Week 62: Hello, Hello, Hello

Hello hello!

Life is crazy as usual in missionary life- quarantine edition. 

This week we actually had a lot of lessons fall through. Mostly english classes, so not to big of a deal. Also our stake is the best, and we didn't have access to computers so we could only do limited things on our phones, but they got chrome books for the stake center so now we go there a lot to get out of the house and use the computers. 

This week we did have a miracle. Our international zone focus has been to find the one (juan). Knowing that God has prepared people to learn and accept his gospel we need to be ready to teach them and search them out. Well, our Juan (literally) reached out to us. He set up an english class or more of a lesson to talk and practice. But when we had it, it was completely gospel centered. He has a friend in Utah who is a member and suggested he take lessons from the missionaries. And he read a bit about the church and had questions about Joseph smith, the Book of Mormon, and if we believed in life after death. He was so open and grateful to talk with us. It was such a blessing to have God's hand directly in connecting us to each other. 

Thinking about it gave me a perspective to look at life and the way things happen. God has a plan, and a goal for us to be able to reach our potential. And we need to do all we can to prepare for it, and to actively work for it and seek it out. But sometimes despite all we do, it isn't within our power. But Christ is able to bring things to us as we need them and are prepared to receive them. We may not have found Juan, but we did what we could, and he found us. When we live our lives trying to follow God in the best ways we can, he will guide us to where we need to go and cause to happen what needs to happen. I'm so grateful Juan is seeking the truth and doing his best to follow God. Now we have the blessing to help him in his journey :)

This week while trying to not go too crazy from quarantine, think about who could use help in their life (hint: we all do), and who is trying to do the best they can. I invite you to invite them to read the Book of Mormon, pray, have a short conversation with the missionaries, join your come follow me discussion, share their favorite scripture or picture of Christ. Christ invited us to follow him, and to follow his example and best help his sheep, we are to invite. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Hermana Nielson :D 

Week 61: All of Cummings fits on a Wall

Hey y'all!

This week we had to take some companionship pictures to use as the cover photos of our Facebook pages. They want it to have us and well known landmarks of the area so people can easily identify where we are serving. Unfortunately, Cumming is very small and spread out, so there really aren't many if any landmarks. But there is an area downtown that they hold a fair and they have a wall painted with some things that could be considered well known, so we took lots of pictures there. And most things were labeled with Cumming, so hopefully people can identify where haha 

We have been able to continue with our English class lessons and even start up a live class for every Thursday. The first one went pretty well, we learned a few things, discovered some bumps- like when it uploaded to facebook it lost all video quality and you couldn't read anything we had written on the board. So we will make sure it can be read this week.

I have been studying the talks given from this last general conference, and one morning the talk I read coincided very well with where I was reading in the scriptures. In an especially noble calling sister Jones said, "The Lord’s loving influence through the Holy Ghost helps us know His priority for our progression. Heeding personal revelation leads to personal progression." And then as I was thinking about how to best follow God's priority for us I read Alma ch 37. I'm not going to give away all the gems I found, but I will share this one verse with y'all. Verse 37: Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.  I strongly suggest you all read alma chapter 37 and think about president Nelson's repeated question of "How do you hear Him?" 

I love you all, and am so thankful for the love and support you all give me. Stay safe!

Hermana Nielson :D

 

 

Week 60: Azalea Surprise

Hello everyone!!

Another week survived in quarantine!

We have had a lot of people interested in our free english classes, so we have been able to have lots of video chat lessons with people this week. It is quite interesting trying to teach a language through technology, but it is working out pretty well so far. 

Also, in major news, the group became a branch this sunday!!!! We are now the azalea branch! We got a call early in the week that it was going to happen and then were able to contact all the sisters who have served here and helped make this branch possible. So they all got to watch the broadcast, even the two who finished their missions and returned home. So on sunday we had a small meeting of the new branch president, the bishop, and stake president. We were asked to give the prayers :)

It was so exciting and now we have more organization! We are excited to continue to work with these amazing people and grow the branch. It's been so amazing to see the love and support from all the members of the group especially with helping each other during quarantine and making sure they all still have the opportunity to take the sacrament. It is a beautiful thing to see.

Quarantine really can be hard, some days I feel like a bag of semi squishy potatoes, and other times I'm pumped and ready to take on the world. But everyday I have to remember to he thankful for all of the blessings I do have and how I can, like all our favorite people in the scriptures, turn to God and be the best instrument in his hands in every situation I may find myself in. 

