Hello family! 24 Feb, 2014

Hello family!

OKAY WHAT THE WHAT. Dad. Are you a secret prophesier or something crazy!!! I cannot believe that Jacob is being trained by Nick Emery. Isn’t God so great? I tell you guys. God just wants us to be happy here and so what does he do... He makes all our wildest DREAMS come TRUE!!!!!!! AH! That is just too great!!! I am still freaking out.

Okay a little spotlight time: SISTER BROWN. My sweet companion. First off she is from Lehi, Utah. She did track and cross-country in high school and is going to SUU when she gets home. She is literally the BEST PERSON IN THE WHOLE WORLD. I love here more than anything. WE basically die of laughter EVERY SINGLE DAY and WORK HARD! It is the perfect balance. Really. It has been incredible. And we are staying together for another Transfer!!! I think I could stay here in Leipzig with Sister Brown for the rest of my mission...(haha. She is probably like GET ME OUT OF HERE!!) I am pretty crazy... but you all already know that :) 

Okay. It is just Birthday Topia at the Nilson home. Dad. I hope you had a good one. James. Before that... How is that crazy kid doing. He should write me. Sabrina. Sweet 16!! Go girl. Drivin and datin! All the dreams beginning! haha And EMI!!! My sweet baby sister who is not even a baby anymore. I told someone here you were 8 the other day... WOW I am looooooooosen it! haha the big 13! That is incredible. 

Kates. You are just Golden. I cannot believe that Jacob and I are here in Germany-4 hours away from one another- and you are all back home. 

Dad, got released. Wow. That is crazy. But I know that President Taylor, Davis, and Bentley are going to be just amazing. That is incredible. What inspired leaders we have in the church.

This week WAS wonderful! We had a lesson with our investigators Lobsang-he is from India and has NO religious background- He has no idea about God or Jesus Christ. It is all very basic with him.  We talked about Jesus Christ this week and who he is. We went through his life with the picture book and told about all the stories and miracles Jesus Christ did. It was so powerful going through the life of Jesus Christ. I love what Lobsang said, he said, He was such an incredible example on a historical level as well as a religious level. And it is so true. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to the earth and helped people. He did everything out of love. He loved us so he came and served others and then in the end died for us.  At the end of the lesson we asked him what he thought about Jesus Christ and he said, "Wow, Jesus Christ has such a big heart." It was so pure and childlike. It was incredible to see how humble and submissive Lobsang was. He just soaked everything in and was so willing and open to what we were saying. It was incredible. He then said the closing prayer!! It was so cute. He was like, "dear loving father Jesus lord..." he said every name possible in the beginning. AH! It was so precious. He said the most sincere prayer and then closed it in the name of Jesus Christ Amen. It was such a wonderful example to me of just being completely humble and willingness to see if God really was there. 

I know that God is there. He really does love each and every single person in this world. I love being here. I am so happy. The happiest little person here in Germany. I love being here. I love being a missionary. 

I hope you all have a great week! Always remember how much God truly knows and cares about each of us! Love you all!!

Josie

A Referral...

Hello Family!!!!!!!!!!! How are you all doing this week. I hope you had a wonderful Valentines DAY! This week has been great for Sister Brown and I!

A little while ago the Elders gave Sister Brown and I a referral for a family. We went by again and again, but were never able to get a hold of them. We kept trying and then last week on Sunday we finally were able to make contact and set up an appointment for Monday. When we went on Monday for our first meeting we walked into a Whole FAMILY sitting, waiting for us to teach them about the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were so incredible! This family is from India and they are excited to learn more. We set up another appointment on Wednesday and after spending an Hour looking for the Church, they finally found it. When we met out to meet them the WHOLE FAMILY was again there. They had all come to see the church. We were able to give them a church tour and make another appointment. They do not know much about Jesus Christ so that is what we will be focusing on this week. They are so nice and are ready to hear about the gospel. It is wonderful how the lord sends us to prepared people. 

The crazy thing about this story is that the family from the referral moved away and this family bought there apartment!!! The lord works my friends. I love you all

Sorry it was so short this week... more next week. 

Happy Valentines DAY- 2/10/14

Hello Family! 

Happy Valentines DAY!!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day of LOVE and LAUGHTER!!

Shout out to the birthday people this week!! Happy Birthday to Todd and DAD!!! 

