Square mission to help myself and others draw nearer to Jesus Christ.

Since that day I have been spending time with family and friends, fixing hem lines, entering the temple, studying the scriptures, and praying like crazy, in particular to get my visa in time to serve. As you may have noticed the word "should" has been underlined in the above paragraph. That I believe was a hidden foreshadowing of what was to come. Until I have a visa I report to the Calgary Alberta Area Mission on January 16. This proves that God answers prayers and he has a subtle sense of humour. 

Well from now on my sister Lindsay will be posting my weekly emails and photos. I love you all, and I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with all my heart. And remember it's not goodbye its see ya in 18!

CTR Brother & Sister friends!

Sister Nelson