Love your trials

November 16, 2015

Hi fam!! This week was so great!

We had intercambios [exchanges] with the hermanas in Comayagua (my old area) but this time I didn't go over there... I stayed in Flores withhhhhhh Hermana Hernandez!! She was my 3rd companion! It is so much fun to go on interchanges again to see how much we have both learned! haha When we were together she had just gotten out of her training and I had one change out of training and then I was with her! She's so cute!

This week was also Zone Meeting so we were in charge of a portion of the meeting so Hermana Craner and I joined our capcitations [?] together and just made it one big one! When elder Duncan was here he talked alot about our vision and our potential as missionaries. How many people we can really teach and encourages us to be teaching shorter more powerful lessons. Get there, feel the spirit, then get out. So Hermana Craner and I have been trying that a lot this week and our lessons have changed completely! It's the coolest thing! So we capacitated on how really we can use our time better and get the spirit in our lesson right away. It was super cool. There's about 12 companionships in our zone so we did a practice when the missionaries who were teaching had to close their eyes and hold their hand out. Every time they felt the marker on their hand they needed to talk and teach and once it left their hand they had to stop and their companion had to pick up where they were. So there were 2 people teaching, 1 missionary changing the marker from hand to hand every 10 seconds and the other missionary was an investigator. We really needed to focus on what our companion was saying and what the spirit was testifying for us to teach. 

If we can focus on what we do every half hour of the day our day will change... we will be able to see more miracles. and with more miracles on a day to day basis... we start to see things changing in our area and all the fruits to come out! Our mission is made up of our everyday decisions.

This week we presented a plan to the ward council in how to help the branch better. We did something similar to this in Talanga when I was there. What we're going to do is start family home evenings in each area of the branch. We split the area into 3 different sectors (with leaders in each sector) and each Wednesday and Saturday we're going to have FHE in the houses of the members. But we really want to focus on the less actives so they can get animated [excited] to come back to church. So like 2 days before each FHE were going to do divisions with the members to hit up every single less active (trust me... there's a lot) to personally invite them! Then once they come to FHE there's going to be a member in charge of inviting them to church and then going to go pick them up on Sunday morning! Hopefully it works! We have a big vision for this!!

This week we went to a menos activos [less active] house really far away. It is so sad to see people that you know had such strong testimonies of the gospel to fall away. Aunque [even though] they still know that it is all true they can't see past the day to day trials. We talked with a family all the way out in San Nicholas and the hermano was just angry with God. He had so many challenges but he was so mad that God had given all of them to him. He couldn't get past the fact that, well... trials are the only way that we grow. We won't just wake up in 3 years and be a different person if you didn't try and put your effort in each day. We have to be tried. But then with all the difficulty it blinds us from our vision of who God wants us to be. So love the trials. Its just God helping us :)

TRIP TO TEGUC!

November 9, 2015

HI FAM!!!! This wee as soooo good!!

Soooo this week was a bit of an adventure. We had a big meeting with Elder Duncan from the Central America Presidency it was soooo good!! So the first day on thursday was with the whole mission and theon friday we had consejo de leaders with him!! Soooo drum roll.... I sepnt my very first night in the City! I guess you could call me a pueblo (or smaller than pueblo) girl! haha but they didnt wasnt us traveling all the way back to our areas and then waking up bright and early in the morning again so we stayed over in the house in Roble oeste... the Sister training leaders house. It as so NICE!! And had a hot shower.... so heres to changes to the city one day ;) haha no but it was so great! We did know what to do on thursdaynight.... there was too many of us too go on splits so we went out to dinner... and still contacted people! haha 

But it was seriously soooo good!! We learned so much from Elder Duncan! He made us be able to see our vision better in what we could do and the things we could accomplish! The mission isnt for us... its for the Lord.

