Christmas with Dane

We had a wonderful Christmas skyping with Dane. He looked and sounded amazing. He was just transferred to Columbia to be a Zone leader. He told us how he missed Myrtle Beach and the people. He sounded and looked so happy. He asked us to turn the computer around so he could see home and what it looked like. When we turned the screen around he could see out the window and saw mountains with snow on them. He said, "I love mountains and really miss them". He couldn't believe how big the mountains here are. We asked him what kind of food he was loving in SC and he said they have the best Macaroni and Cheese....I love this boy!!

Talking to him made our Christmas magical. The day before Christmas we received an amazing card from some members in Myrtle Beach, the Goss family. They were Baptized right before Dane left the area. Their kind words touched our hearts and made our Christmas the best ever. It is a card we will treasure for ever.

It was so great to see his spiritual growth and how he has turned into a mature young man...We are so proud of him and his service. We are all so blessed!!

We all took turns having our picture taken with Dane!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Glasses???

Things are good here. I am getting transferred on December 21st, four days before Christmas. I'm a little sad, but also excited because I am getting called to be a Zone Leader in the mission. I am so excited to be a Zone Leader. This is a picture of me at the ward Christmas party. Not much else going on other than I hit my 13 month mark the other day which seemed to come faster than lightning.

Have a Merry Christmas.
Love,
Elder Dane Nielsen

We are all so excited to talk to Dane on Christmas day. It has been a long time coming! We are all getting our lists of questions together for him. Last week I received a phone call from a member, Debbie Bigham, who lived in Myrtle Beach. Her phone call was amazing. It was the kind of phone call a mom can only dream of. She told me all about Dane and what kind of missionary he was and how the people living in Myrtle Beach just loved him. She told me she owned a beauty salon and Dane would stop by and eat all the candy in her treat jar....she also said he can eat candy like no one she had ever seen before. Then I knew we were for sure talking about the same cute boy.

We LOVE you Elder Nielsen . . . Merry Christmas and a Merry New Year!!!!!!

Here one day, gone the next!

We had two baptisms this weekend. The son flew in to baptize his parents it was amazing. They are going to the temple because they love the church. I love missionary work it is the best!
These are pictures of my week. I think it is funny that there are still roses out in December, it is still so warm here. We went to a house and taught a lesson, two days later we went back and the whole house was gone. That's a picture of me standing on the steps of where the house was. That was CRAZY!!
Love,
Elder Dane Nielsen

Surfside Beach

December 5th, 2011

We think this is a picture of Dane standing next to the Surfside Beach sign. He is that little tiny black and white speck at the bottom of the sign. He told us that he thinks he will be transferred out of Myrtle Beach around the 20th. He loves this area, but knows it will soon be time to move on.

Hello Everyone,

Well, it was a great week! This next week we have some sweet baptisms coming up! I love it here and it seems weird that this is my last Christmas in South Carolina! I will be home next year at this time, CRAZY! It kind of freaks me out to think that the end is coming near when it seems like it was just so far away! But I love my mission and all that it has done for me! I love this church and the blessings it gives me. I have seen a whole different side of religion since being in the "bible belt". South Carolina truly is the bible belt and I love it! We are all so blessed to know about this gospel and we need to share it with others! If we want to be like Christ we have to do as he did, he taught and baptized people! So, we should do the same! We have so much to be thankful for this holiday season! May we all give thanks and not worry about the "worldly" things, those only bring temporary joy! Help others, those are the memories that last a life time and others are so blessed. As it says in Mosiah "When you are in the service of your fellow men, you are only in the service of your God!" I testify that that is true and as we live it we will be so blessed! Keep strong and stay faithful, the Lord knows all things! Read the Book of Mormon and pray, and he will continue to bless you all!

Love, Elder Dane Nielsen

News Letter AM 1

December 5, 2011

A few weeks ago Dane's home ward, Aspen Meadows 1st ward, asked each missionary to send a letter home to the ward. All the letters were posted in the monthly news letter along with a picture of them doing the work. It was so fun to see the growth of each young Elder from our ward. Dane wrote the following message to our ward:

Dear Aspen Meadows 1st,

Thank you for all you have done for me & the support you have given me! A mission is such a great blessing, I love every minute of it! There is no greater work than the Lord's work! Now, I want to speak a little bit about missionary work!!! The Lord has commanded us to do it! We promise to do it when we are baptized! We promise to always stand as a witness of God at all times & in all places! Now I don't mean go knock doors, but we all know someone who is a non-member or a less active. As we reach out to those people the Lord give us so many blessings! I can testify that missionary work is the KEY to this church! If we want the church to grow we do missionary work. If we want more blessings we can do missionary work. Talk to everyone about this church, it has blessed you so much now use it to bless others! I know that missionary work is AMAZING! Through my year in South Carolina seeing different wards & branch's I've noticed something between the successful wards & the not so successful ones. It is missionary work! A ward that focuses on bringing others to Christ brings themselves to Christ as well! Last October conference Russell M. Nelson left us a challenge it was to meet someone new each week in your ward and as we do that we will fell our Savior's love more in our lives! The Lord always provides a way to keep his commandments, therefore he has paved a road for us to do his work. Now it's up to us to find it and follow it! I love your all! Missionary work brings so many blessings! I always think of Hymn 27 "Praise to the Man" my favorite line is "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" it's true it won't always be easy! NO ONE said it would be! Love and live the gospel and the Lord will bless you! Keep up the good work!

Love,
Elder Dane Nielsen!

We are so proud of Dane and his hard work. We can see that the Lord has done a wonderful job with our young son. Thank you everyone for all your love and support.