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.

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.