There's No Such Thing As A Bad Day In The Mission. :)

Dear All,

A few days ago, I was writing in my journal, and I thought, "Wow. We're already in March again." Another thought came to mind, "Wow. Two years has passed since Chris Berry started his mission!" It then hit me that one of my best friends Chris Berry was finishing his mission this week. The time has flown. I just read his last e-mail, and it was great. Thank you, brother, for your example!

It was a great week. Elder Gasik and I have loved our two weeks together. We're working hard, and we had a great week! We found seven new investigators, and we taught 25 lessons--10 of those lessons were with a member present! It was the greatest. We're finding a ton of people, and a lot of them have potential. We just need to do better at inviting people to do be baptized! Yesterday we invited Fredy (an investigator who is the only non-member in his family) to be baptized, but he declined and said he needs more time to prepare himself. Although he declined...it was still a powerful lesson, and it helped us out a lot because now he understands more fully as to why we are there and what we are called to do. :) We found another man named José and his wife Pabla, and they are awesome, and they said they would be baptized...But then later on we figured out that they aren't married. Dangit! But alas! The good news is that we are finding more people and we are inviting people to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized.

The highlight lesson of the week for me was last Tuesday when we taught a lady named Gloria. She's a 7th Day Adventist. She let us in her house, and we were really excited to teach her. However, she let us in to try and teach US. She whipped out a bunch of scriptures from the Bible to try and convince us that the Sabbath is on Saturday and not on Sunday. (Elder Gasik was LOVING it! It was his first lesson with someone like her!) She went on a big scripture change! And out of no where, Elder Gasik tries to share a scripture with her from the Book of Mormon. Nope. She wouldn't let him share anything that wasn't from the Bible. And so we just kept listening, and when she was done, she said, "See. So why do you guys have the Sabbath on Sunday and not on Saturday?" I tried to explain to her that the Sabbath was changed after the Resurrection of Christ, and I even showed her scriptures such as Acts 20:7 to back it up. But she kept saying stuff like, "But God is the same yesterday, today, and forever! So it's still on Saturday." And so I asked her, "Do you really believe that? That God is the same yesterday, today, and forvever?" She told me she did. And then we shared Amos 3:7, and asked, "So God is always going to call a prophet, right?" To make a long story short...We stunned her a few times, but then she tried to tell us that Ellen White (I think that's her name) was a prophet and all this stuff, and we ended up leaving. :)

It was a good experience for Elder Gasik. There's a lot of people like her here. I make it sound like we Bible-bashed and what not. But we really didn't. She wanted to, but we mainly shared a few scriptures from the Bible and bore testimony. It was good.

I've thought a lot about the Sabbath Day since then. After much pondering, I've come to the conclusion that it's not the DAY that's important, but it's what we DO on that day that makes it Holy. Sunday is the Sabbath Day because that's the day that we go and renew our covenants that we made when we were baptized. It's the day we learn and grow spiritually. It's the only day of the week that we really have to rest and do these important, sacred activities. And I know that if we do everything we can to sanctify the Sabbath Day, we will be blessed, and we will be acompanied by the Spirit throughout the rest of the week. I love the Sabbath, and I am grateful for the blessings that we've received as we've kept the Sabbath Day Holy.

General Conference is already here again! I hope everyone takes the time to sit down and watch a few of the sessions. Perhaps a session or two at the church would be a good idea because it's harder to be distracted there. ;) But the most important thing is that we pray and prepare ourselves for the sessions so that we can receive personal revelation during the sessions. Enjoy this weekend! This time only comes twice a year. :)

I love you all! Until next week!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

Dear All,

Another week has sped by. It was a good one! We were able to teach 18 lessons, even though we didn't have much time to work on Monday or Tuesday with transfers and what not. It was a great week!

I am training an Elder named Elder Gasik. He's from Sandy, Utah, and he's a great chap. Training him has been great thus far. He's really easy to teach because he's really humble and teachable. By working with him this last week, I've been reminded once again by the power of our calling as missionaries. I've been reminded once again by the importance of teaching by the Spirit. Heck, I've been reminded of a lot of things, and I've learned a lot of things. Elder Gasik is training me as well.

