Final Countdown…

Our Norwegian Missionary is due to come home

Thursday, March 3rd, 2016…HOORAY!

Only ONE MORE DAY!

March 3rd, 2016

Happy Hearts at the airport in Oslo!

And then…this happened!

There was heavy snow in Oslo the day our

missionaries left. The conditions delayed their 

flight to Amsterdam and they missed their

connecting flights to America. The other

six missionaries were able to catch flights 

except Haylee. She spent the night in Amsterdam

all by herself. We were heart broken but had faith 

that all would go well on Friday and we would

see her then. :) 

She had a 4.5 hour layover in 

Portland and was able to have lunch with the 

amazing Momma Rogers, Soster Emily Rogers'

mom. <3  She fed her and sent her on her way  

home to us. SHe had ANOTHER ONE HOUR

delay…UGH! She finally landed at John Wayne 

Airport at 7:05PM and we were REUNITED

with our Norwegian Missionary!

Served with LOVE and returned with HONOR!

This is it!…Week 78

Dear family and friends,

Well, I guess this is it! I will be flying into Oslo on Wednesday and then flying home on Thursday. I will get home Thursday night around 8:00PM and then I will hug my family for a very long time...YUP!! Hahaha! 

This week has been very emotional. I have felt so strange. I go out every day and have normal missionary days but it has been so odd knowing that this time next week, I will be in sunny, snow free, Orange County California! Sunday was my last Sunday as a missionary and it was pretty emotional. I gave a farewell talk about families and how important they are... AND I DIDNT EVEN CRY!!! That was a miracle! Families are such an important part of Heavenly Father’s plan!

     

I will miss my mission so much and I am grateful for all of the people I have met and that are now apart of my life! I am not very good with words but my life has been changed. Forever changed! I feel so blessed. I love these people. I love this land. I love the LORD! I will miss this. I know that the Lord has more for me to do in life and more people to help! I will do my best...always!

I love you all so much! Thank you for the love and support! Gud vær med deg til vi ses neste uke! (God be with you til we see each other next week!) :) 

Med kjærlighet, 

-Søster Neilson

 "My life has been changed. Forever changed!

I feel so blessed. I love these people. 

I love this land. I love the LORD!"

-Søster Neilson

Finishing strong and with JOY!

Fishing at sunset! :)

Finding happiness even in s snow storm!

Being crowned the Princess of Tromso! <3

Saying her farewells on her last Sunday…

The Countdown is On!…Week 77

Hello Family and Friends!

     

Well...10 days everyone! 10 more days until I head home... I am going to miss this so much! What a wonderful journey I have had my friends! I have learned so much and felt so much love for those around me...especially my Savior. Boy oh boy does He love us! 

     

This week we had  a lot of traveling and tears. I said goodbye to many missionaries I have come to love. We also had the opportunity to visit Trondheim which was my first area. I bore my testimony in front of a group of missionaries at my last Zone Conference and did not cry like a baby! I was very proud of my self! :) I talked about how important it is to keep moving forward!!! We don't just have our missions and that is it! Our whole life is made up of mini missions!! Keep em' comin’ life! :) 

     

I don't have much time because we are going fishing but I love you all lots and I am so grateful for all of the love and support! :) 

Gud vær med deg til vi sees igjen! 

-Søster Neilson

Find BEAUTY in the winter

wonderland of the North!

"Under the Sea"

inside of a snow sculpture!

AMAZING! :)

INCREDIBLE!

WOW!

The oldest street in Tromso!

This is where their little branch

meets for church! :)

Happy Hearts in Tromso! <3

The City of Tromso…BEAUTIFUL!

THAT…is some SERIOUS snow fall! :)

Zone Conference in Trondheim! 

Soster Neilson was SO thrilled to

be reunited with these missionaries

on last time! Until we meet again!

Friends Forever! :)

Finally got to meet this darling 

little peep! :)

Eldste Osguthorpe! :)

Eldste Tennant!

This is her 'son' because

she had a hand in his training! :)

Eldste Phipps! :)

Eldste Tennant and his 'parents'!!! Haha!

Eldste Sanchez! :)

Eldste Gurr! :)

Eldste and Soster Rappleye! <3

The Darling Sosters! <3

Awww! :) Can't wait to HUG 

her in 10 DAYS!!

She was SO HAPPY to be

reunited with this family! <3

LOVING the last few days of this

Norwegian Missionary journey! :)

Starting to Get REAL!…Week 76

Note: The email server was having HUGE issues worldwide this Monday. Haylee didn't receive our emails at all and we only received a partial email from her with a 36 hour delay…ugh! I've included a little excerpt from that email. :) The most exciting thing I realized this week…TWO more weeks until we get to see our Norwegian missionary and give her a HUGE HUG! -Darbi

"Hey Mommy! I have a companion who is

just awesome…I know these next couple

of weeks will be hard…sometimes I just 

feel numb to the fact that I am coming home

and then other times I don't want to leave

AND THEN other times I can't WAIT to

get home! Hahaha…its all so confusing!"

-Soster Haylee Neilson

Busy as a BEE!…Week 75

Kjære alle sammen!

     

This has been the week! Woah! We have been contacting and tracting, tracting and contacting! We have talked to SO many people and found some really amazing positive searchers! :) We try and talk with everyone we see including people on buses, on the street, in stores, the Library, on the way to Church...just everyone! It is so important to give everyone the chance to accept Jesus Christ in their lives! I love being a missionary!

     

Well, I have around 3 weeks left on my mission and the missionaries I serve with don’t let me forget it for a second! I know I may not have much time left on this journey but I am making the most of the time I have! I love my investigators and my members! There are so many good, positive people up here in this country and I am so grateful! :) My english is not so good anymore but I don’t think my Norwegian is that great either! Hahaha...so I speak a New Language called Norwenglish! It’s great! :) Only missionaries understand what I am saying. Pretty flott!!! (fantastic!)

     

We met up with an old investigator this week who is just like in love with Elder Holland. She listens to his talks all the time! She says that he is "awe-some". Haha I agree! :) We are teaching a family that we found recently! They are so amazingly sweet and willing to learn! We are excited to see them come to the waters of baptism! We have the faith!

     

Well my peeps...not so much to report on...I love you all! 

Gud vær med dge til vi sees igjen! 

-Søster Neilson

First time they've had the sun shine on 

their faces in WEEKS! It has just

started coming above the horizon! :)

Arctic Winter Wonderland! 

Sunset at 3PM now! :)

The Olsen's have the missionaries over

for lunch every week! SO SWEET!

Sister Olsen made Haylee's favorite lasagna. <3

HAPPY Hearts in Tromso! <3