The Break Up...

Hey everybody-

Well, we're already back to another big transfer Monday madness and it finally happened...the band's breakin’ up. Elder Taylor is headed off to Izhevsk for his final transfer and walkin’ out the door on me. I'm just kidding, that's just the biggest news from the week, it's like my mission is walking out the door. After 10 and a half months, it kinda jerks on your heart strings to lose a buddy like him. I'm super grateful I got to serve with him for so long and learned a ton- we are probably the most prepared people for marriage on the planet. Anyways, we'll miss him. I hope you have a chance to meet his parents somehow and of course get to his farewell sometime in October. I'll be stayin’ it around here a little longer with my other past companion, good ol Elder Whittemore. I'm super excited to be with him again, and it's going to be a fun upcoming few months with him. Good bros...if you can say that.

The storm definitely hasn't cooled down around here, I think I have had more action the last two weeks than I have had my whole...life. Anyways, we had Monday evening of kinda getting things settled down around the mission home for president and then took off early Tuesday evening to Izhevsk to have a greeting fireside with president, then to Kazan on Wednesday and Thursday to Ul'yanovsk...don't know if any of those cities ring a bell. It was super fun to be back in Kazan and see some familiar faces...it's been about a year and a half already and they were all so fun to be around and catch up on things. They were all super funny to have remembered me as not knowing a word of Russian and then they all were pumped to have me translate for president. Kinda fun, anyways, we got back super late on Thursday night to Samara. We rolled from all this mission tour stuff right into transfers and have had some pretty intense past couple of days- we typically didn't go to drop off leaving missionaries, but president asked us to come for his first time and so we got up at about 12:30 this morning and took them out to the airport and got back to our place at about 4:00 with missionaries rolling in on trains and needing taxis for the next couple hours...basically we are running on fumes here. We buzzed over to the train station and helped an incoming group and now it's about 11:00 and we're here in the office. Just wanted to give you a taste, Elder Taylor takes off tonight on a bus...we might take a couple minutes to go take some pictures or something and then get right back into the swing of things. I think I have owned more Russians’ faces at the train station getting people in and outta trains and things than I ever imagined. Good memories. They don't respect lines too much.

Anyways, we had a good last lesson with Svyetlana with Elder Taylor and she's doing great- she talked about how she realized how this is what she felt like she had been missing her whole life. We'll keep working with her with her post-baptism lessons, but it was super good to hear that. Elder Taylor and I were just talking about how I kinda didn't expect to have a story like that. It is a huge blessing to observe that in somebody's life.

Ok, it sounds like you liked some random stuff, so I thought of a couple other things to share:

1- They love dill here. They eat it with anything- any time that there is any kind of a main dish, there is a bowl of dill on the side- especially with borscht. Some of the Russians just eat it plain off the bushel.

2- Saturdays are hoppin’ days...it's the day that everybody get's married. We are in a quieter place of town, but there are these little agencies where people get their marriage license and then they all caravan down the street just laying on their horns and waving out the windows with decorated car hoods. Pretty funny.

3- Like I said, they haven't quite mastered courtesy with lines and things- if you aren't standing right behind somebody, a babushka will snake her way right in front of you at the grocery check out, or if you need something you just yell at the person at the counter even if they look busy, and they get it for you. Or I have thrown a couple elbows (not really) getting out of buses and marshrytkas because they will be climbing on the bus before the door even opens and you are trying to get out. Just another funny little idiom.

Anyways, have a good week.. We'll have a good one here.

Love

Elder Nielson

PS here's a picture...I had to check to see if I had sent it. On one of our trips to Tolyatti our driver, Roman, stopped and showed us this big look out over the river. Anyways, give you a taste of the mighty Volga! and a birds eye of Samara...

 

Ready, Set, Go!

Hey fam!

I thought I'd mix up the title this week, we have had a good doozy of a week for the record books. Anyways, thanks for the letters from everybody and it was good to hear from you!

So, we'll kick things off with a quick run down of the week- we had time for a lesson on Monday evening with Svyetlana and she is just doin’ well and things, it is fun to see the growth there. She was called as the librarian in the branch. Good for her. So, since then we have basically been doin’ some good work with President Schwab- Tuesday was our first mission leader council thing with president and that was good to give him a feel of the mission and things. I had a sweet moment when we all did reports on our zones and the sisters shared a report for all sisters (which was a good report) and Elder Taylor (who was conducting) commented on the fact that it was a good report. I was sitting behind the computer to type the minutes of the meeting and was just kind of thinking out loud and just kinda blurted out, "I liked that one..." pretty much everybody went quiet and president looked over at me and said, "nice comment Elder Nielson!" Man we just lost it after that. That definitely made it on Elder Taylor’s wall of pink sticky notes that he writes down all of my dumb comments on. Reminds me of Will Burgess. Anyways, sorry mom and dad, I guess the family name isn't being too well represented.

