Week #81 - It's Your's, Not Mine

Hey family!

Hey wanna hear a funny story? All right...

So...I bought a new toothbrush this past week to brush my teeth (obviously!). Back with Elder Ticino he had taught me a nifty little trick for fine tuning the part in our hair. The secret? A toothbrush! So...with my old toothbrush I started using it to make the part look EVEN better (the part rocks :) ). I had also bought some new cream for my hair (smells REALLY good...like a pretty girl actually :) ). So...with all that said... I was brushing my teeth last night when all of a sudden I started to smell my hair cream really strong. I thought that I was just smelling my hair, but you know how when you eat something you can kinda smell it too? Well...ya. I was accidentally using my OLD toothbrush that I had been using to brush my hair. Awkward right? :)

Good stuff that happens in the mission!

This week was good! I feel like I´m getting kinda old to be honest. Every morning is a bit of a struggle to get out of bed with all the aches and pains that I feel. Honestly though I couldn´t be happier because I know those aches and pains come from the devote service I´m rendering to the Lord. As Dad always says, ´I´m tired in the Lord.´...CONSTANTLY. It´s great though.

Jorge and Laura! They´re doing good! We took a picture with them and their family and we printed it out to give to them as a little gift. They loved it! Jorge teared up a little bit when he saw it :) We´re going on Wednesday with them with the witnesses they need for the divorce! Woo! Let´s get things going!

Don´t have a ton of time today, but I just quickly wanted to share some thoughts and feelings that have come to my mind this past week as I´ve worked. 

There´s a song that I have on my ipod that´s from ´The Best Two Years´ and it goes a little something like this...

´Take my life, turn it into something better don´t stop until you´re through...´ 

Those words have made me reflect a lot recently. Before my mission I always thought I knew how the mission would be. I thought I knew what it would be like. How wrong and presumptious I was! I´ve now come to the realization that this most definitely is not MY mission. It is the Lord´s. It´s the Lord´s, so He´s in charge of where I go, what I do, and what I become. I know that because of His guiding hand, I´ve been able to have my testimony of this gospel strengthened. Let me share a quick testimony with you before I go...

I know that this church is the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that through Joseph Smith this church has been restored. Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God. God called upon him to bring about this marvelous restoration. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and it truly is the word of God. I know that by reading it, we can come closer to our father in heaven. He loves us. He knows us. He sees us not as we are, but as what we can become. He gives us trials so that we reach our full divine potential. I know these things with all my heart. I know that God lives .I know that Christ gave His pure, unspotted life for US. For us. That we might return to the presence of God and dwell with Him eternally. I know that families are forever. I know that I will be with all of you for all eternity because of the sealing power of the priesthood that we are blessed to have in these latter days. I know all these things to be true. I CAN´T deny these things. They are true. They are true.

I love you all so much family. SO much.

Serving the Lord´s mission,

Elder Nilsen