Monday, December 14, 2015
Hi mom!!!
I am ok!!! Even though it is signal number three we still go around and do missionary things :) I got a phone call again this morrning. It was a little stressful but I found out that I am training again, and I am a little worried about this transfer... I don't know if I can do it... I am excited though that I have another baby! I love them and I am sad that Sister Gonzaga is being transfered, but I am excited for her to be in a different zone :) I am excited to be a nanay again. Hahaha Pray and fast with me eh!
HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! We shall see my Taglish... It will be pretty bad... Like unless we are in language study, I don't speak English... Unless I can't say it say Tagalog.... But it will be fun :)
I miss you all too! I loved the Christmas Devotional last night... It was soo beautiful! I loved everything! Elder Beadnars talk was sooooo amazing! Christ is the Light of the world! Everything about him is about light! There was this one thing that I read this week that made me stop and think. I read this quote by Thomas Edison he said something like this, "If we all did the things that we were capable of doing, we would litteraly astound ourselves." I know that is true! And then it went on to say that we are Children of God, and that we shouldn't shrink in our callings and down play ourselves in order for our (Talk about hard to speak english now.... Like gusto ko magtagalog.... Wow.....) fellow men to not feel insecure. Our playing small does not help the world. When we let our light shine we allow others to let their light shine too! It was so amazing to read that and to think that if I don't do my very best I will not be satisfied ever, and I need to be me and to let my light shine! It was a good thought!
Dang it!!!!! I am going to miss the big game while I am gone!!!!!! No!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA I will be thinking about this game in Church :) HAHAHa not that I really care... :p I am jealous now of the food!!!!! It sounds like fun the snowman soup! I miss being cold.... Last night we saw the outside of temple square, and I missed it a lot.... It is a strange feeling.... Like I miss it, but it is a... light feeling? Its more like I miss the things that I am used to but not really missing the things... Gets nyo ba? I am sorry it is just a little easier to speak Tagalog.... Like really though.... Like I am not homesick... maybe because it doesn't feel like Christmas... Like it isn't cold, there is no snow, and its just not the same. But its cool :) Haha punintended. Hahahhaa I am sooooo funny :) JOKE LANG NOT!!!!!! I am also a little stressed, so its cool :P Yup... tapos na....
How is Kenny by the way?
So Life is good here in Milaor! Sister Elizabeth was baptized on Saturday! She was baptized by her son that was bptized about a year and a half ago. It was so amazing! She was close to crying, and then even better was President and Sister Reeder came because we are close to them :) I love them, and I am so happy that they are my mission President and wife :)
Nothing new really.... I love being a missionary and I love life!
I love you all soooooooooooooooo much! I am coming up on my ten month mark... I will be home sooner than we all know!!! I promise it will go by soooo fast! It already has! You are all sooo amazing and I pray for you all the time!!!! You can do all things!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Week 42
Monday, December 7, 2015
Hi mom!!!!
Sorry to bother you as you watch the devotional. I will watch that next week!!!! I am so excited! It really doesn't feel like Christmas... Like it isn't cold, its not rainy, and it just isn't the same... But I am so excited to have Christmas here! We found out that on the 24th, 25th, or 26th we can skype! I am so excited to skype and to see your beautiful faces, and to talk with you! Just as a warning, it is a little hard to speak English... Like its fine to think it, but it is a little harder to speak English... Like Sister Gonzaga wants to learn how to pray in English, so I sometimes pray in English, but it is a little to hard, so I give up and Tagalog na lang!
I will have a baptism This Saturday! Nanay Elizabeth passed her interview and I am so happy for her! It was a long hard process, but she passed! She cried when she passed, and what is even more exciting is that she is excited to go to the temple in a year to be sealed to her husband and to partake of the other blessings that we receive through the temple! I love her and it was an answer to prayers! She is one of those ready souls that knows for herself that this church is true! She is excited to work with us after she is baptized! She will be a great strength to the members here in Milaor!
So beyond that... What else happened this week.... I turned 20!!!!!!! I had an awesome Birthday! We had weekly planning and we droped all of our investigators! HAHAHAHA I wish that was a joke.... We have about 6 investigators, and only two are progressing... I love missionary life! This is so normal and I have hope that we will find new investigators that are ready for this gospel and are just waiting for us to OYM! Which reminds me! So on Wednesday we were punted! Like we had no lessons and it was just... like, ok morning work is inspired, we are out here for a reason. So we were walking and praying in our hearts. The next thing we know we are walking and we see this sister and she smiles at us and we were both like we need to OYM her. So we just said hello, and then she was like sisters, do you want to come to my house? We stood there for a second stunned and speechless. Then Sister Gonzaga was like Yes! And we were like sister where is your house? And she was like across the highway., and we wanted to cry. Thats the other sisters area. But we were like we need to go to know where her house is and to tell her that there are other missionaries that will come to teach her... So we went and we foud out that she was taught by the missionaries before, but had moved, and she hadn't see the missionaries here in Milaor. So we are talking, and then she was like sisters, I didn't bring you here to talk with me and to teach me today, but to talk with Joshua! And so we talk with this 19 year old boy, and as we started talking and sharing about missionary work and the gospel, he was like I want to serve a mission. This was after about 10 minutes of talking to him!!!!! We wanted to cry! It was so amazing that this happened, but the sad part is that this was in a different area!!!!!!! So we finally told them, like there are different missionaries in this area, but we will help them get here! It was so amazing to have that happen! We were punted like none other. Everything that happened that morning happened for that OYM to happen! It was so amazing!!!! It was a special tender mercy!
I love being a missionary! I love being 20! As we worked on Thursday, I just had the calmest feeling! Like you know me... You know some of those things... and I just kept walking around thinking this was going to be the best year ever. I am excited for this decade of my life! There is no better way I would have rather spent the last part of my teen years, and first part of my twenties than here on my mission! It was a good feeling to not be afraid... I know that I am ok :) I am sooooo excited to be twenty! I thought of Spencer when he turned 10, "Yes! Double digits!
So thats all that really happened this week that I can remember! I love being a missionary and being who I am and helping in this work! I love Christ and his Atonement! I had a cool thought yesterday as we watched The Testaments with Nanay Elizabeth, and how it talks about the Atonement, and I related it to Trek a long time ago. So there was one part where the sister had to pull the hard cart by herself, and her husband was in the back, and we as youth were not allowed to help, we couldn't say anything, but all we could do was watch and pray for her that she could do it. As I watch the suffering of Jesus Christ yesterday, I thought of that, and that's how it was with us at that time, we couldn't do anything, all we could do was watch and pray for him... It made the Atonement more personal and more real yesterday as I thought about that...
It has been a good week! I love being twenty! I love being a missionary, and I am so excited to celebrate Christmas! I love you all and I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Hi mom!!!!
Sorry to bother you as you watch the devotional. I will watch that next week!!!! I am so excited! It really doesn't feel like Christmas... Like it isn't cold, its not rainy, and it just isn't the same... But I am so excited to have Christmas here! We found out that on the 24th, 25th, or 26th we can skype! I am so excited to skype and to see your beautiful faces, and to talk with you! Just as a warning, it is a little hard to speak English... Like its fine to think it, but it is a little harder to speak English... Like Sister Gonzaga wants to learn how to pray in English, so I sometimes pray in English, but it is a little to hard, so I give up and Tagalog na lang!
I will have a baptism This Saturday! Nanay Elizabeth passed her interview and I am so happy for her! It was a long hard process, but she passed! She cried when she passed, and what is even more exciting is that she is excited to go to the temple in a year to be sealed to her husband and to partake of the other blessings that we receive through the temple! I love her and it was an answer to prayers! She is one of those ready souls that knows for herself that this church is true! She is excited to work with us after she is baptized! She will be a great strength to the members here in Milaor!
So beyond that... What else happened this week.... I turned 20!!!!!!! I had an awesome Birthday! We had weekly planning and we droped all of our investigators! HAHAHAHA I wish that was a joke.... We have about 6 investigators, and only two are progressing... I love missionary life! This is so normal and I have hope that we will find new investigators that are ready for this gospel and are just waiting for us to OYM! Which reminds me! So on Wednesday we were punted! Like we had no lessons and it was just... like, ok morning work is inspired, we are out here for a reason. So we were walking and praying in our hearts. The next thing we know we are walking and we see this sister and she smiles at us and we were both like we need to OYM her. So we just said hello, and then she was like sisters, do you want to come to my house? We stood there for a second stunned and speechless. Then Sister Gonzaga was like Yes! And we were like sister where is your house? And she was like across the highway., and we wanted to cry. Thats the other sisters area. But we were like we need to go to know where her house is and to tell her that there are other missionaries that will come to teach her... So we went and we foud out that she was taught by the missionaries before, but had moved, and she hadn't see the missionaries here in Milaor. So we are talking, and then she was like sisters, I didn't bring you here to talk with me and to teach me today, but to talk with Joshua! And so we talk with this 19 year old boy, and as we started talking and sharing about missionary work and the gospel, he was like I want to serve a mission. This was after about 10 minutes of talking to him!!!!! We wanted to cry! It was so amazing that this happened, but the sad part is that this was in a different area!!!!!!! So we finally told them, like there are different missionaries in this area, but we will help them get here! It was so amazing to have that happen! We were punted like none other. Everything that happened that morning happened for that OYM to happen! It was so amazing!!!! It was a special tender mercy!
I love being a missionary! I love being 20! As we worked on Thursday, I just had the calmest feeling! Like you know me... You know some of those things... and I just kept walking around thinking this was going to be the best year ever. I am excited for this decade of my life! There is no better way I would have rather spent the last part of my teen years, and first part of my twenties than here on my mission! It was a good feeling to not be afraid... I know that I am ok :) I am sooooo excited to be twenty! I thought of Spencer when he turned 10, "Yes! Double digits!
So thats all that really happened this week that I can remember! I love being a missionary and being who I am and helping in this work! I love Christ and his Atonement! I had a cool thought yesterday as we watched The Testaments with Nanay Elizabeth, and how it talks about the Atonement, and I related it to Trek a long time ago. So there was one part where the sister had to pull the hard cart by herself, and her husband was in the back, and we as youth were not allowed to help, we couldn't say anything, but all we could do was watch and pray for her that she could do it. As I watch the suffering of Jesus Christ yesterday, I thought of that, and that's how it was with us at that time, we couldn't do anything, all we could do was watch and pray for him... It made the Atonement more personal and more real yesterday as I thought about that...
It has been a good week! I love being twenty! I love being a missionary, and I am so excited to celebrate Christmas! I love you all and I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Week 41
Monday, November 30, 2015
Hi Mom!!!
Just so you know, There won't be a weekly letter this week, I sent pictures and a really long letter to president... so you just get to chat with me and thats all :D
This has been one of the hardest weeks of my mission. I don't know what will happen to me next transfer, I really don't know. I told president that I love this area, I love this work, and I love being a missionary, but this is a hard area, this is hard work, and it is hard to be a missionary, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world... I just..... I struggled with a lot this week.... I really hope that this new week will be better.... really though....
I love you all so much! Thank you for the birthday wishes! We have weekly planing on Thursday!!!!!!! I love you all!
Love Sister Emma Nelson :)
Hi Mom!!!
Just so you know, There won't be a weekly letter this week, I sent pictures and a really long letter to president... so you just get to chat with me and thats all :D
This has been one of the hardest weeks of my mission. I don't know what will happen to me next transfer, I really don't know. I told president that I love this area, I love this work, and I love being a missionary, but this is a hard area, this is hard work, and it is hard to be a missionary, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world... I just..... I struggled with a lot this week.... I really hope that this new week will be better.... really though....
I love you all so much! Thank you for the birthday wishes! We have weekly planing on Thursday!!!!!!! I love you all!
Love Sister Emma Nelson :)
Week 40
Monday, November 23, 2015
Hi mom!!!!
So It has been a good week! It has been a little hard, but it is ok! I am happy and alive and everything is ok! We got this! Hahaha ME-la-or yan ang tamang pronunciation ng Milaor! Milaor is kinda like a mix of everything. It has countryside, and then there is the city, but it is the suburbs of Naga, so it has a lot of people, like way to many! It would take like my whole mission to track every door. But it is cool! I love it! We use mostly jeepnies to go places, we have a lot of far areas that would take about an hour and a half to walk there, so a lot of our studies are at night. It is so fun, because I am in central Naga, and I get to go to SM all the time, and I am close to the Mission office so I got two packages on Thursday, and it is just really nice :) yes sometimes it is a little hard because it is in the city, but I love it, and I am so happy to be here! I knew that this transfer was right when I got here, I knew it, and I was happy to be here and to learn and to grow again, and to become better! I do miss Goa in some ways... I miss walking, I miss the people mostly... I still email sister Padilla, and she has told me about the changes in Goa about the investigators and all of that and it kinda hurts... But its ok! I love it here in Milaor and I am happy :)
Nanay Elizabeth is good :) We were finally able to meet with her, and she has been ok with her addictions! She is so excited to be baptized on December 12! We listened to her prayer on Saturday night, and I don't know how many times she said she was excited to be baptized :) Thank you for your prayers for her! She then came to church on Sunday too! I am so happy!
I feel like right now I will be transferred after following up sister Gonzaga.... Just because of things that were said and happened this week :) I feel like she will train right after she finishes her training :D I am so excited for her! I know that she can do this! We had exchanges this week so she worked in her area, and I worked in the STLs area. It was ok... Nothing too exciting :) So speaking of Sister Gonzaga! She had a really bad migraine this week, starting on Wednesday, and going until yesterday! I was so worried! We were not able to work, and I was able to do all of my laundry while she slept! It was a good trade off.... but she is feeling better! I am so happy! I stressed over her so much! but I am excited to meet some new investigators that they found while on exchanges! I love being a missionary!
Sometimes my mind might explode because of Tagalog grammar.... Shoot me! At least I finally get English grammar.... maybe? Who knows? Not this girl!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA
Yes, yes and yes. I did get Grandma's email, I do get their letters, and I did email Kenny last week... At least I think that it was last week... I forgot....
Please don't talk to me about Utah weather! I miss it! I miss being cold... and I miss all of that.... I am excited to see you guys! It will be fun to skype! YAYA about the house in Georgia! I am kinda glad I am not home to really deal with that.... Although I am not really atachted to it any more! I am so happy to be a missionary!
I love you all! I am sorry that this email is a little short.... I was chating with someone important ;D HAHAHAH! Have a great week! \
Love Sister Nelson :)
Hi mom!!!!
So It has been a good week! It has been a little hard, but it is ok! I am happy and alive and everything is ok! We got this! Hahaha ME-la-or yan ang tamang pronunciation ng Milaor! Milaor is kinda like a mix of everything. It has countryside, and then there is the city, but it is the suburbs of Naga, so it has a lot of people, like way to many! It would take like my whole mission to track every door. But it is cool! I love it! We use mostly jeepnies to go places, we have a lot of far areas that would take about an hour and a half to walk there, so a lot of our studies are at night. It is so fun, because I am in central Naga, and I get to go to SM all the time, and I am close to the Mission office so I got two packages on Thursday, and it is just really nice :) yes sometimes it is a little hard because it is in the city, but I love it, and I am so happy to be here! I knew that this transfer was right when I got here, I knew it, and I was happy to be here and to learn and to grow again, and to become better! I do miss Goa in some ways... I miss walking, I miss the people mostly... I still email sister Padilla, and she has told me about the changes in Goa about the investigators and all of that and it kinda hurts... But its ok! I love it here in Milaor and I am happy :)
Nanay Elizabeth is good :) We were finally able to meet with her, and she has been ok with her addictions! She is so excited to be baptized on December 12! We listened to her prayer on Saturday night, and I don't know how many times she said she was excited to be baptized :) Thank you for your prayers for her! She then came to church on Sunday too! I am so happy!