So, after that president wanted to do a quick little zone conference type meeting to meet all the missionaries so Wednesday we had that meeting and had our typical running around to make everything run smooth for a couple of hours. Right after this meeting, we got our stuff together and jumped in the mission van with president and rode down to Saratov. We did the same kind of meeting down there in Saratov and basically spent the last half of the week around with president to translate for interviews, getting laptops and programs up and going, and all that kind of thing that they haven't had time to do yet. They are also doing a simple fireside in every branch of the mission and so the evenings we have been going around and help out with the projector and things and translating for those as well. Basically, in all of this we just scrape out an hour here and an hour there of contacting. Pretty much, we were going non-stop with him headed home from Saratov yesterday and hit a couple other cities on the road back to get home at about 9:30 last night. Woo! We're taking off in the morning for round two tomorrow, so buckle up!

Anyways, although we didn't have much time to do too much missionary work, I was filled with gratitude for my mission as we went around. Coming a little bit closer to the last few months of my mission I kinda got a little bit discouraged thinking that regardless of the fact that I haven't seen nations get baptized, I was more just kinda bothered that maybe I didn't feel the love that I expected for Russia and the language and those kinds of things; instead maybe I more loved missionary work...if that makes sense. Not gonna lie, from first glance it is kinda difficult to love the place. Anyways, we were able to go around to these branches and just riding down the road and looking at the miles of sunflower fields (pretty cool) I was able to realize how much I love it...and especially Russia. I can't explain the amount of respect that I have for the saints here and how loving they are, even being in branches of members that I didn't know. I was able to see old members that I had known in Saratov that I love and can now talk openly with them now and just be friends. Of course, it is the gospel that binds us all together, but my stomach takes a cringe when the thought of "coming to a close" creeps into my mind. I love these Russian saints and the privilege it is to be here, it's humbling.

Love you all

Elder Nielson

Hello everybody!

Well, glad to hear you all made it to Torrey and back...still have no idea where that is. But that was fun to see the pics and video, I now know. Thanks for sending that.

We've been pretty busy around here with everything that is going on. I'm sure you are wondering about the Schwabs. Man they are just awesome. We are so excited and President Schwab especially is just perfect. It is a little bit nerve racking to be sending our old one out and picking up a "new guy" from the airport and things, but holy cow he is just awesome. Most of our time has been spent takin’ care of them and already have some great memories and things.

Earlier in the week we had a few days to get a little bit of work done which was sweet. It's kind of funny because we'll get slammed with administrative stuff and then all the sudden we get that done and haven't been able to find any new people to meet with and things, and so we just have an open day with no appointments or anything set up- basically we had one of those on Wednesday which was actually way fun. We just owned the streets all day and got let into a guy knocking and got him a Book of Mormon and things. I love those kind of days- Heavenly Father always makes something happen for us and it's just fun.

Anyways, that was the first half of the week and then Thursday was the big day we have been waiting for- we went to the airport in the afternoon and picked up the Schwabs! That was super fun and we brought them back here. I have so much respect for these mission presidents coming out- we had a couple of questions with him for some of his scheduling and we sat down and looked at a calendar, and he just looks up with this helpless face and just says, "what day is it today?" It was so funny, the poor guy is just sent out here and just thrown into everything cold turkey after a huge long flight and time change and everything. Anyways, so we have basically spent the last few days of pretty much every minute with him just catching him up to speed and things. They came to church with us and bore their testimonies yesterday and the spirit was just so strong and perfect, they are great to have out here.

So, there wasn't too much to write, so I figured I'd give you a countdown of some good things about Russia:

6) They have just pride in who they are and what they have that's for sure. They love their language, culture, everything and they will let you know about it. They love that their language is difficult and I can't tell you how many thousands of conversations I have had of just saying, "yes your language is hard, yes I like it here, yes the Volga [river] is beautiful, yes I like people here..." etc.

5) They love to help people out- a lot of times they may seem a little bit crusty but if you will ask a person on the street for directions, they will throw themselves in front of a bus to show you where to go. Often, I'll just ask somebody for directions to get a conversation started and never ever get around to anything besides them just taking us or showing us where to go and explaining every possible way to get somewhere.

