Allllllllooooohhhhaaa Oe

Well, I've started to tell people how long I've been out on my mission instead of just the "about a year" answer (I did that so I wouldn't have to explain to every person I meet my plans for after my mission haha) but I'm over 18 months now and my ministerial certificate has expired so I've started to really realize how soon my mission will be over. It's definitely been an interesting experience for me and I've learned soo many things, but most importantly, I feel like by this choice to serve, many other people were able to learn about Jesus CHrist, come closer to Him, and change their lives for the better. Not every single person I talked to was baptized, or even wanted to meet with missionaries, but I did my best to "invite others to come unto Christ" in any way I could. And I've been able to feel the Holy Ghost apart of this work, guiding, comforting, healing, cleansing, etc and I'm so grateful that God has given me this opportunity to grow personally and to serve others in countless ways. 

This past week has been full of the visitors' center and online. I had many experiences (as usual) with people wanting to Bible Bash or argue about different doctrines and teachings and history. I know I can't explain or answer every question people have, but everyone's concerns or questions are soo all over the place, that it really is so true that with just the Bible, there is no way to have the answers to all the questions people throw at us. Honestly if it wasn't for the Book of Mormon and modern revelation, there is no way for us to know clearly all the truths of the gospel or the answers to some of life's biggest questions. So I've been more appreciative of the gospel in that way. God really has shown a great amount of love for continuing to try to give His children the gospel!

I know that God loves us and wants the best for us, every if we can't recognize it ourselves, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that his priesthood authority and power is on the earth today, and that when we are obedient to the commandments our lives are blessed soooo much!! These are things I've come to know more. Oh and also that the Book of Mormon does draw me closer to Jesus Christ. When we make time to study the word of God, we will know what we need to do!

I'm going to be home so soon, but I know that life will continue to get better and if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, everything will be okay! 

LOVE YOU!!

Sister Nielsen

Hiiii!

Aloha!! 

This week has been really great. We had our ward camp, exchanges with our sister training leaders, new bishopric in the ward, and of course many miracles/people who's lives are being changed by the gospel!

My Sister Training leader suggested I tell a little about the poeple we meet in one day's shift in our VC haha. Every day has  new people and different experiences, but example is Wednesday

At first we did some online which I forgot to write down about the people from online (sorry! haha), but then we came out to the front and Kealoha (the sort of homeless guy that hangs out at the VC) walked in and said "guys! Someone stole my moped! but at least I found this glass ball on the beach" and walked away haha. Then came in this rockclimber lady from New Zealand. We got a nice little "tour" with her and shared about the temple, next was this young couple, the boyfriend is a super strong member, and the girl isn't, and got to share the blessings of the gospel, then this part member family that was so funny, the members kept making it so awkward for us to talk to their nonmember family. There was this japanese tour bus that stopped in, then a Russian bright yellow tour van stop through, and of course Chinese buses! These sweet young adult girls from Canada came in wondering what the temple was and we got to give a super great tour to them and share about the gospel. Next this man who looked a little scruffy came in named Brian. He needed some food cause he is homeless. So we talked to him for a bit and he has an interesting story. He is also a missionary in his own sense, he fasted 10 days, almost died, and Apu the tuna fish man on big island nurtured him back to health haha, and he shares how God is real, but also he's on the search for his future wife (who he's seen in a dream-she's from Spain, but maybe not living in Spain... it's a long story haha), anyways, our wards bishop was the one assigned to get him food, so he went to the ward camp! So we got to see Brian a lot this week!! Even today!), and then on the tram, this wonderful family from California came in. 4 teenager kids and then a red haired mom, and mexican dad, and they were soooo "golden". They are Catholic but don't understand any of the beliefs and are really interested to learn more! 

Every day is different, and different people bring different experiences, but I'm so happy to be serving here in such a unique place. I can't even explain any of what happened, and the spirit that is here is so hard to explain, but I know that every person that comes here is guided and is helped along their path, even if it's just a little closer to God. 

I love love love ya and sorry to say it, but I can't think of any good souvenirs so far, so none of ya might get something hahah. But You can have me back! I'm getting excited to come home, but also very sad and can't really believe this is almost over and I'm leaving this place. I really love it.

Love you!

Sister Nielsen

Happy 4th of July!!

