La Conferencia De Estaca

Dear All,

Usually I try and get a good outline down for what I am going to say in my e-mail. This week's little outline, though, wasn't all that organized. So I apologize in advance if my e-mail is a little random and all over the place today. BTW, Happy Birthday, Timmy!! :) Baby Seth has his birthday this week, too. Happy Birthday, Baby Seth!


It was a good week. Elder Richardsen and I started this change off with 13 lessons. In our second week, we had 17. Last week, we were able to teach 22, and I remember thinking, "Wow. If we can teach more and more each week, that would be great! It'll be a challenge." Well, things weren't looking so good on Friday. We only had 14 lessons. But we just gave it all we had this last weekend, and we taught ten lessons this weekend. :) It was great to finish with a good 24.


Yesterday was great. We had Stake Conference, too. (Dad mentioned that we had it yesterday in our stake.) It was awesome because our Stake Conference is in Villa Alemana, which is about an hour away. The ward rented a bus that pulled all the members out there, and it was awesome. (See pictures.) Juan and Natalia attended, and they loved it. Also, I am happy to say that they have a baptismal date for November 13. :)


They're great because they are so willing to change in order to align themselves with Christ and His Gospel. But Juan makes me laugh sometimes. You see, he used to attend an "Evangelico" (Evangelist?) church, and so he has a few things a little mixed up sometimes. Haha. For example, he accepted the word of wisdom yesterday when we taught it--with no problems! But whenever we told him that the temples are sacred places, he complicated things and tried to tell us that the only sacred places on the earth today are the places that Christ was at--where He was born, where He was baptized, etc. So...basically...he doesn't like the word sacred all that much. HAHA. It's a little strange, but now we use words such as "special" and "holy" to make him happy. :) Good old Juan!


But all that talk with Juan, got me to study a little bit about the Temples and WHY they are sacred. I learned a lot from Gordon B. Hinckley who said that the buildings aren't what make the Temples sacred. It's the WORK that goes on in the temples that make them sacred. And then I read in the Bible Dictionary, and it says that "the home is the only place that compares to the temple in sacredness." (Something like that.) And I really liked that. Our homes aren't sacred because they look nice, but they a sacred because the home is the place where we teach and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are sacred because of the WORK that goes on in the home.


On the way to Stake Conference, I sat next to Juan, and we talked about a bunch of random stuff. Haha. And we were talking about the mission. And I was telling him about when I opened my call, and how scared I was whenever I figured out that I was going to Chile. I explained to him that it was because of the language more than anything, but that I was really excited and happy to be here now. And then he said, "Imagine your family the day they pick you up from the airport. Imagine your parents. I imagine that they will be so proud of you and your service to God. And you know, I bet they'll even cry!!" Haha. It was really funny the way he said it, and I thought it was cool that Juan (not even a member of the church yet) recognizes how important missionary work is to me and my family.


I've heard a cool story from a lot of the members here in Chile, and I want to share it with you all. Many years ago, President Hinckley came to visit the Saints here in Chile. And the day he came it was POURING rain. But as soon as he entered the stadium, he said a prayer, and the sun came out and stopped raining. But as soon as President Hinckley left, it starting pouring again. It's a random story, but I really like it. Every time a member re-tells it, I get the goose-bumps. (Yesterday a member was telling us about it on the bus on the way home from Stake Conference.)


Well, my time is coming to an end. Just so you all know, we may be hiking the "Campana" next week. It's a mountain, and if you climb to the top, you can see all the way to the ocean and all the way to Santiago supposively. We aren't 100% sure if it's going to work out, but if it does, it's going to take all day, and we won't be writing home until Tuesday. So if you don't hear from me next Monday, just know that I am climbing a mountain. Haha.


I love you all. I know the Gospel is true, and I know that we receive blessings as we live the Gospel. I've really come to realize just how simple the Gospel is. If we keep the commandments, we receive blessings. But if we don't keep the commandments, we have no promise. So...let's keep the commandments! :)


Until 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.

Todavia Una Obra De Milagros

Dear All,

By the time this is all said and done, I will have been here in Chile for two major, world events--the earthquake and the rescue of the miners. I didn't realize that I haven't said ANYTHING about the miners, but I am sure all of you have heard the whole story. Of couse, it has been the big talk the last few months here. Everywhere we went, people were listening to or watching the news for updates on the miners. And as you all know, all 33 of the miners were rescued this last week after being stuck underground since the beginning of August. We were able to see a few of them come out from underground, and it truly was something special--to see them return back to their families and what not. It's a remarkable story, and it'll be one that I will always remember.

