6.8.15
Family,

    I don't even know where to begin. This week was sooo wonderful. I have absolutely loved our trio. We have grown sooo much together in this short time. Its unbelievable to me. I know we were meant to be together these past couple weeks. We have perfect unity and the lessons we had were incredible and completely guided by the spirit. I've never felt so united in lessons before. We visited a new investigator who wouldn't let us in. as we talked with her she ended up crying out of no where and instantly let us in because she had felt something different inside from us. Next we visited a suuper less active, same thing, the spirit cracked her and she too broke into tears and admitted everything she had been holding back. And the end after she prayed, she told us she know her prayers had been answered, because it was us. we didn't respond and just soaked in that moment, the spirit was so strong. It was amazing! sadly Hna Rodriguez is heading home tomorrow. But we all feel at peace about her decision. But it will be hard to break up our perfect trio.. 

We also went to the temple as a zone. It was my last time in the temple, I love that place so much!

As for Abel, he is all ready to go! He  is literally perfect! I can't believe how much he knows and his level of spirituality. I couldn't think of a better way to finished my last week, and my last day in my area then with his baptism!! Heavenly Father has seriously blessed us soo much! 

 Well this is it.. my last email as Hermana Nielsen so I guess I must bring it all to a close. I have no idea where to even start. These past 18 months has been incredible.

    This week I looked back on in my journal at the goals i made  at the beginning of my mission.

On march 13 I wrote.. ¨what is my plan for who I want to become on the mission.

1. I want to become a missionary like Amber. She has always been my example. I want to love my mission so much I'm sick to my stomach to end it. I want to love being a missionary and truly sincerely express it every week in email. 

2.I want to be more like my savior. Each transfer I will focus on an attribute of Christ and strive to develop it. I want to be that person who is always happy and smiling, always lifting others up above myself, who loves and accepts anyone or anything with joy! I want them to feel their savior's love for them through me.

3. I want to have charity, the pure love of Christ. Dad always talked about how much he loved the people. I want to love them that much too, from the moment I meet them. Then continuing that love after my mission to whomever I meet. Love them instantly as I would my own family because they are my  brothers and sisters.

4. I want to always be a missionary. My mission does not end after 18 months. Only begins! I have so many friends I need to share this with. Everyone I meet. My call is full-time not just 18 months.

5. I want to know the doctrine and have a deep understanding and testimony. To be able to explain it clearly. I want to know the Book of Mormon inside and out. And be able to apply it to my life and know exactly where a scripture is for others at the moment of need. I want to truly know it.

6. But most of all I want to become who my Heavenly Father wants me to be. what he expects me to be, what my husband deserves and the kind of mother my kids need. And live up to my potential and become changed for good, and forever, and all eternity from my service. 

So I'm gonna surrender myself and become his servant and give my heart and mind not just my time. It's game time.¨  

This week was just WOW....

First we went to the temple with ANA! SHe is a recent convert it was GREAT!

Next wE had Interviews with president and the first thing he asked me is if I was still being challenged. I laughed and told him the beginning and the end of my mission have been the hardest. And that each day I learned something knew, and that the learning process never seems to end. Our interview was super short, he just explained the doctrine but they are always so powerful.

So this week we had Hna Rodgriuez added to our companionship. And it has been such an experience. I cant share alot in details but im gonna try to explain it the best I can, and hopefully it makes sence the impact it had on me personally. SHe has had a hard mission. She was originally in our mission then had to go home for back problems and then was reasigned to another mission, then there she had a few horrible things happen, which I dont have permission to talk about but were pretty serious which lead to her being reassigned back here again for her last 3 months. WE had no idea until she finally explained everything, which shocked both my companion and I. I first thought was why in the world would president put her with us, im not the person to help her and am not good in those kinds of situations of giving comfort and being sensitive to needs. Hna Rodriguez then shared with us her testimony of the healing power of the atonement. It was so simple but it changed everything inside of me. It was like my eyes were opened even wider to how powerful and amazing the atonement is for every situations. She had been through alot of counseling and shared all that she had learned and it was just so inspiring. She also let us know that she still didnt feel completely capable of fulfilling her calling yet and would probably be going home this week. 

After everything was over with it was all I thought about all week, jsut trying to figure it all out for myself, and I kept thinking if she had never left peru for back problems all this horrible things which now will effect the rest of her life, would have never happened. I then thought back to a story from the June Liahona I had just read called the Path to Palmayra, It explained all the details of Joseph smith and his family and what they went through to finally get to palmayra. Basically every step was something unfortuante, trail after trial but it the end Heavenly father was guiding them to where they needed to be, where the plates were. I thought about Hna rodgriuez and her experience and how each step was something unfortuant leading her to where she needed to be, with us. Personally for me. I felt she was sent all the way back to peru for this short week just to share her testimony of the atonement to me. Because it just changed everything for me. And was exactly what I needed. and I beleive Heavenly father was that aware of me.  This experience for me was something very sacred and gave me so much ´ganas´ to study the atonement and the healing power it has. (I have no idea how to say that in english, it just sounds better in spanish)  

Jospeh smith and Hna Rodriguez got exactly where he needed to be. GOd is shaping and directing us every single day to ends more glorious than we can ever know.  He is so aware. 

