67th Week

Hello Fellow Travelers!





The best part of being in this mission I think, or at least one of the perks, is training in Trinidad. It was the most incredible experience I ever had and I can't possibly take you all through it. I have pictures but that'll have to wait til next week as email today was not the most easy thing to arrange. Either way, we left Suriname at 6:15 am and arrived in Trinidad at 6:45 am. Due to a short distance but really a time change it was "only" a 30 minute flight. On the way home though it took 2:30 minutes though. We arrived and the Ap's picked us up and took us to the mission office of which I have photos next week. Then it was to President's Home where we were from 10am to 8pm that night. We took 3 breaks to snack and to walk about but other then that it was straight training. One of the coolest things was Elder Martinez from the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy who explained to us the law of justice and mercy. President spent most of the day talking to us about repenting and receive a remission of our sins also but becoming truly converted missionaries. It was so powerful and I left thinking of just how much better I need to do and to become to be worthy of the blessings of God. So much work. Day two was much the same training from 9am - 6pm. We really only stopped because we had to catch our flight and they were worried we'd miss them. If it wasn't for us I think we would have kept on going and been there all night. It is amazing the inspiration that comes when you are all dedicated to a goal of making yourself and others better. On the way home, Elder Job, the other District Leader, and myself talked the entire time about things we wanted to do with our districts. A lot of ideas and now we just need the strength of character and will to make them happen.

The new area is good. I'm so super lost. After having served in the two smallest areas of Suriname, I'm in probably the biggest of the entire country. There is so many people and so much ground to cover. It'll truly take a inspired performance to do it. I'm hopeful and I'll have to take everything I've learned about relying on the Lord and put it into use. Just a few days ago, we were on the street and we needed to contact on more person so I looked at my comp and said lets pray about it. WE prayed and the next thing I knew there was a man. We contacted him and nothing has come of it yet but I'm pretty excited about it. We found another man who was actually looking for us and he's now commited to baptism. I'm really excited about the promises of the Lord. I just have to do my best.





Just want to tell you all that I love you. I haven't been so great with Letters but I haven't gotten anything in about six weeks so sorry! I'll do better if you do better and then we'll all be happy! Really, I'll just do better and I just expect your prayers.





By the way, I wanted you all to know that I've come to peace with what happened in Nickerie. I've come to realize that the Lord needed me somewhere else and I'm pretty excited about. I wish you the best.





I love you all,





Elder Nathan John Nielson





ps. To those who are RA's at OU, I've sent a letter or two a little while ago and another is coming shortly. I hope all is well. Miss ya'll

66th Week

Hello Family!



This week is a bit different so I thought I'd send the family email first. Well I have big news. Transfers were on Saturday and unexpectedly the Mission Presidency has decided to close the branch on me. So I've been transferred back to the City to Munder which is downtown Paramaribo. Funny enough, my brother emailed me (Go Chris!) not too long ago and had the impression to give me some advice about being a trainer because he felt it might happen. At the time, I thought he was silly it couldn't happen. But lo and behold, Elder Saddler from Illinois has been assigned as my companion and he just got in Suriname 3 weeks ago! I will also be the District Leader with a district of six elders including myself and Elder Lundgren who will be in the next area over from mine. To say I'm surprised, would be an understatement that would be almost a lie. I truly felt like I would be here for six months so it is a bit unsettling to have the rug pulled out from beneath me. Especially when I had to stand in from of the 21 people who were present for church and announced that we were leaving and the branch would be closed.



I've really seen this as my Zion Camp. Yes I didn't have to march a thousand miles or whatever but I certainly did feel like a complete failure for a bit. I was given the task to stabilize this branch to help them succeed. Ultimately to baptize and to bring the Gospel to the people of Nickerie. In the end, I've killed the branch! I know there is much to learn from this experience though and there is an important principle we talk about in missionary work: No effort is wasted. I truly believe that.

The idea is that quite simply the Lord blesses us for our efforts and much like Elder Waddell said in the afgelopen algemene conferentie (Last General Conference) a lot of the effect of what we have done, or who we have touched, we will never see. I hope that I had a good effect on the members who whom I was able to work with, cry with, and to love with. I know without a doubt that I've changed their lives, I just hope it is for good right or even for awesome. The simple truth is that I have to believe as a missionary, a person, and as Elder Nielson that God has a plan for everything. That things do not happen to do evil unto us. Thus if we look for what the Lord wants us to learn then truly no effort is wasted when the answer is different then we expect.