This week I learned a lot about conversion but really true conversion. There is a little old lady in our brach that we usually try to visit every week but this last little bit she has been sick. She lives a lone and the branch presidente went over this last week to find her super sick and rushed her to the hospital. A few days later we wont over to make sure that she was ok but this time she didnt have any energy to greet us and could barely crack a smile. Her daughter said that she was really happy to see us (which she always is... she is always waving her hands in her air and telling us how much she loves us) but this time was a little different. She hasnt been eating and she cant hear very well so we just took the time to sing her a few songs. In the middle of How great thou art... a little tithing slip fell out of the hymn book. I asked what it was and she told me that it was Hermana Angelas tithing. She couldnt quite make it to church (cause she cant even get out of her bed) But it was fast sunday. She couldnt even miss one months worth of tithing cause she knows the blessing it brings. The week before she was weeping casue she could muster enough energy to get out of bed so she couldnt make the ward temple trip. This lady is seriously my hero. She gets it. She understands ALL the blessings that are in store for us if we just obey. I couldnt stop crying the rest of the time we were singing casue were not sure when shell be going to the other side... but she still has her faith to pay her tithing.

Love you all.

Hermana Nelson

All the Sister training leaders at consejo!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

November 2, 2015

HI FAMILY!!!!

This week is great!! the first week of changes and...... drumroll.... Im still here in flores and my companion is HERMANA CRANER!!! We miss Hermana Niu BUT We LOVE hermana Craner a whole lot. She has a change more than me and this week we have already seen so many great things happen!!

This week Iris came to church. she is a 17 year old girl... the cousin of a less active (who is now coming back to shurch woo!!) When we frist contacted her all she wanted to say was how she doesnt think taht it is the true chruch and that she doesnt really want to ¨change her religion¨ but God works in mysterious ways. the nex time we came back she was the one that asked US for a Book of Mormon and she asked US if she could be baptized! Then she came to english class and the to Church! She loved it and spent the rest of our sunday lesson telling us everything that she learned and how she is going to study for next week!! And drumroll.... how much she wants to go on a mission. We love her :)

This week we learned a lot about agency. We have to remember that agency is a gift from God and to be able to choose, whteher it be good or evil, it is our right. So when the people welcome us in they are choosing to Love God and come unto Christ and welcome the light back into their lives. but sadly enough, that also means that a lot of poeple use their agency to reject us. Ya know. As much as we preach and follow the spirit.... if the people reallllly dont want to be a mormon.... they will find a way... well, to not become Mormon. Its as simple as that. Do we love them? Yes. A lot. And we hope that one day they will use thier agency to follow chirst and so that one day they can live with God.

So this week our golden family that we had started working on getting baptized handed back every book and pamphlet that we had ever given them about the gospel. They had started hearing a lot of comments from people and about 2 weeks ago... the comments were nothing to them. The hermano would jsut look at his wife and be like...¨¨ Honey. We gotta be strong. We cant listen to these comments. Satan jsut wants to get to us.¨¨ but sometimes... becasue God has given us weaknesses, we fall a little bit. On thursday they announced that they had just dropped coffee and jamas are going to drink it. he had called the lawyer so they could get started on thier papers and they were starting to memorize scripture masteries. she as even tell me about what she was going to wear to church that sunday. But Satan sometimes just sneaks his way in without us even realizing it. We show up to their house on Saturday night. We had planned a huge FHE with the block in their house with all their family memebers that lived near but when we walked in there was just a stack of books and the hermano wasnt there... he was hiding in the back room. She started telling us about all the comments taht she had heard and that she didnt feel good at all so couldnt keep going. It was very contenious at first but we started with a prayer.... and this is how it went....

I can tell you that the spirit is real. and when we follow the spirit it will lead up to say exactly what we need to say. We started talking about true conversion and about tesimonies. I shared my personal experience on how I knew and I came to know. We shared all about how we came to know... and reminded them of how they felt at the moment they knew. Hermana.... it was never easy for Christ either..... he asked God to pass this cup from him... but what did he end with? Not my will... but thine be done. If Chirst paid for ALL of our sins and overcame death so that we can live with God, I can tell you. That was not easy for Him. But he did it. casue it was Gods will. If he can do that, we can do whatever trials that come in our path. cAsue were not here to do what we want. Were here to follow Chirst and do everything according to the will of the the Father.

