Enlisted

(Written Monday September 21, 2105)

Well Everyone,

It's been another crazy, eventful and random week. After much prayer and consideration, weighing the pros and cons, I have decided to join the air force and cease to be a missionary. View photos below for proof. I'm just playing, but I did get to do some crazy stuff this week. It was a week of miracles.

I saw Brother Nolin make the commitment to be baptized this week by his son Matt which was so neat and all of the missionaries came back to visit him, even some that had gone home so it was super special.

We got to do my first set of official training in front of the zone for interviews with the president where we trained about loving our companion, prayer and we even boarded the boat with the "twelve disciples" and simulated Jesus walking on the sea and leaving the boat to join him, by leaving everything behind and just riding on faith. It was powerful and allowed me to reflect on my mission and on my life and what I was giving to the Lord and how I trusted him in my life!

This week I have seen miracles, I am not happy to say this part, but our mission has a goal for us to talk to at least 70 people each week in the street and invite them to listen to our message. Despite trying my whole mission to hit 70, I never had reached it until this week. We had a miracle week where in one day we talked to 41 people. 41 people. I was blown away by the help of the Lord and the confidence I needed to talked to all those people, and I hadn't even felt good that morning! The Lord blessed us to be able to not only achieve our standard, but far exceed it by reaching over 100 street contacts! I was so humbled to see the Lord work through me! One of my friends wrote to me this week and said that when we understand the atonement and Christ's love for us, we physically cannot keep our mouth shut, but are propelled to open our mouths and share this message with others. I must be understanding the atonement more even though I feel so stationary as a missionary right now, not learning nearly as much as I want to.

Lastly to explain the military outfits, I didn't join the military. We just borrowed uniforms for a zone leadership activity to pump up our missionaries to expand their vision and talk to everyone so that we could have 2,000 strippling street contacts for our last week of transfers! We want to have a miracle week and beat another zone's number from their miracle week. WE decided to do the strippling street contacts like the strippling warriors and pray for miracles to come and that we can work so hard, so we had like a pep rally and had cool music and just got people pumped so I hope to write to you next week saying it was a big success and we did it!

I love the mission and being creative to help other missionaries be excited and see their potential!  I can't believe how fast his transfer has gone, my companion will be going home after next transfer and my time is getting shorter and shorter as next month I have been out for a year with only 6 months left. I hope I am doing everything I can to please the Lord and change myself and be the person he wants me to be. I hope that He is proud of me. This week I plan to be even more enlisted in the work of the Lord to bring salvation and eternal blessings to others, may we all try to enlist ourselves more in our capacities and positions now is my prayer!
I love you all!
Have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Alayna Nelson