Feliz Navidad 2012

Hola Familia y Amigos- Feliz Navidad!

I hope everybody is having a great Christmas time, I sure am. It's nice and I am very blessed and am reminded alot about how blessed I am being in Chile and having the opportunity to serve others at this time in the year. 

 

This week has been one of the rainiest and coldest since we left winder, including the first day of summer which was Dec. 21st.  It was very, very rainy and cold, I'm kind of disapointed because I thought that it was finally warming up and going to be summer, but I might not get a summer this year.

This week, I went up to the house of the President of the Branch to introduce my new compaion and he told me something awesome, Marcos who got baptized and confirmed last week, went up to him and asked how he can begin to start paying tithing. Monica is still teaching gospel principles too. It is an awesome feeling seeing people take hold of the gospel and doing the right thing. I love this family alot and am excited to be a part in their advancement and growth in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This Friday, we also had a branch Christmas party with Santa, it was a good success with a good turn out. We watched the Christmas Devotional talk by President Monson and then the missionaries sang a song and then we played games. It was fun, and we got a couple of investigators to attend. I have also still been playing the piano in sacrament meeting which is great and the branch really loves it, as I have been playing christmas songs, and the branch can learn new songs. 

Well I hope that everybody is having a great holiday season. I love you all and feel so blessed to have the support and the love. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the great examples around me. I pray that everyone can strive to keep the true meaning of Christmas in their hearts at all time, and always reamember Him. Remember ``He who gives money, gives a lot; he who gives time, gives even more; but he who gives of himself, gives everything´´

Feliz Navidad to all of my loved ones, friends, family and people who read my blog even if I don't know you, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

Love Elder Jentry Nelson

"Good-Bye" Elder Rupp

Hola Todos!

I sure have had a busy week. Monday was normal but on Tuesday we went to a Zone conference in Puerto Montt, and we didn’t end up getting home until 7, but it was fun, we all got Santa hats and goodies from President and Hermana Rappleye, sang Christmas songs and gotto mingle with everybody.
Wednesday, me and Elder Rupp went to Puerto Varas to go to the medical clinic there because Elder Rupp has an Uña encarnarda or a ingrown toenail, so that killed up a good portion of the day as we didn’t get home, and he set up another appointment to get that toenail removed on Friday. Thursday we had the baptism of Marcos which was a very awesome and spiritual service. I played a special musical number from the Paul Cardall book (Im the branch pianist now as I have played at every meeting for the last 2 months), Elder Rupp baptized, his wife gave a really good talk on the holy ghost, and afterwards, he was given the opportunity to bear his testimony, he got up to the podium, and said he loves his wife so much and then he started crying and couldn’t finish anything, so he went and sat down.  Very powerful.  He will be a great member, that family went through a lot in order to be baptized as in getting married and changing work, and now it just starts the wait in order to go to the temple and be sealed as a family which is already their goal.

On Friday, we went to the doctor for the surgery of Elder Rupp. That surgery took all day as we had to be at the office at 4 and we didn’t get home until 8, the removed his toenail completely and it is now pretty nasty looking, he hasn’t been able to walk for a while, so after the surgery when we got home I went straight to bed and ended up sleeping 11 hours from 8 until 7, it felt so good and refreshing. Saturday was just any old day, I did changes with the other elders parts of the days this weekend in order to get work done in our sector, which we ended up teaching a little, it was a difficult week, because we didn’t have that much time to work.

Sunday at church, I had the opportunity to confirm Marcos, which was a wonderful experience; kind of nervous though, I'm still a little shy talking in Spanish in front of big huge groups. Then in the Gospel Principles class, we go in and Monica was just barely called to teach that class. I don’t know how many missionaries have had the opportunity to be taught by someone they baptized but it was a great feeling, and she did a really good, especially after having been a member for a little more than a month.

