Miracles, Love, and Forgiveness!…Week 21

Hei Sann Dere! (Whats up y’all!!!)

     

Woah! My heart is so full of gratitude to my Heavenly Father. I find myself crying all the time but it is usually for other people. My mission has already taught me so much about the kind of person I want to be and the kind of mother I need to be for my children. I am so eternally grateful for the trials that have been put into my life and I am excited for more!!! 

SOOOOOO...this week was fantastic! We got 3 new investigators!!! That is a MIRACLE here in little Ålesund! You have to remember that the church here is so small that our church is a room in the front of an old bakery and we have 4 active members....incredible!! 

     

We had this huge Zone Conference last week and in it, Elder Kapitchki, talked about how important it is to have a miracle journal and to write down miracles we see every day! So, I bought myself a little note book and got to work! The miracles that you see when you are looking for them are incredible!!! One little miracle Heavenly Father gave to me on a hard day (the following is a journal entry):

"Today I saw the hand of the Lord in my life because...

I am in Ålesund. Many cruise ships come here because it is BEAUTIFUL! So today a cruise ship came into port. You always know it is a cruise ship because they blow their horn 3 times while coming into port. So I was sitting in the apartment eating lunch and I hear the 3 horn blows and I said a quick prayer. I asked Heavenly Father if I could find some Americans that day because I really needed loud people in my life that day (Norwegians seldom talk and when they do, you can hardly hear them!) So, about an hour later, Søster Buhler and I are walking to the church and we are crossing the street. I see this lady next to me as I’m walking. I felt the spirit tell me to talk to her but I kept putting it off. I thought it would be weird but then I thought to myself, 'Well hey! I am weird!' so i looked at her and said, 'jeg liker din hatt' (I like your hat) and she looked at me and said "Excuse me?”........... I then asked in English where she was from and......... *drum roll*......... SHE SAID AMERICA!!!!! Ah!!!!!!!!!! I freaked out and almost hugged her but then thought that would be a little too weird! hahaha! We got to talking and she actually had to leave but I was SO grateful! Heavenly father really does know his children! He sent me an American!"  -January 22, 2015

SO incredible! Just a little tender mercy from the Lord to Søster Neilson that day! :) 

This morning I was thinking a lot about why missionaries do what we do. My companion has a busted knee and two twisted ankles. I have a dislocated hip, broken teeth, shin splints, I pulled my lower back and we both have broken hearts for the people who turn down this incredible message of håp! (hope!) I looked up from my studies this morning and I started laughing (my companion thought I was crazy!) and I looked at Søster Buhler and said “Søster Buhler, WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING?! We live in another country, speak another language, eat weird food, live a whole different life style than we’re used to, and really actually trying our best! Everyday we get laughed at, ignored, threatened, spit on and avoided...but I have never been so happy in all of my life! What are we doing?!?!” AND THEN  Søster Buhler simply answered, "The Lord’s work Søster Neilson!” (My companion is Asian and I always tell her she is so wise just because she is Asian haha ;))  It is true! This is the Lord’s work and we literally do NOTHING! The Lord is preparing people everyday and all he asks from us is to share what we know to be true... how simple and beautiful! 

I read a talk this week from President Uchtdorf about forgiveness. If there is one thing I have learned on my mission is that forgiveness is way easier said than done! Its true that forgiveness is not easy but it is a commandment from God... “I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men. -Doc&Cov 64:10) We are REQUIRED

to forgive all men! INCLUDING ourselves! In this talk President Utchtdorf talks about how the person who is the hardest and needs the most forgiveness is ourselves. REPENT and then forgive yourself... God does! He loves you, and I can say that with full confidence because I have repented and forgiven myself and I know God loves me! He loves you ALWAYS! No one is perfect and God doesn't love you more than He loves me! He loves us both in different ways and He is happy when we choose what is right and cries with us when we choose something not as good. BUT...He loves us both!!!!! President Holland shared this story in the last General Conference:

