FELIZ NAVIDAD: Quiero Irme Pero Quiero Quedarme A La Vez :/

Dear All,

Merry Christmas! Thanks to everyone who sent me Christmas wishes! I wasn't able to reply to everyone so...just know that I love ya. :)

It's so crazy that we are here in the Christmas season again. I say it all the time, but...I just cannot get over how quick time flies. It feels just like yesterday that my best friend Scott was dropping me off at the MTC. And then shortly after...I was spending my Christmas with good mission friends such as Elder Hawkes, Elder Boyd, Elder Mallory, Elder Fanene, etc. Crazy! Oh, and speaking of my best friend Scott...He enters the MTC in two days. :) Good luck, Scott! You'll do great in Mexico.

Well, it's official: I am leaving Olmue. We had transfers in the morning, and I will be transferred to the Quillota Centro ward. It's here in the interior-part of the mission. It's fairly close, so I am not going too far. :) I will be with Elder Repetto. I met him once when he was newer in the mission. He's from Argentina, and he's awesome! He'll be in his fifth change, and we're going to have a lot of fun together. He lived in Utah for a few years, so I hear he actually knows English, too. Haha. :) I'm excited for the next adventure! And I'm not sure, but someone just told me that there were Sister missionaries there this last change. Not sure if it's true. If so...Elder Repetto and I will be pretty lost this first week. ;) But alas! That's the mission.

Elder Zorrilla is staying here in Olmue, and he's going to have a lot of success. I am excited for him. Elder McManamom and I will finally be separated, too. :( He's headed up to La Sarena! Pretty sweet. He'll get to know my first ward a little bit. :)

It was a good week. Marta will be baptized on Christmas. :) She had her interview with President Gillespie yesterday, and she passed! The greatest. And I am excited for Elder Zorrilla. Because he was the one that found Marta in the street, and he's going to baptize her this Saturday. He's really excited. :) She's come a long way in the last nineteen days. It truly is a miracle that she will be baptized this Saturday! It's not very often that we find someone and baptize them three weeks later. :)

Speaking of Marta...We had a funny moment yesterday when I was saying good bye to everyone yesterday after church. When she realized that she probably wouldn't see me again, she gave me a hug and kissed me on a cheek. It happens often here. Especially with the people that don't exactly know all the missionary rules. :) But it was a really awkward moment. We laughed a little bit about it afterward, though. I'll never forget that. :)

In other random news: This last week we A)ate rabbit and B)took Marta's tea away from her. (See pictures.) Haha. Marta hadn't been drinking the tea, but we noticed she still had some in her kitchen, so we asked her to give it to us so that it wouldn't tempt her or anything. Haha. She happily handed it over, and we exchanged it for chocolate milk powder. :) Haha.

Yesterday I had a cool experience. I had to speak in church for the first time in the mission. I don't know how but I somehow was able to avoid speaking in sacrament meeting for almost a whole year! Haha. But I was really nervous for that, and I was scared that none of my Spanish would come out. But I just did it, and a lot of the members enjoyed the talk. :) It really helped me remind myself that the Lord really does love me, and He blesses us with Spiritual Gifts (such as the gift of tongues) as long as if we do our part and seek those gifts.

I really have enjoyed my time here in Olmue. I really wanted to go, but now I kind of want to stay. Haha. I really do love the members here and the investigators that I've worked with. But alas! The mission just works this way, and I'm just going to be obedient. :) I am excited for this week. I'll get to know Quillota the next few days. And then on Friday morning I will be coming back to Villa Alemana for the Christmas Eve conference. And there, I will see old mission friends such as Elder Birchall, Elder Dupre, Elder Sylvanstoke, etc. :) I am really excited to see Elder Dupre and Elder Mann for one last time! They will be my first companions who go home. They are starting their last transfers this week. Wow.

I love you all. I hope everyone is enjoying the true meaning of Christmas! I testify that Christ is our Savior and that we'll receive so many blessings as we follow Him and His example. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

--

D&C 122:7

I serve God. I serve Jesus Christ.

I'm His Servant, His Minister.

I know I was called of Him.

I know why I've been called, and I will humbly obey.