After church we went to eat lunch at a members house, and there we received the call for transfers. I will be staying in Frutillar and my new companion is named Elder Magaña. He is Mexican-American from California who speaks both Spanish and English. It will be a lot of help. Elder Rupp is going to Puerto Montt, and Elder Brindley, the other gringo of the house is going to a place called Llanquihue. So I will soon be the only gringo (White person) in the house, with Elder Chomorro from Chile, his companion Elder Cauque qho is Bolivian, and my companion. Just one cambio from only having gringos in the house, my Spanish will improve a ton though which will be a really nice thing. I will send a pictures of my new companion next week as we change on Wednesday, so it will be different to be with someone else after being companions for 4 months with one person.

Also, it is still very cold and rainy, I might not even get a summer in Chile.

Well I hope that everything is going well. I love you all and am so thankful for everything that you do for me.

Love Elder Nelson

 Marcos Baptism Day - Elder Rupp and me

Our only baptisms in Frutillar but an awesome family with a lot of potential!

Churrasco, a huge sandwich that you have to eat with a fork and knife. Super delicious with steak, ham, fried egg, avacado, mayo, tomatoes and alot of fried onions

 Saying Good-bye to Elder Rupp

Our District before changes

Holapo

Hey Everybody.  How is it going?
Well it sure has been a wet week, Thursday the rain caught us coming back from lunch without anything, we got very wet as we didn't have anything to help, and it also started hailing very hard. That was interesting to see hail in Chile. This week we also taught alot of people, and this Friday, we are going to be having a baptism so next week we will be doing that with Elder Rupp baptizing Marcos and I will confirm him on Sunday. I am very excited for that. We will also find out the changes on Saturday so that will also be in my next email. I can't believe that I have been here for almost 4 months in Chile. The time sure goes by fast.

On Tuesday, I recieved the Christmas package from home and sure do love the stuff that I have opened. Especially the Reflections of Christ CD and the movies. I have already watched some of the movies with investigators, including the special witnesses of Christ. They are all great and I really enjoyed the candy too. I set up the tree but I forgot to take a pictre of the tree but will take one for next week. I also am not sure about the phone call situation right now but will still be emailing while I am here next Monday if you guys could go check the internet the Monday night that you are away, let me know where I need to send the email. I am very excited for all this to come.

Well, I hope that everybody in the states is enjoying this time of year, I sure am, it's a great time to be here, serving the Lord at this special time of the year, probably one of the most selfless christmas` that I have ever had.

I hope everybody keeps the real meaning of Christmas in their heart at this time of the year.

Love you all,  Elder Nelson

 We went to a cool place called saltos de Petruhue, a way cool place  

 

Happy December

 Pichanga again...First Monday of every month...by the way...I don't eat this by myself! 

A puppy that one of our investigators has.  She is so super cute.

I held her and she fell asleep in my lap while I taught a lesson.

 

Hola Family!

It is crazy to believe that it is December, time has been going really fast and we are almost going to have another change of companions in about 2 weeks. This week has been very rainy as I have had to accessorize with the whole rain gear stuff. It was exciting though because Marcos the husband of Monica found a new job so that he can go to church on Sunday and be baptized, so we have his baptism set for the 15th of December. It's really exciting. That will be a great Christmas present. They also ended up moving but only to a different part of our sector so me and Elder Rupp helped them move all of their furniture and beds and stuff this week, luckily the only day it didn't rain. There are a lot of Christmas decorations starting to go up in Frutillar which is making me a little homesick  but its all good, I'm getting really excited to talk to everybody in about 3 weeks, we´ll see if I´ve changed. Also I know that Jeni is going in this week to find out the gender and I don't want anyone to tell me what it is, I want to be surprised at Christmas and that way you can tell me in person. That's fun going back to Rexburg for the wedding, makes me think of what we were doing last year at this time.  I hope everybody is enjoying the holiday season.

Pórtense bien

Elder Nelson

Just another work day

Hola!