I feel like right now I will be transferred after following up sister Gonzaga.... Just because of things that were said and happened this week :) I feel like she will train right after she finishes her training :D I am so excited for her! I know that she can do this! We had exchanges this week so she worked in her area, and I worked in the STLs area. It was ok... Nothing too exciting :) So speaking of Sister Gonzaga! She had a really bad migraine this week, starting on Wednesday, and going until yesterday! I was so worried! We were not able to work, and I was able to do all of my laundry while she slept! It was a good trade off.... but she is feeling better! I am so happy! I stressed over her so much! but I am excited to meet some new investigators that they found while on exchanges! I love being a missionary!
Sometimes my mind might explode because of Tagalog grammar.... Shoot me! At least I finally get English grammar.... maybe? Who knows? Not this girl!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA
Yes, yes and yes. I did get Grandma's email, I do get their letters, and I did email Kenny last week... At least I think that it was last week... I forgot....
Please don't talk to me about Utah weather! I miss it! I miss being cold... and I miss all of that.... I am excited to see you guys! It will be fun to skype! YAYA about the house in Georgia! I am kinda glad I am not home to really deal with that.... Although I am not really atachted to it any more! I am so happy to be a missionary!
I love you all! I am sorry that this email is a little short.... I was chating with someone important ;D HAHAHAH! Have a great week! \
Love Sister Nelson :)
Monday, November 16, 2015
Week 39
Monday, November 16, 2015
Hi Mom!!!!!!
I am happy on this fine Philippines day! It is a little hot... Ha ha ha..... The ward is a ward... Thats all. I will just continue to smile and to be happy, and to try my very best to support the leaders and the people that I know that Heavenly Father has called to be His leaders here in this Ward. I will continue to sustain them, and do my very best to have a positive and happy attitude, and to have faith, hope, charity and love, because that is the key to every little problem that we have in life. We have to Love What Comes and move on with our lives, and just think that this challenge is just making me more flexible, and I just have to go with the flow. It is a pretty good life when we do that. Just think about what Heavenly Father wants us to learn from this experience and go with it :)
We had interviews this week, and last week I told you that I called President right because I was elected as the oldest... Anyways, so I go into my interview, and President says to me, he said, "I don't know what you are doing over in Milaor, but you are doing a great job. The ward might not change, but I thank you for what you are doing in your apartment." I then told him that I wasn't doing anything, but that I was just going to work and being positive and just doing my hardest everyday. And then we get punted and then our numbers are down, and yeah... Anyways it was a really good interview. I cried because I am so happy that I am here on a mission and because I love being a missionary, and I love everything about missionary life, it was worth going through training and not knowing Tagalog, and everything in-between to be here and to be who I am today!
So my Kasama is amazing for only being half way through training, and for it being a white wash! I see a lot of myself in her, and it is kinda funny, because the things that I didn't like to do while I was in training are the things she doesnt really like to do, so I kinda know how to help her, and all of that... It is kinda weird, and I love her tons and tons, and she has such a firm testimony in this gospel and she knows why she is here and she loves the people :) I know that this transfer is right. I know that I am meant to be here, I know that my visible work here might be very small, but the growth in me will be huge, and my love for a ward will be a lot bigger and my love for missionary work will be a lot bigger too :) I am just happy!
So Nanay Elizabeth..... Well this whole week, we haven't been able to teach her, and it has been hard, because I have been worried that she would smoke, and that she would have to have her baptism extended again... So I have been praying that she is ok, and then yesterday she didn't come to church because she harvested rice.... I hope that she is ok...
Then we just replenished our teaching pool, because everyone hid from us, and so we were like cool! So we OYMed a lot this week, but we found some amazing new investigators! I hope that this week is a little better and that we can teach a little bit more rather than just planting... But then again planting is harder than harvesting :)
I love the story of Ammon, I love Alma chapter 26, that is what gave me the strength to do this work this week. I know that this church is true, and that Father in Heaven lives and loves us! I know that He wants what is best for us! I know that sometimes he gives us things that we feel like we can't handle, and yes that is true, we can't, at least not by ourselves. We need Him! We can do all things through Christ because He lives! We have the Atonement in our lives and we can become clean and pure, and live with Him again, if we have Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love. I know this to be true!
I love you!
Love, Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Hi Mom!!!!!!
I am happy on this fine Philippines day! It is a little hot... Ha ha ha..... The ward is a ward... Thats all. I will just continue to smile and to be happy, and to try my very best to support the leaders and the people that I know that Heavenly Father has called to be His leaders here in this Ward. I will continue to sustain them, and do my very best to have a positive and happy attitude, and to have faith, hope, charity and love, because that is the key to every little problem that we have in life. We have to Love What Comes and move on with our lives, and just think that this challenge is just making me more flexible, and I just have to go with the flow. It is a pretty good life when we do that. Just think about what Heavenly Father wants us to learn from this experience and go with it :)
We had interviews this week, and last week I told you that I called President right because I was elected as the oldest... Anyways, so I go into my interview, and President says to me, he said, "I don't know what you are doing over in Milaor, but you are doing a great job. The ward might not change, but I thank you for what you are doing in your apartment." I then told him that I wasn't doing anything, but that I was just going to work and being positive and just doing my hardest everyday. And then we get punted and then our numbers are down, and yeah... Anyways it was a really good interview. I cried because I am so happy that I am here on a mission and because I love being a missionary, and I love everything about missionary life, it was worth going through training and not knowing Tagalog, and everything in-between to be here and to be who I am today!
So my Kasama is amazing for only being half way through training, and for it being a white wash! I see a lot of myself in her, and it is kinda funny, because the things that I didn't like to do while I was in training are the things she doesnt really like to do, so I kinda know how to help her, and all of that... It is kinda weird, and I love her tons and tons, and she has such a firm testimony in this gospel and she knows why she is here and she loves the people :) I know that this transfer is right. I know that I am meant to be here, I know that my visible work here might be very small, but the growth in me will be huge, and my love for a ward will be a lot bigger and my love for missionary work will be a lot bigger too :) I am just happy!
So Nanay Elizabeth..... Well this whole week, we haven't been able to teach her, and it has been hard, because I have been worried that she would smoke, and that she would have to have her baptism extended again... So I have been praying that she is ok, and then yesterday she didn't come to church because she harvested rice.... I hope that she is ok...
Then we just replenished our teaching pool, because everyone hid from us, and so we were like cool! So we OYMed a lot this week, but we found some amazing new investigators! I hope that this week is a little better and that we can teach a little bit more rather than just planting... But then again planting is harder than harvesting :)
I love the story of Ammon, I love Alma chapter 26, that is what gave me the strength to do this work this week. I know that this church is true, and that Father in Heaven lives and loves us! I know that He wants what is best for us! I know that sometimes he gives us things that we feel like we can't handle, and yes that is true, we can't, at least not by ourselves. We need Him! We can do all things through Christ because He lives! We have the Atonement in our lives and we can become clean and pure, and live with Him again, if we have Faith, Hope, Charity, and Love. I know this to be true!
I am glad for all of you :) I am going to be honest.... I don't want to come home.... I will take every trial here in the mission field.... That will be one trial I don't really want to face.... Like I know that I have nine months left... but I don't want to leave! I love you all so much! I hope that you all have a good week!
I love you!
Love, Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Monday, November 9, 2015
Week 38 cont.
Monday, November 9, 2015
Emma asked me (mom) this in a separate email.
This might be a dumb question, but is it hard to watch us grow up and leave, and change?
My response and then hers.
In some ways...I miss the moments when you were small and our world was you and me...but what joy I have seeing you become who Father needs and wants you to be. No greater joy I have than seeing you make and keep covenants and make eternal choices.
I love you too Emma! You have a great week and stay healthy and happy!
Thank you mom :) Like that is beautiful, I am crying. I miss you and I love you :) I think that is how Father feels about us. like.... I needed that :) I don't know why, but I did. I love you too mom :)
The song by Helen Reddy has come to my mind: "You And Me Against The World". Being a mother is and has been and will be forever, my greatest joy, gift, blessing! It has not been easy, but I am so grateful for all the special moments everyday that give me a glimpse into eternity.
Father and our Savior love us all so much. This life is but a moment in eternity and I pray daily that me, John and our children and posterity will fight for truth and right. The battle continues and we each need to put on the "whole armour of God" and "be steadfast and immovable".
Emma asked me (mom) this in a separate email.
This might be a dumb question, but is it hard to watch us grow up and leave, and change?
My response and then hers.
In some ways...I miss the moments when you were small and our world was you and me...but what joy I have seeing you become who Father needs and wants you to be. No greater joy I have than seeing you make and keep covenants and make eternal choices.
I love you too Emma! You have a great week and stay healthy and happy!
Thank you mom :) Like that is beautiful, I am crying. I miss you and I love you :) I think that is how Father feels about us. like.... I needed that :) I don't know why, but I did. I love you too mom :)
The song by Helen Reddy has come to my mind: "You And Me Against The World". Being a mother is and has been and will be forever, my greatest joy, gift, blessing! It has not been easy, but I am so grateful for all the special moments everyday that give me a glimpse into eternity.
Father and our Savior love us all so much. This life is but a moment in eternity and I pray daily that me, John and our children and posterity will fight for truth and right. The battle continues and we each need to put on the "whole armour of God" and "be steadfast and immovable".
Week 38
Monday, November 9, 2015
Hi mom!
I think that I am doing ok in my new area. It has been a harder change than I thought that it would be. So on Tuesday, we got to my new area, and because Sis. Gonzaga is still in her training, we had companion study, the whole two hours and it was fun, I am a little stressed, because only half way through training, thats really rough, and they were whitewashed, so her companion and her were both new to the area. So it has been a little rough for her. Then on Tuesday night, our kabahay ended up in the hospital, and then sister Gonzaga was sick, and threw up, and so she went to bed earlier. Then I realized that I am here for a while, and that I am not going back to Goa until 2020, when I said that I would come back, despite the fact that I might be a very poor college student, and such, but I am coming back! Anyways, Sister Reeder called to make sure that Sister Gonzaga was ok, and then I cried on the phone to my mom here in the mission because I couldn't cry to you because your are a little too far away. And so I cried. I missed Goa, and I missed being where I was comfortable anyways I was a mess. But it has gotten better as I have gotten to know the members and the people and the investigators. It is a lot better too because I can speak Tagalog, and so I am not so home sick for Goa as I was on Tuesday night!
So to sum that all up I am ok. I survived my first week in Milaor! And I have a feeling that I know what will happen to me next transfer! I don't know how to feel about this and I don't know if I like it.... Anyways! Sister Gonzaga is amazing! She is from Tacloban Mission and is so sweet! I love her! Please just pray for her that she can continue to be ok, and happy here in Milaor. :)
So we have one investigator with a baptismal date, Nanay Elizabeth. She is so sweet and I love her! She is like a grandma to me, and she will hopefully be baptized on December 12, but thats if she keeps the word of wisdom.... sana... but she is soo sweet, she just finished the book of Mormon, and started again. it is just the problem of cigarettes..... it's one everyday. because there are things called tindahan here, and it is like a very miniature 7/11 here. they have soda and food, and a whole bunch of cigarettes. It is a huge temptation for her to smoke. So if she can break the habit, she will be baptized!
So she is the only one that is really progressing in our area! YAYAYA Milaor! HAHAHA. . . So Yesterday, actually this whole week, lie my whole mission, I have heard that Naga, like central Naga is soooo hard. From everyone. That the people are hard, and that conversion takes forever. And it is even worse when it is coming from your companion that the ward doesn't do its part, and I heard rumers and just some of the things that they have said about our ward.
So I learned a lot in Goa. Personally, like it is hard to explain my conversion that happened there because of just everything. And then adding that to what you went through at home with the ward, and just all of that. I just do5nt know how to explain it. I see things differently. So they, my kabahays all said that the members don't work with us and that they don't friendship, and all of that and that Bishop does6nt care. Well, we had a ward counsel meeting yesterday, and it was a little rough. Well, I was cool to sit and watch for a while, and to see how things worked. But my kabahays they were mad. They had different expectations, and that wasn't at all what they were expecting. So it was just kinda hard to explain my views because I thought that I should have had other feelings. I thought that my feelings were wrong and that I should have had other ideas..... And I am tired of replaying this story in my head.... anyways they were stressed and would do what you do and talk and pull out the handbook, and lahat ganoon. So I know that what you need to do is just talk, and cool down, and then you will be ok. Anyways so I stayed quiet and kept my thoughts to myself. Well then we started personal study, and I started to think about how I could help this ward become better and to strengthen it, and I read Alma 26 and Ether 12. It was amazing, while the rest of them focused on what was wrong with the ward, and who it would burn because of the way they do things, and I was like, "Am I crazy? I don't feel that way!" Well they all wanted to call president, and tell him because they couldnt move on from it. So I was the designated caller because I am the oldest in the mission right now in our house.... Man do I feel old! Well I explained the best I could to president, and then I told him that I don't feel that way and that I see this differently.... It was a little hard to be the one to talk to him because I didn't do them all justice, and it was hard to speak English. I can type ok, but when it comes to speaking full English, it is a little hard... Anyways, I learned from this that we need to keep a positive outlook on our lives and focus on the good and all the good things that they do rather than the things that they don't do or that they are doing wrong. It was a good experience :)
Thank you for sending me a discription of home, I miss you all and I just love the thought, and the love and the feeling that I get as I think about the image you sent me. I love you! I can feel it, the spirit in our home right now even though I am about 6,000 miles away, I know that this is right, and that I am needed here and that everything will be ok!
I hope that you all have a good week and that you are all happy!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Week 37
Monday, November 2, 2015
Hi mom!
Yay! I got out of getting a greenie, but will will be follow up training a sister that is half way through her training! I am excited! I was going to miss the four hour studies, but YAY! I get to keep them! Then maybe next transfer I will be training again :)
So this week has been pretty awesome :) Sister Padilla is very much ready to be a nanay. I am a proud mama :) I love this! I love being a missionary! It is all worth it! I love the feelings that I feel for my brothers and sisters! I finally understand the way Enos felt for the Nephites and Lamanites! So we went to this one area where all my friends are kids :) And I had this heart wrenching thought that the next time I see them might very well be in heaven. It hurt me that what if we aren't together in the Celestial Kingdom! Like I love them more that anything right now, they are all like my children! I love them! And one of them was like how are all of you at your house, and I sad We are happy, and she responded we are happy when you are here :) I love them, I want to adopt all of them! I love the Saviors example of loving children! I will miss them more than ever! I think that I will be more home sick for the Philippines than I was for Georgia.... It hurts, I just won't think about it!
