Dec. 23, 2013

Quite honestly, I don't know what else to say that can add anything to the last e-mail. I am super happy for Aldo and Kariann! And Saturday was the best day ever, only to be topped by Sunday when Humberto was confirmed. The only thing I can think of to say is to just tell stories about him, cause Humberto is just absolutely amazing, puro oro! I am so grateful to have met him, and I'm just bummed that we don't get to keep on teaching him the entire time we're here, the good news is that he has a family that needs to be baptised. We got it all planned out, we're gonna start teaching his family and then he's gonna receive the priesthood and be able to baptise them in enero!

 

Oh, I think I'm gonna be calling Wednesday at six o clock for you guys, and seven for me. I'm not sure if you're gonna be going up to Grandma and Grandpa's then so I guess if no one answers when I call the home phone, I'll just call up there.

435 835 8182 and then if I here my two little brothers saying that you're busy I'll call 435 835 8081. Yeah? I guess you'll have to hurry and tell me if that's wrong. But that's my plan now. :D

Love you!

con amor, Hermana NJ Nielson

" :D " (Dec 23, 2013)

Felicidades a Aldo!!!!!! The 21st was a good day!!!! I decided to celebrate my brother-in-law going through the temple with a similar special occasion which Aldo did just last year.

Humberto was Baptized!!!!!!!!!

It was the best day of my life!!!!! The few hours afterwards, we were floating on air!! Of course that night I crashed, but it was the greatest I've ever felt that I can remember!!

"12 days of Christmas has started" (Dec. 16, 2013)

Bueno, mi companera has been taking the count down, there's nine days till Christmas. And we have the option of skyping or calling home. Sorry, put I don't really want to Skype. So, yup, sorry too bad if you wanted to, but I don't want to find a member's computer and then deal with it. And we don't get to call to set up a time when we can call, so we have to set it up over the e-mail, and there's today and next week then two days after it's Christmas. I think they said that we can call either Christmas day or Christmas eve, but I think everyone will be all over the place on Christmas eve. From what I remember I was always finishing the Christmas shopping, going sledding etc. on Christmas eve, so I figure Christmas day would be best. Cause that's when everyone opens their presents and then everyone can have a lazy day for the rest of the day. But I don't know what time you want to do it. I would guess the early afternoon, after the wrapping paper has been cleaned up and before everyone starts heading out to friends or to Grandma and Grandpas. But it's up to you. And I remember that Texas is an hour different but I don't remember which way. I think I'm an hour ahead. Bueno, oh and we only get 30 to 45 minutes, so if I cut it off before an hour's up that's why, don't get offended. So yup I think that's it for the call next week.

 

It's weird having a Christmas without any snow at all. I'm missing snow. My companion is all good with it, she's from St George and usually spends Christmas in Hawaii anyway. (She has family in Hawaii and she was born there, so it's not that they're into crazy vacations, it's like us going to Idaho or Colorado). In fact, my favorite Christmas song this year is "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" It's okay, I'm not trunky, I just wish I could have a snow ball fight for our p-day zone activity. There was frost on the cars this morning though! that was pretty exciting!

 

Bueno. OH yeah, Elder Callister came down to our mission and we got to have a mission tour meeting with him on Friday, and then he talked in our ysa branch yesterday. It was super awesome, like a mini general conference and leaves you with the same problem--you learn all kinds of amazing stuff and you're all pumped up to change the entire world, but then there's so much that you got that you don't know where to start.

 

Last Tuesday was the definition of a roller coaster day for a missionary. It was our district leader, Elder Basset's Birthday, so we went to Kuhn's Grill, a Mongolian restraunt for lunch and then went to district meeting. After district meeting we stayed to do our language study. Then we had the zone leaders bring us the keys so that we could have a lesson with Humberto in the church that afternoon, I had a little bit of a stress come apart, and then Hermana Stevenson, who is gluten intolerant--majorly allergic to gluten, broke out in hives and we discovered that khun's grill is not gluten free and gets cross contamination really bad. She never broke into hives before and it was all over, kinda freaking her out. But then we had our lesson with Humberto and our member present showed up while the zone leaders left to get her some benadrill (sorry I don't remember how to spell anything) Then we had a pretty awesome lesson with Humberto, he prayed about Joseph Smith and sayed that he "[felt] joyful, so it must be good" That is what he said, so it was pretty awesome. Particularly cause my brain was going crazy and Hermana Stevenson's skin was burning up and itching and during the lesson her throat started closing up. Oh yes, and Elder Bellavance (zone leader) brought the walmart bag with the benadril etc just before we were gonna have Humberto pray. So it's just proof that the Lord loves us. And the spirit was there regardless of the many distractions that occurred. and that Humberto is ready even though he's got a huge wall of a stumbling block that he has to get over.