4) Everything is a memorial here to somebody. For example, they just put a plaque up of a guy that played soccer for the Samara soccer team up on our apartment. He played 40 years ago. But there are some sweet big statues or squares with some cool stuff on it. A lot of big things that we don't really have back in our neck of the woods.

3) They love to be dressed up and feel fancy. - the girls love the hi-heels and even men are always in collars and things. They feel all fancy going to their little plays or shows or symphonies and honestly you can tell they love to feel cool. It cracks me up.

2) A lot of times they think that they just HAVE to give you something. For example, I have a lighter that a guy gave me in Saratov on the bus just because, or I've gotten multiple chocolates from old ladies on the little Marshrytka vans, or easter eggs, or other lighters (they all pack lighters- don’t know why they give me them), or even an ice cream from a guy on the tram. That's my favorite one. Anyways, they always feel the need to give you something. I always laugh about it and there is no refusing or you'll offend somebody.

1) They love to see us with just big smiles- it stops a lot of people. They may not hear anything or listen (or maybe understand us) but they just have a desire to be happy. That has been my biggest tool on the mission.

Anyways, don't know if that gives you anything. And I don’t know why I had 6 things but it gives you an idea. But, things are good and we are just keepin’ on. Got some good weeks ahead travelling around with president and so we're looking forward to that! Love you all!

Elder Nielson

[a couple of more funny little things Elder Nielson commented on from questions we asked him]

Ya it has been good to have exchanges and things going on. It is interesting because it makes me more physically tired and things, but I am more energized and excited as we get to just get out and do normal work. I'm sure you saw it sometimes that missionaries sometimes look for any excuse to not do that work, but it is fun to get out there and encourage them to do some work and be excited about it. I have definitely seen what President Bangerter talked about in my setting apart about being hard working and obedient, because that is what we do on exchanges. Kinda cool. Sleep is fine, the sun is setting earlier and raising now later which is good. I still wake up at about 5:30, but for most of the summer I would wake up at about 4:00 ish because that is when the sun comes up. But sleep is fine- good exercise is key to get that blood pumpin!

Ya we have heard plenty about that guy that got stuck in Moscow or whatever it is. I swear everyone here knows more about America and what is going on than I do- they just assume that we care as much about all that gossip kind of stuff as they do. Haha but we don't really see too much as far as tension goes- if people are mad at us it is something to do with World War II or something dumb like that and we are just like- "man that was like 40 years before I was born". They think that we are taught that America won the war- I don't even know what to believe anymore!

Thanks for the prayers and everything- we are totally safe and things. And especially right now we're just doin’ everything to make sure that President Schwab is feeling comfortable and keeping his head on. I cannot believe how much that man has to do- and on top of that he has no idea what it is, he just hears that he has to do it so we just kind of follow him around like a couple of puppies. But we are good puppies that will catch a frisbee from him!

Good morning everybody!

Well, that was a great round of emails from this past week, thanks for all the fun updates of things going on and glad to hear that you are keepin’ busy and involved in some good stuff.

We have had a good run at it this past week, we are doing a lot to get ready for President Schwab coming out and we are getting pretty excited. Just a quick update, he'll be getting out here on Thursday and the Sartoris heading home on Friday, crazy how this has all come up so fast. I swear it should still be 6 months out like it always has been.

Anyways, we took off on Monday up to Tol'yatti for some big exchanges. Elder Taylor took off with Elder Owen up to Izhevsk and I stayed there in Tol'yatti again and was with my other old companion, Elder Whittemore. It was a super fun couple of days and we were able to get some good work done. Honestly, we were still pretty hammered from our last week Saratov exchanges, but we went for it anyways and were able to get some good things done and hopefully got some missionaries excited in those areas. I wish I had a good story for you, but honestly, we just had a few days of raw missionary work with them, that is: finding people, and had some good successes and things. I like those kinds of days because you just keep on working and working and Heavenly Father just blesses you throughout the day. Pretty simple.

So, we headed on back here to Samara on Thursday morning and had a sweet lunch here with the office staff and President and Sister Sartori. It was a Russian barbecue for them heading home which was super fun. I love all the staff workers down here in the office, they are all fun to be around. I also think that President Klimov (one of the branch presidents here) may have emailed you a photo from that of me and president...just wanted to see if that made it. So, basically from that point on we had to spend some time getting things together for when President Schwab comes. We had to work on the upcoming transfer and things like that because he won't know anybody and things like that. Honestly, that is kind of how the rest of the week went. On Saturday evening we also had a fireside for president here in Samara and he spoke and gave a great talk. It was a good way for him to go out, and it was really cool too because Svyetlana gave the closing prayer. She is integrating well and just happy to be there.

