Oh my goodness everyone, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

It has been such a great week!

We haven't really gotten much done because as we try to go to see people and families, but they don't really let us in because they're busy or have family or just don't want us - ha ha. It's okay though because so many members have been so nice and welcoming to us! We went to the Mason's on Monday night and they fed us cookies and tried to feed us hot cocoa (but half the time my companion says no because she doesn't really like American sweets).  That's alright because I have gotten my fair share of hot cocoa this week ;) They are so nice to us and try in any way they can to help us! Brother Mason is 86 years old and so kind. We wanted to buy some eggs from him, but no matter what he would not let us pay him, he is such a selfless guy! We always try to have a question to ask when we go to his home because he can literally answer any question we have. It's pretty incredible! We love him and his sweet wife. It is always such a blessing to go there!

Tuesday.... Oh Tuesday. We were wide awake very quickly this wonderful Tuesday morning. Here's some TMI: My companion went to the bathroom in the middle of the night and it didn't work out so well, so in the morning when I got up to go to the bathroom I saw that something wasn't quiet right with the toilet. So, I tried to flush is and it didn't really work out for me.... All the sudden water was spilling all over the ground and there are bits and pieces of fecal matter getting everywhere. The lady that we live with has carpet in her bathroom so, of course, that was a disaster, even more so. So I run into my companion and I said "Sister Borup, the toilet is flooding, what the crap!!!!!" (pun not intended in the moment, but we had a good laugh about it later) She is so confused and slow and so I run back into the bathroom and I am thinking "What would my mom do?! What would my mom do?!?" So I turn the knob on the back of the toilet thinking that that would do something and nothing really happened! The water stopped coming over, but was very much at the top of the bowl. So my companion then mosies in and is so confused.. then she steps in the water that's on the carpet and is all the sudden aware of what is happening and starts to freak out! We figured we had just broken Sister Barkley's toilet and we were going to have to find some money to fix it!! So we go upstairs and we're like out of breath with our hearts beating in our ears and tell Sister Barkley that her toilet has flooded over and she gave us the saddest look I have ever seen! So then she starts to get all worried that her toilet is broken and we feel so SO bad and then somehow it was brought up to plunge the toilet. We say we haven't tried that and she was so confused/appalled. "Why haven't you tried to plunge it yet??" and we didn't know where the plunger was at or even how to use it ha ha. So she runs downstairs (get's more water all over the place) and plunges the toilet. Then guess what everybody?! The toilet is fine!! AND I know how to use a plunger now!!! Man, what a blessing right?! hahaha. Oh my goodness, so much happened in such little time! Needless to say we did miss our workout that morning (we all needed to shower like right away haha) but we were wide awake alllll day long :P It was pretty funny! Thank goodness for Sister Barkley! 

Tuesday turned out to be a good day because we were able to go through Denver as we went to Aurora for a meeting. I have been called as a Family History Consultant for our zone so we had a meeting to go to!  I am so excited to learn more about my ancestors and be able to help teach people the importance of family and why we, as Latter-Day Saints, care so much about family history work! It was so fun to drive right through the city though! HUGE buildings and tons of people! Something I am not used to :) I love to live out of the city -  it is pretty neat to be able to see it from afar.  But I love to drive through it every once in a while!

On Wednesday we had exchanges and that was quite the experience. I really didn't want to leave my wonderful companion but I tried to make the most of it! I learned some new ways to teach lessons so that was good. But when it was 7 and we went down to downtown Arvada to carol as a zone I was SO happy to be reunited with my "mom" (training companion) again! Sister Borup is just so great! It was also really fun to carol with everyone. It was SO SO SO cold - like 10 degrees, but still, we had so much fun! And there seemed to be quite a few people walking around! I love my zone, they are so fun to be around!

Smores Hot Cocoa!

My Whole Zone

Sister Missionaries at the Jones'

Christmas Eve at the Jones'

Thursday was so great too! In Denmark they celebrate Christmas on the 24th so we celebrated Christmas for Sister Borup! After tha,  we went to our stake president's home and they had us eat breakfast and play their traditional bingo with them and it was SO nice of them! Me and Sister Borup both won twice and just laughed the whole time!

