Realization- 27 Jan 2014

So this week has been rough and fantastic all at the same time.  I can't believe how swiftly the time is flying by this past week has been a blur.  I am singing again this week for the new missionaries and I am super excited!

 Yesterday we had one of the most fantastic firesides of my entire life! The speaker was Stephen Allen, The Head of the Missionary Department and he also worked on PMG so it was definitely fantastic.  We just sang and sang! It was unbelievable! I love it here!  

Well there isn't to much to talk about I go to class eat really nappy food that does weird things to your body and then back to class.  That is basically my day.  It feels as if I am repeatedly taking the ACT while slowly poisoning myself with rotten food.  Ok that is an over exaggeration about the food, ABER it is still pretty rough and your brain is always absolutely fried.  Today our entire zone has been trying to speak just German which is rather exciting.  I am actually surprised how well I could speak the language despite my grammar being the equivalent of that of a child.  

Speaking of Children I just received a letter from Croz in which he bore his testimony! I was on the verge of tears and loved it so much!!! CROZ!!! Your the man I miss you like crazy I have been writing letters so you should be getting some today or tomorrow hopefully.  Sorry its so short I don't really have a whole lot to say other then I am doing well.  

Love You ALL!!!,

Elder Beaca Nilson

Elder Nilson and his MTC Comp

Patience - Jan. 20, 2014

This week has been all about patience.  

As anyone who has lived with me for an extended period of time knows that I have a rather fiery temper (I would like to take this time and apologize to my sisters, especially Sabrina, as I feel like she took the brunt of my harsh words). But guess yelling at someone loudly (namely a companion) is not something that is accepted at the MTC, which is a place of love (much to my chagrin).  Well this week my Mitarbeiter discovered my short fused personality.  If you have not heard my Mitarbeiter is a wanderer.  Everywhere he goes he has to look at everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He told me he couldn’t stay with me because he, "likes to mosey." (That is literally a direct quote.) I have always walked with a purpose at usually at rather a brisk pace so this mean I often lose my Mitarbeiter, and when I do I will call out, "Wo Bist Du!" or "Where Are You!" in Deutsche. Well this swiftly became the joke of our Zone and all the Elders were saying that was all the German I knew.  Well I am kind of a pride person so this rather upset me.  My comp realized this and began literally running away from me so I would have to chase him just to get a rise out of me.  So yes I became angry.  Well after being chastised by my Teachers, Zone Leaders and almost every Elder from my zone, I had had enough.  For lack of a better term I became rather "short" with my companion to the point where I raised my voice and told him off.  Now, it wasn't as bad as I make it sound but as far as the MTC goes I looked like a Drill Sergeant chewing out one of his privates.  Well I just felt awful, so I apologized and I began to pray and pray and pray and when I would think I couldn't pray anymore... I would say another prayer. And slowly but surely with every prayer my patience grew and the love for my companion grew and guess WHAT?!?!?!?!? HE WOULD actually start talking to me like a normal person and I began to understand why he was a mosier and how I could relate to him.  And now we are the best of friends even though He won't let me sing Michael Jackson for some weird reason (but I do any ways). :)  So yes that was my week German is coming slowly and It is hard but no one said a mission is suppose to be easy.  

Also the food here does a number on your intestines. I hate it.  But I have also realized through prayer that this food is inspired.  Because when I am out in the field eating pickled herring salad or blood sausage, I can just say to myself, "hey! At least you’re not eating those horrible sweet potato tater tots that have been cooked in pig fat a month before they are served to us missionaries."  So yes patience.... In ALL things.

But on a happy note, I AM SINGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I auditioned and I got TWO meeting and they told me to come audition AGAIN!!!! Because they like me so much! (Tender Mercies? I THINK YES!!!!) So yea I am happy and loving it :)

Tchuss!

Elder Nilson

KEINE ANGST - Jan 13, 2014

Well who would have thought that Lyle Mangum would be the one to fool the Almighty haha Jk.  Let me explain this joke I discovered that to be called to a German you have to have German on your application all of the other elders have taken atleast 3 years of german and a few of them are already conversational.  When they ask me if I have any German experience i start laughing and say "technically yes but in reality no ;)"  but KEINE ANGST!!! Also I was called as a District leader so yea that happen... Also two missionaries in my zone are from Timpview and of course took German and they speak rather well its Elder Billings and Elder Blake (that is a frame of reference for that Franks Family) but i am loving it and i have never felt the spirit stronger.

KEINE ANGST!!! NO FEAR! I have decided that is my motto and i am loving it! with every step those words go through my mind!!! Wow this is so crazy that i am really here it all seems surreal!! I got this impression on my first day that these two years are going to fly by and that i need to cherish them all so I said a quick prayer and asked Himmlischer Vater to help me be happy and enjoy evvery moment the good and the bad!!! And boy did it work.! I love being here and i love deutsches lernen. (i dont even think that is right but whatever) so i am loving life and when they say make it to sunday that is definitely the truth.  BUt for some odd reason I had a really bad day. It was so great until we ran into the Anti-lds protestors outside of the temple.  I was on the verge of beating the living tar out them but then i remembered that I am a missionary now and i should probably love them. Well i tried to push what they were saying out of my mind but for some reason it was sticking and i could doubt started to creep and i got angry! If it wasnt for the awesome elders and sister in my zone i would have attacked them.  As Kimberlynn can attest I love a good debate and these fellas were ripe for a smack down.  James might have to come up next sunday and put the beat down on them, break their white-washed 2x4 crosses over their heads ;) JK i love them and i am so sad that is the life they have chosen to go.  Well we had choir after that and as you know nothing is better then singing :) and we sang Nearer my God to thee.  I started looking around to see if angels were helping us because we sounded that good!  After we got to listen to a talk a recorded talk from Uchtdorf.  It was awesome! Well we went home and i started to go to sleep and those words of the protesters came back and i could not shake them! and for the first time this week tears hit my pillows I started feeling like Joseph Smith in the Sacred Grove when he was assailed by Satan.  ANd then i Said, "Elder Cobbley" mein mitearbieter (companion) "I need a blessing."  and then the other two elders woke up and said hey we can help! The other two elders are my ZL's and the greatest of all time. Elder Melanson my zoneleader gave me the blessing that was sooooooooooooooooo powerful it cast all of my doubts aside!!!! I was weeping very hard ;) and as we were getting back into our beds Elder Melanson said, "Elder Nilson, I have a really hard time sleeping and so for the past two years I have taken Melotonin every single night. I have only missed about 3 days in those two years, and tonight was my 4th time forgetting.  There is a reason I forgot and it was god's way of helping you."  Well that for sure didnt help the crying and I effectively turned my mattress (if you can call it that s/o to intelligel) into a waterbed! but my doubts were thrown out hardcore!!! yep so that was my first sunday in the MTC

We went to the temple today and if that wasnt the cherry on top of the blessing sunday I dont Know what was I have never been so happy in my Life!!!!

I love you all and i got to go!!! See you sooon!!!!

Elder (Beaca) Nilson

P.S. Ich war spiele basketball und this elder was like wow your unreal did you play in highschool?? i started laughing and said "Nein i did theater ;)  But theater but a national champion might be my trainer so I have to practice."

#LPbasketball