6.5.17

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

HOLA TODO!

  So this week was an interesting one for sure haha. To be honest, it was a really hard week. We straight up only have like maybe 6 lessons, and we just knocked doors a TON this week. Which isn't THAT thrilling. But it also POURED this past week. And the lightning and thunder here is CRAZY! It seriously shakes the whole apartment! So we were up a lot too these past couple of nights, just because the thunder sounds like the sky is tearing in HALF. 

  But on Saturday we went to the northern part of our area (Breckenridge) and we had a ton of success! We are teaching this one girl we met while trying to contact a referral, and her name is Constance! Her boyfriend was in town for the weekend (he lives in Lubbock) and we taught both of them and their 2 kids the restoration, and they LOVED it! And at the end he was like "Well can y'all send missionaries to me in Lubbock?" WHAT! haha who asks that?! So of course we are getting missionaries over there STAT. And we got to go see our 2 other investigators that night and Argemiro is progressing so much! The only thing that is holding him back from being baptized is smoking still. But he is cutting down this week to 6 cigarettes a day! So little steps and we'll get him there. 

   Also!!! Our investigator Michael Ryals came to church with his 2 kids and his kids LOVED church, so blessings all around for primary! haha but we also got to teach the young women this past sunday, well young WOMAN, there was only one yesterday, and we taught her about the priesthood. But we then ended the week with meeting with one of our potentials (Phillis) and we taught her the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! So WOO got a new investigator.

   Something that kind of helped me this week though, was reading from Jesus the Christ. It helps you understand our savior Jesus Christ SO much more! I can honestly testify that I know that man is my Savior, and I wouldn't be out here in the middle of Eastland Texas if I couldn't bear that witness. Being a missionary is SO hard, but it's so rewarding in a ton of ways! I just can't believe it's June, time flies. But this gospel brings so much peace to people, I just wish more people could see that! So if you have missionaries in your ward, give them referrals, and rides to places, and go on splits with them, it honestly MAKES the missionary's day!!! I promise!!!!! 

  I LOVE Y'ALL MUCHO! thanks for all the prayers and updates. HAPPY JUNE!

Hermana Neilson

 

 

5.30.17

God Made, Jesus Saved, Texas Raised

HOLA TODO!

  Happy (late) Memorial Day!!!!!!! Our library was closed so we get to email today! This week was really amazing! We had 20 lessons from the entire week, and every one was straight fire! We are currently working with 17 investigators, and 8 of them have a baptismal date. We are trying our hardest though to get people to church! (If only people could know that their baptist church doesn't hold the same authority as our church). BUT we committed our investigator (Argemiro) to hand out pamphlets this past week, and he left one of them at the coffee shop! bahahaha he's really trying his best to live the word of wisdom ;) 

  

  We also did a TON of service this past week! We helped an elderly man clean out his pool (because it was filled with algae) and then we got to catch all the frogs that were left! It was so fun! And we also helped a lady along with like 17 other people move into her house! that was quite the experience.... 

  Something i've really learned about being a missionary this week, is we carry the message of the restored gospel of jesus christ UNTO people's hearts, not INTO people's hearts. It doesn't matter if the spirit is radiating like fire, if the person has a closed (not sincere) heart, they won't accept the message we share. Something I started studying though this past week is "Jesus the Christ", and it's helped me strenghten my relationship with the Savior Jesus Christ! So I recommend that book to all of y'all :))) 

  Well thanks for the emails/ updates/ prayers, I seriously love all of you so much and I can't believe I've been out 7 months! Crazy how time flies! Enjoy the beach and swimming, it got up to 109 here with 90 percent humidity, and i thought for a hot second my life might have ended. Gotta love TEXAS! 

LOVE YALL MUCHO!

Hermana Neilson 

5.22.17

Another Transfer in Eastland!!!!!!

HOLA TODO!

  So transfer calls came and I'm staying in Eastland with Sister Allart! We are so excited!!!! This past week was straight FIRE. We got 5 new investigators and 3 baptismal dates were extended! Literally these people came out of nowhere!! Haha but this week was really interesting. When we were out tracting on Tuesday we were walking around a ton, and a Pitbull attacked me and bit me, so now I have a hole in my fav shirt. "Bad for the body, good for the souls". But it didn't even matter because we had such a successful day that day! But the end of the week we were on storm watch for a HUGE part of the day, so we were on lock down. We had some tornadoes in our area, but luckily no one we know of was hurt, so blessings all around! But it's been nice having some cooler weather, it's supposed to get up to the 100's this week! AH! 

  ALSO!!!! Our investigator, Michael, QUIT SMOKING!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH we were so happy!!! Haha he has been "sober" for a week. So we are really excited to see his progression in this gospel and coming closer to Christ! He has been an addict since he was 18, so this is insane!! Blessings all around. We have been connecting a lot more with people in the Branch too, and we are finally starting to gain the trust of members here! (elders in the past kind of ruined things for a bit) But I'm really excited for this transfer! It will be my 3rd one here! But sadly it's only 5 weeks long because we are getting a new mission president, so things will be different in the mission for a bit. But Eastland is amazing, and the people here are so awesome. All is well :)) Love y'all and hope y'all have a great week! Thanks for the updates :)

con muchismo amor,

hermana neilson

5.15.17

Feliz dia de las madres!

HOLA TODOS!

  Ok so this week was pretty fun(ny)! So this past week we went tracting in Ranger Texas, (a little town outside eastland of 800 people) and we were following up on this elderly man, who we gave a Book of Mormon to, and his wife answered! So she let us in and was so excited to see us and we were thinking like "ok sweet this chick is interested" and then we sat down and she just starting bible BASHING us. We didn't even say anything like the first 5 minutes, and then I let Sister Allart take over. (she knows her bible well lol) and then during the "discussion" the lady's little chihuahua peed on me. It was just the cherry on top of everything that day lol. 

