Dear
All,
So this past week was much better then last! We are done with the other
apartment now and are back to the wonderful missionary work! I've even got some
great news! Michael made it to church yesterday! We set him for the 25th of
August, so hopefully he can be over his smoking and coffee addiction by then.
He's been making some great improvement! It's great! We've even been making
some progress with some less active families too, which has been amazing! Oh
and we have a member who found someone from his work who we are meeting with
tonight! I was so excited to hear that! I can't wait!
So as you can tell, the work is picking up! Now that we take care of both
wards, I have new investigators that I am dealing with that have been being
dealt with for a while now. We have some twins we are teaching named Hope and
Faith. They are 13 about to be 14 in August. They have been set before and
attend church regularly. The only thing that is keeping them from being
baptized is their father. He is a less active member who doesn't believe in the
church anymore and won't let his daughters be baptized because they "only
go to him when they need something". We meet with the twins usually twice
a week and have a lesson with them, but they are at their Dad's house so we
have been having the lessons there. He seems pretty hard hearted towards the
church, but yesterday we meet with the twins and it seemed like he was warming
up to us. I am sure he will come around, so long as we continue to be true
representatives of Christ through our actions of kindness and diligence.
I hope everyone is doing well. Thanks to everyone so much for always being such
a great support to me. I love you all so much and look forward to hearing from
y'all!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
Monday, July 30, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Stressful!
Dear
all,
So since my last email there has been nothing but stress! As you know Elder Benson and I are now companions, so that means there is only one set of missionaries here in North Platte now. Because of this one of the apartments got closed and we kept the newer one. Well the one we closed which was older was pretty old and accumulated a lot of old mission junk, especially because we used to have Sister Missionaries here (Nothing against them, they just like having a lot of stuff for cooking and decorations). So we have spent the last couple of days just cleaning and moving stuff. We have taken two big loads of stuff to Goodwill, and thrown away a lot of other stuff as well. Missionaries like to buy thing, then when they get transferred, leave it behind for the next missionaries, never thinking that some day that place might be closed and someone would have to clean up such a big mess.
The cleaning was stressful, but it wasn't the most stressful part. The most stressful part about it was having a bunch of people telling you different things. We got a call from one of the old couple Missionaries and they said we had to get the placed cleaned out and everything by Friday and that the owner of the apartment complex has told him that there would be an open garage for us to store all the extra furniture. Well I called them up and they said that they had told them that they didn't have an open garage. Getting all that figured out and such was so stressful, I don't think I've ever been that stressed in my life.
Besides all that, everything is going great! Elder Benson and I are pretty much best buds already. We get along great and we both want to work hard! Hopefully we start seeing some increase in the work around here. I have faith that we will both do great work here, as long as we keep turning to the Lord for help!
I hope everyone is doing well! Life is great! Never forget that! Never forget all the blessing that are from our Heavenly Father! I love you all! Everyone keep up the good work and don't forget where you come from!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
So since my last email there has been nothing but stress! As you know Elder Benson and I are now companions, so that means there is only one set of missionaries here in North Platte now. Because of this one of the apartments got closed and we kept the newer one. Well the one we closed which was older was pretty old and accumulated a lot of old mission junk, especially because we used to have Sister Missionaries here (Nothing against them, they just like having a lot of stuff for cooking and decorations). So we have spent the last couple of days just cleaning and moving stuff. We have taken two big loads of stuff to Goodwill, and thrown away a lot of other stuff as well. Missionaries like to buy thing, then when they get transferred, leave it behind for the next missionaries, never thinking that some day that place might be closed and someone would have to clean up such a big mess.
The cleaning was stressful, but it wasn't the most stressful part. The most stressful part about it was having a bunch of people telling you different things. We got a call from one of the old couple Missionaries and they said we had to get the placed cleaned out and everything by Friday and that the owner of the apartment complex has told him that there would be an open garage for us to store all the extra furniture. Well I called them up and they said that they had told them that they didn't have an open garage. Getting all that figured out and such was so stressful, I don't think I've ever been that stressed in my life.
Besides all that, everything is going great! Elder Benson and I are pretty much best buds already. We get along great and we both want to work hard! Hopefully we start seeing some increase in the work around here. I have faith that we will both do great work here, as long as we keep turning to the Lord for help!
I hope everyone is doing well! Life is great! Never forget that! Never forget all the blessing that are from our Heavenly Father! I love you all! Everyone keep up the good work and don't forget where you come from!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Second Transfer
Dear
All,
So looks like I'll be spending the next transfer in North Platte yet again. My next companion is going to be Elder Benson! I'm so excited! Elder Benson and I are such good friends, I can't wait to serve with him as my companion! We have the same sense of humor and we just get along so well! This next transfer is going to be so awesome! Honestly though, I will miss Elder Hollingworth. This past week or two we really started to bond, and I can truly say now that I will miss him. He taught me a lot and we had some good times together.
