Productive Week

FROM THE VIDEO CALL - Elder Nielson reports that they had a productive week this week. They had 7 investigators to church a week ago and were able to set baptismal dates for 4 of them. L--'s mother wasn't able to come to church due to work obligations, but she is progressing well and should be baptized soon also.

He confirmed that he will be staying an extra transfer due to the government extending missionary visas. He is excited about that. So he will arrive home October 16th instead of September 3.

As part of his duties in the office, Elder Nielson helps schedule flights home for missionaries. He was dealing with one stake president who wasn't happy about the arrangements that had been made for one of the missionaries, but it was the best route available. It could be the missionaries family was putting pressure on the stake president and he was representing the family's concerns. So he was trying to figure out the best way to handle things to resolve the issue.

Janice was in Logan this weekend with Maci for a choir concert. So Elder Nielson got to chat with Uncle Wayne, Aunt Shellie, and Grandma Caldwell was there also.

This week is sounds like they will be doing some moving of missionaries to new apartments.

It's a blessing to be able to see and talk with our missionary. He is healthy and happy in the work.

Easter

This week was pretty normal. We were pretty blessed to see some of our investigators progress throughout the week.  We hope that all that have committed to go to church this week can make it.  We will go searching tomorrow morning to try and bring as many as possible.

We had Zone Conference and there were several talks that really spoke to me.  We had to prepare talks on fasting and the pre-mortal plan for the conference. That's something that President Houseman does. He has everyone study a topic and come prepared to teach about it if called upon. Sister Houseman spoke about our priorities and used a pretty cool visual. Our training was about planning.  President talked about teaching accordingly to each individual investigator.  It was really a great conference, and I had a great experience.

I finished the book "Saints". It is such a great history of the Church. It's incredible to feel so inside of what was happening. I was really happy with the work that was put into it, and it got me excited to read the next one when it comes out.

We got a white shirt and tie for L--. The shirt was left by Elder Price, and there is a local store that sells pretty good quality ties for cheap. So I called L-- and asked him what his favorite color was. He said black. I asked what his second favorite color was. He said red. So I bought him a red and black tie. He was really excited. The shirt fit like a glove, and we helped him tie the tie. His mom kept telling him to take the shirt off before he got it sweaty, but he really liked it and kept it on.

Other than this, it was just your usual week.

Love,
Elder Nielson

Howdy!

This week was pretty good.  We couldn't get anyone to church, and that left me a little sad.  I got to thinking of how many people live here in Recife, and how many that the Lord surely is preparing.  I started praying and searching for help to find these people, and the Lord gave us a miracle!  We were walking down the street this week and a man in a wheelchair called out,  "e ai Elders!" We stopped and started talking to him.

He is a member of the church but moved about two years ago to Recife, and hadn't gone to church since.  But he said he never stopped living the principles he learned.  He doesn't drink coffee, he doesn't buy anything on Sunday.  He explained that he had been preparing some families that live in his building to hear the gospel.  That they had been asking why he doesn't do these things, and he was waiting to run into the missionaries to invite them over to meet with them.  As we were talking more, he told us that he also wanted us to teach his son.

His son doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, doesn't drink coffee, and doesn't live with his fiance. He also invited us to teach them and help them to be married in the temple for time and all eternity.  He bore a strong testimony that he knows the church is the only true church of Christ on the earth.  We will go there tonight, and we will meet all these people. 

Heavenly Father is so good to us!  He hears and answers our prayers.  He does the little things, and we need to learn to be grateful for that.  I can't explain how happy I was to meet someone that in spite of not knowing where the closest church was, set an example and taught of the truths to his neighbors. 

That is my cool story for this week.  Here are some pictures of Leo´s baptism.  (my camera was in the Houseman´s car, so I couldn't send them last week)  Hope you enjoy!  I love you guys!

Love,
Elder Nielson

Baptism Tonight!

From the Video Call: Elder Nielson seems content to report his week when we talk to him online versus sending us emails, so I'm trying to captures some of the highlights and include them in the blog.

The big news is that the baptism of L-- is on for tonight. He is excited for it and is finalizing plans today. Elder Nielson and Elder N---- are singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives, so we had him sing us a few strains in Portuguese.

They have another baptism set for two weeks. This is the young lady who is studying to be a dentist. It sounds like she is doing great and really loves learning about the gospel. She will likely move back to the interior after her schooling is finished, but she already had a support system there as she has attended church and seminary some in the past.

The stake president who sent Elder Nielson out on his mission told him that a majority of his work he would likely not see the fruit of it. But every contact and every effort is planting seeds that may eventually produce fruit. Elder Nielson recently heard from a couple of situations where he made the contacts and even taught a couple of the people but wasn't able to see what came of it. He recently learned that a number of people had eventually joined the church because of those two contacts. That is always a great feeling to know you had a hand in helping to change lives for the better.

