Another Great Baptism!

Letter Received March 28, 2011:

Funny Pic With Pati

 Hey:

Glad to hear that everyone is doing good. That is cool to hear that the trip down to Vegas went well. Something that I don't understand is where all this success is coming from. This week went so well at church I couldn't believe it. We obviously had some people that didn't come that we were counting on come to church. That is the mission, having some upsets but also having blessings on another end. Well we definitely had some blessings that came from no where. We have Patricia that made the decision on Thursday that she wanted to be baptized on Sunday. So we did it. It was awesome! She was so golden and her dautghter is hopefully getting baptized in between conference sessions. That would be so awesome, huh?  

Me, Elder Wilhelm, and Patricia Monica Llonton Carrion

 Me and my companion once again weren't together all that much but we had a decent week If you looked at our numbers you would say that we had a really crappy week but then you can then see that we baptized. So, I am happy and she is going to be such a awesome member of the Church. She just loves to learn about the gospel. She just seemed to catch everything so quickly. When you teach some things, you would think that she would be like, why? But, she just didn't. She is so interested in the temple and an eternal family. Her husband is coming along. He is going to be a little bit more of a task, but it will be good. I can already tell that she is going to be a powerhouse member in this ward.  

Full Body Pic With Pati

I am doing well but it is weird. I don't know what to think about what is going to happen with cambios this time. I am like 90% sure that I am going to be changed from this sector but something else is telling me that I might stay. I am okay with either one. I think that I will miss this sector a lot becaue this is the place that I have had more success. Not only that, but I just love the feel of Parral. I am in another way going to be bummed when I leave because I am living with a really good friend named Elder Isom. He is really cool and is from Bear Lake. He has made me feel so at home so I will be sad to see him go when I leave. 

Me, Elder Wilhelm, and Patricia Family Tambien

I just thought that I would inform you guys that there is a convert that is coming to Utah in September right after I come home. I have invited him to be able to come to the house and possibly stay at our house for a couple days. I hope that is okay but nothing is sure. It is something that he is looking at but he is really serious. He is a good guy and I've never met anyone that is so interested in the gospel. I thought that I would let you know. 

Zone Activity in Parral

 I was also thinking, what is the thought on if you guys are coming in September. The sister that organizes our flights is going to be calling me any day now and asking about where I want to sit and what not. I don't want to preassure you guys but yeah.  I am doing well. I have been missing you all very much. There isn't a day that I don't think about you all. I am really excited about Conference. I feel that Conference is a way that I connect with home because it is all so close to home, the Conference Center and all. I am also really excited for what the prophet has to say to us. I miss Priesthood Session with Dad so much, too! I miss and love you all so much. Talk next week.

Love You,

Elder Nelson

The Mission's Best Kept Secret

Letter Received March 21, 2011:

Alarcon Lopes Familia

Hey Everyone:

Well its kinda weird this week. I was ready for p-day to come. I feel like this week was a long one, but in another way I also feel like this week went a lot faster than I thought. It was not a great week but not that much of a bad one either. Something that was kind of a bummer, is that we lost some investigators, but what can you do? I realized that we really don't have that many investigators to teach. That just means that we need to find but I don't really know where to start or how to do it. 

Me, Luz, and Her Husband Jorge (New Convert)

Something of great news! One of my investigators got baptized from Retiro and so I was able to be there so there is another awesome convert. It was kind of a fight with her but she finally pulled through. I am so glad to be where I am and see success where I am from some of my efforts. Here the baptisms come constantly but we don't know where from. Something about Parral is that it is the mission's best kept secret. Nobody really looks at Parral but we are constantly baptizing in this zone. We're not not like every other zone where it is like baptisms only at the end of the month. I love it here.

Me and Luz's Family

We also had some good success we this week. We had three investigators in church. Two of them being from the same family. Their names are Patricia and Franchesca. They are awesome! They know that the church is true but they just have some things that they have to work on. Before they met us they were planning to bless the baby that they have in their family in the Catholic church. But, then we dropped the stick on that and gave her Moroni 8 that talks how baptizing little kids is an abomination in God's eyes! She really caught that and she was like, I can't get baptized correctly and then baptize my son in the Catholic church, that would be controdicting myself, huh? We were like, yes it would be. She was like, my husband wants to have him be baptized because we already have the Godparents and everything. All we have to do is pick the date. We were like, we want to share with your husband, too. So, we started to share with him and he is coming around. He hasn't come to church yet but he will get there.

Luz, Jorge, and Elder Palta Haws

It was awesome to have them in church. I think that they will be baptized the first or second week of April. They are so fun to share with because they love the gospel and they are progressing so well. We have so much confidence with them and we can tell them straight up how stuff is. They accept it and will just apply it in their lives and progress. I love it.

To answer Mom, on the card that says how long my mission lasts, it says the 20th of September 2011. So, I am pretty sure that would be the day. I am doing well and enjoying the work glad to hear that everything is well. I love you all. Miss you tons.

Love,
Elder Nelson

A Double Dunk!

