We welcome all to follow along as Elder Nelson shares with us his experiences as a full time missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These are truly they best 2 years FOR his life!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

New Ipads!


This week the Tampa FL mission received Ipads.  Everything is recorded on them. All of their work, contacts, area book, even their journals! So, Elder Nelson is trying something new this week.  He is sending on his journal entries for each day.  It's a bit long but very thourough.  Enjoy!  


Wednesday!
 So found out we had district meeting today at 8 o'clock the zone leaders texted me and said "hey remember you guys have district meeting today"... I was like nooooooo! But it's not their fault they didn't know til this morning either til the assistants texted them. But I used my study time to prepare a lesson for dm and wow, the spirit totally helps! We biked to the church and started. The whole meeting was about how to use the iPads w finding and teaching and some logistics and technicalities of everything but I felt we got a lot covered and accomplished! 

We role played some about how to contact with them and it's super cool. We just make the initial contact and then show them a picture on the iPad from one of the lessons. Ask them some probing questions or just what they see, teach a point, relate it to them and try to get them on the websites themselves. It's so. Cool! 

Then we stayed a little longer at the church  and updated our area book and teaching records a little bit more. 
Bro chapman called and said hey! What can I do to help the missionary effort today??
Bro. Chapman
Like he does all the time and he picked us up, bought us Cuban sandwiches ( which are delicious btw) then we changed and went to our old apartment to continue cleaning up. During the move we didn't keep anything. Just moved and the sisters left all their furniture and stuff. So at the other apartment we left a ton of clothes and furniture and all our dishes and man... It's crazy. But we got a lot done. Then back to our apartment and it started thunder/lightning storming! It was nuts... And I was not feeling very good so I took a shower and changed from our dirty cleaning clothes and elder Callister sat watching the rain and continues updating things on the area book. 

Bro Casey from the ward is down here at MacDill Air Force base for the year while his family is in Delaware and he told us while he is down here he wants to do some missionary work. So we took him up, plus we really just love him. He is so cool. Really chill guy but stud and strong testimony. He picked us up and took us to the family we were teaching. They are the Sanchez family. So we helped them move in about 2 weeks ago, the mother is the sister of one of the ladies in the ward. The sisters posted on our ward Facebook page that they needed help so we went. Well, he was so touched by the experience and how good he felt that he came to church and brought his whole family. He was shaking everyone's hands and introducing himself and offered to join us and clean the church and he was just so happy! His daughter loved primary and wife loved relief society! It was so cool. Well, we got a follow up apt with them for tonight and we taught the restoration with the iPads and it worked like a charm. They were so interested in the pictures and loved it. Well we got to the restoration and the first vision and that is my ABSOLUTE favorite thing to do. My fav part about being a missionary is that right there. We'll as I said that the mom just stared at me the whole time. Just entranced. And afterward she was like, wow... Did you feel that? Talking to her husband, and she was like it was like my heart was jumping and too big for my chest. And said she has felt it before!! And just couldn't stop staring at me as I spoke because of what I was saying. She said she believes it happened. THE SPIRIT SPOKE TO HER AND SHE LISTENED!  It was such a cool experience. Well, we talked to the dad and daughter about it and they explained their feelings and we taught and led it into baptism and they accepted, they said yes, it's time. Time for us to be baptized and even set a date!!!!! We went from 0 dates set to 4 in one week.... Holy cow... We were dying! And!!! They fed us bomb food!! Such an amazing day! The Lord is hastening the work of salvation!!! d and c 88:73 if we want to be a part of it, we have got to make it as much of a priority to us, as we are to Him. I know it's true! 

Well today was exhausting and a couple times I just wanted to lay down and fall asleep... And I probably would have, but because of my incredibly focused and determined companion Elder Callister, miracles were able to happen. 

Thursday

So we had a great morning of studies... All of it is done on gospel library and all my notes and cross references are saved so teaching and cross referencing is super easy! But practically my whole mission is on this iPad and everything is being saved on my LDS account... So mom? All I need when I come home is an iPad! :) 

We went to the library at about 11 to meet with Marco for a lesson. Poor kid, he got caught in a rain storm last night and has been sleeping in a shelter every night but does not lose faith. He has a job lined up for Monday and some welfare coming in. But this is just to get him sustained until he can get a job. He wants to do some service. In the military hopefully air force and expressed a willingness to preach the gospel because of " how much It helped me out..."  I sure have a testimony that God will put people in your path of those who are ready to learn and also those who are ready to commit. Now, more than ever. Marco is on track for his baptism on the 22nd of February! 

We then went to the church and planned! Weekly planning! Usually it is hard and takes a ton of motivation but with the new technology it is sooooo fun! We can plan specifically, quickly and clearly! We share between iPads, send emails around and keep it all together! Each person and their progression is right in front of us. And all we have to do is talk and Siri will type it for us! Man.... It is the most exciting time for missionary work! And after each lesson we get in the car and update their teaching record of what just happened. So cool! 

