A Quick Note

Letter Received September 5, 2011:

Hey Everyone:

 

Sorry I don't have time today. I am running super late but everything is going well. Nothing new here. I am here in Parral visiting people. I am doing well. I love you all. I will have more time this next week. I love you all. My kid is doing well.

 

Elder Nelson

Luisa is Confirmed

Letter Received August 29, 2011:

Well, again this letter, I think, is going to be a little short because I am in Concepcion to say hey to people so that I can set up for when Mom and Dad come. But, there isn't really much to tell anyway. Same old business. We did have the confirmation though this week of Luisa. It was cool! My kid did it. It made me so proud, ha, ha, ha! We have been working and it seems like time is going by so fast. We are pretty much just doing contacts because we only really have like 1 investigator, his name is Gabriel and he is really good. It just seems like he has a lot of opposition. I think that I might be able to baptize him the last day of the mission. That would be so awesome. Sorry that this is so incredibly short but not much to say and little time also.

Elder Nelson

Time is Flying By

Letter Received August 15, 2011:

Me and my son in Conce just after we met . Cool, huh?

Hey:

Well, this week was a pretty good one. Me and my companion get a long really well. He is from Salt Lake City and his name is Elder White. Wow! Time as a trainer goes even faster and the time is going by so stinking fast. I feel like I just barely put my head down at night and it is already time for another day.

Everything is going well and we are going to have another baptism on Sunday, so that should be really awesome. Our first week together didn't really go all that well and I am kinda nervous because tomorrow we have interviews with President and I am pretty sure that he is going to give me a pretty good lecture. So we will have to see how that is going to go.

Time is going fast and we are seeing miracles. I am hoping that we find some more people to teach because we are starting to get a little low again and I don't want to leave the Sector without people. That would suck. Me and companion are getting along really well. I am going to send a picture of us. I have three suitcases mom and a backpack. So, whatever you guys think about the car. Sorry this one is kinda short. I am running a little short on time and I want to show a good example to my companion. I love you glad to hear everything is going good.

Love,

Elder Nelson

The Spirit Touches Hearts at Baptism

Letter Received August 1, 2011:

Hey Hey Everyone:

I had a pretty interesting week but I am going to try and put this all in words ha, ha, ha. First off, we had Conference with the President. I don't know if they did this with other missions but they always have all the old dying missionaries and the newbie’s share their testimonies. It was time for me to share my last testimony with the mission and it made me really trunky and it was really hard to share because to tell you the truth it still seems like I have an eternity before I come home. But I also, at other times, am like, I only have like a month and a half left! That is so weird to me. 

For the last couple of weeks we have been teaching this girl named Maria. She is really good but she had some problems and she didn't want to get baptized. She also told us from the beginning that she didn't want to get baptized, but we kept teaching her anyway and this week she accepted a date for baptism. It is for this Saturday.

Last week, my best friend in the mission had 4 baptisms on Saturday and I thought that it would be a good idea to take Maria to the baptism. So, we traveled the forty minutes to get to the baptism and she said that she had something that she would like to talk to us about. We were really worried about what she was going to want to say. But we went to the baptism anyway and she saw the baptisms. I looked over at her during the first baptism and she was fine, then I looked over during the second baptism and she was just bawling and crying her eyes out. You could tell that it was the spirit testifying to her that it is what she needs to do. After that we did a special musical number where I and 4 other elders sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". It was awesome because you just looked at Maria and I could tell that she had made her decision that she is going to be baptized this week. 

The problem that she has been having is that she wants to share this with her parents but they don't want anything to do with it. It bothers her a lot.  After the baptism, we were on the bus and we talked out all of her doubts and she is going to have her interview tomorrow and it is going to be bomb. 

It has been a lot better with this new Branch President. This week I had a good idea that I gave to President to think about my transfer. I asked him if I could finish my mission with one of my old comps, Elder Haws. I think that he would be a bomb counselor and I would love to finish my mission with him. I think that it would be awesome because we wouldn't have to do all the getting to know you stuff and we could just work and I know that he could make sure to make me work hard. But we are going to have to see. 

