Leave it in His hands... and maybe even leave the country.

AH! Two great stories for you this week. 

1. I was deported to Ecuador. Okay, not really deported, but yes I had to leave the country with 6 other illegal missionaries to renew our tourist visas. ha. ha. Thinking it would be a fun adventure... maybe i would get to buy a keychain or something from Ecuador... well, my expectations were scattered and destroyed. Long story short... We flew to Lima, slept, flew to Tumbes, Peru, drove across the border to Ecuador for 15 minutes, sat in immigrations for 4 hours, a pregnant lady yelled at us, my ear was still plugged from the plane and was in excrutiating pain, turned around, drove to Peru immigrations, bribed the lady with icecream to let us back in, drove to Tumbes, flew to Lima, slept, flew to Cusco. Yay! Such an adventure. The pictures explain how excited I was to be there. Okay, maybe I´m being a little dramatic. It was actually pretty fun to be with the Hermanas and enjoy the hot humid weather in Ecuador! I also asked for a blessing from the Elders because my ear was hurting SO bad. I literally haven´t been in that much pain for a long time. Within an hour after the blessing, my ear wasn´t hurting at all. It was crazy. The power of faith and the priesthood continues to amaze me! 

2. Oscar is GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell how TOTALLY STOKED I AM???!!!! Oh my gosh. My companion was with Hermana Tamaríz while I was gone. We have been visiting Oscar everyday this week, really trying to figure out what he needed, his doubts, or fears about baptism. We fasted for him and then with him this week. I prayed harder than I´ve ever prayed for an investigator and for us to be able to know how to help him... then I left the country and literally left it up to the Lord. I had a feeling something great was going to happen while I was gone. Well, Hermana Guajardo and Tamaríz welcomed me with the incredible news that Oscar finally accepted the date to be baptized! They had a great lesson with him and after reading a few things we gave him to read, he told them that he did believe in God and that he wanted to be baptized. It wasn´t so much that he needed to recieve a big answer, but it was more about believing what he already believed. It was incredibly humbling to hear that incredible news. I know that Heavenly Father was listening to my prayers, Oscar´s prayers, and the many other prayers that were going out to him. I know that He made this happen. My faith was tested and strengthened in this whole process with Oscar. I understand more fully that we need to focus more on the Lord´s will. There´s an EFY song that I love that says something like, when I give up my own will and choose his, he gives me so much more. That couldn´t be more true. Sometimes we don´t know or understand His will, but just the act of giving up our own opens our eyes and hearts to more wonderful things! Oscar looks SO happy now that he has really made the decision to be baptized. We are planning an awesome baptism for him! We´re gonig to eat Flan! Woohoo! So grateful f or the plan of our Heavenly Father and the miracles he works in our lives. I guess sometimes all we need to do is leave the country and things work out! ;) 

Love you and praying for you as always!

Con bastante amor,

Hermana Nelson 

Q&A

Answers to Megan`s questions:

1. Do you and your companion talk about normal things ever? Like boys, family, ect?

The only boys we talk about are Americo, Oscar, Alberto, and ocasionally Lucas, our pensionista`s dog. ;) Haha but yes, we talk all day! We talk a lot about family, lives before and after the mission, life dreams... ya know... we have A LOT of time together. I heard once that one transfer together is equivalent to 50 years of marriage!

2. How tired are you at the end of the day? 

Tired... more emotionally than physically. Let`s just say, that feeling of laying my head on my pillow at the end of the day has never felt so good! 

3. Does weather/little things get you down ever? It seems like you could get your arms cut off and would still be happy. :) love it.

Haha, I love the weather here! I love when it rains, it makes things exciting! I don`t like when it`s hot... I think about those poor missionaries in Arizona. AH! It`s cold, but mostly sunny here! The weather doesn`t affect me much. I don`t think I would enjoy having my arms cut off.

4. Would you like to travel more?

"I`ll go where you want me to go dear Lord". In the mission, I love where I am and love where I am going. I would love to see more of Peru, but know that where I am is where i am supposed to be! As far as traveling on Pdays or something, yes I would love to see more of the fun tourist sights!

5. How is your perspective on life going to be different when you come home?

I will have to answer that in a whole different email. SO MANY THINGS! 

