8/28/17 - Pics of the Week

A bathroom - "Gotta love Peru engineering"

"My crazy neighbor Chino"

"How I celebrated my one year mark"

8/28/17 - A Really Hard Week

This week was really solid, but we had a really hard week as a district and as a companionship. We are fighting through it though and we will be better because of it. We had 8 baptisms lined up as a district and all of them fell through. It's soooo hard when that happens. They know it's true and they just walk away. 

Some scriptures that I have been thinking a lot about are found in the 36th chapter of Alma. They read 27. And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me. 28. And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever.

Really, I am so grateful for my Savior. With Him all things are possible and we can be more like the people Christ wants us to be. I am really excited because the week Elder Gonzales of the Seventy is coming and it should be fantastic. I love you all! Keep up the good work! 

Love,
Elder Nielsen

8/21/17 - Pictures of the Week

Elder Nielsen and his district

Elder Nielsen and his zone

8/21/17 - My 1 Year Mark

This week was really solid. We are working hard and we had 2 confirmations of the baptisms we had last week because they were baptized last Sunday after church and they had to be confirmed in sacrament meeting. 

Wow I am going to pass my 1 year mark in 3 days and honestly it's mind blowing to me. Time is FLYING. It feels like just yesterday that I got to Peru. It's still weird to me that I understand and can talk to people in a different language and it's really cool. I love this mission and this country. Yeah it's dirty and dusty, yeah I hate the dogs in the streets and I was sick again this week, but there is nothing like it. There is nothing like wearing your Savior's name on your chest and having the privilege of sharing your knowledge of Him with others. There is nothing like inviting someone to follow the example of their Savior by being baptized and then a short while later baptizing them. There is nothing like meeting new people and watching their love for their Savior grow and grow because He lives and He loves us. There is nothing like studying and growing and changing to become more in tune with the spirit, more humble, more kind, and more understanding. When I look back at this short year - by far the hardest year of my life - I wouldn't change it for anything, I'm a new person. I stand all amazed at how much I've changed, about how much my love and appreciation for my Savior has grown.

We had a really cool experience. Some refugees from Venezuela ended up at church after 5 years on the run. They are staying at one of our converts houses until they get their feet under them and we had such a powerful lesson with them. It was incredible. 4 of the 5 are members, but the oldest son isn't. He's 26 and is such a great guy. They really are an incredible family. We are beyond words blessed to live in the United States of America. There is no place better on earth and we need to be grateful for the privilege we have to worship the way we want. I'm so grateful for this church and for all the good it does. I love you all!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

8/14/17 - Pics of the Week

Baptism of Fabricio!

Julio and his giant bunny - "the funnest kid I've ever met"

Samir's baptism!

Pictures of where Elder Nielsen lives in Lima, Peru -

8/14/17 - Incredible

This week was sooo good!!! We had the privilege of baptizing two more souls this week and it was really really special. One of them was Samir. We had his uncle, who is one of our really good friends, baptize him and it was sooo incredible. He messed up a few times because it was his first baptism ever but every single time he did it I felt the spirit testify to me that it was true. I've been thinking about that lot. It's the same with the sacrament. It doesn't matter how many times we mess up it has to be perfect but because of the grace of Christ we can become perfect. Please listen to "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox - it's a BYU devotional speech and it's INCREDIBLE. I testify that the atonement of Jesus is REAL. It can change you into the person that God wants you to be. I love my Savior with all my heart and I'm so grateful for Him.

The second baptism we had was Fabricio. He is a 10 year old boy and he is soo funny. He kept hiding because there was a ton of people and he was self conscious. He was soooo worried about his testimony (after your baptism you give a testimony) and he did just dandy. He talked about how the commandments are very important, like don't kill and steal and lie and how baptism is a commandment and how he wants to live with God one day. I love this work with all my heart. It is just so great. 

We had a conference with Elder Corbrige, Elder Godoy, Elder Juan Uceda (he's from Lima btw), and Elder Cook!!! It was for all of Peru and Bolivia and we watched it on tv's in our stake center. It was incredible.  I was honestly sad when it ended. I know they are men called of God. They are His witnesses and they are soo wonderful. Elder Uceda talked about how it took him 21 days to get to the temple in San Paolo Brazil to be sealed from Lima. That is faith. They did it because they knew it was the right thing no matter the sacrifice. He talked about traditions of families and he said if we aren't reading and praying as a family we are teaching our family that it's okay not to do those things. Wow. I could have listened to them all day long. They are just such fantastic examples to me. 

I have included pics of where I live in Lima and the little kid with the giant bunny is Julio - he's the funnest little kid I've ever met. I want him to come to Utah so you can all meet him. His family is family Loyaza and they have plans to get married the 22nd of September. PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM!!!!!!!!!!! Also Guillmina and Evangelia and Ana Maria and Leonardo. Thanks for everything!!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

8/7/17 - Pics of the Week

Elder Nielsen and Elder Canfield

Elder Garcia, Elder Canfiield, and Elder Nielsen - "I love these guys"

8/7/17 - Patience

This week was really solid. Hma Conisla wasn't baptized and it hurt. We waited at the church for 4 hours, but she never showed up. I've been thinking and pondering a lot about a scripture. James 1: 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 

Patience is one thing I've come sooo far on. I'm so much more patient and in my striving to be more Christ-like I feel like it is super important. A lot of the times we want something NOW - an answer, a hard thing to end, someone to make the right choice etc. but that is not how faith works. It's never worked like that and it never will. Faith is built by obedience like Alma explains in chapter 32 - it's grown by love and tender care. Proverbs 4:7 is one of my favorite verses, "with all thy getting,get understanding." We need to seek and fight to learn more about Christ and his incredible gospel. I invite all of you to read and study Alma 32. It's incredible. The Book of Mormon is true and will bring you closer to the Savior than any other book (the Bible included, them's fighting words down here in Peru but it's true and sometimes the truth hurts!!) 

Family Loyaza is having a really hard time.They need their birth certificates to get married. The problem is he is from the rain forest, over 25 hours in car then boat then car for 10 more hours.  Please pray for them!!

Please please pray for Samir and Ana maria. They are so great. They just have such a difficult situation. I believe in miracles- they are real. I love all of you!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen