MANY MIGHTY MIRACLES!‏

HOLA MI FAMILIA!!

SO I have GREAT news!!! HERMANA BOTT AND I ARE STAYING TOGETHER ONE MORE TRANSFER! WOOOOOOOO! WE are soooo excited! 

Well I already told you about my week but for Chelseas sake and mine in having it recorded ill tell ya again!

Monday we had a huge miracle! we visited a less active we are trying to rescue, she is 15 and only her brother is a member. Her parents usually want nothin to do with us, but she wasnt home and we asked if we could just share a quick video with her about christmas she grugingly let us in, and the dad joined us as we taught her told family, except her! It was HUGE! She wasnt all for us but she listened and agreed to have us come back to share something with the whole family on christmas, since she said they dont celebrate it in her house. Which is actually alot of people here. Christmas isnt a big thing. They just eat paneton and watch fireworks. Nothin else... 

Some families have santa come but not many.

Then Tuesday we had our Unizona. We put on a music/ live nativity program for president and his wife. They told us it was the best one any other zone had done! Hna bott and I and two other elders sang a quartet to away in a manger and it sounded suuuper good! Then we had a gift exchange and watched Gifted hands. Its about ben carson the brian surgen it was suuuper good.  I had never seen it before.

Wednesday we had zone meeting, then we worked in family history but only had one lesson.. That night we got together as a zone and make pancakes! and we were allowed to watch FROZEN! My first time and I LOOOVE it! I was singing along since I already knew all the songs. We then went home and Hna bott and I made Hot chocolate with pan wawa. Its a peruivian bread and watched the fireworks. 

Thursday was christmas! we got up a little extra early and went on a 45 minute run! Including a set of stairs that put a stadiums to shame. BEST! 

then we broke into the hermanas rooms and left goodies and decorated thier desks with quotes. Then we made lunch. We had a peruvian  red beet salad we love (the red) with a spinach salad (the green) and for dessert rainbow red and green jello I made the night before. SUUUPER yummy. WE then got to skype you guys! Which was GREAT! I loved seeing you guys but afterwards when I was talking to hna bott we both just kind of said yep nothins changed. Definently NOT homesick one bit, sorry! haha! Love you guys though! Hey also something I forgot to mention about all our stories about stomach problems. We call them the siempre and Nuncas.. haha! (siempres/always- diarreah  nuca/never- constapacion. hahaha thats just peru life for ya)

That night we went over to sarita the less active and taught her WHOLE family! CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! They were alot more receptive, afterwards we shared a paneton we bought for them, They really liked that! Im pretty sure this was the best christmas Ive ever had! No presents, just working,  my family, and helping other families. 

Friday we visited EVERY SINGLE investagator, less active and recent convert we have.. Only 2 were home. One is a less active mom, Frine with her recent convert daughter, Ivett. Frine was in a bad accident at work back in June and had her whole face and hands badly burned, she still cant do anything. WE had a member with us and it was a huge miracle! First off she found out that she was 7 MONTHS PREGANT! which we had NO IDEA! Then she started making a bunch of plans to help her out and get her to a doctor. Frine is really poor and couldnt even afford treatment for her burns. Its soo sad. The ward comes and cleans her laundry every week but I have no idea how she is gonna take care of her baby. She cant lift anything with her hands. And she is burned up to the elbow. 

Sunday we saw tons of miracles and help from the ward! Our goal was 5 investagators and 5 less actives at church, which we have had 0 and 0 the past 3 weeks, so this week we worked really hard and when we passed for Frine a member was already there picking her up! And the Family Machaca (that we found in the rain that one day) when we passed was already on thier way walking!! AHH! We ended up getting 5 less actives but only 4 invest. but only because 2 of the kids from the families were only 7. add then then we{d have 6.. But well get it next week!

Im so excited for this next transfer with Hna Bott and we are soo ready to wrk and see miracles! We know there is more for us to get done here together and were gonna DO IT!

