Just Do It

Elders Nelson and Bringhurst with Beti and her kids at the Visitors Center and Mexico City Temple

Querida Familia,


This week was a little crazy. I had to take money off my card because my camera broke. We were taking pictures at a zone conference and someone knocked it off the table and broke the lens. Obviously it no longer works so I bought a new one today. Also, we had the cambios meeting Tuesday and Elder Bringhurst and I received two brand new missionaries. They are going to be with us until next Monday because they are waiting for their visas to go to Argentina. They are actually going to the Mendoza mission where Jackson is. My companion is Elder Cisneros from Tabasco. He grew up as an illegal in California so he speaks perfect English. It´s been a little rough because of a couple little obedience and personality issues but I´m trying to overcome it all. A missionary is a missionary after all.

It is still raining, and every single time it rains there is thunder and lightning. I love rain so much. The air is pretty bad. At first I got headaches everyday and a stuffed nose from the smog. It is usually a grayish cloud just kind of sitting over the city. When it rains it cleans out the smog, but then in the night time you can see the orangeish smog clouds roll over again. I am pretty used to the air know so it doesn´t bother me as much.

All the kids started school last week so that means people are a little busier but still teachable.
We had kind of a disappointing week last week. We had about 5 or 6 people scheduled for baptism for the 4th of September, but one family had a huge family argument/ problem and didn´t make it to church. The other 2 missed their appointment Saturday night and didn´t show up to church either. We have no idea where they are. We were expecting to have between 13 and 15 show up but instead we only had 4. But of course there is always a silver lining. We found a man named Nestor this week. We contacted them on the street and they said we could pass by. We went and they weren´t there...which isn´t all that uncommon. Then the next day we found them on the street again and they said we could pass by again. Then they weren´t there again. Their little girl said they had gone to buy bread so we went to the bread store to look for them and they weren´t there, so we went back to their house and finally found them!! They let us in and we began to teach. We taught families can be together forever and the gospel of Jesucristo. His wife said the closing prayer and started to cry because the spirit was so strong. He has had some problems with drugs and alcohol (but we´re in Mexico...who hasn´t?) but really wants to help his kids have a better life. He just wants to know more and more. Sunday in Sunday School he was using the triple of my companion and just started reading and reading and read like three chapters. When he gave it back Elder Cisneros le dijo, "Puede seguir ojeándole si quiere." (I told him, “You can continue to Browne or read if you want”.) He was excited and started reading the introduction of the Book of Mormon. After church he said, "I am going to go home and ask if this is true again, then I am going to go to the Penitentiary and preach to my friend about this." Some people are just so ready for the gospel. They feel the Spirit enter their heart and they remember what they had learned in the pre earth life and they just get so excited.

Also today we went to Waldos (the dollar store in Mexico) and bought root beer!!! Elder Bringhurst and I are going to make root beer floats. GO AMERICA.

As for why I have been sent to this mission at this time in these circumstances...it is a hard question. I really truly believe that God has sent me to help other missionaries. I am here to help transform the mission from where it was to where it can be. I am not the best missionary in the mission, I am not the most motivating nor the highest baptizing, but for some reason God has chosen to put me in an assignment to influence a lot of people. I´m not quite sure how to do that yet, and I´m sure there are other reasons. I´m sure I was sent here because God knew I would love the culture and the people. I would love tacos and spicy things. Or because I really do love the Mexican people. I love their funny sayings and habits. I guess I’m still not quite sure, but I´m working on it.

I love Jesus Christ. I just finished the book of Lucas and you cannot help but wonder how He did it all. But I guess the how is not that important, it is the why. And the why is love. Everything in the gospel leads back to love. He did it so that we would not have to suffer as He did. He did it because He loved His Father. I still find it strange to say I´m a missionary, a representative of Jesus Christ. I imagine Him walking the streets and what He would do and say. I have so far to go to measure up, but I will do it because I love Him. I am coming to know Him, and through that relationship my love is growing. He walked alone, He walked the path of a perfect leader. I will follow Him with all my heart might mind and strength...because I love Him.

I love you all so much, I hope you are living up to the expectations of Him. If you haven´t read your scriptures today, do it. If you haven´t prayed with real intent today, do it. Just do it. If you are not happy today, just do it. Do it for Him. Give everything for Him. I love you all so much and pray for you everyday.

Love

Elder Nelson