After that we went to an appt at 5 with a man named Michael who we have been teaching. He is usually very open and willing to learn? Well, this time he started off by saying "I've been studying and reading but... I just wanted to tell y'all in person that I just don't agree with a bunch of things...
And I was shocked... It was crazy he never is like that... He was really just not wanting to learn, he said as he read the Book of Mormon It just sounded wrong. And not the word of God... Well my timid self was ready to ask him...well are sure? Is there anything We can do?? But nope brother Chapman goes right in... Defending the truth with is iron testimony and testifies and he returns the argument and it goes on and on and he became more and more emotional about how he just wants to know what is right but feels this is wrong... And I was sensing the adversary working so hard on him, and he was very polite with us and kind and open still... Well I told him that satan always tries to keep us from truth! And I said... "Michael. Without that book... I would be so far gone and trapped in a dark place that I couldn't get out of. I wouldn't be able to have a family or on a mission, I would be in the gulf of dispair... And he kept asking like how what happened! And I bore testimony of the divine power of the Book of Mormon. And I think I finally realized that... There is divine power within the pages of that book. The atonement of Jesus Christ is painted and kept safe on its pages and with every page we get closer and closer. And after I bore that testimony..., it was very very quiet... And he said in tears.... Ok... I'll read the book... Give me a couple weeks... I'll be in touch. I'll read the book, we said a prayer... He gave us some handshakes... Told him we loved him and he smiled at us and gave me a hand on the shoulder and we walked out the front door and he went back into his room... And as we walked out bro chapman said wow.... The adversary sure wants him... And it's true, he is so close to the truth! And he wants it so bad! It was a one of a kind experience! 

We'll after that we met a young man, 18 yrs old, name is Austin and he is just open and excited and asks a ton of questions. Awesome lesson! Then we met at the church for splits! For the second week in a row we had a member of each auxiliary and quorum presidency and then some! And Elder Callister was able to teach another lesson with a family who has a bap date and I was able to contact some referrals. And then!!!! We went with the Manwarings to Alicia's home and blessed it and gave her a priesthood blessing and the spirit was craZy strong!!! She is doing so well and soon going to receive an answer! 

It was one of the best days so far on my mission! And I learned so many things!!

The work is hastening... I am so lucky and grateful to be a missionary at this time.

Listen to the spirit when it's time to listen. Listen. When it's time to speak. You must speak!!! 

It's about others... The more we are with them, talk to them, plan for them or try to do any of these things you will feel satisfied...

Mom you wrote me once and said you were worried because I didn't sound satisfied? Well it was because I was not working hard enough. But I am now, and the miracles are coming.
Elder Nelson with the valentines heart that I sent him.
Saying he misses his Momma with a sad face:(

I know this work is the most important. And I love it.

I love being a missionary! 

Friday
Friday! So by how flipping cold it was in the morning I could tell today would be one to endure. But we tried so hard to make the most of it! We went to meet Marco for an appt... And he didn't show and won't answer the phone and hasn't found us on Facebook yet so we are kinda worried... But I have faith in The Lord. He won't let this moment slip away! Bro chapman showed up for the lesson and since Marco didn't show up we all just went to the church. 

Oh! I forgot to mention. Bro Lewis called us and asked what we were doing... Then shows up with donuts and then gives us a ride to the library for our appt. it was sweet hahah. Anyway after that we went to the church and used wifi to do some planning and online work. Then we got a call from sis serphy in the ward! She wanted to feed us dinner! Which,,, in the south is actually lunch... And supper is dinner :) fun fact.

Well, that was an experience and a half.... It was rice and gravy and then this mix of... Things. I will send a picture. It was a bunch if veggies and ox tail and shrimp and pork and oh ya. 3 whole crabs,,, #Haitianfood

Pretty funny experience. She made It for us... We sat down... And then she just left . And we sat there and ate. Ha. She is the sweetest lady! 

Then checked on a media referral we received with an address that didn't exist and was actually suppose to be in st. Petersburg not south Tampa. Ha I have some pictures of where that led us too hahah. Literally the middle of an intersection.

Then we went home made dinner and decided we needed milk and chips :) ha. Elder Callister is a great cook.
Elder Callister with the valentines candy I sent them.

But as we were leaving we saw a man moving in to the apartment across the street. By himself! In a uhaul. And starts pulling stuff out and we were hey! Are u doing this yourself? And he's like yup! And I said no your not! We're going to circle K real quick and we will come back and help you and he was like you know " no no no it's okay!" And I was like " Be right back ! " well we did. and he was soooooo grateful! Thanked us like 5 times and said how much he appreciated it and it took him 3 hours to load it all up! Poor guy! He lives alone and works on the military base. But he wants to take us fishing and we are certain that we will be able to talk to him about the gospel! The Lord puts ppl in our path! And miracles happen! Faith brings miracles, even the small ones can make your day. 

Saturday
Sooooo ward correlation was this morning! Bro. Lewis picked us up and drove us in the jeep! And we got donuts :) ha he honestly has the biggest impact on me. It had been... A hard morning.... And hard evening... Just wasn't feeling my best and he brightened it... But the day went on. And what we planned for just,... Didn't come out. And Marco didn't show again and was MIA again for his appts. It really just hit hard... I can either give up... or have faith that he will make it! His baptismal interview is tomorrow. Well long story short he called us... Said the busses were messed up and he made it. And we met him there! And he committed to everything. He knows it's true and he knows that god lives! He even expressed desires to go on a mission... He knows how much it's helped him... And wants to give that to other people. The Hess family took us to dinner and they brought their non member friend who we took to the church and had a tour and a little talk it was so cool! Missionary work at its finest! Now I'm leaving out details but... As I look at the whole day it was successful! How great is my joy,... For Marco, an incredible faithful young man! I know it's true. The Preisthood. The blessings of salvation, ordinances, the prophet. It's true. And I don't care what happens to me from the world for believing it. I have God. This is much bigger than us.
 
Sunday
Sunday was good... Marco didn't show so he can't get baptized this week... But we had a ton of people show up. The Sanchez family came and the work is still going! We all went downtown. The whole ward,.. And did a chalk activity and the members split with the members to and did contacting! It was so sweet!!!! I was so nervous like I always am but when u have a scared member it makes it super fun hahaha.  
Hahaha so as I can imagine,,, this was a lot of info... But mom if u like I can keep doing it and u can edit what you want to do on my. Blog but this makes it easier for me to reply to you guys and answer your questions and do pictures and stuff!

Elder Nelson
Be not afraid, only believe


Sent from my iPad

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