Thursday, May 1, 2014

Hump Day!

Hey,

I can't believe it has been a year.  It doesn't feel like it.  When I was with the companions I didn't get along with the time seemed to dragged on.  But it feels really good to be at this point in my Mission.  I think the highs of the year have been the experiences that I have had, for example going to Midnight Mass, hanging out with the members, and making many new life long friends.  I don't think that I have really had any real lows on my Mission that I can remember.  It seems like the high moments have made me forget the low moments.

My companion and I have been talking about spiritual witnesses.  There is a Ward member who is always saying that she has visions. When I first heard that I laughed and was like ya right.  But we took her teaching a few nights ago and she talked about how she couldn't read that well and that Heavenly Father played the Book of Mormon like a movie for her one night in her dreams.  I thought about that and how I have had experiences that I can't explain how it happened.  I thought back to when I got hit by the car in December 2013.  There were too many little things that happened just right before and when the car actually hit me to not be a miracle.  I can't explain exactly what I mean but it is just like all the spiritual experiences I have had.  I can't explain them.  It is like telling someone who has never tasted salt what it tastes like.  But all these things are for my good and I am grateful for them.

Well on to the past week.  We have been teaching Ingrid and her family.  She is the former investigator that showed up to the Easter BBQ.  We visited with her Monday after she had come to Church on Easter Sunday. She said that after Church all her children that had gone to Church said they wanted to be baptized.  So we went over to her place and taught them and they are all on a baptismal date for the 17th of May!  It was a crazy day.  To get them ready for that date we have been working with them three times a week.  Her kids are really smart and are asking questions that are really deep.  I was surprised how quick the kids are picking things up and then going deeper than what we teach. We spend about ten minuets teaching and 50 minutes answering questions that come from what we have taught.  It is really cool to see someone who has investigated the Gospel before want to be taught again and see how prepared and ready they are when they choose to investigate again.  We taught them the Ten Commandments this past Sunday after Church and they were worried that they wouldn't be ready for the date of May 17th.  The next thing I know I open my mouth and told them that as a servant of Jesus Christ that if they do the things we ask them to do they will be ready.  After I said that I looked at my companion and he just looked at me with a surprised look on his face.  The Spirit was really strong at that moment and I have never done that before nor have I ever been prompted to do that.

We still have been teaching Graham and Maxine. They are still doing well.  Maxine said this week that she is ready to be baptized she is just waiting for Graham.  So we will see how he takes that.  The other cool thing is that we taught Tash also with Graham and Maxine this past week and she said the closing prayer and said "help us to get an answer to whether the Book of Mormon is true or help us recognize the answer we have already gotten".  Hopefully they start to recognize the answers they have already gotten.

I know this Gospel is true I have had too my Spiritual experiences that I can not deny it.  I can't explain exactly how I know it is true but I know it is true.  I know that others can get the same experiences that I have had if they put in the work that is needed and have faith.  God is always reaching out to us.  It is us that don't reach back.  "Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been."  Live with no regrets so that when we all return to God and account for the time we had on this Earth we to make this quote true.

Have a great week.

Love, Elder Nielsen

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