I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON!!!

Hello Family!

Before I get started... MOM, do you know a Shane Osterhout he was from Declo... well i've met one of the members out here who served in Scotland with Shane as one of his companions and he was wanting to get ahold of him, so I thought Id ask and see if you knew him and knew how this brother could get ahold of him... what a small world... oh and what makes the world even smaller... Sister Hamilton knows Landon!!! oh my what!!!     

I hope y'all are still reading with me... ive had to play a little catch up this week as I hit Jacob 5 and it absolutely came alive and I couldn't move past it because I was learning so much from the allegory of the olive tree... to be honest, I have always dreaded and often skipped over Jacob 5 because I just couldn't wrap my head around what was being talked about... but this time through, I received a HUGE help... its called a Seminary student manual These things are like GOLD!!! why didn't we ever use them in seminary!!!.... it takes you chapter by chapter through the book of Mormon (we also got one for the D&C and the old testament)  and it really helped me get so much out of Jacob 5. I know I say this every time, but I can't say it enough I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! I remember when I was a baby missionary and my wise and beautiful trainer would tell me all the time how much she loved the Book of Mormon... and I believed her because I could tell that she really did and I remember thinking to myself " I hope that I can say that about the Book of Mormon when I am as great as her..." because at that time I knew that the Book of Mormon was true, but I didn't really have that great of a love for it because my understanding of it was really not all that clear, and I still have a lifetime of learning I can get from it's pages, but the more I read, the more I understand and the more I fall in love with it's message... and I can now echo the sentiments of my trainer when I say that I truly love this book! Family, I hope that you are able to feel a love for this book begin to grow within yourselves... the knowledge of the truthfulness of this book means more to me than ANYTHING in this world... because if this book is true than God does speak to men and God did call Joseph Smith to be his prophet and Joseph Smith did help to restore that Gospel of Jesus Christ back to the earth and through the gospel, I can be forgiven of my mistakes and feel peace in my life and I can be with my family for eternity!!! what greater happiness is there? I LOVE this gospel!!!!!

     This was another GREAT week! We had Zone Conference! I LOVE ZONE CONFERENCE!!! This was such an answer to both mine and sister Hamilton's  prayers this week. We have been struggling with companionship unity amongst the sisters in our zones and we were at a loss of how best to bring it up and talk to some of the companionships about it... so we tried several things we sent out mass voice mails with spiritual thoughts about unity and serving your companions... and we try to show the sisters how much sister Hamilton and I love and respect each other, and how we work together, when we are around the sisters... fortunately sister Hamilton and I really do love and respect each other so it's not something we have to work very hard at... but we had tried everything and we were still having problems with some of the companionships not getting along... and in zone conference that assistants to the president gave wonderful training on charity and loving and serving your companion!! and knowing that all the zones had heard the same training, really brought peace to our hearts!

     We taught Davis (the boy form last week that walked into the church on Sunday) The lesson was AWESOME!! of course we can't take full credit for it... we are only the messengers, but the spirit was so strong and I know that Davis felt it! Sister Hamilton and I taught with such power and unity, we were in a members home and the members made comments and shared their testimonies... everything was text book (preach my gospel) perfect! I couldn't have asked for a better experience! we got a return appointment with him for 2 days later! By this time sister Hamilton and I are ecstatic another golden investigator has found us!!  The next day wasn't so happy though... I was in our area while sister Hamilton was in another area on exchange and Davis txts us and tells us that his mom won't let him meet with us anymore... what a punch to the gut. I hate that even after all that we do to cultivate an environment where the spirit can be felt and we know that the investigator feels the spirit...that agency still plays it's part ... and it is heartbreaking to see them turn away and their family resist!! I can't explain how it feel to be dropped like that, but it's not a fun experience. I just imagine how heavenly father must feel when we make our own choices based on what  we think is best and the influences of others... it must really hurt him to see us do this, after all that he does to help us make the right choice.

    I am learning so much out here and I LOVE it I never saw myself as a missionary, but I am so glad that I followed the prompting to come on a mission I will never regret this decision and I will never be the same having done it...I am so grateful for my savior and the enabling and transforming power of his great atonement. because I literally could not have done this with out him taking my weaknesses and transforming them into strengths thus enabling me to be the instrument that he needs to gather his children... but an interesting thing about the Lord, when he uses his children for his purposes, he makes them better people through the process... it is so fascinating to me and I know we have a loving God!
I wish I could share perfectly the excitement and joy and wonder I feel from the things I have learned... but till I can see y'all and share my stories in person, my inadequate words will have to do.

I hope y'all have a great week and can recognize the miracles in your day to day!

I love y'all... until next time,

LOVE

Sister Dannika Nielsen