That pretty much sums up the week, everything is going well as usual. I just had some interesting thoughts today as we were studying- honestly I was a little down just because of the fact that sometimes I see how easily people can be influenced by Satan.  Anyways, I was just reading and got to Alma 7- these are some verses that are often quoted about the Atonement, they are some good ones that I was excited to read as a good pump up. I would love to help people catch it. Something else kind of hit me though- right before those verses on the Atonement, it mentions of the Savior's humble and simple coming into the world. I was taken back a little bit to think of the simplicity in which our Savior came to the world and how that simple event really is what we are trying to turn people's hearts to. That simple night of His coming definitely has gained much more meaning in my life as I have tried to explain the greatness of a Savior when people have a hard time accepting such a simple thing. I am grateful for that though- there is just something warm and tender about imagining the simple form that the Savior took upon to help us out. I know that anybody that accepts this Savior into their lives will see themselves changed and their families will be happier- that's what we all want anyways.

I am super grateful for what the Lord has taught me on my mission. I hope you have a good week this week, I sure love you all.

Love

Elder Nielson

p.s.- here's a shot from out there in tol'yatti. we felt pretty cool- pretty much we were hackin through this jungle until we baptized a family of 4.

 

This is outside our apartment.  We always see guys squatting like this and eating sunflower seeds and drinking a beer!  Ha!
 

Hey everybody-

Well we're back already to Monday- I have no idea where July is going.  We were able to have a good solid transfer week and are pretty pumped for some big exchanges and things for the next couple weeks.

So we had the typical transfer week with running back and forth to the train station and getting people in and out of the apartment and welcoming in the new group and everything- honestly I don't want to bore you too bad with all the details and things. but that was how the first bit of the week was spent and then our "mission leadership coucil" on Thursday- we used to just have the zone leaders but now with the influx of sisters we now have sister leaders that come to those meetings once a month. (that is what you got the picture of)...good times.

However, we had the last little bit of the week to do some good work. we are really making a big emphasis on pushing all of this "work of salvation" broadcast and trying to make the member involved in the work here.  I hope that everyone back at home paid attention to that, I would honestly encourage watching that a second time. it is pretty awesome stuff, we are just trying to find the best ways that we can get people excited and helping out in the work. we are all super excited about that.  So, we have been trying to get together with the branch president and help out with branch council and things to try and get something going.  Super exciting.

As far as other things go though, Svyetlana is just doing great.  I always just kinda pictured baptism as the goal (which it is) but that getting somebody there is just all that matters. however, the real joy comes from watching these people grow in the church and having them testify in meetings and seeing what happens as a result of baptism.  It is a big blessing to see that take place in her life, even just a week after baptism. so that's exciting and fun to watch. of course we are working with other people and finding some great ones on the streets, Svyetlana is just kinda the star for right now. haha

Quick funny story- we're walking down the street last night with a member on our way to a meeting and all the sudden we hear down the street "no way! no way!" and all the sudden we see this kinda larger man (he looked like Newman from Seinefeld, don't know where that came from) running out from the trees and yelling "no way- it is just too far. mormon missionaries made it out to Samara?! there's no way!"  We were kinda taken back for a minute, but this brotha came running up to us and turns out he is an American guy from Florida.  Sounds like his parents were Russian and they moved toAamerica when he was six and so he speaks Russian but is a straight up American.  Gosh we were crackin up- we didn't know what to do with ourselves. He knew everything about us, he gave us his number and things because he is here for a month with his wife from here, so we'll see.  But definitely one of the more random things I've seen in my time.  Good times, we ended the night with a good smile on our faces.

Kinda goofy but all in all, things are just going great, we just keep pushing and good things happen every day.  I am blessed to be a missionary.  I hope you have a good week. love you all.

Love

Elder Nielson

ps first picture is us with Svyeltana on a bench, she looks a little more like herself. there was some hat party they were doing at the branch so we were trying the hats on.  I like this picture because this is where we always meet, I'll always remember this spot. and it gives you a good taste of Elder Taylor. haha

the other is at her baptism. good times.

Game Film

Hey family!

 

I had to go with the title this week because sometimes when I write home it feels like when we would watch game film back in high school or college after our games or practice and sometimes you felt really good going into game film and excited to have the coaches be excited when you make a good play, or sometimes there isn't much to report and it's like those bad game film times that you just aren't too excited about, except on a mission we don't get chewed out...anyways, I feel like that sometimes going into writing home. haha however, this week had some really good game film.

