Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Pictures




Week 78

Monday, August 15, 2016

Hi mom :)

I am good this week :).

I am happy and still going strong! For once in my life, I dont think I will crawl across the finish line like I did with High School... I am really happy about that one, but I have to keep reminding myself every day to give my all and do my best!!!! Thank you for your help and your prayers :) You make everything possible!

This has been an awesome week!!! We were in Naga, then we worked really hard on Wednesday, and then on Thursday I was in Labo on exchanges, and then on Friday I gave my Testimony... I cried... Saturday I had my last exchanges and then I also had a mental melt down... Sunday morning I had a dream I was on the plane... and then in that dream I realized that I had one week left..... Sister Eteru was still my companion, and then s sister that had already gone home was also on the plane... it was strange... but I felt a sense of peace as I woke up... So I am grateful for this one last week to give my all :).

I dont know if I will be able to email next week... So if not... This is my last email... I just want you to know that I love each one of you!!!! Thank you for your prayers and for your love and support!!! I know that this church is true! I know that Our Savior lives and loves us!!!! He is amazing!!!! We have hope because of him!!!! Keep moving forward with a steadfastness in Christ and all things will be ok :).

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Week 77

Monday, August 8, 2016

Pero, here is my email sa indong gabos.... Bicolana na ako!!!

Hi mom :)

I am good today, a little tired but good :) We left Daet around 11, and got here around 3.... If you have your own car, it takes about an hour and a half, if you take a van, 2 hours, a normal bus takes three, but this one was old, and struggled with the mountains... It was soooo long!!!!

But we made it to Naga safe and sound, and we finally ate, and now we are emailing :), We are here for MLC, it is my last one, so I know that I will cry as I bear my testimony tomorrow, I also bore my testimony yesterday, my last fast Sunday in the mission. After that, the whole ward was like, your leaving? And it was just sad... :) I am so jealous that all of you are going to Hawaii.... :( Yes I did get your package :) It made me smile and laugh... also cry... It was yummie :) I shared it with my kabahays... we all enjoyed it!

When I get home mom, We will work out together, and avoid sweets together too!!!! I want to lose 20 pounds by November, and I know that we can do it!!!!

 I love you all sooo much!!!! Thank you for all of your prayers and everything :) You help make me strong!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Monday, August 1, 2016

Week 76

Monday, AUGUST 1, 2016

Hi mom :)

How are you this week? How is life with Spencer, Andrew, and Esther :)? I just want you to know that I miss you and that I am thinking of you all the time :) How is the weather... Life is good at the moment... I am trying really hard to exercise, but I don'tdon't know if it is working... Ewww...

Hahaha this has been a really good and busy week... We were in Pamplona for what... Three nights and two full days :) but life goes on!!! I love the Sisters there!!! I have a new favorite quote by President Thomas S. Monson. It says, "One of God's greatest gifts is the joy of trying again, for no failure will ever be final." ASTIG DI BA!!!!! What a joy it is to know that we can always improve and always have the joy of the gospel, we know that we can get up again!!! It made me happy :D. Just remember that there is always tomorrow, always another minute to change :). to become better!!! Complete optimism!!!

So this week was awesome for work!!!! We were punted, but because we were punted, we had some awesome trips!!! We knocked on the door of a couple big houses, and we talked to a couple people that were a little hard headed, and it was awesome to share the gospel with them, even if they didn't accept it, and then we also found one of the best Nanays ever!!!!

Nanay Evelyn is amazing!!!! We were punted like normal, and then we were like lets go teach that nanay thats less active..  well she wasnt home, and so we started talking to nanay Evelyn, and as we were talking the nanay that we thought was less active came and then we found out that she was active, and that Nanay Evelyn and nanay Maria, the member, were friends!!! So we taught Nanay Evelyn with Nanay Maria as a member Present!!! It was awesome to have nanay Maria share her testimony with her friend!!! and then Nanay Evelyn was like, Yes I will come to church on Sunday with Nanay Maria. And the best part of this story is that she came!!!! We both feel that her Progression will be very quick :) I am sooo happy for the miracles that happen every day!!! I am also so grateful for my testimony on fasting!!! I know that it works!!!

I love you all soooo much!!! Have an awesome week!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!!

Week 75

Monday, July 25, 2016

Hi mom!

Happy Pioneer day to you too :D. I am happy this beautiful Hot day in the Philippines. These beautiful hot days are counted for me so I try to enjoy them, even though they can sometimes be miserable :)

We had a fun night in the emergency room last Monday night (again). Emergencies make life as a missionary fun and exciting and keep us on our toes. But it was just what we needed before we get to comfortable with our day to day life this transfer!! But those Sisters are good now.. They left the Hospital on Thursday!

This week we meet with one of our investigators. Her name is Gloria, and she is amazing, and her story is so sad! This February, her husband died, and this last June, her son committed suicide... so we taught her Family History work! And left her with a family history chart!!! When we went back, she had filled out the things that she knows and it was awesome to continue to talk with her about family history, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She just needs to come to church!!!

It is amazing to me sometimes how hard Satan works against this work....He tries his very best to destroy everything beautiful!! I know that the church is true, and I know that Father loves us and I know that Fasting works!!! I love being a missionary, and I love Jesus Christ! I know that he lives and that that he did it all for us to have the gospel right now!!! I know that we are choice spirit children sent here for this time!!! I know that we can do all things even the hard things!!! Stay strong!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Monday, July 18, 2016

Week 74

Monday, July 18, 2016

Hi mom :)

I am good this week :) It has been an interesting week :) very.... I get distracted sometimes with my thoughts as they turn to home, but I use that to push me harder as we work :). It is soooo close!!! on the bright side, I don't feel like I am really coming home that soon... like it is just a dream! so its weird... Moving on :)

This has been an ok week :) We were punted on Tuesday, and it was also a hard day for Oyms... But we did it and pushed through... Thats kinda how our whole week was... hard, but we pushed through... Endure to the End :)

I met some people this week that are very lost without the gospel and I was thinking about the direction that the gospel gives us. I know that the gospel is true! I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he loves us! Our plans for this week are to have some exchanges on Wednesday and to have zone confernce on Friday :). It will be fun to see President and sister Zapanta again this week :). I need some upliftment..

Next week I will have more stories and... Yeah :) I love you all!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!

Week 73

Monday, August 11, 2016

Hi mom!!!

Today is a beautiful transfer day, where there is yet again, no transfer, and my companion is still Sister Eteru :D. Wow.... I can testify that a mission prepares you for marriage... patience and learning how to be humble... It works :). I am super excited to really make this transfer our best transfer yet!!! The weather is ok... it is still hot and humid, and is really bad when it rains.... It is the Philippines, and I will miss it sooo bad!!!!

I am feeling just fine, I no longer have a cold or anything like that.. Just being happy. The work is ok... We have an awesome plan to save our area, and make it the best again!!!! In the Naga Mission we believe in leaving our area better than we found it, so we will just make it the best we can, and just kill it with love and work and service!!! We are both really excited that we will both die in Daet... :D We are both sooo strange!!!

Hehehe Sister Annie.... She is the best!!!!!! I love her and I will miss her when I come home... Mom it is sooo crazy!!!!!!! I have my plans, I just have to wait 6 weeks and I will be home... I am going to cry!!!!

This week I realized the truth of Ask and ye shall receive. I know that because God loves us, He will give us most of what we desire if it is in accord with his will!!! I know that to be true because as I have looked back on my mission, He blessed me so much with things that I have asked for, physical and spiritual things. I love him sooo much!!!

I guess that Spencer is going to the Philippines Cebu Mission, or New York City mission :) yan :) Ang galing ko di ba?

I love you all soooo much!!! Thank you for everything!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson

Monday, July 4, 2016

Pictures. July 2016

Selfie
National Day of Service
This is what an Apostasy looks like.... WALA!!!!!

Blessings!!!!!! Mangos!!!!!!!



Week 72

Monday, July 4, 2016

Hi Mom!!!!

I am good on this beautiful day in the Philippines!!! I am still alive and breathing... As a household we all had a cold this weekend, so it really hasn't been that fun, but we have gotten through it... I feel like it happens when I travel a lot I get sick.... I might die when I come home... :) But I love being a missionary, and so I won't complain....

This last week has been crazy!!!! We were in Pamplona, two and a half hours away from Daet for two days for exchanges, and they were soooo fun!!!!! I love those Sisters and I am sooo happy to be able to serve them :)))))) And then on Friday we came to Naga and met President and Sister Zapanta :D They are the best, and I am so happy to meet them and to serve with them!! Their youngest is three years old and is just full of life and energy!!! I love them and I know that they are called of God to be the mission president and wife here in the Naga Mission. I know that they are what we need here :) I love them :D.

