Week 17

Monday, June 15, 2015

Hi mom!

I am really good today! Sister Baird came over, and the other sisters and we made candy! it was really fun!

This has been an ok week. On Thursday, we got to teach the district meeting! It was on keeping the Sabbath day holy. It was really good! As missionaries everyday is "Sunday" for us, so we talked about how we can make Sunday even more special for us. It was good! Last Monday we had a family home evening with a family that is preparing to go to the temple in October. They are wonderful! We taught the lesson on Faith and I love them so much. It reminded me of us and having family home evening. I miss yall. So then on Wednesday we had a lesson with some youth, the oldest is 12...? and her sister is 9. They are adorable, and they speak Ilocono, Sister Gregorio's native language. I was so happy in that lesson, and that is the key, to be happy and to be smiling, because our message is a happy one, and something that brings happiness to everyone! Even if they don't fully understand me, it is ok because they can understand the spirit, these two girls are Jessica and Danica, and they have a Baptismal date on the 25 of July!

So we have some other investigators that are preparing for baptism on July 25. A tatay, and his granddaughter, Tatay Lorenzo and sister Julieanne! Tatay is about 70, and sister Julieanne is about 13. They are so amazing and so prepared! Sister Vicky will hopefully get married soon so that she can get baptized. We also have other investigators that are getting a baptismal date this week! I really hope that they come to church next week, and that they have a good experience there.

So a couple weeks ago, we were on exchanges, and I was with sister Marzan, and we were walking, of course ;) and this one guy, he comes up to me and he is like, "Sister, you need to give me that book about David Smith!" and I was like oh my gosh! what the.... and we were on exchanges and Sister Marzan was like "we dont have a David Smith, but we have a Joseph Smith!" and the guy was like "no, its David Smith!" and then sister Marzan was like "Tatay are you drunk", and he was like, "no!" it was just funny about David Smith :)

So speaking of exchanges, we had surprise exchanges this week! I got to work with sister Araja! She is so cool! I love her! we went to the Del Castillo family, and then after the lesson, we asked them for  referrals, and Sister Esther gave us the name of her neighbor, and so we went to go contact! Well the sister wasn't home, but her husband was, and guess what!!!! He is a less active!!!!! We then shared with him Alma 26:37 and sang I am a Child Of God. it was an amazing lesson! Amazing that we got the referral and then found him. The Lord knows his sheep and her knows how to help us find them!!!! It was soooo cool!

So the next day, we had plans, but then they fell through, so we didn't really know what to do. So we were walking, and Sister Gregorio was walking with the member that we had with us, and I was walking behind, fanning myself with a pamphlet, because you know its way too hot. Anyways, I made a goal to give the pamphlet away. So we walked by this house and I saw a dad and a kid, and I walked by, about 3 steps later I called out to sister Gregorio, and walked back to the house, and I opened my mouth. I was petrified. I don't remember what I said, but the mom let us into the yard. It was an amazing lesson! We didn't get a specific return appointment, but I hope that we can go back! I know that it was because of the Lord that helped me have that random moment of courage that let me OYM. I am grateful for him in all that he allows me to do in this work. I just need to do it more!

I am supper worried about this week, I get to lead all of the lessons all of the planing, everything.  I am sooooo worried that I will mess up! I know that is really dumb, but yeah... This week we have mission Tour and I am excited for that! I don't think that I will have interviews again with President until August... I think.... Things in the companionship are ok, I just continue to pray for love and humility and charity to love her and the people and the work and to take everything as it comes!

I will be home sooner than we all feel sometimes! Promise! I can hardly believe that it has been four months this week! It has flown by! The days are long, the weeks are long sometimes, but it is flying by! In two weeks, I will also be getting a new companion, I am so excited to be able to start again, knowing what I know now about me and about the people!  I hope that it gets better!

Mom, enjoy every moment, don't wish away anything. Enjoy everything. Those moments when you miss me, when everything seems hard, when everything is happy, everything. Life goes by too fast. Enjoy :)  So are you living at the house then? I should tell you, around tomorrow or this week, you will be getting a letter from me. I wrote it about 3 weeks ago and so yeah, I am past that and we will just move on. I only sent it because it has the instructions for pouch mail, but you might as well just send it through the regular mail, it will take just as long.

Well, that's all that I have for right now. Just be happy, and enjoy everything in life! and your oven... dont ask....

I love you all tons!

Love Sister Emma Nelson