Love y'all and stay healthy and safe!

Hermana Nielson :D

Week 59: Happy Easter Y'all

Hello hello hello! The work keeps moving on.


Our english class page has been getting us some people interested in English classes, so we have started doing some personal video call lessons and it's actually working out ok haha. Very interesting for sure. But we have been able to get in contact with new people through it. Technology is such a blessing even when it can be frustrating. Used in the right way it really can uplift and help us.


Things have been going pretty well in quarantine. We have been having lots of fun singing disney songs, and have only gone stir crazy a few times 😜


I hope you all had a wonderful Sabbath yesterday focusing on the Resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ. It is such a blessing to know that we will live again one day and have hope for salvation and eternal life. Something I've been thinking about a lot with this season is how Jesus is the Living Christ. It is important to know that he rose from the grave and overcame death, and that we will too. But I think it is important to focus on what that means now. He is the living Christ and is the head of His living church. He guides us today. And he is asking us to live now! To live the life he exemplified for us. As risen Lord he appeared unto His disciples and in an unforgettable moment helped Peter understand that the hope for the life to come, starts with our life today. "Lovest thou me?" (John 21:15-16) Jesus asked it to Peter, and Jesus asks it to us today and everyday. Are we willing to leave our nets (maybe for the second time) and follow him? Are we willing to feed His sheep? To give all of ourselves, our time, effort, hopes, wants, desires? We will all be resurrected to live again, but if we want to live the life our Resurrected Lord lives, we must live the life our Savior asks in mortality. It is a big thing, but it comes day by day in the little ways we feed his sheep. So what one thing will you focus on this week or month to help you live with the hope of life to come?


I love you all, am so thankful for your love and support! And I'm grateful to be a representative of Jesus Christ and proclaim this message of hope and happiness :)


Love, Hermana Nielson :D

Week 58: Making our apartment a shelter (in place)

Howdy

doodle!

Yes, we are in a shelter in place so we can only leave for necessities or to exercise outside. And today we were asked to wear a mask every time we go out. Luckily one of our apartment companion's mom sent out an Easter package with masks so we have them already! 

We had transfers Wednesday because we couldn't meet for transfer meeting. So the people going home got dropped off at the airport by their companions and then that afternoon everyone else did their switcheroos. Sadly, sister Smith got transferred, but I got Sister Anderson who is awesome! She is from Logan Utah and has been out for 10 months. I can't believe it, but I've been out for 13 months! 

Conference this weekend was amazing!! We have been inviting all of our friends to watch because this is such an amazing opportunity to hear the voice of God through his living prophets in our day. Our friend maria was so excited to watch that she texted us multiple times to get the information while we were trying to get the link sent to her ha ha. I loved each of the talks, the message themes, and the counsel given to all of us to prepare ourselves. I pray that we can all focus as they taught, on hearing Him. Personal revelation is critical for each and every one of us. This has been something that I have been struggling with a lot lately. Feeling like I wasn't receiving personal revelation. I know how important it is, especially as a missionary trying to help others which just made me feel all the worse about not getting it. After a good cry session with my mom a few Mondays ago, she helped me see how Satan was undermining my thoughts. Since I have cast him out from my mind I am feeling so much better. I'm not suddenly recognizing all the revelation I receive, but I have the peace and trust that I am doing what I can and what is right. That I have the access to heaven in the ways I need, and will have the access when I need it in other ways. I will continue to work on recognizing the revelations I receive, and the specific ways I Hear Him, as I go back and study the words of the Lord's ordained apostles. I invite each of you to do the same and can promise that you will find the peace and hope that we all need in our lives. 

Love y'all!

Hermana Nielson :D 

Week 57: *achoo* man that pollen gets ya

Hello hello hello!


The weather up here has been amazing! It's warming up to the 80's! Which also means everything is blossoming. So everything is coated in yellow dust. Thank heavens I don't have allergies. It has become kind of a joke because of Covid-19. So if we sneeze, you want an excuse that's not Corona so we go to the pollen haha. My companion said that after sneezing in walmart and I had to keep my cool until we walked away because I know she doesn't have allergies, so then we laughed a few aisles over.


This week has been pretty dang good. We do our studies like normal, which actually is a lot of time because we have an hour for language, a half hour comp study, and then an hour for mnemonics. It's a thing from my mission president. I think I've talked about it before, but it is a way to use picture associations to remember things. So we have one thing from every chapter in the Book of Mormon and section in Doctrine and Covenants memorized. It's pretty cool and useful to be honest. And it's not some special talent, just mnemonics.


