Heavenly Father Has a Plan for You and Me

(Written Monday, March 30, 2015)

Wow everyone, this has been a week full of miracles out the wazoo!

I hope you all had a great week and you are excited as Easter is getting closer! I am looking so forward to being able to celebrate the resurrection of my Savior Jesus Christ, but not only that, General Conference on Easter Morning, which means that the whole world gets to listen to the prophet of God give us comfort and counsel in a world that is so hard to live in! I am so grateful for that!

This week, I was very humbled to learn that Heavenly Father really does have a plan for me. Last week, I was having a hard time understanding why after all my hard work, diligence and obedience, I saw now fruits to my labors. My companion, who has a lot more faith than I do in this aspect said, in regards to no one being at church, "It's okay sister, everything will work out eventually and Heavenly Father has a plan, maybe this Sunday wasn't the best for them to come." I had a hard time accepting this because it seemed like we couldn't have had a better Sunday. However, this Sunday, I got to see all six of these beloved sons and daughters at church (perfect attendance for what I had wanted the week before ) and it was so much better for them than last Sunday would have been. They made so many friends and got integrated into the activities and they all loved it! I am so happy to say that my sweet friend Gaby and her family were able to make it to church this week and I was beaming all during the Sacrament Meeting because I knew that Heavenly Father was listening to me and showing me that He's there and I KNOW that I appreciated having them there so much more this week than I would have the week before. Heavenly Father has not only been teaching me patience this transfer, but also to trust in Him, His judgement, His timing etc. and it's blessed everything we have done.

I also learned a lot from the worldwide Women's broadcast this past Saturday night, it was all about the family and it kinda made me miss my family for just a few seconds because of how grateful I am that they have helped me be the person that I am. But it was incredibly inspiring and empowering to us as woman in a scary world. I learned a lot from President Eyring's talk about being compassionate and I invite you all to watch it on lds.org. I love how inspired the church leaders are and I love this gospel.

That's basically it spiritual wise this week, other random things to note, I cleaned out a cat lady's house for service this week and it made me really never want to have like more than 2 cats ever. There was so much cat hair, but it was really fun, we did it as a district.

I got my bangs back and I feel so much more like myself which is nice.

We had exchanges again with our sweet Sister Training Leaders and I got to be in an English area for the day and I learned so much from Sister Robinson. Oh and I tried cactus, which tastes kinda like a green bean mixed with cucumber, it was kinda weird, but I kinda liked it! The things you do as a missionary!

I love you all! My commitment to you all is to watch conference this week and send me an email with your favorite talk or quote from conference and why you liked it! I know these men and women are inspired from our Heavenly Father to tell us the newest information that will protect us in this world! If you would like to know how to watch conference, visit This Link to learn more!

I love you all, Have a phenomenal week and a phenomenal Easter!
HE IS RISEN and BECAUSE HE LIVES, I get to share the good news of life after death with all of Las Vegas.

Love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

Because HE Lives!

"I am so excited about this video! I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I am so grateful for the knowledge that we have the He Lives and for all the wonderful things we have because of it! Share this with your friends this week! He loves us so much and we have this wonderful gift! Happy Easter!"

Because He Lives - Mormon Messages Easter Video

Sushi, Hippies, 80's and Pinatas

(Written Monday, March 23, 2015)

Howdy Everyone!

This has definitely been the most eccentric week of my mission. Lots of interesting happenings between an 80's party for the church, seeing a hippie van and slaying a pinata at a women's night, a missionary farewell and trying sushi for the first time (all of which are pictures that will be posted to the blog). Sometimes the mission is full of really random moments and experiences that we get to write about and remember.

So many good things are happening here in our little piece of Heavenly Father's vineyard. We are teaching some amazing people the gospel and bringing them closer to our Savior Jesus Christ.

This week, we had the privilege of teaching one of our investigators, Gaby, the Plan of Salvation, which answers the questions of the soul: where did I come from, why am I here and where am I going. We taught it in two parts and when we came back to review these things with her and teach the second part, she was able to explain everything to us and how she understood it and it was so incredible. We talked to her about baptism and she said she wanted to be baptized and that she knew that we could help her be ready by helping her get a testimony of everything she still wants and needs to learn. She is incredible. She was also sick a couple days later and was able to receive a blessing from priesthood holders and she felt the power given to them by Christ to heal her of her illness. Her testimony is very strong and I love seeing the gospel blessing people's lives by improving the quality of their living.

I love this mission so much and I hope it is changing me so much too so that I can be the best version of me when I come home. I have been out nearly 5 months and pretty soon I will only have a year left. It feels like I just got here, it's crazy how fast this goes!

Thank you for your prayers and love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

Mountains to Climb
This is beautiful and I add my testimony to this video too, If we have faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, we can make it through any hard trial. I Love my Savior.

The pictures here are me and my new district at In & Out, all you people out east know that the west is missing out because Steak 'N' Shake is way better.