"A journalist once questioned Mother Teresa of Calcutta about her hopeless task of rescuing the destitute in that city. He said that, statistically speaking, she was accomplishing absolutely nothing. This remarkable little woman shot back that her work was about love, not statistics. Notwithstanding the staggering number beyond her reach, she said she could keep the commandment to love God and her neighbor by serving those within her reach with whatever resources she had. “What we do is nothing but a drop in the ocean,” she would say on another occasion. “But if we didn’t do it, the ocean would be one drop less [than it is].”9 Soberly, the journalist concluded that Christianity is obviously not a statistical endeavor. He reasoned that if there would be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over the ninety and nine who need no repentance, then apparently God is not overly preoccupied with percentages."

SO true! I love this! YOU are loved my friend. I cannot even begin to express how much your FATHER in Heaven loves you! The bottom line is... forgive as you would want to be forgiven! LOVE your enemies and pray for those that hate you! LOVE THEM TO DEATH! Love them until they hate you even more! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!! 

I love you guys so much and I am so glad to be apart of this great work of Salvation! 

Gud vær med deg til vi sees igjen,

-Søster Neilson

"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!" President Uchtdorf

Soster Sunshine! JOY!

Cruise Ships and Miracles!

Our new kitty friend! We named him Peaches! :)

"My WISE Asian!" -Soster Neilson

Apparently Eirik wasn't a fan of his first root beer! :)

King Eirik! "People…PLEASE!" -Soster Neilson

Family Home Evening…haha! Not really! ;) They LOVE to play games like yahtzee and skipbo! :)

Church Cemetery! Beautiful! 

One of my favorite peeps!…Ase-Marie! :)

Soster Neilson's street! BEAUTIFUL! :) 

"It's kind of the ghetto part of town but it's home!"-Soster Neilson

Soster Crazy Person and Simon! :)

BEAUTIFUL Norway! <3

Finding JOY and silliness in the journey! :)

Patience!...Week 20

Hei Sann!

How are all of my beautiful peeps doing????!!!!!!!! Holy cow I have almost been on a mission for 5 months.......... NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The time goes by so fast guys! Its insane! Being a missionary is an amazing job. I literally get to walk with people and see their lives change as they accept Jesus Christ and God into their lives! it is a wonderful and beautiful thing!

This week Søster Buhler and I flew to Bergen! It is another coastal city about an hour away by plane. We flew down for a big Zone conference that we were having. WAY fun! We stayed for two days at a members house. Their names are the Fielding's and they are from Texas! It was SO fun to be with an American family! They were so loud! hahahaha! Their youngest is 4 and it was the WEIRDEST thing to speak English to her! Hahahah So sweet! At our Zone Conference, a member of the missionary office, Brother Kapatchki and his wife, came to speak to us. They are both from Germany and are such a sweet couple! I remember during most of the conference I would look at Brother Kapatchki with a HUGE smile on his face, watching his wife while she spoke. They are SO in love and it is SO adorable! He is much more reserved and calm and she is like a ray of sunshine, just beaming! They were so sweet together! We learned about questions and how they can always be answered through the Lord. We learned about how to be better missionaries and how obedience brings blessings. It was an incredible two days! I also got to see so many missionaries I haven't seen in AGES! :)

Some news about some of my old investigators in Trondheim! So I wasn't  able to meet with two of my recent converts before I left and we kept trying to call them and even stopped by their home many times but no one was ever home and their phone was turned off... I was very sad. Come to find out, they chose not to pay their telephone bill that month because they wanted to pay their tithing... I COULD NOT STOP CRYING WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THAT! HOW SWEET! AH! I love them so much!!! I felt like such a proud momma at that moment! It is crazy how much love you can have for people you have only known for a short amount of time. Two of my other investigators in Trondheim are being baptized in 2 weeks and I am SO excited for them! They both have problems with the Word of Wisdom and when they were taught about it they both began to cry because they knew they needed to follow it! They are both so good! Ah! I love them so much!

