January 18, 2010

Dearest family,

Wow, thank you! I just got 2 packages and a very nice card from Ryan and Julia, the Andersons (or Andersens I always forget which way to spell it hahaha) and Fromage, Holy cow! Thank you! Don't worry about me I won't starve, I love the mail in Finland because as long as you can fit it in the post box thing, It only costs like a max of 4 stamps (3.20 euros) pretty cheap :) That's why I can send so much stuff... So I guess Ryan and Kyle can be comforted in that it was probably a lot more expensive to send stuff in the mail.

Sounds like everything is going well for you guys! Everything is going great here in Jyväskylä. Elder Slade and I are becoming extremely unified in the work. Good stuff! It takes me back to an email I got from Kyle while he was still in France and I was still in the MTC. He said "unity and personal worthiness are two of the most important things to having the spirit, and the spirit is the most important thing for doing the Lord's work" Pretty profound, he is a good one. I can't imagine the stress of being a trainer at 4 months, Kyle is just the man! My 4 months in Finland mark will be Febuary 7th and my 6 months on the mission mark is this week sometime (22nd) Holy cow time flies when you are in the work. I'm so grateful for the examples I had, Ryan and Dad and Kyle, you were all such great missionaries. When it gets tough I just think of you guys going through some of the same trials, Just in Germany, Korea, and France. :) It really helps me a lot!

This week I had my interview with President Brown... I love that man! Wow, he is incredible. He shared a lot of things with me that are just for me :) lol... But he gave me a reading assignment. D&C 5-19 He talked about how this is where Joesph is instructed on how to be a Prophet. So far from what I have read it talks about desire and obedience. I thought you guys might like to read that and look for things that stick out to you on how you can improve and become better :)

So, I was at this family's house for a D.A. and they had this book that had all the missionaries that served in Jyväskylä and guess who I found, Layne Rockhill, from Kamas, Utah! haha That was pretty cool. Ask him if he ever served in Jyväskylä, and if he remembers the I family.

haha ok so I wrote this on my little agenda of things to write about... it was a pretty funny experience that I thought I would like to share with you guys. So, Elder Slade and I were tracting last Saturday, I had done this door and they were pretty short with us and then they said some not very nice things about our church. (one of those times you don't really want to understand what they are saying) but I was feeling kinda down after that. Then we went to the next door, I was on the side where you don't really see the people. Elder Slade rang the doorbell, and this man answers the door... I think in my head... Is that man naked? I just saw the very edge of him.... Elder Slade was not so lucky... He got the full fledged view of a very naked Finnish man... HAHA I have never laughed so hard in my life... I waited til we were where he couldn't hear us and I laughed so HARD hahah it was a well needed laugh... Pretty funny story that if I remember right Mitzi can relate to, right?

So this letter is kinda short, but I just want to thank you for all you guys do, I'm doing great out here. I love every minute. One of the few chances in life where you are able to serve the Lord with every fiber of your being... It's exhausting.. but incredible! I love FINLAND! Wow, you guys need to come here someday, it is great! Thank you dad for that spiritual thought... I enjoyed it. Thank you all! You guys are the best little family a missionary could ask for! :)

Love you,

Vanhin Thomas Nielsen

p.s. Fromage, could you maybe send some hunting pictures of grandpa and some of the cool things he has shot. There is this non member guys that we are meeting with and he is a BIG hunting fan (that vocabulary is difficult for me) but I think he would really like to see some of those pictures.

LOL LOVE YOU ALL!!