39th Week

It has been quite the week to say the least. We started at a high, hit a low and I think we mostly ended on a medium. What to say what to say....


Well to start off with lets go through the investigators...

Sandy - Baptized! It all work out in the end and we were able to baptism Sandy this weekend on Saturday at 8am in the morning. As you can see from the attached photo (Number 1). I actually got to baptize her in the end. It was a great experience and although I would have preferred a member did it, I won't lie I did enjoy it. She was then in Church on Sunday as well and she is the newest member of the Koewarasan Branch of the Paramaribo District of the West Indies Mission. It was a great service and although it was at 8am in the morning it was well worth it to say the least.

Jalisa - Is the daughter of our branch president, who is not married. Apperently this is what happens when you live in the frontier of the church and your branch president has only been a member of the church for two years. Oh well! She is making progress and read for the last week straight. We were going to baptism her between sessions but felt that it would be too soon so we've pushed it back a week to the 9th of April. I think it'll go through though so we are pretty excited about that.

Yolanda - Yoland is a 60 year older black lady who is super sweet. When we told her we couldn't come in because there wasn't a third man she just laughed and kept saying, "but I could be your mother!" She still doesn't get the rule but I'm okay with that to a degree. We just do our best. She has been in French Guiana for the last three weeks so hopefully she'll be back this week and we can pick up with here where we left off. I think she'll be baptized.

Garciana - Is probably around 43 and is also black. She is a lot of fun as she is really smart and that makes teaching a 100% easier! Gotta love that right? Problem is she was offended in church because she is a teacher and apperently uses a lot of sick days to do personal things. Just like our branch president used to do but then lectured the entire sacrement meeting people and said you are not supposed to do that. The wicked take the things of rightousness hard right? She's also been sick but I'm starting to think she is just brushing us off. We'll check up with her soon. No one gets away from Elder Nielson that easy!
Curtis - We are planning on teaching a drop lesson with him. He's been super busy and hasn't been able to meet with us. I'm hoping that if we are straight up with him he'll decide to do the right think... Baptism.

Camaron - Drop lesson here as well kind of the same story.

Rakish - Drop lesson here as well kind of the same story.

Mohinder Santokei - Drop lesson here as well kind of the same story.

As you can probably see we need some new investigators right?

Other then that I'm doing pretty well. We were at the senior couples house today for lunch and I got to weigh myself again. I have official joined the 50lbs lost club as I am now weighing in at 249.5. I think you'll be able to notice that in the pictures as well. Other then that I don't need anything but prayers and support. I'm pretty happy and things are just going peachy.

Love

Elder Nathan John Nielson

38th Week

It is going pretty well. We are now sitting on the Elder side of Transfers. Woo! Won't lie I'm not really going to miss Elder Wehl too much but he'll only really be gone for three months. Then he'll be released and we'll see him around the town. He is a good Elder but I got him when he was too trucky and unfocused. Kind of started to see the light and the end of the tunnel and stopped caring about the next step he had to take. I think the transfer to St. Lucia will be good for him. I guess I didn't tell you, I'm in the same area again. This will be my fourth transfer and at the end of it I'll have been here for six months. I'm good with that but it does get a little stale if you know what I'm saying. My new companion is Elder Freemen who is two transfers ahead of me, full of excite, and is from Idaho. A bit quirky but I think we'll have a good time together.


Sandy, the one who wasn't baptized because of a lack of water, is now rescheduled for baptism for this weekend. It is a pretty sure thing. Of course you know what they say about that.... We then have two baptism scheduled for inbetween conference sessions on the 2nd and then another on the 9th. All goes through we'll have baptized 4 people in 3 weeks. No bad right? We just do our best and if the Lord wills it he'll let it happen.
I think that was an interesting scripture for you to send to me. I read it and also the companion story found in Mark 10:35-45. I tried to apply it to myself and I learned quite a bit. It was nice again to see the scriptures applied to yourself and to learn alot. I think that is one of our greatest downfalls as human beings. We all want to be the greatest, fastest, and the best. As Christ himself said, If you want to be the leader, you must be the servent. I need to do a better job there. When I started to really serve my companion things really got a long better then when I tried to lead him. I reflected on this as we were riding our bikes home. He was so far away from me, forward, that I just gave up trying to catch him and just rode along. It was funny to me though because no matter how fast he went he still had to wait for me. If he had chosen to ride along side me though, maybe even just a bit faster, then it would have pushed me to be faster to be better. By workign so far ahead it just made we want to quit, or at least take it at a different pace. The same is true for us. Some we try to pull people when really we need to help. We push instead of walking along side. Like I said I think there is a lot I need to apply there.
Other then that all is going pretty well. We are working with a lot of people and we really need to do better at finding. Always gotta find new people to teach as you lose people everyday. I'm looking forward to another transfer and, at the end of this transfer is Mothers Day! Not too long at all. I can't believe time is going so fast. I was just barely in Tennessee it feels like....

