"GO TO CHURCH"‏

We had another good week. We found and taught more investigators, who are really interested and are progressing. One of those, a male in his twenties named Chris. We found him because he called out to us while we were walking down the street, "Hey Elders". We went over and started talking to him, turns out he's actually been taught by the missionaries before. He invited us in and said we could teach him. We had a very powerful lesson about the Restoration, in which he remembered a lot about from the previous missionaries,  at the end of end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized and he accepted. We had another lesson with him later last week and he said he prayed and he knows the restoration is true. We invited him to go to church and he was really excited and he had made plans with his cousins, who are actually active members, to go to church. But he did not show up to church yesterday, so we do not know what happened. As with our other progressing investigators who said they would go to church. So Elder Godinez's and my goal for this week is to get our investigators to church. We really need to explain  the importance of church and the sacrament this week in our lessons. As Brother Piercy would say, " Go to Church!"

We are working hard over here. Some days I am so dead tired from the heat, the walking, and the studying. I feel like I just got home from a hunting trip. Going to sleep at 10:30 is a really easy rule for me to follow ;) 

But everything is just perfect over here, My kabahay and I just laugh and have a good time. They say this is the most united they have ever been with their apartment missionaries. Every night we have kabahay prayers, kasamahan prayers, then personal prayer. Lots of praying before bed! 

A little culture for you guys, I think Philippines is a lot like Erin's mission. There are stray cats, dogs, and hogs (funny story about those things.. They scared us half to death, it was dark, in a grassy field, they started making this weird sound, I thought they were going to charge us.. ( imagine old yeller) I'll tell you the whole scary story at Christmas time or something ) tons of geckos, on and in everyone's houses, like Amber's mission, everyone has a little store in their house and sell all this candy, chips, and drinks. Lots of turkeys, crabs, fish. There are just a lot of animals here! 

Half my area is rural ( rivers. lakes, jungle-ish, fields. and the other half is more cityish. I think that's lahat. Have a good week! 

Elder Nielsen 

Ps. Amb, Che Che, Erin, when you look at the picture of the frog, just imagine me chasing it calling "Toooady.. Tooooady" like DW off of Authur ;)

This is the city life. It Floods all the time! 

Welcome to paradise. 

 A bird that flew through or window during weekly planning, so of course we took pictures of it..

 This is our First Toad. There are frogs and toads all over here, they're quick though. But we finally got one :D

This is for dad, There are tons over turkeys here, I like to do my turkey call and upset the males.

Subrang mas Ulan ( so much Rain)‏

Hello Pamiliya, 
It was a good week! We had a lot of rain! Like everyday, and for hours! It's the best thing ever. It's so hot here so I love when it rains, it cools me off and I don't sweat as much. Everything is falling into place and I feel more at home everyday. My kabahay (housemates) and I get along so well. We joke around all the time. And hulaan mo? (guess what) My area isn't all suburbs, I have fields and rivers and lakes here.Its so green and maganda. Summer.. I know you won't be quite the co-pilot hunter I was, but you will do fine, just eat all the snacks and drink all the water, and spot dad a giant antelope, and you'll be just like me ;) That's probably the thing I miss the most, hunting. But that's okay, after my mission I have my whole sport-free life to dedicate to it! 

I learned a lot about the Holy Ghost this week. I've really been trying my best to always have the spirit with me. Elder Godinez put a paper up on the wall this week that was titled, "How Can I Know If I Have the Spirit With Me?". It has two sections, "When I Have the Spirit" and "When I Don't have the Spirit" and has lists of attributes under each of them. Everyday I tried to evaluate myself and see if I had the spirit with me constantly that day. I'm really starting to be able to feel and tell when I have the Spirit and when I don't. I know how essential the spirit is in this work. I've had an experience when I have has the spirit and when I did not, during teaching this week. The first story was when I lacked the spirit. In the lesson, I wasn't understanding very much and my mind and thoughts started to wander away from the lesson. When it was my turn to speak I stumbled over my words and could't really effectively deliver my message. I felt like a wasn't really listening and in tuned with the spirit. The next day we were in a lesson and I was really trying to focus and be in tuned. I was understanding the majority of the lesson and when we transitioned and it was my turn to speak, my mind was clear and my Tagalog flowed pretty smoothly to the investigator and he understood. I know the difference in those two lessons was the spirit. 

Have a good week, Girls: Work hard in school, get good grades, and Addi, don't pick on the boys the first day of school, Chelsea and Brian good luck with the baby, Erin: be more productive, house sitting and getting a massage from the girls isn't a real occupation. Amber: you know what I'm going to say.. Get good grades! ... Joke lang get married! Dad: Get a big antelope. Mom: Keep all those Nielsens and including dad, in line ;)

mahal mahal po kayo 

Elder Nielsen 

Somewhere out in Malalos 1st‏

Welcome To The Mission! 

This last week has been crazy! SO much has happened! So on Wednesday we left the MTC :( I LOVED the MTC and I'm going to miss it there so much! My sisters are officially gone.. They are serving in Naga mission. I had grown so close with all of them! They were seriously like my actual sisters, each of them was different and I got along with them so well. We had so much time playing games and laughing with each other. They all wrote in my BR {Book of Remembrance} about how I was like their brother and their dad. They are the sweetest sisters ever. I'm definitely going to keep in touch with them and I pray for them every night. So we said goodbye, and it was sad, blah, blah, you get the point. 

