7/30/18 - Pics of the Week

Baptism of Omar and Jaycob

Elder Nielsen and his companion

Elder Nielsen's neighborhood

Birthday dinner

Happy Birthday Elder Nielsen!

7/30/18 - 2 Years Have Come to an End

Wow. Honestly, I don't believe that this is real. 2 years have come to an end. 2 years that will be remembered forever. 2 years that have been the hardest but best years of my life.

This week we had 2 baptisms, Jaycob and Omar.  It was really great.  I love them. 

I just want to testify of the loving atonement of Jesucristo. He loves us so much and we can be better thru Him. The atonement is always there, it's just up to us to use it. We can not only be forgiven but be better, grow and be stronger. 

This week was my birthday.  It was great- we had pachamanca - it's Incan style of cooking where they dig a hole and heat up rocks and then use the hot rocks to cook meat and other food. It's incredible. All in all i've been uncomfortably stuffed these last 3 days but it's all good. 

2 Timothy 4:7

7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.

Keep strong. Know that God is real and that He loves you! Christ died but it was for YOU. The church is true! Jose Smith was a prophet of God. I'll see you all soon!

Love,

Elder Nielsen   

7/23/18 - Pics of the Week

"Elder Nase and Elder Tiepolo - some of the best missionaries in the whole mission."

7/23/18 - Mind Blowing

This week was great - we are working hard. We are gonna reach our zone goal. Please please pray for Arnold Camachu, Omar Myta, and Jacob Hereida!! Omar y Jacob are going to get baptized today and Arnold this Saturday!! 

It's amazing how amazing this work is! There is just so much to do - it's mind blowing! We gotta give it our all while we can because time flies. I'm happy and sad and excited and nervous about coming home but it's not over yet. Happy Birthday to Nana last week. I'm pumped for mine this Sunday - thanks for all your wishes!! It's crazy to think I'll be 22 - I'm feeling like the Taylor Swift song now! 

My comp and I have had a few run ins here and there and we had like a marriage counseling with Presidente Stauffer. Words cannot express how much I love and admire that amazing kind man. Hasta pronto!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

7/16/18 - Love You All

This week was great. We are teaching 4 guys -  Milton who's 22, Arnold who's 18, Euder who's 26 and Darwin who's 14. They are the best and they have come to church 2 weeks in a row and have a goal to be baptized the 28th! Please pray for them!

We are working hard and seeing a lot of miracles. This week was really really hard but you can always pray and ask for help! The Book of Mormon is true. I just can't believe how great it is. Read it! Pray and ask to learn what God wants you to learn and then read and He will teach you. Love you all nos vemos.

I can't send pics today -  this computer has tons of virus' and I'm not in the mood to lose my pictures again.

LOVE YOU ALL!

 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

7/9/18 - Pics of the Week

"Selfie of Peter and Nataniel. Peter is a member. He's so funny and super smart and helps us go teaching. I love that dude!"

7/9/18 - Just Really Happy

Nataniel got baptized!! It was really sweet. His dad has been soooo against his baptism for 2 years. We did service at their house, fasted for him and prayed a ton and talked to him. We had a lesson for over an hour just with him and I'm so glad my Spanish is good enough now to really express myself because it was intense - but he said yes! He even came to his baptism. I know it meant the world to Nataniel. His testimony was sooo great - crying he testified of the Book of Mormon and it was really sweet. 

We are working hard as a zone and doing well. I know we can do more, however, I know we need to do more. 

I'm just really happy. I love being a missionary.

Love,

Elder Nielsen

7/2/18 - Time To Give It All

This week was really good. We had cambios and I have a new comp! His name is Elder Vaquero and he's from iquitos, or the rain forest. He's going home in 12 weeks and we are both dedicated to working hard and finishing strong. This is my last cambio and it's time to give it all!! 

