When I in awesome wonder.. 28 Oct 2013

Aloha Nielsen Ohana!

Well I blinked and it was Pday.

The Rapiers left on Tuesday, and the we now have the Elder and Sister Elam! I served around them on O'ahu. They were a military relations missionary and there just wasn't much work for them. They were going to go home, but President suggested that they come to Kohala for their last 6 months. I just love them already! Just country people from Tennessee. Accent and all. :) I was able to talk to Sister Elam a little bit when they first got her. They both has such an amazing story. Both have been married like 3 or 4 times, but found each other! We took them around a little bit on Tuesday.

We definitely had some miracles this week! We were feeling kind of bummed because we dropped 2 of our investigators, they weren't keeping commitments and it was beating a dead horse. But then we gained 2 new investigators who were prepared and ready to act! First one, one of the aunties in the ward contacted us and said that she wanted us to teach her granddaughter. Neither one of her parents are members and she turns 8 on the 2nd of November. CONVERT! Her name is Ariana. She is so cute and so little! I don't think I've ever taught a 7 year old. I was trying really hard to simplify everything. She is so smart though. But she has a baptismal date for November 16th!

Our second miracle: On Thursday we went to go and have our normal lesson with Patrick. We had a kid with us who recently returned from his mission in Japan. He wasn't there and so we decided to go and visit Kekai's (the RM) friend whom he had kind of told us about. We went there and Ainsley's (the friend) mom, Daisy is a recent convert! She was baptized on Mothers day. Daisy took us the back porch outside and Kekai sat inside and talked with Ainsley. After about 10-15 minutes or so.. Ainsley and Kekai came out by where we were and Ainsley said, "Do you have another copy of this book?" Hoping Kekai's BOM. We gave him one and he was so excited he wanted to read it! I was in shock how excited he was about it! We then set up a time to come back on Friday. I asked Kekai what he said to him after we left.. He said that he explained he was home from his mission and then Ainsley shared an experience where he was watching TV and the guys was teaching people how to repent through a prayer. He repeated the words that the man on TV said and he felt this warm peaceful feeling that he couldn't really describe. Then Kekai showed him Enos and how Enos had kind of the same experience. He was so excited about it!

The next day we went back and taught the Restoration. He was so ready to for everything. He accepted everything and WANTED to read the Book of Mormon. He said that he knew what we were saying was true and agreed to be baptized! We committed him for November 30th. He's living with his girlfriend who he has a 4 year old kid with and I'm pretty sure he smokes. So we have some work to do, but I really think that the spirit has already spoken to his heart of what he needs to do. It's amazing how the Lord prepares people and all you have to do is be there to guide them and listen to the spirit!

Everything else is going well. I really love being a missionary. Heavenly Father is blessing us, I just hope that I am doing all the work the Heavenly Father has prepared for me to do. I love Hawaii. I can't imagine leaving. I'm not throwing in the towel now. I finally should know what I'm doing. Kind of, I'm still learning new things every day. It's amazing all the experiences that are so very personalized for me that I've had. Hawai'i is the perfect mission for me.

I love you all! Have a fabulous week! Ofa Atu.

Much Aloha and LOVE! 

Sister Nielsen 

Just add water. 21 Oct 2013

Aloha! 

Happy Birthday Adelaide! Can you believe that when I left she was 2!? That's just weird.

Wow this week feels like it's been forever long! But at the same time suuuper quick. Tuesday we had appts and were able to get a few lessons done. We taught Joshua who is doing really really well! He'll definitely be baptized in November. :)

Mission Tour was this week with Elder Schwitzer of the quorum of the 2nd 70. We had MLC Wednesday Morning from 8-12. He was doing a training with all of us leaders in the mission. We drove to Kona tuesday night and I flew to O'ahu and stayed the night in my old pad in Aliamanu! Sister Weaver is now in that area, we talked Aliamanu and Kohala the whole night. She's struggling a little adjusting to the city/ghetto. I loved Aliamanu so much. It was good to reminisce all the old memories I'd had there. It seems like I'd never left, but at the same time been gone forever!