I know that my companion is now officially ready to leave. Not that anything is going bad just like you can tell that he is kinda zoning out of the area and is really wanting to go to another place. At the conference, President told him that he is going to be changed and someone else is going to kill me off. 

I am super pumped for this week because we are going to baptize and confirm. Man I have missed baptizing, ha, ha, ha. I hope that everything goes good with the trip and miss you all. Time is going quick so got to go. Love you all and miss you a bunch. 

Elder Nelson 

God Does Exist and He Loves Me!

Letter Received July 18, 2011:

This week, I have absolutely amazing news! Ha, ha, ha! Are you ready yet? Are you sure? Yeah? Okay, I will tell you, ha, ha!! Well, they have now decided to change the Branch President and the Stake Presidency came last week and changed him out for a member of the High Counsel and it is going to be awesome! The guy is super excited and willing to help and I know that everything is going to turn around. He lives in Chillan but he has a car. It is like a twenty minute drive, if that. He is going to help so much and now I won't have to be babysitting anymore.

Not only that, but this week we found 10 new investigators! A lot of them are really good and some aren't so good, but God has all power and can do miracles and you never know.

I don't know why but I really do feel like a new man and feel like renewed and I feel a lot more happy. I think that it is because I have been worried about the Branch and now I don't have that because the new Branch President is going to take care of everything and now I don't really have act as the Branch President but without a title. Now I am a counselor and I can help really how I should. Not only that but me and my comp have been able to make up a new program on how we are going to work and we are going to start on it this week. So, we are going to have a really good week, I know it. My comp is a lot happier but I know that he feels that he is ready to leave Bulnes. He is still working hard and it seems that he has loosened up a little bit.

Today we had a really good p-day. We went and played soccer and had a BBQ. It was awesome and I played well. I put in 8 goals so I was content.

Time is going quick and it seems that no matter what I do it doesn't slow down but goes faster. I know that the time is going to go by quick, but that is the mission. I feel bad for Lyndsay, I hope that she is okay! I am praying for you all all of the time. Some ideas for packages are some Snickers, Fastbreaks, Recess, Amazing Sauce (ha, ha, love it), the Bible and D&C stickers for the scriptures, zingers (the red ones), jerky, whatchamacallit bars, cliff bars (Lexie knows what they are), any kind of candy. I would really love to have the scripture mastery scripture stickers. Yeah, thank you all, I love you so much.

Elder Nelson   

Visiting Less Actives Is Bringing People Back to Church

Letter Received July 11, 2011:

Hey:

This week went by really fast even though we didn't get a whole lot of things done. It seemed that everywhere that I turned, I had something else that I had to do. Something cool is that we are now teaching a professional soccer player. She is so tight! She is in the minor leagues for her age still. She is really cool!

We are not really making all that much progress with the Branch President because he doesn't really have the desire at all to change, so I am thinking that soon they are going to change him out (or at least I am hoping).

Me and my companion are getting along, but I am not going to lie, my comp has been a little bit on edge lately. I think that he is getting bummed about the work a little bit because it is especially hard to be patient in the first part of you mission. Today is his birthday, so I would like to buy him a cake and a little something to cheer him up. We were going to go to the snow in the mountains today but the activity got cancelled because the car was being dumb, so yeah, here we are.

This week was okay but this coming one hopefully will be better. Sorry that I don't really have all that much to tell. This week I was able to have 41 people in church, That is really good for the Branch these days. I know that is thanks to visiting the less actives because they are now coming slowly back to church. That is about it for this week. I love you all, take care. Talk to you all next week.

Elder Nelson

Tough Times, Short Letter

Letter Received July 4, 2011:

Hey:

So, this week went okay but it didn't go the way that I planned. Me and my companion have come up with a new program to work with the less active members, so we are going to see how that works out for us. Me and my companion are happy to still be together. I know that he is going to be changed soon. If he stays this next transfer he would be with me till I die and then he would have to stay for one more after I leave. I know that the President wouldn't leave someone in the Sector for that long. Especially here in Bulnes, he wouldn't chastise someone for that long, ha, ha, ha.