So Sister Rosemarie was baptized of Friday, and Confirmed yesterday! It was so awesome! I am amazed how sometimes everything works against this work, but we know that no unhallowed hand can stop this work from progressing! Like Friday it was so hard, but it was an amazing beautiful day! So back story, when we first started teaching Rosemarie, she was sooooo quite! Like it was so hard to make sure that she got the lesson, Well, we were so stressed with she interview, what if she didn't pass, she really wants to be baptized! What are we going to do? Well, that interview was a miracle because it was after her interview she was so open and she wasn't really afraid to answer and to pray or read or anything! Well, we worried about the baptism for her testimony, I dont know why, but she did it, and it was so amazing! And then yesterday in Sacrament meeting, she bore her testimony! And in her confirmation blessing, bishop said that she would become a missionary! Guys, I just can't...... I want to be a missionary forever! I want all of us to live with Father in Heaven and to be like him and I want to help his work come to pass I want what he wants! It is amazing! As I continue and just go forward with faith everything just happens!
So as it has come to my first ever transfer, I realize how hard it is to leave, and to become an RM. I am not even half way through! I am soooooo excited for visiting teaching! I will love it! I hope that we go visiting teaching together when I go home! I am so excited to love those sisters and to be helpful to my fellow missionaries! hahaha I am so grateful for that :) I just cannot contain my love for my brothers and sisters!
We have some other amazing investigators! I love them! Sister Lorna is like avoiding us though.... it hurts... And then I have learned, AGAIN, that I need to trust my father in Heaven for help in the language, if...I rely on my own strength, wala siya talaga.... I keep forgetting that there is no reason to stress or to worry about what others think, because if I do, that means that I am fearing people and not trusting in my Father in Heaven :) I think I might learn this lesson for my whole life :)
I thank you mom for reminding me of the month of Gratitude :) I need to be better at being grateful and to be more happy in all of my circumstances! I love you and I will talk to you next week!
Love sister Emma Nelson
Hi mom!
Yay! I got out of getting a greenie, but will will be follow up training a sister that is half way through her training! I am excited! I was going to miss the four hour studies, but YAY! I get to keep them! Then maybe next transfer I will be training again :)
So this week has been pretty awesome :) Sister Padilla is very much ready to be a nanay. I am a proud mama :) I love this! I love being a missionary! It is all worth it! I love the feelings that I feel for my brothers and sisters! I finally understand the way Enos felt for the Nephites and Lamanites! So we went to this one area where all my friends are kids :) And I had this heart wrenching thought that the next time I see them might very well be in heaven. It hurt me that what if we aren't together in the Celestial Kingdom! Like I love them more that anything right now, they are all like my children! I love them! And one of them was like how are all of you at your house, and I sad We are happy, and she responded we are happy when you are here :) I love them, I want to adopt all of them! I love the Saviors example of loving children! I will miss them more than ever! I think that I will be more home sick for the Philippines than I was for Georgia.... It hurts, I just won't think about it!
So Sister Rosemarie was baptized of Friday, and Confirmed yesterday! It was so awesome! I am amazed how sometimes everything works against this work, but we know that no unhallowed hand can stop this work from progressing! Like Friday it was so hard, but it was an amazing beautiful day! So back story, when we first started teaching Rosemarie, she was sooooo quite! Like it was so hard to make sure that she got the lesson, Well, we were so stressed with she interview, what if she didn't pass, she really wants to be baptized! What are we going to do? Well, that interview was a miracle because it was after her interview she was so open and she wasn't really afraid to answer and to pray or read or anything! Well, we worried about the baptism for her testimony, I dont know why, but she did it, and it was so amazing! And then yesterday in Sacrament meeting, she bore her testimony! And in her confirmation blessing, bishop said that she would become a missionary! Guys, I just can't...... I want to be a missionary forever! I want all of us to live with Father in Heaven and to be like him and I want to help his work come to pass I want what he wants! It is amazing! As I continue and just go forward with faith everything just happens!
So as it has come to my first ever transfer, I realize how hard it is to leave, and to become an RM. I am not even half way through! I am soooooo excited for visiting teaching! I will love it! I hope that we go visiting teaching together when I go home! I am so excited to love those sisters and to be helpful to my fellow missionaries! hahaha I am so grateful for that :) I just cannot contain my love for my brothers and sisters!
We have some other amazing investigators! I love them! Sister Lorna is like avoiding us though.... it hurts... And then I have learned, AGAIN, that I need to trust my father in Heaven for help in the language, if...I rely on my own strength, wala siya talaga.... I keep forgetting that there is no reason to stress or to worry about what others think, because if I do, that means that I am fearing people and not trusting in my Father in Heaven :) I think I might learn this lesson for my whole life :)
I thank you mom for reminding me of the month of Gratitude :) I need to be better at being grateful and to be more happy in all of my circumstances! I love you and I will talk to you next week!
Love sister Emma Nelson
Week 36
Monday, October 26, 2015
Hi mom!
I am happy this week! We went to the beach this morning! It was so pretty! I love it there! We got some awesome Jump shots, but they are all on sister McGraths camera...Next week I will get a call that says that I am transferred.... I honestly don't know where.... The sisters in Lagonoy joke and say that I am going to be transferred there, and that I will follow up the Tongan sister there, Sister Huisa. Tapos the sisters here are saying I am going to Daet. And then I feel that I am going to be whitewashed and training or here in Goa and training again! I honestly have no idea.... So we shall find out next week..... I kinda don't want to be transferred because our area is amazing, but then I do so that I can continue to grow and to progress more spiritually and to better fulfill my purpose! I will be transferred next Tuesday, so next Monday I will be packing :)
Lorna is ok. There are so many reasons why she hasn't come to church in the last two months.... And they all kinda qualify for not coming to church... Brothers heart is slowly but surly opening up to us. We had a pretty good discussion about faith and about God, it was kinda like a lesson but without a prayer.... But it was still pretty good! And then we started teaching Lorna's 8 year-old daughter! She is so cute and I love her! We taught her with some of her friends and her friends are not yet 8, so hindi pwede... pero! Next year! Pwede yan! HAHHAAH Anyways, she is amazing, and so is Lorna's nephew, brother Albert! He remembers almost every detail of our lessons! Astig siya! so minsan mas madali para sa akin na mag-Tagalog.... Pasensya! Anyways....
So this Friday we will have a baptism! I am so excited! I was so worried that she wouldn't pass, but she did, and it was so amazing! She will be baptized along with her friend who is a member that just turned 8, and the members dad will be the one to baptize them! It will be so cool!
SO! We have some awesome investigators! We were just Oyming one day and we oymed this 15 year-old girl. Well, she listened, and the next lesson, my expectations were kinda low.... but! We started our follow up questions, and we were like did you pray and ask God if Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God? And she said yes, and then we were like what was your answer, he is a prophet of God! And then we started to teach her sister, and then they came to church and then they read the book of Mormon, and the pamphlets, and they are so ready for this gospel! AND THEN! Last night sister Pads met their mom, and then they taught them the restoration, and their mom kept saying, why haven't you come sooner, why now? Parang where have you been all of our lives? It was amazing when Sister Pads told me this story! We were on splits yesterday :)
So I can smash and kill spiders all I like, but when it comes to touching even a dead one, Ayaw ko!!!!!!!! I am not brave when it comes to that.... Thank the merciful one above, no spiders this week! and I don't scream.... very loudly.... :)
I miss being cold! Like it is cold here at nights when you have a fan on, but the rest of the time, it is so hot. I am so excited that next year I will be home in time for my favorite season! FALL!!!!!! I am also excited for Christmas! I bought Christmas lights a while ago, and they were up in our apartment, and then I was listening to Christmas music and I was like, I can smell the house right now as you are cooking, it was so weird how I was so close and yet so far from home.
Just remember that we have the plan of Salvation! We know that there is more than just Heaven and Hell! I love being able to share this message with everyone I meet! It is awesome!
I love you all so much! Have an awesome week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Hi mom!
I am happy this week! We went to the beach this morning! It was so pretty! I love it there! We got some awesome Jump shots, but they are all on sister McGraths camera...Next week I will get a call that says that I am transferred.... I honestly don't know where.... The sisters in Lagonoy joke and say that I am going to be transferred there, and that I will follow up the Tongan sister there, Sister Huisa. Tapos the sisters here are saying I am going to Daet. And then I feel that I am going to be whitewashed and training or here in Goa and training again! I honestly have no idea.... So we shall find out next week..... I kinda don't want to be transferred because our area is amazing, but then I do so that I can continue to grow and to progress more spiritually and to better fulfill my purpose! I will be transferred next Tuesday, so next Monday I will be packing :)
Lorna is ok. There are so many reasons why she hasn't come to church in the last two months.... And they all kinda qualify for not coming to church... Brothers heart is slowly but surly opening up to us. We had a pretty good discussion about faith and about God, it was kinda like a lesson but without a prayer.... But it was still pretty good! And then we started teaching Lorna's 8 year-old daughter! She is so cute and I love her! We taught her with some of her friends and her friends are not yet 8, so hindi pwede... pero! Next year! Pwede yan! HAHHAAH Anyways, she is amazing, and so is Lorna's nephew, brother Albert! He remembers almost every detail of our lessons! Astig siya! so minsan mas madali para sa akin na mag-Tagalog.... Pasensya! Anyways....
So this Friday we will have a baptism! I am so excited! I was so worried that she wouldn't pass, but she did, and it was so amazing! She will be baptized along with her friend who is a member that just turned 8, and the members dad will be the one to baptize them! It will be so cool!
SO! We have some awesome investigators! We were just Oyming one day and we oymed this 15 year-old girl. Well, she listened, and the next lesson, my expectations were kinda low.... but! We started our follow up questions, and we were like did you pray and ask God if Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God? And she said yes, and then we were like what was your answer, he is a prophet of God! And then we started to teach her sister, and then they came to church and then they read the book of Mormon, and the pamphlets, and they are so ready for this gospel! AND THEN! Last night sister Pads met their mom, and then they taught them the restoration, and their mom kept saying, why haven't you come sooner, why now? Parang where have you been all of our lives? It was amazing when Sister Pads told me this story! We were on splits yesterday :)
So I can smash and kill spiders all I like, but when it comes to touching even a dead one, Ayaw ko!!!!!!!! I am not brave when it comes to that.... Thank the merciful one above, no spiders this week! and I don't scream.... very loudly.... :)
I miss being cold! Like it is cold here at nights when you have a fan on, but the rest of the time, it is so hot. I am so excited that next year I will be home in time for my favorite season! FALL!!!!!! I am also excited for Christmas! I bought Christmas lights a while ago, and they were up in our apartment, and then I was listening to Christmas music and I was like, I can smell the house right now as you are cooking, it was so weird how I was so close and yet so far from home.
Just remember that we have the plan of Salvation! We know that there is more than just Heaven and Hell! I love being able to share this message with everyone I meet! It is awesome!
I love you all so much! Have an awesome week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Monday, October 19, 2015
Week 35
Monday, October 19, 2015
Hi Mom!
I am very fine on this lovely Philippines day! It rained all Friday, Saturday, and then like, when the wind blows, it rains and it rains.... I think the Philippines weather is more messed up than Utah weather! But thats ok :) I love it here! So yesterday was my 8 month mark.... I kinda don't believe it.... I really don't want to believe it! It has gone by so fast! I love it here, and I was thinking earlier, that I kinda don't want to go home! I have an amazing companion, and amazing kabahays, and this is an amazing area! It will be a hard transfer.... I think Goa will always be my favorite area... I think just because of how I have grown here, and what has changed about me, and all of the things I have done here on my mission here in Goa. It will be really really hard. I kinda feel like a pressure to continue to work my hardest here in Goa, because I know that the next time I come back, I won't be a missionary :'(
I have an amazing companion that helped me realize yesterday what I really need to focus on to continue to change and become better. And then it all made sense, and I was like, Oh yeah! I really do need to work on that, this is what will change everything and make this experience even better!
Sister Lorna and Brother Roberto are absolutely amazing! So on Thursday we were there, and I think that brother had been lasing, drinking... Pasensya sa Taglish ko... Hehehe... so we didn't teach him, but we taught their nephews, and man, is this whole family just amazing! So this one nephew, he is 13, Albert is his name, and we had taught him like 3 times now the Restoration, becuase he keeps bringing new friends to listen, and so we keep reviewing the Restoration! So Sister Lorna said that Albert had a question, and his question was, how will you know your answer? We kinda sat there and looked at each other for a second like Oh My Gosh! So we taught about prayer, and it was such an amazing lesson! And then we taught Lorna about the temples! So we started and then we showed her a picture of the temple, and we asked what it was, and she said a church and we said, close. This is the temple in Manila! And her face just lit up! Then she said that she has a long way to go before she gets to the temple, and then to the family sealing, and we said, not really, and when you go through the temple, and are sealed as a family, we will both come back, and we will be there with you in the temple! She was sooooo happy! I felt after that lesson, that it doesn't really matter anything else, even if I am not here when she is baptized, she knows that this is true, and she knows where her goal is! They have 4 kids, Jona, 8, Ella, 6, Lor John, 3 and Chris Ann, 14 months! I love this family so much! I love that whole compound! There are so many little kids there and they all call us Ate Sister! I love it! I will miss being Ate Sister...
We have a ton of new investigators! It is amazing how it is just faith that is making this area beautiful! So on Tuesday last week, we had exchanges! It was actually pretty awesome! I worked in the STL's area, and they worked in our area. It was a good break! So during evaluations sister McGrath said that it was so cool to see the progression in this area. She was here for 4 1/2 months, and she said she was really tempted to tell president to close the area, because there was no hope for it, but I was trained here, and it was ok. And then when I found out that I would kill Sister Saua, and kinda felt out the rest, I knew that I had to change my attitude, I knew that I had to be happy here in Goa, and that this is where I needed to be and that my work here was not done.... It completely changed, and it is where it is now because of the attitude and the faith of my companions! I know that is why it is still open, and that it is an amazing area now! Two hours is not long enough to tell you all about the investigators or the lessons, or even be able to express half of the miracles in this area right now!
So this other investigator is amazing we have taught her three times now, and she is really progressing, now all she has to do is come to church! So we taught her older sister and then we asked this investigator to share what she remembers about Joseph Smith, and the look in her sister eyes as she talked was so happy, and it was absolutely amazing! They have baptismal dates for December 12.
Rose Marie is still progressing! She will be baptized on October 30, and so will Nadine! Nadine is a child of members and so it will be wonderful to have her dad baptize her and Rose Marie! I am excited!
So beyond that, nothing to exciting this week! Oh! There was another huge spider last night! We got some good pictures :) I am sending them to you right now, and then I did a lot of my laundry! Yay Sister Nelson!
I love being a Sister Missionary, and I love where I am, and who I am and what I know and that I get to share the best gift with every one I meet and see and love! It is an amazing gift! I love this gospel and I know that it is true! I love my Heavenly Father and I know that He lives and that He loves us and is so happy when we make the right choice!
In my personal Study yesterday, I read a quote by Elder Anderson from the Priesthood session, Because I printed like the little picture quotes for my wall, and it says, "Your faith will not grow by chance but by choice." And then I realized that it is true not just about faith, but about every little thing, it will not change by chance, but it will change by choice. It applies to changing our nature, our faith our behavior, about the change to become more like our Father in Heaven! It is so amazing! I love it! And because we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ, We have the ability to change and to grow. What an amazing blessing we have and that we have the ability to share it! I love it so much!
I love you all sooo much! I miss you all! I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love "Ate" Sister Emma Kate Nelson!
Hi Mom!