Oh well!

I love you all,


Elder Nathan John Nielson


ps.. I picked Richmond to win their first two games!

37th Week

Looks like this is all we get this week.

Funny story of the day. I found out it was Day-light savings time on Sunday by my Alarm Clock. You know that my alarm clock works off the Satellites so it automatically adjusts for one of the four time zone in the US. So normally before daylight savings I would be waking up at 2:30am according to my clock which was on MST. Well because MST switch to MDT during the middle of the night I got up at 2:30am on my clock only to discover it was really 5:30 local time. Whoops! I got it all sorted out now though and there is no problems I think. I guess I should have asked when that was going to happen so I could be prepared. For some reason though I did feel prompted to ask about that last week. I guess that is my bad.

Nathan

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36th Week

Well the baptism is an interesting story. To start it all out, someone didn't pay the water bill in the church awhile ago. So our building has not had water for three weeks. Well, it normally isn't a big deal because you are only in the building for three hours a week and such. Problem though is you can't baptize someone without water can you? I didn't think so and I appears you can't. So we worked the entire week trying to get them to turn on the water for us to pay the bill and such and each time we talked to someone they promised us it would be done on time and with no problems. So Friday night we realize, "WE STILL DON'T HAVE WATER!" So we start scrambling trying to find a new solution that would work. Sadly it was a no go and we had to cancel the baptism. I was really kind of frustrating with it at first but then when I calmed down I started to think and to ponder and to pray and then to read the scriptures looking for comfort. I mean you spend so much time working with someone you'd just want to see them be baptized. Well I started thinking about the Prophet Joesph Smith and his suffering in Liberty Jail and I realized that the same principle there applies here. Elder Nielson and Elder Wehl were not being punished but rather being taught. We were being prepared to better prepare for the next time to be ready for anything. Plus I think there was a lesson or two for the investigator. Sadly, she didn't come to church yesterday and we've not been able to contact her since Sunday, we were able to sit with her on Saturday after the the service was canceled, hopefully we can sit with here again soon. She still wants to be baptized though so we'll see what happens. Prayers appreciated.

The bike situation is about the same expect Brown Bear finally died on me again. I still haven't been able to find a new bike so I'm riding the Zone Leaders which is good but I know it is annoying for them because they have to drive everywhere now. I used to think driving was the best thing in the world, see Tennessee, but really I like being on bike a lot more now. It is easier to talk to people, a lot cheaper, and a better work out.

The food is what the food is! Today though I was able to find Hunt's BBQ sauce in a winkel (grocery store about the size of a 7-11). You don't find a lot of American food products here in Koewarasan so it was pretty excited. In the city it is no big deal but here it was like finding gold in the winkel shelves. I haven't been able to find anything that keeps me super excited but that is okay it is what it is. Maybe Elder Wehl can teach me to cook like a Surinamer?

Elder Wehl and I are doing good. I think it just takes time sometimes and a lot of patience. I think he's been the more patient of the two of us but so it is so it is. We keep working and I try to keep him focused. He only has three more transfers after this one ends (March 20th). So he's getting a bit trunkie on me but I'm working on him. Hopefully, we'll pull it together.
I'd write more but I'm out of time again. I hope all is well! Overall the work goes forth and I try not to destroy it. President said I can't so I take hope and faith in that.

Love
Elder Nathan John Nielson

35th Week

Actually there is no problem with the Ensign. We receive the Liahona from the mission every month or so, for the apartment. but it'll be nice to have my own copy that I can write on and do other things. Elder Wehl and I have done good. He has taught me a lot though and I have a lot more to learn from him. He is a good Elder with a good heart I think. Dutch is coming along a lot better because of him though. All we speak is Dutch. I'm not joking only Dutch. Sometimes, we can go the whole day just speaking Dutch. It is nice but frustrating some too.


I wish I had more time but I haven't done a really good job on budgeting my email time recently. The food is good and the work is good too.

One quick cool experience, we gave our investigator a date on Thursday and then talked about fasting. She wanted to fast with us and get a confirmation of the date. So we went ahead and did that. She said after the fast that she feels the date is good and it will go through! I was sooo super excited. Baptism is this Saturday and we'll do our best to have a member from the ward do it... But I won't lie I wouldn't mind having the oppertunity too..

Gotta go

I love you,

Elder Nathan John Nielson