This week, once again, the President of the Branch did not show up for anything so I am going to have to talk to the Stake because things aren't working and I don't know what to do. We were blessed with some people to teach. That makes me happy! Sorry, once again time is short. I love you all. I promise next week that I will write a lot but there is not a whole lot of news either. I love you and hope that you had a good 4th of July.

Love,
Elder Nelson

Short Note

Letter Received June 28, 2011:

Hey, just a quick note because here it is a holiday and there aren't any places open to do Internet. I am doing good. We did some good work with the Branch and me and my companion are going to be together for another transfer. I am happy with that, we get along really well.

I love you all. I am doing well. Sorry that this is so short and that I have no time to write. Glad to hear that everything is going well. Also, glad to hear that Mom for sure has got the time off to come to Chile. I love you all, keep up the good works.

Elder Nelson

Love you all. Talk to you next week!

250 Contacts and Not Much Success

Letter Received June 20, 2011:

Well this week went pretty slow, I am not going to lie. Because for me and companion it was nothing but a week of contacts. It was a real bummer because we did 250 contacts and like two people let us through the door and they were people that aren't really going to progress, you can tell. They are people that were, more than anything, letting us in because it was raining all week and they felt bad that we were so wet. But, what can you do? Just got to keep going till that person that is really going to progress comes along and gets baptized. Nothing like Tyson, who is baptizing 15 people in two weeks.

We did make some progress, though, with the Branch. The Stake came and dropped the stick on the Branch President and gave some goals to us as a Presidency. I am really hoping that they will really make a difference because this Branch is really disanimated. Everyone in the Stake knows it so they are going to be coming to help the Branch more. I am praying hard for everything to work out. I am going to focus a little bit more on the Branch because if I focus more on the Branch, the Lord will bless me with people to baptize.

The thing is that we have transfers next week and I think that my comp is going to change and I will really have to take up the slack by myself because my new comp will not know the Sector at all.  But, just got to keep on the knees.

It has now officially started raining and being really cold here. It makes the work a little harder because everyone goes to sleep and is not all that happy to let people that are dripping from head to toe in there house ha, ha, ha, think about it a little. Me and my comp try to have fun with the rain because it is never fun to be in the rain if the whole time you talk about how wet you are and all that good jazz. So, we just have sword fights with our umbrellas and what not ha, ha, ha. We have been working hard to keep up the animo.

The more and more I am talking with my companion the more I find that in my life I have had a lot of funny experiences and good times with Tyson. I know that me being friends with Tyson really have prepared me to be on a mission and to be with a companion. That is something that I never really had to get used to, ha, ha, ha. But, this week I know is going to be better. Glad to hear that everything is going good for everyone. I love and miss you all.

Elder Nelson 

P.S.- Happy late Anniversary, Mom and Dad, and Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Learning from My Companion

Letter Received May 23, 2011:

Hey,

First off, I want to wish Lyndsay a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Well, this week didn't really go so hot but all you can do is go on with the next week. It just seems that nobody cares any more in the branch. I am just going to have to keep working with it because there is nothing else that you can do.

This week I have really learned a lot from my companion and I have really realized how strong of a person that he is. I really have realized that I can rely on him and that he is a great missionary and he is such a great teacher. I can imagine the kind of missionary that he is going to be when he gets to a sector that helps him. He is going to baptize a ton, I know it. This week, the girl that we found, Cynthia, wasn't able to come to church because her family had some problems and she couldn't come. She is really cool, she is making a lot of progress and she is just awesome!

I really don't have much to tell. It kinda seems like just another week in the mission, all the same buisness. I have been working hard trying to get some stuff going, but now I know why everyone thinks that Bulnes is so hard. That's because it is, ha, ha, ha, ha! But, for some reason, I am here and I am learning a lot.

Sorry for the kinda short letters but not much new. I love you all so much, that is a bummer about the garage that it has been delayed so much. Glad to hear that everthing went well for Lyndsay's b-day and that everything is good.

This is what I am thinking for the schedule for when you come:

20 Tuesday: Go see the people that I have in Concepecion in the morning till like two. Then go to Chillan and see some people there and come back to Concepecion to stay for the night.

