Visitors

Byrams and Sims

  

It was so fun to see the Sims and Byrams yesterday. Haha I completely forgot and then just was so smilie and glad they stopped by. Haha and the packages cracked me up. Thanks sooooo much!!!!!

goodies

Aloha OHanaaaaa

It's been a good week :) We have put a big emphasis on working with members. It goes slower, but definitely more effective :) I love seeing members happiness when they share the gospel/reach out in friendship to their neighbors.

Oh so cool, we are going to be able to teach this really strong Catholic lady (not really strong in the religion just that she is a catholic) but she is interested to know what her son (who is a member) and us believe. She loves to have us over and it really means a lot to hear her and her husband say how welcome we are anytime, but especially to hear them say they are willing to have us teach them the lessons, even though right now, "she doesn't want to change" :) Yay for miracles!

Also had exchanges and I got to go with the lovely Sister Wu. She was so kind and loving and I learned so much for her. I really look up to my sister training leaders (we have 4 of them haha) and they are all so Christlike and happy and have such a light in their eyes. I want to be more like that myself. Grateful for them :)

Oh we had a surprise visit on Sunday by........ Elder Neil L Andersen! haha perks of having the Swintons. It was really nice. I loved to hear from him and Elder Clark-former byui president. 

Elder Andersen and Elder Clark

We also have several potential investigators that I really think might go somewhere! That's not so common so we are excited :) 

VC has been slow, but I am glad we have the PCC tram tours or it would be sooo much slower. I love meetin great people that I know feel the spirit at the temple grounds :). And how interested people are in reading the Book of Mormon. They will love it :)

Halloween here is pretty big. Especially because Laie is sooo safe so everyone brings their kids here. People go all out. I wish I would've taken pictures. Its like tents outside and food and candy and music and cool lights and stuff. And no winter coats ;) We all hung out in the VC and watched some pioneer videos and Elder Swinton gave us some testimony and insights. It was interesting Halloween but a good one :).

I am happy and healthy and excited to take a little nap :) haha.

Love you all!!! I know that God will answer your prayers, so don't forget to pray :)

Love, Sister Nielsen. LOVE YOUUUU

Alohaaaa

Polynesian Cultural Center

Thanks for all the emails and support <3

This week has been good! We spent a lot of time working with members in our area. It's been really fun to try to do missionary work in this new way, but this is what I have heard the missionaries do in Utah and they find a lot of success. It makes sense, because if members aren't REALLY involved, converts seem to go less active pretty quick. That's a sad pattern we are seeing in this ward and we don't want Kayla or Josh to do that!!!!! They deserve to stay in the path and happiness! So yeah, that's basically what we've been up to. We have seen great experiences as members call us to share how great of an experience they had even just introducing themselves and becoming great friends with their neighbors. it's so fun to get them involved so they can also feel the joy of loving and serving others.

In the VC, we had a lot of Vietnamese people and I always tell them my cousin went to Texas and spoke Vietnamese hahah they are the cutest people. I am a giant, I can't imagine how Alex (or Ed I can't remember) felt haha. there are little tender mercies everywhere. In Ether 6, the people were sailing across the sea in a ship and I can't imagine how horrible that would be, but they gave thanks and they recognized the tender mercies of the Lord. Such a great story and hopefully we all can try to be even more grateful in our different trials and struggles we are facing! 

Sorry it's short, but I love you :)

Love sister Nielsen

ALOHA ALOHA ALOHA :D

It's been a while haha. 

Soooo, I have my new companion, Sister Pluim from Idaho. She's real nice and a REALLY big fan of Idaho lol. I have never met anyone that would fight for our state as passionately as her haha. She's cute, and friendly. I hope we will keep becoming better friends. She pretty much spent her first transfer in the VC all the time, so this is the first time she's had an area, so I get to teach her all that which is honestly taking patience (this is my first time not being the younger comp in mission) but Through the enabling power of the Atonement i have really developed a great love for her and patience with her. it's real people. Even if we can't do it on our own, God doesn't ask us to :) Take advantage of the gift of the Atonement for YOU. 

It's lovely being back in H3 :) No progressing investigators right now but the ward and people were so kind welcoming me back. I was so happy to see Kayla and Seth (who are married now :o) and also Josh and Maile :) I love them all so much!!! And good to see them progressing. We are still working with the same people as before, but I hope we will be able to know how to work with members more to find more people that God has prepared to receive the gospel. We only get 1-3 hours a day in our area which is hard but I believe we will find whoever God needs us to visit and teach. 