I am loving my new area! So many good people here. Many are prepared or are being prepared to hear the gospel! I met this guy on the bus yesterday and he was so kind. He is from Oslo and is studying here in Ålesund to be a Cruise ship captain! We also met another man last night who we are meeting with tomorrow who is really excited to hear our message! 

Ålesund is definitely a different place to be a missionary. I have found that because I am here only with me my companion and 4 active members, I am really beginning to see what kind of missionary I want to be. It is a big eye opener, slightly scary but good

Well my beautiful family and friends, I love you all to death and I miss you all everyday! Don't forget to keep smiling and to share the light of christ! Muah!!! 

Gud vær med deg til vi sees igjen!

-Soster Neilson

Good Morning Sunshine! 

The sun is showing itself a little more everyday! Currently sunrise is around 9:20AM and sunset is 4:15PM!

Happy Hearted Sisters basking in the morning sun at the library as they email home! :)

Eirik! :) Just in case you're wondering…he's holding a Norwegian Troll! 

The Fielding Family from Texas hosted the sisters at their home while they were at their Mission Conference in Bergen! 

"They were LOUD Americans! Music to my ears!" -Soster Neilson

So happy to be reunited! Soster Johannessen is the darling girl from Washington that came to our house in California to meet Soster Neilson before they went to the MTC. They got to be companions for a day!

This is what happens when Elders grab your camera and take selfies!...

This dear woman is Ase-Marie! She is the Alesund Branch's Relief Society President. She also takes wonderful care of the sisters! She goes on teaches with them, feeds them, throws celebrations for them, has FHE with them, loves them and generally is an angel sent from heaven! She has given my mother's heart immense PEACE! There's a SPECIAL place in heaven for Ase-Marie! <3

We are so grateful for this ray of sunshine! :)

FAREWELL Trondheim and HELLO Alesund!…Week 19

Kjære familie og venner, 

Hello! Holy cow... did I hear in SNOWED in California?! I literally pray for snow everyday here in Norway and I think God forgot I was in Norway and not California ;) Hahahaha! How are all you beautiful people doing this amazing New Year? I will admit I do miss seeing a lot of your beautiful faces and feeling the warmth from the sun and of course I miss me some REAL Mexican food BUT...I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world! I love to be a missionary and I love inviting people to come unto Christ! 

So I am officially in my new area... ÅLESUND! Ålesund is the most beautiful place in Norway so I feel SO blessed to be here. :) It is a little different. I went from serving in Trondheim where there are around 60 to 80 members in church and serving with 7 other missionaries, to Ålesunde where there were 4 members at church and serving with one other missionary, my beautiful companion Søster Buhler! It is a little different BUT we may not be mighty in numbers but we are mighty in spirit! I want to tell you a little about the members :)

Fred is the branch president. He is such a good guy with a very strong testimony! He is for sure led by the spirit on behalf our little branch. :) 

Åse Marie is the Relief Society President and oh my... what a doll! I love her so much! She does SO much for us two missionaries... there are BIG blessing awaiting her in heaven! Åse Marie is for sure like a Momma to us. I love her so much! :)

Eirick is a recently baptized member. He is AMAZING! Such a good guy. He has a huge heart and he is always looking out for Søster Buhler and I. He is seriously our big brother!

Bente! I don't know Bente all that well but she is recently baptized also. She is a hair stylist and has purple hair! She is very kind!

And my companion is the darling Søster Buhler...what a stud this woman is! Søster Buhler is from Washington State and has such a HUGE heart! She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She cares so deeply and is an incredible teacher. She is an example to me every day and I am so grateful to be serving with her. :)

This week we will be flying to Bergen for a mission conference! I am so excited! I'm sure you will hear ALL about it next week :)

Well beautiful people I'm not sure what else to tell you! I thought my Norwegian was doing okay until I came into another city with a different dialect! Its time to learn another language! hahaha :) 

I love you all so much and I hope this NEW YEAR is treating you well :) Gud vær med deg til vi sees igjen!

-Soster Neilson =)

FAREWELL Trondheim! Thanks for the LOVE!

