This week has been
super good! I have especially enjoyed so far the opportunity to train a new
missionary! While I was with Elder Stainback I learned a ton and this week I
have had to use all of that knowledge in many different situations and I am
thankful to the lord for all the assistance he has given me! I have truly felt
the guidance of the spirit as I have answered tough questions and concerns
without Elder Stainback to back me up! My confidence and faith in the Lord has
increased.
My Companion Elder Borland is doing great! This week has been busy so we have not done as much tracting as I would have liked but he will be getting plenty of it soon. Especially after we get back from camp Liahona. HE is doing well. It has been so interesting to see him be in the same spot that I was a few months ago and to be going through the same things that I was going through. He is still settling in and getting more comfortable but I can already tell that he is going to be a great missionary if he continues to do his best to learn. He is pretty soft spoken and he is a totally different personality as compared to Elder Stainback so it has been a big change but it has been welcome! I love the challenge and am looking forward to this responsibility! Elder Borland and I have had some great experiences this week and have grown together as a companionship. I don't forsee any problems getting in the way of the work and friendship. He has a great desire to become a good missionary and is willing to work and to put himself out there even when he has no idea what he is doing at times! He is the man and I love him!
This week has been amazing! I have seen the Lord's hand in the lives of our investigators this week and I have learned some valuable lessons! Rachel Lopez, whose date for baptism is Nov. 24th has taken some big steps! We had two good lessons with her this week about the atonement and about the Doctrine of Christ. She loves reading about those things because they are easy to understand. Especially the doctrine of Christ! She loves it and totally gets it! I always know when we have a really spiritual lesson with her because if she really feels it after the lesson she always starts talking about how bad she needs to quit smoking without us even bringing it up! The spirit is working on her and she is working to give up smoking. It is only a matter of time! She is only the beginning of the miracle though! Rachel has a daughter named Candida(Candy) James. She lives in the same apartment complex as Rachel does. Usually when we teach Rachel candy's kids, Janessa and Breanna, are there listening. So, a few weeks ago Elder Stainback and I received an amazing opportunity. Candy called us and told us that she has been having some bad experiences in her home. She has felt like there is an evil spirit there and that she doesn't feel safe, especially at night. So we were able to go over and bless her home and her family through prayer. The spirit was immediately present and she thanked us and was very grateful. Over the next few days when we would go over to see Rachel Candy would come out and tell us how she has been sleeping in her house again,(she used to go sleep at Rachel's) and that she hasn't had anymore problems! We were able to build a good foundation of trust with her and we started a foundation of faith! So While teaching Rachel this week Janessa, Candy;s daughter, expressed a desire to be baptized with her grandma! Usually we ask her and she doesn't answer or ignores us but this time when I asked her about being baptized she said that she wanted to! So We went over to talk to candy about teaching her and preparing her to be baptized with her grandma on Nov. 24th. Candy said she would have to talk to her about it and she asked a couple of questions about our church which led to a great lesson about baptism and the book of Mormon!! We asked her if we could come back and talk to her more about what we believe and she readily agreed. So we went back on Saturday night and had a great lesson that consisted mostly of us answering her questions about what we believed as compared to Jehovah's witnesses. She was blown away by the things that we told her and excitedly accepted a pamphlet about the restoration and we will be going back soon to teach her! The Lords hand is at work in their family and I am so thankful to be a part of it! Through service and simple fervent prayers we have built up foundations of faith that are now growing and being built upon in ways that I never thought!
The other miracle that I have seen this week was with Charlie and Selia Fox and their family! Selia is the main focus right now and is very close to being baptized. Her date is Nov. 10th but will probably be moved back due to their lack of being married. Selia has been struggling with the word of wisdom, Coffee. She is being stubborn and will not give it u p! she has stated to us face to face that she would probably be baptized if it wasn't for her having to give up up coffee! But! This week We were able to sit down and have a great talk about it and she stated that she has been feeling really tired lately even when she drinks coffee and she doesn't even know why she is drinking it! She also expressed that she has more of a desire than I even realized to be baptized! As we talked the way she said things implied strongly that she is GOING to be baptized. I felt the spirit so strong inside of me I thought I might explode! I have such a sincere love for her and for her family that hearing her express those desires and feelings made me so excited and I was able to testify to her strongly about the blessings that come from being obedient. That was one of the miracles that I have seen with them. She has been resolving her own concerns. The 2nd is that this weekend was the ward Halloween party and I really wanted Selia to be able to come with her family! She also was really wanting to come. So after a lot of stressing out and phone calls (their car is down and they cant drive) We acquired a ride for them. The miracle is that when the Jacobson's went to pick them up, they didn't need a ride anymore because Charlies brother Ben wanted to come and Charlies friend Ross wanted to come as well and they were able to fit everyone in their two cars.
