Hollywood Area 2-3-2015

The "Dying" missionaries

FAMILIA!!

Man, you all said there wasn't much that happened this past week, but it still sounded like there was a ton going on!! Dance recitals, young womens night, BYU basketball, Super Bowl, school and everything else! Our week here was super crazy too. But before I get to that I want to praise my little sisters for a second and say that it sounds like we have some future cougarettes in the family! :) No joke it sounds like you all are doing amazing so keep up the good work! Dad, I'm also glad to hear that your shoulder is recovering, because you better be 100% by the time I get back so that I can whoop you in 1 on 1. ;)

So, as always this week is transfers and so we had a pros- monday yesterday, and then transfer meeting tomorrow. So the transfer call came last night where the assistants tell us whether we're staying or transferring. Obviously I'm staying because my companion is dying, but lets just say there were some BIG changes that went down in our zone. 6 areas in our zone are getting white-washed. Which just means that both missionaries in the area are leaving and 2 new ones come in. It doesn't happen that often just because it can be kind of crazy having 2 missionaries in an area that know no one and have no idea what's going on. But I felt like this was what was going to happen, and I know President is inspired so it's gonna be sweet!

This week went by so fast again!! I felt like I would just blink and our days were gone. We had district trainings again in the beginning of the week which always take up a good chunk of time. Basically our only progressing people right now is this crazy haitian family!! haha they have 6 kids all under the age 7! So whenever we go over to their house we literally get attacked by haitian kids. I laugh so hard everytime we go over there, because we actually have a rule as missionaries that we're not allowed to pick up or hold kids. So we sit down on the couch and they come up and just start climbing on us, and we do our best to like try and keep them off of us but it just doesn't work. And then the parents just look at us like, "What's your problem? Just pick up the kid or do something!" haha it's great though, I love it.  Then on Friday we had like the greatest day ever because we got to go to the temple!! Whooop whoop!! We got special permission to go with a recent convert in our ward. His name is Bro. Kevin Tinny. He is one of the greatest men I've ever met. He got baptized 1 year ago to the day he went through the temple. He is a 71 year old guy, but it would be impossible for you to tell that if he wasn't losing his hair. He comes out with us every single week on Wednesdays for like 6 hours. So I'm sure in the future you will be hearing about plenty of experiences we have with him. We were so blessed to go through the temple with him, and I felt like it was as much for him, as it was for us! I felt the spirit so strong, and I was so edified and i received a lot of answers from Heavenly Father to a lot of questions I had. So it was amazing!!!

I'm so grateful for the Gospel, and for the happiness that it has brought me in my life! I know that God lives, and that He loves each and every one of us, and wants to help us have a fulness of joy in this life and in the life to come! Keep working hard back home, and share the good news with everyone! 

Love,
Elder Nielsen

Hollywood Area 1-26-2015

Elder Nielsen and Elder Brimley playing some P-day dodgeball

FAMILIA!!

Yo, what's up everybody!?! I'm glad to hear Dad is recovering well, and that everyone is doing well! I'm sorry again little sisters, that I didn't have time to reply personally to all your emails. I just spend so much time writing President about all our missionaries! So you just need to write all the missionaries in our zone and tell them to be better so that I don't spend so much time writing about them! ;) I was glad to hear as well that you got my SD card, and that it didn't get destroyed in the mail. I look forward to when I can tell you all the stories about the pics! :) don't worry though I'm not trunky!!

This week was another great week! They seem to be flying by way too fast which I hate!! As I'm sure you know my companion E. Brimley is "dying". (mission lingo for going home). So this upcoming week is his last week in the mission!! It's so weird! He's not trunky at all though so that's good. I'm so grateful to be his companion and I'm sad that our time is almost over, because he has seriously been one of my favorite companions! :,) We've gone so hard, so I'm sure not much is going to change this next week!

Sadly, Alissa didn't get baptized this weekend. We don't know what her freaking deal is. Whenever we meet with her she's so awesome, and she always almost cries cause she feels the spirit so strong but then it's like she just disappears! We're going to dunk her before E. Brimley goes home though for sure! We also had an awesome family in church on Sunday. It's a mom named Shorna, and her 15 year old son Dashean. We found them in the apartments that we've been working lately. Let me describe this place to you. There's about 20 or so buildings, and they kind of make up like a giant circle. The buildings are 5 stories high, and they have 10 doors on each floor. Every apartment is the exact same, 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Around the complexes there are just kids running around everywhere unsupervised, and they always come up and ask us for candy. Haha basically it's just filled with humble people. I love it!! haha it's not the "safest" place ever but the people there are awesome, and we get to talk to so many people since they live so close.

