Salmon Arm - for at least one more Transfer

I didn't get transferred. I'm still in Salmon Arm with the same Elder.  Elder Fitzner, well I guess Aaron now and his sisters, came and visited me him on Thursday.  They are touring the mission and going and visiting all his old places and showing his family so he stopped by and chatted for a little while! He's a pimp! He said he went to president Tilleman's home coming thing and they all went swimming,  he was like it was so awkward seeing sisters in swim suits.

We stopped eating fast food except for on p-days so we aren't huge. We only are going to eat fruit, veggies, chicken and salmon. We go to the church every morning to exercise, we play bad mitten because my comp is uncoordinated so I play with my left hand but he has no idea.  I win every time and like try to let him win but can't.  I think he has beat me once in like 40 games, but he loves it cause he thinks he is getting a tiny bit better so whatever.

Nothing really happened this week just a lot of rain we went to that little family we are teaching..bro Poitrie always takes us out there to visit them, but they still won't quit coffee.  But they really want to be baptized. Arlene (the lady we baptized) she cry's every sacrament meeting and at every class at church and we take her videos on a USB to watch and she cry's every time.  She is more into the church then every member, she said I  have never been so happy in my entire life. We went to the ward party on Saturday night played soccer it was so weird going to a ward party, I think that was the first ward party I have ever been to in my entire life. Not a lot has happened this week. I'm going to be in Salmon Arm for 6 months that's a long time.

I made a sweet planner cover it is President Tilleman when he was on the Canadian Olympic basketball team, then I put President Burt's head on Michael Jordan's body... it is dope I will send you a picture.

Brother Mouritsen the dude that baptized Arlene loves the crap out of me.  He always say I will take you out and go tracking... I love teaching people and we can have someone sit with your companion while he is sick then we can go out all day teaching.  He is funny...he is 87 years old and wants to come tracking its ballin he always sits and talks to me for like 20 minutes before church starts when we are just waiting he comes and sits and talks and talks he is moving to Utah, Idaho, or California so I might not see him again. I told him to stop by and visit my family in Spanish Fork, he said maybe.

There is this other member in the ward his name is Brother Gawley he is 30 and is just huge, he is so ripped he works up north and he wants me to be 200 pounds before I go back home. He is always cooking us up this huge meals so I will gain weight and he wants me to come stay with him when I get back from my mission.... he is like a kid he's such a baller.

Troy and Leonard got mad at us the other day and said we can't go back to there house until September 1st.  We told them his ex-wife can't live with them if she wants to be baptized because she goes and stays with them every weekend and Leonard flipped.  He said we have to many rules so we can only see them on Sunday's at church.

I can't wait to talk to you today hope you had a good week.

LOVE elder NIELSEN :) 

Sister Smith

 

It has been super hot here, over 100 for 3 days in a row now.  We just sweat every where we go, but the people are super nice and give us water.  Transfers are on Monday, July 21st and I'm betting I get transferred.  I really want to go to Victoria Island, but I will be happy where ever they send me.  I get to meet with President Burt (he's our new Mission President) for this first time on Monday.  I'm excited about that.

The skinny guy holding the paper is Brother Poitrie he is the Ward Mission leader.  He's such a funny guy I love him so much.  He really helped us a lot to get Sister Smith ready for baptism. 

Her baptism was on Sunday and it was amazing.  She cried through the entire meeting.  I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost.  When we were done and lining up for pictures she pinched my butt which was kind of awkward but super funny.  Sunday night we were at our apartment and she called crying and basically bore her testimony to us.  It was so great, one of the neatest experiences of my life.  She said I love you two Elders more than anything in this world and that this was the best day of her life.  She said I know Joseph Smith is a prophet and that he restored the church on the earth today and that the Holy Ghost is real and guides us. What an amazing experience to have a new member share such a powerful testimony.

I know this church is true!!  I hope everyone is doing well.  I love and miss you all very much.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Troy's Baptism

We baptized Troy (the guy standing next to me ) on June 8th, 2014.  It was super cool.  It is always such an awesome experience to baptize someone.  After we baptized him he was kind of in shock, he didn't know what to do or say.  It was kind of funny because we said make a silly face and his expression was just the same as his serious face.
I was stuck in Richmond for a week waiting for my sick companion to go home.  I didn't really have anything to do so I just hung out at the mission office.  I kept asking President Tilleman for something to do and he said read and rest.  I got to the point I couldn't handle one more day of reading and rest.
I'm finally back in the Salmon Arm this week with a new companion.  His name is Elder Ockey he is from Alberta, Canada.  President told me I will only be here until July 24th which is the next transfer.  I'm kind of sad because I love Salmon Arm so much.  The only good thing about leaving is I think I've knocked on every door in town at least twice, so I'm sure they will be glad I'm leaving.
I went golfing today which was super fun.  I haven't been golfing since last summer when I was still at home.
We found one new investigator this week and she is super excited about the church and the Book of Mormon.  Hopefully she will get baptized before I leave on the 24th.
Well I better run.  I love you all so much.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Book of Mormom is True!!

