Good morning Family!

Man what a good few reports to get from you back at the ranch.  It sounds like things are going and time just keeps on a movin’ along.  Wow I can't believe you are already getting ready to go back to school and back to the band and football and cheering coming from the good Lone Peak across the way.  So good, I can sense it right now.  I will probably be washing the truck with Charley in my dreams tonight.  So fun and I also appreciate the theme email with all this included mama- nice play on words I gotta say.   First we gotta congratulate big Sarah for makin’ the tennis team!  Yea baby eat fuzz!  Well done sis, way to do it.  And of course, lil Tan it's so fun to hear what’s goin’ on with you as well.  Life sure just rolls on, crazy. 

Wow it is also so cool to hear about all the missionaries coming and going outta the 15th ward.  We are definitely making our contribution to this work, and we are so blessed because of it.  So fun to hear, you will have to pass a good luck a long to each of them and a good ol' "Da!" from Elder Nielson.   Also sounds like you might be making a good run on down to Arizona.  Grab a strawberry shortcake popsicle on the way and a Sandy special for me, but more importantly I hope that is a very good time and you all enjoy time together.  I sure wish I could be there with you, it will for sure be a very special time. We are so blessed with such a special family and I hope that you will all feel that and enjoy this time.  I will definitely be there with you in spirit for that.  :)

 Well we continue to be blessed here and the work just rolls on forward here in good ol’ Заводской!  (I finally figured out the Russian setting. had to have a little fun)  We were able to have exchanges with our district leader this past week and that was just a party as always.  We did some work round these parts.  It was really fun, I spent Tuesday here in the center of the city with Elder Bearden and we had a really good time.  Just doin’ the good work.  And then Wednesday I was back in Заводской with our district leader, Elder Главодский.  He is from Ukraine and so it was a blast working with him because we rolled the whole day in Russian.  I think I got a little bit of a taste of Ryan Jolley's mission.  It was super fun and was kinda fun to end the day realizing you just were hangin’ out in Russian all day.  We continued the rest of the week just doin’ the good work.   We continue to be so darn blessed with Ivan as we work with him to prepare for baptism.  Last Monday, he had not smoked for 4 days, but then told me he had smoked that evening.  What a bummer, we had to push his baptism back to the 18th, which is probably good anyways to help us prepare him because he has to go 2 weeks before baptism without smoking.  It's been so good to work with someone and see them changed just bits at a time as they strive to live the gospel.  He came with us to a fireside on Saturday where our 2nd counselor in the mission presidency spoke, but we really wanted him to meet President Sartori because he came as well.  That was really fun, my mission president is so great.  He has such a good spirit about him and so we just wanted to introduce Ivan to him because we knew he would be able to feel that.  I love President Sartori.  We then had a meeting with him on Sunday over at the members that he is living with.  We were able to teach him the plan of salvation, and this was definitely the highlight of the week.  We taught him the basic truths and it was very good, but as we got to the end, there was definitely a special spirit that filled the room.  It was so interesting to recognize the blessings of the plan of salvation as we taught someone that didn't know, but wanted to know.  It was very tender to testify of the fact and time we have to look forward to of living with our families in Heavenly Father's presence.  A minute after, it was even more special to then tell him that he will see his parents again and that he can help them receive the blessings of the plan of salvation.  This was definitely a time that my testimony grew of this plan, of the simple truths and doctrines and blessings that we receive from the plan of salvation.  There was a very special spirit there yesterday, and we were so blessed to have that there with us.  It was also cool to have him ask me after the fireside to baptize him on the 18th.  I love that guy.

Besides that, things continue to roll on as we work with others and try to build up this area.  i love how good it sounds things are going and hearing about everything, so tell me about it as well!  i always hear myself have to talk, so don't be shy to share stuff with me.  :)  I love you family and hope you have a good week!

Love you!

Старейшина Нильсон