So we really didn't work this week in our area, but I learned so much this week!! I learned just a little bit more of what it means to really serve with all of our heart might mind and strength. I was reading the May Liahonia/ conference Ensign and the Women's meeting. It was sooo amazing to really read and to think that that is what the Savior did and that is what I need to do more to be a better missionary. To serve selflessly and to focus on the people. I was reminded that those who lose themselves in the service of God find themselves, where as those who try to find themselves can never truly be found and that as we serve and put others needs first, we will draw closer to Christ and we will become more whole :). As I realized that, Everything at that time that was hard, suddenly became easier because I realized that its not about me, but about those that I serve and that as I serve them and put their needs first, everything that I desire to change will change, and I will become a better person with God's help than I could without.... something I feel like I should have figured out a really long time ago, but sometimes we need those gentle reminders from Father to help us change :D I love him :DDD

And then last night we taught Tatay Boy, he is really amazing, and was a referral, he is so close to baptism, but the problem is that he has to come to church, and he has a couple of Word of wisdom Problems.... But last night we talked with him and specifically about our life here on earth and our purpose. It was such an amazing lesson!!! He is really ready and accepting of this gospel! We then shared with him 1 Nephi 3:7, we all know this verse, but it was so amazing to share it with him, just after talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure to the end) and then to share that with him. As we explained the story about Nephi and what was going on, and after we read the verse, Tatay told us, Wow Nephi really endured to the end, and he did what God commanded him to do, and we told him yes and that God can help him too with his word of wisdom problem, and he was like, ok sisters I will try really hard this week! I think after we finish the Plan of Salvation, we will share with him about fasting... :D He is awesome!!!

I love you!!!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week!!!! You make me soooo happy!!!! Keep staying strong!!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!!

Week 71

Monday, June 27, 2016

Hi Mom!!!!

This has been a really good week. Alot of miracles :) it all started with exchanges in Labo :) I worked with one of my favorite sisters in the Mission!!!!! And she is from Utah, and as we talked, I was totaly using Taglish... I think my favorite one of the day was the time we were walking around in what was like the middle of nowhere, and then there was a house, and I said "Oh my gosh, there's a BAHAY!!!!" She died laughing at me... and then I just did that for the rest of the day... I couldn't speak English, and I couldn't speak Tagalog, just Taglish... It was extreamly entertaining.. :D So thats how I am going to talk when I come home... Just Taglish... :DDD

There were other things that happened too, but I forgot that I haven't writen President Reeder my last email to him, so Ima do that!!! I love you all thank you for your Prayers and love!!!! I will be home sooner than we think!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Week 70

Monday, June 20, 2016

Hi Mom!

Well this has been one of those weeks where it have been so long but soooo  crazy too!!! Like just so many things that happened!

On Monday we cleaned our house, like it looked like a new house after we were done and this week we have just maintained the house :) It was awesome :) and then I washed like a ton of things... my hands hurt... a lot. but I hope I can maintain my laundry like we do the house... :)

AND THEN!!!! Last Monday! We were planning for exchanges, the sisters area is about three hours away, and it was close to 10 PM, and then another one of the sisters calls and is like my companion is crying and she has some sharp pains in her stomach. She asked what she should do and I said Pray... And then we went to Mercedes, it is about 10-15 minutes away by jeep... so we went, at night... and then we went to the hospital... and we didn't go home until around 2... The next morning we were up at 6:30 and left at 7, and didn't come home until 3 :) It was an awesome day :)

On Thursday, the Sister left the hosplital, don't worry, she only had constipation... and they are safe and sound now in Mercedes :)

Tatay Jaymie is ok.. We have an apointment with him this week... The last time I saw him he smelled of ciggaretts... It makes me sad.... But we will talk with him this week. :) Please pray for him... Did I tell you why he stopped progressing? It is because the Decon skipped him during the sacrement, and he was like I know that I have sinned because I haven't gone to church, but I am offended because I didn't get to partake of the holy water,,, It was bad.... Question... Is it ok for investigators to partake of the sacrament even though they havent been bptized? Help....

um... We have a bunch of potential investigators and this other one!!! Her name is Desaree, we talked with her husband a couple weeks ago and did some service and then we found out that his oldest child died and he really really misses her, and then we found his wife, and she is amazing!!!! She knows that it is true and just wow!!!! She wants her husband to change, and she wants them to be happy, and her story is just amazing and so is her faith!!!!! She is an investigators, and the other day we were there and we saw her and her girls and we were both like, we miss being home, and right before we left she gave each of us a hug, and I thought of you and I missed you, and thought... 9 more weeks :DDD.

I love reading about home and I love you guys sooo much!!! I hope that you have an awesome week!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!

Week 69

Monday, June 13, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

Sorry this might be a really short email.... Sorry again....

So this has been an ok week, MLC was cool :) We talked and discussed somethings to help the mission and it was awesome. It was also President Reeders last MLC so they bore their testimonies. It was so awesome to hear their testimonies. President Reeder shared what he has learned as a mission President, and it was so cool to hear!!!! I also had a thought of what I have heard a lot of RMs say about the spirit.... it is always with us, and it guides us, but as missionaries, it is different, and how after you are released, it is different.... like it is always there, but it is different... I hope you get what I cannot fully explain.... :D. But it makes me sad, and want to have it all the time like this... I was reading Kenny's letter and like I will miss the spirit of discernment the way that I have it now..... :) I love being a missionary :)

SOOO!!!!! A huge miracle happened yesterday!!!!! I finally saw Tatay Jaymie!!!!! He has been working about 40 minutes away because he needs money... so he has been harvesting veggies and rice I think... I forgot, but!!!! We saw him!!!! The sad part is is that he smelled of cigarette smoke..... But he said that next week h will be here again in Daet, and we will be able to teach him again!

um.... I forgot what I wanted to share with you.... I might remember this week..... I think that I just need to re read my email last week in order to remember, but I am just a little too lazy... Sorry... BUT!!!!!!! We totally cleaned our house today!!!! Like it looks brand new until you look at our desks.... but it still looks sooo good :) It makes me happy :)

I totally freaked out about Spencer and his mission papers!!!!!! I have been thinking a lot about where he is going, and when he will get them and what if he speaks a language and what if it is Tagalog so then I have a friend to share all my secrets with when he gets home:) and then Megan said that the other day when you guys saw each other in Charming Charlies, she said he looked like a missionary, and it is true he does, and he looks a lot better with that hair cut rather than the long cut... #MASGWAPO.... :DDDDDD

I literally have no brain today... I just have LOST IT!!!!!!! And I am always tired, I dont think it matters what time I go to bed, if I exercise or not, or if I eat healthy or not I am just tired..... I think I am close to going home... :)

I love you all sooooo much!!!! I hope that you have an awesome week!!!! Next week I have a goal to email you all (mom, dad, Spencer, Andrew, Esther)... I will try my very hardest!!! And this week will be a much cooler week than last :DDDD

I will also try to keep my head working.... so I am not sooo crazy next week ^.^

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson :D

Monday, June 6, 2016

Week 68

Monday, June 6, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

I am good today :) I am happy and full of delicious food :) I love food... but besides the point :) I am good, and little tired from the trip down to Naga :) But buhay pa!

Tatay Jaymie is ok.. We think and hope... We think that he is avoiding us... because he got offended because the Deacon didn't pass him the sacrament the one Sunday he came to church and it is just a really big heart break because he has returned to cigarettes and maybe drinking.... But it just makes me sad for this miscommunication.... He might also be upset with himself because he hasn't come to church, and so because of that his baptismal date keeps moving.... :((((((((((((( but I know that no effort is wasted, and we just help him plant and grow his testimony and there are different missionaries that will harvest him :). But just keep praying for him :)

I met one of the best sisters in the whole world on Wednesday!!!! Her name is Sister Gina. She is a member in the Daet stake, and she has stage four throat cancer. But the thing about this Sister is that if you just met her on the street, you would never know that she has cancer. Let alone stage four! but as I talked with her on Wednesday, I was reminded of what we have because we have the gospel in our lives :) I cannot describe the things that I felt in that room as I talked with her. I felt the spirit, and I felt the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and I thought that miracles will happen in this room and in her and her families life. Her two oldest children are preparing for missions and they are just sooo strong :). They have testimonies of the Gospel and they know where they are going and why they are here. I was thinking about that earlier, and about how if there was no God, and if there was no Gospel of Jesus Christ, there would absolutely be no direction to our lives. Actually, that's like Satan's plan for us.... just live and do whatever and just die... thats all. I am sooo glad that we have the gospel and we know our purpose in life :). I love being a missionary :).

