Pictures!

From week one we were asking for pictures, but in order to get them we had to send a family picture first. So, we finally sent a picture, and we got pictures!

Feliz Navidad

 

The Zone

District 22 c with the teachers, Hermano Wood and Hermno Black both on the end                                      

District 22 c before the Hermanas left and Hermano Black.                                                                          

Left: Elder Dunman, Elder Tarabilda, Hermana Williams, Hermana Nielsen, Hermana Morlock, Elder Hyer, Elder Wolfe.  Front: One in back Elder Harris, and Elder Abbot.

Hermana Nielsen and Flores.                                                                             

Hermana Reid, and Nielsen                                                                      

Hermana Morlock  one of her her companions                                                                              

Hermana Gallego who is going to North Carolina                                                                        

 Hermana Williams, Nielsen and Morlock.... companions                                                                         

Bolivia: Looks life fun, does it not?                                                                     

The class room. Notice the picture on the white board.



How the other missionaries feel about Hermana Nielsen                                                         

Look at those two good looking missionaries! Hermana Nielsen and cousin Hermano Harris.

Everyone in the districts tags... Hermana Nielsen is the one cut off...

This picture screams Jenna.. don't you think?

Can you say cheese?

Where everyone is going... we know who the cool ones are...

Woohoo.. Jenna is now in Bolivia! Crazy! She was in the Peru MTC for about 3 weeks before.

here is Jenna's last letter.

Hola Familia,

Lets see first with your questions. The mission president said that
there are 28 sisters down here. 14 Latino and 14 North American.
That is all we will get until Sisters start going home then I am sure
we will get more to even out the number. There are no heaters or air
conditioning in the homes. It is just cement walls, nothing more.
Also on that note I jinxed myself last time when I said it hasn't
rained much. It rained a lot since the last letter. Yes the nights
have been cold. Thanks goodness for llama blankets. 9 is when we get home but if we are
teaching a lesson then it is 9:30. It gets dark about 6:30. Oh Church,
church is grand. Lets just say that is doesn't start at 10:00, it
starts oh about 10:10. Then when we have speakers lets just say the
Bolivians are not afraid to talk and talk. They have three speakers
and a hymn in between. Lets just say the third speaker talks at 11.
Also I love how they sing. It is by far my favorite. They can't sing
at all but they love to sing. We do have a ward member who plays the
piano. Sometimes it is the whole song other times it is just the
right hand. I love it, it makes me smile. When sacrament starts late
people still don't show up until about 10:30 and there are enough
people to fill up the first half of the chapel back home. Then we go
to Gospel Principles with the investigators. Then we head on over to
Relief Society. After church we eat with a member. The rest of the
month it is with the Stake President. I think I am adjusting to how
much food they give. I am now starting to eat my whole meal. Also my
pinsañista loves me. She found out that I loved her emphanadas and
guess what we had for 3 nights in a row.....emphanadas. Who is now
sick of emphanadas.....me. It would be fine if it were one but the
first night it was two (plus I had one for lunch). The next night it
was 4 and you can imagine the third night. Oh she also found out that
I really liked spaghetti. Yep she made it. It was very very good.
The children here are either afraid of me or find me amusing and want
me to talk in English. The kids who are afraid of me are by far my
favorite. All I have to do is look at them and smile and they start
crying or hide. My pensañista son who is 4 was afraid of me at first
but when she came to talk to an investigator with us he walked by me
and I would make noises when we went up or down and then we pretended to
be airplanes for a little bit. Yep he warmed up to me (I think it
also helps I bribed him with candy). Life is good here. The Church
is true. We were supposed to have a baptism on Sat but they weren't
ready. It was an investigator we picked up from the old missionaries.
We are going teach right from the beginning because they started the
lessons in August. Cristian was really gung ho on being baptized. He
stopped drinking and then we gave him the law of chastity lesson, told
him our bodies are temples and that he should probably take out his
earring. Let's just say that he didn't like that at all and doesn't want
to take it out. It is funny he quit drinking but wont take out an
earring. There is obviously something going on. Well my time is up.
I love you all lots.