But then it was sort of a panic mode once Humberto and the member left, cause then there was a ward FHE activity for the Spanish ward, but Hermana Stevenson was having a really hard time breathing and she had hives all over her body and so we called Sister Maluenda, but she didn't really know what to do. And that didn't help my panic level. I was trying really hard not to show it. Sister Wiser, one of our sister training leaders is gluten intolerant as well and so she was on her way with her essential oils, so we waited in the relief society room with a few of the elders there trying to lighten the mood by talking about food, and me trying not to freak out by marking the scripture masteries in my Spanish scriptures. And Hermana Stevenson being absolutely amazing and not hitting anyone. Cause I was freaking out enough to hit all the elders. I was not happy with what they came up with to say. Particularly Elder Sanders (zone leader) saying "okay, so do you want to drive yourself to the hospital?"

 

Well anyway, hows that for a story and long e-mail? Maybe not so long. But everyone says I only need to say that I'm alive and doing okay. So Momma and Daddy, I'm alive and I'm doing good.

 

Love you all!

Hermana NJ Nielson

"He, he I'm back" (Dec. 9, 2013)

I guess I just feel like I should spend more time writing. Hmm, yup and I also have some requests. Sorry, soy chiflada. Pero. For Christmas I want snow.Cause it's kinda weird to see all the lights without any snow. It is cold enough to be Christmas, and the lights and songs help with it, but the lack of snow is kinda throwing me off. And it periodically warms up and doesnt fell like December at all. Oh and we received some news which leads me to wish I brought some things with me. . .  There is a box in the shed that is labeled as the last box I packed up which I contains things that I thought I might at some point request to have sent to me, and I was right. I was hoping that I wouldn't need to request anything cause I don't like the idea of anyone having to look through my things to find what I want, but I hope I made it easier for it to happen.

But we are allowed to listen to any Christmas music-with wisdom- so I had a sing along disney christmas cd, the thing with that one is that I don't know if I thought enough to put it in that box, so if you happen to find it it'd be great and if not that's okay. But if you want to send any Christmas music, or mormon tabernacle choir music, I would not turn it down.

We also learned that we can read any gospel based book, so there are two books I am thinking of, and I'm pretty sure I put them in that box, but one is the Increase in Learning by Elder Bednar, and the other is the brownish one with the compass on it which is very similar in size.

If you happen to come across my sweatpants, my BYUI shorts, and my wool socks, I would appreciate them.

If you find an extra copy of the cd about patriarcal blessings by President Pinegar, I'd love it.

A few more things I requested before is a personal progress book, the colored led for my scripture marking pencil (especially yellow and all other colors) and of course lots of letters.

Oh, I think its called "the pocket reference guide for missionaries", if you can find a copy of that book, It would be awesome!

Hmm, yup sorry I'm a little stink head.

 

Oh, but I got funny stories. We were thinking the other day, it started because there is an Elder Dance in our zone, and we realized that there are nine elders in our zone, and there are nine reindeer. So we wrote them all down and matched up which elder went to which deer and we know have some Christmas nicknames for them. He He, it's kinda fun.

 

There are 13 in our zone, we had 12 but then we got another elder that was reassigned to this mission. But the zone leaders have dubbed us the dirty dozen. And have a "sign/signal" for it as well. you make it by making a peace sign with one hand, and with the other you put your two fingers (the ones you count one and two with) on the tips of the peace fingers, and then the thumb at the base of the peace finger and the number three finger at the base of the other peace finger. it makes two D's and is the "Dirty Dozen" Edinburg Zone. Yup, they were trying to get me to do it (the sign), but you know me, I wasn't gonna do it just because they wanted me to do it so bad.  But, yup. I told them it was like the secret signs and combinations of the gadianton robbers, and they tried making it a commitment for me to do it, but my companion backed me up saying they'd have to make legit promises for it to be a commitment.