Of course, mine are PINK!

Eye masks from Denmark

A Denmark Christmas on Christmas Eve

Gift Opening!

 I love our stake President. President Jones and his family are so kind and welcoming. After that we went home and opened Sister Borup's gifts! That was pretty fun, she got some (super gross) yummy Danish candy and some clothes! We went to the church to practice the piano for something we have coming up and then we went to a member's home for the evening because we were allow to tract that day or the next. It was so fun! We made Danish Aebleskivers and they're actually really good! I totally am going to make that a Christmas tradition. Then we had dinner and a message and went home for the night. We even got to go to bed early!! Eek!! :)

PINK Shower Curtain - smells like new!

Everything PINK from Sister Burop!

PINK socks from my Mom!

CHIRSTMAS DAY!! Man, Christmas was the best. We woke up and worked out like normal (and I can honestly say I have never worked out on Christmas haha.) And then we got ready for the day and went over to one of our favorite ward member's home. The Wrights!! We got to talk to our families right away and it was so fun! I love my family and they all seem to be doing so great! I wasn't really sad to go or even cried! Which apparently is impressive because all the sisters in my zone cried like all day long! haha. What a little bit of a waste of Christmas! I do miss my family but I also just love Colorado.. I would want to be home but it is so special to be here too! After talking to my wonderful family we made cookies and played an intense game of Spaz Uno! It totally reminded me of my family and how competitive we are and how funny it is to watch us play games. I am so grateful for the Wrights and their selflessness to have us over for Christmas! We had so much fun!!  For dinner we went over to a different member's and they have the cutest little kids! (I love kids!!) So that was fun and they cooked a very normal meal which made me so happy! haha. It was a wonderful Christmas and I am so grateful that Christ was born so we could celebrate the day! I hope all of your Christmas's were great!!

Presents from Collin (Elder Howald)

Saturday was good too! Of course ;) We got to practice the piano and singing with some people in my zone for the upcoming New Years mission-wide gathering! I get to play for all of the missionaries here in Denver Colorado North!! Kinda crazy, but I am so excited! And I am so fortunate that I have the talent to play! I love it!! I am excited to see people from my MTC group and set some goals for the new year! 

I have some exciting news!!! 

OH my gosh, how could I forget?!? We have a baptism this week!!! Our investigator Michael is getting baptized!! We are seriously so excited. We have already hit some bumps in the road so if you wouldn't mind praying that all follows through that would be awesome! He is such a great man and has totally been prepared by the Lord. January 1st!!! :) God is so good!

I hope you all have a great New Years this week, and congrats to Jeremy and Amie that are getting married! I am so happy for you!! I love you all and appreciate you so much :)

love forever,

-Sister Nelson

The Best Week Ever!

Oh my goodness, everyone! This has been the best week EVER!! I just have to go day by day because it was THAT good!

Okay.  so on Monday it was P-Day (which is obviously the best day ever!),  but then that night it got even better because we went to our mission president's home and had a lesson there!! How cool is that?! We taught our progressing investigator, Michael. We taught him about the Word of Wisdom.  We were so worried when we knew we had to ask him if he would stop drinking coffee so he could better come closer to Christ and live the teachings of the gospel... but guess what?! He committed to stop drinking coffee and already had stopped drinking alcohol just because he thought it wasn't what God would want. How perfectly prepared is he?? So much so! Man, we are so blessed. He has been keeping that all week too! And being in President and Sister Mendenhall's home was such a blessing.  The spirit resides so strong there and they love everyone! We had Michael, and the fellow-shipping family - the Wrights - there and they are just so loving and accepting. It was really a special experience!

Snow Selfies - a perfect shot of Sister Burop's slip!

Sister Snow Selfies!

Cute Girls!

That snow is DEEP!

