Just Keep Swimming!

Hi family!!!!  How is everyone doing?  I'm sorry you are all sick!  We were all sick about a month ago.  It's the worst being sick on the mission.  Luckies!!  I want to go to Toy Story on Ice!  I love it!!!  How cute I want to see James' baby!!  Good luck in London's Run!  I'm excited to do it next year!  Send me pictures please!

 

Well our families, our families... Yolanda was lost for a while and we found her again on Thursday, set a baptism date again and she was super excited. We had an appointment scheduled with her Friday and a tour of the chapel on Saturday but she wasn't there either day.  Ughh.  Then we went by Sunday morning and she was there but she said that she couldn't come to church because she had to make lunch for her sister who just got married because they were coming to visit.  I don't know what else to do except keep fasting and praying!

 

The Cadenas family are doing okay.  We went to visit them this week and they had a ton of doubts about the Book of Mormon because the first time they came to church was testimony meeting and everyone testified about the Book of Mormon and so they think that that's all that we believe in and he said he doesn't want to be confined to just one book.  So we explained that we believe in the Bible and other scriptures but he just didn't want to accept it.  We went back another day and talked to his wife and she said that she feels pressured.  Not from our visits but she couldn't tell us by what.  So I don't know.  It has been super hard for the whole zone right now getting investigators to progress.

 

Being in a trio it was a little easier sharing the responsibility but now I feel like it's all on me and it's super hard. But that's okay I am learning a lot and as always my faith and trust in the Lord is growing.  I have to rely wholey on Him.  I love being in the mission!!

 

This week we are going to do an invasion in a part of our sector that is about 40 minutes away!  Hopefully we can find some golden families!!  Keep us in your prayers please!!

 

I love you family!!  Thank you for all that you do for me!  I couldn't be here without you all!  Have a great week!!

 

xoxoxoxoxoxXo

Love forever and always,

Hermana Nelson

 

The Best Days of My Life!

Hi Family!!

Sad news.  Changes are today and Hna. Umaña is leaving me.  I am so sad!  We became best friends in these past 6 weeks!  They always say that you are going to have one companion that is more special than all the others and I found her!  She always tells me she found her other half!  haha  We had so many good times together and memories that I will never forget.  I am so grateful to be in the mission and to have these unforgettable experiences.  It really is a once in a life-time opportunity!  (And I`m gonna share it with you!  haha Love ya K!)  These past 6 weeks have changed my life forever and I'm trying not to cry right now thinking about how much I loved it!  haha  I love being a missionary!!!  The mission isn't all about how many baptisms you have, it's the people you meet, the realtionships you form, the lives you change, the memories you make, the lessons you learn and the personal conversion that you gain.  We didn't have any baptisms together but I have been so blessed to have had this time with my zone and my companions.  My heart is full of joy and that is all that matters!

 

Well Hna. Umaña is leaving and now Hna. Butterfield and I are on our own!  We have a lot of work to continue! The Cadenas family couldn't come to church yesterday because she had something done at the dentist the day before and was still bleeding and the baby was up all night sick... But they invited us over for lunch after church! They are the best!  They still don't have a baptism date but we are praying and praying!  Keep them in your prayers too please!

 

Yolanda hasn't been home all week and we haven't been able to get a hold of her either.  I hope we can get in touch and keep her progressing!  She is an awesome lady and has a lot of potential but she needs a lot of support to get their!  We are going to have to do something to get the ward excited about missionary work!  Our zone leaders spoke in our sacrament meeting yesterday andi t was awesome!  They spoke about the gospel and the importance of sharing it!  I felt like a proud mom watching her little boys up there!  haha  I love that the zone becomes like your family!  I love them all like brothers!  haha

 

