Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Q&A Missionary Life

This week has been a good one.

In answer to a few questions that have been emailed to me.

The weather is not to bad.  Maybe 40's or 50's and rain lots of rain.  It is supposed to get cold but has not yet and I have been fine.  Still wearing short sleeves and just my rain gear.  But for those who know me, my temperature gauge runs on the always warm side.   Our tracking here in Worcester is all knocking doors, talking to people in the streets, referrals from Ward members and contacting the less active.  I am in the Evesham District in the Cheltnam Zone.  The most challenging aspect of my Mission has been finding people to teach.  As you probably know, I don't like to talk to strangers at their door or on the streets.  That has been the biggest hurtle and one I struggle with everyday to get over.  The best part of my Mission would have to be the relationship you get with members in the Areas that I have served.  I have met many people that have a special place in my heart.  I think the only changes that I have made would be in my attitude and level of maturity.  When you go out on your own as a servant of God you have to grow up fast.  But I think that I have stayed the same in humor and not expressing my true views until I am comfortable with the person.  One of my goals is to read the whole Standard Works (Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price) in a year.  I am a little over half way done.  I just finished Proverbs and have already finished the Book of Mormon and New Testament.  I love the study time and what I learn from studying.  I still am not used to having a companion, I have always been a very independent person and having someone "tagging" along is not my style.

Not much really happened this week.  Just a good busy week. The big news is that on Wednesday we had a Zone Conference. We had it in Rhibwina in Wales.  Rhiwbina is a northern suburb of Cardiff, capital of Wales.  It used to be a separate village: its core is still locally called "the village" and it has a Welsh village look.  So we had to get up at four to get a train at 5:59 in the morning.  It was a long day.  Elder Dykes spoke to us so it was worth it in the end.  He talked about how we are called to work with the spiritually sick people. We need to realize that every ones challenges are different and we need to be prepared for whatever gets thrown at us.  Elder Dykes was an ENT.  So he kept applying everything back to the human body an how when he starts a surgery he needs to know, to the best of his ability's, what is in there and what can go wrong.  But he talked about how we need to be prepared with spiritual instruments and know how to use them.  It was a very long day.  We where up at four and went to bed at ten that night.  But the good thing is that it was a very inspired meeting and one of my favorites so far in the Mission.

I have a friend from Blackfoot that was in the horrible storm in the Philippines.  She can't really sleep or eat after the trials she has gone through.  Continue to pray for all the Missionaries throughout the world for hearts to be softened to hear the good word of the Gospel and that trials will not be so great that we can't handle them.  A former Stake President has said "Missionaries will have experiences on their Mission where nowhere else in their life time they will have.  Not all are great, but it is also a time they are close to their Father in Heaven.  A time for growing and deepening their faith and trust in the Lord. 

Have a great week!

Elder Nielsen


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