Monday, July 13, 2015
Do you have any senior couple missionaries? What are they like?
We do! We have quite a few! They mostly work in the mission office and are in charge of our vehicles, housing, and all that other paperwork jazz. They are the best!
How often do you go to Kennewick?
Pretty much never. I think I've been maybe two or three times in the past four or so months that I've been here. Kennewick and Richland are on the south side of the Columbia River, while Pasco is on the north. The temple is in Richland. But we have a few temple trips, transfer meetings, etc. that are over there in Richland, but we don't go very often.
Do you run out of miles all the time like our missionaries do?
My companion and I have tried to be really good about how we use our miles. The YSA we are over covers all of Pasco. So we would be driving quite a bit, but we try to find rides from YSA members so we can save on miles. We also try to walk as much as we can when we're in our smaller areas.
How big is Pasco?
The "Welcome to Pasco" sign says somewhere around 60,000. Maybe closer to 70,000.
What do people there do for a living... like, who are the major employers for the area?
There's a place called Hanford (I think it's over by Richland...? I'm not sure). Apparently it was the site for some plutonium testing back when they were making the bombs for Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and they're doing some restoration work to make it, like, not radioactive anymore. Tons of people work there. About five times out of 10, people will say they work in some department of some sort over there. Four times out of 10, someone is a farmer. The others are something else just random, I suppose! Lots of farms and farmers!
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Monday, July 6, 2015
God Shed His Grace on Thee #amurica
Monday, July 6, 2015
It's been a great week! We had exchanges this week. I always get a little anxious when I find out that exchanges are happening, but I don't know why because every time they happen I love them. I'm so grateful for our sister training leaders. They gave us a challenge to study the Book of Mormon while focusing on a Christlike attribute. At first I hesitated, but as soon as I accepted the challenge, I found my Book of Mormon study was so enriching! I've been feeling so energized and full of the Spirit ever since I started. It's been amazing also to see how many things I've been able to find relating to the attribute I picked. I know that comes from the Spirit. I love that no matter what you're reading, the scriptures apply to your life. That's a real power! I've fallen in love with the Book of Mormon all over again. Sometimes I can't even wait for my studies to start again so I can read more.
The work is going pretty well. We found a new investigator from the area book. Yoly was a former investigator. We kept trying by her house with no luck, but we tried her as she was leaving for work one day, and she told us to come back at such-and-such time. So we came back and she welcomed us right in! It was so cool to see how open she was to hearing us. We got to teach her and her son part of the Restoration, and they had a lot of questions about temples and families. We went through the Book of Mormon baptismal invite, and they accepted for July 25! They are so excited, too! We were humbled and amazed by their enthusiasm. We're thrilled, and can't wait to continue meeting with them. Pray that we'll be able to meet with them and prepare them for their baptism. :)
Otherwise, it's been a good week. We had a great 4th of July! (That's when our exchanges were.) We had to be in our apartment planning by 6:00 that night, but you can kinda see the neighborhoods down by the river from our apartment, and we saw a few fireworks. One of the members even gave us some watermelon, like, randomly. That was SUCH a tender mercy! I told her she answered my prayers. Nothing like watermelon on the 4th of July!
Also, I'm driving now! Ahhhh!
Oh, also... funny story. My companion told me I was teaching in my sleep last night. "I love that! We believe that..." LOL! I'm really becoming a missionary now. :) Heart, might, mind, and strength, I suppose! ;)
I'm grateful for all of you! D&C 98:3
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES
Dinner! They made me and my temporary companion (we were on exchanges - Hermana Wortley) some grilled pizzas!
The Hebdon Family and our pizzas on the grill
Hermana Wortley and me before we exchanged back. (Yes, I was driving!)
My cute companion hard at work. :)
It's been a great week! We had exchanges this week. I always get a little anxious when I find out that exchanges are happening, but I don't know why because every time they happen I love them. I'm so grateful for our sister training leaders. They gave us a challenge to study the Book of Mormon while focusing on a Christlike attribute. At first I hesitated, but as soon as I accepted the challenge, I found my Book of Mormon study was so enriching! I've been feeling so energized and full of the Spirit ever since I started. It's been amazing also to see how many things I've been able to find relating to the attribute I picked. I know that comes from the Spirit. I love that no matter what you're reading, the scriptures apply to your life. That's a real power! I've fallen in love with the Book of Mormon all over again. Sometimes I can't even wait for my studies to start again so I can read more.
