Missionary Work

We come out on missions and work hard- so hard it hurts. We put our hearts on the line and give all of our love to these people we are serving to help them see the truth. Too many times our hearts get broken. People we care about go back to bad habits and throw the bond we have made with them aside. Yet, we keep doing it. We keep getting our hearts broken, not because we are lifeless robots, but because we know that one day one of these people will accept the truth of the gospel and of Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. In that day our joy is full and all of the heartbreak and sorrow and days that seem endless are all worth it. For "we have been made instruments in the hands of God to... be the means of saving some soul"(Alma 26:3,30). This is why we do missionary work. Because we have the key to eternal happiness and joy and we want to see the children of God- our brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of our God.

amazing things happen everyday

Some of those things:

helping families be more united through prayer
helping someone know that God loves them and is really there
getting your own prayers answered
learning through the scriptures
feeling the spirit
renewing the covenants/promises we made by taking the sacrament every week
hearing the testimonies of others
overcoming temptations/trials
seeing the change the atonement can have in a person/yourself
&
seeing everyday how glorious this world is and that it testifies of our Heavenly Father and how much He really does love us.

This week was really wonderful! We taught some wonderful people and visited with even more! That is the wonderful thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it evokes change and growth everyday and we get to see it in people's eyes.
I love being in Alabama. I love being a missionary. I love this Gospel. I love my Heavenly Father.

xx
Sister Nelson

I am so bad at blogging.

But it isn't completely my fault! I haven't been able to get on until now.. :)

So much has happened in the past (almost) 4 months and it would take me forever to explain. 
Instead of going into great detail about EVERYTHING (which would take well... more time than I have) I am just going to share something I have been able to learn so much more about since becoming a missionary. That is, the Atonement.

In the Missionary Training Center, and in Alabama, I have had feelings of inadequacy a lot more than I hoped I would. But, because of this, I have been able to become closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through pouring my heart out to him in prayer he has healed my broken heart so many times I can't even begin to count. I have felt weight being lifted from my heart and my shoulders, been given the strength I need (sometimes to keep biking when I humanly can't) and given me the peace and comfort my soul so desires. 

Being a missionary isn't easy. People reject and slam doors in your face, give you nasty looks in grocery stores and the like. BUT! I have felt love and more joy than I've ever felt in my entire life being out here- 100x more powerful than the pain. I've have seen people come closer to our Savior and be cleansed from  the mistakes we all make and the burden of feeling beat down and alone taken from them. All because Heavenly Father loves them. We are His Children!!! How amazing is that?! I can barley comprehend the love He has for me.

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

I marvel that he would extend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Text and music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932

I love y'all and hope all is well!
I should be able to post more regularly now (as in weekly)

Have a blessed day!

Sister Nelson