This week has been wonderful for Sister Brown and I!! After Gustave Left on Sunday many of the ward members were able to keep in Contact with him all week. They would call us up and bring us pictures of him at the Church. He went to the church the day he go home. He found it online and went with his family there!!! We also go to skype with him with a family in our ward. It was so good to see him. He says that he is soooo happy. It was so wonderful to hear that he had already made contact with the church. THEN yesterday during church members came up to us and showed us the pictures he sent them. HE WENT TO CHURCH!!He was there yesterday. He took pictures of all the members and told us that he has an appointment to meet with the missionaries there! He is the best.When we skyped him he was telling us all about church and how nice the people were and how is he is going to make sure that everyone knows about the church-all his friends and family! He is going to do great things down in Rwanda!!! I know it! 

We continued to work hard this week, working with inactive members, members, and finding new people. Yesterday we were going by on two referrals that we received  We had gone by on both of them abou t5 times each and were not able to make contact with them. We were about to call it quits... and then we thought... okay one more time. As we went to the door of the first Kontact, I stopped and said we NEED TO PRAY! So we stopped and said a prayer that we would be successful and be able to make contact with these people. As we said amen we rang the doorbell and immediately were let in! Sister Brown and I were so surprised!! Then as we headed to the next house we knocked and the other family was home as well. We made an appointment our for this week and are going back tonight to have a lesson with this family! 

Family, GOD WORKS. I dont know how many times I can say that , but I KNOW KNOW KNOW he does. He is there. He is waiting for us to call on him. To start a relationship with him. He is our father and Loves us sooo much. He is always there and is willing to help us whenever we need him. 

I am so happy right now. I love being a missionary and I thank the lord again and again that he has given me this opportunity!! I love you all! have a wonderful valentines day!!!! Have fun decorating grandmas cookies!!!!! 

Love you all,

Sister Nilson 

Pure JOY

Oh my sweet family,

I dont even know where to begin. I truly don't know if I should be crying or laughing right now. All i know is that I have never been happier in my whole entire LIFE!!! You really dont even know the Joy of a mission until you are here. Until you get to experience someone coming closer to christ. It is the most amazing thing and I got to experience it this week with my sweet Gustave. 

This week we spent a  lot of time planning for Gustaves baptism. Our WONDERFUL ward mission leader did so much in helping us with the program and getting talks and everything. It was wonderful. On Wednesday we went up to Berlin for a mission conference. It was wonderful. They always are. President Kosak is just incredible and is so inspiring. He always says exactly what I need to hear. On Friday Gustave got back from his trip and we were able to meet with him. It was pure Bliss. I wish you guys could have been there and heard him talk about Joseph Smith and how much he loved him, how thankful he was for him and for everything that he did. How much he loved the Book of Mormon and loved this church. He then proceeded to tell us that his Mom, aunt, and cousins send there love to us and told us thank you for bring the truth to Gustave and that they loved us!!! (answer to prayer 456-have an African family! CHECK!) He said, Dont worry my sisters I will take it to them. I will be doing a lot of missionary work when i get home :) I will be just like you!!

OKAY WHAT!!! I have never before been hit with a BIGGER TON OF BRICKS!!!!!!! Every missionary in the world has such a HUGE affect on the world. EVERY SOUL IS GREAT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, and as we are diligent and serve our heavenly father and find those select souls-then in turn they will tell others about the gospel, bring their families into the gospel, and so on and so forth. This is exactly how god intended it to happen. The church in Rwanda has only been opened for one year. They need Gustave down there, bringing his family and friends so that the church can grow! AH!!! God works my friends. God works. And he know just what he needs to do in order to make sure his work is brought to past. 

Then on Saturday. WOW. Lets just say I have never ever ever in my whole life felt MORE happiness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You don´t even understand!!! man. Okay but lets start with saturday morning. Sister Brown and I planned to make cookies for after the baptism so we ran to the store to get a few things. We just bought flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and some chocolate bars. It ended up being 35 euro!!! Both Sister Brown and I were like WHAT! But we just paid and walked away. As we were walking home I kept trying to do the math in my head and finally stopped sister brown and asked her if I could see the receipt. We looked and the Lady had charged us for 63 Chocolate bars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Although that would have been nice, we certainly did not buy 63 chocolate bars. We headed back to the store and the lady just started laughing when we showed her the mistake. She apologized and we got our money back. ADVENTURES on a mission. I love them all. 