My beautiful 4th of July Lunch haha

I am loving that today is my preparation day. We got to spend this afternoon with one of my favorite families here. Sister Jones is my mother in mission haha, always caring for us! It was fun :) We started this day stuffed with assorted meats and probably will end the day that way too :) GO hawaii!! haha

So this week has really flown by. I still love it, and have really seen the difference God can make in our lives when we ask. I kept talking to all the people that did NOT want to talk to missionaries in the VC and was being really rejected haha, but I said a prayer to God and in the end of the day we were able to have some very good conversations and be able to testify and share copies of the Book of Mormon with many wonderful people. I know that we don't always see the good we are doing, but I’m grateful that God let me see some of the seeds I planted! 

Elder Swintons usual speech on VC stats lol so cool though!

I really loved the training we had today, and just wanted to share a little of it. Elder Swinton was teaching us how our testimonies are like brick walls. Some peoples testimonies might be complete and full (so rare) but most of us have some pieces of testimony that we really know concerning different doctrines and such. When we really remember and look back we can remember some or many different experiences or spiritual experiences that have lead to our testimony of that certain thing, but there still might be pieces missing. That's okay, and we are all on our journey. The key is that we keep learning and searching, and as we go, God will teach us piece by piece, the truths so we can have a stronger and stronger faith and knowledge of the restored gospel. I loved it. I don't know if it makes sense from what I'm saying haha, but I really do know that through Jesus Christ we can find forgiveness, healing and overcome any evil or fears in our life. Also that through the priesthood is one of the ways we can access those blessings. 

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Love you so much! 

Sister Nielsen

Cutie Sister Hamano 

Aloha!!!

(Our president put a limit on our emailing lately haha so only one hour and so it's hard to cover everything, but at least I can just tell you more later in person...) 

Sooo this transfer has been so wonderful. I seriously want to cry of so much gratitude. I LOVE sister Hamano. She is about the sweetest thing ever, and practically perfect (except learning English haha but that makes her even cuter because she says the funniest things) I am SOOO happy she is my last companion. I hope you all meet her someday haha. Being in Laie 4th is also a blessing for me because now that it's summer, it's more realistic to help people in our little time we have :) 

We do have hours of studies and need to spend muchos time online, but we did get to go visit a few wonderful people and to me it was a huge blessing to be able to catch several of the part member families home and set return apts, because that is soo hard to do here with everyone working all the time and school Summer is the best!! Plus ward camp is coming soon so I"m so excited about that to help these less active families get there!

Because Sister Hamano is learning English, we aren't able to get huge quatities of online referrals just because we are focusing on understanding what the person even said haha, but I really trust that the interactions I pick up will be those who will still be interested even if it's not right away. One of the referrals i sent is really progressing which is so fun because it's to a sister I served with in Honolulu so I could even see pictures of him :) Such a fun experience to see the faces of the people we work with. Also a cutie that got baptized named Dorothy sent me a picture of her baptism. She is so cute, I'll forward the picture :) 

I don't want this transfer to fly by but most of all, I hope that it can be a transfer of many miracles and spiritual experiences for those we meet! 

 

Love you!!!

Sister Nielsen

We got to go to Sister Hamano's sister's wedding and reception

Last Transfer

Aloha!!!        

                                 

Well I had my last transfer news of my mission. Ah!!!!! We played a fancy version of "hot potato" that somehow led us to find out who our comps would be and our new areas. So I'm going to get to stay in the Laie 4th ward which I am so happy about, and also will be training again Sister Hamano! I served with her older sister but she's serving in the same mission! How cute :). She's from Japan, and her sister is getting married in Laie on the 24th haha so I'll get to attend my first live sealing!! Whoohoo exciting ;) 

This last week really flew by! One of my cute online referrals got baptized. She texted me from her new phone "I got baptized today and tomorrow will get confirmed"... and I was thinking WHO IS THIS. this is such good news for someone haha. But happy it was Lalaine!! I love getting to work with people from all over the world and be able to share the opportunity to teach people alongside their local missionaries. 

Also we were able to spend 7 hours in our area (that's a lot for us hahaha) this week, and were able to visit soo many wonderful families. I'm sort of surprised how many part member families there are, but each has their own personal challenges and concerns, so we try our best to follow the spirit.