And then I love the promptings of the Spirit!!!!!! This week we were teaching a family of like a nanay, her nephew and their cousins. So its not like a family, but it is a family.... They have been investigators for a while, but last week was the first time I felt the spirit that strong there in one of their lessons. I felt the spirit behind every word I said and sister Eteru said. It was amazing. And this week we taught them about the Book of Mormon, and after we finished the lesson, I extended a baptismal date, thinking in the back of my head, why am I extending a date...? I know that they won't accept... but I extended the date, and that's when all the questions started :) and as they started to ask the quesitons I realized a couple things about my calling.... one of them is I fulfill my purpose when I extend baptismal dates, because when I just teach them, I just share information, but when I share information AND invite them to commit, that's when they have to use their faith. I have learned so much about faith this week that I don't have enough time to type it all!!!! But I love Faith!!!! I just love the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!! Like Ahahaha I love being a missionary :).

So this week is just crazy!!!! I might die on Saturday, but we will see how well this week goes :) Today, we had interviews with President Reeder and then we try as hard as we can to have a "Normal P-day' and then tomorrow, we have MLC, and that will be long, but fun. We have a discussion item about reading the handbook 2, administering to the church, and how that it will not only help us with helping the wards and branches, but as we get ready to enter our future as future leaders :) I am kinda freaking out about this... I received the revelation for this about 10:20 at night.... We will see how it goes.... Then Tuesday night we have planning for exchanges on Wednesday, and then we have exchanges on Wednesday, and then weekly planning on Thursday and then we have zone training on Friday and then Just a normal day on Saturday and just pure craziness this week :D I will email you next week about this week.... :DDD Kung buhay pa ako... :)

um..... Thats about all.... Thats all that I remember this week :). BASTA it was a good learning week! I know that as we stay humble and really try to listen to the spirit, we will come closer to Christ and we will become more like him :)

I love you all!!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!

Week 67

Monday, May 30, 2016

Hi mom!!!

I am good this week!!! It was Transfer announcement today, and I am still here in Daet, and this is where I will finish my mission :) I have 12 weeks left, and I am excited and nervous and all of that in between :)

Angelica has the potential to be amazing! But the problem is that she still has to come to church, and she is more or less just interested in listening.. Thats the way it is for a lot of the investigators here... They are willing to listen and to pray, but they are not willing to really investigate, just to learn more about Jesus Christ.

We have this one Nanay that is a part member, her daughters and son are members, but she is not willing to come to church, her name is nay Lenny. She knows that the church is true and she knows that the Book of Mormon is true, but She struggles to come to church. It makes me sad, but I know that no effort is wasted. She loves us :) We are just a part of their family :) Thats how is it with a lot of these Nanays and Tatays :D We are their children :) And they feed us all the time :) They make me happy to know that I have a mom and dad here in Daet :).

One of these Nanay and tatay, is nanay and tatay Abarca :) I told them that in August that I will just go home to them, and that I can't go home to you, and they said ok :DDD What will happen to your mom, I said that she would come here and get me... :D They laughed :)

Do you remember Tatay Jaymie.... he was progressing for a while and then some trials came and so he wasn't able to come to church and then he got offended, but he knows that the church is true. So if you can put his name on the prayer roll, that would be awesome!!!! I love you all sooo much!!!!

I just love my mission, and I know that God loves us and I know that this church is true!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Monday, May 23, 2016

Week 66

Monday, May 23, 2016

Hi mom!!!

I am sooo much better than I was last week!!!! Last monday I had a fever and it was just bad, and then we had to plan for exchanges, so to try and function was almost impossible, but I did it, and the next morning, I woke up and there was nothing but a runy nose, which I still have and I just sounded off, but it was a complete miracle!!! It was also one of the best exchanges ever!!!! The Spirit was so strong, and the people that we found and the referrals that we received were just amazing!!!! We totally met an aithiest... Like she didn't come out and say it, but she was like I don't believe in prayer, but I meditate, and I find it very relaxing, and then she is like I find my answers in the Old Testament and we were like ok.... But then she said something really interesting that made me realize that I need to be better. She said that she knows people that don't believe in God but still doing things that are good and don't expect anything from it, unlike others. Like I realized that she has seen things with hypocrites and I felt like her pain and her bitterness and it was just interesting and I realized that the scripture there in 2 Nephi 25:26 is true that everything we do must be about Christ and we are his representatives and that we can not take the glory for what is done. At least thats what I thought. And now, she just doesn't believe in God... It was a sad story... :(.

And then on Wednesday we got another Referral and we went to her, and her name is Doris, and we talked with her, and then we taught her about eternal families and then after the lesson she is like, sisters, come back when my husband is home and we will talk more :D. It was an amazing lesson, and I love listening to the spirit, and the promptings he gives me :) like, the peace when I know that a feeling is right, and that there are no other thoughts that just come when I have the right answer, it is hard to explain, but I just love it!!!!

A lot of other stuff happened, but I forgot my planner so I just remember really what happened on Thursday or Friday.....

On Saturday the Elders had a baptism, so we went to that :). It was so cute!!!! So it was a Tatay, and this is his love story because it is just too darn cute!!!! Well, He is married to his college sweet heart, but they were not always together. She moved and found someone else and got married and so did he. Well her husband died, and he was separated from his "Wife". So he started to date her again, but she rejected him, and then She got married again, and he waited.... Well her husband died again, and Brother dated her again, and then they got married!!!!! It was just so cute!!! And then Sister said in her testimony, that there really is a forever :DDDDDDDD It made the bishops wife cry, :DDD Like it was her conversion story and her testimony of the gospel!!! I love the Gospel with all my heart!!!!! I know that it is true and I know that Heavenly Father flloves us and I know that everything happens for a purpose.... I love you all and I hope that you have a great week!!

Love, Sister Emma Nelson



Sunday, May 22, 2016

Week 65

Monday, May 16, 2016

Hi mom!!!

Kamusta kayo? I am ok, I just have the starting of a cold, don't go working in the rain when it is hot... you will regret it... Ha ha :)

This has been one of the best weeks :) I got to work with one of my companions before!!!! It was one of the best exchanges in my life!!! She will be a forever friend. While we were one this exchange, we found some awesome people, and one of them is named Angelica. She is 16, and is super quite, but she is super awesome!!! We brought her to chruch yesterday and I hope that she had an awesome time!!!! We have only taught her twice, but we extended a baptismal date to her on June 25!!!! It should be pretty awesome!!!! I felt really good about that as we extended to her. !!! Please pray for her :).

And then Yesterday!!!! I was playing the piano, and it was the time for the sacrament, and then I look up and there was Tatay Jaymie!!!!!! I don't know if I have told you about him, but he is really progressing, he read the Word of wisdom pamplet and loved it. He is amazing!!!! It has been a while that he came to church, and so I put it as a complete miracle that he came!!!! He then bore his testimony to us after chruch that he was about to go home, but something told him to go inside!!!!!! It was amazing!!! I know that the church is true!!!! And then remind me next week to tell you more about this week and about all the things that have happened!

I love you all stay safe, drink your tubig and carry your payong.

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!!

Week 64

Mother's Day
Sunday, May 8, 2016


Saturday, May 7, 2016

Week 63

Monday, May 2, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

This has been an awesome week full of learning experiences!!!! Some were ones that I had to relearn, and others were new!!!! I love my companion, she is amazing!!!!! We are still adjusting to each other, but I like her! The work is ok, we are really finding, and we are really working on finding!! It is awesome! We have found some awesome new investigators and I just hope that they come to church!

This week is MLC, so we are here in Naga :) this will be a crazy week!!!! We have a meeting on Friday, and then on Thursday we have exchanges :) I am so excited for tomorrow, MLC, I really feel like it will be a good one, and I love learning from President Reeder :). He is amazing!

We went on exchanges this week with a set of sisters and they are amazing!!! I worked in my area and It was amazing that we were just punted. No one was home, and it was just.... wow :) But I learned that no effort is wasted, and that there are always people that are ready to accept and hear the message of the gospel!!!!!! It was awesome!!! And then the next day was Sunday, and I saw miracles the whole day. So that morning I was stressed and didn't really feel the spirit... and so we go to finish the exchange and we get to the other Sisters Church and my companion and the other sisters companion are not there and I am like freaking out... So I go into a room to pray, and I prayed for the spirit and to be able to have a miracle that day, and it was amazing to see the miracle that happened!!! I got the spirit and I got the faith that I needed to do the things that I needed to do that day :). It was awesome to see and feel of my fathers love for me :).

This week to, we had an awesome CSP that hurt my heart. We were Ushers for a charity that was willing to help people with Cataracts and other eye prloblems and cleft foot and things like that. It was at the stake center and there were a lot of people there, but there were some people with problems that couldn't be helped there and it just broke my heart to see those people who couldnt be helped cry as they walked out of the church... but it was also really awesome to see and talk with those that were not members and got to see the church and be inside. It was a great place to OYM :).

