Lehigh

Hi everyone,

Things are going great. I am just getting over a nasty cold. Not a lot of updates from me other than we are still super busy.

I love being a missionary, baptizing people, and crying repentance to others. I never thought I would love being a missionary like this.... but I do! I wouldn't have it any other way!!

Love you all,
Elder Dane Nielsen

Elder Fonnesbeck

Hi Family,

It has been a while. I have been super busy!!! You know the life of a missionary.

I got a new companion this week his name is Elder Fonnesbeck. He is so great!!! The President called me on Wednesday and told me I was being assigned with Elder Fonnesbeck who had been serving as an assistant to the President. Elder Fonnesbeck was the first person I met and went out with on splits when I arrived in SC.

It is so much fun. I have never had so much fun as being a missionary. What a great life!!!

Love you all,
Elder Dane Nielsen

Never drive in wet cement

It was a great week...we had two baptisms.  We baptized a mother and her daughter.  It was
such a great experience.

The car wheel in the cement was a long story! I was trying to cross a "small river" ha ha ha
(the small river part is an inside joke).  The workers said, "Oh it should be fine to go thru,
it should be dry".  So I was like "WOW" I don't know much about cement, but that looks
really wet.  So I tried it with one tire and sank to the frame.  Ha ha, luckily I have had some
"experience" with getting high centered with Grandpa, so I was able to back out.  It was so
funny!

It really was a great week.  I love it here and love the work.  I am really looking forward to
this week because we have two appointments set up with two great Stake Presidents to help
the work move along in this area.

I love you all!!!

Love Elder Dane Nielsen

I am blessed to serve in the South

Here are a few pictures from this past week. The middle one is obviously a picture of the temple in Columbia. I had the opportunity to drive by the Temple, it was pouring rain. The big guy is my companions Uncle who I hung out with while my companion was on exchanges. He came to SC with the Mitt Romney Campaign. That was a crazy night. People were banging on your windows telling you who to vote for. We got a picture of the court house that night.
There is a lot of great stuff going on down here in the South, and I always seem to be on the phone. It is the busiest and funnest time of my mission. I love it so much! I am so blessed to be able to serve in the South.
Love,
Elder Dane Nielsen

I represent Jesus Christ

Tuesday, January 17th

Today Elder Nielsen has been out 14 months. Time really has gone by so fast. We heard from him today, but mostly one-liners. He is really busy being the Zone Leader, so we really don't hear much from him. He told us he only spends about one night a week in his apartment.

We asked him about Mitt Romney and the elections going on in SC this week and how it was going for the missionaries in the area. He told us he didn't have time to worry about Mitt and wasn't really sure who he was. He said that would explain why people were accusing them of knocking on doors and campaigning for Mitt. He reassured us that he was working for the Lord and too busy to worry about anything else. "After all I am a representative of Jesus Christ".........Love that boy :)

I love you MB (Myrtle Beach)

This is me on my last day in Myrtle Beach watching the sun rise, it was really cool. There were dolphins 10 feet off the shore. This is a picture of me with this cool family, I really love them they are the best! The other picture is of the University of South Carolina football stadium.
I miss Myrtle Beach, but I love Columbia it is a great place to serve.

Love,
Elder Dane Nielsen

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!