Nutty week and a bee sting!

This week was crazy!! Seriously it was a nutty week. Everything I didn't expect to happen, happened. Fasten your seat belts.

Monday was a normal Pday. Nothing too special. I don't even remember what we did. Seriously this whole week has been a big mess in my head.

Tuesday we went to Aguadilla for the District Meeting, which is like an hour from hour house. On the way home, IT STARTED TO POUR. But pour like flooding the streets. Like the water on the freeway was like a foot deep and the Boricuas were going crazy. We got back to San German late because nobody seems to like to drive in the rain... I feel like that's a skill that's only acquired in Oregon honestly. But we got back and we went and taught Natasha and had a solid lesson. Then we had to take off again to go to San Sebastian for a meeting with President Boucher and the stake president.

Wednesday we went out and did some service with a member in the morning. All was good until we had done about half an hour of work and we were moving branches and stuff that was in a pile next to where we needed to work to put up the fence we were making. And all of a sudden I heard a bee so I ignored it but it followed me everywhere I went. I lost my patience and started to wave my arms around trying to hit it and kill it or something... honestly Idk why I thought that was a good idea... because then I heard like tons of bees hahhhahahaa and they started to sting me!! The others that were there yelled "stand still and they won't do anything to you!" Hahahahaa that was a mistake. They were already super mad and they started to sting everyone and then all at once we went running and screaming up the hill to the house and ended up standing under a sprinkler trying to kill the bees with the water. It was a real rough hour there as we were fighting with all the bees trying to hit them all with water before they got to us and could sting us. One bee got me good right on the eyelid.

Later in the day we had a super cool lesson with a couple named Angel and Michelle. They're super awesome! We talked about the plan of salvation and they understood really well. We took Hermano Olmo with us and man the man knows his doctrine!! Like Herbert, sometimes he looks like he's falling asleep in the lessons, but then he hears something he likes and boom he pulls out his Book of Mormon and the thing is marked up and down and he just goes off explaining in a way that helps everybody understand better. Olmo is amazing.

Thursday I woke up and my eye was so swollen I couldn't open it. So I started taking Benadryl and icing the eye, at like 8:30 I was knocked out in the chair at my desk, hahaha, the Benadryl took full effect! The day was kinda rough but we did get to teach Herbert. He was super excited to be baptized in that lesson and we finally finished teaching everything that he needs to know!

Thursday night my eye was open and a little less swollen, but Friday morning I woke up and it was swollen shut again! So I just said alright I'm done, and we went to the hospital. Everyone just stared at me weird as I walked in hahahaha but they hooked me up to an IV and started pumping Benadryl and an anti-inflammatory into me. And man that was literally the best 3 hours of sleep I've had in a looooong time. It was awesome. It just knocked me out

Saturday Herbert had his baptismal interview. He passed! But he has some doubts about tithing because he literally doesn't have money to pay a full tithe like he wants to. So he didn't want to get baptized. But on Sunday he came to church with a white shirt and tie!! It was super cool to see him in church all dressed up. We're pretty confident that he'll be baptized this next weekend with Natasha. It'll be cool.

On Sunday... Wow Sunday was a mess. Church was really good! After church we ate with Nestor and then left for Trujillo Alto for a mission meeting. We got there on time and it was a super good meeting! The spirit was super strong. It was just a big testimony meeting about Christ and the Atonement. But on the way home... We were passing Caguas at like 8pm- already like 30 minutes from Trujillo Alto going home, when the Cabo Rojo sisters call us and say, "Hey guys we're lost" and so we're like alrighty where are you? And they were SUPER LOST and we had to turn around and go find them. It was a mess. We got home at 11:30 after finding them and leading them back to the west side of the island. Goodness gracious. But it was a fun adventure.

I know that my Savior lives. He loves me and suffered for all of my sins, so that I can be clean and return to live with my Heavenly Father someday. His love is infinite. He suffered, he was crucified, and he was resurrected on the third day. He lives and leads His church on the earth today. As a representative of Jesus Christ, I testify that He is our Lord and Savior. He lives and loves unconditionally!

