Fear No Man

Hola y'all!
     This week was really great! We had a lot of work to do! Two of our investigators are ready for baptism but are unmarried. We have really been working with them trying to prep them, but it's kind of a standstill. Then, the next day, we meet another great couple just starting the lessons but again unmarried. Then again this week, we tracted into a family who took the discussions 8 years ago and were really strong, but upon further investigation, we found out the reason they were never baptized was because they were unmarried and didn't want to be married. So that has been quite the struggle this week. We have really been working hard to figure out what to do, so if anyone has any suggestions, we are open to them. So six of our investigators are unmarried so.... It a work in progress. 
     This week, in district meeting, we were introduced to a talk called The Ricardo Letter. It was just a letter an elder wrote about his trainer and basic missionary things. It was really insightful and has given us some things to work on. One of main points of the letter is to fear no man. We have really been trying to put this in to practice by talking to every Hispanic person we see. So one morning a group of Hispanics were laying mulch outside during companion study. We followed them around and started talking to them, but they were working so it was hard. So we went to the dollar store next to our apartment and bought Tampico Popsicles and handed them out during their break. The boss was so pleased he let us talk to all the people. Another thing we have tried is walking into peoples' houses without invitations. It sounds weird, but once your in their house, they are so much more willing to listen. So I have definitely found myself on the couch of random Hispanic people while my comps wait at the door. So that's always fun. Look for a conversation piece and walk in, and talk and then the teaching follows. 
     Spanish is definitely a blessing in these parts, Spanish people will come up to us in stores to ask how we know Spanish and give us THEIR numbers so we can call them sometime. Then they ask if the blonde mute girl can talk also.... Spanish is still a work in progress.
     Things I've learned from the Hispanic people - They trust their dreams more than anything you will ever say, so dream confirmation is very important in our teaching. They are very touchy/feely. They will kiss your cheek and rub your back and it's not uncommon for one to just hold you hand in Sunday School. I'm not used to that one, but whatever. Talk about food with them. It's important. It means everything to them. I must clearly remember what I ate for every meal that day because if you walk in a Hispanic's home, they will ask for a report, and if you can't remember or they decide it's not enough, they will make you food on the spot.
     Something I learned from Nashville - never miss a fireside or devotional because they always contain music and famous people. But of course it must stay unannounced for safety reasons because they are so famous. Yesterday, we went with P---- to a fireside in Franklin, and we heard it might have music, but we didn't know much. It turned out to be an Easter-themed concert with Nashville tribute band Due West, Nathan Pacheco, and David Archuleta! And most people just thought it was pretty casual, but that is a fringe benefit of serving in Nashville...music is everywhere!
     Hope everyone had a awesome Easter! And were able to remember Christ and everything that day stands for. I know Easter has taken on a very special meaning this year for me. 
Les amo!
Hermana Nielson
P.S. This is a picture of the sisters and us in our best Easter clothes! And a picture of David Archuleta

Embarazada

     This week was really good. First thing first -- P---- got baptized yesterday!!! It was such a wonderful day. She has such faith and has worked so hard to be here! It really was such a sweet day. I felt like a little mom helping her know what to do. She really did glow after she came out of the water. It was so great!
     The next best thing this week was a little thing I like to call mission meeting. It was pretty chill. Elder David A Bednar came and changed our lives, nbd. It really was so amazing it was unlike any church meeting I've ever been in. We had some prepared talks to read from him before and then it was just a giant question and answer sesh, but it was so much more. I have never seen such amazing teaching by the Spirit. He really talked a lot about learning things that hadn't been said. One of my favorite things he talked about was Agency and how it's so much more than having choice. It's deeper. He spoke about not being an object to be acted upon but to act and inviting our investigators to do the same. I'm sure most of what he said had been said before, but the environment was so prime for spiritual learning. It really was special. He was a little shorter than
I expected and really funny, but he emanated love and I felt like we were friends.
     Other than the really exciting things, this last week was a learning experience. We were on foot so we couldn't accomplish as much as we would've liked to. We have been having really good success with the new #hallelujah video. It immediately invites the Spirit. There has been a lot of bible bashing this week, but everyone seems to be more religious coming up on Easter (if you can believe that's possible). 
     A lot of really crazy and sad things have been happening with investigators and member and everyone we meet, but what is wonderful is that the atonement message always applies whether they want to apply it or not. Easter and spring are such a new renewing time, it's so wonderful.
One of our investigators, C---, (he's from Mexico) took a Book of Mormon from us about two weeks ago, but we couldn't see him until this last Friday. We had to meet him at a Arby's cause we can't go in his house. He had a lot of questions and had read the entire introduction more than once. He felt strongly the power in the introduction but didn't realize that wasn't the beginning of the book. It was cool because we gave him a verse to read and he explored so much on his own. He really wants to know and was deeply touched that the book was written about his ancestors.
We have such amazing members who do so much for us. See what the missionaries need in your area and help them. Go out with them because member presence is a really true amazing blessing for missionaries (but try not to talk too much. That's something we are trying to figure out how to resolve).
     Who ever invented Spanish and decided to make the word for "pregnant" the exact cognate as "embarrassed" was probably a huge prankster. The embarrassment never ends!
     The weather was way nice this week! Mega nervous for the humidity because everything is in bloom.

Love y'all
Hermana Nielson

P.S. Here is P----, and a quick, little pre-font selfie.

Hope Floats ... or At Least It's Waterproof‏

Hola! 

This email is coming a little late because for our P-day adventure to downtown Nashville!

