Christnas Light Parade

Burlington  has a  Christmas Light Parade. All lights are battery operated. Santa and his wife is the main attraction. They go to the library after the parade to see Santa with their kids.

Nativities & Noels

Yesterday was Lees Birthday he has been gone for ten years. I miss him but I was busy all day with the Nativity and Noels. I have spent some time thinking about Lee, he was a good man and my love for he does not die. Thank goodness we have forever this is a shot time on earth isn't it wonderful to have the plan of salvation.
The Nativity and Noels was not as well attended as I was hoping it would be.  I think a lot of progress was made with the community they might even consider us a Christian church now. We had 157 people come which is only a 34 more than last year I know I was dreaming big but I hoped for 500 oh well maybe next year. I was in charge of getting the music and we had it most all the day. On the Nativity  there was over 60 countries represented.

Christmas program at Methodist Church

I have never been to another church beside ours but tonight I did. Judy a friend out here invited us to her church which is Methodists to see there Christmas program. Since I had there choir sing at our Navitity & Noel and I serve in Mops at that church I  thought I should. I was well done they did a great job.

Navtivity and Noels

We are hosting a Nativity and Noels event at the church this is the second year this has been done. There are over 300 Nativities and we will have different people  from the community singing through out the day. We had about 12 people here all day getting this set up. So we are hoping we will have a big turn out tomorrow.
This is only a few of the Nativity tomorrow.

District

I am just getting around in showing our new district and it time for change but this time no one is being transfered. I just learn to love everyone of them. They are all wonderful!

In the back from left to right Steven, Lemon & District leader Mitchell  front row Sister Cochrane, me, Sister Hocks,  Sister Tims

Thankful

It is close to Thanksgiving and I would be very sad if you did not know how much I love each one of you. If you are someone that is reading this blog then you should know I love and care for  you very much. I am so grateful that our Father in Heaven allowed us to have families and friends that we can be with for ever if we live worthy to, what a blessing this is to me.  There are so many family and friends I love with all my heart I thank the lord for each one of you. I also have many dear friends here in Burlington and surrounding towns.
I am also so grateful for my Loving Father in Heaven and my older brother and Savor and the Holy Ghost there are no words to truly express my love for them and gratitude for all they have done for me.
I am very grateful to have the opportunity to come on this mission to have the Holy Ghost help me in so many ways it is amazing.
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and pray that you will all stay close to the Lord. Remember to always ask what would Jesus do.
                                                                                                  With all my love,
                                                                                                       Sister Nielsen,
                                                                                                         Mom and or Paula

Dolls

A new members (Melinda) Grandma and twin sister decided in there 80's to have a Barbie and More collection. They have it in the basemanet of an old church.

Any way you get the idea this is only a few of the dolls. These two sister has got some dolls that have never been out of the boxes. Others they have found or bought at a garage sale, there are dolls they have made clothes for, others they have made arms or eyes for. There are to many dolls to ever show all of them. But this should give you the a small glimpes of what they have . 

Chiggers and other things

Chiggers, tree mites, fleas oh my! In the wizard of Oz Dorthy says: lions and tigers and bears oh my! I hear they do have a yellow brick road but I have not been to the town that has it. Nor have I seen lions or tigers or bears but then she was not in Kansas at that point in the movie. Any way my first statement is something we do encounter since I have been in Kansas. Chiggers, tree mites and fleas. Chiggers are in the grass here and so that is why you don't lay on the lawns here. When you get bit it makes you itch like crazy! Thank goodness for my essential oils they help a lot.  It is starting to get colder so we do not have the problems as much now. Fleas they tell me are in the grass also but I don't know if that is true. Everyone seems to have dogs when we go visiting which we do for usually 3 or so hours a day.  Tree mites fall from the trees when the wind blows and they bite you also. The last couple of weeks I don't seem to have a itching spot on my body which is very unusual.
There are also bed bugs one of the Elders here was cover in bite which was driving him crazy. They had to come in and spray but he was miserable for a couple of weeks.

LouAnn

We had LouAnn over for dinner and spent a wonderful couple of hours learning a little about her life she is a friend to Sister Cochrane and me.

the district

Yesturday was P day for our district so we had them over for lunch. We have 2 elders and 1 sister leaving  tomorrow on transfers. I will miss them it seems we just start to know them and the are transfered. But it is all good because the next ones that come are just as wonderful.

What is missionarie life like

What is missionary life for me like at this point in my mission? It is filled with a new adventure each day not knowing what each day will bring. It is filled with serves and the Holy Ghost and new people we meet. Oh and a exciting new road to go on. Its filled with a companion I love and I am learning more about her each day and what an amazing life she has had and continues to have. It is filled with prayer for a list of people we have learned to love and care about. It is filled with a desire to do everything we can to help other feel the joy we have and they can have by coming unto Christ and his gospel. Its becoming friends with someone we have just met that hour and already loving them. Its going with the Elder to different people to give discussions and sharing your testimony. It is going to district meeting and many other meetings and driving long distances where ever we go. It is serving in the elementary school, Mops, the hospital, meals on wheels, church and more each week. It is visiting people  every single day. Its kneeling each night praying that you are doing everything you can to bring others to Christ and praying you have done all you could that day. It is praying for your kids and love ones back home but knowing God will watch over them. It is building a stronger testimony and love for the lord each day.  It is worth any thing I might have had to change or give up to be on a mission. A mission is a wonderful blessing in my life.