Happy Thanksgiving! everybody. I hope you all had a great Thankgiving. Mine wasn't too bad, we taught a little and worked like normal, they don't celebrate it at all, I missed it though, they don't really eat turkey down here but they do celebrate Christmas at  least which is in less than a month. It's pretty crazy, we are planning a branch Christmas party for investigators, less actives and people to bring their friends. I am excited for that but it will be after the next cambios because this cambio is only 5 weeks or else the elders going home would miss 3 Christmas´away from home. 

This week sure went fast as has this cambio and November. I remember Halloween with all the people trick or treating and all the evangelicos who hate halloween and now its already December, I can remember last December planning for Jeni and Cameron's wedding. Can't believe how fast time goes now. Time on the mission is incredible how fast it all goes.

So we are close to having another baptism with Marcos the husband of my first baptism Monica. He is trying to get off work so that he can attend church, but right now he might change jobs and move to Calbuco whch is an island about 4 hours south, but he is changing so that he can attend church and he wants to be baptized here, it was also cool because we were teaching and we were ending with a prayer and we asked who they would like to say it and he said Amaro,their 4 year old son, so they got down and his son said the cutest little prayer. So simple but adorable. They are teaching their son how to pray which is an awesome thing and they are preparing for the temple right now. Such a good and special family to me.

We also had the oppurtunity to bear testimony about the Book of Mormon in a lesson to a lady and her husband who are evengelicos. They were great but they didn't want to be confused about their faith so they wouldn't read the Book of Mormon, but we finally got them to read and pray and we have another appointment with them Saturday so keep them in your prayers to recieve an answer before that day.

Well, I hope its not too cold up north, as it is starting to really heat up, its been short sleeves and though it did rain and was cold at the beginning of this week. It has been changing from cold to hot lately and I don't really like it but its better than cold and rainy all the time.

Well I hope everybody is having a great holiday season, because I sure am, it's becoming one of the most selfless holidays I have ever had. The only times I am a little homesick is seeing the Christmas trees in the store and wondering if the tree is up at home already, because I know how its always up around Thanksgiving if not before and thinking if Tanner is sleepng underneath it haha. 

I also have been going through a fun little time, because this year I get to have 2 springs or another name I like to call it is 2 allergy seasons. I had a really bad time on thursday, it's better today but it's still pretty rough. I think I am also allergic to cats becasue it is worse everytime that I am in a house with cats, so guess we can't have any cats, darn it, only dogs.

K Love You all, Big abrazo

Elder Jentry Nelson

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

People down here don't celebrate Thanksgiving at all. Everything will probably the same normal Thursday like always, people down here don't really eat turkey. I might go out and get a completo or something special to celebrate. Well it's good to hear that everybody in Rexburg is doing so well and also to hear about all of the people going on missions. That is so exciting. It is a great time to be a member and the work is just starting to take off.  I love being here and hearing all of the new of the amount of people starting mission papers. 

Well this week has been really hot, I have been wearing my short sleeve shirts for the first time since the MTC and that is without a jacket or anything, we also found alot of new people to teach which is exciting. I didn't have a baptism this week but I am hoping very soon, with all the people we have been finding it will be great. We found this great family who are all intersted so I have very high hopes.

The theme from the sacrament meeting yesterday was attending the temple. I also talked about this with the family I had lunch with yesterday after church. I am living with people where the nearest temple is in Santiago which is about 12 hours away by bus.  Everybody who reads this blog, I am praying that you never take living so close to temples for granted. Its a huge sacrifice for the people to go here, for all of the people who read this from Idaho and Utah and Arizona or where ever you may be, go to the temple as often as you can. Never take being so close to a temple for granted. I have seen people who are so poor down here, get all of there expenses together to make a trip to the temple once a year, and there are many that could walk. We just cannot take a temple for granted.

