Elder Jared Nelson: 2014

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

September 2, 2014

This week was really good. We were all working so hard to hit our goals this week. I’m very proud of how hard the missionaries in our zone worked. We have a great zone with really outstanding missionaries. Each month we set baptism goals and we then set plans to hit the goal. The plans we set are according to the vision of the mission, which right now is, baptize more, retain more and reactivate more. I heard that in the area South America south, there has been a reactivation of over 1000 members. That is growth and a great achievement, but like Gordon B Hinckley says..That’s tremendous..... But that’s not enough. But even after all the work and planning and stress, we must remember to "Be still and know that (He) is God" and rely on His all powerful hand in His work. I love this work, and I can see the potential we have as Zion’s youth in latter days. We are the Hope of Israel. Presidente Alliaud said something very profound in the last zone conference we had he said that the world has gone so far south, and twisted that We are the last reserves in the worlds of morality, and it’s our job to make it spread. as it states in D&C 88:73 the Lord will hasten His work in His time, and in 74 and 75 it speaks of the purity me must obtain to take part in such a work. Let it spread.

Elder Nelson

Me and my comp in the mission home about to eat assado!
The best way to cook meat in the world!

Cordoba Temple

Saturday, August 30, 2014

August 25, 2014

This week was really full of great things but hardships as well. 1st of all yesterday we had a baptism! Mauricio Campos and his son Joakin Campos. They were baptized yesterday it was great. Mauricio quit smoking in a miracle 1 week, and he prepared himself well to be baptized. Then I worked a lot in areas of other missionaries. I went to the area of a few of the sisters this week to do some interviews. There will be baptisms in the zone this week, from the Hermanas, they are really excited. Then I worked with Elder Fuentes Saturday in the 2nd branch in San Fran, we helped one of their investigators know more about repentance. His goal is to quit smoking, so we taught him how to repent and now he is excited to keep asking for forgiveness and quit smoking so he can be baptized. We then had a zone conference Friday. Elder Morales and I along with two zone leaders from zone Bellville gave training about how to ask referrals. The vision of the mission is baptized more, retain more and reactivate more, the focus is its all one work, and what unifies it all is the referrals. Always looking for ways to baptize in every situation for retaining or reactivating. So we spoke of how to receive referrals. San Francisco is in a district called Bellville, I was in this district when I was in villa Maria. San fran is a lot like villa Maria but lots smaller. But the branches are great. in the city there are 8 elders in total, 2 elders and 2 sisters in 2nd branch and 4 elders in 1st branch (us) this last week it has been horribly hot, but yesterday and today there’s lots of wind and it’s been cold. I love it here and I’m excited to get to know the area more.

Elder Nelson

Our zone with 4 assistance, 2 in front and 2 in the back

Me and Elder Michalek

Baptism, Mauricio, Christian bustos (son of branch pres),
joakin, and hermano tonkavich (ward mission leader)

Us at the baptism

The tower where we live

Us in the elevator this morning, pretty tricky right!

August 18, 2014

This week was really crazy, but fun. So we are in a zone of 6 elders and 6 sisters. There are 2 districts, one of 2 elders and 2 sisters and another with 2 elders and 4 sisters, and then the zone leaders that help in each district. To help out the areas of the sisters we went to a few of their areas and worked with them, so my comp and I would just go with them to their appointments, that helped us get to know more their investigators which helps us verify with them. So two days this week we were in city’s called las varillas and arroyito. Then we began to really work in our area. There are lots of investigators, we had about 7 come to church yesterday, and two that will be baptized Sunday. It was great. I was about to do the interview for one guy named Mauricio who will be baptized this week, he is a very good guy. He said that he had been looking for a good church for his kids for a long time but couldn’t find one until now so he loves it and wants to be baptized. There is also this family that we found. the father is a son of the elders quorum pres in San fran 2nd branch, but his wife is not a member, she wants to be baptized to be able to go to the temple and be sealed, only thing is that they are not married, so we are going tomorrow with them to the civil records office to set a date so they can get married, they are really excited. They also have a little 2 year old. They are the Lucero family. Lots of great things happening. As a zone leader there is a little more pressure and more responsibilities, but it’s a blast, my comp is great, he’s hilarious and really smart. I love the work here, and I hope we start seeing real growth.

