Last 100 yards. 3 Feb 2014

Aloha my dear Ohana, 

Well here's an update on the work in the lord's vineyard this week! 

Marty is getting baptized this SATURDAY! I am so so so so so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the wonderful miracles he's sent to me, throughout my entire mission. This one especially. It is just a confirmation that he loves me an is aware of me and my prayers. 

Our lessons with Marty this last week went well. We taught him the Word of Wisdom, and in another lesson Sabbath day and Law of Tithing. He has a few concerns about the Word of Wisdom. He wanted to understand why coffee and tea, but he said he would be willing to give it up and that he's ready to be baptized. Ahhh I just love this family so much. They don't understand english very well, but I just love them so much! 

We didn't get a chance to meet with Ty this week. Just couldn't coordinate. But we have a lesson tonight! 

We had interviews with President on Wednesday. And I feel like I had so many things I wanted to bring up with him, but then I got in there and realized that I didn't need to. Heavenly Father had already resolved a lot of my concerns and that I didn't need to bother President because they had already been addressed. But we had a good interview. He talked a lot of reading the book of mormon and finding that spiritual protection. I did mention to him that I wondered if I ever became the 4th kind of missionary and he reassured me that I was there the whole time. I guess I just wanted to hear it from him and confirm that I'd done everything that I could. 

I also got to be interviewed by Sister Warner, and the first thing she asked is how are you doing, I told her I was doing good and then she just started shaking her head, and mentioned about my companion and how she doesn't know what to do to help her and how she cannot imagine being her companion. It was such a shock for me to hear this coming out of Sister Warner's mouth! But I just said that yes, sometimes I don't know what to do, but we're working which I am so grateful for. She gets up at 6:30 and lets me run while she walks and just follows. We're doing it! And my only advice was to just love her, that's all I can really do. Sister Robertson has mentioned she has felt more judged sometimes by the Warners. But they are just.. completely different. It was just interesting. But I absolutely love Sister Warner! 

On Friday we did service for Elizabeth in the Rain! Cut her grass and all it was good. That night we also had dinner at the Warner's home! It was really fun. I was really excited to be there. I don't know if my companion was or not, I could tell she was a little on edge the whole time. But they were just so wonderful and got to hear a little bit about their families. I just love them so much. 

Saturday we were suppose to have dinner with this guy named Jon. His wife is a member, but he's been coming to church with her for 5 plus years or something. But he dodges the missionaries. But we talk to him at church and I think he's gotten used to us. We invited him to go to dinner with us on Saturday and that we'll treat. He texted us back and said that lunch would be better but that he will treat! He told us to meet him at Yummy's in the Manoa marketplace. Well we left an hour early because we didn't know where that was at. We got to manoa marketplace and drove around but didn't see yummy's anywhere. We tried calling everyone. And Jon wasn't responding to us either. We drove around all of Honolulu looking for yummys for about 2 hours! And till finally we gave up, then he called us at about 1:30 and said that he'd forgotten his phone and that they changed the name of the restaurant! He apologized and said he was waiting for us, but we'll have to do it another time. The adversary was working really hard on that one. This would have been the first time he'd ever done anything with missionaries. 

Welp. That was about my week. I feel so.. uhhhhh. I keep having dreams about coming home. But whenever I am home, I don't like it and I just want to be in Hawaii. I don't want to offend, but coming home is definitely more bitter than sweet right now. I love Hawaii with all my heart and soul. And leaving just sounds so unbearable. I love being a missionary. It has changed my life forever. 

 I do not want to come home. Only having one full week left of proselyting is so weird. This transfer hasn't been easy, but at the same time I don't want it to ever end! On February 1st we were at a baptism and I leaned over to Sister Bown and asked if I could tell her a secret, she leaned in close and I whispered, "Today is my 18th month mark" my eyes started to water and she gave me a big hug and said that that gave her chicken skin. I cannot believe it. All is well, all is well. 

Well last 100 yards right here. I am going out sprinting! 

I love you all so much! Have a fabulous week.

Love, 

Sister Nielsen