Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving.

This week has been a fun one and a quick one.  There are times on my Mission that the days and weeks just fly by and others that seem to never end. But anyway, didn't really have anything new happen out of the ordinary, but the one cool thing that happened was on our way to a lesson.  We where running late because of some things that happened in the morning with miscommunication. But it is about a twenty minute bike ride to the investigators house. The lesson was at 11:30 and we jumped on our bikes at 11:20.  The other draw back from being twenty minuets away is that it is all up hill.  As I was riding I was just flying up the hills and such.  I felt like I had extra help and someone was pushing me and helping me getting up those large hills of Worcester, England.  And the best miracle of all is that we got to the investigators house at 11:35 only five minuets late.  We have never made it up there that quick.  It was a really cool miracle that happened and we had a great lesson as well.

England does not celebrate Thanksgiving.  Usually the Missionaries are invited to Ward members homes that are transplants to England but this year we had Thanksgiving as a District which was fun.  Our District Leader cooked it for us and he came up to me and said "Elder Nielsen you look like you have carved a turkey before." So my job was to carve the turkey and pick off the best bits that I like and eat them.  Always the plus of carving the turkey, right. But it was really fun to be with the District and celebrate and be thankful.  I have grown pretty close to many of the Missionaries here in our District and we had a great day.  Even though Thanksgiving wasn't with my "family" it was with my Mission family which will be another great memory of my time spent here.

I have been thinking a lot about blessings and which ones I have seen come to me on my Mission.  I had to think really hard to realize them.  But then I was sent this poem in an email today and I think it made me realize the blessings that I have been given.

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for—but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

I am blessed and am grateful for all that our Savior Jesus Christ has given me.  I hope that you as well will search daily what blessings have come your way and thank Him for them.

Have a great week.

Love Elder Nielsen