It's been rough but we love the work

WEPA!!

This week was BRUTAL... but with a Spanish accent ya know, hahahaha

No but really this week was kinda a struggle for us.

Monday, all our plans fell through. So we went and found an old contact we had made like a month ago. They let us in and we taught them but it was one of the most unfocused lessons I've ever been in. The grandma was completely deaf and didn't understand a thing, the kids were nuts and the couple we were teaching just wasn't fully there. But, they said that if they received an answer, they would be baptized. So like sweet! We thought...

We had transfers on Tuesday and so we were out of the house from 8am until 9:30pm driving all over the island taking missionaries to their new areas. It was cool. But not an excuse for not having success in the week!

So Wednesday we went to an area that we had never been to before and began to contact. We taught a less active who apparently has a problem with someone in the ward and because of that, he now goes to a Protestant church or something. Although he said he knows the church is true. Long story short, it was a really long day of contacting and we didn't end up finding any new investigators. We were kinda tired walking the long trek back to the main part of town when we saw a couple walking on the side of the road like by the exit from the freeway. I'll just tell you that this is a really weird place to see people walking. So we talked with them and they were suuper cool! It was just one of those contacts where you just say "wow they seem really prepared".

Thursday our plans also all fell through! It was just turning into a rough week!

Friday I was on an exchange with Elder Bradford here in San German. And we had super sweet lessons planned but then in the end, nobody was home, the members couldn't help us, etc. Rough day.

But then we got to Saturday and that's when we really saw the hand of the Lord in the work! We had to leave for stake conference at like 4:15 to help present something in the 5pm session, but we felt that before we left we should visit a guy we had taught a week ago, but the second appointment had fallen through. And he lives far away. So before we left we made it out to his house and the dude was sad. Super sad. Turns out a friend of his had just died and it hit them all really hard. He let us share a message with him and in the end we had him smiling and laughing about a chicken! He accepted a baptismal date for the 28th of February and is actually married already. So we're hoping that when we get the chance to talk with his wife this week, that she'll be on board and they can be a little 2-3 week miracle!! I know we were told to pass by his house for a reason. I know he felt the spirit.

Sunday was also a really cool day for us! It was about 7 at night and we had had a pretty decent day, but we were in an area that was just kinda dead. So we continued contacting and then we remember a house we had contacted a while ago. It always smelled like cigarettes and honestly I didn't really wanna go inside... I judged pretty hard for the smell. BUT MAN WHEN WE GOT IN THERE TEACHING IT WAS LIKE THE RESTORATION OF THE GOSPEL CAME ALIVE FOR THEM. They understood the Restoration and the need for it so well. Jose, who's about 55 I think, was super interested and accepted the baptismal date for the 28th as well! Super cool lesson and I know now that God does not discriminate on any level! He want's all to hear the gospel!!

I know that the Lord guides the path of His missionaries and that He is preparing them to receive us. This is His true church and it is guided by a living prophet!

Quote from President Boucher about the struggling Mayaguez Zone this week "the island of Tortola, that has one companionship of elderly missionaries, baptized more this last weekend than the Mayaguez Stake."

IT'S BEEN ROUGH BUT WE LOVE THE WORK. We know that if we give it our all, the Lord will bless us!

Love you all!

Zack

 Transfers car pic

Elder Thronton at transfers!

Pictures from about 7 weeks ago, at the beginning of the transfer when I became ZL

 Saying goodbye to Maria! 

 Transfers! Hermana Keith (from my MTC group) went home 

The lineage! (Zack with his son, Elder Colon (middle) and Zack's grandson on the left) 

His work

Hey everyone!

This was a crazy week but it was actually pretty cool.

On Wednesday it was my birthday and it was awesome because we had MLC (Mission Leader Council) and got to be in air conditioning for most of the day and got to eat good food and stuff. But it was cool for me because we got home at 6pm after driving a crazy long drive and we had about an hour before we had to go to a meeting in the chapel. So we prayed and really thought about our options, about how to make this one hour as well-used as possible. We felt that we needed to go visit a 22 year old guy named Michael who says he's atheist. He's really cool and friendly but thinks that God won't respond to him because he didn't respond to him years ago when he asked if He was real. I'm not really sure how he felt in the lesson but it just really strengthened my testimony that I have a loving Heavenly Father that wants the best for us and wants us to reach our divine potential! He really truly loves us and gave us everything so that we can have a good life, and as we taught the lesson I just really realized that He lives, and sent His son to earth to pave the path for us to make it back to him!

Other cool experiences...

On an exchange in Isabela on Thursday I was out with Elder Thornton and we taught a lady and her son in their garage and we both thought "wow this is going to be a rough lesson here in the garage" but man! It was super cool! We basically taught the whole restoration of the gospel and talked about how they can be an eternal family and then out of nowhere the mom says "I like that... I was told a few months ago that in about a year I'll be completely blind... I already can't legally drive". And I was like wow that just changed my whole perspective. It's amazing what the Lord will do in our lives to help us get through the trials!

