Nathan's in the MTC

Wednesday, June 16 John and I dropped Nathan off at the Mtc. We arrived at the MTC at 1:28 and left at 1:31. Wow, that was it. We just hugged Nathan and drove off. It can best be described as "the best of times, the worst of times". I keep asking why does the one thing I want the most hurt so bad?

When we got home it was just John and I. We were lonely and sad.

Nathan's first letter...



Sorry for not responding sooner. My comp and I need to do something really quickly so we had to run out of the building and I'm just now getting the opportunity to use the computer again.

Hello Everyone!

The MTC has been quite the ride and I'm really enjoying it. There have been some great moments and some bad moments but such was to be expected so oh well! I arrived last Wednesday night and I met my companion and we had our first Dutch lesson. Dutch is hard to learn and it is going to take quite some time to get used to! Saying this thought I would like all the prayers I can get on that, I'll need the help.. The guttural sounds and the rolling of the R's are nearly impossible for me it seams and Natalie I wonder if that has to do with how I learned to speak, maybe you'd have to input on that?
On Thursday we had our "official" first day of classes and we spend about 1 hour on the gospel for every hour we spend on the language but I guess that works because we'll be here for nine weeks instead of the usual three. That night we met with the Branch President, President Lafferty, and he assigned the Senior Companions and the District Leader. I was called to be the District Leader but I must admit that I feel pretty inadequate for the role. I'll try my best and we will see what happens. Like Dad addressed in the previous email, we have six elders in our district. Five who entered the MTC the same day we did and the other we absorb because he was all by himself. They are mainly 19 year olds who have a year of college under their belt and a lot of growing up to do, just like myself. They all have testimonies and want to be out in the field immediately which is good. Friday and Saturday were classes mainly and not much to report but Sunday was awesome. We had sacrament meeting and priesthood, no Sunday school, and a few other meetings.. The coolest had to be the fireside that night. The speaker was the first councilor in the mission presidency and his wife and they spoke on remembering. We had another similar meeting this last Tuesday with President Lowell Snow of the Second Quorum of the Seventy it was quite good as well. He spoke on the Holy Ghost's role in conversion. We have these devotionals every Tuesday and Sunday nights and I'm excited for them. As a side note they are doing mission president training in the MTC this week so the Quorum of the 12 and the First Presidency are supposed to be around. They are also doing a special devotion on Friday for missionaries and the mission presidents and their wives so maybe it'll be President Monsen speaking to us? The spirit is strong here and I love being here even with all the difficulties. I sent out letters today and the rest of the postcards so I hope you'll here from me if not send me a note and I'd be happy to write you.. My address is Elder Nielson MTC Mailbox 181 WST IND 0816 2005N 900E Provo Utah 84064. I've gotta go I only have 15 more seconds of computer time.. I love you all! Elder Nielson

The end of an era

I've considered this post for a bit now and to be honest I don't know what to say. That is quite unusual for me to be honest. I usually always know what to say, or at least what not to say.

The last week has been a very good one. It has been one of peace.

Saturday my parents and I drove to Logan, Utah. There we participated in a session at the Logan Utah Temple. I've really enjoyed the opportunities I have had to participate at the temple and I would highly recommend such service to anyone who is eligible to do so. After the temple, we attempted to go to the Pepperidge Farm outlet store but they were sadly closed. Hopefully, next time we'll be able to get the cookies we were hoping to get at that time. We soon returned from Logan and we spent the rest of the time just hanging out and enjoying a nice Saturday as a family.

Tuesday was Stake Temple day and as such I went with my parents to a temple session at 10am with my parents and then another at 7pm with my brother. In between I had lunch with my parents and the stake at the temple and dinner with my brother at Crown Burgers in downtown Salt Lake City. I also had the opportunity, while I was waiting for my bother, to walk around the campus of the University of Utah. I got to walk through the Library, the Union, and the Union Commons. Oh how I miss that campus. The Library is absolute beautiful now. The renovation work has been completed and it looks like it was well worth it. The Union and the Commons hasn't changed a bit since I was there but that is okay. I like the Union and I have many fond memories of sitting in the cafeteria with my buddies or hanging out at the Commons on the grass watching people walk by as I thought about doing homework. The University of Oklahoma has a very nice campus, but it is not my campus like Utah's is. After my short tour of campus, Chris and I went to dinner and then to the temple together. It was good to spend the time with my brother. Perhaps, for the last time, in such a manner. This isn't to suggest that I am dying or what not, but after my mission who knows where we will both be mayhaps we will be living in different states the rest of our lives.

