Week 3

I honestly don't know what to write in these emails anymore! So much happens, but then I feel like so little happened! Last week Sorella Tingey and I were able to go to the temple! On our walk to the temple is was probably like 120 degrees and we were so pumped when we got inside. The Initiatories were spectacular, but as we were walking out of the temple all of the sudden we realize it is POURING RAIN!!! hahaha we had no jackets, no umbrella, haha just picture my cute companion and I SPRINTING through pouring rain to get back to the MTC!!! hahaha so funny, lots of laughs. 

We got caught in the rain!

My district!!!  left to right... Anziano Bruggaman and Anziano Farnsworth. Sorella Tingey, Sorella Nelson and Anziano Housman and Pyper

Church is true!  My awesome Zone!

Sorella Nelson with Sorella Tingey

The District

Another AWESOME EXPERIENCE... On Monday we had five minutes till we needed to go teach our investigator and Sorella Tingey and I realized neither of us were on the same page on the subject of the lesson. We were frustrated and definitely learned how important communication is from this but anyway... Sorella Tingey said the prayer right before our lesson and I realized I needed to quickly get over our miscommunication or we wouldn't be able to work together and have the spirit (And I am sooo glad I did). Sorella Tingey started the lesson with a personal experience with the scriptures (Our investigator is struggling with seeing why the scriptures are important) and then I was just clueless as to what to say, since I didn't have this lesson prepared, I then knew I needed to share my thoughts regarding what we had assigned Rafaela to read (the atonement in 2 Nephi 9). Basically I opened my mouth and spoke Italiano like never before! I told her all about Nefi and how he knew and had faith in the Atonement and told her all about how much these stories mean to me. I just kept going and going and going! I asked her if she understood that God loved her and at that moment I felt like a real missionary. I felt so much love for her as an investigator and felt so much love from Heavenly Father that I just started crying as I explained this to her! BEST FEELING OF MY WHOLE LIFE. After the lesson, Sorella Tingey and I hugged and just relished the moment of having an awesome possum lesson!

Language is comin! I have D&C 4, the first vision, and the baptism invite memorized in Italiano so far, so I'm pretty proud of myself actually!

Another funny: Every Sunday we can go see movies, my zone went to "Legacy" HILARIOUS!!! imagine a huge room full of missionaries watching this cheesy, love story, pioneer, movie! hahaha it was priceless. I love missionaries!

Lesson learned this week: My district has so much fun together so it's super easy to get distracted... We were goofing off and just so happened to have a lesson regarding time management from Fratello Wirtham... Basically if we aren't giving our whole effort, we can't expect any help from our Heavenly Father! 

Con Amore, Sorella Nelson :)

Week 2

MTC District with one of our teachers

In my zone there are 4 Sorelle, three of us going to Roma, one going to Milano. Sorella Serena from Argentina is the one going to Milano. Of the 20 Anziani, only 6 are going to Milano, two are in my district. Anziano Farnsworth and Anziano Bruggaman!   I love my district soooooo much!!! This last Sunday was probably one of the most wonderful days of my life! We had an awesome meeting in the morning about not giving up and the speaker was just a hoot! Anyway, the day continued with a wonderful sacrament meeting, for a special musical number, I had two Anziani from a different district who are awesome singers sing to an arrangement of "I Need Thee Every Hour" in Italiano! SOOOOO PRETTY!!! Then we had awesome talks, and awesome devotional that night about how to be a happy successful missionary! That Sunday night we had over 1,900 missionaries in the MTC. They related us to the 2,000 stripling warriors which was a cool thought. Then that night, we could pick which church movie we wanted to go see! We chose the "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar which is SOOOOOO GOOD! LOOK IT UP!   As a district, we like to have "family" prayer before bed. Before that we all went around and said what we liked about the day, these Anziani are seriously going to kill it in the field. Their testimonies are so sweet and sincere! We all knelt together for prayer and there was just the best feeling of love. Basically we are besties for the resties.

The MTC Squad

I'm trying to think of what to write about this last week, it feels like we have done nothing, but yet we have done sooo much! We now have two new investigators (our teachers)! These lessons have gone so well and seriously the gift of tongues is real people! Il Spirito Santo really helped me out. Just yesterday, during our lesson with "Valeria" I was able to remember all the verbs that I've been having a really hard time with and was able to recite the whole first vision from memory in Italiano! (that has never happened since -  that perfect anyway), it was super cool, and the best parts of our lessons is when we bear our testimonies in Italiano. We don't know all the words to gospel concepts for our lessons, but we sure can bear our testimony about how we know Joseph Smith saw Padre Celeste e Gesu Cristo!

The MTC is just a great place, lot's of Elders and Sisters like to share spiritual messages with you if you are outside for study time. Sometimes they will share their message in the language they are learning so that is way cool too! Tomorrow we have what is called TRC which is basically like home teaching/visiting teaching. Volunteers that speak Italiano come in and we teach them a quick little 20 minute lesson! Should be great!

