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