Tuesday got even better, let me tell ya! We got 8 inches of snow overnight/throughout the day.  Needless to say,  we didn't have the privilege of driving because of the conditions of the roads. Everything shut down too! It was crazy because you think, "Oh Colorado.. they get snow all the time and would never shut down just because they have the materials to take care of it."  Well... we're wrong! They shut schools and work down. So that being said, we had to walk everywhere! And mind you, we live 1.2 miles outside of our ward boundaries, so any contacting along the way was for the benefit of the elders of the other ward! ha ha. But we bundled up and started on our way. It was snowing pretty hard for most of the day, but a funny thing about Colorado is that they have a law that you have to shovel your sidewalks and driveways, so a lot of people were out! More than I would've imagined! So we talked to lots of people! And we slipped and fell and laughed A LOT! It was so fun. Kind of cold... but SO fun :) 

Mykalyn's Miracle Bread

After service at the old folks home,  we started on our way to dinner (we hardly got anything done that day because trudging through snow really slows ya down, ha ha),  but we had to go to the bathroom, so we decided to go to a members home in our ward.  When we got there, there were 15+ loaves of bread on the counter because that's what the family had spent their snow day doing! They then fed us some bread and hot cocoa and as we were getting ready to leave they offered us a loaf of bread! This might seem like just small, kind gesture. But it is one of the greatest miracles I have seen thus far on my mission! Earlier that morning, Sister Borup and I were talking about how I literally have no money and two weeks left of December that I have to feed myself. I didn't know what I was going to do because I had 2 slices of my wheat bread left for sandwiches. My loving companion told me that if I trusted in the Lord he would provide. MY GOSH,  DID HE PROVIDE!! I was blessed with a literal loaf of bread that would keep me for the next two weeks! I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves me, cares for me and watches out for me. We went to the perfect member's home and were simply offered a loaf of bread. You really never know how much good you do! I love my Heavenly Father and these times that He reassures me that He knows my concerns and needs. 

Reminders of Home

Later that night, once we got to dinner, Sister Wright (who is so much like my wonderful mom!) got an early Christmas present which was a hot cocoa maker, JUST LIKE MY MOMS!! And so we made hot cocoa with the BEST hot cocoa (of course, my mom gets the same hot cocoa) and I just seriously could not count all of my blessings fast enough! The Lord truly loves and provides for every single one of us. It was a great day!

Wednesday was good too! It was Sister Borup's one year mark so I made her breakfast and we went out to lunch that day!! We also had a Christmas party that night at an old folks home and it was so fun! We gave out gifts, sang songs, helped them open the gifts and took pictures! I don't have any of the pictures but I will try and get them next week. These senior people are SO fun  and have so much life experience!! It is awesome.

On Thursday we woke up late because the alarms didn't go off and so we weren't able to work out and totally paid the price for it too. We were slow and falling asleep during our studies and just really had a useless day. But it is such a blessing because now every morning I get up ready and excited to work out because exact obedience bring blessings! I am able to better stay awake and happy. And my mile time improves like every other day! It is just great!! But I am grateful for that experience so early on on my mission so I can try to be better at being exactly obedient!

Thursday was awesome! We had some free time during lunch so we went to the church and I played the piano and guess what!?! My companion can SING!! She is so good. She sung as I played, and even better, she sung in DANISH!! It's incredible how much music can bring the spirit. And even more special when I don't understand what she is saying,  but I can still feel the spirit! God is incredible.  I was so happy to be able to play too! It had been a few weeks and the piano just really lifts my spirits!

Friday... Friday the 18th! I have officially been out for 1 whole month!! I have mixed feelings about it. ha ha. It went fast... but then it went slow. But nevertheless I am so glad that I have chosen to stick it out! The mission has helped me in countless ways already! Chewing hardly bothers me anymore.. My patience has grown.. Even my confidence! I love people more than I thought possible and care for them in a way I never have before. Only 17 more months to go! And I can't imagine what else I will learn.

On Saturday my companion treated me to the best burger place around! Jim's Burger Haven. They have burgers that are the size of my head!!!

Burgers as big as my head!

It was crazy, kind of reminded me of Miner's in Yakima... But here they play my favorite jazz music the whole time and my companion and I were singing so good! Man, I love Sister Borup. I have been so immensely blessed out here! Members from our ward dropped by some stockings that night when they totally did NOT have to!! There were some goodies, a Denver bronco blanket, and my favorite chocolate orange that my parents always put in the bottom of my stocking!! How sweet huh?! I just love my ward. They care for us so much! And even better: The primary from my home ward sent me the cutest papers with adorable notes on it!! I am so grateful for them!! They brightened my day so much! I miss those little primary children so much <3

Stockings for the missionaries from a family in the ward

Treats from my stocking-Denver Bronco Blanket!!!

