Week of April 23, 2017

Happy Birthday Dad! You looking great for your age what are you talking about. I weighed myself this morning and I'm at a solid 180. Go ducks, I didn't know the Oilers were doing well, they sucked last year. This week has been really good for the missionary work. Some good days some long days, but we went to having basically no investigators to having 9 with baptismal date, 6 that went to stake conference, and 10 new investigators, so I'm really happy with where its going we have been really blessed. Its fine with Elder Prince he usually has no idea whats going on but I'm helping. Just a lot of comp study and with the 12 weeks program they have us use to train which is really good. He never really complains and just goes with the flow so that's nice. He just needs to practice more. I know exactly how he feels though its rough to start out. Our area is doing really well right now we have a lot of potential and the misery is always bearable when we have baptisms and success out here. Winter is approaching and its nice to be in some cool weather for the first time in a long time. I'm liking how I'm not sweating all the freaking day. I'm exciting for how this area is going to progress but i wont get too attached cause I always leave in 2 transfers lol. Sorry I'm a bit boring but I don't tell you guys about the dogs that try to bite me the drunks that follow us or the people that try to shoot at me hahaha jk about the last one, but the others are true. We played indoor soccer for the last pday and again today. I love all my soccer jerseys I have an addiction to buying them hahaha Have a great week, Dad happy birthday again. Talk to you soon 

Week of April 16, 2017

So I did get transferred, they put me on a plane and sent me back to Santa Cruz so I'm living the city life for the first time but I got to eat papa johns pizza so that was great. My new companion is from Jerom Idaho. His name is Elder Prince and hes pretty tall. He played tennis in high school so thats pretty cool. He is just kind of a normal guy, its the best way to describe him. Hes a little bit quiet and he doesn't know a whole lot of Spanish but hes learning fast and Ill do my best to help him get there. It reminds me of when I first got here and how frustrated I was all the time, poor guy. I'm also opening a new area, its called Los Angeles so that's kind of cool haha. I've never looked at a map and asked for help with directions so many times in my life, its kinda hard. The elders before us also didn't work in the area book so that really sucks cause were starting from ground zero basically. However we have received a ton of help from the Bishop and the ward mission leader which has been such a blessing. Exercise is rough to get motivated and do in the mornings, usually I just do push ups and sit ups in the morning. The missionary work is a little slow here but it will pick up this week and well try and get some good work in here. The people here have real houses so they are a little but more difficult to contact them, but well find some families to teach here.

Elder Nelson

Week of March 26, 2017

Ok so were teaching the Moreno family and we originally contacted their uncle and then they warmed up to us and started taking the lessons. They love going to church and have a baptismal date, but they need to get married and so we've been trying to sell hammocks to help them pay for their wedding. Yesterday they didn't attend church and we found out that the mom is sick and was in the hospital and probably spent all their money to pay for that so some stress with that because we gotta talk to the lawyer and pay tomorrow. I hope everything works out but we will see. Were working with some other families and were gonna try and put a baptismal date with them this week for the 8th and have 7 baptisms that day which would be incredible. Some stress but I'm gonna try my best, I hope I can stay here another transfer. I'm super excited for conference, and mothers day is coming up. I'm reading the BoM everyday and should finish the second week of April. I'm in Alma 54 right now. Have a good week love you. 

Elder Nelson

Week of March 19, 2017

I had a good week this week. I had three exchanges with other missionaries, which means we change companions and work in other areas. I got to work with E Vergara un chileno really cool. He has a twin serving in Peru and it reminded me of Jackson and Bennett. He was in a Chilean reggae band before the mission and we get along really well. I also went with E Ferierra the brasilero to some far away land that was an hour and a half walk in the middle of nowhere to teach a family that wasn't there, so we just walked back after that haha but it was fun, and super beautiful in the jungle and all the animals and everything, but I didn't have my camera so sorry. Our family that was supposed to be baptized this Saturday was cancelled but they put us in charge and we put their date for April. We are trying to find a lot of new people and were working hard I'm feeling good. The missionary work here is good were focusing on teaching the doctrine simply and more efficient contacts

 Elder Nelson

Week of March 12, 2017

My shoes are doing ok right now but Bolivia is taking its toll. Worst comes to worst I can take them to a shoe place and fix them to last until I hit a year. I hit 6 months today which is pretty crazy a quarter of my mission is over. I never feel isolated with the latinos, I can speak spanish haha. Im very excited to eat some hot cheetos!. To help pay for the wedding of our investigators Im buying a hammock from them thats gonna be designed with the united states flag so Im pretty excited for that. We had 2 baptisms this week and are trying for 7 on the 25th its gonna be a little stressful but I think we can pull it off with the Lords help. Things are good here, are you reading the BoM everyday? With the goal I have now ill read it like 11 times before I come back. I learn something everyday. Love you have a good week

Elder Nelson

Week of March 5, 2017

*Missionaries in Bolivia go on a three day lockdown during one of the festivals the country celebrates. Missionaries are given challenges by their Mission President for the weekend. This email came after the lockdown.*

It was kind of the opposite, after a 3 day vacation it was hard to not be lazy. I just read the BoM and played hearts with the other missionaries. It did make me want to read the book of mormon more. I finished it for the first time in spanish so thats 1 for the mission 3 times total. Right now I have to read the BoM every transfer, so every 6 weeks. Its just 15 pages a day so not a lot. Its hot here but its moving from summer to spring and then to winter. It rains here a ton, its basically a rain forest here. Cool for the mission call for Cade. Right now we have a super cool family. The dad was baptized a long time ago but the mom no. They have four kids and two can be baptized. Yesterday we taught about marriage and that they need to get married to be baptized and she said it made sense and that shell talk to the dad about it. They are super awesome and I really hope we can baptize them. Im very excited for my package! Things are good here and I hope its good at home. It can be pretty miserable to be sick sometimes but it makes me appreciate being healthy more. I will humbly accept all gifts when I return home, at the end of this transfer ill have 7 months! only 17 more! Also mothers day is coming up when I can call home, so thats great.
 

 Love and miss all of the family.

Elder Nelson

Week of February 19, 2017

Hey, so I had a pretty good week, but on Thursday I woke up in the middle of the night and I threw up and then I went out to our backyard and as I was standing out there I got super dizzy and then I remember hitting my butt and then my head. I had passed out and it was a miracle the way I fell too cause I should of hit my had on the sink outside to wash clothes but I was 5ft from that and about 2ft above concrete so it still hurt a lot but it was just dirt. I got a minor concussion and I had a fever and vomiting it was a pretty terrible combination so they took me to a clinic and put an IV in me to get my water and salt and sugar levels back to normal and after a few hours they let me go and gave me some medicine and said I probably have some sort of virus and to come back Monday and do an analysis of my blood. Also President Cabezas and Hna Cabezas came out to our zone did interviews and trainings but i was in the clinic or in bed so I couldn't go. On Saturday they came to our house and I got to talk to him for a while which was a great experience and Hna Cabezas had me talk to some other doctor on the phone and I ended up doing a blood analysis on Saturday instead and I got the result this morning and I don't have any virus like dengue or chikengunya or anything so probably was just a stomach infection combined with the minor concussion. anyway a whole bunch of crazy this week but I went to church on Sunday and today I feel better, just need to keep taking my medicine for a bit til I'm all recovered. I literally walked home in a rain storm the other day and was walking to my knees in water. It took days for all my clothes to dry. This Sunday we had 10 investigators in the church which is like crazy high. The missionary work here is great and we have 2 baptisms this Saturday and if i stay another transfer we will have a bunch next month hopefully. Hope everything is good at home love and miss you guys

Elder Nelson