Me with my first taste of sushi from the restaurant Pei Wei. the same day (I don't wear the same outfit two days in a row, this is the same day as In 'N Out)

And just so you know that I actually tried it and ate it, it was good and I didn't die.

Because you have to take pictures with hippie vans, also, notice the bag! It is fabulous!

The 80's party that we stopped in on for like 10 minutes, and then left because it wasn't exactly a missionary hang out.

I got to use my softball skills to annihilate a pinata this week.

"Just Say No To Meetings"

(Written Monday, March 16, 2015) 

Howdy Folks,

Another week has come and gone and this goes so fast I don't even have time to take decent pictures! I hope everyone is doing well whatever part of the world you are currently in for Spring Break and that you are enjoying nice weather :) The title of this email comes from these sticky notes my last companion had that we put our grocery list on. Never in my life have I had so many meetings. This week was full of them and they were all great, we just didn't have much time else for anything! We met with the new district that we have, two sets of Elders and then me and my companion, we had interviews with our President and more training and then, we had some special meetings OUTSIDE of our mission that we had special permission to go to and they were on the other side of the strip so we drove right next to it. Missionaries are not allowed on the strip for obvious reasons and while we were driving in this unfamiliar area, the signs didn't make much sense and we ended up taking the wrong way and exited to get off right at the strip, it was a nightmare, but the cool thing was is that when we are in a bad situation, we can feel the spirit leaving us which helps us know good from bad and right from wrong, thankfully we were protected and got back on the road and didn't make that mistake on day two but it was just scary for about 15 minutes!

Thanks to all of your prayers for me- I am feeling much better and I am so grateful, and because of that, we were able to help move our sweet investigator Gaby into her new house! I can't wait to send you pictures of her! She is so genuine and has a sincere desire to learn! Sadly, I don't have any this week, but you can enjoy these pictures of the strip (sin) and of me and my companion sister Hutchinson, we really need to take a better one, but for now here ya go! A couple more pictures will be on the blog too!

The one thing that I have learned really beautifully this week is that we can't BE perfect in this life because we have imperfect bodies which die and get sick and age, we have minds that are imperfect and can't grasp everything there is to learn and understand, but we can strive to LIVE perfectly like our Savior. All he has asked us to do is walk with him and make the best choices in these imperfect environments and that is what helps us to be perfect. This was so helpful to me because I am a perfectionist and now this goal seems more attainable. I love you all so much! Please have a good week and think of ways that you can better walk with Christ this week so that you can live more perfectly!

Much Love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

A New Companion

(Written Monday, March 11, 2015)

Hello everyone!

This week's email is going to be short because there just isn't much to report!

I got my new companion this week. In the picture, my new companion sister Hutchinson is sitting behind Sister D. and Sister D's new companion is sitting behind me and her name is sister Area. It's been good to learn from another person, just really different, but I love Sister Hutchinson a lot and I am so glad to be working with and learning from her.

The only other eventful thing is that I have been incredibly sick for the past two days and I am just now up and walking but I am hanging on, this is the Lord's work and He will provide a way for us to accomplish it! I love my mission, even in sick moments.

Everyone hang in there this week and I know that because of all these trials this week, this upcoming week will be filled with miracles so I am excited to email you all next Monday!

Love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

When The Mission Gives You Lemons...

(Written Monday, March 2, 2015)

Make Lemon Bars!

Karen, one of our investigator's friends gave us like 20 lemons from her tree so my compie made yummy yummy lemon bars and I got to squeeze all the lemons! It was awesome!

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing grand! It has been a great week of learning and hard moments but so many moments that were so worth it! I am so grateful that this is the Lord's work and not mine because He makes everything possible and we saw so many miracles this week because of Him!

NELLY CAME TO CHURCH! She is our sweet investigator that has a hard husband, he was out of town this week so she was able come and she got in front of everyone and shared her testimony that she knows God lives and that she is so happy for us sister missionaries. It was awesome and then everyone came up to talk to her afterwards and thought she was a member and she just kept saying this is my first time!

She is also sensitive to electricity because she has been sick for a long time, but she was able to stay all three hours and learn a bunch and afterwards, she said she felt healed. She was talking more normal and wasn't forgetting stuff and we know that Heavenly Father was answering our Fasts and our prayers and I am so grateful because she was so happy!

I also had kind of a hard moment this week, where I learned a ton about humility and about My Savior who suffered so much and withstood so much not because he had to, but because he wanted to because he loves us so much. I know he loves each one of you immensely! I read a scripture this morning in 2 Corinthians 12 :9-10 which paraphrased, talks about how when we acknowledge our weaknesses, it is actually better because Christ's enabling power can work through us to make those weaknesses strong. I know this to be true because I am not perfect, but I know that Christ can help me get there.
I love you! Have a great week!
Hermana Alayna Nelson
PS: Lots of pictures this week so head to the blog for more! Loves!
(See the 2nd Transfer Photos Page Link)

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.