Monday, February 29, 2016

Week 24

A Mighty Week.

This week has been amazing. We've been working with a few investigators and hang out with the YSA elders since they live so close to us. We make meals together like chefs and work at the bishops storehouse and meet so many cool people. SO you can say this area rocks lol
Also my comp elder baker rocks. He's from Cali too!

Love,
Elder Nielsen

Week 23

An Interesting Turn of Events.

So by now I'm sure everyone knows that I got Eted (emergency transferred) into a new area. it was quite interesting to say the least. My new companion Elder Baker is a pretty cool guy. He's from Southern California too (Like half the mission is). We are getting along fine and working well so that's good! We even have a baptism this Saturday too so that's good!
I hope you all are doing good as I am doing good myself. Fun days are ahead I am sure of it!

Love,
Elder Nielsen


Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Week 22

Wonderful Surprises For All.

So admittedly this week was pretty tough to begin with. I blame myself partially to the contention that has been circulating. But as luck would have it, the Lord was able to find ways to help us and after late Thursday we are no longer contending at all. SO that's good right? Anyway this week is going to be great. I can tell. I'm expecting that after this transfer I will be leaving around the beginning of March. Everyone keep that in mind and if I do leave, you will know the Monday before it happens.
Anyways Along with this last week we got so much done with getting lessons put in with less actives and visiting a few member referrals. Its quite liberating to know that once you put the effort in, God will help you. I am more and more feeling the blessings of the spirit as we teach too and become more effective tools in his hands. Plus in about three weeks will be my 6 month hump. What a time! It feels like just yesterday that I was being trained. Now I'm almost 1/4th of the way done. Kinda cool! 
Anyway I love you all and hope the week for you all will turn out amazing! 
Peace and Love~ 

Elder Nielsen

Monday, February 8, 2016

Week 21

A Sublime Week

So this week was quite fun in itself. Last week we had a baptism and this week WE HAD ANOTHER ONE! It was super fun. Having three investigators that all get baptized within a month is really really good. President Rehm commented that this many in one year for our ward was the most work done for that ward in ages. So that's good huh? This week we having the snow melted plan to get the goal of giving at least one person a book of Mormon during our street contacting which has been quite fun and adventurous if I do say. Anyway I'm tomorrow going to be out for five months. Crazy sauce right? five months away with 19 to go! I'm just getting started in the mission and I've already helped out so many people. It makes me happy. I hope everyone is feeling the spirit just as much as I am. I hope to feel it even more with the rest of the transfer. Speaking of which...if I don't leave this transfer its predicted that I'll stay in this area for the whole mission. LOL. I hope not since moving around and meeting new people would be nice. Either way I'll have spent one fourth of my mission in the first area. Cool right? Anyway I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful great week. I plan to do more family history work and work even harder than I did last week.

Peace and Love <3

Elder James Nielsen.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Week 20

A Snowy Disposition.

This Sunday was cruel and unworthy to be called a Sunday. It snowed...HARD. The library was closed today and we had to do all emails from a members pc. Its really boring. On the plus side since we can't go anywhere or do pretty much anything I've gotten into a grove of writing again! and oh golly boy has that been amazing! I've been jotting down ideas like crazy. I guess some snowy days where all you can do is read the book of Mormon in a day or do that and do a puzzle (Or write) is okay a few times in the winter. Thank goodness we can still check the mail! Anyway I'll be writing you all personally but I wanted to say in this group email while its snowing harder than I've seen since Idaho...I love you all! its about 8 days since I've been gone for a whole 5 months. That's really long isn't it! Soon it'll be six months. Then 12! then I'll be home before you know it...Weird isn't it. Well anyway....I will pray for you all as I know that personal struggles aren't fun so I'm sending my personal spirits to you all!
Peace and Love
Elder James Nielsen

Week 19

A Puzzling Outcome.