We are teaching Nataniel. He's 17 and his mom is one of the strongest members I've met but his dad isn't a member and won't let him be baptized just because he knows he wants to. This has been going on for 2 years. As a mission, we respect the father's wishes. We talked to his dad for over an hour and guess what?! Nataniel is going to be baptized this Saturday!! Please pray for him!!  Love you all  - hope you all have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

6/25/18 - Pics of the Week

Baptism of Dila

Baptism of Dayana and Daniel

The house of familia Palomaris

6/25/18 - So Cute

This week was great! We baptized Daniel and Dayana Palomaris. They are kids of a menos activo member and they are so amazing. I've never felt so much love for an investigator/baptism. She''s 9 and she's just so cute and she just LOVES the church and God and Christ. I help her with her homework for English and I don't even understand it - no wonder no one speaks English well here. The teachers don't even know it. The water was FREEZING but it was all good - it was just so cute. 

We also baptized Dila. Shes bien buena. Her husband is a really hard man but after her baptism he said he is going to follow her and be baptized!! Actions speak louder than words!

Peru lost to France so they are out of the World Cup. Que triste but we knew from the beginning that we weren't going to win. It just hurts to see it end so soon. However, we didn't let our feelings get too hurt and we have a tour of 2 venezolanos, They came to church Sunday and are gonna get baptized so not all was lost!! 

Our zone is getting a big chunk taken out of it because a new stake is being created!! The work is advancing!!! I love this work! It's fun to think that my first converts will be part of this new stake. I love how the work will go forth -we can do it! The church is true. It's crazy to think I'm in my last transfer, cambios son hoy but its okay I gotta make the most of it!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

6/18/18 - Pics of the Week

"The Boys"

6/18/18 - Life is Good

This week was really great. As a mission council we got to go to the molina and hear a conference by Elder Godoy, our old Presidente of the area and now he's a General Authority Seventy. It was amazing. He's super super smart and he talked a lot about how we can use the atonement to make any weakness a strength. Whether it's patience or learning Spanish or love or testimony - we can use it to be better than we could ever be by ourselves. That's where the grace of Christ comes in. It was amazing.

All in all todo tranquilo. We have 2 baptisms planned for this week - the family Palomaris. They are 2 kids and their dad is a member but is living with his "wife" and they aren't married. Their grandparents are members too and they LOVE us. They are just sooooo cute! They are 9 and 14 years old. Diana is 9 and she is just adorable. She's like a little minnion, man i love them. Life is good. I'll see you all soon.

Love,

Elder Nielsen

6/11/18 - Pics of the Week

6/11/18 - Just Amazing!

EL MUNDIAL!!!!!!! The World Cup starts this week!!!!!!!!! Wowowow It's going to be amazing. I'm so excited -there is just something magical about being in South America during the World Cup. I love it!

This week was just amazing! I got to go to the temple!! Yohan Luna got sealed!! and Adrian!! They are both from my first area. There is just nothing better than that! Man, it's so wonderful! The ward was soooo excited to see me - I'm surprised that soo many remembered me. All in all just fantastic! 10/10 would do it again!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

5/28/18 - Pics of the Week

Roger was baptized!

5/28/18 - Do Things Right

Roger got baptized!! He's 16 and man I love him. He has a hard life but he wants to do things differently than his family and his neighbors. A lot of his friends have kids. They are 16. He wants to go on a mission - he wants to do things right. Now it's just his friends Omar y Jacob!! We can do it!!

The Familia Sanchez came and visited me!!! The family that I love from my first area came and visited me!!! It was sooo incredible to see them - so much has changed but it was amazing. Yohan Luna, our friend, invited me to his sealing this week. I hope we can go. I just love this work!! 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

5/21/18 - Shaking Like Crazy

Earthquake!! We had transfers (I stayed the same so it's all good) and Elder Horstman's comp got here really late so they had to sleep in our room. I was awakened at 6 by my bed shaking like crazy. I thought Horstman was just messing around being dumb, but it turned out it was an earthquake!! Like a really, really strong one!! The craziest part was during the earthquake Presidente Stauffer texted us asking us if we were okay. :)) Cool experience I guess.  

