Planted Seeds

Dear Family,                                                                                                  

 

Gilda with Elder Bringhurst, Elder Nelson and President Hicken

Ester

This week was crazy busy. We did divisions with 4 different zones. I left my area Tuesday night and didn’t come back until Saturday morning. I attached the pictures from the last several baptisms that we have had. The one with President in it is Gilda. She is so incredible. President came because taught her one time when he was accompanying us to lessons. We were kind of freaking out because President had never come to a baptismal service of ours before. We did a musical number "nearer my God to Thee" where Elder Bringhurst played the piano and I sang with two other men from our ward. After the baptism the ward mission leader asked Gilda to stand up and express how she felt. She stood up and said "Yo no sentí nada...." I heard President choke a little bit and I was really confused, but then she clarified, "Yo no sentí nada porque ya lo había sentido antes. Tengo un sentimiento en mi pecho que no puedo describir. Siento que va a explotar de alegría y felicidad. He sentido mi fe crecer desde cuando conocí estos dos misioneros y siento que el Señor me ha estado preparando para este momento por algunos años..." (I did not feel anything because I had felt before. I have a feeling in my chest that I can not describe. I feel I will explode with joy and happiness. I felt my faith grow from when I met these two missionaries and I feel the Lord has been preparing for this moment for a few years) Sorry...but it just isn’t the same in English. She said that other missionaries had passed her by on the street without talking to her and she had been looking for God. In one of the lessons we read Alma 32 and she stopped us mid-sentence and said "this is exactly what I feel right now" (we were reading about how the seed will grow and will begin to be delicious to you). So incredibly prepared to hear the gospel. The other baptism is Estér. 

Outside Tulancingo

Puebla outside Teotihuacan

Also when were driving to Tulancingo with President this week to do divisions he took a wrong turn and we ended up having to drive through all the little pueblos of Teotihuacán to get back to the highway. We happened to drive right by the house of the Martinez_Avila (This is the family that he baptized when he first arrived in Mexico)...but we didn’t have enough time to stop. Also I have a testimony that not a single effort is wasted in the mission. A family that I taught in Teotihuacán when I was there finally got baptized this week by other missionaries. I just wasn’t there at the right time. 

At Elder Nelson's favorite taco stand

Tell Kolby I laughed really hard at that story...who tries to catch knives with their hands?

The picture of me with the other missionary is in the tacos where we went for Elder Bringhursts birthday. We went again today. Weird people live here. While we were eating tacos this unshaven guy in a soccer jersey just comes over and starts singing acapella...people here will do anything for a peso.

Mom, Joe shared this scripture with me about a year ago and it has helped me a ton. I think it can help you too. D&C 123:17. Also ask her (from Peggy: He is asking about a lady I recently met) which university she lived by because there was a university in my area. But it was over in Loreto/el arbolito and I think she lives over by Chacón or Pachuquilla. But that is way cool that she is from Pachuca. Well sorry time is short today, but thanks for all you prayers and support. I pray for you every day. 

Love,

Elder Nelson

P.S. HHHAAPPYY  BBBIIIRRTTHHDDDAAYY!! Cameron I love ya man. You are now a man. Make sure you apply well to BYU so we can be there together for a semester. I love ya and I will try to write a better letter next week or maybe in snail mail.