Cynthia Got Baptized!

Letter Received June 13, 2011:

Me and Cynthia

 Hey:

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I have been having people from my other sectors that have come to see me for my birthday and they took me out to lunch, so my time is a little shorter. This week we had some really interesting events happen. This week I baptized Cynthia and it was really awesome! She is so awesome!

I am happy and having a good time. We had interviews with our President this week. I think that he is trying to make me trunky. I don't know why. But, I am trying to stay focused.

Hey, I forgot to tell you guys that I have been going to physical therapy because I sprained my ankle really bad and tore one of the muscles in my ankle so I might have to use some of the money for my trips to Chillan. For some reason I could only could pull out $160.00, I don't know why. I hurt it playing paint ball. It is like what I did right before the mission but worse and my other ankle tomorrow I have an appointment with the doctor.

Well, I found out that they are probably going to change the Branch President. It is a bummer that he is not meeting his obligations and that we need this change but it will be better for the branch and I will actually be able to get some stuff done. I talked to the Stake president and laid it down thick so that he really could get how it has been. The Stake President is 30 minutes away and he rarely comes nor even one of his counselors or anybody. But now they are going to come. The Branch President doesn't go to the meetings that he has with the Stake, so they can't even teach him anything.

Me, Cynthia, and Flores

Thanks Dad for the money for my birthday. Please tell Mom that I am very grateful to you both. I can't imagine the sacrifices that you both make for me. I love you both so much.

I can't wait to ride again, that is one thing that makes me trunky. My dreams are about riding and being home, it is weird. I think that when things pick up here, I won't really feel that way. When things don't go as well as they should, it is easy to think about home.

Just Dunked!

The food that me and my comp make is good but the food from the sector is kind of boring. I have not gone hungry though, that is for sure. I can't wait to eat like some Wingers. If you send a package make sure that there is a lot of Amazing Sauce in there, ha, ha, ha. I want some steak, some Subway, enchiladas. . . oh, what don't I want to eat! I would kill for some Cafe Rio but just without rice! Ha, ha, ha.

Thank you all for all you do and the birthday wishes. I am now old, ha, ha, ha, in two different ways, the mission and in life. Tell Matt that I wish him luck and that I am proud of him and pray for him daily for his preparation. Love you all. Talk to you next week.

Elder Nelson

Me, Cynthia, and Flores 2

Seeing a Little Progress

Letter Received June 6, 2011:

Like Bullet Proof Vests

Hey:

This week this letter is going to be short, sorry. We went with our zone to an activity and we are running a little late. Also, I don't really have that much to tell. We went paintballing. I will send some pics.

So yeah, this week went really fast. This week we had Cynthia in church for the second time and so that means that she can be baptized any week now because she has all the lessons that she needs and everything. She is so awesome! I have not seen anyone convert so fast and easy in such a hard time of her life and place that she lives. That is the really good news for the week.

Lone Soldier

Its weird, I have been having weird dreams about home and the mission. I think that means that I am old here now, ha, ha, ha. It is weird that I am going to be turning 21 this next Monday. That to me is really weird.

Everything is good here. It is getting cold but I am trying to stay warm. I am hoping that it doesn't rain to much here in Bulnes. We are starting to find people to teach. I am starting to see a little progression here in my branch. We have interviews tomorrow with our President and I'm kinda wondering what he is going to ask me. Being a counselor, I think that he is going ask about the branch more than about me. Time is going by fast and I am starting to realize it. But I am enjoying my mission to the fullest still. Although, I do kinda wish that I was in a different sector to finish because Bulnes isn't all that awesome but I know that the Lord has put me here for a reason and that we are going to baptize maybe this week makes me even more sure.

Me and My Partner

I am glad to hear that everyone is doing well and that the shed is almost done is tight. That means less lawn to mow when I get home, ha, ha, ha. I've got to go. Thanks for everything. Let me know as soon as possible if Mom gets the time off please because the mission has called me today and I told them that I would let them know as soon as possible. I love you all. Sorry that this one is so short.