We are working hard. We are teaching Roger and Omar - the young men from the other week. They are getting baptized this Saturday. It's been an uphill battle - they have sooo many questions and girlfriends and it's hard but we are going to win. I just know we are going to. 

All in all a good week. My comp and I are getting along better, all is well. Love and miss you all. See y'all soon.

Matthew 19:26
Luke 9:62

Love,

Elder Nielsen

5/14/18 - Pics of the Week

Baptisms!

"I'm the giant of them." 

5/14/18 - I'm The Giant

This week was really good. I hope that you all had a great Mother's Day! Mine was great - I love my mom. She's the best!!

This week we had 2 baptisms of the Family Davila. The girl is 13 and she's pumped to be a missionary. She was sad when we told her that she won't be an Elder, she'll be an Hermana, but she got over it :) 

We are working hard. I had a work visit with Elder Vasquez from Puno. He's a good guy.

We played football today with Dennis and one of the districts in my zone. It's the joke that I'm the giant of them. They are all below 5' 6" and they are all companions. hahaha

Love,

Elder Nielsen

5/7/18 - Pics of the Week

Baptism!

Elder Nielsen and future missionary - "he'll be great!"

5/7/18 - Conquer the World

This week was great. My first area I had pensions, or cooks, named Jonny and Glatus. I haven't seen them my entire mission. About a month ago we were walking in our area and Jonny runs over to me! He set up a time for us to go to his house and we went and started talking to his nephew. He was listing to the missionaries before but had to move and never got baptized. I baptized him last Saturday!! Dennis is the best! He is just humble and so ready to learn and conquer the world - it's great!!! 

Shout out to my brother Dre for graduating - I'm super proud of you!!!! 

We are working hard here in Puente - please pray for Omar y Roger. I don't know what happened but from day to night they have just gone cold. It's hard when you know how much this message would help someone and they don't accept it. I love you all a lot - keep up the good work!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

4/30/18 - Pics of the Week

Lina was baptized!

Saving a cat on the roof

4/30/18 - Stubborn People

This week was really good. Lina was baptized! Her boyfriend, who's a returned missionary, baptized her. It was great. 

We are working hard. We are teaching like 8 young men and they are being so difficult! Man, stubborn people are so hard sometimes. They know it's all true, but they have a few commandments that they don't want to accept and it's frustrating. Pray for Roger, Omar, Alex, Gian Carlos, Jacob, Diego, Ricardo and Familia Davila. 

The Book of Mormon is true. You should definitely read it sometime if you haven't already. I'm re-reading the conference talks and it's so cool that we have prophets in our day.

About 2 weeks ago a cat was stuck on the roof of the church and it couldn't get down. We made a super sketchy ladder to get it down. The cat was saved and no one died so everyone won. I included pictures this week.

I bought 15 bananas that were incredible for 3 soles, like 88 US cents. Man imma miss Peru. 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

4/23/18 - The Stone Cut from the Mountain

This week was good. I'm 100 percent positive this computer has more virus' than the hospital in Lima so I'm not going to use my camera this week - sorry. 

I interviewed a man to be baptized. His name is Eutieniuo and he was just incredible. He has such a strong testimony and is such an amazing example to me. 

We are teaching almost all young men. It's incredible!! We are teaching 3 friends and they are 17, 16, and 16 years old. They are just amazing. I love teaching them. They recognize that they need to change their lives and they want to do it and want to follow the church. It's great.

Our ward is amazing. Our bishop is the best and the presidente of the relief society is just an angel with fire towards those who do not want to help us. The presidente of the elders quorum is our best friend. He's been in the ward for 3 months and was bishop in his other ward when he moved. Our ward is looking to be split by the end of this year. The work of the Lord is moving forward"!!!! The stone cut from the mountain!!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

4/16/18 - Pics of the Week

Elder Nielsen's Zone

Baptism of Luz Clara! 

4/16/18 - It's All Good

This week was really good. We are working hard. We are doing well as a zone and we are excited for this month. 