At the beginning of my experience with elder M Peterson he got a puzzle for Christmas of a cinimatic R2-D2 with little scenes of the movie in the pieces. He doesn't like puzzles so I decided to take on the task. I said I would try to finish it before the transfer's end. Well here we are. On Saturday I was fearing that I might leave. Well the good news is in and I'm staying for at the least one more transfer. This is both good and odd. Most missionaries don't stay in their training area for more than 3 transfers. So I'm a delicate flower indeed :D this also means I get to see both of my other investigators get baptized. I'm really excited to see that!
Next week is a special persons birthday. I decided that I'd send her a card and express how grateful that she is here so I could be here because lets be honest. Me not being here would mean peoples lives would be boring. Or something like that. I'm just very happy my mother is here and that she supports me on this mission. I love you mom :D
I'll be sending you all personal emails within the next hour or two. I love you all and hope you have a good day!

Love,
Elder Nielsen

Week 18

Lost and Foundry.

This week was a good mix of up and downs with a stressful twist. BLEH
On Wednesday I lost my bag. And then on Saturday I got it back. Let me explain exactly what went through this process.
On Wed I put my bag on top of the car when talking to some elders. That was my first mistake. Second one was I forgot all about it. It fell off the car near our house and a member found it and gave it back to me on Saturday after I stressed out over it. What has this process taught me? God thinks I need more patience. If I didn't I obviously wouldn't have lost it. It has taught me some. But I still need more...

Anyway after that we had a baptism! it was so cool and spiritual. I was uber excited for both of them and can't wait till they go to the temple next year because I'll get to go!

Anyway Ellie's birthday came up and left and mine is quickly on the way. That's exciting. I love you all and I can't wait to talk more next week. 
Peace and Love from your Elder 
Elder Nielsen

Week 17

In Tune.

This previous week for me has been met with a wide variety with ups and downs. At this months zone training we focused on the power of Christ like attributes. The big focus was charity.
I felt like I needed to improve and decided to find more ways to love my comp. I tell you the very next day Satan was working on us because I was trying to improve. Just goes to show you I had the right idea on something for once!

However we made up quickly.
Its was also my four month anniversary on the 9th of January. Can you all believe it? I've been gone for that long. It feels way shorter than its been. I've already had a wonderful Christmas away from home and soon to be a 19th birthday. I'm getting old aren't I? 
We also have a Baptism this week. The investigator we taught had no idea who God was when we began teaching. Crazy right? According to my blessing I would teach someone just like him. So I think its been partly fulfilled right? I bet!
We also have (Tons of good stuff this week!) interviews with president. These happen every 3 months so I'm excited. 

Transfers are on the 26th. As far as I know I'm probably leaving. I don't know yet. If anyone wants to send me something for my birthday, try to get it there before Monday of that week. If you don't think you can make it then send it to the office so I can pick it up when transfers happen. SO till then I'm still in Oakwood/ Indago Ranch wards. 

This last week I decided to start sharing spiritual thoughts in my emails. Here's one I felt:

We were teaching one of our investigators about the commandments and I could tell she was very understanding of them. She rather enjoyed the fact that our church leaders do their callings with no pay and told us she was very excited to get baptized. Her date is on the Second of February, which is also her birthday and mom's birthday. How cool is that! :D

I hope you all are doing well and I will be writing individual emails to you all in a moment. As for next monday...it is a holiday and the library will be closed so we most likely won't be writing till Tuesday. Don't worry our president already thought of that :D
Anyway. I love you all and wish blessings for each


Peace and Love~ Elder James H. Nielsen

Week 16

A Week of Promises.

This week has been rather fun for me and my companion Elder M Peterson. We went on exchanges with the Zone Lords (Aka the zone leaders) and both learned of ways of being more patient with each other and others we are working with. This week we have finished the lessons with two of our investigators and have them both ready for interviews for baptism. What glorious blessings it is to see people's lives changed and enriched by the gospel. I'm excited for both parties as I feel how they felt when I had to gain for myself the same testimony. Its really given me a big boost in my moral. Transfers are coming up literally the week after my birthday. With me being out of training, I've had people tell me that I'll be leaving this area I'm in. I'm not to confident about that but if it does you all will know in about two to three weeks. Speaking of my birthday I'll be 19. How wonderful that I am still here! I consider almost being a 5th of my life span a great blessing. I've made it this far. So I plan to continue and finish at 5/5ths of my life span. Or even 6/5ths if I could go that far. I'd be really old then. With the new year upon us I've decided to set goals and leap into the new year with a plan to become a better missionary and man overall (If I'm considered a man now :D) Some of those include deepening my understanding of the scriptures and helping other people to understand them. Or getting up more on time at 6:30 so I don't miss out on the blessings of early mornings as a missionary. Or maybe even getting closer to all my companions whoever they may be and not arguing with them.

