October 25th, 2013

This is going to be random but long story short BEST WEEK EVER!

Sister Kuo and I are doing swimmingly! We are on track with the 12 week program, tired (like missionaries should be :), Using methods from the "adjusting to missionary life" booklet and preaching the gospel to every Asian from nu skin convention haha. But really we have received many miracles this week. The man Leo (about in his late 20's) was such a miracle. He is from the  Bejing area here with his fiance for Nu Skin. We met him alone awhile opening the Joseph Smith Movie an we could tell he was experiencing the feeling of the Holy Ghost for the first time. As we identified to him what that feeling was he asked how he could essentially feel it more and become more familiar with our religion and join it. We arranged to meet with him after the movie to discuss what he watched and teach him more. When we did we answered many of his questions and taught the restoration. We also taught him how to pray. He told us how he was already Christian, but how he wasn't very familiar with it. We invited him to pray, to read the Book of Mormon and to meet with us the next day. He did and he brought his fiance! He wanted her to experience everything he had. We than taught them both the plan of salvation and the power of praying as a couple relating it to sister Kuo and I how it has strengthened our teaching companionship by involving God in it. They really liked that. Leo also confided in us that he really did know that God existed until he prayed the day before with us. He said he knew in that moment that God did exist and was watching over him. WOW. I feel Leo, jessica and China are very ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am going to have to start practicing my mandarin more!

Today on the Square we met a man from china who was trying to get in adn take pics of the temple from the lobby lol. Jian was crazy but he accepted to read the BOM. He also told us he has faith in prayers being answered. This is his story: "I pray for many days to get a paper [Visa] to live in the french. One night I just pray and when I close my eyes I saw a image in my mind. A face with BIG smile was looking at me and nodding!" I wish you could have seen him showing us with his own face so funny and so sinseare. He asked if that was from God. Sister Kuo looked at me... and I said "The Holy Ghost tells us in many different ways that God loves us." He than said "are YOU god?!" Even though I understoud he didnt actually think we were god but he was unable to phrase what he was thinking, I assured him we were not but God sends messengers, and we are representatives of Jesus Christ serving to deliver this message to God's Children. The simple version of the restoration, introduction to the book of mormon and about 30 mins later he had a chinese book of mormon, a large smile on his face and many other materials. He accepted the invitation to read, pray about the book of Mormon (teaching him to pray was a whole other story ahaha) and  to have the local missionaries in Pennsylvania to teach him there. He was one of the strangest contacts I have had on temple Square. The spirit was definitely there though, so all is well all is well.

LOVE LOVE you all

CTR

-Sister V. Nelson

We went to the humanitarian center for explore day!

                                                                  Sister Kuo ("guo")

I hope we get ipads soon, this is just getting ridiculous hahaha

Only in utah

November 15th, 2013

We have been getting a lot of new investigators (about 5 new this week again) but our goal is to help move them to progressing and meeting with the local missionaries.

One of my favorites is Jonni. She is in her 6o's and we met her after the movie "Joseph Smith: the Prophet of the Restoration"  as we were closing the film. We were actually late and when we got to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building everyone was gone. I felt so bad because I know missionary opportunities there are few and far between but when they come they are solid. There was one person studying the timeline of Joseph Smith's Life. For a moment I thought, "oh we shouldn't bug her"  than the spirit firmly prompted me that we needed to speak to her. We went over and the moment i said hello to her I knew why. As she spoke to us her countenance was changed. I had never met her before but I knew it had. Jonni was experiencing the spirit work in her in a way she had never experienced before. Its hard to understand or describe what this is like until you experience it for yourself. I have seen it in every person that is taught a doctrine of truth that rings true to them or just makes sense. I think the best way to describe it was Jonni was radiating the light of Christ, or as sister Kuo would say "there is a 'spack-oh' in her eyes!" We testified that the Book of Mormon was true and that she can continue to feel the spirit in the way she was right now when she reads it. We gave her a copy and exchanged information. She hs been to temple square everyday since that day. She came to hear our mission music fireside (which was so fun and the spirit was very strong), and yesterday we read the book of Mormon with her and taught her to pray out loud (she does in her heart but never out-loud) and ask for specific questions to be answered. Jonni is a choice spirit. We invited her to attend our temple square sacrament on Sunday and to Music and the Spoken Word. We are also trying to get her tickets to "Savior of the World" (which we saw as a mission last night so we can invite people to go to it, it was very good I highly suggest going or looking at it). She is only here for 6ish more days however and we haven't been told when it starts. The best part about it all is she wants to read the Book of Mormon with her Husband and son! To describe Jonni she has grey curly shoulder length hair, glasses, wheres jean button up shirts and is my height, she is sooooo cute. Her personality reminds me of a more laid back version but just as forgetful and sweet as mom!