Well, I'm really sorry I stunk at managing time again, and I have literally no time left, but just know that I love you all, and I'm so grateful to be here on my mish!! The church is true! Have an amazing week!

Elder Nielsen

  

Hollywood Area 1-20-2015

FAMILIA!!

I'm glad that you all weren't freaking out that it's tuesday and you recognized MLK day was yesterday. Sounds like everyone had another great week enjoying the snow!! And what the heck happened to Dad??!! I didn't hear anything about him getting surgery last week, but I'm happy to hear everything worked out. I guess that's what happens when you get old! ;)

This week flew by again!! It's weird the days and weeks seem to go so fast, but then looking back you feel like you did so much work, and then it makes you tired just thinking about everything you did. So i just try not to think back and just focus on the now and working as hard as I can! This week there was a huge change in our mission. On Wednesday we had a mission wide conference call, and President announced that the Ft. Myers zone, from the Tampa mission is now in our mission!! So crazy! So our mission just got 30 more missionaries. It will be interesting to see exactly what happens with transfers coming up, if President will leave them over there or if he's going to bring them all over to the "east side" as we now call it. But yeah it was pretty big shocker!

As I mentioned last week we had a Zone training this week. Basically what it is, is all our zone meets at a chapel, and E. Brimley and I give a training about everything that our zone needs to improve on. It went awesome! Our zone is already doing a lot better, and people are being much more obedient and working harder. That was our main focus. Work, work, work. There's a quote by Spencer W. Kimball that basically says, if a missionary works he will have the spirit, and be happy. So it's great to see our zone just going hard!

We saw a lot of miracles this past week in our own area as well. Hollywood is such a good area! haha I literally never want to leave here! Hilda was so packed with work this week that we literally didn't get to see her once. It's crazy how Satan does that, it's like someone has a super spiritual experience and then he does everything he can so that we don't meet with them! But we've still talked with her a lot over the phone, and we have set appointments for this week so she's doing good.

We saw a super huge miracle on Saturday as well. We were meeting with a recent convert named Neville, who is like the most solid recent convert I've ever met. We were teaching his daughter because he really wants to baptize her, but we lost contact. So on saturday we're just sitting there talking, and she walks through the front door. Our immediate thought, "YES!! Let's teach her and get her to come to church tomorrow!" so, that's we did! She came on sunday, loved it, and then we taught her all the commandments yesterday and she is living them, and she's preparing to be baptized this sunday! So solid!

This week I got to do 2 baptismal interviews as well. Honestly, that's one of my favorite parts of missionary work. It's amazing because you basically just get these people to share their testimonies with you, and they are always so powerful! One thing that I have learned on my mission is that the most powerful testimonies are the simplest. We don't have to give some long elaborate speech. The spirit can be invocked in just a 2 senctence sincere, and powerful testimony. I'm so grateful for all that you guys do, and have done for me! I hope you got my sd card with all the pics, because I sent it last week. I'm so grateful to be here where I literally have no worldly worries! It's the best! Have an amazing week! Love you!

Elder Nielsen

Hollywood Area 1-12-15 Happy 20th Birthday!

FAMILIA!!

What up what up!!?? Thanks so much for all the birthday wishes, and the packages!! You all are the best!! Haha I loved the pictures of me as a baby that you sent!! haha I don't know why we have so many pictures of me in the nude as a child, but whatevs! It sounded like you had a pretty crazy week back home with a bunch of different activites and parties and stuff! Good to hear that you're staying busy. I'm gonna have to apologize in advance. I used my time poorly again, and I took FOREVER to email pres this week because of a bunch of stuff that's going on in the mission, and in our zone. But it's chill.

This week was super crazy for us as well! I don't think I've ever been to more meetings in my life than this past week! Elder W. Craig Zwick from the Seventy was here in our mission this week so we had all kinds of meetings with him. It started out on Wednesday morning we had a Mission Leadership Council with him, that went for like 4 hours. Then that same night him and his wife gave a training to all of the Ward Councils that was like 2 hours long. Then on Friday again we had a specialized training with him and the whole mission. It was pretty crazy! It was like 5 hours long as well. So my mind has basically been exploding this week from all the revelation and intense spiritual experiences I've been having. If there's one thing I learned this week it's that General Authorities and their wives GO SO HARD!! Haha they are straight work horses!