The office staff and APs will be traveling with President Houseman to the interior tis week to set up new housing for the missionaries. They shopped for paint and spackle and a few other things to fix up some apartments.

As always, it was great to see and hear from our missionary. He is happy and healthy and fully engaged in the Lord's work.

He remembered his camera cable this week, so he had plenty of pictures..

The last three mission executive secretaries (Nielson, Price, and Nelson)

Another Great Week!

This week was super crazy, super busy, but it all ended up well.  We had a bunch of preparations for the transfer that will happen this week, and I was trying to get a bunch of stuff prepared to renew some visas this week. It all went well with the visas, and we got some of the houses ready for some areas to move into. 

We are trying to find some new people, but L-- is progressing well. He is the young man that told us he was an atheist when we first met, even though he really did believe in God. He will be baptized this Saturday. I hope that it all goes well. As he is praying, and as he is reading the Book of Mormon, and trying to go to church, he is really feeling the Holy Ghost touching him. He is feeling more hopeful about the future and about his destiny after death.  We couldn't be happier.  He is really searching to know the truth, and he is being blessed by the Lord for it. 

Sadly this week I won't be able to send any pictures again. I forgot my cable at our house. But I'll send the bowling pictures next week. It was really fun, and it was a nice last p-day together. Tomorrow is stake conference, and it will be cool to hear from President Houseman again. I hope that you all have a great week! 

Love you guys!
Elder Nielson

From this week's call: Elder Nielson called earlier again this week. We were wandering the aisles at Walmart, so we connected with a cell phone and Google Hangout and he got to go shopping with us. We talked as we shopped. The technology to be able to do this is pretty amazing.

The Elders in the office filled out a March Madness bracket provided by Sister Houseman. So Elder Nielson was trying to get the scoop on who was winning and how it was going. They can't watch any games, but they will eventually know who picked correctly. He thinks he is doing well.

They didn't have much time this week to proselyte but are anxious to get out and find new people. It sounds like they found a young lady that had attended seminary and church while living in the interior who would like to get involved again. So she sounds like a good contact. Elder Nielson says he can really feel that their proselyting efforts, though only a few hours per day, are magnified by the Lord and great things are happening.

Carnaval is Over!!!

So this week was pretty different.  We were working in the mornings, and going to the office after lunch.  Monday through Wednesday was pretty dead.  There weren't too many people in the streets, because they were all sleeping.  But Thursday and Friday we were able to find some great people.  We found a couple of women that told us that they like to smoke marijuana, but that they would be willing to quit.  We also found a young man that is 18 who says that he is an athiest.  His name is L-------, and he really got interested when we spoke about the Book of Mormon, and if everything goes well, he should go to church tomorrow.  Tonight we will get out and try to set some real plans with our investigators to go to church.

Other than that we didn't have too much that happened this week.  We worked at the office until about 7 or 8 every night, and then got home made something to eat, and we all read Saints.  It is a pretty cool book.  I really like how it helps you feel like a part of the restoration. 

Included in the photos are  Elder Price unthawing frozen rice with his hands, and the cockroach that we killed right after the picture.

Hope you all have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Nielson

Carnaval

This week was pretty cool.  We had mission tour with our area president Elder Adukaitis.  He got here on Tuesday and did a meeting with all the mission leaders. He then came to the office and talked a little bit with us.  When Elder Price and I explained that we take care of the visas, he asked how many people aren't legally in the country, and we responded 2 (but both are scheduled to go in and renew their visas).  He explained that we can't let that happen.  He looked at me and said, "So you will be taking his place." (He looked at me for a second.)  "Well, you already know that you can't let their visas expire before you renew them."  So yeah, the area president of Brasil gave me a warning already.  But it's going to go well.  When Elder Price got here there were 25 people illegal (himself and I included).  But now there are just two.  So next week they will get renewed. We will organize all the documents for the next groups during Carnaval, and we will be ready for the future.  It will be pretty good. 

Carnaval is pretty ridiculous.  We are right in the middle of it all in our area.  So our work time is really short.  We will just work in the morning until noon, and come back to the office until 8 pm.  So I will get some reading done in the new history book Saints - The Standard of Truth.  I'm pretty excited.  Other than that, I just ate some good food this week.  Elder Price and I made some Cuz Cuz, and eggs that were pretty cool.  We also bought R$190 in food this morning (Elder Price and I) to get us through Carnaval.  We won't be able to eat in restaurants or anything because they will all be closed.  I hope that everything is going well back home, and that you all have a great week!

Love,
Elder Nielson