Wilt u weet wat Ik weet? (Want to know what I know?)
Hello Family and Friends
The above is the question that my companion asked me not too long ago. The thing was though he wasn't my companion at the time. On Monday I was temporarily with Elder Wehl as our two companions had to go the city to take care of passport things. So we were together for a bit of time. Then the call came about 4pm informing us that President Gamiette felt inspired to switch companionship's up in our District and to make Elder Wehl and myself companions and Elder Van Meeteren companions with Elder Bell. Now, instead of being with a white elder from Utah. I'm with a creole elder from Suriname. We speak a lot of Dutch together as that is his first and preferred language.
In other news we had a really good work week. We were super busy and actually had more lessons this week then we've had for awhile. That is good right? Sadly we only had one investigator in church as all of the others had other places to be. Hopefully, we'll be able to get them all in church this next week and we'll be okay. No baptisms this week either but we have one schedule for March 5th. I'm hopeful it will go through but I guess we won't know till then.
So a short story. So I was at the house of a less active member who mainly just speaks English. That is important for the story because then you know I didn't misunderstand. Well she starts to tells us that she is a bad person and I ask why is that. Well then she tells us it is because she has poisoned the next-door neighbor's cat. Instead of her dogs/geese which have been causing her problems. To complicate matters further the next-door neighbor, is a member. Well as we are talking about it she informs us that she isn't sorry about killing the dogs but the cat she feels guilty over. You can imagine my utter shock by this. Because then she next informs us that she got rid of the poison by throwing it into the other neighbors yard. I think we'll need to talk to her eh?
I'm out of time so I've gotta go.
I love you all!
Elder Nathan John Nielson
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
33 rd Week
I think that has been the kernel behind my weight loss. I'm not eating as much because I don't have time to eat and because we don't have anything particularly tasty but also the amount of exercise increased 20x, or more. It is funny isn't it? Doctors say the healthiest way to lose weight is exercise and diet, I guess they know what they are talking about huh?
Funny enough, we've been sick this last week as well. We suspect food poisoning but we are not positive. Elder Van Meeteren bought canned Chinese duck last week and we both tried it. He had a portion on Monday and myself on Tuesday. The day after we tried it we both were sick and we've both been struggling with it since. Nothing too bad but a lot of diarrhea and such. Valuable lesson there. Don't eat canned Chinese duck in a third world country. It isn't safe.
The area is doing pretty well. We currently have four people that we are serious with and then a few other danglers. I'm sure you know how that is. I think we could have four baptisms by the end of March to be honest if we do our job correctly and help them progress. I really feel like I'm getting into a pretty good grove now where it is maybe not easy, but not difficult either to teach just about anything. Elder Van Meeteren laughs at me because I always seem to have an example. Tons of examples, but they help me and they seems to help the people so I'm good with it. I like being in this area again but I kind of would have liked a companion exchange.
Our four really solid investigators are: Sandy, Yolanda, Curtis, and Camaron.
Sandy is a christian convert who actually does not yet have a church. She is really open and love our church but she just can't seem to recongize her answer yet. I think she has one and she knows it is true but she just can't seem to see that. Any ideas? I really like her and would be totally bummed if she wasn't baptized. She is just really solid and really opened. She works at an outdoor adventur store in the City and is the person who kills and cleans the animals at home. Not married but is in her early 30's and wishes that she was. We are thinking about setting her up with a member.
Yolanda is an older black woman who really only speaks Srnantongo. She is funny and love to talk with her, "young boys." When we told her we couldn't teach her inside when it was just the three of us, gotta have another man rule, she laughed at it and said, "I'm as old as your parents I'm not going to do anything." She still doesn't get the rule but she helps us out by talking to us outside. She came to church for the first time this last week and seemed to really enjoy it.
Curtis is a younger black man about 23. He is really smart and runs his own charchoal business and was studying Chemistry at the University here in Suriname. Being smart it is a lot easier to teach him as he understands things. He also likes basketball and said he'd get just hooked up with the local man who actually has a basketball court. That would be cool. Biggest problem here is his girlfriend and maybe the Sabbath but we aren't sure on that one yet. I'm hoping he'll make progress and he seems to be doing so. He actually read through all the testimonies, three eight and Joesph Smith's, without being asked to do it. Always keeps his appointments which we absolutely love.
Camaron is an older black woman. She is kind of angry and I'm not sure exactly while she keeps talking to us. She likes the message though and she told us after our first appointment, "You have a good message come back." So we did. She came to church this last week and had a good time I think but we'll have to check up with her again on Tuesday when our next appointment it. She is unmarried and living with her "man." Chasity will thus be a big problem but we'll work it out and with the Lord everything will be good I know it.
As you know I'm in Koewarasan for the third transfer in a row and Elder Van Meeteren is now here for the fifth transfer in a row. We are still doing pretty well. He's kind of an off guy. Not crazy but not normal either just a little off in a goofy sense. I can't think of a good example but he is always just saying really random things. Good guy though I really like him. He is only seven months ahead of me and goes home in November just before thanksgiving.
