Helen Hall's Baptism

 

This week was literally nuts it was so good.  It was honestly probably the best week of my entire mission.  My new companion (Elder Barker from Las Vegas) is such a pimp, he's so cool.  We really don't have anything in common, but we get along really well.

We had Helen's baptism date all set for February 28th.  We were laying there one night getting ready for bed and the lady who schedules the building calls and starts flipping out on me. She said you missionaries think you know everything and don't have to coordinate anything with anyone and on and on.  After about 10 minutes I said we could just move the baptism to March 1st if you want.  She said oh okay and was really embarrassed.  It was so of funny!!

We had Helen's baptism on March 1st.  She is so cool and solid you guys would love her.  I certainly do.  She can't wait to go to the temple.  That will be so great, but she has to wait a year before she can go.  There were so many people at her baptism, it had to be a record.  Her son Josh baptized her and she cried through the whole baptism because she loves the church so much.  I got to be a witness.

We went on exchanges with the Zone leaders.  I went with Elder Mahabeer, he is my little black friend and he is so funny.  They have this "how to teaching points" guide and there are ten of them and they are super awkward.  We met this guy was so not interested and kept saying no one knows the truth and wouldn't stop talking.  When he did stop talking Elder Mahabeer would throw out one of the ten teaching points.  It was such a mess, but kind of funny to.  I finally said we're done here.

Helen's daughter who doesn't care about anything and hated us told me the other day she wants to be taught the gospel.  It was super cool.  She is pregnant and is always mad,  but we like mad pregnant women that wanna learn about the church. :)

Love you all :)

Elder Morgan Leo Nielsen:):):)

Back in Abbottsford

Hi family,

Well guess what I'm back in Abbottsford.  This is exactly where I was a year ago and the same area where I started my mission.  The only difference is I'm in the first ward this time instead of the second.  I really love the people here.  They are all super friendly and down to earth.  The people in Coquitlam weren't like that as much.

We did a ton of service this week.  We helped some investigators we've been working with pack because they didn't want us teaching them while they were packing.  We kind of taught them while we packed.  It was crazy it took us almost three full days to get everything loaded up and moved.  I'm not sure how solid they are as investigators, but we are finding that when we serve people they are much more willing to listen to us which is good.

We have been running and lifting every morning and I'm starting to lose my mission gut which is sweet.  I've been cleaning so much that the apartment is practically spotless.  You would think my mom had been here.  It's crazy she would be proud!!!

The first picture is the bishop and his family in Coquitllam.  They let us spend most of Christmas day with them.  It was so nice of them and we had a lot of fun.  The other pictures are of brother Blanks.  He is a less active guy we've been working with since I first got to Coquitlam.  He is really cool I like him a lot.  When he heard I was transferring he cried.   

I love you guys.  Have a great week.

Elder Morgan Nielsen

Merry Christmas

Hi family,

I have to share this cool experience with you.  We were at the Lougheed town center talking to people just after Christmas and there was this lady carrying groceries.  I said hello to her and she didn't say anything just looked kind of mad and super frustrated.  As we started to pass by she put down her groceries and said I have been praying for people from a church to come talk to me.  She told us her parents died two years ago and she has been really depressed and didn't know what to do.  We talked to her about the plan of salvation, Jesus Christ, and all the other good stuff about our church.  I prayed with her and she started crying.  After we got done she said my whole body feels so good what is it that is making me feeling like this.  She said I want you guys to come visit and teach me.   Unfortunately we found out she lives in Burnaby so Elder Hall (my missionary buddy from Spanish Fork) and his companion get to teach her.  She was so excited and said I want to hug you boys right now, I said sorry you can't do that. :) It is honestly a miracle and all because we said hello.  By small and simple things shall great things come to pass!

It was so great talking to everyone at Christmas.  I love you guys.  I love my mission and serving the Lord.  Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Nielsen

1 Year

Well I just passed my one year mark.  It's unbelievable how fast this past year has gone and it is fun to reflect back on all the miracles we've seen.  We have also spent a little time decorating for Christmas.  What do you think?

This week was stinking crazy, it has been so cold.  It was -1 this entire week and that was the warmest it ever got.  We were down at the sky train station talking to people and this man said you boys look cold and I said yes we are.  He said that's good it will toughen you boys up. It was funny.

I found out I'm staying in Coquitlam for at least one more transfer.  So I will be here until January 7th which will be good and my companion is staying as well.

We had the miracle family come to church this past week.  They are the ones we called awhile ago and now their whole family is coming to church.  It's crazy!  They have amazing testimonies and they are super smart.  I wish you could see all the people we talk to and go teach everyday.   I think you'd be amazed.

We had Thanksgiving with a family from the ward.  They are from the states and super funny, but their house is kind of disgusting.  We walked in and I went to take my shoes off and the dad says no reason for that you'd just be mopping the floor for us.  They have five cats that live in the house and it is just kind of gross.  Anyway it was super nice of them to have us for Thanksgiving dinner and we loved it.

We found some more people who wanted to talk to us on Thursday, but when we called them the next day they said they weren't interested.  That's kind of how it is trying to open an area that's been closed for a while, nobody is really interested in our message.  Oh well.  I guess that means we just have to pray more and try harder.

I love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Coquitlam

This week was sweet.  There is a kid from Mapleton in our zone.  I can't remember his name right now but he says he knows our cousin Bryn.  Small world.

It has literally rained so hard this week it is unreal. I lost my umbrella or someone stole it so Elder Persson and I had to share his.  He is like 5' 5" so I had to bend way down to use his and I feel like my neck is broken now.  On Wednesday we were walking around and it just started pouring.  We were only outside 5 minutes and I was completely soaked because I left my rain coat in the apartment. Ooops!  We were knocking doors and this lady answered and just started laughing when she saw how wet I was.  She said how can I not take one of those books from you boys, you are so funny.

Saturday was park the car day so we literally walked everywhere so we can talk to more people.  We  were walking and it was raining so hard that my shoes are still wet today.  I jumped in the shower for 10 minutes with all my clothes on that's how wet I was.  We have seen so many miracles and we talked to some of the sweetest people. Unfortunately every single person we find lives in another missionaries area so I guess we are finding contacts for them.  I'm convinced that nobody lives in Coquitlam!

We did find a lady a few weeks ago at the sky train station.  I've been talking to her a lot and she is super cool.  I said could we come teach you and she said yes but I live in Vancouver so we gave her information to the sister missionaries in Vancouver.  We hadn't heard how things were going, but the sisters called us on Friday and said that girl is super solid and wants to get baptized.  She will be baptized in a couple of weeks.  What a miracle!!

On Saturday we went and helped Dan and Carol (new investigators) clean their house.  They are super funny they invite us over to help them and they end up sitting and watching us work.  We just laugh, it's all good.

We've been working and working with Brother Blanks but he can't quit smoking.  We have tried everything.  He called us on Saturday and said I can't come to church on Sunday for some crazy reason.  After church we stopped by to visit him and he said I should have come to church I feel so bad, why didn't I go.  We love Brother Blanks we just wish he could stop smoking.

We have been running every morning at the track by our house, now I'm sore I can hardly move.  I'm so out of shape.  We are headed out to play basketball with everyone!

Love,
Elder Nielsen