There was a silence for a moment or two and she just looked at us and handed all the books back and told us to have a good night.

So my invitation is to do God´s will. He can always see the bigger picture so sometimes we may not understand. but we do it anyway because we love him.

I hope you have the best week!!

Hermana neslon

Dios es lindo

Hi fam!!! Ok this week Im going to ry to send a lot of photos!! So this might be a litle shorter!!

This week is CAMBIOS! Bueno. Tomorrow morning is cambios! And Hna Niu is leaving the area. Im so sad to see her go. but I know that there are other people in other areas that are waiting for her! So I will keep you updated who is my next companion!!

We saw so many miracles this week!! so about 3 or 4 weeks ago... about 2 or 3 days before comference Hna Niu and I were praying about where we should go. It was when we were starting to find more investigators and I have been praying to find the familiy that I know is out there waiting to hear the gospel. So we made our way over to the other side of Flores and then all the way to the mountain. We had only been there once cause we knew that there was a menos activos that lived out there. So we started contacting the few houses that were there! OH!!! Rememebr that story I told you about the familiy that was waiting for us with seats set out and everything?? Its them and all their family!! So Weve been coming and going over there... theres 4 families living in 4 different houses but they are all the same family. So one week ones positive and another week its someone else but from the FIRST time we invited Hno Rigoberot her came to conference... then her came back for the next session!! And he has been at church ever since. But his wife was never positive... or so we thought.... so really hna llesñia (his wife) has just been sitting in on the lessons but really all we do was talk to her husband Rigoberto. Shes always said taht she has her own church and theres no way she was going to drop coffee. but this last tuesday apparently she started getting interested in what was going on (And a little jealous I think too ;)) so she took her husband book of mormon and not only read Moroni 10 3-5 but she memorized the whole thing too! we were AWED!!! So we left her a book of mormon as well and the next time we passed hey both read. But I feel like there was a little competiveness there casue by the time we got back Hno Rigoberto was trying his hardest to recite the scripture that we left him.

They are sooo great! Really when we teach them its just us forming thier converstaions around the gospel. We challenged them to be baptized and they were just like I dunno honney.... you? You say first... I mean Im ok with it! And tehy accepted!! Now the next step is divorce. theyre not married and he has to get divored first BUT it sounds like this divorce wont take that long casue he has a friend that can help him! We are praying for them so much!!

AND THEN... TEhy both came to church and SHE LOVED it!! And ya wanna know something even better! Those other 3 families up there? Like her mom and her sisters? She Is like... I mean I loved it... you guys should come next week with me!

God is so good. He listen and answeres every prayer. There are so many people that are so ready to hear the gospel we just have to open our mouth!

I love yall so much!

Hermana Nelson

hna Lleseñia y Hno Rogobetro at church!!

We went to Taublabe for the caves!!! It was super cool!!

Halloween Jokes...

October 19, 2015

First off! I'm sorry I missed your birthday, Si!! Happy birthday!!! I hope it's great!!!

This week really was great! Thank you so much for your love and support and all your prayers... I really do feel them so much! So thank you!

This week we started it off good in Siguatepeque with 4 of the hermanas over there. We ended up making tacos... sorry, let me rephrase that... the elders in the district who knew how to make Mexican tacos made them for us... we set the table ;) But they were super good! We ending up having to ride the bus back about an hour and a half to our area but the night was super good! We found this man named Darwin. Turns out about a year ago the elders were visiting him, but for one reason or another dropped him. But he has been to church... he likes it... he doesn't drink coffee... and the best thing, he has a desire to learn! We went back to his house on Thursday (In a rainstorm crossing rivers in the street might I add) and he was waiting outside for us with his umbrella! The only reason he didn't come to church this last week was because he went somewhere an Saturday... I think to work... and then he got stuck there cause there were no busses back :( but next week for sure!