I am very fine on this lovely Philippines day! It rained all Friday, Saturday, and then like, when the wind blows, it rains and it rains.... I think the Philippines weather is more messed up than Utah weather! But thats ok :) I love it here! So yesterday was my 8 month mark.... I kinda don't believe it.... I really don't want to believe it! It has gone by so fast! I love it here, and I was thinking earlier, that I kinda don't want to go home! I have an amazing companion, and amazing kabahays, and this is an amazing area! It will be a hard transfer.... I think Goa will always be my favorite area... I think just because of how I have grown here, and what has changed about me, and all of the things I have done here on my mission here in Goa. It will be really really hard. I kinda feel like a pressure to continue to work my hardest here in Goa, because I know that the next time I come back, I won't be a missionary :'(
I have an amazing companion that helped me realize yesterday what I really need to focus on to continue to change and become better. And then it all made sense, and I was like, Oh yeah! I really do need to work on that, this is what will change everything and make this experience even better!
Sister Lorna and Brother Roberto are absolutely amazing! So on Thursday we were there, and I think that brother had been lasing, drinking... Pasensya sa Taglish ko... Hehehe... so we didn't teach him, but we taught their nephews, and man, is this whole family just amazing! So this one nephew, he is 13, Albert is his name, and we had taught him like 3 times now the Restoration, becuase he keeps bringing new friends to listen, and so we keep reviewing the Restoration! So Sister Lorna said that Albert had a question, and his question was, how will you know your answer? We kinda sat there and looked at each other for a second like Oh My Gosh! So we taught about prayer, and it was such an amazing lesson! And then we taught Lorna about the temples! So we started and then we showed her a picture of the temple, and we asked what it was, and she said a church and we said, close. This is the temple in Manila! And her face just lit up! Then she said that she has a long way to go before she gets to the temple, and then to the family sealing, and we said, not really, and when you go through the temple, and are sealed as a family, we will both come back, and we will be there with you in the temple! She was sooooo happy! I felt after that lesson, that it doesn't really matter anything else, even if I am not here when she is baptized, she knows that this is true, and she knows where her goal is! They have 4 kids, Jona, 8, Ella, 6, Lor John, 3 and Chris Ann, 14 months! I love this family so much! I love that whole compound! There are so many little kids there and they all call us Ate Sister! I love it! I will miss being Ate Sister...
We have a ton of new investigators! It is amazing how it is just faith that is making this area beautiful! So on Tuesday last week, we had exchanges! It was actually pretty awesome! I worked in the STL's area, and they worked in our area. It was a good break! So during evaluations sister McGrath said that it was so cool to see the progression in this area. She was here for 4 1/2 months, and she said she was really tempted to tell president to close the area, because there was no hope for it, but I was trained here, and it was ok. And then when I found out that I would kill Sister Saua, and kinda felt out the rest, I knew that I had to change my attitude, I knew that I had to be happy here in Goa, and that this is where I needed to be and that my work here was not done.... It completely changed, and it is where it is now because of the attitude and the faith of my companions! I know that is why it is still open, and that it is an amazing area now! Two hours is not long enough to tell you all about the investigators or the lessons, or even be able to express half of the miracles in this area right now!
So this other investigator is amazing we have taught her three times now, and she is really progressing, now all she has to do is come to church! So we taught her older sister and then we asked this investigator to share what she remembers about Joseph Smith, and the look in her sister eyes as she talked was so happy, and it was absolutely amazing! They have baptismal dates for December 12.
Rose Marie is still progressing! She will be baptized on October 30, and so will Nadine! Nadine is a child of members and so it will be wonderful to have her dad baptize her and Rose Marie! I am excited!
So beyond that, nothing to exciting this week! Oh! There was another huge spider last night! We got some good pictures :) I am sending them to you right now, and then I did a lot of my laundry! Yay Sister Nelson!
I love being a Sister Missionary, and I love where I am, and who I am and what I know and that I get to share the best gift with every one I meet and see and love! It is an amazing gift! I love this gospel and I know that it is true! I love my Heavenly Father and I know that He lives and that He loves us and is so happy when we make the right choice!
In my personal Study yesterday, I read a quote by Elder Anderson from the Priesthood session, Because I printed like the little picture quotes for my wall, and it says, "Your faith will not grow by chance but by choice." And then I realized that it is true not just about faith, but about every little thing, it will not change by chance, but it will change by choice. It applies to changing our nature, our faith our behavior, about the change to become more like our Father in Heaven! It is so amazing! I love it! And because we have the Atonement of Jesus Christ, We have the ability to change and to grow. What an amazing blessing we have and that we have the ability to share it! I love it so much!
I love you all sooo much! I miss you all! I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love "Ate" Sister Emma Kate Nelson!
Monday, October 12, 2015
Week 34
Monday, October 13, 2015
Hi mom!
I am a lot better this week! I was just a little discouraged last week, but because of faith and prayers and just persevering, and everything else in between, I am so happy today! I loved conference, and was very uplifted by everything!
I had an amazing experience yesterday! So conference started at nine, and so we were at the church and we were waiting for our investigators and then I saw a Jeep full of members. There had been one before and I was so excited to see them! And then when I saw that jeep, I could not contain my feelings. I cried. I was soooo happy I was amazed at the dedication and the faith of these amazing members! I love them! I was sooo happy! And to see them all come to church! I finally felt like I was in Utah! The church was buzzing and it was so active and even though conference was in English, it was amazing to see them and to feel of their power and their faith! I was so over joyed! And just the whole weekend! I loved it. I don't have a favorite talk, I loved it all for very different reasons! I am so excited to apply it in my life, and to study it, and to become better!
So Garry, since his baptism in August, he has been to church twice, and so we have been stressing what it means to come to church and to endure to the end, and the importance of the commandments. Well, while he was still an investigator, his dad would not listen, he was always like yup you listen and I have to cook food, well!!!!!!! His dad has finally started listening! He is an inactive, and he has been to church once every year! Well he came to church for the second time this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost died when I saw him! I was so happy and just floating on Saturday and Sunday!
Rose Marie is good! She is still progressing! She is really starting to get it now, and is really growing in her faith! She is reading the Book of Mormon, and is so happy! I love her and I am so happy for her!
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Story time!!!!!!!!! So once upon a time, Sister Nelson and Sister Padilla were visiting sister Lorna, and they taught her about tithing. And sister Lorna being the most amazing person that she is, gets it right off the bat and is willing to pay tithing now, even though she doesn't even have a baptismal date! I swear if we taught her the law of consecration she would live the law of consecration no questions asked. Anyways! So there is a member that is staying at sister Lorna's neighbors house because the neighbor just had a baby, and the baby is really sick, so the member is there. Well this amazing member finds out that sister Lorna is taking the lessons and they start talking about the temple. So in our lesson sister Lorna brings up the temple and how she is so excited to enter the temple! I am sitting there singing in my soul, sister Pads is close to tears as we end our lesson. So during sister Lorna's closing prayer, I promised that no matter what, when, or anything, I will come back when sister Lorna goes through the temple, and then the thought came to me that not just the temple, but for her sealing, and then being the natural woman that I am, I doubt that thought and was like "maybe not in this life will that happen." Anyways so we had just closed and all of a sudden Brother walks in and sits down and we start talking with him, building trust and how to begin teaching, and Lorna's face is like a three year old at Christmas and I am like why do I doubt these thoughts, and Sister Pads is like freaking out inside! We were all so excited! And so to end this amazing story, Sister Nelson and Sister Padilla were able to teach brother Roberto the lesson of the Restoration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The end!
So in other words, I may be the poorest person alive, but I will find a way to come back for this sealing that is very much possible!
I am very much tempted to just ask President Reeder for a Goa mission. I love Goa I love the people, and I love just everything about everything right now! I know that missionary life is hard, and that it is difficult sometimes to continue and to perservere and just everything sometime, but I know that this church is true! I know that more this week than I did last week, I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, and knows us individually, and that we may doubt, but if we truly ask him if He is there and if He knows us, He will answer, and we will know the truth of that answer. He knows and loves us so much! I love you all so much! I am so thankful for all that you do for me! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Hi mom!
I am a lot better this week! I was just a little discouraged last week, but because of faith and prayers and just persevering, and everything else in between, I am so happy today! I loved conference, and was very uplifted by everything!
I had an amazing experience yesterday! So conference started at nine, and so we were at the church and we were waiting for our investigators and then I saw a Jeep full of members. There had been one before and I was so excited to see them! And then when I saw that jeep, I could not contain my feelings. I cried. I was soooo happy I was amazed at the dedication and the faith of these amazing members! I love them! I was sooo happy! And to see them all come to church! I finally felt like I was in Utah! The church was buzzing and it was so active and even though conference was in English, it was amazing to see them and to feel of their power and their faith! I was so over joyed! And just the whole weekend! I loved it. I don't have a favorite talk, I loved it all for very different reasons! I am so excited to apply it in my life, and to study it, and to become better!
So Garry, since his baptism in August, he has been to church twice, and so we have been stressing what it means to come to church and to endure to the end, and the importance of the commandments. Well, while he was still an investigator, his dad would not listen, he was always like yup you listen and I have to cook food, well!!!!!!! His dad has finally started listening! He is an inactive, and he has been to church once every year! Well he came to church for the second time this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost died when I saw him! I was so happy and just floating on Saturday and Sunday!
Rose Marie is good! She is still progressing! She is really starting to get it now, and is really growing in her faith! She is reading the Book of Mormon, and is so happy! I love her and I am so happy for her!
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Story time!!!!!!!!! So once upon a time, Sister Nelson and Sister Padilla were visiting sister Lorna, and they taught her about tithing. And sister Lorna being the most amazing person that she is, gets it right off the bat and is willing to pay tithing now, even though she doesn't even have a baptismal date! I swear if we taught her the law of consecration she would live the law of consecration no questions asked. Anyways! So there is a member that is staying at sister Lorna's neighbors house because the neighbor just had a baby, and the baby is really sick, so the member is there. Well this amazing member finds out that sister Lorna is taking the lessons and they start talking about the temple. So in our lesson sister Lorna brings up the temple and how she is so excited to enter the temple! I am sitting there singing in my soul, sister Pads is close to tears as we end our lesson. So during sister Lorna's closing prayer, I promised that no matter what, when, or anything, I will come back when sister Lorna goes through the temple, and then the thought came to me that not just the temple, but for her sealing, and then being the natural woman that I am, I doubt that thought and was like "maybe not in this life will that happen." Anyways so we had just closed and all of a sudden Brother walks in and sits down and we start talking with him, building trust and how to begin teaching, and Lorna's face is like a three year old at Christmas and I am like why do I doubt these thoughts, and Sister Pads is like freaking out inside! We were all so excited! And so to end this amazing story, Sister Nelson and Sister Padilla were able to teach brother Roberto the lesson of the Restoration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The end!
So in other words, I may be the poorest person alive, but I will find a way to come back for this sealing that is very much possible!
I am very much tempted to just ask President Reeder for a Goa mission. I love Goa I love the people, and I love just everything about everything right now! I know that missionary life is hard, and that it is difficult sometimes to continue and to perservere and just everything sometime, but I know that this church is true! I know that more this week than I did last week, I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, and knows us individually, and that we may doubt, but if we truly ask him if He is there and if He knows us, He will answer, and we will know the truth of that answer. He knows and loves us so much! I love you all so much! I am so thankful for all that you do for me! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Week 33
Monday, October 4, 2015
Hi mom!
I am so very very hot on this Philippines day! There was only one whole day of rain, so it wasn't that bad, just a lot of puddles and not a lot of lessons, but it was still really fun because we were able to talk to Lorna's "Boyfriend" and invite him to church, and just share a little bit with him, they were all sick, and after just getting over a cold, we didn't really want to stay.... So it was more of a blessing than anything else, and it was kinda cold and my sleep was amazing! I will miss being cold... We both need to learn to rely on the Lord for things.
We are struggling with investigators right now. I am getting very frustrated with the people that just don't keep commitments, which eventually means they don't get baptized. Its ok :) like you said in your email, we are learning patience.... that has been my whole week..... learning patience... for example, on Saturday we had the womens meeting right? Well our stake president forgot and it is like the 10 virgins, if you forget and don't bring oil, you are not going to make it into the wedding.... so I heard like 5 minutes of president Utchdorfs talk.... I was not very happy... but then we got shopaw and Pepsi and WHITE CHOCOLATE REESES!!!!!!!! Father loves me and he knew what I needed..... It made me happy :) And speaking of conference..... I am impatient and looked up the new 3 apostles. It was awesome! I had some guesses, but only Elder Rasband made it. :) I am so excited for them and for this Saturday! And then of course for the Liahona for the womens meeting!
So John, he was supposed to be baptized this month on the 17th, but we found out the he is only 8. I about died..... Then it has just been a lot of replenishing our investigators and dropping them or them dropping us, and it just hurts and I am very tired...
Rose Marie is awesome she is like a part member, but not because she lives with members, but she is not their child! So it is so awesome! Her baptism is on the 26, and hopefully she will make it... But she is really smart, and I know that she knows that it is true!
I killed a spider this week with bleach and fire...... If thats not crazy then I am actually ok!
I hope that you are able to see Lyndy tomorrow That will be fun, hug her tight for me! Also hug Grandma for me, and grandpa and you know everyone for me...
I love you, I know that this church it true, and I know that our Father lives and loves us more than we will ever know!!!!! I love you all tons and tons! I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love sister Emma Nelson!
Hi mom!
I am so very very hot on this Philippines day! There was only one whole day of rain, so it wasn't that bad, just a lot of puddles and not a lot of lessons, but it was still really fun because we were able to talk to Lorna's "Boyfriend" and invite him to church, and just share a little bit with him, they were all sick, and after just getting over a cold, we didn't really want to stay.... So it was more of a blessing than anything else, and it was kinda cold and my sleep was amazing! I will miss being cold... We both need to learn to rely on the Lord for things.
We are struggling with investigators right now. I am getting very frustrated with the people that just don't keep commitments, which eventually means they don't get baptized. Its ok :) like you said in your email, we are learning patience.... that has been my whole week..... learning patience... for example, on Saturday we had the womens meeting right? Well our stake president forgot and it is like the 10 virgins, if you forget and don't bring oil, you are not going to make it into the wedding.... so I heard like 5 minutes of president Utchdorfs talk.... I was not very happy... but then we got shopaw and Pepsi and WHITE CHOCOLATE REESES!!!!!!!! Father loves me and he knew what I needed..... It made me happy :) And speaking of conference..... I am impatient and looked up the new 3 apostles. It was awesome! I had some guesses, but only Elder Rasband made it. :) I am so excited for them and for this Saturday! And then of course for the Liahona for the womens meeting!
So John, he was supposed to be baptized this month on the 17th, but we found out the he is only 8. I about died..... Then it has just been a lot of replenishing our investigators and dropping them or them dropping us, and it just hurts and I am very tired...
Rose Marie is awesome she is like a part member, but not because she lives with members, but she is not their child! So it is so awesome! Her baptism is on the 26, and hopefully she will make it... But she is really smart, and I know that she knows that it is true!
I killed a spider this week with bleach and fire...... If thats not crazy then I am actually ok!
I hope that you are able to see Lyndy tomorrow That will be fun, hug her tight for me! Also hug Grandma for me, and grandpa and you know everyone for me...
I love you, I know that this church it true, and I know that our Father lives and loves us more than we will ever know!!!!! I love you all tons and tons! I hope that you have an amazing week!
Love sister Emma Nelson!
Friday, October 9, 2015
Week 32
Monday, September 28, 2015
Hi mom!
I cleaned the kitchen today! YAYAYA Sister Nelson! I am good, It is kinda hot here today, hahaha kinda!
