Another Great Week!

On Monday we had the good ol' p-day, but this one was especially great!! So that morning when we were emailing it was crazy raining/hailing so the zone p-day we had planned got postponed and we were totally sad. THEN when we were shopping at Walmart, all of the rain stopped so the zone p-day was on again! So we went home and hurried to change and get the stuff we needed.  Then we drove over to the top of Parker and had a great time! We played capture the flag BUT since we can't touch each other to tag each other we got pantyhose, cut them in half and filled a leg with flour. Then we separated into teams and hid our flags. Then we played and to tag each other we were hit with flour filled pantyhose!! hahaha. It was a blast! Then it started to down pour so we got all goopy because flour and water don't mix in the cleanest way! We went back to the church and some people made ice cream in a bag! Milk, vanilla and some chocolate syrup in a bag, then in a bigger bag ice a rock salt. It was pretty funny to watch! 

Then we all went home and got ready for the evening. We had a lesson planned that evening that we went to, but she wasn't home. Soo the member that we brought with us knew where this lady worked and she asked if we wanted to go there. So we did! haha. It was this little family-owned Mexican restaurant and we totally met with the lady! We weren't able to have a lesson but we set up a time to meet with her again. haha. 

On Tuesday we had part of our studies then we were asked to go and help a family pack their stuff into a truck so they could move to Idaho! 

Friendly Missionary Movers!

It took quite a while but we called 2 sets of Elders to help us and, let me tell you, that made it go a lot faster! haha. We had so much fun! We love the Elders in our area! After lunch we went out biking for the first time before dinner because Sister Borup finally got a helmet from someone. It was pretty hard and hot, but fun! 

Biking!

Then we went to this place that asked us to do service for them and it's horse ranch! But it's not like the other one I went to where we shoveled horse poop, but where we walk around a little track with kids and adults with disabilities while they're on the horse! I can do that! That automatically means that the horses aren't crazy ones!! I am pretty happy about that :) 

Later that evening we were out biking and... well I had to go to the bathroom. So we went to a couple of members in the ward but no one was home! So then, at this point I like, REALLY had to go so we went to some people that we outside and said, "Hello, can I use your bathroom?" Let's see.. to describe the situation it would be safe to say that they were VERY uncomfortable with the idea of that. But I wasn't really going to take no for an answer because I was about to pee my skirt on their lawn! But anyways, it was pretty dang hilarious as the whole situation was over and we were biking away!! We decided we were going to take them some cookies and a note of appreciation, in a couple of weeks so they can get over the traumatic experience it was for them. It would've been worse if I peed on their lawn, that's for sure!! 

Bug bites!

Oh we got some awesome bug bites from biking too! We don't really know what kind of bugs bite us, but they aren't nice ones!

On Wednesday Sister Borup hit her 18 months out on her mission soo our favorite Aubrey Wright from Arvada came down to Parker and we had a great time! We burned one of her outfits and then had eggs! It was quite the early morning. Then we got ready and studied and had Zone Meeting! It was great. AND Sister Borup and I had a musical number at it! She sang and I played in Christ Alone (thanks for the music mom!) and it was awesome! I love doing musical numbers, especially with my favorite companion!! After that meeting, which was all day long pretty much, we had some lessons and were out trying to tract. We had one lesson where this sweet lady completely believes in evolution of mankind and how we came from lemurs (or something like that) and it was pretty funny! "....Well Adam and Eve couldn't have children that had children with their own kids because then they would become deformed because the blood line is just too close." So I said, "Well maybe we are deformed and Adam and Eve just looked completely different than us!" hahaha. She didn't think it was too funny, but Sister Borup and I did! haha. I am just so grateful for the Plan of Salvation we have! To know why we are here, where we came from and where we'll go after this life; it brings me so much comfort and reassurance! We pray that she will come around and have faith that she came from a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves her so dearly. 

On Thursday we did some service for a sweet lady that lives out in Franktown. She has a GORGEOUS yard! Complete with a pond full of real water lilies and fish! It is awesome. 