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

con el ojo INCHA'O (I got stung on the eyelid, hahahahahaha)

Us with the Olmo's in La Parguera today!

La Parguera

Man MIRACLES are awesome!

This week was super cool! Honestly we've been working just to see miracles. And it's paid off. It has really paid off. When we act with REAL faith, the Lord can work miracles in our lives. But if we just settle, then there's no faith and there's no miracles. NEVER STOP PROGRESSING. To build our faith, it requires that we take leaps of faith every day.

Man MIRACLES are awesome! Herbert Santiago, he's 82. But the dude is progressing a ton and I truly believe that it's because of the testimonies of the members that have gone with us. Honestly in every lesson I just feel like giving up because it always sounds like he's not going to accept what we teach him and ask him to do... but then when you least expect it, he makes some comment out of the blue and we're like, “YES THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HEAR.” Example: We taught him the Sabbath day. But he wasn't really into it. He was like, "well I have my agency and I can do what I want. If I don't like red apples I don't have to eat them." And I was like oh crap he's not going to commit to keep the Sabbath day holy. Then at the end he says, "but I know it's right and I'm going to church on Sunday!" So that was awesome. And he came and he loved it again!

Second miracle. Julio is a recent convert of Elder Corales. He got baptized like a month before I got to San German. And now he's the assistant to the Ward Mission Leader. He helps a lot when he can to visit people and he's been a huge help with Herbert! But the best part of the week was on Saturday. We had a meeting about the missionary work and Nestor (the ward mission leader) says, "ok so who have we got preparing to be baptized?" And we mentioned all our investigators. Then Julio says "write down 'Natasha Gonzalez' please" and I was like WHAT but nobody else knew who she was because I had met her before. We were already going out with Julio to do visits after the meeting, so while we were out we stopped by his house and talked with Natasha. She was super sick so we gave her a Priesthood blessing and talked a little, and just ended by inviting her to church. Then in the car back home, Julio says "yeah Natasha told me she wants to be Mormon" And we just kinda sat there like struck dumb hahaha. On Sunday, she came to church and loved it and got signed up for a young single adult trip they're doing. But get this. She came to church completely healthy. She said that 30 minutes after we left, she was fine. She didn't have to take any of the medicine they had bought her. She couldn’t even talk when we were there, but she came to church talking like nothing had ever happened. The Priesthood is real!

So after church we went and visited them and taught the Restoration and it was a super solid lesson. She's super prepared and has some of the best help that anyone could ever have as someone learning more about the church. She accepted a date for the 22nd! Honestly there are miracles all over the place if we just have faith and work for them!

AND the zone has a goal of 22 baptisms in April. Which sounds kinda like a long shot considering we only got like 4 last month. The last week on March, the zone had 0 baptismal dates for April. Now we have 29 dates as a zone and people are pumped to reach the goal. It's been really rewarding to work lately. There's just been a lot of cool stuff happening!

I love the mission. I know that this is His true church. He died for us and was resurrected so that we too can be resurrected. I know that He is the head of this church and guides it through a living prophet. All the truths and ordinances we have today, were restored through living prophets. We truly are blessed to know the truth! Happy Easter!!

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

T-minus 9 weeks woop woop

Just realized it's been 3 weeks and I don't have a single picture with Elder Arteaga... I'll get it this week. Woop woop

Oh, plus I hope you've all gone to mormon.org by now and seen the video that came out recently about Christ, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. It's really cool. Share it please!

me and Elder Cook

me and Elder Lopez

We made some mexican food with a family yesterday. I don't remember what it's called but it was really good! The thing is, that it takes a lot of work to make just a little bit of food...

General Conference hits you in the heart!

GENERAL CONFERENCE ESTA BRUTAL hahaha no but really it just hits you in the heart!