Funny fact: The Mission Music performance held in the Assembly Hall was really good. We have been rehearsing for it for along time. The purpose was for our investigators and other missions investigators to come with their missionaries and feel the spirit through the music. There were violin, choir, harp, flute, acoustic, viola, and ASL. They were great! My favorite song was a group of 6 sisters who sang Joseph Smith's First prayer to the tune of Homeward Bound. I felt the spirit testify strongly that Joseph Smith did see heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. Than there was a traditional folk song written by the choir director that was suppose to be what the pioneers would have sang. It was weird. The worst part of it though is that there was a dance that went along with it. Can you guess who was dragged into participating in it by their precious companion they love so much and would do anything for? You guessed it me! I felt ridiculous we even danced in the audience, which completely weirds me out. I didn't even know the dance so I kind of just followed in the direction everyone was going in when I wasn't laughing or waving at a cute 3 year old girl in the row closest to me. Needless to say i have left my dance career behind long ago when I was 9 in jazz.

Love you all and as I went to the temple this morning I thought and prayed for my family and investigators. 

With BIG LOVE, (hahah) Sister Nelson

November 8th, 2013

Hello!

Funny story:

 

So yesterday morning Sister Kuo and I had Tabernacle duty. That is where we are assigned to greet people who walk into the Tabernacle and use it as a finding and teaching tool its very effective....when there are people. That morning no one walked in for over a half hour! We were walking around, singing songs and chatting when an organist started practicing. He played a song that reminded me of a carnival song. We fought it at first but than we would not take it we started dancing about. All of a sudden we heard laughter from behind us! A couple was standing there watching us bust our moves! We all laughed and we apologized for not being more professional. They assured us that for 22 year old young adults we were doing pretty good. Man I can't believe it, in the tabernacle you can hear a pin drop but you can't hear a door open? What's the deal?

we went to a space museum for our last pday! we are on the moon in this picture! This mission really doesn't have any boundries!
here is a picture of sister Kuo and I! this is her first time experiencing snow! what a hozer eh? she was so excited! She has been one of my favorite companion. She is so strong, fun and has an amazing testimony. I am so sad that on nov 27th I'll be leaving temple square for my outbound mission experience. I really wanted to finish training her and learning from her. I know though that I will see her again when I return to temple Square. I really feel like I will stay good friends with her for a long time or at least I hope so.

thanks a lot dad! I had no idea about Thierry, and as I read about your experience I realized how ungrateful I am for my situation. We get to teach every single day here, people ask for us to teach them. wow I need to repent and get back to work. That's actually what sister Kuo and I did. We recognized that we were not trying to be exactly obedient in all things even the easy little things. we recognized and repented as a companionship and resolved to help each other by correcting each other and consciously repenting daily for our short comings. What a blessing this has been. We have received 5 new investigators since I last emailed! As a missionary here and in general like you said we do not see the fruits or the exponential effect we actually have. I know I must trust in the Lord and his plan more.

 I love ya all and we are falling into winter down here!

PS SHAWNY!!!! MOM TOLD ME YOU PASSED!!!!! congrats!!!!!!!! So prouddd of you, may the plumbing force be with you!!!!!