New Photos

Jason and Pam have uploaded some photos to Picasa Web Albums. Here is a link if you haven't seen them yet!
Click Here
 
If you have any pictures you would like other relatives to see, be sure and upload them to your family's tab. If you are having trouble just email Melanie!
 
Thanks!

New Pics from the Larson Family!

Go to the Darren and Mel Tab and check out our new pics from the end of the school year and first week of summer!  Enjoy! Post your comments!  Love, Mel and Family

New Uplifting Song Everyone Should Hear - by Rascal Flatts

To hear this song I Won't Let Go" by Rascal Flatts for the link.  Get a tissue or two, you may need it.  You teens will love it too!  Enjoy!  Melanie

Picture Album from June 9th

New Picassa Plcture Album from letter of June 9th

Here is the link to see the complete picture album of Mom and Dad's missionary letter of June 9th.  A few of the pics are posted to the blog, the rest can be seen through this link.  Enjoy! 

https://picasaweb.google.com/117239130876572436722/20110609June92011?authkey=Gv1sRgCOGF9dOp1e6iQQ&feat=email#

Letter of June 9, 2011

Glad Tidings from Curmorah,                                    June 9, 2011

Well  it’s another P-day and it’s time to write a letter.  All is well here on the mission.  We are keeping busy.  We study , we work and sometimes we shop and eat.  Finally the weather has dried out some.  We have had several days without much rain.  We are being trained on large bus tours at every site, and also, we are being trained on “pageant mode”.  We have had many buses show up at the sites already.  Yes!! summer tour season has started!  I think it will really get crazy next week with school out everywhere.  Seems people are coming from everywhereJ

The hill is now being transformed for Pageant.  Flowers are being planted, the grass can finally be mowed without the mower getting stuck.  The crane is now in place to set up the lighting and sound electronics.  Youth groups arrive every few days for youth conferences.   We have included pictures of all of these things. 

This week we visited Alvin’s grave site and one of the locks on the Erie Canal and even the Wm Phelps store and the local printing press where they print the Book of Mormon in the same manner it was printed 180 years ago.  Mark is the name of the printer and he is here from the ”land of Bountiful” –Utah-- to print that Book of Books and make it as authentic as possible.

It gets more interesting every week to take tours and meet the people.  They certainly come from all over the world.  Europe, Australia, Japan, Brazil, even Utah and Idaho.   So many come seeking: answers, comfort, peace, and direction for their lives.  Most are members but many are not members coming to check out , investigate, or to dismiss.  We had a couple come with their son while waiting for the son’s mission call-- only a few months ago they lost their daughter(she was Pregnant)  and unborn grandchild to cancer.  They came to feel the peace and comfort of the Spirit.  Another brother came after 50 years not being involved in the church to reestablish his direction for life.  We had a couple come who said the husband was less active and the non member wife was more of a member than her husband. 

An interesting thing happened with one of the young sisters working with us (Sister Tuscher).  She was assigned a tour at the Grandin Building with a good Mormon family.  Part way through the tour the father was strongly impressed to ask Sister Tuscher if her Grandmother died on her mission many years ago.  The sister was startled and very overcome and replied, yes.   The father then told Sister Tuscher that her grandmother’s companion was his mother.   Sister Tuscher’s father had never been able to a talk about the horrible incident and so she knew very little.  This Brother was able to explain what happened  regarding the brutal murder of both senior sisters many years ago in South Carolina and then answer many of Sister Tuscher’s questions.  The Lord really puts the right people in the right place at the right time.  Sister Tuscher came down stairs, shaking, crying and just weak.  This has always been a mystery to her and to have it unravel here on the mission was overwhelming.

We continue to study and study the history of the sites and the events that took place here.  We get questions almost every day that lead us to research and study to find the answers.   We also spend a lot of time in the scriptures seeking answers.  For an exercise look up the following scriptures and see how the Lord prepared for problems in the translation of  the Book of Mormon.   ! Nephi 9:5,  I Nephi 19:3,  Words of Mormon 3-7, D&C 3:19 and D&C 10:38-42, Alma 37:14.  The questions are: How did the Lord know these things?  What was the wise purpose? How many prophets were prompted to take care of the problem?  Did they know why?  Do we always know why?

We like to talk to the members of the church who come to visit about what they feel here at the sites more than what they hear or see. 

We love you all and miss you a lot, but we know we are here because the Lord called us here to serve him and his children.   Hope you all will be enjoying those hazy crazy days of summer.

Lots of Love,

Grandpa and Grandma (Elder and Sister Nielsen)

PS.  For the pictures this time we are sending a Picasa album.  Shouldn’t take so much memory.  So look for the album separately.

PSS  We also like letters, pictures, etc—thank you for sending us info on what’s going on in your lives---we love to hear/read it!!!