Then we headed to the Church to meet with Gustave right before everything started. We were there 2 hours early filling the font, and practising for the musical number. GUess what we sang... BE STILL MY SOUL- SHOUT OUT TO ELDER NILSON aka BECA!!!! haha. I was excited when they told me that was the song because I felt some weird connection to Jake. I love you brother!!!

As we were getting everything ready our ward mission leader Bruder Weber was there literally grinning from Ear to EAR! he was so happy. He could not stop smiling. It was magical. 

Well, my dear family, then we had our last meeting with Gustave. We bore our testimonies to him and he just smiled and said Thank you. "Thank you Nilson, thank you my NIlson" ah. I wish someone would have recorded that moment. It was beautiful.

Then the baptism started. I was already on cloud 999 and wow. I can not even describe the spirit that was there. I can not. It started and people were crying from the firsrt second. Everything was translated for gustave into French. We had a member that went to France on his mission do everything. He and GUstave have become wonderful friends. Gustave has touched so many people here in Germany. He seriously has changed the lives of so many. The baptism was just incredible. After Gustave was baptised and confirmed he got up and bore his testimony. He talked about his conversation story and about how he came to know that this was the true gospel. He started to cry and could not even speak. I con not tell you how strong the spirit was. I have NEVER in all my life felt anything like it. He knows this church is true and said he feels so blessed that he has found it. AS he sat down after his testimony he looked at Sister Brown and I and mouthed the words THANK YOU. I lost it. The tears were flowin, and then I had to go sing... lets just say it was not one of my best performances seeing as I could not GET A GRIP ON MY EMOTIONS!!! But I did not care. EVERYONE there was crying. THE GERMANS!!!! They were all crying. 

Gustave was such an answer to so many prayers. Not only did he help us become better missionaries but he helped the people in our ward have a mission experience. They were just as much a part of his conversion as we were. And that is why it was so successful. Because everyone there at his baptism had a relationship with him, they all loved Gustave. Every single person there came up to Sister Brown and I and told us that they have NEVER experienced a baptism like that. It was the best one they had ever been to. Sister Brown and I take ABSOLUTELY NO CREDIT. It was God, working through us missionaries, the members, and our sweet GUstave. It was simply God moving his work forward. 

I cant even put into words the feelings that were felt and it is making me a little frustrated... haha. BUT Alles Gute. All i can say is that Gustave was the Most prepared person in the world and I am so thankful to my heavenly Father that he allowed me to be a part of his conversion. I am so thnkful that I was here. On my mission, in Leipzig. I love it here. I love being a missionary and I love this gospel. I love love love love love being here. I am so thankful for the opportunity that I have had coming here and being a missionary. I have changed so much and I thank the Lord for being patient with me through it all. 

I know this Church is TRUE. I know it changes people. It changes lives and it can continue to change our lives if we let it. 

My sweet Gustave left Sunday morning to go back to Rwanda. We are going to be able to still have contact with him, which is such a miracle. But all through fasting testimony meeting all the members that were at the Baptism stood up and talked about the baptism. They all said, that they have never felt teh spirit so strong in their lives and were so thankful for Gustave and for al he did. For giving them hope again, and for helping them remember. 

That is what we as member need to do. WE always have to remember. We already have this knowledge. So let it work within us and make up happy. THat is what god intends for us. He was us to feel this amount of Joy always. Yes, we all have challenges... let me tell you, this mission has been anything but easy, but I would relive it ALL again just to feel the Joy I feel right now!! I am on a missionary HIGH!! 

Now this week we got to go and find some more investigators :) Glad I am so happy right now!!! haha. 

I love this Gospel and am so so so thankful for this opportunity. Nothing is better than this. 

Gustave loved Learning German but one of the only words he knew how to say was GENAU!!! Which means exactly or you´re right- so we always did it. You can see it in the pictures... haha. 

WEll. Love you all. Hope you have a good week. Smile always and realized how blessed we truly are!!!

This email was a big explosion of my brain and i am pretty sure it makes no sense. Oh well. If anything just know that I am happy! :) love you! 

Love you

Sister Josie Nilson