Quetzaltenango Guatemala!

I FINALLY received my mission call! I am sure all of you have already heard, but I have been called to serve in the Quetzaltenango Guatemala mission! I leave June 29th! I will be in the Provo MTC for three weeks, and then will be in the Guatemala MTC for six weeks.

(Friends giving me various methods of pointing to Guatemala... my favorite is the gun from Alex)

Fun Facts About My Mission
(Mostly, other people have told me these facts...)

A temple is being built in Quetzaltenango and I think it will be dedicated at the end of the year.

There is already a temple in Guatemala City.

It is beautiful!

It is a Spanish speaking mission, but many native people speak Mayan languages.

The weather is the same year round.... BEAUTIFUL! Wendell J. Ashton described it as the "land of eternal spring".

I will be going to Guatemala during rainy season (June, July, and August)

No washer and dryer:)

Guatemala has some of the biggest spiders in the world. (Thanks Brother Elms)

It is acceptable for sister missionaries to wear colorful clothes... thank you for the change in dress standards for sister missionaries.

There is a lot of poverty among the people.

My Mission President in my papers will not actually be my Mission President.... he goes home while I am still in the Provo MTC.

Missionaries were first sent to Guatemala in the summer of 1947... it was then part of the Mexico mission.

Central America is the believed location of the posterity of Lehi in the Book of Mormon.

Xelaju is the traditional name for the city of Quetzaltenango.

As of 2001, there are 175,000 members in Guatemala, 4 missions, and 449 wards and branches.

There is just a few fun facts! I am SO very excited about my call. I had been stressing about the possibility of being disappointed in my call, I couldn't be happier about my assignment:)

I am so excited to see how the people of Guatemala live, to offer my love and support of those struggling from day to day, and to learn the Spanish language which I already love!

In other exciting news... I had my recital a few weeks ago! It went well, and I am so happy to almost be done with school! Thank you to everyone for your love and support for the last few weeks, it means so much to me!

Mission Call Guesses!!

Hello friends and family who read my blog!! I posted this on my facebook page but I know a few of you don't have a facebook, so I thought I'd post it here! My papers were officially submitted on Sunday and I should have my call in the next month or so! SO exciting!!

Anyway, I created a google doc that people have access to... all you have to do is log onto it and edit it! Include your name, guess, reason for your guess, and your favorite treat (anybody who guesses correctly or closest will receive a treat on their doorstep) I did it this way so I can record peoples guesses!!

(again... have no idea how to make this a link, sorry you will have to copy and paste)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zSq-VgJVP0rijOSZLrY65ljuTFQqrApaBo_g0nhJ_7c/edit?hl=en

Guess away:)

Truth of A Fortune Cookie

So, generally speaking I think fortune cookies are completely ridiculous. Seriously people, I would much rather tell you the qualities that I love about you, than have you be devastated because your most recent fortune cookie says you will live a life full of sadness.



My negative view of fortune cookies was changed briefly, when I opened a fortune cookie on Monday. It was Valentines Day, I had gone to institute and nobody was there! (AKA no free Pizza from Brother Elms) So, I had three options:
1. Quiznos
2. Panda Express
3. A healthy salad or sandwich from the cafe in Pierpont Commons

As it was Valentines Day (a day for eating unhealthy things such as candy) I decided to go for Panda Express. This was a surprising choice for me, I don't appreciate Panda nearly as much as I used to. This, likely because of over use in high school and my freshman year here at U of M. I got fried rice, orange chicken, and mandarin chicken. (if your mouth is watering... trust me, it wasn't that great) As I was checking out I almost forgot my fortune cookie! Thankfully the girl working called out to me, "Don't forget your fortune cookie!" I took it and the thought crossed my mind... I think my life would have gone on just fine without this fortune cookie.

Anyway, I finished my mediocre lunch while reading on my Kindle. (best reading device EVER) Then, as I was gathering my things to leave, I again almost forgot my fortune cookie. I glanced back at the table and there it was. I opened it, half expecting it to be some ridiculous comment about how I'd find love by the end of the week.


(No, this isn't the fortune cookie that changed my outlook on fortune cookies)




I opened my fortune cookie and here were it's words of wisdom:

Yes, it now resides in my journal

Now to some of you this may seem like any, ridiculous fortune cookie. For me it is very significant! I have told a few people, but not everyone! I am officially going to serve an LDS mission as soon as I graduate in May. My papers are done, and all I have left is my interview with the Stake President. This fortune cookie was a pleasant surprise, and very fitting since I had just had my interview with my Bishop the day before:) Not only was my fortune cookie a pleasant surprise, it was a much needed pick me up from a stressful day.