A few days ago, we were teaching a less-active family (La Familia Parada), and we had an experience that I will never forget. Before the lesson, I told my companion, "Elder, I know we must teach according to the Spirit. And so if you feel like you should say something, do not be afraid to say it. Because you're going to feel the Spirit telling you what to say and when you should say it." My companion replied, "Okay, sounds good. I'm lookin' forward to it." We went in, and Brother Parada and his family started talking to us about how Brother Parada is going to the hospital soon for heart surgury. Brother Parada was worried and a bit down, and so I asked if we could say a prayer and share something with him. It was the best thing that we can do for him, as we've already given him a blessing.

We prayed, and I shared a quick scripture with the family, but I felt like there was more that we could say to help comfort Brother Parada during this trial. I said a quick prayer in my heart. And out of nowhere--despite not knowing much of what was going on--my companion asked, "Can I share a personal experience with you?" My companion then shared a powerful testimony and story about how his Dad was fighting against brain cancer, but was COMPLETELY cured after much prayer and fasting. The Spirit was really strong during the rest of that lesson, and it really touched Brother Parada's heart. And he's not worried anymore. It was a powerful experience for both me and Elder Gasik. It was a powerful reminder to me that I'm no better than my companion because I have more time in the mission than him or because I can speak the language. We've both been called of God, and we've both been set apart to preach the Gospel.

So I've been blessed with a good companion. We've had a blast together thus far. He really reminds me of my little brother Timmy--so humble and postive. And always giving it his all! People ask Elder Gasik, "Do you understand what I am saying to you?" He just laughs and then replies, "No. But with time and with the Lord's help, I will learn." What a great, postive Elder. I love him, and I have a feeling he'll train me just as much--if not more--as I'll train him.

It was a humbling week for me. I learned and grew a lot. To end my e-mail, I want to share something that I read from a talk called "The Fouth Missionary" by Elder Corbridge. It was this one paragraph that hit me the most as I began reading this powerful talk:

Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens to you, every unfairness, every conflict, every sadness, tragedy, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: to give you opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of Jesus. As you do so you are changed to become more like Him.

That really is true, isn't it? I've seen that in my own life as I've been faced with challenges and heartache. I've realized that the only way to get through such trials is to LIVE the Gospel of Christ, and as we do so, we are changed for the better. And we are blessed. I'm a testimony of that. I am a better person today because I turned to the Lord during the hardest of times. I've felt His love, and I've seen the blessings come.

I love you all! Until next week!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

Me He Perdido En La Obra: Y Voy A Perderme Aun Más. :)

Dear All,

I'm sure you all heard about the earthquake and the tsunami in Japan. And then a day later, there was a bunch of tsunami alerts in a bunch of countries, including Chilé. It was another interesting experience, but I'm happy it wasn't too bad here in Chilé--especially down south where the earthquake hit last year. It's just another reminder to us all that we need to always be ready for such natural disasters! 

That reminds me of a cool story that President Gillespie told us last year shortly after the earthquake and tsunami down in Concepcion. It was a story about two missionaries who lived in a house on the coast where the tsunami was about to hit last year. Before hitting, however, these two Elders received a call from their mission president, and he told them, "No matter what happens, STAY in the house and DO NOT leave." The missionaries obeyed the mission president's order and stayed in the house. The tsunami came and caused much destruction. But miraculously...the missionaries' house was protected and the tsunami hit EVERYWHERE on the coast except for where there house was. Wow. When President Gillespie told us that, it was a great witness/testimony to me that the Lord truly DOES protect us when we are obedient--no matter the circumstance! I love that story.

We had a great last week of the change. I'm going to miss Elder Judd. He has been a great help. He's a great friend and a great elder. As we guessed, he will be transfered! He's heading to a place called "Con Con." It's actually right there on the coast! I've heard a lot of good things about the ward, and he's really excited to go to a new ward and start fresh. :) I was also very happy when I figured out today that Elder Boyd AND Elder Hawkes are coming to this zone! The greatest! We always talked in the MTC about how we would one day all be together, and now it's finally going to happen. :) We're excited.

I was surprised when I got a call from Elder Birchall last night. The conversation went a little like this:

Elder Birchall: Elder Nelson! How's it going?

Elder Nelson: Elder Birchall! Great. How are you?

Elder Birchall: I'm great. Hey, I'm calling you on behalf of the President. We have an assignment for you.

Elder Nelson: ¿En serio? (Seriously?)

Elder Birchall: Yes, Elder Nelson. We need you to train. How do you feel about that assignment?

Elder Nelson: Oh, Elder Birchall, I have a better question. How do YOU feel about being a grandpa?

[Elder Birchall and other Elders cheer and laugh.]

