Monday, July 18, 2016

Rápido

I swear that our weeks here in San Lorenzo just keep getting crazier.


Hahahahaha funny story. A random inactive member came to church last Sunday so this week we went and found her house so we could help her ya know? And I guess the members here call her Juana the prophet because she always sees things and they come true or something I don't know. But she's wayyyyy confused about religion and gets the church way mixed up with the Catholic church. But we went to visit her and she asked if we wanted and snack and we were like sure......she brought us out a WHOLE CUP OF BLACK HONEY. We died. She put some peanuts on top but the rest was just straight honey. We ate as much as we could and I swear I was going to die. I thought of my mom because she hates honey and I don't think she'd expect me to drink all of it so I didn't jajajajja but when we left we realized that it turned our teeth black so we had to go home and brush our teeth hahahahaha it was such a weird experience!!


We found such a miracle this week! We found a part of our area that we have never worked in....it was so weird that we had never been in it, I think it's because we don't know any members that live there. But we just contacted a ton for hours this week and we've been finding so many people!!! It's so much fun! Our week has been so so so busy, we've had so much going on this transfer but we have seen so many miracles. Our recent converts are struggling. We work with the ones that have been baptized in the last 2 years and there are so many that are inactive now :( BUT Bruno and Edith are doing SO GOOD!!!!! We taught Edith in English this week and it was SO WEIRD!!! I tried to talk about prophets and it was so bad but so much fun! And she was like "hermana put your foot up" and she just gave me a solid foot massage so that was GR8!!!


It's still way cold here and our shower is broken so I cry every time I have to use cold water but we good. Our trials will be but a small moment, right? 


We are working a ton with all of our hermanas and it's really cool to watch them learn and grow so much as the transfers go on! I feel like their mom. Or aunt. All of the people here call us "tia" (aunt) idk why but all of the moms tell their kids that we are their tias and I feel like that with our Hermanas! The Lord is giving us strength physically and spiritually when we don't have it and I always feel so rejuvinated!


Thanks for loving and supporting me! I'm so deep in the work and I've never felt better in my life!


Tengan la mejor semana de sus vidas!


Con amor, 
hermana Nielsen

Ponderize: Ether12:4,9


Monday, July 11, 2016

Crazy Days

This week was so crazy, I don´t even know what to write! Time just flew by so fast.

We are only in charge of 4 companionships of Hermanas now because there aren´t very many Hermanas in our mission and we saw all 4 companionships this week. So. Much. Traveling. Some days it´s a little rough because by Saturday we are dead tired because we get up earlier and ride in buses for a few hours but we just try our best to be way positive with the Hermanas and help them keep the vision of the mission!

Something that I´ve really learned is that the Lord qualifies who he calls. Like there´s no way I´ve been able to do what we do without his help. Getting over the tiredness is fine but helping the Hermanas is where I´ve really seen the Lord´s hand. Sometimes we´ll be trying to solve a problem or teach the Hermanas something and I feel the Spirit just take over and I am able to help them or give them advice and my Spanish comes out so much smoother. It´s seriously just the coolest thing.

We don´t really have any idea what we are going into when we go on divisions with them or do studies and the spirit´s just like "Hey, no worries I know Spanish and the gospel perfectly and what this hermana/investigator/member/companion needs and I'll help you." Seriously guys, the best thing ever. 


On Saturday we found Luis who got baptized in May. He's been really struggling. He lives here and works and his wife and kids live in Buenos Aires. He went to visit them for like 2 weeks and he came back and told us that he's getting divorced :( He just looked so sad and discouraged. That was hard, I just felt so much compassion for him and we were able to talk a lot about the Atonement with him. 


Edith is doing so good! She always has questions about the Book of Mormon! Her last question was about Nefi and his brothers and why they fight and she read and read and read to found out why hahahaha she reads every single day with her daughters and she loves the Book of Mormon so much! She is so converted and she loves learning about the Restoration! I haven’t seen a conversion like hers and it's the most humbling, happiest thing to be a part of!


