The Cost of Discipleship

Dear Family,

Elder Nelson with the chocolate peanut butter bears I sent him.

I am certain that they were totally melted inside!

Monday - we taught Cathy and she committed to her baptism a little
more solid. She is ready to change her life it's incredible!! we went

to the Kemples and Elder Peter's trainer was there!! It was cool to see

them reminisce about when they served here!! It was so weird to hear
them talk about their work from two whole years ago!

Tuesday - we had a great day, we taught Sigrid the German recent

convert, she won't be ready for the temple it's sad to see her 

 missing out on blessings but she is not giving up,so we'll see.
 And we are teaching a young girl
named Breah and she is interested and her mom is coming back to church

and it's so good to see them each week! They like us and she feeds us
like crazy! She sends us home with tons of cookies and meals every
time!! I was losing weight for a while! But not lately :/ hahaha

Wednesday we had district meeting in Gulf Port! It was good... I was
feeling very good about it and this transfer we are trying to help
everyone become masters of following up... And when we did we saw that

the whole district had done their commitments which were to invite all

of their progressing and other investigators to baptism! And they did!

We have 14 dates set now!! In the zone and for this month, seven!

It's so cool! But unfortunately a lot of missionaries especially young
ones... Are excited and need to learn how to make sure they are
showing their faith and being converted... But I didn't know that when

I first started so it's just cool to help and teach other missionaries...
And I mostly learned that from Elder Peters. Oh, Wednesday night

Cynthia another recent convert and Sigrid fed us dinner!! An authentic
German meal with these good noodles and pork roast and cole slaw it

was soooo good... Ask Brittani what the noodles are called there,
they're like and egg noodle with tons of butter... Shpoitzle? Or

shwazlte? I can't remember!!

Thursday! I went on an exchange with Elder Gentry! He is from North

Carolina and he's is from where the Andy Griffith show is based off of??

Isn't that cool! He is the most humble kid ever! And he just got his

visa to Brazil! He'll be going at the end of the transfer! But we taught

some good lessons there and then at 5 a young man in the ward came out
with us! We taught a couple more lessons but we had some empty time

and I told him! You're all good man you don't need to stay and he refused

to leave! He wanted to come and so we went contacting people!! It was
cool! We got flipped off and cussed at like crazy and Tyler was just
loving it haha. He stayed with us until 9! And I asked him if he
wanted to go contact this random dude at a gas station and he totally
did!! And we ended up talking to him for like 10 minutes and he was

Muslim and gave us all free gatorades!! Haha cuz he owned a 7/11. But

it was such a cool experience! :)

Friday - we taught Cathy again...holy happiness. she is so prepared...
So two days earlier she texts us this " hey guys, so I read the plan

of salvation pamphlet and it's true," so we FREEEAAKEd out and

then the next day she tells us she wants to move her baptism date
up!!!! And we were like well we are gonna kinda have to cram the
lessons in? And she was like that's okay!  and were so excited to go
over there! But we were worried how she would take the law of chastity
and word of wisdom? She was so down... Just to explain how well she
took em? In her closing prayer she said " please help me to follow
these commandments. I know that they are true..." Can you believe
that??? So yea she is getting baptized this Saturday!? So exciting!
And to think we found her through a media referral!

Saturday we taught Breah and her mom again and got a ton of food haha
that day was hard... We didn't have much and it was scorching hot but
we had a good time! Lots of finding! But we were so excited to call
home!

Notice the date 5/8/2014 and 100 degrees already!

Sunday - was terrible! All the talks were about moms and we went over
to the Welchs ( you should friend them on Facebook too! ) and gave
them a lesson with Breah and her mom and then the Marcuccis ( also...
Should friend them haha ) and they invited their friends the lessons we
gave? Mother's Day... So yea not happy!! Then of course the Hansens
for our calls... And wow. The call helped me so much! It really calmed
me! I realized that wow the mission? Is not real life! You feel like

you have to be perfect??!! And if you're not your salvation is at

stake! That's how I've been feeling but feeling your love and hearing
Michael and Megan talk about their missions really helped so much!
There is so much pressure with hastening he work I feel like I have to
make huge things happen... But really?' It's a mission!! Just like
their missions. It was especially nice to hear Michael talk about
president Scruggs... Knowing that he was just as hard! And hastening
the work there! I realized that hastening the work isn't changing
everything... The way we do missionary work is different... But the
difference is? That everyone needs to be on board doing all that we
need to do! That's the change it's time do to what we've been asked so
that was very nice to feel!!

I am excited to be a missionary. I really am. This week one morning I
listened to the talk by Elder Holland called the Cost of Discipleship,
how we need to embrace the lords sacrifice by giving up our lives to
Him now I won't ever be able to do that completely but I'm going to
try!! And a full time mission is the best chance! Not going to get
closer than that! Bro Clawson ( they are an incredible family, truly)
shared w us a story about his mission and as he was saying it tears
were coming and he was expressing how much he loved his mission. And I
want you and everyone to know that I love my mission. This state is

gorgeous the people are hilarious, very...

but the ones we are meeting and working with
The Lord is helping me love them as he does. I Love it so much. I see the

saviors ministry and life so much different now. His work still goes

on, his ministry is alive in him and through us. I am brought to my knees

as I try to explain to The Lord how much I want to do but I'm just so

weak. So I try. I pray, I serve I obey. And he does the rest. Every
time. I am not afraid of what is to come. I'm not afraid of what has

happened. This gospel is really all that matters. I invite all who
read this, to pray a little harder for missionary experiences. To fast
a little more sincerely. To serve a little more diligently. And to
obey w a little more exactness. Because I will be w you doing that. We
have so much to give. I pray we can all see the Saviors sacrifice and
embrace the cost of discipleship. It is my testimony that we are going
to be successful in this work. He lives.

Be not afraid;only believe

Elder Stephen Nelson