Well it's here! The time has come! I am officially becoming a missionary in 2 hours, were driving to Utah in the morning and off I go. I'm ready, let's start this. My sister Chelsea and perhaps my Mother (if she wants to learn) will be updating this blog with my weekly emails and probably some pictures.
Being a girl that likes to run, I like to think of my mission like a race. I plan to hit the ground running, giving it my all even when I don't have anything to give. Walking in unacceptable! Never stopping. And then sprinting to the finish line. That is when I will rest. It's going to to hard, I know this. But like a race, sooooo rewarding afterwards! I understand this is suuuuper cheesy, but that's just how I think of it! And how I want to be.
I am so excited! Its still crazy, but I'm just pumped. I hope and plan to be the best missionary I can be. Thanks for all the love and support! I'll talk to y'all in February 2014. :)
Love, Amber Lee Nielsen (Soon to be Sister Nielsen.)
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Blessing Upon Blessing
The Lord loves me soo much and I have been able to see his hand in my life in so many ways in preparing my papers/getting my call. Just some things that I would like to remember, that testify to me that what I am doing is the Lord's will and part of his great plan for me.
Before the semester began I decided to stay and work during the week break in between winter and spring semesters. I was working on campus just cleaning the dorms, it was a job and I needed the money. I didn't enjoy it all that much, but at the end of the week the head custodial in charge of everything asked me if I needed a job for the semester. Of course! A job would be wonderful! She then explains that she wanted to make me a LEAD! That I would have my own crew and would be cleaning the lounges and laundry rooms. And that it also has a higher pay! This job/blessing was basically thrown at me! I took the job gladly.
But I have never had to work 20 hours a week AND go to school. And I was struggling to find time, my classes were struggling and I NEEDED to do well in them, plus I was trying to prepare my papers, driving to Utah all the time. It was just crazy. When midterms hit and I realized I was about to add another class to my schedule (block class), I just couldn't do it! There was no way I was going to be able to succeed in my classes and work! I hate hate hate hate hate being a quitter, that is NOT something I wanted to do, I was blessed with this wonderful job I didn't want to just give it up! But with prayer and realizing this is what I needed to do I stepped down.
The next week I had a doctors appointment for my shoulder, (my shoulder has a crazy story to it for those of you who don't know..) It was a check up from Doctor Kinikini, (the one who did my procedure a month earlier) and if everything was going well I would then be referred to the Doctor Hadley, the "laser man" as I like to call him, for the finishing clean up work. My Dad wanting to get everything done in the same day had me contact Doctor Hadley's office and tried to set up an appointment. But comes to find out they are booked out til SEPTEMBER! The receptionist then said she could set up an appointment with another "laser man/woman" but the soonest she had was August 1st. But there was a chance she could talk to Doctor Hadley and see if she could squeeze me in sometime, and asked what worked for me. I told her that I really didn't know, that I was going to school in Idaho but I knew I was coming down Thursday (2 days away). We kind of ended the conversation at that, and she didn't sound very hopeful of getting me in that quick. But! She called me back the next day and got me in for that same Thursday I was going to be in Utah! Crazy blessing!
On Thursdays I normally have a lab in the hardest class I'm taking, I was worried about missing it. But blessing number 2! It got canceled! I wasn't missing anything by going to Utah that day! A ho-dee-ho!
Thursday came, and I saw Doctor Kinikini first. Perfecto! Now to my next appointment. When we get into Doctor Hadley's office, we were asked if we had gotten the procedure approved by our insurance. And just thinking that since we'd been referred it'd be covered had not. They explained to us that it usually takes about a month to get approved, that insurances don't see laser treatments as a necessity and that's why it takes so long. Great. But they Doctor Hadley came in and talked to us a little bit and said they were on the phone battling it out with our insurance. He then looked at my shoulder, took some quick mental notes, and then left the room. He came back about 5 minutes later and said that we can do the procedure today, even if it hasn't been approved. Our insurance will decide if it gets approved they will cover the expenses, but if it doesn't then we would have to pay for everything out of pocket. He then says, "But I am confident that they will see this as something that needs to be taken care of, and it will be approved. If it's not approved then this treatment today is on me." .. SAY WHHHAAAAATTT!?!? What an incredible man who is willing to help his fellow men. I know he will be blessed.
