20 November 2014

A Loving Heavenly Father

This week was so wonderful. Like I said last week, we had a conference on Tuesday with Elder Evans, the Executive Director of Mission work and a member of the quorum of the 70. Words can`t really describe how the conference went. I received so many strong impressions by the spirit in the conference and learned so much. My life was changed by the things I learned. That`s not just exaggerating... I truly felt the spirit so strongly, that I felt my mind enlightened by the what was taught. It was a very unique conference... not just the usual sitting and listening for hours, but he had us really participate and led us to answering our own questions. I think we all left feeling a little more enlightened about questions we had. I also had the incredible opportunity to have a one on one interview with Elder Evans. I don`t know how or why, but I was one of 6 people in the mission to have an interview with him. So I took it as a very special opportunity. We conversed. I cried a little bit. It was so great. My life will forever be changed by the spirit and impressions I felt in that interview. I am so incredible grateful for the opportunity we had to hear from Elder Evans and most importantly his inspired words that truly brought the spirit to teach us.

I`m loving being a missionary. I hate the thought of this experience ending, however I know that as the conference this week changed my life, the mission truly has changed my life. I am excited to but these things into practice in my life after the mission. But for now, I feel a new excitement and humbled spirit to serve the Lord and bring others to Him. It`s the greatest thing I could ever be doing with my life! I`m so grateful for all that I am learning and experiencing here! I feel so extremely loved and blessed by my Heavenly Father. He truly hears and answers my prayers and questions of my heart. If you have doubts, go ahead, just ask. Try Him and I promise that He will answer your prayers. Be patient, diligent and obedient and your eyes will be opended to His eternal love for you.

Love you so much!

Hermana Nelson

10 November 2014

Sincere Desires = Happy Missionaries

This week was really great! We saw a lot of great tender mercies! We have been contacting a lot more families and finding more and more people that are truly prepared. 

Last night we visited a family, Milagros and Pablo with their baby, Pablo Jr. Wow, it`s so fun to teach people that truly have the desires to know the truth. They are catholic and their whole family... parents, grandparents, etc. are catholic, so they`re a little hesitant to change religion, but they are willing to learn about what we are teaching because they want what`s best for their family. They are truly seeking what Heavenly Father wants for them. They are both very intellectual people which can sometimes make teaching hard if they don`t have humble hearts, but Pablo and Milagros are actual really humble and like I said have sincere desires. I can feel the spirit so strongly as we teach them. He said that he can feel the passion that we have for "our religion" as we teach and talk about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, yet I know that it`s really the spirit that he is feeling when we testify that these things are true. They came to church on Sunday and had some questions about that, but really liked it! Pablo said he is going to commit to come to church, and start reading to Book of Mormon and ask God if it is true. I have no doubt that with his open hear and sincere desires, Heavenly Father with show him the truth of what we are teaching. It`s so fun to teach people that can really feel it and have opens hearts to our message. My faith is growing more and more in the miracles I know Heavenly Father can work in people´s lives. If we would but truly trust in HIM and His promises to obedient children, we could see truly great miracles in our own lives! 

I`m learning more about come closer to Jesus Christ. I read a talk about being perfected in Christ today... it was humbling to reflect on the pure love that Heavenly Father has for His children. Although we are all a work in progress, we are the greatest work he has ever made. 

Love you all so much! I probably won`t be writing next Monday because we are going to a conference in Cusco with Elder Evans! Should be pretty amazing! I`ll probably be writing later that week.

Also, shout out to Grandma Peck! Happy 80th Birthday Grandma! I love you so much and hope you have the greatest birthday ever! I look up to you so much and feel like I have come to know you more on my mission through the stories that my mom has been sending me. I love you so much and am praying for you daily! 

Con amor,

Hermana Nelson

03 November 2014

Hermana McMahon is the Best Companion of All Time

I asked my companion what my subject for the email should be and that`s what she suggested. I guess it`s pretty fitting and absolutely true. She rocks.

AH this week was so great. We saw great miracles as we more closely followed the counsel of our mission president. 

So I`ve already told you about the two young couples we contacted in the park a few weeks ago... and then Eduardo the recent convert from cusco that also lives with them. After the lesson last week and the many prayers and fasting for them, we saw incredible blessings. We had a great lesson with them, by simply reading the Book of Mormon and talking about baptism. The spirit was strong and the babies were quiet. We invited them to be married and baptized on the December 20th and they accepted! It was so natural and went so smoothly. I know they spirit had softened their hearts. Heavenly Father truly prepared them to hear the gospel. They are progressing so well. Yonathan is on fire in our lessons! You can tell he is truly being taught by the spirit because one person will have a doubt or a question and he will say something like, "I think I understand..." and then explain so perfectly that we just look at him with huge smiles and say, "Yep! That`s exactly right!" We`re excited for them and I`m praying I`ll be here for another transfer to see them start the path to following Jesus Christ. 

 Eduardo is doing awesome too. He  explained to us this week that after not having been to church since he moved to Puerto (about 7 months), he stumbled upon the book "Teachings from President Joseph F. Smith" at the jail he workds at.... and that following day, we came to visit his friends and met him! He took it as an opportunity that Heavenly Father was giving him to put his life back in order and return to church. Well, Eduardo has taken that opportunity seriously and come back full force! That week he came to church, had an interview with the President of the branch, and has attended multiple YSA activities since then. We`re even hoping that their friend Eduardo can baptize the couples since he already has the Priesthood.

It was a great week and a fun Halloween... this year I was a sister missionary. I love you all and praying for you daily as always!

Con mucho love,

Hermana Nelson