FIRST OFF, SHOUT OUT TO MY BRO JOSHY. Happy Birthday! Can't believe you're 14 now! Wow. stop. growing. up. It's crazy that you are the age Joseph Smith was when He saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Mom said you bore a great testimony about it in sacrament meeting. Always remember to stand up for what you believe. We gotta give our all for the Lord.
This week was a good week. We've been seeing miracles and finding investigators at a steady rate. We've been really busy and when you're a missionary being so busy that you barely have time to think, you're eating dinner at nine thirty every night, and your feet hurt from walking is a good thing!
We've started something this week that I'm waaaaaaay stoked about! We're doing an 11 week consecration week. Our new mission president was just announced, President Wayne T. Watson. As a way to kick off the new year and prepare this mission for a new president, we're consecrating ourselves for the next 11 weeks. Each week, one district in the mission will be fasting. The rest of the mission will be praying for added consecration (with each companionship focusing on what they can do to completely dedicate themselves to the work, to sanctify themselves through the Atonement), for the mission and the people of Finland, that the work will accelerate in accordance with the Lord’s will and that we will know what steps to take in order to play our part as that happens, and on behalf of the district that is fasting. The whole mission is praying every morning at seven fifty and every evening at nine fifty so we will all be praying at the same time and will be able to call down the powers of Heaven together. Today was our first day. We were getting ready and the alarm on our phone went off to remind us. We dropped everything, ran into the family room, and got down on our knees so we were praying at exactly the same time. I felt the Spirit really strongly. I know that the Lord will support us in our efforts as we give our all to Him. I'm so excited to really consecrate myself these next 11 weeks and allow the Lord to shape and transform me into who He wants me to be. I know He lives. He gave His all for us, the least we can do is try our best to become who he wants us to become.
We had a cool experience this week. We were walking home after a long day with little success. It was freezing, my body was literally exhausted, and we were starving. As we walked, we were just praying constantly in our hearts that somebody would be put in our path that the Lord wanted us to talk to. We saw a woman walking from a different way, and without thinking much of it, I turned to my companion and said "let's go talk to that woman." So we crossed the street to talk to her. Well, we ended up having the most amazing conversation with her. She is Lutheran and was just so impressed by the fact that we young girls were here telling people about Christ. She talked about how hard it is for her to watch the rising generation turn away from God and from their Savior. She asked us for our church's information because she said she wants to come some time. She said any church that has youth like us is a church she wants to visit. As we walked away, we saw a group of probably 15 year old boys smoking. It made me so sad to see very clearly that that is where our world is heading. I am so grateful that I was raised in this gospel - that I have this anchor and this rock in my life. That when the winds of change come, and the trials, and storms, and challenges beat upon me, my foundation is in Christ and I will not fall. We are all made for "greater things than we can comprehend" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland). The thing is, we have to decide if we will live up to our potential or not. If we will strive, and work, and live for it or if we will just slip into what the world wants us to be. We are all made for so much more than drinking, drugs, and the things of this world. We are destined for greatness and we are children of a King. Through the Savior Jesus Christ, we can become who we always wanted to be - and more. The choice is up to us. Will we sell ourselves short, or will we live out our calling and find lasting happiness in this world and the world to come?
If you have worries, concerns, or hesitations about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with others, prayerfully consider D&C 33.
I know that God lives. I know that this is His church. I know that He is our Father. I know that He loves us, that He knows us, and that He wants to be a part of our lives. Christ is our Savior, the great Mediator, the Messiah, and Redeemer of the World. How amazing is it that the very Son of God refers to us as His "friends"? Come unto Him. Let Him carry your burdens. Let Him lift your sorrow. Let Him help you become who you are destined to be. You are made for so much more.
I love and miss you all. The church is true. What does that mean? That means that Christ lives, this is His gospel, and that the ONLY way to be truly happy is through it.
Keep calm and preach on. Live what you know.
Rakkaudella,
Sisar Nielsen ps. elder hugie got his tooth knocked out last week while we were playing sähly (the finnish version of floor hockey). don't worry, after a trip to the dentist they put it back in. ya know us missionaries, we've got lots of challenges to face here: drunks, the darkness, and flying hockey sticks.
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