El-Spanish-O getting better-O all the time-O

Week number three.....and it sounds like he's doing well.  ......Although, his companion doesn't sound like he's doing so well.  Maybe read along and tell me what you think.  I have a healthy dose of motherly concern for his companion.  

Hi mom, dad, family, and everyone -

I havent seen Mav or Taylor yet, but I have no clue when they got here. I have a funny story for you!  On tuesday, when all the greenies were supposed to come in, there was a monsoon here. We went outside to play volleyball for gym, porque nosotros jugamos al volleyball cada dia por gimnasio (um.....did he mean to say that in Spanish?....just wondering?), and the weather was fine. Then as soon as we started playing, it started to rain. And not just rain. I think it was probably the biggest rainstorm I have ever seen!!!!!!!  After two minutes we were soaked, and we played for an hour!!!  It was really one of the best times I've had here! And it rained until about 7 like that!!!!!!!!!!  But because of that, no greenies came in that night. I think they had to fly to a safe airport for the night or something. So I think they came in yesterday, but i havent seen them yet! But guess who i did see!! Linsey Lomax, the girl from my soccer team that always said sorry haha!! she came in last night, and I said hi! Just thought you guys should know ;)  (I love that he writes with SO MANY exclamation points!....he's a happy kid) :)

 

Good on ya Tyler, I've heard Real dates are the best ;)  (Tyler has a date this week to a Real SL game - LOVE being 16!)

 

Addie, I do that too. (Addie's in the Chinese program at school, and sometimes will slip a little Chinese word in unintentionally) 

All the time. Its getting harder to write and say english words because we're supposed to be thinking in spanish...and even though we arent fluent, it still messes with our minds!

 

Emma, stay away from the drama! It will make you miserable! ;) (she's in jr. high.  'nuff said) :)

 

it still rains every day, and I really dont mind it.  My companion is stoic as ever, and sometimes I cant tell if he's just the way he is, or if he doesnt like me......I think its just the way he is though. He always translates these sayings like 'what do you know?' and one time he even said 'elder, I'm gonna kill you' in spanish...one thing I've noticed, he talks about death and pain quite a bit...it's really weird...but hey, I guess I probably need to learn something, we're with our companions for a reason, right?!

 

I'm reallly excited for conference, but I have no clue what it's going to be like! My group is really lucky, we got to be here for mexican independence day and general conference! It's da best! I love it!

 

We got to go to the temple this morning, and I actually understood alot of what they said! It's about an hour drive away, and let me tell ya, I'm not sure if I would feel safer with me controlling a car or a native driving...its crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! People get within an inch and a half of eachother, and it's kinda freaky!!!!!!! 

My spanish is coming, i can say a lot of stuff if I have a sec to think about it, but yeah, i know pretty much everything ;)

We've been learning about the Atonement alot recently, and how it can help us so that we can apply it and then help investigators apply it.  It's been really cool, because I was really homesick the other day, but after reading some scriptures (Alma 7:11) and watching videos,  I felt much better! The other day TALL the language computer program, wasnt working, so we watched mormon messages instead. I watched the one about Sid Going and what he gave up to go on a mission, and then what he got back from going on a mission, and that really helped me feel at peace too.

We pray about 30 times a day, in spanish, and thats a little spiritual in and of itself ;)

Love you guys! 

I sent you guys a letter this week, let me know when you get it!!

 

Love,

Elder Nelson

 

Hola from MEXICO!

So, I'm not sure if this is ultimately where I'll put all of Tanners stuff.....but for the time being - people are asking, and due to lack of time to figure anything else out at the moment -  I'll just post his first 2 weeks letters and some pictures here.

.....and can I just say OH, it does a mothers heart good to hear her missionary boy is doing great!

So.....first of all I have to put in a little disclaimer here......

For all you Nacho Libre fans out there - this picture is a shout our to you!  ....for those of you who lack culture and haven't seen it, this picture (especially up close) will seem, well....odd.  

But, it is what it is - and we all had a good laugh about it!

