"Feliz Año!" (Jan. 6, 2014)

Bueno, estoy en Port Isabel. And I don't remember what all I told you about transfers.

I'm in Port Isabel, which is like it sounds, next to the ocean. Our area includes Laguna Heights, Laguna Vista, Port Isabel and the island. There's a great big long bridge about a mile long that goes to the island, and so I've been on an island for the first time in my life, and I've also seen a lagoon for the first time in my life. But when we were on the island it was dark so the opportunity I had to see the ocean for the first time didn't quite work out. So I have yet to see the ocean and the beach for the first time. One problem, is that we aren't allowed on the island without special permission and they're kinda strict about it. So we can only go if we have set appointments. And only to the appointment and back, no finding while we're there.

Oh, and mi companeras son, si. Hermana Bettinson y Hermana Hunt. I don't know if you remember Hermana Bettinson, she was Hermana Petramalo's trainer, first companion, and we lived in the same house for the first transfer so I already knew her, which is super good for me. I am very grateful, its making it a lot easier for me. And Hermana Hunt is a greenie, kinda. She actually left for her mission before me, but she went home when I entered the field. She went to the Peru MTC and then spent one transfer in Ecuador, but she got super sick and had to go home, so she was reassigned to here. So Hna Bettinson is both training and breaking this transfer, lucky her. But it's fun.

Hmm, other than that, I'm just trying to adjust, getting to know all of the people. The investigators already here, I haven't seen a whole ton other than Freddy and Avianna, and with them we're struggling a bit and might be doing drop lessons with them this week. :(

But the people we meet are great. I'm having lots of fun.

The negatives is that I'm super tired, to the point where I don't ever want to stay up late, I want to go to bed asap. . . . Yup that's when you are all shocked, I know. But at the same time there's not enough time to do everything I want to do. Or need to do. Like write letters, especially the hand written ones I'm supposed to send home each month. But one thing I learned is that I need to be much better organized and that will save a lot of time.

Pero si,

Con Amor,

"hello! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!" (Dec. 30,2013)

Bueno, so Christmas was super great! Everything was awesome! And I was super glad to be able to talk to you all. Of course there was the option of doing skype or facetime or whatever, but I didn't realize you could use any of them and didn't want to bother trying to learn how to use skype. So I didn't even mention it. And mom talked about how she felt it would be too hard. But Elder Basset was saying that it was easier, so who knows. But then the thing is, is that I don't know how to use face time either. But maybe next time you can set up an account for me and dad can give me a step by step directions e-mail and I can do it easy peasy with the ipads we might have by then.

I'll admit that it was hard to hang up, cause I felt like I had just talked the whole time, just going off on whatever popped into my head as if I were nervous or something. So sorry about that. And the time went super fast, but it was still good. After a little bit that icky feeling went away. So it's all good.

But I am going to repent, cause I'm actually supposed to be sending a hand written e-mail home with pictures once a month. So I'm working on that, I likely won't get it this week so don't expect anything to soon because we're having fun with celebrating this New Year thing with transfers!!!

Yup, I'm getting transfered, and I'm super heart broken, but at the same time I can't help but be grateful that I was able to spend this much time here and for everything that I did learn and experience.

I am going to Port Isabel, which is the Brownsville sister area, just above Brownsville. So I'm closer to the border which means that the language ratio is a lot more spanish. So of course I'm excited that I'll learn but I dread it cause I don't like not understanding what people are saying and I don't want to leave Edinburg. But I guess it's time for me to really actually learn spanish now.

Other than that I'm not sure what else to tell you.

Oh, Humberto is getting the priesthood next week and his family came to church yesterday, so the plan is to go set BDs with them today and Humberto will be able to baptise them this month!!!!! I'm super excited! I won't be here for it, but I guess that's okay.

I love you all so much!

Hermana NJ Nielson

"hmmm" (Dec. 23, 2013)

Oh! Mom you got released from YW? That really truly took me by suprise and honestly I didn't find out until this week because I usually spend most of the hour typing and then just print out the e-mails I get, but then I sometimes don't have time to read them during the week. So while we were waiting for our oil to be changed, I finished reading all the e-mails I received the last few week and found out my momma isn't in Young Womens any more. What are you gonna do?!! :D No I know you find ways to keep yourself busy. Did you receive another calling and that's why you were released? or did you just finish your time?

 

Oh, I got a few more random questions, what's this Frozen movie?

Oh, and who lives in 515 s and 500 e? From what I remember there isn't even a 500 east that exists. So I'm confused. But I will talk to you all Wednesday. Love You!

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.