Week 56: I'm 20! | A Trainer?? Who ME!?

 Aloha kakou!

Transfer news: I'm staying in Kekaha ward as a district leader. And I'm training a new missionary! Like New New! I got the call from Mission President Sloat Friday evening and that I would attend a trainers meeting the following morning. The following day was my birthday!!! I get to be a trainer for my birthday!!

Thanks everybody for the birthday wishes. It sure is great being 20. It was such a fun birthday! We spent our morning in the taro fields in Kapa'a. Then at 9 o'clock I hopped into a white shirt and tie to attend a training meeting. Around lunch time after farming, the senior missionary Sister Johnson told me to come over where she was to show me something while Elder Tipa and the other Elders were in the corner. While my back was turned, I started to feel water balloons hit my neck and back! They ambushed me! . During lunch, they put some candles on some chocolate muffins and they sang happy birthday to me. It was awesome! When we got home, I got to call family and open mailboxes full of candy and fun stuff.

While I was eating lunch in that taro patch, I sat back and realized just where I was. I was serving as a missionary in Hawaii on the island of Kauai. I was surrounded by my close friends working in a Hawaiian taro patch, and just earlier I was pelted by water balloons....BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!

I was pretty sad to see Elder Tipa go. He was called to serve as a zone leader on Oahu. His first leadership assignment!! I told him he's gonna do great. When I got kinda nervous about training, Elder Tipa gave me a wise counsel. "Just love him like you've loved me." I think I can do that.

We've already seen so many miracles! We've met three new people who we're starting to teach. There was this one time this week that we were tracting in Lilo's town of Hanapepe. We were walking down the street and met some kids at a park. We started sharing a message with them, then some boys down the park near the basketball hoop called us over. Elder Jones ended up dunking for an audience of kids. It was pretty impressive honestly. Them afterwards we talked about how we should share our gifts like Christ would to bring love to other people. They took our number as well as our autographs .

Me and Elder Jones both spoke on Sunday and talked about ministering with love and sacrifices we make to be disciples of Christ. It's really hard putting away a lot to come on a mission. Elder Jones put aside a really well paying job and a position on college football to show his love for the Lord and his family. I look up to him a lot (metaphorically and literally). I remind him that I learn a lot from him as well.

I'm really looking forward to the next couple weeks. It'll be a ride.

Love you all!

Love, Elder Nielsen

Week 53,54,55?: The continual Growth

Bruddah Ball and I

Aloha kākou! It's been a great week!

Last Tuesday, we had another great lesson with Dawson. We re-taught him the Restoration with greater detail and showed him a video showing Joseph Smith's first vision. He said he was a more visual learner so it helped tons. We're going to focus more on learning from the Book of Mormon more and understanding what it actually is. Kinda of like what we're doing with Gwen. He said he's excited to learn more!

Wednesday was an insane day! We tried to divide the time in the day to stop by different families. We weren't seeing a lot of people at home [since it was mid-afternoon]. But then we felt like we should try to go stop by Lee. It's been a while! We caught him and his wife Lillian outside. We ended up having an hour-long lesson with them! The spirit was really really strong! We invited them to earnestly pray about what we talked about with them.

Then later that day I got to meet a family friend who lives in Kauai. He's close friends to my parents and I last saw him when I was like 2.

I performed a Hawka at a Hawaiian talent show party called a Kanikapila. It was pretty dang awesome.

Well that's all I have time to write for this week. But just remember that I've always been constantly in a state of learning and growing no matter how well or poorly things go. It's so awesome serving here! I hope with transfers coming up I'll get to stay . But we'll see.

Love you all and have a great week!

-Love, Elder Nielsen 

P.s. If you ever want effective surfing lessons, call Dave Ball 

Cool Conference

Rainbows

Sweet shades with Tipa