It was a good week. It was the best week that Elder Richardsen and I have had together here in Olmué. We had a lot of sucess, and it was awesome! Yesterday Juan and Natalia (the brother-in-law of Ivan and his wife) came to church again, and then we had a family home evening with them and another family of the ward. They loved it! And they even want to travel all the way to Villa Alemana for Stake Conference next week! :)

The Lord is really blessing us. Although Ivan is still miserable and still feels a little bit embarrassed for not acheiving his baptism a few weeks ago, he is the reason that Juan and Natalia are talking with us now. I didn't know until last night, but apparently Ivan is the one who gave them a Book of Mormon and invited them to meet with us! If I am never able to see the baptism of Ivan, I will still feel like our time with him has been worth it! He has really helped us out by referring us to his brother-in-law and his wife. :)

And it was cool. Because a few days ago, Juan told us that he wanted to be baptized, but not for another year or so. Haha. It was actually kind of funny because he was making it sound like he had to be perfect and sinless in order to be baptized. Elder Richardsen was a little worried about that, but I just said, "No worries. If he keeps praying, reading, and going to church, he'll realize that he doesn't need to wait a whole year." Well, Juan received revelation at church yesterday! It was no coincidence that the two lessons that Juan heard at church yesterday were on obedience and baptism. During the FHE, he went from one year to March. And then he went from March to "a month or two" once he realized that all he needs to be baptized is a desire to follow Jesus Christ and a testimony that this is His church. In fact, Juan even said (during the FHE): "Well, you know? I already have a testimony!" Haha. It was a great FHE and a great two lessons in church. :) Juan FTW!

We did intercambios again a few days ago. This time, Elder McManamom came to Olmué with me, and I was able to work with a zone leader in my own area for the first time. It was pretty good. We had a lot of sucess, and I learned a lot from Elder McManamom as always. He and I also celebrated our sixth-month-mark together. He and I have been together in the same zone since April! Yikes. Haha. He always tells the zone that he's seen a great change in me since April. Haha. And I was thinking about it a few days ago, and wow! When Elder McManamom and I met, I was still brand-spankin' new in the mission, and it really is true that I've learned and matured a lot since April. Haha.

Now, I will end my e-mail with an experience that I shared with my mission president just a few minutes ago:

I had a cool experience yesterday. You see, yesterday during one of the opening hymns of Sacrament Meeting, one of the Bishop's counsellors asked Elder Richardsen if he could speak because a few of the speakers hadn't shown up. Elder Richardsen was worried and didn't really know what to speak about! I felt the strongest impression that I should speak, and that I should speak about the Doctrine of Christ. I turned to Elder Richardsen and told him that I would get up there and speak.

Well, during the sacrament, the speakers showed up. But they still announced that one of the Elders was going to speak. The first two talks went a little longer than usual, and I then felt another impression that I should just get up there and express my gratitud to all the ward members and their help in the missionary work.

To make a long story short...all three talks were big enough to last the whole meeting, and I didn't have to speak. But it felt good to feel those impressions from the Holy Ghost; and it was great because the impressions changed as the situation changed. And I really felt like had I had to have spoken, I would have followed those impressions, and it would have been what the Lord truly wanted me to speak about. :) It was a great experience.

Thank you all for your prayers, your love, and your support. Let's all do our part to help the Lord build Zion. If I've learned anything it's that the missionary work is absolutely imposible without the members! We need you. The Lord needs you. We have a family in our ward who told us, "Elders. We've set a family goal. We are going to share the Gospel with one person as a family, and that person is going to get baptized by the end of this year." It's great seeing families setting small goals like that to help the Lord build up His kingdom. :) My challenge for you: Do what you can to help! Even if it's talking to the missionaries and asking them for the names of a few of the investigators so that you can get to know them, pray for them, and fellowship them.

I love you all. I love the mission, and I am glad to know that I still have a long time to serve the Lord. Time really goes by quick, and sometimes I worry that it's gonna go by too fast! But I'm just now reaching my potential, and I am really excited for the next few months. :) I know that Christ lives. My testimony of the Savior has been my anchor here in the mission, and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with other people here. There is nothing greater!

Until 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.

10/11/10 Audio Files

Ibamos A Tener Un Bautismo. Pero No Lo Tuvimos. :/

Dear All,

Happy Columbus Day! It's actually a holiday here in Chile, too. A different holiday, of course. Not exactly sure what it is, actually. But everyone has school off and what not. We just got done playing some volleyball and soccer with some of the young men and the leaders. I did pretty good. ;)

Well, we've got good news, and we've got bad news. The bad news is that Ivan's baptism fell through. :/ We were really sad about that. But the good news is that he's still determined to reach baptism. We've also been teaching his brother-in-law (Juan) and his wife (Natalia), and wow! They are awesome. :) They really liked the church (they came yesterday), and they want to be baptized. :) We also have another investigator named Mercedes, and she, too, wants to be baptized. :) So we're making progress here! I recorded a few clips throughout the week, and they should be attached. :) Enjoy!

My birthday was pretty great. :) Our neighbor (the Relief Society President) made us lunch that day, and she made a delicious meal for me. Haha. And then we had ice cream and brownies for dessert. The greatest! And then later on, another family made me a pancake cake, haha, and that was awesome. :) (See the pictures and video attached in the other e-mails.)