The work is good, It was a little hard this week! We got punted all of Tusday, but a lot of OYMs, so that kinda makes up for it... kinda :) We went on a split Saturday! It was really good! I worked with a sister that is preparing for her mission, and it was really good, the only challenge for her there will be the language! But it shouldn't take very long for her :) We taught a Sister that is Iglacia ni Cristo. It was a very interesting lesson, in a way they are easier to teach than Catholics, but harder to convert because they are very very VERY dedicated! So its cool. It was good for me too to build a better relationship with the YSA in the ward. It made me happy :) I will miss Goa more than ever, because it has been such a growing experience for me. I have changed so much here, and I am so grateful for the people here in Goa, and for who I have become here! No other area will be able to compare.... :/
Our investigators are ok. Sometimes they are progressing sometimes not. It is stressful for me, and it is hard.... I love these people so much, and I know that this gospel will help them, but they just don't do it.... Its ok :) No effort is wasted! Sister Lorna's husband, brother Antonio is slowly but surely changing!!!!!! His heart is softening, and he is starting to warm up to the idea of getting married to sister Lorna!!!!!!!! It is coming! She is so ready for this in her life. We started to teach her nephew, and it will hopefully go fast and we can get him baptized, and have a member in the home!
Then nothing too exciting here... We will have a baptism on the 17 or 18 of October, for John! He is so excited! I hope that he continues to read and pray, and all that good stuff! There are a lot of less active up there, and so hopefully we can start to re activate them, and build the members in our area!
Conference here is the week after conference there, So this Saturday, we will have the women's conference and then next week, 10-11 we will have general Conference! I am so excited for conference! Like really though! I miss the feeling at home right now in the air... I miss fall and the food, and all of it. But I will miss the fruits here, Lookban, Rambutan, Mangos, the occasional Santtol (sp?) I love fruit!
I miss home, I got a little trunky yesterday in church, I miss the organization of church at home, I miss wearing pants, and miss my sweat-shirts. I have a problem...I miss the discipline of children.... Thats what I miss.... But it is ok! I love them, and I am here to help build the church, and to not change the way that the people live, becuase thats not my purpose! Its all good! And I am not really trunky, just thinking about home!.
I love that talk! It was an answer to a pray of mine the other day, I love one of the quotes there that says "Prayerfully study and ponder the vision of the tree of life, and then apply it to yourself." It is so amazing! I love that talk! It was a couple of weeks ago, but it was just what I needed!
I love you all so much! I am so grateful for all of you! Have a great week!
Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Hi mom!
I cleaned the kitchen today! YAYAYA Sister Nelson! I am good, It is kinda hot here today, hahaha kinda!
The work is good, It was a little hard this week! We got punted all of Tusday, but a lot of OYMs, so that kinda makes up for it... kinda :) We went on a split Saturday! It was really good! I worked with a sister that is preparing for her mission, and it was really good, the only challenge for her there will be the language! But it shouldn't take very long for her :) We taught a Sister that is Iglacia ni Cristo. It was a very interesting lesson, in a way they are easier to teach than Catholics, but harder to convert because they are very very VERY dedicated! So its cool. It was good for me too to build a better relationship with the YSA in the ward. It made me happy :) I will miss Goa more than ever, because it has been such a growing experience for me. I have changed so much here, and I am so grateful for the people here in Goa, and for who I have become here! No other area will be able to compare.... :/
Our investigators are ok. Sometimes they are progressing sometimes not. It is stressful for me, and it is hard.... I love these people so much, and I know that this gospel will help them, but they just don't do it.... Its ok :) No effort is wasted! Sister Lorna's husband, brother Antonio is slowly but surely changing!!!!!! His heart is softening, and he is starting to warm up to the idea of getting married to sister Lorna!!!!!!!! It is coming! She is so ready for this in her life. We started to teach her nephew, and it will hopefully go fast and we can get him baptized, and have a member in the home!
Then nothing too exciting here... We will have a baptism on the 17 or 18 of October, for John! He is so excited! I hope that he continues to read and pray, and all that good stuff! There are a lot of less active up there, and so hopefully we can start to re activate them, and build the members in our area!
Conference here is the week after conference there, So this Saturday, we will have the women's conference and then next week, 10-11 we will have general Conference! I am so excited for conference! Like really though! I miss the feeling at home right now in the air... I miss fall and the food, and all of it. But I will miss the fruits here, Lookban, Rambutan, Mangos, the occasional Santtol (sp?) I love fruit!
I miss home, I got a little trunky yesterday in church, I miss the organization of church at home, I miss wearing pants, and miss my sweat-shirts. I have a problem...I miss the discipline of children.... Thats what I miss.... But it is ok! I love them, and I am here to help build the church, and to not change the way that the people live, becuase thats not my purpose! Its all good! And I am not really trunky, just thinking about home!.
I love that talk! It was an answer to a pray of mine the other day, I love one of the quotes there that says "Prayerfully study and ponder the vision of the tree of life, and then apply it to yourself." It is so amazing! I love that talk! It was a couple of weeks ago, but it was just what I needed!
I love you all so much! I am so grateful for all of you! Have a great week!
Love Sister Emma Kate Nelson
Week 31
Monday, September 21, 2015
Hi mom!
6 weeks left here in beautiful Goa! I will miss it here, I have grown so much here and I Love the people here! I am so grateful to be a missionary!
So sister Lorna is progressing! She doesn't have a baptismal date, but She is amazing! I love her and we are hoping that brother will have a change of heart and will have a desire to be married.
Sister Angel is amazing too... i know if we could teach her... She is always busy, and so it has been a while since we taught her...
It has just been a struggle with our investigators, and the people in general.... The old people speak Bicol. The inbetween people are hard hearted. The kids are teachable and willing, but because their parents are either old or hard hearted, it is a huge struggle. I love the kids, they are so amazing! We were talking about this last night, and Sister Padilla my amazing companion, said that it was like Christ, and how he would teach the children, and how he would love them. It was amazing, and I hope that the parents will soften their hearts, and allow for their children to be baptized...
So we found a new area, I don't know if I told you this, but yeah. So we found a new inactive that was offended 20 years ago, and it broke our hearts to listen to her story. Sister Padilla said that she wanted to cry, and I honestly did too! Hopefully their hearts will be softend as we continue to walk by with love, and offer to share!
Then our newest investigator! Sister Jaqlinie! She is so amazing! she is 17, and is so ready for this gospel! I love her! hopefully she will come to church next week!
Sorry this letter is short, Next week will be longer :)
Love.
Sister Emma Nelson!
Hi mom!
6 weeks left here in beautiful Goa! I will miss it here, I have grown so much here and I Love the people here! I am so grateful to be a missionary!
So sister Lorna is progressing! She doesn't have a baptismal date, but She is amazing! I love her and we are hoping that brother will have a change of heart and will have a desire to be married.
Sister Angel is amazing too... i know if we could teach her... She is always busy, and so it has been a while since we taught her...
It has just been a struggle with our investigators, and the people in general.... The old people speak Bicol. The inbetween people are hard hearted. The kids are teachable and willing, but because their parents are either old or hard hearted, it is a huge struggle. I love the kids, they are so amazing! We were talking about this last night, and Sister Padilla my amazing companion, said that it was like Christ, and how he would teach the children, and how he would love them. It was amazing, and I hope that the parents will soften their hearts, and allow for their children to be baptized...
So we found a new area, I don't know if I told you this, but yeah. So we found a new inactive that was offended 20 years ago, and it broke our hearts to listen to her story. Sister Padilla said that she wanted to cry, and I honestly did too! Hopefully their hearts will be softend as we continue to walk by with love, and offer to share!
Then our newest investigator! Sister Jaqlinie! She is so amazing! she is 17, and is so ready for this gospel! I love her! hopefully she will come to church next week!
Sorry this letter is short, Next week will be longer :)
Love.
Sister Emma Nelson!
Week 30
Monday, September 14, 2015
Hi mom!!!!
I am sooo happy on this ok Philippines day! We had district activity today, it was so fun! I have some of the best videos ever.... Just wait 11 months to see them! I love my district, and realized again, how happy I am to be a missionary, and to be here in the Philippines! I am so excited for Kenny! It sounds like he is having an awesome time!
Naga was soooo much fun! I kinda really miss shopping.... I wish we had more time at SM, but thats ok... next time :) It was a really awesome workshop, and I love my companion, so we split into groups right, so trainers in one, and the trainees in the other, and then we each have an AP, well, we as trainers really didn't have a lot to say about our awesome children, and no real big concern.... and it was the same way with the trainees, they didn't have any complaints, and it was soooo loving and wonderful! I love my companion soo much! She is truly wonderful and has the best ability to see people how they can become and not how they are. That is something that I really want to work on in the coming transfer with her, is to focus on people how they can become, and allow them to change because of the atonement. It is possible, and I just need to work on it! So Naga was awesome! Then we almost got stranded in Naga, because we were so close to the last ride.... That would have been sooooo bad... But! We got to Goa safe and sound!
Sadly no package.... but I have bought many skirts here.... and then I have SRs from Sister Saua, so it is cool, but no plain black skirt.... hopefully on Tuesday, I will get the package.... maybe not... I don't really know, I might just have to wait until October 6... :( fall package!!!!!! I would love pumpkin rolls! But there is a small problem with that.... :( I miss your food.... That is ok, I got this :) I have been blessed with awesome companions that can cook and they cook amazing food! I need to learn how to cook Adobo, so that I can cook it at home and teach you all how to eat with your hands and eat with a spoon and fork!
The weather is HOT! El Nino is happening, so when it should be raining, it is hot and gross... so Yeah thats cool, but sad day, because I really want to experience a Typhoon!!!!! Maybe around Christmas.... :)
Our investigators are ok! I am so worried about them, and that they aren't progressing like they should and that everything is just falling apart, because we have been punted so much this past week, and it has been really hard. There is a huge festival in Naga so all of the Catholics are in Naga, and it is just a little hard this week.... Its ok I can do all things through Christ Because he lives! Yes!
Lorna is good, We are all praying in every prayer that her husband will change his heart. I have hope that one day it will happen. I know that I am meant to know Lorna. She is one of those people that you just love. I love her and I will miss her when I get transferred.... :(
So last night, we were walking and we were trying to figure out plan T if we were punted again.... and all of the sudden Brother Denis comes and He is like I promise to come to church next Sunday. I just about died! We have only really taught him once, but he is so willing to listen, and we both really feel that he has some great potential in the church! I am so excited for his lesson next time!
I am so happy! I don't like transfers.... That is the hardest part of my mission right now.... But that is ok, because there is facebook! How big is the Orem Utah mission? It sounds like a beautiful conference! I am so excited for the womens conference, and then conference, that just means that I have one more general conference here in my mission! It is going by way to fast! I am coming up on my 7 month mark.... it is way tooooooo strange. This will be so fast these next 11 months...
I love you all and I miss you all so much! I am so happy to hear about what it going on! I am soooo excited for Scott and Poly! Like sobra!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all for your examples! I love you all soooo much!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Hi mom!!!!
I am sooo happy on this ok Philippines day! We had district activity today, it was so fun! I have some of the best videos ever.... Just wait 11 months to see them! I love my district, and realized again, how happy I am to be a missionary, and to be here in the Philippines! I am so excited for Kenny! It sounds like he is having an awesome time!
Naga was soooo much fun! I kinda really miss shopping.... I wish we had more time at SM, but thats ok... next time :) It was a really awesome workshop, and I love my companion, so we split into groups right, so trainers in one, and the trainees in the other, and then we each have an AP, well, we as trainers really didn't have a lot to say about our awesome children, and no real big concern.... and it was the same way with the trainees, they didn't have any complaints, and it was soooo loving and wonderful! I love my companion soo much! She is truly wonderful and has the best ability to see people how they can become and not how they are. That is something that I really want to work on in the coming transfer with her, is to focus on people how they can become, and allow them to change because of the atonement. It is possible, and I just need to work on it! So Naga was awesome! Then we almost got stranded in Naga, because we were so close to the last ride.... That would have been sooooo bad... But! We got to Goa safe and sound!
Sadly no package.... but I have bought many skirts here.... and then I have SRs from Sister Saua, so it is cool, but no plain black skirt.... hopefully on Tuesday, I will get the package.... maybe not... I don't really know, I might just have to wait until October 6... :( fall package!!!!!! I would love pumpkin rolls! But there is a small problem with that.... :( I miss your food.... That is ok, I got this :) I have been blessed with awesome companions that can cook and they cook amazing food! I need to learn how to cook Adobo, so that I can cook it at home and teach you all how to eat with your hands and eat with a spoon and fork!
The weather is HOT! El Nino is happening, so when it should be raining, it is hot and gross... so Yeah thats cool, but sad day, because I really want to experience a Typhoon!!!!! Maybe around Christmas.... :)
Our investigators are ok! I am so worried about them, and that they aren't progressing like they should and that everything is just falling apart, because we have been punted so much this past week, and it has been really hard. There is a huge festival in Naga so all of the Catholics are in Naga, and it is just a little hard this week.... Its ok I can do all things through Christ Because he lives! Yes!
Lorna is good, We are all praying in every prayer that her husband will change his heart. I have hope that one day it will happen. I know that I am meant to know Lorna. She is one of those people that you just love. I love her and I will miss her when I get transferred.... :(
So last night, we were walking and we were trying to figure out plan T if we were punted again.... and all of the sudden Brother Denis comes and He is like I promise to come to church next Sunday. I just about died! We have only really taught him once, but he is so willing to listen, and we both really feel that he has some great potential in the church! I am so excited for his lesson next time!
I am so happy! I don't like transfers.... That is the hardest part of my mission right now.... But that is ok, because there is facebook! How big is the Orem Utah mission? It sounds like a beautiful conference! I am so excited for the womens conference, and then conference, that just means that I have one more general conference here in my mission! It is going by way to fast! I am coming up on my 7 month mark.... it is way tooooooo strange. This will be so fast these next 11 months...
I love you all and I miss you all so much! I am so happy to hear about what it going on! I am soooo excited for Scott and Poly! Like sobra!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you all for your examples! I love you all soooo much!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Week 29
Monday, September 7, 2015
Hi mom!!!!
Sister Lorna is amazing. We taught her about fasting and fast offerings, and we were like, "We want to fast with you on Sunday about your husband that he will have a change of heart." and she said, "Yes! I will fast on Sunday for my family and so that I can get married!" We were so amazed, well, I was so amazed at how ready she is for this Gospel. I love her tons and tons! Then we were talking to Bishop last night about what we could do for her and her husband because brother really doesn't want to get ready right now, he wants his parents and her parents there.... so thats just a really long big story! Anyways Bishop was like, let's fast as a district for specific concerns in the district, and we told him that we taught her about fasting, and that we fasted today. Bishop was really surprised and happy! It made me happy!
We haven't been able to meet with brother Denis again because he hasn't been there when we go..... sad day!
The flash drive. So we have a very amazing DVD player and it can read flash drives and memory cards along with movies! It is sooooooo cool! I want one for when I come home, but by that time, I won't really need a flash drive for music.... Also can you put the children Christmas music on there too? Like the one with I saw mommy kissing Santa, and the snowman? Please and thank you! or you know, our whole Christmas music collection, which ever one you prefer ;)
Church was good! It was fast and testimony meeting! So we had some awesome ones, and then you know, the ones in Bicol, so they were good too! Then a sister that worked with us on Saturday bore her testimony and next year she will be turning in her mission papers, and she is so excited to serve! anyways...It was wonderful to work with her! Then another sister that was waiting for her mission call, was called up to the front and bishop told her that her mission call was here!!!!!!! I was so excited because we had a dinner appointment last night at her house! So we were there when she opened it! She is going to serve in the Iloilo mission!!!!! Go figure it is in another language! But it has parts of the same mission where her older brother served! I was so excited for her! She will be an amazing missionary!