Whatever happens my hope is to improve. Part of the process of enduring to the end is always making little checks and balances to see how we are doing now and how we can improve. In the talk from this last conference "What lack I yet?" I have found and come to realize that as a person myself I will never stop finding things to work on. If I did I better be past the judgement. Anyway it is my prayer that this year we can all enjoy the blessings of a continued season. A time of happiness and love. With Easter coming up the savior will even more so like Christmas have his name heightened by the world. I hope we can all focus on him and feel his love always. I love you all and wish for blessings upon you all.
Cheers~!

week 15

So this past week for me has been one of many surprises. Both good and or bad. I won't discuss the bad but do know they haven't gotten me down in any way. In fact all the good has outshined the bad 64 times over. Christmas for me has been absolutely amazing. Getting to talk to the fam has been an amazing chance and has fulfilled me. With the holidays passing I am happy to say that we are having three baptisms coming up in January and February. Its rather heart warming to see how we can change lives and make the Gospel part of their lives. I do believe this was a good choice to come out. And I'll never ever think any different. As this approaching week comes I hope to try and even more so get in tuned with the spirit and share with more people the Gospel. I pray that we all can feel the spirit and have the chance to feel it even more as we just be who we are.



I love you all and miss you with all my heart

Week 14

Well my family. It is the week of Christmas. I am fairly certain that this is where I need to be on this joyful holiday. As I've mentioned we have three investigators and all of them made it to church :D that's so big! I'm feeling the spirit of God as we work. And I do feel thankful. So far I've gotten packages from Grandma and James. From what I've found inside I say thank you. I am indeed happy and grateful for these things. I've already put my money to good use buying things I need here. Like a GPS so we don't have to use a map in the darkness of night. Not like it isn't fun...
My prayers go out to everyone as I continue to do my work. We constantly strive to share the new christmas videos that the church put out this year. If any of you have not seen them. I strive for you all to. They all can be found on Christmas.Mormon.Org. Each is quite amazing and has given me quite the thoughts as too how I can improve myself, because as it stands I am never perfect.
I hope all of you can enjoy the blessings of Christmas like I have and I cannot wait to see you all again 

From your Elder
Elder Nielsen

Week 8

Wow! Its been two months. Has it really? feels like just a few weeks ago I said goodbye to mom and Grandma at the large buildings in Provo. Time does fly for us doesn't it?
I am doing well right now. I've gotten used to the life and I'm helping tons of people. We've looked over lessons this week and we have one each day just at night. Others dot each day along with service. How's life at home for you all? Right now we are expected it to snow in the next few days. And we expect it to get hard. People here joke about how I'll be handling it. I feel with a little bit of good courage I'll do just fine.
Thank you all also for the kind letters and the packages sent. My heart filled with joy when I saw them.
I can't wait to hear more from you guys. Reading emails from you all keep me going!

Love, 
Elder Nielsen

Week 6

Good morning Nielsen team. It is Monday the 26th in October. Its almost Halloween! a time of candy and costumes and missionaries staying inside their homes ALL DAY LONG. As per mission rules we cannot leave. Its a safety thing mostly. Especially on new years eve and day. But enough about that. How is you all doin? The other day I went on exchanges with one of the zone leaders. And we biked.... for the first time in about two years I did some major biking through the hills and winding turns of Colorado springs. It was not fun at all with my current... stamina in the higher climates. The result of it left my poor bottom hurting from the crazy man seat. However I did make sure to capture the moment via Elder Hughes my exchanges comp. I also for the first time went....TRACTING! it was so... unsuccessful that I understand why most missionaries hate it above all else. Elder Peterson and I have decided that its our last resort after all our planning has taken place.

I have written letters to all of you and they should be arriving soon. I'll try to send a written letter at least once a month. Oh and for Ellie here is some of the trees we see. Most have already lost their leaves so its quite empty looking with them. Sad really. I bet its really nice over there still. Right?
Also mom. Those books you showed me are perfect. Send only those and the dice. The boys here will be very happy with those. I'll make sure they write you a thank you note <3

Love,
Elder Nielsen