Elder Nelson

From my apartment on the 9th floor

a bit of my apartment

me and elder Weller, who is fresh new from the US of A

me and Elder Rassmusen and Elder Blotter

Elder Morales (my comp) by the elevator that goes up to our apartment

A few of us in the zone, Elder Blotter, Elder Rassmusen,
Hermana Tuttle and Hermana Cornejo,

me and my comp en Germany jerseys! Unity! :)

August 11, 2014

I got transferred to the city of San Francisco in Cordoba. My new companion is elder Morales from Mexico. It’s awesome! I love the city. It was a part of my zone when I was in villa Maria, but now it's its own zone. And over it all, I was called as a zone leader. So I’m super stoked. The apartment is really nice, 6 elders live there, one of them is elder Rasmussen, who I knew in my last zone, he’s way cool!

My new area is in the Cordoba Province but right on the line between Cordoba and Santa Fe. I will actually be working in Santa Fe more, but it’s a nice little city. My apartment is on the 9th floor and I can see everything from my room its great! I love my new area. I’ll miss lots of members in Jose Ignacio Diaz, but I’m excited for a change. I love this work.

Elder Nelson

August 4, 2014

So we had baptisms this week! Three were baptized in our ward! Miguel and Lorena who we were teaching and Yolanda who the other elders were teaching. It was amazing and a very spiritual experience. The baptisms were Miguel and Lorena and Yolanda. The three of them two weeks ago showed up to church by themselves. Miguel and Lorena came by invite from a member and Yolanda because she was looking for a church, so we began to teach them and now they are baptized members of the Church. It was a miracle. They were the Lords baptisms. This week, we saw lots of opposition getting them prepared, it was a stressful week, but all turned out alright. We had a meeting with the missionaries in the zone and we talked a lot about referrals to the missionaries and how that is the way to salvation for the people. Now more than ever the investigators need to come by way of members, especially here in Cordoba, where it’s dangerous and people don’t trust others very much. It’s the ideal way to share the gospel. I know that that is how real growth is found. For example, Miguel and Lorena! I love this work and I know it’s the work of the all mighty God and it must be done is his way, by referrals.

Elder Nelson

The baptism... with bishop Carranza,
Yolanda, Lorena, Miguel and me

The 4 of us!

The Leaders in the south zone (zona sur)

July 28, 2014

This week was great! We saw lots of miracles, one of them being that I got like 3 packages from you Mom and Grady and from Aunt Ginny! She sent me this little red monkey, and so I’ve got him hanging on my bed, ha it’s cool. I love it all. I got the football! I love it, and all the cool videos and stuff. I love the book Jolee made of Maverick. I’ve been looking at it lots. It was all great, I’ll send a picture. Elder Larson got stuff from his mom also so we took a pic of it all.

This week has been fun, We started the week off with lots of work. We had interviews with president Alliaud. He is way cool! Then we went on a few exchanges. I got to work with an elder from Chile named Elder Ardissoni. He’s a way cool Elder and taught me a lot. Then I worked with elder Larson as well. He’s a good friend to me. Last week, this family showed up to church, named Miguel and Lorena, they were invited by a member, and so they showed up, now we have been teaching them and they are progressing to baptism. A simple invite from a member made a big difference. They are such good people and so I’m sure you will be hearing more about them. I love this work. There are always miracles.

With Elder Larson

With all our stuff we got from home :)

July 21, 2014

This week has been really great, lots of trials but great. The weather is weird. In the morning and night it gets wintery cold, but as the sun comes up during the day, I feel like we are in July..ha well I guess we are. But the sun here is so strong that even in the winter it gets hot. So it bounces from really hot to really cold really fast. I think that because of that, I got sick. I’ve been sick lots of this week. I worked anyway, but Saturday I had to rest a bit, but still went to work. It was hard for me, having the desire to work really hard and my body not being able to follow. But overall it was a great week as far as work. We found lots of great people. We have appointments set with lots of new investigators so we will see how it goes. I feel so blessed to have the atonement in my life. It’s really the best feeling knowing that there is always a positive future. I love the Lord and I love this Gospel. This work is what I will invest myself in for the rest of my years.