Its impossible to explain how much I was actually impacted by this experience in this short amount of time and not being able to reread through it and make sure it made sence but hopefully that made sense. Its better in my journal. ha.

quick update on Abel, he has been late so he promised to be on time this sunday and showed up 20 minutes before it started. WE walk in and HE was the only one in the chapel sitting alone in a white shirt and tie and a nice hair cut ( he always comes in jeans and had the biggest fro ever! ha) It was the BEEEST sight EVER!!! 

I know this church is true. I know christ lives and tha he is my savior. THanks to him EVERYTHING is possible. The atonement heals everything. Its so absolutely incredible. I love being a missionary! And am so grateful for every experience!   Have a great week! 

Love,

Hermanita Nielsen

ps, HAPPPY BIRTHDAY THURSDAY AMBER!!!!!!!!!!:) LOOOVE YOU!

Wow! Another week already...
As for our two with baptism dates.. Abel is so amazing! His faith and understanding is incredible, I feel we haven't done much and he is growing and learning all by himself.  His date has been changed to the 13 of June! I am praying so hard everything goes smoothly so that he can be my last baptism. Everything has been so perfect so far Im just waiting for the trail to blow up in our face. But maybe Heavenly Father is just rewarding us with this perfect baptism! And Nancy came to church! Her first sunday, and it was slightly a disater... I won't go into to much detail but basically she started her period the last hour of church... But she said loved church and was super interactive in gospel princibles. They both are so willing to learn and we are so blessed to be teaching them. WE are still struggling finding investagators. Mostly our struggle is getting inside the house and teaching for the first time. WE have tons of names recommended and we contact them and set up a time to visit but its either too busy or not home. But we press on! I'm really just trying to enjoy each day and each moment good or bad!

So this week we went to find a recent convert. I had been to her house but I couldn't remember exactly where it was. When we finally got to the house the gate was locked, I had no idea what doorbell it was, it was one of those houses that has a ton of different houses and floors. SO I just randomly hit one. A lady came on the speaker thing and asked what we wanted. We just asked for the Hna we were looking for that lived on the first floor. SHe said we have hit the 4th floor but then asked if we were missionaries, she surprisingly said yes. Then she told us to wait there and that she wanted to come down and talk to us. Kind of scared and worried whether this was a good or bad thing we waited. She ended up being a member that was just visiting and said that her niece had been going to church in the wrong ward and asked what ward we were from. SUre enough we were from the ward she was suppose to be attending. Her niece wasn't a member but loves coming to church! And she came this sunday! WE were super excited and it was such a miracle how we found her! If I hadn't hit the wrong doorbell we were have never know she was there. We have a lesson with her this week! Heavenly FAther is sooo great!

WE also visited a random name on the ward directory I didn't recognize and we went and visited them and found a  couple visiting from Canada but had lived here before and were in the ward and they gave us 6 references!! It was such a miracle.. I think randomly doing things has been working out really well for me lately.

WE also had a training with president, which was AMAZING! WE had a mini testimony meeting at the end with those he selected and it was just the best. I loove the spirit and being able to feel it everyday. I think thats what I fear the most about not being a missionary. I know it will be a lot harder to keep it with me. The things that stood out most to me was what he shared about the sabbath day. I know there are many things I will change when I am home. I never took it as serious as it really is. It was such a great training, I felt everything I learned was not what was said by president but what I recieved through impressions of the spirit which was what made it such an inspiring training.

Other then that we are just working hard and trying to talk to everyone. working each day like its my last, and enjoying all the little things, including the empanadas on the corner of the street :) I learn something new everyday. ANd I feel this change I've learned so much about myself and my relationship with my savior. He is my best friend.

I love being a missionary and I loove you guys so much! HAve a great week!!!

Love,

Hermanita Nielsen

This was a great week! I love being a missionary! Positives for this week definetly would be ABEL! He is doing amazing! He loves the book of mormon! He shared a 20 minute testimony with us about how much he loves it and how it has answered his questions and shared a personal experience of how he was upset and sad and read and it was literal comfort to him. AHHH!! Hearing that and seeing how he has come to know that is why I looove being a missionary! He also mentioned how he felt like the Book of Mormon was his mother in life..... uh... Then went on to explain that he never grew up with  a mom to teach him but everything he reads in the Book of Mormon is like advice from a Mom and his guidence through life, like a mother would give to her children.. Hahaha he is such  a funny guy I love that kid! He came late to church.. again. So we are gonna make sure we talk to him and make it clear he has to be there on time so his date doesnt fall. I'm super excited for him he is progressing so much! WE also put a new baptism date  with Nancy! The one with the son serving in Iquitos. SHe didnt come to church and hasnt read a whole lot but shows a sincere desire to change and become part of this gospel that her son is teaching. WE try to refer to her son alot in lessons. And help her realize everything we do and teach is exactly what her son is doing. ANd that he is helping creating eternal families in other families, and how much it would mean to him to have that eternal family created in his own family. WE are praying hard for her!