Chase at the ward Christmas Party

On Saturday we had the ward Christmas party and it was "A Night in Bethlehem" It was very very well done! I got to play on the floor with little kids all night with some driedles and I was so happy! I love kids and miss being able to be around them all the time! It made me think of the little kiddos in kindergarten back at home and how much they are learning right now! Kids are such a gift from God!

Michael in his Wiseman costume

It has obviously been such a great week, full of so many blessings! I am grateful to be here and to be able to be around such great people. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and remember the reason for the season! I love each and every one of you and appreciate your love and support so much.

So much love

-Sister Nelson

I can make it a few more hours......

Sister Nelson's address is 
Sister Mykalyn Nelson
1250 Main Street
Broomfield, CO 80020-2932

Hello everyone!!

What an eventful, emotional roller coaster kind of week! But I bet they'll all be that way ;) Most days I want to go home SO bad.. and others I think I could make it a few more hours... ha ha. I am glad to be here, but it is seriously harder than I expected! I miss my family and everything from home. But I know I am going to stay here and show the Lord how grateful I am for everything that I have been given in my life. So I suppose I will tell you of the events I had this week and try to be... positive :)

Tracting is the craziest thing ever. You knock on people's door, asking to share a short message of Jesus Christ (the reason for the season) and people are so so against it! We are just trying to share the short video the church has put out this year on Christ and why He is so important. And why we all, as Christians, truly celebrate Christmas! It's humorous as well as discouraging. Some people are just weird.... but others are so mean! I can't even imagine what it will be like to try and talk to others about Christ when it's not during the Christmas season! There are some really compassionate people though, about 1 in 500 will let us as least say why we're there. So me and Sister Borup feel especially blessed when that happens! Thankfully Sister Borup "loves" tracting so I get the opportunity to do it more and be able to get better at it!

We do lots of service as missionaries and most of it is planned out. My FAVORITE service we get to do is when we go to the old folks home and play balloon volleyball and bingo with them. It is seriously the funniest thing ever! They sit on the couches all around us and we just try and keep the balloons in the air. You'd think it'd be an easy, fun game, but me and Sister Borup are hot and out of breath by the end of it! ha ha. We try and tell them to "hit it up!" and they think that they are but really they're just hitting them to the ground... And then they get all upset when they're all on the ground because we can't keep up, but it's seriously harder than you think!! But it is so fun :) And oh my gosh, the things they say... I am so grateful we get to do that a couple of times a week!!

We had the Christmas Devotional on Wednesday with half of the mission and it was so fun! Santa came and we sang songs and he read us a book and we took pictures... :) The missionaries in each district also had to preform a skit and those were so funny! (ours was the best) We danced and sang to Angles We Have Heard on High by Pentatonix and it was so great! The elders were throwing other elders around on the stage and we line danced.. good times. Oh my gosh something else that is so funny!: So when Santa came and we sang he wanted us to dance the Hoki Poki too! So we start doing it and Sister Borup (who, if you remember, is from Denmark) is so completely confused as to why we are putting one arm in and shaking it and taking it out! hahaha Oh my gosh it was the funniest thing! She says all of the time, "your country is crazy!!" in her Danish accent. I am so grateful for her! She keeps me laughing everyday!!

So my week is a lot of go go go! Everyday is actually. haha. You get up workout, get ready, study for 2 hours, go tract, eat lunch, go tract or serve, each dinner, go tract again. A lot of the tracting can be replaced with teaching lessons.. but we don't really have any to teach; so that can be kind of frustrating. 