The work is going pretty well. We found a new investigator from the area book. Yoly was a former investigator. We kept trying by her house with no luck, but we tried her as she was leaving for work one day, and she told us to come back at such-and-such time. So we came back and she welcomed us right in! It was so cool to see how open she was to hearing us. We got to teach her and her son part of the Restoration, and they had a lot of questions about temples and families. We went through the Book of Mormon baptismal invite, and they accepted for July 25! They are so excited, too! We were humbled and amazed by their enthusiasm. We're thrilled, and can't wait to continue meeting with them. Pray that we'll be able to meet with them and prepare them for their baptism. :)
Otherwise, it's been a good week. We had a great 4th of July! (That's when our exchanges were.) We had to be in our apartment planning by 6:00 that night, but you can kinda see the neighborhoods down by the river from our apartment, and we saw a few fireworks. One of the members even gave us some watermelon, like, randomly. That was SUCH a tender mercy! I told her she answered my prayers. Nothing like watermelon on the 4th of July!
Also, I'm driving now! Ahhhh!
Oh, also... funny story. My companion told me I was teaching in my sleep last night. "I love that! We believe that..." LOL! I'm really becoming a missionary now. :) Heart, might, mind, and strength, I suppose! ;)
I'm grateful for all of you! D&C 98:3
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES
Dinner! They made me and my temporary companion (we were on exchanges - Hermana Wortley) some grilled pizzas!
The Hebdon Family and our pizzas on the grill
Hermana Wortley and me before we exchanged back. (Yes, I was driving!)
My cute companion hard at work. :)
Where Did June Even Go, Though?
Monday, June 29, 2015
It's been a great week! I'm continually impressed by how much I learn every week. I really love what it says in D&C 50:22, "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together." I'm always so impressed by the revelation Heavenly Father gives us as we teach by the Spirit. So many of the things I go through or struggle with are answered by the lessons we're able to teach as a companionship.
Recently we've been teaching the 10 Commandments to a few different people, and it really has helped me to see how important they really are to us today, which is something I really never thought a lot about. The Lord really wants us to put him first. Something that's been significant that the Spirit has been teaching me is that we're not given commandments and rules to follow because we're ruled by some dictator who wants everything to be "my way or the highway," if you will, but we're given commandments by our Heavenly Father because he loves us so much in such a significantly selfless way that his entire purpose and existence is to benefit us and give us the way we should go and what we should do so we can return to be with him and have the fullest happiness we can achieve. Because he loves us. That's it. He does it because he loves us. How much more motivation do we have as a result, to follow his commandments? When we know his motives and we know of his love, why wouldn't we strive to do what he asks us to do?
So I guess you could say that things are going really well. Even when the work seems stagnant, the Lord is merciful enough to give revelation and tiny little miracles. They really do add up.
As far as the work, things have been going well! This last week, we were able to get in with a family the missionaries have been teaching for 12 years! Can you imagine? Twelve years! Belen was baptized this last year, and has been inactive. Her husband is less-active and is working in North Dakota! (Sheesh!) Her kids, who are 13, 8, and 3, aren't members, and we've been having a hard time getting in with them this last transfer. This last week, though, we had the impression to knock on their door when we were in the neighborhood, and she answered and let us in! We scheduled an appointment a few days later and were able to sit down with her and her 13-year-old, who normally hasn't been super interested, but when we sat down to teach them, Vibiana (the 13-year-old) was so receptive and was asking and answering questions and contributing to the lesson with GREAT answers! Belen, who is usually pretty reluctant to participate and open up, told us about her desire to go to church and how much of a hard time she has without her husband there. We had a great, Spirit-filled lesson about building our foundation on Christ (Helaman 5:12) and having strength to overcome whatever opposition we go through. We invited her to pray and think about what it is her Heavenly Father would have her do, and she committed to do so. We're excited to follow up with her this week!
We had a really cool experience with some YSA finding time this week. Members are so great to have with you! They just add a whole new spirit to everything. We took a girl named McKenzie out with us to try by some potentials from the YSA area book, and though the potentials we tried weren't home/didn't live there, we tracted into a girl named Aileen who opened up to us about her desire to develop a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. When we briefly taught her about the Restoration, she was the one asking us for our number and asking when we could meet! It was the coolest thing to see. I know those miracles are out there, and they really do make everything else we go through as missionaries worth it! Even as we've been dealing with the people who dropped us, it's so rewarding to remember those times that were good with them, and the times where you know they felt the Spirit and their testimony was strengthened. And you know, it's so worth it. :)
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
It's been a great week! I'm continually impressed by how much I learn every week. I really love what it says in D&C 50:22, "Wherefore, he that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together." I'm always so impressed by the revelation Heavenly Father gives us as we teach by the Spirit. So many of the things I go through or struggle with are answered by the lessons we're able to teach as a companionship.
Recently we've been teaching the 10 Commandments to a few different people, and it really has helped me to see how important they really are to us today, which is something I really never thought a lot about. The Lord really wants us to put him first. Something that's been significant that the Spirit has been teaching me is that we're not given commandments and rules to follow because we're ruled by some dictator who wants everything to be "my way or the highway," if you will, but we're given commandments by our Heavenly Father because he loves us so much in such a significantly selfless way that his entire purpose and existence is to benefit us and give us the way we should go and what we should do so we can return to be with him and have the fullest happiness we can achieve. Because he loves us. That's it. He does it because he loves us. How much more motivation do we have as a result, to follow his commandments? When we know his motives and we know of his love, why wouldn't we strive to do what he asks us to do?
