Monday 13 January 2014

Family and Forever Friends

Hi there!

Sweet! Shawn bought a bike (im either gonna have to get a scooter or bike licence to fit in the family now!), Diana has a new puppy, DAD IS GOING TO AUSTRALIA!!! and Michelle has found her dress! wow big stuff! Inline image 1
(city branch ward it is the first chapel in Wisconsin, it was bought back from another church several years ago! this was Tuesday and freakin' freezing!)

I am living I survived -45 C!!!! Now its much warmer again! i was shocked this morning when I went outside and I did not have to wear gloves! Lucky meee (lucky my companion too, Ariel she suffers from that thing that you do where if you get cold you swell up and its painful, YIKES!)

Here is the update with our people we are teaching(or trying to. I have changed the names) We have not been able to meet with Sarah and Megan, although we have tried, but texting daily scriptures has been the only communication they have responded to and are appreciative of. The Smith's family (Megan's fellowshippers) are trying to set up a lesson this week.

We have met with Murray (a less active member of many years now, but has shown some interest in returning in the past couple months) with the ward mission leader and his family which went well. It is difficult for him to attend church because of work conflicts. We have recently built a better relationship with Bishop Nussbaun, He is an amazing leader (while being a young father and an ER doctor) and is striving to work with all of the members especially our recent convert who is fighting depression currently. For her we are scheduling regular appointments again but always having her home teachers, visiting teachers or fellow members leading the discussion to help her build faith. We have been able to teach several lessons through mall contacting and door knocking. It is fun! We also had a pretty funny experience with a Lutherine Family who was referred by members of our ward. Judy and Bob were borne Lutherine and go to Bible studies and hymn singing every week! They love singing the Lords prayer so much that in the middle of our discussion of Romans 8:16-17 how we are literal children of God Judy stood up and started playing and singing! It was lovely and strange. Bless their hearts, we may go back when they get back from snow-birding in Arizona.

All my mission I have planted seeds, never fully able to see the fruits of my labors. It had me down this week a bit until the Elders in our ward sent us this scripture:

1 Corinthians 3:8-10

 Now he [she] that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his ownreward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s bhusbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the agrace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid   the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

This Gave me so much comfort, I think my expectations for outbound were to finally reap all the rewards of my labours on Temple square. I know this is not Heavenly Fathers way. I also have faith in and have seen many progressions in those around me. This is His work and I am greatful to help build those foundations for Him.

I love you all! I think and pray about you often!


Sunday 5 January 2014

Merry Christmas!

What did Santa get you for Christmas? I got a self heating jacket, fuzzy warm PJs and Davids tea! (herbal tea yum) the best. We went to families houses all Christmas eve and day. We shared the Christmas story from the Book of Mormon with Nephi and angels telling the story!

And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.  - Alma 7:10
Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. - 3 Nephi 1:13

 It is awesome the spirit comes so quickly because it is Christ himself speaking hrs before he was born in a manger.

Some funny experiences happened while tracting this week so i decided to draw them out.....

Inline image 1
A man unhappily answered his door and opening it a crack he said, "cant you see?!" while gesturing up. We were so confused. He continued to gesture up and than said, "just above the door, you see it right?" We finally were able to see a tiny metal fish hung just over his door. We said "oh the fish?" "YES, I'm Lutherine" followed by a large door slam. What is that about? We laughed so hard.

Here's a cool picture (literally and figuratively of us tracting as well..

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WE DID IT!!! The Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission reached 300 Baptisms for 2013! This is very great and memorable time for the mission. This is a goal that we have been striving for, for a long time! Through faith and diligence!

 "And now, i ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell? Behold i answer for you; for our brethren [and sisters], the [Wisconsinites], were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest [coldest] abyss, but behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. Behold, [300] of them do rejoice, and have been brought into the fold of god." Alma 26:2-5 

Love you all family! Thanks for all the cards and presents that were sent (from fam and friedns) LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL

Sister Nelson the Mish-i-cal

Family and Friends!

I'm not going to lie, this week was crazy.

 (Be prepared for this). So on transfer day, we moved from the Jones' house for a few weeks while they have family in town. They need our room for other people! So we are living at the Stake Presidents house while they are on a trip to California! It was a crazy move because we stayed one night at a different members house between moves. The night we were between moves MY COMP got the flu and was up all night sick! So we had to take a day and sleep by order of the mission nurse haha. Then we moved in to the new house and unpacked. Then that night there was a mega snow storm and we got about eight inches of snow! So Church got cancelled for most of Wisconsin, but luckily ours didn't! Sister reed and I are working really hard to find people to teach, but it doesn't seem like much is happening.. yet. It has seemed like every roadblock we can think of has come up to prevent us from fulfilling our purpose. But it's His work, so we will await when the people are ready. We have some really big goals though, so we'll make it through.

 All that aside, we had a fun experience with a referral we got this week:
     When we went to see the lady we got as a referral, we were welcomed in by her husband before he even knew who we were, it was really funny! Then when she came in, she proceeded to tell us about how she was a Minister for the Lutheran Church.. and gave us a sermon for an hour about circumcision and women's rights! Baaahaha, it was crazy. We tried sharing a Christmas message with her by having her read a scripture in Luke Chapter 2, but she read the verse.. and kept going.. and then went on about the circumcision thing. Oh boy. (her wig was a little crooked so it was kindof hard to stay totally focused on her eyes). Moral of the story is... sometimes we have expectations that seem totally perfect and we prepare all we can, but it still goes way off from what we expected. But that's okay!! These things just happen sometimes, and if we sit and stew in it, thinking "I prayed about this! I felt it was right! I thought that Heavenly Father was leading me..", then we're never going to progress. Sometimes experiences just happen. Sometimes there's something we need to learn from what happens to us, but sometimes we just have to let things go. And maybe that takes learning in itself.
  
   I love you all. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas holiday! Keep Christ close to you. let Him walk with you. He came into the world to do all the Father asked him, so to accept Him, I invite all of you to study His life and discover what He can do for you every day, and then live off what you know. I can promise you that if you will live the teaching He gives in the New Testament as well as the Book of Mormon, you will find Him, and you will be happier. I have been so blessed as a Missionary to stand as a representative of Christ. His name is written on my tag. My prayer is that His name can be written on our Hearts. He loves you!!!

      "Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. … Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked—the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’” (C.S. Lewis)

 Christmas is an all year round holiday!! :)

Sister NelsonInline image 1this guy looks like dad!


Inline image 2Dont be a turkey this christmas