Phoebe

We take a little girl (Phebe) to church every other week for activitie days she love to go and always has lots to tell us on our way to and from the church. Which is around 20 minutes each way. This week they carved punkins.

Hyawatha sister

Womens conference for the witchita mission was a lot of fun and learning. We got to visit with other older sisters that is serving in our mssion.

On the left is my companion Sister Cochrane, in the middle is Hyawatha Sister and then me. 

Kara

Womens Conference was yesturday for all the sister missionaries in the Witchita Mission. It was a wonderful Conference, we left for Witchita at 7:30 am. and returned home at 6:00pm.
This was the first time I have been able to see Kara Webb. She is having a wonderful mission she says. She seems very happy and excited.


     

Sights

As we traveled to take some new bapized members for lunch she told us as we went through a town named Hartford they had a old out side jail that they still use. She said she was told they still have the pisoners stay in it for a few hours. I have no way of knowing if that is true but you certainly would not want to go to jail there if that was true. Of course you would never want to be in jail any where!

                                                   

Judy

Today we took Judy to Kansas City to see her sister that came from Colorado to visit her brother and Judy. We talked about the Church the whole way, We dropped her off and then went to the temple for endowment session and  initiatory after picking her up we took her to the temple to see it. Also we went and showed her the church next to the temple and walked her through it and explained what different things where used for in the church house. I hope it will make a difference on Friday when she meets with the Elders. She is a wonderful lady I hope one day she will be a member of the church. Since it is a drive to go to Kansas City  it took us all day. We left at 8:00 am and arrived home at 8:30 at night. It was a wonderful day.

We have a picnic at the park tonight (Thursday) every week for investigator, new member and any  branch member that would like to come. This week is pizza and pot luck we knew we would not make it so we gave our Branch mission leader money for 4 pizza's some punch and cookies and he will take care of it for us.

I hear that my address is not Listed  in the Sunday weekly ward Sacrament program with the other missionaries I have no way of knowing why but for those that want it my address is: Sister Nielsen  511 Garrettson Street Burlington Kansas 66839.
Or you can just send a email to me at: paulanielsen51@gmail.com

I love my mission each day is a new adventure in serving the Lord and I enjoy the journey. I do miss all of you I pray you are all doing well.

Hospital

I had a great week but really every week is wonderful. I work at the hospitals on Thursday mornings. I am at the desk so when people come in I greet them and give them directions or a room number of a patient that sort of thing. Any way there is a blood pressure machine that is by me and anyone can use it. There was no one in the gift shop across the hall so the lady running the gift shop came over to take her blood pressure. I started talking to her. Before long I was telling her about the gospel I told her about the pre existence, Joseph Smith, the three degrees of glory, what the temples are for and much more. The neat thing about it is someone would go to the gift shop and she of course have to leave and could of easily not come back but she came back each time and would tell me where we were on the discussion and we would continue. She has my number and said she is coming over to look at her genealogy  which I had talked to her about. It is wonderful how the Holy Ghost tells you what to say.  
                                                           
                                                               

Burlington Hospital is called Coffey Health System 

Dinners

If the Elders are going to dinner at someones house far away we usually are invited too because then the Elders can go with us and save there mileage on there car. Because the Elders can only drive so many miles each month. Some times we are invited just cause they want us to come even if it is not far or  is far or what ever.

 Brother and Sister Nichols who have only been married a couple of weeks took the Elders and me to dinner at a hamburger place. Then we went and seen there dairy farm. Elder Cota wanted  to taste raw milk.

Adam Ondi Ahman and temple

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Kansas City Temple and then we went to Adam Ondi Ahman. We went with some sister from Hiawatha. It was a wonderful day.

Adam Ondi Ahman

Adam Ondi Ahman

Lorene Bush

We have been busy we take Lorene Bush to different place like the picnic we hold on Thursdays church on Sunday and of course I go with the missionaries when they ask me to go with them to teach her it a lot of fun. This last Saturday she was baptized which is wonderful.

                                                                     

Three Elders

Tranfers are over and Elder Colt stayed he is on the right, in the middle is Elder Stevens , Elder Clay  is on the left he will be going home on Tuesday. To bad he is
 leaving I have enjoyed the two weeks he was here, this is the second set of Elders I am working with plus Elder Clay till Tuesday. Elder Clay wants to be a doctor he would make a great one.

My home in Burlington

This is my home in Burlngton and I love it very much. It has a large kitchen and front room. One large bed room which I gave to Sister Cochrane a nice size bath room with a blue tub and sink. Then a wash room with a washer and dryer and my bed is in it also.  So the wash room doubles as a bed room. Since it is really a wash room the door for down stair is also in it and a door to go into the garage. It does not have a door to the rest of the house but it is not that bad I have learn to appreciate and love this home and my companion very much.