Brave

In the words of the wise pop singer Sara Barellis
"Say what you want to say
and let the words fall out
honestly
I want to see you be brave!"

That is what this week has been about! Bravery to knock on doors, bravery to put myself aside, bravery to listen to the spirit.

I loved Christmas and getting to talk to my family! Being out here away from them helps me appreciate them more than I had, so talking to them was the best!

Sometimes we are asked to do hard things. Most of the time, we don't think we can do it when in reality ALL of the time we can! The Lord doesn't ask anything of us that we are not able to do.

So this week, remember to be brave and remember that through the strength of the Lord we can all do hard things!

much love,
sister nelson

merry christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!
I hope yours is going to be as wonderful as mine!
I get to skype my family!
As missionaries, we only email/write letters to people from home to stay focused on the mission, but on Christmas and Mothers day we get to skype home! I am excited to see them :)

One thing I've been thinking a lot about this Christmas is the Atonement.
That is what we are really celebrating! The birth of our Savior who died for us.
There are some really wonderful verses about it in the Book of Mormon!
My favorite is Alma 7:10-13. I love how it talks about how Jesus Christ is to be born, and then it talks about his purpose in coming.

I love Christmas! I hope y'all take some  time to think about Christ and try to have the spirit of Christ (the spirit of Christmas) in your heart all year round.

Love y'all!!

Sister Nelson

Christmas is Coming!

I love the Christmas season! Especially the Spirit that comes with it!
A spanish sister pointed out to us that Mas in spanish means more, therfore spanglish Christmas is
MORE CHRIST!
I hope y'all take that to heart this year and really try and make the focus on Christ. Yes the holidays are fun but the real point to all of it is that our Savior was born.

This week has been wonderful and we've been doing lots of service! We've really been enjoying washing peoples dishes and helping them move into houses! Really anything we can do to help.

Lots and lots has been going on and we've been working really hard! I love it. Blessings come to those who are obedient, and we have definitely seen that!

Can't think of anything else at the moment, but the work continues to move forward!

Keep your Chin's up!

Love,
Sister Nelson

Transfers

And here we go again!

I spent my first 4 months in Huntsville, AL! I LOVED it and I love the people there.

Now I am further south and I LOVE it. My new companion is wonderful and we are doing a lot of hard work!

This week we helped a wonderful lady begin to use the atonement in her life. It was such a sweet experience being able to help her see how much Heavenly Father loves her.

I LOVE THE GOSPEL.

Some wonderful thing I am grateful for:
Our soap. It smells like Fruit Loops
Our ward
Letters
Warm clothes
Cars
Music

Don't have much time to update today so we'll leave it at that!

Love y'all! Have a blessed day!

Love,
Sister Nelson








(note: I will not say my area until I leave it)

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