We do have one awesome, AWESOME investigator that we taught on Sunday though! His name is Michael, and I am serious people, Heavenly Father has been preparing this man to receive the gospel and it's teachings into his life! We taught him about Christ's gospel and how we need to have faith in Jesus Christ and believe that He is the Savior of the world. We taught that you need to be willing to repent and make changes, so you can better yourself and come closer to Christ. And that as we do that, we prepare ourselves for baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost that will help us endure to the end until we meet our loving Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ again. It was incredible as he listened and responded. He is so willing to do whatever it takes to come closer to Christ! He is an example to me! Reminding me to "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him.." (Moroni 10:32) I am so grateful for Michael and the blessing that he is to us! We are so lucky to be able to teach him and be reminded of why we are here! He is going to be baptized January 1st, starting off the new year as a new man. We are so excited!!

I am so lucky to be here in Arvada serving the Lord's children. I am so grateful for all of the support I have and the love and care you all show me. I love my family and friends and I am so blessed to have them! But most importantly I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I KNOW He suffered all of the pains and afflictions I have had and will have and because of that I can turn to Him and be strengthened. I KNOW He died for me and because of that I can repent and come closer to Him and His perfect teachings. I am so incredibly grateful for my Heavenly Father and his perfect plan for each and every one of us. We can all return and live with Them again! I know that I am supposed to be here in Arvada, Colorado having the challenges I am and being strengthened in the ways I have been. I am so grateful that Christ was born. I am so grateful that we get to celebrate that and have that, hopefully, be in the forefront of our minds. Because He was born I know that I can endure hard things.

Love Sister Nelson

All the Newbies from December 7th

From the Zone Conference Christmas Devotional with their Mission President and his Wife

A little more casual of a shot!

Everyone LOVES to decorate with Christmas lights!

Sister Burop and Sister Nelson for your viewing pleasure!

Sister Nelson LOVES her companion!!!! She's so blessed!

Sister Nelson with Santa and Mrs. Claus

More Zone Conference fun and learning!

Sister Nelson's first Colorado snowstorm!!!

Well everyone, LIFE IS CRAZY!

I am trying so hard to get used to change. That kind of sounds like an oxymoron though because how can you get used to something that is always changing?? I'll let you know when I figure that out. ha ha :) I made it through my last week in the MTC and safely arrived in Colorado! It is crazy to think of what I was doing last Tuesday because it feels like I have to look back 2 months and think really, really hard! But I am grateful for the MTC and everything I learned there. I kinda miss it even... :) I loved the Spirit that was always so strong and the love that everyone had for one another. It 's not quite like that out here in Arvada, but I'll get to that more in a bit!

To start I'll try to think back as far as I can! The last couple of days in the MTC were awesome. I finally got the schedule down and was really taking advantage of the minute by minute day. On Saturday we had our last few classes and it really got my excited to finally be out in the field! We had lots of laughter with our district and have really become the best of friends. The next day was fast Sunday and we had a great sacrament meeting. So much love and appreciation for Heavenly Father's perfect plan and our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

My companion and I taught relief society and that was crazy but we had some good discussion about the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is such a gift from God! As we are baptized we get to have it as our constant companion. It helps teach, warns, testify of truth, comfort and guide us as we need it. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost and all the comforting it has done for me over the past couple of crazy days.

Sister Nelson, her MTC roomies and companion

Sister Nelson and a box from home.  Her piano music, yay!

Her MTC district - took a ton of shots, not one came out great!

Bigger MTC district photo

Monday was the epitome of C-R-A-Z-Y. We got up at 2:30am, got ready, packed the rest of our stuff and headed over to the travel office where we checked in and got our luggage and ourselves loaded onto a bus. It was about a 45 minute drive to Salt Lake where we then checked our luggage and slowly, but surely, got through security and to our waiting area. 

Missionaries at the airport getting ready to go their separate ways

Sister Nelson and her 2:30 AM fellow Missionary travelers

We had a good 2 hours to wait, but I was able to call home for about 30 minutes and talk to my mom and dad! That was a real treat :) Then we eventually got on the plane and had a beautiful flight to Colorado. Flying over the Rocky's was one of the most breathtaking views I have ever experienced. We landed and waited for about an hour in the airport until our wonderful mission president came! President Mendenhall is such a great guy! He sincerely loves and cares for everyone of us. We went back to the church (mission office) and got interviewed, had lunch and met our new companions!

My companion's name is Sister Burop and she is from Denmark! She is so so sweet and has a thick Danish accent :) She has helped me settle in and was so cute to decorate the door and my bed in the member's home we stay at!

