Monday, July 25, 2016

Apopa!

Hello everyone! This week was really good here in Apopa. I actually really like Apopa and these weeks here have been flying by. My compnaion just got his plane ticket but hes not baggy yet so we are good.  But he is super cool and we have a lot in common. Also we had a baptism this week! Fernando got baptized and it was super cool. His brother who got baptized not too long ago baptized him.  After he shared his testimony about how he was someone super mad all the time and never talked to his brother but how the gospel and church has changed his life. Now he has a relationship with his family and wants his mom to get baptized. His mom went to church this week and is progressing a ton so thats super cool. That family is awesome. This week flew by because we had a ton of meetings.  For example, this sunday we had a meeting at 6 in the morning so we had to get up super early and we were super tired and I was trying to not fall asleep all church hahah but im alive. We are working super hard here in Apopa and the time flies by and we enjoy ourselves too. It has been raining like crazy.  A couple days ago we got caught in a huggggggeee storm and we were wadding through water past my knees!! It was crazy and kind of scary cause everything is hills here so the water was like a giant river running down the hill and we were trying to get out of the valley. But it makes the memories. ANnnnnnndddd my scriptures got soaked.  im still drying them out. 

Anyways that was the week. Things are normal here in Apopa. We also had a Multi Zona that was really good and Presdient spoke to us. He is so powerful when he speaks.  I wish you guys could hear him one time. Sounds like the cabin was good and I hope everything is good in the heat. Love you guys.  Here are some pictures! 

Elder Nelson





Monday, July 18, 2016

New Area!

HEEEEEEELLLOLOO . Hey everyone. sooooooo this week  was pretty good. As I am sure you know I had changes so I am no longer in San Vicente. Monday and Tuesday were sad saying goodbye to everyone there in San Vicente. I really loved it there and was attached to some of them. Little Eileen that got baptized last week when she found out  was leaving started crying and wouldn't let go of me. So yeah that was pretty sad. But changes aren't always a bad thing. So I left on Wednesday morning and i am now in.... APOPA!!! Yeah sorry mom, I know you hated when I was in Apopa. But I promise I wont die okay. hahah just kidding its all good. SO yeah I was in Villa Mariona for almost 6 months back in the Christmas season and I came back as Zone Leader. My area is more in the city part of Apopa but it was cool because I have already been able to see some of the members from Villa Mariona. The area is good and the zone is usually successful SO i am really excited to be able to work here. My companion is Elder Markham. He is an awesome missionary from Portland Oregon. Me and him are actually the same person. He also was a big football player and will probably play after the mission as well. Sadly this is his last change. He goes home in about 5 weeks. But he isn't baggy at all and works supppperrr hard so I'm very excited for this change. 

WELL yeah so we are going to have a baptism this week. Its a kid named Fernando that I actually met when I was here the last time around and is finally getting baptized. The ward here is pretty good for the most part.  well at least there are some families that are super good and the rest don't really do anything. That's usually how it goes. The zone is good here too and  a lot of area is closed because the missionaries had problems with the people there. so in those wards when people come to church that aren't members the bishops will call us and we go and teach them in the church. SO we end up traveling a lot. Also Chalatenango is part of our zone which is pretty far away. We have about 20 missionaries in the zone I think. i dont really remember but theres a lot. Well thats all I got. Thanks for all the support love you guys!!!! Here is a picture of one of my favorite families from San Vicente. Enjoyyyyyyy. 




Monday, July 11, 2016

Changes?!???!



Hellooooo friends!!! It was great to hear from all of you this week! Sounds like life is just GREAT because life is good here like always. This was quite the week and like always in this moment I forget everything but oh well we will see what comes out in the letter. First off, Changes are this week..... anddd.... I have changes! I will be going to my fourth area and will be leaving this Wednesday. I don't know where I will be going they don't tell us until Tuesday night and then Wednesday I just have to find my way there. I am super excited and nervous and also sad. I really liked it here in San Vicente. its been good to me. At the beginning of the change it was kind of hard to get along with my companion but we found the right mixture and I'm actually sad to be leaving him. We had a lot of success together! 

Anyways this week was kind of crazy. Anyways this Tuesday I probably had one of the best experiences of my mission. It is really sacred to me so I probably wont share everything. But we have this investigador that has two kids and she has been receiving lessons for about 3 years now. All this week we have been having this huge tropical storm and there hasn't been a day I haven't been waddling through the streets with water up to my knees. Anyways we went to a lesson in a member's home that lives close to America (thats the name of the investigador) and we arrived soaking wet. We got there and as we were talking her elderly mother who is really, really "cranky" arrived at the window of this members house and started shouting very bad words and insults at her and it was really bad. It was kind of one of the moments you just had to put your head down and pray. Anyways there was a huge fight and finally she left and America was crying and super angry and we just starting singing hymns and she was bawling. Me and my comp were praying that God would give us the words to say because we had no idea what to say. After the prayer, all I can say is God did his miracles and I dont even remember the lesson well I just remember the strange feeling of opening the mouth and words were coming out that weren't mine or my companions. The spirit was so strong. I honestly felt the presence of angels in the room and they comforted her and touched her deep in the heart were she needed to be touched. Long story short, they all committed to baptism. The kid got baptized this saturday and the other two are going to get baptized the 29th of July. This is was makes this mission great. 

Also on Saturday we got permission to go to the temple. Its rare the Pte gives permission to go because the grandparents of a family that we baptized in June are going to get sealed. We got permission to go see their sealing. It was remarkable. That is what the mission is about, creating eternal families. I know the church is true and I am very thankful for the chance to serve. I know the temple is very sacred and the spirit will guide us when we need it. Thanks for all the support.  Love you guys!!

Elder Nelson







Monday, July 4, 2016

Happy 4th of July!

Hello everyone!! Happy 4th!!! Today was pretty fun. For pday we got together as a zona and ordered pizaa and played volleyball and good old american football and what not. So I got at least a little part of the traditions. There are only like 2 other Americans in this zone so I guess many weren't as excited as I was. ANYWAYS. Sounds like everyone had a good time up at Joe's place! I can't believe you guys were in sweatshirts... It's July! But glad that Heber still goes hard with the 4th of July life. 

Anyways, this week actually went really well. We had a lot of service projects and my hands are all blistered up. Mostly I spent many hours this week chopping plants and weeds with a machete which is always fun. And Sunday I spent hours shoveling dirt which was also fun. Needless to say I'm really tired. But other than that we had a good week. We found a lot of people and had 9 people that came to church with us that weren't members. Many of them are progressing a lot. This weekend we also did a fast together with an investigador so she could make the decision on when she wants to get baptized. Although she didnt' make the decision at the end we did have a powerful lesson and got her to express her doubts on why she won't get baptized. She says she has doubts about Joseph Smith that we never knew before so that was a huge blessing of the fast because now we know how to help her. Fasting always is an awesome experience here in the mission. We also has leadership council with President which was really good. Sad news is the next week a bunch of my good mission friends are going home. Shout out to my boy Elder Kimball that goes back to Utah. It's been good to be with you man. Also Elder Marriot and Elder Pace and Elder Letona they are just a few of the many great ones we are losing. Time is flying by. 

Anyways, I have a storng testimony of this gospel. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. This morning I was reading in Helaman 5 and it struck me the miracles they could do because of their rightousness and faith. Also, I loved the words from the father to his sons Lehi and Nefi. He talks about how he gave them there names for there forefathers that crossed the sea and that they should always live to honor their name. It's a good reminder. I always what to strive to honor the name my parents have given me. Love you guys! Until next week!