Saturday was crazy!  We started the morning doing a service project!  A family in our ward have been investigating for over a year now, our zone leader, Elder Albino was teaching them in Santo Domingo and now they live here in our area!  But the wife has to get divorced to get married to her husband she is with now and it's a huge process but I think she is finally going to be able to get divorced!  Anyway they moved so we helped them load everything in the truck and unpack!  Then the elders who share our ward had a baptism of a little girl who didn't get baptized with her family because she was scared of the water.  They called and said she didn't want to get baptized!  So we all went in our p-day clothes and we talked to her and calmed her down and got her to the chapel.  She got in the water, he said the prayer and she went down but didn't get covered all the way so he had to do it again and she started crying and didn't want to.  So we went to talk to her again to walk her through it and nothing was working. So our other zone leader, Elder Sanchez, got a picture of Christ with little kids and showed it to her and was talking to her and got her to calm down.  Then her mom who was also in the water with her said a prayer with her, picked her up like a baby and dunked her!  We were all praying so hard and it was so exciting!!  haha  Then afterwards there were other baptisms in another chapel so we went there, President and his wife came and it was amazing!  A lady who used to be a nun got baptized!! Woo!  She is so cute and always gives us all yogurt!  haha

 

Well family I love you all!  Thank your for all that you do for me!  I love this gospel and love being a missionary!!!! Have an amazing week!!!!

 

xoxoxoxoxxXo

Love forever and always,

Hermana Nelson

 

Baptisms!

Our Trio!!

Me and Hermana Umana!

Us and our Zone Leaders doing a Service Project!

Fotos:

1. Baptisms!

2. Our Trio!!

3. Me and Hna. Umaña!

4. Service project! Us and our zone leaders!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Bubs and Chaylee!!!!!!  I can't believe it's your birthday again!  Time has flown by!!  What are you going to do for your birthdays? I  hope you have a great day!!!  I love you!!!!

This week has been great!!  We have been setting higher goals and we have been working hard to reach them and it is paying off!!! I love it!  We found 3 new families!!  The Farinango family, the Cadena family and Yolanda and her two boys.  I don't know her last name.. T he Farinango family, I'm not too sure they will progress but the Cadenas came to church on Sunday!!  They are the cutest couple ever!!  They aren't married, they have an adorable little girl with the chunkiest cheeks! She is 18 months old and so dang cute!  Anyway they are so cute, you can just see the love between them!  That is super rare to find between a couple who don't know the gospel.  But they have a ton of potential and I am so excited for them!  Keep them in your prayers please!!! 

Yolanda is a special lady.  She was 5 weeks pregnant and lost the baby so she is having a really hard time right now.  We found her singing as a zone a few weeks ago but we were never able to find her again before this week. And it was perfect timing because this is when she needs us most!  She has been through a lot and needs a lot of love and support right now!  The elders have helped us a lot with giving her blessings and going to sing her a hymn to cheer her up!  Her two boys are great too!  They have been through a lot and are too young to be worrying about the things that they do.  It makes me grateful for you guys and for protecting us when we were little.  Little kids shouldn't have to worry about adult things.  It's sad to see.  And you see it a lot here.  So keep them in your prayers also!!  Please and thank you!! 

An investigator taught us something I had never thought of before... We started talking about the commandment honor thy father and thy mother and she said it isn´t just talking about our parents here on earth. It is also talking about our Father in heaven. I had never thought about it that way. Or if I have I don´t remember but I loved that! I love learning from investigators! 

I got the packages!! Thank you!!!! I loved all the pictures! Maddie´s party looked so cute and fun!! Of course way over the top! That´s my mom!! haha I have nothing to worry about for my wedding reception! haha And thank you K for the package!! Bridger is so stinkin cute! He looks like a Butler! haha and has the biggest blue eyes! Adorable! And you look gorgeous of course!!! What a cute little family!! 

Well family, you are the best ever!!! I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do! I love the mission and don´t want to leave! haha But it just makes me enjoy every minute even more! Changes come on Sunday... I love Calderón and don´t want to leave but The Lord is in charge! I´ll go where He wants me to go!! Have a great week!!! 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxXo

Love forever and always,

Hermana Nelson

Otavalo!!

Hi Mami!  Sorry I haven't written yet. We went to Otavalo as a zone today and I didn't have time earlier.  It was so fun!  I only have time to say hi but I will tell you more about it next week and send pictures!  Thank you for the money!  And tell everyone else who sent me money thank you!!  I love you all!  I'll talk to you next week!!

xoxoxoxoxXo

Love forever and always,

me

Trip to Otavalo