I've loved having 3 different comps this transfer, it's been a little crazy, but learned so much. And I am so grateful for one more transfer to learn and learn and learn, and to serve the best that I can and give it all to the Lord! I am glad to finish in the Summer when it will be so busy too. The miracles will come as we follow the spirit and do our best!

Love you all so much.

Sister Nielsen

Aloha :)

This week sort of just flew by. Everything feels weird, it's like a new transfer but only 2 weeks long. So I haven't felt so productive in my proselyting area just because the schedule is changed to cover both mine and my new comps' shifts/areas. It's been good though. There are definitely amazing members here that take good care of us, so I'm grateful. And in the visitors' center, this week it seemed like there were many Persians. We got the opportunity to teach them a little bit and share about the Book of Mormon or family, and I'm hoping that they really take the challenge to heart to read the Book of Mormon we gave them. Those people are so kind though and after spending only like 15-20 minutes with them, I feel like I'm great friends with all of them. But I can't imagine being VC sister without the online system and having the chance to keep in touch. But I learned how people from ANYWHERE can be touched by the spirit. It's a blessing from God to ALL of his children.

Also our trio had 13 baptisms this week online haha. Well Sister Park had 11 because a huge Nigerian family got baptized this week. Such an unexpected miracle haha grateful to be able to be happy for them. And they're going to be going back to Nigeria and possibly the dad will be a branch president. Crazy crazy haha. Things are going good for us. I feel like a mom haha. 

Don't forget to read the first presidency message by our Prophet! :) https://www.lds.org/liahona/2017/06/called-to-the-work?cid=HP_TU_30-5-2017_dPFD_fLHNA_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=eng

getting packages

Love you muchos!

Sister Nielsen

Trio love

One of my favorite families

Goodbye Sis Eagle

Aloha!!                                                      

This morning I had to send Sister Eagle off so she can go home and recover from her ankle break. Sad sad. And now I'll be in a trio with the sisters I live with, Sisters Staheli and Park. I've never had comps for just 2 weeks so it'll be interesting. 

Even with our days all messed up and limited time online, there were several blessings and miracles :) I love how a simple request for a free Bible can go many different ways. When we make the call to confirm, each person we talk to has such different concerns or lives that it makes it impossible to truly help them without the spirits' guidance. We try to help them to meet with missionaries but most importantly, to give them a positive and spiritual experience that they will look forward to the missionaries. We had the sweetest lady we called, Denise, who was really struggling and feeling really alone. I felt like it was such a blessing that we can call people anywhere anytime and right when she needed someone to talk to, two girls called her up about a free Bible haha. But really, and I know she felt God's love through us. I love those moments to be an instrument in God's hands. That's the biggest joy of mission and also I know after mission I can also receive promptings to follow. 

 

Oh also always fun to find out when the referrals I sent and people I met online got baptized!!! I love to hear their conversion stories, and remembering how important this work is because it changes peoples' lives!! Darkness into Light (which I heard this video is really great!! by the way haha https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-01-011-choose-the-light?lang=eng)

Keep the faith, choose the right, and be kind to everyone you meet!!

Love Sister Nielsen :)

Crazy week!

Sorry it's been a crazy week but God definitely has our back and is helping along the way. Love you! Thanks for emailing me. I ALWAYS appreciate it. 

Scripture of my day Ether 12:27. It's okay not to be perfect, but we have to recognize with humility and let God help us overcome our weaknesses!!

Love you!

Crazy week!

Hiiii Sorry to email so late! This week has been a little crazy.                                

Well the craziest part is the craziness started just yesterday haha. So my companion usually does her own thing in the morning, stretching and that and I usually run back and forth. So she was so excited to go run with me. I thought, let me show her this cool little place to run that is all green and pretty. On the way, about a few blocks away, we saw this girl so Sis Eagle recognized as a friend from Vernal. So I think right as we got up to her and said hi, Sis Eagle stepped on a rock a little bigger than a golf ball that her foot twisted on and she tripped. She seemed okay, but kept saying it hurt and then couldn't walk. Luckily the friend could run and ask other sisters to come pick us up in a car, but the Swintons said we should go to the ER because it got swollen really fast. A few hours later (because all these other emergencies kept happening with other patients) she had a little cloth cast and was told she broke her ankle. Aww poor thing. So we had an apt today and that's what we've been up to. Driving to Kaneohe and getting a boot. She's in a lot of pain and didn't sleep at all and can't really do much for herself at this point :( So it gives me a great opportunity to serve her and talk to her a lot (because the Swintons told us we need to let her body relax and get the swelling down, so we've been doing sitting down things at home). I've learned so much about that girl. She's been through so much in her life, so this doesn't really surprise her hah, but I feel that even though our personalities are quite different, I've been able to understand her more and be more compassionate as I've listened and tried to understand her more. I think it's a good lesson in life to learn. Understanding can erase a lot of negative feelings or thoughts towards someone. 

