Mansions, Crocheting and Missionary Work

(Written, Monday, January 26, 2015)

Howdy Y'all!

I hope you're doing well and the weather is good where you are! This week went by so fast, I blinked my eyes and I am sitting at a computer again for email time! The work is still progressing here, slowly but surely. I love it so much! It is already starting to get hot here, dang it! Its been like 70! Yowza! I am not ready for this heat!

This week, we had some very interesting experiences. Sometimes as a missionary, you learn all kinds of random things. One of the people we visit is an older lady who crochets these giant blankets and she taught us how to make the pretty flowers in the picture below. It was super tedious, but I made that one with her help! Isn't it pretty?

We also visit an 80 year old lady in a gated community and if you visit my blog you can see the picture me and her sweet dog Bonita cuddling on the couch.

We have set a family with a baptismal date which is so exciting and seeing them at church and knowing that they enjoy it makes it all the better! I love this gospel because it changes us and makes us happier and better versions of ourselves and I am seeing that in the lives of Tomas, Juanita and JR.

I don't have a super giant spiritual thought this week, it went by so fast it's hard to even know what happened (which is scary because that's how the mission is if you aren't careful!) But as a companionship, Sister Defreitas and I have been making fun activities to teach the gospel to families that have little kids and short attention spans. One activity we have done comes from The Book of Mormon where many people joined the church and made a covenant with God that they had changed their ways by burying their weapons of war, promising him that they would never go to battle again. When their enemies came to fight them, they all got on their knees and began to pray and although some of them were killed, when the enemies saw how they were praying and would not fight, they all dropped their weapons and were converted to God and many more were converted than were killed. What a beautiful story. And it's good because those that were killed are saved and redeemed through Christ because of their obedience. So, we cut out paper swords and asked that everyone would write something they wanted to "bury" on the sword. Something they wanted to stop doing so they could draw closer to our Savior. I invite you all to try praying about something you want to stop doing or do better to draw closer to the Lord. and I promise you that as you do, you will see the Lord's hand in your life and you will feel his spirit so strongly.

I love you all so much!
Have a great week!
Sister Nelson