Okay and now for the Real Mission. So on Wednesday I got assigned my trainer or my "tatay", Father, Elder Godinez. He's the best trainer ever! He is from Cebu but he's pretty much fluent in Tagalog and he has only been out 5 months. So we got assigned to Malalos 1st ward. Its really pretty down here. I'll send pictures next week, we have a big area and it has the bustling city and the beautiful green fields and rivers and junglish looking areas. It was a big cultural shock the first night and few days. No AC in the apartment so its always like a 100 degrees. So I am constantly dripping sweat. And we don't have a shower or stove in our apartment. Just a bucket and a hot plate. So its been fun getting used to all that. And all the cockroaches, lizards, and ants in our apartment hahaha. But the first few days in the field were the hardest in the mission. The days were always sooo long and I was so hot, thirsty and tired each night. But on my fourth day I had my turning point, I felt at peace and didn't feel like a foreigner any more. I participate like 30-40 percent in my lessons. I use my best Tagalog and if they do'nt understand my kasama translates. But they can usually tell what I'm trying to say. Elder Godinez really trusts me, I didn't think I would participate in the lessons this much, pero (but) I think its really helping me learn Tagalog faster. He has helped my Tagalog so much! He always talks to me in Tagalog and everyday I understand more and more. Luckily I understand better than I speak. And I use the old Nielsen notepad trick, where if I hear a new word in Tagalog i write it down and study it. I think it really helps. Oh, side thought, I have two other Filipino Elders in our apartment. I gave a talk/introduction in church on Sunday and they all said i spoke really well for how new I am. But i never accept any of their compliments because I want to really study it so I'm better than the Filipinos. Iv'e heard stories about that before, the missionary know more and "deeper" Tagalog than the natives. But these last few days I have been wonderful, the days feel a ton shorter and I'm getting used to the ways of the Filipinos. I feel a lot more at home now. Now we just have to figure out a way for me to be not as hot all the time.. ;) But all is going well, "The harder you Work the Faster it goes!"  - Wise Ole' Grandpa Charlie. 

Mahal, Elder Nielsen

PS. Fun story, we use my "puting kapangyarihan" ( white power) to talk to people on the streets, because they all like to try to  talk to Americans, we actually found two investigators from this! 

The Mosiah and Ether districts picture.

 This sisters Tangi (middle) and Pasina. Sister Tangi had the same body and hair and acted just like Erin! She was Great! She hurt her foot playing volleyball hence the crutches. 

THE Mosiah district and my wonderful sisters.

This is me giving Elder Webb he premission pep Talk. I hope we are companions some day. He's like my Sister Wright and Sister Bott.

 mga Guro namin ( Our teachers) in Mosiah District.

Letter From the Mission President

 

PHILIPPINES QUEZON CITY NORTH MISSION
Zabarte Rd. cor. Ilang-Ilang Street, Almar Subdivision 
Camarin, Caloocan City

13 August 2015

Mr and Mrs Scott Nielsen

1295 Dotta Dr

Elko, NV 89801

United States

Dear Brother and Sister Nielsen:

Sister Bertin and I are excited to have your son, Elder Cody Scott Nielsen, with us in the Philippines Quezon City North Mission.  He completed his training in the Philippines MTC and he is now officially working in the mission field.  We had the opportunity to meet with him and get acquainted.  We were impressed with his testimony and desire to serve the Lord through his mission.

We feel that he is well prepared to serve the people here in the Philippines.  He will have the privilege of changing the lives of many people as he teaches and takes them to the waters of baptism.  His life, in turn, will also be changed forever through his experiences here. 

We would encourage you to follow the advice of Elder M. Russell Ballard and obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel.  Tell your missionary that you are studying it and ask him to share with you the things he is learning as he studies.  This will bless your family and your son.  We want him to be a “Preach My Gospel scholar.”

Missionaries serve with an “eye single to the Glory of God.”  Their entire focus, therefore, needs to be on their work and ministry.  Help and encourage him to do this. Please do not mention how much time is remaining for him, or special events you may have planned for him on his return, as this will only act as a distraction to his service.  With your encouragement he will mature and progress beyond your expectations.

We have enclosed pictures taken upon Elder Nielsen’s arrival.  Please make an extra special effort to keep in contact with him through email or letters of encouragement and support. When missionaries receive letters in the mission field, it is the highlight of their week.  Please encourage your missionary to be obedient to the mission rules. Being obedient to these rules will help ensure the spiritual and physical safety of your missionary.

For your information, Elder Nielsen’s release date has been set for 14 Jun 2017, to coincide with the mission’s transfer day schedule.  Please be assured that we will do our very best to make this a wonderful and fulfilling experience for him.  Thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours,

President Kim C. Bertin

Philippines Quezon City North Mission

President and Sister Bertin with Elder Nielsen

Elder Nielsen and his companion Elder Godinez

IT'S ALMOST GAME TIME‏

Whelp, this is the last P-day for me in the MTC. It's such a bitter sweet experience. I'm so ready to go start my mission but I will miss my District sisters and Elder Web's district. My Poly sisters are in mission on a completely different island so i wont be seeing them for a while. But I told them we will work out a plan where I'll come to Tongan and visit or something. (That means Dad, you need start making some real moola on the stock market to pay for my ticket ;)   ) But I'm real excited to actually 'start" my mission. It doesn't quite feel like I'm completely on my mission yet, but that will change. Next time you get an email from me, I will be with a new Kasama somewhere in my mission! I'm super excited to finally get to work and "run until [ I] drop, and they carry [me] home" - Elder Holland. The MTC has a been a wonderful experience. I will never forget the spirit here and all the wonderful teachers and friends I have met here. 

Overall its been another good week, we are all starting to get really anxious to leave. I think that's really all i have, Have a good week! And mom will need to start shopping for school again, that's crazy! And Addi is headed off to kindergarten, watch out Northside! 

 Mahal ko kayo

Elder Nielsen