21 Wednesday: See the rest of the people from Chillan in the morning, head to Parral and spend the day there and go and I think stay in Talca for the night.

22 Thursday: See the people from Talca in the morning then off too Santiago in the afternoon around 4-ish then spend the rest of the time in Santiago.

That is what I have been thinking but you will have to keep thinking about it but that is what I would like to do. The place that I want to spend the most time is in my sectors in the Parral/Retiro area. We could easily do Chillan and Bulnes quickly. Are we thinking that I am going to be able to be released when you come? That is something that we need to look into.

Sorry that this is so short, not much to say. Love you all.

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

Splitting My Area Into Two

Letter Received February 21, 2011:

Hey:

So, that is insane that Matt has got his call. I didn't even have any idea that he had even sent in his letter yet. But that is tight that he is going back to China so he will kinda already know what his mission is going to be like. How long is he going to be in the MTC because he already pretty much knows the language. That means that me and Matt aren't going to see each other for like 4 years. That is bummer! Oh well, I am really glad that he is content with that. I would be content. I know how he feels, being excited. I know that I was.That is going to be an amazing experience. That is going to be so hard there though. That is a whole different animal to wrestle with, for the fact that there is not a very Christian background. That is going to be hard, but I am pumped for him. Tell him congrats for me.

Well, this week, like you all know, I had to go to the dentist, so I will tell you all about that really fast so that we can get that all worked out. Well, I went to the dentist and he told me that there isn't all that much that needs to get done, but it would be a lot cheeper I think to do it here than it would in the states. I have heard that he is a really good dentist. He is a member too, so he is going to only make us pay the minimum. With one of my fillings, there is like a gap underneath it and he needs to reseal it. He said that there are like four other teeth that need some cleaning up but not any extensive work. He told me that the one tooth is going to cost 22 mil which is about 50 dollars but he also told me that to do all five teeth and get them all done that it would cost me 90 mil and that is about 185 dollars, which I believe is a lot cheaper than in the states. He told me that the other teeth would eventually need the work but he told me that they would be fine if I wait till I get home. But he told me that it would be the same as if we did it in the states. So it is your call. For sure the one for fifty dollars I need to get fixed so tell me what you would like me to do and I will do it. I think that it would be good to get them all done so they are done with and if I have insurance info they might be able to work with that, too. I believe that I have some info for my insurance.

Well, I guess that I will tell you about my week. Yes, I do know about transfers. I am getting a new companion and my companion is going to Retiro. They are sending him there to open. They are still going to be participating in our branch, but they are working out the kinks and so finally they will be able to have their own Branch. I definitely have some mixed feelings about it, because I wanted to go out there and they are all my converts and now I have no investigators here in Parral. We are still going to see each other and I am going to have two baptisms this week if not four. That would be so tight!

I am now going to be with Elder Wilhelm. He is from California and he has the same time as me. We roomed together in the MTC. The thing is that he is going to be a Zone Leader, so I am comps with one of the Zone Leaders and the other companionship that I live with there is also a Zone Leader. So, I think that I am going to be going on a lot of mini cambios. I am excited to be with him but that means that we are both going to be Senior Companion but not really because I am going to be with the Zone Leader so that means that pretty much I am Jr. Companion again.

We had a good week, we had Area Conference and through satellite we had conference where we heard President Packer talk and Elder Christofferson. Christofferson did it all in Spanish and Elder Packer did it even in a little Spanish. It was so awesome!  We should be having some baptisms I am kinda sad to see my companion go but that is how it goes sometimes. This week went really well but I am running out of time. Good to hear that everything is good. Love you guys. Talk to you next week. Mom and Dad, if you can write me about the dentist it would be good so that I can get on early on this week some time and see what you want me to do or reply to the mission email and tell them what you want me to do so I can know. Love you. We'll talk to you later.