Elder Fitzner (my Zone Leader) and I playing some nerf basketball.  Hopefully we're not breaking any mission rules.  I promise Elder Fitzner and the hoop are fine. :)

My companion is going home early, he just can't get better.  We drove to Richmond today which is 5 hours from Salmon Arm to get him ready to go home.  I will stay in Richmond until Thursday when we have transfers then I will head back to Salmon Arm with a new companion which is great with me.  I met with President Tillman last week and he told me I am staying in Salmon Arm for at least another transfer.  President Tillman goes home July 1st. 

Troy got baptized last Saturday (June 8th) which was way cool.  His dad has also started coming to church again since we've been working with them.  We found 3 new investigators this week, but none of them look very promising at this point.

I've been a little down the last three weeks because I have been stuck in the apartment reading the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants all day because my companion has been pretty sick.  I finally realized what a blessing it was for me to be able to read for those 3 weeks.  I know for the first time in my life that the Book of Mormon is true!!!!  It's crazy and hard to explain, but I know it's true and I love it.  It's the greatest thing in the whole world.

Thanks for all you do for me.  I love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Troy and Leonard

This is Troy and Leonard.  Troy (the guy in the black shirt) is getting baptized on June 8th which is super exciting.
This week was super long.  My companion has been super sick for the last 4 days and we haven't left the apartment.  All I've been doing is reading and tending him.  I think I'm about crazy.
The other bad news this week is our other prospects Cole and Tanya that were so excited about being baptized can't.  We found out she is still legally married to her first husband.  They can't get the first husband to sign the divorce paper and until he signs them she can't get baptized.  It was like the worst news ever, I wanted to cry.  We are looking forward to Troy's baptism on June 8th.

I hope everyone is doing well.  I love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Vernon Zone

That is a picture of the name tags of some of the Elders in the Vernon Zone.
That's Elder Fitzner (he is my zone leader) and I, we were doing exchanges in Vernon.  I love that guy.  He's so awesome.  I feel bad though because he goes home in a couple of months.
We had such an awesome week.  We set four baptismal dates and almost set a fifth, the lady just needs to quit drinking coffee.  We also had a little family we've been working with come to church and they loved it.  Their kids thought it was super fun.  I also got choked by a Southern Baptist guy.  We knocked on his door one night and he said I don't need or want you mormons knocking on my door.  He said I'm already saved.  We said okay and he grabbed me by the neck.  I'm not sure what I said to set him off, but he was big and mad.  Luckily he just let go and we got the heck out of there. It was super crazy.
I can't believe how I've caught the spirit of missionary work.  I love it.  I think Salmon Arm is my favorite place in the whole world.  My companion thinks I'm crazy because we run from door to door and I'm always betting him that we get a certain number of people to let us in the next ten houses.
When I first got to Canada I felt like I had to memorize the messages and that is what the people cared about, but I've learned it isn't a memorized speech it is the spirit, how we treat them, and what they feel that matters most.  That has helped me so much.
It was so great to talk to you all on Mother's Day.  I can't believe I have almost been out 6 months.  It is the best out here.  I really do love it.  I love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Staying in Salmon Arm

I'm staying in Salmon Arm but I got a new companion.  His name is Elder Johnston.  He grew up in Logan and Southern Idaho.  He's been out 16 months and seems really cool.  I'm not sure why I'm getting a new companion every transfer, maybe I'm hard to get along with?
The trip to the mission office to hear about transfers was crazy.  Almost five hours on a grey hound bus to Langley which is by the temple then another hour in a car to Richmond.  I learned I was staying so we slept on cots with no blankets or pillows in the Elder's apartments in Richmond then repeated the process to come back to Salmon Arm the next day.  It was a looong two days.
We have a couple of baptisms scheduled in the next couple of weeks.  I just hope they don't fall through because they usually do.  Things are starting to warm up here, but it still rains a lot and it is really cold when it does.
I hope everyone is doing well.  I love and miss you all so much.  I can't wait to talk to you all on Mother's Day.

Elder Nielsen