Elder Nelson

With Elder Larson

The crew, Elder Larson, Elder Montes, Brother Castro and me,
oh and open cupboards shhh ha!

July 14, 2014

I have had a good week. It’s been really crazy with the world cup. What a great experience to see how things go down here for the world cup. South America loves the world cup, lots more than we do in the good old US of A. Wednesday when they played Holland, nobody was doing much and there was a big Riot type crowd in downtown Cordoba. I saw on the news, there were thousands of people in the street cheering and yelling. Kind of cool. But after the final when they lost, there were only people in the street trying to lift up spirits. It’s a REALLY BIG DEAL here in Argentina. I didn't know how big of a deal it is. My companion is from Córdoba.

This week has been really fun. Our ward saw a baptism this week for a guy named Lucas. He’s about 25 and he is the security guard for the chapel. He had a wonderful service. As we are seeing the changes in missionary work, I find that it’s a lot harder to knock on a door and enter a house, especially in Cordoba with all the crime. but when members are involved in teaching their friends, then the missionaries have a solid way to teach the people the gospel. A lesson in the home of a member is one of the greatest things for missionary work. As we see this happening more and more in our ward we see stronger and stronger investigators and more and more baptisms. With Lucas, he was taught in the church building, every lesson with members, the spirit that there was strong! and he was able to come to know and understand the gospel in a powerful way.

Wednesday my comp and I went to the house of a member. Wednesday was 9 de Julio or the 9th of July and it was independence day in Arg. so the members made us a Argentine food called banna ( said like Baña) cauda. It’s really Italian but people eat it here. It’s a white sauce with fish bits. We put it over chicken and veggies. It was way good! The family is named the Sanna family! Way cool family. Well that was my week. I love you all.

Elder Nelson

Jared gave no explanation for this picture but I am thinking
I am safe to assume this is the kind of place he goes
to use the computer to write to us!

July 7, 2014

So Elder Michalek (Jared's MTC companion. He says seeing him is like seeing family!) is my zone leader ha. I am always in communication with him because I’m a district leader, so it’s cool to have him close again. The last year he had been in an area far away from me. Elder michalek came into lots of my old areas, we share lots of the same areas and finally he got to my zone ha. I love that elder.

This week we had a rough week as far as numbers, but a good week as far as what I learned and all the potential. I don’t really remember what happened exactly, but I do remember how I felt in the week. Lots of gratitude! I realize more and more how blessed I am to be here. This experience is something so valuable that it’s really a blessing. I give service, but as I give service the Lord serves me 100 times more. It humbles me, and motivates me. I realize that we are given so much in scriptures. All the doctrines and principles for salvation and then the Lord expects us to apply it. The doctrine or vision is always the same, but the application is individual. As I apply more the little things in my life, I see a great difference and more of a power to get things done. When we do things the right way, the Lord give us power to do more. It all depends on doing his will. Just the way I organize my desk, or the way I dress or the way I speak, changes lots. Then the little things like that help me to apply the bigger things, and that is what makes me more like my Savior. I love this work and I am so thankful for everything!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

June 30, 2014

This week we worked hard and saw miracles. One day as we were walking down the street, I saw this woman walking beside us and I began to talk with her. We spoke of the church and the gospel, we invited her to come to church, she accepted, then we asked if we could visit her and teach her, also accepted, we began teaching about baptism and the blessing of it, we then invited her to be baptized, she also accepted. So there are people everywhere who are humble to listen to the gospel, we just need to open our mouths in the streets and in every place we are. We can’t pray for missionary moments if we aren't willing to open our mouths and stand as a witness in all times in all things and in all places. I know that each and every missionary is a representative of Christ, and I also know that every member is a missionary, and what we do reflects our understanding of who Christ is, that is why we must KNOW HIM, our master who we serve. I love this work!