Anyways, I have had a good week and I also strengthened my testimony even more of the power of asking God to direct or be directed to those who will receive the gospel. So many "golden" conversations, chats, or people to meet. 

I'm grateful for many things-my family, my friends, the gospel, peace and hope, and my health. The gospel of Jesus Christ does create a light in my life and I don't think we ever appreciate it as much until we are in the dark and see the contrast difference!

Love you all so much. It's fun to hear how much is going on at home and how successful and cute my little brothers are :)

Love Sister Nielsen!

Alll those Miller camp washing hair days paid off because I had to wash her hair in the sink haha. 

Mother's Day

Aloha                                        

       

It feels like forever ago that I emailed haha, but lots of changes when you get a new companion. I'm still in Laie 4th ward, which I don't mind. It's a nice little family ward here and they are really supportive members. Sister Eagle is from Vernal/St George. She's fresh out of the MTC so it's funny to hear about MTC all the time now. It's been a while! Because we don't have language study, we have had a little more time to go and visit the members more than last transfer, so there's been some great tender mercies as God lined up exactly who we needed to see in the short amount of time we had. We still don't have any investigators but we are getting a little more in each day we go looking :) I have loved to see how God puts less active or struggling people in our path and when we follow the subtle promptings, people are able to get the little answer to their prayers they need. 

Also online There have been some really great opportunities to help people with concerns keeping them from investigating or inviting someone to act. I love getting that text or phone call from them when they say "baptism is this day. wish you could be here!" and I'm so grateful that they would even take the time to say that. Small things can mean so much to someone! Never hold back a kind or thoughtful action/words :) 

Prayer really does work, God will guide us, and even though times may be really hard-God will give us strength and ability to push through it if we ask :) 

Loved seeing your faces on Mother's Day. You all are crazy haha. It's been an adjustment getting used to being with girls alll the time, but now I think it'll be an adjustment going back to all you people hahah. Life. Well I'm sooo super grateful for my family and for my Mom. You're the best mom!!! 

Hope ya have a great week! Wednesday is my pday this transfer :)

Love you! Love Sister Nielsen

Saturday P-day

Aloha Family :)
The reason to email today is because transfer day is on Tuesday and it's impossible to have all the sisters have Monday Pday, so they have half of us take Saturday pday this one week and the other half takes Monday. So we find out tonight what the next transfer will be, so we don't know if we will be having our next pday monday tuesday wednesday or thursday lol so we need to buy many foods just in case ;)
It's been only a few days haha but that's what happens here in Laie! I have really enjoyed this last transfer. It's for sure been interesting and I've learned a lot being companions with Sister Taki. She not only taught me a little Japanese, but also by her example I've learned a lot. She is really diligent. She has such a quickness to do whatever it is she feels needs to be done. I really admire that. And she also will serve whether she knows the person or even likes the person. I want to be more serving, but it's really cool to see how natural it comes to her. Also I've learned many other things but I know she will continue to be a successful missionary :)
This transfer has been filled with much ONLINE. And as a result, I have been able to reach numbers of new investigators or referrals sent than I ever have before. I think it's been fulfilling to at least see something come from the work we do. We are lucky about that. Measurable goals that we can achieve. Sometimes in the VC we know we are doing good and our best, but the measurable results can be depressing haha. I had the chance to talk to many humble and willing to learn people on chat, which hardly happened for me in the past, but just by being there and willing to help. I remembered my purpose, not to just answer their questions but also to help them make that next step to meet with missionaries, and several of them are!
Even though I dont get to physically be there to teach them, I'm learning to enjoy my role as a supporter and also to support the local missionaries and pray for those people. This last week I was praying for some of the investigators and really trying to help the missionaries in contacting them, and yesterday 2 of the referrals that haven't been able to be contacted were finally able to have successful lessons! It makes me happy to see the referrals I send end up being quality and not just change to "not interested" haha.
I'm excited to SKype on Sunday! It's a little hard to know when for sure, because tonight I'll find out my schedule (when church is and shift) but I think I can make a quick little phone call before we skype to find the time and confirm everything. :D

I love and miss ya!
Sister Nielsen

Aloha!!!