MLC was really good! I was so exhausted from not sleeping very well on an airbed. I wish I would have been a little bit more alert to get more out of it. What I did get was really good though!

After MLC they had a HUGE lunch, all the missionaries from Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai were there. (All the missionaries except Big Island.) It was so much fun! I got to see a lot of people who I haven't seen in forever. Including old companions. My zone leader who I was with actually has an ex-girlfriend serving in La'ie VC. And she was there as well. They had been kept on different islands for their whole missions and now they were in the same room together. He really didn't want to be there. So I talked to Sister Warner and told her the situation and that we were going to borrow someones car and leave. She was fine with that. Elder Schwitzer was coming to Big Island to give the same training on Thursday.

We left and I was able to go and visit some recent converts! I got to see Tiressa and Erika and Kehnie! Ohh it was oh so good! T hasn't been to church because nobody comes to get her. Nobody even visits her from the Halawa ward I guess. But she broke her foot last April and was in the hospital till June! Poor thing. She seems to be doing well though, they renovated her little appt/room and it's really nice! Erika and Kehnie are doing awesome! They are set on going to the temple. I really want it to be 1 year to the day because that's RIGHT when I go home! What better way to go home that have a sealing? :) They said that they are trying to figure everything out, but it has stuff to do with adoption papers for Oshen. Also Erika is pregnant! 2 months. :) She's due in May. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I told you. I tried to stop by the Salimedas, but nobody was home. :( I heard from Sister Weaver's companion they are starting to come back to church though. I hope they are doing well. 

We flew back to Big Island Wednesday evening, and then I drove with the Kona sisters to Waimea. Sister Lauhingoa was already there. We all stayed at the Waimea Sisters pad and then woke up early to drive to Hilo for our Mission tour. None of us ever drive to Hilo and we were really late. They waited for our zone and President Warner didn't seem to happy. I think he was just stressed because he had a General Authority with him. The Tour was really good! I learned a lot for it. He taught doctrine, but just so simply. 

Saturday we had interviews with President. It was good. I feel like every interview I've ever had has been like.. "How are you?--Good! Do you need anything?-- Nope. Alright. Good to see ya!" Atleast I'm not a problem missionary a guess. Haha. 

Well.. The work is moving along well too! I think Sister Lauhingoa and I want to have 7 baptisms in November. We're hoping for this month, but they haven't come to church enough times. But Heavenly Father is definitely blessing us with miracles. All we'll need to do is add water. :) 

I love being a missionary! I cannot believe how fast time is FLYING! Is it really the 21st of October? That is just so crazy. I cannot keep up with it. 

I love you all. Have a fantastic week! 

Much Love and Aloha,

S. Nielsen

Malolelei! Kohoku lingoa ko Sister Nielsen. :) 14 Oct 2013

Aloha Nielsen ohana! 

Well this week was really crazy. Transfer week always is.. Sister Weaver said goodbye to everyone on Tuesday and she left early Wednesday morning. Then my daughter didn't come to the Big Island til Thursday Morning. So I brought a single adult with me to be my companion. Her name is Bethany and she's 18. She's so sweet and been coming out with us to appts for a while. We love having her with us.

We didn't get much work done on Wednesday. We had to work on planners and we're in Kona most of the day. I was getting a cold and that day took the most out of me especially since I didn't get much sleep. I felt bad because I think Bethany was expecting to be doing missionary work, but she got to see all the craziness of transfers. We drove back down to Kohala and had our Ward Cordination meeting and we were asked to go to girls camp and give a devotional. It was fun to be at camp! We taught some fun camp songs that I think they all enjoyed as well.

I was talking to the APs while my new daughter was in orientation and at transfer meeting. They told me that she was really big and didn't know english very well. So I would just have to be patient with her and help her learn. Yikes! I was so nervous. Thinking we'd have to have 4 hours of study time and I didn't know how we were going to communicate. And she could squash me! But Heavenly Father's plan is right and this is what he needed for me to do. 

