Aloha

Aloha!

Sister Nielsen and Penales

it's been pretty good, this week seems like forever for some reason. Like a week ago Sis Yau was still here, but it feels like she's been gone forever. But I love the new comp and living closer to the temple. The pad is smaller, so it's way easier to clean if my roommates will try haha. Also it's way easier to get to places on time when our area is mostly online and visitor center-which is a walk away haha. 

Sis Penales is a cute little Filipina from New Zealand. And she's so sweet. She spent the last 6 months as coordinating sister, and so she's really organized and on top of life. Which is good because i'm not haha. But so far we really love each other and have got along. We have had a few late nights trying to organize a baptism service that had a lot of complications from past missionaries skipping stuff (the baptism was yesterday so we had to figure everything out from wednesday-saturday) crazy haha. But The investigator, Erin Kate, was so awesome. She totally rekindled my faith in a lot of ways. She just glows with the light of Christ, and has had a hard time with family being strong Catholics, with big lifestyle changes, but something really awesome is that she really did her part to know if it's true. And her testimony has helped me. So if I was transferred to this area just to meet her, I wouldn't be surprised. But sis penales and i have learned a lot already about the role of missionaries. You can't just cater to every want of an investigator or it'll come and bite you on the bum later on. Also that we need to sustain our leaders, even if it means a chance of losing a "baptism". But luckily God inspires leaders, so the baptism still happened ;) 

It's cool to be able to see how important member fellowshippers played in her conversion too. It all started by a friend inviting her over for dinner with the missionaries, and from that day on, she has changed into a completely different person, but one that is sooooo happy and can't stop smiling, knows who she is and her purpose, and even though life is still hard, she knows what can help her along the way. The gospel really is amazing, and even though we don't always understand parts of it, and even have doubts, there is no way to doubt the happiness that it brings in peoples' lives, the purpose and direction it gives, and the light that radiates from those who have experienced baptism by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. 

I haven't really figured out how to love online for that long of time periods (because our area is YSA, so like 2 NMs that aren't interested) so my back has been really hurting from sitting so long, and I got this weird eye thing that is soooo itchy :( But I definitely know how awesome online is, because such prepared people go online to find answers and then in turn want to learn more from missionaries. Also we get to contact all the referrals we've received :) 

Keep praying for me, i really need it! I just gotta keep trucking and I know i'll figure it out :) And with a new area and companion, Heavenly Father has only set me up for success, so hopefully i can take it and really learn and take advantage of this time to set myself straight. 

Did I tell you that we've been trying new things at the VC, so instead of having just 1 tram bus bring people over from the PCC we've been having 2 trams and 1 "lions bus" so instead of just having 30 people come all at once, it's 80 or so. So it's pretty crazy. And then one right after the next. 6, 6:20, and 6:40-7:10 are sooo crazy. We get over 200 people in one day through the PCC. It's pretty cool. That's about 1200 in one week. So I should be able to get "guest cards" back, but really even with that many people, it's the same, but more people are able to just feel the peaceful spirit of the temple grounds and always have that to turn to. It's really great though, but I'm still adjusting to having soooo many people around. It's rough, and we don't really get to teach together (which is okay, but obviously I'd rather teach with my comp). 

Love you all!!! 2 weeks until mother's day right??? gonna be fun! 

love Sister Nielsen

Transfer day!

Sis Yau

We had transfer news, (im so sad that Sis Yau is leaving. I cried all through Aloha Oe) but I'll be with the cutest, sweetest, most diligent little Philipino/NewZealander ever. Ill send a picture of her. She has been the Coordinating sister (pretty much the AP of visitor center sisters) for the last 6 months of her mission. Honestly I am so grateful, but it's hard to know that God pairs strong missionaries with weak ones to help them, but i'd rather be the strong one haha. Oh well, how else can we learn...? Also i'm sad to be moving to a new area too :( Hopefully i'll get moved back to L8 and L9 again at

Sis Penales

some point of the mission.. but i'll be serving YSA and Married Student wards and also online :). I have been wanting to do online because I haven’t had time all transfer to contact hardly anyone.     I had a spiritual experience where all my spiritual moments flew through my memory and yet it's still so easy to lose hope. Even doing all the "right things" like praying, scripture reading, and going to church. I learned that even more than that, you have to do more. I need to be PONDERING and TESTIFYING more and really SERVING more. The gospel isn't easy, but how else can we become like Heavenly Father if we don't follow the example of Jesus Christ's life here on earth. Also sad news, one of my best friends is being transferred out full field :( and so I'm losing to besties in one shot :p oh well, Sis Penales (my new comp) will be great and someone I feel like can really trust and become good friends with.

My Asian Besties

Also guess what?! A family we are really close with, the Lopez's, knows Logan Young and Amy Brown! The daughter just got home from her mission in Russia and was like best friends with Logan... Seriously how awesome. And their mission is so crazy! Only 52 missionaries in the mission! and It's cool to see her pictures since logan can't send home pictures too much! But their family is crazy and it makes me love my crazy family even more :)Love you!

 

Lunch with the sisters

some of the sweeties ladies I know!!!