Thanks for the questions! If you all get together 5 or less questions a week for me to answer, that would make it easier for me to know what you want to hear :)

I absolutely LOVED talking to you all yesterday! Seriously I was so happy last night. I am overwhelmed by the blessings I am seeing in your lives. I know the Lord is blessing you in so many ways! I couldn`t be happier to see just how happy you all are.

I kind of already told you about updates on our priority investigators this week, so I`ll give you updates on Oscar next week. I am learnign to have more faith in the Lord as I learn what His will and timing is for Oscar. I know that he will work miracles in his life according to his faith and our faith.

I love you all SOOO much! More than you can imagine! Thank YOU for being the greatest family in the world and for supporting me!

Love,

Hermana Nelson

FHE with Americo and the fam!

Sacsayhuaman round 2

La Humildad

What a week... what a DAY! Wow. Once again, I don´t have a ton of time. Sorry! Today was really crazy. We went to Sacsayhuaman early in the morning with the other sister missionaries... super fun, and super tired, but mostly super fun! After we came back, changed, and headed of to write our families, we ran into Brian (pensionista´s son) in a bit of a panic. He told us that Marisol, a woman who got married and then baptized last Friday from the other ward... her daughter just died in a car accident. Her daughter was 7 years old and her dad planned on baptizing her next year. Ah my heart dropped! So today, Yomira has been running around helping her and the family. Marisol and William (the parents) are in shambles right now. We went to the stake president to find someone to give them a blessing and he got right on it! Within 10 minutes, we met two men from the stake in white shirts and ties at the hospital ready to give them blessings of comfort. We have been helping take care of her other baby (2 years) today. It is a very humbling thing to experience. I can´t even imagine how the parents are feeling. I talked to the Dad for a minute, explaining that the brothers were going to give him a priesthood blessing that would help him have more peace and calmness right now. He told me that he feels peace and he knows that his daughter is safe... He just hurts. I am grateful that they are in the church and have the support of members and most importantly the knowledge that they will see their little Daniella again. They are an amazing family! I know they will be guided and protected by the Lord.

I am excited to talk to you all this Sunday!  Love you all and excited to talk to you! Happy Mother´s Day Mom! Love you lots and talk to you soon :)

Love,

Hermana Nelson

The lost sheep.

This Sunday, yesterday, was incredible! We had 7 less actives come to church. AHH! Not only that, but my comp and Elder Lehman gave AMAZING talks on paraboles about the lost sheep and the prodigle son. They talked about how we can always come back to the church. Most importantly, how we should welcome people back with love like the father of the prodigle son. One less active, Maribel came to church for the first time since we´ve been workign with her in January! She was asked to give the closing prayer. Wow, I´ve never been so touched by a prayer as much as I was by her prayer. She said, "Father, please forgive me for distancing myself from your church. Yes, I am the lost sheep..." She continued to say that she promises to not leave the church again, because she know that this is the true church. It was very touching. Very humbling. She wants to come back to church. It´s amazing how the spirit can touch people´s hearts and bring them back to the truth.

Such a great week! Love you all and special shout out to CHLOE MARSH... 1 year way to go!! only 76 more to go, according the the U.S. life expectancy rate. DAD HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO!!!! Woohoo! love you two lots! Big besas and brazos from me! 

Les Amo!

Hermana Nelson

Hakunamatata

Familia!

As always, such a good week and more amazing learning experiences! My comp is doing great! She went to Lima last week to get her Visa... she´s legal! I´m just wondering when I´m going to be legal haha. maybe in 10 months. 

We have a few great new investigators and we´re seeing a lot of progress with our less actives. Last week we went to visit a less active named Americo (Americo don´t you cry... we always sing that song when we talk about him). He wasn´t there, but his wife was and we ended up talking with her for almost 2 hours!! Ah. She told us EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING. She is a very patient woman, wow. She told us they are not living together because she had to get a restraining order on him because he was addicted to alcohol and had relationships with other women and gave her so much stress it was effecting her health. She really told us everything. More than we needed to hear. But more than just the crazy stories, it was amazing to see how much he has changed in the past 2 months or so. He goes to church every week (with or without his family), he loves our visits and always is looking the the topical guide in the Book of Mormon to read more about what we are teaching, he is more connected to his family, he is open to talk to the bishop.... changes that probably 4 months ago, you would have never imagined. How is that possible? What have we done? nothing. It is all because of the miracle of the atonement. He is changing his heart and learning more about the happiness that can be found, the true happiness, when we are following the commandments. His son told us last week that he came to their house with a big van and said, "Hey we´re going on a trip. We´re a family, let´s go!" Just to hear that gave me goosebumps. He is changing in ways that only the Atonement of Jesus Christ can make possible. 