Waterfall and lilies!

We helped plant flowers and it was pretty fun. I love doing service, we are so lucky to be able to have so much to do out here! Even when this sweet lady's crazy dog jumps up on me and scratches me! (No tears though... :)) 

Dog scratches!

Later we had a meeting with our ward mission leader from the Castlewood Canyon ward, and seriously we just love the Smiths soo much!! They are so laid back, but at the same time they care so deeply about the work and what we do and anything we need. 

On Friday, Well I was kind of sick all of Friday so we didn't do much but in the evening we met up for dinner with a family that Sister Borup knew when she previously served here in Parker! So that was fun, they were very sweet.

On Saturday I hit my 7 month mark! haha. Not quite as much as 18 months... but still! 7 months at least from  the day I entered the MTC :P 

7 Months of being a Missionary

So Sister Borup made me eggs and decorated my window with the shape of a 7 in pictures! I love her. 

That day we were outside a lot and tried to contact some people we planned. But no one seems to be home or answers their doors so it was a long hot day! It's in the 90s right about now and it is hot hot hot!

On Sunday we got up and went to church (of course!) and it was great! There was a farewell and a homecoming talk in one ward and in the other a homecoming! And the BEST part about that day was that we got to teach a 5 year old primary class full of energetic little boys! It was SO fun!!! 

Cute Primary Class!

What's NOT good for our bodies!

Hands on teaching!

We taught them the plan of Salvation with the cutouts I had and then talked about some good things we do here on Earth to prepare to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again and one of them is to keep the Word of Wisdom! Soo I brought out "Hungry Hillary" and we talked about the things she could eat and the things she shouldn't eat! It was so much fun!! I love kids so much! 

It was a pretty good week. I love serving here in Parker so much! And I totally love Sister Borup, if you didn't know that ;) I am grateful for my zone and all of the great missionaries around me that I have to learn from! Missionary work is the best, I never want to come home! haha. I love you all! Thanks for all the kind words of love and encouragment.

Love no matter what, 

Sister Nelson 

3 Nefi 12:48

Derfor ønsker jeg, at I skal være fuldkomne, ligesom jeg, eller jeres Fader som er i himlen, er fuldkommen.

 3 Nephi 12:48

Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Beautiful Colorado

Sister Gardiner

Oh my heavens, I love missionary work so much!!

Loving the life of a missionary!

Oh my heavens, I love missionary work so much!! Every week with Sister Borup is the BEST!

So it's going to be pretty short, but I will give the highlights! There's not a lot of time today. Or any day, time flies when you're having fun! haha. 

So on Tuesday we had something called Zone Conference which was from 9:30 to 4:30! 

Our Zone!

It was awesome, and super long!! But you always can learn so much at those meetings and I totally did! I am so grateful for the spirit and the things it teaches me as I am willing. 

3rd Cleanest Car!

ALSO we won 3rd cleanest car out of the half of the mission that was there!!! We worked so hard to claen our car and it totally paid off!! haha. 

On Wednesday we played piano at the church and sang for lunch and then went and did some rock shoveling at a neighbor so that was fun! My back is still sore almost a week later haha. But I love doing service!!  

On Thursday we got to see SISTER LEWIS!! Oh my heaven, I love her! She is doing a bit better, has gotten on some medication to help and is waiting for some doctor's appointments to hear back on what it could be. Keep her in your prayers! :) She is the best.

Sister Lewis (from Pasco), Sister Nelson and Sister Borup

On Friday (Happy 27th Anniversary mom and dad!) we had weekly planning and that takes up most of our days but we are getting together the things we need so we can start biking next week because we only have a certain amount of miles and are about to exceed them and it's only halfway through the month! haha. So I got a bike from a sister that went home this past transfer and we got a bike to borrow for Sister Borup from a couple in one of our wards! We are so excited, today we have to buy helmets and we are good to go! :)

On Saturday we did some service at a lake we have in our area, a light trash pick up! It was good, there was a small turnout but we had a good time trying not to fall in while walking on the rocks! Then we went to this thing called "Parker Days" which is exactly like the Fair in TriCities and it was crazy! Crazy in a lot of ways!! Crazy hot so we got super sunburns and crazy amounts of people! We had a family history booth that we took turns being at with other missionaries and then if not there we were out proselyting about families! It was awesome. We got burnt though! THEN we went to Kneaders and we had dinner with THE WRIGHTS!! It was so awesome!! :) I love them so much!!