Sisters at the Provo Temple

Sorella Tingey is still FANTASTIC. I still struggle with how quiet she is, since it makes it hard for me to know what she is thinking and what she wants to do, but it's getting better!

LOVE, Sorella Nelson!!! 

Another with Sorella Anstead and the District

The District with Fratello Wortham

The District with Sorella Russell

Sorella Sirena made this for Anz. Bruggeman's B-day

Dixie friend Elder Dallin Milne

The things that happen in class...

Study time

Week 1

Oh my goodness!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! When I first arrived I was sad, but as soon as I took about 20 steps I was so happy!!! I am constantly surrounded by peers who share the same desire to spread the gospel and are trying to better themselves each and everyday so we can influence the lives of others through the gospel!! To describe being a missionary would be like describing salt... There is nothing like it! We wake up at 6:30, personal prayer, get ready, personal study in classroom from 7-8, breakfast at 8, gym, class for hours, lunch, extra study time, then more class, then we have dinner, personal study, companion study, and language study, bedtime. Then we wake up the next day and hit repeat! 

MTC companion
Sister Tingey

My collega! Her name is Sorella Tingey! She was born in Utah, but moved to Germany because her dad is a teacher on a military base! She then came back to BYU for two years. She is super quiet, which is a little hard, but as I've prayed for patience and to see her as Christ does, I LOVE HER! She contributes so much to lessons and tries to be very obedient. Something that I love doing with her is sand volleyball with the Anziani against the Germans and after meals when we have a little time we go find a piano and she and I harmonize to hymns as I play the piano. It feels so good to just sing and play! I was called as the music coordinator for our branch so I am in charge of music for Sunday and special musicals number every week! SO much fun! 

Our branch (zone) consists of 20 Anziani and 4 Sorelle. I adore every single one of the Anziani e Sorelle! So many different personalities coming together in our zone just makes it complete felicita' (happiness)! We have an Anziano that was converted a year ago, some who's families have fallen away, lots went to college before the mish and it's a huge variety all over! Basically we are all best friends and it's going to be sad when the Roma and Milano missionaries are separated.

My very first class... in ITALIANO! Every class begins with a hymn in Italiano, a prayer, in Italiano, repeating the missionary purpose statement, in Italiano, and then class begins. My teachers here are Sorella Anstead and Sorella Russell. They are literally so wonderful except they don't say one English word the entire class time! I have gotten to the point where I understand what they are saying but still can't quite form the words to answer. The first day we were asked to memorize the missionary purpose statement in Italiano by that Saturday, and I am proud to say that I have it memorized flawlessly! We were then taught how to pray in Italiano, This is one of my favorite things about the language. Calling our Heavenly Father, Padre Celeste and knowing that He understands what I am saying is probably one of the best feelings ever! 

On Friday we had our first lesson with our investigator and we have had three more since. Her name is Michela and she only speaks Italiano! Our first two lessons were super duper rough because of the language barrier, so I suggested that we pray right before we knock on her door. We also start and end the lessons with preghera and I can tell it helps soooo much! Because the Spirito Santo is present I'm able to form sentences and say the prayers in Italiano! When Sorella Tingey and I bear our testimonies in Italiano that is my favorite part of the lessons! Even though Michela probably isn't a real investigator I can tell she is feeling the wonderful Spirito as we bear our testimonies in Italiano and it's coming from our hearts.

For language study when the teachers are gone, we have a learning program called T.A.L.L. we share the computer lab with the Germans who are on our same floor so it's always a race to see if the Italiani or Germans get there first. Basically we put on headphones and there is a mic that we speak into. This program lets us select terms for different lessons that we will teach. It quizzes us on the words and our pronunciation. It helps a ton with pronunciation. I say the words over and over until I feel like I've got it down. 

The devotionals here are great. This Tuesday we had a retired member of the Seventy come speak. He reminded us that we are not perfect and always in need of the Savior. One thing I loved from his talk was when he said that during our missions we will realize that the Savior is our best friend for now and eternity. I am starting to feel that friendship with the Savior as I try to be a better missionary everyday. Mediante l'espiazione di Cristo noi possiamo essere purificati dal peccato e possiamo ritornare a vivere alla presenza di Dio! Without Christ there is no possible way that we could return to our Padre Celeste!

Today we get to go to the temple and I am so pumped!!! I got to see Sister (Harper) Forsgren, Sister (Sadie) Hughes, Sister (Abby) Freeman, Elder (Ian) Clark, Sister (Alyssa) Carey, Sister (Kati) Singer this past week which has been lots of fun!

Love you all so so so much!!! Sorella Nelson

A rainy day send off......

 

Typical first day of school picture only 

this time she's going to the Provo MTC

Last lunch at Cheescake Factory

Family Selfie at Provo Temple right 

before the "Drop" at the MTC

Warm hug and greeting from MTC Sister Greeter

So many tears from everyone as we say goodbye.

And just like that.....She's on her way. 

Pictures........

Birthday Surprise!!!!

Sky View High School friends leaving
on missions at same time.