Tuesday was so great! We had intercambios [exchanges] with the hnas de [sisters from] Jesus de Otoro (about 2 hrs away). Ya know, so we're running running all the time. So SOMETIMES Hna Nelson forgets things... So we're in the house... we had just switched companions and I wanted to brush my hair. Oh alright... let's go LOOK for my bag. Ya know. travel back. Clothes... brush... toothbrush... makeup. huh. that's weird. Hna Niu... Why'd you take my bag? Well then we REALIZED. I didn't have it... she didn't have it.... meaning the old lady sitting on the bus is going to be inheriting a new shirt... a towel... makeup... everything. Sooo donations are accepted ;) haha

But all joking aside, it was awesome over there! I actually taught in ENGLISH!!! It was so hard. We ended up switching to Spanish half way through cause her mother-in-law was there and wanted to hear, too. That's a story for another day how that worked out! And then we had an awesome lesson with a family and the 24 year old brother was kind of just in the doorway over-listening. We didn't think anything of it but he ended up chasing us down on his bike and just looked at us. hnas [Hermanas]... I just have a question. Am I ok with God? Too be honest. All of us should ask that question. Are we ok with Him? We taught him right there in the street - he's sooo cute!!

Then Wednesday we had intercambios [exchanges] with the hnas de [sisters from] Circumvalacion! It was super fun! I was with Hna. Cruz who actually goes home in 2 weeks! We just chatted the whole time. It was really nice!

Something that I have learned this week is how to be more direct. Hna Niu and I just love these people so much that sometimes we just teach with too much love. But what it really comes down too is that when you love them... you just have to teach them the doctrine. That really is the only thing that will help them. So love is good... we just have to preach repentance a lot more clearly. Actually we were kinda sad the other day. One of our investigators who we love so much and have spent so much time helping finally rejected us this week. It finally came out of her mouth... yes hnas i do think that washing clothes is more important than coming to church. But her day will come when she will finally accept the gospel :) We hope its soon.

We are also working with a reference from a member. Hna Blancas' son Hugo (about 50) lives with her and has really been trying to find himself in who he really is. So we had a whole lesson about or divine potential. Who HE can become... And if he is living up to the reason why God has sent him here to earth.  His attitude totally changed and he is coming to church next week too!

We have been realizing it's been getting close to Halloween... the other day a huge tarantula fell from our ceiling RIGHT NEXT TO ME. So were just convinced that it's just a really funny Halloween joke that not only is it raining really hard... its raining tarantulas. :) 

Anyway until next week fam! I love you all so much. Thank you to everyone for their prayers and support!

Hermana Nelson

The sister missionaries sang as the walked and walked and walked AND WALKED!!

October 12, 2015

La verdad I dont have tons of time this week!!

But ill be sending pictures!!

WE went to teguc this week for consejo de liders... were walking and finding. Not very many people want everything. I mean they all listen cause they know they {have to{ but as far as completeing with their compromises no. So unfortuatley we had to drop just about every investigator we had and were starting from scratch. MAs de todo I just feel sad for them cause I know the joy that they could have if they just really had the desire and listened. The church is true!! 

Know that i love you so much and I will write more next week!!

I ssent a bunch of pictures... so they should be on my blog soon :) MWAH!!

Hermana Nelson

Us making pupusas... they call me salvadoreña ;)

Us making pupusas... they call me salvadoreña ;)

Us and Hna Noyola and Hna Gertrudis

My creepy picture when we changed the tire on the mototaxi :)

Ok this is Hna Ana when she came to conference and all the lider entrenadores at lider counsel!!

Ok this is Hna Ana when she came to conference and all the lider entrenadores at lider counsel!!

ENGLISH CLASS

ZONE MTG

And mom... no worries... Im staying away fom the rain to not get sick :) aka the members are taking good care of me with tarp panchos :)