Elder Nelson

The Power of the Holy Ghost

Us and Arny

Letter Received February 14, 2011:

Hey Everyone:

Me, Haws, Arny, and Romina

Well, I think that I will first start off by telling you about the experience that I had this week when we were confirming Arny. Well, first off, when I baptized her the water was really low but it, for some reason, was one of the easiest baptisms that I have performed. She was so ready and it makes me so happy. When she got baptized, she didn't want people to hear her full name for the fact that her name is Arnolda. She hates it and she is getting it legally changed because it bugs her so much, but it was cool. There wasn't very many people there, but when we were confirming her, Palta confirmed her, and I was very hot because it was not only hot in the room but I felt that I was on fire literally and I truly did feel the Holy Ghost passing through me to her through the Prieshtood. It was incredible! I can't explain how it felt. I truly felt that from the inside of my body out I was on fire. It was amazing! It is about time that woman got baptized and she finally did it and she jumped in with both feet.

Chillin' After Planning

I am really feeling that the Lord is making miracles here in this sector and I know that I have been blessed in this sector and I feel that here I can become more of the missionary that I can become. This week was so fast, I feel like weeks have now become days and the months are going by so fast.

Taco Time

I am glad to hear that Britt is doing well. This week the letter is going to be really short. We started internet kind of late today and I don't really have that much to tell. I am doing well and I am glad to see that the Lord has been giving us many people to baptize. There is one upset, I think that my companion is going to be getting changed out next week because it is transfers and I don't want him to leave. That seems to be happening a lot with my companions because the Lord has blessed me with good companions. Its good to hear that all have been well. I love you guys, sorry this one is so short.

Happy Valentines Day!

Love,

Everyone at Baptism

Elder Nelson

An Answer to Someone's Prayer

Letter Received January 10, 2011:

Well, this week went well. I do think that there are some things that we can do better but at least we are baptizing. So, that is good.  But, this week was a typical one. We didn't really have a whole lot of things new but at least we worked hard and I got my package. Me and my companion are staying together so that makes me happy, but something that makes me kinda bummed is that one of the Zone Leaders that  I live with is leaving.

We did find a really awesome family named Roberto and Ivon. Something weird is that he is twenty-one and she is forty! And they have been married for 3 years! But, they are good and happy and are really awesome. I know that the Spirit was guiding me as we passed them at their house. For some reason, I was like, we have to turn around talk to them. When we got in their house, Ivon says to us that she is glad that we are there because two days before she had been praying and asking God to send someone to come and change there lives for the better and she sees us as a answer to her prayers and I am thinking so, too! They didn't come to church but we are going to work hard with them this week.

We have found some more people. Every day we are getting closer and closer to opening Retiro. That is only thing that me and my comp are thinking about and that is what we are working towards. I got my package and wanted to tell everyone thank you for everything. We baptized Paulina, Darlin's sister. She is so happy and her mom is content with her and her sister. Her mom is having some family problems but we are still working with her. We are going to be baptizing a lady named Rosa this Sunday and it is going to be legit! 

Even though this is kinda short that is kinda the news for this week. That is tight that you guys got to go the temple in Cali. That trip sounds like fun. I am jealous. Well, that is about it for me. I will talk to you all next week. I love you all and miss you all a ton!

Love,

Elder Nelson

Goal of 26 Baptisms!

Letter Received December 6, 2010:

Well, I have already told the most of you about my new sector and companion so I am guessing that this one is going to be another short little week of writting this week because it is starting to get late and I would like to catch a nap before I need to go to work. That is something that I thought that I would never say! I want to nap. But, here it does a lot for you. This whole week, I don't know why, but for some reason I have been so tired.

Now, I am with Elder Palta or "Guacamole Haws"! He is from Arizona and he loves boating.  Me and my comp are getting along really well. He is really good but just wants to learn Spanish. He was with a comp from Peru but didn't learn a lot from him and so he really wants my help. It is really different but he is really awesome. We just need to work out how we want to teach together. Really, my comp said to me that he feels that I am like his second trainer. I think that he in a way is relieved because I know how stressful it can be to be with a Latin compaion without knowing any of the language. He is awesome! He just wants to work hard. His name is Elder Haws but we call him Palta becaus that means guacamole but the reason is because they have a type of palta here named haws and no one can say his name right so he just says like the palta. Ha, ha, ha!

