HI!

HI!

Good news, no bike accidents. William dont worry- the bush was nice and soft!

Happy Birthday to Joe!

Happy Birthday to Eric!!!!!!!!!! wow I cant believe you are 40 already!

So this week was a week of good growth. We spent the week preparing for an open house and game night that we invited the whole city to practicaly. It was fun to set up the church and make it look really great- we worked really hard to set up the perfect church tour. Unfortunetly, nobody came to the open house except for A few wonderful church members who came to help us practice how to give church tours. It was a great experience to help them see how hard we are working for the ward and the area and for them to get a chance to see how missionaires teach. We are trying to emphasize how every member can be a missionary. They were all impressed with our work and I know our efforts were not wasted! We had a fun game night and made some delicious treats for that!

We have really been trying to focus on teaching prepared people. I know that the only way we will be blessed with prepared people is if we are personally worthy. This means making sure we are doing everything we can in our companionships to make the relationship function like it should. I As missionaries, we have two hearts. The same thing applies to all relationships. If one heart isn:t beating right, the other one cant function either. As we shifted our focus to making our companionship better, we were able to teach with the spirit and regain some ground we may have lost. I was really humbled this week but so happy for the opportunity to grow! We found some new investigators with great potential. I am happy!

So one awkward thing. if this is too awkward or innapropriate or something for my blog you dont have to put this in haha- at the game night, some of the elders　in our district brought an investigator who was about 25. I didnt really talk to him because I was focusing on some other people and trying to understand how to play some games in japanese. who knew that they played mafia in Japan? good thing I knew the rules in english or else I would have probably sat in the corner. Anyways so as we are about to have a misionary message at the end of the game night, This elder goes `our investigator likes sister nelson!` and I was like what the heck? and then I had to sing a hymn solo so I didnt really think about it. After we ended and were cleaning up, this investigator comes over and starts chatting it up. then I realized who it was and why he was probably talking to me and I had a small heart attack. Fortunelty, another member came and saved me! so hopefully I never see him again. Except for in the Celestial Kingdom after he gets baptized and we all die.

I went out to lunch with a sister in our ward who took us to this reallllly fancy place with this stellar view! so pretty. Japan is like neverland. Anyways, she dropped like 60 bucks on us for lunch, and then drove us to like three appointments. She is such an angel! so nice. I am so grateful for her! We also had a fun ward shokuji after church yesterday. Its pretty much like a pot luck. Yum. I ate some delicious squid! mmm..........

We met this cutest girl named Aika who we are going to start teaching on wednesday! She is 17 and was really receptive to our message. The spirit was so strong when we testified to her. Also there is a spider hanging out by my face right now and so I might need to go take care of that in a second.

Okay. better. spiders in japan are so...alive and jumpy. they have like personalities. I dont know there are just so creepy.
 so I had a really fun split last week with one of the sister training leaders. SHe is a powerhouse! I loved working with her. She really motivated me to just open my mouth and speak! when I started to do that- i didnt have to think about what to say.

I am so excited to watch conference!　so we get to see it a week later than everybody in the states. SO its next weekend for us. We have the relief society broadcast this week. I CANT WAIT!!!!!!!!!! i am going to go to conference with specific questions that I want answered. I encourage everybody to prayerfully do the same! and then share with me and others your experienes! (when appropriate. some spiritual things are just for us as individuals!)

I am not sure about the singing group- we need to get some more info on that about the dates. hopefully!

This week as people are getting ready for homecoming and stuff, I just want everybody to think about what kind of experience they want to have. Think about why you want to go, and who you want to represent. What group? what clique? What is the most important thing about homecoming?

I just wanted to share a quick experience I had in school about a dance.  A friend invited me to go to a dance hosted by their club.we werent going to dance, we were theere as supervisors to make sure it ran smoothly. When we arrived, I realized that the music was horrible. The spirit was not there. I had a responsabiliity to make sure the dance went okay. I prayed that I would be able to have the spirit. As soon as I ended my prayer, I could no longer hear any of the words. I coulnd understand anything the singers said. I knew that god helped me. I also knew that because I remembered my standards, I recieved help from God. Dances can be fun, but how we prepare for them determines our experience.

When you go to homecoming, you check your bag in at the door. When you check your bag, are you going to check your religion too?

I encourage everybody to try to reflect the savior in the way you approach homecoming. You just need 15 seconds of courage to make the decision between what is right and what is easy. Take the plunge!  I am so proud of the youth for following the standards that set us apart from the world. Modesty is hottest!

Thanks for your good examples, your letters, and your love.

Find the light!!  (guess the movie) hahaha. sometimes Japan looks like dinotopia. I think about the odd spiritual significance of that movie....like all the time. its pretty cool.


Love you all!

Sister Nelson