Her new companion in Arvada, CO decorated for Sister Nelson's arrival

Sister Burop decorated her bed too

I live in Arvada and I am over the Arvada 5th ward. I have been told that I am really lucky to be in this ward, so I am excited! We live with a sister whose about 70 years old and is single. She is really kind and very hospitable. Heavenly Father seriously blessed me because I am in the City closest to the mountains in my mission! We can't see them super well because almost everything in the city covers them up like buildings and homes, but when we drive out in to an open area it is so gorgeous. It's really brown and dead here in Colorado (probably because it's winter time) but the mountains are an incredible navy blue and all have snow on them. I am so blessed to be able to have something so majestic and something that means so much to me to look at every day! It makes me think of my dad shredding it up on his snowboard whenever I look at them!

I have been out tracking and to a dinner appointment so far. One of two was successful! haha. We had dinner with the Scotts and they were so nice and welcoming. I almost ate all of the dinner too! It was a very, very hot meals that consisted of peppers and Mexican rice. I am trying to settle in the best I can, but it is all so overwhelming at first. I am grateful for this opportunity though. I love my Savior and I grateful for the ability I have to serve Heavenly Father's children. Again. thank you so much for all of your support and love. I love you all and I know that God does too!

-Sister Mykalyn Nelson

YOU GUYS!! This is the best!

Christmas lights at the MTC are on every night now!  Look at the snow!

First off, KEEP TRYING! No matter what--keep trying. I have had some trying times here already, and it seriously has only been like 13 days since I got here... But I have been able to experienced some of the lowest lows (which definitely stink), but you know what comes from the lowest lows?? A couple of things! First, HUMILITY. I don't know if you know, but I was far, far, faaaar from humble before I came here. I thought I was everything and a bag of chips (popular Mom Nelson phrase), but I now know that I am not! Without HIM I am nothing. I wouldn't be able to do anything or get through anything without the knowledge that He died for ME and He wants to help ME. I sincerely know that He wants to help you too. But you have to, HAVE to, turn to Him. Ask for His help and for guidance. If you really want it and are trying to be and do the best that you can, you will receive it. 

Second, love and charity. As I go through hardships, I am able to better understand when others go through hardships AND how to best help them. How could I teach someone what to do when they're experiencing a trial if I didn't know what to do myself?? I have been able to seek the guidance of the Lord, I have been able to ask questions that will strengthen my faith, "Do You know me? Do You love me? Will You strengthen me?" My friends, He does. I know He does. 

Lastly, if you're experiencing the lowest lows, you can count on experiencing the highest highs! And honestly, I WANT to go through the tough times so that when I have those sweet times they are SOO much sweeter. When I have been able to bear my testimony of the reality of the gospel of Christ and assure others of the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them.... those are sweet times. When I invite others to commit to do something that will bring them closer to Christ, like reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know for themselves, and when they commit AND follow through... those are sweet times. Or when I get on my knees and ask my Heavenly Father for strength to  persevere and I receive just that.... those are sweet times. I am just beyond grateful for everything that I have. I am so grateful that I have been able to come unto Christ myself and better become the missionary that Our Father and our Savior know I can be. This is going to be one crazy journey... But I already know that it will all be so worth it!

I suppose I can give you a run down of my week  as well. For starters, Thanksgiving was so great!! The food was actualllllly real! PEOPLE, THE FOOD WAS REAL!!  And do you know what that means?? That I had a full belly at noon Thanksgiving day! :D What a treat!! 

We were able to hear from Elder Dallin H. Oaks and he spoke about the importance of gratitude. It was very fitting! We sang tons and tons of songs and seriously, it is so incredible to hear 1000+ missionaries singing to their God in gratitude! It has been one of the most powerful experiences I have had feeling the Spirit here at the MTC (Missionary Training Center), SO COOL!  We also were able to serve Thanksgiving day and it was so cool! We even broke a record!! We packaged meals for an organization called "Feeding Children Everywhere" and for the amount of missionaries we had, we made the most meals ever packaged here in all of the years that they have been doing it!! 357,000! And the goal had only been 350,000! Bragging rights?? ;P Anyways, so it was so great to be able to do that and take our minds off of home! I (surprisingly) didn't even feel sad that I wasn't home on Thanksgiving day! I just think that for the next two Thanksgivings I will have the opportunity to focus on others more than myself... for the rest of the years after that, I am sure I will be with family so I think I can handle just two without my family! But only two ;) 

My Companion with me and Elder Hernandez, the music coordinator who left this week.  