My companion is doing great! I´m learning lots from her and her excitement for the work! She keeps me going and keeps me focused! We had interchanges with the sister leaders last week for a day. AH so good. I was with hermana Tamaríz. She is such a great person. She told me to remember the phrase, "Hakunamatata" from Lion King... "it means no worries, for the rest of your days..." It was helpful to have her to work with, to learn from, and especially to remember that the mission is to be enjoyed, not endured. 

Easter was great! Although we didn´t have an easter egg hunt, paint easter eggs or recieve a visit from the easter bunny in the morning, it was an amazing time to reflect on the Savior´s life. When we think about the Savior´s life and all that he has done for us so that we can repent, be happy, and one day be resurrected, I don´t feel anything but joy and hope. I am learning more about him everyday of my mission. Most importantly, I am realizing the need that each one of have for the atonement. I love the scripture that says, "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent; But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I." Burns a little, but I can only testify of the truth of this scripture. When we are repenting daily of our sins, we will not suffer as he did. It is all up to us though. We hold the keys to repentance, and if would but only use them, we would find the true happiness and hope the atonement brings to our lives. "Having already offered the Atonement in our behalf, Christ has done His part to make that longing to live with Him again one day a reality. The rest will depend entirely upon ourselves." (Elder Holland) Just want to bear my testimony to you that I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that he lives! I know that it is only through and by him that we can truly be happy. I have seen it countless times in my mission and have experienced it myself. For the rest of my life, I will continue to be amazed by the power of the Atonement. 

I love you all and think and pray about you everyday! You are all more and more beautiful with every picture! Not fair! Thank you for your support always and prayers! 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Nelson  

Hola! I'm alive!

I´m alive! Sorry I don´t have time to write, but just want you to know that this week was amazing and I am super Happy! Woohoo! Love you all and praying for you lots! Thank you for the emails, prayers, pictures and support! 

Love,

Hermana Nelson

To Him We Are Everything

This week was amazing! Such an incredible week of spiritual upliftment... a little bit of chastizing and burning, but what can you expect when the Profet and apostles are speaking. It really was an incredible conference! Natalie told me last conference that she heard that General Conference is like Christmas to missionaries. I would like to testify of those words. Conference is way better than Christmas!! I got to listen to it in English thank goodness! 

I felt a few great themes throughout the conference, however the one that touched me most was LOVE. I love what one apostle said that love is most necessary thing we are lacking on this earth. How true is that! That is something I want to improve in all aspects of my life... as a companion, missionary, daugther, future mother, teacher, etc. I am realizing the grand importance of love for one another, and also for our Heavenly Father. There is a great quote by Elder Uchtdorf that says something along the lines of, "When compared to Heavenly Father, we are nothing, yet to Him we are everything." I felt that more than ever this last week. I am so tiny when compared to the great plan he has for us. However, he has an eternal love for each one of us and has incredible confidence in us to rise to our true potential and become gods and godesses. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission and learn everyday more about this incredible love that my Heavenly Father has for me. I am grateful for the opportunity to become better everyday through Jesus Christ´s atonement. So grateful.

I love you all and hope you got the chance to listen to conference... if not, I hope you go back and watch it online! :) #conferencechangeslives

That´s all I got time for this week! Quick shout out to Dad and Keri... THANK YOU FOR THE EASTER PACKAGE!! You ROCK. AND thank you for the headbands!! I am putting them to good use... working on my peruvian pigtails. Also thank you to the Minetonka (how do you spell that?) Ward Primary for your sweet notes and beautiful drawings! Thank you to the Nelson family from Minnesota for the package!! Holy cow it was everything I needed! Especially the hand cream... now my hands aren´t suffering so much. Thank you thank you thank you! I feel so spoiled!! 

Love you all TONS!!

Hermana Nelson