Week 63: I sing for Other Missionaries Family Home Evenings ;)

Buenos Dias!

This week has definitely been a roller coaster ride of a week, especially emotionally but I have learned a lot and my testimony has definitely been strengthened :)

This week on Monday I called the sisters to see if they had talked to all of their investigators because they had been scared to talk to them every day. When they answered I started singing "Keep Holding On, you know I'm there for you I'm there for you, Just stay strong, You know well make it through make it through..." The song by Avril Lavigne. As I was singing I heard the sister put it on speaker phone and I thought that she was doing it so that her companion could hear my horrible singing voice as well, but I kept singing. After I finished the song the sisters started laughing and after a pause she said "Elder, Our investigator wants us to tell you that you have such a beautiful voice!" Come to find out that they were in a family home evening, and when they put it on speaker phone the whole family of the investigator heard me singing (Well more like screeching knowing my voice). I was singing for like a minute! And they all heard me! It was kinda embarrassing, but it was pretty funny :) But now I know that I am worthy of singing in Other Missionaries Family Home evenings ;)

So  P still hasn't had her interview so we are trying to have it happen this week so that she can get baptised on Sunday. So your prayers would be greatly appreciated :)

We had a conference with President and the Assistants and the focus was on the Book of Mormon. They did an analysis on the difference between the Book of Mormon and the bible in teaching basic doctrine. We learned that Faith, Repentance, the necessity of repentance, baptism, the necessity of baptism, and enduring to the end are mentioned 2 to 3 times more in the Book of Mormon than in the bible. We talked a lot about the need to have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and to help the other achieve one as well. It was a good conference and I learned a good amount.

This week on Sunday we were able to help a young man who is 19 and has aspergers. Work on his Duty to God. It was an incredible experience. His desire to finish it, to follow God, and to have success in the church was incredible. I loved the experience and it really made me want to be a dad :) I know that even though what we did was something little that we made a big difference in his life :)

This week we had 3 investigators in church and that was great! P and M have baptismal dates but B doesn't have much time to share. 

This week I loved church. I learned so much! I learned the need to love one another and have charity and to look at the good that people do. That has been something that has always been hard for me on the mission. People are always telling me where I am failing and what I have to do better and why I'm not the best, so it is hard for me to hear that and then turn around and tell people why they are good. But I am going to work on it. A story that someone told really helped me. It was the story of the tools.

There was a hammer, sanding paper, a screw, and a tape measure all in a carpenters shop. They were talking and decided that they were going to try to make the shop better and that the tools that didn't help would have to leave. The screw started talking and said that the hammer should leave because it was loud and just hit everything. The hammer agreed and decided that it would leave, but before leaving he said that the sand paper should leave too because the sand paper was always rough and rubbing things raw. The sand paper agreed and decided that it would leave but before leaving it said that the screw should leave too. It said that the screw had to go in circles and in circles before anything could get done. The screw agreed and decided it would leave but before leaving it said that the tape measure should leave. It said that the tape measure was always measuring up to the rest and let people know if they didn't measure up. The tape measure agreed. But before they could all leave the carpenter got to the shop and used all the tools to work. By the end of the day he had made a beautiful piece of furniture. When the carpenter left the Tools began to talk again. "Well maybe we do achieve some good" I mean the hammer gives strength and structure to the work, and the screw gives unity and support, and the sand paper finishes the details and makes everything smooth, and the tape measure helps everyone be precise and fit perfectly. In the end all the tools realised that they have strength and weaknesses, but when they worked together focusing on the good they could do, they achieved a beautiful work of art.

That story touched me a lot and made me realize that not only is it something that I should do, but is something that will help us have lots of success :)

I know this church is true, I know that God loves us, I know that he personally gave us weaknesses, but also gave us a way to overcome them personally, and with our families and friends. I know that we need to look for the good and that if we do, we will achieve greatness.

I love you all! Stay Golden!

Elder Nielson :)