¡Mis Zapatos Todavia Están Vivos!

Dear All,

Here we are in the sixth week of the transfer again. Time flies. Chances are I will transfered, and I will be spending my Christmas in a new area. Chances are Elder McManamom and I will finally be separated, too. That makes me a little sad, as we have been together since April (8 months!), but as I told President Gillespie...I am ready for a new area and a new beginning. :) I will keep you posted next week.

We had a pretty good week. We had our interviews with President Gillespie on Wednesday, and they went well. We talked a lot about obedience and unity. I really enjoyed it. I really have been blessed with a great mission President! I told President Gillespie that I was lucky because I still haven't had a companion that doesn't want to be obedient. And he just kind of looked at me and then asked, "Elder, you think that's something that just magically happens by coincidence?" And I didn't know what to say! Haha. And he just told me, "It's you, Elder. You and your example. So thank you for all that you do." We have SO MANY faults and weaknesses as missionaries but President Gillespie always finds the good in each and every one of us. I love it. :)

The Lord really has been blessing us here in Olmue. Things weren't looking good for our "white Christmas." But two weeks ago, we found a lady named Marta. In the first lesson with her, we invited her to be baptized on Christmas. She accepted, and she's gone to church the last two weeks! :) Now, she just needs to attend this week and be interviewed this Saturday so that she can be baptized on Christmas Day.

Marta is a special lady. She is 45, and she is a widow. She also lost her son. :( And she's still having a hard time with that. She told us a few days ago that she's a little bi-polar, too. It's a really sad situation. But yesterday she stayed for all three hours of Church, and she seemed to really enjoy it. :) We are excited for her because the Gospel is going to bless her so much!

We went to the Stake Center yesterday in Villa Alemana to watch the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional via the Internet. It was very good. It was the first time that I've actually heard the First Presidency in Spanish. Haha. And I enjoyed it! It was also cool to see Sister Brunson in the orchestra, too! I thought I saw Brother Brunson, too, but I am not exactly sure. When I saw Sister Brunson, though, I started to look back on all the memories I had babysitting their kids two years ago during the Christmas season when they still lived in Vegas. :) Those were good days! I really love and miss that family a lot.

Speaking of children...I am so grateful for the Primary. The past few years, I have really enjoyed the Primary Programs that we always do in our wards. Yesterday, our ward here in Olmue had a primary program, and wow. Hearing the testimonies of 3-5 year olds really strengthened my testimony. The Primary Children ALWAYS bear such powerful, simple testimony, and hearing them yesterday really helped me realize that the Gospel of Christ is SO simple. Often, we complicate it a little more than we should! Christ showed us the perfect example because He loves us. We follow His example because we love Him. And by doing so, we receive blessings. I know these things are true.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season. I hope everyone is thinking about the true meaning of Christmas. :) I love you all. Keep up the good work.

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

--

D&C 122:7

I serve God. I serve Jesus Christ.

I'm His Servant, His Minister.

I know I was called of Him.

I know why I've been called, and I will humbly obey.

La Mision Quiere Una Blanca Navidad

Dear All,

All is well here. We had a good week. :) We were able to teach 13 lessons with members, and that was a record for me in the mission thus far. Also, we had FOUR investigators in church yesterday! :) We were excited for that.

We had a ward talent show a few days ago, and it was interesting. The morning of the Talent Show, one of the sisters in the ward called me and asked, "Elder, I'm going to bring my dance group to preform. Is that okay?" I told her that it was okay, and I was excited, thinking it was a group of five or six kids. But we were surprised later that night when a group of 20 or so (some with ages of 4-6, others were teens, and other adults) showed up! AND all their families! To make a long story short, there were more non-members there in the church than there were members. HAHA. And because there were SO many people, none of the members wanted to show their talents. And so it basically turned from a talent show into a dance concert. :/ Haha. I felt really bad because it was our activity, and I'm pretty sure we could have planned it a WHOLE lot better. I felt especially bad for the members that came prepared to do something, but then they decided not to when they saw all the unfamiliar faces. But...I think everyone enjoyed it.