 

Probably first and foremost is that our investigator got baptized this week! woo!  I also don't really know where that came from besides the fact that she was totally ready and it was just a matter of her deciding to go.  I'll put a picture on for sure.  Actually it turns out that we only took those pictures on Elder Taylor's camera, but he forgot it.  Bummer, next week they will come.  After the baptism on last Saturday, a lady told some other missionaries here in Samara that she wanted to be baptized this saturday, so we used that as a chance on Tuesday to tell our investigator that we would have a service and she could get baptized on Saturday.  She totally took it and made it happen!  The other lady ended up getting sick unfortunately, but we had a really nice service and it was so good.  She testified at the end which was the most gratifying part and also stood up yesterday in sacrament meeting and bore her testimony!  Oh man, it was so great.  She definitely is going to be a great member and things and is super converted.  She told Elder Taylor that she didn't really understand why we were meeting and things until she got an answer that the Book of Mormon was true.  That was great to hear, she loves the scriptures and was just so happy afterwards.  Don't tell anybody, but she just came up and gave us the biggest hugs after the service, we had to do the awkward missionary stand there and take it, but it was really cute.  It was a great time.

 

That was definitely the highlight of the week, we are working with some other people, had the final Ukraine visa trip on friday, and then are now a little full with the transfer going on and everything again- can't believe we're already back to that time.  We sent off the group going home last night and so had a late night (you might be getting a visit for the Stevens..a senior couple that just came home, just fyi- they are great people from Morgan as well) and then our exercise this morning was to take a lil jog to the train station and help a big incoming group from Saratov.  Good times, funny lil memories.

 

Anyways, it's all going great, hope that you all have a great week and thanks for all the prayers. they are felt that's for sure.

Love,

Elder Nielson

Elder Nielson's week

Good mornin fam!

Well we have had a good week this week, glad to hear that things are going good on the home front and hope you all had a good time there in big St George. Looks like you had a good time, thanks for the sweet videos and pics, those are definitely the highlight of the week and it was fun to hear all of your stories this week...

Anyways, things are going pretty good around here. The big news you are all waiting for is with our investigator...things are going great with her. Basically she left the city and just thought things over and we met on Friday...basically she apologized and everything and is saying that she just wasn't quite ready yet and she was kinda "outside" of herself. Honestly we were super bummed after our last meeting but we honestly felt fine because she still had a testimony and everything, and turns out when we met Friday things are just fine. She even got a hold of our branch president and then came with us on Saturday to a baptism of a kid here in Samara which was really good for her. She made friends with another lady and it was a really good service and things and I think that she feels really good. Anyways, we are just going to keep working with her and getting her to feel that she is ready. She also came to church yesterday and stayed all three hours- we watched the big missionary/member missionary broadcast during second and third hour and I think it was a great thing for her to watch and feel the power of the apostles and prophet as well as see the support and love that is throughout the world for the church and it's members. That was awesome to watch, it is always a good reminder that the church is still true and functioning. But it was a great message and I hope that everybody is finding ways to help others be blessed by the gospel. That was way exciting to see and hear.

As far as other things go, things are going pretty well and just scootin’ right on along. We had a good couple of days on exchanges earlier in the week- we went out to Tol'yatti and honestly it's been way fun to just try and get everyone as pumped and working as hard as they can. It's been pretty fun, we have a ton of new missionaries that have come out over the last few transfers and so I always pick to be with that one and we always see a lot of cool things happen. Unfortunately, working with the younger companion we get the days without lessons, but it's ok because we just go out and find people and the Lord blesses us a ton with that. It's been a really good time.

In our area we have been working with quite a few other people- honestly the progress moves pretty slow with a lot of people just because they are pretty difficult to get meetings with but it has been really fun to see some great things going on in our area. As far as Dany boy goes, we have had a hard time getting a hold of him, but he is still around, just so you know. Turns out he's been in the middle of moving and so that has made it a lil’ difficult to get in touch. Anyways, just some random little side notes.

Well, we got a good week ahead and I got the final visa trip to Ukraine coming up- woo hoo...a lot of airplane food and sweating in an airport. haha But it's always fun to think a little bit and it always feels like I am coming back on my mission again as a new missionary when we fly back into Samara. Good memories.

Anyways, hope you all have a good week and we'll be looking forward to hearin’ from you this next week. Love you all.

Love

Elder Nielson