Well family this was an interesting week for me! Normally the missionaries don't know until Sunday night that they will have changes, but I have known all week. It has been a blessing and a burden for sure. I have been mentally packing all week and I know now that I DO NOT like changes. Zach Karli, landon??? DId you mind changes?? Ours are horrible because tomorrow I have to be at the terminal (where all the buses come to when they come to xela) at 9 with my luggage. They will tell me there and if I am going any where slightly far... they will throw my suit cases on top of a school but and off we go... I have hear horror stories and tomorrow will get to experience it for my self.... hopefully I have a good story next week:) Then again, hopefully not!!!!
So to start off, this week was the 80th birthday of hna elduvina (mom of cecilia!) It was a bit of a stressful day... I think I was stressed about packing... but we made her hna smith's version of fettuccini alfredo... DELICIOUS!!!! With bread and peach juice... let me just tell you the amazing humility of this poor family. They could hardly eat any of it because they aren't used to eating so much food. I don't think I ever imagined the poverty I would see... really they don't have it nearly as bad as some people I have seen and met but it definitely makes you stop and think how VERY blessed we are. They were so sweet and tried to eat as much as they could but truly honestly jordy and brian (the kids) were full in about 5 bites... they usually eat a tomalito (tortilla in a different shape) and black beans... depending on how much money there is that week. Cecilia's job doesn't pay her regularly or how much she earned. It is really hard to see and makes you want to give her all your own food, but thank heavens the church has an amazing bishop storehouse and we are trying to get that moving so she can get food from the church. The birthday party was great and we ran to the baptism of a little girl in our ward afterwards. It started like an hour LATE! (normal for here) thankfully we didn't have any citas planned for after the baptism. There were a lot of investigators there, including a sister who went to the open house. Since I am leaving tomorrow I wont get to work with her but hna smith will and I am sure she will progress and make the decision eventually.
So hna smith got pretty sick this week... I felt bad because there isn't much we can do, it just has to pass. She was really nautious (however you spell it) and had to stay in bed for a little bit. She feels better now, but I knew she was REALLY sick when she wanted to lay back down for a little while. She is always WORK WORK WORK which is great, but this day was a slow day since she was sick. She also had her training meeting for the trainers... I was hoping to write letters, catch up in the journal, and study some scriptures but all the trainers companions ended up having to be in the meeting too! That was unfortunate but I learned a lot and hopefully hna smith did too. She didn't feel good still so we spent a lot of time in the bathroom....
So a blessing... actually 2 from this week came in answers to prayers!!! On tuesday at some point I lost my ctr ring that I bought in the CCM. I was SO sad when I noticed tuesday night and thought I left it at the church and that I'd never see it again. Lets just say my faith wasn't exactly strong... but hna smith's yes! So anyway I started asking people if they'd seen it or anything and of course nothing. Well thursday morning I was washing some dirty dishes and low and behold there was my ring just sitting in our sink! It seems like something so small but it was HUGE for me and I immediately thanked heavenly father for helping me to find it. I was very grateful! The second blessing of the week, another answer to prayer was on friday. So you all know that missionaries have to be in bed by 1030... so we went to visit hugo and marsela (investigators) and he was doing something that he accidentally swollowed diesel gas... !!!!! AH! I was of course really worried about him! So he asked us if we could call him and wake him up at 11 to go to his work so he could sleep for a little bit. I figured it shouldn't be too big of a problem so we told him yes. This was the day hna smith was sick so I told her to go to bed and I would wait to call him. I was writing in my journal waiting for 11 to come around so I could go to bed. So 11 came and I tried calling him.... NO SALDO!!!! AKA we didn't have any minutes on our phone and it isnt possible to make emergency calls on the phones here... you have to go find a pay phone! It was SO SO SO bad and I had no idea what to do. We couldn't leave our house for sure and had no idea what to do. Our neighbors above us that are family members of the Velasquez family were home so, I woke hna smith up so I didn't go alone... they also had no saldo. I was thinking we were just going to have to leave the house... hna smith wasn't so sure so she said we should just pray that he'd wake up. I knew thats what we'd have to do, but I knew I'd never sleep knowing that his job could be on the line. So all of a sudden I heard somebody walking outside in front of our door and sure enough... at 1130 at night... heavenly father sent me the blessing of a member in our ward passing by our house at the exact moment I needed!!! Long story short he ended up calling hugo and all was well! I was so SO grateful and fell asleep thinking how grateful I was to heavenly father for providing that answer to unspoken prayers. Things I learned.... don't tell somebody you'll call them after we are supposed to be asleep. 2nd help them learn how to set an alarm on their phone... didn't think of that one until we left... Anyway... I promise I am trying to always be exactly obidient... haha but the man swollowed gasoline!!!! Anyway, that was a VERY stressful night!
Yesterday we were asked to come to a young single adult meeting for the sisters in our ward. It was pretty fun and I thought you'd all appreciate one of the mom's saying that the For Strength of Youth pamphlet should say we don't single date until we are 80 years old... TOO FUNNY! She has 5 girls and three are starting to date at the same time... I can only imagine how she felt. Two couples- the bishop and his wife, and the previous bishop and his wife... carolina from the pictures!... all spoke. It was SO fun to hear how they met and the strength of the marriage. They are amazing examples for me and Hna Smith and I both want to come back and chat with them about marriage advice after the mission. Lessons I learned... I need to talk to the bishop and mission president of my future husband... haha we all discussed in the meeting that just because somebody served a mission doesn't mean that they are mr golden... thats FOR SURE! haha
Well I love you all! Pray for me that I don't have to throw my bags on top of a bus by myself... they weigh a lot! Until next week! I will let you know where my new area is and my new companion... this is the first time I have changes in almost 6 months in the mission field! CRAZY! Be safe! Zach and Karli enjoy the baby shower on Saturday....GOOD LUCK! haha ELDER NELSON! CAN"T WAIT TO HEAR HOW YOU ARE DOING!!!!!!! You are in my prayers!!!! Let me know if you don't get the pictures I emailed... well just got an email saying you didn't... I think maybe there are too many in the email... going to try one again to you! I LOVE YOU FAMILY! Mom thank you so SO much for the valentines package. Dad thanks for sending the package with the stuff I needed!
I know the book of mormon is true!!!! I love reading the scriptures... I know Joseph smith was a prophet and I know that satan is just as real as our heavenly father.... he doesn't want us to progress and receive the restored gospel of jesus christ. THIS WORK IS TRUE!!! Connie... (mom's friend) Doubt and fear are the opposite of faith and satan doesn't want you to make this step. I promise it will bless your life to be baptized as a member of the true church of Jesus Christ here on the earth. I promise that through the restored gospel of jesus christ you will see your dad again and that through the temple and restoration of the priesthood you can be sealed to your family for eternity. Read the book of mormon every day and pray to our heavenly father and I know he will answer your prayer! I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!! Have a great week!!!
love, hna nelson
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