Preaching in Puerto Rico: Happy Birthday!

This week was nuts and I've never been so tired. Tons of driving and crazy how that can just suck the energy out of you! Really it wasn't that crazy, but it felt like 4 years

Monday we just had Pday and we went out to the Outlet stores in Barceloneta. Most of the time we just end up wandering around and searching for good deals. A lot of the time our time there is spent pointlessly looking at expensive stuff that we can't afford as missionaries. Monday was a cool day because we got to talk with the husband of Michelle when she wasn't home, and he accepted a visit from us to talk a little bit more about the church. But that story turns bad and I'll get to that later.

We contacted so much this week! One of the things that we're working on is dropping the people that aren't progressing in order to find those that are going to accept us better! So after we dealt with all the transfers on Tuesday, we contacted for like 5 hours and I was sunburned and tired but we found some cool people that hopefully will have potential. It's funny to contact with Elder Suero because he has to pee like every 20 minutes so we're constantly stopping at the little corner stores or passing by member's houses.

Driving sucked all the energy out of me on Wednesday. I had to drive Suero to a doctor's appointment in Caguas and we left the house at 7am for a 10am appointment. He didn't get in to see the doctor until 12. We sat in this Pediatric office with screaming kids for like 5 hours (pediatric because apparently Suero is still a minor even though he's 21 hahahaha) so we sat in this office forever with President Boucher who is super funny about Suero's problems haha. All the doctor did was give Suero some pills and said that maybe he was wrong the first time and they're gonna try something else! The doctor's offices are always freezing cold so it was like torture to sit there forever waiting for the doctor. And then we had to drive home and the traffic was horrible and it took forever and I was just done. And to add on to a long day, all our appointments fell through when we got home at like 4.

Ay mi madre Thursday was also extremely long. We had a 3-zone conference in Trujillo Alto (like the other side of San Juan from where we live. And we had to follow the sisters to get there because they had a GPS, and they made it so hard to follow my goodnessssss I had such a hard time following Hermana Stevens. But we got there after feeling like we had driven all over the island.

The conference was really good and we got to listen to Elder Maynes of the Quorum of the Seventy and he gave a really cool talk. He's super funny, kinda made fun of the elders that sang in a special musical number (including me in the group of elders hahahaha, oh well I'm not a pro haha). Then we drove home and I chose not to follow Hermana Stevens home and so I just kinda went off on my own and somehow we made it home and wayyyyy before they did. Go me. I've become way less directionally challenged on the mission so that's a plus.

So now to the sad part of the story about Michelle's husband. While we were in the conference, we got a text from her that basically said that she doesn't want us to come over anymore and she's done meeting with us. I was super upset to get that message but the talk Elder Maynes was giving helped me to realize that it was just another trial to overcome with her. So we were totally confused and sad and all that and she didn't really tell us why. So since the members are like best friends with her, we asked Vigo to text her. And yesterday she finally responded to him and said that her husband saw a video online that said that the Book of Mormon is of the devil (JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH GARBAGE IS ON THE INTERNET). And that now he doesn't want us in the house and she doesn't want problems. But then she told Vigo that she misses us and we're a part of her family no matter what her husband says. So now we wait for her to actually tell us that. Our hands are kinda tied right now.

And Freddy disappeared! We haven't been able to find the guy! He'll appear though I know it.

On Saturday I had the really cool experience to do an exchange with Elder Bogges, who's a Zone Leader in Levittown. He came to Vega Baja and taught me so much stuff! I learned so much about how to plan and contact and really try to touch the hearts of everyone that we talk to. He really pushed me to be a better missionary and I'm definitely going to remember the things he taught me.

Sunday (sorry this update is so long we did a ton this week) we went to church and I spoke and I think I gave a pretty good talk. It was cool because I didn't actually prepare anything to say. I just went up with a thought in mind and it really came to me and I think it went well. Then we went and visited some less actives and finally, we went to the Torres family to finish off the night. They're super good friends of ours and was super cool because they surprised me with a birthday cake and sang to me and all that good stuff. It was a really cool way to end the night and lead into my birthday today! They're the best family ever and we always have so much fun with them.

We had a really really long week but it was super good, and we're really looking to change Vega Baja for the better. The sister missionaries are teaching us lots too. They're machines in the work man!

I love you all and hope all is well at home and all that, ya know.

Love,

Elder Nelson

Tuesday for Transfers. Some elders passed by our house (Zone Leaders, some guys from Arecibo

All 4 elders in Vega Baja. Elder Ferreira is the new guy, from Brazil and he's from my MTC group of missionaries so we have the same amount of time in the mission.