Well, I tried to send
pictures but the computer I am using is inadequate...so you will just have to
wait another week.
Pretty crazy coincidence that
an ex missionary from Bellevue Washington came to visit after 25 years and that
he happened to be in our ward on Sunday visiting old friends. I thought I would
take advantage to give ya a ring. His name was Trevor Weiss. I`m glad he
actually did call. Small world. Amanda is home??!!? That is so weird. I
remember picking her up off the curb at the
MTC...that was only like a month ago right? If I were a sister missionary I
would already be home right now...good thing I`m not. I`m sure she`ll adjust
just fine...after all it is just another transfer right?
Well I`ll answer the questions
now so that I don`t forget. The food is basically the same...just the people
here are poorer than in DF so it is a little less higher quality. We still eat
with sisters every day but we always have to travel a ways to get there because
everything is more spread out in Tulancingo and about 90 percent of the members
(active members that is) live in the other half of the area where the other
missionaries are. We use a lavanderìa just like before...drop the clothes off on Wednesday
and pick them up on Wednesday. Our bathroom is pretty nice and pretty big. The
house is pretty new. We have a boiler that heats up the water so we do have hot
water. I had some nice pictures to show ya...but I guess I just send them next
week.
My companion plays the clarinet..but I haven`t heard it since we`re not allowed to have
instruments. He was in an orchestra before his mission so I assume he`s pretty
good. He is a very good teacher and he is teaching me a thing or two and he has
a pretty good sense of humor. He is pretty young in the mission so he still has
the whole mission in front of him and doesn`t have to think about finishing. I
try not to think too much about time...but sometimes missionaries do and that
is when home sickness and disobedience and all sorts of things start to happen.
He is obedient and is very open to suggestions and help. He speaks differently
than Mexicans, but has lost his Chilean accent...so it`s sort of a in between
and sometimes it`s hard to understand. He is a good companion. I have definitely
had worse.
This week I went on
divisions with Elder Bringhurst out in Xicotepec. It is really weird out there. It is really
humid and green...it looks a lot like the cabin. It is a tiny little pueblo and
the people there are weird and very non-committal but it was great to work with
Elder Bringuts (that`s how the people pronounce his name) again. He hasn`t changed
at all and it still working as hard as he can. He really is a great example of
how to finish well. They had to come all the way into Tulancingo for General
Conference so we got to watch conference together again also.
My favorite part of
conference was the last words of President Monson. As he spoke I just felt the
spirit so strongly and I knew that he is a prophet of God. The apostles spoke
with such power and authority and I felt their great concern to go in search of
the lost ones to go and rescue the less actives and non-member`s.
Also this week was the Zone Leader Council and
since we are so far away from Aragòn we went in the night before and stayed in
the Assistants house. It was really weird to go back to Campestre for a night.
But it just didn`t feel the same...God has called me to another part and I know
that with all my heart. God has called me Tulancingo to change it, to be
humbled and to really turn my heart over to Him. This week we only had 1 investigator come to
church and I was so upset. We are really struggling because we don`t have any
members that live in our area and so there is no one to hermanar the
investigators. But we have a plan. We are using the ward list and since there
are no active members here...we are going to
activate them. If you want a new bike you have to put up your lemonade stand
right? The investigator that did go to church is named Marìa de la Paz. She was
a bit of a miracle. We were contacting when we saw her leaving the tortillerìa.
We contacted her and she let us come to her house with her and we started to
share a lesson....we were talking
about what a blessing it is to go to church when she asked us "Do you want
tostadas?" We said maybe after we were done talking....but she got up and
made them for us and so we obviously ate them....all we had done was invite her
to church...but we had another appointment and had to leave. She showed up to
church all by herself last week. This
week she went all by herself also and she loved the conference. She seems
really elect and she has her baptismal date scheduled for this week. She is
having a little bit of trouble leaving coffee so we are praying really hard for
her.
Tell Cameron felicidades
for being salutatorian and tell Darci thank you so much for registering me. I remember
how much of a hassle that was and I know that she is busy. Mom...I remembered
that I never said Happy Birthday to you back on St Patty`s day....I thought
about you all day and I just forgot each Monday to say something....but happy birthday. Your birthday
present gets to happen on Mother`s day when I call home.
I realized this week that
the hardest part of the mission is not converting others...but converting
yourself. It is not simply converting yourself but
keeping yourself converted. To keep the fire of your testimony burning bright through
the waves of affliction and troubles that come our way...but real power is
found in learning how to renew your testimony. I have a lot of things to fix
and study after the conference and I am glad that they were able to tell me
what I can do to be better and be more converted...to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
That is my goal and my dream to be a true disciple and to have an unshakeable faith and trust
in God and his purposes. I love you all so much and I am praying for you.
Please pray that we can have the faith and resolve to find new investigators
and that we can really and truly become more converted everyday to the saving
gospel of Jesus Christ.
Love,
Elder Nelson
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