So I guess you could say that things are going really well. Even when the work seems stagnant, the Lord is merciful enough to give revelation and tiny little miracles. They really do add up.
As far as the work, things have been going well! This last week, we were able to get in with a family the missionaries have been teaching for 12 years! Can you imagine? Twelve years! Belen was baptized this last year, and has been inactive. Her husband is less-active and is working in North Dakota! (Sheesh!) Her kids, who are 13, 8, and 3, aren't members, and we've been having a hard time getting in with them this last transfer. This last week, though, we had the impression to knock on their door when we were in the neighborhood, and she answered and let us in! We scheduled an appointment a few days later and were able to sit down with her and her 13-year-old, who normally hasn't been super interested, but when we sat down to teach them, Vibiana (the 13-year-old) was so receptive and was asking and answering questions and contributing to the lesson with GREAT answers! Belen, who is usually pretty reluctant to participate and open up, told us about her desire to go to church and how much of a hard time she has without her husband there. We had a great, Spirit-filled lesson about building our foundation on Christ (Helaman 5:12) and having strength to overcome whatever opposition we go through. We invited her to pray and think about what it is her Heavenly Father would have her do, and she committed to do so. We're excited to follow up with her this week!
We had a really cool experience with some YSA finding time this week. Members are so great to have with you! They just add a whole new spirit to everything. We took a girl named McKenzie out with us to try by some potentials from the YSA area book, and though the potentials we tried weren't home/didn't live there, we tracted into a girl named Aileen who opened up to us about her desire to develop a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. When we briefly taught her about the Restoration, she was the one asking us for our number and asking when we could meet! It was the coolest thing to see. I know those miracles are out there, and they really do make everything else we go through as missionaries worth it! Even as we've been dealing with the people who dropped us, it's so rewarding to remember those times that were good with them, and the times where you know they felt the Spirit and their testimony was strengthened. And you know, it's so worth it. :)
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
Monday, June 22, 2015
Happy Birthday, Sister Nielsen!
Monday, June 22, 2015
Thank you to everyone who sent birthday love my way! It was so good to hear from everyone!
It's been a great week. The Lord sometimes gives us hardships so that we can learn and grow from them. I know that's especially true on your mission. I know, though, that when we let the Lord's will be first priority, and let HIM be first priority, that he sends down help and strength in abundance. I hope you all will find an opportunity to put the Lord first this week! He is everything! :)
This week has truly been a blessing. It's so amazing to see the miracles that happen when you strive to work with the members. Members really are so crucial. We picked up a family as new investigators this week, and it was something that happened beyond our efforts. The transfer before last, my companion and I had dinner with the Jenks family. We talked to them about their missionary efforts, and they expressed their desire to find someone that we, the missionaries, could teach in their home. Such a righteous desire! We had high hopes for them, for sure. But seeing as how that was around two months ago, it's something that sort of fell off my radar up until a few weeks ago. We got a text from Sister Jenks asking for a Spanish Book of Mormon that they could give to their friend that they were bringing to church. We gladly and excitedly obliged! Again, we didn't think much of it afterward, but continued to hope that some set of missionaries would get to see the fruit of the Jenks family's labor.
Last week in church, Brother Jenks came up to us and asked if we could come over for Family Home Evening at his house with this friend they'd given a Book of Mormon and her family, letting us know that it was his intention to invite her to take the lessons from us. We were so excited for him! What an exciting thing to have your prayers answered about! This is exactly the thing that he had been praying for, and he wasn't afraid to act on it! The lesson went really well, and it was SO cool to see a member teach about the Plan of Salvation so simply. He gave us a couple of opportunities to bear our testimony or share our thoughts, but he and his family did all the teaching. Once the lesson was over, he invited her and her family to take the lessons from us, saying, "This is something that brings my family so much joy, and I know you're going through a hard time right now, and we want this to be something that blesses your family as well. ... You'll never know until you give it a shot!" We have another appointment with them tonight at the Jenks' home. :) Miracles, I tell ya. Miracles everywhere.
We're supposed to write the mission president about the work in our stewardship, but sometimes I feel I don't do any of the work that even seems productive. The Lord seriously always just drops it in our laps. What an honor to be his instruments.
