December 16, 2013

This week was great, slow, fun, exhausting, really cool, really hot, but just the life of a mission overall. Did I say it’s Really hot! It got up to 40 degrees celsius (104 degrees fahrenheit) yesterday and Saturday probably the same and today maybe a bit hotter, and we haven’t hit the hottest part of the year yet. The sun here is strong. It just feels like its hitting you when you walk in it. Elder Hellstern said he feels like he could make a fire ball in his hands with all the heat there is, ha but I love every min of it! It’s hot, but I really enjoy it!

This week we worked really hard to find new investigators. We can talk to people really easy but its keeping them as investigators that’s hard. Lots of mistakes on our part that we can improve. I’ve been through these kind of problems before just in different areas and now I gotta know what’s gonna work for Villa Maria. I love this area, its clean and pretty, the branch is strong, with its own weaknesses too, and the key for us now is just working with the branch pres and the members to find find find and teach teach teach and baptize baptize baptize and retain retain retain and then temple temple temple and then the Celestial kingdom. It’s all about finding who the Lord has prepared and doing His will with the area, not ours. So that’s where we are at right now. I pray that through the atonement I can perform my part in all this. I love this work, let’s not forget that we are in elect times here. The Lord is hastening his work and more people are ready now than ever before. Let’s not overlook anyone and invite all we know to partake of this great cause! Alma 42: 27. I love you all!

December 9, 2013

This week was kind of nuts! I got into my new area Villa Maria Monday. I LOVE my new area. It’s really pretty. It’s the cleanest city I've been in in Argentina and it’s so beautiful!
We had a good day of work Tuesday and then Wednesday morning we got a call from the ZLS saying that we have to stay in the apartment all day. there was a lockout between the government of Cordoba and the police of Cordoba, the police weren't getting paid so they weren't working so the whole province went wild and everyone started robbing stores and all that crazy stuff, so we hung out in the apartment and watched movies. I was kind of sick so I got to sleep it off a bit, we got planning done for the week and our studies in too, but it was such a weird day. Then Thursday all was well and we went out and worked. I am meeting the members more and I really love them, they have such a desire to do missionary work, and they are really strong members! We have a investigator who is going to be baptized the 21st of 12. He is a son of a less active lady and he is really sharp and excited to receive his invisible friend, the holy ghost :) His name is Martin and he’s super cool! That’s about it, I love this mission and the work!


Elder Nelson

Service Project, we build a house! We raised a few walls. The Elders were in charge of the concrete mix

After the Service we ate chori pan, which is like a really good sausage with bread and mayo. its very Argentine and i got burnt but only on the parts that weren't already tan haha the Argentine sun is HOT

December 2, 2013

I GOT TRASFERED!!! I am now in the city of Villa Maria in Cordoba in the ward General Paz! My new comp is named Elder Hellstern from Utah! He’s a cool guy, I live with 4 in the apartment, the other two, one from Nicaragua and the other Tennessee. I love these guys, the Elder from Nicaragua I knew in the other zone when I was in Cosquin, but I’m so excited to keep on trekking in the mission! On Monday a family in the Rio Cuarto stake made a big turkey lunch for the missionaries and so we had our own little thanksgiving feast! On Saturday we baptized Adrian :) it was such a cool experience and he was so happy! His family was so emotional and it was great! But then when I told them I was leaving the area they all got sad, and then it made me sad.. That part of the mission stinks, I love Adrian and his family and I will always remember them. All is well. Just happy to be in my new area!

Thanksgiving Lunch

Elder Reyna

Elder Guerra from Peru

Me and Gonazalo and Juaquin (Adrian's Sons)

Bro and Sis Urreta (She makes Great Lunches!)

The Garcete Family! They are way cool!

Adrian's Baptism!!

Adrian's Baptism

Adrian's family! His wife Leticia, her parents
and the kids

Bro and Sis Castro - Stake Patriarch

Sister Bustos - Seminary Teacher

Bishop Alaniz and family

Elder Archilla from the stake. He leaves on
his mission soon

The Morrales Family - the sign says
Gracias Elder Nelson

Sweet members

Loved Member

Another Sweet member

Great Family!