The mission wants a white Christmas! And so we've been inviting people to be baptized on the 25th of December. In order to be baptized, you need to attend church three times at least. Well, we have three investigators (Carmen, Marta, and Mercedes) who all have a pretty good chance of being baptized on Christmas. :) Ivan, also, has a baptismal date again (and he's doing a lot better), and his is for the 18th of December. So hopefully we can plan everything out really well and coordinate everything really well so that we can end the year off on a good note here in Olmué. :) Basically...I just want to leave this place (chances are: it's my turn to leave when we have transfers in two weeks) better than I found it. (That's the motto/challenge of Sister Gillespie. She wants us to leave our wards, our apartments, etc. better than we find them.)

There's not much else to say. I had another hard week, and Elder Zorrilla and I are just going to give the Lord everything we've got this week. Because I realized a few days ago that I still have a hard time with not thinking in myself. Haha. And the only way to get rid of that selfishness and forget about myself is to go to work and just keep working!

We have interviews with President Gillespie on Wednesday. I am excited. My first interview with him since July. Five months ago! :) I always learn a lot from President during the interviews, and so it'll be a great experience as always.

In a few weeks, I will be talking to my family on the phone. :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the true meaning of the Christmas season. I love my Savior, and I know He lives. I am excited to be here in the mission to share this Gift with others.

I love you all. I hope everyone has a good week! :) I look forward to hearing from you all next week!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

Me Humillé Esta Semana

Dear All,

We just played a little soccer with other Elders from the zone, and it was fun. I scored twice, and I feel like I'm getting a LITTLE better at soccer. But I still prefer volleyball. :)

All is well here. I've really been humbled the last few weeks. I really struggled this transfer thus far, but I know the key to missionary work is just...work. I just need to forget about myself and keep working hard. I did an intercambio with Elder Bellingston a few days ago. He's a brand new missionary that arrived here earlier this month. We were talking about how the Lord truly does humble us. He was telling me about how when he got here, he thought, "Well, this is easy. I can understand the people pretty well, and it's not all that tough." But then he told me about how a few days later, he realized, "Wow. I don't know ANYTHING."

It's been like that for me since the beginning of my mission. Haha. Since my fourth transfer or so, I always asked myself, "How come I'm not a senior companion yet? I could easily do it." Well, as you know, I was finally bumped up, and the first week was great. I just thought, "This is easy. I can do this no problem." And as soon as I thought THAT and got a little "cocky" that was when I realized how hard my asignment really is, and it humbled me a little bit. :) But I'm learning every day, and I love the mission for experiences like these.

With that said...We had a good week. :) We had a lot of lessons with members, which was awesome. We did splits again yesterday, and it was great. It really is a great way to go out with the members--to teach more lessons and to get the members excited to do missionary work. We really have enjoyed doing splits the last two weeks, and we're excited to keep doing them. :)

Elder Zorrilla and I have enjoyed talking in both Spanish and English. He really does speak pretty well. We've been praying in English often, and it's a little weird. My companion actually prays in English better than I do! But I guess that's what happens when you go a whole year without praying in your own language. Haha. We also ate with the Gringo family last week (Tuesday), and during all of lunch, we just spoke English and what not. And Sister Hecker even made us an American meal with pumpkin pie! Haha. My companion enjoyed it. (See pictures.) But wow. It was SO weird talking in English during lunch. I didn't like it all that much. Too hard. :) Haha.

President Gillespie once taught us that our lessons with members are important because they benefit not only us and out investigators, but they also benefit the members themselves. He told us, "The members that teach with you missionaries are going to be better people, better parents, better members, etc. as they leave with the missionaries and teach with them."

Well, we went out with Brother Fernando Arancibia a few days ago, and we taught a few lessons with him. And he said something to us that really confirmed that what President Gillespie told us is true. After teaching, he told us (with a huge smile on his face): "Elders, tonight was worth it." He felt the Spirit, and he was strengthened by leaving with the missionaries. :) And so that is my challenge of the week! That we all make an extra effort to leave with the missionaries to teach with them. Offer your home for a place where the missionaries can do a Family Home Evening with investigators. Or something! Get involved in the work. :) And by doing so, you'll be blessed.

No time left. I love you all. Keep up the good work. I'll talk to you next week.