The Visitor Center Sisters!

Aloha, Talofa, Hello, Lei-ho

Aloha, Talofa, Hello, Lei-ho

How is everything going??? HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THOMAS!!!!!!! what a little nugget. 15 years old, that's so crazy! haha. both of the investigators in both wards are like 15-16 years old... i try to imagine teaching thomas and robert as i try to be patient with them. haha like do my very active brothers even read their scriptures every day?? (you better!!! haha) but also, they are both so shy and one of them is from Samoa, so i don't feel like he understands everything we say.. the language barrier here is such a struggle haha. But good news, one of them agreed to have a baptismal date on the 16th :) which is so awesome, so Sis Yau will be able to be apart of it (if everything lines up and he is ready) before she ends her mission on the 20th! :) 

So last wednesday we got to take a trip over to Kaniohe, and it was pretty fun! we have these new "best friends" aka Tiwi, which tracks our driving and will yell at us when we are doing things wrong haha but i'm a good driver so no worries ;) I think Sister Warner sent me a picture of all the Tiwi's getting installed.. but we nicknamed ours Turtle because no one here follows the speed limit, so we are always the slow car with a ton of cars really close behind us.... hahah But cool story kinda: when

Turtle

we were shopping i really needed a black skirt, and i was getting frustrated because the skirts were either too tight, too short or basically see through.. so i decided to pray and ask for help, because i know that heavenly father wants me to be modest... and guess what. I found one modest skirt in the whole store.. and it was black. and even better, i got up the front and it was on sale half price. It was a little tender mercy to me (and i can stay modest and feel like i am representing Jesus Christ :)).

Also we were able to be led to many different people this week. We finally were able to see a reallllly busy less active lady that has been struggling because her husband died of cancer this last year :*( so sad. But it's amazing how strong her kids are (age 8-24) and even though her faith is shaken, their faith is so strong and they continue living the gospel in a way that will allow the spirit to always be in their home. What a hard trial though. Faith is one of those things that we can lose so fast. just like Peter walking on water. He did something so amazing, but still sunk because he lost his faith so quickly. We need to follow his example and when we are sinking call out to the Savior and let him save us and help us. When we build our faith on Jesus Christ we cannot fall (Helaman 5:12) and i know that's something i need to apply to myself more... even just spending more time in my personal study learning about Jesus Christ and strengthening my faith in him. 

I wish i could tell you about every opportunity i have... But i love being able to be an instrument in the hands of God to help them come unto repentance and also to help them feel God's love for them. We called a member referral the other day and the girl who referred her didn't know what her friend would say, but the friend had been waiting and waiting for the opportunity to learn from the missionaries (of course her phone died and we still haven't had the chance to call back and get her address). And a man came into the VC and had a friend who is a member... they’ve even talked about church and what we believe.. he was telling me that he was impressed with our church and all these things.. and then we asked "would you go to church with him?" and he said "yeah, if he invited me i would go". and then he left. But It really hit me hard. how many people in my path through life have i just never offered the invitation to, but they would be willing to learn or to come or even WANT to come and learn but no one has told them or asked them... EVERYONE, pray about a missionary opportunity, and then really act on the promptings of the spirit. People really are being prepared and just waiting to hear the gospel and have that happiness in their life. Please share it with them!!!! 

Okay gross story, so two days ago i went downstairs without my glasses and showered and then went back upstairs and then back downstairs and then my pad mate came downstairs and screamed and guess what..... Maggots ALLL OVER the floor. our downstairs is all hard floor and so there were sooo so many maggots just wiggling around everywhere. How nasty. and the worst part is i walked through them (i had to have missed stepping on them or i wouldve known?!?!) and we had to try to kill all a million of them. So so gross. the struggles of living along the beach in the perfect weather i guess. Yuck yuck yuck. but it is clean and we are happy now. except also another sad gross story, i forgot about all the nasty ants everywhere, and the lovely Miller family (joann and paul) sent me a package including Somoas girlscout cookies <3 and i didnt' think about it and left the box on the table.... so many ants ruined my happiness. Oh well, i loved getting the package and the love and maybe its a good thing i couldnt eat a whole package of those heavenly treats... 

 

Also we got to go to the temple and sis yau and i decided to do Initiatory and sealings instead of a  session :) it was soo goood. I love the peace of the temple. and the spirit is sooo strong. i agree with all the leaders of our church that said in so many of their talks that we need to go to the temple as much as we can!!!! the blessings and power we get from going is so much more than we know!! i loved general conference :) i basically bawling through the whole thing because it was so good (and maybe because i was a little tired at 6 am lol) but i finally got to watch the womens broadcast too. so good! if you haven't seen every talk... go see it! 

I know that God really does love each of us so much! and i know that the Book of Mormon has the fullness of the gospel. I know that through Jesus Christ we can be healed of sin and guilt. and that the prophet and apostles really are called of God and receive revelation for us!!!!! 

thanks for all the support! I would love to receive some emails this week of everyones testimonies of what they KNOW is true. I would love that so much :) pllleeeease. i love you all and have a great week!!! 

love Sister Nielsen