Alma 62:41

One cool thing about this week was all the opportunities that we found to do random acts of service! Most of the time people don't let us serve them (don't be like that!) but this week we were able to help people carry groceries inside (on two separate occasions!), wash and put away dishes, take out trash, and help Evelyn and Roberto with their wedding invitations! I love service, especially unplanned service!

Fun facts about how different my brain is after only a couple months on a mission:

-My stress dreams now are about when I get separated from my companion

-Numbers = Scripture references. For example, when I look at the clock and it is 2:25, my first thought is Adan cayo' para que los hombres existiesen, y existen los hombres para que tengan gozo!

-When I hear instrumental hymns, the lyrics that pop into my head are in Spanish!

-I get nervous when I watch other cars back up without someone standing behind them...

My favorite part of the week: at the end of the last transfer, Hermana Martinez and I met this adorable little family. The couple is Alejandro and Celia, and they have the cutest little 4-year-old son I have ever met in my entire life. We fell in love with this family. Hermana Gatten and I were able to see them a couple times, but they told us that they were happy to talk to us but they didn't want to change religions. That was a hard experience. However, Hermana Gatten and I felt we shouldn't drop them completely. Last Monday evening, one of our lessons fell through and I felt impressed to go see them again. We showed up and Alejandro was there, so we talked to him for a moment, and then he told me: "Pienso que conoces mi madre," (I think you know my mom). I asked what his mom's name was, and he said Leonor... It took me a second, but then I realized that his mom is one of the women I met on the plane ride here from the CCM! Leonor (his mom) and Silvia (his sister) came to visit their other sister, Monica, when we were coming from Mexico. They both accepted a Book of Mormon, but Hermana Martinez and I were never able to find them before they went back to Mexico. I never thought I would see them or hear from them again, but when I found out that Alejandro was part of their family my mind was blown. The best part is that Alejandro told us that they are going to be visiting for Christmas, so we should be able to see them again! What a cool miracle, I am still in shock!

My scripture of the week is Alma 62:41. I love this striking example in the Book of Mormon about how who we become is completely subject to our agency. We can talk about nature and nurture all day long, but ultimately, we have been given the ability to choose everything. We choose which parts of our nature to keep, and which to change. We cannot always choose what happens around us, but we can choose how to respond to it. As we make these choices we change and become, and this process is made possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Les quiero, que tenga una buena semana!

-- Hermana Nielsen

-When doing paperwork in the car the evening after daylight savings

-Graciela loves to make us "paint our lips" (pintarse los labios)

Be thou like unto Abish

This has been a good week, trabajando duro! Lots of walking, talking and teaching. Hermana Gatten and I are trying to be better at asking for referrals from everyone, so when we get home every night we have to do 10 push-ups for every time we didn't ask someone for a referral! 

Fun Spanish fact: "every week" is "cada ocho dias" (every eight days) because they count today, plus the next seven days. Apparently that only applies to weeks though, because "three days ago" is still "tres dias atras."

I went on two exchanges this week! On Tuesday I went to Tahoe with Hermana Monroe, and on Friday I went to Fallon for the first time with Hermana Hale! They are definitely two very different places. Tahoe is starting to get really cold already. I'm glad I'm not serving there at the moment! Fallon is beautiful, and I was able to meet lots of cool members and investigators! It's always good to return to my own area though, I missed my own investigators!

I would like to invite everyone to read Alma chapter 19, focusing on the story of Abish! I love this chapter, especially as a missionary. I want every member to be like Abish, looking for opportunities to share their testimonies. I love applying this chapter to the missionary life, and seeing how members, missionaries, and recent converts can work together for the salvation of many souls. 

-- Hermana Nielsen

-Snow in Tahoe!

-Fallon sunset

-My companion is so funny. We left this on the elders' car.

 

Fear Not...

This week we had the opportunity to go to the temple again! We are so blessed to have temples here on this earth today. I really love to see the temple. When we visit the temple it really is like being close to our heavenly home. 

We have been teaching Maria's family again, and this week her son, David, has actually been reading the Book of Mormon! (If you aren't a missionary, you have to understand how hard it is to get investigators to open the book by themselves...) He is only 12 years old, but he is actually interested in the thing's we are teaching. I have gained such a huge testimony of the great spirit that children have! They are so humble and willing to learn. It is no wonder that we are commanded to be like little children. 

In honor of Halloween, I would like to share my thoughts on fear. I have actually been thinking a lot about how faith can counter our fears. When we have sufficient faith, we won't be afraid of acting on spiritual promptings. When we have faith, we won't be afraid of how someone will react to our invitation to church or to reading the Book of Mormon. When we have faith, we don't need to fear knocking on doors or talking to strangers on the street. I would like to invite you all to study D&C 6:34, Moroni 8:16, 2 Timothy 1:7, and Joshua 1:9.

-- Hermana Nielsen

P.S. If any parents out there want a scary story to share with your rebellious children, read them Deuteronomy 21:18-21. That should straighten them out for a bit

Alma 34:38

This has been such a great week! I have so many reasons to be thankful.

First of all, Hermana Gatten is amazing, I absolutely love her! Ella me cae muy bien. We get along well, and we laugh lots. Hermana Gatten has a laugh that cannot be described... seriously. When she gets going, her laugh goes through about 5 layers of hilariousness, and then everyone around can't help but laugh at her laugh, which makes her laugh even more... it's quite the experience.

My favorite experience of the week: We were walking down a street, and a man was walking the opposite direction with a box of pizza. As he approached us, he opened the box of pizza and said "It's from God!" At first we said oh thank you, but we're fine, but he insisted and said "Why, because God gave this pizza to me and not to you?" so, we got a free slice of pizza! As missionaries, we get to see all kinds of people, and I love it! People are awesome.

Yesterday was the primary program in the branch, and it was so cute! If you think it's hard to understand little kids in sacrament meeting though, try listening to them in another language! What I did understand though, was beautiful. Primary children have such perfectly simple testimonies!

This week, we have seen so many miracles, including teaching THREE new families. As missionaries, teaching families is the best thing we can do, and I'm so thankful for these opportunities!

So, the theme of this week is gratitude! Give thanks for all the blessings and miracles you see each hour of each day!

-- Hermana Nielsen

3 Nephi 8:12

-The biggest rainbow I had ever seen in my life. The picture doesn't do it justice.

This is a week of changes all around! First of all, the weather is changing rapidly! The leaves are changing, it is getting cold, and the past couple days it has actually been rainy! Yesterday it was raining so much I could have been back in North Carolina. I didn't know so much water existed in the state of Nevada. 

Secondly, transfer season is here! I am staying in my area (which makes me really happy because I don't want to leave this awesome branch!) and Hermana Gatten, my sister training leader, is going to be my new companion! She is an amazing missionary, and I am so excited. Hermana Martinez will be going all the way to Elko (English speaking!) and it's going to be hard to let her go. 

This week we had a "specialized sister training" for all the sister missionaries in the whole mission. It was awesome to be able to receive training from so many great sisters.

Yesterday Evelyn and Roberto (who are now fiances by the way... no big deal) spoke at the "Why I Believe" fireside! It was so powerful because just 6 weeks ago, Evelyn was there as an investigator. 

Spiritual thought for the week: Life is full of changes. Change is one of the most important and fundamental parts of our Heavenly Father's plan for us. Change can be hard, but as long as we have the gospel in our lives, no matter what happens, we "might with surety hope for a better world..." (Ether 12:4) Remember to have hope in all things!

-The Castiblanco family!

-Evelyn and Roberto at "Why I Believe"

 -The Coto family! They are recent converts and they are amazing!

-I finally got to use my umbrella