So yesterday in my personal study, I read the book of Jerom, and it is an awesome book, but so is the whole book of Mormon, but yeah :). BASTA! Book of Jerom. and I loved verse 6 about the things that the Nephites did to stay strong and how they continued to prosper. It is the sabbath day and keeping all of the commandments. and then I loved verse 11 too, about the prophets and what they did to help the people, and then about the wars, the lamanites represent the things of the world, and the nephites are us and we just have to continue to protect ourselves from the things of the world!! It was just an amazing personal study

That's about all this week!!!!! I love you all and I am sooo excited to talk to you next week!!!!!!! I think you are all amazing!!!!

Love, Sister Emma Nelson :)

Week 62

Monday, April 25, 2016

Hi mom!!!!!

I am good today. it is just toooooooooo hot, but besides that, I am good :) I will be in Naga again next week... We will be there for MLC, and we go by bus and we stay with the Sister Training Leaders in Naga, or with the other Naga Sisters... it is a long ride as a missionary.... But I love it!!!! nope no pictures this week because in two weeks we get to talk!!!! Muwahahahahhahaa..... Sorry mom :).

Life is good as a missionary! I got a new copmanion this week. I love this sister!!! We were temporary companions last December before we trained and she is sooo sweet!!!!! I know a couple of the reasons why she is here in Daet. For me, this is not called the Promised land because of the food, even though that is a part of it, it is the promised land is really for those that have come from a hard thing, and they need a break. Like Sister Makilan, She was in her second area for 7 months and it was...... not the easiest for her, she "killed" three missionaries and then trained, and those months were not the easiest... I came from Milaor, and that last transfer was not the easiest, and my companion went through a lot last transfer too. And there are just  a lot of stories that are like that here in Daet. And so I call Daet the promised land because I know that it is a new start for all missionaries and it is just absolutely amazing!!! I love Daet!! To be honest sometimes it reminds me of Georgia, but not really because I see mountains :D

This week we worked really hard, and we had a lot of Less actives come to church, but no investigators..... but there is always next week :) I realized this week I need to be more humble and obedient to all things :).... It was a good personal study yesterday as I pondered about the things that I could and need to do better in... It hurt, but it was a good hurt and it needed to happen.

We had a really aweosme lesson with Tatay Jaymie about word of wisdom! We gave him the pamphlet a couple weeks ago, and then all he  did was read it, and he lives the word of Wisdom!! He will hopefully be baptized on May 21!!!!!! But he needs to come to church in order for that to happen... But this tatay is astig!!! like, He acts sometimes as a member present, he just testifies that what we have taught is true! It is sooo awesome!!!

We also had a Zone Conference this last Friday about the Holy Ghost as our companion. We read the talk by President Eyring last conference and then we discussed it. President Reeder pointed something interesting out to us. I had noticed this last conference, but the Holy Ghost is getting more and more attention. I don't even know how many talks were given on the Holy Ghost the last couple conferences, but we need to listen to him more and try better to be worthy of his constant companionship! It was amazing!!!

Not much else has happened this week!!! Just the ususal missionary life!!!!! In two Mondays I promise I will send tons and tons of pictures.... Maybe :DDD

I love you!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Week 61

Monday, April 18, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

I am good!!!! I am sooo happy, but sad on this day of transfers.... My ate is going home..... She goes home to Bacolod..... She is happy, but sad too. I will miss her, but It is ok, Kaya ko :). My new companion is Sister Eteru!!! I am excited!! She is from Samoa and is amazing :) I am so exicted to be her companion!!!! I hope that I will die in Daet.... I don't want to leave! But we will see what the Lord has in store for me :). I have a feeling that I will "Die" here in Daet, but who knows :). When I am in Naga, I either stay with the STLs in Naga or with the Naga Sisters.... tonight I will stay with the Naga Sisters :). I go home to Daet tomorrow :) It will be a fun ride :)

This has been a crazy week :). We had one Sister Hospitalized because she has pneumonia...? I hope that you check my spelling before you put it on the blog.... I still don't know how to spell in english..... I can do better in Tagalog..... Tagalog is normal... :). I struggled yesterday talking to Sister Reeder..... I couldn't say what I wanted to in English and if I spoke Tagalog she would just look at me and be like.... 😶 Pero! She understood that  I was incapable at the time of speaking English, so Sister Makilan Translated for me :DDDD.

But while I am on yesterday!!!! It was absolutely amazing!!!! like really though.... So Elder Hyime was there, he is a part of the area Presidency and he is amazing!!!!!! I love him! Anyways as he was talking, he talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy. And If you haven't noticed, they have been really pushing keeping the Sabbath day holy, and Yesterday, Elder Hymie told us why. He said something like this... The First Presidency has been wondering how to have more multi generational families in the church. And so they prayed, and that was the answer, to keep the Sabbath day holy. This will connect families and it will help testimonies and it will create firm foundations for the rising generations. Then he shared a story about him and his wife and his wife's family. They had been married for about 20 years and his wife's sister was about to be sealed in the temple, and he saw his father-in-law crying, and as he looked around the sealing room, he saw why, he saw all of his father-in-laws children with their spouses in the sealing room waiting for their youngest sibling to be married for time and all eternity. This is the desire of the First presidency. Is for members to be worthy to be sealed in the temple and to raise the generation that will prepare the church to hand over to the Lord. I thought that it was amazing and powerful!!!! That this simple thing, the Sabbath day, can make such a difference in the lives of members :).

But the Sister that is in the hospital is ok now, she has been there for about three days and will hopefully be ok tomorrow to go back to her area. Sister Makilan and I have been so busy that she hasn't really had time to be trunky! HAhahaha her last two weeks have been absolutely amazing!!!! our poor area, but it is ok, because it is for the sisters :).

This week I got to work in Mecedes! This is the area of the Sister that is sick, and we went to one lesson and it was to a less active that has had sooo many problems these last couple weeks. Like sooo many bills and so many sicknesses that they aren't able to come to church and just sooo much! Well it was one of the most amazing experiences of my mission :) To tell them of Gods love for them and to tell them that this is not the time to give up on the church, but the time to draw closer to him and to trust him! I know that it is hard and that life is rough sometimes, but we can do it.

I love you all and I hope that you have a good week!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson :)

Friday, April 15, 2016

Week 60

Monday, April 11, 2016

Dear mom :).

I am good this week!!! Last night I was looking at my kabahays' trunky calender, and I counted the weeks that I have left, and I realized that I have 19 weeks left!!!!!!!!!! What the heck!!! Where has the time gone!!! I don't know if I really want to come home, or say that I have three transfers left. It is coming so close to me saying that I have 3 months left or 10 weeks left..... It is coming too fast.... And this week Sister Makilan is starting to pack.... D: Nooooooooo!!!! But next week I will be in Naga. I get a new companion on Tuesday!!!! I just really hope that I don't get a companion that I am batch with when I go home, I don't want to transfer until I get transferred home... Daet is my safe haven, I cannot leave it... D: But we will see next Monday!

My Memory card is great! But I forgot my card reader at home.... Dang it! But I promise next week! maybe... it depends on my temporary companions too :).

This has been a week of craziness!!! We were in Naga on Monday and Tuesday and then we were in Pamplona on Wednesday!!! wow.... That was some travel that I was not used to.. :). but it is good adjsutment for the plane ride home... :). Wow... Trunky na Ako talaga... sorry....

Pero!!!! Conference was amazing!!!!!! Like Talaga!!!! I loved it all!!! I really loved Elder Hollands talk as always and President Uchtdofs talk too! They were the very best!!!! I just want you all to know that I know that this church is true!!! I have talked with so many different people of so many different religons that have the biggest desire to do good, but like one of the speakers said was that they lack the keys that they need to enter into the kingdom, and they all lack... something. This church is true and perfect. Jesus Christ is the head of this church, and it really is His church! I know that with all my heart! I know that this is an amazing work full of miracles! I know that Father loves us and is willing to listen and to help us come back to Him. He has given us His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost to help us know the truth and to become clean. All we need to do is chose the harder right, and follow Jesus Christ, for if we do that, we will have made the right choice! I know with all my heart that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God. I know that he holds all the keys that we need in this life to do the things we need in this life! I know that if we read The Book of Mormon, we will receive the revelation that it is true and we will be blessed as we are obedient and strive to do keep the commandments! We need not be afraid of Tomorrow, because we can make every day the best day!!!

I love you all and I hope that you have a good week!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Philippines Naga Mission :).

Monday, April 4, 2016

Week 59

Monday, April 4, 2016

Hi mom!!

I am in Naga today. We had a long list of things to do here in Naga, but they are all done! So now all we have to do is email, sleep and wait for tomorrow..... We are all gonna get hurt, but..... Sometimes we have to get hurt to become better right? I will have fun tomorrow...

