Monday, January 30, 2012

January 30, 2012

Hello,

This week has been weird! I can't believe that Elder Boice is home. When I came into the field, he was 10 1/2 months out, now he is gone... haha really weird! I learned so much from that dang kid, I really don't know how I would have made it my first two transfers of my mission if I had been trained by anyone else.

Anywho, this week was pretty cool.. We knocked a ton of doors and found some really cool people. We were supposed to have like 7 people to church...none of them showed, that is what we used to refer to as the famous Blytheville let down. It's all good though, we are going to keep working with them and good things should happen.

So ya, President Petersen called me on Monday, and called me as District Leader. I'm over the youngest district in the mission. We have 3 new missionaries, and the oldest missionary besides me has only been out 8 months. They are all grew missionaries though. My District consists of the sisters serving in Jackson, the Elders in Dyersburg, and us. Each week I will prepare a district meeting, we just discuss the work and other stuff, as well, each Sunday the other areas will call in to me and report their numbers of the week, I record them and then call the zone leaders down in Frayser and report to them. I as well will go on exchanges with Dyersburg at least once a transfer. Normally I would with all the areas in the district, but since the Jackson missionaries are Sisters, I won't be going down there, It will be pretty cool. I have been a little stressed about preparing District meetings, but I'm excited for it. I get the same feelings as when I was first out and preparing to teach Gospel principles each week. It scared me to death but that was one of the things that helped me a lot in learning to teach, so I know that this will help me grow as well. I will also perform the baptismal interviews for those being baptized in Dyersburg and in Jackson. I'm excited for that, I have heard that baptismal interviews are great experiences.

This week Kollin Newhouse came to church in a white shirt and tie and passed the sacrament again, it is so cool seeing recent converts begin to get involved in the church. Briana also sang in their sacrament meeting down in Jackson. I haven't heard how it went, but still awesome that she was able to do that.

At church one of the members started talking about how I needed to run for president, she got quite a few members to agree with it. Haha. And I was thinking back because for some reason I have had so many people tell me things I should be when I grow up...so far the ones I remember are... President, preacher, pilot, surgeon, Pediatrician, comedian, sports therapist, model ???
Janitor, talk show host, sports analyst, astronaut, fire fighter, police officer, motivational speaker, mountain man, actor, pyro technician, professor... Haha and there have been many others... I think the one that suits me best is janitor. I'm really good at unclogging toilets. Oh! And I was told I need to be a boxer... I really have no idea where all these came from, but ya,don't even know why I'm telling you about it either.

Love y'all,
Elder Nelson

Monday, January 23, 2012

My Tie Collection...

Yes, I have over a hundred ties...

and have won the "Ugly" tie contest on many occasions!

Our newest member

Kollin, what an awesome kid, and great new member of the Church!

January 23, 2012

Hey y'all,

This week was interesting haha, we went to a zone conference on Thursday that took up the whole day, we got locked out of our apartment one day...took a couple of hours to get in...and then Saturday we had to drive all the way to Jackson to get our oil changed. Needless to say, the week wasn't all that superb. It ended really well though. The Stake Patriarch and his wife were up here to give patriarchal blessings and to speak. They gave some amazing talks and as well, one of the members of the Stake Presidency spoke. It was by far the best sacrament meeting I have seen on my mission. After, we had a bunch of members coming up and telling us about people they were going to talk to and wanting copies of the Book of Mormon to hand out. It was pretty cool. Also, Kollin passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday and received his patriarchal blessing after church. he is going to be one heck of a missionary some day. He is incredibly smart and already knows so much about the gospel.

Not much else going on. Hopefully we can find some people to teach this week. That would be weird if I trained Nick, haha probably won't happen, but hopefully he serves around me, that would be pretty cool. What day does he go into the MTC? Does he realize he is going to the greatest mission in the world??? (scientifically proven). He is going to love it. I will see if I can put a good word in and make sure he gets himself a good trainer haha (like I have any pull)jk

I love you guys,
Elder Nelson

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

January 17, 2012

Hello,

So ya, I'm writing on Tuesday because the library was closed for the Holiday, ( James Earl Ray day, as they call it in the south) haha
Anywho, Sunday morning I woke up and was getting ready and I looked at my calendar and was like "hey, it's my birthday" I had completely forgotten. It was a good day though. Morgan was baptized on Saturday, and I was able to confirm her on Sunday. It was awesome, and her whole family was able to be there.