Oh yeah transfers..I stay and Elder Barbose to Rio Cuarto. I gave him my coat because its colder there. I may need to buy a new coat! :) My new comp is called a mini missionary. He’s from Cordoba and he’ll be with me until more missionaries come ha. His name is Hno Castro. He’s cool. I just met him. So he’s not an Elder but he’s about to leave for the mission. So all is good!

Elder Nelson

Sister Delgado and family made us these flags!

With Elder Barbosa and the Barbosa family
(Jared didn't say if there is any relation my guess is no because
Elder Barbosa is from Brazil)

June 23, 2014

This week was great. Everyone is loving the world cup here. I never remember it being a big deal in the USA, but maybe it wasn't ever a big deal to me ha, but the next world cup I will for sure watch and follow. We have seen lots of miracles because of the world cup. Our presidente told us that we can watch the games of Argentina because the streets will be dead and everyone will be busy, but only on one condition, that it be a new investigator, so for example, I saw a young man walking in the street with a New York Jets hat. He probably had no idea that it was a football team, but I said I’m from the USA and I like your hat. We then began to talk a bit. Then I asked him if he was to watch the Argentina game against Iran. He said yes and then I asked if we could go by his house and watch with him because we don’t have a TV, he then agreed and said yeah come on by. So the next day we went by and he wasn’t there but his mom and family were and were expecting us to come and pulled us out seats by the TV and offered us food and stuff like that, it was great, and then we spoke a bit about the book of Mormon and we left them with a book and invited them to read, the agreed and we set an appointment to come back. They were a great family, humble and loving. By serving us two missionaries they served the Lord. Then that same day, in another ward in the stake, a man that is 80 years old was baptized. he really had passed through lots of problems for going to this church and for 7 months of going to church didn’t get baptized because he couldn’t believe, but the spirit and his feelings is what kept him going, but finally he made the choice to be baptized and it was glorious. After he was baptized and then came into the meeting room all changed and clean, he said something kind of profound, he said, "now nobody knows me because I’m a new person". he said it to make a joke, but how true and profound those words that after baptisms, it really is like starting over, and becoming new. It’s also how we feel after we worthily take of the sacrament. It’s amazing how this gospel is so wonderful and how we can feel so happy by abiding by its principles. I love this gospel and I know it’s true and I will defend it! :)

Elder Nelson

Camilla, Veronica Delgado, me, Jonathan Delgado
and Lili Delgado

us crazy in the apartment

me and Manolo, the man who got baptized at 80 years

me in centro Cordoba

June 16, 2014

So this week was great. We had a few memorable experiences. We were able to help Camila get baptized. She had lots of help from her friends and support from the ward, and it was a really great experience for my companion as well being the first baptism of his mission. He loved it, he was able to do the ordinance. Saturday was crazy, we had to get the fount all cleaned and ready. The smoke from the last few times our poor little chapel was burnt left a few black stains in the fount and we had to clean that all up, as well as find a way to turn on the water heater, so we spent lots of time doing that and then we gave a training meeting for the teachers in the ward or those who are assigned to home teach or visit teach. We taught about teaching skills from PMG, after we held the baptism and all went well! yesterday Argentina played their first game in the world cup and won so the whole country was tucked away watching the game, and every time they made a goal, we would hear fireworks or a cannon or something like that. In houses we could hear the people yelling GGGOOOAAALLLLL!!!!! It was great. A fun week with the World Cup and with the baptism. I love this work and I love my Savior.

Elder Nelson

June 10, 2014

This week was really great. we are going to have a baptism on Saturday, Camilla, not sure if I talked about her last week, but she is a friend of members and has been listening to the Elders but now finally has permission from her dad to get baptized. My companion is really excited because it will be his first in his mission! I have been receiving lots of revelation this week too, I am learning so much, and I have never felt so much peace in my life (haha okay the word peace (but spelled different) in Spanish means pee so it always makes me giggle haha).