 

Being in the Visitors' Center is going really well!! I meet hundreds of people and so it's hard to remember what name goes with what person and what even happened (and I really slacked at writing in my journal this week :o ) buuut there were some really great blessings

I have been learning little phrases in Japanese (they are sooo polite that they act impressed but I totally know they are weirded out lol) but it has been a little blessing because many of the Japanese don't want to talk about religion or anything about God, so even though I don't know what Sister Taki and them are talking about, I am able to bring up little things in religion and give them gifts and because I am in the position I am, they take it and listen more to what Sister Taki says to explain what I'm trying to say. Even though it's kind of weird, but several people left the visitors' center with pamphlets or a copy of the Book of Mormon that wouldn't have without a horrible Japanese speaker! God works in many ways :) -also I am really admiring those who are learning a second language because it's hard to think about what I'm going to say, and I don't even try to understand what they are saying to me hahah.

There was a super sweet couple from Uruguay. I guess there are many missionaries there and members as well, so they have a little knowledge about it! But After they listened to the Christus narration, they cried and they're hearts were open to what we shared with them. They should be meeting with the missionaries there soon! I know that even if they don't meet with missionaries back home, they will always remember the spirit they felt here in the temple VC.

Because we have been spending so much time online in the evening (idk if i mentioned it, but we have to spend so much time online in the evenings now haha. It's because 6-9pm is very very busy but also a pretty busy time for us in the center, so it's kind of hard to explain, but we spend hours online in the back now), we are more aligned with Africa time zones, so I have been trying to contact them and help them meet with missionaries. I have to say, they are so open hearted, but their addresses are almost impossible-I really love getting to help and teach a little, but it's so crazy that in some countries soo many people are wanting to learn about the gospel and have to wait. 

There are so many great things going on, but it's so hard to explain haha. Just know that many positive things are happening and I am so grateful for even the little tender mercies :)

Love you!! 

Love Sister Nielsen 

Helllo

  how are you???

 I met so many people this week that have connections to Soda Springs, what a small world right? Like in the Mormon World, everyone seems to know someone in Soda Springs... I am so surprised haha. 

We were able to meet so many wonderful people. I love sharing copies of the Book of Mormon, this week I got to share some of the gospel with a Muslim couple from Kuwait?? SO cool. they weren't super interested but they took some information and you never know what they will feel :) I think it's so cool!

the sleeping seals

Also, I have been meeting many people and sharing more but not too many have been interested. We had a mission fast on Friday and it was so cool. ON Friday I was able to receive Guest cards and new investigators, which was such a blessing to me. The power of fasting is real! I am glad that God has given us many ways to help others and to receive help from him. 

The Reeders

We've been really busy online, still spending so much time there, and every week we keep getting more and more referrals sent out to missionaries. In our training meeting, we have some time to talk about miracles any of the sisters saw during the week, and it's so amazing to hear so many miracles that happen all around me. Sometimes I don't see it but that doesn't mean they aren't happening. I think so often we have miracles and God's hand in our lives, but we don't really notice it or listen to the promptings. Even not as a missionary, if we follow the promptings, we can see miracles or blessing the lives of others :)

 

I know that God loves us and is helping us along the path! I hope that you will try to see the good each day brings and see the little tender mercies all around you :)

Love Sister Nielsen

Aloha

This week was really nice! Lots of experiences each day and so many wonderful people!

I don't have a lot of time, but this week I got to have interviews with President Bekker! I am so grateful to be serving in this mission and get to have such a loving mission president. He is so patient and compassionate. In our Zone Conference we were trained especially in having the Holy Ghost be our guide in finding and teaching. I know that the Holy Ghost is so central to success in missionary work and to feeling peace and success in our everyday life. It's what guides us to safety, to know who needs help, and to help us know and confirm the truths.

I hope you have a wonderful week, I love you and HAPPY EASTER!

Sister Nielsen

Hi Hello!!!!

