Righteously Stubborn

Querido Familia,

This week went by really fast, but it went really well. It rained a lot. On Friday I was in divisions with Elder Sosa from Ixtapaluca and we saw some big ugly looking clouds start to come over. Then the heavens opened and poured out a blessing so big we weren´t ready to receive it. It caught us without umbrella or jackets or anything and we got so wet, it was awesome. We just kept working even though it was a monsoon and the streets were flooded. There weren´t many people in the street but we talked to those that were, we asked references and we actually taught 3 more lessons and found 3 or 4 more new investigators while it was raining. God blesses those who are righteously stubborn. My shoes got so wet that I had to put them in front of a fan for 2 days to dry them, but I shined them right up and they look like new right now. Everyday since then it has rained, usually starting about 4 or 5 and not stopping until the morning. I love it so much because there is always a lot of thunder. I love the way clouds look when it is going to rain and hearing the rolling thunder. It is just so majestic and awes me the way that God uses nature to inspire us. He truly is the Great Artist.

I am going to try and answer the questions:
Dad, I actually have been able to see all of the mission except for Molango and Tulancingo. I went to Nezahualcoyotl, La Perla, Los Reyes and Ixtapaluca to know where the stake centers are for Elder Cordova because those are the parts of the mission that are leaving this week. Those are the areas that are the most dangerous and the poorest. We also went there to give training this week for the new trainers. I would have loved to serve in these areas because there are soo many people. There are so many people and part of them live in “camping grounds” or houses made out of plywood and sheets of aluminum. We have some of that in our area, but most of them live in the Southeast. There are so many people that need the Gospel there. I would not recommend googling Nezahualcoyotl because there are always pictures on the front of newspapers of dead people in the streets in Neza. We don´t ever see stuff like that because we are always in the house before the action starts.

What you said about having a positive attitude is really the key to success, in whatever we do in life. I have a testimony of that because of Thursday Elder Bringhurst studied chapter 9 in PME about finding people. Before Thursday we had found 3 new investigators and were a little bit discouraged, so we just decided to pray for pure motives-to help and find people to teach not because we were going to have to report our numbers to President or because we needed more news, but because they are sons and daughters of God with a value greater than any sum of money. They are more than numbers, and we just want to help them to find what we have found and experience what we have experienced. We left the house super excited to go contact everthing that moved-un fuego en nuestros huesos if you will- and on the third contact we found Ofelia (50) who said we could accompany her to her house. We went and taught her and her sobrino and her grandchildren about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration and told her to pray. We left feeling super excited and just full of fuego and we ended the day with 8 lessons and 6 new investigators and ended the week with 20 new investigators. That is the power not caring about the numbers (funny how the result of not caring about numbers is more numbers). The next day we went back and she had read and prayed, and she had a dream where everything was white. She said it meant purity and she knew the Book was true and wanted to be baptized!! That is how we know that this is the work of God. We can´t make this stuff up.


I am learning a lot from him, (Elder Bringhurst). I hope he is learning something from me. He works really hard and is really excited, it is good because I like to work hard and have a tendency to be too serious so we are working well together. Elder Bringhurst has 14 months in the mission, so we are just two young´uns that don´t really know that much trying to do the best we can and work as hard as we know how to. To go grocery shopping we go to Walmart. Today Elder Cordova and I went to Walmart, and there happens to be a Krispy Kreme outside the Walmart….It tasted soooo good. Just a little taste of America.

Well, we are really close to the historical downtown of Mexico City, but I have already been there several times and the museums are closed lunes. But we haven´t had time to go even if we wanted to. We haven´t had any General Authorities yet.

This week we baptized a man named Antonio. He is the father of a family that was already members. They got baptized about 5 months ago, but he didn´t want to. Then there was a youth conference where Elder Oaks and some 70´s came and a 70 went to visit the family of Antonio, he felt the spirit so strongly and felt that God was calling him to the church. He had to stop smoking which was really hard for him. But the Book of Mormon replaced his addiction. Another convert for the Book of Mormon. What a good companion to have. They were so excited to see their dad baptized and his son got to baptize him. It was soo awesome. The mission is so awesome. Life is awesome. We have so many blessings, we simply have to see them.

Melissa thank you for your letter, I am glad to hear the you did not get kidnapped in our house while Mom and Dad were gone. I am glad you are having success, now you have to think about what purpose God has in giving you success, with whom you can share the gospel.

WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO TO NAUVOO AND SEE DADS MISSION WITHOUUT ME??? I want to go too….maybe we will just have to go again when I get back. Don´t worry I´m not mad, I would rather be here, this is where God wants me.

Love y´all so much,

Elder Nelson