In sacrament meeting on Sunday it was really cool. Being fast and testimony meeting, sometimes it gets a little awkward at some points. But then the bishop asked some of the recent converts to share their testimonies and wow it just changed the atmosphere of the meeting. They all have such different testimonies but each one helped me to understand the power of prayer and how it really does help and change our lives. It's amazing what the gospel can do if we really put it into practice!!

So transfers snuck up on us really fast! Elder Corales is going to stay here in San German with me another transfer. This is going to be his 6th transfer in the area! But we're pumped and we know we have a lot of people we can baptize!

I know that this is His work and that this is His church. He guides it and if we allow him to, He will guide us! I know that He wants us to be happy, that families can be together forever through the authority that is in His restored church.

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

MLC (Mission Leader Council) on my birthday, 2-1-17

exchange last week with Elder Cook and Elder Valdez

the breakfast that Elder Corales made me on my birthday 

with the Sister Training Leaders from Mayaguez after MLC

With Pedro Juan!

with Elder Gil and Elder Corales

Weeks go faster and faster!

Hey hey hey!

Man the weeks get faster and faster and faster! It's crazy, every week it feels like I don't even have time to work in my own area! But things are good. We've found some really cool people lately and we're just working to get them to church and set baptismal dates with them.

We've had some really cool experiences teaching families lately, especially one the other day that turns out to be really good friends with a member in the ward named Nestor. But they didn't come to church. So hopefully they'll keep their commitments and do their reading for the next appointment so that we can set a date with them!

The zone ended the month with only 4 baptisms... which is ten less than the goal we set. Kinda sad, but February is looking like a good month for the zone and for us, if we can get some baptisms here! The zone looks like we'll have at least 15 baptisms if everything continues the way it's going!

On Friday/Saturday we did a weird exchange with the elders of San Sebastian. I went up there and stayed in a trio with one companionship, and the other companionship that works in the area went down to San German with Elder Corales. It was super cool and really fun, and I think we all learned quite a bit about being better missionaries!

On Sunday, the member Nestor gave us food and man he cooked like enough to feed an army and we ate it aaaaalllllll. It was super good. Nestor is super funny though hahaha.

It's crazy that this transfer is almost over! Idk even know what else to say because I can't remember what happens in the week.

I KNOW that this is His work. This is His church. It was restored through Joseph Smith and is guided through a prophet in these latter days! The true authority of God is on the earth, and is available for the blessing of every single one of His children. The only way to know if these things are true is through sincere prayer, and He will answer!

Love you all!!

Elder Nelson

I have pics from this week but the computer isn't recognizing my camera...

Let's Go!!

HEY!!

So this week went by super super duper fast and it was crazy and we did a ton of work but it didn't quite play out like we had hoped. I'm out of time but I just want you all to know that I love you and I know that this is His church!! He guides it through a living prophet in these last days.

Stay happy, because this is THE LORD'S WORK

WOOOOOOO LET'S GO!!!

#EveryMemeberAMissionary

Love,

Elder Nelson

Mayaguez Zone doing good!

This week went by really fast and it probably felt that way because I wasn't even present in my own area for like 3 days this week!

On Tuesday we had our first Zone Meeting and I was kinda nervous to teach in it but all together I think it went super well. We're seeing some super cool results from the zone lately and it's just awesome to see how the missionaries respond to things that the Lord wants them to do in His work! For 2 straight weeks, the Mayaguez Zone has had the most lessons with members present which is super cool. And this last week we found 94 new investigators, which seems like it never really happened before in this zone!

Wednesday I was on an exchange in Cabo Rojo with Elder Herrera and it was kinda rough because we left the house and immediately we got poured on. But we ended up having a good day and I think we both learned some really cool concepts. Thursday I was here in San German and it was cool, we had a good day but honestly I have no idea what happened that day.

We've found a lot of really cool families lately and it's been super cool but really weird. Every time we find a family they're really awesome and seem to be interested but then when we go back they're not there or they're ignoring us or something! It's weird. But we'll see. Somebody's gotta get baptized here soon!

Saturday I was on an exchange in Guaynabo with Elder Wayman. So we had to drive the 2 hours up there Friday night and got there at like 11:30 and then went out and had a really cool day on Saturday. Like it felt really short but we had some really solid lessons and I learned a lot from Elder Wayman. (oh yeah, he's an assistant to the President, so as I'm a new ZL they have to do an exchange with me). But it was really cool! Then we drove the 2 hours home Saturday night.

Sunday we had a cool Stake Conference. It was actually just a satellite conference with some of the 12 Apostles, specifically for the Caribbean members. This March, Elder Andersen will be coming to Puerto Rico and will be staying a week. So maybe I'll get to meet him!!

That was really the week. It wasn't like super great but we're learning and soon we should hopefully have someone (or a family) to baptize. Just working out the quirks right now.