My sector is kinda like our house, it isn't really country, but it is ha, ha, ha. If you know what I mean. But there are parts of my sector that are really country. Something that is amazing about this sector is that the food is the best in my mission. The food is so good here! All the people actually ask us what we want and they give us so much! But it does seem that there are a lot of rich people here and that they have cars so that is nice. But, the people that are here seem to be a lot nicer and a lot more accepting of the gospel.

Something that is kind of out of the normal is us as a zone have made a goal of 26 baptisms and that is like unheard of. All the other Zone Leaders were looking at us like, "What!" and President about jumped out of his seat and he was looking at them because they were talking about possibilities for baptism this month and goals and they said 26 and they are like possibilities that are good. The Zone Leaders were like, no its the goal and President at first said if we get it he will take all of us golfing and then he said, "I will take you on a trip to somewhere cool as a zone." And we were like, "We want to go to the temple." So, we are working really hard to get the goal because there are 41 people that could get baptized in our zone and so yeah we're going to rock it! It would be so legit if we could do it! I want to go to the temple so bad! That would be so tight to go to Santiago, but we will have to see. Not much else new that i haven't told you already in other emails but we will talk more next week.


Love,
Elder Nelson

Learning from a Member of the 70

Me, Elder Diaz, and Alexis

Letter Received November 1, 2010:

Hey:

So this week I have been really busy. It seemed that a lot of time got wasted because of a lot of dumb reasons but we did find two new people that are really good. So, that is a start but I know that there is a lot of stuff that I need to do. I just need to take it one step at a time. I feel that I know that my comp will do everything that I want to try and he will run with me and I know that I just have to take the objective and just do the work and I know that the Lord will bless me with the people that I know will progress.

Me and Elder Zeballos

Me and my comp are getting along so well. I know that the Lord has blessed me with a really awesome companion and I know that I just need to push and I know that we are going to baptize. The Lord really couldn't have given me a better situation to work. I am super excited for all the new news that you have told me. I hope that everything goes well with Lexie and the baby. I am glad that you all had a good time for Halloween. Well, I am running late and don't really have a whole lot of time to talk but this week was pretty casual. We had a conference with Elder Zaballos from the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is really awesome and has a freakin' awesome sense of humor. I was the only one that got a personal picture with him. I learned a ton from what he said to us. He came and talked to the missionaries from the city of Chillan. It was really awesome! Love you all, g2g. Sorry this one is so short.

My New Zone in Chillan

Love You,
Elder Nelson

Love My New Companion

Letter Received October 25, 2010:

Hey:

So, first off, I will tell you all about my new companion. I freaking love my new companion! He is so tight! I was so wrong to say that I didn't want a Latino. He is from Viña del Mar and he is so awesome. He is so much like me and we get along so well. He loves sports and motorcycles just like me and music and all that what not. He likes to say the things straight how they are and I like that because that is how I am. I love to say the things how they really are. He is something that you would call a buena onda! Which means a relaxed and cool person that everyone likes. He has a lot of talents. He is someone that I really want to invite to the house after the mission to stay for a bit. He is one of my latino comps that I think that would actually be able to do it. He is really tight! He loves sports and motorcycles just like me. He has a girlfriend that is on a mission and she is in Argentina and so that is some thing really cool.

This week, as in for the work, was pretty much my comp getting to know all the people. We get along super well and it seems that everyone loves him and I know that this sector is going to change a lot in the next little bit. We are out of people to teach, so we have to find people this week.

We have been working hard and it seems now being senior comp that people give me a little bit more respect because they need to talk to me to make things work. Not only that, but everything seems to be more chill. All the people seem to be showing more love to me for some reason and I really like it. I really feel that there is a lot of work that needs to be done here and that me and my companion are going to get it all done.

As for me, mom, I think that would be just fine about the shoes if you wanted to send them this week and send the other ones later, I think that I would want the slip-ons. I can't believe that it is Halloween already. That is so nuts think about that it is going to be Christmas in just a little bit and we are going to be talking on the phone. I thought of something that Dad said to me while I was in the MTC that he thought that he could send me that little white printer to print photos that would be really awesome if i could get that. Just an idea. Sorry that this one is so short but yeah, I am doing good. Everyone sounds really good. Hope everything goes well, Lex, and I want to see pics later. I love you all and I will talk to you next week.