Lunch at Kneaders!

Sunday was another great day! We got to church at 8 and left at 4! haha. It was a long day, but there was so much going on that it seemed short at the same time! Missionary work is the best!! We are so busy up to our ears that that's all we really have time for and I love it!! I hope you all are doing great, I love you and appreciate you and your support!! Have a great week!

Sunday, Fun Day!

Love no matter what, 

-Sister Nelson

Mosija 2:17

Og se, jeg fortæller jer dette, saa I kan lære visdom; saa I kan lære, at naar I er i jeres medmenneskers tjeneste, er I blot i jeres Guds tjeneste. 

Scripture of the week!

Now in English

Mosiah 2:17

And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Life in Parker South

Well everyone, life is just the best here in Colorado!! I love Parker South soooo much! It is so beautiful and green and open with tons and tons of trees!! I will try to make my post short, but this week has just been awesome!!

So on Tuesday we emailed (because it was Memorial day the day before) So we'll start with after emailing on Tuesday. So we had to drive down to Castlerock to go to my appointment to get this growth removed. It took about 2 hours from the time we got in to the time we got out. haha. We waited, then he came in and looked at in, then we waited, then he said it was going to be removed, then we moved, then we waited, then I was called back and preped, then we waited... then he came in a numbed me then we waited and he came in again and numbed me... then we waited THEN in like 5 minutes he removed it! hahaha. It didn't really hurt (because I was so numbed) buuuut after we were finally done and walking out I just started to cry like a big baby! I couldn't really control myself for like 10 minutes. If you know me well enough you know I don't like situations like that so I ESPECIALLY don't like it when I don't have my mom there to comfort me the whole time. Soo finally I got myself under control and we drove home. I laid down for a bit and then tried to pack some of my stuff so I would feel purposeful. 

After dramatic "surgery"

My mouth very sensitive to air and to hot or cold so I tried to take some Tylenol and laid down. I was still very emotional. And it was just throbbing and would not stop bleeding for like 2 hours! haha. 

After a while, I pulled myself together and then we went to some people that we had been teaching to say goodbyes. 

Sister Nicholson

Guzman Family

We met with Sister Nicholson and her little dog Sinder and then the Guzman family. I love them! Later we went to the Condies and they tried to feed us cookies, but I opted out ;) It was a great evening. Brother Condie and Brother Young (Our Ward mission leader) gave me a blessing later that evening that I would heal and be able to continue on in the work. I am so grateful for the priesthood and worthy priesthood holders!

On Wednesday... Well it was basically the best day of my life THIS YEAR!! 

SISTER BORUP AND I WERE REUNITED TO BE COMPANIONS!!!! 

Watch out world, we're together again!

Oh my gosh we were soo excited and probably said at least 100 times that we couldn't believe we were actually companions again!! Of course, to celebrate we went to CHICK FIL A!!! I love that place. We drove out to our new area and met the sweet old lady that we are living with. Her name is Sister Malm and she seriously treats us like little princesses! We unpacked and met with the Bishop of the Pinery ward (who is actually the one who removed the growth in my mouth! hahaha how funny is that?!!) Then we went shopping for the things we needed! Oh my gosh, I still can't believe we are companions! This is going to be the best, fastest transfer ever!!

On Thursday we woke up and went for a nice walk, it is seriously so gorgeous here! 

We can see the mountains and the city and it is so green! Man, I wish I could get a good picture of it! My mouth has really been hurting the past couple of days with really bad sensitivity so that has been irritating, but I feel like it is healing pretty well. I have some ointment to put on it so that should help it! 