This past week was a little hard on me. It just felt like most everyone was avoiding us and such. We lost an investigator which really made me sad. His name is Delbert. We've been seeing him since I got here. But he told us that he isn't going to ever convert so we had to drop him. Maybe some day, but it's just not his time. As for Micheal he said he was going to be at church for sure, but turns out the person who would have picked him up was out of town, so that wasn't too good.
The work is kinda slow but something the new mission president is really pushing is service and less active work, so in that regard we aren't doing too bad. I've felt this past week that the work may be slowing down, but I, personally, am doing better.
I love you all! You all do so much for me and I so very thankful for that! Keep up the good work everyone!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
So looks like I'll be spending the next transfer in North Platte yet again. My next companion is going to be Elder Benson! I'm so excited! Elder Benson and I are such good friends, I can't wait to serve with him as my companion! We have the same sense of humor and we just get along so well! This next transfer is going to be so awesome! Honestly though, I will miss Elder Hollingworth. This past week or two we really started to bond, and I can truly say now that I will miss him. He taught me a lot and we had some good times together.
This past week was a little hard on me. It just felt like most everyone was avoiding us and such. We lost an investigator which really made me sad. His name is Delbert. We've been seeing him since I got here. But he told us that he isn't going to ever convert so we had to drop him. Maybe some day, but it's just not his time. As for Micheal he said he was going to be at church for sure, but turns out the person who would have picked him up was out of town, so that wasn't too good.
The work is kinda slow but something the new mission president is really pushing is service and less active work, so in that regard we aren't doing too bad. I've felt this past week that the work may be slowing down, but I, personally, am doing better.
I love you all! You all do so much for me and I so very thankful for that! Keep up the good work everyone!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
Monday, July 9, 2012
Great Week!
Dear
All,
In North Platte, Nebraska, it's sunny! With a gentle breeze. With a high of 105 and a low of 69. Haha, so my companion likes to use this thing called Tell Me to find out the weather and such each day. It's a number you call and it tells you the weather for the week. It's been super dry here! Drier then most summers people say. Which isn't very good. It's not good for the crops at all. So a lot of people have been praying for rain!
So this past week we got a new mission president! His name is President Weston! He is so awesome! He interview each of us last Thursday and it was just great! He helped me out a lot with some problems I've been having with my companion. He's a great man, who you can tell has been called of God.
As for the 4th of July, it was amazing! We went on exchanged that day, so I was with Elder Benson. Elder Benson and I went inspired tracting for like all day, and it was awesome, because I rarely ever get to tract because my companion doesn't like to. We started it off with a powerful prayer and it was just smooth sailing from there on out. Of course, my legs were taking a beating and we had to rest every now and then, but knocking on doors that you feel The Spirit is prompting you to knock on is so amazing! Even if they aren't interested, planting seeds and them seeing someone who is nice and just wants to know how there 4th of July is going gives them that opportunity to see who we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints really are. It was so powerful to me to be able to experience how my kindness kind of reflected their kindness back.
And my last experience that I am going to share is more of a funny experience, but sad at the same time, depending on how you look at it. So me and Elder Hollingworth were riding our bikes down the road, until Elder Hollingworth got a flat back tire, which slowed us down. As we were stopping, all of the sudden I hear something that sounds like "My brother is Mormon." I look over and this drunk guy is coming over to us, but he is saying "Brother Mormon." My companion has told me about this guy before and usually he yells at him, but today he was being kind. "Brother Mormon." he says, "How you gentlemen doing today. Why don't you take a seat. It's hot and you two must be really tired."
"No thanks. We are good standing." says my companion.
"No, I know you guys must get tired and thirsty. It's hot outside." He says as he leaves, then eventually he comes back. "Here is 5 dollars. The machine only takes 1s, but why don't you two go get yourselves a pop."
So we went to get ourselves a "pop" from the machine that doesn't take the 5, so my companion just takes a one out of his wallet and we get them with that. Then comes back the guy. "Hey, my land lady doesn't like Mormons or Jehova's Witnesses here, so why don't you park your bikes behind my apartment and you can come in through the back. I want to share something with you guys that will just bless your socks off." I'm thinking at this point, this guy is crazy. He wants to "bless my socks off." But my companion just says "Watch out for anything fishy." and proceeds to go to this man's apartment.
