2/27/18 - Pics of the Week

Elder Nielsen and Elder Stodmeister

Baptism!

2/27/18 - An Angel Sent From Heaven

Such a great and very interesting week. I'm writing you Tuesday because all of yesterday, or 7 and a half hours of it, I was in the hospital. My ingrown toenail came back with fire and I had to get it dug out - same foot, same nail, same everything as 1 year ago. However, this time I live more than 3 hours away by bus north of the hospital so I left my house at 7 in the morning  and got back at 9:50 at night. Hospitals here in South America are just a joke - it's soo easy to get frustrated but I'm trying to be more patient and I'm feeling better so it's okay.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL! Wow how time is flying! Man it's crazy to think he's a teenager now. 

We had a baptism!! His name is Desidario Vasquez. He's 80 years old and he's an angel sent from heaven. Two weeks ago he came to church and asked to be baptized - I have never had that happen before. However, he left for Lima because he had an appointment with the doctor. He had lung cancer. He was an orphan at 13, never studied in his life, joined the army and learned to read at 18 there. He worked in sugar plants his whole life and he gets so excited talking about sugar- it's so cute. Anyway, he got really sick and it turns out he had stage 5 cancer and was given a month to live. He said he prayed, he didn't really believe in God all his life but he prayed and his next check up he was healed. He had to go to Lima because the doctors didn't understand what happened.  After he heard that he was cured he dedicated his life to the Lord and came looking for us to baptize him. He wanted Elder Stodmeister to baptize him but he can't bend backwards so I helped in the font and grabbed his legs so they wouldn't come out of the water. It was so great. It was honestly one of my favorite baptisms. 

We have a lot of people we are working with right now.  I hope everything there is going great. Read the Book of Mormon- it will help you a lot!  I love you! Hasta next week!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

2/19/18 - Pics of the Week

Family Bonatti's baptism while skyping their missionary son

Family Bonatti wedding before their baptism

2/19/18 - Wedding and Baptism

This week was great!! We had the wedding and baptism of family Bonatti!! It was so amazing! We skyped with their son who is on a mission in Chile and the spirit was so strong. The Stake President came and gave a talk and it was just perfect. Man it was so special. I've been blessed with the opportunity to teach and baptize a lot of people on my mission but family Bonatti is extra special to me. They have such a love for the gospel - they are on fire. Hermano Bonatti is learning to read just so he can read and understand the Book of Mormon so he can teach his family. Every time we pass by the house the hermana is reading and studying the Book of Mormon. They are truly converted. 

We are working hard. There is so much to do to help the ward and our area but we are excited.  It should be great!!

Transfers are today but I don't think I'm going anywhere. Hope you all have a great week!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

2/12/18 - It's The Best

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Really, my mom is the greatest in all the world! I'm so lucky to have her!  Thanks for all you do mom for the family and for me. I love you!!!!!!!!!

This week was great! We taught family Bonatii with the Stake President!!! It was insane!!!! The Stake President is famous here for being crazy direct with people. It's great for us because he adores the missionaries but everyone else is afraid of him hahaha. We taught a lesson with him and honestly I haven't felt the spirit that strong in a long time. Vidal, the father of family Bonatti, has been addicted to smoking for over 30 years. He couldn't stop. We have been working with him so much and he was without smoking for 5 days when we had this lesson. President told how his dad was alcoholic and missionaries went to his house and promised in the name of Christ that he would never drink again, and he never did. He looked him in the eye and said by that same power and in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to never smoke again. We had Sunday lunch with them and he said that the smell of cigarettes turns his stomach - he wants nothing to do with them anymore. The church is true and the stake of Huacho is in good hands.

This Friday we are having their marriage, they aren't married yet, and baptism of family Bonatii. It will be soo amazing!!! I'm so excited! Please pray for them and that everything goes well. I love this mission! It's the best. 

Hasta next week!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

2/5/18 - Pics of the Week

Rosa's baptism

Rosa - "My favorite person in Peru"

Pedro's baptism

2/5/18 - Please Please Please Pray

This week was the greatest!! We had 2 baptisms - Pedro Salinas and Rosa Ocana. Rosa is my favorite person in Peru - she is so funny.  We told her to be at the church at 5:00 but she could come a little early (the Peruvian hour means that everything, everything, starts 1 hour late) so we told her earlier than needed so she wouldn't be late. We got there at 4:30 and she was sitting outside of the church waiting for us! How great is that?! hahaha She is on fire. It's just so fantastic. Please pray for family Bonatti, her daughter is going to get married and then they are going to get baptized the 16th. We need to help them!! 

Pedro is just so great. He has such a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I'm sure he reads it even more than I do.It's a great book - y'all should read it. 

All in all a great week. Please please please pray for Luci Cardinas. She and her son have a baptism date for this Saturday. Also, please please please pray for Augusto. He just got out of jail and has all the will in the world to change, however, as there is opposition in everything his sister came from Lima to visit and she drinks a TON. He started drinking and dissappeared for 2 days from us - when people start doing bad stuff they always hide from us. It's really frustrating and sad, but we are going to do what we can to help him. Please pray for them. 

Please pray for Vidal Bonatti. He needs to stop smoking but he's having a really hard time. Thanks for everything! Hasta next week!!!

Love,

Elder Nielsen

1/29/18 - Pics of the Week

Elder Stodtmeister and Elder Nielsen

The streets of Huara

Cute Peruvian baby

1/29/18 - Things Are Getting Pretty Serious

This week was really good. We are working hard and we are going to have a great great month of February. 

We are teaching the uncle of Juan de Dios, our convert of about 2 months. His name is Augusto and he just got out of prison after 14 years. If you think prisons in the states are bad ohhh buddy. Anyway, I have never in my mission, better yet my life, seen someone who wants to change and be better as much as he does. However, there is opposition in everything. A friend of his called and gave him a killer job in Lima, which means he would need to move this week. Please pray for him. He can't leave yet. We are going to try to find him a job here in Huaura. Really, he's the best. (Side note, his family has cuys, guinua pigs, which they eat. A cat has been breaking in and eating them and in one week they have lost 20, or 150 dollars. That's A LOT of money to people who have nothing.) 

PLEASE PRAY FOR PEDRO SALINAS!!!!!!!! We have been teaching him for about 4 months and the only thing stopping him is his wife and brother. He's 60 years old, but they are scary against it. They have over 25 Virgin Mary's in their front room. They both HATE the church and until now he just wouldn't do it because he was afraid of what would happen. He had an interview with Elder Stodmeister and said "ya know what I'm doing this for ME. It's MY baptism. I'm going to do it because I know it's right." Please pray for him. He's just so great. 

Rosa Torres is the funniest grandma in the whole world. Her birthday was today and it was really fun. She's great and she has her baptism this Saturday. Please pray for her. 

Elder Stodtmeister and I had our 7th work visit this week. Yeah that's right folks - 7. That's what we get when we have more than 1 year together. I guess you could say things are getting pretty serious. 

Love,

Elder Nielsen