We also found Castrolina this week! It was cool because I was deciding where we should go next and had a house in mind so we started walking that way then I just decided to take a different route and we saw her, she was pushing a mobile food stand all by herself so we offered to help. I dont know how she was planning on doing that alone, it was heavy and hard to push. She told us usually her son comes to help her but couldnt today, we asked where she was headed and it was kind of far but we  helped her the whole day. ANd it was hard, haha we were all sweating a ton by the time we got there. SHe thanked us and we took down her information. WE looked for her house but could never find it... Then later that week just like the first time I just randomly changed my mind of where to go and as we were walking we saw her coming out of her house! We were able to teach a short lesson! It was such a miracle! It reminded me of Elder Bednar when he says ´Be a good girl´ Alot of times we dont notice the spirit as a prompting just a thought but if we are doing what we are suppose to we are guided. It was neat to see how that was worked through me this week.

It was sooo great to see and talk to you even though it was really slow and cut short, It started working perfectly for my companion 30 minutes later but thats okay, she needed it more then I did. She only has 4 months in the mission. But I didn't really get to say goodbye so I hope you had a great day Mom and know I love ya LOOOTS! keep a look out in the mail!

SO this was a week full of different distractions and everyone was busy. Like I said to you guys Mothers Day seems bigger then Christmas here. The streets were filled with people on every corner. Cooking and drinking and dancing, flowers everywhere. All week long. Sunday was the worst though! buuut through all the comotion we were still able to find a few lessons and we finally put Abel with a baptism date! Its set for the 6 of June! He is really excited! We asked if he was able to read and pray and he said he read the whole chapter and then he did as we said and he prayed but didn't feel anything then he said that night he had a dream, I didn't quite understand it but he said afterwards that he knows this book is true! WOO! He then explained that it was even more special to him because the copy he has is from his Mom (who passed away when he was 5) He said a little while ago before we came and found him he was going through all her old stuff and found her personal book of mormon and it has all her markings and notes so he kept it and was interested in it but didn't actually read it til we came. How sweet is that? He is doing so great! And even said he wanted to serve a mission when he gets to that point! His good friend from grade school has been a huge example and help to him these past 2 weeks. He is preparing for the mission and has been super excited that Abel is taking the lessons and on board in helping us. So I think that's why he wants to serve a mission too. 

 We are also teaching a couple Melisa and Johan. They are married!!! And super great! We taught them about the book of mormon and they asked me to share how I came to know it was true. It was really neat, no one has ever asked me that or to share it, so I shared it and it was one of the most powerful lessons I've had. I shared that I was taught to read it since I was little but I didn't understand it then, but I knew that if I was ever feeling sad that if I read it it would make me feel better. I was just reading words that didn't make any sense to me but I loved the way it make me feel and I could recognize that from a young age. Then I shared that I finally read it all the way through for myself and prayed just as Moroni says. It's so cool for me cause I can remember that moment so clearly when I had the chance to kneel and pray in my bedroom after finishing it for seminary freshman year and ask if it was true. I remember I was home alone so no one else was in the house and after praying I just felt peace  the same deep peace I feel when I share my testimony and I thought to myself I know its true. I have no doubt. And that was it. I got my answer. They really loved hearing this and said they wanted to try it out for themselves. We haven't seen them since but I'm excited to see how it went! I loooove the book of mormon so much! 

Thursday for service we made mothers day cards for all the mothers. That's what I was trying to show you guys. I drew them and they turned out reeeally cute! Mothers day was impossible to work cause no one was home so we just took them around the all the mothers in the ward and thanked them personally. they all really liked that. 

 President and Hna douglas came to our ward, and President spoke. It was sooo good! He is so Powerful! I don't know if I've mentioned this but he is ending with me so this is his last cambio too and boy is he just giving every last little bit he's got! I'm so grateful for both of them! President also came and we did a weekly planification together as a zone for trainging. Like always he starts with something then just starts preaching at us about whatever he feels he needs to say. It had nothin to do with planning but it was so great! At the end he bore his testimony about how much he loves being a missionary and how it kills him that he is almost done. I relate to him so much so it just hit me even more how much I looooove being a missionary. I really do love everything about every moment being here in Peru. I know this is the greatest work because it is his work. I know it. I love it. And nothin is stopping me these last few weeks.

Have a great week!! Love you guys sooo much!!

Love,

Hermanita Nielsen

Family!!!