Haha. I accepted the assignment, of couse, and I am excited to train! But to explain a little more: Elder Birchall had me on speaker phone the whole time, and he was there with a few other Elders (Elder Hawkes, included), and they all got a big laugh out of the conversation. Elder Birchall trained me, and so he is what they call my "dad" and I am his "son." And now I'm going to train, and I will be a "dad" and I will have a "son" and my "son" will be Elder Birchall's "grandson." And that's the reason why I asked him that question and why they all laughed. :)

So I am really excited, and I am ready for the next challenge. A little nervous and anxious, but I know I'll do fine if I rely on the Spirit to guide me in the new assignment. My only hope and goal for this next transfer is to help this new missionary so that he LOVES the mission from the start! And to do that, we have to work really hard and develop a lot of unity. :)

The last few transfers I really have "lost" myself in the work. There is no greater feeling than forgetting myself and just giving the Lord all I've got. There's no greater feeling than forgetting myself by serving others. I love it! I love the mission! There is no greater place to be right now in my life. But I realize that my time here in the mission is limited, so I am going to work even harder so that I can fully enjoy these cherished moments. :)

The work is moving forth. We're going to find a lot of elect people this week, and we are going to have a lot of success. 

I have a testimony of missionary work--not only as full-time missionaries but as members and diciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. This week, we worked more with the members and we even had a few moments where the members took US to THEIR friends and neighbors. And THEY talked to their friends and extended the invitation. It really warmed my heart to see the members opening their mouths and sharing the Gospel. It truly is our responsability as members of this church--whether we are full-time missionaries or not. :)

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and for your support. Until next week! :)

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

One Of The Best Weeks of My Mission Thus Far. :)

Dear All,

I'm writing a little bit later than usual this week because we just got back from a zone activity. It was awesome! We played volleyball and then afterwards we ate something called "choripan." It was great. It was great to spend some time with the other elders, and it was especially great playing volleyball for the first time in a long time. :)

This last week will go down in history as one of the greatest weeks of my mission! It was awesome! When I first got here, the missionaries were really struggling with teaching "lessons with a member present." Elder Judd and I have really worked hard on getting the members excited for the work and what not, and the ward already has come a long way. After doing splits twice this last week, as well as leaving to teach with a member DAILY, we were able to end the week with TEN lessons with member. Before that point, our highest amount was four. It was a great accomplishment! We also had an activity in the ward last Friday, and the members loved it. So we really have come a long way! But there is a TON of room for improvement. Now...I only hope President Gillespie keeps me here so that I can continue working hard here in Reñaca Alto. :)

We had our baptism yesterday! (See picture.) It was awesome. We were actually going to have it on Saturday, but we were surprised when we got to the church Saturday night and were informed that the water at the church was cut off and so they weren't able to fill the font! After a long discussion, we all came to the agreement that we would wait until the next day (Sunday) to have the baptism in the stake center after church. So alas! After church yesterday...We all made our way down to the stake center, and Olfa was baptized without anymore problems! :) It was awesome!

So all is well here. It's crazy to think that Elder Judd and I will most likely be spending our last week together this week. I CANNOT believe how fast the transfers fly by! It feels like I've only been with Elder Judd for a week or two. Chances are: He will be transferred, and I will stay because Elder Judd already has three transfers here. But...I've learned one thing about transfers: We NEVER know! Haha. So...No worries. Next week I will be sure to let you all know what happens.

Perhaps I am just weird, but...Sometimes I forget that I am here in Chilé on the other side of the world. Especially after being here for so long as a missionary. I really have "lost myself" in the work the last few transfers as I've strived to give the Lord my all. But I was thinking about it a few days ago...And I thought back to some of my goals and dreams that I've always since I was young. And one of my goals was obviously to serve a full-time mission. Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to be here. But sometimes I forget that this has always been one of my dreams. Haha. But a few days ago, as we were working and preaching the Gospel, it finally hit me. "Wow, Elder Nelson! You're living one of your dreams! So enjoy EVERY moment." It hit me just like that. I am here fulfilling one of my life's dreams, and so I have to enjoy it while I can! So I'm going to do just that.

All is well here. I hope all is well back home. I love you all. I am grateful for you all and your support.

I want to let you all know that I have a testimony of the blessings and promises that we receive by living the Gospel of Christ. I am a witness that they are real! And that we are SO blessed as we live the Gospel of Christ. Perhaps one of the best things that we can do as God's children is strive to develop attributes of His Son Jesus Christ. As we strive to develop patience, charity, humilty, diligence, etc. we will be blessed! I promise you all that that is true.

