Monday, April 11, 2011

Week 31: April 11, 2011

Congratulations to Colin and Whitney for graduating this year! very exciting Oh and I also need to remember all the birthdays in April hopefully I can remembeu (haha) all of them Clayton, Aunt Sondra, Melissa, and I think Adam. I Know I am forgetting somebody and possibly added somebody who doesn't have a birthday in April, I need to remember to write them in my planner because I don't have my calendar with me right now.

Last week was pretty good, Elder Naylor and I have been doing great together and we know how each other work so we are pretty used to each other. It will probably be hard to seperate from him and get used to another companion and that sort of thing.

I am really glad that you guys all had a good time this weekend with the graduation and baby blessing, looked like a whole lot of fun. Well I haven't written any hand written letters in a while but I am going to try and get some out there to some folks, that way I can actually share some more personal thoughts. Sorry this letter is a short one but be looking forward to getting some letters soon.

Love
Elder Nielsen

Monday, April 4, 2011

Week 30: April 4, 2011

Hello everyone,

This week was great here in Bellville. Yesterday we had 7 investigators at church which totally smashed the record by far. It's really exciting to have all those people at church and see the ward welcome them and show them what classes they need to go to next. It was packed in our Gospel principles class and we are sure that all of those people enjoyed their time at church and felt something special about it and of course it was the spirit that was present. We were kind of nervous about it being fast and testimony meeting but it actually worked out for good we heard great testimonies for veteran members, it was also nice to hear from our members that they had never seen so many investigators at church at one time.

I wasn't going to tell you this week but unfortunately my camera was stolen so I won't be able to send more pictures in the near future. But it is a good thing you guys sent me a flash drive so I can still collect all the memories that have been captured from my companions camera's.

We haven't watched conference yet, we will be watching it on the 16th of April so we are very excited about that. Can't believe that it is already the second General Conference on my mission. The weather here is starting to get cooler, I can't describe what it feels like but I will try my best to put it into words for next week, it's something I have never felt before it's weird.

Butler is apparently still in it, I hope they can pull it off hah. Dad thanks for keeping me updated on all the interviews and job possibilities you are having it's cool to hear about them and the possibility of them all.

So it's a big week for everybody with Graduations and a baby Blessing that's awesome, I will be keeping all of you in my prayers and hope everything goes well!

Love you,
Elder Nielsen

Monday, March 28, 2011

Week 29: March 28, 2011

I attached a photo of our baptism that we had yesterday, the picture was taken right after the baptism so we were already wet. Pictured from left to right top to bottom (Sister Zandile, me, Buhle and Mahle). Sister Zandile is a recent convert who was baptised in November and we have been working with her two children for the last couple of weeks.


Right now we have two more baptisms scheduled for April 24th which is right at the end of the transfer so it would be cool to see those two go through. The work in Bellville has really picked up in the last couple of month which Elder Naylor and I are very excited about.


Today for P-day we are probably going to play some foosball with the other Elders in our district, it's what we usually do when we don't have anything special planned. No matter what we do we always have fun. Mom that's pretty cool about Stephanie Skiba and those other soon to be Sister Missionaries, that's cool I have heard Sisters get into the doors that the Elders can't. Too bad there aren't any Sister missionaries In S. Africa I guess it's too dangerous or something. No I wouldn't know anything about that, so far on mission I have been in nice areas and not township. I think no matter who goes on a mission and do what the white handbook instucts them they will realize a different joy that can only found by being obedient, hard to explain but it just makes you feel good about yourself.


Wow I really miss those March Madness Brackets, it's cool to see butler In the final four they are my pick to take it all, I think they got pretty far last year as well.


Everyone is graduating from University whoa that's awesome, right now I'm kinda glad I don't have to worry about school right now, it's nice to wake up in the morning and asking myself "what am I going to do today" and always the answer is Missionary Work haha.