Hermana Nielsen

Buenas Tardes

Hola Familia,
Congrats to Kevin that is so exciting! I hadn't heard anything yet.
Lets see first with your questions. The mission president said that
there are 28 sisters down here. 14 Latino and 14 North American.
That is all we will get until Sisters start going home then I am sure
we will get more to even out the number. There are no heaters or air
conditioning in the homes. It is just cement walls, nothing more.
Also on that note i jinxed myself last time when I said it hasn't
rained much. It rained a lot since the last letter. Yes the nights
have been cold. Thanks goodness for llama blankets. Yes dad I did
get a giggle out of your joke. 9 is when we get home but if we are
teaching a lesson then it is 9:30. It gets dark about 6:30. Lets see
what else oh Chad can have my address and get my emails if he wants.
Oh Church, church is grand. Lets just say that is doesn't start at 10:00, it
starts oh about 10:10. Then when we have speakers lets just say the
Bolivians are not afraid to talk and talk. They have three speakers
and a hymn in between. Lets just say the third speaker talks at 11.
Also I love how they sing. It is by far my favorite. They can't sing
at all but they love to sing. We do have a ward member who plays the
piano. Sometimes it is the whole song other times it is just the
right hand. I love it, it makes me smile. When sacrament starts late
people still don't show up until about 10:30 and there are enough
people to fill up the first half of the chapel back home. Then we go
to Gospel Principles with the investigators. Then we head on over to
Relief Society. After church we eat with a member. The rest of the
month it is with the Stake President. I think I am adjusting to how
much food they give. I am now starting to eat my whole meal. Also my
pinsañista loves me. She found out that I loved her emphanadas and
guess what we had for 3 nights in a row.....emphanadas. Who is now
sick of emphanadas.....me. It would be fine if it were one but the
first night it was two (plus I had one for lunch). The next night it
was 4 and you can imagine the third night. Oh she also found out that
I really liked spaghetti. Yep she made it. It was very very good.
The children here are either afraid of me or find me amusing and want
me to talk in English. The kids who are afraid of me are by far my
favorite. All I have to do is look at them and smile and they start
crying or hide. My pensañista son who is 4 was afraid of me at first
but when she came to talk to an investigator with us he walked by me
and I would make noises when we went up or down and then we pretended to
be airplanes for a little bit. Yep he warmed up to me (I think it
also helps I bribed him with candy). Life is good here. The Church
is true. We were supposed to have a baptism on Sat but they weren't
ready. It was an investigator we picked up from the old missionaries.
We are going teach right from the beginning because they started the
lessons in August. Cristian was really gung ho on being baptized. He
stopped drinking and then we gave him the law of chastity lesson, told
him our bodies are temples and that he should probably take out his
earring. Let's just say that he didn't like that at all and doesn't want
to take it out. It is funny he quit drinking but wont take out an
earring. There is obviously something going on. Well my time is up.
I love you all lots.
Hermana Nielsen