 ¨God has provided a means that (WO)men through faith, might work [MANY] mightly miracles¨  Mosiah 8:18  we are PUMPED to be together and go find these miracles!!

I Love being a missionary, I love this work! Last saturday I finished reading through all Ambers missionary letters and its totally motivated me to work even harder! And also how perfect my mission is FOR ME. We had completely different missions but I know Peru is perfect for ME. I know learning spanish was exactly the challenge I needed and Im so grateful for everyday I have to be here learning. I cant even imagine where I would be if I hadnt come. I would not have ever been able to become who I am without my mission! I LOVE IT!.

I love you Mom, Dad, CHelsea and Brian, Cody, Summer, Carly and Adelaide! You guys are the best!! 

Love

Hermana Nielsen

other part of the jungle

Part of our area is a JUNGLE! this was the only way to cross to get to the other side.. Sketchy..

BIG HUGE SPIDER! They are everywhere here.... 

This is a dog chewing on a pig hoof.. Yep thats Peru.

 It rains alot here

our unrealiable member haha

zone conference

GO INDIANS!! I still bleed maroon and white!

He is the GIFT‏

Hola My Dear Beautiful Family!

So I thought this week would go by slow since it was a normal week and we didnt have anything big going on, but it did just the opposite! I cant believe how fast time is going. This is the last week of the change. Where did this combio go? But we had a good week!

So a few things I forgot to mention from last weeks letter.. We had our zone meeting on Tuesday and it was the BEST zone meeting Id ever been to! They started out by asking for 12 volunteers they all stood at the front and then they whipped out some Chomans (its so type of candy bar here) And without explaining anything went up to the first volunteer and asked if he wanted the choman, he said yes so he looked at Elder Richardson (Our zone leader who is from ENGLAND I dont know if I ever mention that. He has a sweet accent) and he told him to do 10 pushups after he finished he gave him the candy bar. He then moved on to the next person and did the same thing but made him do 12 pushups. At first everyone was kind of laughing and joking around about it because a few times our other zone leader would say 23 pushups. By the time he got like half way through the line Elder RIchardson was getting pretty tired and his companion had no mercy on him. He would be shaking and calasp then his companion would give him 17 more. He had total control over the amount he made him do. At this piont everyone got a little more serious as we just watched our poor zone leader struggle. I couldnt even watch I was in pain just looking at him.By the end he has done over 200 pushups for all of them. One kid actually said no to the candy bar and our zone leader turned to the other and made him still do pushups. Afterwards Elder Rios Lazo who was the one giving him the pushups has everyone sit down and said to all of us that The price has already been paid. He then continued to bare his testimony of the atonement and got super emotional which I had never seen from him. It was soo powerful. The room was filled with such a reverence. I know christ paid for the pains and sins of all of us, whether we accept it or not it has been paid for us. Super cool experience.

Next was our Unizona with president. He asked who all has about a year in the mission so I had to raise my hand. He then called on me to stand before everyone and share what I have seen change in the mission in the year I've been here. I got to share a little of what I've seen and its crazy how much has changed in just my year of being here in the mission. SO MUCH HAS CHANGED! We have a new focus and vision in the mission. we find FAMILIAS! Families that will go to the temple. President calls it ¨Pilar a Pilar¨ or ¨font to font¨ Baptism no longer is the door. Its like alice in wonderland you open this door and there is anyone right there behind it that is the temple! We are not finished at the font they are not fulled saved after being baptized. We now as a mission work until they have entered the temple. I am so gratfeul for the chance I have to work in Family History because I get to open that second door for them. We may not be having as many baptizm as when I first got here but the ones that we do go to the temple and STAY active in the church! THE TEMPLE IS SO IMPORTANT!