Oh I just remembered a story from Paarl that I wanted to tell you guys, we were walking through our area one day and we saw this kid riding a skateboard. So I thought to myself "I wonder If I could still ride one of them things" so I stopped him and asked him if i could ride for just a second, so here i am in my whites riding this skateboard and I was even able to land a heelflip with my proselyting shoes. I think we just got the kids contact information and were about the go look him up and then I got transfered. I was pretty proud of myself, I hadn't skateboarded since fifth grade or something like that.


Have a great week everyone!


Elder Nielsen

Monday, March 21, 2011

Week 28: March 21, 2011

I am staying in Bellville for another transfer with Elder Naylor, I guess the work we have been doing here is supposed to continue on for another six weeks. I am very excited about it and hope that the work can continue to bring success here and I will even have the opportunity to see some baptisms.

This week I gave Elder Naylor a nice haircut with the clippers I bought here, His hair was a bit long so he asked if I could cut it for him. Well I did and I gave him a good cut, but what I didn't realize was when I was trimming his neck I gave him a real nice rat tail. I think it looks really nice on him so I didn't tell him about it until a few days after the haircut, haha I had a pretty good laugh at that. I took some pictures of it but I forgot to bring the camera into the E-mail shop so ill send them another time.

This last week was pretty productive and we were able to fill up most of our days with appointments, so the success continues, we even need to make contact with investigators we have less contact with. It's awesome to have plenty of people to teach, all because we were diligent in finding people for the first couple of weeks. Hard work pays off that's for sure.
Hey that's a pretty good bracket you have there dad, that would be a lot of fun to track and see who wins. Looks like Brian is on top of it this year, wow I kind of miss March madness now. Keep up the good work and have an extra special week in all that you do this week.

Mom, it is alright for us to have devices that play gospel related music, just make sure it has a bunch of it so that it doesn't get old after a while. Time flies when you are busy huh? the same is true here! I hope you are enjoying primary, Im sure you do.

thank you all for your letters and for telling me what you are up to.

Love you all,
Elder Nielsen

Monday, March 14, 2011

Week 27: March 14, 2011

Shoot I can't believe another transfer has come and gone, time happens that's for sure. There is a little saying that missionaries here In SACTM have around transfers "either I will stay or I will go" which is all that can happen around these times, but right now I would really like to stay in Bellville for another transfer we are having a lot of success and a whole lot of fun.

I think this week I really had a breakthrough with using scriptures in teaching lessons, it was almost like every single topic we were talking about I could find a scripture in the Bible and Book of Mormon that talked about it. In having this skill I feel really comfortable in teaching lessons, I have always been good at just talking to people but now I think I can teach for understanding and really get people interested in the gospel, it's a lot of fun. We are going to have two baptisms on March 27th and then three probably on April 24th, that is really exciting !

Last week's Pday was awesome on top of table mountain you can see all of Cape Town and even see a tiny bit of Paarl, it was really cool to go up there and see things from an overhead perspective. This week we are going to Green market square, I am not sure exactly what it is like but its basically just a huge open market that has a bunch of African trinkets and things so that will be fun.

So Dad was Idaho's basketball team any good this year or was it just an average season again for them? I think you mentioned that they had beat Utah State which is no small task. Sounds like you have a lot of great things in the hopper as far as jobs go or clients for Reliantz.

Mom I received the package that you sent, thank you soo much it was great! currently I have two charcoal pants (suit) one green, and one brown pair.

Becky thank you for sending the pictures of Lydia she is very cute congratulations!

Love you all,
Elder Nielsen

Monday, March 7, 2011

Week 26: March 7, 2011

Well its a new month and this week I will turn six months out on mission exciting huh? Time happens thats for sure.

And yes today as a district we will be going up to table mountain! I have been looking forward to doing it for a long time and I apologize but this email will be short for that reason.

Shout out to uncle Kirk and uncle Kirt for birthdays in March hope you two have a good one. Also congrats to Becky and Lance for bringing in another little one to their family.