Adrian and Leticia and two of their kids

My New comp Elder Hillstern

Villa Maria

Villa Maria

November 25, 2013

This week was so fast, I don’t really remember what happened. ha, I went to an area called Almafuerte with one of the zone leaders on tues, the zone leader Elder Ramirez helped with two baptism interviews in almafuerte, and I went with an elder Named elder Buitrago. We had good day. Then after another few days of work I went with my district leader to work with him in his area. Elder Goncalvez is a big help to me, he teaches me so much. Only a convert of 3 years, but he’s a great missionary. then we were going to baptize Adrian Rocha this Saturday, but we couldn't find him to get his interview in because he is working a ton this week and then his wife was sick so they ran to the clinic, and so now we wait for the weekend. I love Argentina, I realized that I only have 1 year left to really enjoy this wonderful country and the people, and then it will be hard to come back after. I dread a little the end of my mission because of that, but I love where I am right now and i wouldn’t want to be in any other place! I love you all!

Elder Nelson

Elder Parejas with a pancho or aka hot dog

me with pancho

My desert area of field

Yesterday we looked over a hill
and found some kind of rodeo! 

Oreo Argentino

They are so little!

November 18, 2013

This week lots happened. tue I worked in the ward Roque senz pena with Elder Goodwin, he’s a cool elder, he’s got a great testimony of the gospel. We had lots of success that day. Then wed was a zone conference in Cordoba, I got to see lots of my old comps like elder Jassman and elder Michalek. then friday I worked in the bimaco ward with Elder Reyna from Córdoba Argentina, he was suppose to be in Bolivia but with his health they sent him closer to home, he’s way cool.

Yesterday at the 1st part of church we had no investigators. We were counting on Adrian, but it wasn't a strong comit, so we left church to go look for this investigator to bring her to church, she gave us excuses why she couldn't so we left, we called all our investigators and nothing..and so as we were walking back to the church I was praying with all my heart that Adrian would come to church, be baptized this week and one year from now be sealed for all time and eternity. It was really my desire that they could be sealed. And so we got back to the church...nobody. So we waited by the door for investigators and all of a sudden I saw the son of Adrian, and then his brother, and then their sister and then his wife, and they all walked in the 4, and I thought, oh great, Adrian is still sleeping...immediately my mind went to, every Sunday, we have nothing, what am I doing wrong, why are there no fruits...but then all of a sudden this head pops out and there is Adrian, clean shaven, dressed nicely, ready for church! :) oh the tender mercies of the Lord...now we are preparing his baptism for sat or fri depending on his work...Adrian and his family have Family Home Evening with the bishop today, and he’s going to be baptized! :) I’m so excited for that family! It will be great! well that’s about it. i love you all.

Elder Nelson

1. family in Roque s pena ward,
the kid is a member and
his parents are going to
get married and be baptized

 The Zone conference, Elder Jassman
with his posterity haha his hijos,

 

November 11, 2013

This week was great, we worked a lot and found a few great families. We found 2 related families, and both are studying with the Jehovah witnesses, so they have lots of questions about the doctrine especially what is the name of God. But both are such great families and we love them. Enzo and Andrea are one of them and the other is the little brother of Enzo named elvio, and his wife. We had a lesson with Ruben and he told us he would be moving to another city closer to his family. So we taught him a few of the commandments like the word of wisdom and the law of chastity, just in case, and now we are looking for a way to send missionaries to him, there aren't many members if any by his little town. We had Adrian come to church and he had a great experience, he now has everything ready to be baptized except a little few things he’s working on, and once he breaks free, he’s good to go! I love that man, we taught him about the temple in the church and now he wants to go, once someone makes the temple their goal, everything makes a lot more sense. I love this work and I love the change I can see in others! We love this ward, my comp and I, and we are seeing great changes! :) I love you all!


Elder Nelson

November 4, 2013

This week was great. It really was. I was able to learn a lot and grow spiritually. I've learned lots of new things that have helped my growth. The gospel is great. The changes it makes. We were walking in the street and I saw this guy on the side, outside his house. I felt the prompting to talk to him but at the same time, every reason in the world flew to my mind why I shouldn't, but I did, I talked to him, he let us enter his house and started to tell us everything. He’s been separated from his wife for 3 months because of things he has done and all he wants to feel is forgiven. We gave him a Book of Mormon, taught him to pray, and he promised to do it, when we followed up with him he had been reading and praying and he says he feels so happy, the thoughts of his wife don’t torment him as much and he feels more of the spirit in his life. I cried, he’s so cool and so prepared by the lord. His name is Ruben and he was so excited to come to church, he showed up at 8:15...45 min early to make sure he was on time...he was there before we were and we were early. He stayed for all 3 hours and loved it, he’s going to be baptized the 16th with a chance of earlier, we’ll see...but he really was our miracle for the week. We had found more prepared people but their progression is not as rapid as his, he’s a cool good guy and I love him to death! With that, I've been growing so much in my studies, really helping me focus on what’s important that is really...inviting others to repent, and not telling and talking but helping them have their own spiritual experiences. What a great calling. I love this work we are all called to!