 

Okay, and as the "dirty dozen" we all went to support the baptism of one of the companionships. And with that, I got a question. Are all Elders weird everywhere? or is it only the ones that end up being in my zone? Cause Elder Dance and Elder Pederson (the elders that had the baptism) Had a baptism celebration dance in the parking lot. (this was after the Christmas Devotional because the baptism was just before) They turned on the music in their car and started dancing to it.

So I want to hear about stories where there are crazy missionaries outside of my zone.

 

I love you all sooo much!

 

Kaylee! Congradulations! I am going to be sending you a letter soon.

 

Con Amor, Hermana NJ Nielson.

"Christmas is coming" (Dec. 9, 2013)

We watched the devotional last night, and it was great! I loved it!

Oh, I got some cool news, I don't remember if I already told you. But our mission had a goal of 110 baptisms last month, and we got 113! It was pretty awesome. That's actually partly why Fidel would have been able to be baptised before he'd gone to church three times because it was a lofty goal and we were all trying all we could do. But there actually isn't any rule that it has to be three times, that's just a suggestion, which is a good one. But if they have the genuine desire than it's really not important how many times they come to church. The requirements are just that they come. There are missions that actually require five times at church, but it's one of those things that's just to see how strong their desire is. President Maluenda has said that even if they relapse on the word of wisdom and smoke or something just before their baptism, they can still be baptised. We can't deny them this opportunity to show the Lord their desire to follow him. As long as they have a sincere desire, that's all that's important. Cause if they had to be perfect, no one would ever be baptised.

That was a comp study we had with the zone leaders when we were worried about Fidel, but it's really just understanding what baptism really is.

But anyway, this month our goal for baptisms in the mission is a grand, huge 150. That's more than has ever happened in our mission. But it's gonna happen.

 

I have been told that all I really need to say in my e-mails home is that I'm alive and I'm doing good. Soo. . . . . do I pass?

Love you all!

Hermana NJ Nielson

December 2, 2103

Well, first, no, we didn't have a baptism this saturday. There was one in our zone, the other Hermanas had a wedding and a baptism, but Fidel did not get baptised.

If you look at the story from a long distance, it could be kinda funny. But the fact that he was progressing and very ready for it, made it super painful. Okay, it's hard to see it as funny, but if it were altered a bit it would be. We find it funny how much effort people put into rejecting us. We say hi to people and they nod and then put a lot of ridiculous effort in concentrating on watering their lawn as if it required a lot of concentration. And a lot of the time people are "very busy" watching whatever happens to be on tv or whatever else they happen to be doing. So we do laugh at how much effort people put into ignoring us, especially when they make the conversation a lot more awkward than it has to be. It doesn't hurt us, we just get to laugh about it later, but for them they get all weirded out and awkward when we just want to share the best thing that could ever happen to them. But it's their choice. Well, Sister Stevenson told me a story of when she knocked on a door, the porch light came on and through the window a lady asked who was there or what they wanted or something. They told her, and she said okay and left the window. Then a few seconds later, the porch light turned off. That's a funny one. With Fidel, we found him over at his neighbors again, and we started talking to him and his buddy Roy, who expressed an interest and actually came to church too. But it was a rough one, cause we found them drinking. The concern was giving up drinking as alcoholics. They expressed many times that it's hard when you're an alcoholic. We decided we needed to explain baptism better because they understood it's purpose as receiving godparents. But then the Roy's wife came out and asked if we were the mormons, and then said that they had met with the elders before and they ended up getting into an argument and then she demanded that we leave now or she'd call the cops. We couldn't have any kind of explanation or anything, she insisted that we leave and that she'd call the cops if we ever came back. That was fine. She was ridiculously anti, and it could've been funny how extreme she was. But the hard part was that Fidel didn't say anything. He just sat there silently and didn't make any move to continue talking to us. That was the hard part. That we didn't help him understand the true importance before we lost the opportunity to. He had agreed to us meeting with him every day to prepare him for his baptism on saturday, but at that point he said there was too much pressure. He didn't understand that what he was preparing to receive is so much greater in value than what we were asking him to give up, that it would help him make that change.