Well I hope that everyone in the states is enjoying the nice cold weather becuase it is finally warm here but I guess we will see who is laughing in about 6 months haha.

Fun fact: tomorrow will make 5 months, and these past 3 months have gone by so fast I can't even believe it. It will be exciting to see in another 3 months. I am very excited to skype too.

I hope all the best for everyone,

Love Elder Nelson

My littlest friend Josefa

Elder Quinanola

My complete rain gear

Pichanga again!

Hola

How is everyone doing? So first of all for our cambios, it looks like for a third cambio I will be with Elder Rupp again, but its not 100% sure because there have also been talks of splitting our sector and we each run a part of it so we´ll see, but this next cambio is going to take us right up until Christmas.

So it has been a good week, we taught a lot and I have really been pushing to find new people which has been going good, we have a huge sector with lots of fields and farming areas which we have been exploring a little bit more.

Thats fun that Kassie had her primary program the same week that we had ours, I think hers might have been a little better because chileans don't know how to sing, very tone deaf haha and don't know how to follow a piano but it still went well. The primary president was very thankful to have a piano there and she wanted me to tell you (mom) thanks for teaching me.

So its fun thats it is starting to cool down for you guys because it sure has been heating up, I haven't been wearing a jacket and yesterday I was too hot during the day in a longsleeve shirt which  means that I am close to shortsleeve weather which is exciting. It will be weird to have a warm Christmas and thinking about how cold it is there. The only bad part about the weather heating up is that so are my allergies, thats not fun at all haha.

 We also had interviews with president this week which is fun, it was the day after the elections and Hermana Rappleye was pretty mad about the results. I'm pretty frustrated but at least now Chileans will stop asking me for my opinion on the subject. It was cool because while President Rappleye is interviewing, we just sit and talk with Hermana Rappleye and she tells crazy stories, they have been everywhere in South America.

So I was getting my visa all taken care of in Puerto Montt because that has the biggest places to take care of stuff, Elder Quinanola, another Elder in our house took me becasue he served in Puerto Montt, so we got off the bus and hopped in a colectivo (a cheap taxi which is about 400 pesos or 1 dollar). So our colectivo driver is going, about 30 seconds into the ride he cuts off a big truck driver and the truck driver gets out of his care at a red light and he has a bar and threatens to hit the colectivo driver, me and elder quinanola were just like what the heck, and all of the sudden our driver hops out of the car and goes and gets the caribineros (police) and they come over and me and elder Quinanola just told them that we were going to leave and they let us but bottom line is that I almost saw a guy get beaten with a bar which was crazy.

OK well, that was my week. I hope everything is going well in the states even though Obama is back.

Pichanga again which is the most amazing food, just with french fries, sausage, steak, tomatoes, avacados, eggs and about anything else you can think of

By the by the way, I haven't touched a single dog in chile in the 3 months I have been here, they are ridden with fleas and other diseases, they are all junk dogs, I miss my dogs so much to have nice clean dogs to sleep with, just Chilean dogs are disgusting and they are everywhere.

It is fun to see the growth of the church. There is alot of talk about what the new changes are going to be like all missionaries going to chile will now be going to the MTC in Chile, the average papers that the get a week is now around 4000, the amount of missionaries in the world will go from 55000 to almost 100000 and they are asking to see how many sister missionaries each mission can hold and are now expecting around 250 in each mission (We have about 180 right now with is about 30 or so more sectors). Its amazing to see how the Lord is taking control of the work and everything that has happened in the last year or so has been in preparation for alot more missionaries. They are trying more than anything to strengthen the church in areas rather than have a ton of little small branches in remote towns, which there are a good bi in chile of branches with about 5 people and 2 are missionaries. Now is the time and i am so excited to be apart of the missionary work in the world.

I hope everything is going well.

Te Quiero

Elder Nelson

Mom and Dad

I don't Have much time to write anything personalized to you guys but I love you and apreciate everything that you do for me.

Love Jentry