Elder Nelson

Letter from my little cousin Megan 

Kind of a weird photo but we bought ice cream for Elder Cruz
for his birthday, in the photo is Elder Goncalvez at the top left,
Elder Reyna at the botton and Elder Flores

 Street flood, it rained so hard the other day

October 28, 2013

This week has been really good, we have seen miracles. I'm staying in Alberdi for another transfer with Elder Parejas and I love it! It’s so great! I have been really praying and fasting to find prepared married families and priesthood holders, and the Lord has answered, we have found many ready families this week and now it’s up to us to be our own free agents and act on the blessings. We have an investigator named Pablo, he’s way cool, very catholic and at first didn't want to give anything up in that church, but last Sunday he came to church, and loved it, and he is reading a ton in the book of Mormon and so this week we asked him to be baptized, and he said “you want me to get baptized in your church?´´ and kind of puzzled we said “uhh..well....yeah, that's what we were thinking´´....and he said “oh uh when?´´ and we gave him a date to be baptized and he then said “well if I don't work that day then yeah, I’ll get baptized with you guys” and he committed himself to get baptized. The rest of this week, there has been many others who accepted to get baptized very easy...The Lord is preparing his children, I know it, and I see it every day. Let’s all keep on moving in this work and inviting all others to sing the song of redeeming love and come unto Him the Master. ´´A long pull, a strong pull and a pull all together´´- Joseph Smith....unfortunately High School Musical is right...we really are all in this together and once we really embrace that is when this work will flourish! :) I love you all!

Elder Nelson

October 21, 2013

This week was good, it was hot, but good and fun. We are still working with a few investigators but lots of them are slowly quitting to act. the gift of the holy ghost is so important, and that’s what they need to keep on going with the gospel, but to receive that they need baptism, which they have a hard time getting to at times haha! Just makes me realize how I need to improve as a missionary. This week we realized we need families to baptize, we need to find new people to teach too, so we found a few potential families so I think we should be teaching a lot this week. We were supposed to be receiving transfer calls Saturday, but nope, we got a call from our District leader and he said that they aren't ready and will be Tuesday. We are going to receive 40 something more missionaries this transfer and so still president and the Aps are planning how it’s going to work....Can you say The Lord is hastening his work? Way crazy but so cool at the same time, so I will find out tue if I leave or stay, I feel like both could happen, but we shall see, if I leave, I would like to come back to Rio Cuarto. I love this place! , well that’s about it! I love you all!

Elder Nelson

My ZL Elder Sivila, he goes home this week to
Mendoza, ARG

My district Elder Sandoval (Chile), Flores (Mexico),
Parejas (Peru), Me (USA), Goncalvez(DL)(Paraguay)
and Cruz (Ecuador) 6 different nations! 

Familia Rocha, Adrian and Leticia 

Hno Vasconcelo, he gave me a tie,
Way cool guy! He said, pretty soon us here in 
Argentina won’t be able to eat or sleep because we 
will just be baptizing. and I said 
God bless you brother, you have the vision! :)

October 14, 2013

Wow, what a week, we had some crazy experiences. Friday was great. This day was really just fun. We went to work in the morning and two people stopped us and tried to preach to us and gave us all of their material haha, it was funny, then we tried to do the same to them and they backed away and said no haha. Anyway, Friday it began to rain hard, the morning was hot and sunny, then the evening, was pouring hard, and so we were without jackets and completely soaked, we stopped by a member family to talk to them, and the Hermana saw us an took clothes of her husband for us to wear all dry for the rest of the night, so we worked the rest of the day in the clothes of Hermano Morales, ha and then we got a call from the elders in centro saying there is a hermana that has food for the alberdi elders, so we went and got a ton of good food ;) and then as we were walking home we found the family Morales in their car and stopped us to give us a ride home, so the family Morales is such a awesome family! :) Good rest of the week too, we found lots of cool people and we are working with a few like Patricia and Rita, they are friends but they are being thrown into trials the day they found us, so it’s hard, but we love the area and see the vision the Lord has for it! :)

Rio Cuarto! :)

 Elder Parejas and I in the clothes of Hermano Morales! :)