Okay so now on to this week! Last monday we went to quinwa, its some monument of ayacucho way up high on the mountain. Im sending pictures it was so beautiful! later that night we went and contacted a street contact and ended up meeting Marisol, she just let us in no problem and we talked and shared the 1st lesson with he is the gift. She opened up alot and shared alot of her problems. I felt so much love for her she has been through so much and I just bore my testimony that this is what she was missing in her life and exactly what she needed. She just started bawling and i just kept talking and tesifying. when we had to leave she just hugged us and thanked us, We have been able to go back and she just loves having us! she didnt come to church and doesnt have a phone, but we are really excited about her!

This week I went on 2 Intercambios! I havent had much time to tell you much about all this but we have 2 new gringa hermanas in training and they both have been struggling ALOT! They both have called president wanting to go home so we have been doing alot to try to keep them here. The first was with Hna King, she is so awesome! And I grew to have alot of respect for her. Both her parents are inactive and she was inactive up until a year before she came out. Her testimony is so strong. She just struggles being here because her niece at home has cancer and its pretty bad. As I talked with them about mission struggles and adjusting and learning to love the mission I actually learned so much from what I was saying to them. I realized how much I really had learned. I love being in this leader position. I just love being able to help them and try and relate to them. Im learning so much! Also thank you Amber for all your advice over the years. Everytime we get talking with them I always quote you. Or share something that I had learned from you. Haha. They all want to meet you because I talk about you all the time. Hna Bott is VERY excited to meet you!

So to end I just want to share that I know my savior lives! I know he came to this earth because he loves each one of us! He really is the greatest gift we could ever recieve and I am soo excited for this christmas we have nothin planned but to work work work and give pure service as we invited others to come unto him. There is nothin else I would rather do this Christmas then share this gift all day long! I AM SO EXCITED! And i know it will be the most memorable and my favorite Christmas Ever! HE IS THE GIFT! Share it with everyone! I hope you guys have a great christmas! I will be calling later today to set up a time for skype. I love you all so much! I Have the best stinkin family in the world! 

Love

Hermana Nielsen

Fun facts: Its been a year since I... Drank soda! Driven a car! havent made my bed (YES can you believe that, I sure can't ha) and many more but those were my favorites.  

Also I added you on Hna botts skype acount dad! so we will use that.

foto 1 Quinwa!

foto 2 yyyyyy LLAMA!!!!! I LOVE llamas!

Stop. Drop and PRAY!‏

FAmily!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST COMPANION EVER HERMANA BOTT!!!

This was a great week!Full of sooo many miracles! My testimony of prayer has been so strengthen! WE went to the temple saturday with 2 recent converts and 2 rescued members! BUT boy was it HARD!! Satan really did not want them to go to the temple. Every single one of them had thier own personal advisary fighting them to go. One of them named Gabriela she is 19 and the only member in her family, she has only been a member for 7 months, and she was super super excited to go to the temple for the first time. Thursday morning she calls us just bawling! and told us that her teacher told her she had to take for final exam saturday, she had already bought her tickets and everything but her teacher said it was the only day. We tried to calm her down, read a few scriptures with her. told her to just go and pray and heavenly father would figure it all out. As soon as we hung up. We looked at each other and just both at the same time dropped to our knees to say a prayer for her. Hna Bott said it but it was the coolest thing I was like kind of praying along in my head and everything I was thinking she said! It was like she was reading my mind. When we finished we just smiled and said yeah everything will be alright. I felt pure peace. It wasnt til friday morning that she told us that she called her teacher and explained she was going to the temple and it was really important and he let her take it friday morning! Nice try satan!

The temple was GREAT!!! ALl the other hermanas working in family history came and we had a huge group! 

ALSO ALSO ALSO ALSO!!!!! GUESS WHO CAME TO THE TEMPLE!!......

