2 Corinthians 7:9-10

This week I had the opportunity to do two exchanges! I got to serve in Tahoe with Hermana Roush, and I went to Fallon with Hermana Ortiz. I love doing exchanges, and we always see lots of miracles. 

I had an interesting experience this week. Our favorite investigators (we call them our "compadres") have been acting funny recently. We were finally able to sit down with all of them and have a lesson, and Jesus told us that he just needs space. He told us that he has finally realized that this gospel is something serious, but he just isn't ready to change. He literally told us that he loves sin. BUT he also says that he knows that what we have taught is true, and he is going to keep reading the Book of Mormon, and when he wants to change he will figure it out. His roommate Fernando (the first one we met) said that he only ever invited us over porque eramos "bonitas." Awkward. We were able to share our testimonies with them, and it actually turned out to be a pretty good lesson. We can still go and teach them every once in a while, but it definitely won't be the same. 


Well, at the beginning of the lesson I was definitely sad... but for some reason, I wasn't devastated, and by the end of the lesson, I actually felt good. I was just happy that Jesus has a testimony of these things, and even though he isn't ready to change right now, I was happy that he felt bad about it. And when Jesus said the closing prayer, it was one of the best I have ever heard. I was so confused: my favorite investigators had just told us that they weren't ready for baptism, and they weren't even ready to repent because they love sin... yet I left with a good feeling. There is only one possible explanation: it was the spirit. We read scriptures, we bore our sincere testimonies, and Jesus offered a heartfelt prayer. The spirit was there, and it was strong. It was a tender mercy for me, because the spirit was testifying to me that everything will be okay. Even though they might not get baptized while I am here in Tahoe, they are different than when we first met them. They are more converted (even Fernando), and I'm sure that one day the Holy Ghost will bring to their remembrance all the things they have learned, and more importantly, the things that they have felt. I have hope that some day, all of them will come to their senses! 

Alma 37:6

Last Tuesday we had a "mission tour" with Elder Brent Nielson! He is one of the general authorities over missionary work, and he participated in the world wide mission tour a couple months ago. It was an amazing opportunity to receive some guidance for our mission!

Saturday night Hermana Eardley and I both got really sick, which wasn't fun. I am thankful, though, that it was the first time I've been sick on my mission! (and hopefully the last!)

My favorite part of the week: A man called us over, asked what we were doing, mentioned that he new missionaries several years ago, and then he asked us to come visit his family! That never happens; usually we have to beg to go visit people, haha!

Hermana Eardley got to give a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday. Her talk was definitely the easiest for me to translate, which made me realize something interesting: As a missionary, I can translate doctrine all day. My gospel vocabulary is almost perfect, but there are other random words that I don't know, that make it difficult for me to translate stories and personal accounts (e.g... fast and testimony meeting.) So, I came up with a theory: The best talks are the ones that are easiest for me to translate, because they are 1) full of doctrine and scriptures, and 2) simple enough that the whole congregation (members and investigators) can understand. Not that there is anything wrong with stories, but that shouldn't be the focus of the talk. So, invitation of the week: when you have to give a talk or share your testimony, say only what would be easy for a not-quite-bilingual missionary to translate!

-- Hermana Nielsen

-This is NOT what April is supposed to look like...

John 14:15

So my new companion, Hermana Eardley, is so awesome! Her Spanish is already great, even though this is her first Spanish area, and we are having so much fun. She has a great singing voice, so we often walk between appointments practicing Spanish hymns!

We saw a bear while we were walking home last night.

Remember that conference talk by Elder Costa? The one where he said: "Take the missionaries seriously!" Well we watched it with a couple of our investigators (they are all roommates) and it was probably my favorite lesson that I've ever had on my whole mission. Later in the week, we decided to teach those investigators about obedience. We asked them if they loved God. They all said yes. So we shared John 14:15 (If ye love me, keep my commandments) and their faces were PRICELESS! I just hope they start using their agency soon to act on the things we have taught them...

Also, we got at least 2 more inches of snow. In April. Que en el mundo!

Our investigator, Alex (from England) wants to be baptized! He is so golden, we are excited to keep teaching him. We also started teaching someone named Kidanny who is from Puerto Rico (he has a very thick accent, which is tough sometimes...) and he wants to be baptized as well (he will just need to get Sundays off work...)

So it's been a great week! Les quiero!

-- Hermana Nielsen

2 Nephi 33:1

Transfers are upon us... and I guess the Lord won't let me keep all my awesome companions for more than one transfer :( Hermana Servin is getting transfered to an English area, and my new companion will be Hermana Eardley! (I hope I spelled that right...) She has spent her first 3 transfers in an English area, so this will be her first time speaking Spanish! This will be my first companion that I have never even been on exchanges with, so I'm excited to get to know her!

General Conference was amazing, as always! I received many answers to my questions, and some of them were quite direct! (Also... I want all my investigators to watch Elder Costa's talk, haha!) I especially liked President Uchtdorf's talk about how we shouldn't use fear to try and change behavior. The funny thing is that, just a few days earlier, we had had an awesome lesson with some of our investigators about the Plan of Salvation. We talked a lot about the judgement, and we asked them to imagine standing before God, basically in an attempt to scare them a bit (because let's just say that these particular investigators should have some fear of standing before God, haha) It was a great lesson, they loved it, and I think Hermana Servin and I both gained a greater testimony of the Plan of Salvation. Surprisingly, when the time came to set a baptismal date, they said that they still aren't ready. However, during General Conference I realized that we can't use fear, but we have to use Love. Specifically, we must use Charity, the pure love of Christ.

Other fun events this week:

-We got a call from a con artist... as missionaries, we give our phone number to so many people that we didn't suspect anything, until he started asking for money...

-Alex, our investigator from the UK, has already read two chapters of the Book of Mormon! (It's a struggle to get some people to read two verses...)

-We went to look for our investigator Fernando, but in stead we found his family outside, selling tacos. His dad was so nice, he gave us each two free tacos! And they were "tacos de cabeza" hahahaha but they were actually really good!

Have an awesome week!

-- Hermana Nielsen

-Mole... Mmmmm

-How you know you found a golden investigator! (We actually just found this on one of our investigators' trucks!)