Salmon Arm

The first picture is of all the missionaries in the mission office in Abbotsford on P-day right before transfers.  The next picture is the Noftle family.  They are so amazing.  Brother Noftle treated me like a son and I'm really going to miss them.  The last picture is from a members back yard in Salmon Arm, BC.  That's my new area, it is about 4.5 hours Northeast of Abbotsford.  There are about twenty thousand people in town and I am super excited to be in a new area.  I'm serving with Elder Manley from Draper.
  
The trip to Salmon Arm was crazy.  We drove 2 hours from Richmond to Chilliwack and stayed the night.  The next morning we got on a Greyhound bus and drove 4 hours on this windy road to Kamloops.  There were cars off the road everywhere.  Once we got to Kamloops we drove another hour and a half to Salmon Arm.  We met some members here that remind me of Grandpa Milton and Grandma Gerri.  The guy says he is in the sheep business and has been to Provo to buy sheep before but doesn't know Milton.

The work is going well and we are finding lots of new investigators.  I'm learning a ton and my testimony is growing everyday.  The church is true.

Have a great week everyone.  I love you.

Elder Nielsen

Sad Day

I learned today that my Uncle Chris Starkey passed away last Wednesday.  I'm totally in shock.  When my parents told me I was sick and it literally felt like someone punched me in the stomach.  I feel so bad for Julie and her kids.  The only comfort I have is knowing that they will all be together again some day.  I love you Julie and am praying for you!!

This is a bridge we crossed on our way to hear Elder Christofferson speak.  It was really cool but I can't remember the name.

This is Brother Jaspar and my companion Elder Hudson.  Brother Jaspar served a mission in Provo, UT when he was young.  We have been doing a lot of service lately for Brother Jaspar which is way cool.

This was another great week for Elder Hudson and I.  We found 15 more new investigators and have two baptisms scheduled for March 30th.  I like serving with Elder Hudson he is a hard worker and it is showing in our results.

I love you all.  Have a great week.

Elder Nielsen

Vancouver Temple

This is a picture of the Vancouver temple I took while we were at a Zone conference last week listening to Elder Christofferson.  He was amazing and so spiritual.  He said there will be a lot of persecution in the last days, like we've never seen before and we need to be prepared.

We had such a great week last week!!  We found 22 new investigators and have a baptism date set of March 30th for one of our previous investigators.  Can you believe that 22 investigators. :) The Lord really blessed us by being in the right place and the right time.  That's the only way that could happen.

It rains here so much we just walk around soaking wet all the time.  I get along with my new companion so well.  We work really hard, but can laugh when we are soaking wet or when things didn't go like we had planned.  I just didn't realize how blessed I am to be a member of the church until I starting serving a mission and can see how hard life is for people who don't have the Gospel in their lives.

Thank you for all your love and support.  Have a great week!!

Elder Nielsen  

Let it Snow

It was a great week just super busy and kind of crazy.  We had a zone conference on Thursday which was cool because we were right by the temple.  I got some great pics that I haven't figured out how to send you from my new camera.  Elder Christofferson is coming this Friday and Saturday to talk to us.  That is super exciting that a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is coming to our mission.

It has been snowing for 3 days straight which is crazy.  I was driving to the church and we got stuck in the snow so we had to have 20 missionaries push us out.  My companion had to go the doctor in Chilliwack which is about an hour away to get an ingrown toenail fixed.  The next day he was sick and his toes hurt really bad and he couldn't walk so we just stayed in the apartment.  It was weird.

I got a new haircut before Elder Christofferson comes because my old one was so bad.  We had an investigator make us pancakes for breakfast one morning which was way fun.  We dis some more service for the Gaspar family.  We also got 6 new investigators this week which was great.  Besides that not a lot happened just a ton of snow!!!

I still can't get my pictures off the new camera.  I've got to have someone help me.

I love you all.  Have a good week.

Elder Nielsen

New Companion

I got a new companion this past week (on Feb. 13th actually).  I think everyone was a little surprised because you are usually with your first trainer for at least 12 weeks.  I was only with Elder Van Fleet for six.  My new companion is from Vancouver, his name is Elder Hudson and he is 24.  He has epilepsy and has had seizures in the past so they want to keep him close to home.  He knows the scriptures really well and is a hard worker so I am learning a lot.

We have three general authorities coming to our mission the first week of March.  We are all a little nervous but super excited too.  President Tilleman says they want to come see how one of the best missions in the church operates.  I hope that is true.

We have been doing a lot of service lately because no one seems very interested in our message.  We talk to a lot of people but most of them just want to argue about why the church isn't true.  We have found that isn't a very effective way to teach the gospel and everyone just ends up mad.  So we are doing service instead which is good.

One of these weeks I will remember my camera so I can send some more pics.  I hope everyone is doing well.  I love and appreciate all your support!

Elder Nielsen

First Baptism

Missionary work this week was super crazy.  We found so many new investigators and I baptized Anthony on February 1st.  This was my first baptism.   He was supposed to call us early Saturday morning, but we never heard from him until 4 p.m.  We got kind of nervous because the baptism was at 6 p.m.  We had problems with the font so I ended up baptizing him in like a foot of water and he almost hit his head on the bottom.  Anthony bore his testimony after he was baptized and said he knew the church was true and this is ONE for the Lord and ZERO for Satan.  He has such a powerful testimony.  The bishop and I just sat there amazed, it was such a spiritual experience.  After the baptism the font wouldn't drain so we had to get buckets and pour the water down a different drain.  It took us forever.

We also met another lady on the street and she argued with us about the Book of Mormon.  We told her to read the book and we'd be back later in the week to talk to her about it. I'm just praying that she read it and is waiting for us to come back.

I hope everyone is doing well.  I love and miss you all.

Elder Nielsen

January 27, 2014

Yesterday in church the speakers ended 5 minutes early and the bishop said Elder Nielsen would you mind coming up and sharing a few thoughts with us.  I was freaking out.  When I got up there my mind went blank so I talked a little about being a new missionary and bore my testimony.   The congregation was laughing and the Bishop said wow you are a funny guy Elder Nielsen.  It was crazy but I'm fine.

We had an investigator invite us over for dinner on Thursday.  The guy is in his 60's and it was super nice that he invited us over.  I was excited because I got to use my Canadian drivers license for the first time.  I drove around with Elder Sly, he is one of our zone leaders.  It was fun to drive again.  Anthony one of our investigators is getting baptized February 1st.  We are super excited.  That will my first baptism!!

I got to play basketball with a bunch of missionaries last P-day at the church.  It was fun and the first time I've done that since I've been in Canada.  I miss playing basketball.  

Elder Van Fleet and I are both out of money on our mission cards so we have been eating eggs (which a member brings us everyday) and Macaroni and Cheese every meal.  I have to say I'm kind of sick of both.  I can't wait for February 1st so we can have something decent to eat again.

I'm getting a new camera today because the old one doesn't work.  Then I can start sending some pictures along with my weekly e-mail.  Although the haircut I got from Elder Van Fleet a few weeks ago is so bad I'm not sure I want to show it off.

Have a great week everyone.  I love you all.

Elder Nielsen