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

No Hay Tiempo Para Nada. Hay Que Bautizar No Más.

Dear All,

I normally have a pretty good list of things to say. But this last week, I truly got "lost" in the work, and I didn't have time to note anything in my planner. But I guess I will start off by wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving this week! :) It's a little weird being in a place where they don't celebrate it. It's also weird that it's burning hot outside, and we're in November. I suppose I SHOULD be used to it by now, but I'm still having a hard time adjusting/accepting the new weather patterns. Haha.

But I am really grateful for the mission. I am grateful for my family, my friends, and for all the support and prayers that I receive from you all. I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation that we have. I am grateful for the blessings that come from living the Gospel. I am grateful for the leaders of the church, especially my mission president President Gillespie. I am grateful for the people of Chile and for the oportunity that I have to preach the Gospel here in Chile. (And that's only my short list.)

We had a good week. We had a lot of success, and it's been fun so far with Elder Zorrilla. We now have five investigators with baptismal dates. :) And I believe four of them are for Christmas. Haha. So hopefully it all works out! Ivan has a goal for December 18, and he attended church again yesterday for the first time since October! It was awesome, and it really helped him out a lot. Now hopefully he can achieve his baptism. :) He was four days away from doing it last time, and we know that he can do it!

We did splits yesterday with an RM and one of the YM from the ward. My companion went with Claudio (the RM), and I went with Jorge, and it was awesome. Jorge and I taught an investigator named Willy, but he didn't have much time. He wasn't all that interested, either. Haha. It was the first time that I had met him, and he basically just told us that he can't commit to baptism because he smokes. But we had better luck with a guy named Rafael. We found him sitting outside of his house, and he let us teach him right there on his porch. Jorge and I just talked to him to get to know him a little bit, and then he told us that two missionaries past by a long time ago and gave him a book, but he lost it. Haha. We pulled out a Book of Mormon, explained it to him, and let him have it.

But it was really cool working with someone like Jorge. He belongs to a family that really reminds me of my family. He's 18, and he's preparing for the mission. His personality reminds me a lot of myself/my three little brothers. He's sweet. Haha. But yeah. Working with him really made me appreciate all the YM that we have in the church that I preparing to serve the mission. I think it's a similiar appreciation that Elder Doubleday and Elder Milcarek had whenever I would work with them, and I am beginning to understand it now.

Juan and Natalia are great. They were confirmed yesterday, and it was awesome. In Gospel Principles, we talked about Eternal Marriage, and they are really excited to go to the temple in a year to be sealed. :) I am really happy for them. Oh, and Juan cut our LONG grass last Tuesday. (See pictures.) It was awesome! Haha.

Well, all is well here. I hope all is well back home, and I hope everyone eats a lot for me this Thursday. :) I love the mission. I'm not the greatest missionary. But I love the work, and I have a testimony of the Gospel. I've said it a thousand times, but I will say it again: I know Christ lives, and I know He's our Savior. We can only have TRUE happiness by following Him and His example that He set for us. I know that's true. I have no doubts. So let's follow Christ so that our Heavenly Father can bless us. :)

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

--

D&C 122:7

I serve God. I serve Jesus Christ.

I'm His Servant, His Minister.

I know I was called of Him.

I know why I've been called, and I will humbly obey.

Tuvimos Dos Bautismos y Vamos A Tener Mas Exito Aqui

Dear All,


Today is November 15, 2010. A year ago today, I was speaking in Sacrament Meeting, saying good bye to friends and family, and getting set apart as a full-time missionary by my Stake President, President Peterson. I was spending my last moments with Timmy, Levi, and Skyler as they helped me pack my bags. Haha. I can't believe how quick time flies. I'm really grateful that I still have another year to serve the Lord, though. I'm really excited for it. :)


We had our two baptisms yesterday. But it was interesting. We almost didn't have them. I'll try and keep it short, but this is basically what happened: We had an activity on Friday night, and Juan's sister (Margarita; Ivan's wife) was there. Her son is a little...special, and he was running around the church. And I guess he ran into Juan's daughter, and Juan got really angry with Margarita and her son, and he left the activity with his wife. Yikes. But we set up an appointment for the next morning, and I thought all was well!


