Great News!!!

First Baptism

All Clean

Letter Received Monday March 21, 2010:

Hey, Hey!

So yeah, look at the pictures first, even though I know that you all are going to read this first, but it will be more cool if you look at the pictures first. I have some really good news. I finally got that first baptism, and it was sweet, because that it was so hard to get it to happen, and that made it all that much better. We finally got Emanuel baptized and he is so happy, and so are his two member daughters. You wouldn’t believe that the girl in the blue pants is only 13 would you? It was awesome except, I forgot to bring other underclothes to the baptism so all day after the baptism I was wearing wet underclothes but what a small price for such and awesome baptism. I and four other missionaries did a cool musical number “Come Follow Me” and
I had a solo, cool huh? It was awesome.

The Family

Pure Power

Por Fin

Us and Big Baldwin

As for changes, it is crazy because me and my comp, my trainer, are in the same area again. They are taking the other two elders out of our massive sector and we are moving into their house, and now it is just me and Elder Murillo, still in our sector for six months, crazy!  I don’t want to live just us two, because that doesn’t sound as fun as with four, but at least our house will be clean. That means that we are going to be even busier. We will have been to every part of our sector, but ya, that’s it for our changes. Not much new that way for me, another six weeks with the same comp and area but I am happy because I know the area and the people. We have been staying really busy and visiting a lot of people and been really trying to do a lot
of contacts to find a lot more people. We have really found some really cool people this week.

Jorgi

Number One

Us and the Family

It is still hot here, but the nights are getting colder, also I have been getting more accustomed to the food here- people here are being a lot more receptive and we have been having a lot more success since the earth quake, I think. Everything is going really well.

Sounds like everything is going well with you guys, everything seems to be changing a ton, since I have been gone and the time is going so fast it’s crazy, but that is the mission for you, but I like it. I have been getting emails from Tyson and he sounds and looks like he is having so much fun, and his sector looks legit. I am glad that Dad is happy about going back to GD and that its all working out there and that everything it is all coming together and I think that Lexie, you changing jobs wouldn’t be such a horrible thing, because why live life to work, you should be able to enjoy your life and not always worry about work. Sounds like you guys are all doing well and loving life along with myself.

That is so tight about Brach going to Fiji that is one of the places that I would have loved to go, but the call matches Brach so well, that is so tight! Tell him congrats and that I love him. Well I got to go.

Love you all,

Elder Nelson

Later that Day:

Hey Hey Again:

Well, I sent some more photos of me doing some service. I have a ton of pictures that I think that I might send in the card in the mail to you guys because it is almost full and here I have to resize all the pictures to be able to send them to you and it takes a really long time. So yeah, I might do that but also I don't know if you guys put a jump drive in that package or not so if you did please tell me so I don't buy one.

But, I have some bad news that I need your help. Today after email I went back to the house and the speaker that you guys sent me was charging cause it died. I was using a power converter and everything and some how it got fried so I don't know what I am going to do for music because my speaker is messed so I need you guys to send me another speaker or something if you can. I am going to try and find something here for the meanwhile but let me know if you want me to just try and find one here or if you can send me another one of those because it worked awesome. I could take it to the investigator's houses and use it to watch some movies that the Church has on the internet for investigators and it worked really well. Let me know what you can do.

But I forgot to ask, is Brach going to learn another language or is it English? and that is tight that you have been able to start to put your bike back together Dad. What are you thinking that you want to get next? A 450 I hope. But yeah, I got to go but I love you all and miss you a ton. Thanks for the emails and everything let me know about the stuff please and I know that the Lord has me here for a longer reason and that is why I am staying here. I love you all. Miss you tons.

Love,
Elder Nelson

Baptism Fell Through and Lots of Service

Letter Received March 15, 2010:

Hey everyone,

Well, I am sad to say, that the baptism didn’t happen because he didn’t show up, and we have been told it is because his evangelical sister was giving him crap about it and it’s weird because she has a Mormon daughter, so we are going to figure it out and see what we can do. We are doing good and just going to keep working and the Lord is going to bless us. I know that Emanuel is going to be baptized because he knows that it is true and he just needs some push.

This week has been kind of weird and crazy, because we haven’t really been able to get any of our investigators to progress. We have been doing a lot of service, so it is hard to consistently be able to see our investigators. We are working hard to get our investigators, but the thing is that next week is changes and I think that there is a pretty good chance of one of me or my companion leaving, but I don’t know.

We have been working really hard to get more people and have been doing tons of contacts, because like 80 percent of our people have like moved or aren’t there for some reason, but that is mission work for you. On Saturday, we went to Constitution where the tsunami hit and started to build some temp houses so that the people would have a roof over their heads. Each missionary built a house that was like a shed in one day. There were 16 missionaries and maybe around five hundred Chilean people from all over there. I am so tired and sore, but it felt good to really help some people out. I have been working really hard and working for the lord to bless these people, because they need the gospel in there lives, especially since this earthquake. We have some people that are really good but just need to take some steps that are little, but important.