Hola

Wow lots and lots of questions good thing that I am wrote them down or
else I would forget. First off Mom I love you and I pray for you
always. Well I pray for everyone else too if it makes everyone else
feel better.
1- Mailing address, they don't have addresses here. They don't even
know the street name. You know where someone lives by who or what
they live by and the color of house or door. I would send anything to
the mission home address because I don't even have an address to my
house. Its probably the safest bet. I don't know it. It is in my
missionary booklet in the top drawer of my room.
2- Favorite food here were the emphanadas. I have only had them once
but oh my goodness they were so good. I have had a lot of Chicken and
rice. Only a few potatoes. Chicken and rice used to be my favorite
meal but now I am not so sure.
3- David Baugh Nielsen is my favorite dad
4- The toilets are the same in my apartment but I have been to many
houses where it is a whole in the ground or normal toilets. Also we
cant flush the toilet paper. It goes in the waste basket next to the
toilet
5-No cool bugs I did see a huge beetle that was flying around my room.
My companion is terrified of it. That was a funny moment. There are
lots of flys and mosquito's everywhere and I mean everywhere. All day
every day, I have about 20 mosquito bites on my leg. Yes I did use
repellent I am just slow at reapplying it.
6- There isn't a scrub board for my clothes, you just rub them together
a couple of times then ring your clothes and hope everything comes
out.
7- They have Internet shops everywhere down here there is one 5 min
from my apartment but because we have to email as a zone we travel 30
min away on a truffy. You can fit a lot of people in a truffy. It is
like a mini van. I guess I can answer the other question. My
companion and I walk everywhere. The only time we take a taxi, truffy
or bus is when we have to travel further.
8- Ok funny thing about Butch Cassidy I was going to write about him.
I was going to tell Uncle Dave that where he was killed is in the
Cochabamba mission. I might be able to go there. I will take a
picture if I do and send it. I bet it looks close to the same.
9- Dogs are everywhere! I mean EVERYWHERE. We were told to stay away
from the dogs don't even touch them even if it is a members dog. If
we get bit which has been known to happen (only to elders). We have
to find the owner which let me tell you would be impossible, to make
sure it had it rabies shot. If not you get 10 shots around you belly
button for rabies. Dogs always follow my companion and me around.All I can say is now I am a little frightened of dogs I don't know what
I will do when I come home.
10- We don't have a cell phone. We have a phone in our apartment but
it only takes in coming calls. We cant make calls going out. Weird I
know, there are little stores around every block that you just ask to
use the phone. It cost about 1-5 bolivianos depending on how much
time it takes.
Just to let you know I get $80 a month which comes to $550 Bolivianos.
I remembered the other questions first what would I recommend. That is
something I am not sure about. I think of different things I need
each day that I wish I would have brought. Then it must not be to
important because I can never remember them. Oh I remembered one shoe
polish. Then again I am going to see if I can buy some here which I
believe that I can so no worries. Also lets just say it is 75 degrees
outside by 8:00 in the morning and it gets hotter as the days go by.
I am sweating up a storm. I don't now if my white shirts will make it
18 months without getting gross stains on them. It is the rainy
season apparently. By 3 you see clouds and all you do is pray that
they move faster. Then it sprinkles a little and the clouds stay.
Boy I love those clouds. One time though we were caught in a storm
and Mom can I just say you are the best Mom in the world. That little
rain coat you got me is always in my backpack since it is so small and
just in case. I pulled that thing and just smiled and thought how
wonderful you are. Also how you bought me that toe juice for my feet.
I already have a blister from my shoe strap. I thought of the Toe
Juice applied it to the red cracked areas. It burned like no other.
My feet feel great though. It helped a lot. You have me prepared.
My companion told me when I pulled out my rain coat how prepared I was
and I said no my mother is prepared.
Lets see nothing to exciting this week. It seems like every
appointment that we had fell through and the back up plans fell
through. All doors we knocked on didn't have time but all is well.
Life is great the Church is True the Lord loves us and is mindful of
us. We just have to keep searching for those people who want to hear
the gospel and who the Lord has prepared for us. I love you all lots
I also hope you all have an excellent week. MOM take it easy OK!
Hermana Nielsen

Hola from Bolivia!!!