I always enjoy the start of a new transfer. Especially since we've made it a priority to talk to our bishops and ward mission leaders to discuss the needs of the ward and his expectations of us. And we are ALWAYS excited to get the list of families he wants us to visit! I've already seen how much success comes from striving to make your bishop and your ward mission leader shine. I've already shared with you the miracle we saw by contacting the Millers (Gary and Ardie). Things are still going really well with Gary. He's been out of town for the U.S. Open, but he's been really great about letting us text him "homework assignments" and about following up with his reading. We left him with 2 Ne 31 after we taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He's really excited about learning about the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ instead of just all the stories about him that he's grown up with. When we followed up with him about his reading in 2 Nephi, he told us that he understood the commitment that baptism is, but said he just wasn't there yet. He's pretty determined to take baby steps right now, which I support. But I know Heavenly Father has other plans. :) Pray we can help him know his Heavenly Father's will in a loving, Spirit-filled way. :)
Otherwise, it's been a good finding week. I'm sure the Lord will let us know who is ready! We still haven't been able to get in with our investigator who is on-date for baptism, but we have dinner with her and her fiance on Thursday. So far she still wants him to baptize her, but we're not 100% sure. Even since her fast a couple weeks ago, we still haven't been able to talk to her about it. Praying that even if it's not July 11, she'll still be able to get baptized!
The work is going well! So grateful for all the support I have from home!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
When the members INSIST on giving you desert because they found out it's your birthday the next day. :)
Birthday breakfast that my companion so graciously made
When you pose in front of a security camera at a member's house with your companion and it looks like she's hitting you in the face. HAHA!
Birthday dinner with Paulena (Earnado's wife). I sure do love her!
Those sunsets, though. :)
Birthday present!
Thank you to everyone who sent birthday love my way! It was so good to hear from everyone!
It's been a great week. The Lord sometimes gives us hardships so that we can learn and grow from them. I know that's especially true on your mission. I know, though, that when we let the Lord's will be first priority, and let HIM be first priority, that he sends down help and strength in abundance. I hope you all will find an opportunity to put the Lord first this week! He is everything! :)
This week has truly been a blessing. It's so amazing to see the miracles that happen when you strive to work with the members. Members really are so crucial. We picked up a family as new investigators this week, and it was something that happened beyond our efforts. The transfer before last, my companion and I had dinner with the Jenks family. We talked to them about their missionary efforts, and they expressed their desire to find someone that we, the missionaries, could teach in their home. Such a righteous desire! We had high hopes for them, for sure. But seeing as how that was around two months ago, it's something that sort of fell off my radar up until a few weeks ago. We got a text from Sister Jenks asking for a Spanish Book of Mormon that they could give to their friend that they were bringing to church. We gladly and excitedly obliged! Again, we didn't think much of it afterward, but continued to hope that some set of missionaries would get to see the fruit of the Jenks family's labor.
Last week in church, Brother Jenks came up to us and asked if we could come over for Family Home Evening at his house with this friend they'd given a Book of Mormon and her family, letting us know that it was his intention to invite her to take the lessons from us. We were so excited for him! What an exciting thing to have your prayers answered about! This is exactly the thing that he had been praying for, and he wasn't afraid to act on it! The lesson went really well, and it was SO cool to see a member teach about the Plan of Salvation so simply. He gave us a couple of opportunities to bear our testimony or share our thoughts, but he and his family did all the teaching. Once the lesson was over, he invited her and her family to take the lessons from us, saying, "This is something that brings my family so much joy, and I know you're going through a hard time right now, and we want this to be something that blesses your family as well. ... You'll never know until you give it a shot!" We have another appointment with them tonight at the Jenks' home. :) Miracles, I tell ya. Miracles everywhere.
We're supposed to write the mission president about the work in our stewardship, but sometimes I feel I don't do any of the work that even seems productive. The Lord seriously always just drops it in our laps. What an honor to be his instruments.
I always enjoy the start of a new transfer. Especially since we've made it a priority to talk to our bishops and ward mission leaders to discuss the needs of the ward and his expectations of us. And we are ALWAYS excited to get the list of families he wants us to visit! I've already seen how much success comes from striving to make your bishop and your ward mission leader shine. I've already shared with you the miracle we saw by contacting the Millers (Gary and Ardie). Things are still going really well with Gary. He's been out of town for the U.S. Open, but he's been really great about letting us text him "homework assignments" and about following up with his reading. We left him with 2 Ne 31 after we taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He's really excited about learning about the actual Gospel of Jesus Christ instead of just all the stories about him that he's grown up with. When we followed up with him about his reading in 2 Nephi, he told us that he understood the commitment that baptism is, but said he just wasn't there yet. He's pretty determined to take baby steps right now, which I support. But I know Heavenly Father has other plans. :) Pray we can help him know his Heavenly Father's will in a loving, Spirit-filled way. :)
Otherwise, it's been a good finding week. I'm sure the Lord will let us know who is ready! We still haven't been able to get in with our investigator who is on-date for baptism, but we have dinner with her and her fiance on Thursday. So far she still wants him to baptize her, but we're not 100% sure. Even since her fast a couple weeks ago, we still haven't been able to talk to her about it. Praying that even if it's not July 11, she'll still be able to get baptized!