Soster Hartley and Soster Neilson! Saying goodbye to your sister is hard to do! <3

Forever Sisters! Forever Friends! :)

Sweet Soster Subba! 

"She bows to us every time we see her and says 'Namaste!' I adore this sweet lady!" -Soster Neilson

The Subba Family! <3

Ole! :)

Tore! :)

Chris Marco! :)

Johanne! <3

Wenche! <3

The Smith Family! <3

The One and Olny…Elder Shanklin! :)

HELLO Alesund! Let's DO this! :)

The amazing and wonderful Ase-Marie! <3

Soster Buhler! <3

Soster Neilson and Soster Buhler!

HAPPY Hearts! <3

Side Note: We sent Soster Neilson her favorite salsa in her Christmas package! The following photos are a sequence of pure joy! :)

"Here we go!" Chips and Salsa

"Smells SOOOO good!"

"The DIP…wait for it…wait for it…"

"ABSOLUTE Heaven! SOOO AMAZING!"

Another side note! Soster Neilson's current Mission President and his sweet wife, President and Soster Evans, are nearing the end of their three year service in Norway. A new president has been called, President and Soster Hill! Soster Neilson knew them when she was in the MTC! They will be arriving in July to replace the Evans'.

President and Soster Hill…new Mission President for the Oslo Norway Mission! 

It's a New Year 2015…the GOLDEN Year!…Week 18

Soster Neilson is starting this new year in a new area! She has been reassigned to a little coastal town called Alesund! It's a bit south of the town she's been serving in. The church is tiny in Alesund. There are about 5 active members and they meet on Sundays in a bakery. :) She said its bitter sweet to leave Trondheim but she is excited for the opportunity to serve in Alesund. Her new companion's name is Soster Buhler. She will fly to Alesund Wednesday morning, January 7th! :)

Kjære venner! (Dear Friends!)

Can you believe it is already a New Year???? Holy cow! It is 2015! When the clock hit mid-night all us missionaries were at a members house watching fireworks go off (because in Norway when its a new year everyone everywhere shoots off TONS of fireworks!) my zone leader Elder Shanklin leans over to me and says, "You have just started your black year!", hahaha because I will be in Norway for the whole year of 2015, but I think this is my GOLDEN year! It is time to jump in head first and really get to work! I am so grateful for new beginnings and a chance to be better! 

I have a story, on New Years Eve morning, I woke up to my companion gasping for air. She had been in a lot of pain for a couple of hours and didn't want to wake me up. She had been throwing up and feeling this awful pain in her body. We finally called the Elders and asked them to meet us at the church building to give her a blessing. She wasn't able to sit because of the pain and she kept getting sick. We were all very worried about her and if you know Søster Hartley, you know that she is NOT a whimp! She is a tough nut! But she was in so much pain. I remember sitting there, helpless watching and waiting for the Elders to get to the church. When I heard the door open and the Elders came into the church, it was like the spirit was called down from heaven! When they walked into the room, the power of peace and comfort was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Without even saying a word to anyone, they walked over to Søster Hartley and began to give her a blessing. After the blessing, we carried my poor companion to the hospital where she was told she has kidney stones. She was such a stud and is feeling much better now. The power of the Priesthood is amazing! I am so blessed to be apart of this church and to be a missionary for it! I love the opportunity I have to share!

I'm sorry for the short email but missionary work calls! I love you all! Gud vær med deg til vi sees igjen!   

-Søster Neilson

Happy New Year! New year's Day found the missionaries watching members of the Trondheim Ward taking The Polar Bear Plunge! They enjoyed a bonfire and roasting hot dogs afterward! :)

(photo credit Per Ellingsen)

Soster Hartley and Soster Neilson celebrating New Year's Eve at the McKenzie's home! SO FUN! 

(photo credit Per Eliingsen)

Saying Farewell to the Trondheim Ward on Sunday...

Yarmood and Jolena

The Dunn Familie

The Anderson Familie

Joseph and Charles

GOODBYE Trondheim

HELLO Alesund!…

Alesund in the summertime! BEAUTIFUL! :)