Do you want to hear a funny story? Lol so our gas got shut off last Monday. So for a week we haven't had any warm water. Honestly like our shower could not be any colder. It started as the worst thing in the world and one morning I showered while using disinfectant wipes  because I was too cold to fully submerse  myself in the frost machine known as our shower. Literally lol. But now I can just shower in it  like a normal shower because I've mastered my physical body and it's weaknesses. So that's what I accomplished this week. Ta da. It's getting fixed today.  Don't worry.

We had such a nice week this week! Our zone is literal fire right now. Like it's doing better than it has in a super super long time. We had three baptisms this Sunday and another 4 this next week. Marié is getting baptized this Saturday. Have I told you about her? I think so. If not then she's this 28-year-old Venezuelan girl. Honestly she is one of the most amazing people I've ever met. She's the best. She is considering moving to Salt Lake. We had this lesson with her last week in which basically ended in all of us crying after she said that she knows that the church is true. Man we love her. So that's happening this week! That's fun. You're fun. I love you.

I absolutely LOVED the talk you sent to me about Eve. I've shared it with a ton of people. Because  I agree with it entirely. So I agree in your point about how Talmage was too hard on her because she was not the victim of impulsive desire but rather the initiator of the Father's plan in the mortal realm. I am a firm believer that everything that Eve did was a conscious decision to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man and woman. And we ought to admire her courage and faith instead of condemn her in any way. And the way the author (forgot her name) puts together the Priesthood and Childbearing together is completely true. Both equal powers and both cannot be used fully without the concept of unity between husband and wife.

Right now we're doing our laundry in this little hispanic laundromat. I'm going to send this to you now because we're finishing up and then we're going grocery shopping. I LOVE YOU. YOU'RE SO SWEET AND I LOVE YOU THE MOST A PERSON CAN LOVE.

​Your boy, Jack

This funny boy. He makes me laugh. Here are the latest adventures of Elder Jack Nielsen. -K

Do you want to hear a funny story? So there we were. Having a really nice Tree of Life activity in the church. We planned this whole thing of Lehi's dream complete with a fog machine, water mist, and a Christmas tree with apples at the end. And a TON of people came. Classic activity, right? So the concern of fog in a closed area neglected to impress any sort of warning to us. Long story short, fire alarm went off and within about 5 minutes there were 2 fire trucks outside of the restored church of Jesus Christ. And they couldn't get the fire alarm to shut off. So this alarm was blaring and we're trying to ventilate a room with no windows. But then I noticed that the literal love of my life, this sweetest blindfolded 80 year old woman is still making her way holding onto the iron rod. I go up to her and tell her that she doesn't need to keep going and that she can let go but just tells me that nothing would ever stop her from getting to the tree of life. She made it to the end. I died. She's so funny.

My Easter was delightful. We had our two churches and I just love everyone. Our Young Single Adult ward is lit. Not a lot of people come but it's just super rewarding. Like we're helping some people prepare for missions and helping to receive the priesthood and whatnot. My best friend Loraine wanted me to baptize her yesterday. I don't know it's just really great. I hope I stay here in union city for a while. I told president to never take me out. Ha.
​
Speaking of UC, The investigators we have are so solid. So let me tell you about Marie. She's the coolest person like ever. She's this 29 year old from Venezuela and is super educated. She's super funny and witty. But she told us last night that she wants to get baptized this month and is going to move to Salt Lake City. Like no joke. She watched an Al Fox video and it inspired her a lot. So that's kind of funny. So we're going to baptize her either next week or the week after. We're also teaching a ton of other people who are super chill. So like things are great and I'm happy.

It's weird that you were so close to me this week. I basically live in New York. So that's super fun for me because even though I didn't see you, at least you could know that I'm in an actual physical location instead of a boy that only exists through words. Because I'm real and I love my mom, with a real love. There's this little town that we're going to today called Hobokin and it is the cutest town. Like you would love it. It's where Carlos Bakery is so today we're going to go there today for a little bit and eat some good pastries made by Buddy the Cake Boss and his dessert minions. I'm excited. And after we're going to the church and we're going to play nerd darts which is so fun. So it's going to be a really nice day for your boy. (Aka me).

(Note from Kami: Warning...deep thoughts ahead. Jack and I are doing a book club together. We are reading a chapter a week from Talmage's "Jesus the Christ" and I thought some of you would appreciate his perspective on Chapter 2. One of the things I miss most about him is when he would lay at the foot of my bed and we would have deep discussions about things. Here is what he said about our latest chapter.)

So let's talk a little but about Jesus the Christ chapter 2. One of the things that I find eternally consequential is the formation of intelligence. In Joseph Smith's King Follett Sermon he talks about the self-existent nature of God and Man, and when you think about the eternal nature of man, you cannot come to any other conclusion other than the fact that the atonement of Jesus Christ himself therefore demands an eternal nature. As Nephi says, "Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement--save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption." I am a firm believer that when we fully are able to understand fragments of the mind of God, we are able to understand that everything we have in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is made to benefit and aid in the eternal progression of man, and it is based on rational laws. Jesus Christ himself is an eternal intelligence so it would not make logical sense to exclude his foreordination as the Christ from his divine mission because in doing so supports the doctrine of annihilation. Like everything in the Gospel makes so much obvious sense at its basics. Which I never cease to adore.

