Here comes Kennewick!

Monday, March 23, 2015

This week has been so crazy!! I don't know how I'll summarize it all! Mostly just MTC classes non-stop and appointments with investigators.

At the MTC, there's something called the TRC (Teaching Resource Center), and we're sent as missionaries to teach actual investigators there for like a week. My companion, Sister Crofts, and I were so intimidated at first. But it's been such a blessing to be in these classes. They've been so crucial in helping us understand what it really is to teach these investigators. It really is all about love— sincere, 100% genuine love.

Our TRC investigator is an evangelical Christian and we were so intimidated by that! We were worried that it was just going to be a lot of Bible bashing and that she was going to be mean to us and not listen. At first, on Monday, that's kind of how it was— at least, that's how it felt. She mostly just sat there and told us all about her problems and traumas. I eventually just started crying right in front of her because I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY! We left confirming our next appointment with her and promised to have more helpful things to say next time. We didn't have another appointment with her until that Wednesday, and we were nervous!

As we were sitting at the cafeteria for lunch, though, she came in and sat next to us! We kind of just looked at each other like, "WHAT DO WE DO?!" But it gave us a chance to really talk about her and what she was dealing with and what she liked and what she did in her spare time... little trivial things like that. Later that night and through the rest of the week, we spent our appointments with her just openly talking about what she was struggling with. As my companion and I prepared ourselves with study and prayer, the Spirit was able to guide us to scriptures she needed to hear and things we needed to say, especially regarding the peace the Savior brings us. I even sang "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" for her because she had sang a gospel song for us the day before. She has a BEEAAUUTIFUL voice.

Our last few appointments, we got to be with her and a few other of the missionaries who came to see her (going to Cambodia). There we were introduced to a brand new way to open hard-boiled eggs and tried them with some flamin' hot Cheetos— sounds gross, but is actually tasty. (I also don't open my hard-boiled eggs any other way now. So there's that.) It was things like this that really just opened us up to having great conversations with her. By the time our appointments were done with her this week, we came to find out that we had greatly touched her and helped her have a closer relationship with her Savior. And that's the point, isn't it?! Our purpose as missionaries is to invite others to come unto Christ!

I was so amazed by how the Spirit had brought her peace that she was searching for. She even (halfway) accepted the invitation we gave her to read the Book of Mormon and look for the Savior in it. She sang us a song before we left! She made "Let It Be" by the Beatles into a missionary song: "In my hour of darkness, missionaries came to me. Speaking words of wisdom, 'Let it be.'"

OH MY WORD. It's been an amazing week! I love being here and I love the Gospel so much! Being a missionary is great! Especially when you can touch others and help change their lives!

Off to Kennewick tomorrow morning! Write me!

Sister Melanie Rose Nielsen
Washington Kennewick Mission
8202 W. Quinault Ave. Ste. D
Kennewick, WA 99336-1017

Alma 26:27