Another thing that I wish I had with Fidel, is Aldo as a member present. We don't know of any members that could relate to Fidel as far as struggling with word of wisdom problems. So I would like to request Aldo's experience. If that's alright with him, I'd like to have him write down his experience with both overcoming addiction and joining the church. And what blessings he's seen because of it etc. I'd appreciate it a whole lot. Or if you would like Kariann, I am totally okay with the two of you moving down here and being member presents. :D

Well all of this is still hard, but it's done, hopefully Fidel will come back but who knows. But we do still have Humberto, who is also struggling with the word of wisdom, but he is still very excited about his baptism, I do think we need to work with him a little more about overcoming, cause he's very scared about completely quiting.

 

Well, life is great as a missionary. What we're trying to work on for this next week is having a well rounded effort, and enjoying the mission. "Disfruta la mission" --President Maluenda.

 

Oh, I got a question for Kariann, Do you talk with a lisp in spanish? Use more of a th rather than an s sound? Because President Maluenda and his wife do. Or did you not ever talk chilean spanish? or did Aldo tease you and break you out of it? He he.

I have a feeling you'll both make fun of my spanish when I get back cause it'll be TexMex.

 

Oh, momma, I got a favor to ask of you. I know you're super busy and crazy all over the place all the time and it being December doesn't help, but we've been working with a recent convert named Lisa, and she's great, there are not words to describe. But we were working with her on modesty and cleaned out all her clothes, but she had a really hard time letting go of her shorts. So I'm sending them to you today, in hopes that you could make them into those bags for her. Like the ones that you made for all of the young women. There are two pairs, and probably a blue lining of some kind would be awesome. Maybe have Amy help pick something out, cause I think they're pretty similar. Particularly their build. She's a tall, skinny, pretty girl, just like Amelia!

 

Okay, I'm really not sure what else I should write, except that letters are scarce. :(

Oh yeah, I got sick. The elders got sick and passed it around amongst themselves and all but one got it and then I got it. Yup dumb.

 

Oh! and happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Yeah, what did you guys do for it?

I think I've officially decided that my companion and I are have turned ADD from these crazy stressful but fun and wonderful two months.

I can't think of anything else and I've spent almost 45 minutes on this so it should be good.

I love you all so much!

And I would like to request a letter from everybody claro, pero specifically Kariann and Aldo, Kaylee and Aunt Mara.

Con Amor

Hermana NJ Nielson

Natalie's letter from (Nov. 4, 2013)

Okay, we still don't have any investigators. It's pretty rough and we're really struggling with it cause in four weeks we still haven't found anyone that is interested enough to keep compromismos (cause I don't remember how to spell it in english) or even keep appointments. We leave our number with a gazillion and five people but it's interesting that no one calls. :P We talk to people that seem so interested and excited about it but then they just don't come to church like they said they would, we don't ever see them again like they don't even live in the same place anymore, or they peek through the window and then pretend they aren't there even though they saw me wave to them when they peeked. (Yes I wave to let them know I saw them to guilt them into opening the door).

Although, yes I have to admit that a weeks ago when the testigos Jehovah came knocking on our door, we hid, cause what do you do? we're missionaries being contacted by missionaries. After a minute we did go to answer the door cause we felt bad doing what others do to us but they were leaving so we didn't feel so bad cause we are more persistent than they are.

But anyway. yup we don't have investigators. Sorry, I know, It's hard because our mission is one of the top baptising missions, and all of my missionary friends that have actually talked to me have told me about their "only three" baptisms etc. We have invited dozens of people to be baptized, and many have accepted. But then we don't ever see them again. So right now, we're actually hoping for people that actually put in the effort to show up rather than just say they'll be baptized. It's sad that they don't understand the commitment they make, and I guess it's our bad for not helping them understand, but we don't understand how much they don't understand until we don't see them ever again.

