Monday, January 25, 2016

A busy and great week!

Hi everyone! Hope everything is great. I heard that it was pretty cold in the states? that is what everyone tells me but you can't really trust what the people say here at times. the other day someone told me we started colonizing another planet. Didn't quite believe that one. But anyways this week was pretty eventful and seems to have flown by. 

This Wednesday we had the world wide conference. It was pretty awesome. I don't feel like I heard anything new but I heard many things that I can do better. The leaders from the church talked to us about how to teach repentance and baptize converts and how to do better in that. It was the first World wide mission conference since the time Preach my Gospel came out. I loved how Elder Bednar spoke of the importance of the Spirit. Basically without the spirit we are useless, but also we cant force someone to feel the spirit. They have to accept it and let it in their hearts to start the seeds of a testimony. That is a good lesson for all i think. 

Also, Elder Cook came this week! We went to see him and also Elder Christensen was there from the Presidency of the 70 with Elder Ochoa of the quorum of the 70. Its always an experience getting to hear the apostles and being able to shake their hands. It is something you just don't forget. It was a really powerful meeting and I learned a lot. He spoke a lot of the blessings that come from mission service and how it blesses us, our family present and future, and everyone with a connection in our lives. It also blesses all the people we teach and come unto the truth of the Gospel. My favorite was after he talked about how he was in California and someone asked him why the apostles aren't direct in their testimonies. He said we shouldn't share deep spiritual experiences with everyone because they are sacred and need to be treated with respect, and simple is more powerful. But then he told us "but I'm going to be direct with you guys". He bore a super powerful testimony and at the end he said, "I know Jesus Christ lives. I know His voice. I know His face." .... .... ... just let that sink in for a second. I have a strong testimony of the living Prophets and apostles. I know they are His apostles and receive revelation for all of us. Their guidance will guide us through the world we live in that seems to have no guidance. 

Anyways afterwards I went on divisions with the Zone Leaders again which is always fun.  I learn so much when I do that. Sunday we had a stake conference with President Vasquez and Elder Ochoa. It was really awesome and despite being farther away we had 7 investigators there. It was powerful. Afterwards we took a picture with Antonio and his Girlfriend and he told us "the next picture is going to be in all white". Let me just say there aren't sweeter words in the world. Ill send the picture. Well I love you all and thanks for all the support and all the prayers. Love you guys!

Elder Nelson


Monday, January 18, 2016

Happy Monday!

Hello everyone! Sounds like everyone had a pretty good and busy week! Congrats to Anneke on the baby shower. sounds like it went pretty well. Wish I could be there but im happy right where I am. The Disney shirts look awesome. Im sure the grandkids are going to be nice and spoiled after that trip. This week we have two devotionals! On the 20th we have the world wide missionary one that should be pretty interesting. But also Im going to meet another Apostle! Elder Cook is going to come on Saturday and we are all going to the church at the temple to see him. It will be another multi mission activity so it will be cool to see everybody and I'm excited to see what he will tell us. I heard Jeffery R Holland came down there where Jessie is! Jealous! He is so powerful. I love receiving guidance from the leaders of the church. 

Anyways this week was pretty good. We had a pretty good success and I had the chance to go and do splits with the other Elders for a couple days. Its not my favorite thing in the world to leave my area but it is cool to meet new people and learn from other Elders. We have an investigator that is very positive named Antonio and he is getting ready to be baptized on the 13th. He is really awesome and has come to church 4 times in a row. The only problem is that his mom practises witchcraft and i'm pretty sure has tried to curse us. Of all the experiences in a mission in El Salvador... But we are praying all goes good with him. We have a couple people that are really positive and just lack one or two key points to get baptized. We are pretty excited. I hope i get to stay in this area until March so I can finish the training with my companion. We are getting along really well (he promised me a trip to Veracruz Mexico after the mission) and I don't really want to leave the member of this area. When you are with them for enough time you start to get a connection and I get along really well with a lot of them.

 This week I happened to be studying in the night before I went to sleep and during the nightly phone calls about the Millennium and coming of Christ. I sat and pondered for a good bit of time and pretty soon my mind was riveted and I lost all desire to sleep. I think its so true the scriptures that say we should treasure up the words of scripture and life in our minds and if we do so diligently with a spirit of fasting and prayer all things will be made known unto us, even the mysteries of heaven. I have found that as I study more and more I have desires to learn about this wonderful gospel. I am so excited to see what the future holds and now see the importance of day to day obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. I have a testimony of my Saviour and Redeemer and I know of the power of his Atonement. I have Faith in the scriptures and try every day to develop my faith. I know the priesthood was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith and know he was a prophet of God. I know also that there is indescribable joy in the Plan of God and the chance to become an eternal Family. I am thankful for my parents and the opportunities they have given me to learn and grow in the Gospel. Hope everyone has a fun and safe week! Till next week!

