The Light of Christ

New cloths for mission: $$$$
New bike for mission $$$$
New shoes for mission $$$$
monthly missionary cost $$$$

Experiences like this that will last the rest of her life PRICELESS!!!!!!

Well Family, 

Oh my what Dad you are in the young men's presidency! that is amazing! you will love it and i know that you can do this! congrats. 

This week has brought about a ton of changes.... i found out that i will be finish training sister reese, so im technically a trainer this transfer... also, we are loosing our car and being put on bikes completely... im nervous because the hills here are killer... i am very nervous for the coming transfer, but i know that the lord will taker care of me. 

I want to share with ya'll an experience that has brought me so much happiness in my mission!

So when i was in my first area, we were working with a man that was by the worlds standards... rough around that edges... very rough. He is an ex marine and has seen some terrible things in his life and says that he has done some equally terrible things, he believed that he was irredeemable because the lord couldn't possibly love him after what he has done... Through that power of god and much prayer for charity i was able to see through his tough outer shell. I gave him a book of mormon and he agreed to read it. we would talk to him, but we hadn't met with him to teach him... so one day i just asked him when we could start to teach him.. and he said that we could come over any time... so we started to teach him and it was really difficult, there was contention between him and his roommate during the lessons and the spirit would leave.... but we persisted and continued to teach him and committing him to read the book of mormon... lessons were hard because my comp struggled to love him.... and i was getting discouraged.... but the lord let me watch a miracle.... the last lesson that i taught him befor i was transferred, was amazing! we walked in and he was sitting in his chair... super tired from work, but he still let us in to teach a lesson. when we shook his hand, i looked into his eyes and i was amazed... his eyes were clear and bright.... they were different from the eyes that i had been seeing that were dim and dark from living a life in sorrow and discouragement. I had only heared of this change in stories, when people said that they could see as peoples eyes changed as someone was returning to the truth. but this day, i was able to witness it.... his eyes were clear and even behind that tiredness he was happy.... he was reading the book of mormon... i knew he was because i could see that light of christ returning to his eyes in that moment i learned just how much that the Lord loves this man and i could feel that love that he has for him and i began to love this man even more than i had before! 

I knew that he could change! On my last Sunday in that area he came to church! i thanked him for coming and told him that i would be leaving, but i would be back when he was baptized... i said it with a joking tone, but i meant every word of it because i knew it was possible... he rolled his eyes at me and chuckled... before i left i made my comp promise me that she wouldn't give up on him... he might be difficult and he might require patience, but he will come along...

Now for the big miracle! last week i found out that he is being baptized on the 30th. yep! 

I knew that the lord would prepare him and that he could make the changes in his life... i have always had the feeling that the lord has great things in store for him... i was so happy when i found this out... i cried! yep i cried

This has made my entire mission... i believe that i was sent here to help this man find the gospel. i may not have taught him much but i was able to be some kind of influence in his life.

my mission keeps surprising me every day there are always things that amaze me... i know that heavenly father loves his children and he is so involved in our lives. 

i love you all so much and i will talk to you later. 

Sister Dannika Nielsen

Finally....Pictures Home!!!!!

Georgia Atlanta Temple

Even Animals Can Feel the Spirit Testify of Their Creator

Hey Family!

thank you again and again for the bike i really appriciate it! Elder Atkin should be by later today to drop it off!

This week was great! We had Zone Conference and i was able to get so much out of this one, since i am in a better place emotionally. the las zone conference was.... well not so good... but anyway. My companionship was called to perform a musical number in the conference.... so sister Paepaetaata and i sang and sister reese played the piano. we sang How great thou art... it was beautiful.... we made people cry! (: anyway, i tell you this not to boast, but because before my mission i would never have dreamed to sing in front of people... i mean, i was still nervous, but i did it. But i have gained more confidence in myself and i love it! i hope that i don't loose it when i get home! 

So we were tracting yesterday, and we came to this on house and knocked the door, when the door opened a dog escaped and then a young adult with his face painted like a singer from KISS flies out the door after this dog, the whole time swearing up a storm... his mouth was worse than a sailors... but i had to laugh, because sister Paepaetaata  bout wet herself, it scared her so bad... it was the funniest thing ever! Eventually the young man came back and his grandpa came out to retreve the dog we asked if we could come in and say a prayer with their family... the grandson very angrily said he would have no part in it and the grand father told us to come back later. we left there, but this time instead of feeling rejected and angry, i was filled with a concern for that young man. I was able to feel the anger and saddness behind the tone he took with us... i can't really explain it, other than i was granted charity for this young man. I walked away feeling very sad for him... i really want to go back and talk with him and his grandfather... I am always amazed at the love that i feel for the people we teach. but this was different, i was able to feel love for him from the very beginning.... family this is such a great work... i see miracles everyday and i do stand all amazed....

After we left that house, the next one we knocked on was an old widower who let us in, we talked with him and prayed with him, but he said he was pretty content with his current belief called "fa lun da fa" he said that he used to be christian but he could never understand it. the entire time we were there his three dogs sat quiet and he looked at us and said "man, you girls are good, my dogs are never this quiet when company comes they are constantly barking trying to break down the gate to come and see who is here... but they haven't made a single peep"

That is the power of the spirit... even animals can feel the spirit testify of their creator... i was amazed at this. i then made a joke as we walked away from his house i told my companions "im gonna re-write the words to the song the spirit of god... instead of the spirit of god like a fire is burning ill write the spirit of god like a dog is not barking.... lol totally cheesy i know but we all got a good laugh.

we left this mans home, and the same feeling swept over me, i felt a concern for him... i know that the atonement can heal all sorrow and all hurt and i prayed that night that heavenly father would bless these two son's of his.

We met a family this week that let us come in and pray with them, they are a totally elect family, the mother told us about how she gained her own testimony of the power of prayer and she felt that it was no accident that we came and knocked on her door. we are gonna go back and start teaching them. we are all really excited for them and very hopeful!

 well family, i haveto get going I hope all is well this week and i hope that you all are happy and healthy

i love you and thank you again for all that you do for me. you all raise me up!

love

sister nielsen