THE WHOLE BRANCH OF MALA!!!!!!!!!! I literally ran to them and just hugged and kissed all of them!!! And I got attacked by all the little kids! I was suprised they even remembered me! BUt the Familia Gallegos came!! I guess they didnt get to go the last time so this was thier first time entering the temple for baptism! It was sooo great so see them! The little girl Lucia just bawled! It was so special. I love that family soo much! And they told me they are getting sealed in JUNE! justamente I had asked permision from president the week before to be able to go because techincally I was never there for a baptism. But he said Yes! Which we will have to figure out more later because Im pretty sure its like 1 week after im suppose to come home so we will have to see if I could extend or if we are all making a trip back to peru 1 week afterwards! It was so great I cant even describe how happy I was! I also saw Hna Mendez! I missed her alot! Hey did I ever mention her family moved to Floridia while she was here on her mission. Im trying to help her learn english. She is the best! Also hna guzman from argentina sends Dad saludos! She is bummed too she wont get to meet you for christmas! ha

I love you all sooo much!! Being a missionary is the best thing ever! I love my calling! I love seeing so many miracles! Prayer is so real! I wasnt able to share all my experiences but something Ive learned from hermana Bott is that its never a bad time to just stop and pray. We stop and pray before everything we do and its made such a difference in our word! PRAY ALWAYS!!

also I hit the big 365 this week! I cant believe what ive seen and what ive become in just a short year! Im so ready to work so hard these last 6!! I wish it would never end! KNow I love every one of you! And thanks for all the birthday wishes! 

Love,

Hermana NIelsen

ps, Fun fact.. Im the talllest Hermana In he mission right now! woohoo!

ps Happy birthday to Great Grandma Ruby Godfrey on friday!

My birthday ice cream!

FAMILIA GALLEGOS!!!!

 LOVE THE TEMPLE!

Im dreaming of a WHITE Christmas!‏

Hey Family!

Well I just spent like 30 minutes of my email time looking through all of chelsea´s Blog pictures she sent, and they are all soo cute! Adelaide is HUGE! and my room looks so different. And amber has raided ALL my clothes haha. Thanksgiving looked like such a Blast! You all are so cute! I love love loved seeing all the pictures. THANKS CHELSEA! 

So honestly the only thing I could even want for my birthday today would be like 45 extra minutes to write you guys!! But Ill try to do with what I got!

I was soo tired this week. Like zombie tired. WE drove to lima all night last monday got there at like 8 changed in the bathroom and had our leadership meeting which was really good! President talked alot about baptism, and really here in Peru we could baptize ANYONE we wanted. Its so true. Its so easy to teach them, explain it, they become convinced and boom a baptism. But they arent truly converted, And thats a huge problem we are having here. No one is staying active. So president told us we can not baptize anyone until they are solid ready and have truly truly repented and UNDERSTAND. that the huge thing. we are teaching people who are educated so half done even understand. Its frustrating. But its so true. He also shared a scripture that said is someone doesnt repent before baptism it really doesnt even count. That hit me HUGE! WE HAVE to find those that are READY and will establish the church not be another burden for the leaders to try to get to church every week. Hna Bott talked a ton about this! So alot of the ´people we are teaching are gonna take a while to get ready but we are working hard with them! 

We then drove back to Ayacucho that same night got back in the morning at 8 just in time to head over for our zone meetings,. so we slept 2 nights in a row in a bus. FUN. but i didnt get as sick as the first time. so that was good!

So we may not be having any baptisms this christmas but we are still dreaming of a WHITE christmas! This saturday we are taking 3 converts to the temple to do baptisms for the dead! So we are very very very grateful for the hand of the lord in our work in Family history! And we have had lots of miracles getting this trip together!  Speaking of white... GUESS WHAT! IT SNOWED IN AYACUCHO!! okay well hailed but there was a layer of white on the ground! WE were so excited! WE are gonna have a white christmas after all! We have pictures!

HEY IDEA and FAVOR! I was thinking and for a family home evening activity you guys should all get on family search and everyone who write a memory or funny story about grandma and grandpa, either side,  or our family or anything and add it family search! Its so important we record all those memories. I didnt realize how much I had forgotten.

