Week 69: Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad... Ch ch ch ch ch... Feliz navidad... ch ch ch ch ch

Buenos Dias Todos!

Hows it going there in the good old U.S. of A? I have heard that it is pretty cold and am a little bit Jealous. In this moment I am suffering one of the worst sunburns I have received in Chile with a little bit of sweat to cool it off ;)

This last week was a very standard week with a couple miracles that added a little bit of happiness to the routine :)

A Jorge a Day (A George a Day):

Last Monday after P-day we left to go work. Not having any appointments planned we decided to go visit some less active converts and to contact on the way. On the way the spirit told me to contact a man that I saw. As I started walking towards him he started walking towards me. He took out his headphones and started talking to me. At first he began to talk about how we are gringos and I was worried that he was going to start ranting about how the Mormon church is a church of the gringos. But to our surprise he started talking to us about Joseph Smith and The book of Mormon. In his own words he said "La historia de Jose Smith es Bakan, y el Libro de Mormon, tambien es Bakan" Translated that would be "The history of Joseph Smith is Fetching awesome, and the book of Mormon, is fetching awesome as well!" 

Come to find out he was an old Investigator who didn't get baptised because his family is Very Catholic but now that doesn't matter to him because he wants to continue with his life and do what he knows is right (He is 41). It really was a miracle and was amazing. It was a great testimony that God blesses us, because after 2 weeks of contacting like crazy, working hard, and not finding anything, he gave us someone who is more than prepared. He already knew everything. Teaching him is just paperwork basically. He is going to get baptised the 10th of January. 

M is also going to get baptised with her son the 30th of December! She received an answer to the book of Mormon and her prayers and has overcome many important trials to prove her testimony. Please pray for her so that everything turns out okay :)

This week we worked hard and took out the trash, teaching, contacting, and planning like crazy. I hope that the miracles keep coming.

A shout out to everyone who sent me a letter wishing me Merry Christmas. Thank you for your love, support, and testimonies! I hope that you have a fantastic new year! :)

I am stoked to talk this Friday! Woohoo! I have 40 minutes (short, but we will make the most of it) I will be calling at about 4 Chilean time. Please have questions, comments, and everything ready so we don't spend any of the call in awkward silence ha ha :)

Well only 3 days until Friday, But Smile, remember who you are, stay golden, and remember the reason that This season is important and choose the present that we are going to give to our salvador to consagrate our heart and mind :)

I love you all!

Love,

Elder Nielson :)

Week 68: Teaching in the Muslim Mosque

Buenos Dias Todos!!

This week was a good week. Lots of work and talking to people, but lots of personal progress going on. 

Bueno, this week we didn't get to teach many lessons. We had lots of appointments with new investigators but none of them were home so we spent a lot of time in the street talking to people and looking for some good investigators. But it has been good because our work ethic has increased, our intensity to find people has increased, and our desire to help others has increased as well :) We are hoping that this next week is a good week to find lots of good investigators. 

This week we had a replica which is where we present the meeting we had with president, to our zone. It was very good and spiritual, and teaching the things to the other missionaries helped me understand a lot as well. So if any of you need a boost in testimony, go do your home teaching visits and teach, and you will learn so much and feel the spirit. It was a very good replica and we even made everyone breakfast. French toast, muffins, and juice was our 5 star continental breakfast. Not gonna lie, we are the best zone ever :)

The biggest part/highlight of this week was the presentation that we gave in the Muslim mosque. There was a cultural/religious meeting to talk about a theme with representatives from other religions. We got there and there was a representative of the Catholic Church (Pastor and college professor of theology in the university of La Serena), a 7th day Adventist (Anciano in the church and Lawyer), A representative of the Islamic Religion from the middle east, and us (19 and 21 Year old Missionaries). All in all it was really cool. I had to sit in front of a crowd of about 40 people and then had to give the presentation. I called my comp up to help me (We practiced it together) and gave the talk. The theme was "Be solidity with who, to what point, and in change of what." It went well but the funny part was in the end we ended with "In the Name of Jesus Christ Amen" And the crowd was awkwardly silent for a couple seconds and then some people said Amen. It was really funny actually. Then we listened to the other speakers and in the end they asked a question and I had to answer alone. 

The question was "If an atheist gives his whole life doing good, will he inherit the Kingdom of God?" 

The Catholic Priest said he didn't know, but it was most likely that he would achieve the kingdom of God.

The Adventist lawyer answered the question without answering (Like a good politician).

The Islamic Representative said that they would because in Islamic religious history a prostitute once gave a starving dog some water to drink and was saved in the kingdom of God.

After hearing all of those answers it was kind of intimidating to prepare to answer the question with the truth. I finally understood the situation of Jacob against Sherem in the Book of Mormon, or any prophet that had to deal with and Antichrist. I answered like this.