Love,

Elder Nelson

Now I'm Senior Companion

Letter Received October 18, 2010:

Enrique Bautismo

 

Elder Nelson y Elder Findlay Mas Cerca

Hey Hey Everyone:

So yeah, here is the deal with this week and all the new stuff. My comp has left now so now I am on a mini transfer with Elder Aldana. I live with him and he is from Peru. But yeah, Elder Findlay has left and I sent you his homecoming stuff so I hope that you all got that worked out. I found out when my Trainer's homecoming is and it is on the 31st and it is in Logan, his name is Elder Murillo. I will give you some more info on that later in the email.

Elder Nelson y Elder Findlay

As for this week, it seems that we did a lot of saying goodbyes and baptisms with other missionaries and interveiws for baptisms and so we didn't really get to teach all that much, but we did do some really good lessons with people. Everyone is really sad because Elder Findlay is going home and so it seems that the work wasn't able to move forward all that quickly this week. Something that is awesome that you are all going to love is that last week we baptized Enrique and so that makes his family a complete family of new converts and he got confirmed yesterday and so a year from yesterday they are going to be able to go to the temple and seal themselves together forever and I have never seen any family so happy together and such a big of a change in someone. He is so happy and next week he is going to be ordained to the priesthood. 

Elders and Enrique, Blanca, and Estefinia

 This week we also ordained a new convert to the office of Teacher. Also, I was able to participate in Jesus, one of my converts, to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and now he is a Deacon! I am so pumped for those guys. I just know that they are going to be future missionaries.

Enrique Bautismo

But as for me, I have been doing really good and I am kinda excited for this new change that I have. I am now Senior Companion and I am going to be with another Chileano, so now I am going to be living with two Latinos. It should be all good, I have met my comp a couple times and he seems really cool and I think that we are going to get along well. I feel kinda sad though to see Elder Findlay go. I am, in a way, relieved, because we can really start to get some more work done. It has been really hard to focus for my comp, with him all goin' home and all. I think that I am really going to be able to progress some more with my Spanish. Something that I realized with Elder Rubilar, my first latino comp, is that my Spanish proggressed a lot. 

Enrique y su Familia y Chicas en sus Bautismos

I have been really trying to get my self refocused on what I am doing and really try and find some people. It is going to be weird that I am not going to be a companion of a District Leader or not be a District Leader because that is how it has always been, always a different schedule. I guess that is cool with me. I am really happy with the change because a lot of my friends in the mish are coming to my zone. It should be just dandy! For ideas in a package, I really need another jump drive because mine has become all infected with viruses and stuff so I need to fix that. Also, some Flaming Hot Cheetos, a book called A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, that is from the church library. Some t-shirts, somehow I have just been left with jerseys so just some of my t shirts. Some more garments, all Corbans. Other than that, not really much that I can think of except a belt like the one with the buckle. Thanks. I love you so much, all of you, and I miss you everyday.


Elder Nelson

Enrique Bautismo

Stranded in Talca

Letter Received October 11, 2010:

Hey My Family:
Well, this is an interesting experience, being stranded, ha, ha, ha. I am in Talca, where my first sector was sitting in the bus terminal waiting to get on a bus so that I can go back to my sector and that is why I am writing late. We came here so that my comp could say bye to his sector here and so we got up early so that we could go and I could say hi to some people that are in my old sector in Talca. But, then we went to his so that he could do his thing then we came back to try and get a bus to go back to our sector and we found out that there is nothing going south. So, now were screwed waiting for a bus and so here I am. But, what can I do? The only thing that I can do is wait. I can't change what I didn't do before. I think that I should have checked on the bus, but what can you do? It is a holiday here and it isn't really a big one, but yeah, so all the busses are full because everyone, if they are going anywhere, they go by bus. Nobody has cars, only the people that have money. But, we now have a bus so it is all good. I haven't told the president, but I did call my zone leaders like they tell us to. I hope that he doesn't get mad at me but what can you do? The only thing that you can do is try and do your best to get done what you have to.

