Flying Bugs, Frogs and Nice Southerners

Hi Guys,

Greetings from the Sister Missionary car in sunny Florida!! Well it is starting to be so hot here and and its not even June, but they say August is the worst month cause it’s so hot…oh, and the humidity…It’s a love-hate relationship for sure. When it’s hot it is gross, but at night it’s not too bad! But for some reason my bed gets so humid. It’s so weird.

These are my Relief Society sisters at a luncheon. Look how happy everyone is in Florida! Must be the awesome weather!

I saw this truck and couldn't help myself! Just add coconut flavor and you have my favorite drink at home, Dirty Diet Coke. Anyway, speaking about nighttime, here’s a funny story for ya’ll. So one night Sister Stewart and I are outside talking to people in neighborhoods and there are these nasty – and I mean freaking nasty bugs! They are attracted to light. Well, everyone here at night hangs out in their garages. I guess that’s a Southern thing? Well, we go up and talk to this guy and these nasty bugs – they fly and they are EVERYWHERE!! I look down and I am just getting covered. Oh HECK NO!! Good thing for frogs - there were about 5 frogs by this guy’s house eating the bugs when they land. Well, we leave and we are walking to our car and these monster bugs are once again everywhere and of course I am freaking out. So is Sis Stewart. Well, we get to our car, get in and the bugs decide to come with us. I sit down and they are in our car, how gross is this!? We both look down, look at each other, jump out of the car, open the trunk and spray each other down with bug repellent! Probably the funniest thing to see. Well we get back in and the fumes from the bug repellent are so strong in the car. It was just so funny but so bad. Well, guess what we found out they were? Oh flying termites! No biggie. Good times. Well this week has been good so far. I love you all so much! Have a blessed week, Sister Nielson.

A member took us out to dinner and we met the cutest family with the cutest baby. I will send y’all a pic so you can die because of her cuteness! Here she is. I am obsessed with this baby!!!

Well some amazing things are happening in Gulf Breeze - I am just mind-blown!

Florida Tallahassee Mission t-shirt. (Note from Mom: Does this look like the Wasatch Mountains to anybody? The Mission President is from American Fork, Utah. Is there a story here?) From Sister Nielson: There is this less active lady named Kathy Thompson and we visit her at least once a week and teach her lessons from PMG, or we read the scriptures with us (She might think we are teaching her, but she teaches me a lot!) She has this immune system problem where she will get sick so easily so she doesn't go to church, we don't pressure her to go to church but we always invite her to. Anyway, this past week we went over and she wasn't home which was weird because she usually is always home. Something was super off and we called her and nothing! To be honest in my head I was like "OH NO! Sis Thompson is probably dead." My Comp and I both had crazy weird feelings! Anyway, we leave and go do service at the thrift store and after we were planning to go OYM people (Open Your Mouth) and we missed the street where we where supposed to turn to so we look at each other and say, Let's go see if Sis Thompson is home! So we do, and Good News guys!! She is alive!! Well I am so thankful we were given those scary feelings to go back and see if she was okay. And during our visit with her she told us she is going to go back to church!!!! SAY WHAT!?!? Seriously our jaws dropped. We are so excited for her! She told us she just needs to feel good again and needs the sacrament!! Man, God is Good. The Spirit works!!!

This is a photo of me cutting Sister Kirton's hair! I am excited to use my hair cutting skills! This is a classic cosmetologist picture. Another cool experience this week! We were riding our bikes (RIGHT? I'm getting the hang of this bike deal thing) lol. We saw this mom cutting her boy's hair outside and I got super excited cause hey! That's what I do! So we ask her if we can help her and she says, "Well, if you know how to cut hair!!!?" I told her, Yes I do!! so we go over and I show her what to do and teach her some tricks, and we told her about missions and what we are doing. She wasn't too interested, but hey, we helped her!! Well on Sunday, a lady in our ward who lives right next door to her comes up and tells us she posted on Facebook about 2 missionaries who helped her cut her son's hair and how awesome she thought we were!! What are the odds that would have ever happened!? It was so cool for me to be able to use a skill to help someone in need! And who knows? Maybe one day she will join the church! Well, Max told us he is interested in getting baptized!! He has somewhat of a Word of Wisdom issue, so we will be working on that, but he keeps telling us he is ready. I just know that the Lord's hand is in this work. Before he had MS, he was a rapper and made his own music he showed us some and he is so good!! He always tells us that he is going to make it to be baptized and life is good. He is such a good example to me. Hopefully this week we can set a baptism date! Fingers Crossed.

Duck lips Sisters! A selfie in the car, cause we do this a lot!

A helmet and bike selfie to prove to y'all that I am riding a bike.

Look! I have a Florida tan around my watch!! I love FL so much!! There are so many awesome people, I love Gulf Breeze, I love Mission work. Sis Nielson P.S. They have not had a hurricane here for 10 years and are expecting one this year! OH MY!!

Hi everyone!! Well I have made it one week in Gulf Breeze and I am still loving it so so much!!

Here is a photo of the Pensacola Beach sign - a giant beach ball! I can't believe I am really here!

Sister Nielson and Sister Stewart in our car! We get 500 miles a month, so we drive to our area...

