"Elder Nielson! You should tell us about your companion!"
"Elder Nielson! You should include more pictures in your emails!"
"Elder Nielson you looked so small and furry in the last email, I only identified it as you because of your nametag! You should work out more so you get big!"
Unrelated to that, this week I listened to an old BYU podcast thing called "For time and all eternity" and I have no idea where you find it if any of you want to listen to it, but you probably have enough on your plate just reading my emails so don't bother. It taught me ALLLLLL about effective comunication, and how relationships are only sucsesful if you talk to each other as equals, in the language of equals, and don't talk down to anyone or pretend they're in a lower position than you. It also taught me many other things the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. I listened for at least 3 hours on Saturday, and it was the best 3 hours of the whole week.
"Elder Nielson, permit me please, to hear why you had 3 hours of free time on Saturday?"
No. Instead I will tell you about my companion. I'm attaching a picture below that I think does a good job describing his general vibe. (You must) scroll down and study it before continuing on in this email, as I shall refer to it presently. As you saw (those of you who live obediently, not at all unlike how I live as a missionary) my companion is equipped with "hip" atire. The space jacket you see him clad in has been present upon his shoulders practically nonstop for the past week since he got it. I didn't have to catch him unawares to get a picture of him in the jacket, he displays it proudly 24/6. (Thank goodness only 24/6.)
Additionally you may notice that he apears to be from Thailand, which he very much is. (I bet all of you would guess that first try, as I did.) That means he's stacked with secret charachter stats, like the ability to make Thai food. He taught me how to make some curry, and it was wonderful. (And spicy.) He told me to impress girls with it when I get home, but little does he know that time isn't real and I'm going to be on my mission forever.
He's a good guy, and he cares about me, but on his last transfer his energy to do the work is a little different than mine.
A couple people have been speculating that I'll burn out at some point, but I disagree with this vehemently. On a "theological scale," I just think they're wrong. God promises that those who wait upon the Lord shall "Run and not be weary," and my goodness, I want to run. SPEAKING OF WHICH I was able to run every day this week for the first time ever and it was AMAZING. I love running. Some weaker Elder who shall not be named reported getting "shin splints" when he tried to run, and to him I can only suggest (in the wise words of Captian America) "I expect you to do better, senator." Because running is an undefeated strategy.
I know I've been getting excited a lot this email, but what can I say, I've spitefully decided to be forever filled with more joy than specifically 4 of you, to get you back for your misdeeds.
I PLAYED SPIRIT ISLAND THIS WEEK!!!!!!!! AND NOT JUST ONCE BUT 3 TIMES!!!!! It was the greatest thing ever. I played once on P-day, and twice while I was with my DL on an exchange. (The exchange lasted like 2.5 days too, which is way too long for one of those, but that's another story.) For those of you who don't know what Spirit Island is, it's a board game, and also my favorite thing ever. The only two things that have ever filled me with as much joy as Spirit Island are the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Elder Erwin's missionary profile picture. For those of you who haven't played, you should repent. I'll even play with you in a couple years after the mish, name a time and place. (I miss all you board game bros back home. <3)
A few times this week were the worst, but worry not there's an exciting part coming up, where I'll resume my normal cheerfulness.
Being a missionary is one of the most frusterating things I've ever expirienced. I think it's set up that way on purpose though; if you don't have a mission president that's hard to work with you'll have a companion that is. If you don't have a companion that's hard to work with you'll have a district leader that is. And if you don't, you'll have an investigator that's hard to work with. I don't think you really know you love someone (like Jesus Christ for example) until you've born a frusterating situation for them or with them. In the case of Jesus, it's both. I'm here both for him, and with him. (Plug for the talk I gave yesterday. Link below https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I-NzXGqzsLyXnNcPgC9HthmSNcoVeXXC0iyBWoQuSqU/edit?usp=drivesdk)
So anyway I was feeling super frusterated, especially because I feel like I've been being super obedient, and we're promised miracles for that but I felt like none were coming. One day I ranted for a good hour to my district leader (and my journal notebook) about it. I so badly just wanted a break. Or a clean flat, or a productive day. The next day, my companion came down with the flu, and I got all 3! (I feel really bad if it was my fault though! I hope God knows I don't need a miracle thaaaaat much.)
I'm reminded about a presentation by one of my history TAs where he asked "what is a miracle." I thought about this a lot this week cause I doubt my companion feels like the plauge he's aquired is a miracle. (Can we talk about my clever forshadowing in the title?) Yet, because he was sick and we couldn't leave, I cleaned the entire kitchen, listened to hours of podcasts and Saints, baked some orange muffins with fresh oranges from our tree (DID YOU KNOW WE HAVE AN ORANGE TREE!?!?!?! IT'S THE GREATEST THING EVER, other than potentially the gospel of Jesus Christ and Elder Erwin's missionary profile picture.) I delivered the muffins in question to a couple friends I've made here, who've been kind to me as a missionary. One is a guy that came and said Hi when I was running. One was a woman who gave us a couple of her oranges when we were walking around on a hot day. I gave her a Book of Mormon too and she said she'd read it.
Q&A
Q: "What's the name of the little platapus, seen with Wad in one of last week's pictures?"
A: He's officially named "Weed." Credit to my new favorite sister.
Q: "Why did you bring Wad with you to NZ? Is he your favorite stuffed animal?"
A: No actually, he's one of the few stuffed animals that's expendable. NZ is a dangerous place. (Especially when you know all the gang signs.)
Q: "Didn't you promise your emails would get shorter over time?
A: Uh... Just for that I'm skipping the "stats" section this email. (The most popular section.) I didn't anticipate I'd have a full day that I couldn't leave the flat when I said that.
Q: :(
Pictures:
Hello, you good little children, who scrolled down here to look at my companion when I told you to! He's in pictures 1 and 2
(Note the improvised cooling rack I made for the muffins in pic 4! Now they won't have soggy bottoms.)
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