Hi everyone!! I'm finally out!!!!

I'm so grateful that I'm able to go to the Provo MTC!! I've had so many things happen in like two days so I'll just start. Finishing up online MTC was a very weird experience. At first it was like we were saying goodbye, but obviously we were about see each other in person. I guess it was just the great lessons and spirit that I had only experienced for a week behind a computer. The spirit of missionary service really knows no bounds.

Thank you all so much for tuning into my mission farewell talk on Sunday!! If I'm being honest, I struggled at first on what to write about. The guidelines I was given was to share experiences about how I gained my testimony. I wasn't really sure where to go from that, but then my companion Elder Owen blew my phone up with talks, scriptures, other great stuff that inspired me to the eventual talk that we all experienced.

It was really difficult having to say goodbye to my family and friends. Being the oldest sibling and oldest cousin, it was really hard saying goodbye to kids that are going to be so much older when I see them again. But interestingly enough, when it came time to say goodbye to my parents I didn't feel sad or discouraged. I knew that was right where I was supposed to be. I couldn't have been more excited, and determined to get started. But don't worry, I was still pretty nervous.

Not much else to say about yesterday other than it totally hyped my up more to be a missionary. We met up with our district and teachers, unpacked, and start sliding into our week. We did get the chance at the end of the day to go to an introductory meeting, a milk and cookies break, and a missionary devotional.

Fun fact, right before the devotional started I got a bloody nose. So that was fun. And you can't leave your companion so Elder Owen was there right beside me with a tissue box, water bottle, and telling me that it's no big deal. The devotional included a recording of Elder Bednar about the Character of Christ which was fantastic.

Then the second part of it was unexpected. They called up three guest speakers to talk about the horrible personal experiences they've had to endure and how they invited Christ in their life. After the devotional was over Elder Owen was pretty sad because of him feeling so bad for these people. But most significantly the third speaker who had had a disease that has caused him so much physical pain in the most terrible ways you can imagine. His mission was even cut short because of it.

After hearing that story, I thought to myself and realized how lucky I am that the only physical ailment I've had to worry about very recently was a bloody nose. I have a body that is functional enough that I can serve a mission for the Lord without fear of literally dying any second. It is my purpose right now to use the testimony and body that I've been given to preach the gospel and serve others as Christ did. The Lord needs us right now at this time to use the gifts and talents that we've been given to reach out to others and to administer to those in need.

Real quick, since today was our first p-day we worked out in the morning, had breakfast, and go to the temple. I swear it just gets better and better the more I go. Also the Provo temple was really pretty. Then me and my district played basketball for a few hours, then dinner, then a meeting with our branch presidency. It was by far the most spiritual experience I have had at least inside the MTC thus far. All the presidency interviewed the different companionships, and after we went back in, we were assigned callings in our zone. He started calling Elders and Sisters to be senior companions, and when he got to me and Elder Owen, we were called to be zone leaders.

This email is long enough as it is to try to explain what that is right now, but just now that you are here for a reason. Heavenly Father has a purpose for you to be where you are, but you also have potential to do more. Thanks for the love and support. I love you all and I'll see you next week!

Aloha! -Elder Nielsen

1. View from the 6th floor building where our meeting was overlooking BYU.

2. Me and my district eating together for the 1st time. (Elder Owen to my left)

3. Right after our temple trip outside Provo Temple.

Aloha kakou! or Hello everyone!

This is my first weekly email of many to come during my 2 whole years as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I've been preparing for this my whole life and I'm so grateful to finally be in the service of the Lord. I will be serving in the Hawaii, Honolulu mission in the English language. I will officially head out to Hawaii on August 9th after learning 2 weeks in the Provo MTC.

This past week has been absolutely amazing! On Sunday I was set apart and it was at that very moment that I felt the gravity and blessing of my newly given responsibility. After I was set apart I couldn't stop smiling. I knew I was going to love this. Then online MTC started and oh boy was it amazing! I love my district so much! This week of lessons taught brother Brother Garrison and Sister Doezie have been phenomenal. During my MTC learning, for both online and in Provo, I have been assigned a companion. His name is Elder Owen. He is 6'4'', super athletic, and about the biggest testimony I've ever seen. We do companion study every day and it's always a blast. It just makes me more excited to see my entire district in person on Wednesday!

I have learned so much more than I ever thought I could online. Regardless the method of teaching, the work of a missionary is universal; no matter the time or place. Before classes there's a devotional for all the missionaries online where they explain an aspect of missionary work that we can relate to our own lives. It invites the spirit so strongly and makes the daily 6 hours of classes feel like 5 minutes. Even though my mission is in English, I have made the effort to learn Hawaiian and some Japanese through Duolingo. It makes me love the culture of Hawaii even more and who knows it might be helpful later on. On Wednesday I got to see my friend Nathan Stewart (Formerly Elder Stewart) after he returned from his mission. It was a cool experience to talk to a freshly returned missionary especially since he served 6 months in Fiji for good chunk of time before he was transferred in response to Corona.

I am so humbled to finally be missionary for many reasons, but my favorite is how closely I feel the Lord's presence around me every time I put on my nametag. To call myself an official representative of Jesus Christ is the greatest privilege I've ever had. The Holy Ghost has never left my side and has guided me along the entire way of journey that has only just begun. I am so excited to learn more and I could have only made it here from everyone's support. I love you all and I can't wait to email next week while in the Provo MTC!!! It's literally the most exciting thing ever and it only gets better from here.

I will see you all next week! Lesu pu!

1. My online setup(I got a haircut yesterday so forgive my ugly hair)