And mom and dad if you could get on and write about your grandparents, I want to put something in my book but I know nothing about them.. Im trying to finish it all before christmas. Then send them to me by email too because sometimes they dont show up for everyone. 

I think thats everything I got for today! I love you guys sooo much! Seriously soo much! I cant believe in just 10 short days I will have completed a year here in Peru. I try not to think about it, Im loving every moment! I seriously feel 1 year older and wiser too! Ive learned sooo much in just this past year!I LOVE LOVE LOVE what im doing here as a missionary! Have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Nielsen

ps hna bott gave me a memory card and little sock footies for my birthday, those ar the Perfect present. what I needed! 

Christmas card fotos!‏

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

IT SNOWED IN AYACUCHO!

DONT EAT PETE!‏

Hey family!

Good Honk, I can not believe its already DECEMBER!! I'm glad you guys had a good thanksgiving. Our thanksgiving feast was an omlet and beets. Mmm! Actually it was pretty good. Hermana Bott and I cook for ourselves during the week cause its cheaper then paying for a pension, and its been the best. We eat pure vegatables basically! And we run together every morning! Ive actually lost 2 kilos, not sure how much that is in pounds but yeah!. haha. For thankgiving we had a Family home evening at a members house with the 4 elders we share the ward with and the investagators we brought. Hermana Bott and I made healthy no bake cookies to bring ha! We used a banana inplace of butter and didnt add sugar. They just tasted like dark chocolate no bakes. WE lOVED THEM! And everyone else did too. Then we played Dont Eat Pete! It was super fun and so funny hearing the Latinos say it in English. haha

So we taught that family Machaca that we found in the rain and it went really well! They started to open up and the dad explained how he really wanted to see a change, and that none of the other churches he has been too he has felt one. Thats like the best thing to hear ever! After wards we played Dont eat pete! Its actually one of the best games to play for missionaries. We just use cheap candies and a piece of paper. I dont think the kids had ever really played together like that as a family so they really enjoyed it. And the parents were laughing too! Only the mom and 2 kids came to church this sunday but she said she really liked it and wanted her whole family to come next week! Im really praying they all do! I love them so much already!

So with family history its been kind of slow, we just teach lessons basically. The temple is so far away its hard to see progress. WE have a trip planed for the 13 of december. But its so hard to get a group. It cost 150 soles about to ride the bus, and these families dont have that kind of money. We have talked alot about sacrifice and the pioneers, I know the importance of the temple and the importance of sacrifice but it still is so hard to ask them when we have seen the places where they live and know they are bearly getting along. BUt we are praying super hard for all of them! We do have a few who are going who can afford it just fine. So we are looking forward to this temple trip, just now the bus ride.... 

Not much else to say about this week. It was good but I cant think of anything else. Tonight we are headed to Lima for our Leadership meeting. NOT looking forward to the bus ride, but we will just eat a light lunch. 

I love you all so much!! I know this church is true! Something I'm learning here is that before my testimony was really that I knew the CHURCH was true. Because I could see how the CHURCH had blessed my life and the standards ect, but here its a little different, church is a lot different. But now I'm gaining a testimony of the DOCTRINE. The Doctrine is true! and thats what we teach and thats why its still Christ church here in Peru, no matter how different it may be from the states. BUt i still love it here! SO much! I love being a missionary! I cant even express how happy I am, IM SOOO HAPPY! I love my companion! I love Peru! I love the book of mormon! I love my mission presidente and his wife! Life just seriously couldn't get better! 

WE are excited for another great week of working! Love you guys!

Love,

Hermana Nielsen

ps, for pday today we are taking christmas card pictures! I curled my hair for the first time in like 9 months!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Hermana botts family sent her some cute decorations. Then we put feliz Navidad on the other side.