We had district meeting that day and let me just say, I absolutely LOVE our district leader! He is the best. He has been a zone leader and most recently got released as an assistant to the president! So he really knows what he is doing. He cares so much and has had so much experience. This is his last transfer too (like Sister Borup's)! It was so great. I am so excited for this transfer, we seriously have the best district ever!! 

Our New District

After that we had lunch and then had a "sweep" meeting with President and Sister Mendenhall. So since we took on this new stake into our mission none of us have obviously been here before soo we had a meeting on a whole stake being swept. It was awesome! I am seriously so privileged to be able to be entrusted by Heavenly Father, President and Sister Mendenhall to open this new addition to our mission! There is so much work to do and I just love it so much already. That evening we had dinner at a members home and guess what it was.... LASAGNA! I can't really have lasagna, but I ate it anyways because they had no idea.. I kind of regretted it, but at the same time I didn't because I love lasagna! But after dinner we went straight to the lady in charge of the dinner calendar to request the specific foods I can't eat and GUESS WHAT!! She is the lady that bought mine, Sister Netherton and Sister Saito's groceries in Walmart the first Monday I was back in Colorado!! Oh my gosh! It was crazy!! I love her so much. 

On Friday we went running and then got ready for the day. I love this place that we're living in but seriously... there are SO many bugs here. Everyday Sister Borup has killed like 5 spiders! And then during our studies that morning we hear this weird buzzing noise and then... I turn around and a wasp is just flying around!! I screamed and went to the bedroom and shut the door and all I hear is banging (and a bit of screaming) and then Sister Borup's voice saying,  "It's deaaaaaad" hahaha. Sister Borup said it was a gigantic wasp and it came out because she heard that "some princesses moved in, but now we are the queens" hahaha. Oh my gosh, I love her! We met with some auxiliary leaders and our bishops and ward mission leaders that day so we could know what we should do in the area because we literally have no past records! Silly Springs missionaries. 

On Saturday we went to our new stake president's home and had breakfast! He is so sweet. There were 10 missionaries in the kitchen cooking breakfast! haha. I also got mail from the Zone Leaders that morning from my mom and she sent me the cutest Green Eggs and Ham Book of Mormon version story and Sister Borup and I have read it like 20 times already! 

Green Eggs and Ham Mormon Book

It is the cutest thing. And after I read it, Sister Borup, for like an hour, only will talk in rhymes, but none of them make sense. haha I love it! Sister Borup and I also study out of the Mormons Bog (Danish Book of Mormon) and she thinks it is just the funniest thing, but I am really learning a lot of the language! I love it. I love Sister Borup!! It was a great day. And I finished reading through the General Conference magazine! I love our Prophet and Apostles. 

Sunday was awesome! We had church from 7 to 3 and it was crazy! There is so much to do and so many ways to be stretched that the day just flew by! Our first ward starts at 9am and the second at 11am and they both have meetings and classes and all sorts of stuff to do! That evening we went over to a family in the Castlewood Canyon ward (literally they are castles in the woods here) and GUESS WHAT! My beloved companion, Sister Lewis from Pasco got sent home from her mission because she is sick and she lives like 15 minutes away from here!! Oh my gosh! We are going to meet up this week and I am so excited to see her! But so sad that she is home :( Oh man, Heavenly Father has given me so many dang tender mercies this week! I am so grateful for it. I love Parker South and Sister Borup more than words can express and I love you all! Have a fabulous week!!

Love no matter what, 

-Sister Nelson

Alma 32:21  Og se, som jeg sagde angaaende tro: Tro er ikke at have en fuldkommen kundskab om noget; hvis I derfor har tro, har I haab om det, som ikke ses, men som er sandt. 

in Danish, now in English:

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Candy, Pyogenic Granuloma & Horses, Oh My!