This week was a week of small miracles, being able to teach some people that have a lot of potential. So here's an update:

Herbert Santiago: He's 82 and he's super smart and even though it seems like he sleeps in our lessons, he's always paying attention. We were super worried about teaching him the Word of Wisdom this week because he says he's a salve to the coffee... and he has a baptismal date for the 15th. But we taught it and then at the end of the lesson asked him "so... will you commit to it?" And then his granddaughter walks in and says, "Herbert doesn't drink coffee. He's gone a whole week without it!" LIKE WHOA WHAT A MIRACLE!! So we were able to talk a little more and he's really really wanting to be ready to be baptized on the 15th! I know that it was our preparation and concern for him that made it possible for him to feel the need to drop the coffee a week early. Still don't know why he did it, but it's an answer to our prayers.

Carlos Reyes: He's about 40 years old. I contacted him with Elder Corales about 3 weeks ago and we didn't have a lot of contact. He was really interested in the Book of Mormon. So the other day I just texted him and we got him to agree to come to the church for a lesson. And man it was powerful teaching the Restoration in the chapel to a man who's completely open to it. But he didn't want to commit to a baptismal date. Work in progress ;)

Jean Luis: He's a new 19 year old we found the other day. We taught a solid Restoration to him and he seemed to really think about the possibility of having an eternal family. He has a lot of potential as well!

Conference really in the end I think just made me love the mission even more... The strength in being able to testify that we have a living prophet on the earth is amazing. I've felt the truth in that statement as I've testified of in and heard the testimonies of others this week. I love being a part of the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that it may be hard at times, but for that reason the prophet and the apostles gave us direct revelation on how to combat the obstacles!! It's true and all we have to do is simply live the principles of the gospel.

It's been raining a ton here which reminds me of OREGON!

10 weeks hahahahaa WOOOOOOOO

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

Me and Elder Mancilla (greenie). Wendy's parking lot exchange, photo at 9 at night. 

New Comp, working hard & a Zone activity!

This week was really good!

Tuesday night we got home at like 9:30 after being on the road all day! We had transfers, so it was just a crazy day. And there are 21 new missionaries in Puerto Rico! So I was in charge of driving some of them around from President's house to the chapel where they meet their trainers and stuff. It was fun and stressful. But it's always cool to see the new missionaries and feel their love for the work!

We worked super hard during the week and we saw the fruits. We worked a lot with the members and taught an old guy named Herbert. He's been an investigator for a while and had a baptismal date but now he has another one and came to church on Sunday and loved it! It was really cool to have him there, he was super happy.

We've really been working to help the Young Single Adults work more in the work, and this week I think we saw more excitement from them and we were able to also find some cool younger people that have potential to progress in the gospel.

Today we had a Zone activity and we got to play water balloon volleyball and some other games in Mayaguez in a park close to the beach. It was really cool to just laugh and relax with the zone and have fun together. As a zone we came to the conclusion that we want to baptize 22 people in April. That's a huge number and has never been achieved before... so here we go! We really got to break it down and talk about how we're going to do it. So we're really positive about this goal and we're hoping we can achieve it!

Elder Arteaga is a really good companion (my new companion, he’s from Mexico). He wants to work hard and is really centered on working with the members and doing activities and stuff. So we're going to try and do more activities to see if we can get a younger crowd to come to church!

This truly is His work and I can see it more than ever. Now is the time that the Lord needs our help to bring to pass all that he has planned for His children. I know that this is His true church.

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

Elder Bradford (the big one), Elder Willes (smaller one), and me at the Zone activity

Elder Arteaga selfie

With Elder Corales and Bishop Rodriguez

it just makes you love the mission!

Man I can't keep track of the time anymore! I swear I try to do something and all of a sudden the time is gone or gets used in something else. I have no idea how President Boucher can manage the whole mission. This week was full of surprises and some let downs, but we did see a really cool miracle.

Things have been rough as a zone. Only the sister missionaries in the zone have been baptizing. The elders in the zone haven't had a baptism in over 3 months. Which is rough, really rough. So we've been trying to figure out what's going on... but things just continue the same!

The baptism we were supposed to have on Saturday fell through. We had a 9 year old boy lined up to be baptized but apparently his family wasn't ready to support him or something... we passed by like 3 times in 2 days and nobody would answer us or tell us what was going on. Basically they kinda shut us out. But hopefully now we understand the situation a little better and now we can work a little slower to prepare him to be baptized.

