Bundled up in Vegas!

(Written Monday, February 23, 2015)

Hello All,

The weeks just seem to go by faster and faster and here we are at the end of another transfer.  I will find out if I am switching areas or if I am receiving a new companion on Saturday and then we make the change on Tuesday so you'll all know on Monday I guess. I am pretty sure that I am staying and that my compie is leaving sadly, but she's needed elsewhere. She has taught me everything that I know.

We had a really nice week, we met the most humble and happy homeless man last night that just changed the way I look at the world, he has nothing and yet he is so grateful to God and was so excited to talk to us. He was really neat. His name was Bryan Crites.

We also ran into some kids playing outside while we were walking around a neighborhood this week and when they saw us this little boy who was probably 4 or 5 stood up and said (just like the kid from the Incredibles that says that was totally wicked) ARE YOU GUYS MISSIONARIES?! It was so cute! And we said yes and they said that is soooo cool! We are missionaries too! And we told them that they were exactly right and that we can all be missionaries. I love being a missionary and wearing my savior's name on my black badge, I take so much pride in standing for him in this area and sharing him with the world.

I love you all so much, these are simple and short stories this week but I am just so grateful for this mission and the simple moments I get to experience. This week we are going to have some insane miracles, I can feel it and I can't wait to tell you all about them next week!
I pray for you always and I love you all! Take care and have a fabulous week!
-Hermana Alayna Nelson
The photos: My current group of missionaries that I have been working with in this area, and more pictures from another hike we went on this week in the morning. Sorry there won't be more pictures on the blog this week... I just didn't take too many. whoops.

Happy Valentine's Day and Here Comes the Sun!

Hello Friends and Family!

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Here it feels like the middle of the summer, but that's okay! I can endure!
This picture is of us this morning on a morning hike! I think this is probably the coolest picture I have taken on my mission thus far. I love it! Hello Sun :)

Everyone! This week was amazing! So many miracles are happening in my area here and I know that Heavenly Father is blessing us because he trusts us. We have an investigator with a baptismal date for March 7th, her name is Nadia and she is wonderful, she knows it's true because she has felt the spirit. I am so thankful for her! She has so much faith!

Another fun thing was that we did exchanges again with the leader sisters here and I learned so much and it totally vamped me and my companion up to continue to work so hard!

ALSO, I received this amazing talk in the mail, it's a letter from a returned missionary to the son of one of his close friends and it just talks about this amazing missionary who was crazy but so hard working and did amazing things and me and my companion have read it together and it has been amazing! We are so pumped.

We are starting week five and then Sister D. might get transferred because we will be done with my training. I really hope not, but it's a large possibility! I love her so much and we get along so well as you can tell by all our crazy pictures. (Happy Valentine's day from us crazy gals)

Another exciting thing was that the elders had a baptism this week with Miriam and that was the first baptism I have been to since I have been a missionary and the spirit was there and it was beautiful and I love this church, there is not a doubt in my mind that it is not true.

Sunday was AMAZING. Us four missionaries were asked to give talks and I was kind of nervous because my Spanish isn't that great, but Elder Smith talked about the Book of Mormon, then it was my turn and I talked about Members and how they can show their love for the savior and for their friends by sharing the blessings they are receiving from this gospel in simple ways and then my companion talked about family activity nights and inviting us to be there and how that would strengthen them as a family while doing wonderful church activities and then Elder Anderson spoke about the Atonement and we were all so in sync and the spirit was there so strongly! I know I am working with some of the strongest, most powerful missionaries in this mission. It was amazing. AND! A member came up to me afterwards and I expressed my concern that my Spanish hadn't been very good and (he's from Puerto Rico) he said to me that I sounded like I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and that I shouldn't worry. That made me feel really good. I am getting there, or at least trying to. I know this church is true and I know we had help with our Spanish while we spoke. I said things that I didn't have written down because the spirit helped us say what needed to be said.

I really do love this mission and everything that I am learning from my Father in Heaven Here. This week I would just invite you to show your love and gratitude to the Savior by sharing something simple in an everyday conversation with the people you associate with about your beliefs and I promise you so many blessings and miracles! I want to hear your stories so if you do this, shoot me an email! As always, have an amazing week!

I love you all
--Hermana Alayna Nelson