Blessings, Mt. Dew, and a new favorite hymn!

Wahoo!  He made it to NewJersey, and we FINALLY got a picture from the mission home!  ....Did my heart good :)

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Dear Mom and family,

Okay, about missionary work. Those people you've been thinking of, seriously just don't even think about it, just invite them to church. I know it sounds crazy, but just do it. Or give them a B.o.M. Or just ask them what they think about God and start a conversation there. I know you've probably heard it a bajillion times, but people won't break off a friendship or anything if you talk to them about that stuff. We read a talk the other day that had several stories like that, and every single person that members talked to said something like "oh thank you, i've been curious about this" or "yeah, i've been meaning to ask you about that" so I'm not telling you what they're gonna say, but.....I kinda am. Even if they don't know it, they're interested in the church ;)

 

Elder Jellen did indeed go to Mtn View high, and he does indeed know Mr. Fong, I asked him that when on day one. However, he never took Mr. Fong's class, he only heard from his friends that Mr. Fong is hilarious and one of the best teachers ever, kudos to Mr. Fong. You can tell him I said that ;)

 

Last week was a crazy week! It started off kinda slow, but on wednesday we got 3 referrals, which exceeded our weekly goal!! We have yet to meet with these people, but they all seem really interested in the churhc!!! Thursday was zone conference, and that was AMAZING!!!!!!!!  I love the Jeppsons so so so sooo much, and yes, they do leave next July :/ so that's really sad....but zone conference was amazing!  I had been having a rough day on wedensday, and so it was an answer to my prayers! The mission focus for the month has been faith, so we talked alot about faith, and I really felt my faith strengthened! There was also a special musical number, three elders sang Be Still My Soul, and it was amaZing! New favorite hymn!! So I came home on thursday night ready to work. Thursday night we had an appointment with Laura, a member who is a HUGE help to us. We went to share a short message and to help her prepare a talk for sunday, and while we were there, I understood nearly everything that was said!! Ever since then I really haven't had much of a problem understanding what is being said, I just can't speak back to people haha! And so that's my major focus this week. Expanding my vocabulary and using my mouth to talk to people.

 

Last week was great about not feeling homesick, that is until last night. We went to have dinner over at Carlos (member, 23) Judith (member, Carlos' mom) and Andres (Judith's husband, Carlos' step dad's) house, and they had a guest, Lina, who is from Morristown, but is moving to Utah this week. Her son is coming home from his mission on wednesday, and she is not married, and he is an only child, so she was telling us about how hard the past two years have been and how she would have hated to serve a mission and how she never wanted to even, and then she found out that I've been out here for two weeks...and she proceeded to ask me about if I missed home and yadayadayadayada. She even told us that her son had wanted to extend his mission, but she had told him absolutely no because she missed him. So last night was kinda rough ;) But i'm better now! I promise!

 

We've given two more blessings for the sick this week, and we felt the spirit in both! The first was on saturday night, we received a call to go to the hospital and bless a man. We got there and found him, he was in Medical Intensive Care unit, I guess he had just had an aortic spasm or something, where his aorta had a weak point and just split. I think he'd been in the hospital since thursday. So we went, and there were a few people there. His wife, his son, his daughter, and a friend. The friend was converted about 5 years ago, the rest of the family was catholic, and our unconcious friend who needed the blessing was a Jew. The wife said that they knew how much the friend's faith meant to her, so when the friend offered to call the elders for a priesthood blessing, they accepted. They are from an area near here called Dover, they are in an English speaking area. Every member here is really good friends with the missionaries. It's kinda cool. Anyways, we explained what we were going to do, with the oil, then the blessing. The son asked the wife, "okay mom, what do you think. Would the Rabbi approve?" the mom quickly replied "oh i'm sure he would" but I wasn't so sure. It's okay, we gave the blessing, we felt the spirit, and we planted a seed of faith in the nonmember family, so that even if they don't take the discussions now, they're still friendly to the Mormons.

 

 I've been starting to get kinda discouraged lately. Our mission goal for baptisms in october was 37, and as of yesterday we have 47. But 0 of those come from us. We've gotten several refferalls recently, we've found many new investigators, just nobody here has time. Everyone comes from other countries to work, so we talk to people on the street, give them a pass along card, and get their number and address, but then we never see them again because they flipping work 24/7!!! That's the hardest part about being out here, nobody has time. We can work with people who are firmly set in their religious beliefs, but we can't work with people if we can't meet with them!!! So we get into this rut, we have set lessons, everyone cancels, and the only ones that don't cancel are the people who are already members that we meet with to see if they need any help and share a small message with. Gah!!! It's so frustratiNg!!!!!!!!!!!!! If we could just take away one small part of people's agency and just say, "okay, you are meeting with us weekly on monday at 7. You are meeting with us bi weekly because you're preparing for baptism, so tuesdays and thursdays at 4." and so on, and just meet with them for half an hour, I think we would have so much more success as far as baptisms go. But.....nobody has time for us poor elders :( please keep these people's busy schedules in your prayers ;)

 

Well, that's about all for this week. Thank you for your love and support, good luck in school, sports, work, dating, and resting!! Love you guys!! :)

 

Love,

 

Elder Nelson

I haven't yet, we don't get mail weekly...I think i'll either get it tomorrow or next tuesday hopefully....

