Florida Winters......one day

Dear Family and Friends:

Miracles this week!

Katelyn is getting baptized on Wednesday, she passed her interview, we have dinner and a lesson with her and the young women's president tonight! She has been in the home of pretty much everyone of the members of Ward Council for a lesson. She is on fire! Next week she will be a member. She posted on Facebook this week to everyone that she is going to be baptized next wednesday into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and if anyone wants to come or has any questions about mormons then to just ask her, it was so cool!

One  family we are working with Is struggling to keep reading assignments and Praying about the Restoration. The father just hasn't found the desire to want to be baptized or join. He is a very relaxed man. She is still working toward her baptism. They had us over for dinner, they are very kind but we will see if the father keeps commitments from here on out. We may have to give him some time.

One of the girls we were teaching with a young women told us that she was not sure if it was all true. She is very young still and we think the decision to be baptized was more of an empty desire and kind of a social thing. We explained what the commitment of baptism was and I think she is not ready for that. Which isn't exactly a bad thing. We want to help the church grow. So we will see what happens.

Members are stepping up to the PLATE! We have a family who Elder Spach and I look up to very much. They just graduated from BYU and moved out here for Medical School and he is a Priesthood Leader in the HOME! Picture perfect! they have a little baby too. He is a Ward missionary, Bro. Stewart is his name. He is magnifying his calling. They gave a Book of Mormon to their friends and they accepted it and read some of the verses that were marked before and loved it. Well he went back to follow up and set up an appointment with them for this week! He is a rock star! Everyone should take notes from this family. We will tell you how it goes.

One of the YSA members has been working on her friend and she was asking questions this week and finally he just asked her, do you want to meet with the missionaries and they can answer them? and she said sure! ha, and we messaged her on Facebook and she said she would love to meet with us! it was too good to be true. 

Sunday two families brought people to church. I cannot stressed enough the power of MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK!

I love it so much. 

A missionary came home from Brazil this week in the ward, it was cool to hear him speak and we also had missionary prep for the YM in the ward, they asked us to come and talk about preparing for a mission. I thank Heavenly Father for this ward i am in. I hope I stay here for the remainder of my Mission. We have a YM who comes with us a lot. Will Turner. He studies with us sometimes too. But he got his mission call. Portugal! 

There is a missionary spirit in the Palmetto ward. I hope you take it and magnify it in your ward as well. 

Be not afraid:Only Believe

Elder Nelson

The Young Men of the Palmetto Ward!  

 

 

p.s. I forgot! Elder Zwick of the Seventy came this week. Holy Cow he changed my life. He came with a man from the Missionary Department. We talked a lot about the iPads and how important it is that we learn how to use them effectively. The 12 have put a lot of time and concern into them. 

He told us a story when President Hinckly was the Prophet, that they all came to a meeting and President Hinckley starting talking and then started weeping, and finally said " we need to do more for our missionaries." That just really opened my eyes to how many people are concerned, for me. I just felt so important, and blessed to be a part of this work. 

Elder Zwick shared what it was like to have Elder Scott as a mission president and how he had to go into Bolivia and Build a chapel! and how we don't have to do that, but we do have to figure out how to use these iPads.

It was amazing.

3 Nephi 7

Hello Family and Friends,

This week the highlights were:

Katelyn changed and solidified a baptism date for Feb. 25th. We announced it in church on Sunday. So its happening. She had the best week at mutual thus far coming to church! She told us after she has never felt so much that she belongs. She said the girls and the leaders just put no pressure and just pure love! and she feels so good when she is there. 

She invited us to hear her do a solo for Band, ( she plays a Euphonium… mini tuba ) and her mom was there too, so we met her mom. No blood was spilt, and apparently that helped! That same night her parents let Katelyn go on the ward campout and she had a great time! She is all set for her baptism, but she is beginning to feel the pure joy that comes from knowing the truth, but the deep sadness that comes from people who you love, denying it. I wish there was a way to fix that. We just told her to do all she can to be an example and let the light of the gospel shine. She is so fearless we can learn so much from her. 

Saturday night the Kidd's invited us over for dinner with them and Sis. Kidds sister who just returned home from her mission in Brazil. It was so fun, very nice to get to know them a little better and to feel the fire of this Returned Sister. She is all about helping us get them baptized. Sis. Kidd is picking a date for both of them to get baptized, and Chris is agreeing to go though with it if he gets an answer that it is true. Which he knows he will. He just needs to actually READ IT! he watched the Restoration movie and has come to church 3 times in a row now. So its looking very good! 

Last night, the Sarasota Stake was asked to Host a multi-congregational choir performance for people of Sarasota, conducted by Ryan Murphy, the associate Director of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Yes it was amazing and there were so many people there. Elder Spach got a picture with him and we both shook his hand. The hand of greatness… 

I have been studying a lot about the missionaries in the Book of Mormon, searching for ways that they accomplished their purpose and fulfilled what they were called to do. I want so deeply to just do all that Heavenly Father wants me to do. One that I am blown away with, is in 3 Nephi Ch. 7. Nephi was living in a city where many missionaries and Prophets had come and been stoned one after another, and these secret combinations were causing so much destruction. And as Nephi watched this he couldn't take in anymore, and went to the same towns where these people had JUST killed the last missionaries, and preached the same stuff, EVEN BOLDER! 