I love the kittens!!!!! They are soo cute and fluffy! but sometimes annoying too... they like to come inside, and they are not allowed to do that... but we love them anyways Megan I will try and take one home with me, but thats if I dont leave Daet Before I come home :). I love the green mangos... I will miss the fruit when I come home, and the food. I will really miss the food... But I got this... there is nothing I can't handle.

Brother Romeo, the one with the story about Moses left for his job again, and we dont know when he will come back again, but, he was a fun investigator :). His daughter is a member, and so is his mother in law, so this family has a lot of potential for becoming members!!! They just need prayers and faith! But yes I agree... Sometimes it's sad to see people that don’t know the truth, and they are not willing to listen and to try it for themselves... It hurts, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We were talking to this one sister that was asking us questions about our mission, and she was like, so after about a year or so at home, will you go back out to a new country and people? And we said no, this is it, we only get one chance, and she said, Wow! So this is a once in a life time thing, and I sat there and wanted to cry because it was true what she said, that this time on a mission is a onetime deal, I never get the chance to go out again, and to serve and to teach with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength... I need to be better, I told Sister Makilan that I wished sometimes that I still had a lot of time left to use what I know, and to become even better, but then she told me that every day, we all have the chance to become better and to look at it as new, and that we can change. I am grateful every day to be a missionary :).

We had this one less active come to church yesterday!!! It was the first time since I have been here, and when we visited her this week, she cried, she wanted to go to church so badly. It makes me sad sometimes when the reason people can’t come to church is because of other people.... or things like that... It is hard...

We had some exchanges in our area this week, and they were ok... Nothing too exciting! My kabahay was my companion for one of them, and she had worked in our area a couple times before, and it was always the same part, and so she asked me, "Is this all of your area? This one street?" I laughed and told her that she was just lucky to always work in this area :). It made me laugh!

ahhahahaha I am happy that Esther got a fishing pole! That makes me happy! I might have to try fishing again when I come home... But we will see....

I love you all and I hope that you have an awesome week!!!! Continue to be happy :)

Love Sister Emma Nelson!

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Week 58

Monday, March 28, 2016

Hi mom :)

I am good today! It is raining here, so it is kinda cold, and I am just... I don't know, I guess happy :). your emails make me laugh :). You are wicked, but I love you :).

Missionary life is good! I am still a missionary, and I am so happy to be one! I had some awesome experiences this week!!!! One of the best things that happened, was I got to harvest rice!!!!!!!!!! It was soooo much fun!!!! It is sooo hard and long, but it was also really rewarding! It made me so happy! And then I learned about Easter here in the Philippines... I don't know which one is worse, the Easter bunny, or Holy Week... Like Holy week is all about Jesus Christ and his atonement, but I don't feel like they focused on His Resurrection, which is the best part of the Atonement talaga! As we were trying to work on Friday, we walked through a parade, and all we could think of was how.... blind they are and the knowledge that we as members have. It made me sad, and I just wanted to share it with all of them, but at that time, it wasn't allowed, soooo.... we kept quite,and just walked... It was hard for me...

But with one of our new investigators this week I learned the real story of how Moses parted the Red Sea.... So it was because the Ark of the Covenant was Nuclear and it did something with the magma underneath the Red Sea, and then Aliens came and they did something too, and the the water parted. We all thought it was the Priesthood, but in reality, it was Aliens.... This will be a really fun investigator :)! He is sooo funny!

And then the kittens are good!!!! They are white with the cutest blue eyes, but they are loud and annoying.... and We don't have any money to go and buy them food because their mother is more loud and annoying and is always starving and so.... As much as I love cats.... I love cats and dogs that are spaded and neutered...  yan!!!

Sister Makilan has received her trunky letter, she knows what time she is landing in Bacolod..... I will miss her! It just means that I am that much closer to coming home too... I have less than 5 months from now,and I will be home, that is crazy right!!! I will miss mission life more than anything! This week we discovered how to play uno with playing cards...

I really do love being a missionary!!!! It makes me happy to do the work of the Lord here in the Naga Philippines Mission...

I love the pictures... Spencer's hair scares me when it is like that and then there is his smile... tell Andrew I am proud of him, and I love him!!!! I love Esther and how big she is getting! I love you all tons and tons!!!  I hope that you have a good week!!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!!!!



Week 57

Monday, March 21, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

I am quite happy on this beautiful day here in Daet, and I am just overjoyed with emotion!!! Because of my email, and because of the lesson I relearned yesterday!!! I love being a missionary honestly, and I love just... All of it, the good the bad, the easy, the hard, all of it, of course, not all at once, but I really do love it.

So no, Tatay Jimme is not ready for baptism on the second, sayang...he has a word of wisdom problem and we have yet to teach the word of wisdom to him... so we need to do that, but he is for sure going to be baptized, but not while Sister Makilan is here.... SAD DAY!!! But he is sooo funny, he told us the other day that he is a little scared of me.... because he said when he looks at me, he feels like he is looking at Jesus.......... But I love him still, and he is one of those people that has been waiting a long time to have the gospel!! He has asked us why he is still here on earth. He is kinda all alone, he lives close to his family, but his wife died almost 22 years ago. It was an awesome moment to teach him the Plan of Salvation the other day to tell him where his wife is :). I love those tender mercies!!!

We have a lot of potential and new investigators this week :). It was awesome to feel the spirit as we taught them about eternal families and Prophets and to read with them from the book of Mormon. The same with our less actives and Recent converts. I love them and I am soo happy that I get to meet them!!!

um..... I go to Naga again on the 4th, and then I come back on the 5th. Transfers are.... 18th of April. I don't know if I will go to Naga again, and get my companion again, or wait for her here :). I don't really like killing my companions... but I will do what ever the Lord asks of me, Because thats what I signed up for right? 1 Nephi 3:7... :D

Yesterday I had an awesome personal study!!!! I was struggling with... a lot I guess. And so as I opened my personal study it was the answer I needed right at that moment, and it was such a sweet time to sit there and think that my Father loves me enough to point out to me the things that I need as I work as a missionary. I love him and I am so grateful for him everyday, and it is such a wonderful time to work for him, and to talk about my savior at every opportunity that I have :).

Thats about all this week, I am so excited to see the new Provo Temple when I come home!!! I love the pictures and I am sure that it was a wonderful meeting :).

I love you all and I hope that you have a wonderful week!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!!

P.s. I am so ready for Esthers Birthday!!! I decorated my planer on her Birthday :), When I get my card fixed I will take a picture!!!

Week 56

Monday, March 14, 2016

Ok, Hello mom!!!!!!!!!

How are you this week? This has been one of the best weeks ever! We found some amazing people and they are so ready and willing to listen :) It makes it a good week when you find a lot of people like that :D. Kenny is cool, when I hit special marks on my mission, I haven't done anything too exciting.... Just done missionary work.... I am so boring... :)

The first week of transfers and last week of transfers are the easiest to be an STL... :). It is just you and your companion and missionary work :). All because there are no exchanges!!! But this week we start with exchanges again :). Its all cool, its just one companionship, but next week, we go out of town, and then in two more weeks, we will be in Naga... :). It will be fun! I love the Sisters and it is a wonderful time to work with the sisters that I love so much!!! It was during an exchange that I sounded like you :). It made me feel good, and it was at that time that I really felt the spirit testify through me.... :) Like I feel it a lot, but it was at that time, that I really.... I dont know how to describe it :).

But it was this week that I saw a lot of people of how they can be :). We were teaching, and all of the sudden I just saw her dressed in white, and it was so cool. I dont know if you have heard the story of "Find me my Friend", but that is what I thought about as I saw her. It is this story that starts in the Pre-existence, and how these two people were really good friends, and how they got call packets to earth, well, one was sent to a home with the gospel and the other wasn't. This one friend looked at the other. What ever happens, you have to find me. And as we sat there and taught her, thats what I thought about, and it was an amazing thought! It is sooo cool to see people as missionaries or dressed in white as you sit there and teach them :). It makes me happy! I love Tender mercies like this :).

I also love the youth of the church!!!! I love their strength, their testimonies and their faith. I love the youth so much! I just... no words can describe my love for them!!!

Other than that everything is good!!!! Its the start of summer here, so I am  dying of heat. But I am excited because it is mango season, and so Ima enjoy me some mangoes!!!! You should all be jealous! But I am jealous of you, you get to go to the temple.... I need to go to the temple, soooo much!!!! I hopefully will never take the temple for granted after I get home! I am worried that I haven't changed enough on my mission.... I am excited for dad!!!! Like Talaga!!!



