Alright fam and friends, sorry I didn´t email last week. Things
got a little crazy because MY SISTER IS ENGAGED!!! LIKE WHAT?!?! Feliz Navidad
Hermana Nielsen!!! Anyways, today I´m just gonna throw out all of my thoughts
from the past two weeks...I hope you enjoy!
Tomorrow I hit my 5 month mark....AHHHHHH time is flying. I
can´t believe it! I also still cannot believe that I am in Paraguay teaching
the gospel with a lil Peruvian...life is cray cray. I´ve been thinking a lot
about what I´ve learned in the last 5 months and everything has been so central
on the Atonement.
You guys! The Atonement is the most incredible thing ever!! As a
missionary I have had to use the Atonement every single day. I´ve learned more
about my Savior than I thought possible in such a short amount of time. One
thing I´ve learned is that even though we are commanded by our Heavenly Father
to be perfect, He does not expect us to be perfect in this lifetime....like,
what?? That's what I had in my head. That we have to be perfect to be
righteous...no no no. That is so wrong! Righteousness means that you keep on
trying and doing your best. That is all Heavenly Father asks of us-that we try
our best! My testimony has been strengthened so much and I know that I would
not have been able to make it through these last 5 months without our Savior.
We are #blessed!!! Here's a solid quote from Elder Holland that I want to share
with you guys:
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have
occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why can’t our
success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people
joining the Church? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day
and all night in the baptismal font?”
I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as
my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work
is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.
Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus
Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal
Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us
when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me
that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at
least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionary’s and
mission leaders have to take at least a step or two
toward the summit of Calvary.
Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about
anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That
would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe
that missionaries and investigators, to come to the
truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this
price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of
that same price.
For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention
is,nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is
supposed to require some effort, something from the
depths of our soul.
If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fallon His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba,
Father (Papa), if this cup can pass, let it pass,” 11 then little wonder that salvation is not an easy thing for
us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should
remember you are not the first one to ask that.
Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long
time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.
When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you
are spit upon and cast out, you are standing with the
best life this world has ever known, the only pure and
perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and
be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The
only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the
Truth, and the Life."
I´m so grateful for the hard days and weeks in the mission because
they bring me closer to Christ and I have been able to change myself in a way
that would have never been possible if I didn´t come on my mission. I know that
Jesus Christ lives and because of this knowledge I can do anything! Don´t run
from hard things, push forward with faith in Jesus Christ and you will find
that "The hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a
blessing." (Elder Eyring)
I love you all! Thank you for every letter, email, prayer,
thought….they have blessed my life every day!
Love, Hermana Nielsen
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