Never Go Back

American ? Food

Dear Family,
Well I think I’ll just start with the questions this week. The root beer floats were really good. It´s not so much that I like root beer floats...it´s just that they are American. We are really blessed in this house because I have my own mini fridge that has a little freezer built in. Elder Bringhurst also has his own. As far as cooking, it´s not that I don’t like to but we just don’t have that much time for it. But I cook pancakes and eggs and quesadillas. Also we buy popcorn for our microwave if you can call that cooking. Elder Bringhurst cooks refried beans and eats it with salsa and tortillas...but that is about as adventurous as we get. It is much better just to buy tacos because you don’t have to clean the pan and they taste a lot better than anything we could make.

Nestor is doing ok. We brought members this week that had been through the same type of situation that he is going through. Namely someone who belongs to Alcolicos Anonimos (Alcoholics Anonymous) and joined the church. He was really excited and is super ready to be baptized....just that Sunday morning he got shocked really bad and had to go to the ER. Here in Mexico lots of times the poorer people who can´t afford gas heat their water with a resistance. It is little metal coils heated by electricity from the wall submerged in water. Also many times they don’t have plugs...so they just stick the loose wires in the wall outlet. I guess he was heating up some water to bathe himself when he touched something he shouldn’t have. He’s ok, but will have to be delayed a week in his baptism. His wife doesn’t really want to talk to us very much because she loves to play soccer on Sundays so she doesn’t want to come to church. As far as getting scriptures we always give them a copy of the Book of Mormon. They usually have a bible already because everyone has a bible, but when they are baptized and confirmed we sometimes gift them a triple, but usually they just buy it on their own. I really don’t know if Nestor has ever gone to jail...but seeing as how he has a history of delinquency and drug abuse I would assume so. We never go to teach there. Two white boys in a Mexican jail doesn’t sound like a fun idea to me.

Also....I suffered a major tragedy this week. Probably the worst thing that has happened to me on my mission. Someone stole my triple. I was using it in the church to train new missionaries that had gotten here from Peru and accidentally left it in the room...then we went back and it was gone. It was so heart breaking. It had all my thoughts and impressions and growth and experiences since the beginning of my mission. I had to buy a new one. I am now starting from scratch. But maybe it will help me to know better the scriptures...

Santa Muertes we took from an investigators apartment.  We smashed them to bits!
I am with Elder Cisneros who is on his way to Medina, Argentina when he gets his Visa.

The camera I bought was a Panasonic Lumix. The same type as my old one at home. It is silver, 14 mega píxels with a 5 x zoom. I like it and it seems to be performing its functions. The good part is that the sd card didn’t break so I still have all my pictures. I am sending my old SD card home today. Please tell me when you get it. I’m sure Kolby is having fun with my old camera, I’m glad some one is making use of it. Just as long as he doesn’t break it. Melissa congratulations on making A team, that is really awesome. Read your scriptures and say your prayers everyday. When we do what God asks us to do He can bless us and let us be even more successful in the things we want to do.

Beti and her sons

This week we had the consejo con los líderes de zona.(Zone Leaders Conference) Elder Bringhurst and I gave a capacitation about the Doctrine of Christ. I learned so much. What is the vision that God really has for every single one of His children? DyC 33:11. Every one of you...not singling out the few select that want to listen to us, not making exceptions because some is too old or too young. God wants every single child of His (especially those that live in MME(~Mexico Mexico City East Mission) to be baptized for a remission of their sins. We probably contact about 200-300 people every day, sometimes after 200 contacts it becomes something routine...something we do for doing it. But if we can just have that mentality that it doesn’t matter who it is, God wants them to repent and be baptized we begin to see a whole other side the missionary work. We begin to see and think that every single person we walk by on the street is a son or daughter of God. He loves them just as much as He loves us. PME 1. He wants every single last one of them to make it home...and we cannot convert anyone unless we as missionaries are not converted first. Through the power and authority of our testimony we can touch the lives of a limitless number of His children, but it is all according to the power of our own testimony. We do it though out of love. I watched a talk by Elder Holland this week where he talked about John 21. Peter and the disciples had left the ministry after the death of Christ and had gone back to fishing, back to what they had always done. Christ asks Peter 3 times, do you love me?....then feed my sheep. Peter was very sensitive about three´s at that point. Christ calls them to leave their nets for the second time and come follow Him, feeding His sheep. We have been called out of the world, out of our boats, to feed sheep. To feed every last one of them, and we have been called to feed sheep forever. We cannot simply go back to what we were doing...we have been called out of the world. We leave our nets and boats out of love, love for Him. And we can never go back. It was in that moment that Peter changed from the Peter that left the flock to fish into the incredibly powerful Peter, who healed many and converted thousands. So great was the fame of Peter, or so great was the conversion of Peter that people asked to be carried out into the street in hopes that his shadow would pass over them. The mission is our call. We are called out of the waters to feed His sheep forever. We are called to convert ourselves and become the great men and women that God needs to lead the fight against Satan in these latter days. Now is our chance, and I will not waste it. Today is the day to become the great and powerful missionaries and leaders that God needs, tomorrow could be too late. Never be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is true and so we have no need to fear. Rejection or fear are simply the tools of Satan, and to over come them is the work of the disciples of Christ. I love the mission so much, it has changed me...and I will never go back. I love my Savior, and I will give every thought, action and desire to accomplish His vision for His children. I love you all so much, I love you for doing what you are supposed to and being who you are supposed to. I pray for you all often.

Until Next Week,
Elder Nelson