So we get inside and he started to close both the front door and the back and as he's doing so he's saying "I'm not Mormon, and I'm an excommunicated Jehova's Witness." Then he gets to the sent of the room and just starts crying as he says "I didn't bring you guys here to feel sorry for me. I would like to share with you a song." He turns on this song, and it's a pretty decent song about trials and such, but as the song is going he's saying all sorts of random stuff. Like "Brother Elder, isn't this just beautiful?", "Brother Elder, I don't want you to feel sorry for me." , and "Pastor, do you feel me?" As this is all going on, at some point he opens up a can of beer pours it into a cup, then pours vegetable juice in the same cup. It was disgusting! Then he says "Brother Elder," looking straight at me, "I do drink a little, but I wouldn't give you any if you got down on your knees and begged me for me." I was just like "Thank you so much." Haha
So after the song he decided to tell us what is weighing on his heart. He told us he wanted a Catholic NFDA wife. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he was so drunk I just went along with it. After he talked to us for about like 20 minutes straight repeating himself over and over again. "Brother Elder, don't feel sorry for me. You don't have the fear me." All sorts of random stuff, I tell him we have to get going. He says to me "Will you lead us off in prayer?" so he grabs me and my companions hands, so I get to have my first prayers circle on my mission. So I pray and ask I'm praying for the military and the poor he starts squeezing our hands and shaking like he is about to explode or something. So I end, and he just starts praying right after. After we're done and we are about to leave, he just grabs our hands and says "One more time!" and instantly starts praying for the cops out in the streets. Well we get out of there and we give him our number and he asks if he can call us at around 6 because he gets lonely at time, but as we were leaving my companion was just like "He won't call us. Within 5 minutes, he probably won't even remember what just happened."
So there y'all go. I had my first drunken man experience and prayer circle all in one experience. It was pretty funny, but I felt bad for him, because he was doing that to himself, and he could be so much happier if he just got his act together.
Well I hope everyone is doing well! I love hearing from all of you! I'm so blessed to have y'all in my life and we are so blessed to have this country. I love you all! Until next week!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
P.S. Happy later 4th of July!
P.P.S. Next week is transfer week! So anyone who wants to send me some mail probably best to send it to the Mission Office next week, just to be safe, and my next P-Day will be on Wednesday the 18th. So until then!
In North Platte, Nebraska, it's sunny! With a gentle breeze. With a high of 105 and a low of 69. Haha, so my companion likes to use this thing called Tell Me to find out the weather and such each day. It's a number you call and it tells you the weather for the week. It's been super dry here! Drier then most summers people say. Which isn't very good. It's not good for the crops at all. So a lot of people have been praying for rain!
So this past week we got a new mission president! His name is President Weston! He is so awesome! He interview each of us last Thursday and it was just great! He helped me out a lot with some problems I've been having with my companion. He's a great man, who you can tell has been called of God.
As for the 4th of July, it was amazing! We went on exchanged that day, so I was with Elder Benson. Elder Benson and I went inspired tracting for like all day, and it was awesome, because I rarely ever get to tract because my companion doesn't like to. We started it off with a powerful prayer and it was just smooth sailing from there on out. Of course, my legs were taking a beating and we had to rest every now and then, but knocking on doors that you feel The Spirit is prompting you to knock on is so amazing! Even if they aren't interested, planting seeds and them seeing someone who is nice and just wants to know how there 4th of July is going gives them that opportunity to see who we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints really are. It was so powerful to me to be able to experience how my kindness kind of reflected their kindness back.
And my last experience that I am going to share is more of a funny experience, but sad at the same time, depending on how you look at it. So me and Elder Hollingworth were riding our bikes down the road, until Elder Hollingworth got a flat back tire, which slowed us down. As we were stopping, all of the sudden I hear something that sounds like "My brother is Mormon." I look over and this drunk guy is coming over to us, but he is saying "Brother Mormon." My companion has told me about this guy before and usually he yells at him, but today he was being kind. "Brother Mormon." he says, "How you gentlemen doing today. Why don't you take a seat. It's hot and you two must be really tired."
"No thanks. We are good standing." says my companion.
"No, I know you guys must get tired and thirsty. It's hot outside." He says as he leaves, then eventually he comes back. "Here is 5 dollars. The machine only takes 1s, but why don't you two go get yourselves a pop."
So we went to get ourselves a "pop" from the machine that doesn't take the 5, so my companion just takes a one out of his wallet and we get them with that. Then comes back the guy. "Hey, my land lady doesn't like Mormons or Jehova's Witnesses here, so why don't you park your bikes behind my apartment and you can come in through the back. I want to share something with you guys that will just bless your socks off." I'm thinking at this point, this guy is crazy. He wants to "bless my socks off." But my companion just says "Watch out for anything fishy." and proceeds to go to this man's apartment.