Sister Larson and I in front of the Provo Temple.  It's snowing!  So beautiful!

I have been able to practice the piano a lot here! A lot as in like 30- 60 minutes 3 days a week!!! IT IS THE BEST! It totally helps me when I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed. I love it! My companion tags along and studies as I play so really it's a win win here! On Sunday, I played in Sacrament Meeting.  I thought that I wasn't going to be playing because another group of elders wanted to do something, but literally TWO hours before Sacrament Meeting,  they bailed. So this other sister and I ended up making up something! She sang and I played.  We pretty much wrote our own song, but I used a lot of the music from a piano book I brought with me. Thank goodness I had it with me! She sang so great and it turned out fine, but I always prefer to have more time when it comes to learning a song I am going to preform! ha,ha oh well!

Sister Larson (who never gets cold) and I in front of the MTC lights.  I love Christmas lights!

I love my companion (Sister Larson) and the great example she is to me! Whenever I start to get down she asks me what I am grateful for and it REALLY helps! I encourage you to look for things you're grateful for as you might be complaining or thinking that life can be so hard. There are so many blessings around us despite life's hardships!! 

I seriously love you all and I am so so grateful for your support! THANK YOU!

-Sister Mykalyn Nelson

HOOOLY EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER RIDE!!!

Airport Goodbyes with Peggy

Gma and Gpa Anderson




Mom and Dad

& Bubba

And at the MTC, Big Bro, Tyler did the "drop off"

The MTC is crazy, everyone. For 16 hours a day you are ALWAYS doing something. There are so many pros and cons to it, but I think it's more important to realize the good happening in your life, give the glory to God and be SO much happier than you would if you didn't!! But I'll be the first to admit that I was DOWN those first couple of days. I miss my family and the simplicity and easiness of home. And it just seems so hard... but truly, after I realized (again) my purpose for being here: to share the love of Christ I have and the TRUE happiness that comes from the gospel, I feel so honored to be entrusted by my Father in Heaven to be here. I get the opportunity to be here for 3 weeks rather than the normal 12 days because the MTC is trying to get back to that schedule in March and is using us as their guinea pigs. Initially, I was not thrilled; I just want to be out there!! But after much prayer and reliance on my Savior, I came to know that I am SO blessed to be here an extra week to learn more and feel more of the Spirit! Prayer is SO REAL! You are literally talking with your Father in Heaven that loves you more than you can comprehend. Before you pray I just invite you to take a couple extra minutes to think about your day and the way you've seen God's hand in your life. Ask yourself, How have I been blessed today? Also consider what you could do better and write it down so you can focus on it the next day. Personal improvement does not come overnight because you prayed for it and really want it. Those two things are great, but you also have to work. You have to realize that Salvation does not come easy, but He will be there to help you every step of the way. 

So the main agenda for each day here in the MTC is getting up, eating breakfast (ew) going to class for 3 hours, eating lunch (ew), going back to class for 3 hours, eating dinner (ew), and then going back to class for personal and companion study for your investigators for 3 hours, and then GYM and then personal time and bed. Common thing there? Class and gross food. ha ha They need like a grocery store here where you can go and buy granola bars and fruit snacks! But I won't be here for much longer and will be able to eat whatever I please. Of course, there' s pros and cons to that.. one being getting fat eating whatever I want... but I definatly don't need to worry about that while I am here since they don't have good food here.... :P One super cool thing is that I am the only person that plays piano in our district well enough for people to sing to so I play for all of our meetings and during Sacrament! SUPER COOL!! And this coming Sunday I am going to be doing a musical number for Sacrament and I don't even know which one to choose yet!! :D

I love my companion! Her name is Sister Abbie Larson and she is from Taylor, Arizona! She is so patient and loving with me, especially when I cry everyday. She is just there to help me back up when I fall. We have a great companionship. We learn every day how to communicate better and how to serve each other more. We set goals that we want to accomplish and hold each other accountable for them. We have personal goals and companion goals and district goals. The more goals I can set the better the person I can become! I just love how much more I learned living with someone everyday! I KNOW that it will help me in my marriage, communication skill and setting goals. Always look for ways to serve those you are around, it will better your day and better yourself.