 

I hope you are all doing more to help spread the gospel. Whether it is giving someone a copy of the BOM or just even being a friend to a NM and opening the door to feel more of God's love. There are many ways to share the gift of the gospel.  I don't know why but I am blanking of all the stories of this week haha. Sorry!!!  Love sister Nielsen!

Hau'ula 3rd

Well big news!! I really did think and hope I would stay in ysa actually, but God has other plans. I guess I'll be going back to Hau'ula 3rd ward with another sister from Idaho. There are 7 new sisters coming in this transfer (usually like 1-2) but I'm glad i won't be stressed about training them haha my new comp, Sister Pluim, is awesome. Technically I'm her second trainer but she's pretty much got it all down, so I think we will have a good time. It's weird to imagine being in Hau'ula again, especially with another Haule. haha who knew. She’s from Meridian. 

Sis Pluim and Nielsen

I have really come to love this area, and right now we actually have 3 investigators, so it's hard for me to leave, especially since i was taking care of almost everything relating to our area, so I hope sister De Leon will be able to manage it all! But good news, we have been teaching a Japanese girl, and a Japanese sister will be taking my place. :). Yay!

This week was my half way mark. weird! And also that means 4 sisters will be leaving on Wednesday (that's why i'm emailing today, Wednesday is transfer day, also IDK what day will be my pday so be prepared ;)) But i'm sad. Sister Penales, Kim, Leng, and Ting. It'll be different without them for sure! 

 

I had some cool missionary moments, teaching this cute Chinese lady how to pray :), meeting wonderful people from around the world, and there was one filipino who everything we said agreed with and said he's been looking for the church that has what he feels in his heart the church of Jesus Christ would have, and is excited to learn more. I love little moments like that :) 

Sorry it's pretty short, but I just emailed only a few days ago haha. I'll try to send pictures. I'm excited to see the letters from the boys!!

Love Sister Nielsen

Aloha!!

 This last week was filled with so many great spiritual things, but I'm having a hard time separating where all the different things I've learned are from. But I feel like the main thing I learned is that the greatest blessing of the Restoration is that we know God's Plan of Salvation for us, which because  of Jesus Christ we can all find hope and second chances. That is how we find JOY :). I have really been changing how I talk to people in the visitors' center and teaching more about that plan. People are more open and think more about it rather than feeling defensive. It really does bring anyone more direction and purpose, and who doesn't want that? I've met such wonderful people and I'm glad Heavenly Father let me be the one to talk to them.    

In our area we are starting to get more appointments set up (finally haha) and being able to feel like we are helping the less actives and nonmembers. I guess this is a struggle of white washing 5 wards while covering a VC. But I will be really shocked if I get moved from this area. Transfer news will be Saturday, so Monday will be my pday and then Wednesday will be the transfers! So I'm excited to see what God wants for me! 

Gen Conf breakfast

We have been working with many people that are not even Christian. I feel like this is no coincidence, seeing that my faith in Jesus Christ maybe wasn't as strong as I need it to be. But really focusing on Him and the blessings that come because of His Atonement, I have been increasing in faith and ability to feel the peace and spirit in my daily life. They do say faith is a choice, but sometimes it's not an easy choice to have faith. but I'm grateful that through learning and action, we can grow in it. 

General Conference was awesome of course :) Our investigator watched it with us. "very interesting" was her comment lol who knows what she really was thinking, but it will be a great resource in teaching her about prophets and apostles haha. Also we will be starting to teach this Japanese girl, unless we have to pass her to Japanese speakers. But teaching a Malay girl and japanese is about as Buddhist as you can get haha. But such a great opportunity! That's one of the things I love about BYU, it's so diverse that the people we work with have such different beliefs and culture. We are still figuring out the best way to teach, but I have a feeling good things can come if we are obedient and diligent! (and humble, patient, charitable, etc lol)

Riding the Tram

Anyways, I'm glad you had a good conference! I hope you don't just think about it and remember how you felt, but really apply it and put it into your life :) 

Spread the gospel! it will bring the world the true Joy :)

New Muumuus

Love Sister Nielsen 

Aloha Ohana!!

