prayer answered

Soooo this week was rough for the district again here in Caguas. Like we're progressing and we have people that are going to be baptized soon in Caguas, like speaking for the district, but it's been rough with injured missionaries and weird exchanges and all kinds of stuff that I can't really put into words. But it's been good.

The best part of what's going on right now is that on the 2nd, a guy we're teaching named Hector Delgado will get baptized. He's been coming to church and although he's super tranquilo and doesn't really express himself, knows that it's true and is excited to be baptized. On the 9th, a guy named Esteban is going to be getting baptized. He's super cool. Whenever we go over to his house we yell, "familia!!!" to get his attention because he's really like family. Just a super cool guy who's gone through a ton in life but has a huge desire to be baptized. It's literally been one of the biggest miracles to me, that he has really been able to change in order to be baptized. Super cool guy. I'll get some pics of them both soon.

This week was weird because Monday night I came down and I was super sick after our last appointment. I was freezing and couldn't move my joints and I had a gnarly headache and everything. So we got home and planned and then randomly President and Sister Boucher showed up at the house. Miracle. So they told me I either had Zika or chickunguna (idk how to spell that disease but it's another mosquito disease). So I was like dangit, that's like a week without work. So the guys gave me a Priesthood blessing and I went to bed but before getting in bed I said a super serious prayer. Like I was pleading to let me go out and work the next day. Then I went to bed and in the morning I felt fine!! I really know that the blessing that I was given worked, and that my prayer was answered. Truly, truly, got an answer to my prayers. What would have been like a week without work turned into one night down. It was a miracle.

But things are good here. We're working super hard and we're gonna see the results soon, the district as a whole should be baptizing quite a bit this month. So it'll be really cool to see how Caguas sees the results of our work soon.

I love you all, and miss you like tons. The mission is the best!

Elder Nelson

and whoops, another week without pics... next week fo sho!

Loving the mission!

Well this was a good week. Seems like it was kinda the same as the last one, but it was good.

It was hard to work on Saturday and Sunday because of Father's Day, so that kinda rained on my parade but happy late Father's Day to everyone!

The cool part about this week was probably the people we found. We ended up contacting a lot and found some cool people.  One day we were trying to find an old investigator and we ended up at his house but he wasn't there so we saw a lady in the street and we began to talk with her. She had gone to church and everything for a while and loved the lessons but her boyfriend (who she's living with) didn't want to get married so she just kinda dropped the missionaries. Her son who's like 10 said that he loved the primary. Like we gotta baptize these people they're so ready! It just showed once again how important it is to talk with everyone. You never know when or where you'll find someone who's ready to hear the gospel!!

Our investigator Esteban is super ready!! He is so excited to be getting baptized, it was so cool too because one day we were on the other side of Caguas from where we needed to be and we had called all the members possible to give us a ride. Nothing. Then out of nowhere Esteban shows up and says hey I'll take you guys wherever! It was a miracle.

I really don't know what else happened this week. Elder Colon is killing it, his Spanish is getting way better every day. He just loves to talk and learn and soon he'll be taking over the phone and everything. The guy is going to be an amazing missionary!

Oh yeah I'll be home in Oregon in less than a year now. So that kinda freaks me out. Less than a year left and every day is a count down! Not really, I'm not counting. Just need to make the most of every day in the mission because it's the best and you only get one chance like this! I've got nothing more to write, I just love the mission and I've come to seriously enjoy it. And we'll be baptizing soon. The 2 most probably are Esteban and Hector sooooo we'll see what happens soon.

That's it and all I've got time for! Love you guys, the church is true and I know it!

Elder Nelson

The Caguas Boyzzz

I got a huge McFlurry in a 32 ounce cup and a selfie with the workers in McDonalds (while on an exchange) to mark the fact that I go home in 1 yearrrrrrrrrr pa la casa!

Just enjoying the work. It's amazing.

Wow this week was sooooooo cool. We worked our butts off!

It seems like we were just really good at making good use of our time this week. Elder Colon has taught me a ton about talking to everyone. It was so funny because it's happened like 4 times where we're walking on the side walk and he runs into me because he tries to cross the street to talk to a guy walking the other way! He's got what they call the greenie fire! But really his example has taught me a lot and has helped me to open up more and just share the gospel the way it was meant to be shared. I just thought it was seriously funny how we like crash into each other because he's so anxious to talk to people! Great example to me though.

