1.23.17

We tight with the Meninites

HOLA Y'ALL.

  So this week... well funny story. So there's a little community of Meninites in Brownfield, and now we're friends with them, and they wanted to make us skirts! So pictures will be here next P-day. But they're honestly the COOLEST people. and they can only talk to people who they're considered close with, and they talk to us!!!! So me and my comp have a blast going over there haha.
  ALSO. One of our less actives had a ton of Book of Mormon questions, and kind of doubting the truth of it, SO we met with a member of our ward who used to be Catholic, and he PREPPED us for this woman. So now we know a TON of biblical verses, and we're meeting with her again tonight to discuss some of her questions, but people weren't lying when they said Texas is the Bible belt. It really is.
  On thursday, we went to go clean a less active's home. Never in my life have I felt more like Monica from 'Friends'. It was SO messy, and clutter everywhere. But she was telling us how her room was so unorganized that her and her husband couldn't sleep in it, SO me and my comp cleaned that place OUT. and you can see the floor now!.... in one of the rooms haha but she wants us to come back every Thursday and just clean for her, so hopefully we start making some progress soon!! Sweetest family though, we LOVE them.
  I've been doing a lot of studying this week and trying to focus on trying to not be so homesick. And always trying to be distracting myself with things so I don't think about home too much. I really do appreciate all the prayers and emails and letters I get though, it honestly is such a boost me up, and I am so so so grateful to have friends and family that care about me. It means the WORLD to me. I love each of y'all and hope you have a great first week of Trump being president ;)))

con mucho amor,
hermana neilson

ps. enjoy some cute pics from this week :))

1.17.17

I'M STAYING IN BROWNFIELD!!!

HOLA Y'ALL!!

  Ok so transfer calls came and I get to stay in Brownfield this transfer with Sister Melendez!!!! WOOT WOOT!!! this is my first companionship not being in a trio hahah so it's a lot more quiet. Yesterday was MLK day so all of the libraries were closed. But I just wanted to write about an experience we had this week. We were out contacting, and a recent convert was texting us things like "I started drinking and smoking again and I hate myself" and all these things, and we just kept telling her how much we loved her and everything, but it was way more serious, and so we thought we'd go visit her. Well we went to her house and she wasn't home so then we went and checked her work, and she wasn't home either. So we were kind of panicking. I said to my comps "let's go check the church building", so we drove over there, but the road was blocked so we couldn't get there! So we started to take a back way to the building, and we passed a lake and HER CAR WAS THERE! So we pulled over into the park and found her just sobbing and miserable. We just sat there and let her cry to us for like 20-30 minutes and then gave her some words of comfort. She is struggling so much. But we just told her how much our father in heaven loves her and how she is so worth it! So we watched her drive back home and we've been making sure to check up on her and everything, and she seems to be doing a lot better! But we're keeping her in our prayers.
  It has been raining and flooding a ton here but this week was pretty good. I love this gospel so much and the joy it can bring to people. I love y'all so much and i pray for y'all everyday. Thanks for the constant prayers and letters and everything, it honestly means the world to me out here in Brownfield. THE GOSPEL IS SO TRUE.

CON MUCHO AMOR,
Hermana Neilson

ps. if any of you lovely people want to send some letters this way here's my address :))

907 E. Reppto Apt. C
Brownfield, Texas 79316

1.9.17

Lots of Changes!

HOLA TODOS!!!

  Ok so this week, well it was pretty rough, but we got a new companion Sister Snell! She is the BEST! And we've been working super hard in Brownfield all together and things are really starting to hasten!
  A funny story for this week that should explain speaking spanish in the states.. well we got a referral for a spanish speaking woman who lived in Brownfield, so my trainer was like "Ok you got the door approach". So I was getting HYPED. and then we got to the door and her daughter answered and then I just went off. "somos misioneras de le iglesia.......etc" and then her daughter started laughing a little, but i just kept going "estamos buscando...." and then my trainer GRABBED my arm and said "Sister, she speaks english!" HAHAHAHA oh my word I was so embarrassed I couldn't even look at her anymore. so bad. But my trainer said she was super stone cold when they met her before, so I'm glad I could provide some comic relief for her. But that is the spanish speaking state side for ya.
  I've read a lot on Christlike attritibutes this week and I've just come to realize how important they are! I've read a lot on patience and charity and I'm trying my hardest to strengthen that right now, I have loved having personal study every morning and coming closer to Christ in that time. I love my mission and I'm so excited to see the future and progress of it. Transfer calls are this week so I'll keep y'all posted. LOVE Y'ALL.

con muchismo amor,
hermana neilson

ps. WE GOT A TRUCK​​

1.2.17

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

HOLA Y'ALL!!!