I baptized Luz Clara and it was funny because the Elders didn't fill the font up all the way -  the water was just above my knee hahaha but it's all good.

Our ward is great! I gave a talk in church and I finally feel totally normal giving a talk in Spanish. 

Funny story - so the other Elders baptized a little old lady but she didn't come to be confirmed so we went to go get her. We walked into her house which was sooo far away and it was super super tiny and made of plywood.  We walked in and she was talking/singing in Quecha and Spanish. I walked over to her and she was reading the Bible but it was upside down hahahahaha. She can't read. Oh man do I love the little old people from the Sierra. 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

4/9/18 - Pics of the Week

Elder Nielsen saying goodbye to the Huacho area

Elder Nielsen and fellow missionary friends

4/9/18 - A Huge Change

I left Huacho! I'm back in Puente Piedra!! I'm going to spend 1 year and a half in the same part of Lima, yes 4 different parts of the city but the same part. hahaha It's good to be back but it's so funny because I'm in the area that I always visited when I was in Zapallal. Our ward is just amazing. There are more active worthy Priesthood holders here than active members in Huaura so it should be amazing. 

I'm now a zone leader and it's a huge change. We have 16 missionaries in my zone and it's cool but also hard because there is so much to do. My comp is from Colombia and I don't think there could be a bigger jump between Elder Alegre and Elder Villalobos but I'm learning a lot. 

When i was here over a year ago I went on a work visit with Elder Stodmeister and taught a man that had been taught for over a year but they just couldn't get him baptized. Anyway, 2 days after that he just fell off the face of the earth and they lost contact with him.... 2 days ago I baptized him!!!!!!!!!! It was soo great. Americo is the best. We talked to his wife for over an hour - she started out saying that if he got baptized he would not be a part of the family and would have to find somewhere else to live, but she softened up and ended up being fine with it. He calls me his padrino - his Godfather hahaha I love this mission. I love Peru.

It was hard leaving Huaura - I loved it so much there, I learned a lot and I loved the people, but I feel like I'm at home here. The first area of my mission and my last area of my mission are touching... it's crazy how much I've changed in such a short time. Crazy how time is flying, but all is well. Love you all. The church is true!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

4/2/18 - Pics of the Week

Apartment

Yulazi's baptism!

Elder Nielsen at an old Catholic church in Sayan

4/2/18 - The Work Will Keep Advancing!

This week was great! General Conference was incredible!! The changes are so cool -  I can see why both were needed and honestly I'm pumped. The work will keep advancing!!

This week we had some mission conferences. President Stauffer IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. He's going to be a Seventy one day, I just know it. I love to learn from him -  he's the best. 

I got to baptize Yulazi this week! It was really nice. She's having a ton of problems with her mom and ex-husband and son and everything but she has such a great testimony of the gospel. It's so amazing. 

We went to Sayan. It was sweet. We went to a cemetery, ran into a long lost member and ate some cookies. Also went to a super super old Catholic church and talked to the Italian priest who blessed us that God would be with us on our journey. 10 out of 10 would do it again. 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

3/26/18 - Pics of the Week

Hirshoi's wedding - "we helped them out"

Dora's baptism!

3/26/18 - We Helped Them Out

Surprise! This week was excellent!! As always! Dora was baptized!! It was so special. She's just the best -  it was so cute, she just popped out of the water and thanked me over and over again. It was great!!

Hirshoi, a member, got married!! We did all his paper work and stuff. They are both members and her mom is my fav person in all of Huaura so we helped them out. It wasn't a temple wedding, but it was nice. Now on to the temple!

I'm honestly soooo excited for General Conference - like I've never been before! So so excited! It's going to be incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also the President of Peru was almost impeached so he resigned haha crazy man, kinda sad to be honest.. However the church is still true!!! Go forward with faith! 

Love,

Elder Nielsen

3/19/18 - Pics of the Week

Baptism!

Elder Nielsen and Draeko