This week was awesome! We had so many great experiences, even with all the rain. I feel like people are most receptive in the rain. They are feeling down and then our message of hope comes. I have decided to include a few more key indicators (things we report). First, numbers of inches rained. Second, number of water bottles received. Third, number of doors knocked on. Finally, number of cheek kisses received. We have had wonderful numbers this week. We met all of our goals, and we even achieved 40% member prescence which we really wanted. 

We went on exchanges this week! It was pretty fun. Sister B------ came to our area, and Sister E----- and I paired up. Every single lesson and visit we had canceled. We basically just tracted for the whole day. An amazing thing happened though -- One of the last houses we tracted was a referral from the elders because Spanish speakers were there. They refer us to these homes because they couldn't talk to them. They sent us that referral about a week previous. When we knocked on the door, a man answered but said nobody lived there and he was just the construction worker ( he spoke Spanish). He was actually a member who just moved to town and was inactive. So we shared with him all about the Spanish ward. It was an amazing coincidence. 

On Friday we had the most amazing lesson with a man named P----. He may be an eternal investigator. We think he has been investigating for 4 years. It was our last lesson before we were going to drop him. We taught him and his girlfriend straightforward about the purpose of the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so strong. They were considering getting married so they could be baptized. We would love to see that happen.

On Saturday we had 5 member-present lessons which is huge for our area because our ward is not huge. We had 9 for the whole week! 

The Easter initiative came out yesterday. It's so cool we have already shared it with some people!  Watch it! followhim.mormon.org

This morning we played volleyball with some Relief Society ladies from the surrounding wards. It was very competitive lets just say. Then we went downtown with a couple from the English ward in our building, and the Smith Springs English sisters. It was so awesome! We went around and saw the sights and got a feel for downtown Nashville. Then we got some real Nashville fried chicken which is like Kentucky Fried Chicken but really spicy and served with bread. It was really fun. 

The members we went with, the Gates, the husband is the lead singer in Due West and a big part of the Nashville tribute band. There is an "I'm a Mormon" video about them. Tim Gates. Watch it. It's cool. 

My spiritual thought is on faith. If we want to learn by faith or have our prayers answered by faith, we have to be willing to act.  It gives new meaning to the principle "faith without works is dead."  We just can’t ask Heavenly Father to help us with the work or help us improve or to even help us learn by the Spirit without a firm determination to act. And we have to do the same with our investigators. We have to help them see that when they are prepared to ACT…then the Spirit will take what we are teaching them into their hearts.

I hope everything is well with y'all! 

Love, 

Hermana Nielson

Smile and Wave!

Hola!
Oh man this week has been loco. Lots of crazy stuff has happened. 

First we moved apartments. It was quite the under taking. We moved across the complex to a two bedroom apt. because the complex doesn't allow 3 missionaries in a one bedroom apt. It was kind of a struggle because it was so last minute. The real struggle came when we had to move our stuff. We were without the car this week (so we walked everywhere), and we decided to haul our stuff by ourselves to our new apt. We could've walked all the way around the apartments but that would've been like half a mile. Or we could cut through in between some apartments and cut our distance in half. So that's what we did, and it would've been fine and dandy, but it's been pretty rainy lately and it was especially rainy that day. The short cut had two hills that formed a ditch which had an impromptu river running through it. Long story short - imagine three girls carrying everything they own traversing the slippery muddy slopes. After a couple hours the Elders came to help (also without a car) Now you have 5 missionaries covered head to toe in mud and soaking wet. The washer and dryer was difficult to move, but we got it there in one piece. 

My companion threw out her back moving, and we had to stay inside on Friday. But we really hit the ground hard tracting this week. It can be a vaguely interesting experience, especially when you speak Spanish. My favorite contact was a man named G-------. He seemed very interested at first, and when we started talking, he told us he was studying with the Jehovah's Witnesses. He also dissed on Mormons for like 10 minutes not realizing we were Mormon. Imagine a bible bash with a JW in full Spanish. I was more than thoroughly confused. When they talk really fast, I get about every third word and that's about how fast the topics changed. 

I really love the south. If you say the word Jesus, they are immediately your best friend. And Latinos love you if you speak Spanish, and they give you nicknames and stroke your hair. They are so great. 

They also make you pupusas. It's El Salvadorian, and it is so delicious. The Latinas are the best cooks. I have tried so many delicious things, and they love to eat with their hands, which I also love. We eat usually 3 times a week with members. The food is face melting good and different. The Latinas are impressed with my high spicy tolerance! I am practicing my cooking skills to really impress you! I'm going to be Aunt Regina status when I get back.

We had to change P-----'s baptism from this Sunday to next Sunday because she hasn't been to church 3 times in 5 weeks. :(  It is so sad because she is so prepared and excited. 

Another great story - Last Tuesday we got caught in a heavy rainstorm on the way to an appointment, and we got so wet. We showed up to the appointment and could ring out our skirts and shirts and dump water from our bags. It was so fun! We are teaching some

incredible people who have such faith.
A miracle this week - We were able to get our apt. It was such a struggle. We had until Thursday until we would be outside the grace period of having three in a small apt. We prayed that we could find something and the next day we got word we could move in on Thursday!

My mission president is awesome, but they leave this June to go home. They really are awesome! In my first interview, President Andersen told me if I am perfectly obedient, I will see many miracles. I will see success through obedience. I try to do that everyday like the stripling warriors. Also, Elder David A. Bednar is coming to visit our mission on March 19th. Can't wait.

The work really is amazing! I love service! Les quiero muchisimo! (I love y'all)

Hermana Nielson

Here is a picture of my zone. Yes, I am the mountain woman in the back.