Letter Received March 14, 2011:

Funny Everyone Pic at Barbara and Camilas Baptism

Hey Hey:

This week went okay, we had some really cool experiences. We were at the baptism of Camila and her cousin Babara, another one of my investigators from Retiro was there and she wanted to be baptized too, but her mom and dad didn't want to give her permission. Then we called them while at the baptism because they live in Santiago. They said that she could get baptized so we called and got another tunica and she passed her interview and I baptized her right there on the spot because she wanted me to baptize her. So that was kinda cool, it was a miracle that it happened but it was a really awesome day. That was my first time baptizing two people in a row at a baptism. So, I sent you guys some pics so that you could check them out.

Camila Pila Pic

This week was a better one. We had three people in church. There were two people there that we didn't expect to come, but I am not going to complain that they came to church, ha ha ha. That is kinda the idea, huh? This week went better with me and my companion because we have worked out some teaching issues that we have had. Another thing is that we have been able to have some more time together so that we could work some things out. This week is also going to be another tough one, we because it is his turn to go and take care of the zone and do the mini cambios (which means mini transfers so that you all know now what that means). But, I think that it will be a good week, I am just going to have to stay on my toes and keep up on updating my companion on what is happening with our investigators and keep working hard to make sure that I stay diligent.

Barbara Pila Pic

We had interviews with our President this week and I feel like it has been my best interview that I have had with him and that he spent some more time just getting to know me and show me more that he cares for me and he likes the work that I have been doing. He said that he needs me to progress to become my potential that I have so that he can make me a trainer or put me in a leadership position but I don't really want to be any of those things a, district leader, zone leader, or training. I don't think that I would like to do those positions, but obviously I would do them if he asked me to. But, it went well and I am happy.

Barbara and Camila

Our branch is crazy! You would think that with six missionaries that it would be easy to manage everything but it has made it that much more loco! My ex comp and I have the most time here and everyone comes and wants us two to do everything and it is so much work! I don't have time to do all the ward things and be a missionary at the same time. I will just have to manage my time better, I guess.

Complete Family From Retiro

We have been doing a lot better on our teaching and it seems that a lot more people are progressing than when me and my companion started together. We are all getting along as a house so it is going a lot better. It has started to cool down here and now we are starting to get rain. The other day I got soaked. I couldn't believe it, I hydroplaned a bike! It was awesome! The streets were rivers. It was cool, i have never ridden a bike in so much water before. I also don't think that I have ever been that wet in clothing before. It was coming down so hard. I enjoyed it a lot for some reason. It was cold but I was just like screw it. At the end of the night, I just started to nail all of the puddles. My comp thought that I was nuts but I was like, well we are already wet, man, what's the difference. So we started to spray each other. It was awesome and it made me and my companion have some bonding time so we started to relax a little.

Everyone at the Baptism

I am glad to hear that everything is going well with you all. Did you guys send that package so I can keep an eye open for it? Well, I think that is about it this week. I kinda just rambled on, sorry. I hope that it all makes sense. Love and miss you all. There isn't a day that I don't think of you all.

Love,
Elder Nelson

A Lesson in Feeling True Love for Others

Letter Received March 7, 2011:

Jorge Pila Pic

Hey my family that I haven't been able write for a very long time!

Well, I guess that I will tell you about last week. Yes, my teeth are doing well now. I got to go back and see some of my people from Chillan so we were running very very late! So, I wasn't able to write. I had to write President then pretty much I had no time. Sorry about that. 

Us and Jorge's Family

Us and Jorge's Family

I learned an incredible lesson last week. I was pretty much all week with Elder Isom. He is a kid from Idaho and he is a twin and he lives with me. He is so tight! His twin is in the Santiago West Mission and a family from the ward that he is serving in came down to see Elder Isom. They were so happy to see him. They couldn't believe how much that they look alike and all that good jazz. They gave us lunch for the next three days after that and not only that but they drove us down to Chillan and took me to see all of my people there and not only that but they were on vacation all of this time. They really showed me how to show true love to the people here and I have never felt love from someone so much within so little time of knowing them. 

Me, Jorge, Palta, and Allred

They were so amazing and the next day I was able to baptize Jorge one of my investigators from Retiro! It was so awesome! He is so amazing. I have never seen anyone love the Book of Mormon like this man. He knows without a doubt that it is true. He is so solid. I think that he is one of the most converted people that I have baptized. It was such a small baptism but in one way it made it all that much more spirtitual. I am really making sure that he getst the priesthood as fast as possible so that it will make them all that much closer to opening Retiro. 

Me, Palta, and Jorge

This week went well but the only thing that is a bummer is that I haven't spent any of it with my companion. He has been doing mini cambios the whole week so I was with him for like a day and a half and it has been hard to get in a good teaching groove. I don't know all the kids really in my Zone, like I know them but I don't know how they teach, and since he is gone all the time he can´t really get to know our investigators either. Oh well, that is how it goes sometimes. 

Me and Jorge

 I am doing well. I am loving the work. Time seems to be winding down fast and I can't really believe it because we are already in March. It makes me sad because that means that my mission is coming to a close and I don't want it to end. I love being here and learning. Even though it is hard, I am learning and having experiences that I couldn't learn anywhere else. I definitely feel that I have grown a ton and still have a lot of things to better myself. Thanks dad for writing a little something, I know that you are very busy. Good to hear that everything is going well. Cool about the boat! I am so excited to use it. That will be sick! Are you guys going to make a garage like the neighbors? That is nuts about Daytona. I wish I could see the Supercross. It sounds so good! I love and miss you all. Keep on truckin'!

Elder Nelson