Sometimes It's Just Hard.

June 8th, 2015

Hej Familj och Vänner,

Sometimes it's just hard. It's just a fact of missionary life. Missionaries aren't perfect people- they have good days and bad days. This week was one of those weeks for me.  One thing that has helped me is to think "What would Christ do in this situation?" I promise that the Holy Ghost will have an answer for that question if you can be honest enough to ask it.

I have come face to face with the fact that I think I am almost always right and I think my way is usually the high way. One lesson I am learning really well is the need to listen and be humble. Sometimes Sister Savage and I disagree (like most normal people) and I struggle to be humble! I struggle to not think my way is better. It's a super hard habit to break- to open yourself up to other opinions and not think you know better. I think a mission is the best marriage prep I could have asked for. 

This week we had a Stake Conference thing that was broadcasted from Scotland. Elder Holland spoke at it and it was translated to Swedish and broadcasted to us. He talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon. It is interesting to me how much they emphasize missionary work here in Europe. I feel like we talk about it way more here than we do in the states. Sister Savage and I have been going around and inviting members in Luleå to give the Book of Mormon to their friends. Think if every member of the Church gave one Book of Mormon away. 15 million more people would have a Book of Mormon!

I love you so much!

Sister Nielsen

Lulea!

And here is my cute trainer. :) we only have about 2 more weeks together likely!

Zone Conference in Stockholm! Luleå Sisters and Boden Elders... The fearless four in the North...

It's been raining a lot here! I heard from our Branch President that it was the rainiest May in 40 years...

This is the name of one of our zone leaders!

 

It/s a Small World After All

June 1st, 2015

Kära Familjer,

This week was crazy... A mission throws a lot of twists at you sometimes!

This week I sat on a bus next to a man from Iraq. We had a good conversation, and he talked about what Muslims believe. I had the impression to ask him if he would like a Book of Mormon in Arabic. Sadly, he rejected the offer, but it was still a great conversation. :) He spoke English, not Swedish. I told him he had great English and he just lit up! He loved that! He was like "Really? You think it is good?" Compliments go a long way! In Sweden, it really is a small world. I seriously have been exposed to so many diverse cultures and people here. Sister Savage and I actually got to speak on a Persian Radio Program this week! We got to talk about the Gospel to the Persian Community. One of our investigators runs the Radio Program and asked us to come be on it.

One thing that is different about Swedes is they are more open about how life is really going for them. In America if you ask someone "How are you?" they will respond almost always with "good" no matter if they feel good or not. If you ask a Swede how they are doing, a lot of them will tell you how they are actually doing! I like that about them. They will say something like "I have actually been really sick this week and I haven't been so great" or something like that. I really like their honesty. It's refreshing!

I am learning that we are never done doing good. In Mosiah 5:15 it says "I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works..." Sometimes I think I get a misconception that if I do a certain amount of good things for someone, I will be "done." I have to always abound in good works, all day every day. It's a continual thing- we are never done doing good for others, even if we think we have done enough.

I love you all so much!

Sister Nielsen

This picture is funny to me because you can see my side of the table (the clean side´) and then Sister Savage's. We are a bit different in cleaning styles sometimes.. ;) but she is always good to help me clean on Mondays!

Waiting for a bus!

Our new chapel in Luleå! We are so happy to have it!

It is FINALLY green out now! Spring is here!

My Mission call changed to China! Just kidding...

And God Said "Let There Be Light..." And Only Light.

May 25, 2015

Hej Everybody!

So it's pretty much winter with no night time here in beautiful Luleå... Okay, fine, it is getting a little bit warmer... But just a little. When I go to bed at night, it's still light outside. When I wake up in the morning, it is light outside. When God said he divided the light from the darkness, in Luleå that means that he divided Winter from Summer. :) It's always bright and usually chilly here! It even snowed here this week. Now that is just a cruel joke.

Funny story for this week... This is proof that missionaries aren't perfect. We just do our best... annnnd sometimes that turns our interesting. This week we were meeting with our investigator, Arif, and is from Afghanistan. He is super cool! He runs a radio program here in Luleå for Persian speakers. Anyways, he was asking us some question about what LDS people thought of Islamic people, and for some reason we were talking about all churches and how they all have truth. We were trying to emphasize that our church has the fullness of the truth. Anyways, I had the bright idea to pull out this wonderful scripture from 1 Nephi that says there are only two churches: the Church of the Lamb and the Church of the Devil, the "whore of all the earth" or something like that. He speaks great Swedish, but he didn't know the word for "whore." He points to it at the end of the verse and said: "What does that mean?" Sister Savage and I both kind of looked at each other and silentely freaked out! We did our best to dig ourselves out of the pit I had just dug for us! Oi, då. I don't think I will be using that scripture again... All preparing missionaries: be warned! It was competely the Spirit and God that helped us out of that mess! And he still is open to meeting with us. :) Phew! Don't read scriptures about whores if possible!

I love you all so much! 

Sister Nielsen

Bus ride to Zone Training this week! It was 4-5 hours...

