Transfer to The Grand Island of Chiloe' - Ancud

Hello Family!

This week was a really good week, we stayed really busy among all of the elections that were going on. We found a handful of new people this week which was nice. Spring here this week had a lot of rain and cool tempatures.

I am leaving Los Muermos, the place that I have been since my birthday. I am going to the Grand Island of Chiloe, which is the big island a little to the south of Puerto Montt. I will be in the northernmost town there named Ancud. It looks like that is where I will be for all of the holidays that I'll be missing: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years as they are all in the next cambio. I will be with another gringo, but I didn't hear what his name is or where he is from, so I will let you know next week. I am excited but it will be crazy to be leaving Elder McDOnald after so long of being together more than 4 months. I will leave wednesday morning (Nov 20) and my trip will mostly be by ferry boat to get there and will take bout 4 hours. I am excited for that adventure.

This Sunday at church only 14 came because they were electing the president of Chile, and it's kind of like a big fair when they elect the president. Everyone was outside of the voting places selling popcorn, completos and shish-ka-bobs, so that was kind of nuts.
I had another talk in church, on the atonement and how much we need to be doing for Christ. It turned out really well but most of the people who really need it werent there.

Today for p-day, we went to Saltos de Petrohue. I went last year but they are some really cool waterfalls so there will be more pictures of this. I love Chile. I think that I am in one of the prettiest places in the world. I couldn't even imagine places like the ones that I have had the oppurtunity to go to in my mission.

Well, next week there will be more about my new sector.

Have a great Week! 

Love,

Elder Nelson

 

Tender Mercies

Hola family!

What a good week. It started out with having a good family home evening with the branch president and his family and another less active family, which was really good. We showed the Mormon message about the woman who was in a plane accident, it was really good about how to overcome trials and difficulties in our life that we have to confront. On Tuesday we had a district meeting, which the sisters in my district. It was one of the best ones we've had.  We have been having a hard time to find new people to teach, so we talked about purifying ourselves and taking out the little things that could distract us from the work, and then we looked for the miracles that we had. We saw the blessings from that as there were some less active people that we were able to teach and most of them came to church which was a huge miracle. Our attendance in church had been falling a lot and on Sunday we had the most that we had had since August.  This was an instant blessing after having only 19 the previous week. We had 32 and about 15 people who don't come regularly, and we could´ve had more as about 6 people committed to come but didn't show up. This next week, I think it may drop again as there is only an hour of church with the elections for the president of Chile which is between two women.

On Saturday, we were walking home at about 9:30 at night and a guy on a bike stopped us and told us how he wanted to learn more about the church.  He gave us his phone number and on Sunday I called him and asked him to meet us at the church.  He showed up and we taught him.  He told us that he had gotten beat up after a soccer game between the U and Colo Colo (which are the two biggest soccer teams in Chile and he said that everyone fought after that) well, he realized how much he wanted to change his life and be baptized into our church. He will have to quit drinking although he was sober when he met with us but I could still smell the alcohol. He showed the desire so we will hope that he can progress and do something to better his life.

We are having another little blessing in the Rama los Muermos. A couple of adult senior missionaries are going to be living here to help with the branches of the mission. They have a lot of experience in the church and will be a big help. We are implementing a Book of Mormon reading program encouraging the branch to read the book of Mormon in 4 months and then having several of Book of Mormon themed activities during to help keep everyone motivated. I'm praying that it goes good and helps to motivate the members and strengthen the branch.

Well, this next week is cambios so we will be seeing what will happen with me and my companion.

Have a wonderful week.

Love, Elder Nelson