Missionary Work = Awesome!

Matching Missionaries!

Well this past week has just been awesome! Missionary work is just the best thing ever!! My email still isn’t working so I am sorry. I don’t really know how to fix it… ha ha, but just know that I love and am thinking of every one of you! We’ll start at the beginning....

So on Monday it was P-Day (pretty much the best day ever) and Sisters Lewis, Hughes and I went to My Froyo, which they had never been, and they loved it! The idea of multiple frozen yogurt choices and tons of toppings! Man, they were talking about it all week and we’re going again next Monday! (Today :D) haha. After we ran all of our errands and cleaned we went to the church and we played ultimate Frisbee with our zone of Sisters and Elders! It was so fun!! It made me think of my dad and brothers and when they would play. They’d be proud because I actually caught it and threw it well a couple of times! I learned from the best, so what can I say?? ;) It was loads of fun! We came home and showered and made dinner, because on Mondays we make our own dinners, and I made Chicken Alfredo! It was super simple and really good. I like that we get one day to cook, that is something unique to this mission that Colorado doesn’t do. That night we went out and tracted the streets and that is always fun!

Tuesday was so cool! After studies, during our lunch hour we went to the church and Sister Hughes and I played the piano and Sister Lewis sang! It is so fun to play and to have made things up on the piano. Man, I just love that thing!! Then we went out for some lessons we had and had our dinner appointment cancel so we went home and decided to make some French toast. Soo as missionaries you just don’t have a lot of different spices (not that we ever really need them, just in this instant), so we didn’t have any cinnamon for the toast. We texted the Elders that we share Pasco 4^th ward with and asked if they might have any. They texted back and said, “We’re elders! Do you really think we would have cinnamon?!” So we laughed and then another text came in and they said, “But we do have cinnamon graham crackers…” We told them that that would be perfect! We went over and got them and then just scrapped off all of the sugar and cinnamon into a milk and egg mixture. 

There's more than one way to get spices!

They turned out SO good! Ha ha ha. We just thought we were the most clever people around! We’ve laughed about it all week! That night it was super cool because some new missionaries came in, fresh from the MTC, and we got to take them out tracting! They are so sweet but were really nervous, which is so understandable, but we just went head first! We talked to some pretty awesome people that night and saw a lot of miracles. I just love how Heavenly Father loves and care for us! He knows the desires of our hearts and has a perfect plan for everyone! I am so grateful to be a missionary!

Wednesday was awesome! We went over to this member’s home and spent 2+ hours weeding away those stinkin’ dandelions! It was hot but there was a slight breeze which was such a blessing! We had so much fun. Serving others is just the best! It makes them happy and you happy and Heavenly Father happy… what else could you want!? I love it. For dinner that night we went over to the Christensen’s home and guess what?? Their son is serving a mission in Canada and I totally know him! We used to work together at the Court Club! It was such a tender mercy to talk with her and feel ever closer to the ward members! They are a really sweet family. I got a picture to send to Justin when my email starts working again! Haha. It’s so funny because my companions always say, “Oh wow, what a small world!” Which in a lot of cases it is… but I AM from here… hahaha we laugh about it all the time! It sure is a unique situation. That night we did another cool thing! We went on something called ministering visits. This is where all the missionaries in the stake/zone gather together for one ward and we go out with a member of the ward and a member of the stake to visit those of the one ward. SO much missionary work happened when you split up 12 different companions and spread over one ward’s boundaries! It was awesome. We met the nicest family and taught them a lesson about Jesus Christ and what he can do for us! It was very tender. And such a great idea!!

