A Special Assignment

We had another wonderful week this week. I was able to show Elder Alejandro around our area and help him start familiarizing himself with the area and people. We had a very successful week of teaching, and our investigators showed a lot of progression. But unfortunately, on Sunday, only one of them was able to make it to church. That is something we have been struggling with the last few weeks, getting our investigators to church. We are still trying to figure out what is preventing them from attending church and what we need to teach or do, to help them get to church. Sister Abrasado was our only investigator who was able to go to church. She is ready for her upcoming baptism on February 13th. We are just finishing up the lessons with her this week, and her interview will be the this coming Saturday.

On Friday we had exchanges with the Assistants, and that was a great learning experience. I was companions with Elder Heaton.  We did a lot of finding since they are opening an area. He is a great missionary and a really good teacher, and really good in Tagalog, so I learned a lot of new teaching techniques and analogies. He gave me a really nice complement on my Tagalog, he said don't worry about the Tagalog, you are doing really well, and you already have a better vocabulary than some missionaries when they went home. It is good to hear all my studying is paying off, but I am trying to stay humble because I know if I become prideful any Gift of Tongues I had will be gone. Overall, it was a great experience and I took a lot from it.

Then last Saturday President Bertin called us and gave us a special assignment. He invited us to give a big presentation about the Church with the Sister Training Leaders in our area to 300-400 college students at the stake center. Apparently the Church let the students use the church for an activity or something and in return they agreed to listen to a message about the church. This will be the second lesson with them, the first time they showed the students the Restoration. So we wanted to teach them the Plan of Salvation. President was really excited for us, he said this how they used to teach in the olden days. It should be an interesting and exciting experience. Sometimes I wish I could do stuff like this in English, so I could say everything I wanted,  but I was called to speak in Tagalog, so I'll just put my trust in the Lord. 

Overall it has been a busy but fun week. I am thankful for this opportunity I have to serve a mission. I have to remind myself not to take it for granite, and this is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I'm trying to enjoy every second. Thanks for all the prayers and support. Keeping having the spirit with you always, and Tell dad to stay off the ice! No trying to do a 920 backspin tail-fish, leave that for the professional ice skaters! ;) Send me that video please! 

Loooove you all!

Elder Nielsen