Sister Savage is so cute. :)

Members we ate with last night! They are so awesome to the missionaries!

My personal favorite for this week. It expressed personality. :)

Lulea!

If You Aren't Doing This, You Are Sinning

May 18th, 2015

Hejsan Allihopa!

You don't know anxiety until you have brought an investigator to church. Yesterday, Sister Savage and I had two come to Church, and I noticed EVERYTHING in ways I never had before. I noticed every noise the kids in the audience made, I listened to the speakers through an investigators eyes, I sat in total anxiety, hoping everything went just perfectly. With this experience, I came to a realization this week... In 2 Nephi 26:27, it says: "...he hath commanded his people (members of the LDS Church) that they should persuade all men (he says ALL MEN) to repentence." What is one way we persuade ALL men to repent? Missionary work. Are you keeping this commandment? I hope so! I have never realized before how crucial members are to missionary work! I sure hope you notice who the missionaries or the members bring to church, and you go out of your way to talk to them. The missionaries are BEYOND grateful. I hope you are inviting people in your life to participate in this glorious gospel. If you are not, invite the missionaries over and get to know them. Think of someone that needs the peace of the Gospel and get out of your comfort zone and invite them to do something! It can be as simple as showing them a Mormon Message, or as big as inviting them to meet with the missionaries. Missionaries NEED you and if you aren't helping them, please consider how you can! I invite you to do something this week- think of someone to share the Gospel with. We have to be unitied in this work! It's the members resposibility as much as the missionaries. We need you desperately! 

Now that I am off of my soap box... This week was good! We taught 15 lessons this week. The goal is to do 20 a week here in Sweden. We have an investigator, Ali, from Egypt with a baptisimal date for June 6th! We taught him the Word of Wisdom this week and I am humbled by his humility. He accepts what we teach him with his full heart. He attends Church every Sunday and wants to follow Christ. It takes a lot to change your life as much as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asks you to. It is a big leap of faith! I'd love it if you would pray for Ali with me this week- that his baptismal date will go through!

I love you all! Be the member missionaries that the missionaries adore.

Syster Nielsen

Lulea!

District Meeting!

Birgitta! One of the sweet nursing home ladies that we visit. 

Yes, I am still wearing tights in the second half of May...

Knocking Doors Actually Works.. Who Knew?

May 11th, 2015

Hey Family and Friends!

Sorry that I didn't get around to sending an email last week.. One of the Elders lost a mission iPhone and it threw a bit of a wrench in the day. But all four of us missionaries said a prayer and low and behold! We found it. Pray works. We've lost so many things (car key, apartment key, bus card, iPhone) and so far we have found everything besides a couple of bus cards. I can promise you that God is looking out for the work and looking out for his 19-20 year old missionaries (mishaps and all). 

So....confession time. My faith in tracting has been waning a bit and God decided to show me this week that it works. Most people when you knock on their door either peep-hole you, or very quickly express their disinterest. This week we were knocking some doors in Hertsön and we knocked on the door of a cute yellow house. A cute, grey haired old man opened the door and told us we could come back later! Wait.. what? Did he say we could come back? He must have a disorder...But no! We came back two days later and he invited us in. He had all the right questions and concerns and he asked us if we had anything he could read. I was flabbergasted!! It was amazing. God works miracles and really prepares people.

One lesson I am learning really well on my mission is that I choose my reaction to any given situation. I have been learning that one for a while, but I know it is true. I am trying to take resposibility for my emotions. If I am frustrated with my companion, my situation, the fact I have 15 months left, something my District leader did, etc., it's my problem! I choose! I am master of myself, just like Christ was. He was King of Heaven and Earth and yet he was nailed to a cross, willing confining himself to the base fate of robber or a murderer. And yet he chose to forgive those that had nailed Him to that Cross and do missionary work with the sinners on either side of him, nailed to their own crosses. Wow, I just want to be a small portion of what He was and is. 

I love you all beyond words! Keep looking to Christ and share the Gospel! The best missionary work is through the members. Be the member the missionaries love!

Syster Nielsen

The promised Grocery Store Picture!

The District... Three of the six of us are transferring this week!

What it looked like at 10pm at night... lots of light!

Yes, there was still a pile up this big in the 2nd week of May! Craziness.

It's a bit blurry... But skyping!! Yay!

My first splits! Perks of iphones.... Selfies!

Lots of Pictures!!

May 4th, 2015

 





Natalya didn't send an email this week! She was too busy trying to help the Elders find their lost iPhone. :)

 

Look!! I was at a cattle farm this week!!

Yes, Sterling, I was thinking of you! This man in our branch has a ton of cattle!! I was SO excited! They have all kinds of rules and regulations with the cattle though... The guy in our branch said that the government had been out like 3 times that year or something to check on his ranch. They are really particular with how they treat animals here it sounds like. Dad, you would be proud- I could talk with him about lots of smart cattle things. I knew the business and I think he liked that. :)

Cute girl in our branch. :)

The treacherous four with our mission leader. :)

Luleå!