Until next week! I love you all!

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Nelson IV

Hace Un Año Desde El Terromoto

Dear All,

It's crazy to think that a year ago (yesterday), I was woken up to one of the strongest earthquakes in world history. It truly was a mess! I remember being so new and clueless during those next few days after the earthquake. And now as people are talking about it again--one year later--I am able to understand a little more and I am a little less clueless. :) It truly is a sad thing that happened. :/ But my thoughts and prayers go out to those people who were affected on that day one year ago.

I was taking a walk down "Memory Lane" a few days ago, and I thought back to my first week in the MTC. It was then that I met one of my greatest friends Elder Hawkes. We were both going for a walk/jog on the top floor of the MTC gym. He looked familiar, and I realized he was from my district. I've always been an awkward person when it comes to talking to random people, but I gathered up the guts to say something to Elder Hawkes. We came to the conclusion that we were from the same district, haha, and then we started talking and getting to know each other a little bit.

It was that day that I realized how blessed I really am. Elder Hawkes told me his story--how he was inactive most of his life until the age of 17. He reactivated himself in the church and then he left on the mission! Despite the fact that neither of his parents were super active. And despite the fact that his dad had been jobless for over a year. I remember he told me such things, and I just thought to myself, "Wow. What can I say to help this guy out a little bit?" I thought a little bit and then I put my arm on Elder Hawkes's shoulder and said, "Elder, your family will be blessed while you're on your mission. No worries." Elder Hawkes replied, "I know." And we've been the best of friends ever since.

And a few days ago, Elder Hawkes informed me that his Dad is completely active with a calling in the church! And he finally found a good job after not having one for over TWO years. I thought back to that first conversation that we had together, and all I can say is this: The Lord's promises ARE REAL. The Lord's blessings ARE REAL. But we just need to strive to be obediente and put our personal matters in the Lord's hands. My good friend Elder Hawkes has helped me realize that. Thank you, brother.

I had many experiences this week, too, that helped me recomfirm this truth. Elder Judd and I were working a few days ago, and we had an appointment at 6:30. It was 5:30 or so, and I just kept telling myself and my companion, "We need to find at least one new investigator and hand out at least one Book of Mormon before our appointment at 6:30." At the time, it almost seemed impossible! But I decided to be positive, and I just kept telling myself that it was possible. To my amazement, we found an 87-year-old lady who let us in her house to sing her a song and share a quick message! :) We did so, but her eye sight wasn't that great so she didn't want to take a Book of Mormon.

As we made our way up a hill to make our 6:30 appointment (around 6:00 PM), I thought, "We found the new investigator, but what about this Book of Mormon?" I said a quick prayer in my heart, and just as we reached the top of that little hill, my prayer was answered. We passed by a guy who was on his way home from work. He stopped us in the street and greeted us with a hand shake. He pointed at the Book of Mormon that my companion had in his hand, and he said, "I sure would like to have that Book!" We happily gave him the Book of Mormon and set up an appointment to teach him about the Restoration. :) As we made our way to our 6:30 appointment, my heart was full of gratitude for the success that the Lord had put in our way. We were confident that the Lord would provide as long as if we stayed postive and worked hard! And He did! :)

On Saturday, we knocked on a door and a lady came out. At first, she wasn't going to let us in. I asked her for only five minutes, and I testified that our message truly would bring happiness. She let us in! We sang her "I Am A Child Of God" and she was in tears by the end of the song. She opened up and told us that she was almost baptized years ago, but she was offended by something that one of the sister missionaries had done to her. I'll never forget what happened next. She pointed at me! And through her tears she said, "I wasn't going to open my door. But there was something about you and your sincerity that told me to open my door and let you two in." The Spirit was really strong, and she told us that she wanted to attend church! We couldn't set up a set appointment, but it was still an experience that I'll never forget because it was the first time in my mission where someone has said to my face that they noticed something different/special about me specifically.

Olfa passed her interview! :) She will be baptized this Saturday, and we are really excited for her. She's awesome. She's really excited, and she wants her kids to get baptized one day. (They're all old and grown-up.)

Last week, we went out with a member every single day! And it seems like the unity between the members and the missionaries is beginning to grow. We're happy for that. :) The Lord is truly blessing us here in Reñaca Alto. :)

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and for your examples. Until next week!

Con Amor,

Elder Nelson IV