So I had an amazing thought this week. So while we were weekly planing, I was struggling with a lot... anyways, just being a senior, training, and being a human being... besides the point. So we were just struggling in thinking of ways to try and involve more ward members, and because I have a very amazing companion that is still very fresh out of the MTC, and was a ward missionary, she has some good ideas. Anyways, I was stressing out and anyways, we ended up praying, and I prayed for the help to combine our backgrounds and being able to work more effectively in the ward. Well I had the most amazing thought ever, that was just a very gentle reminder that Father loves me and knows what He is doing. I thought about my purpose as a missionary. My purpose is to help OTHERS come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. I realized who those OTHERS are, they are MEMBERS, LESS-ACTIVES, INVESTIGATORS, and Last but certainly not least, MYSELF. I am not here for just the non members and less actovi of the Church, but for everyone, and as I serve everyone and lose myself, I will find myself later, and much closer to Christ than if I did not invite myself to come unto Christ. Hopefully that makes sense! Anyways Father loves me and is kind and caring to remind me and give me the beautiful insight on my calling!
I was wondering if you had started the baptismal FHE!
I love you all so much! I am a little homesick today, but thats ok! We (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, and S. Balasta) went running earlier with the zone leaders!!!! It was so much fun!!!! I have some awesome selfies of the zone leaders on my camera. Then we went to buy a T-shirt for our district T-shirt, and we (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, S. Balasta, E. Quinco and E. Garcia) spent about an hour there, shopping, and debating as about if we (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, and S. Balasta) should buy a Christmas tree today, or next week... and then the decorations.... the Elders were like "why do you take so long to shop? we are so quick when we go shopping. We grab what we need then we go!" It made me laugh, and then I thought about their future wives... poor them :D
So it has been a fun week! We go to Naga on Wednesday, and I am excited and a little nervous... I want to go back to being a junior..... Also I guess I must be getting skinny, because everyone keeps telling me that I am becoming sexy.... Yup!!!! Sorry this email is so random and weird, and yeah!
I love you all so much! Have a fantastic week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Decoration for our. Christmas tree!
This is our final. destination! Tatayh. Lorenzo!
Before the jog!
Sis. Padilla, Me, Sis. Baird, Sis. Moreno
Hi mom!!!!
Sister Lorna is amazing. We taught her about fasting and fast offerings, and we were like, "We want to fast with you on Sunday about your husband that he will have a change of heart." and she said, "Yes! I will fast on Sunday for my family and so that I can get married!" We were so amazed, well, I was so amazed at how ready she is for this Gospel. I love her tons and tons! Then we were talking to Bishop last night about what we could do for her and her husband because brother really doesn't want to get ready right now, he wants his parents and her parents there.... so thats just a really long big story! Anyways Bishop was like, let's fast as a district for specific concerns in the district, and we told him that we taught her about fasting, and that we fasted today. Bishop was really surprised and happy! It made me happy!
We haven't been able to meet with brother Denis again because he hasn't been there when we go..... sad day!
The flash drive. So we have a very amazing DVD player and it can read flash drives and memory cards along with movies! It is sooooooo cool! I want one for when I come home, but by that time, I won't really need a flash drive for music.... Also can you put the children Christmas music on there too? Like the one with I saw mommy kissing Santa, and the snowman? Please and thank you! or you know, our whole Christmas music collection, which ever one you prefer ;)
Church was good! It was fast and testimony meeting! So we had some awesome ones, and then you know, the ones in Bicol, so they were good too! Then a sister that worked with us on Saturday bore her testimony and next year she will be turning in her mission papers, and she is so excited to serve! anyways...It was wonderful to work with her! Then another sister that was waiting for her mission call, was called up to the front and bishop told her that her mission call was here!!!!!!! I was so excited because we had a dinner appointment last night at her house! So we were there when she opened it! She is going to serve in the Iloilo mission!!!!! Go figure it is in another language! But it has parts of the same mission where her older brother served! I was so excited for her! She will be an amazing missionary!
So I had an amazing thought this week. So while we were weekly planing, I was struggling with a lot... anyways, just being a senior, training, and being a human being... besides the point. So we were just struggling in thinking of ways to try and involve more ward members, and because I have a very amazing companion that is still very fresh out of the MTC, and was a ward missionary, she has some good ideas. Anyways, I was stressing out and anyways, we ended up praying, and I prayed for the help to combine our backgrounds and being able to work more effectively in the ward. Well I had the most amazing thought ever, that was just a very gentle reminder that Father loves me and knows what He is doing. I thought about my purpose as a missionary. My purpose is to help OTHERS come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. I realized who those OTHERS are, they are MEMBERS, LESS-ACTIVES, INVESTIGATORS, and Last but certainly not least, MYSELF. I am not here for just the non members and less actovi of the Church, but for everyone, and as I serve everyone and lose myself, I will find myself later, and much closer to Christ than if I did not invite myself to come unto Christ. Hopefully that makes sense! Anyways Father loves me and is kind and caring to remind me and give me the beautiful insight on my calling!
I was wondering if you had started the baptismal FHE!
I love you all so much! I am a little homesick today, but thats ok! We (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, and S. Balasta) went running earlier with the zone leaders!!!! It was so much fun!!!! I have some awesome selfies of the zone leaders on my camera. Then we went to buy a T-shirt for our district T-shirt, and we (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, S. Balasta, E. Quinco and E. Garcia) spent about an hour there, shopping, and debating as about if we (me, S.Padilla, S. Araja, and S. Balasta) should buy a Christmas tree today, or next week... and then the decorations.... the Elders were like "why do you take so long to shop? we are so quick when we go shopping. We grab what we need then we go!" It made me laugh, and then I thought about their future wives... poor them :D
So it has been a fun week! We go to Naga on Wednesday, and I am excited and a little nervous... I want to go back to being a junior..... Also I guess I must be getting skinny, because everyone keeps telling me that I am becoming sexy.... Yup!!!! Sorry this email is so random and weird, and yeah!
I love you all so much! Have a fantastic week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Week 28
Monday, August 31, 2015
Hi mom!
I am very happy to be here in the Philippines today! I am happy to be a missionary here and to be companions with my companion! I spoke way to much English on Friday, so I am back to Taglish.... We have a lot of potential investigators starting this week, so hopefully this new week we will have a lot of new investigators!
My fun activity for P-day was I slept for about an hour and a half, and I washed my clothes..... I made cookies too! Yan lang :D I live an exciting life here in the Philippines!
We had interviews on Friday, with President and Sister Reeder! It was really hard to speak English.... It is really hard to keep a journal here because if I write in my journal it is in English and, after I finish, it is kinda hard to speak Tagalog... Dang it. :) So I met with Sister Reeder first. Then she asked me about you guys, she asked about each one of you. Then I got a hug from Sister Reeder.... Can I just tell you that it was not Sister Reeder hugging me, but you mom?. She told me that this hug came from you, and It really did feel like your hug. I miss you all, and I know that it was a small tender mercy coming from our Father in Heaven! I love you! How amazing that that happend on Friday, while it was Thursday afternoon your time... :)
Then I went in and I had an interview with President! It was so amazing! I love them both so much! They make me really really happy :D
So I don't remember if I told you last week, but sister Lorna and her husband are not married. so she can't be baptized unless they get married. So sister Lorna said that she would talk to her husband about it.... Well, on Thursday, we went back, and we followed up, and Brother does not want to get married.... He "Isn't ready". They have four kids. He is a very bad word that I am not allowed to say because 1. I am a Mormon, and more importantly 2. I am a missionary..... anyways, back to my calling.... Brother is never home, he has one day off a week, and on his days off, he is at the computer shop all day long.... Sister Lorna told him to get his day off on Sunday and come to Church! There is so much potential for Sister Lorna and her family in this church! I really really really! want to see her baptized... She is one of those Golden investigators... So this Thursday we are going to teach her about fasting, and we will all fast on Sunday. I am so excited!
Then we have this other investigator, brother Denis. He is amazing! A little ruff around he edges, but there is a lot of potential in him! He is philosophical but very willing to listen. He reads all of the pamphlets that we give him... He knows that he is a little philosophical, but we feel that he is willing to listen. It is so amazing! Sister Padilla is amazing! She has this vision for everyone of how they can become! It is amazing as I try to increase my faith and putting my doubts aside, and trying to see them that way too. I can see brother Denis in a white Polo and Tie and being the next bishop and really strengthening this ward! We will have more information about him next week!
So we have this other investigator that is an OYM, and has a special needs little girl! It is really hard for her to have her, her body is perfect, but it is her mind. She cant walk, talk, or anything like that, but she is so amazing! As We taught the Restoration, we told her that it is because of the Restoration that we have the knowledge of the resurrection and being together forever as families. It is so amazing to know that she has a huge potential in this church too! I hope that her husband accepts to listen too! She came to church yesterday. It was amazing!
So we have other investigators and yeah, but these are the most exciting ones this week! I love our area! We asked for a tricee to take us to our far area to maximize our proselyting time, and he some how heard us wrong, and we ended up in a new area that I didnt know existed! We are so excited for Tuesday to go exploring over there! I think that we are meant to find some one over there!
I love you all tons and tons!
Love,
Sister Emma Nelson
Hi mom!
I am very happy to be here in the Philippines today! I am happy to be a missionary here and to be companions with my companion! I spoke way to much English on Friday, so I am back to Taglish.... We have a lot of potential investigators starting this week, so hopefully this new week we will have a lot of new investigators!
My fun activity for P-day was I slept for about an hour and a half, and I washed my clothes..... I made cookies too! Yan lang :D I live an exciting life here in the Philippines!
We had interviews on Friday, with President and Sister Reeder! It was really hard to speak English.... It is really hard to keep a journal here because if I write in my journal it is in English and, after I finish, it is kinda hard to speak Tagalog... Dang it. :) So I met with Sister Reeder first. Then she asked me about you guys, she asked about each one of you. Then I got a hug from Sister Reeder.... Can I just tell you that it was not Sister Reeder hugging me, but you mom?. She told me that this hug came from you, and It really did feel like your hug. I miss you all, and I know that it was a small tender mercy coming from our Father in Heaven! I love you! How amazing that that happend on Friday, while it was Thursday afternoon your time... :)
Then I went in and I had an interview with President! It was so amazing! I love them both so much! They make me really really happy :D
So I don't remember if I told you last week, but sister Lorna and her husband are not married. so she can't be baptized unless they get married. So sister Lorna said that she would talk to her husband about it.... Well, on Thursday, we went back, and we followed up, and Brother does not want to get married.... He "Isn't ready". They have four kids. He is a very bad word that I am not allowed to say because 1. I am a Mormon, and more importantly 2. I am a missionary..... anyways, back to my calling.... Brother is never home, he has one day off a week, and on his days off, he is at the computer shop all day long.... Sister Lorna told him to get his day off on Sunday and come to Church! There is so much potential for Sister Lorna and her family in this church! I really really really! want to see her baptized... She is one of those Golden investigators... So this Thursday we are going to teach her about fasting, and we will all fast on Sunday. I am so excited!
Then we have this other investigator, brother Denis. He is amazing! A little ruff around he edges, but there is a lot of potential in him! He is philosophical but very willing to listen. He reads all of the pamphlets that we give him... He knows that he is a little philosophical, but we feel that he is willing to listen. It is so amazing! Sister Padilla is amazing! She has this vision for everyone of how they can become! It is amazing as I try to increase my faith and putting my doubts aside, and trying to see them that way too. I can see brother Denis in a white Polo and Tie and being the next bishop and really strengthening this ward! We will have more information about him next week!
So we have this other investigator that is an OYM, and has a special needs little girl! It is really hard for her to have her, her body is perfect, but it is her mind. She cant walk, talk, or anything like that, but she is so amazing! As We taught the Restoration, we told her that it is because of the Restoration that we have the knowledge of the resurrection and being together forever as families. It is so amazing to know that she has a huge potential in this church too! I hope that her husband accepts to listen too! She came to church yesterday. It was amazing!
So we have other investigators and yeah, but these are the most exciting ones this week! I love our area! We asked for a tricee to take us to our far area to maximize our proselyting time, and he some how heard us wrong, and we ended up in a new area that I didnt know existed! We are so excited for Tuesday to go exploring over there! I think that we are meant to find some one over there!
I love you all tons and tons!
Love,
Sister Emma Nelson
Monday, August 24, 2015
Week 27
Monday, August 24, 2015
Hi mom!
How are you? I am really tired, and I haven't washed my clothes again... Ahaha shocker! But that is ok! I did more important things earlier! Yay sister Nelson!
I have a year left, in a year I will be home! And we can watch Legally Blonde together! I am very ready.... I was thinking this week, that it has been 6 months since I have been home, and hugged you guys and I was thinking about the airport scene... I miss you all.... I am really excited for that moment. but then my heart started to hurt.... I would miss the Philippines way too much, the simpleness of my life here.... maybe it is because I am a missionary, and no matter where I am at, my life would be simple.... I love being a missionary!
So, so many things happened this week! The spirit was so amazing! I love weeks like this! So on Tuesday, it was my six month mark, and it made me happy/sad that I made it one third of my mission. Happy because that's six months! That is impressive! sad because I can't get that time back to serve with all my heart! We also had exchanges! It was amazing! I have grown so much as a person! I am so grateful to our Father in Heaven for letting me come here. Anyways! Exchanges... so I worked in my area, and I love the people that live here... :)
Wednesday was so stressful because we were punted and just stressful, for both of us, because a lot of people didn't really want to listen, so a discouraging day...
So on Thursday, we had planed to teach Lorna The Gospel of Jesus Christ! So we introduce it, and we showed the picture of Jesus Christ being baptized, and she said, my parents were baptized like that, I don't remember the name of the Church, but they were baptized like that, and then she said I might have been too... but she doesn't remember because that was like 20 years ago.... So we might have a recently found member!!!! I love her! The spirit is always so strong in those lessons! Then Sister Lorna shared her testimony. Oh my Gosh! She said that the Elders visited her before, but she didn't really listen. But when Sister Gregorio and I came, She said that she would listen, and make time for God in her life. Then she really grew attached to us! Then she bore her testimony, and said thank you and that she tried to look up sister Gregorio but couldnt find her. Sister Lorna said that she knows it is true and is so excited to be baptized! I love her so much! She makes everything worth it!
Then we had went to a different investigator and then her brother came in and we taught him the restoration! It was so amazing the spirit there! Sister Saua and I had OYMed him, but we hadn't followed up yet, so this was a perfect opportunity! He has so many questions, sometimes Denis is philosophical, but it is ok, because he seems to accept our answers to his questions. It was so amazing! He is really truly awesome!
Then Friday. We worked with two ward missionaries. One is waiting for her mission call, and the other just needs to have her interviews and then her papers are off to Salt Lake! It was amazing! Sister Padilla is amazing in getting the ward involved! So we followed up on another OYM, and her name is Angel, and has a special needs 5 year old daughter! All I could think of was Brinley and Jennifer, and how we are so blessed in America for the help that we can have with amazing children like that! I love them! They make me happy! She was so interested and said that she would come to church and that her husband would come because of their daughter. They didn't, but hopefully next week! :) They are so amazing!