In between all of the meetings and other stuff that was going on we were able to have a super productive week. We're teaching some awesome people right now and it's great to see the Lord compensating for our righteous efforts. We're teaching this awesome dominican lady named Hilda. She was the only one who came to church on sunday, but she straight loved it. After church we were talking about her baptism, and she was saying stuff like, "Yeah, I would love to do that!" "Can I do that as soon as possible?" Basically just super elect stuff that makes missionaries hearts leap with excitement! haha.

This week we have to give a zone training on the training we received in MLC, and like I said before our zone has 13 companionships. So I'm a little nervous just because I don't think I've "trained"/ taught something to that many people before, but I'm sure it's gonna be great. Please just keep praying for me! haha I know that sounds cliche, but it's true. My testimony has been so strengthened about the power of prayer. I have received so many answers to prayers so I know that it's real! Thanks again for everything that you do, and have done for me! I'm sorry if sometimes I'm a stinky son to have on a mission because I never write letters, or never send anything home, or never send good emails. BUT you can find joy in knowing that your son LOVES his mission, and is trying to be as focused as possible! I love you all!

Elder Nielsen

Hollywood Area 1-5-2015

FAMILIA!!

What up what up!!?? Thank you all for the incredible emails and pictures!! Those pics were incredible! It looks like it finally got cold in utah! I'll be honest and say that I do not miss the cold! haha no worries it's still 80 here in Florida. I'm sorry little sisters that I did not get time to reply to your emails today. This email is gonna be kinda junky I'm sorry, because I literally have no time!

It sounded like you guys had a super fun new years eve too! Haha not much happened here. We just had to be inside at 7. So we just kinda chilled, cleaned the house a little bit told some stories. The normal mish life! This week was probably the fastest week of my life. Haha we just had so much stuff going on! I thought I had been tired before on my mission, but nothing compared to this week. So at the beginning of the week we just had to go to a bunch of district trainings. So that was a lot of driving, and sitting and listening. But the time that we did have in our area, we went so hard! We didn't let anytime slip by when we were in our area so we were finding, and teaching a lot of cool people. Then the biggest miracle of the week came on Thursday. I had mentioned a few weeks ago about a guy named Pierre who texted us asking about baptism. He was supposed to get baptized last week, but he was just making some lame excuses. So we just decided we were going to drop him, and then move on to other people. So we did. Then thursday he texted us, and his text said something like this. "Hey guys, I'm really sorry for how I've been acting. I know I need to be baptized, and I don't want to postpone it any longer. Can I get baptized tomorow night at 7??" Haha we were so pumped!! So we set everything up, and he got baptized the next day!! So solid! Sorry I forgot my camera. But I will mail my sd card today!

There are a lot of good things going on in our area right now. I love it here in Hollywood! Our zone is doing better, but we still have a lot of missionaries that are struggling so we are trying to do all we can about that. One thing that I wanted to share was a scripture. I don't remember where but Jesus Christ says something along of this, "Whosoever shall lose life for my sake. Shall find it." I know that scripture is true, because I have seen it in my own life. I'm so grateful to be here on a mission to lose my life for the sake of the Savior. And because I have that, I truly do feel like I have found myself. I truly feel happy. Thanks so much for all that you do, and I love you all a lot!

Elder Nielsen

Oh and p.s. about the birthday presents. I lost my cord for my camera to plug into the computer so that's part of why I haven't been sending pics. So if you could send another one of those cords. The camera is nikon coolpix. Also more ties are always good, and maybe one of those things from missionary mall, that expands the collar of your shirts. It's like an extra button thing. Haha don't worry I'm not getting too fat! ;) Other than that there's not really anything I need. Maybe just some more snacks, like granola bars.

Hollywood Area 12-29-2014

FAMILIA!

I just wanted to say thanks again for being the best family anyone could ask for! Skypeing on christmas was legendary and I really loved seeing all your beautiful faces! Like we talked about I wanted to give a shout out to Grandma Kathi, and Dom for the gift card! I got it this week, so thank you so much for that! I'm thinking today I will send my SD Card of all my pictures from the mission so that should get to this house this week.