This is His work and His church and I know it with all my heart. If anyone lacks this testimony, all you have to do is read and pray. He will answer!!

Love you all!

Zack

 after the exchange with Elder Wayman

little bit of San German!

MAN THIS WEEK WAS SWEET!

Ok, so here goes...

Really there wasn't a whole ton of stuff that happened, we just worked like crazy and found 20 new investigators this week! We found some solid families and had some solid lessons and it was just a really fun week for working.

I don't even remember half of the things that happened this week. We went out with a member on Tuesday to go to a lesson but all of our plans fell through. So we ended up contacting with him and we got 2 lessons and 3 new investigators with him. The people just seemed to receive us like crazy this week, and I think a lot of it comes from us being willing to talk with everyone. We literally try to contact everyone that we see. Especially families and that has been super successful for us.

On Wednesday we had to get up early at like 5:45 to be able to leave early and drive from San German to Guayanabo for MLC (Missionary Leadership Council). So we were pooped and had to drive like 2 hours to get there. But we got there and President was all pumped about some activity they wanted to do. So we all got in the big white mission van (there's 20 of us, Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) and we went out to Old San Juan where they had us run around and do a scavenger hunt. We were in teams of ZL and STL from our respective zones and had an hour to run around Old San Juan and find random stuff. We had tons of fun and we were sure that we were going to win but then... we lost, hahahahaha, but it was really fun! Then we ate and a bird pooped on me and stained my tie. Then we went to President's house and we had the real meeting and it was super cool. It's interesting to hear him teach in English, he's even more powerful! It's just a spiritual feast coming out of President's house!

On Thursday we had a super cool lesson with the cousins of a recent convert family that Elder Corales baptized a month ago. Super cool, but the sisters are going to have to teach them because there's only women in the house and ya know. But anyways, they'll get baptized either way!

On Friday a crazy lady took us all over town. She was pushing her 17 year old son around in a stroller because he can't walk... we started helping her with the stroller to get them home because she was pushing up a giant hill. But then she took us all over town because she had no idea where she lived!!! We literally pushed her stroller for like an hour and a half!! It was nuts...

On Sunday we were able to bring 9 people to church!! We found a family of 7 on Friday and they committed to come to church and to a baptismal date for the 28th! AND THEY ALL CAME TO CHURCH. Plus 2 other investigators we found. So it was awesome.

And we found out today that Mayaguez, the smallest zone, had the most lessons with member present this last week. So that's super cool to hear!! Things are super good!

I don't even have time nor do I remember everything that happened this week. It was just super cool.

Love you all!

Zack

MLC scavenger hunt

 Elder Corales found a Coqui

Mission Leadership Council in Old San Juan

San German

So this week was interesting! San German is a really cool area, but man it's super different from San Juan!! It's all rural... just a lot of trees and farms and stuff! But it's really cool and the ward here is awesome. The bishop really knows what he's doing and is super involved in the missionary work. So that part is really good!

This week before I left San Juan, Penelope and her family took us out to ice cream and it was super fun just hanging out with them. We were all sitting there around a fountain in the plaza eating our ice cream and all of a sudden Penelope dropped her ice cream and it landed like so stereotypically perfect on the ground like it happened in a movie or something. And Penelope was just super funny. She just sat there and said "Welp. It wasn't worth eating anyway!" She makes me laugh so much, hahahaha. After going out with them, we went and said goodbye to Maria and her family.

Tuesday was transfers... And that was a long day. Like not really, but we just kinda hung around all day, then at 5 we went to Guayanabo to the trainers meeting where all the greenies and their trainers meet for the first time. I got to meet my grandson! I don't remember his name... but he's from Colorado. So that was cool. And then we left from Guayanabo at 6. The thing is, San German is 2.5 hours away from Guayanabo... So we had to drive and drive and drive to San German. Then we had to go even further to take other missionaries to home in Cabo Rojo. So we got home at about 9pm and I was pooped. So that was transfers. But Elder Corales is super cool. He's from Panama and is in my group. Amazing missionary and I'm pumped to work with him.

Most of the week was spent contacting, but we did find some cool people and set 2 new baptismal dates. One of them is Santos Silva, who was an old investigator that Corales had but they dropped him and so we went back and he's been reading the Book of Mormon for a while and is on like page 237 or something cool like that. So he's got a date now. And the daughter of a family that Corales baptized last transfer now has a date too, she didn't get baptized with the fam because she had to stop drinking coffee. But now she's ready!

I went on an exchange with Elder Russell on Saturday in Aguadilla. It was really cool. He's full Native American, and he doesn't have very good Spanish yet but the guy just goes out there and talks!! It was really cool to see.

The zone is good, we're just focusing a lot this coming week on setting new baptismal dates and getting people to church with the help of the members. Hopefully we can see some progress here in the Mayaguez zone!

Love you all, hope you had a good Christmas! This is His church and wants us all to have the truth!!

Love,

Zack

Saying goodbye to Penelope!