Sorry for the rant. You're so sweet. I love my family. We're going to go shopping right now. I love you SO MUCH and I'm excited to talk to you with you next month. 😉☺️❤️

I LOVE YOU.
Your boy - Jack

Here is the latest happenings in Union City, N.J. This week he bumped into a senior couple serving from our ward, Elder and Sister Mendoza. It makes this mom happy to have some familiar faces checking in on him from time to time. Thanks for all your support!! -K

Let me start off by first of all telling you that Union City is where I want to spend the rest of my mission. No joke. I literally love it here. We literally live like 10 minutes away from Manhattan and outside our apartment looks over the entire Manhattan skyline. There's this track outside our apartment that we run and it has a reservoir in the middle and looks over all of New York. It's so pretty. And don't even get me STARTED on the people. The people here are the best. The members are the sweetest and our investigators are so prepared. We literally put 4 people on date in one day. I'm so happy. Elder Contreras is my best friend. I say that about everyone but I literally love him so much. We have the same kind of humor so I'm constantly laughing. What a guy. And I love our zone. I'm so excited for these next transfers. It's sad that I can't get packages put I'm also ZL so I'll be able to get them frequently. So no worries. Thank you so much for the apartment care-package because we needed it. You're so nice to me!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! Our apartment is deceptively big due to the fact that we love in a hobbit hole kind of. But you go in and it's big and also cold because we don't have a heater which I like because I sleep better when it's cold anyway. Also I've found out that I love eating salad and also I made this new thing where you get a tortilla and you cover it with Nutella and put an entire banana inside and it's delicious. I'm an adult. Hello. Also, we go to two wards on Sunday. Union City Spanish and YSA. Both are the best. YSA is so fun. Literally I never want to leave here. So know that I'm happy and I love you!

Also lol at the Mendozas. They're so sweet. I'm glad that I get to see them every week. Also, the Cutlers are our senior missionaries and they're the funniest people.

Today we have to help some sisters move because they're being harassed by their landlord. Fun p-day activity. Union is pretty sketchy but not for us. I never feel in danger or anything. It's just the best. I am a happy guy.

Guess what's in my area?!  WEEHAWKEN. DAWN. GUNS. DRAWN. (Note from K: This is where Alexander Hamilton was killed...also his son Phillip. A little history FYI. ) Which makes sense because I could throw a rock at New York we're so close. I've told my companion the entire history of Hamilton. I can't wait to share it with you. 

I'm so glad you like Jesus the Christ. I love it. I finished reading it for my second time and now I'm going to go through it with you. There's a quote that I really like in the first chapter that says, "Nevertheless, man never lived of whom more has been said and sung, none to whom is devoted a greater proportion of the world’s literature. He is extolled by Christian, Mohammedan and Jew, by skeptic and infidel, by the world’s greatest poets, philosophers, statesmen, scientists, and historians. Even the profane sinner in the foul sacrilege of his oath acclaims the divine supremacy of Him whose name he desecrates."

I'm doing so good and I love you so much. You really don't have to do anything for me. You already do so much. I'm going to give you 100000000000000000 hugs when I come home. I never thought I would love my mission so much. And I want you to know that I'm very happy. I love you all so much and I hope you have the best week.

your boy. 
Jack

Our cute guy has been transferred to Union City, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. He is the new zone leader in the area and his new companion is Elder Contreras from Mexico City. He already knows and loves him. Thanks for all your prayers. Keep em' up!! -K

This week was really good, as always. I love Elizabeth but also I'm super excited for Union. And being a zone leader is going to be great. I was with Elder Contraras the other day and he is such a funny guy and he works really hard so I'm really excited to work with him. And YSA ward! How fun is that? I'm super hyped. I'll also be RIDICULOUSLY close to NY so it's like we're going to be together in 11 days kind of! Not really but in terms of geographic location I suppose. I'm sad to leave the nicest apartment in the mission and living in a 4 man but that's ok. Zone leaders usually serve for 4 transfers so I'll be a ZL for the next 6 months. Fun. And then I'll only have a few months left before I come home to you. I'm going to miss being a district leader but I might be one when I get done being a ZL so who knows.

Today we're going to the beach in Perth and I'm excited because I like the beach. And later we're going to Camila's house who is the best. And then tonight I'm going to go to see my friend Glenda and then go see Yomairy because her mom made us habichuelas con dulce. I also have to pack up everything that I own so it'll be a good day and also a little busy.

I don't know if you know this but the dining table ping pong set you sent me for christmas is the epicenter of my life in the Elizabeth apartment. Elder Wildman and I play every day and literally I've had dreams about ping pong, as sad as that is. I held the "Pong King" title this past week but I lost it so now I'm Pong Queen. Not to be confused with Prom Queen. Elder Follett is Pong Loser. Elder Harding is cute.

In my new zone i have a lot of really good friends too! Like Elder Hebertsen, who was my first zone leader. And Elder Vaherran who was the AP last transfer. And sister Mora who is a homie. I'm just really excited!!!!!!

I loved conference! It's literally like the super-bowl for missionaries. We get so hyped. I absolutely loved Holland's talk. I want it tattooed. Lol just kidding but I loved it. I loved all of them! And I love you!

Anyway. That's my life. I have the best family. There isn't anyone else that I would rather spend eternity with.

I LOVE YOU.
--jackson.