I am amazed as we continue to have faith and find and teach our unique message to the world, how the people respond! Days like Thursday and Friday make days like Wednesday worth it!
Thank you for your thought! I love it!
I love you all!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
Monday, August 17, 2015
Week 26
Monday, August 17, 2015
Hi mom!!!!
It is soo hot here in the Philippines! I am really starting to miss winter... even though it isn't winter there yet! I will really miss being cold, and the snow and the fall.
So my new companion is awesome!!!!!! Sister Padilla! She is 21 years old, from the south in the Philippines, they don't have foreigners there, and she is the only active one in her family! She has aunts that are members and have served missions, but, she is the first in her family, and soooooo sweet! She remindes me so much of my first kabahay, Sister Caubatuan! She sooooo short and little!!!! I love it! All the ward members are like, you had a really big companion, and now a really short companion. Then they were like, how long have you been here? how much longer? This was my conversation with everyone yesterday at church! AHAHA Yeah..... I will be here 7 months! YAYAYAYA Sister Nelson! I love my companion though! She has such a strong testimony! I love feeling the power that it has on me and on others!
It was so humbling on Wednesday when we were assigned our companions. I was in the front and she was in the back, and the AP was like, Sister Padilla meet your new companion, Sister Nelson! I at first didn't recognize my name, and so it took me a split second to be like oh thats me! And I looked around, and sister Padilla started to cry, So she comes and sit by me, I am so happy that she is a Philippina like you really have no idea, and yeah, then she tells me "I am so happy" It made me happy :) Then we got on the bus, and then she started to OYM, this is one of the reasons that I am happy that she is a philippina. and then she told me that she wanted a foreigner companion. YAYAYAYAYA!!!!! hopefully she continues wanting a foreigner companion these next couple weeks.... :)
So she has an amazing testimony, and is a very normal missionary, she misses her family, and the MTC, I understand this so much, so everything is ok now. It is a hard adjustment to make, hopefully everything will be ok!
So reallly really REALLY! cool experience this week! We were visiting Lorna, and we were talking, and she said that she will cry when I leave, because she cried when Sister Saua left, and she said this because we are her friends! I love this sister! I remember Sister Gregorio's last lesson with her, I was thinking, I would be ok to stay here in Goa if I got to see sister Lorna be baptized! well my thought has come true! She has a date for September 19! Anyways, back to the story of this week! So we were talking about the Plan of Salvation, spirit world, resurrection, kingdoms of glory, and as we read about the celestial kingdom Lorna read that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father live here, and she asked "How can I get here? I want to live with them." and sister Padilla said, through baptism, and Sister Lorna said "When? When can I be baptized?" We reminded her of September 19, and the look on her face was so happy! like she knew it was right for her to be baptized, and that this was true! so we continued to testify of the truth of the plan of Salvation, and, then we asked about the book of Mormon, and if she had read it, she said yes! So normally for my investigators, if there is no reading assignment, they don't read, so I really was not expecting her to be in 1 Nephi 10. I about died I was so happy! We had just told her to read the book of Mormon, but I was so happy. It showed me that I need to be more diligent in pushing the book of Mormon as a commitment, rather than what I have been doing. This is such a powerful book, and it can bless the lives of so many! I love it so much I love the strength I get as I read it every day, and have all my studies, it is centered on The Book of Mormon! If we truly want a testimony of this gospel, we need to read the Book of Mormon. Anyways, yeah, I am really going to work on that now, because that is how the people will become converted, through reading The Book of Mormon. Anyways...
Than last night we were contacting referrals.... Yay..... so we found one, and it was really good! We shared with him the Restoration, and then we asked him like how he was feeling, and he said, I feel really happy or something to that extent, and so we extended to him a baptismal date! October 17! I had a really good feeling in the lesson, and we committed him to pray. Sister Araja said that we really need to make sure that he has a testimony of the restoration before we move on to the Plan of Salvation. I am excited! I am trying not to doubt that he won't make it, and that he really will come to church! I love that feeling of the spirit, and that he felt it too! I love being a missionary!
so..... Crazy right!!!!! I have a year left! I actually have a year and 8 days left but who is counting right? I love Sister Bonds emails! I am excited to hear that she is going to BYU-I in a year! That makes me happy :) She is a forever friend and I miss her tons! I am so happy to read her emails! They make me happy!
I miss all our friends in Georgia! I am so happy that we are apart of the Church because it makes the world really really small. I am so happy that there is a thing called Facebook and the people here have Facebook, because I get to have the opportunity to stay in touch with these wonderful people that I meet here everyday! I know that this church is true! I know that we have a living prophet and that he holds the priesthood! I know that they all love us!
I love you all tons and tons! have an awesome week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
P.S We should be proud of me today. I finally did my laundry, I have only really washed the things I have needed these last 6 weeks, so I finally just did it.... I am so pathetic, if I could just have a day where I did laundry, the days are never long enough to do anything! sad.... but yes let us take 10 seconds and be proud that I finally have more than just tomorrows outfit washed!
Hi mom!!!!
It is soo hot here in the Philippines! I am really starting to miss winter... even though it isn't winter there yet! I will really miss being cold, and the snow and the fall.
So my new companion is awesome!!!!!! Sister Padilla! She is 21 years old, from the south in the Philippines, they don't have foreigners there, and she is the only active one in her family! She has aunts that are members and have served missions, but, she is the first in her family, and soooooo sweet! She remindes me so much of my first kabahay, Sister Caubatuan! She sooooo short and little!!!! I love it! All the ward members are like, you had a really big companion, and now a really short companion. Then they were like, how long have you been here? how much longer? This was my conversation with everyone yesterday at church! AHAHA Yeah..... I will be here 7 months! YAYAYAYA Sister Nelson! I love my companion though! She has such a strong testimony! I love feeling the power that it has on me and on others!
It was so humbling on Wednesday when we were assigned our companions. I was in the front and she was in the back, and the AP was like, Sister Padilla meet your new companion, Sister Nelson! I at first didn't recognize my name, and so it took me a split second to be like oh thats me! And I looked around, and sister Padilla started to cry, So she comes and sit by me, I am so happy that she is a Philippina like you really have no idea, and yeah, then she tells me "I am so happy" It made me happy :) Then we got on the bus, and then she started to OYM, this is one of the reasons that I am happy that she is a philippina. and then she told me that she wanted a foreigner companion. YAYAYAYAYA!!!!! hopefully she continues wanting a foreigner companion these next couple weeks.... :)
So she has an amazing testimony, and is a very normal missionary, she misses her family, and the MTC, I understand this so much, so everything is ok now. It is a hard adjustment to make, hopefully everything will be ok!
So reallly really REALLY! cool experience this week! We were visiting Lorna, and we were talking, and she said that she will cry when I leave, because she cried when Sister Saua left, and she said this because we are her friends! I love this sister! I remember Sister Gregorio's last lesson with her, I was thinking, I would be ok to stay here in Goa if I got to see sister Lorna be baptized! well my thought has come true! She has a date for September 19! Anyways, back to the story of this week! So we were talking about the Plan of Salvation, spirit world, resurrection, kingdoms of glory, and as we read about the celestial kingdom Lorna read that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father live here, and she asked "How can I get here? I want to live with them." and sister Padilla said, through baptism, and Sister Lorna said "When? When can I be baptized?" We reminded her of September 19, and the look on her face was so happy! like she knew it was right for her to be baptized, and that this was true! so we continued to testify of the truth of the plan of Salvation, and, then we asked about the book of Mormon, and if she had read it, she said yes! So normally for my investigators, if there is no reading assignment, they don't read, so I really was not expecting her to be in 1 Nephi 10. I about died I was so happy! We had just told her to read the book of Mormon, but I was so happy. It showed me that I need to be more diligent in pushing the book of Mormon as a commitment, rather than what I have been doing. This is such a powerful book, and it can bless the lives of so many! I love it so much I love the strength I get as I read it every day, and have all my studies, it is centered on The Book of Mormon! If we truly want a testimony of this gospel, we need to read the Book of Mormon. Anyways, yeah, I am really going to work on that now, because that is how the people will become converted, through reading The Book of Mormon. Anyways...
Than last night we were contacting referrals.... Yay..... so we found one, and it was really good! We shared with him the Restoration, and then we asked him like how he was feeling, and he said, I feel really happy or something to that extent, and so we extended to him a baptismal date! October 17! I had a really good feeling in the lesson, and we committed him to pray. Sister Araja said that we really need to make sure that he has a testimony of the restoration before we move on to the Plan of Salvation. I am excited! I am trying not to doubt that he won't make it, and that he really will come to church! I love that feeling of the spirit, and that he felt it too! I love being a missionary!
so..... Crazy right!!!!! I have a year left! I actually have a year and 8 days left but who is counting right? I love Sister Bonds emails! I am excited to hear that she is going to BYU-I in a year! That makes me happy :) She is a forever friend and I miss her tons! I am so happy to read her emails! They make me happy!
I miss all our friends in Georgia! I am so happy that we are apart of the Church because it makes the world really really small. I am so happy that there is a thing called Facebook and the people here have Facebook, because I get to have the opportunity to stay in touch with these wonderful people that I meet here everyday! I know that this church is true! I know that we have a living prophet and that he holds the priesthood! I know that they all love us!
I love you all tons and tons! have an awesome week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
P.S We should be proud of me today. I finally did my laundry, I have only really washed the things I have needed these last 6 weeks, so I finally just did it.... I am so pathetic, if I could just have a day where I did laundry, the days are never long enough to do anything! sad.... but yes let us take 10 seconds and be proud that I finally have more than just tomorrows outfit washed!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Week 25
Monday, August 10, 2015
Hi Mom!
So This has been a crazy last week.... Like I have grown so much in one week, that it is crazy, well, I have recognized the growth at least!
I am not in Naga today, I am in Goa, and I will be here until November 2. Because..... drum roll please!!!!!! I am training a new missionary.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried a good 30 minutes about it this morning.... before and after the phone call.... I am petrified. Like, no words to describe how I feel. Because, there are a lot of foreigners in this batch, and yeah..... I think sister Araja and Sister Balasta were trying to make me feel better, but that only made me more worried... Ok lang yan. The Lord qualifies those who he calls, and he called me.... I got this these next two transfers!
Garry was baptized on Saturday, and it was amazing! He was baptized with a member of the ward, and so there were many members there, and the sisters had an investigator there, and so they were there, and it was so pretty! Garry's dad was even there! He is a less active, and hasn't come to church in so long! Then, Yesterday at church, Garry wasn't there to be confirmed before the sacrament, but, he came late, first he came, then his brother who is 7, then Brother Edgar came! Even though he walked in during the sacrament, he came! I wanted to go outside and jump for joy! I thought that it was going to be a really bad sacrament meeting with attendance at least, but it was amazing right at that point! Bishops face was so happy when he saw brother Edgar! So Garry was baptized and confirmed this week!
Julie Ann and Tatay are amazing! They are still active and every time we go see them, we always are fed Buko juice, and santtol, and other masarap food! I love them so much! I hope that they continue to stay active the rest of their lives!
So yesterday, Sunday, like I said I was worried about the attendance of Less-Actives and Investigators. Well, Brother Edgar made up for a lot of it! but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the sacrament, Sister Lorna and her neighbor walked in with their children! OH MY GOSH!!!! I wanted to go dance and celebrate how happy I was that they came to Church again! Sister Saua spoke yesterday, and said that sister Lorna looked so happy as she sat there in church! I know with all my heart that this church is true and that we have a loving Father in Heaven that has the greatest desire for all of us His children to be happy here in earth while we are away from Him for a short time, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have the happiness that He desires for us! He knows us inside and out, and He knows what we need when we need it, and He is ready to give it to us when we allow him into our lives! He love us!
So this week has been a trying week for my faith.... I have felt so...... worried that I didnt make any progress in the language this transfer, and in anything.... Like there was no change or hope for this next transfer. Like last Sunday to yesterday morning. I have prayed more this week than I ever had in my life.... Because I felt like I had failed myself and my heavenly Father, but no one knew this is how I felt but me and Him. I prayed for strength, and I prayed for forgiveness, and I thanked Him for every little blessing that happened that day, that minute, for the strength that I felt after I read my scriptures and studied Chapter 6 in Preach my Gospel (Cool story on that latter...)
So I have just been holding on to the hope and faith that everything will be ok and that it is all in His hands as I really try to do my best this last week of sister Saua! Well, I knew that the phone call I got this morning was coming, I knew that the 28th of July, But during the transfer I lost hope, and doubted that thought. Then, last Sunday, the Zone Leader was talking to me and he was like, are you ready to train? And I was like... I don't really know. So that tipped me off, that there was a huge chance for me to train, because that Tuesday they was Missionary Leadership council, and interviews with president and then all the other more experienced missionaries are being transferred, because they just finished with their akis, so yeah! I then got the phone call this morning, and Yeah. I am soooooo worried, but like I said up above the Lord qualifies those who he calls and He has called me here to the Philippines to be his missionary, and to train right now! AYAYAYAYA
So on Friday we had Zone Training, and that was fun! The Zone Leaders said that President wants the faith of the missionaries to become stronger, he has asked that the first 15 minutes of our personal study be focused on chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel: Christ Like Attributes. President said hat no one can read that chapter and not have their faith strengthened. It is so true! I know that is how it works. I have tried it these last couple days and it is amazing how much he loves us and how much room we have for faith.
Well, I love you all tons and tons! I love being a missionary, and being the daughter of a king! We are all children of God! He loves us more than we can understand! I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Hi Mom!
So This has been a crazy last week.... Like I have grown so much in one week, that it is crazy, well, I have recognized the growth at least!
I am not in Naga today, I am in Goa, and I will be here until November 2. Because..... drum roll please!!!!!! I am training a new missionary.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried a good 30 minutes about it this morning.... before and after the phone call.... I am petrified. Like, no words to describe how I feel. Because, there are a lot of foreigners in this batch, and yeah..... I think sister Araja and Sister Balasta were trying to make me feel better, but that only made me more worried... Ok lang yan. The Lord qualifies those who he calls, and he called me.... I got this these next two transfers!
Garry was baptized on Saturday, and it was amazing! He was baptized with a member of the ward, and so there were many members there, and the sisters had an investigator there, and so they were there, and it was so pretty! Garry's dad was even there! He is a less active, and hasn't come to church in so long! Then, Yesterday at church, Garry wasn't there to be confirmed before the sacrament, but, he came late, first he came, then his brother who is 7, then Brother Edgar came! Even though he walked in during the sacrament, he came! I wanted to go outside and jump for joy! I thought that it was going to be a really bad sacrament meeting with attendance at least, but it was amazing right at that point! Bishops face was so happy when he saw brother Edgar! So Garry was baptized and confirmed this week!
Julie Ann and Tatay are amazing! They are still active and every time we go see them, we always are fed Buko juice, and santtol, and other masarap food! I love them so much! I hope that they continue to stay active the rest of their lives!