Wednesday, I drove to North Salt Lake and met up with my dear Aunt Carole. Aunt Carole is my absolute favorite person in the world, but don't tell anyone I said that. She is the sweetest, kindest, and most sincere individual you could ever meet. I know for a fact that if I called my Aunt Carole for anything, she would do everything so could to help me fulfill what I needed. Either way, I drove up to meet her and then we went to the Bountiful Temple and I helped her stake do baptisms for the dead. I got the opportunity to baptize, confirm, and witness. It was a great opportunity and I enjoyed it immensely. I always love hanging out with my Aunt Carole, and I will miss her. My favorite memories of her is playing checkers with her. My family is very competitive and as such to win means you actually win. There is no gimmes. I can't tell you how many times my Aunt Carole and I have played and she has demolished me. Saying this though, I have beaten her before, but the record is still heavily skewed towards her.

Friday and Today my family has spent on the road. We left Friday afternoon for Cortez Co. in order to meet up with my Sister, Natalie, and her husband, Jacob. We first had to give Natalie her dog back. Pollie is quite the handful. She's a puppy. Meeting with Natalie and Jacob also gave me the opportunity to see Natalie and Jacob for the last time before I head out. Those two will go far.

I report to the MTC on Wednesday at 1:30pm. I'm super excited to report and I can't wait to start. The only consensus I've heard is that life is the not the same post-mission as it was pre-mission. To some extent, I'm pretty excited about that. In some ways, I'm a bit apprehensive about it. Either way as I have said many, many, many times before, I know what I'm doing is right and I'm extremely excited to do it. My parents will be taking me to the MTC on Wednesday and I know they are excited to get rid of me as well. The next few days will be interesting, hopefully I don't go too crazy.

I received my address for the MTC and it is:

Elder Nathan John Nielson
MTC Mailbox # 181
WST IND 0817
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604-1793

I hope I hear from you and I wish you the best. I will see you on the other side.

One Love

Nathan John Nielson

The fro is no more

It finally happened. The hair was too long and possibly no longer up to missionary code.As such, I had my dad cut it off the luscious locks that reside upon my fair head last night. I'll probably have to trim it once again before the 16th, but the hope is that I can keep it short enough to be manageable all the way through the MTC, that would be nice.

Either way a short recap of a boring week or so is required, at least I think it is.

The only major events that occurred this last week happened on Saturday the 29th. On Saturday, my parents and I drove into Salt Lake City and attended a session at the Salt Lake City Temple. The Salt Lake City Temple and the Manti Temple are the only two temples in the world that perform the endowment live instead of through a movie presentation. I felt the spirit that day in the Temple the strongest I've ever felt it. It was ever present and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. Interestingly enough, just before we got up and left and the end of the session a former seminar teacher walked up to me and said, "You look familiar where did you go to seminar at?" Definitely not someone I thought I would run into ever again and I must admit I don't remember a lot about the guy but it was a good occurrence none-the-less.

After the temple we went and had lunch together at Sizzler and that was a good time as well. I'm going to miss my parents perhaps more then I will miss anyone else. I know they have a love for me that is unconditional. My father has said multiple times and I believe him that his greatest achievements in his life are the achievements of his children. Not a day went by, maybe a few but definitely not many, that I did not talk to at least one of my parents last year. I'll miss them over the next two years but I will enjoy receiving their emails and I know they are excited about what I'm about to do. Love you two!

Saturday afternoon my family and AJ, Courtenae's boyfriend..., went to the Real Salt Lake game.

Real Salt Lake was playing the Kansas City Wizards and were on a four game winning streak so we expected to win and were definitely not disappointed. Real won 4-1 and it was a pretty amazing game. I fell in love with soccer when I was a senior in high school. I was home one day, presumably sick?, and I turned on ESPN2 to find Chelsea FC playing Liverpool FC in the champions league. I was so enthralled by the game that even though Chelsea lost on penalties I became a Chelsea FC fan forever.

Other then that everything else has been pretty tame. I'm only missing two items for my mission now. A umbrella and a camera. Other than that I have everything and I'm ready to go. If only I could go today. I still have 12 days before I report and I report at 1:30pm on the 16th. Up until then I have a few things to look forward to. First tomorrow, my parents and I are driving up to Logan Utah to attend the Logan Temple for my mother's birthday. Second the 8th, is stake temple day and that should be fun. The 9th I'm helping my Aunt Carole with her ward's baptism trip at the Bountiful Temple. That weekend the 11th and 12th, my family is driving down to meet up with my sister and to give back her dog to her. After that, I'm going to the Ogden temple on the 15th and then I report on the 16th. So I have a full slate of temple trips ahead of me but other then that it is just the same.

There is of course one more bit of business that needs to be discussed. Obviously, after I report to the MTC on the 16th I will no longer be able to maintain this blog as I do now. As such, I will be making this blog private and my mother will be in charge of it while I'm gone. She will be posting my letters on here for your reading pleasure. Since the blog will be private though I will need to invite you to read it. Email me or post here or get in contact me in some way and I'd be happy to invite you.

I'll post one more time before I report but until then,

One Love