Hola mi familia,
I am so glad that everything went well with moms surgery she is always
in my prayers. Lets see where to start with Bolivia. First off we
took a 2 hr flight from Peru to Santa Cruz Bolivia, we had a 4 hr lay
over to take a 45 min flight to Cochabamba. We left the CCM at 6:00
then took our flight at 11. We arrived in Santa Cruz at 4. Arrived
in Cochabamba at 8. First off the flight to Santa Cruz was terrifying
I thought the plane was going to fall apart. Once we got off everyone
said they were praying durning that flight. I tried to talk to the
man next to me on our way to Cochabamba but he was from Brazil and I
couldnt understand very much that he said. The mission President
picked us up and sent us to the hotel. I was terrified of the
bathroom. I didnt even want to take a shower but knew I should. It
was the quickest shower of my life. Then the next day we went to get
our blood drawn and paper work done. Next it was to the Presidents
house where his wife cooked us a delicious meal, and he gave us the
low down on what was going to happen. I am not aloud to eat Pork,
Fish, Strawberries, or leafy greens unless it is at the Presidents
house. I am ok with the Fish part blah :p. Then we headed to the
Temple to do a session! It is such a beautiful temple. After the
temple we went back for interviews. My first area is in Cochabamba it
is 30 min from the Presidents house. When I walk out my door I see
the temple on the left and the Christ statue on my right. My
companion is from Peru her name is Hermana Quispe. We share an
apartment with Hermana Morlock and her Companion from Santa Cruz. I
told Hermana Morlock that we are destined to be with each other
throughout our mission. The bathroom in the apartment is a lot better
than the one in the hotel but not by much. Thank goodness for shower
shoes. I am living out of my suitcase. Hermana Morlock and her
companion have the room the closets. They get it since her companion
was already living there. I am trying to work out a system for my
clothes. We wash our clothes in a sink and hang them to dry outside.
We are on the top floor of the building. We have someone cook Lunch &
Dinner. Her name is Hermana Rosemary. She is such a sweet woman. I
have liked the food that they have served so far and mom you will be
proud of me I ate all my vegetables that she has given me. Oh I also
ate a tomato and yep I still dont like them. That includes peas and
beans. Lunch is the big meal here supposedly. First you get a huge
bowl of soup. Next you get a huge thing of meat, rice, potatoes and
whatever else they decide to feed you. Then you have dinner sometimes
it is soup and sometimes it is another plate of meat, rice, potatoes.
You are supposed to finish everything they give you. Every time I eat I
look at the food and say to myself yes I can Yes I can. It doesnt
really help. They told Hermana Rosemary that my stomach has to get
used to the food so to only give me small amounts. The definition of
small amounts means nothing. Small amount means that it isnt heaping
over the sides of the plate. I have yet to finish a meal and my
companion told me not to because she doesnt want me getting sick and
that she will tell Hermana Rosemary to give me smaller portions. We
ate at a members house yesterday after church and I got sick. I told
my companion I can still talk to people I just cant eat dinner. I
still feel a little queasy today. Hermana Morlock has a bacterial
infection and cant leave the apartment for 3 days. The members we ate
with was the Stake President and his wife, her brother lives in Utah
and he speaks a little English. Lets see what else can I tell you. Oh
only the main roads are paved. When you get on the side roads they
are just big chunks of rocks and dirt. Here when you meet someone you
shake there hand which then turns into touching cheeks and making a
kissing noise then it turns into a hug. Of course we can only do that
with the women. When you walk into a room you greet everyone. During
the exchange described above with a sweet older sister, she actually
kissed my cheek and as she did I felt saliva come from her lips and
slap against my cheek as we pulled away. I was tempted to wipe my
cheek but didnt want to seem rude. My companion is trying to learn
English so when I ask how to say something in Spanish she tells me
then I have to say it in English. She is very touchy feeley. She
usually grabs my arm or my hand and I let it go for a minute then I
speed up my walk so she lets go. In this culture after you pray you
hug. For example of when you hug, companion prayers morning and
night, companionship study ok well basically any prayer you have with
your companion. Hermana Quispe also likes to laugh at me. I dont
know what I say or what I do but she is always laughing and saying
compañera. Who knows I just laugh with her. The language is ok, I
struggle a bit. I cant expect much though it takes time and I know
with the Lords help anything is possible. Great experience of the
week. The Thursday I was actually in the field I was doing personal
study I was studying lesson 3 in Preach My Gospel. I had a feeling
to study Lesson 2 The Plan of Salvation. Well I studied it and
thought nothing of it, well later in the day we met a woman name
Marina. Marinas husband died guess what lesson we taught her. Yep
lesson 2, how amazing is that? I understood what was going on and was
able to bear my testimony to her when the time was right. I was very
excited. Well my time is up and I am glad everything is well. I love
you all lots
Hermana Nielsen