So serving BYU YSA has been tricky for us. We have tried some new ideas to try to help others, one of the ways is by going around visiting other members with the girls preparing for their missions. That has been fun so that we have an excuse to share a message with them so they don't feel like we are singling them out... I am really loving being around others my age. It is fun and pretty much everyone struggles with scripture study. Something that I got out of the Women's Session of General Conference (https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP_SA_24-9-2016_dPFD_fLHNA_xLIDyL1-C_&lang=eng) was that this is perilous times - and the fullness of times - so even members of the church really need to strengthen their testimonies or they will fall. We learn in Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life that it was those who continually held fast to the iron rod (aka word of God) that didn't easily fall away. I hope you're all making time for scripture study. As individuals and as a family. It is so important, and worth the struggle or time it takes!!! 

watching the women's meeting

I was so happy, Josh Dang came in the VC so I got to see him and it was so great. I really am so glad that he is so happy. He got to speak at a missionary fireside the stake held, and he was awesome. I am glad that the gospel has brought him so much happiness and direction. No his life isn't perfect, but he knows how to find peace and how to get through hard times. It was such a great opportunity to see him only a few weeks later, still growing in the gospel :) 

Good news, we finally have an investigator :) Michelle from Malaysia. We basically start teaching tomorrow, so it will be interesting as she doesn't really have any religious background. Pray for her!:) 

Sis Nielsen and Deleon

I have been so impressed by some of the people I have met here that show their love for God. One girl is putting God before love, which I really admire, because I can't imagine being homosexual here where it is so accepted, yet she knows it is bringing her away from God. Her testimony is so strong. I really admire her. 

 Also we had zone conference and it was so fun to see some of the sisters I came out to my mission with! So cute. I love the Bekkers, they are so awesome. I am lucky to have had 2 great mission presidents that do so much to help me with the struggles I have. Grateful to be in the one and only "aloha mission" :) 

Love and miss ya, Keep doing your scripture reading ;)

Love sister Nielsen

ALOHA :) 🌸

This week has been a little rollercoaster for me... but what week isn't haha. 

I got to talk to a lot of people with different religious beliefs and it's really amazing to me to see so much similarities amongst different religions.. I spent a while talking to this Jewish man. He was so kind. And interesting, a big reason he stays Jewish is because of what his ancestors went through as Jews (with the Holocaust and everything). But even though it does help me to see what my ancestors were willing do to for the church, i'm glad that we are encouraged to find out for ourselves and not just rely on others testimonies. Also that our church has misisonaries, i feel like that in itsself says a lot because if we really believe it, then we should want others to have that same happiness and blessings. So I'm grateful to be born with this as my religion. 

We had a training for VCs and they showed us the new Christmas initiative video. Yall are gonna love it. it's so good. Also they showed us this new movie of the restoration of the priesthood. also really good. I'm grateful for opportunities like that to strengthen my testimony of those things (Jesus Christ and the restoration). 

We are still slowly working with our area. It's kind of hard working with YSA but fun that we get to try to help all these girls preparing for missions. And so many RMs that want to help too. Even though we cover 5 wards, i feel really confident in the efforts of the members. We might have a NI soon, hopefully she will have felt the spirit being at school here. For some of these nonmembers, they don't even believe in God, so if they could leave their time at BYU even believing in God, that would be wonderful. 

We were going to do this great environmental service with the YSA and got out to this beach that was literally mountains of sand... so we had to get driven back into Laie to help clean the school because we can't go on the sand lol so sad. It's been fun getting to help people around my age :)

I also had a whole day that I got to spend online, it was great. I had a 5 hour chat, it was really a rare experience to get to spend so much time answering someones questions and teaching them over the internet. usually we are only on for like an hour or two. But her name was Jennifer so naturally i had to ;). It's been a good week. I have a greater love for my companion. We are starting to have a lot of fun together. Like everyone served in the philipines, so pretty much i don't understand many of the conversations, but it's good, because in English, Sis DeLeon doesn't follow the conversation very well sometimes. It equals out :) She's a cute girl. Makes me feel like a giant haah. 

It's already week 4 which is crazy. 

I hope youre all doing well. I love and miss you. I am missing the seasons but it's nice to only really be cold in AC :) 

haha 

I love ya!

Love sister Nielsen