Elder Jordan Troy Nelson: 17 April 2017

So let’s just start by saying that all the elders were pretty jealous that I got a package haha. So we had a very relaxed pday here last week. My comp was feeling pretty sick so we didn’t play sports. But we went looking around at the little stores around here in the area. They are pretty much just thrift shops haha. So anyways I was looking through some ties. Because I need to burn one for having 6 months in the mission. But I found another Tommy tie for 5 quetz. Well I found two to be honest haha. But I did some more searching and I found a Jagra shirt from when he played for the devils. I know I don’t like the devils but it’s the only thing of hockey that I’ve seen since I’ve left Canada. So I bought it for myself.

So we went back to the lady that contacted us in the street. I went back thinking that she wouldn’t want be there or her kids would say that she{s not home. But she was there and she read some of the pamphlets we passed to her. She was upset that she never made the bus to go to the stake conference. But we told her not to worry because all the rest of the Sunday’s church will be here in the area. She really want to make a change. She asked if there were class for her kids in church as well. So that shows she wants her family there as well. So we went and talked with Anthony the kid we are going to baptize on the 22and. We went to talk with his dad because we wanted to make sure he could have permission to be baptized. He’s dad was really good about it. He is a less active that has a great testimony. But he has had a rough life and he hasn’t been able to come to church. But anyways he’s dad said it’s all good. Because he wants his kids to know about the church and maybe one day serve a mission just like us. This was really nice to hear that he has us to be examples to his kids.

So we had an activity in the church for the youth. We told them to bring all their friends and tell them there would be food. So we showed up to see 5 investigators were there playing football with all the members. My comp and I were very happy to see that. Not only because we had new people to teach but it shows that the members feel comfortable with us teaching their friends. So after the bishop cooked us some food. And guess what he cooked us some nice stakes! I was really happy to see that we had some nice meat that wasn’t chicken to eat haha. After we planned to go with one member who is preparing to go on a mission. He told us yeah elder’s I’m always in my house so if you ever need a hand with lessons just come to the house and I’ll go with you. We are getting a lot more help with the members. Brother Juarez has been helping us now as well. He is a member that we reactivated and he really wants to grow in the church more again and have that good feelings again. The members here are really awesome. As we work more with them in lessons the investigator will see someone from the church and the will have a friend there in the church as well.

So we have been working a lot with the members this past week. We are really trying to hit our goal for our lessons with a member. The most that I have ever had here in this area is 10. But on Saturday night we had 14 in the week. So I’m really happy with everything that we have been doing here. The members are really awesome as well. They love to talk with us and help us out. It’s been a lot better with this comp. As well we are getting closer to a baptism on the 22nd of April here. We just have to do the interview and then he will be good to go. Let’s just hope he shows up to the baptism unlike our last one...

I would like to share something that I read the other day. We have a thing our president gave us to read when we came into the mission. It’s about the 4 different kinds of missionaries are here in the mission. The first one doesn’t want to work and gets sent home. The second doesn’t want to work but finishes the mission. The third works because he knows he has too but he really doesn’t want to. And he is not changed from the mission. The fourth missionary works because he knows it’s what god has called him to do. He know it’s his job. But there is one part when they talk about Jeffery R Holland. He talked to a swimmer and he asked how you work so hard. The swimmer answered, I kick when I don’t want to kick and stroke when I don’t want to stroke. This is the same for missionaries. We have to kick when we don’t want to kick and work when we don’t want to work because it our job to do this work and we must always work if we want to have success here in the mission.

We have hit our goal of 16 lessons with a member! Finally! So our whole week was really really good we are working harder and finding more and more people to come to church with us. On Sunday we had a family come to church and I think they really liked it. We put a date for the mom to get baptism and we are waiting to put a date with her husband. So the thing about her husband is that he lived in LA before so he speaks really good English. So I asked him in church, So how did you guys feel here in the church_ He right away said, There is a lot of peace here in this church and it’s a lot different than all the others. I was really happy to hear that he liked the church because his wife said that she didn’t know if he would like the church or not. but it seems like he does.

So I’m starting to understand why president put me with Elder Mercado. When president told me that he put me with him to get him going and get a fire under his butt. President really meant it. Elder Mercado is a great guy don’t get me wrong but he doesn’t like to work. So just like President Caffaro said I need to take charge and be the Sr. comp to make him work. And let me tell you when your mission president tells you to do something and you do it you will see why he made you do it in the first place.

Thanks for all the love and support that you all have for me here in the mission. Thank you for all your prayers that you say for me. Love you all.

Elder Nelson