 

P.S. a few things I forgot.

One, I might need an inhaler soon. 

Two: will you please either get me bro garner's email or tell him to email me?! And Nate Scott too! I did hear from Trever.

Also, just  with the next thing you send, in my nightstand at home by my bed, there should be a little blue marble. Would you mind throwing that in an envelope or something with your next letter? And with that would you find Ms. Merrell's email address, teaches AP english literature at layton? I have to thank her, she gave us each that marble and an important life lesson. Thank you!

 

 Also, a few experiences I forgot! These ones are more just funny though!

 

Friday night we had a branch activity. The missionaries go to most of those so we can get the less active members involved. After it was done, Hno. Gomez, the EQP, gave us the rest of the brownies there, a ride home, and a 2 liter of mountain dew. It's been a great two days since ;)

Also, last week or a week and a half ago, we started teaching this less active, Juan Benites. The hermanas, Orton and Cole, were teaching him, but recently, he asked Hermana Orton to be his girlfriend, so we started teaching him. Some people just don't have common sense...;)

It's great being here, but I'm the most exhausted I've ever been in my life! We get home at 9, and then we plan, and we try to go to bed as quickly as possible, usually no later than 10 for me! but we try to be in early, and if we're lucky, we get in by 9:40. I think I'm gonna go to bed at 7 on the days we have to be home at 6 ;)

Our Mormon in Morristown!

He didn't include any pictures this week, so, as not to have picture-less post, just thought I'd include some 'pre' pictures.....

 

Dear mom and family,

 

Okay, first here's some items of business ;)

 

So...all of my watches got lost or stolen, so I only have my white one! So if you happen to see a cool one or two, feel free to send it - I wouldn't mind at all!  Also, all the wheels on my luggage broke, so I might need new luggage sometime in the next two years, that one is less important. Here's a few other things:

       Sweaters, I do need these, one or two would be nice.

       Winter gear, I am definitely going to need soon. Like a hat and maybe gloves, but mostly the hat is the important thing.

       Extra blanket, I only have my orange one, and it's great for now, but the nights or getting pretty chilly, so soon I will need another blanket. There weren't any in my apartment, darn!

       USB cord, my ipod is gonna die and I dont have one, but I have the wall plug in!

        Shoe rag, I need to polish my shoes, but I don't have a way to do so...so If you could throw that in soon that would be great, thanks! 

      Also, this is just an extra thing, but I think it's at Deseret Book, there's a little missionary quote book, Elder Chamberlain in the MTC had it, and it was great for motivation and inspiration! So maybe a Christmas present or something? Thank you!

 

Good to hear from you guys! I am in my first area, Morristown New Jersey, the same name as the mish. My companion, Elder Jellen (whose dad is a professor of biology at BYU, you'll have to ask Jeff if he knows him) (So....Jeff.....Do you know him???), and I are over a small branch of about 45 members I think is the total. Although yesterday at church, we had a total count of 32. We work alot with the members. But most of our work here is reactivating inactive and less active members of the Spanish branch. I still haven't really knocked any doors, which is kind of what I was expecting, but we do walk around town alot. Our area is fairly small, which is kind of nice, considering we are a walking area. We're a walking area with a car, but we only have 500 miles a month, so we're pretty much just walking except for special meetings and conferences and stuff. Like I said, we serve in a small Spanish branch, and there are two sisters that serve with us, Hermanas Orton and Cole. I think when I start being able to talk spanish, I'll know every person here because it's so small.

 

Right now, we have two investigators that I've met that are close to baptism. One of them, Obdeli, the EQP's son, we just put on baptismal date for 8 of Dec on Saturday! The other, I still havent met, but Elder Jellen says he's closer than Obdeli!

 

The spanish is probably the hardest part of being out here. That, and the homesickness haha! I think when I left mexico my head knew that I was going to NJ, but my heart felt like it was going home, so that kind of threw me off when we got here haha! But it'll be alright, I'm doing better today! But I still can't speak spanish! And I know it's only been a week, but I spent six weeks in mexico speaking spanish for cryin out loud!!! I should be a flippin native by now!!!  But instead, I can't even understand what anyone is saying...they talk way too fast...and it doesn't help that I'm the new guy, so they want me to talk and introduce myself and all that jazz haha!  But it's okay, I'm reading the book of mormon in spanish, so hopefully that'll help!

 

I love Elder Jellen- he's a great guy! Our situation is a lot like the best two years in the sense that I'm green, and he's on his last round, as soon as he's done training me he's going home to Orem. He speaks the language, and I don't know what they taught me in the MTC.  But he's a hard worker, and we get along well!!  Interestingly enough, we have the same plaque scripture!! At a less active's house the other day, he asked me to pick one of my favorite scriptures to share, so I shared that one, and after he told me that was the one on his plaque too! So that's cooL!!