Food is food. I eat to survive. I used to survive to eat. I'm in a rut right now just eating the same pattern of food. Biggest problem there is that we are in an area without a lot of diversity so there is only so much you can do. I need to find a local that will teach us to cook that would be nice. I'll have to see what I can do about that. Overall it is okay, just don't eat the canned Duck.
By the way, I really do believe there is a difference between the Chinese for America and the Chinese for Suriname. The biggest problem here seems to be a quality control issue. For example, I've now been riding on the same back innertube for 2 weeks! Just before I put this one in though I popped like four within two days. Doesn't make a lot of sense and definitly wouldn't be tolerated in America. Oh well!
Funny enough, we've been sick this last week as well. We suspect food poisoning but we are not positive. Elder Van Meeteren bought canned Chinese duck last week and we both tried it. He had a portion on Monday and myself on Tuesday. The day after we tried it we both were sick and we've both been struggling with it since. Nothing too bad but a lot of diarrhea and such. Valuable lesson there. Don't eat canned Chinese duck in a third world country. It isn't safe.
The area is doing pretty well. We currently have four people that we are serious with and then a few other danglers. I'm sure you know how that is. I think we could have four baptisms by the end of March to be honest if we do our job correctly and help them progress. I really feel like I'm getting into a pretty good grove now where it is maybe not easy, but not difficult either to teach just about anything. Elder Van Meeteren laughs at me because I always seem to have an example. Tons of examples, but they help me and they seems to help the people so I'm good with it. I like being in this area again but I kind of would have liked a companion exchange.
Our four really solid investigators are: Sandy, Yolanda, Curtis, and Camaron.
Sandy is a christian convert who actually does not yet have a church. She is really open and love our church but she just can't seem to recongize her answer yet. I think she has one and she knows it is true but she just can't seem to see that. Any ideas? I really like her and would be totally bummed if she wasn't baptized. She is just really solid and really opened. She works at an outdoor adventur store in the City and is the person who kills and cleans the animals at home. Not married but is in her early 30's and wishes that she was. We are thinking about setting her up with a member.
Yolanda is an older black woman who really only speaks Srnantongo. She is funny and love to talk with her, "young boys." When we told her we couldn't teach her inside when it was just the three of us, gotta have another man rule, she laughed at it and said, "I'm as old as your parents I'm not going to do anything." She still doesn't get the rule but she helps us out by talking to us outside. She came to church for the first time this last week and seemed to really enjoy it.
Curtis is a younger black man about 23. He is really smart and runs his own charchoal business and was studying Chemistry at the University here in Suriname. Being smart it is a lot easier to teach him as he understands things. He also likes basketball and said he'd get just hooked up with the local man who actually has a basketball court. That would be cool. Biggest problem here is his girlfriend and maybe the Sabbath but we aren't sure on that one yet. I'm hoping he'll make progress and he seems to be doing so. He actually read through all the testimonies, three eight and Joesph Smith's, without being asked to do it. Always keeps his appointments which we absolutely love.
Camaron is an older black woman. She is kind of angry and I'm not sure exactly while she keeps talking to us. She likes the message though and she told us after our first appointment, "You have a good message come back." So we did. She came to church this last week and had a good time I think but we'll have to check up with her again on Tuesday when our next appointment it. She is unmarried and living with her "man." Chasity will thus be a big problem but we'll work it out and with the Lord everything will be good I know it.
As you know I'm in Koewarasan for the third transfer in a row and Elder Van Meeteren is now here for the fifth transfer in a row. We are still doing pretty well. He's kind of an off guy. Not crazy but not normal either just a little off in a goofy sense. I can't think of a good example but he is always just saying really random things. Good guy though I really like him. He is only seven months ahead of me and goes home in November just before thanksgiving.
Food is food. I eat to survive. I used to survive to eat. I'm in a rut right now just eating the same pattern of food. Biggest problem there is that we are in an area without a lot of diversity so there is only so much you can do. I need to find a local that will teach us to cook that would be nice. I'll have to see what I can do about that. Overall it is okay, just don't eat the canned Duck.
By the way, I really do believe there is a difference between the Chinese for America and the Chinese for Suriname. The biggest problem here seems to be a quality control issue. For example, I've now been riding on the same back innertube for 2 weeks! Just before I put this one in though I popped like four within two days. Doesn't make a lot of sense and definitly wouldn't be tolerated in America. Oh well!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
32nd Week
Hello Dear Family and Friends!
I love you all in differing amounts but nonetheless it is love so it is good right? I don't know I think it is good. It has been a pretty good week, but once again I've left not enough time to write a really long email to you all so you'll have to forgive me. Oh well!
Biggest story of the week, SNAKE!
