Utah Bound

A sweet ending

Something Good:

I was able to see Pamela one more time and it was a sweet sweet moment. I thought it would be fun to paint her nails and she loved it and soaked it right up. She has been such a sweet light in my life. Its amazing how much she has taught me in such a short time. I will miss her so much, but will always be grateful she let me be apart of her life. 

As a district we had the fun chance to carve pumpkins at the Fast's house. I chose to carve the state "Utah" cause you know, ill be home soon! Ah! Time slow down. This district though has been SO fun. We have grown and learned a lot. I will miss these friends so much!!

 

Something Sweet:

Brother and Sister Fast surprised me with a few going home presents. They have been so sweet and loving to me. I adore them and appreciate everything they have done for me. Their daughter Trinity drew me this drawing..how beautiful is that!?! Wow. I am feeling so loved!! 

Lessons Learned:

I don't really know where to start, but I feel like I just started my mission yesterday. I can't believe that this is the last week on my mission. My heart is just so full to a loving Heavenly Father for letting me serve in the Florida Tallahassee Mission. It has been the hardest thing I have done in my life so far, but it has been the best thing I have done in my life so far. I would do it all over again for all the wonderful experiences I have had. 

Missions are full of up's and downs.

There have been so many times for me that I have wanted to give up, times where I have felt at my lowest, times where I didn't think I could do it, and times that have challenged my faith, but overall I am so thankful for all those times, because through those moments I have had the best moments to see the Lords hand in my life, he has taught me through the spirit and his love how to keep going when it is so hard, how to find the joy of trials, and the happiness of the Gospel.

I know now what it means to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and where true happiness and love comes from. I'm not the perfect person, and I still have a lot to learn and I am so grateful the opportunity to keep progressing in the Gospel. 

I know that all that Heavenly Father asks of us is to keep trying, we don't have to be perfect, but we do need to try to be better. The Gospel does bring True Happiness and the Best Light that we have to go through the darkness that we face in our lives.

 I know that the Book of Mormon brings comfort to our souls and truth to our hearts. It indeed testifies of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know it. I know that Heavenly Father is real, he is our loving Heavenly Father and he does everything to help us to come back to him. 

I love missionary work, it definitely is NOT easy, but the Joy that comes from it, makes it 1,000,000 worth it. 

Y'all, I just love the Lord so much. He has been nothing but the best to me. I know that everything that I shared about the Gospel is true, and if the Savior asked me to serve this mission again, I would do it in a heart beat. I love my Jesus! He is my Master, my Example, my Redeemer, and my Friend. 

I feel so blessed and so lucky to be apart of the Lords Kingdom on Earth! Thank you everyone for all the love and support while I have been out, I can not express with words how grateful I am.

 I thank the Lord daily for everything he has given me in my life and the blessing he gave me to serve him.

P.S. In Transit:

Photos sent from some kind, knowing someone at the Atlanta airport where very excited missionaries are ready to board the aircraft to Salt Lake City  and jump into the arms of their waiting families.

SEE YOU SOON!!!
XOXO!!

Thunder Week on the Beach

"The Lord will shape the back to bear the burden that has been placed upon it."-Pres Monson 

Something Good:

Okay, well this week in PCB was something called, Thunder Beach Week...and for us with busy schedules, it was something else! For those who don't know what Thunder Beach is, well its a time for ALL the bikers in the world to come to the beach and have the biggest Harley Davidson convention ever. Someone told us that there where about 50,000 bikes and people there just for the convention! It was crazy!! It was cool for a bit, but after being stuck in traffic for an hour and crazy bikers..I was more than happy to see them go. :) But it was cool! The Turnages wanted to make us dinner before I went home, so this week we had dinner with them and a lesson! They are doing so well and progressing, each one of them. Patsy and Aaleiagh where able to come to our Super Saturday for relief society and they LOVED it. We went and saw Miss Pamela, on Sunday, which was her birthday! She got moved to a new rehab center and is still getting better, she is doing a ton better, she is so excited to be baptized when she is well, I might not be there when she is, but I know she will be 100% happy when she is, and that makes me 100% happy. :) Paul and Paula came down and we had a wonderful visit! Paul told me that he received the Melchizedek Priesthood just recently and I am SO proud of him, and so proud of Paula for progressing in the Gospel. I sure do love them with my whole heart! This week has been crazy busy, but I am so thankful for the ability to have so many things to do and so much service to give! 

The Calloway Sister Missionaries joined on P-Day and we got to take them to the beach! Awesome!!

Tender Mercy:

So something Sis Law and I keep noticing in our companionship is that whenever we have a conversations that we don't realize that are spirit led, it can be so random, but that later in the day we end up using what we talked about earlier with the person we are helping and than we realize that the spirit was preparing us to know what to share with those we see. This has literally happened to us ALL week. It has been amazing. I am so thankful for a wonderful companion who is more than just a companion but a friend. I sure do love her and I am so thankful for all the spiritual moments we have had together! 

Something Learned:

This week I was reminded that there is opposition in all things. I have been struggle with a lot of mixed emotions about the end of my mission and what really hit me was our lesson yesterday! Sis Ballif a lady in our ward taught relief society and the topic was the talk by Elder Oaks about Opposition. And for some reason I didn't really understand opposition till coming on a mission. Here I came on a mission to serve the Lord, I thought missionary life would be so fun and nice and easy...but man! It is those things, but little did I know how hard and difficult it would be. I love his talk because he says..."Opposition permits us to grow toward what our Heavenly Father would have us to become." And dang! He is so right! Everything good and everything bad have a reason for us, there are lessons to learn in the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. There have been moments for me when all I am trying to do is my best, and I still have opposition, even when we are doing the right things, I think it is the way we take the opposition that is most important, that's when we see what Heavenly Father is teaching us or how we are growing. Check out the talk! It is one of my favs! https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/opposition-in-all-things?lang=eng

One of my favorite little sayings that Sis Dann always says when we have lessons with her and she feels the spirit is..."Thank you Jesus!"

Gotta add my little "Thank you Jesus" for all that he does for me! Yall have a happy week!!! Love you peaches!! 

Sister Nielson