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
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