First experience with a Mexican Hospital!



Our Haircuts

Before you freak out about the title, don't worry. Im not sick or injured. I'll explain more in a bit.

Anyways. Everything is good here. Last Monday after writing, we got our hair cut. I was super stressed about it because Im really attached to my hair and couldnt really tell them exactly what I wanted. But it turned out pretty cute, I think. And we contacted the lady who cut our hair. We have an appointment to teach her tomorrow. Then we went and watched a movie with the elders.

Martes we had our District meeting and afterwards they made us all go together and get flu shots. See. Told you not to worry. It was super fun. My arm was sore for 2 days almost. And they didnt give me a bandage, so I got a big blood stain on my new shirt! I was pretty sad about it.

 

Thursday we had Intercambios again. Hermana Bautista went with Hermana Eye and Hermana Ramirez in Benito Juarez y I went with Hermana Perez and Hermana Ezpinosa in Villa Verde. This is where i went last week. But Hermana B needed to work with Hermana Eye and Hermana Ramirez, so Hnas P and E babysat me. It was good. The lady who fed us was super surprised that I only have a month here. She told me I speak really well and eat the mexican food really well. It was super good to see Hermana Eye for a minute and speak English! I feel like I never hear English anymore. 

Saturday we took our Investigators, Karen and Mary Elena to a baptism. They are scheduled to be baptized this week but as of right now, we arent 100% positivie its going to happen. We just keep our fingers crossed.

Yesterday the Lord blessed us with a new investigator. He blesses us with a lot of those, but yesterday an Hermana in our ward brought a friend to church. We taught him a lesson and he is so full of questions. He wants to know more. He has that hunger that is described in the scriptures. Its so awesome. They feeling in our lesson was so powerful and amazing. He kept saying, "With you guys, I just dont feel like I have to worry about anything. I feel so good right now" It was so great. Just what Hermana B and I needed. We have been feeling a little discouraged lately. Just a little. Not too bad.

Anyways. Que mas...They fixed our shower so it doesnt leak, which also fixed the pressure. So now we have 4 streams of water that shoot out of the faucet at 3123948 miles per hour. Its great. 

Dairy Queen!  (Tastes Exactly the same!)

Hermana makes me asnwer the phone now. Which i hate. But I had 2 whole conversations with Elder Gallardo without help, so thats good. 

I always get here and cant remember the things I wanted to tell you..Dangit. well. Anways. If I remember them, I´ll write a separate email for you. 

Love you all.

Hermana Nielsen

 

 

 

Riding the Night Bus from Harry Potter

 

Hola Hola Hola!

Hope everything is well with you all. Everything here is pretty great. We still havent had any baptisms. But thats okay. WE have 3 people with dates, and they are progressing very well. This week was pretty normal. Except we had exchanges, which I was dreading. Also. I dont have many pictures. Sorry.

Lunes after writing home, we just did shopping and had a Noche de Hogar.

Martes we had interviews with the President and had our Zone Conference. Great fun. :) The President gave me some good advice and complimented my spanish. Hes such a liar. :) haha 

My Zone

Miercoles and Jueves were pretty normal. K and M E are doing really well. They read all their assignements in the LDM and are praying every day. They have committed to keep the sabbath day holy, live the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.

Viernes in the noche, we had intercambios (exchanges). I went to Villa Verde for a day and Hermana E came here with Hermana B. It was pretty fun. I helped teach a lesson to a new investigator and we invited her to be baptized. She accepted and said the closing prayer and cried! It was so beautiful.

This investigator lives on a street that has a Tianguis every Saturday, so we did some contacting (and shopping). It was super fun. We taught some more families and I came back to Pueblo Nuevo.

On Exchanges with Hermana V

Sabado and Domingo were pretty normal. 

Random thoughts and things that happened this week:

I was asked 2 times if my eyes are natural. One member asked if both my parents were white because he couldnt believe my hair was naturally so dark and I am so white.

I got the packages! Thanks for the pajamas and sweets Grandma! Love them! My companion loves your pecan bar thing. I do too. I got your package too mom. Thanks for everythin! You guys are awesome.

I think the cameons here--the buses--are like the night bus in Harry Potter. You hold out your arm, they come for you and they drive really fast and bump you around a lot. Its pretty scary and sometimes it makes me sick. But still ive never seen an accident here.

 

 Everything is great. Love the work. Love the people. Love my companion. 

Remember that I love you all and pray for you daily!

Hermana Nielsen

Roscas con the Hermanas in Tijuana

 

Week 5 in the field?!?

Abril decorated our faces

Well hello again. This week was not so bueno for our stats, but it was a pretty good week I think.