That would be a transfer i would NOT want. and yet he did it. and because he had put so much work into his testimony, and had so many experiences, that he ministered with so much power and authority that it was not possible for the people to disbelieve ( verse 17 ). That is what a missionary should be, and just to make sure he was safe, Angels did minister unto him daily. He was never alone. I hope I can qualify for those blessing. So grateful I know the truth.

Please help us spread it. 

Be not afraid;Only Believe

Elder Nelson

Loving that pineapple

Valentines from Mom

Elder Spach trying some new drink from the Sister who 

recently returned from Brazil

I guess it was pretty nasty!

The Patten's Cookies

So, There is a family in the ward that I LOVE! their son loves missionary work and they are from Utah and they are soooo nice to us. BUT Sister Patten literally has magical chocolate chip cookies.  

The simple beauties of a mission. The Lord blesses you with Spiritual and Temporal Miracles. Some come in the form of Delicious pastries. Maybe if you guys find someone to baptize ill send some home! 

But, this family also shares the gospel! They along with two other families had Katelyn in their home to teach her a lesson! Its so cool. Every other day we teach her in a different families home! We just take them on the Palmetto Ward tour and teach them and feel the love from them. And they get to feel the spirit and testimony of these people and we get to spend time with the members its a win win! So family… or whoever is reading this. If you would like to help the missionaries, Call them right after this and ask them to come over to teach one of their investigators IN YOUR HOME! This is the most powerful way to help them!

Katelyn - who has had parental permission problems… took the Baptism and Confirmation record home… and got her parents to SIGN IT??? So she is setting a baptism date. Its either Saturday the 28th or March 4th. But can you believe that? She knows so strongly that this is true that she is just going to do it! I can't even tell you the feeling that comes when you are associated with people like her, or a part of miracles like this. But she is doing so well! Thank you for your prayers. I am confident that because of your prayers for her things are working out. Again, I ask you, don't pray for me. IM FINE! pray for these people we are teaching!! they need it and are getting so close to making covenants. 

Kidd Family - Well The wife had an interview with the Bishop on Sunday, and he said she can be Baptized ASAP.  What a miracle! And Her husband is right behind her. They have come twice in a row and Sister Kidd is so committed to establish this gospel in her family its unbelievable! 

Oliva - Olivia is new! but this is how simple it was. Her friend talked to her about the church. She asked some questions, and then said well hey do you want to learn about it? and she said yeah. And she's never been baptized and is now preparing for baptism with our help! Things are looking very promising with her. We will be teaching on Fb a few times this week and a couple times in person so please pray that she will keep going! She is very hungry for truth. 

Those are our top three people, and there are a few others who are close to being taught. 

My absolute favorite thing to do is to speak to the youth and associate with them. Well, the YW President asked us to do the Bishop Youth Fireside. It was awesome, we loved it, and we received some positive reviews too! Elder Spach and I created a powerpoint of pictures of us before our missions doing the things we were involved in, and some mission pictures and shared what we did, what we wish we would have done, some mission stories and answered some of their questions. But, I loved how excited they got. Then we took pictures with a ton of them and they posted them on Insta gram! This is so fun. I am having a blast, The Work of Salvation is the BEST work anyone could ever do.

I hope it is never over for me.

Be not Afriad; Only Believe

Elder Nelson

Looking Up!

Dear Friends and Family,

So, get your notebooks out for people to pray for! 

We need to call down the powers of heaven for some people. The Lord has blessed us with some people to teach and work with! Things are starting to unfold. 

The K family. Bro. Jackson our ward mission leader, ( who by the way, is awesome, picture perfect ) took us to see a family of a Mom who used to be a member, with a nonmember husband and their new born. I see the power of infants now because they were so ready to change! We invited them to learn the lessons and come back to church and start a new path and they were ready! They committed to every Saturday, and ( when we come we come for only 25 mins and leave ) we will show them how easy it is to meet with us a couple times a week! But grateful for that once a week right now. So please, pray for this new family. 

Katelyn - she is pressing forward! we taught her with 3 different members, two of the lessons were in the home of different members. And we are teaching her in the Bishops home tonight. This ward has great desires to help, so I am grateful for someone to teach with them! But Katelyn has made some progress with her family. They are open to the idea to attend one Sacrament meeting, but have not committed yet. She is in Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, and also keeping certain scriptures to help her in times of need. She is also motivating her BF who introduced the gospel to her, to come each week! She participated in all three hours of church and is on fire! Again, please pray for her and her family. What an example for all of us. For us we sometimes choose not to live so motivated by this gospel because we have been so used to the routine. I hope we can see her fire and start one in our hearts. I have made that a goal. 

We have an 11 year old girl who looks promising. A part member family, and the ward has some people they are working with. It is so much more fulfilling and fun to work with members who want to do the work with you. It so great to have members who love missionaries , but it is even better to have members who love missionary work!

Elder Spach was sick a few days this week, but we chugged some Day-quill by day and Ny-quill by night and we didn't have to cancel too many appointments. He really is a dedicated missionary. He is honestly such an easy going, yet rock in the work. Never gets offended and willing to do anything. I could not have asked for a better companion. He would put on a good face in the lesson and then we'd get in the car and he would lay his seat back and just ZONK out! ha. And because of that, it was one of the best weeks thus far.

We should have two or so more investigators this week. Pray that we start baptizing in this ward. They deserve it. Can't wait to hear about the Baptisms happening around you!

Let us all press on

Be not afraid; Only Believe 

Elder Nelson

just a nice sunny day in Florida

just made Mom's Chicken Chili