It sounds like everything seems to be really busy there but sounds like everything is going good and everyone seems to have so much stuff going on. Sounds like everything is going good for Dad and that he is going to be a lot more happy with being back at Gardner Denver, also sounds like it is warming up there, and that everyone is doing well but I’ve got go I miss and love you all, cant wait to hear back from you all next week

Love your son and brother,

Elder Austin Nelson

One Life Saved!

Letter Received March 8, 2010:

hey hey my familia:

Well this week has seemed a little more normal because we have got to actually been able to teach some lessons and have been working hard. We have been starting to have some success because I think that we have made kind of a step in our teaching and I have made kind of a change and took a step with the language and have been working really hard to better myself that way so that I can move forward with speaking and understanding better.

But no, Dad, we haven't been told that we need not to wear a badge. We are about back to normal and we haven't had any problems personally with robbings but we all sleep with a weapon next to our bed just in case. I have a claw hammer, ha, ha. But we are ok so don't worry that way we are safe. Last week was bad, but this week is all good because now we have electricity. It was worse like ten or fifteen minutes away from where we live but there is military in the streets at midnight now so we have no need to worry. But we have been doing well.

I have some news that is a little disappointing, Emmanuel didn't get baptized this week but is going to be next week for sure. He had an emergency come up. So he had to go out to the country, but he is still very animated and is still good for the baptism. So we will be good next week.

But yeah, Conce is much worse off then we are. They have to be in their houses at six o' clock at night and they can't leave their houses until noon. They have lunch at 1:30 and they leave lunch at three thirty so they get to work for like four hours, crappy huh! But yeah, they are a lot worse off then we are. We are about back to normal and doing well and I looked at Britt's blog sounds like he is doing really well and seems positive. He sounds really optimistic and I know that he is going to do miracles in the mission field.

Sounds like you are all doing well. Everything seems to be getting back to normal here. I miss you all and sounds like you all have been really busy. But I am thinking that you could send that package next week but I don't know so I would just send it and have to take the chance that it gets to Concepcion because I don't know what its like there. But the Hermanas in my district got theirs so it should be ok. I've got to go but I think that if you send next week, I think that it should be good. I love and miss you all and glad to here that you are all doing good.

Love,
Elder Nelson
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We Received this letter later that same day:

Hey, I forgot to tell you that we went to Constitution to do some service there. That is on the ocean where the tsunami hit and they need a lot of help. Well we went out there to help and bag some food and supplies and we had a really cool experience.

We were working and just doing work when all of a sudden, another tsunami warning came and all the people that we working with started running. All the military guys started running and they yelled tsunami and so we started sprinting away towards the hills and these hills they're all really steap like the mountains in Utah, like the pass. I ran and told my comp and we started sprinting towards the hill. We had a place in Constitution that we are supposed to meet for a situation like this so we were running up this hill where all the cars are going up this really steep hill.

There was this giant loader going up the hill and the streets are really skinny here so there wasn't much room and there was this old guy and his wife pushing there industrial bike up the hill (an industrial bike is one of those bikes like in Nacho Libre, the bike that he rides, that is what it is except it doesn't have a motor) but like they weren't getting anywhere. Me and my Comp were wondering why they weren't just running for there lives. It was an old lady like 60s and her husband probably about the same age and a little girl`probably about three and they were pushing this thing up the hill right next the tractor and the little girl was on the side of the bike right next to traffic. So I saw that and we started running towards them to get them some help to get them out of there. Then I saw the little girl start moving towards the tractor and she went right in the way of the tractor like 5 seconds away from getting killed and I got there just in time, ran to her and her parents weren't watching and I ran past them and swooped her with my arm from under the tractor and pulled her out before she got squashed and I saved her.

It was awesome and the Lord blessed me because I have never ran that fast in my life but I got to her and then I gave her to the mom or the grandma and she thanked me so much and we got them out. Then after we left and got to the spot where we were all supposed to meet we found out that it ended up being a false alarm and we left and came home. We had been there for a reason, I know it! It was amazing! But yeah, I just wanted to tell you guys. Well, I love and miss you all, I will write you next week.

Elder Nelson
one life saved

Blessings After the Earthquake

Letter Received March 2, 2010:

 

Hey Family:

 

Well, these last few days since I have talked to you have been really crazy.  I am glad to say that we have been really blessed these last few days. But first off, I think that we should hold off on sending that package if you haven't already sent it because I am afraid that if you send it that it will get stolen right now.  Because everything is so crazy, I would say at least hold off for about three weeks. 

 

But anywho, we have been really busy just making sure that we help as many people as we can.  We have been blessed last night that our water and electricity has been turned back on.  And we have been recieving a lot of help from the members here. We have been doing a lot of service and it seems like everything in Centro has gotten torn up and everyone is looting and robbing everything.  We went to Central and I thought that I was going to get robbed because everyone was looking at me like they wanted to kill me because I am gringo they all think that I have money so me and my comp booked it out of there as fast as we could. 

 

We have been working really hard but sorry that this email is really short but I got to go.  It was really good to here from all of you. But I will talk to you all next week  It is great to here that everyone is doing well.  I miss you all and I will email you all back next week and tell you more.  But it sounds good at home and everyone is doing well but seems kinda stressed but just know that it all works out in the end.  I've got to go, I love you all and miss you all a ton.   Ok.

 

Love Your Son and Brother,

Elder Austin Nelson