April 19, 2010

HOla!!! First off, I got Keri’s wedding invitation in the mail…SO CUTE! And I also got a letter from Sister Tenney which I was not expecting and was such a nice surprise! And haha she told me something very interesting…she said they saw a couple the other night…one on a bike and the other one jogging and turns out that it was mom and dad. WHAT?!!!! Haha I was shocked. Bien hecho!!! Lol that’s so awesome. Also I got a letter from the Batchelor’s which was also an awesome surprise and their new lil baby is so so cute and I really appreciate their love and testimonies! And also another one from Flora! And I think that Annika should be getting her mission call soon, so I want to hear where she goes! And also, mom I am getting Ty’s blog posts, so thank you! Speaking of Ty… ha I love his shpills of inspiration because it reminds me of being in the MTC; which is really one of the most spiritual places next to the temple! But I love lil inspirational thoughts because it gives me the animo to seguir adelante cada semana! But tambien, Ty we need MORE DETAILS PLEASE! And ahh I’m really excited about the oatmeal and hot chocolate! (even though it has been really really hot again this past week…but by the time I get the package it will be perfect!!!) And ok gracias a Sis. Brann…chulina!!! Lol that’s soo cute! Ah and so did yall end up having your game night? Haha games are the best! And Alisa I’m impressed with your skills…the pillows turned out super cute!! And that’s way tyte that you’re going to start the bow website..I want to see pictures of your cute bows! And thanks for sharing the homecoming talk with me; that was really good! Ok woooh! Now this week, lol I don’t know what the deal is but the people do now want to be baptized! Pedrito’s mom said no because they don’t want him to make a decision now that he will regret later. But he’s such a lil stud and always wants to go to church and his lil sister has gone with us 3 times now too and ha I love going and sharing with them… just picture this: every time we pass by their house they always scream out to us “hermanas hermanas” and we go in and they bring out all their lil chairs (that are all half broken or like the size of those lil tiny chairs we have in our back yard that are like for 2 year olds) and they have this lil swing set that’s like falling apart but that has two lil chairs and we all sit down and they all want to talk to us and get our attention (there’s usually about 6 or more) and they love the song, “I Am A Child of God” and Pedrito memorized it like the 2nd time we were there and all the kids are trying to memorize it. Ah that song has taken on a whole new meaning for me as a missionary! Because we sing it I don’t know how many times in one day because it’s usually our investigators favorite, it doesn’t matter how old they are. Soy un hijo de Dios. And we usually sing that when we contact people…because bueno about 85% of the time people are just sitting outside in front of their houses drinking terrere and just chillin, so we enter in y cantar (and sing) that song and then just testify that we are really children of God and that we have a purpose here in the earth and that God has given us the gospel to help us learn and prepare to live in his presence otra vez and then invite them to church. It’s really fun and the people just love the songs and about everyone let’s us in…ha and then there are those few who are like “otro dia” or no thanks we already have our religion, we’re catholics…and we’re like ha all we want to do is sing a song. Lol the mission is great! Last night we had dinner at Justino’s with the other hermanas (Hna Case y Garcia) and a couple of our friends from the ward (Jose y Gladys and Manu). It’s so funny because you know when you’re out camping and you camp over a bonfire…yeah that’s how a lot of Paraguayos cook everyday. It’s so crazy, how different things are. But these people are just so awesome and I just love them so much! It makes me really appreciate living in the states and I just wish I could bring them all back with me and help them and show them a better way of life pero asi es. And like then you have Manu and Emilio who are just studs! Their testimonies of the gospel are so strong and they would give anything to go on a mission and share with others the restored gospel but they don’t have the means sufficient enough to do it. Really they are just like the 2000 strippling warriors. It was so cute because Emilio started a new job a couple weeks ago and so last Sunday he didn’t go to church because he had to work and then we went by this week and he told us he quit his job because he knew that he shouldn’t be working on Sundays but he didn’t know how they would get by and his mom wanted him to be working and she doesn’t understand why he doesn’t want to work on Sundays because bueno she doesn’t like the church or us… but that he prayed for help and that he knows the Lord will help him and that they’ll be able to get by. So cute. And it’s always so awesome to go to his house and talk to him because he always shares scriptures with us that he’s found and then just bears such a powerful testimony! And he’s about half way done with the Book of Mormon. How cool is that!! Ahh and it was so cute yesterday because somebody was like ahh who are the missionaries that baptized Emilio because he is such a guapo and already knows so much and has such a strong testimony. Wow, I just feel so blessed to be a part of his conversion. Ha I know it wasn’t anything I did, but I was able to be there and watch the changes in his life! The gospel changes lives! It’s the most amazing thing. I just want to find more Emilio’s! Bueno, I’m out of time! But I just want to close with my testimony. I know the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is TRUE. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it is the word of God written for us. I know that we have a prophet on the earth today; Thomas S. Monson and that he was called of God to lead the people of this dispensation. I know that God is our Heavenly Father who knows us and loves us individually. I know that Christ lives and that he gave his life for us, so that we can be made clean through baptism and the laying on of hands through the gift of the Holy Ghost. I know that families can be together forever. I want our whole family to receive the blessings of this restored gospel. I love yall all so much and I am so so thankful every week for your emails and words of love and advice!



Love,



Hermanita Nelson