Yesterday we had a couple investigators show up at church, which in Bellville is pretty impressive. Missionaries usually have trouble doing so, of course we were pretty excited about that. We will see if these two progress closer towards baptism. There really is no better feeling in missionary work when you are doing everything you are supposed to and then you see an investigator finally get what you are teaching them, their eyes open up and they understand. This week we have had a lot of fun introducing the book of mormon to people and I think we have gotten pretty good at it. To me it makes perfect sense that the book of mormon was recorded just like the bible for us to have to know that Jesus is the Christ, and to know his will for us. what frustrates me is when some of these people say "I have a bible, i need no more bible" one time I actually opened up 2 Nephi where the lord says people will say such things. I don't know why people are so scared of The Book of Mormon, if they were to look at the cover they would read that its another testament of Jesus Christ, what is there to lose in reading another testament of Jesus Christ.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that is was translated by the gift and power of God perfectly through a young prophet Joseph Smith. I know this because I have read the Book, pondered in my heart the doctrine it contains and then asked our Heavenly Father if it was true. The answer I recieved was yes it is true, and I know God would't give me another answer than he gave Tom down the street. In teaching people we want them to understand that they need to read the Book of Mormon to know if the kingdom of God is once again upon the earth. Yes the Gospel was lost, the fullness of the gospel that is, fulfilling Amos 8:11-12 therefore the Gospel needed to be restored. The Book of Mormon is proof that Joseph Smith was a prophet, it is his fruit and it is good. Matthew 7 says that we must beware of false prophets but by their fruits we shall know them. If we don't taste the fruit of Josheph Smith we will never know if he was called of God.

Hopefully everyone has a great week,
Chase

Monday, February 28, 2011

Week 25: February 28, 2011

Hey family,

Another great week here in Bellville, on Tuesday we had district training with President and Sister Probst. We learned about stewardship and all that we are responsible for as missionaries and what the lord has given us to work in his field. They taught it in such a way that my Perspective was broadened and I really thought twice about all that missionaries are responsible for, area book, car, flat, companion, all those things that we are given to build the kingdom of god here on earth are his and we need to treat them as such.

The training really made us work harder this week and with that hard work we were able to enjoy some success with 12 new Investigators and even more baptismal commitments, it seems that all we do is work work and more work which is really getting addictive, and the success we are seeing is really a good feeling. There is probably no greater joy in knowing that you are doing what the lord wants. Hopefully this next week brings just as much fruit and that all the new people we met listen with open hearts read the BOM and come to know that the kingdom of God truly is on the earth.

This week I think I actually dreamed that I was teaching an investigator the message of the restoration and the importance of the Book of Mormon ha.

sounds like everything is going well back home and I hope it continues to.

Until next week, Chase

Monday, February 21, 2011

Week 24: February 21, 2011

This week was magnificent!

It seemed like everything we planned for went through and people were letting us in to their homes, we got lots of new investigators and a bunch of great potentials. I guess it was one of those weeks where everything works out the way you wanted it to. The highlight of the week was last night when we taught a lesson and committed a father led family of four to baptism, what a sweet feeling for a missionary to have a bunch of work payoff with finding one of the lords chosen to receive our sacred message.

Sounds like everyone had a great week as well with the holiday weekend and everyone getting together, back home I used to look forward to those, which I still miss them but on mission I instead look forward to Zone Conferences and Zone trainings. Those events get me through the rough times and give me that energy to continue to work hard.

Today we are planning on going to Milnerton which is right in the shadows of table mountain and going to Century City which is a super posh mall with a cool arcade, we will probably end up playing pool or Foosball for the day. Its always fun on P-days to get together with the elders in the district and just relax.

Later in the evening we have a dinner appointment with some members which is usually pretty good in South Africa but occasionally some people like to drench their food with particular items I don' like, but to my utter dissatisfaction I eat whatever is put in front of me with watery eyes. If ever I have a companion who persuades the member to put more on my plate knowing full well that I dislike the food, they will go into the guiness book of world records for the most bruised limbs (arms and legs) That hasn't happend yet and hopefully it doesn't. But like I said most of the time the food is great.

Love you all, Chase

Monday, February 14, 2011

Week 23: Februrary 14, 2011

Sweet good to hear the good news about Ava that's really cool! Also Phillip and Jordan both going to Brazil great news this week!