So yesterday, Sunday, like I said I was worried about the attendance of Less-Actives and Investigators. Well, Brother Edgar made up for a lot of it! but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After the sacrament, Sister Lorna and her neighbor walked in with their children! OH MY GOSH!!!! I wanted to go dance and celebrate how happy I was that they came to Church again! Sister Saua spoke yesterday, and said that sister Lorna looked so happy as she sat there in church! I know with all my heart that this church is true and that we have a loving Father in Heaven that has the greatest desire for all of us His children to be happy here in earth while we are away from Him for a short time, and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can have the happiness that He desires for us! He knows us inside and out, and He knows what we need when we need it, and He is ready to give it to us when we allow him into our lives! He love us!
So this week has been a trying week for my faith.... I have felt so...... worried that I didnt make any progress in the language this transfer, and in anything.... Like there was no change or hope for this next transfer. Like last Sunday to yesterday morning. I have prayed more this week than I ever had in my life.... Because I felt like I had failed myself and my heavenly Father, but no one knew this is how I felt but me and Him. I prayed for strength, and I prayed for forgiveness, and I thanked Him for every little blessing that happened that day, that minute, for the strength that I felt after I read my scriptures and studied Chapter 6 in Preach my Gospel (Cool story on that latter...)
So I have just been holding on to the hope and faith that everything will be ok and that it is all in His hands as I really try to do my best this last week of sister Saua! Well, I knew that the phone call I got this morning was coming, I knew that the 28th of July, But during the transfer I lost hope, and doubted that thought. Then, last Sunday, the Zone Leader was talking to me and he was like, are you ready to train? And I was like... I don't really know. So that tipped me off, that there was a huge chance for me to train, because that Tuesday they was Missionary Leadership council, and interviews with president and then all the other more experienced missionaries are being transferred, because they just finished with their akis, so yeah! I then got the phone call this morning, and Yeah. I am soooooo worried, but like I said up above the Lord qualifies those who he calls and He has called me here to the Philippines to be his missionary, and to train right now! AYAYAYAYA
So on Friday we had Zone Training, and that was fun! The Zone Leaders said that President wants the faith of the missionaries to become stronger, he has asked that the first 15 minutes of our personal study be focused on chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel: Christ Like Attributes. President said hat no one can read that chapter and not have their faith strengthened. It is so true! I know that is how it works. I have tried it these last couple days and it is amazing how much he loves us and how much room we have for faith.
Well, I love you all tons and tons! I love being a missionary, and being the daughter of a king! We are all children of God! He loves us more than we can understand! I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson!
Week 24
August 3, 2015
Hi Mom!!!!!
I am very hot this beautiful hot Philippines summer day. Like it is really, really hot. Ewww. We had district activity this morning at 6, and we went to the ocean! I cannot wait to come back and actually be able to go swim! The water was soooo warm! I love it here!!!! We just played a bunch of games and then we had district breakfast! That was fun!
Mom, I cannot believe that it has been 24 weeks! It has gone by tooo fast! I want to stay forever, but I also kinda want to go home! The joys of being a missionary!
Speaking of those joys! I had the thought a couple weeks ago, how strange missionaries are! We are a bunch of youth, all away from our families, some of us in a different country, some of us speaking a different language, doing some of the hardest, but most important work ever, and we are sooo happy! There are hard times, and there are many tears, but nothing beats the happiness of seeing the people that we have grown to love, understand the plan of happiness our Father in Heaven has for us! It is truly amazing, and I am so happy to be a part of that strange group of people!
Sister Saua is good! I don't feel like it is the end of the transfer, and she hasn't even started packing yet.... like at all. That will be me in about 12 months.... We are very happy and because of the Elders, we have a dinner appointment almost every night this week..... so thats cool ;)
Garry is good! He passed his interview! He will be baptized this Saturday or Sunday, we are not quite sure.... We are excited for him! And we hope that he continues to come to church, and stay active! I love that kid and his brother! They are some stinkers sometimes, but I love them! It was so awesome! We had just finished teaching a lesson, and they were both being really loud, but we were talking to their dad, and He was in the house, and he was singing " When ever I hear the song of a bird or walk by a Lilac tree," And I thought of what he is and what he can become, He is a child of our Father in Heaven, and he can become a missionary, and can help his family come back to church by setting an example, and then by serving a mission himself!!!! It was really cool. I keep having the same thoughts for sister Julie Ann, she was baptized last Sunday. There are so many missionaries in the ward right now that are working on their papers, and the experience that she is having now with us, and the chance that she has to serve as well! It has been really cool! I hope that they stay active all their lives, these people, these youth are the future of the church!!!! It is really amazing to feel the love of our Savior for these people!!!!
Sister Lorna came to church on Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Saturday, we had CSP and we helped her wash her clothes! I still have rub marks on my hands, because they were whites, and we used clorox, and I washed them with my hands, and sister Saua used the board. Basta, it was all worth it when we saw her at church!!!!! It made us so happy! We were a little late last Sunday, 8:55, and so we sat on the back row, and then a member of the bishopric comes down and is like you have an investigator here, and we looked, and it was sister Lorna and we both gasped and grabbed everything and sat by her! It made everything great! Then a bunch of youth were like I am preparing for a mission and working on my papers now! It made me soooo happy!
No interview really, next transfer we will have interviews. We had zone conference this month, and it was on baptism qualifications and other informative stuff. It was really good! Then at the end of that, President saw me, and he was like how are you sister Nelson, and I was like Ayos lang po, I mean I am good., and he was like are you making sure that sister Saua sprints to the end? I and I was like, of course, and that was the end of that conversation.... but next month, we will have interviews.....
The pictures don't really bother me.... I love seeing all of you! Was it just the Casey family? or where there all of the cousins and everyone? I love the paintings! You all sound so busy!!!!! I love it! I cannot believe that you are getting ready for school again! And only Esther will be home this next year for half of the week! I am sooooooo excited to go camping again! I am excited to be in the mountains and to be really cold, and dry! I miss the mountains like none other!
I am really kinda worried for next week, there are not a lot of sisters in the mission that are not training, I know of one companionship that isn't training, and then there is me.... and then there are all the missionary sisters that are done with training, and so they need to be transfer, and it is just so crazy! I am worried for next monday... Also, last night, the zone leader was like, are you ready to train sister Nelson.... Zone leaders are sneaky, they know more than they let on. Also next monday I will be going to Naga, again with sister Saua, to drop her off at the mission home, because I have killed her, and I need a temporary companion, and yeah.....
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! drum roll please! I ate crab, and I ate Balut. We Should be proud more of the balut than anything.... Sister Baird got sick after she ate hers, but I am happy as can be that I can say, I ate, and now move on with my life and never try it again! I have pictures and a video that is about 15 minutes long that we can all watch in 12 ish months! YYAYAYAY
I love you all tons and tons!!! I will send pictures next week! I am too lazy to do it this week.... I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
Hi Mom!!!!!
I am very hot this beautiful hot Philippines summer day. Like it is really, really hot. Ewww. We had district activity this morning at 6, and we went to the ocean! I cannot wait to come back and actually be able to go swim! The water was soooo warm! I love it here!!!! We just played a bunch of games and then we had district breakfast! That was fun!
Mom, I cannot believe that it has been 24 weeks! It has gone by tooo fast! I want to stay forever, but I also kinda want to go home! The joys of being a missionary!
Speaking of those joys! I had the thought a couple weeks ago, how strange missionaries are! We are a bunch of youth, all away from our families, some of us in a different country, some of us speaking a different language, doing some of the hardest, but most important work ever, and we are sooo happy! There are hard times, and there are many tears, but nothing beats the happiness of seeing the people that we have grown to love, understand the plan of happiness our Father in Heaven has for us! It is truly amazing, and I am so happy to be a part of that strange group of people!
Sister Saua is good! I don't feel like it is the end of the transfer, and she hasn't even started packing yet.... like at all. That will be me in about 12 months.... We are very happy and because of the Elders, we have a dinner appointment almost every night this week..... so thats cool ;)
Garry is good! He passed his interview! He will be baptized this Saturday or Sunday, we are not quite sure.... We are excited for him! And we hope that he continues to come to church, and stay active! I love that kid and his brother! They are some stinkers sometimes, but I love them! It was so awesome! We had just finished teaching a lesson, and they were both being really loud, but we were talking to their dad, and He was in the house, and he was singing " When ever I hear the song of a bird or walk by a Lilac tree," And I thought of what he is and what he can become, He is a child of our Father in Heaven, and he can become a missionary, and can help his family come back to church by setting an example, and then by serving a mission himself!!!! It was really cool. I keep having the same thoughts for sister Julie Ann, she was baptized last Sunday. There are so many missionaries in the ward right now that are working on their papers, and the experience that she is having now with us, and the chance that she has to serve as well! It has been really cool! I hope that they stay active all their lives, these people, these youth are the future of the church!!!! It is really amazing to feel the love of our Savior for these people!!!!
Sister Lorna came to church on Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On Saturday, we had CSP and we helped her wash her clothes! I still have rub marks on my hands, because they were whites, and we used clorox, and I washed them with my hands, and sister Saua used the board. Basta, it was all worth it when we saw her at church!!!!! It made us so happy! We were a little late last Sunday, 8:55, and so we sat on the back row, and then a member of the bishopric comes down and is like you have an investigator here, and we looked, and it was sister Lorna and we both gasped and grabbed everything and sat by her! It made everything great! Then a bunch of youth were like I am preparing for a mission and working on my papers now! It made me soooo happy!
No interview really, next transfer we will have interviews. We had zone conference this month, and it was on baptism qualifications and other informative stuff. It was really good! Then at the end of that, President saw me, and he was like how are you sister Nelson, and I was like Ayos lang po, I mean I am good., and he was like are you making sure that sister Saua sprints to the end? I and I was like, of course, and that was the end of that conversation.... but next month, we will have interviews.....
The pictures don't really bother me.... I love seeing all of you! Was it just the Casey family? or where there all of the cousins and everyone? I love the paintings! You all sound so busy!!!!! I love it! I cannot believe that you are getting ready for school again! And only Esther will be home this next year for half of the week! I am sooooooo excited to go camping again! I am excited to be in the mountains and to be really cold, and dry! I miss the mountains like none other!
I am really kinda worried for next week, there are not a lot of sisters in the mission that are not training, I know of one companionship that isn't training, and then there is me.... and then there are all the missionary sisters that are done with training, and so they need to be transfer, and it is just so crazy! I am worried for next monday... Also, last night, the zone leader was like, are you ready to train sister Nelson.... Zone leaders are sneaky, they know more than they let on. Also next monday I will be going to Naga, again with sister Saua, to drop her off at the mission home, because I have killed her, and I need a temporary companion, and yeah.....
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! drum roll please! I ate crab, and I ate Balut. We Should be proud more of the balut than anything.... Sister Baird got sick after she ate hers, but I am happy as can be that I can say, I ate, and now move on with my life and never try it again! I have pictures and a video that is about 15 minutes long that we can all watch in 12 ish months! YYAYAYAY
I love you all tons and tons!!! I will send pictures next week! I am too lazy to do it this week.... I love you all! Have an amazing week!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Week 23
Monday, July 27, 2015
Hi Mom!!!!!!
I love you tons and tons!!!! I am amazing this beautiful day in the Philippines! It was a beautiful day in the Philippines yesterday too as I had my first baptism! I sent you some pictures of yesterday! It was so amazing to witness everything that tried to get the baptism to not happen. On Saturday, our water here in Goa was turned off, so we couldn't fill the font. But we didn't know this until an hour before the baptism. We were sooooo stressed! We were going to go get Tatay and Julie Ann, but that didn't happen because we got distracted talking to bishop about the problem and other options we had. Well Tatay comes and everything just kinda fell apart, because everyone on the program didn't come, and it was just really stressful. We both ate a couple bowls of cereal for the stress.... ;) So Tatay was understanding and he agreed to be baptized Sunday morning, at about 7:30! It was so beautiful! And Bishop was the one to baptize them! Then they were confirmed in Sacrament meeting! Another miracle was that at the baptism, we had our investigator that will be baptized in August, Garry, he is 10 years old! And so freaking smart! He came! I am so excited for this kid to be baptized too!
We have an amazing beautiful area! We found a new part, and we have some stunning pictures there! And some awesome potential investigators! We can't wait to go back to visit them and to talk with them! We were able to set up a time to help an investigator do her laundry! I am excited for the opportunity to help her! It will hopefully help her have a stronger desire to come to church. That is the hardest part of investigators turning into baptized members.... church and commitments..... it is a struggle, but as we testify,and share personal experiences of keeping the commitments ourselves, it helps them want to try it for themselves. That is why we need to do the simple primary things, because those simple things that we have learned from the time we were little, are the things that allow for mighty miracles to happen! Simple things exercise faith, and while we exercise faith, we allow for miracles to come into our lives! It is so true! I love this church and this gospel! I love this opportunity to serve the one who loves us most! He loves each of us. I know this to be true!
Thank you for the pictures! I have missed my mountains. Like really though.... I am missing my favorite seasons! I miss Utah! I miss the little things like the dragonfly hitting Andrews nose :) HAHAHA
How was Spencer's birthday? The cake looks delicious! I am glad that he got my card!
When did Spencer's accident happen? I am going to email him later! He will never hear the end of it!!!!! I am happy that I can be a little bit annoying even if I am about 6,000 miles away!
I love you guys so much! You make me happy! Thank you for your prayers and for your love!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
Hi Mom!!!!!!
I love you tons and tons!!!! I am amazing this beautiful day in the Philippines! It was a beautiful day in the Philippines yesterday too as I had my first baptism! I sent you some pictures of yesterday! It was so amazing to witness everything that tried to get the baptism to not happen. On Saturday, our water here in Goa was turned off, so we couldn't fill the font. But we didn't know this until an hour before the baptism. We were sooooo stressed! We were going to go get Tatay and Julie Ann, but that didn't happen because we got distracted talking to bishop about the problem and other options we had. Well Tatay comes and everything just kinda fell apart, because everyone on the program didn't come, and it was just really stressful. We both ate a couple bowls of cereal for the stress.... ;) So Tatay was understanding and he agreed to be baptized Sunday morning, at about 7:30! It was so beautiful! And Bishop was the one to baptize them! Then they were confirmed in Sacrament meeting! Another miracle was that at the baptism, we had our investigator that will be baptized in August, Garry, he is 10 years old! And so freaking smart! He came! I am so excited for this kid to be baptized too!
We have an amazing beautiful area! We found a new part, and we have some stunning pictures there! And some awesome potential investigators! We can't wait to go back to visit them and to talk with them! We were able to set up a time to help an investigator do her laundry! I am excited for the opportunity to help her! It will hopefully help her have a stronger desire to come to church. That is the hardest part of investigators turning into baptized members.... church and commitments..... it is a struggle, but as we testify,and share personal experiences of keeping the commitments ourselves, it helps them want to try it for themselves. That is why we need to do the simple primary things, because those simple things that we have learned from the time we were little, are the things that allow for mighty miracles to happen! Simple things exercise faith, and while we exercise faith, we allow for miracles to come into our lives! It is so true! I love this church and this gospel! I love this opportunity to serve the one who loves us most! He loves each of us. I know this to be true!
Thank you for the pictures! I have missed my mountains. Like really though.... I am missing my favorite seasons! I miss Utah! I miss the little things like the dragonfly hitting Andrews nose :) HAHAHA
How was Spencer's birthday? The cake looks delicious! I am glad that he got my card!
When did Spencer's accident happen? I am going to email him later! He will never hear the end of it!!!!! I am happy that I can be a little bit annoying even if I am about 6,000 miles away!
I love you guys so much! You make me happy! Thank you for your prayers and for your love!
Love Sister Emma Nelson
My new look!
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