Well, everyone this week was just as crazy as the last, maybe a bit more! 
I am so excited to tell you all about it :)

On Monday we had a normal P-Day where we went shopping and emailing, cleaning and preparing for the week. Later in the day we had "Sister's P-Day!" It was so fun, we all met at a park near "old town" Parker (Parker is like brand new so nothing is old haha) and we went to a frozen yogurt shop! It was like Yoplicity or MyFroYo, but had three times as many toppings and options! It was crazy! And they had lactose free stuff too :) So we all finished getting some and picking out our toppings and we were going to pay... when a man offered to pay for all 6 of us!! It was a fancy, expensive place too! It was so sweet. So we got our yogurt and profusely thanked him then ate outside in the beautiful 70 degree weather. 

We talked about our areas and investigators and laughed, I love these Sisters. Then we went to a candy store called Rocket Fizz and had fun looking at all of the goodies and games. Later that night we took a sweet girl in our ward out for some lessons! Her name is Carissa Condie and she served in Las Vegas Nevada, she got home in February! I love her too!

Sisters in the Rocket Fizz Candy Store

Candy especially for Julie Howald!

 On Tuesday I had a "big girl" moment: (you'd be so proud mom!) I couldn't afford to buy calcium supplement gummies so I had to buy the pills yesterday and I totally took them! Man, I am just learning and growing so much here. But I totally miss the gummies.... haha! 

I had a dentist appointment in the afternoon to get a growth on my gums checked out. The dentist said I needed to be referred to an oral surgeon so I had an appointment with him later in the day. I was pretty much freaking out because he said that I would have to get it removed and that is totally scary without my mom holding my hand! So we came home and did our studies that had been interrupted and then went to the appointment. It was down in Castlerock which is absolutely gorgeous! It is so green and hilly down there! (It's not in our mission so I had never been) So we got there and I was seen by good ol' Dr. Hunter. He said that it is probably something called pyogenic granuloma, which normally comes to women from a hormone imbalance and just needs to be removed. 

My very own Pyogenic Granuloma!

But to make sure he prescribed me and antibiotic to take to see if it's just an infection. So we set up an appointment to come back next week. (By the way this thing has been in my mouth for about 5 weeks now. Sooo I think it might be safe to assume that this "hormone imbalance" could be from stress! haha I am so lucky :)) So we went back to Parker and picked up the prescription. 

That night (another big girl moment) I had authentic Mexican food! We ate with this family in our ward and she made some spiiiiiicy tacos. It wasn't my most favorite meal I have ever eaten but it also wasn't the worst! haha. And for dessert we had "Mo-Chi" which is apparently some kind of Japanese dessert (definitely not my favorite :P)

 On Wednesday we had district meeting and then did service at a Riding Club. Like... horses. I don't know... I am not a big fan of horses so I can't say that it was the most fun thing I have ever done! But you'd be impressed to know that I like actually touched a horse! I ever brushed it once or twice! hahaha. My companion was in heaven so at least someone enjoyed it! haha. Then we can home and I had to lay down for a bit because the meds that I started make me really drowsy and nauseous. 

Sister Nelson trying to smile for the camera with a horse.  Difficult, I know.
On Thursday we had some lessons that we went to and then I really wasn't feeling well so we came back home and I laid down again. The thing in my mouth didn't look any different at that point either so I was a bit frustrated! 

Lifecare Ice Cream scoopin'!

On Friday we had service at a place called Lifecare and it was so fun! They have a little ice cream parlor that we served ice cream to the residents! I love talking with elderly people. I love them and the experiences that they have had!  There is so much to learn from them. 

Then we went to one of the sweetest families in the ward, the Condies. We had dinner with them and they were sooo sweet to me! They made pulled pork for sandwiches and knew that I can't eat acidic things like tomatoes based products which they used on the pork by the BBQ sauce so they made me my very own portion in a little crock pot! :D I was so touched <3 We had a fun dinner with them and took their daughter Carissa out later that evening for some lessons. That night we went to check the mail and as I came back my companion said there was a spider in the car but she lost it because it was dark... Oh man I hate spiders! haha.

