We got our first letter from Hermana Nielsen just a few days after she left. It was hand written so it was a surprise to get. All is well with her. Her current companion is Hermana Murlock. She gave us her flight details to go to Peru in the first e-mail she sent. She was supposed to leave SLC on Nov 24 at 8:30 then land in Georgia at 2:10, fly to Peru at 5 get to Peru at 11 or so. There was supposed to be four other sisters going to the Peru MTC with her that she knew of but they would go on a later flight and meet them in Georgia. They then told them they wouldn't get to the MTC till about 4 in the morning. That would have be one long day. Notice I said would have though. We received a later e-mail saying that it might not happen, and that she would e-mail us and tell us what was going on, but that e-mail never came. We got something better. We got a phone call on November 22 from Jenna! It was great to actually talk to her. Too bad our mom was gone. Yep she was pretty dang mad when she got back from her primary meeting to find out she missed a call from Jenna. (Our dad, and I were the only ones home at the time.) Jenna is no longer going to Peru so soon though, they called all the missionaries that were going to Bolivia into the travel office and told them that only a selected few that were going to stay for 3 weeks from Peru since there wasn't enough room. They said Visas were not the problem and that they will leave the 13th or 14th of December. The other Hermanas that she shared a room with went to the Peru MTC. She said it was sad to see them go and she was going to especially miss Hermana Flores because she was the best. She and Hermana Morlock got a new companion. Hermana Williams and her companion are going to Peru. They were both scheduled to go the the Peru MTC but her companion received her Visa and she did not. Once her Visa comes in she will head out to the Peru MTC. Unfortunately for her she is stuck with them :). Hermana Nielsen says it is a big adjustment having another companion. Especially teaching lessons and making sure she has a chance to speak.
The classes at the MTC are going good for Jenna. The missionaries are supposed to wake up at 6:30 in the morning and they have to be to class by 7 so naturally the girls have to get up earlier. Then lights out at 10:30. The first Sunday they were with their branch and everyone gave their testimonies in English because of the new group. For one of the classes later that week they were practicing door approaches with 3 other people in the class and they had to do a door approach with Hermano Black. Hermana Nielsen and Hermana Murlock did fine on the first bit but then they got to Hermano Blacks door. He opened it and starts speaking Spanish very fast. Needless to say they had no idea what he said and the next thing they knew the door gets shut on their faces. Jenna started laughing, and Hermana Morlock got a little upset.
On Wednesday as a District they went to the TRC where you teach people who volunteer to be investigators. They were instructed that they were supposed to teach them about the Restoration and that they were supposed to teach in English but use the Spanish that they knew. Well when they got there they found out there were only 3 volunteers that day. There are 6 companionship's in their district so 3 went in and another 3 stayed and waited their turn to teach. Well lets just say Hermano Black (their teacher) came and told Hermana Morlock and Nielsen that the woman they would be teaching was from Peru and didn't speak any English. They had only brought their English BOM and Preach My Gospel (for that is what they were told they would be needing). Hermana Nielsen was filled with a little dread. They got in there and started the lesson. Hermana Nielsen was able to say a few things, and she then bore her testimony twice and said the first vision which she had memorized. She thinks that the Sister from Peru helped them out a bit, by telling them what to say, but Jenna could understand bits and pieces of what she said, and she told us, "All I can say is boy oh boy do I have a lot of studying to do."
They canceled classes on the 23 due to the "Big snow storm" NOT! because they wanted the teachers to get home safe. During the Fireside they told them it started snowing at 6:45 and told all the missionaries they weren't aloud to touch it. They walk out of the Fireside an hour later to no snow falling. All it was was a little snow on the ground in places and ice. It did bring the cold though. It is now freezing, and Jenna is sure glad it doesn't get this cold in Bolivia.
Thanksgiving was AMAZING. They started the morning with a Thanksgiving Devotional. Elder Holland came and spoke to them. (Lucky ducks) He brought his family and his grandchildren sang. Hermana Nielsen thought it was so cute and it made her miss her nephews and niece through the whole song. Elder Holland told them that he brought his family with him so they could fill in for our families on Thanksgiving day. Yep pretty amazing. They had Thanksgiving dinner at 11 then had Humanitarian service project the rest of the day.
This has been a fun week for the sisters. They discovered the Narnia holes in their room and plan to leave things behind when they leave. They watched a water bottle vend and turn to ice when it hit the bottom of the machine (they tried it 3 times). They are just having fun, learning lots, teaching lessons, learning Spanish. They had to teach the Plan of Salvation to someone who was Buddhist. The volunteer read the wrong sheet, she was supposed to be a college student. They adjusted and they taught a good lesson.
For now if you would like to write Hermana Nielsen a letter you can send it to
Sister Jenna Nielsen
MTC Mailbox #214
BOL-COCH 0105
2005 N 900 E
Provo UT 84604-1793
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