At the end of the night we talked to them all about it and they loved it! Ross and his son loved it, Ben and his Two Girls loved it and expressed desires to come to church! Charlie and Selia especially loved it and Selia had the great opportunity to meet some great ward members and she talked to the bishop about getting married in order to be baptized!! It was AMAZING! I don't think I have ever been more excited in my whole as I was when I listened to her and the Bishop talk. Selia is getting so close!
I am so excited for the miracles that are happening her in Shiloh Park! The Lords hand is truly at work! The valuable lesson that I learned was that we are here to serve in the Lords time. He has the master plan and knows what each of us need and when we need it and he wont give it to us or make it happen unless it is the right time and if we have earned it.
I love being a missionary so much! I have such a great Love for these people and for their families and I would do anything to help them progress and to make them happy! I am so thankful to the lord for his assistance this week and I am so grateful to be a part of these AMAZING changes that are taking places in peoples lives. This church is so true.
We also had a great tracting experience where Elder Borland and I were able to teach on the doorstep a lady named Jessica with a big family and she was very interested in the book of Mormon and about the saviors ministry here in America!( used your approach dad, well kinda, I tweaked it and made it better hehe ;)) We are going back soon! She was solid!! Also I had my first raving lunatic experience while tracting. He was drunk as a skunk and when I came up and introduced my self. he got right up in my face and started yelling about how we believed that it was gods will that women get raped. He was a punk and I was ready to throw down but I'm proud to say that I didn't move an inch when he came in at me. all I needed to do was lean in and I could have kissed him... I probably should have..he would have FREAKED ha! But oh well. His wife came out and started to hit him and yell at him so it ended well and we ended up finding Jessica so it was worth it.
Anyways I gotta go! We have a full mission conference at camp liahona this week! I don't know if I told you that.. but yeah we are going up there for three days..it is going to be sweet... Ill tell you more about it next week!
I am glad everyone is doing well it was so sweet to get letters from all of you this week! Its always good to know whats going on! I love you all and look forward to hearing from you again! adios!!
love Elder Nelson
My Companion Elder Borland is doing great! This week has been busy so we have not done as much tracting as I would have liked but he will be getting plenty of it soon. Especially after we get back from camp Liahona. HE is doing well. It has been so interesting to see him be in the same spot that I was a few months ago and to be going through the same things that I was going through. He is still settling in and getting more comfortable but I can already tell that he is going to be a great missionary if he continues to do his best to learn. He is pretty soft spoken and he is a totally different personality as compared to Elder Stainback so it has been a big change but it has been welcome! I love the challenge and am looking forward to this responsibility! Elder Borland and I have had some great experiences this week and have grown together as a companionship. I don't forsee any problems getting in the way of the work and friendship. He has a great desire to become a good missionary and is willing to work and to put himself out there even when he has no idea what he is doing at times! He is the man and I love him!
This week has been amazing! I have seen the Lord's hand in the lives of our investigators this week and I have learned some valuable lessons! Rachel Lopez, whose date for baptism is Nov. 24th has taken some big steps! We had two good lessons with her this week about the atonement and about the Doctrine of Christ. She loves reading about those things because they are easy to understand. Especially the doctrine of Christ! She loves it and totally gets it! I always know when we have a really spiritual lesson with her because if she really feels it after the lesson she always starts talking about how bad she needs to quit smoking without us even bringing it up! The spirit is working on her and she is working to give up smoking. It is only a matter of time! She is only the beginning of the miracle though! Rachel has a daughter named Candida(Candy) James. She lives in the same apartment complex as Rachel does. Usually when we teach Rachel candy's kids, Janessa and Breanna, are there listening. So, a few weeks ago Elder Stainback and I received an amazing opportunity. Candy called us and told us that she has been having some bad experiences in her home. She has felt like there is an evil spirit there and that she doesn't feel safe, especially at night. So we were able to go over and bless her home and her family through prayer. The spirit was immediately present and she thanked us and was very grateful. Over the next few days when we would go over to see Rachel Candy would come out and tell us how she has been sleeping in her house again,(she used to go sleep at Rachel's) and that she hasn't had anymore problems! We were able to build a good foundation of trust with her and we started a foundation of faith! So While teaching Rachel this week Janessa, Candy;s daughter, expressed a desire to be baptized with her grandma! Usually we ask her and she doesn't answer or ignores us but this time when I asked her about being baptized she said that she wanted to! So We went over to talk to candy about teaching her and preparing her to be baptized with her grandma on Nov. 24th. Candy said she would have to talk to her about it and she asked a couple of questions about our church which led to a great lesson about baptism and the book of Mormon!! We asked her if we could come back and talk to her more about what we believe and she readily agreed. So we went back on Saturday night and had a great lesson that consisted mostly of us answering her questions about what we believed as compared to Jehovah's witnesses. She was blown away by the things that we told her and excitedly accepted a pamphlet about the restoration and we will be going back soon to teach her! The Lords hand is at work in their family and I am so thankful to be a part of it! Through service and simple fervent prayers we have built up foundations of faith that are now growing and being built upon in ways that I never thought!