"Luckily I'm not God, so I don't have to judge, but we do know that Jesus Christ taught us by his example and teachings that we must make certain promises with God and live according to those promises to reach the Kingdom of God. Some of those steps being, faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Living true to those promises your whole life. Be it a christian, ashiest, or whatever person, one must complete with these to inherit the Kingdom of God. Like in the Bible when it says that "Unless a man be born of water and of fire he cannot inherit the Kingdom of God." I then talked about the need for everyone to have a chance to live those steps and that anyone who lived them could be saved, and anyone who didn't couldn't.

It felt awesome to testify and say something that most people find harsh or egotistic, but Knowing that they are true made it an amazing experience. It was also interesting to find out that we are one of the only religions that claim to be the only correct religion. All of the others said that it didn't matter what church or what religion. Crazy to think  how the world is changing. I'm just glad to be apart of the Church of Jesus Christ restored again to the earth, the only true church with the power, authority, and organization necessary to obtain the salvation. Can you say that about your life and path? 

That's about it for this week. The M and her son are still good for their baptisms this week, we are hoping that everything keeps going well with them :) 

Some announcements. On Christmas we are planning to call around 4 o'clock (I'm pretty sure that is like 1:00 in Idaho). And this next week we have a Christmas activity with some of the zones on Tuesday so instead of writing on Monday I will be writing on Tuesday :)

I love you all, Stay Golden!

Love,

Elder Nielson :)

 

 

 

Week 67: My Walk with God!

Buenos Dias Todos!

This week was a good week with very few changes! I am still with my companion and in the zone of 16 missionaries only 2 missionaries got changed! It is going to be a good change because we have a great zone :) Actually one of the new missionaries is Elder M who is an elder that was in my district when I was district leader :) So I already know him and he is doing very well :)

Bueno, The funny moment of the week was during a lunch with some less active members. We were reading the scriptures about the need to pray to be strengthened, to bless our families, and to overcome temptation. The son who is 11 wasn't paying much attention so we asked him lots of questions to make him start paying attention. We asked him why it was important to pray, and after many answers we told him it was important to pray to overcome temptations and asked him "It is important to overcome the temptations of who?" and after thinking for a moment his parents started giving him clues "The arrow headed tail" "The long tail" (Both nicknames for the devil). And after hearing these clues the young man yelled out.... "MICKEY MOUSE!" HA HA HA we all started dying! His mom embarrassed asked why he would answer in such a way and he said "You said the long tail, and mickey has a long tail!" We died laughing and received new revelation. So for all of those at home, we want to invite you to pray to overcome the temptations of Mickey Mouse, because if not he will slowly lead you to everlasting misery ;)

Thank you mom for the presents! They are all sitting on the floor, waiting for us to put up a tree :) It really is amazing what presents can do to bump your happiness, even if the present is something like sticky notes ha ha :) And thank you for the music, we have been jamming out to Christmas music for the past couple days :)

We had a conference with President this week and it was very interesting. We didn't really receive that much guide on what president wanted us to do with the mission. He just taught us the similarities between Joseph in Egypt and Joseph Smith. Lots of missionaries were kind of confused on why, but it was good because even though the training didn't talk about all that much stuff I learned a lot from the Spirit. The spirit taught me the need to go out and give it everything, have no fear, and to take out the trash. I really had the desire to have more success and share with everyone. It was the beginning of a good change of heart that will definitely help me more in the mission :)

Our investigators are good! Myriam is going to get baptized with her son this month and she loves church and class and the members :) We also found a young man who is awesome and is mostly gringo so he speaks English and everything. It is pretty weird teaching in English, but it is exciting as well :) The family E is also doing well but need prayers to have a change of heart. We had a great lesson yesterday about the influence that the gospel could have on the family. The dad analyzes everything too much and the lessons become answering an onslaught of doubts instead of letting the spirit testify that the message is true. But we talked about the proclamation to the world, and he only had 1 small doubt that had nothing to do with anything, so we answered it and were able to have a spiritual lesson about the changes that could happen in his family by following the guide provided to us by a prophet of God. It was really good but your prayers would be appreciated.

But the best experience of the week by far was definitely my Saturday night. After a lesson I was kind of frustrated with my companion for some of the things that he had said. So I decided to think. We had a half hour walk to make it back to the house and it was dark with the stars out so it was a great time to think. I decided to think for a little bit, but then just talk with God. I talked to him about the day, how I felt, what I thought about the situation, what I wanted out of the situation. Then I got the impression, "But is it what I want, or what God wants?" It hurt to accept the answer, but I know that the answer is what God wants. Like it the song "Savior may I learn to love thee" In the end it says it clearly "Lord, I will follow Thee." In that moment I realised I needed to calm down and to be more humble, to change, not because I was wrong in what I was doing, but because I was wrong in being so stubborn. In that moment I Knew that God was listening, caring for me, and guiding me. That in whatever moment I can talk to him and tell him anything, and he will listen and respond. That was my walk with God that changed my week and will continue to change my experience here in the mission :) I am so grateful for the blessings that I personally receive by living the small simple principles of the Gospel every day.

I love you all! I hope everything is just the bomb diggity!

Stay Golden, I love you all!

Love,

Elder Nielson :)