I sent my Dad some pictures of the branch at their family home evening and also of my new helmet it is Orange and Black as you can see for the Cowboys! Go State! Next helmet is probably Red and White but only if we lose in the beginning of December :P



I love you all and I'm really excited to get moving to Munder. Should be interesting as that is where I started here in Suriname and I had a truly miserable time. I hated it to be quite honest and I'm going to have to exercise some demons when I get there but I know it is for a reason and I'm exited nonetheless.



Love you all,



Yours in the Service and God, and such



Elder Nathan John Nielson

65 th Week

Hello Friends, Family, and BYU Fans,



I'm doing great. I thought about leaving it off there but here we go. I hope you are excited for a(n) (un)interesting email.



This week has been a super quick one and it was like trying to hold onto lighting. It was impossible. With a weird Sunday schedule, I hate to say it but I don't think we ever really got a hold of it and we just had to run with what we had. That worked out great in terms of the branch family home evening but not so great in terms of planning for member lessons and such.



Big news of the week was this branch activity. We held it at a member's house and the member were just so excited to do it. We had a good turn out of 10 people and everyone seemed ready to participate. The member taught us about time and then we had a cake tasting contest. To be honest, I expected to lose as our cake was only a box cake with pineapple inside of it. The problem was though the member diluted her cake with flour so it wasn't so surgery. Foolish decision in my opinion as we decimated her I felt bad though. Mainly, because it doesn't matter to my pride if we lost but she might have been down about it. She held her head up high though and we only bragged in broken dutch for a few minutes.



We also found an old investigator that is really excited about the gospel. She investigated nearly a year ago when Elder Lundgren and I were still in the MTC. Was not baptized though because she left to Guyana and never came back. We had an appointment fall and we decided to check on someone else. When we got there we discovered her and were super excited and so is she. Should be great and I'm happy to keep going.



Overall the mood is excited and I'm so very grateful to be here. I love you all. Even the BYU fans.



Love



Elder Nathan John Nielson

Go Cowboys and those dirty Sooners!

64th Week

Hello Family!





I hope you all enjoyed conference this last weekend. I loved it and that is for sure. It was the highlight of a more difficult week but those things happen and we just have to bounce back and be better. I'm learning that failure or difficulties are opportunities to grow and to be better if we allow them, or they become stumbling blocks that allow us to wallow in despair. I choose faith.





Choosing faith has been the theme for my time in Nickerie. Before I got here, I allowed myself too often to allow fears, doubts, or pain to dictate my attitude, work, or emotions. So when I came here with Elder Bell (former companion) we made it a go to choose faith in everything that we did. Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. If we could do it there we certainly could do it tracting, teaching, and baptising. In doing so I've seen so many miracles and wonderful events that have made me truly appreciate the Lord's hand in my life. I was actually reflecting on a scriptures not too long along and wanted to share some inspiration that I had.





In Alma 32:27 Alma tells us: Maar zi, indien gij uw vermoges wil opwekken en wakker schudden, ja, om mijn woorden te beproeven, en een sprankje geloof wilt oefenen -- ja, al kunt gij niet meer doen dan verlangen te geloven -- laat dat verlangen dan in u werken todat gij zo gelooft dat gij plaats kunt inruimen voor een deel van mijn woorden. (Only have my dutch with me)



He tells us that if we can't believe that we just have to desire and to let that desire work within us. I thought that meant that we just had to have a desire within us for a long time. I'm started to believe that this scripture relates to 3 Nephi 24:10 when Christ repeats the words of Malachi over tithing. The important part being that we need to test the Lord. Thus to have that desire we have to do not just think or wish but act. If we want to believe that the word of wisdom is true we must try it. If we want to believe the words of the prophets we must try them. That is the desire of which he speaks. At least that is what I think.





I was thinking about that with the conference. Oh how I wish my faith was stronger then it truly is some days. I've learned though in moments of crisis or panic, that choosing to act as if I had enough faith brings the faith that is required to do what needs to be done. So often on my mission, I don't know what to do, to say, or to be. I just act and pray for the best. I'm happy to say that is has brought the best most of the time. I hope this is a principle I can continue to use and to apply. You can as well. If you are doubting just act in faith. I implore you to do so!





I hope that made some sense.





In case I didn't say, we did have conference here in Nickerie which was a great blessing for the members because they didn't have to travel 3 1/2 hours to see it. We had a great attendence and besides the bit of stress I got as Branch President for getting it set up it was a great time.





I loved all the talks but a few stuck out to me. Elder Scott's on the scriptures, Elder Anderson's on Children (Have children ya'll), and I loved Elder Cornish's talk on prayer. All were good and I can't wait to re- and reread them in the future.





I love you all and I continue to pray for you! I hope you will choose faith in everything you do!