Thursday we went to the church and watched Mormon Messages for some of the lessons we were having later that day and it was so funny! Sister Hughes picked out two and in each one she just bawled!! They are very sweet videos with a powerful message in each BUT she was out of control sobbing at some of them and Sister Lewis and I just laughed and laughed! We decided that she shouldn’t pick any more because they were just ones she wanted to watch that didn’t apply to any of our lessons and made her cry! For the next hour and a half she couldn’t stop crying, it was just the funniest thing! We went to 2^nd Harvest again for service and had quite the time. We usually sort through salvageable and un-salvageable food and today is was rotten onions! Fun fact: rotten onions smell like old old bananas. Ha ha. It was kind of gross but fun nonetheless! We came home and guess what?! There were flowers and a card at our door! The perks of serving in your home mission ;) They were from Julie! She is so sweet. We have had them as a center piece on our table and anyone who comes over always asks, “Are those REAL?!” They are gorgeous and uplifted my day! Thanks Julie!

Thanks Julie!

Friday was great too! Man, which day hasn’t been great though?? ;) We went to this meeting called the “Doctrine of Christ” where the mission president, his wife, and his assistants taught us more in depth about Christ’s Doctrine and what he taught when he set up his church on the Earth. It was great!! 

On our way to learn more about Jesus Christ!

After that we had some sisters over for lunch and just ate some really random stuff because the week is ending and the food is going. It was fun! I love them. I got my first letter in the mail too! Some HOW Alexis got my address and sent me a letter… It was so sweet and way exciting too! Ha ha. I love mail! That day was full of tracting and teaching and that night there was a storm and we just went to bed with the windows open and some piano music playing. It was awesome! We have been getting quite the bit of rain lately in the evenings, huh? I love it!!

On Saturday we had so many lessons and it was awesome! We just didn’t stop!! I love it. We all fishtailed each other’s hair too! Have I said before that I love having sisters? Because I sure do!! We had a sweet miracle that day. So we got this referral that said this certain house was interested in a bible and that we need to go and take them one. So we did! We got there and it turns out that they are already members but are requesting a Spanish bible. They go to the Spanish Ward and we found out that is starts at noon but the sacrament service is at 2 pm. So we asked if there was anything we could do for them and then left and told the Spanish missionaries that they needed to give them a Spanish bible. We went on our way and at the next appointment we met with a dad and two kids. We had already met the kids but came back when the dad was home so we could talk to him too. So he was home and was really interested in our message. He spoke broken English, but Spanish very well and wanted to come to church! And guess what? We knew what time it started! Such a small, but miraculous tender mercy. We also had ONE Spanish Book of Mormon in the car that we had been saving for someone that was genuinely interested and guess what again?? We were able to use it! Oh it was so cool!! I love how the Lord works. He seriously has a plan! That night we went to dinner and they made something called “Grand Canyons” They were interesting! It is rice, Fritos, hamburger meat and all kinds of taco-like toppings! It was good and we have heard about it so much that it was sweet to actually eat one! I don’t know if rice and Fritos go together, but it was a fun meal!

Sundays are pretty much the best day ever! We didn’t have meetings (So sweet!!) and went to church. It was great! In church we were asked to teach the first vision to the Young Women and so we started and the whole time I was trying to think of the first word to Joseph Smith’s vision and it just wasn’t coming to me. Then it was my turn and I knew that that was going to be my part so as I started it all of the sudden came! It was such a miracle. I recited it with no problem and am so grateful for the spirit that brings to our minds the things we are to say. It is just so neat because I have been praying that during lessons I would trust the Lord enough to open my mouth and know that it will be filled and that morning it was! For something so simple too. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful that he hears and answers my prayers and the desires of my heart. I love church too! And I am so grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith who had a question and went to God. I love being a missionary and I love Christ’s gospel! That night, you’ll be so surprised, we were fed Philippine food! It wasn’t my favorite, but I totally ate it! At least a couple of bites of it ;) That night we went to this lady’s home and it was so cool. Her mom is in the hospital dying and she had literally just prayed that the elder’s would come by to talk to her and then we knocked on her door! How sweet is that?? I seriously can’t say enough how grateful I am for prayer and Heavenly Father’s care! It has just been a sweet week of miracles. I hope all is well with you! And that my email will work next week ha ha.  Love you all!

Love no matter what,

-Sister Nelson

PS Happy 16^th Birthday Cameron!!