Elder Joshua Nieman

Well this week it kind of hit me that it is December and I wont be in my home not doing any of the traditions or just the little things that we do as a family. I really didnt think about it that much but wow it will be interesting what happens on Christmas. Even though I havent been on the mission for that long I feel like I have felt every emotion that a human can feel. It just makes me think of Jesus Christ and how he suffered for all of the sins of the world. It is really the most amazing thing and I think some people forget what he did for us. This week I was teaching lesson 2 and lesson 2 is about the plan of salvation. I was teaching this married couple, Victor y Flora who are strongly catholic and arent interested in converting. When we were teaching about life on earth and what our purpose is. It got to the part where it talks about Jesus Christs atonement. When I started teaching Victor stopped me and said what is the atonment of Christ. It kind of caught me of guard and I kind of wanted to say something like are you serious. Haha but I didnt but when he asked that I felt something in my heart just kind of hit me. I told him that Jesus Christ made the most amazing sacrifice and heroic act in the history of the world. It was amazing cause I felt like the spirit could crush me like a grape. It was so strong and I knew that they could feel the spirit and it was just really cool cause after that moment I feel like this couple that wasnt really interested at all changed their minds and are actually thinking about it. I really love teaching lesson 2 cause it talks about the plan of salvation. I love telling people they can live with their families forever and that we can live with God. It is really amazing to seepeople change and just the people that hate you start to love you. People like Catholics and Jehovas Witnesses come up to me everyday and say that you are preaching the wrong stuff and I am lost and I just smile at them and say in my head they dont know the truth yet. I feel really bad for them and I wish they would listen to our message and realize it is true. It kind of scares me because I have seen them preaching in the streets and I wonder if they were to come to me with questions and ask me if I would be able to answer them. That brings me to the other thing I did this week. Cambios with Elder Netzley my zone leader. Cambios are like splits with other missionaries. But lately I have been doing a lot of switches with different people. But we got done with the day and it was really awesome cause we taught and I just thought it was a normal day. I asked Elder Netzley if there was a time he didnt know the answer and he just says the spirit will always lead you and in those times you wont even know what you are saying. Really I can not wait for that day. Something more that he told me is that I had a gift. It kind of sounds cocky but I really want to tell you guys this. He said I had a gift that whenever I started to teach or just started to talk about anything the spirit was present and that every single of his investigadors told him after the lesson that they felt something in their hearts and felt this force. When he told me that I just kind of gained a lot of confidence and just really made me think that God gives everyone gifts and if you dont know your gift it will come in a time in your life where you feel lost. I am so grateful to be serving and showing people the correct path. I love everyone here and I just want to say that the church is true. I love you all and I will talk to you next week. Oh and tell uncle jared and parker and mayzie and tre and britt that I loved their letters!
Love you all forever
Elder Nieman