Well, Saturday morning, we show up, and I was a little surprised when Juan told us that he didn't want to be baptized anymore because of what happened at the activity. To make a long story short, I talked to them, expressed my love for them, and told them that they truly were the elect of God and they they were ready to be baptized. Elder Zorrilla (my new companion) also bore his testimony and shared a scripture with them. And it was an interesting lesson! Because then Juan changed his excuse to, "Well, I just don't want to be baptized unless Elder Richardsen is there." Haha. So I said, "Okay, fine." And I called the Zone Leaders right there at his house to see if it could happen.


Well, it happened. Elder Richardsen was able to make it. Juan and Nathalia came to church, and they were baptized yesterday at 4:30 PM. And they were really happy. It was awesome! :) We had two members in the ward baptize them, and there was a nice little group of members there to support them and welcome them. It was awesome that everything worked out! Especially my first week as the senior companion. (See my recordings.)


So I have a good companion in Elder Zorrilla. He's from Paraguay, and we're both really excited to be here together in Olmue. He actually knows a lot of English, and it's been fun talking to him in both languages. Haha. He's awesome because he REALLY wants to complete with his purpose as a missionary and invite EVERYONE to be baptized. Haha. And his excitement has really been contagious. We're going to have a good change together. :)


I had a cool experience on Wednesday. It was my first, real FULL day as Senior Companion, and when I woke up it hit me that I had no idea what I was doing. Haha. But I said a few prayers, and I felt a lot better. But then we started our weekly planning session, and it REALLY hit me that I had no idea what I was doing. HAHA. And I just thought, "Dang. I wish Elder Birchall was here to help me out a little. Haha." Well, we had lunch next door after our planning session, and then we went back to our house to grab our stuff and to use the bathroom. Well, while my companion was using the bathroom, I received a phone call from "Asistente 2", and I answered it, knowing right away that it was Elder Birchall. At first, I thought he was calling to just ask a question or something. But he said, "Hey, Elder Nelson, we're looking for someone to work with today. Can we come and help you guys out today?


I truly felt like it was an answer to a prayer. Elder Birchall and Elder Pleytez showed up an hour later, and I had the opportunity to spend a good 5-6 hours with my beloved friend and trainer Elder Birchall while Elder Zorrilla went out with Elder Pleytez. Elder Birchall encouraged me, and he taught me a lot and shared a lot of good, helpful ideas and hints with me. And of course, we talked about our times that we had together. :) And it was weird because we could both talk to the people this time. Haha! (Opposed to when I was first with him, and only he could.)


And so I am a witness that God does answer prayers. I know that the visit and help of Elder Birchall was an answer to my prayer, and I am so grateful for the experience I had with him. I know that if we are consistent in our prayers, in our scripture study, in our church attendance, and in keeping the commandments, God will bless us more than we can imagine. Often I even feel like God blesses me too much. :)


I love you all. I hope all is well back home. Keep up the good work, and always remember who you are!


Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

Cambios: Un Compañero Mayor

Dear All,


We had cambios (transfers) today. I am staying here in Olmue for a third transfer, and I am really excited. My new companions name is Elder Zorrilla, and I hear he's fairly new in the mission. I also hear that he's from Paraguey. Pretty cool, eh? So I will be a senior companion for the first time, and I won't be speaking much English for the next six weeks (at least) because I'm living with alone with a Latin companion for the first time. I am a LITTLE nervous, but I am ready for the next challenge, and I am excited to struggle and be humbled.


Elder Richardsen is leaving to a ward called La Calera in the zone of Quillota. It's actually not that far from here, so we will probably see each other at the next conference. Pretty sweet! Elder McManamom is staying here again as Zone Leader, and we are excited for a 6th transfer together. :) Other big news: Elder Birchall (my trainer) is now one of the assistants to the President! :) It makes me happy to see all the missionaries having success here in the mission.


I forgot some facts about the Campana last week. I forgot to mention that we started the hike at 7 AM and finished at 4 PM. And that the top of the mountain was 1960 meters (6000+ feet) above sea level. Super random, but I thought it was worth pointing out. :) Haha.