Then we unload our bikes from the bike rack on the car and ride! I love it more because I have gotten to know more of the members and more families. The members here love the Sister Missionaries so are taken very good care of! I am thankful for that! It is starting to get a little more humid which is kinda weird but it could be worse! But overall the weather is just great! Well we are teaching a man named Max!! He is so awesome and his mom is the funniest southern person I have ever met! Y'all would love her so much, also Max! The catch with Max is, he has severe MS. He is in a wheelchair and has a hard time physically, its so hard for me to watch him because I have been around it at home, but still I love him so much I wish I could do more. Anyway, one Sunday he just showed up at church! (I wish everyone would do that!) He wanted to meet with us, so we did and he seems so interested! His mom is a little negative towards him and it makes me sick, because Max deserves all the love in the world. On Friday night we had a movie night so we invited Max to come and he did! After we walked him home, and Sis Stewart and I were walking back, I started to cry a little and I was thinking, "What the heck!? I barely know this guy and I already just feel so much love for him." Crazy how that is. I can honestly say my heart was changed that night because of Max. God really does love all his children, my hope for him is that he will be able to feel that love through us and that the Spirit will testify to Max and his mom what we are saying and teaching are true.

Here are all of our district's hands with stickers - lol! Mine is on the bottom - Big smilie face - my happiness in being a missionary in Florida!! We get to meet with less active members and there are quite a few!! I love meeting with them because it's nice to remind them that they are loved and Heavenly Father loves them too. We also get to teach members and that is awesome because not only are we teaching them, but they teach us! It's a win-win!! This week went by way too fast but good things are happening here in Gulf Breeze! Hope y'all have a blessed week! -Sis Nielson!! Love you all! xoxo

May 18, 2015 Sister Nielson and Sister Stewart Skyping at the Hall's home - they are in the Air Force and are an awesome family!! Mom, Thank y'all for Skyping me! It was good to see you and talk to you !! I am glad everything is going well at home :) Today I was doing personal study and read in John when the Savior was being crucified and he speaks of his mother...it hit me so hard! I was like, Wow!! Here we have Christ in so much pain on the cross suffering for all of us, but he acknowledges his mother! Wow I love that so much. So mom, thank you really for all the things you have done for me with my blog, sending me letters and packages. I can't thank you enough but I am so blessed and thankful!! I wish I could have thanked you more while I was at home. I didn't realize how much you do for me till I am gone and I don't always have you here. So thank you so much. I love you tons. Written letter: Family :) Well, I made it through Sunday! This past few days have been good! Some highlights: * Helping Hands (we give service to a thrift store) * Service for Arl family (not investigators but we love them) * We do movie night on Fridays - Mormon Messages and any LDS related movie for less actives and non-members

* Fort Pickens (I am on a Military base so its an old place to see and look around - so pretty!) This is our District at Fort Pickens: L-R: Elder Christensen, Elder Payne, Sister Stewart, Sister Kirton, Sister Nielson and Sister Seegrist. * We went to a play - "Spamalot" because some of the members were in it * Member dinners!! They are so fun! Members love feeding the missionaries! It is such a highlight for us! If you get the chance, please feed the missionaries! Overall I am doing really good. The weather is amazing! Well everyone, Thank you all again for EVERYTHING - package and all! Have a blessed week (that's what they say here!) :) XOXO Sister Sabrina Nielson P.S. We love letters! Sister Nielson and Sister Stewart: 7442 Navarre Parkway #107, Navarre, FL 32566

Arrival in Gulf Breeze, FL

Dear Brother and Sister Nielson:

Sister Nielson arrived safely to the Florida Tallahassee Mission. We were delighted to meet her and look forward to serving together in this wonderful part of the Lords kingdom. This entire mission is truly a great place to serve and we are confident your daughter will love the area and its people. There is truly a purpose she was called here by a Prophet of God. After completing routine details and having an interview, we conducted training about matters that pertain to her faithful service as a missionary. It is our desire to do everything possible to offer leadership and support as your daughter becomes the missionary the Lord expects her to be. Foremost in our efforts will be to insure the safety and well-being of your missionary. Beyond that, we will do all possible to help her meet her potential. It is easy for us to love missionaries and yours will be no different. We will try to be the best parents away from parents possible. As you pray for your missionary, pray for us to know how best to lead and guide your daughter. Write your daughter positive letters and emails that encourage obedience, effective study, hard work, and complete devotion to God. We commend you for your willingness to send a choice daughter away for a time. Your faith and goodness is reflected in your daughter and you should be very proud of her. We know that you will be blessed through your daughters service, and your testimony will be strengthened as her testimony grows in the gospel. This is a great time to be a missionary! We look forward to serving with Sister Nielson for the next eighteen months. This is a picture of Sister Nielson with her new companion and trainer, Sister Stewart . They will be serving in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Sincerely, President and Sister Bradley J. Smith Florida Tallahassee Mission.

Florida Tallahassee Mission Home

Hey Y'all!! I am now in FL!!

Well my first area is called Gulf Breeze and honestly I might not come home because it is so freaking pretty and the weather is so Prime!!! I love it here so much, the first few days where a little rough trying to figure everything out but its going good! I love our ward. They are so cute and so fun!!

My trainer and I are so different- it's so funny. But then I'll ask her something about herself and we are like the same! It's funny! She is from Idaho! Her name is Sister Stewart and she is the bomb! Well the South is so South!! Everyone rejects you, but they are so nice about it, I hate it because you just instantly want them to hear our message but no! Everyone here is a different religion. I haven't met any Mormons just walking around.

This is Brother Ard. He isn't a Member or an Investigator, but maybe we can get him to join! It's so different!! The people we visit and I know kind of are so awesome!!! Overall I love it and the humidity is so nice!! Hahah! It's so solid!! ;) I am about 3 hours away from Tally (Tallahassee), so its not too bad.

Oh I had to ride my bike and that was SOMETHING SO SCARY. Ha-ha! But it's so flat!! Oh and it is SO FLIPING GREEN!!!! I love it here!!!

Kissing the frog - will he turn into a Prince? If so, we will teach him the gospel!

I am so grateful that the Lord put me in Gulf Breeze. I know this is where I am supposed to be and couldn't be happier. I love the Gospel and Mission Work, even when it is so hard and pretty tiring, I love it. Love Ya'all, -Sister Nielson!