Slushies and Staying Here

(Written on Monday, May 25, 2015)

Hello world!

This week went pretty grand, we learned a lot from leaders of the church about how Ipads are going to help us fulfill our purpose as missionaries so much more and they will prepare us for things to come by teaching us good habits and reasons to use technology. I'm so grateful to learn everything from this time here. Really we learn so much about our futures and how to prepare on the mission.

I am so grateful. I get to stay here for one more transfer (6 weeks) with sister Stark and I'm really grateful for another 6 weeks because we have two people preparing for baptism here, one of which is Jaime who learned about the Holy Ghost and compared it to his "battle buddy" since he is in the army! Whatever works to help you understand! He has decided to get baptized on July 4th! I'm so happy! He has become a very good friend of mine and I know I am here to help him!

Also I wanted to share a quick and cute miracle with you all this week. Here, we are kinda living in a mini Mexico! I love it! There are people riding around on bicycles selling slushies and food and the cowboys and everything. So it was particularly warmer the other day on Saturday and we saw these guys and I was just thinking, "Man, I really want one of those, but I have no money." Then the guy motioned us over and I told him "no tenemos dinero hermano" (we don't have money) and he told us the man in the truck bought them for us. Turned out it was Jose Luis who we were going to be meeting with his family later that day and he told us he knew it was hot and wanted to help us out! It was the nicest and simplest tender mercy, but it helped me know that Heavenly Father is mindful of us even with small and simple things. I'm so grateful!

I love the mission so much!
Everyone have a great week!
Hermana Alayna Nelson

My district

A Quick Hello

(Written Monday, May 18, 2015)

Hello Everyone!

I wish I had more to say, but this week was relatively uneventful, we went on exchanges with our sister leaders and learned a ton from them! We also had a lot of meetings and we are preparing for a giant mission wide conference this Wednesday where we will learn a ton more about ipads and using them as missionaries! There may even be someone really important coming from the church, so we are all very excited!

This transfer is coming to a close and I feel like it just started! Time is seriously running away from me!

I really do love you all! We find out what happens for next transfer this weekend and expect to hear about all kinds of miracles next week!

I love you all so much! Hang in there and keep serving the Lord!

Much Love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

Us with our Mexican drinks

Us with our 8 year old recent convert Veronica Last night :)

Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo and Baptisms

Salutations world and Happy Mother's Day once more!

This week has been incredible, there was such a wide variety of things that happened!

We had a zone conference where we were spiritually enlightened by our leaders and learned so much.

We also were able to do our first temple tour with one of our investigators and his girlfriend who is a member that wants to relearn everything. It was so incredible to see the spirit work on both of them as we walked the grounds. Tomas, our investigator described the feeling best when he said' " it's like going on a vacation, but better because all of your problems just leave you and it's not like at the end of your vacation when you're just worried about having to jump back into to everything you were doing... you just feel a never-ending peace." He also said his first out loud prayer with us and his girlfriend, Aarika, started crying. She said she couldn't believe this was happening and that it wasn't too late and I bore testimony that it is never too late for Heavenly Father and just how much He loves her. They also each got to pick a spot on the temple to be their spot and their promise to themselves and to God to enter in one day and be married. It was very special to see how much this was changing them and I know that one day they will be able to be sealed or bound together forever in the temple and not just 'til death do us part.

Another wonderful thing about this week was that Jaime, one of our investigators came to church for the first time this week and loved how he felt and what he learned! It was incredible! I know he is very ready to accept the gospel in his life and he is a really cool guy.

We also celebrated Cinco de Mayo at one of our district meetings... so that was awesome.

But the most exciting moment from this week was being able to go to my first baptism. Gaby, Jorge and Alejandro all made the choice to be baptized and it was so special for me. I know this family will do wonderful and great things here and that this will bless their lives so much! I have grown to love this family and am so grateful for the opportunity I had to teach this family and see them progress. What made it even more special was that their 14 year old son has been reading the Book of Mormon diligently and studying and learning about the church and when the leaders were welcoming him in, he began to cry. I did so well not crying the whole time, but when I saw this, I cried too, because I knew that the spirit was touching his heart so strongly and I also remembered that from the beginning I could see him serving a mission and changing so many lives one day. I know he is realizing that now too and I am so glad! I love them so much.

I also love the gospel of Jesus Christ and how as missionaries, we are able to see it change the lives of so many people in so many different stages, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true, Jesus Christ lives and directs this church. I love Him, I serve Him and this time of my life is something I am so grateful for. It was wonderful to talk with my family yesterday and it's crazy to think I only get to do it once more at Christmastime and then I come home in April. It's going to fast, but I am doing everything I can to enjoy it!

Much Love,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

Temples and Cacti

Howdy Y'all

This week has been pretty cool! We got to go to the temple again for Sister Stark because she is a new missionary. It was a beautiful day.

We also tried out riding bikes this week (dorky bike pictures will also be on the blog).

And we had a very awesome zone conference where we painted our hands and committed to consecrate ourselves more fully to this work because our time is so short, it was very impacting and powerful.