After church we had a linger longer and one of the counselor's in the Branch Presidency made me stand in front of everyone while they sang happy birthday to me. Haha. We also had dinner at the Turner's that night and Mel, April and Sophie Osborn came and brought me a cake. It was a good night. It hasn't really hit me that I had a birthday. Haha. Holidays are just another day in the mission field.

Thank you very much for the birthday dinner. It was incredible. I was wondering on Thursday when I got your first package why you sent me a package of rice??? But I figured it out once I got the enchiladas on Friday.

I received everyone's gifts, so thanks all

Anywho, I love y'all!!! Thanks for everything!
Love Elder Nelson

Sunday, January 15, 2012

January 15, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR ELDER...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Happy 21st Birthday to our Elder... My, how the years have flown by!

Monday, January 9, 2012

January 9, 2012

Hello, This week flew by...I honestly don't remember anything from it really, it was just a blur.
Kollin was confirmed! His little sister Morgan is also going to be baptized this coming Saturday! We are excited for it.
So, I told you last week that they called us on Friday night and asked us to teach Elders Quorum. They didn't give us much to go on, just "goal setting" so we decided to take the time to talk about a Branch Mission plan. It went well, there were only a handful of Elders there, so it was small, but went pretty good. We are going to get together with Brother Powell, the Branch mission leader this week and write up the Branch mission plan, see if we can get things cooking.

So Mom, to answer your questions about having New missionaries and their trainers teach Gospel Principles. No, they don't always do that. We just do it here in Trenton, and we also did it back in Blytheville because there isn't anyone else to do it. Haha. It's cool though. I really enjoy teaching Gospel Essentials... Elders Quorum, not so much.

I was with Elder Boice for 2 transfers, generally out here a news missionary will be with his trainer for 2, but sometimes more.

I'm glad you didn't forget my Birthday Mom!!! Cause I sure did. Haha. I'm going to be Legal!!!
We will have to celebrate by knocking on doors ! And being in by 9pm!!! And in bed by 10:30!
Haha
I love you all, Hopefully we will have another baptism to report about next week.

Love, Elder Nelson

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

January 3, 2012

Oi family,

We are just hopping on the computer for a few minutes since the library was closed again yesterday. Last week was crazy, probably one of the most stressful weeks of my mission. We had one day where we walked probably 10 miles knocking on doors and talking to people and only talked with one guy. It was actually more like listening to him babble about nothing. Then on Friday night we got a call from a member in the branch, asking if we could teach Elders Quorum. There wasn't actually a lesson planned, so they asked us to teach about goal setting. Then we also had to prepare our a gospel essentials lesson...so that was really fun!

We did have our baptism on Sunday, and we were trying to get it all set up, and didn't have the program filled until about 30 minutes before it started, and had to hurry and get it all printed out, all the while the font was filling with cold water because the water heater wasn't working,so I had to climb up in the attic of the church and mess with the hot water heater so we could at least get luke warm water...haha. And just for some icing on the cake, Saturday night we were visiting a member, and he said "happy new years" and I realized amongst the chaos of the week, I had forgotten it was new years.... Haha. I guess this is what "Getting lost in the work" is. Haha and somehow with all of this going on, I'm happiest I have ever been. It's weird .

The baptism went great though. He asked me to baptize him, which I was really excited for because he is a really awesome kid, and Will be a great missionary one day, hopefully.

So, a cool story Mom, you have been doing missionary work without even knowing it. On Saturday, we hear a knock at the door during studies, I went and answered the door and a lady and her husband are standing there and she says "are you Elder Nelson". I had no idea who they were. So anyways, this couple were members in North Carolina (I think) and they were in Trenton visiting her grandparents, who are not members, and they started talking about the missionaries and that they didn't think missionaries were still in the area anymore. So the lady looked it up and came across my mission blog and gotta our address from it and they came by on their way out of town to see if we would go by and teach her grandparents... It was really cool. Keep up the good work Mom!!

Anywho, Happy New Years,

Love, Elder Nelson

January 2, 2012

Boo! Library is closed today... No word from our missionary.