My very own Pulled Pork meet without BBQ Sauce!  Love in a crockpot!

Lactose Free Ice Cream!  Thanks Condies!

 On Saturday morning with had a meeting with our Ward Mission Leader and we discussed what we did for the past week and our plans for this week. Then we asked for a flashlight to search for the spider in our car. No luck. We went home and had lunch then went out with a different sister in the ward to try and contact some less active members. It was fun! We came back home and had lunch and for some reason I wasn't feeling good at all and ending up not holding the food down. This wasn't the first time since taking these meds so I finally decided to call the doctor and ask to stop taking them. He agreed and asked if there had been any change in the growth. I said no so we scheduled a time on Tuesday to just get it removed, not just a check up. I am grateful for that because those meds were horrible! 

Later we had dinner at a sweet family we met at the ward party last week and then a lesson with some investigators. It was great! The spirit was so strong and the Young Women that we brought with us has the sweetest, boldest testimony. I love Bailee so much! And the Spirit for testifying of truth as we taught. 

That night we were driving our of some apartments and the spider was crawling across the dash. I freaked out and put the car in park and flung myself out of the place. My companion (she is so sweet) flung the spider over to my side of the car while trying to kill it. Now there was no way I was going to get into the car until that thing was dead or out and so we got out our little flash light and searched for like 30 minutes to find it. We finally found this massive thing and took care of it. We got home pretty late.. But hey, we didn't get into an accident and we killed a spider! All is well! :P

Sunday morning we got up and ready for ward council, got to the church and found out there was no ward council haha. So more time for me to practice piano! It was great. We went home after an hour because my companion wasn't so entertained. She tried to make some rice and tried to do this by microwaving it. For some reason she thought it made sense to microwave it for 10 minutes but about 8 minutes in I smelt it burning and it was on fire! hahaha. Oh my gosh. Ridiculous. So we took care of that and took the privileges of microwaving away. 

We went to church and had a great time! Church is the best. After both wards, we had dinner and then some lessons. Oh! And at church a lady sang "Consider the Lilies" and it was incredible! I love that song so much.

Our district with the Colorado State Flag we took to the 5K

On Monday we had the greatest day ever! Since it was memorial day we couldn't email so we had a mission 5K! It was SO fun!! We drove to downtown Denver and picked up my favorite sister Borup and her sweet companion Sister Loyd and then drove to Westminster for the run! The drive was gorgeous with the mountains and the city, I love Colorado! We were talked to and ran as a zone. We had a snack and then President talked to us too! It was awesome to gather as a mission, we are so small so it makes it so much more fun. The theme of the 5K was "Fit to the Finish." Fit physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was so awesome! After the 5K we went back to our areas and met as a zone to figure out transfer information.  I am being transferred and.....

I GET TO BE WITH THE GREATEST, SISTER BORUP!!! 

I am so dang excited!! We are going to open a new area in Parker South that is now apart of our mission, starting this transfer.  We are so thrilled! We will be covering two wards: Pinery and Castlewood Canyon. And will be living with members! Oh my heavens I am so blessed!! So we went from that meeting back to our apartment to start packing! We got our hairs cut later (just a two-inch trim for me) and then had dinner! We had some lessons that evening and stopped by the sweet Zinter family to say goodbye. 

With the Zinter Family

I really am sad to be leaving Clarke Farms but somebody wise once told me (and I can't remember who it was so it's probably my mom) but she said something along the lines of. "If it's hard to leave a place where you've been serving the people,  then you did your job right." (right mom?) I love these people so much. I want the missionaries coming in after me to love and care for them the way I did! I want them to continue to be reminded that Heavenly Father loves them. I know that a little piece of my heart will be left here when I leave tomorrow, but I am so excited! I love you all so much and I hope that everything is going well where you're at! Always remember that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love YOU and care for YOU. Strive to always remember them in all you do. You will be blessed as you do!

Love no matter what,

-Sister Nelson

Crazy rainstorm!