We also have been reaching out to all of our members in the group, people we are working with, and people with previous interest. So many calls and texts and everything you could possibly think of. Sometimes we are able to have lessons, but we are still struggling with people not answering for the lessons we have set up. But we will figure out how to teach them in the ways that work best for them.


We also have had daily video challenges from our zone that we make and watch. Nothing super big, but funny. One of them was a how to video and we missed doing it that day, so the next day we made a how to: procrastinate video. Gotta make the best of things haha.


Nothing too crazy to report with people, it's hard to have enough contact with them, or really have them communicate back. But on sunday we went and sticky-noted two members doors with love and encouragement so that was nice to do for them and get out of the house even if we didn't talk to anyone.


Because of how quickly things have changed we are getting transfer news tonight, probably through an email. And we are condensing for a few weeks before exploding. So we have 40 going home and when people are done with their self quarantine and are reassigned to the states to expect 70-100 coming in. So things are absolutely crazy haha, but it's the Lord's work and his hand is in every detail, and we just have to trust him, do our best, and remember to breath :) but big changes are coming and might happen in the middle of transfers too. We were told in a mission-wide zoom call that we shouldn't be surprised if this next transfer things change and we aren't with our companion the whole time. So buckle-up, this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!


Also, I highly encourage you to go read president Nelson's message: the future of the church- preparing the world for the Lord's second coming. It is amazing and inspiring. So much truth that we need to understand and live. I love you all and add my prayers to health, safety, and a quick recovery from Corona.


Love, Hermana Nielson :D

Week 56: The world is shutting down!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all safe and healthy. It's a crazy world out there.


We are doing great over here. Not sick, and other than church and meetings being cancelled we are not limited at all in what we do. We have been using tons of hand sanitizer so psshh we fine ;) we do have supplies in case we get quarantined (minus toilet paper because everyone bought it all before Monday- but a member is a real pal and bringing us some). So we are set for whatever does happen.


This week got really weird with everyone talking about covid-19 and freaking out and church being cancelled. It just feels like a weird dream haha.


We finally did some biking this week, and man, Cumming has so many steep hills. Even driving around is crazy in some neighborhoods. There's one place in the neighborhood we biked to that has a steep hill with a stop sign at the top. Even in a car you don't 100% fully stop. It's kinda crazy. But it was fun and only my lungs hated me, and maybe the cars behind us on the hills haha. Lots of construction going on so sometimes we have to be right in traffic (always at the big hills) but sometimes have our own lane blocked off by cones. So ups and downs to it.


We have had lot as of stop by's of people who had shown some interest before but hadn't had much contact after. Not lots of them are interested so we haven't had too much progression happening. But we had an amazing lesson with this older couple. Ricardo referred them to us as he helped move them in and works with their son. They are the cutest old couple. We thought she was late 60's, but she is 86! She's killing it! But they loved having us over and the message we shared. They are super excited to read the Book of Mormon and meet with us again. They even were planning on coming to church until it got cancelled :/ but they are awesome and so loving. Oh, their names are Luis Manuel and Maria Isabel. When they welcomed us Luis went for the handshake and cheek besos, but Maria was kinda reproaching him to not because of Corona. It was really funny :)


But until further notice, the work chugs on, now with sunscreen. A few days have had good weather and have been sunny and when we were out walking for a few hours we got a little burnt. Not bad, but time for sunscreen.


One little thought my companion and I were talking about was from a sign we saw. It was a spa place called Back to Eden. And we were talking about how so many people just want to go back to the Garden because they don't understand the purpose of life. And they just want things to be perfect and no troubles. But it's our trials and troubles that truly make us grow the most. But growing hurts, and growth spurts bring growing pains. But our work as missionaries is to help people change their direction to look forward to growing their garden with God and not back. So during this time I ask each of you to take a moment to reflect on where your attention is, and how you need to cultivate your gardens. Do you need extra light, nutrients, new plants fitted for the situation? Do you have weeds of doubt or distraction you need to pull? Are you letting Christ, the master Gardener do the work he needs to do? How can you help others in their gardens and how have you seen the harvest of your labors?


Love you and stay safe!
Hermana Nielson :)

Donuts!!!!

Passing the Time

Turtle