Elder Nelson

There Were Really Cereal Boxes in Those Vests

Just Horsin' Around

Try and Find Me

Letter Received May 30, 2011:

Wow! It really looks like the garage is going to be huge. I looks like it is going to be about the same size as the house. That is nuts! I am really doubting that I am going to recognize anything about the house when I get there. Yeah, so I am down for staying in Chillan, too. I just have heard that the best place to stay is probably going to be in Concepcion but I am down for staying in Chillan. Nothing is going to be that bad about the hotel. I am sure that they're going to be a lot nicer than the houses that the missionaries live in! I think that there should be a pretty nice place to stay here in Chillan. Other than Concepecion, Chillan is the nicest city that I have been in.

Hanging in Bulnes

This week we had a really awesome conference with our President and he showed us a talk from Elder Holland and it was amazing. It seemed that the whole mission was really affected by what he said. I know that everything that Elder Hollland said was exactly what I needed to hear to rededicate myself to the work. I am doing well with my companion. I don't think that I am going to be with him till I die. I think that he is going to be here for this transfer and then he is going to head out. I think that he is going to baptize a ton when he leaves this sector because Bulnes is a hard sector to start in. He is going to be such a bomb comp mayor when he leaves. I now have some new ideas on how to do my work and to help the Branch President progress.

Me and the Fishbecks, they are going home soon.

Time is going so fast I can't even believe it. It is already June! Man, that is a real bummer about the weather there. Hope that everything clears up really soon. Here it is getting colder than ever. Ha, ha, ha. So, I guess I know how you are feeling right now. Last night we had a really random thing happen. we were walking donw the street last night and all the sudden we see a horse come running by on the street by itself. It had a rope around its neck and we were like, "What the heck!" There was no one that was chasing it or anything, so we did, ha, ha, ha. We got a hold of the rope and we didn't find the owner so we took it to the police, ha, ha, ha. It was a really cool experience. I mean, how often do you run to catch a horse as a missionary, ha, ha, ha. Everyone was looking at us like, "What in the heck are you doing with a horse?" But, it was a good deed because what if this thing got hit by a car or something? It almoust got hit by a semi when we were chasing it. So yeah, that is the cool story for the week, ha, ha.

Hanging Close in Bulnes

I need some info because I got the email from the office of the mission that I am going to be dying soon. Sad!! I need the following info: I need the name of our Stake and the ward. It is Poplar still, right? I need a phone number that they can call, but I doubt it that they are going to call. They are asking if you guys are going to come, but I will call the sister that does that information.

Me and Yeakley

Oh yeah, are you going to leave the shed that we built in the yard? Okay, well I think that is about it for me this week. Love you, miss you all a ton, but time is going fast.


Love,
Elder Nelson

P.S.- Mom, what did you serve the missionaries when they came to the house?

Thumbs Up Bulnes

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

Working with the Branch President

Letter Received May 16, 2011:

Hey Everyone:

So, I think that this letter is going to be rather short because I don't really have all that much time to write today and not only that but there really isn't that much to tell. This week was okay, better because we had some investigators in church, but if you were to look at my numbers you would say, "What the heck?!" I am thinking that here that things are going to be picking up.

I have been struggling and working hard to help my Branch President understand his role, but I feel that I have found the way to help him read the manuals. That way is by me sitting down with him in his house once a week and reading with him. I think that way, he will recognize that it is important to be where he is supposed to be when he says that he is going to be there.

This week we have found a girl that is 17 and she is really interested. She is really smart and I really feel that she is going to progress really fast but I need to have patience.

That would be really cool for Dad if he could just stay the time after the trip, if he comes. Don't worry about the message, Lexie, he is a convert that misses me is all and I think that he thinks that we can look at our Facebook. If you do rent a car, we would definitely get around a lot faster but that is something that you will have to look at. Glad to hear about Wyatt and that he is doing well. It was really good to hear from you all last week. I miss you and love you all. That is a bummer about the garage, that it got delayed. But, that is how it goes. Well, I will talk to you all later. I love you.

P.S.- Do we know if Mom is going to be able to change her time of vacation at work?

Oh yeah, well this month I didn't do so well with my money, so I may need to take some out this week for the month, sorry. I will try and do better.

Love you so much.
 
Love,
Your son and brother Austin