Ft. Lauderdale West 6-15-2015

What is up everybody!?! I can't believe that all my homeboys are getting home already!! DAD, it's making me too trunky!! ;) haha I'm just kidding not at all actually. Because now that means that they have to start thinking about school, about how their going to pay for school. Where they need to work, how they are going to get a job. Who they are going to date, who God wants them to marry. What they are going to do for work for the rest of their lives. And then you have me. The only thing I have to think about is, "Invite others to come unto Christ, by helping them receive the restored gospel, through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end"! I love being a missionary!! Alright, so to answer a couple of the questions. Mom, I'm not exactly sure what the exact date is for my return. I'm pretty sure it's thanksgiving day, so whatever that day is! But yeah, feel free to call the mission office, they can hook you up. My companion goes home in 5 weeks. So this is his last transfer!

This week was pretty intense! I've never had to do so much "random crap" in my life!! I never realized just how much stuff has to happen in order for transfers to work out!! It's been insane! But great at the same time! Transfer meeting was so inspired and it was worth all the extra stuff. Just to give you an insight on exactly what happened. So monday we had to drive all the way up to the most northern part of the mission to pick up an elder who was going home early. Then on tuesday morning President took him to the airport. Then tuesday morning we spent from 8 until 2 in the office just printing stuff, and typing papers. Then we had to go pick up the new missionaries at the airport. Load all their luggage. Drive them to a hotel drop them off. Take them to Presidents stay there and eat dinner then give a little training. Then take them out to knock doors for the first time. Bring them back. Then go back into office until 11 at night to finish preparing things for transfers! I was dead! Then Wednesday basically we just announced transfer meeting, made sure everyone got the right switches with cars and other stuff. Then we took all the dead missionaries to Presidents house and finally got some time to work our area for like 3 hours that night!! Next morning we have to wake up @ 4 AM to take the departing missionaries to the airport. We drop them off, and then we finally had a normal day of working!!. . . Until Saturday. . . 

Because then on Saturday we had a Mission Leadership Council with Elder Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy!! I don't know if you know about him, but it was pretty big deal! Everybody is predicting him to be the next apostle so we will see what happens! But if it's true then I will officially be able to say that I hugged an Apostle! :) So all of that "stuff" was just crammed into the short span of 5 days! It was basically a blur! Haha good thing my companion has me hooked on these energy drinks called "kickstarts" or there is no way I would have survived! ;)

But enough of this dumb business stuff let's get to the important stuff that happened this week!! So, I don't think I have mentioned him before, but the past few weeks we've been working with this 22 year old kid named Jeff. Jeff is the man!! He was someone who was just completely prepared by God to receive the gospel. He had a pretty sketchy time in his teenage years, and we found him when he was really looking for God and for purpose in his life. We have seen so many changes in his life over the past few weeks it's been amazing. He was able to be baptized and confirmed this past weekend and you could just see the joy in his face after it all! He's told us now that he wants to start preparing for a mission and he is going to come teaching with us tomorrow night! 

This week that is what I learned right there. I learned that there are so many distractions or just "random crap" that Satan tries to fill our time with. I'm not saying that everything that I did earlier in the week was a "waste" or unnecessary. Because it was necessary. But sometimes in our lives it is way too easy to be caught up in those things and lose sight of what really matters most. I know that the Atonement is real. That it can literally change anyone if they allow it too. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer, and that putting HIM first, and always remembering HIM is what is most important! I love you all and have an amazing week!

Elder Nielsen