Elder Nelson


Chad wearing his tie clip mom sent

"This is how we exercise in El Salvador"



Monday, January 11, 2016

Happy Monday!

Heeeeellllooooo everyone! I'm happy to be somewhat talking to you this monday through email even though it is just me writing down the conversation that goes on in my head. Apart from going a little crazy, this week has been pretty good. It was cool to hear about the baptisms in the ward back home and I send my congratulations to the family back there. Its cool to reminder and see that the Gospel is being spread in all the parts of the Earth. Also my thoughts and prayers go out to the Neeves family, it was sad to hear the news. I have always enjoyed seeing Sister Neeves every Sunday and she will be missed back home. But it makes me so happy to know about the Plan of Salvation and the comfort to know that God has a plan, and it is perfect. Also shout out to the Gage family! i got your package and it was awesome! My companion enjoyed it too. i honestly think he has gotten more things sent to him from my family than he has gotten from his because he is still waiting for his in the mail. You guys are awesome. 

Anyways this week was good and flew by like no other. Looking back I have to think hard about what we did. the mission sometimes is just like one big blur. This Wednesday we had a big milti zona where basically the half of the mission that is in central got all together with President Vasquez. It was quite an experience. Usually these meetings are really upbeat and exciting as well as spiritual to animate us for the work. This meeting did the same, but in a very different manner. We all could tell from the start that President had something on his mind, and when he spoke an unusual silence fell over us. They started sharing stats from the mission in the past year which was cool to see because we had good growth in our mission from 2014 to 2015. But then in a very serious manner our President shared that he along with the leaders of the Church were worried. World wide there has been a slight decline in the mission work. And attacks in opposition to the plan of God are very evident. He gave a powerful talk on the Atonement and gave us many cautions saying that we walk and work and fight in Satan's territory, and he is mad. He is now attacking our very homes, companionships, families, and church all of which is our territory. As a father lovingly chastises a son, he called us to repentance, saying that if we do not repent we will not make it through these difficult times. If we let the opposition take away our strengths and territory that we have as respite from the trials of the world, we lose strength and fall. He then spoke of specific things we will be changing in the mission and the importance of our work, to call people unto repentance through Baptism. This week I've spent much time pondering on if I really understand the atonement of Christ and allow the power of it to work through me and give me strength and take away my sins. I have had indescribably amazing experiences looking to Christ for my answer. I felt a need to tell this to you guys because I hope you realize the daily war that we face. I didn't realize the magnitude of it until I came here, but I couldn't shake the feeling of the proximity of the second coming. Its here, even at the door step and things will just get worse in the world. But God's plan is perfect, and those that fight on his side and use His Atonement everyday will always come off victorious. 

Well that was my week. I didn't mean to write so serious but that is what came to me as I started. I want you to know I have a testimony of my Savior. I know He lives. He will lift us up when we call upon Him. He never leaves our side and I hope we all ask for Him for the help He is so willing to give. I know this Church is true and and the power of the priesthood is real. The power to seal families for time and all eternity is on the Earth and we should do all that is possible to be worthy of such blessing. 

Well I love you all. Oh yeah we now wont have change meetings here which is where we all meet to do changes when we change areas. So it will be interesting how we will get to our areas from here on out because in this Country traveling is quite an experience. Love you all and thanks for all the support!

Elder Nelson


Monday, January 4, 2016

10 Months today!

Well I'm officially in double digits. 10 months flew by so fast. Anyways I wish everyone a happy new year. I cant believe its already 2016 and its weird to think that this full year ill be here in the country. But I am excited for what life holds for me in this next year. Anyways  this week was actually really good. Something cool that happened was our fast on Sunday. Me and my companion really were praying and fasting for our investigators and I tried really hard to go 24 hours with a constant prayer in my heart, because it is easy to forget the reasons why we are doing it. We were praying specifically for a family of three boys who are super awesome and honest but just wont read or wake up to go to Church. It was a hard day but we kept hope. In the morning on Sunday we passed by the home of the family and we realized they were all asleep. We decided to knock anyways and the older kid came out and said the he woke up early today and just felt like he should come to church. He also read a little of what we left him. It was such a huge step for the family and he loved church is is going to go to a youth activity this week. It was such a blessing from God. 

This week was pretty interesting other than that. We ate a BUNCH of food on the 31, mostly panes con pollo which are amazing. I ate 3. Which is a lot.  Then we ate a whole turkey made by our bishop. All night people were doing fireworks so we didn't sleep at all and I've been tired ever since. Buts that's just how we do things here. 

Its been really cool study how to be a better leader and I've focused on just showing love for other people. In all the actions you do.  And sometimes you know you just have to grab your companion and tell him you love him. Me and my companion get along really well. I used to want to leave this area but now I hope I finish his training. 

WELL that's all I got. Hope all is going well there. Love you guys and miss you a lot. Happy new year!

Elder Nelson