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

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

A Great Week! So Close to Four Baptisms

Letter Received February 7, 2011:

Hey Hey:

So, this week went by really fast and I was like holy crap it is already Monday again. It seemed that Sunday came around really fast and then another week had passed by. I really couldn't believe that it was Sunday already. I think that it is because we were really busy this week and and I think that we are going to have another busy one this week that is coming.

For some reason, I am really excited to work this week. I think that it is because we are going to have another baptism this Saturday. Arny is finally going to be baptized, we have been working with her for a really long time and she didn't really want to progress and through reading the Book of Mormon that her faith. She asked me to baptize her and my companion to confirm her. I am so happy to finally see her to take the steps to get baptized. It has definitely been a struggle but now she is really good and she is reading everyday. She had a fecha for the 19th but then we moved it up to the 12th.

It is possible that we are going to have two more baptisms on Sunday. So, it should be really awesome for us this week and it makes us become all that much more close to opening Retiro. It seems to be getting harder to get people to come and help us pick up people for church. One of the Zone Leaders just informed me that somebody in the District Presidency has someone that has a bus that we might be able to use to go and get people. That would be so awesome!

We are working mainly with people named Jorge, Luz, Camila and Arny and they all have come to church and have possibility of getting baptized this week. That would be so sweet to baptize four people this week! That would be sick! I feel really good about the week that we had and I know that this week is only going to be better. Me and my companion are getting along so well and I know that we are really making a lot of progress and I hope that it stays that way.

The other night I woke up at four in the morning because in my sleep I jumped off the top bunk of our bed and I woke up when I hit the ground. Really weird, huh? It was kinda funny, ha, ha, ha. Well, I don't really have that much to tell. Sorry if this is kinda boring but I don't really have that much to tell. I know that this is kinda short but you all know how it goes sometimes. It was really good to hear that everything is going well with you guys. Some ideas that I have for a package are black suspenders that clip on and some that go with buttons because I practically use all suspenders now. My comp got me hooked. Some soccer socks. A lot, a lot of Flaming Hot Cheetos! Some Amazing Sauce, fruit snacks, Sour Patch Water Melons, oatmeal pies, some fine point pens, a journal, one with like a leather cover. Some ideas that I have off the top of my head but i will let you know next week. Thanks for everything. I love and miss you tons.

Love,
Elder Nelson

So Close to Another Baptism

New Sick Handmade Jacket That I Bought

Letter Received January 31, 2011:

Hey Everyone:

Well, this week went not so well. Even though we did see some blessings, we didn't have that good of a week. But, the only thing that you can do is do better this week. We didn't have the baptism that we were expecting, but I know that Camila will be baptized. It is just a matter of time. I think that she feels that everything went really fast and that she wasn't quite ready to be baptized even though she passed her interview. I think that she just didn't have that assurance that this is the true church. But, we are going to keep working with her because she is really good and she does know that this is the true church she just needs a little bit of time. I think that she will be baptized this Sunday. 

Me and my companion have been good, we both know that we can do a lot better. We do have some more people that we are teaching but we have a lot of work to do. This week we did see a miracle with Arny, one of the investigators that just didn't want to progress. She finally accepted a date so that she will be baptised but we just have to make sure that we keep good contact with her and she will start to progress well. 

This week there was like a big fesival here in Parral and I bought a really sweet jacket. It's handmade and it is going to be so sweet for snowboarding. This week I am really going to focus myself on trying to manage my time better and make it more effective. 

This week we had a conference with our President. I am not going to lie, it was really long. I did learn some things but I got really bored after sitting there for 8 hours! Here we are starting to make some progress in Retiro but still we lack a little bit. It does seem that President is thinking about it a lot. He has been talking to the leaders here in the area about it a lot. It seems like one of the big problems is that we don't have anywhere to meet so we are really keeping our eyes open. The President also told us that he wants us to have more investigators in Parral so that puts more and more work on us but we will do it because that is what President has asked of us.  

Don't have too much to tell, just doing the basic stuff. Something that is kinda new is that I did my first confirmation on Sunday. I was really nervous but everything turned out well. But that is about it. That would be sick if you guys did build a big garage. That would be so cool. I think that we should put in a pool instead though, ha, ha, ha. Its good to hear that everything is going well. I hope that everything goes well with the baby blessing. Wish I could be there but yeah. I miss and love you so much.

Love,

Elder Nelson

A Family Coming Together in the Gospel

Pila Pick

Me, Palta, and Rosa

Letter Received January 17, 2011:

Hey:

Well this week went better but still we have a lot of things that we are needing to work on especially not wasting our time and limiting our time in our appointments. I feel that I am losing a lot of time and then my numbers aren't showing my work. But, I was really pumped this week because I baptized Rosa Elvira Cerna Hernandez. It was so awesome because she just had this really awesome smile on her face the whole time and when we were in the water you could just tell that she was so ready. The awesome thing is that when the missionaries showed up at her house she didn't like them at all and she wouldn't even listen because her husband is a new convert too and their son. Our mission was here once and told her husband that if he gets baptized that him and his whole family would come to know the gospel and be baptized so that they can be an eternal family and now I am seeing the fruits of that and their family is all progressing all so well. Her husband now has the Aaronic Priesthood and we wanted him to baptize her but they couldn't because of size differences and he has a sickness in his legs. But, it was so cool.

Elders and Family of Rosa

Me and my comp are getting along so well and we are really excited to be working togther and we feel that we are going to do so good this week. We are doing really well but I feel that we are going to be running out of people soon, so we are really focusing on our contacts this week because we are running out of people to baptize for the moment. But, if we get a couple weeks I am pretty sure that we will be able to get some people in the water.

Rosa and Her Family

I am really wanting to open Retiro because we are losing time waiting for buses and colectivos all the time. But, the Lord is blessing that area because there are people that are moving in that are members. You can tell that the Lord is blessing that little town. We have a lot of competition out there. I have seen missionaries of 4 different churches out there. I think that they all have the same idea that we do, ha, ha, ha.

Last Baptism Pick Together

I am doing really well and my bike is working out really well. It is really really hot here but we trying to do all that is possible to keep cool. It is not working too well, ha, ha, ha. Last week was a little long but this one is going to be better. Good to hear that everyone is doing well. I love you guys. I miss you a ton.

Love,
Elder Nelson

Elders and Family, Me Bending Down