The kittens are good. and man are they LOUD! They are sooo freaken tiny, that sometimes we step on them.... They sound like squeaky toys to be honest.... But we love them soooo much!!! They are a month old as of yesterday for us, today for you :D We have yet to determine if they are boys or girls... or which one is which for that matter! But they are cute, loud, and white with blue eyes :). We have named them after our Zone Leader... We are a house full of girls with a lot of hormones and just.... DONT JUDGE US!!! :D hahahahhaha

Thats about all I hope that you have a good week, be wise, make good choices, share the gospel, always carry your tubig and payong. and be happy!!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson

Week 55

Monday, March 7, 2016

Hi mom!!!

So this week was a good week :)! It was full of rain and travel!!! I love MLC and I am soo happy for the oportunity to serve as a missionary here in the Naga Mission!!!! This week we had an awesome Miracle!!! So we have this golden Tatay!!!! His name is Hymie!!! And he is about 71 years old! And last week we gave him a book of Mormon, and he said he would read it! Well!!! When we went back with to visit him, He had read up too chapter 11, and when he told us the story about Laban and Nephi, it was sooo awesome because he told us with actions :D Hahahaha!!! It was awesome :) I love Tatay!!! His baptismal date is on April 2 :). We are excited for him!!!

So we had a baptism on Saturday!!! It was sooo awesome!!! This sister was sooo ready to be baptized... and she was sooo cute!!! She is 11 years old, and I just love her!!!  and thats about all that really happened, and yan! I slipped in my favorite dress and landed in the mud! I have a picture, but...... My memory card has a virus!!!!!!! I think Ima die!!!! Thats about half of my mission right there.... Pray that we can fix it... Our kittens have opened their eyes and are sooooo dang cute!!!!!!!!!!! I love kittens....

I promise next week will be a better week!!!! Promise!!!

I love you all and I hope that you are all happy!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Week 54

Monday, February 29, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

Our travel was sooooo long to Naga, that I kinda want to crash and die! But I also want food soooo!!! Food first before death! Oh and money :)

But!!!! I have like no time to email, sana next week, but I honestly don't know either.... we shall see!!!! So this was an awesome week!!!! We had two things of exchanges right in a row again, and then It was the hardest thing of my life and it was just... Wow!!!! But I had a really cool experience, I totally sounded like you :) I promise that is a good thing!!!!! Promise Promise promise!!!!! It was totally amazing!!!! Like AHHHH!!! I love being a missionary and I love Being busy!!! When I get home, I think that will be the hardest adjustment, not being busy... But I love Being a missionary!!!!

Our investigators are good, investigators pa rin :D I really.... I will email next week about this week.. broken ang brain kko.... gusto ko magemail sa tagalog.... Mahal ko kayo!!!!!! Ingat kayo lagi!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!!!

Monday, February 22, 2016

Week 53

Monday, February 22, 2016

Hi mom!!!!!

I don't have a lot of time today, but I will try to type fast!!!

This has been a good week!!! I got to be companions again with one of my children :). It was an awesome day!!! We had an awesome lesson where it was all teach this person and not the lesson!!! It was so amazing to have the spirit work through me and testify! I came so close to crying and the investigator cried too! I love her :). I hope that she progresses!

We made to resolve and the commitment to become more consecrated this week, and the miracles that immediately followed were amazing!!! We got a progressing investigator that came to church yesterday! And just amazing!!! I love this work and I know that it is true!!!!

Then I know that member referrals are amazing and work the very best!!!! Last night we taught one of the most amazing Sister!!!!!!!!! It was so amazing the lesson!!!! We didn't have to ask inspired questions, she would ask them on her own, and then all we had to do was give inspired answers :). it was amazing!!!! She has a lot of potential :) I am excited to see where this goes :).

I love you all and I hope that you are all happy!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson :).

I promise next week will be longer and better....

 Sister Makilan yan
 Sa Alvinos! When I come back and I bring you mom, We shall eat here like there is no tomorrow :) We eat here almost everyday..... if not, about three times a week :)

So this is what happens when the landlord has a cat, and then leaves and then missionaries move in and the cat is not aloud in the house because of the rule, do not keep pets of any kind, and the Ssiters dont know if the cat is pregnant or fat, and then the missionaries take  trip to Naga for a day.... And when they come back form Naga, and the STLs are about to go to bed early, and then they found all of this in the closet of one of the other Sisters..... WE HAVE KITTENS!!!!

Week 52

Monday, February 15, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

This has been a crazy week!!!!! Full of learning and being busy!!! I feel like when I come home I might sleep for a good month :).

On Tuesday I have my first ever exchanges!!!!! That was frightening and exciting!!!!! It was with my kabahays and it was sooo good!!!! I love those sisters and I am so happy that I got to work with them, and build a better relationship with them!!!! And then right after that, I had more exchanges!!!! They were good too!!! I miss training... Talaga...

So then we had a broad cast for all of the missionaries and it was so amazing!!!! It was about teaching repentance and baptizing converts!!!! It was amazing! I feel like it went a long with last General conference, about simplifying. They really just taught Preach My Gospel and it was so amazing to realize the true meaning of Repentance which equals Change! It was awesome to realize that is what we teach as missionaries is change, and how amazing it is to see changes in peoples lives!!!!

It was amazing to meet President Nelson on Saturday!!! It was awesome to look into his eyes and think about all the wonderful and amazing things that he has seen! He is truly a man of God!!! I will tell you more in 27 weeks :). HAhaha. I received some awesome promptings and it was so awesome to be taught by the Holy Ghost!!!

I cannot believe that It has been a whole year since I have left!!! It has been a really hard thing, but I would not trade it for the world!!!! I love my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and I am so glad that I am here on a mission in the Philippines Naga Mission!!! I love you all and I hope that you have an awesome day!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson

Week 51

Monday, February 8, 2016

Hi mom!!!!!

I have to tell you that I laughed out loud in the computer shop at the line "The worldliness is bad today.  I try to be good, but..." It made me laugh harder than I should have :).

I am good today! I have come to the realization that it never permanently stops raining here in Daet.... I struggle with it a little more than I thought I would.... But on the bright side, (HEHEHHEE punintended....) It is cold here!!!! I am loving sleeping with a blanket and still being cold!!! It is one of the best things of being in Daet!!!! Oh and another thing about Daet... It sounds kinda like Diet, but the only thing here that's on a diet is my wallet... Daet is full of amazing food :) I love it so much!! Food, food, food...:)

So we came back to Daet on Tuesday, after our meeting... It was a good meeting! I learned a lot and realized that I have to repent of the things that I did when I wasn't a Leader.... Oops... :). at least I can repent... We just talked about things for the mission and how to better train missionaries, and we got trained by President Reeder, and by the Asistants :). It was a good day!

Our Investigators are good! I feel so bad for the ones that struggle, so they sometimes have no way to come to church... It makes me sad, because they are the ones that have the biggest desire to be baptized... And then, one of our investigators left.... Like she left her "Boyfriend" and her daughter... She and her boyfriend had been together about four years and she left.... I think that it might be because of the age span between them... like brother is old enough to be her father... but they are both really nice. Brother Felix is a less active, and he has a very strong testimony of the Atonement, and I feel bad for him, but it was Sister choice... I can only pray for them...

Another one is a ten year old boy, and is very talkative... :). He makes me happy! And he is so smart!!! We were talking about Obedience, and he starts talking about following the word of wisdom, and we look at each other like WOW!!! Because we hadn't taught him yet about the word of wisdom, so we killed two birds with one stone and it was an awesome lesson :) I love Jerom :).

We haven't had exchanges yet, we will have two this week, and then we will have zone conference! I am excited!!!!! For the conference, not exactly the exchanges!!!! I am excited for one of them, becuase I get to work with a sister that is in her training!!! I miss training like none other! But, I know that I can do it, and I will be able to have exchanges!!! I am a little worried because, I am going to work in my area, and haha.... I hope that I can remember all of the places that we are going to.... :3

I love this ward, and I love the members! I wish that I could go back to Milaor, and do things differently... But whats past is past... It reminds me a lot of Goa... The whole area reminds me of Goa. Like the way I feel about it and the way that I just love it. I also love my companion! I love her soooo much!!! As we have talked and gotten to know each other better, I have realized so many reasons why we are companions! It is a good companionship! I love her, and I learn so much from her everyday!

I love the pictures!!! All of them! You are all so cute, handsome, and beautiful!!!!

I will be in Naga again on Saturday :). I get to meet my long lost grandpa or something... I laugh every time a sister or Elder tells me that my Papa is coming, and I immediately think of my Grandpas... And then go what? OH!!!! I get it now... They all laugh at me...so yesterday for my personal study I thought about all of the blessings that I received because of the Restoration of the gospel... and it was a very long list, but It was a good thing to do to realize how blessed I am because of the question and the faith of a 14 year old boy :).

