Week 80 & 81: Receiving Heavenly Knowledge & The Plan of Salvation

 Aloha everyone!

Transfer News: I'm staying with Elder Isaiah Carlson in the Wahiawa 1st ward but not the Young Single Adult ward.

Also, I realize too late that two weeks is a lot to write about, but they've been great!

Danielle has been taught the Plan of Salvation! (the lesson we teach about God's plan for us) We went by her house after not hearing back from her for a couple days. We went to her house while she was outside gardening. She said that her phone was down for a couple of days. We scheduled the next morning to share our next lesson. It went so well! A common fear some missionaries have is that lessons like the Plan of Salvation will confuse people. But everything we taught her felt familiar and enlightening to her and she thanked us profusely for sharing it with her! The only obstacle right now is that because of her commitments she's keeping with her other church, Danielle can't make it to church yet even though she wants to. But she's progressing faster than we ever expected! Please pray for Danielle!

We are helping Patrick move to his new home in a different ward. In our previous lesson we read a chapter of the Book of Mormon together which he really loved! We invited him to think about getting officially baptized and coming to church. On Sunday, he decided to go to another church. We talked with him later that afternoon. We told him that if he really believes the Book of Mormon and the church to be correct, then he needs to act on his feelings if he really wants to learn more. So we're hoping him move on Saturday with other missionaries and hopefully get him a ride to church. The thing that makes me most hopeful is that he has such a love for the church and especially the Book of Mormon!

Our awesome friend Jolynne is getting married soon! That's all that stands in the way of her being baptized and she's sooo close! Since she's been taught all the discussions, our lessons include reading the Book of Mormon with a member and talking through life. They are also trying to move, so it's only a matter of when she'll get baptized. 

Juana has come to church twice in a row now! She came one Sunday when me and Elder Carlson gave talks in church about receiving knowledge. That was a really awesome topic to write a talk on! I learned a lot about how someone could receive personal revelation. Big update: she might get baptized this February! Her daughter is able to come by to visit so she'll be there when Juana is baptized! 

We made another new friend that we're teaching! Elder Carlson met him and started to teach him while we were on exchanges. His name is Waske. He's been taught by missionaries before and so we taught him the next discussion which was also the Plan of Salvation! The coolest part was he took lots of notes . He asked lots of questions and really likes the message! We're teaching him weekly now and we'd like to invite him to church soon. Please pray for waske!

The biggest lesson I've learned this week is patience. There's patience required for all parts of our lives. Patience is required with learning what we need to know and that's why I love the concepts of receiving knowledge from Heavenly Father and the Plan of Salvation. The scriptures say to "Ask, and we shall receive. Knock and it shall be opened to us." Since I'm in the last quarter on my mission, there's a lot of questions starting to come into my life. But every time I pray, I feel peace and even receive guidance. But I must be patient with the questions that haven't been answered yet.

Another common lesson in patience: Heavenly Father has been kind and loving enough to reveal to us his Plan of Happiness. But we are not meant to sprint right past it. There's a learning process for every step, including our life on earth. We must have patience to endure this life and prepare to receive blessings in out life after death.

So be patient. Patient in prayer, following commandments, Enduring trials, all of it. You'll be richly blessed for the patience you project.

I'm the happiest I've ever been, being a missionary! The Gospel and Jesus Christ make me happy! God makes me happy! Surround yourself with people that make you happy.  "Don't worry. Be happy."

Love, Elder Nielsen