 

NJ is really not like the stereotypical place you would think. It's a nice place in the right areas! A lot of the members really love it here! But there is an apartment building where one of the members, the Acunas, live. It smells horribly like smoke, and I hate walking in there! The other day at the Acuna's house, they gave us this herbal tea from peru along with a sandwich. My first experience with foreign food. I couldn't say no, but it was definitely not good....Elder Jellen told me to load it with brown sugar, so that helped a little, but definitely not my favorite haha! Yesterday was our first dinner appt, and the branch pres, pres Lorenzana's house. It was his wife's birthday the other day, so the whole branch got together to celebrate, including us and the sister missionaries. And, lo and behold, I had my first spill. I spilled chips and sierra mist on my shirt and on the floor. So that was embarassing, I dont think they'll ever invite me back ;) but it was good! They had like the tres leche cake that I LOVE!!!! It was delicious as ever!! Every tuesday night, we go to the church to play soccer with a few of the members, so that's great too.

 

Next week is two holidays, Halloween, and Gang Initiation Day. GID is on oct 30. On both those days we have to be in our apartment by 6 for safety.  Mom, don't worry, most of the shootings and stuff happen in Newark ;) (Oh my WORD.....did he REALLY just say that???  'Don't worry' and 'shootings' in the same sentence??)  I'll be fine, we live in a really safe area too, away from most everything. I'm excited to have that experience!

 

Also, for Anneke and Amelia and Elizabeth and Ally and everyone else that wants me to convert Cake Boss, unfortunately there isn't a spanish branch in Hoboken, which I'm frustrated about, so I will never go there. Also there is no spanish mission in Sparta, which is lame. However, I do think we get IPads in April. I will keep you posted.

 

Love you guys!!

 

Love,

Elder Nelson

4 more days!

 

Dear mom and family,

Awesome for Annekke!!!!!!! Mexico is crazy ..........tell her to stay off the roads ;) but a mission here would be sweet!!! But Clint is in one of the Mexico City missions, so no go there...provo mtc or mexico ccm?! Exciting!! 

I don't know my exact travel plans yet, but I'm pretty sure I leave on monday!!  We have in-field orientation tomorrow, not sure what that is, then I have to give a talk on sunday and conduct a district meeting, then we're outta here!!  My comp was the senior comp for 3 weeks. Everybody spends the whole time with one companion, someone that came in the same day as them. I'm the senior comp now ;).  He's going to Albequerque, same as everyone else in my dorm! There is only one other kid here going to jersey, Elder Beus who we met at the airport in SLC! So, that'll be an adventure!!

My spanish is coming along alright, we finished all of our lessons, we know basically everything there is to know about spanish ;) - now we just need practice. Spanish makes a lot more sense than english. There is a ton of rules, but there arent really any exceptions to those rules like in english...now it's just a point of knowing the vocab and using it correctly! There's a quote in one of our language books that says something like 'A man does not know his own language until he studies a foreign one' and that is so true. I've learned so much about english while studying spanish haha!!

This conference was definitely the best one ever!!  Some really inspired messages!! I wrote down that one too, 'doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith', it was a really really really good conference!!

 

Last P day, after emails and stuff we go back to class. P day officially ends here at 5:15 so we can have daily planning, dinner, and class.  For class last thursday, we took some time at the end to do an activity with the class next door. We paired up individually. Then everyone in the other class had a  question, and we had 10 minutes to prepare a message for them. I got paired up with Elder Richey, an elder who has had big problems with his comp. They don't even talk to eachother, and they are the main part of our discussion in sunday leadership meetings.  Elder Richey has very low self esteem and self confidence, it's hard to watch that!  But I love the guy, he's an amazing guy!  So his question was 'Does God know me'?   So I went back and said a prayer asking to know how to help him. As I prepared, I came up with two Scriptures, Jeremiah 1:5 and 31:3.  Both have to do with God's love and how He knows us. I shared that message, and told him about how God knows everything he is going through and knows how to help him and loves him. The spirit was so strong!  He started crying towards the end, and he told me that was exactly what he needed to here. He said something that really made my day, really made me feel worthwhile. 'Thank you for being worthy to have the Spirit with you and to know what I needed to hear.'  He kept on thanking me, and we hugged a few times, and said a prayer of thanks.  He left for Ecuador on monday, and that was probably one of the coolest experiences I've had here!!

 

As for Taylor and Mav, I see Taylor quite a bit, his room is in the floor under mine, and his class is in my same building. We're gonna get a picture today actually.  But I really hardly ever see Mav...maybe three times since I got here? And I have heard from Dylan, but not Trevor....and that's awesome for Nate!!! But tell him to email me, the lazy bugger ;)

 

Good to hear everything is going well there, Love you guys!!

 

Love,

Elder Nelson