Thursday we went and picked her up from the airport. She was nothing like the APs explained. We greeted her and helped put her bags in the car. Her name is Sister Lauhingoa. She looked green and tired. Once we got in the car she told me that the APs told her to pretend like she didn't know English, but she forgot. Thank goodness! She does speak English, it is broken and sometimes we don't know what each other is saying. But she loves to laugh and is very go with the flow. She has even been teaching me a Tongan word everyday! I can now say "hello my name is Sister Nielsen." ^^

Friday for District Meeting me and another elder were in charge. We were so busy with everything else we threw something together Thursday night on phone. He said he had a fog machine, and so we fogged up a room and put the baptism sign with each area in the room and everyone had to go in and find their baptisms. Everyone really liked it! We had 20 baptisms in the room and just tried to emphasize that God has prepared 20 people to be baptized in October and we just have to go and find them. We have 15 with date as a zone for October! High Water is so close.. But  we just gotta keep it in the missionaries minds.

Friday Evening the ward threw a Farewell Luau fro the Rapiers. It was very nice and LOTS of food of course. Hawaiian entertainers from the ward, and some YW hula dancing. I'm going to miss the Rapiers a lot. They have done so much good for Kohala. They leave next week.

The Ironman was on Saturday! The turn around point for biking was in Hawi. Sister Lauhingoa and I were only planning to go for like 15 minutes. We went and sat by one of our members by the water station that was being run by one of the local football teams. All of a sudden there was a mass of bikers and they couldn't get the water out to them fast enough! We were then put to work transporting water from these big garbage cans with ice blocks to a table and giving them to the football players. I even gave 2 ironman bikers their water! It was so much fun!

Phew.. Am I missing anything else!? This week was very eventful. And this next week we have mission tour. Elder Schwitzer of the quorum of the Seventy is coming. We have MLC on Wednesday and a zone conference in Hilo on Thursday.

Well that was the week! I love being a missionary. This gospel is way true. And Heavenly Father is oh so good. Have a wonderful week!

Love you so much! Ofa atu. :) 

Sister Nielsen

Daughter #2. 7 Oct 2013

Aloha Family! 

Conference was AMAZING! Ohh I feel so pumped up and ready to go. I received answers to questions that I wasn't even looking for. But it was so so so good! I really loved every talk. My favorite I think was Elder Holland's- I tend to be around those kinds of situations a lot.. and Elder Soares about meekness. We even had one investigator show up! Here conference starts at 6am and 10am. So sometimes it's hard to get them to come out (especially 6am..) But our new investigator Joshua and Sister Weaver was referred to on exchange came! He's 14 or 15 years old. He came and 6am Saturday morning and afterwards had the BEST questions! "How do you know he's a prophet?" "What's zion?" and "What is the Holy Ghost that they kept talking about?" Ahh SO good. Miracle! He will for sure be baptized soon. :)

This last week has been really good! We taught a few lessons and worked hard. We dropped our investigator Meg. It was a really good ending lesson, I was praying and studying all morning of what needed to happen. And I just knew that she'd already made up her mind and there wasn't much that we could say to change her mind. The commitment just wasn't there. But we went in there and just focused and bore testimony of how this will bless there family! I feel like I gave my dying testimony to not give it up, that it will bless their family and to read the Book of Mormon. It was a really good lesson and the spirit was really strong.

We also taught Patrick and he was being kinda a punk. He hasn't really read the Book of Mormon, but when we ask him about his prayers he says the same thing every time. "Unanswered." We emphasized a lot that he's not reading the answer book. That he's just waiting and looking for signs. I think he was having a bad day though. He was kind of playing devil advocate and saying what if it was written by a lunatic.. Sort of thing.  Later on in the week we talked to our Relief Society Pres who is really close with the his dad. Patrick has had a hard life. He lives with his dad and his mom doesn't really show her love for him very much and it's effecting him. I hope that he will embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ and let this heal his heart. I really love this kid. 