We were returning home this last week at 9pm and as we crossed the little bridge over the canal in front of our house we noticed we past right by a decent sized snake. I don't know which breed it was but we assumed poisonous. So we did the manliest thing we knew how to do. We called over to the older neighbor lady and asked her to kill it. She promptly beat it with a shovel a few times and it was dead. It was quite scary for a bit but it all turned out okay in the end. For everyone but the snake.
Other then that we also had transfer calls come through last Thursady and Elder Van Meeteren and myself will be staying in Koewarasan for our third transfer together, my third in the area and his fifth. I'm okay with that as I really like this area a lot.
I wish I had some good spiritual stores but I can't think of any for the week. Overall it was a good week of pretty much heat and rain and bicycling. I hopefully found a new bike but more on that another time. I also sent some pictures to my dad but I'm sure he'll forward those through. Really all is well.
I love you all
Elder Nathan John Nielson
PO BOX 2932
Paramaribo Suriname
South America (<- Actually really important or letters will end up in South Asia or even South Africa... No one knows where we are.)
I love you all in differing amounts but nonetheless it is love so it is good right? I don't know I think it is good. It has been a pretty good week, but once again I've left not enough time to write a really long email to you all so you'll have to forgive me. Oh well!
Biggest story of the week, SNAKE!
We were returning home this last week at 9pm and as we crossed the little bridge over the canal in front of our house we noticed we past right by a decent sized snake. I don't know which breed it was but we assumed poisonous. So we did the manliest thing we knew how to do. We called over to the older neighbor lady and asked her to kill it. She promptly beat it with a shovel a few times and it was dead. It was quite scary for a bit but it all turned out okay in the end. For everyone but the snake.
Other then that we also had transfer calls come through last Thursady and Elder Van Meeteren and myself will be staying in Koewarasan for our third transfer together, my third in the area and his fifth. I'm okay with that as I really like this area a lot.
I wish I had some good spiritual stores but I can't think of any for the week. Overall it was a good week of pretty much heat and rain and bicycling. I hopefully found a new bike but more on that another time. I also sent some pictures to my dad but I'm sure he'll forward those through. Really all is well.
I love you all
Elder Nathan John Nielson
PO BOX 2932
Paramaribo Suriname
South America (<- Actually really important or letters will end up in South Asia or even South Africa... No one knows where we are.)
31st Week
Hello Family and Friends,
Well can you believe it! I'm not in Prison. It was close but it only cost me a package of ciggies. Just kidding. But it does seem like it was kind of close. I'm really glad we had Elder Jansen with us. I think the people here still believe that the Netherlands owns them because they respect us white dutch speaking people a lot. That or they just can't understand him like the rest of us because he speaks old Dutch instead of new age Dutch so they give him what he wants. We really aren't sure. Either way, my papers are now being processed by the government and they are considering whether to allow me to stay longer or not. This is the normal process for the paper work so there is nothing to be concerned about and I think I'll be able to stay for a little while longer. Hopefully for at least 16 1/2 months. I really am glad to have to over. I won't lie.
Other then that it has been busy as usually. We were blessed to have an investigator in church this week. Sandy came to church and is still on pace to be baptized on the 12th of February. Seems crazy to be planning for February especially because it seems just like it was yesterday that I was at the Stake Valentines Dance seeing my Stake President submitting my papers to Salt Lake City on his iPhone. Either way, She is fantastic and I'm incredible hopefully that she'll baptized soon.
I'm doing pretty well. I had the opportunity to weigh myself last week and I am down to 254. That is a total loss of 46lbs and I'm still going I think. I guess we'll see how it ends up!
Love you all
Elder Nathan John Nielson
Well can you believe it! I'm not in Prison. It was close but it only cost me a package of ciggies. Just kidding. But it does seem like it was kind of close. I'm really glad we had Elder Jansen with us. I think the people here still believe that the Netherlands owns them because they respect us white dutch speaking people a lot. That or they just can't understand him like the rest of us because he speaks old Dutch instead of new age Dutch so they give him what he wants. We really aren't sure. Either way, my papers are now being processed by the government and they are considering whether to allow me to stay longer or not. This is the normal process for the paper work so there is nothing to be concerned about and I think I'll be able to stay for a little while longer. Hopefully for at least 16 1/2 months. I really am glad to have to over. I won't lie.
Other then that it has been busy as usually. We were blessed to have an investigator in church this week. Sandy came to church and is still on pace to be baptized on the 12th of February. Seems crazy to be planning for February especially because it seems just like it was yesterday that I was at the Stake Valentines Dance seeing my Stake President submitting my papers to Salt Lake City on his iPhone. Either way, She is fantastic and I'm incredible hopefully that she'll baptized soon.
I'm doing pretty well. I had the opportunity to weigh myself last week and I am down to 254. That is a total loss of 46lbs and I'm still going I think. I guess we'll see how it ends up!
Love you all
Elder Nathan John Nielson
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