  Ok so I don't have much time, so I'm just going to talk about the high lights of this week! So we had TWO investigators come to church this sunday BLESS UP. and it went so well! Well one of them got diarrhea during the sacrament, haha bless her heart. But for the most part good! On thursday we were going around inviting all our less actives to our Brownfield FHE night, and we couldn't find one of them (jason) and so we kept driving around and we found him OUTSIDE A LESS ACTIVE'S HOUSE, SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!! oh my word we went into full cop mode. So we pulled around the corner and parked and ran up to him and we were like "HEY Jason you coming to FHE tonight??" (as he throws his cigarette). Oh my word it was just too good. We caught him smoking after he said he followed the word of wisdom..... everyone in Brownfield smokes.
  Also, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds died?! We were playing skip-bo with the old ladies that day and it came on the TV and all of us about DIED. On wednesday/ thursday we had exchanges with the sister training leaders, so that was pretty fun to do. And on Friday we had FHE with a TON of less actives and investigators in Brownfield, it was SOOO fun!!! I shared a spiritual thought with them and it was just so awesome to have everyone together in Brownfield. New Years was a HOOT. at the rehab center oh my word, we shouted "3..2...1... HAPPY NEW YEAR" and no one moved lol, it was the best thing i've ever seen. but for the most part we just went to bed at 10 on new years and played Skip-Bo all day. What a life.
  I have loved getting everyone's christmas cards and everything, literally i love and miss you all so much. I pray for all y'all constantly. I know this church is true and it brings so many people happiness in their lives. KEEP CTR'ing!!

con mucho amor,
hermana neilson​

 

12.26.16

SHE SAID YES

HOLA Y'ALL!

  So first off MERRY (belated) CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! It was honestly the best skyping y'all yesterday and it just made my day. This week was pretty interesting though. As missionaries in Brownfield (population 9000) you get kind of nosy because there's not much going on. So while we were driving one night we saw a policeman on the side of the street with his lights on in front of a house, so of course we pulled over and watched lol. So we ended up just sitting there for 10-15 minutes and then the policeman didn't move, so we just went to our less actives house. Well when we were at our less actives house their daughter walks in (who works with 911 dispatch) and says "Your guy's plates got ran today! I was at work and 'LDS Church of Christ: Salt Lake City, Utah' pops up! What did y'all do?!" haha so lesson learned, don't spy on policemen.
  When we taught Esmeralda on thursday we committed her to BAPTISM!!! And she said YES!!!! oh my word I thought I was going to faint. I was SO happy!!!! and then she was like "yea my sister wants to get baptized too! and I want my kids baptized." at this point I thought I was going to fall to the ground I was so excited. annnddddd then she said "yea so my sister called our pastor and we're going to get baptized next weekend!" so, that kind of hurt, a little haha. So next time we go over we're going to clarify the priesthood authority to baptize her haha I think she was a little confused.
  Friday was fire. I won THREE games of SKIP-BO at the Rehab Center (aka beat the Skip-Bo champion there: Bobbi) and we had interviews with our mission president! Mine went super well and he asked me if I had any concerns, and I told him about the spanish thing, and he looks at me and says "Sister Neilson, I think you should be able to speak spanish, so if you find a spanish speaking person in Brownfield I want you to teach them" OH MY WORD WE GET TO TEACH IN SPANISH NOW!!!!!!! I was beyond happy!!! So we went to a member's house the next day and spoke in spanish there, and then later in this week we're going to have Brother Olivas come and be a member present at some of our spanish lessons. I literally was SO happy.
  This week was so amazing, and I'm starting to get comfortable here in Brownfield. There's only 10 less actives in Brownfield (no members) but I can feel the work progressing! Life has been so good, but it has been challenging to adjust to. The power of prayer is so real and I'm so so so grateful for that. I love this gospel so much!!

con mucho amor,
hermana neilson

ps. here's some pics :))

12.20.16

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

HOLA Y'ALL!!