I know that this church is true! I love the book of Mormon! please continue to read it! Have an awesome week!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Week 50

Monday, February 1, 2016

Hi mom :)

I am good this beautiful day in Naga :). We have Missionary Leadership Council tomorrow, so, we traveled from Daet to Naga this morning, so I spent another P-day in Naga :). MLC happens every month, so I will be back again in March :) It is exciting being an STL... And a little bit stressful, but I love it and I love the sisters, and I love my companion.

The road trip is beautiful, and I love the mountains, and the palm trees, and all of the things that go with Daet and our area!!!! I love it so much, that when I get rich, I will buy a house in Daet and go live there and be happy as can be :) We have a stunning area and I am still learning it, and we have some awesome investigators that are so ready to be harvested, and it really is the Promised Land :). I want to stay there until August, but I know of some other STLs that want to go to Daet, so I will probably stay there until June, if I don't transfer in June, then the rest of my mission is there in Daet :) It scares me to think that in a couple of weeks I will have reached one year and then I will be so close to finishing my mission.... Oh well, at least I have some weddings to look forward to :) *Cough, cough*

So as an STL I am apart of the Leadership council here in the Naga Mission, and so we have meetings we have lots more paper work, and we have exchanges and apartment checks for the other sisters and we get to travel throughout the Zone, we get to help train missionaries, and we get to do all of those things, and keep a thriving area too :). For me, this is all just a little stressful.... but I have an awesome companion to help me and to be there for me when ever :) I like living with STLs, because it is just a little bit more easier to be obedient than to not....... I like that part a lot... no Babylon, no staying up too late, being on time for studies and for all of the things in between!

I miss the snow more than anything... Maybe it is because I am not there in Utah..... THATS WHY!!!! AHahahahaha I still miss it :).

I love my area!!!! I think it is one of the most beautiful parts of the Philippines! It has a lot more than Goa, but the people are still so nice, and humble and they are willing to listen!!!! I love the members and they don't speak Bicol, I think yesterday was the first Sunday that I had where I understood about everything they said and I didn't nosebleed!!!! I love it so much!! We have some awesome people ready for Baptism! One is a ten year-old part member that is sooooo ten, but like all ten year-olds he was listening and he understood a lot about the Restoration and the Prophets and all of that! Then we have some Tatays, that are ready too! One is about 80, and has a lot of questions about the Restoration, and the other one is about 60, and he is so excited to be baptized on February 27!!!! We are excited for them and they are excited too :).

We have our first exchanges this week, I am a little stressed about this, I am working in the other sisters area, but still, I am pertified to go on exchanges D: Just.... Yeah, Yan lang... PERO! I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded!

I saw Sister Padilla and Sister Sulunga earlier today, I miss them both so much, and then I miss my other, Sister Gonzaga! I decided that I really do feel like their mother here in the mission!!!! I miss training so much and I miss everything about all of my akis!!!!! They make me happy and I will forever love them :) Training is the best part of my mission, and I will forever be grateful to Father for letting me train three Missionaries :). It is the best because you get to see and help these missionaries grow and become better and see thier progression, and with out trainers to train new missionaries, there is no other reason to have any other responsibility! I miss it more than ever!

Sorry for last weeks email, and how short it was, I really wasn't in the mood to write a really long letter so, I wrote that one... But I made a goal for this transfer to be a little more detailed in my letters, because of my dark days, in Milaor... But those days are over now, and I know that everything will be ok and all cool :).

I hope I have changed, I hope that I have changed and that it is a permanent change and that when I go home, I will be a better person and be better with the things that I struggled with and be better able to do the things that I want to do :). I hope that I have grown more spiritually, and that I will be better prepared for the things that I need to do when I get older :). I am excited to come home, but I am also scared... I remember thinking before my mission how scared I was to change on my mission and become different, but now I realize that these changes have just made me a better person! I am still Emma, even though my name sounds a little strange to me, and I have just become a better person through my mission with a deeper understanding of the gospel and with a much stronger testimony of Jesus Christ and I will be a little strange when I get home, but I know that it will be ok, and that I am a better person because of what I experienced here on my mission :).

I love the feeling of peace!! I know that it is one of the best feelings to have!!! I love how when we walk through the door, it feels like home, and it feels just so amazing :). I love the scripture in D&C 6:22 or 23. I know that it is true and I know that it is also an expression of Gods love for us :)

So this week I had an awesome thought, and I want to share it with you... So I was thinking and reading about the Grand Council in Heaven before we came to earth, and I was reading a quote by... someone.... I forgot... :) Basta! And he was talking about that moment that we forgot about and Satan's rebellion and how it was described as a war in heaven and I feel like I kinda saw it, and that it was a scary feeling, and I thought about all the people that I love here on earth, and all the people that I forgot about there in Heaven, and how many of those people that I loved might have followed Satan, and then if thats how I felt just thinking about it and not remembering the people that I love so much, the pain that Father must have felt when he saw 1/3 of his children walk away from his perfect plan to become like him! When I had this thought I realized how much we have to keep fighting Satan all of our lives, and how we cannot let him win. I then thought about His perfect love for us and how all we have to do is trust him! Cool di ba?

I love you all so much and I love this gospel!!! I know that it is true and that we have a loving Father in Heaven who loves us and is always there for us!!!! I hope that you all have a great week!!!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!!!

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Week 49

Monday, January 25, 2016

 Hi mom!!!!

I am ok today!! I got a call that I wasn't expecting... I am an STL now :) Exciting but terrifying too!!! I am ready for this new adventure and I am excited to be what the Lord needs me to be, that is what I signed up for right :)

Milaor is good, it is still Milaor with people and it is still thriving :) I am sad that I am transferring, but I am excited for my companion and her follow up trainer :) so I have like four minutes, so Ima just bear my testimony!!!

I know that this church is true. I know that the book of Mormon is true, and I know that it really does bring us closer to God. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father that really does love us more than we can physically comprehend! I know that he knows everything about us and he knows how to help us, and he will give us the help that we need even if it isn't the help that we wanted or the help that we hoped for,  but it is the help that will shape us into what He wants us to be.

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ never leave us alone, and that they are always right there with us in times of trials and that they carry us when we are no longer able to walk, they strengthen us when we are down and feel that there is no way out, they pick us up when we cry and they tells us its ok and help us get back to the right path and come closer to them. I know that because Father and His Son, Jesus Christ love us, Jesus Christ died for us. I know that life is not easy and that it is not always what we expected, but it is always what we need!

I love you all and I hope that you all have a good week!!!! next week I will email better :)

Love Sister Emma Nelson!!!!!!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Week 48...Dad

Monday, January 18, 2016

Hi Dad!!!!

I am ok :) I feel a lot better than I have in a couple weeks, and The work is going good :).  I never thought that I would have another foriegen companion after sister Saua unless I became an STL, and I really don't want that to happen, and then I never thought that I would be good enough to train a person that doesn't know Tagalog.... Like I realized this morning that I understand, but I dont understand every word.... And like all of that... but I understand them enough to teach and to talk and all of that, but then I realize that I still really suck at Tagalog... But I am cool with it.... I feel bad for my kasama right now.... She deserves a lot better trainer than what she got :)

I have a story of how I killed a whole family of cockroaches... This is how it goes.... Once upon a time in Milaor Naga appartment, there was a leak under the sink and it stunk to high heaven and not only was there a leak, but there what a bunch of junck left over from other sister missionaries that left  about 6 months ago... Well Sister Nelson thought that it was sooooo gross that there was old rice and dirty water under the sink, and that might be why their appratment stank, so Sister Nelson, even though they should have has two hour companion study, and then go to the baptism they have that afternoon, she clean under the sink!!!!!!!!!@

well while she did this, she sang her song of EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then at the very last part, she found the sorce of ALLLLLLLLLLL their cockroach problems.... There was a huge family!!!!!! And so because sister Nelson has now become brave, she grabbed the bug killer and sprayed it under the sink singing a new song saying "PATAY!!!!! PATAY KAYONG LAHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! And then they all died, the kitchen was put back together and then Sister Nelson and Sister Gonzaga went to their baptism and they lived happily ever after!!!!!!!!

Love you daddy,

Sister Emma Kate Nelson

Week 48

Monday, January 18, 2016

Hi mom!!!!