The work is going well! So grateful for all the support I have from home!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
When the members INSIST on giving you desert because they found out it's your birthday the next day. :)
Birthday breakfast that my companion so graciously made
When you pose in front of a security camera at a member's house with your companion and it looks like she's hitting you in the face. HAHA!
Birthday dinner with Paulena (Earnado's wife). I sure do love her!
Those sunsets, though. :)
Birthday present!
I'm Staying in the Kennewick Mission! Yay!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Apparently I didn't make it very clear about where exactly I am. I'm still in my first area, Pasco 1st/10th and YSA! They're splitting my mission at the beginning of July, though, for the new Yakima Mission. My companion and I are staying in the Kennewick Mission, and I couldn't be more thrilled!
This week has been hard on me, but even in spite of the hard things, the Lord seems to send little miracles. Gary, our recent new investigator, is still showing interest, to our great relief. He'll be out of town to watch the U.S. Open, but he's agreed to read the assignment we left him and follow up with him through text. We've even planned out lessons for him in our planners to send through text. We're quite excited for it, and so is his wife! Sometimes I don't think about how much this message means to people, especially when they're your spouse— the love of your life. In fact, it seems the three people I'm most invested in are someone's spouse. Part-member families really are a great way to find! We had a glimmer of hope this week with Earnado. He's still in Oklahoma, but we had the idea to text him scriptures. When he was in Washington, he'd never check his phone, but it dawned on us that he HAS to check his phone if he's in Alabama. Paulena isn't there to answer it for him! ;)
It was a very successful attempt— rocky at first, but by the end of our conversation, he was expressing his deep gratitude for our prayers and our investment in him. He even shared a scripture with us! In visiting his wife this week, we learned that he'd taken his Book of Mormon with him and has been praying with his son, Jonah, who is 2. All I have to say about Jonah is no wonder the Lord praises children in the scriptures. Jonah has been such a good example for Earnado. Just about every night, Jonah will get up from bed, get on his knees, then turn to his dad and say, "Pray?" to which Earnado replies, "All right. We'll pray." This happens at least four more times before Jonah will commit to falling asleep. Haha! Children are great! Such a blessing. It sounds like the Lord is hearing our prayers that Earnado's testimony is being strengthened out there, and we are continually praying for that. (And also that he'll come back to Washington soon!)
My heart took a big hit when Tim dropped us this week. We had a hard but productive lesson with him on Thursday. Our district council training really came in handy as we sat in silence (for a looong time, might I add) trying to perceive Tim's needs and ask inspired questions. We came to understand that although his motives are righteous, he is only motivated to investigate the church because of his little family and wife. As I said, that is a great reason, but when you've been investigating as long as Tim has, you need to reach a point where you're doing it for yourself or you're never going to receive an answer. We asked him if that was important to him, and he let us know that he didn't understand the need for faith and didn't really care about finding answers for himself. It sounded like he had us over, though, so that we could help him believe and gain that desire. He asked me to close the lesson, and all I could do is cry. You put your whole heart into it, you know? And when it's not helping... it just breaks your heart. We went to church a few days later hoping he'd be there, but it was only his wife. She came up to us and told us that Tim wanted to take a break from missionaries for a couple of weeks. I hope that doesn't translate to forever.
Though it's been hard, we've been trying to work hard to find new people to teach. All in the Lord's time, I suppose. It's easy to think that maybe I'm not putting enough faith into it or that maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I'm trying to let that be constructive criticism instead of destructive. My companion helps a lot. I so appreciate her optimism and faith and her good, righteous example. I'm grateful we take time every day to study and feel the Spirit. That always helps me know where I stand with the Lord and what I can do to improve. I pray every day for the courage to overcome my fears, and I know I can be a better missionary one day at a time with his help.
It's been a great week in spite of it all. I know the Lord sends tender mercies to help us know he's there for us. We can't have our faith strengthened if it's not tested here and there. I'm so grateful for that!
I love the Lord. I love you all.
Happy Birthday to me!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
I don't know what's more cool— eating free food from gracious members every day or eating it on the table to negate everything your mother ever taught you. #bestdinneraward
That moment when seeing a bunny makes your whole day.
When you love your investigator so much that you threaten to kill people. #whoa #takeiteasy #areabookfunnies
Apparently I didn't make it very clear about where exactly I am. I'm still in my first area, Pasco 1st/10th and YSA! They're splitting my mission at the beginning of July, though, for the new Yakima Mission. My companion and I are staying in the Kennewick Mission, and I couldn't be more thrilled!