All is well here. Juan and Natalia are going to be baptized next Sunday, and we are excited for that. :) I will keep you posted! It's going to be great to start the transfer off strong.


We had a good week other than that. Last night, we taught a really cool couple (Leo and Pilar), and we had a great lesson with them. The Spirit was really strong, and it felt good. We committed them to reading the Book of Mormon, and they are going to do it. :) If I've learned anything...it's that the three most important things are: reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and attending church. By doing these three things, we can receive revelation through the Spirit. And that's why we focus on those three things as missionaries--so that the people can be CONVERTED by the Spirit--not CONVINCED by us, the missionaries. And we all need to have our OWN personal conversion. So I invite you all to continue with your prayers, your reading, and attending church. You'll notice a huge change in your lives. :)


Well, I love you all, and I grateful for your support and your love. Sorry this is so short, but I will have more, exciting news next week. :)


Con Mucho Amor,
Elder Nelson IV
--
D&C 122:7
I serve God. I serve Jesus Christ.
I'm His Servant, His Minister.
I know I was called of Him.
I know why I've been called, and I will humbly obey.

Subimos La Campana Como Zona (Pictures, Too!)

Dear All,

It was a good week. We had an adventurous P-Day yesterday. I will admit I am VERY sore right now. You see, it was 10 KM up to the Mine (where people usually stop and go back down), and then it was another 4-6 KM up to the TOP of the "Campana." So it was about 30 KM of climbing and going down in total. (That's 18.6 miles for those that don't know KM's. No worries; I don't know them either. My electronic dictionary does the conversions for me. :)) So yeah! It was quite the adventure! When we were talking to members and our investigators yesterday...a lot of them didn't believe that we made it all the way to the top! Haha. Because not very many people are able to do it. (Yesterday the people we saw going up and down looked like pro-mountain climbers! Haha.) But the believed us after seeing the pictures (which I hope everyone is able to see! I'm sending a lot this week.)

Well, happy November. The month of November is one of my favorites. If my calculations are correct...the family should be listening to some Christmas music right about now. :) Excellent!

Well, all is well here. We have a new guy in our ward from the States. He doesn't speak ANY Spanish, but his wife is Chilean, and she speaks English. Haha. And so he really likes talking to us. It's actually kind of sad watching him struggle talking to the members here! But it kinda helps me realize how far I've come myself. Haha. But yeah--we're going to their house this Saturday to eat lunch because they want to make us some "real American food." We're excited for that.

Juan and Natalia are great, and they should be baptized NEXT Saturday (November 13, 2010). I am really excited. Although...It'll be sad because chances are...Elder Richardsen won't be here (we have transfers a week from today). But a baptism is a baptism, and we're really excited for it. :)

I was thinking about the progress of Juan and Natalia. I didn't even know them a month ago. And now here they are--preparing for baptism. They've been to church four times in a row (which is remarkable), and they've just made so much progress. I remember when we first started teaching them, Natalia really struggled with her prayers (how to say them, what to say, etc.) But now she LOVES to pray, and she's getting super good at it. :) And they even prayed as a family (with their 2-year-old) Sunday night! A few days ago, I just felt SO grateful for the opportunity that I have to help these people come unto Christ and make these changes in their lives. There is NOTHING greater.

Speaking of Juan and Natalia....We had a funny moment on Sunday morning when we received a phone call at 8 AM or so. Haha. It was Juan! And he said something like, "Hey! Are you guys awake? You're going to church, right? I'm just calling to make sure!" Haha. You know you have a good investigator when he's keeping you (a missionary!) on your toes. It was awesome.

I love you all. I love the mission. I love the Gospel. I am excited for a new week, and I look forward to transfers next week. :) I'll keep you all posted.

Well, that's all for today. Choose the right, and keep the commandments! Trust in the Lord, and He will direct your paths. We're so blessed as members of the church of Jesus Christ. I promise you all that we can receive blessings as we live the Gospel. So let's do it. :)

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

--

D&C 122:7

I serve God. I serve Jesus Christ.

I'm His Servant, His Minister.

I know I was called of Him.

I know why I've been called, and I will humbly obey.