I am ok :) I am a lot better than last week and the week before that and the week before that too.... I am just all around a lot more happier :) I found out that I lost about 12-15 pounds and that made me happy :) I got that juice, the aloe vera juice... The one that you said to get and that sister Reeder recommended :) I don't like it, it is really sour and nasty tasting, but I take it because I love you and I love sister Reeder and because it was expensive.... I also really need it to survive... :) So I do it :) um.... This has been a better week than I thought that it would be :) I love my mission president and his wife and I am so happy that they are here :). I am feeling a lot better :) And so it has made it a lot better with our investigators :)

We finally have some good investigators that can progress and really do have the potential to be baptized... I am so happy and excited :)

Sister Rosalie is one of them :) She is a referral from one of our investigators! I gained a testimony this week of referrals talaga! I know that there are people that are ready for the gospel that we can't find if we don't use referrals. Like part members and just other referrals that come from others... I know that they are amazing! Anyways! so we had taught her once and then we hadnt been able to teach her again, and so the other day, we were out and our one appointment wasnt there, and so I said lets go see if she is there, and so we did and she was there and she was ready to listen! She has such an willing heart and is so ready to listen to the gospel! She said that she believes in the bible and the experiences that she shared with it are amazing and it was an amazing lesson! She then willingly accepted a baptismal date! It was awesome! I just about fell to the ground with excitement!!!! We have struggled for so long with that!!!!

And then we had another Nanay that we extended a baptismal date, and she said yes, and then hopefully she will be able to come to church next Sunday!!!! and then we got some awesome member referrals and part member referrals and I am just so excited to go to work and to see this awesome work progress here in Milaor!!!!! I know that this is all true! It was just a really good rewarding week!

I love my companion!!!!! She is so funny and she has one of the biggest bestest hearts that I know :) I learn so much form her everyday and in every lesson! She makes me happy and I am so happy to be her companion right now :)

I hope that you all stay happy this week! I know now with out a doubt that we have a Heavenly Father and that he loves us and that he weeps with us when we are sad. He never ever EVER gets angry with us, he only becomes a little disappointed with our choices but he always loves us and he will always give us blessings and ways to feel his love :)

Mahal ko kayo!!!! Ingat kayo palagi!!!!!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson :)

I asked for pictures...thus is what she sent...she is all girl...sure do live her and miss her.
These are her shoes she wears.  At least her feet look healthy😄


Sunday, January 10, 2016

Week 47

Monday, January 11, 2016

Hi Mom!!!!

Thank you mom for that awesome email with the amazing story! I think that is what I have needed for the longest time, actually this whole transfer :) I have been struggling with being depressed and with being happy, and just over stressing myself! I know that I just need to remember to take time and see and listen and all that other stuff to make things good and happy in this time of my life where I really won't get it again! Thank you for being so happy and for being inspired to send that to me! I love it!

So this has been a really good week. I have struggled with anxiety and depression, and a lot of other emotions because I have been feeling that all that I have been doing hasn't added up to anything and that I just keep messing up and failing at this work, but I learned a lot this week and saw a lot of miracles that helped me realize that I am not failing or doing anything wrong. I remember that there is this one EFY song that says God must like broken things because it is only when we are broken that he can fix us and make us better! It is a hard and challenging process, but I know that it is possible!!! I know that he only does it for our benefit, and to make us who he wants us to be!

I love my companion! Sister Sulunga! She is amazing and has an amazing testimony and is very diligent in her studies and makes me happy and laugh everyday! I am happy that we are companions and that God made everything possible for us to be companions at this time :). We had some good work this week and she did amazing! She is soo funny and I love her!

So!!!!!! We have investigators this week finally!!!!! So one night we were Oyming, and we talked to this one sister, Sister Rosie, and she was like I don't have time but you can come back tomorrow, and so we gave her an articles of faith thing and we just prayed that she would be there for our return appointment. So the next day we went back and she was waiting for us! So we started to talk and we asked her if she read the Articles of Faith, and she said yes! So we totally taught the Restoration with the Articles of Faith and it was such an amazing lesson and then she said she would pray! Well on Saturday we went back and she said she prayed and that she knew that it was true!!!! I wanted to fall off my chair I was so shocked! This was just an OYM! I was so happy!

And then there is another one Sister Mariam. She is pretty cool too! We taught her and she was like ok, but she said that she would come to church and just see what it is like, I am so excited about them, and hopefully they will progress and will come to church next week!

Then we got a member referral! It was also a good lesson, the referral really began to trust us and to listen, and it was so awesome! I love her and I am so excited to go back and teach her, hopefully she is at home this week!

It has been a good week with work and everything! We had a Philippines Area Brodcast last night, and the area presidency talked about their goals this year and the next five years, and how we can achieve them and just continue to build the church and become stronger as a whole! It was really good :).

My health is ok. I am still alive right?! I am ok really though... I like the weight-loss, so I won't really complain, Sister Reeder said last night to go and spend PHP 900 and buy some alovera juice for my immune system. I told her that I think I am ok, but if it gets really bad, I think I might, but right now I think that I am ok :) I still eat a lot of food promise :).

We had zone training this week, and it was really awesome! It was such a good one. We got a new standard of Excellence for this year and it went higher, and I stressed over that, but it is ok because they, the zone leaders, talked about Faith and Obedience and how that is hope we can achieve the new standard of excellence! I know that it will be hard to achieve this but! I know we can do it because God trusts us! I love it and I am ready to rock these up coming weeks!

So I love being able to see all the miracles that happen in our lives every single day! It makes life just a little more sweet by looking for Him and for trying to do what he needs us to do! We had exchanges this week and everything was going pretty good! But I learned a lot! I learned a lot about myself, and things that I need to do and need to change and be so that God can make me what he wants!

I love you all and I hope that you all have an awesome week! I am so excited to work this week :) Have an awesome week Loves!

Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson!


Week 46

Monday, January 4, 2016

Hi Mom!

I am good on this nice Philippines day :) It is really early in the morning, and it is going to be a good day :) I am excited for p day, and for this next week :) It was a good but kinda hard and long week last week, so we shall see how this week goes :) We are excited to work hard and to become ever better missionaries right now in our missions! I love my aki and I think that she is so amazing and I am so grateful to be her companion everyday! She has such a good heart and a really strong testimony. She makes me laugh all the time :). I love her to death!

Nanay Elizabeth is good. We got her to tell us if she smoked or not, and after like 5 times of asking her if she smoked and if she was telling the truth we were finally like, Nay! Brother Eugene told us that you have been smoking! And then she said Oo, when I go to the CR... And we were like, well... ok, at least she told us and we were able to move on from there.... our next lesson was then about being honest and about not procrastinating the day of our repentance! soooo..... It was a good lesson! um, we found a lot of new investigators this week! I am excited to return to them. They have a lot of potential to progress, all we have to do is get them to church! We are so excited this next week!

I am ok.... I have still felt a little better... Besides that, I am good. my stomach still hurts sometimes... but I hope that changes this week as I start eating healthier this new year! Ima come home skinny :) Thats honestly my goal :) but of course, the work of the Lord comes first and is way more important than that silly goal, basta that is one of my goals, so Ima try it :).

Oh yeah!!!!!! Happy New Year!!!!!!! I have decided there is no better way to celebrate new years than the way they do it in the Philippines!!!!!!! It makes me happy!!! Like there were more fireworks than there are there on the fourth of July!!!!! It was so much fun!!!! We also got some good pictures!!!! But Those will be some other time when I have a computer that will read my card reader.... dang it.... I even told myself today I would send you all some pictures!!!!

I love your thought! It is so amazing! I love the conference Ensign! It has been good to feast my soul on that and then the Ensign just in general! I love the prophets and how every month we get new food, and then every day when we read our scriptures we get food.  It may be our favorite scripture that we learned something new, or it may be a scripture that we have never read before with a whole bunch of meaning! I realized that's why the scriptures never get boring to us, is because they are always full of new insights that we have never seen before, and then I thought that only God could do something like that :). It was a cool thought in my personal study yesterday!

I love you all so much! have a good week!

Love Sister Emma Nelson!

Week 45

Monday, December 28, 2015

Hi mom!!

I am ok today! I had a good weekend nothing too exciting... I just had a wonderful experience fasting. I know that it is true, and that it really does work! I love being a missionary, and partaking of the sacrament! It makes me happy and I love my savior more and more as I keep the Sabbath Day holy. It makes everything better :). This work with the right attitude will make anyone and everyone happy :D So It is amazing to see that in my life!

I don't know the temperature here.... I kinda don't want to. I just know that it is hot and that it will only get hotter before I come home :) I miss being cold. Of course the snow comes the year I am not home :) Hahahahahaha So about talking about unnormal things, after we got off of skpye, I realized that we didn't really talk about anything important.... We just sat there and talked like we always do :)

Being a part of Family Prayer was my highlight! I miss that talaga! And then just feeling like I am home... It was awesome!

Nothing really exciting happened this weekend talaga... We got nanay Elizabeth to be honest with us.... That took a  while, and it hurt me.... Hurt that she was lying to us.... But at least she told us. :)

um... Sorry it is really short... I told you everything on Saturday :) just Please pray for the area.....

I love you all have an awesome week!

Oh! I will send my testimony next week :) Maybe :) Kung may time....

Love Sister Emma Nelson