  Also we had zone conference this past week! It was our last one with President and Sister Heap, because they leave the mission June 30th, so it was kind of emotional, but we also got to have our last interviews with him as well! He talked to me a lot about being a leader, I was kind of confused but it's all good! haha I am honestly so sad they are leaving the mission, they are amazing people! This week is our last week in this transfer, so on Saturday we'll find out if we're staying or leaving. So prayers all around I stay in Eastland haha I honestly love it here. We cover like 5 towns, and the smallest town has 58 people in it. I didn't even think that was possible! lol but the people here are just so prepared and there's so many Christ-centered people here. IT'S THE BEST! AH.

  Anyways, I love you all so much! And skype calls were so emotional haha but so needed! Thanks for all your love and support and letters! They are seriously the best :) LOVE YALL!!!!!

-Hermana Neilson

 

 

5.8.17

HOLA TODOS!

HOLA!!!

  So this week nothing too exciting happened. But on tuesday I found 153 names on Family Search! WOOT. And we were supposed to go to the Dallas temple this past weekend, but one of our recent converts backed out last minute and so we weren't able to go :( But we just got the privilege to go out and tract more! So a member her knew how much i LOVE in-n-out, so they brought me in-n-out on the way back from Dallas!!! I almost shed a tear when he handed me the bag!

  Ok funny: So one of our investigators has the hots for my companion, and he basically proposed to her during our lesson. AHHH. hahhaa So we called our mission president's wife and we can only teach him if there's a member present there now, just to be safe :)) but not going to lie it was pretty funny haha. 

  Another investigator we're working with is having kind of a hard time with the word of wisdom. We taught it to him last sunday and challenged him to go without smoking for 10 days. Well he couldn't do it, so I promised him I'd give up sweets if he gave up smoking, because it's not fair for us to just tell people to give up things if we don't even know the least of what that's like! So it's been fun encouraging eachother (even though his is way harder) during this whole process! So everyone just pray for him (Argemiro). He has a baptismal date for May 21st so we are working the hardest we can with him! 

  Thanks for all the love and emails every week. It seems like everyone and their dog is getting engaged, but I love hearing updates! Haha I love y'all mucho!!!!!

la hermana en Texas,

Hermana Neilson 

5.1.17

FELIZ MAYO!!!!

HOLA MIS AMIGOS!!!

  So I can't believe it's may already!!! Haha but this week was so amazing! On Tuesday we were able to do some family history again with our recent convert Max and I found 56 names!!! So I have lots of temple work to do this weekend! (We are going to the Dallas temple for recent convert baptisms this saturday!) But it's cool to work with people who have never done family history and then be able to take a name to the temple! 

  This week we went on exchanges with the sister training leaders in Abilene, and I was with Sister Burbidge! She is so awesome! We really focused on talking to every single person that we saw and we had a ton of success! But it was fun to go to a city to do missionary work! It's so different though! haha but luckily we got some amazing food too. :)) 

  Me and Sister Allart have been working a lot at achieving goals that are stretching us as missionaries. We were able to have 3 investigators at church tomorrow and it was amazing to see that turn out! We had a GREAT gospel principles class all about Christ. Our branch is pretty small though, so this past wednesday I had to conduct the music, talk in church (again), play piano in relief society, and then give the relief society lesson! It was pretty busy yesterday for sure. But we have the privilege of having some baptismal dates coming up soon!! (Michael Paul and Argemiro) so we're pretty excited for the progression we are getting with each of them. 

  This gospel is honestly SO good! I have learned a ton from serving in Texas, and especially from being Bible Bashed a lot, but I've noticed that when we just try and see others like Jesus Christ did, then we have so much more charity for these people! Eastland is honestly so prepared and so amazing! I love it here! The gospel is so true! FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO!

con mucho amor,

hermana neilson

 

 

4.24.17

I got bites, They're Multiplying...

HOLA MIS AMIGOS y MY FAMILIA!!!!

  Ok so to start off. I got attacked by these bugs while we were raking leaves, so RIP my ankles. But me and my comp keep telling ourselves, "a mission is bad for the body, but good for the soul". Little motivation lol. Ok so something fun that happened this week, is we helped our recent convert Max (the one who got baptized a couple weeks ago) with his family history this week! He didn't know like any of his relatives haha so we had to call his GREAT GRANMDA, who doesn't speak english haha. So I had to talk to her on the phone in spanish (which is so broken) while we filled out his pedigree chart! Well we were dying cause his great grandma could not understand ANYTHING of what I was saying haha sooooo we are lacking on the names in his family history haha. 

  Me and my companion had the privilege of speaking in church yesterday, and I got to speak on Christ-like attributes!  It was so awesome! But after everyone came up to me and commented on my "valley-girl" accent haha. But it was cool to be able to give my 3rd talk in this small little branch. :))) But on Saturday we went to a member's house, and we got to help her with some service! She needed help taking her christmas decorations down. IT IS APRIL. bahaha so we gladly helped her with that. I love the people here! 

  But me and my companion are really working hard out here, and we're expecting some good things from this transfer! I can't believe I've been out on my mission for 6 months! It's weird to think this time next year i will be HOME. AHHH. But luckily I have lots of time to keep improving as a missionary and helping others come close to Christ :)) this gospel is such a blessing and y'all should share it :)) LOVE Y'ALL MUCHO!!!!

con mucho amor,

Hermana Neilson