This last week was great, we had lots of fun. I love the Elders I live with and work with, they are all great elders. We are seeing changes in the ward, when I got here in this area we were seeing the attendance of the ward at 60 something, now we are at 86. It’s been great having so many in church. All of it done by reactivation and a few baptisms. We will have a few in the ward this Saturday, one convert and the other a member. Yesterday I was able to go to a leadership training meeting in the mission home, right next to the temple that is progressing well. It was a treat to listen to stories from my mission president and learn the doctrine from him. I am really convinced that this is the best mission in the world, just like every missionary feels about his mission, but it’s the best for me I guess. After the training meeting we rented a few soccer fields and played with presidente and the other leaders and Elders in the office. It was great. I’m getting better at my soccer skills, almost as good as Messi ha ha. I love this work. Once I head Elder Holland say that ever since the end of his mission he has prayed that this work is never ever over for him. I feel the same way. My time is running out here on the mission but I do pray that even after, it is never ever over for me. I love my savior and I will follow him.

Elder Nelson

Elder Rivera

Ha Elder Barbosa

Monday, June 2, 2014

June 1, 2014

This week we are seeing so much progress in the work in our area. We kind of see now the way we are supposed to work. On Thursday we had Elder Viñas of the 70 come to speak to us. He’s from Chile, and he taught about the atonement and about the new incentive in the mission. We now as missionaries will be working not just in aspect of baptism but in everything the ward needs. It’s a great new vision and we are seeing miracles. We will have a few baptisms on Saturday, one from the ward and the other a convert. The convert is 12 years old and will be baptized because her friends who brought her to church! Member missionary work is so great! I love this work and we are seeing miracles!

Elder Nelson

Monday, May 26, 2014

May 26, 2014

Monday the new two elders arrived. They are white washing the area of Jose I. Diaz 1 (White washing means they are both new to the area) So I went with Elder Larson on Tuesday and I helped him know the area and a few members and then Wednesday Elder Larson was able to go with Elder Montes his new comp to start work in their area. Elder Barbosa and I have been in our area working well with members. Still very little results. It’s interesting to see the Lords time in all things. I know that our area has the potential to burst in any moment, but as we keep in diligence we will then see the fruits. It’s a test of our faith. I know that with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can be sustained in our trials and make things happen. That’s been our quote for the mission recently, Make things happen, so even though the work is slow, things need to happen. Diligence and faith with a loving obedience to our Savior makes things happen.

It has been a good first week as a leader, I have learned lots and also never felt so tired in my life ha, but I love serving and being a minister. In the dictionary administer means to manage, minister means to help people according to their needs. I learned that it’s not just administering that makes a good leader, its most importantly ministering and guiding, just like the Savior. Before I was called to be a district leader I prayed for more opportunities to minister. I’ve seen that thus far in this week. It makes me think of when I was called as a 2nd counselor to the Elder quorum pres. I see similarities in the calling and it helped me know what to do. I love this work.

May 19, 2014

This week we are trying to work more with members. We have been really seeing success with the referrals of the members so that’s good! there are a few ladies in the ward who have friends we are teaching, one of them just got back from a mission so she knows lots and helps us lots too, as we work through the members we see a better reaction towards us from the people, because its not just us knocking doors but we are mutual friends and that helps lots. I’m staying with Elder Barbosa for another transfer, I love him! We will see lots of success! :)

May 12, 2014

It was great t talk to you all yesterday. It just reminded me more that you guys are my best friends! I love my family very much.

This week was great, we started Monday in an area by Cordoba called alta gracia, we did a big splash which is when there are more than 4 elders in one area working. The whole zone worked in that area for a bit on Monday and we saw some miracles. Then tues I was on an exchange with elder Reyes in the las flores ward. We had a great time, we worked hard and I got to meet members from that ward. Then the next few days I was kind of sick so I didn’t do a lot. Then the rest of the week, we worked! We found a few really prepared people thru the members! I love that, I know that thru them there are prepared people! As we went to the church yesterday we saw another burnt window. So, there are trials with the ward, but after the trails comes the blessings :)