As for this week, it went really awesome because finally Enrique got baptized and it was such an awesome baptismal service! He bore his tesitmony and I did two musical numbers with a sister missionary and it all turned out really awesome and not only that but the other two elders that live with us had two baptisms, too, and so we did them together. It was really awesome! That made his family complete now. They are a family of straight up new converts, so it made me so happy.
 
But as for this week, it seemed that we just made sure that we took care of him so that we could make sure that everything was good for baptism and then also we went out to San Carlos so that we could help out the Hermanas (sisters, so that you now know what that means). They have some really awesome investigators and they are all going to be getting baptized on either the 17th or the 24th. 
 
The thing is, that we are going to have cambios (transfers) next monday so we are hoping to get some more baptisms before then so that the missionaries can see there investigators get baptized before they leave. But as for me, I know that I am not going anywhere and I know for sure that I am going to become senior companion because the President told me so in my interview that I had with him. He is kinda putting me in the dark because he is like, I talked with Zone Leaders to work with you so that you can prepare yourself. He is like, they will help you become a better missionary not that you are a bad missionary but the fact is that we all can become better. And then he says to me, are you ready for some more responsibility? I was thinking to myself, no, but then my mouth without thinking about it was like, yes. So, we are going to have to see what comes.
 
Still, I don't know what is going to happen with cambios. We are going to work hard until Findlay leaves trying to find people, but we are also going to be doing some saying goodbye for him so it will be an interesting week.  This week went really well in preparing for the baptism. o and my comps home coming is going to be on the 24th at 9 am.  So yeah ,hope that you could go, that would be really awesome. Well, that is about it for this week. This compy sucks so I will have to send you pics next week. I love and miss you lots.
 
Love You,
Elder Nelson

Celebrating in Chile

Letter Received September 20, 2010:

Us With Some of Our Investigators

First off, I want to tell Mom and Taylor happy birthdays!  I hope that they all went well.  This week it sure sounds like you all have been really busy doing stuff.  Sounds like everything is moving along really fast.  The same thing seems to be doing the same here and the time seems to be going by really fast.  My comp goes home in a month!  That is so nuts for me to think about because its like I just feel like we just got put together and work so well together and now he is going to be leaving.  Poopy!  But it is just life, tough, that is how it goes sometimes. 

This week it didn't really seem like we got a whole lot done because of the 18th of September.  It isn't as big as the 4th of July, pretty much the difference is that everyone has the day off, there is a parade, and everyone eats empanadas and they have BBQ.   Pretty much we had a day off because we couldn't really work.  We just got to play soccer for like threee hours and go eat BBQ.  It was awesome, it was fun.  Also, we didn't really get to do any work this week because my comp is District Leader.  We had to do a bunch of mini transfers for the days and so we were like out of our sector the whole week.  I am pretty sure they are going to look at our numbers and be what the heck!  But then we will explain what happened and everything will be all good. 

Some Chilean Cowboys with Nicole

It is all good, we found 2 really good people that I know were gifts from the heavens that the Lord blessed us.  We found this kid named Javier and he is awesome he is reading and he also accepted a baptism date but the thing is that we have to wait till all the holidays are over because he is super busy with all the 18th of September stuff.  When it ends it is going to be super tight.  I really do think that he could get baptised in like three weeks and I am hoping so because I want him to get baptised befor Elder Findlay goes home.  I know that he really deserves it because he really isn't trunky at all.  He is working so hard. 

Everything is going good, we still need to find peoeple but whatever we are doing is working and the Lord is blessing us.  We are really loving the results that we are starting to recieve.  The time has been flying by, I feel like we just leave the house and like we go to work and before I know it the week is over and here I am sitting telling you about the week and feel like I really don't have much to tell you.

Two Gringo Wannabes and a Real Chilean Cowboy

Well, it is good to hear about the house and that the painting is coming along and that Lyndsay is doing really well with her business and that the kids are doing really well.  That is cool that Lexie's baby is doing well and is going to come early.  Seems like everyone is doing really well and that things are moving right along.  The 18th of September was cool but I am ready to get back to work.  I miss you all and love you tons.

Love,

Elder Nelson