Lunes after writing here, we did some quick shopping and then packed and headed for Tijuana. We got there around 8:30. We stayed the night with the sisters who are assigned in Tijuana. It was great. We ate Roscas and stayed up late talking. Shh. Youll have to Google the Roscas tradition because I still dont understand completely.

Martes we had the conference for the different leaders. My Mom is a Sister leader, so thats why we had to go. It was long. And scary. But its all good. Then we came back to Mexicali. We missed out on 2 days of lecciones, so thats why its bad for our stats. But we kind of made up for it the other days.

Miercoles just a regular day. Walked a lot. Ate a lot. Taught a lot.

Jueves we committed another investigator to baptism. So thats awesome. For my birthday too! 

Sabado y Domingo was Stake Conference. It was great. We watched a satalittle transmission of Elder Christiensen ( i think) Hermana Marriott, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and Elder Robert D. Hales. Our investigators with baptismal dates were there. We were super stoked.

Our investigators are doing so awesome. I love working with them. And they are so patient with my Spanish. Our ward is great. The food is great. Its a great week.

Now. I am going to have my little Gospel moment:

Friends and family. The prophet and apostles are teaching more and more about Missionary Work. This is because it is so important! Missionary work isnt just for missionaries! Members are an essential part of the work. Without the members here, we would be nothing. I am so lucky that they are so awesome. In most places, missionaries arent allowed to knock on doors anymore. We rely on contacting in the street and REFERRALS! I know you all know someone who doesnt have the Gospel in their lives. Please refer them to the missionaries. It doesnt matter if they drink or you dont think they want the Gospel. You have the cure for all their pain and sadness. Share it! You dont even have to do the hard part! Just give their names to the missionaries. (Probably ask them first if its okay. We find it works better that way).

Also. Do splits with the missionaries. The members here are so awesome at that. Its not hard. All they ask you to do is bear your testimony about certain topics. But that is the most effective part of missionary work..when the members bear testimony. Jeffry Scott Nielsen. Im talking to you right now. I wish that I would ahve gone with the missionaries before my mission. It would have prepared me a bit for what was coming. Find some missionaries. Right now. And go with them at least a couple times. It will give you an idea of what its like to teach someone who has never had the Gospel. Also, you get to be a part of the joy missionaries get to feel when their investigators accept their messages. Im serious. Do it. Please.

Okay. Sorry about that. But really Im not sorry. I love you all. God loves you all. God Loves all His children and wants them ALL to return to Him. D&C 18:10 "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God."  Evern single soul is great in the site of God. D&C 18:15-16

Love you all. Hugs to everyone! Have a great week.

Hermana Nielsen

Corn with Mayo and Chile

Ha Ha - that's not my name!

 

My First Earthquake

This week was super super fast. I feel like Im getting ready for the day and then all the sudden I'm getting ready for bed. But lots of good things have happened.

Martes (Tuesday) I experienced my first Tianguis. Basically it was like a giant yard sale/ Peach days/ outside Walmart. Mom, you would have loved it. And they happen every single Tuesday. It was crazy and huge. People set up these stands on a certain street and just sell stuff all day long. It was probably 5 times the size of Peach Days. 

Miercoles was the other half of our Pday because it was the 1 of Enero and everyone was sleeping off their partying. So after cleaning and stuff, we met with our zone and went to Niño del Sol. or Sol del Niño. I dont remember. Anyways, It was like a museum for kids/planetarium/movietheater. It was super fun. I have pictures. We watched Hubble in 3D after we explored. Obviously, it was in Spanish. I understood most of it, but then my brain got tired of translating, so i fell asleep. Oops.

Jueves we taught our investigators K and her mom M . They are doing really well. Keeping committments and all that good stuff. They came to church yesterday and really liked it. K is 16 and we found out that she is pregant.. 7 months pregnant. And youre never gonna guess when she found out. 3 weeks ago. I dont know how you make it 6 months without knowing youre pregnant. but she did it. Anways. 

Masks we found in the apartment when we were cleaning.  Elders! LOL

 

Sunday we had 4 investigators at church! It was great. WE were so happy. We still only have 2 investigators with a baptismal date. But its good. We are finding new people almost every day. 

We found out last night that we have to go to Tijuana today- about a 3 hour bus ride. So thats gonna be fun. Were leaving around 6 and have conferences tomorrow. We will be back late tomorrow night. 

My Christmas Dinner

Oh so I experienced my first earthquake. Dont get too excited. I didnt even know about it until 3 days later. I didnt feel it. Apparently this area has a lot of little quakes around this time of year- January and February.

I think thats all. Love you all and miss you lots!

Hermana Nielsen