Bruno is doing good! He's just a 21 year old punk that loves the gospel hahahaha he was going to get the Priesthood yesterday but was sick so next week we'll get 'em jaja But he's just way smart and loves to learn the gospel so in depth! We taught him about The Plan of Salvation again after his baptism a little more profoundly (I can't remember if that's a word HAHAHA sorry) and he was like "um the Elders didn't teach me this" he was just soaking it all up, it was so great!


This morning we had to go to Asuncion to the mission office because Hermana Andreasen had her final interview with President Wilson :( idk what I'm going to do without her, we've had so much time together and it's so weird thinking that I'll have a new comp! I hope she's Latina. But we've still got a good 3 weeks together so we're just living it up like crazy!


I got to talk to President Wilson for a few minutes about some things and he just shows us always how great the work is, I love him so much! Probably I'm going to move to Uruguay to be his neighbor.

aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh also we had the best 4th of July ever! We went allllllllll the way to the temple and they were like, "we don't need you." What.

So we took a pic outside and then we got permission to eat at domino's and we felt so American jajaja it was a way good day! I just love my area so much and the mission and I am so happy here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I've decided to extend for the rest of my life. 

Have a great week!!!

Ponderize: 2 Nefi 2:6-8

Love, Hermana Nielsen 


Monday, July 4, 2016

Let Freedom Ring

Hey! This week has been so great! It flew by and I think it´s because we are a fulllll with cosas and we´re so busy but seriously it´s so much fun!!! So many Catholics so little time. Miracles. Keeping the long sleeves rule is the hardest thing of my life. It´s starting to warm up again. Crazy hermanas. All of the good mission things ya know?


So this weeeeeekkkkkk.....BRUNO GOT BAPTIZED!!!!


Whoooo!!! And confirmed yesterday!!!!! He was so so so so so happy! What the heck I can´t believe that he was athiest. I don´t think that´s real, I think people just say that because they´re too lazy to go to any church BUT Bruno has progressed and he was just beaming at his baptism!!! He´s so happy! We´re trying to keep him way pumped and happy. He lives with his older sister and she HATES the church. She´s way Catholic. But she let him get baptized without kicking him out so we are so excited! It´s seriously so amazing to see people go through the conversion process! 


We had some crazy "taking care of business" intercambios n' stuff this week and those always make the days go by fast. Just don't ever forget that OBEDIENCIA ES EL PRIMER LEY DEBAJO DEL CIELO. I live by that. I am crazy. 


I think I'm writing kind of crazy today because we are going to clean the temple right after this and I. AM. SO. EXCITED. I'll let you know how it goes next week jajaja

We had a way cool Zone Conference this week at the mission office and those are always so fun because we get to see so many missionaries and I get to see all of my Latino bff's that I won't get to see after the mission....my time is getting shorter and shorter so I really appreciate the times I get to see all of the people I love so much. I LOVE THE MISSION!!!!!


I also got to see my daughter aka trainee Hermana Ovejero and she already has 6 MONTHS IN THE MISSION!!! WHAT?!?!?!?! Time flew by. She started with me and she has grown so much! It was so incredible to see her! I missed her so much, she really is like my child. She is doing so good and so happy and I love her so much and I am going to Argentina after my mission to visit her sí o sí. 


There´s a guy sitting next to my comp and I playing the guitar right now and singing jajajajaja hahahaha dying


So today´s the 4th of July! What! I remember my last one in the mission, it's seriously such a good day to reflect on what we have. I am so lucky to be able to preach the gospel in a country without having to worry about going to jail or anything like that. I can just go up to anybody and talk to them about Christ and that is such a privilege. Really it's a miracle. I've never felt more blessed or lucky to have been born into the church in a country that let me worship freely and how I want. We are so so so so so so so lucky.


So tonight while you're all watching the fireworks, just remember how blessed we are! 


That's about it for the week! Just keep praying for the missionaries and then acting on your prayers and helping us spread the gospel with anybody and everybody. Everybody needs it. 


Love you all!!
Nos vemos!
Hermana Nielsen 


Intercambios! The Hermana next to my comp was Ella's comp for a week in Chicago because she was a local missionary!!


Hermana Ovejerito and I! Apparently I didn't teach her how to smile.
 PONDERIZE 3 Nephi 22:8