  Ok well to explain the title of the email, me and my companeras finally set up the christmas lights!!!! (pics included) and we got a (mini) tree and all our presents and letters around, so thank you to everyone who has sent me a christmas card or package!! it has meant the world to me!
  So something that was like AMAZING this week, is we found a NEW investigator. Her name is Esmerelda and she is GOLDEN. she was saying how something was missing in her life and she wants to strengthen her relationship with God and Jesus Christ and me and my companions couldn't even believe it, she was like shot down from heaven or something haha so we're going to extend to her baptism later this week. SO pumped, Brownfield might actually have a baptism for the first time in 6ish? years?
  Wednesday. Ok this story. So we have a lady in our ward who we had needed to go visit for awhile, and she was moving in like a week so we decided to go on wednesday. My trainer had tried to warn me about her house, but nothing could have prepared me for the things I have seen. Ok first. go find the song from the movie "Pyscho" and look up the song "Murder" now play that as you keep reading. lol i'm not even joking. we walked into her tiny house, and oh my word. cigarette buds everywhere, cat hair in everything, brown stained carpet, mold on the walls, couch torn apart, a weird odor, and something (literally) growing in the kitchen. I just told myself not to breathe for an hour. So we sat down on her couch, and i sat right next to the bowl of cigarette buds, and my skirt kept falling in them, so when I left i smelt like a smoker lol. then we went on and tried to teach her, but me and the other girl being trained (sister judson) couldn't stop laughing, the cat kept attacking us lol. so my trainer just kept talking to the woman while we collected ourselves. we then taught her about the temple and she's moving to Lubbock for a program to quit smoking, so YAY!! so yea what an experience to have!
  Thursday we had a party at the REHAB CENTER!!! those people know how to dance. so we played piano and sang for them and i went full out chorister. I had people singing along and dancing. it's christmas!!!
   Saturday we got to go to the TEMPLE!!! it is so small but oh my word it is stunning inside. there was some missionaries there from my zone in the MTC so we had a little reunion and it was awesome to see them again. I literally miss my MTC zone so much haha. We also got pepper spray for christmas gifts that day, not that Brownfield is dangerous or anything mom ...
  Sunday was my first official sacrament meeting and so as tradition the new missionary has to pray, so i chose the closing prayer! well about 30 minutes into sacrament meeting, MY MISSION PRESIDENT WALKS IN. so i was like oh crap, this prayer has got to be the best thing i've ever said. luckily i gave the prayer without passing out, and then president came up to me after and said "good job". That was a proud moment.
  Monday (this is why I didn't email yesterday) we had JINGLE JAM!!! basically just a talent show, spritual thought and then we watched saratov approach. scariest movie ever! so good thing we have our pepper spray now lol. AND we got a BRAND NEW CHEVY MALIBU. we reached 50,000 miles so we got a new car. BLESS UP. so yea we were pretty happy about that.
  Ok wow so sorry this email is so long. I have had some struggles adjusting this week, but I know with time I will finally adjust!! I just keep constantly praying for strength and help and always try to be positive. I honestly find so much happiness from reading the book of mormon every morning. I like have such a hard time putting it down haha. But I know this church is so true! I'm so sad I can't be with y'all for christmas this year, but I'm so happy I get to spend it sharing the gospel of jesus christ with people. LOVE Y'ALL.

con mucho amor,
hermana neilson

ps. these pictures basically sum up this week

12.12.16

Brownfield, Elder Rasband, & SKIP-BO

HOLA Y'ALL!!!

  I'm in Texas now!!! But rewind a little bit. So our last week in the MTC was basically just me crying the whole time haha I love my district and my zone SO much. It was so incredibley hard to say goodbye to everyone. We sang "Army of Helaman" and i played piano, and everyone was straight fire singing. And then we sang "God be with you till we meet again" and WOW I was bawling literally the ENTIRE song. So then Monday morning my district/zone all showed up the travel office at 3:30 am to send us all off, and I was bawling the whole time. Especially saying goodbye to my hermanitas (SHOUT OUT to Hermana Cancienne and Runyan for being the best companeras!!!!!) So then we got on the bus and made our way to the airport. I said bye to more people at the airport and lots more crying. On the plane ride to Lubbock the elder next to me was throwing up the whole time, so there wasn't much sleep haha. When we flew over lubbock I started bawling, cause like there's nothing here, and I was like "Wow I'm stuck here for 16 1/2 more months..." then we met our President and wife, and WOW they are one in a milllion. LOVE THEM.
  I found out some pretty devastating news my first day. They shut down the spanish speaking areas for sisters, so I will be english speaking my entire mission unless otherwise noted. I was HEARTBROKEN. I was crying so hard and felt like my mission call didn't even apply anymore. (I know so negative) but then I met my trainer (hermana melendez) and she's an ANGEL. and then we realized we're in a TRIO. haha so she's training me and Sister Judson. Me and sister judson knew each other before the mission so it's been a party haha. We've been adjusting well and just visiting lots of people here in BROWNFIELD. Brownfield has a population of about 9000 people and the name of the city should describe how it looks haha. But everyone is related here, and not gonna lie, it's kind of sketch.. haha but it's super fun. I'll send some pics of our less actives houses. Oh also, brownfield is the home of SKIP-BO. So everyday we play skip-bo at the rehab center, and it's a party. Service is so fun ;) but we work with hospice patients, and it's kind of depressing hearing people die everyday... but haha it's just an opportunity to teach the plan of salvation! Oh while we were driving my trainer ran over a bird, and the bird EXPLODED. no joke, the feathers went everywhere, so we pulled over and had a memorial service, it was honestly so sad! but I have never laughed so hard in my life.
  On Saturday we had the special opporunity to hear from an apostle of the lord ELDER RASBAND. We had a mission wide conference with him, so we had sisters spending the night at our place on friday and then the whole mission got together to hear him speak! It was such an amazing talk!!! and!!! I got to see all of my friends in the mish! (Maddie Seamons, Trevyn Zobell, Ryan Smith, Dustin Hansen, Shelby Kirchoff, Jessica Petersen) it was such a party seeing everyone haha. But we all got to shake his hand and it was awesome!
  I'm adjusting well to the missionary life and I'm loving it so far! My trainer is awesome especially for training 2 new greenies. Our area is so fun and the members are awesome here, I love the people here already! I love the spirit that is felt too while teaching, there's just something so powerful about it. I miss everyone so much, but as long as I keep remembering my purpose I never get discouraged! LOVE AND MISS YOU ALLL.

con amor,
hermana neilson

ps. here's my address
907 E. Reppto Apt. C
Brownfield, Texas