This week has been hard on me, but even in spite of the hard things, the Lord seems to send little miracles. Gary, our recent new investigator, is still showing interest, to our great relief. He'll be out of town to watch the U.S. Open, but he's agreed to read the assignment we left him and follow up with him through text. We've even planned out lessons for him in our planners to send through text. We're quite excited for it, and so is his wife! Sometimes I don't think about how much this message means to people, especially when they're your spouse— the love of your life. In fact, it seems the three people I'm most invested in are someone's spouse. Part-member families really are a great way to find! We had a glimmer of hope this week with Earnado. He's still in Oklahoma, but we had the idea to text him scriptures. When he was in Washington, he'd never check his phone, but it dawned on us that he HAS to check his phone if he's in Alabama. Paulena isn't there to answer it for him! ;)
It was a very successful attempt— rocky at first, but by the end of our conversation, he was expressing his deep gratitude for our prayers and our investment in him. He even shared a scripture with us! In visiting his wife this week, we learned that he'd taken his Book of Mormon with him and has been praying with his son, Jonah, who is 2. All I have to say about Jonah is no wonder the Lord praises children in the scriptures. Jonah has been such a good example for Earnado. Just about every night, Jonah will get up from bed, get on his knees, then turn to his dad and say, "Pray?" to which Earnado replies, "All right. We'll pray." This happens at least four more times before Jonah will commit to falling asleep. Haha! Children are great! Such a blessing. It sounds like the Lord is hearing our prayers that Earnado's testimony is being strengthened out there, and we are continually praying for that. (And also that he'll come back to Washington soon!)
My heart took a big hit when Tim dropped us this week. We had a hard but productive lesson with him on Thursday. Our district council training really came in handy as we sat in silence (for a looong time, might I add) trying to perceive Tim's needs and ask inspired questions. We came to understand that although his motives are righteous, he is only motivated to investigate the church because of his little family and wife. As I said, that is a great reason, but when you've been investigating as long as Tim has, you need to reach a point where you're doing it for yourself or you're never going to receive an answer. We asked him if that was important to him, and he let us know that he didn't understand the need for faith and didn't really care about finding answers for himself. It sounded like he had us over, though, so that we could help him believe and gain that desire. He asked me to close the lesson, and all I could do is cry. You put your whole heart into it, you know? And when it's not helping... it just breaks your heart. We went to church a few days later hoping he'd be there, but it was only his wife. She came up to us and told us that Tim wanted to take a break from missionaries for a couple of weeks. I hope that doesn't translate to forever.
Though it's been hard, we've been trying to work hard to find new people to teach. All in the Lord's time, I suppose. It's easy to think that maybe I'm not putting enough faith into it or that maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I'm trying to let that be constructive criticism instead of destructive. My companion helps a lot. I so appreciate her optimism and faith and her good, righteous example. I'm grateful we take time every day to study and feel the Spirit. That always helps me know where I stand with the Lord and what I can do to improve. I pray every day for the courage to overcome my fears, and I know I can be a better missionary one day at a time with his help.
It's been a great week in spite of it all. I know the Lord sends tender mercies to help us know he's there for us. We can't have our faith strengthened if it's not tested here and there. I'm so grateful for that!
I love the Lord. I love you all.
Happy Birthday to me!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
I don't know what's more cool— eating free food from gracious members every day or eating it on the table to negate everything your mother ever taught you. #bestdinneraward
That moment when seeing a bunny makes your whole day.
When you love your investigator so much that you threaten to kill people. #whoa #takeiteasy #areabookfunnies
Monday, June 8, 2015
No Way It Was 109 Yesterday. Sheesh!
Monday, June 8, 2015
Things have been going fairly well. Even if they weren't, you'd never be able to tell with how faith-filled and optimistic my companion is. She is such a good example to me.
Ever since Earnado relapsed, it seems we have a lot more time to fill. We had been meeting with him about three times a week to get him ready for his baptism (which would've been this last Saturday). But since we're only able to get in with his wife, who is a returning member, we've only been going over once a week. Apparently he randomly took off to Oklahoma. I guess he's got friends— his "church family"— down there and they asked him to come visit. It's a bit confusing, but it's also quite a few steps better than staying in the dark basement for days on end. We keep praying that it will be a testimony-building experience for him. Still holding out hope!
We're still working toward Sammy's baptism, which is exciting. It's so great to see when people sincerely want this and are building their testimony. Her fiance, Milo, is working toward getting rebaptized and Sammy told us yesterday that she wants to wait to get baptized until Milo can do it. Fortunately, the Lord is super aware of everything and inspired us to teach about tithes & fast offerings before she brought it up. We're going to fast with her and Milo on Tuesday so she can know if she should wait for Milo. We're excited to see what happens!
Another cool thing that happened this week came as a result of a prompting we had a few days ago during our training. One of our bishops gave us a list of families he wanted us to visit, and we decided— since a bunch of our appointments fell through— that we would spend the day contacting those families. One of them was a part-member family, and the wife is SUPER active. She's recovering from foot surgery, so she hasn't been for a few weeks. But when we visited her the first time, she said we could come back on Sunday (yesterday) to catch her husband at home. So after our dinner yesterday, we followed a prompting to go over and talk to them. Much to our surprise, we started teaching the Restoration and invited him to continue meeting with us. I guess this was a pretty big deal, because Sister Miller (the wife) came out the door with us when we left to give us a big hug and thank us. We said, "It's all the Lord! Keep paying your tithing! It's working!" I'm so grateful for the Spirit that guides this work. We would be nothing without it.
