NEVERTHELESS!!!

Hello my sweet family who I love so much!! You guys rock my world! Thank you for the Birthday package! I love you all soo much! The notes literally made my whole LIFE!! You guys are by far the best family ever!!! 

This week was such a dream! It was marvelous!!! Agnes my cute investigator from Ghana who would never even pick up the Book of Mormon read it!!!! She had a lot of African dreams... (she rocks) and so what did we have her read... LEHI’S DREAM! She loved the story when we were telling her! It is so incredible to see the Lord opening her heart a little more each time. I adore this woman!!

H. Sultani is still doing well. Due to the New Bishop in our ward we had to move his Baptism. Our new bishop is going to be gone for the next couple of weeks and wants to be there for the Baptism. So the new date is in a Month. July 21st. When we told H. Sultani he was very disappointed. It literally broke my heart into a million pieces. We explained why and he understood. But on a happy note his son started coming to our lessons!!! And now Afshen, his son, wants to get baptized too. So we told him that they could both get baptized together on the 21st and He was very happy!!! It was marvelous!!

We had Zone Conference this week and let me tell you it was a cherry on top of my little sundae!!!!! It was brilliant! Sister Kosak talked about the difference between Disappointment and Discouragement. She told us that Discouragement is dangerous. When you become discouraged and dwell on it you begin to weaken your faith. We forget that God is in control and that this is HIS WORK. She said to be careful that we are not weakening our faith. We already have the world against us as members of this church we do not need to add ourselves! That was really good for me to hear. Not knowing the language has been eating me up inside... but guys, it does not matter. Because look at everything I have! Sister Kosak said, “The remedy for discouragement is GRATITUDE!!!! Can I get am AMEN!!!! We receive so much more than we actually give. When we focus on the blessings we have it increases our happiness, which in turn increases our level of energy, understanding, and empathy. We all need to look for the tender mercies in life. Focus on all that is good. Never look down. Constantly be looking up to the lord!!! I love the LORD!! He WORKS! in 1 nephi 18:15-16 it says, 

15 And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to ^asee that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof.

 16 Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did ^apraise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.

NEPHI ROCKS!! Even though nothing good had happened to him. Even though he was swollen and sore we said NEVERTHELESS, I did praise God!!! When we are struggling with something and it is getting us down immediately think of Nephi and say NEVERTHELESS I will praise God!!! 

I don’t know the Language, NEVERTHELESS I know I have the spirit of God and he will help me through all mine afflictions!!!!!

This gospel ROCKS! I am so thankful for it. Remember God WORKS! I love you all so much! Thank you for all your prayers and fasting for me. Guys... you fasted yesterday and 8 investigators showed up at CHURCH!!!!!!!!! We have had 0 for the last MONTH!!!! That is huge!!! God answers prayers!! I love you all soo much! Thank you for all your love and Support!! 

Love you,

Jos

A watermelon hanging on the vine... on the vine, on the vine, on the vine.

Hallo Familie,

How is everything going? The pictures of you guys going fishing up at Chad's sister's cabin look incredible!!! How FUN!!! That is marvelous! 

Germany is Germany. We are just moving along. One step at a time. This week has been a really great week for both Sister Cluff and I. We have had some very spiritual lessons this week. I have been focusing on the spirit helping me in lessons this week. I am having a very hard time with the language-understanding and speaking- nothing seems to be working up there in my little mind! So this week I have been working on having the Holy Ghost with me so that I can say the things that the Lord needs me to say. I have once again learned how important the Holy Ghost is. As Sister Cluff and I have focused on the Holy Ghost. We have been able to have some very incredible lessons. One lesson with our 2 investigators with Baptisimal Dates, H. Sultani and Arshia, we talked about the priesthood. We were able to make this lesson a Joint-teach, and afterwards they were both able to receive a priesthood blessing. It was so beautiful. The spirit was so strong. And the words were exactly what they both needed to hear. It was cool to see God working through the blessing. The kid giving the blessing, is about our age waiting to go on his mission, had no idea about these two men. Who they were or anything, and the blessings were beautiful and direct from god. (at least that is what Sister Cluff told me... I could not understand them...BUT I could feel the spirit! TOLLBeans!). On Saturday in our lesson with them Arshia was not sure if he still wanted to go through with his baptism because of the hard times he is having in his life right now with his family and things.

 We were able to pull out pictures of our families and tell him a little bit about our lives and how we struggle, but because of the gospel we can get through anything. And I was able to speak a little bit about you GUYS!!! Only the loves of my life!! In broken german that I am sure made no sense... I was able to tell them about you. I showed them pictures and talked about you. Ah man. It was lovely talking about you guys and told Arshia that our lives are far from perfect,  but because of this gospel we can get through anything and everything. It was a huge blessing for me that I was able to talk a little bit about you guys and testify of this beautiful gospel. I know that the language will come, slowly but surely... it will come!!

