He is the GIFT‏

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.

Quinwa!

LLAMA!!!!! I LOVE llamas!