Yes so I guess I should tell you a little bit more about Elder Naylor, he is from Centerville Utah and is one transfer older than me and it is his first time being senior companion with me. We are both working really hard, and he is learning the area pretty quickly, they say that Bellville is the hardest area to learn because it is very complex and big.

Dad it is good to hear about Reliantz, also that the packers won the super bowl Nice. Last week I don't recall an email from you but this weeks showed up just fine. Man WAG is looking like a beast stock that's awesome! Have the Q4 reports came out yet from last year? Anyways I always keep you and mom in my prayers and hope everything goes well for you each week. What is happening with the Western Athletic Conference, more importantly where does Idaho Stand? And if for some odd reason the WAC does stay remotely intact which teams will be the powerhouses and who would you expect to win Conference championships?

Mom I received that package with all the chili and sweets in it, thank you so much that was LEGIT, you know it's weird I can finally see leaves falling! I know realize that I had a super LONG summer. Temperatures have cooled down a little bit and some nights we get those sweet Georgia like thunderstorms you know the ones where its really humid and warm rain falls with loud rolling thunder. Awesome I have missed those! But yeah my sizes are both mediums top and bottom. Also once you send that April package with those pants in them just know that to save some money you dont need to send me packages, I would just prefer receiving one at my year mark, Christmas and my 21st birthday. I love packages and all but sometimes I feel like my companions are jealous and that I am a weird homesick missionary haha that sounds bad but I hope you know what I mean.

The missionary work was great this week we got 3 new investigators and extended them all to a baptismal committment, it was a cool experience. We also ran into this one interesting guy tracting, he was telling us he doesn't want to go to a church building. He later said that it would be better if there was a guy who would just start preaching under an African tree somewhere and people flocked to him like the disciples of Christ. Also he said yeah and then the guy could say "next week we will meet at the other tree in that park over yonder' that way we don't have to have a building or an organized church. Then we responded "sir what you just described was an organized church whether you know it or not, the only difference is that the ones most people go to have roofs. It was a fun week and we have many stories to tell from it, but I think I will just leave them for my journal for now.

Colin that must have been pretty fun searching for some lost dude up in the hills, hope everything is going well with school. Whitney it sounds like you are enjoying teaching that is really cool. I could never see myself teaching school kids, props to you.

Ariel and Brian I mentioned this above but congrats thats awesome you are going to be parents to a little girl, how exciting.

until next week,
Elder Nielsen

Monday, February 7, 2011

Week 22: February 7, 2011

Yes so transfers were this last week and again I have another new companion, while dropping off Elder Ochanda at the mission home President kind of joked around with me saying "well lets see if Elder Nielsen can keep a companion for more than a week this time" we both had a chuckle and then he said the lord must trust me with all of these sudden changes. I can really notice a difference in getting a new companion in the area just because the days go by much slower when you are showing someone around an unfamiliar place. Recently in Bellville there have been a lot of changes happening as far as missionaries go so a lot of member missionary relationships have been lost. So with this new transfer Elder Naylor and I will try to build up the ward relationship.

The teaching pool here in Bellville is quite small we are actually only teaching one family and the rest of the time we are out finding new people looking up old names in the area book and just trying to keep ourselves busy. Its always hard when you get a new companion just because you again have to adjust to him and adjust to a new schedule or routine I guess. Oh well I guess I am just going to have to get used to all of these sudden adjustments for the next nineteen months.

So last week when I did the birthday shoutouts I had not yet turned to Feb on my calendar so sorry for a week late. Happy birthday to Adam last week and Grandma this wish you well this next year!

Sorry to hear the news about the TW job mom but what a good experience with the ward you had this week. Sometimes the lord will test us just like Abraham, He is just watching you and seeing exactly how much you are willing to sacrifice, and then at the point of no return will make it lighter for us thats a great experience you had and thank you for sharing it with me.

I sure hope everybody has a fantastic week and has much success.

Love, Chase