Hi Hello!!!! (cute words of my companion always lol)                                 

 This week has been really great. I have learned even more of God's love for his children and also how he can change our hearts if we will pray and strive. Receiving Charity as a gift is real and I know that if we ask and strive to develop it, we can become more like the Savior and find more joy in our journey :) plus of course help many others along the way.

So I think I mentioned before, but this transfer I spend many many hours online chatting, calling, emailing, texting. Some evenings from 6-9pm staring at the computer. I feel like I'm going to have weird back or wrist problems lol but I have really loved it. Of course there are some weird ones and some argumentative people. But I have seen so many humble and open hearted people.. I love to get to talk to them, and even though my teaching is limited to short little phone calls or chat over the internet, I have felt a great amount of love and amazing how God works. Like who knew that getting a verse-a-day app would lead to so many people requesting a Bible, who would lead to being open to missionaries coming and sharing more about the Book of Mormon as well as the Bible, and then who investigate the restored gospel and find so much clarity and peace. It has been amazing to see just this last month of how many people were baptized starting with VC/ONline missionary work from our VC. (that we know of). Over 30! It really isn't about a missionary having so many baptisms as it is about working together to help everyone come and stay! 

Sis Lor and I

I had exchanges with Sister Lor, one of my best sisters here. I love her so much! She can make anyone feel like her friend and we had so many miracles on chat. It brings me back to days in 6th/7th grade Instant messaging lol. But so many people are prepared and would accept the truth, but they "know not where to find it". That is so true!!

Also, because I am imperfect, I had a few days of feeling down on myself or not being patient with my own weaknesses and everything, but by being negative I realllllly saw how big of an impact my attitude about myself affected others (especially my comp). We both have our different trials, but even though it wasn't between us, it caused a lot of problems and it helped me see the importance of staying positive with ourselves, and looking outward, because when we look inward too much, we tend to hurt others around us. It's a weird thing, but I am soooo grateful God can help us to have Faith Hope Charity Patience Virtue Humility, Diligence, Obedience and Knowledge! It's amazing.

Well It's been interesting but a good week. Flies by and each week is basically the same. But I love that I have such a unique opportunity and ability to invite others from around the world to come unto Christ :) (I decided to try to make dots on the world map of people I meet this last transfer, and it's so cool!)

LOVE YOU. Don't forget to check out the little subvideos under the Prince of Peace video on mormon.org. They are very good :)

Love Sister Nielsen

The museum on BYUH lol we visited. It's like Yellowstone! or Gpa Nieslens house ;)

Tuesday Pday

Hiii Hello Aloha :)                            

This transfer will be a Tuesday Pday transfer :) Aww I love Sister Taki so much! It feels like we've been comps way more than a week. She is from Japan, i think from where Lance's mission is! So I wonder what area he is assigned to? :) 

We have been spending a lot of time online and callin and chatting people from around the world for hours :) It's really neat hah and I feel so tired-i think more tired than usual-by sitting there sooo much. And staring at a computer screen. We have been working hard though and every week our VC just keeps gettin more and more referrals sent to missionaries. 

Also i love the opportunity to teach so many people that don't really know much about Jesus Christ. I think that is such an amazing part o this place. People come that normally would just not even open the door to missionaries and gives them the opportunity to come a little closer to Christ. Hindus, Buddhists, Sikh, Atheists, and Muslim :)

It's short but I am loving my companion, loving the VC/TC (teaching center/online) and love helping Sister Taki speak English haha. She's the best.

Love you so much!

Sister Nielsen

사랑해

Hi again!

Always so good to hear from you and how it's all going! 

This week went so fast, it was a day shorter than usual haha but tomorrow starts the new transfer! I am going to be moved once again, to a Laie family ward. It will be good but I'm not sure if there is even a nonmember living in the boundary haha. nice. Good thing for the visitors' Center! And online missionary work. I am really happy though because Sister Yun is staying in our YSA area and both of our investigators seem to be progressing and I'm so grateful for that! They are both really sweet beautiful Chinese ladies. It's not super-fast progress, but seeing them recognize God and also praying is such a blessing! I love to teach to that level, simple and basic :)

My new companion will be Sister Taki. I love this sister so much! She is from Japan and is so sweet and I know I can learn so much from her. 