I honestly haven't had any doors slammed in my face, just every other type of rejection. The most common, is saying hi and trying to ignore that fact that we're still there to talk to them. The second is never being home when we have a set appointment and they said they'd be there all day.

Okay, I'm sorry, done with the poor little chifflado missionera.

We decided we want to try creative mass finding ideas, so please share all of your ideas, I welcome the craziest of crazy as well! We have thought about the chalk on the sidewalk one and since we are the central area, we have places like the courthouse etc. that people go by a lot. We also thought of caroling hymns etc. So bring up any more ideas you got.

Oh yes, Halloween, we had to be in by six. We had a zone meeting at the church at six, then we went to our house and we carved pumpkins, but Walmart didn't have pumpkins. The other Hermanas were lucky to find their big one on a corner stand where someone was selling some. Then the elders went home. We had to stay in cause Halloween can get scary. And even when we just got to our house there was a girl that put red paint all over herself and was crying for help to everyone that passed by, and it honestly got kinda eerie.

Oh yes, I got another story, so you know how last week I got flat tires, and so I had to buy new tubes? Well guess what? yup. I got my bike all fixed and we were going out to an appointment monday after pday and we had a few blocks left when my tire popped. I guess I must've pulled a Kellynn trick. So after that appointment we started walking home again. And I tried patching up my tire tubes again and found multiple holes in each tube, yeah, I just bought a tire patch kit and don't have enough patches for all of the wholes. So I talked to my district leader and today I'm gonna get the slime tubes and he's gonna fix my bike for me. I know Rollin advised against the slime tubes and suggested to just use the regular ones, but somethings up and we can't keep walking home cause our area, though it is the smallest in our zone, it's bigger than Manti, and takes us around two hours to walk home, cause we just happen to always be in the upper farther part, not the farthest, but deffinately not the closest to home. And if these tires go flat, I'm getting the foam ones, that you don't put any air in so they can't go flat. But they're about $20 per tube so hopefully the slime ones will work so I won't need to. but maybe that'll just mean I won't have to buy any more tubes for the rest of my bike's life which would be worth it. So yup, I don't like bike tire tubes, they're dumb and go flat way to fast! Don't know why I didn't ever have this problem before. But oh well.

Okay, something I've learned? Well all things are in the Lord's hands and He brings things about in His own time. The hardest thing is having the patience. I'm willing to work myself to death for Him, bit it's just hard to have the patience. So Kaylee, the advice your stake president gave you isn't just because you're impatient. It's cause a mission will make you patient even if you don't want to be. You have to learn patience with yourself and with the work and trust in the Lord's timing. And the worst part is that you can't hurry up and be patient. It's hard to be patient for patience.

Another thing is that I wish I had all of the things I learned throught seminary, institute, young womens and my personal study all organized and collected together so that I could pull them out when they're needed. I always go blank when I need a scripture etc. I can't ever think about a scripture that will help, even the scripture masteries. And when I do, do you think I remember where it is? Ha nope. So if you want to get a hold of the pictures that brother Bingham used, I would love it! I miss things like my personal progress book, and notes and handouts that I have in a box in the shed. I should have not taken a semester of school and typed them all up and organized them to bring them with me. And I have also been commited to not touch my english scriptures unless I'm teaching someone in english until I've been out for seven months. So I don't know how to find anything!

But I do know that the gospel changes lives. You can't have the gospel without changing. I was reading about the vision of the tree of life in 1 Nefi and I realized that it's the same tree that Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden so they couldn't eat from it. And there was a sword placed to keep them from getting to it. But there is somewhere (sorry don't know where) in the scriptures that tells about the gospel being a two edged sword that pierces to the soul. I think it's also the iron rod. And the sword that turns every which way isn't actually to keep Adam and Eve and us from getting to the tree, but to make us worthy when we get there, to change us from the inside out (a gory visualization, but true) The gospel will pierce you and change you until you are worthy to partake of the tree in its fulness. and Yes it does hurt.

Well I love you all so much, sorry it's not working to post pictures. I am super sorry! I'll try some more. When is Dallin's flat stanley project due?

Con Amor

Hermana Nielson