Haha I honestly have no idea what to say since it feels like we talked just yesterday! LIfe here in Hollywood is great. The biggest thing that we're worried about right now is just helping out our zone. Like I said, our zone is the biggest zone in the mission, and I don't know if this is how it is for other zones but it seems like we have a lot of stuggling missionaries. Haha the Lord knows I need to have patience, and he's really testing me. Because honestly all I want to do is just go hard in the paint in our own area, and only have to worry about our investigators and our ward and our members, but sadly that is not the case. Our main focus is still our area, and our investigators but just added on top of that is the other problems we have to deal with our missionaries. It's fun though. ;)

I wanted to share one thing that I have been thinking about a lot lately in my personal study time. And what has been coming to my mind a lot is the gift of repentance. And I use the word gift, because that is truly what repentance is! Before the mission I thought of repentance as just this long and painful process that you never wanted to do, because it meant you were making mistakes. But now the mission has truly changed that. I am so grateful for repentance. Because it means I can change! The word repentance literally means change. And I have learned that if I am not changing, then I am not repenting. And if I'm not repenting, then I'm not qualifying myself for the fulness of the Lord's blessings or the Celestial Kingdom. It's pretty simple if you think about it. I'm so grateful for my Savior, who suffered all for me, and for each one of us, so that we can repent, and truly change. It brings me great hope and peace to know that through my Savior all of my faults and weaknesses can be overcome, and that they can become my strengths. The reason I wanted to share this is because in this upcoming year, we always make New Year's Resolutions. And really a resolultion is a symbol, of one's desire to change, or repent. I pray that each and everyone of us, as we reflect on this past year will be able to make acheavable goals and plans so that we may truly change and become more like our Savior. And just like we read in Matthew, that there is joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents, I know that there will be joy in heaven as we change and repent and become more like our Savior this upcoming year!

I love you all and thank you for everything!

Elder Nielsen

Hollywood, FL area. New companion Elder Brimley 12-22-2015

FAMILIA!

Merry Christmas in 3 days everybody! I can't wait to see all your beautiful faces! We should be skyping sometime around 1 oclock our time here. I was happy to see it finally snowed in Utah! Now you guys can go and carve some mountains! Haha the weather here in Florida. Exactly the same as always! haha it's the greatest place ever.

So I'm sure you all are wondering what my new area is and companion. Let me just say it was a huge surprise at transfer meeting! Haha I went to an english ward! So my new is area is actually in Hollywood, right next to Ft. Lauderdale. It's the furthest north I have been in my mission. It's like a totally different world! My new companion's name is Elder Brimley. He is such a boss. I have been so blessed in my mission to have served with just amazing companions. This is his last transfer, so in mission lingo I will be "killing" him. He is super focused though, and he just wants to work so hard his last transfer so we're going hard that's for sure! As well what was a big surprise is that we are the Zone Leaders of the Ft. Lauderdale Zone. So what that means, is that we're just responsible for the performance of the missionaries in our zone and as well we have to train and help out all the district leaders. There are 26 missionaries in our zone, one of the biggest in the mission. So it's kinda been crazy this past week going to all of the district trainings and meeting all of the missionaries, but I've loved it!

I really loved my last area. Coral Reef was a boss area and I was sad to leave. But our area here in Hollywood is a straight gold mine. haha what I mean by that is that our ward here has had more convert baptisms the past 2 years than any other ward in the mission. (Or, at least that's what our ward mission leader told us.) So yeah, the people here are awesome. I thought the ward in Coral Reef was culturally diverse, and then I came here. Haha the ward is giant, and there are people from everywhere! One of the counselors in the bishopric is from Nigeria. There's a bunch of huge haitian families, as well as latins, and americans. There's also some people from Russia, and Europe. Crazy fun! The ward supports us super well, and just loves missionary work! So I feel super blessed to be here.

I'm sorry I don't have much time left to share a miracle story, but I will briefly. This week a former investigator texted us out of the blue, and his text said this, "Yo homies, when am I gettin baptized?" Haha we both we're freaking out so we went over made sure he was still living the commandments and he got interviewed, and will be getting baptized on tuesday. So that was super sick! Well I love you all! I'm so excited to talk to you on Christmas! I'm so grateful to be a missionary! And I'm so grateful for my savior Jesus Christ, and for this time to celebrate His birth!

Elder Nielsen