Please keep Earnado and Tim in your prayers. We had a lesson with Tim this week and he didn't keep his commitment. We have another appointment with him this week, and we're hoping we don't have to stop meeting with him. Especially after the tearful testimony his wife gave yesterday about how great the Spirit was and that we hadn't given up on Tim yet. Sigh. Pray for us.
Love you all! Thank you for your support!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
P-day last week. Here I thought I was taking a sneaky selfie, and my companion one-up'ed me. #duped #foiledagain
It's been getting super hot around here. We're not sure if this was accurate, but that's what the car said yesterday (and we believed it).
Our district sisters at P-day two weeks ago. (Sorry it's so dark. The flash didn't go off.)
This one's from last transfer, but I keep forgetting to include it. #homeawayfromhome #Glenwoodpride
Things have been going fairly well. Even if they weren't, you'd never be able to tell with how faith-filled and optimistic my companion is. She is such a good example to me.
Ever since Earnado relapsed, it seems we have a lot more time to fill. We had been meeting with him about three times a week to get him ready for his baptism (which would've been this last Saturday). But since we're only able to get in with his wife, who is a returning member, we've only been going over once a week. Apparently he randomly took off to Oklahoma. I guess he's got friends— his "church family"— down there and they asked him to come visit. It's a bit confusing, but it's also quite a few steps better than staying in the dark basement for days on end. We keep praying that it will be a testimony-building experience for him. Still holding out hope!
We're still working toward Sammy's baptism, which is exciting. It's so great to see when people sincerely want this and are building their testimony. Her fiance, Milo, is working toward getting rebaptized and Sammy told us yesterday that she wants to wait to get baptized until Milo can do it. Fortunately, the Lord is super aware of everything and inspired us to teach about tithes & fast offerings before she brought it up. We're going to fast with her and Milo on Tuesday so she can know if she should wait for Milo. We're excited to see what happens!
Another cool thing that happened this week came as a result of a prompting we had a few days ago during our training. One of our bishops gave us a list of families he wanted us to visit, and we decided— since a bunch of our appointments fell through— that we would spend the day contacting those families. One of them was a part-member family, and the wife is SUPER active. She's recovering from foot surgery, so she hasn't been for a few weeks. But when we visited her the first time, she said we could come back on Sunday (yesterday) to catch her husband at home. So after our dinner yesterday, we followed a prompting to go over and talk to them. Much to our surprise, we started teaching the Restoration and invited him to continue meeting with us. I guess this was a pretty big deal, because Sister Miller (the wife) came out the door with us when we left to give us a big hug and thank us. We said, "It's all the Lord! Keep paying your tithing! It's working!" I'm so grateful for the Spirit that guides this work. We would be nothing without it.
Please keep Earnado and Tim in your prayers. We had a lesson with Tim this week and he didn't keep his commitment. We have another appointment with him this week, and we're hoping we don't have to stop meeting with him. Especially after the tearful testimony his wife gave yesterday about how great the Spirit was and that we hadn't given up on Tim yet. Sigh. Pray for us.
Love you all! Thank you for your support!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
PICTURES!
P-day last week. Here I thought I was taking a sneaky selfie, and my companion one-up'ed me. #duped #foiledagain
It's been getting super hot around here. We're not sure if this was accurate, but that's what the car said yesterday (and we believed it).
Our district sisters at P-day two weeks ago. (Sorry it's so dark. The flash didn't go off.)
This one's from last transfer, but I keep forgetting to include it. #homeawayfromhome #Glenwoodpride
Happy First Day of June! #bestmonthever
Monday, June 1, 2015
This week has been such an emotional roller-coaster! I would say it's been a successful week, though. It's hard to admit a lot of the time that you can have a successful week even when it seems like everything has fallen through or what have you.
We had a great lesson on Tuesday with one of our on-dates, Earnado. He bore powerful testimony of the power of the Atonement, and it's always so inspiring to watch his faith grow. When we committed him to going without the nicotine patches at the end of our lesson with him, he RIPPED OFF HIS PATCH right there in front of us, threw it on the couch, and committed to rely on the Savior. We were so inspired by his faith, and we continue to be inspired by his faith. The next day, we got a call from his home teacher that he had relapsed and had four cigarettes. It was hard news to hear. After some fervent prayers, we rushed over to their house. We were only able to talk to Paulena, his wife, because Earnado stayed downstairs and wouldn't come up. But we had a great conversation with her and have been able to help build her testimony and lift her spirits through our attempts in visiting Earnado.
