I'm Finally Here!

Date: April 18, 2012

Companion: Elder Hollingworth

Dear All!
   So I'm finally out in the field and it's my first P-day! Oh I have so much to say in such little time! I think I'll start with my last amazing experience in the MTC. Well my last Friday in the MTC I was doing the In Field Orientation and we went back to the classroom at some point in time during the day. In the classroom on the white board there was a message with an arrow point down at something. The message said "Happy Friday Elder Nelson!" I looked at what it was pointing at and it was a scripture case. I picked it up and there was scriptures in it. New scripture! In fact they were the scriptures with the Bible and the Book of Mormon put into one and the tabs and everything. They even had my name imprinted on them as "Elder Timothy Nelson"! I've never owned scriptures that nice before! I've always wanted them since I was little, but never had them. When I got them I was so surprised! And whoever got them for me never revealed themselves to me. I don't know who got me that wonderful gift, but I am so thankful for them and their kindness. It was so wonderful to know that there was someone who noticed and loved me enough to see my scriptures and to sacrifice the time and the money to get me new ones with a case that would make it easier to carry around.
   Anyways, so I've been out in the field for about a week now. I'm loving every minute of it. I love doing the Lords work and knowing that he is proud of me. My companion and trainer is Elder Hollingworth. He is a great missionary who loves the work. He is a great example of hard working, but not so much obedience. But no one is perfect. He isn't super disobedient, it's just the small things he has a hard time with, like chewing gum and such. In my area we have 4 missionaries. There is me, Elder Hollingworth, Elder Mur, and Elder To'ofoHe (he's from Tonga!"). Elder To'ofoHe has helped me a lot. He talks to me a lot, even though he struggles a little with English. He tells me Tonga is paradise. He said if your hungry there you can just go to your neighbors house and they will feed you. I told him Las Vegas a lot of bad with some good and he said Tonga has no bad. Only good. I want to visit Tonga some day! He said if I go, I can stay at his house and it would be free and anything he has is mine.
   As for investigator and less actives we are teaching, there is so many I don't think I could include them all. There is Bob, who has been investigating for 8 years. He smokes like non stop. The only time we visited him while I was there he smoked at least 15 times. He's really funny though. Oh I wish I had more time!
   Well I'm running out of time! I got to go! Everyone, remember to always read and pray! Wax strong in the Lord! Do not fall into the ways of the world! The Lord needs His members to be strong to help missionary work! Faith without works is dead! I don't have any scripture references off the top of my head, but I would encourage everyone to look up Faith in the bible dictionary and read all of it and ponder and study what true faith it. I love you all and hope everyone is doing well! :)

With tender love and care,
Elder Timothy Nelson

First Batch of Pictures From Elder Timothy Nelson!

Sorry for the poor quality. I don't have a scanner anymore, so I used the old "take a picture of a picture" trick! Enjoy our first pictures from Timmy!!

Teach People, Not Lessons

Date: April 18, 2012

Companion: Elder Gray

Area: MTC

Zone: MTC

Hey everyone! So this is my second weekly email that goes to everyone! Haha wow! It's already been two full weeks here in the MTC! Oh how I've loved it here. I mean, of course some days are harder then others, but I am loving it so much here! I love it here! One of the things that they are stressing a lot to us new missionaries is teaching people, not lessons. That is very powerful stuff. Think about the difference between teaching people and teaching lessons. When we teach lessons we just go straight out of the book and just give people information regardless of how the person feels or says. Now if you are teaching a person rather then just teaching them a lesson you are listening to what they have to say, going by the spirit, and trying to give the lesson in the way that that person needs it specifically. I believe that is the main reason why they started Preach My Gospel in replacement of the old missionary memorization way. Elder Holland said in a talk that Benji showed me before I came to the MTC and he said that missionaries were coming home from their missions and going inactive within a couple of months. Now that just sounds ridiculous to me. How could anyone feel the spirit and teach with the spirit for two years straight and come home and go inactive. But that's just it. They weren't feeling or even teaching by the spirit. They were just teaching lessons for two years. I am very thankful for Preach My Gospel. I hope and pray to be able to carry the spirit with me everywhere I go, so that I can teach people and not just lessons.

One thing that has really hit me hard on my mission is how important this Gospel really is. I mean, I have always known that it's really important, but I have never really thought of it in the sense that it is THE most important thing in our lives, to this degree. I've never fully understood why it would be the most imporant thing in our lives. Now, I'm getting a better understanding of that. Like I said, I've alway known that inside, but I've never really brought it to the front of my mind. I always thought of it more of something that makes our life easier and more enjoyable.