I wanted to share my testimony today about being in the right place at the right time. I know that Heavenly Father is pleased with the work we are doing because he helps us to be where he needs us when we are being obedient. Two instances happened yesterday where I know his hands are in our work. We were pulled into a driveway and hadn't headed in yet because we needed to send a text and a car pulls over and a girl gets out and knocks on our window. She was about to go on a mission and really wanted to go out with sister missionaries and serve with them. She hadn't been able to find any but saw our bike rack and turned around. It was very inspired that we hadn't gone inside yet so that we could help her.
We also were supposed to be on a street to try a family and as I pulled onto the street I saw all these Hispanic women crowded around a baby and something told me turn around. I called out to them and asked if they needed help and they said yes. A two year old boy named Anthony had grabbed a cactus and it was stuck in his hand, we ran down the street and knocked on two doors, one of them was a member and he ran down with a first aid kit and then the parents of this member walked by and helped us too. We couldn't pry it out of his hand and so we called an ambulance. It broke my heart it see this boy in so much pain, but the mother was so grateful that we got help and asked what church we were from. We waited until he was safely in the ambulance and then the mother came and talked to us and said please give me your card, I want to bring my daughter to church and maybe you can come meet with me and a family I know that is in need. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do just a little bit of service and see that Heavenly Father really needed us there.

I love this church! I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that he is mindful of all of us!

Take care and have a good week,
Hermana Alayna Nelson

PS: Happy mother's day to all the wonderful moms and examples that have blessed my life! Talk to you next week!
PPS: Don't I look like snow white today, it was an accident, but then we needed to take a picture of this beautiful accident. Much Loves :)

Rain and Eternal Families

(Written Monday, April 27, 2015)

Well y’all, today is my half birthday and basically my 6 month mark. I travel home next year on April 26th. So from here on out, I only have one year left to make the mission count. I have finished one third of my mission already. It is crazy how fast time goes. What a significant time.

I am so glad to be serving. Although things right now are mainly driving around a lot to try and get to know our members and the people that the elders were teaching before, you still get to see the hand of God. We stopped in on a recent convert family and they are on fire. They were getting ready to go into the temple the next day and we were able to help them feel excited. Their eight year old twins are geniuses and knew so much about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and were quizzing us, it was so fun. Then right before we left, they sang Families Can Be Together Forever about going to the temple and being sealed as a family. This whole family was about to do something so special and beautiful and they were doing it together. I know the family is ordained of God and that he loves us so much. What made it even better was that they sang in Spanish and I understood. I will admit that I cried a little bit, but the gospel of Jesus Christ and the promises we can make are so special and I love seeing it bless the lives of others.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Hermana Alayna Nelson

PS: It rained here and I was so happy, but now it is really cold, (like 65 degrees... but that's super cold for me now)
PPS: Me and Sister Stark this morning, still doing great :)

HOLY HOT HOMELESS HORSES!

(Written Monday, April 20, 2015)

Dear wonderful friends and family,

How different this area is for me! MY GOODNESS! So many changes! I received my trainee (baby) Wednesday evening and her name is Hermana Stark, She is from Auburn Alabama but doesn't have an accent and she loves cats like me, so we bonded fast obviously. She was at BYU for a bit and she is planning on going into computer science so she can be an animator for Pixar. So that's pretty cool!

My baby <3

So to talk about this area more, I was "born" in a fairly wealthy area in Henderson, Nevada. I am now in a place called Sunrise Manor (I believe) and it's more north east and boy is it a change! Probably 80% of the people here are Spanish speakers (which is really good for me!) The first person I talked to in the street was a homeless man named Gino going through a trash can to find aluminum cans to get money for them. He was really friendly though. And there are essentially Mexican Cowboys that ride their horses by the side of the road! It's quite the interesting place! Lots of GIANT CACTI! It's more desert here, and more rural and slightly rundown. I live near a street called Hollywood, but it looks nothing like Hollywood here and of course, the heat is starting to move in which will be so fun (sarcasm)

But the most exciting thing is that the Las Vegas Temple is in my area and only about 5-10 minutes away from our apartment! Last night, we went to try to visit everyone and when we finished all of our plans and still had time, I decided to show Sister Stark the temple site. It is so beautiful at night and the spirit is so strong and peaceful there. I know that the temples are the houses of the Lord on the Earth and the closest place we can be to Him here. I am so grateful for the peace it brings to be so close.

Angel Moroni on our Beautiful Temple

I feel so strongly that we are going to see so many miracles in this area, the ward we are serving in is incredible! They are so ready to help us and so nice! There are so many ready people here! There are lots of crazy changes to get used to, but I know that Heavenly Father is serving here with us just like he promises us in Jacob chapter 5. I love my mission and I am so grateful to be here!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Hermana Alayna Nelson

Please check out the blog for more pictures! There are lots this week!

Of course, you can find a little piece of redneck heaven here in Vegas #Murica

NEW LEADERSHIP ASSIGNMENT

Written Thursday, April 16, 2015