So we get inside and he started to close both the front door and the back and as he's doing so he's saying "I'm not Mormon, and I'm an excommunicated Jehova's Witness." Then he gets to the sent of the room and just starts crying as he says "I didn't bring you guys here to feel sorry for me. I would like to share with you a song." He turns on this song, and it's a pretty decent song about trials and such, but as the song is going he's saying all sorts of random stuff. Like "Brother Elder, isn't this just beautiful?", "Brother Elder, I don't want you to feel sorry for me." , and "Pastor, do you feel me?" As this is all going on, at some point he opens up a can of beer pours it into a cup, then pours vegetable juice in the same cup. It was disgusting! Then he says "Brother Elder," looking straight at me, "I do drink a little, but I wouldn't give you any if you got down on your knees and begged me for me." I was just like "Thank you so much." Haha
So after the song he decided to tell us what is weighing on his heart. He told us he wanted a Catholic NFDA wife. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he was so drunk I just went along with it. After he talked to us for about like 20 minutes straight repeating himself over and over again. "Brother Elder, don't feel sorry for me. You don't have the fear me." All sorts of random stuff, I tell him we have to get going. He says to me "Will you lead us off in prayer?" so he grabs me and my companions hands, so I get to have my first prayers circle on my mission. So I pray and ask I'm praying for the military and the poor he starts squeezing our hands and shaking like he is about to explode or something. So I end, and he just starts praying right after. After we're done and we are about to leave, he just grabs our hands and says "One more time!" and instantly starts praying for the cops out in the streets. Well we get out of there and we give him our number and he asks if he can call us at around 6 because he gets lonely at time, but as we were leaving my companion was just like "He won't call us. Within 5 minutes, he probably won't even remember what just happened."
So there y'all go. I had my first drunken man experience and prayer circle all in one experience. It was pretty funny, but I felt bad for him, because he was doing that to himself, and he could be so much happier if he just got his act together.
Well I hope everyone is doing well! I love hearing from all of you! I'm so blessed to have y'all in my life and we are so blessed to have this country. I love you all! Until next week!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
P.S. Happy later 4th of July!
P.P.S. Next week is transfer week! So anyone who wants to send me some mail probably best to send it to the Mission Office next week, just to be safe, and my next P-Day will be on Wednesday the 18th. So until then!
Monday, July 2, 2012
Spiritual Experience of The Week
Dear
all,
So sadly enough, it was another slow week, but I'm doing my best not to get discouraged. I know that even if I'm not finding people or teaching people, I'm not wasting time, as long as I am diligent in the work.
This last Saturday, there was a baptism, however it wasn't a convert baptism. It was a baptism for a girl in our ward named Cie. She is such a funny little girl who is very laughy and just smiles all the time. Seeing her get baptized was very powerful to me. When I saw her grandpa baptize her, I felt the Spirit so strong. Everyone could feel it. If only our investigators that we invited showed up! That would have been ideal, but it still helped me to feel the Spirit more then I had in a long time. It was a great experience.
Michael is making a little bit of progress. He is still smoking and drinking coffee, but on Saturday he told us that he was thinking about stopping and ways to help himself stop. He repeat one of our ideas for him, but the fact that he brought it up himself without us bringing it up like we usually do showed me that he is starting to get more of a desire to stop
As always, I hope everyone is doing great! I love and miss everyone back home. I am so grateful for you all and all that you do for me. I have been so blessed through out my life. Thank you all!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
So sadly enough, it was another slow week, but I'm doing my best not to get discouraged. I know that even if I'm not finding people or teaching people, I'm not wasting time, as long as I am diligent in the work.
This last Saturday, there was a baptism, however it wasn't a convert baptism. It was a baptism for a girl in our ward named Cie. She is such a funny little girl who is very laughy and just smiles all the time. Seeing her get baptized was very powerful to me. When I saw her grandpa baptize her, I felt the Spirit so strong. Everyone could feel it. If only our investigators that we invited showed up! That would have been ideal, but it still helped me to feel the Spirit more then I had in a long time. It was a great experience.
Michael is making a little bit of progress. He is still smoking and drinking coffee, but on Saturday he told us that he was thinking about stopping and ways to help himself stop. He repeat one of our ideas for him, but the fact that he brought it up himself without us bringing it up like we usually do showed me that he is starting to get more of a desire to stop
As always, I hope everyone is doing great! I love and miss everyone back home. I am so grateful for you all and all that you do for me. I have been so blessed through out my life. Thank you all!
With tender love and care,
Ofa atu,
Elder Timmy Nelson
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