OKAY SO BRAGGING RIGHTS HERE: I have the BEST district ever!! At first it just kinda of seemed like a lot of guys getting together in a high school class talking about all the pranks they've ever pulled and it kind seemed like they were all there because mommy and daddy told them too. How rude am I to be so prejudice like that?! We have THE BEST young men to work with. They hold and honor the priesthood power they hold and I am so grateful for that. As we've gotten to know one another we've been able to create an environment of love and trust. That is SO important. It is so important to have the people you're around (or in my case, try to teach) KNOW that I love them and care for them and trust me. They need to know that before I can begin teaching or they won't have the spirit there to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel because they won't feel like they're cared about. That is something VERY important that I have learned. We actually met with one of our investigators yesterday for the first time (yes, real non-mormons, haha) and it went SO bad. I was a hot mess all over the place and I tried to just handle it with my companion and I but then we had to go back to class and they asked us how it went and I just started bawling. My district never showed so much support and love to me as they did last night. They asked how they could help and were telling me that as long as I was trying my best Heavenly Father was proud of me. They all were looking up scriptures of comfort and trying to make me laugh. Never, never ever ever, would I think that in just 5 days I could come to love 10 people SO much. Never did I think that they would be such a lifeline in those tough times. Heavenly Father doesn't just work through the spirit, He works through people too. In my case, 10 very, very special people. Look around you and see those that are there uplifting you and loving you, they are working through Heavenly Father. Always be humble and grateful.

Something really special: So today we were able to go to the temple, and I LOVE THE TEMPLE!! I feel so edified and loved as soon as I walk in those doors. While we were waiting we were in a chapel and there was an organist and it made me miss the organ SOOO much!! How cool would that calling be?! It was amazing. So we got out and walked around for a bit and then came back to campus. Last night, thanks to some stellar advice from my favorite Hanna Smith, I asked our district leader if he would give me a blessing. Mostly a blessing of comfort and patience. He said of course he would! So today after the temple he remembered and I was SO glad, (becuase I didn't want to ask again and feel like I was a burden and because some missionaries are really scared to give blessings).  So my comp and I and his comp and him all went back to our little classroom and he gave me a blessing. YOU GUYS, I have only like 3 other times in my life EVER felt the spirit so strongly. I know that Heavenly Father cares for me and was directing him in every word he said. He blessed my family that they would be comforted and he blessed me that I would remember my purpose and to continue to love and have patience for those in my residency and for those in my district. He told me that he knew I was at the MTC for a reason and that there are people waiting to be taught the restored gospel through the spirit from me. He said so much but those were just a couple that stood out. I am so so so so so grateful for Elder Stockton Smith and the great example he is to me and to our district. An 18 year old could not do that without the authority and power from God. How grateful I am that we have that restored on the Earth today and how we can feel that as we ask for it. Heavenly Father really loves me and every single one of YOU! Pray to Him, ALWAYS pray to Him. He cares so much more than you know. 



Sister Nelson with Sisters Babcock, Rader, and Larson

With Sister Larson?

Another Sister Missionary

Sister Missionaries!

At the Provo Temple

Okay so last thing!!!, My companion and I have been called as Sister Missionary Training Leaders of our zone and it is SO humbling!! I love all of my sisters here and I am so thankful that I could have the opportunity to strengthen those relationships and help them in anything I can. (mostly cries on the shoulder because there's a LOT of that here ;) I love my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I know that through Him I was able to be called to this position to help others. God is SO good! Look for Him in your life! He is there, I promise you that!!! I love you all and I am so grateful for your support. Thanks A TON!! :) :) :)

-Sister Mykalyn Nelson



Christmas at the MTC



Beautiful lights at the MTC



Mykie and the Map!