We got a new Bishop this Sunday. Bishop Fachs! He is going to be amazing and is such an incredibly humble man. He reminds me a lot of you Father! We had an eating appoinment with his family last week and seriously the way he was eating reminded me so much of you! It rocked! haha. I know that it will be great for us. He is really excited about missionary work and is willing to help us with anything. 

I love my area and the investigators we have.

I love this gospel so much and am so grateful for this opportunity I have to share it!! 

In my personal study this week I read Lehi's dream. Two things that stuck out to me were these...

1st-the people that left the Iron Rod to go to the great and spacious building were "Completely Lost" They did not even make it to the building!!!!!! WHAT! Well that was not worth it... Sometimes we loose focus on what is really important, our end goal- To be with Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and our families forever. When we loose that focus we loose ourselves. We need to remember to ALWAYS stay focused on the lord. And if we do stray, because we all do, we need to make sure that we can find our way back. Support each other. Have people that you know you can turn to. They are so important. Then we can be like the other people that "held fast to the iron rod until they came forth and FELL DOWN and partook of the fruit." The pathway is not easy, and when we are finished we are going to fall down because we are so weary, but it is WORTH IT. and we know we will GET THERE. We will not loose our way and be lost forever. We will get there. And God will help us every step of the way.

I love this gospel. I know that it is true! I love being a missionary.

Love you all

Josie 

Lets play a game...What kind of meat did Josie eat?

This week has been well... I just dont know what to say. Good. Grand. Brilliant. MArvelous! This week we had almost every appointment fall out, but we were able to do a lot of street contacting and Door to Door. It was great. We talked to a lot of people and did our best to push the work forward!!! YAY! The gospel ROCKS! On Thursday we did District Finding-We went to the Elders in our District's area- and did street contacting. They gave us the University! It was really cool but kinda intimidating talking to kids your own age. However we gave our two Books of Mormon! One lady we gave it to started to cry. We told her she was a daughter of God and that he loved her and she started to cry!! It was beautiful! and although she did not want to make out an appoinment with us I know that she felt the spirit and will someday read the Book of Mormon we gave her! It ROCKED!!! 

On Saturday we had a full day and NONE of our appoinments fell out! It was such a blessing!!! We met with H. Sultani and Arshia! We talked about the commandments and told them they needed to be following these if they wanted to get baptized. H. Sultani was like, "DUH! These commandments will keep me close to God! Why wouldn't I keep them!" I LOVE THIS MAN!!! HE is sooo prepared!!! Arshia had problems with the Word of Wisdom, so we will keep working with him on that. But it was a great lesson. I love hearing their testimonies of this gospel!!! It is by far the best thing ever!!!! 

Now I know you are all probably wondering about the Subject of this email...well...

We had a BIG miracle this week with our investigator Agnes. She is from Africa and has had a hard time excepting the Book of Mormon. Sister Cluff and I fasted this week and felt it was time to bring it up again! So we did just that. We had a whole lesson on the Book of Mormon planned and readz to go! What it is and where it came from... and all that jazz!! Sister Cluff said right before we went into the lesson, "If agnes will read the book of mormon I will eat ANYTHING she gives me!:" However when we told her what we wanted to talk about She was not too thrilled and we were a little hesitant, but we did it anyways!!! haha. The whole time we were praying and praying that the Lord would soften her heart! and at the end we asked it she would read the Book of Mormon. This was after going back and forth-her telling me that I was a prophet and that we are all prophets... yea...she has not had the full first lesson yet... one thing at a time. And she said she would TRY! SHE SAID SHE WOULD TRY! Now, I know that you all might be thinking that is not a Yes, why is that exciting? BECAUSE!!! Before we went in their she would not even let us speak of the Book of Mormon. She would not even allow it in her house and NOW LOOK AT US! She said she would try! We were thrilled! We bore our testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel and the spirit was so strong!! I know that the Lord opened her heart just enough so that she would accept to read the Book of Mormon. And then as we were leaving she said, OH I MADE FOOD FOR YOU! Sister Cluff and I looked at one another and Busted up laughing. It was like Heavenly Father was like, I followed my part of the bargian now you follow yours... bahaha! Heavenly Father has a sense of Humor I don't care what anyone says. Ah. What a jem! So we are not quite sure what we ate. We were thinking it was tongue or something not Normal!!! and the best part was, IT HAD HAIR ALLLLLL OVER IT! it was AWESOME! So we chocked down a couple bites and then she said we could take some home with us too. What a jem she is! WE love her. 

I love being apart of this work! It is so incredible! I love working side by side with the Lord. He is incredible and I love him so much! I love this gospel!

Shout out to JAKE!-Congrats on MEREB!! my main man!!! I love you sooooo much! You are going to have so much fun!!!

I love you all so much! Thank you for all your e-mails they are grand!!! Have the greatest week in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! I know I will! :) 

 

Much love!

Sister Nilson