Love





Elder Nathan John Nielson

63rd Week

Hello Family!





How are you all doing? It is still a sweltering hot here in Nickerie and we are working working and working. I feel like I tell you that all every week but I guess that is how it works right? This last week was a busy one and it was gone before we knew it. It is funny how fast time flies when you are out here. I wonder if it is going by so quickly for you but that really is just a passing thought I have from time to time!





Either way, cool story of the week. Elder Lundgren and I rode our bikes from New Nickerie to the river that borders Suriname and Guyana. They have a place they call the backtrack where people cross illegally using speedboats. In some of the photos I sent you'll notice a little dock like place. That is the backtrack. It is very sketchy to say the least but a lot of people use it all the time. I've come to the opinion that Suriname really doesn't care (As it is mainly Guyana citizens that come in illegally) so long as those people work in the rice fields in Nickerie and don't come to the city as inbetween the two is where the passports are checked. Eitherway, I hope you liked the photos.





Nickerie also hosted Parbo night. Parbo is the name of the national neer. Parbo Beer. They have a big festival here and wow there were a lot of people and the day after a lot of trash. That was saturday and I guess maybe that is why attendence was low on sunday. :) Either way, it was a good time trying to navigate the streets.





I'm out of time again and I'm sorry either way though I love you and I hope you are all doing great. Our best investigator just asked us for money and dropped himself so we are back to the drawing board but so it is! I love you all and I think about you all a lot. Some more then other but still a lot okay?








I love you,





Elder Nathan John Nielson

62nd Week

Hello Family!





We just received the computer for the branch and the District told us to use it for email during the week. So this really is coming from the branch president's desk. I'm not that prideful, kind of. It has been another great week here in Gemente Nickerie and we had another great sunday. The district, like I said, was in town to deliever the computer but they also spoke in the avondmaal dienst. It was great they had great uplifting toespraaks. I love it a lot. It was mainly focused on the atonement of Christ and I hope the members can really start applying it in their life. For Sunday School, Elder Lundgren was a last moment replacement for a sister that went out of town and we talked about tithing. We've decided to use an approach to teach the members the basics of the gospel and let the spirit help them change. So we are not using the curriculum for this per se, but I got approval so it is okay!





Other then that our investigators are getting a bit flunky on us and we only had one come to church this last week. We'll need to do better there but I'm pretty happy about how things are going overall. I sent my Dad some photos so hopefully he'll send them to you. There is one of me in my office, another of me de-icing the fridge with a hammer, me doing the robot before a store, the Jansens, Elder Lundgren and a crazy guy (Supposibly he is Taliban, that is what he said), and a store named Lina (In dutch pronounced Lee-nah)[Made me smile].





I'm so in love with the work right now that I don't want to be any where else to be honest. It is going great. I'm slimming up and Elder Lundgren is fatting up. Had kind of a rougher week as I caught the flu or something but I'm just about over it.



Favorite story of the week had to be our improtu trip to Paramaribo on Thursday. On Tuesday, I flipped through E Lundgren's passport to discover that he lacks the official stamps to stay in the country so away we went to the city. When we got to the passport checkpoint at 5:30 in the morning. The guards were asleep on the table. They were so emberressed they didn't check anyone at all. I guess the city isn't too much safer then in Nickerie. Made me laugh a bunch.





I love you all, some more and some less but nevertheless it is love!





Love,





Elder Nathan John Nielson





ps. Just in case I forget Go Utah 54-10! Sorry Aunt Barbara and Family

61 st week

Hey everyone!





I don't have a lot of time so I'm sorry but we'll keep it going!





So this last week was great it was super busy but it is what it is. As I talked about in my last email I received a new companion. Stephen Kurt Lundgren from Sandy Utah and we are doing really well actually. We had a strong finish to last week and we've had a pretty good start too. We are looking forward to a lot of success and a lot of fun. Should be a good time. For the record, he'll also be the branch clerk.





Church was great this last week. We had five speakers. Our two young men, Elder Lundgren, and the senior missionary couple. It just went really well and I loved Sunday School, not to brag, as I thought I taught a really good and simple lesson about the temple and they all seemed really excited and like they wanted to start working towards that. We had 23 people in attendence and our new goal is to average 30 people and then shoot for 40 should be interesting to say the least.





With my branch president duties, the young men and the elders made fishing poles earlier this morning to go fishing! Then this afternoon we are going to the canals and are going to go get us some fish. It should be pretty interesting and most of you wouldn't dare eat these fish after you saw the water they come from but so it is!





I'm out of time but photos next time!





I love you all but more some then others.. just kididng (kind of )








Love

Elder Nielson