There wasn't exactly anything super exciting this week, we just worked a ton and found lots of new investigators and worked a lot with the members. Elder Colon is picking up Spanish super fast too. He's so easy to train! But probably one of the coolest parts of the week was on Saturday. We had a lesson lined up with a member and everything, but then they called like 30 minutes before to tell us that they weren't going to be home. Nuts. You can't just lose a member present lesson like that! So we decided to not even tell the member that they cancelled. We thought and prayed a lot about who we could visit. Then in my head popped a name, Julio. He's a guy I had visited a few times but lives pretty far away. But with the member we could get there. So we went, not knowing if he would be there either! But we got there and it was an inspired lesson. The member became a really good friend of the investigator, totally clicked, and the conversation we had to begin lead directly into a conversation about the Book of Mormon. And it was cool because Elder Colon explained the history of the Book of Mormon and everything and then said, "but my companion can explain it better". But Julio the investigator just sat there smiling and said, "no, I understood everything. I'm so glad you have brought this book to me, I had never heard of it before." Literally it was an inspired lesson and I know we were directed to that house!

Second cool thing, on Sunday we had already gotten one investigator to church named Hector. He was there early and situated, but we had another that said he was coming. His name is Esteban and he's an old investigator in the area but now he's really changing and wants to be baptized. He said he would come. 9:15 and hadn't showed up. So I was like silently praying and then right before the sacrament was passed, he showed up. His tire had blown up on the way, he changed it, and still came to church. What commitment. The thing is, he is like half handicapped, he has a leg that doesn't walk right. So for him to still make it to church and almost on time just blew my socks off. Love the guy, he'll be baptized soon too!

It was just a super cool week. I don't have a whole lot more to say because we just worked a ton. I didn't even think to take pictures. BUT I'M ALMOST TO A WHOLE YEAR wow how crazy huh?

Anyways, I know that this work is directed by the Lord. It is His work. There is nothing better than serving a mission, I can promise that. I've come to a point where as I have to train a new missionary, I love the mission. I tell him every day how great the mission is because when you really try to dedicate yourself to the work, you can just enjoy it. It's amazing.

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

Meet my son/greenie

Wow so this week was nuts!

On Tuesday I left Caguas at 10am and got back at like 7 pm. I was helping people move their suitcases and stuff until 5 when I got to pick up my son/greenie! His name is Elder Colon, he's from Miami, Florida and his dad is from Puerto Rico. So everywhere we go, people ask, "hey are you from here?" and he says in his broken but ever improving Spanish "no but my dad is" and then they talk about a ton of other things that don't apply to their original question. But that's Puerto Rico! hahaha.

But he seriously surprised me when we went out to work this week. He taught me a ton about the importance of opening our mouths. He might not know all the words he needs in order to contact someone completely, but because he knows how to say "hey do you want a card with a picture of Jesus Christ?" we've found some truly cool people this week that we would've passed over in a normal day. Definitely learned from him!

This week we also had to help the Zone Leaders from Aguas Buenas move down into Caguas. So now there's 8 missionaries in Caguas and 2 more living with us. So the house has been a mess this week with all the furniture and stuff from their old house. It's been crazy and stressful and has felt like a super short week. But it was cool because we can see progress! We have investigators that are so close to baptism but just need to make the decision and need to come to church. With a couple named Jose and Maria, we made a break through after we almost lost them. It was such a cool lesson.

Explanation- we went and wanted to watch the Restoration movie. So we did. But they lost the remote to the tv so we couldn't change the language to Spanish. So I had to translate the whole thing for them! But even though I translated, we all still felt the spirit and the member we were with helped a ton. So there is progress and we should baptize soon, I can feel it.

Other than that, that is it for the week. Lots of moving and arranging and working and stuff and teaching and it's been interesting having to teach most of the lesson, makes me think about how to teach better and how I can help Elder Colon to be able to take part in the lessons.

I love you all and I hope you all remember that the church is true. This is His gospel and His work. I'm so grateful to be here working on His time, with His children. It's an honor.

Elder Nelson!!!

With my son/greenie, Elder Colon

 At transfers I found mi gordito Elder Sueroooooo! (above) and also Elder Moran (below) 

Zone Conference picture -- May 2016

Zone Conference -- May 2016