We have come to the end of another transfer. Have I really been in Kohala for 3 months!? I feel like I just got here. On Friday I received a training packet in the mail. Which means that I will have another daughter! I am excited, but also really really nervous. I guess it just brought back memories of my last experience training, it was hard. But I know that this isn't suppose to be easy. And I think I knew long before that packet came that I was training. Last week when we were watching the Relief Society broadcast and seeing all those sister missionaries in the choir, I just knew. And it feels right. Heavenly Father's plan is so perfect. I will be here on Big Island for another 2 transfers. And then I will only have 1 transfer left. (One the transfer board I have a green dot next to my name.) I have 4 months to baptize all of Hawai'i! The Zone Leaders have told me her name and it's sounds.. Tongan? Idk, but they are saying I might be getting a FOB. (Fresh Off the Boat.) Eeee.. God's in control! 

Well I love being a missionary! I cannot believe how fast time is going, but I am so happy and grateful for.. EVERYTHING! Life is just so good. Have a beautiful blessed week! I love you! 

Love,

Sister Nielsen 

Ahh.14. Months. 1 Oct 2013

Aloha! 

Carly dear.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You're 9! That's so.. Weird! You were only 7 when I left. Be watching the mail. :) I love you!

Well this week has been really.. good I guess. Kinda a blur. We had President Warner come yesterday and we listened to Elder Holland's talk from O'ahu. So that's why I'm emailing you today! It was really really good! I got a full 3 pages of notes. He talked a lot about how they expect a lot out of us missionaries and that he doesn't apologize for it. This is grown up work. And they need us at our best. They shouldn't have to ask us to be obedient, be faithful, work hard. We agreed to that when we accepted the call. So rise to the occasion. He also emphazied teaching with power and authority. And always making sure that we aren't just a 2-some. But a 3-some having the spirit be our third companion. It was really really good! I love Elder Holland. I get to hear from him 3 weeks in a row! I am so excited for General Conference.

I don't know if I really have anything good this week.. Our investigators are doing good. All still kind of in the same state. And we are working hard to get them progressing. We still have our 3 with date. Patrick, Reyanna, and Maya. And they are all not super solid right now. But I know we can get them ready by October 19th! Everything will happen in God's will and in His own way.

We went and saw Meg last week and she was running around like a chicken with her head cut off and trying to talk to us at the same time. She was babysitting her 2 grandkids and it was just a crazy place! And inbetween running around she would try and talk to us. She was trying to say that she has been praying more than she ever has been, but just can't come to terms that Joseph Smith is a prophet. Sister Weaver and I both just sat there and listened, not really responding. Then we offered to help her and she let us cut bananas. The conversation died and Cassidy, her daughter got home. I just felt like it wasn't the right setting for her to drop us or for us to drop her. After talking a little bit, I asked them what were some of their goals that they had in their life. With that came out that Cassidy's boyfriend/baby daddy David had left the home and wasn't living with them anymore. We had a good chat and then left with a prayer. Both Sister Weaver and I feel like we need to focus more on Cassidy than Meg. We're going back on Thursday.

We've been taking a Young Woman who is 17 out with us a lot this week. Her name is Bethany. We didn't really know them very much since they just moved back here from Utah. The father grew up in Kohala. But we had dinner with them and really got to know them. They are such a wonderful fun family and I just love them! They suggested that Bethany come out with us and so we took that offer us and she's come with us 3 times since Thursday! She's so cute and fun. And has even given us some people to go and visit. I remember the effect that had on me when I went with the Sister missionaries. Definitely something I will never forget and was a part of deciding to go on a mission. I hope that I can be that example and light to her to go on a mission. It's so interesting. A lot of locals don't see a lot of options for their future. But if they go on missions it opens their eyes to so much more than just the islands. Everyone needs to go on missions!

I am so happy to be a missionary. I can't imagine NOT serving a mission. I am forever changed. 14 months out. I've been a missionary a long time. It's been so good. I am so happy and blessed that Heavenly Father gave me this opportunity to serve a mission. I'll be honest, being home in 4 months is a really scary thought. I try not to think about it. But everyone somehow reminds you about it. I can't remember whats it's like to NOT be a missionary. Pre-mission life seems so foreign. Hearing my first name is weird.. But everything has a time and a place. I know I need to live these last few months up, and love every second I have to represent my Savior and do His work. All is well. :)

I love you all! Have a fabulous week! Thank you so much for your support. I really cannot explain how much I LOVE my family and how grateful I am to have the gospel taught in my home.

Love,

Sister Nielsen