This week has been really special and I feel a great amount of spirit with me. I have really found that as I recognize the spiritual experiences, I have more of them. I watched a girl open her mission call and it was so touching for me. That few minutes is such a special moment and I remember opening my call and feeling so peaceful and calm about it. Excited, but not nervous or doubting that it was right. I never knew what it would be like, and it's not like I thought lol but it has been such a special experience and I can't imagine this not being my life. Good thing I still got some time ;) 

There was changes made to our online missionary work and it recovered these lost contacts that just disappeared in the system! Haha it was such a miracle for us. Usually we have between like 2-6 baptisms a week as a VC, but this week there was 12!!! :) So awesome! Happy for us to be able to know of those people. I know it's not necessary for us, but it is really encouraging to know that our efforts are helping in one way or another :) I met many interesting people and oh yeah! Prom here is so huge lol like the whole high school comes to the temple grounds for pictures... kinda weird but so many people. And such a good missionary opportunity...even though many are members...:) 

Oh yeah haha another awesome thing. Elder David F. Evans of the 70 (used to be over missionary things for the church, now lives in Hong Kong for his assignment) came and spoke to us and gave a special training. It was sooo special. He spoke about callings and how we are called by prophecy and revelation. I think this is such an important thing to be called to repentance about hah. A lot of us don't always love our call or question why we were sent here.. but he taught so many good things. He taught us how God called us here and how we agreed to serve where ever he called us. He also reminded us that we have sooo much opportunity to teach. Much more than many others even though it's short moments, we get to teach maybe more people with more diversity than anywhere else. That is something we shouldn't take lightly or for advantage. It's true, we do get to teach and help people from China or India or those countries where missionaries don't get to go too much, and so it is needed for us to be here. He reminded of Alma 29 and how he needed to repent because he wasn't grateful or okay with what God had allotted him. I think that's also true with every calling we get in the church. We need to repent if we aren't happy with our calling or trusting God. Anyway, yeah, probably doesn't make sense, but I hope that if anyone is struggling with loving their callings, they can remember that we know about prophecy and revelation and that we need to trust God and he can make the most of us!!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH>I have been learning to write and say Korean lol but this is from google translate lol but really I can write this is person :)>>> 사랑해 .

LOVE SISTER NIELSEN

Pearl Harbor

Hiiiii This has been a really good week!                          

First thing! Wednesday we got to go do service at Pearl Harbor! It was such a fun time and always remembering all that service men and women went through and go through for our freedom! I'm so grateful. We did a lot of sweeping and got to go to places on the ship I hadn't been before :)

Pearl Harbor

I met so many interesting and amazing people this week. it's kinda sad that I get to spend only 15-20 minutes with someone and never see them again, but I'm grateful to have that small touch in their lives. There was a little tender mercy to remind me of how one invitation can make the difference. People request for a free Bible online so often and it would be easy for the church to just mail it, but we call and invite them to have missionaries bring it and then share about the Book of Mormon and invite them to learn about it. many people (but one lady in particular) have their lives changed because of the simple invitation to learn about the Book of Mormon. That is such a small moment of time to invite someone to learn but can be the moment their life changes. I am grateful to be a part of this work, even if it's in such a different way than other missionaries. 

Oh, our investigator Xuxu is doing good! She is from China and her belief in God is growing so much! I can't believe how different each person’s background is, but also how humble and willing she is to pray and try these things. That's really where it all starts. it's not really difficult things, but it does take persistence and diligence! Aw I wish you could meet her, she's so sweet.

Seaweed and Rice is my life

Friends from Soda Springs

I am really amazed at how fast this transfer has gone. :( But hope sister Yun and I can stay together in this area. This Saturday we find out again, and guess what! I have monday pday next week so try not to forget about me :) <3 

I really love you and also have a strengthened testimony of Jesus Christ and the power that the gospel brings. Oh also, there is new church videos about Joseph Smith and they are so good. just saw this morning ;) loveeee youuu

Have a good week,

Sister Nielsen

Tender Mercies

Aloha!

What a good week! Lots of tender mercies and little blessings :) We were able to have a lesson with these Korean girls in the ward, they're both just recently converted and so sweet. They love the gospel so far but there is still so much they don't know. So Luckily Sister Yun can explain things in Korean :) But I have no idea what's going on haha. It's fun though. SHe's a really good teacher.