The other miracle that I have seen this week was with Charlie and Selia Fox and their family! Selia is the main focus right now and is very close to being baptized. Her date is Nov. 10th but will probably be moved back due to their lack of being married. Selia has been struggling with the word of wisdom, Coffee. She is being stubborn and will not give it u p! she has stated to us face to face that she would probably be baptized if it wasn't for her having to give up up coffee! But! This week We were able to sit down and have a great talk about it and she stated that she has been feeling really tired lately even when she drinks coffee and she doesn't even know why she is drinking it! She also expressed that she has more of a desire than I even realized to be baptized! As we talked the way she said things implied strongly that she is GOING to be baptized. I felt the spirit so strong inside of me I thought I might explode! I have such a sincere love for her and for her family that hearing her express those desires and feelings made me so excited and I was able to testify to her strongly about the blessings that come from being obedient. That was one of the miracles that I have seen with them. She has been resolving her own concerns. The 2nd is that this weekend was the ward Halloween party and I really wanted Selia to be able to come with her family! She also was really wanting to come. So after a lot of stressing out and phone calls (their car is down and they cant drive) We acquired a ride for them. The miracle is that when the Jacobson's went to pick them up, they didn't need a ride anymore because Charlies brother Ben wanted to come and Charlies friend Ross wanted to come as well and they were able to fit everyone in their two cars.
At the end of the night we talked to them all about it and they loved it! Ross and his son loved it, Ben and his Two Girls loved it and expressed desires to come to church! Charlie and Selia especially loved it and Selia had the great opportunity to meet some great ward members and she talked to the bishop about getting married in order to be baptized!! It was AMAZING! I don't think I have ever been more excited in my whole as I was when I listened to her and the Bishop talk. Selia is getting so close!
I am so excited for the miracles that are happening her in Shiloh Park! The Lords hand is truly at work! The valuable lesson that I learned was that we are here to serve in the Lords time. He has the master plan and knows what each of us need and when we need it and he wont give it to us or make it happen unless it is the right time and if we have earned it.
I love being a missionary so much! I have such a great Love for these people and for their families and I would do anything to help them progress and to make them happy! I am so thankful to the lord for his assistance this week and I am so grateful to be a part of these AMAZING changes that are taking places in peoples lives. This church is so true.
We also had a great tracting experience where Elder Borland and I were able to teach on the doorstep a lady named Jessica with a big family and she was very interested in the book of Mormon and about the saviors ministry here in America!( used your approach dad, well kinda, I tweaked it and made it better hehe ;)) We are going back soon! She was solid!! Also I had my first raving lunatic experience while tracting. He was drunk as a skunk and when I came up and introduced my self. he got right up in my face and started yelling about how we believed that it was gods will that women get raped. He was a punk and I was ready to throw down but I'm proud to say that I didn't move an inch when he came in at me. all I needed to do was lean in and I could have kissed him... I probably should have..he would have FREAKED ha! But oh well. His wife came out and started to hit him and yell at him so it ended well and we ended up finding Jessica so it was worth it.
Anyways I gotta go! We have a full mission conference at camp liahona this week! I don't know if I told you that.. but yeah we are going up there for three days..it is going to be sweet... Ill tell you more about it next week!
I am glad everyone is doing well it was so sweet to get letters from all of you this week! Its always good to know whats going on! I love you all and look forward to hearing from you again! adios!!
love Elder Nelson