We had our zone conference last Friday, and that was great. It was great to see Elder Boyd again; he's great. It was also great seeing Elder Birchall and Elder Mann as companions. Haha. They said, "We've been telling each other good Elder Nelson stories." Haha. But the greatest was perhaps seeing Elder Lopez! He informed me that three of my investigators in Cerro Alegre got baptized, and then he showed me pictures. :) It was great! And he said that there are a few more that are gonna be baptized. And it really made me happy. It feels good to know that all my work in Cerro Alegre wasn't for nothing. Not that I ever thought it was or anything. Just good to know that my investigators are getting baptized. :)

I love the zone conferences because we always learn so much from the mission president. Words cannot describe President Gillespie. He has truly been called of God! He is great because during the conferences, we don't only talk about how to apply the things that we are learning to only the mission, but also about how we can apply the things we are learning to our LIVES after the mission. I probably heard "when you start your own family" and " when you have your own house" 10 times during the last conference. It was sweet! :)

President Gillespie also talked about forgetting ourselves and getting lost in the work. He talked about how when we work selfishly, we shrink and don't make progress. But when we serve and put ourselves behind...we grow! He explained it a whole lot better than I just did, though. Haha. He's great.

I want to end this week's e-mail with "The Story of Debbie." :) Debbie is a girl who bore her testimony yesterday, and she's in Gospel Principles every week. She has a really cool, inspiring story. She began to know the church when she was 16. The missionaries taught her everything, and she's always had a desire to be baptized. However, her parents are really Catholic, and when she asked for their permission to be baptized, they declined. She took the news really hard, and she cried and cried because she really wanted to be baptized. But she decided to respect her parents and just wait until she turned 18.

Well, Debbie has been going to church every week ever since. I actually thought she was a member until she bore her testimony yesterday! She bore one of the most powerful testimonies that I've ever heard, and it was great. She still has until April before she turns 18, and in her testimony, she just encouraged the investigators and the non-members to keep listening to the missionaries and attending the church. She ended her testimony by saying, "There is no greater place to be than where we are right now." And it's so true. The Spirit testified to me during Debbie's testimony that there really is no greater place to be than in the House of The Lord.

I will always be grateful for people like Debbie. I've met so many valient people like her in my life. Many of them here in Chile. They are all my heroes. And so I want to end this e-mail by saying: There is no greater thing than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We've been blessed with the Gospel in our lives, and we cannot take it for granted. I know that it's true. I am a witness that it's true. I've received a witness from the Spirit that these things are true. I've received witnesses through inspired leaders and scripture. And I've received witnesses through the miracles that I've seen in my life. I know that Jesus is the Christ, and I testify that His Gospel is the only path to Eternal Life. There is no greater thing!!

I love you all. Until 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.

La Obra Del Señor: Una Obra De Milagros

Dear All,

Another week has flown by. I hope everyone took the chance to listen to General Conference. If not, I encourage you to go to the church's website to listen to the sessions that you missed. The talks are truly written for us. They are inspired, and they are from the Lord Himself. The Prophet and the Apostles are simply mouthpieces of the Lord. I testify that that is true.

My heart is full. This is the work of the Lord. And the Lord's work is a work of miracles. Ivan--our beloved friend and investigator--passed his baptismal interview this weekend, and he will be baptized this Saturday. (Listen to the audio clips for more of my thoughts on Ivan and His progress). I am so happy and excited for Ivan. He has truly come a long way. My only explanation for his progress is that he is TRULY receiving divine help from the Lord Himself as he strives to live the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel changes life, and I am so excited to be here in the mission. I am excited for this weekend. :)

There is so much behind the story of Ivan. This e-mail and the audio clips won't do it justice. I'll add his story to the list of "things that cannot be explained fully until November 2011". Haha.

We had a good week, and we are excited for another new week. We have a zone conference on Friday, and we are excited for it. Elder Birchall and I have the same birthday, and it'll be fun to see each other two days after our birthdays. I made him a card, and I'm gonna give it to him there. Haha. So it should be a really good week. I'm really excited for it! My first birthday celebration in the mission. The greatest!

Again, I want to let you all know that I have a powerful testimony of our Savior and His Gospel. I know that as we pray daily, we will receive help from God through the Spirit. I know that we can find answers to life's great questions in the scriptures--especially the Book of Mormon. I KNOW that book is true. It is truly a testament of our Savior and Redeemer. (See 3 Nephi 17!) I know that by attending church, we can renew our baptismal covenants, and we can have the Spirit to be with us. I know that the temples, too, our literally houses of the Lord Himself.

I love you all. I am grateful for everything that I have, really. I hope everyone has a good week! I am praying for each of you! Do your best and live the Gospel. The Lord will bless you with SO MANY blessings! :) Just do it. It's worth 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.