So, a few things I have learned this week...
1. Fortune Cookies might have some, occasional value
2. Never underestimate the probability of receiving valuable fortune cookie
3. Fortune Cookies have the potential to brighten a bad day
4. God works in very mysterious ways sometimes
5. Many people are VERY excited about me serving a mission and all of them hope I will serve where they served:)

Look forward to hearing about my mission call in a few weeks! (fingers crossed and prayers offered that it will come while my family is visiting for my senior recital!)

Dating Advice From An 8 Year Old

As many of you know, I am a nanny here in Michigan for Miran and Helaman Forsyth. Miran is a third year dental student. She has become a great friend and we LOVE talking about dating with each other. Helaman is eight and full of fun! He likes listening when Miran and I talk about dating:)

I have loved living with them for the last year and a half, and will miss them very much when the school year is through!! In the time that I have lived with Miran and Helaman, I have learned that Helaman is quite the advice giving boy. You ask him any type of dating question and he will always give you an honest, and generally accurate answer.

Last year, Helaman instructed my friend Bingyu that she needed to wear a red dress, red shoes, and a red shirt to get a man. Bingyu... have you purchased those yet??

A few months ago, Helaman told Miran that she needed to look for five things in a man. If a man has these five things, according to Helaman, he is ready to take your heart into his heart. This is deep stuff people!! He said that a man needed these five traits:
1. Sense of humor
2. Caring
3. Loving
4. Trust
5. Respect

When Miran asked if she could change the order, Helaman told her no. Apparently this is the order it was meant to be in:)


So, three or so weeks ago Miran and I asked Helaman how to get a kiss from a man. (Important to note that, in Helaman's mind, kissing and getting married are the same thing) So, without further ado... Helaman's 15 step "get a kiss" dating advice!!(Some of these required explaining... Helaman's explanations are almost as funny as the advice)


1. You have to learn his senses (explanation: what he likes! Smell, looks, and don't frown)

2. Never let him read the journal (I was writing all of this down in my journal and he was afraid somebody might read the wrest of my journal)

3. Never fall in love with another man after you fell in love with that man (Enough said!)

4. Never dress up wrong (explanation: crazy hair or a color he doesn't like)

5. Use wise choices [explanation: how you make your moves... and stuff (explanation: moves is how you talk in order or eat in order. His example was if there is lobster or chicken, eat the salad first)]

6. Don't feel embarrassed (explanation: when you are going to do all your moves)

7. **** Ladies! Prepare, this is my favorite and according to Helaman, the ABSOLUTE most important!****
DO NOT let another woman fall in love with your man, it will distract him from marrying you!

8. Do not wear long dresses (explanation: you might trip and that would ruin your date)

9. Do not make him mad (explanation: he will execute the date, meaning kill it)

10. Help him when he drops his stuff, he will like you if you help him

11. Do not wear long high heels (explanation: you could trip like the dress and make a mistake again)

12: Wear something fashionable [Helaman's idea of fashionable: short dress- to the knees, sparkles on the dress, and last... (imagine him staring at me while he thinks of one last thing to be fashionable) Don't wear glasses! Wear those things you put in your eyes (he meant my contacts)]

13. Don't burp (explanation: because Helaman burps a lot)

14. Don't have a wrinkled dress

15. Do it on a good day (explanation: on a day that you have no plans)


Living with Helaman brings laughter every day! Who would have thought an 8 year old could be so brilliant! With Valentines coming up, I hope all of you can take advantage of his dating advice:)

Get your scrapbook on!

So, over the summer my mom was the camp director in her ward and one of the crafts we did was a scrapbook made out of a brown paper lunch sack! My mom got the idea from one of her friends and although it took FOREVER to assemble the individual packs for the girls, it ended up being a really fun project!

This is mine that I made... love the little cutouts of my family member's heads.

My family at Lagoon and Jordan's high school graduation!

There are pictures on both sides of the pull outs on the left... I think those are my favorite part of the whole book. You can make them as basic or elaborate as you want!

I love this picture of my youngest brother Beau. He looks so stinking cute... mischievous but still cute:)

Again, cut outs of heads to fit on the back!

I really loved doing this little book. It was so easy to make one of them and it is super cute and relatively inexpensive! You can make bunches of them and also make them to include more or less pictures... perhaps a future relief society activity could be spent making these!!

Since I was already going crazy with scrapbooking, I decided to continue on and use a kit my mom got me for Christmas that I haven't really even looked at. She got a really great deal on the kit and it comes with the book and plastic page covers, as well as TONS of accessories such as stickers and paper punch outs. It was fun and I realized two things about scrapbooking: 1- it actually doesn't take that long to create something pretty cute and 2- I think it is a more exciting way to keep a journal! For me seeing the picture brings back more memories than re-reading about something from the past. Here are some pics of my first attempts at an actual scrapbook!