Elder Plotkin is doing better! He still has his moments where he is hard on himself, but he is getting better. I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to write him. I am so thankful for all of you. He came up to me the other day and was like "Is this something your family does to all your district members or something?" He says you all are awesome. I worry about him a lot. I really wish I could just take him to Nebraska with me so that I could make sure he is taken care of and cared for, but I have faith that Heavenly Father will give him someone who will be good to him. I just wish Elder Plotkin could see in himself what I see. A wonderful son of God that is very very loved.

Elder Gray is awesome! The other day we were laughing so hard because he was giving us riddles to find out and I couldn't get a single one, so I decided to make one that everyone could get! We laughed like all day as we told it to everyone. Here it is. "So there is four chicken wings and three guys. All of the sudden there is only three chicken wings. How is this possible?" If any of you can figure it out, please let me know. Haha ;) just kidding.

Well I'm running low on time! I got to wrap this email up! This will be my last email in the MTC by the way. I am leaving for Nebraska Omaha next Tuesday at 8 in the morning, so if you don't hear anything from me for a week, that's why. OH! I think I forgot to mention in my last email that on Easter Sunday Elder Boyd K. Packer came and spoke to us! And this last Sunday Elder M. Russell Ballard came and spoke to us! I loved hearing from both of them. It's always great to hear from the Apostles.

Well thank you to everyone who wrote me so far. It's always get to hear from people, even people I haven't really talked to much in the past. I've had so much support in the last two weeks. I am so blessed. I have been my whole life and I will always be. I have faith in that. Thank you all for being the best! I love you all and hope to hear from more of you. I love the updates. :)

With tender love and care,

Elder Timmy Nelson

P.S. I love you all! I love the mission. I love my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. Got to go! Bye!

I'm Finally A Missionary!

Date: April 11, 2012

Companion: Elder Gray

Area: Provo MTC

Zone: Provo MTC

Dear all,

The time has finally come! I’m a missionary! By the say, sorry if there is any miss spelled words or incorrect punctuation. For some reason the keys are all mixed up on this computer that I am using. I would like to start of by saying how much I enjoy the MTC. I am loving it so much! It’s amazing! You can feel the spirit so strong here it is truly something else.

I have been blessed with an amazing companion and amazing district! My companions name is Elder Gray. He is here to work, and that is what I prayed for. I was afraid of getting a companion that wasn’t here for the right reason, but I have been blessed with one that is here for the work. He is also very smart and knows a lot about the church and such. I have been called to be his senior companion, I think mainly because I need to work on my leadership skills. I need to learn how to take charge rather then being so chill about everything. I’d like to go over each of the elders in my district now.

Elder May is our district leader. He is so passionate about the work and he is kind to everyone. He is great! Next there is Elder Gibb. Elder Gibb is very sarcastic and sometimes its hard to tell if he is being serious or not, but I just learned to not take him seriously ever. He calls me number four. He for some reason thinks I would be a fourth Nephite after the three Nephites because I am always smiling and so happy and never have anything negative to say about anyone or anything. Next we have Elder Rigby who is the only other Elder besides me and Elder Gray going to Nebraska. All the others are going to New York. He likes to sing. Next is Elder Black. Elder Black is not very talkative but he is cool. He likes cars, I think. Next is Elder Cambell. He cracks me and Elder Gray up more than any other missionary, but it’s not the things he says that makes us laugh, more of how he talks, which is not a good thing during class. I’ve has to leave class before because I could not top laughing, and trust me I was really trying not to laugh. Last, but certainly not least, is Elder Plotkin. Elder Plotkin is awesome and is trying his best. He bring a great spirit to the class room everyday. But the other day we experienced something that nearly broke my heart into pieces. Elder Plotkin broke down saying he can not do it. He said he was not good enough and no matter what he did he always failed. I of course helped him and gave him a big hug, but it also pains me to say that he has not gotten a single thing in the mail. So I would like to ask all who are reading this, if you have time, please write Elder Plotkin a DearElder, which takes very little time, and give him some words of encouragement. Maybe even make it anonymous. He is going to New York Utica for his mission. If any of you could do that, I would be very grateful.

Another amazing experience I had this past week was I heard that Kelsey and her siblings got into a serious accident. I heard the car flipped 5 times, but there were no serious injuries. Last night I could not help but bawl as I thanked my Heavenly Father for protecting my friends. It truly was a miracle.

Well I am really running out of time here, so I better close. I just wanted to let everyone know that I love them and that I am doing amazing! I haven’t even felt any home sickness yet! I love it here and I can’t wait to be out in the field! Oh and my P day is Wednesday for anyone wondering. And thanks to everyone who wrote me! I am known as the one in the district with 17 thousand letters. Haha I would thank each of you individually, but I am down to two minutes and I do not want to go over. I hope everyone is doing well! Let me know! Bye. For reals this time.

Elder Timmy Nelson

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Welcome to Elder Nelson V's (Timmy's) mission blog! Here you will find all that you need: his weekly e-mails, his current address, and other delicious updates!

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