Focus on the good things

Okay, this week was the hardest week of my mission so far. 

I was struggling with just about everything and our numbers were A W F U L.

But, I don't really want to talk about that. I want to focus on the good things, so this email could be short this week.... :)

Sister Anderson and I picked up our new companion!!

Sister Anderson, Sister Pyper and Nat

Her name is Sister Pyper and she is really sweet. She is 19 years old and has lived in 35 states (she's a navy brat). She has a sweet southern accent and is very outgoing. She was inactive for 7 years and has an awesome story. Our investigators and ward members love her already.

Each month we have a different zone focus. Our zone leaders pray about what it should be then give us steps to make it happen. 

For August, we want to get more people on date for baptism. So they have asked us to first, do a harvesting blessing referral everyday. Which just means to leave a harvesting blessing with a member then ask them for a referral. 

It's awesome. 

Second, We have to get all of our OYMs every day and invite each person we talk to to be BAPTIZED!! Crazy right?? 

Well, we have already seen the blessing from it...

FIVE people committed to baptism this week!!!!!!!!!!! 

Thursday night both Skyler and Shay (Dakota's siblings) said they wanted to be baptized! :):):):) But, not until the middle of September. There are some hold-ups there (not because of transgressions) and so we pushed the date back kind of far. 

BUT, Brother Edwards said yesterday at church "I know we could get them for the end of this month!" I love that family SO much!! I am so grateful for them. 

We also taught a man named Hector. He is a really nice Mexican man. 

The first time we met with him was Saturday and he said "The reason I want to meet with you is because I see the brothers (Elders) walking around in their white shirts and ties so happy and I just think, I want that for my life! I want to be happy like them!" 

So sweet. 

We taught him about the Restoration and at the end when I asked him if he wanted to be baptized he said "Oh yes of course!" 

He said he would come to church the next day, but was really scared and intimidated because he isn't spiritual and everyone else is. 

We told him that we are all learning and growing and working on being more spiritual.  We made it as comfortable as we could for him and finally he agreed to be there... 

But, he didn't show up and never returned any of our calls or texts :( It's okay though...I still love him. 

The other two people who committed to baptism were OYMs! 

The first girl was Elsa. She is a young single mother who has been looking for a church for her and her son to go to. She was raised Catholic, but doesn't want to take her son there because she doesn't think it's right that babies should be baptized when they can't decide for themselves. 

She was really excited about learning more about the church. :) She works at Jersey Mikes and we just saw her earlier today and she wants us to go over tomorrow because she has work off. 

Really excited about teaching her. :) 

Then right after we talked to Elsa we went over to 3 boys hanging by their HUGE lifted truck outside the skate park (normally we don't talk to the kids at the skate park because they're usually high, but we really needed our OYMs). 

When Sister Anderson asked if they wanted to be baptized one of them said "yes, actually I do!"  

We ended up talking to them for 30 minutes and they are really great boys. They are trying to find their purpose in life. 

We had an appointment with Tyler last night and it went for 2 hours! I have a really good feeling about him. He isn't really in our area, but we meet him at the park which is in our area so... it's fine. :)

I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have every day to bear my testimony, especially to people I have never talked to. 

Multiples times a day, the Holy Ghost testifies to me of the truthfulness of this gospel and every day I come closer to my Savior.

I miss you all so much and love you more,

Sister Nelson

PS. This week I called 911 for my first time!! I debated writing home about this story, but it was too crazy not to...

Thursday night Dakota was going to go to a lesson with us, but the guy cancelled so he just went around getting OYMs with us. 

We were walking down the street when we saw a big Mexican family. We went over to talk to them when we noticed their neighbors were outside too.

It was a Chinese family...a dad, a mom and a teenage daughter. 

All of the sudden the dad grabbed the mom by her neck and her wrist forcing her into the house and the daughter yelled 

"HELP! HELP! CALL 911! HE IS GOING TO KILL MY MOM! MY DAD IS GOING TO KILL HER!" 

The daughter tried to stop him, but he pushed her away and went inside with the mother. The daughter ran in after them and then came back out asking for someone to go in and help her. 

So, Dakota ran in while I was on the phone with the police. 

Not 3 seconds later the dad stormed out, got into his car and drove off really fast. We went and checked on the family and everyone was fine. 

Apparently, the parents are getting a divorce and the dad had just received a restraining order from his wife and didn't like it. 

The police finally came and questioned us. He asked who called 911 and when I said I did, he took down all of my information and my testimony of what I saw happen. 

He told me that since I saw the dad put his hands on his wife that he was going to go to jail and if he goes to court I would be called as a witness.... SO CRAZY!!

Love you longtime!

(Email received August 5, 2013)