Preaching in Puerto Rico: General Conference was amazing!

Well, another week has gone by. And GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS AMAZING. It is such a blessing to be able to listen to our prophet and the apostles of the church.

This week was not really successful and I'll explain why later, but conference was just so amazing and such a spiritual booster and I learned so much and wow yeah it was good. 16 pages of notes front and back! Feels like I was back in school for two days, doing more than I ever really did in school!

Tuesday: was rough. But it was only the start of a rough week. We had District meeting and it was fun and good, it was Elder Beecroft's first District meeting as a DL, so he was kinda nervous. But it was good. Then we got home and went out to Las 500s. We had so many people to meet with and people we wanted to teach and possible new investigators, but man it was hot and nobody was home. I can't remember how many people we visited but basically all of Las 500s was gone. So we ended up at a less active member's house and he let us in. And it was kinda awkward because nobody was really talking so I jumped in and just started to ask him questions about his family and his history in the church. Apparently he knows like all of Arroyo and all the members and he's really cool. He kinda lit up when talking about all this stuff. So then after Esteban, we went to Margarita and she gave us some super good food and I cannot for my life pronounce the name of it. But it was good and we taught a lesson and talked for a while, and then went back home and in Arroyo, had no success as well.

Wednesday: we went out to Patillas with a guy named Jose from the Guayama ward. He's 18 and waiting on his mission call and is super cool. I can't remember if I've talked about him before. So we went out there and had quite a few people we wanted to visit but most of them fell through. So we went and taught a lady that was a new investigator last week. She seems to like talking with us but doesn't listen at all to the lesson. But Jose bore a really good testimony and helped a lot and will be a super good missionary. So then we came home after a day in the sun and went to Branch Counsel where it was actually kind of a wild meeting with members making jokes about other members and it was weird. All the missionaries just sat in the back and messed with this fan and moth that was flying around because we had done our part and had absolutely no idea what was going on with all the members there.

Thursday: We had literally no success. We stayed in Arroyo and tried to talk to people around here but nobody would talk or was home or anything. I think we really only talked to one person all day. We have a list of less actives and references but it's so old and out of date and people move all the time and it's rough. So it was a rough day. But then at 6:30 we went and played soccer at the field with a bunch of Jose's friends and non-members and some youth from our branch and from Guayama. It was super fun. There were like full teams and it was so good to play real soccer again. And I still played pretty well, but Elder Clavel is super good.

Friday we went back to Las 500s and it was a repeat of last time on Tuesday. We had actually set up appointments but nobody was home again. It was rough and I was getting super down and discouraged. It was hard to keep on working. We literally went 1 for 9 with people we wanted to teach. And the 1 person was Esteban again. At least we can rely on him hahaha. So we talked with him and he kinda just lights up when we come over. He's so cool. He has so many video games and movies and loves to talk about them and I have no idea what he's talking about most of the time. But he's cool. That was basically the end of it that day too. We walked all the way back home and tried to visit some potential investigators but again, nobody would come out to talk with us. Other than one guy who knew who we are and spoke English and was friendly but wanted nothing to do with us hahaha. Another rough day.

Saturday basically made up for everything that happened in the week. General Conference was a great experience. We watched it in the Guayama chapel and thankfully in English. So it was like the 6 English speaking missionaries from Salinas, Guayama, and Arroyo in this room with Alex (our Young Men's president who speaks english too). But it was so good. The talks were amazing and I learned so much and took tons of notes. I have like 4 pages of really good quotes too. So we were basically in the Guayama chapel all day becausee conference started at noon here and then after the Priesthood session, it was 10 pm. For lunch Alex took us to Pizza Hut and Clavel and Beecroft spent like 40 bucks on pizza because it was Clavel's birthday. So we ate a lot and it was good.

Sunday was also amazing with conference, although I think I liked the talks on Saturday better. Still, a ton of good information and I learned a ton from it. We were there from 11 to like 6:30 and then came home and visited with Jeila and Angel who we actually hadn't had the opportunity to visit with at all during the week. They're always fun to talk with and stuff.

So the week was slow and rough and discouraging. But conference was super good and awesome.

Quotes:

"In mortality, we are laying the foundation for perfection" - Larry R. Lawrence

"There is no darkness that can not be overcome by light" - Vern P. Stanfill

"Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can't cure" - Dallin H. Oaks

"We fail only when we choose not to take another step forward" - Randall K. Bennett

"BELIEF, is not for a select group of people" - Uchtdorf

"Focus not on what you can't do, but what you CAN do, and what He can do through you" - Gary E. Stevenson

"He can make more of us than we could ever make of ourselves" - Von G. Keetch

"The Savior's Atonement leaves no trace, no track. It heals, mends, and forgets" - Allen D. Haynie

And I have tons more but I'll share them some other time. This church is true and it is led by a living prophet who guides and receives revelation for the church. This is the Lord's church and gospel. It changes lives and has changed mine. It can change yours. I love it and I'm working every day to live the gospel in a more simple manner. It's an amazing gift we have. Christ lives and is at the head of His church. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and is true and I know all of this with every part of myself. It is true.

I love you all!

Elder Nelson