Aloooooooha my dear Nielsen ohaaaaaaaaana!
Well.. It has been such and eventful week! I have so much to say, but I will try my best to tell you everything that's in my head.
Ok. First off I love being a Sister Trainer. I don't know if I've really explained to you what that is. It's an additional calling, comparable to a district leader but I'm over Sisters. I coordinate exchanges and I go to an additional meeting on fridays and get to fill out comp reports to president at the end of every transfer. We also get to attend ZLC. Where Zone Leaders and President get together and talk about how we can help the misison. Theirs a sister trainer on every island and 2 on Oahu and Big Island. This week I went on 2 exchanges. I always go to their area that way I can see how they are doing. So Sis. Hudson is doing an excellent job taking over the area for a day! But I love these Sisters. They are so wonderful! At the end of every exchange we do an evaluation, and just talk about our day and how it went and what goals they have. And then I get to tell them how great they are and what suggestions I have for them. But I LOVE it. I love serving and helping them. It just makes me feel so good. They each are going through their different struggles and I know that everything I have gone through the first half of my mission, having so much success with Sis. Wright and then all my different companions and area changes were given to me so I could help these Sisters. I just love them. I know I came on my mission being 21 and at this time to I can learn and experience this wonderful opportunity to serve them. And help them with anything they need.
My first exchange was with Sister Hammond. She's been out for almost 2 transfers now. Sis. Kimmons is her trainer and she's one from our first group of youngins. She is so awesome. Our day was good together! This was basically her first exchange in her mission and I think taking over the area was a little different that she was used to. On our exchange we ran into a Jehovah Witness. They are roaming this island like coconuts going on trees. We had an appt with a lady they had tracted into earlier. When we got to the house we found a little boy who was about 9 was outside playing with his pet pig. We talked to him for a bit and he said that the lady we were looking for would be home in a few minutes. So we just decided to wait and talk to him for a bit. We asked him if he went to church and he said that Carol comes over and teachs him about God and Jesus Christ. He then went and got his Bible to show us. I was looking at the Bible trying to figure out what translation is was when a car drove up and a woman got out of the car. She was wearing a skirt, and looked at us very suspecitiously. She had the same bible in her hands only a newer copy. I tried just talking with her and being friendly. She answered my questions and then we kind of discussed a little bit about religion. She explained to me the Jehovah is God. And showed me where it says it in the bible. I listened and then would try and ask her an inspired question. She was getting very.. Passionate about everything she was saying. The whole time I was thinking "Chirstians don't fight with Christians" I'd try to bear my testimony but she would just cut we off. We weren't getting anywhere. I felt like I was very calm and wasn't getting frustrated, but she didn't seem happy that we were at this family's home. Then the 9 year old said "Are you guys fighting?" I wasn't saying or doing anything of the sort! But if that's what it appeared to be I was DONE with whatever we were talking about. She assured him that we weren't but that we were discussing and said some things about us that weren't true. We left feeling not as good was when we walked up. I wasn't trying to fight, she was just so close minded that she wouldn't listen to a thing. Something I think that I am SO happy I don't have to judge people. Because I know she loves Jesus Christ. She gets door slammed in her face just as much as I do, but I don't have to judge her. Jesus Christ has that job. Phew.
On my second exchange I was with Sister Lebaron. She's been out for almost 2 transfers as well, but she's training! She got called to be a trainer after 5 weeks. We had such a fun day together as well! But the most strangest thing happen. By no coincident at all ofcourse. We had about 15 minutes before dinner and just decided to go knock on some doors. The first door we knocked on a little japanese woman opened the door and she allowed us to pray with her. Right after the prayer she said.. " I know who you are" she then explained to us that in japan she had met some misisonaries and gotten baptized. That she was a faithful member of the church for 30 years. She'd gone through the temple and send 3 of her sons on missions. But she always had a question and she could never get it answered. She then explained that when she started reading the bible she came closer to God than by the Book of Mormon. It was so.. interesting. We just listened and I asked her lots of questions. You could tell she had thirsted for knowlegde at some point and that she was reading the wrong material to find the answers. She mentioned things about Joseph Smith and the Propegi (sp?) (Pearl of great Price stuff) She had completely lost her testimony. We testified to her about faith and about Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith. That we couldn't answer all of her questions, but that she needed to take them to God. We invited her to watch General Conference and she said she would. I know we were guided there for a reason. I really hope she watched General conference. Elder Hollands talk especially.
Ahhh! I'm running out of time! But I have one more story for you! It's a lot like the others I have told, but it was about Sis. Hudson and I tracting. And we ran into a black man, but started saying all this stuff about how we discriminated him with not allowing the priesthood to be given to blacks. Ahh.. It just been an interesting week. I feel like I've been thrown at by all this anti mormon crap and my testimony has just been a little bit attacked. But I want to make it clear. I KNOW that this is true. Nothing that they said is going to change what I already know.
General conference was SOOOO good! I loved it.
I love you guys!
S. Nielsen
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