We also were talking about how in our mission it's hard to always see the "miracles" or the ways God is helping us or allowing us to help others. Even just in simple ways, once we prayed to recognize those things, we started to see many little blessings and miracles that we wouldn't have thought too much about but realized they were from God. That is probably true for all of us in our lives... we just don't recognize it, but God is always helping us along. 

Oh I got to meet a couple from Soda Springs. It made me so happy! The McCuttys?? Such a sweet couple. The sisters told me someone was visiting the temple grounds, so my comp and chased them down on the temple grounds haha. Awh so sweet. Also Matt's friend came, don't pay any attention to the video she made. lol so embarrassing. But fun to have those connections so often here :)

Many of my online investigators are actually being taught by missionaries!!! Thank goodness! And I found out that one of the ladies I had met in the VC had surprisingly got baptized in December, but hadn't answered my calls or texts, so I thought she wasn't interested and hadn't really met the missionaries. Fun surprise :) Also someone SIster De Leon and I had met together also texted her and said he got baptized :) Such a fun surprise and I'm so grateful for the technology to be able to know even about one or two of the people we taught here :) You never know how many peoples' lives are touched :)

Also this Russian fellow came on our tram tour, and I thought of Logan Young in Russia and how hard it would be to find new investigators, so we did our best and he filled out the card, I don't know how it will go, but i'm sure that would be the best text serving there. I know it was when I served in Military where we can't really find easily...

This week we had lots of Tongan food, lol at Sister Yun. I have to say, it's really grown on me. I remember the first time I had laulau, but now I actually really like it! I never wouldve' thought haha. 

Yeah, lots of really great things and people were met this week! And even though there were hard times, we worked through it. We had a training yesterday about GRATITUDE. (aka great attitude) Yeah, i never thought about that being my problem, but it's true, when we are unhappy or feeling down, if we can develop an attitude of gratitude, our lives are much happier. A sister shared how on her dance team they had the "but... rule" where if you said something negative then you had to say but...and something positive that could be taken from the situation. I don't know if that makes sense, but it really is helping me to see the good in even the situations I hate the most. :) If you struggle with being negative, try it! :)

 

Love you so much! i hope you have a great week and hope to hear from you :)

Love, Sister Nielsen

Aloha :)

                                              

Wow this transfer is going soo fast! This last 5 months are going to fly by. :o 

So many wonderful people and experiences. I am happy to say Sister Yun and I are finally figuring out how to teach together better. In the VC it is so common and easy to just give a tour/teach by yourself. It is sooo much less effective though. And so we were able to talk about it and now we are working together much more and the spirit is so much more powerful. It strengthens my testimony of the reason we are put in twos. Not just for protection, but teaching together is so much more spiritual/powerful. 

the Tram

We have been also trying to spend a lot more time online. And it's so amazing how receptive people are. Of course they are the ones requesting, but each week as a visitors' center, we just keep getting more and more referrals sent out to missionaries around the world. It is such a blessing. And also so many are being taught, which is also such a blessing. Elder Swinton spent a large chunk of time today in our training meeting this morning showing us the charts of visitors and people that want to learn more after coming here. It is a huge miracle to see the extreme amounts of people that have come this year compared to the past... Like the total number of guests in the VC in 2015 was 130,000 and this last 2016 was over 200,000. And this year is already starting with soo many visitors. Such great opportunities to teach people that normally hide from missionaries lol.

I met this really neat older man from italy the other day who had some really interesting thoughts. He has studied a lot about what brings peace and how he feels religion is missing the point. If we followed what Jesus Christ taught more, that would lead to peace. But it was a good reminder to me to always remember that the gospel and ordinances we do in the church are what help us to live and apply the teachings of Jesus Christ. We should be helping those in need, giving all that we can to help and serve others, and also strive for charity in our hearts. When we become more like Christ, we will feel the spirit more and also have a greater understanding for the need of his gospel. 

 

Also just something fun! We have been being fed by all the ysa and married students, and I really love the different asian foods haha. So much better than Panda Express ;) I am going to learn how to pronounce and make the foods I am trying so I can also make it for all of you after!!! You will love it :) 

Jamie's friend and family

I hope all is going great! Keep trying to love and serve others, and the spirit will guide you to know even stronger of the truth of the gospel. I love you and miss you and wish you the best 

Love Sister Nielsen