With these two incidents, my job and this merciful laser man, I had the thought as I was driving back to Rexburg, "Ya know.. I bet this has happened because I'm going to leave on my mission really soon." And what do ya know.. AUGUST 1ST!! I can tell you right now that both of these is no coincidence. If I was still working I would have NO time to prepare for my mission with school and work. But I got the job for as long as I needed it. And this treatment needed to happen that day! Ahhhh the Lord loves and has blessed me sooo much! I know that going on a mission is right, that this is part of His plan for me. I just hope that I can be the best missionary I can be, and serve with all my energy of heart.
Love, Amber Lee Nielsen
Before the semester began I decided to stay and work during the week break in between winter and spring semesters. I was working on campus just cleaning the dorms, it was a job and I needed the money. I didn't enjoy it all that much, but at the end of the week the head custodial in charge of everything asked me if I needed a job for the semester. Of course! A job would be wonderful! She then explains that she wanted to make me a LEAD! That I would have my own crew and would be cleaning the lounges and laundry rooms. And that it also has a higher pay! This job/blessing was basically thrown at me! I took the job gladly.
But I have never had to work 20 hours a week AND go to school. And I was struggling to find time, my classes were struggling and I NEEDED to do well in them, plus I was trying to prepare my papers, driving to Utah all the time. It was just crazy. When midterms hit and I realized I was about to add another class to my schedule (block class), I just couldn't do it! There was no way I was going to be able to succeed in my classes and work! I hate hate hate hate hate being a quitter, that is NOT something I wanted to do, I was blessed with this wonderful job I didn't want to just give it up! But with prayer and realizing this is what I needed to do I stepped down.
The next week I had a doctors appointment for my shoulder, (my shoulder has a crazy story to it for those of you who don't know..) It was a check up from Doctor Kinikini, (the one who did my procedure a month earlier) and if everything was going well I would then be referred to the Doctor Hadley, the "laser man" as I like to call him, for the finishing clean up work. My Dad wanting to get everything done in the same day had me contact Doctor Hadley's office and tried to set up an appointment. But comes to find out they are booked out til SEPTEMBER! The receptionist then said she could set up an appointment with another "laser man/woman" but the soonest she had was August 1st. But there was a chance she could talk to Doctor Hadley and see if she could squeeze me in sometime, and asked what worked for me. I told her that I really didn't know, that I was going to school in Idaho but I knew I was coming down Thursday (2 days away). We kind of ended the conversation at that, and she didn't sound very hopeful of getting me in that quick. But! She called me back the next day and got me in for that same Thursday I was going to be in Utah! Crazy blessing!
On Thursdays I normally have a lab in the hardest class I'm taking, I was worried about missing it. But blessing number 2! It got canceled! I wasn't missing anything by going to Utah that day! A ho-dee-ho!
Thursday came, and I saw Doctor Kinikini first. Perfecto! Now to my next appointment. When we get into Doctor Hadley's office, we were asked if we had gotten the procedure approved by our insurance. And just thinking that since we'd been referred it'd be covered had not. They explained to us that it usually takes about a month to get approved, that insurances don't see laser treatments as a necessity and that's why it takes so long. Great. But they Doctor Hadley came in and talked to us a little bit and said they were on the phone battling it out with our insurance. He then looked at my shoulder, took some quick mental notes, and then left the room. He came back about 5 minutes later and said that we can do the procedure today, even if it hasn't been approved. Our insurance will decide if it gets approved they will cover the expenses, but if it doesn't then we would have to pay for everything out of pocket. He then says, "But I am confident that they will see this as something that needs to be taken care of, and it will be approved. If it's not approved then this treatment today is on me." .. SAY WHHHAAAAATTT!?!? What an incredible man who is willing to help his fellow men. I know he will be blessed.
With these two incidents, my job and this merciful laser man, I had the thought as I was driving back to Rexburg, "Ya know.. I bet this has happened because I'm going to leave on my mission really soon." And what do ya know.. AUGUST 1ST!! I can tell you right now that both of these is no coincidence. If I was still working I would have NO time to prepare for my mission with school and work. But I got the job for as long as I needed it. And this treatment needed to happen that day! Ahhhh the Lord loves and has blessed me sooo much! I know that going on a mission is right, that this is part of His plan for me. I just hope that I can be the best missionary I can be, and serve with all my energy of heart.
Love, Amber Lee Nielsen
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