So yes... there is my beginnings of scrapbooking. I can't decide if I like a lot of pictures on one page or just a few with fun and cute decorations. What do you think? I can't say my scrapbooking days will continue any time soon because school is crazy already!! But! Hopefully after graduation or something! (it is my last year!!) Does anyone have other ideas about cheap scrapbooking like the paper lunch bag idea? Those are the best kind!

Long time no chat!

So, every year when I come home for the summer... my internet interaction is severely diminished because I work so much! I realize that by not checking my facebook or blog dashboards I can end up missing out on 10 recent wedding engagements, friends returning from missions, friends leaving on missions, and other surprising and exciting news that I am not yet at liberty to share... (you will find out soon enough) My summer has been good for all my friends who care:) I have for the most part been working about 60 hours a week and although my feet aren't too thrilled about it, my bank account appreciates the growing numbers.

Summer vacations thus far include cleaning crew in St George for Zach right after he purchased his first house... (photos will have to come later... I can't get them to download)

I also got to go to my heaven on earth Lake Powell with my friend Landon and his family.

This week will be the vacation many have been looking forward to! Carlsbad California! Now when introducing this as a vacation spot to a missionary serving in Utah, but from California he kind of laughed and said, "What in the world are you going to do in Carlsbad?" I am however, assured by my family that has been there that it is an amazing and relaxing vacation. I am very excited to be on the beach, in the sun soaking up some Vitamin D, with most of my favorite people:) (Those of you not coming, I do love you too!) I will have to do a picture blog or something when I get back.

I am hoping to go to Disneyland while we are there, BUT did you know that a ticket is $97!!! That is INSANE!!! Way expensive but I guess worth it since clearly people are paying it! Other than that, nothing exciting is happening in my life. I will going back to Michigan in a few short weeks and although the start of the school year is a bit stressful with Orchestra auditions I am very excited to come back for my last and final year of school! For now anyway...

Hope all is well with my friends and family I haven't seen for a while!!!

Love, Erin Nelson cna,stbbma

(my credentials as of now... stands for certified nurses aid, soon to be bachelor in musical arts thought you'd all appreciate my official title)

I Got Candy!!

Well my friends! It's official! It is the beginning of Lent... Ash Wednesday! The day I give up all sweets, candies, chocolate... all the above (including juice) for forty days!! This was a fun, interesting holiday that I knew nothing about until I came to Michigan! Oh and I guess technically it is like forty-six days because I think they don't include Sunday or something like that. The morning of Easter I will allow myself candy... lets see how I do!!

Now some updates on my life...

Yesterday, February 16th, 2010, I received my first speeding ticket! The police officer was very nice and only wrote it over for 5mph instead of the actual 21mph... I know:) I thought wow he really saved me a bunch of money! Unfortunately no... the ticket is $120. Had he of written it for 21mph the price doesn't increase all the much. I am sure the points do though so I am grateful! In Utah you can do driving school instead of paying or to have the points taken off your record. Anyone know if you can do this in Michigan??


This semester is going well. I am back to playing my viola again (JOY TO THE WORLD!) This is very exciting since it has now been four months since I injured my hands. The problem has said to be linked to arthritis, tendinitis, and a possible stress fracture... we never really pinpointed which it was, but my pain was gone and that is all that matter. I had a busy playing week this week playing in church and a lesson with orchestra on Monday so my hands aren't feeling their best (typing isn't really recommended either actually) right now, but I know Heavenly Father will prepare a way for me to finish school on time!!

Helaman says I look angry... he is totally right!! Maybe this is why I have very few other action shots of me and my viola?? People are too scared to take a picture? So I thought I'd add a happy (old, and totally posed) picture of me and my viola from when I was like 13 or 14... ahh so young:)













Spring break is in t minus 9 DAYS!!! YEAH!!! I get to come home thanks to my Dad's skymiles (thank you!) without them and with my recent ticket... paying for a ticket home would have been impossible!! I am going to hang with the fam and RELAX!!! It will be much needed break/recoup to finish out my JUNIOR YEAR of college! COMPLETELY CRAZY! Only one year left and I will be Bachelor of Viola Performance Erin:) nice title right?

I am taking spanish and my upper level theory this semester. I LOVE spanish:) I really enjoy speaking it and learning how to speak it properly. Our recent learning include the imperfect tense that I don't completely understand the point of... any suggestions? My theory class is good... a little boring but we are learning about atonal music (which I love) so that is fun!

Well, happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Happy snow day to my Michigander friends, Happy Valentines Day, Happy Presidents Day, and Happy Lent:)

Con Amor (my new favorite phrase in spanish! So much more exciting than the english version...with love=LAME!)