On Sunday we out to another city that I had never worked in and we felt that we had to talk with a dad and his 16 year old son who were playing a pretty serious 1v1 game of basketball. So we kinda stopped the game and talked with them and they were super cool! The dad was like in love with the Book of Mormon and wants to come to church and looks like they both have some serious potential! So in the midst of so many distractions and the craziness of the week and the stress we have encima, I think we found a little miracle and we'll see what comes of it!

On Saturday we got to go to a conference with Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the 12, and it was awesome! The spirit was so strong there. I also got to shake his hand so no big deal... But he talked a lot about helping the Young Single Adults to bring their friends to church and it's so true! They know everybody and are way better at talking to their friends than we are! So that's our goal, is work more with the YSA. Literally you could just feel how inspired his talk was... Goodness gracious it just makes you love the mission. After the conference I felt like I never want the mission to end!

I know that this is His church. We are the only ones that can do His work because we have the truth! The Restored Gospel is what every person needs, even if they don't recognize it right now.

Love you all!

Elder Nelson

T-minus 86 days hahahha wooooooooo

With Elder Corales and Sergio Eynar (a recent convert) in the San German plaza

With my companion, Elder Corales

Working hard in the Zone!

This week was so hectic. It's been really mentally straining lately to try and get everything done plus work in our own area. With Zone meetings and meetings with President Boucher and exchanges and all kinds of stuff just make it really stressful. But we manage, good life practice I guess, hahaha.

So last week we had a huge miracle with Yaniel (the 9 year old boy) coming to church. We went and visited him again this week and we were able to set a baptismal date with him for the 18th! The only problem is that like 80% of his family are less active members so they don't really give him the support he deserves. He really only gets support from an aunt and an uncle who were the ones that brought him to church. But then yesterday they didn't even come to church! So Yaniel didn't get to come and we have to see how we're going to finish the prep to get him baptized.

On Tuesday we were in Mayaguez for a Zone meeting and President showed up and helped us a lot with the teaching in the meeting. He always brings a spirit that we can never nail. Then we talked with him about the zone and went back to San German for like an hour, had an appointment with Herbert (who's our 83 year old investigator) and then we went back up to Mayaguez and met with President again to talk about the zone over dinner at Denny’s. Which was really good. Then we went up to San Sebastian to a meeting with the Stake President to talk about the work. Then we went out to Cabo Rojo for an exchange and I stayed there working with Elder Bradford. It was a pretty solid exchange, there's just lots of problems in the zone right now. Not a lot of success.

Saturday we were both in Aguadilla all day working with the elders there. It was super hot and sunny. Which killed my face. I didn't have any sun block- not that I usually use it anyway... but my face got destroyed in the sun! It was really cool though working in Aguadilla. We found one guy that was super cool. We walked past his house once, then walked past it again and I felt like we should talk to him but we didn't stop. Then his son kicked a ball into the street and I went and got it and we had the opportunity to talk with him and he was super cool! Just the small miracles make the day worth it, especially when you listen to the spirit!

Love,

Elder Nelson

Aguadilla exchange with Elder Higgins and Elder Martinez

March MLC meeting (Mission Leader Council)

Just small little miracles! Prayers are answered.

Honestly this week was like the week of prayers being answered. We've worked so hard lately to try and find a baptism and finally our prayers were answered but it took a ton of work!

We spent a whole week from 9 to 10:20pm searching through old area books and records that the missionaries have made in the past, looking for people that would have interest in the gospel and could be baptized in March. Friday night at like 10pm we finally found what we thought we were looking for, but it was a long shot. So we went out on Saturday and found the family and it turns out the family had been living outside our area for like 6 years and just the other day moved back to San German! So we found them and found the little boy and asked his aunt and uncle to bring him to church on Sunday. AND THEY BROUGHT HIM TO CHURCH AND HE LOVED IT. It was super cool. Just small little miracles!

We also found two really cool couples in places that I had no idea we would find them. We were out in the middle of nowhere and found these 2 couples that were super cool.

That was the week really. Just lots of work and searching and finally it paid off and we saw a miracle!

I know that prayers really do get answered, just not in our time!

Love you all!

Elder Nelson