I just took some snippets of his two letters - so you can get the gist of what and how he's doing...

Mexico is nothing like I expected. It's rained every day here except for yesterday, which was really strange. And when I say it rains, it really rains!! They don't have a good drain system in the streets, so it's like walking through creeks! I've used my overshoes several times, and the first time I was putting them on everyone was making fun of me until we were walking on the sidewalk in three inches of water. That sure showed them!  The storms here are crazy because its monsoon season.  I’m also glad we fit my coat in my suitcase – I’ve used it a few times already.

I decided that I really AM a watch collector now, which isn’t weird because I have so many watches. I bought another one yesterday-$120, what a steal!!!!!   And don't worry, those aren't dollars, they're pesos.  It was less than ten bucks. haha!!

We've just been learning everything here...and mom and dad, there is a talk/article i want you guys to look up. Its called 'Trilogy of the Gospel' but I dont know who its by. Its so deep and soo coooL!!!!!  Its hard to understand though.  

Our schedule is a lot more normal now.  We have a night teacher, Hermano Salazar.  He is so funny!  He’s a native and only speaks Spanish, but he picks up a few English words and uses them in the funniest times! We are supposed to be teaching two lessons a day, and that gets a little crazy sometimes, but I'm not doing too shabby at Spanish! 

Heres some exciting news, I'm the new District Leader!!!!!!!!!!  They called me last Sunday. I love the power ;)   (JUST KIDDING), but I really do like being a leader, and I feel like I'm pretty good at it.  A few people have told me I’m doing a great job.

This week i've really started to miss my music...we can't listen to even motab or other church music here at el CCM, so this week has been rough ;) elders Redder and Chamberlain both like Mayday Parade, so we've sung a few songs in our gym time together ;) 

Sundays are great.  We go to priesthood, district meeting, and sacrament in the morning, then we have a fireside, study time/interviews with branch president, then a devotional video from when an apostle comes to the Provo MTC.  Then dinner, study time, and at 8 we get to watch a movie!   Last week was the new Joseph Smith movie about the Restoration - awesome!

There's this joke going around that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days...how true that is. Each day is a long but good day, and this past week has gone by quicker that it's felt!! Crazy!!

Also, we got to go to the Mexico city temple to do an endowment session...en espanol!! It was really cool, and the temple was beautiful! 

Last weekend was Mexican Independence Day, so all of last week they had Mexican treats and stuff at meals. On Saturday night, we got to watch a show some of the natives put on for us, they danced and sang and it was way cool!! They are all so proud to be Mexicans! Then on Sunday night at 11 we all met in the gym and watched the pres. of Mexico ring a gong. I didn’t understand it, but I guess it has national value. It was pretty cool!

Melquisedek the scripture case guy (just a side note from me....is that really his name?? .Melquisedek the scripture case guy......it sounds like he was BORN to sell scripture cases)  came last night! I think he made 1300 bucks off of my district and two other elders haha! They are so cool though!!  Mine is going to have captain moroni with the title of liberty on the front, and my name, mission, and enos 1:27 on the back!!!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!  (I guess the new one he just bought from Deseret Book is mucho lame-o when compared to the one he is getting from "the scripture case guy".  Not totally certain, but judging from the amount of exclamation points he just used, I think he's fairly excited).  

 

That's really all thats been happening here....if you can find a cheap way to send the stuff i'm missing, that'd be great, like with Taylor or Mav (He's got 2 friends that leave next week for the Mexico MTC) , if not, just send it when i'm in jersey! and yes, I do want the bright blue sweats. the ones I wore for morp please!! 

 

As we teach our lessons to our ‘investigator’, I try to be led by the spirit.  I'm writing in my journal every night, trying new food every day, and trying to be patient to go to New Jersey.

Love you guys!!

Elder Nelson

p.s. everyone in my district is so jealous of me because I've received three packages and a letter in the mail, and no one else has gotten anything but emails ;) keep up the good work!! ;)  Adios mi familia, buenos suertes con futbol, escuela, y corriendo!!!