On Saturday, we dropped by again and were able to watch "Finding Faith in Christ" with her. She so much enjoyed it, and we had a great discussion on the things she was taught by the Spirit. Upon being impressed by the Spirit, we asked Paulena if she would come downstairs with us to say goodbye to Earnado. In our companionship study that morning, the Spirit taught us about how the Savior would have done everything he could to minister to Earnado in his time of need, and we felt very strongly about making the attempt. Though our attempt was seemingly unsuccessful given that he didn't hardly talk to us or look at us, we brought the Spirit strongly as we testified of E's divine heritage and the love of his Heavenly Father and of the love his Savior has for him. We are hopeful that the things we left with him will have a lasting effect.
Something a sister said in one of our wards yesterday really stuck with me: "Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, it isn't the end." And she taught that those miracles are made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for that knowledge.
All in all, things are going well, and the Lord is pouring down miracles. Sammy is progressing very well toward baptism. We had a church tour with her and our ward mission leader, Brother Clements. She has been so prepared, and she bore her testimony about each of the things we taught her. We are so excited to continue meeting with her and preparing her to be baptized!
The Spirit is so crucial in this work, and I'm continually amazed by the things we accomplish when we follow it. He is continually leading us to people who need to hear the word. Through our continued efforts to be obedient and faithful, those people can be blessed by our message. I'm so grateful for that!
I love this work and am inspired by the Lord's hand in it. I know there would be no success without it. Alma 26:12 is one of my favorites in that it really is through the Lord's strength that we accomplish great things.
Hope all is well with each of you!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
--
Nothing too exciting for pictures. Mostly because my camera's been on the fritz. (A sweet member let me have one of their old ones, so more pictures next week! Promise.) I just love how different everything is here, as far as weather and the climate are concerned. The weather around here has been awesome! I love it when it rains, especially since they always talk about how it isn't supposed to rain very much here. So... pictures of the clouds and rainbows and stuff.
Cloudy day in Washington: The clouds here are SO different!
The sunsets here are ALWAYS good.
First Washington rainbow
This week has been such an emotional roller-coaster! I would say it's been a successful week, though. It's hard to admit a lot of the time that you can have a successful week even when it seems like everything has fallen through or what have you.
We had a great lesson on Tuesday with one of our on-dates, Earnado. He bore powerful testimony of the power of the Atonement, and it's always so inspiring to watch his faith grow. When we committed him to going without the nicotine patches at the end of our lesson with him, he RIPPED OFF HIS PATCH right there in front of us, threw it on the couch, and committed to rely on the Savior. We were so inspired by his faith, and we continue to be inspired by his faith. The next day, we got a call from his home teacher that he had relapsed and had four cigarettes. It was hard news to hear. After some fervent prayers, we rushed over to their house. We were only able to talk to Paulena, his wife, because Earnado stayed downstairs and wouldn't come up. But we had a great conversation with her and have been able to help build her testimony and lift her spirits through our attempts in visiting Earnado.
On Saturday, we dropped by again and were able to watch "Finding Faith in Christ" with her. She so much enjoyed it, and we had a great discussion on the things she was taught by the Spirit. Upon being impressed by the Spirit, we asked Paulena if she would come downstairs with us to say goodbye to Earnado. In our companionship study that morning, the Spirit taught us about how the Savior would have done everything he could to minister to Earnado in his time of need, and we felt very strongly about making the attempt. Though our attempt was seemingly unsuccessful given that he didn't hardly talk to us or look at us, we brought the Spirit strongly as we testified of E's divine heritage and the love of his Heavenly Father and of the love his Savior has for him. We are hopeful that the things we left with him will have a lasting effect.
Something a sister said in one of our wards yesterday really stuck with me: "Everything works out in the end. If it hasn't worked out, it isn't the end." And she taught that those miracles are made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for that knowledge.
All in all, things are going well, and the Lord is pouring down miracles. Sammy is progressing very well toward baptism. We had a church tour with her and our ward mission leader, Brother Clements. She has been so prepared, and she bore her testimony about each of the things we taught her. We are so excited to continue meeting with her and preparing her to be baptized!
The Spirit is so crucial in this work, and I'm continually amazed by the things we accomplish when we follow it. He is continually leading us to people who need to hear the word. Through our continued efforts to be obedient and faithful, those people can be blessed by our message. I'm so grateful for that!
I love this work and am inspired by the Lord's hand in it. I know there would be no success without it. Alma 26:12 is one of my favorites in that it really is through the Lord's strength that we accomplish great things.
Hope all is well with each of you!
--
"The Gospel's True, Folks!"
Sister Melanie Nielsen
--
Nothing too exciting for pictures. Mostly because my camera's been on the fritz. (A sweet member let me have one of their old ones, so more pictures next week! Promise.) I just love how different everything is here, as far as weather and the climate are concerned. The weather around here has been awesome! I love it when it rains, especially since they always talk about how it isn't supposed to rain very much here. So... pictures of the clouds and rainbows and stuff.
Cloudy day in Washington: The clouds here are SO different!
The sunsets here are ALWAYS good.
First Washington rainbow
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)