Dear Family,
This week just went by so fast, I
get scared when I start feeling how fast the weeks are going by but I guess
there is nothing else I can do except put my head down and work. This Sunday we
had an interesting experience in the baptism of Alberto and Alejandro, the
grandchildren of Blanca Lydia (who was baptized about 3 months ago). We started
the week thinking that they weren’t going to be baptized because their mom has
been pretty obstinate (even though Blanca Lydia wanted them to be baptized we couldn’t
do it without the permission of their mom). Blanca and her daughter fight a lot
because they are both very stubborn and quick tempered...But we talked to
Blanca Lydia about being patient and about how you can´t snap a stick into place...or
it will snap. You have to be patient and little by little bend it and by and by
it will get to the shape you want without breaking. She took it to heart and
had been talking to her daughter and apologizing for the fights they had had.
And lo and behold the mom told her that they could be baptized!! (I think it
might have had something to do with the fact that the kids went to their mom
telling her they wanted to do it.) Then we get to the church on Sunday for
Stake Conference (President Hicken spoke) to start filling up the font and
there was no water. The maintenance people had messed up the power in the
church so the lights were flickering throughout the whole conference and there wasn’t
enough power for the pump to take the water from the cistern to the tank above
the church...result is that we couldn’t fill the font. So we called up the next
closest chapel and asked them to leave the font filled so that after the
conference we could go (in the stake center right by the temple) use it after
them. So after the conference we went to the Centro Para Visitantes to
entertain the kids while we went and set up the baptism in the church. After
waiting for an hour for the bishop and the primary to show up we finally got
started and got the baptism done. I loved it when Blanca Lydia stood up to bear
her testimony to her grandchildren and talked about how much she had prayed for
this day to come.
Also another cool thing happened with
Guadalupe. She is an investigator that was just so prepared to hear the gospel,
she is scheduled to be baptized this Sunday. We found her last Saturday at
about 6 pm. We talked to her in the street and she led us to her home where we
taught her the first time. The next day when we showed up to pick her up for
church she was wearing a skirt and a nice blouse (most investigators go the first
time in jeans or casual clothes). Then in Relief Society they talked about
fasting on the first Sunday of the month...but Guadalupe misunderstood and when
we went to visit her on the 1st day of the month she had decided to fast. The
first time we left the Book of Mormon with her (in the first visit) she was
going to read 3 Nefi 11...but somehow she opened up to the wrong chapter and
read the sermon on the mount where it talks about being kind to our projimo.
She has a sister that she had been fighting with...but reading the Book of
Mormon she felt a peace and love that touched her heart and she went right then
to fix things with her sister...then she read 3 Nefi 11. It´s awesome to see the
Spirit guide the process of conversion, I love to know that we are not alone in
the work but that we are actually a threesome of me and my companion and
Divinity.
Also this week Elder De Hoyos of the 1st
Quorom of the 70 came to tour the misión. He talked about the Atonement and the
Book of Mormon. I made a promise to read the Book of Mormon every single
day for the rest of my life. I’ve been carrying a 3x5 in my triple with the
days and material that I have studied. I remember that Grandpa always used to
carry a 3x5 in his pocket to write important things on, I now know why. It is
very useful to carry a 3x5 with a hymn to memorize so that whenever distracting
thoughts come into my mind I can hum my favorite hymn.
Also I promised Dad that I would write
about my impression on the Mexican people and culture. Well, it´s very hard to
explain. I love them so much. Today a brother took us to an IHOP (it was
soo good). As far as the church goes…it is still very immature. They just don’t
understand how the different organizations should and could work if all would
just lend a hand…unfortunately people work so much that the Ward relies on the
5 or 6 people that actually understand the work. It is very much less
organized, and a very much more selfish environment…yet at the same time
unselfish. Some are willing to sacrifice anything to help another...others are
willing to do anything to get ahead...but I need more time to explain more
fully. Mom I will get the package next week when we go to the temple. I love
you all so much and I pray that you are doing well.
Love,
Elder Nelson
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