Zaida goes to the Temple and The "Bell-Lap"

Zaida's baptism one year ago

Zaida goes to the Temple - July 24, 2010

Santiago, Chile Temple

We had a special notice on Friday night around 10:30 that my convert from Estero Viejo in El Belloto was going to the temple with the ward and we were invited to go with them. It was a really special experience to be able to go to the temple again and be able to see one of the people I found there as well. Zaida told me that she hasnt missed going to church since she was baptized and that it was the third time that she had gone to the temple. Before she had gone alone to do baptisms in the temple. It was awesome to be able to see her progress. The bishop, Hno. Muñoz, and his family also went and it was fun to be able to catch up with them. Hma. Muñoz was the person who accompanied Zaida through the temple. We ran into other friends while at the temple.

Pablo and Hermano Miranda from Limarí

Hermana Honores
(my first mamita in the mission when I was in Limarí)

For lunch, Elder Saldivar and I went to a grocery store to find an ATM and ran into some elders from the Santiago East mission who were shopping for groceries. We asked them if they knew where any american restaurants were close by. They told us that about 10 minutes away there was a McDonald's and a Pizza Hut. We went to both :) haha. It was the first time that I had had McDonald's in almost 2 years...since before I started the mission. It was so good!!!

Last Tuesday, we started a mini mission with some of the priests from the stake of Quilpué. I was assigned to be with a 17 year old from the ward of Quilpué Centro named Gabriel Ortiz. We got along really well and had a good time working together. There was another who went with my companion, Elder Saldivar, so that made four of us in the same pension. We were able to get more done with both companionships working the our branch. The mini mission ended on Thursday in the evening. During our time, Gabriel memorized "Our Purpose" as a missionary and helped teach principles of lessons and talked with a bunch of people in the street and in their houses.

mini mission. my comp Gabriel Ortiz
from the quilpué centro ward
me, Gabriel, Alvaro from Marga Marga & Saldivar

On Friday, we had my last mission conference. It was really weird to be the group to give the going home testimonies. There were so many of us (22) that they had to split us up into three groups throughout the conference to give our testimonies so that it wasnt an hour straight of listening to testimonies. I was the last one to go in the second group. We were asked to share a two minute experience that "tipifies" our mission and then share our testimony for another minute. Turns out that out of all 22 of us, I was the only one that got emotional during my experience and testimony. It started right off the bat too. I decided to talk about the logo of the mission that says "convertir familias" or convert families and how wonderful it is to see a man kneel down with his wife and children to ask God for the first time in their lives to bless their family and to help them to know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. That has been the biggest blessing that I have seen during my mission and was able to see it a lot with the Urrutia Family. I know that the mission has helped me to know what I want for my family and even more, I now know how to get it through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was interesting to hear in the conference that the structure of the mission will be changing. There will no longer be conferences every month and interviews every change (6 weeks) but both will occur every 3 months. We were also the last group of missionaries that are going to be able to give a going home testimony. There is also a new way of teaching that will be starting in May 2011 that will help missionaries teach to the needs of the people. We are starting it now to be able to be ready and used to the system for when the new missionaries come in from the MTC next spring. We were also given new cell phones that allow all of us to be able to call investigators and members of the ward as well as other missionaries. In the past only the zone leaders had their phones open to call other people that werent missionaries. That will be so nice now in Los Aromos. It was hard for me to get used to not having a phone to call people when I got here. After the conference was over, President called those who were leaving into a room and asked us if we knew what happened in the last lap of a race, or what the lap was called. Someone said, "bell-lap." President Gillespie then talked about how the runners in the race run even faster when they hear the bell because they know that the race is coming to a close. As he said that, he pulled out from his suit pocket a little bag full of little bells. He told us that we were now in our own "bell-lap" and that now was the time to "run faster" than we have so that we finish "the race" strong. I have the bell attached to my backpack to let me remember that message every step I take. All of my mission companions still in Chile
(except Davila & Miranda who are in the North) Saldivar, Tensmeyer, Allenbach, Millar & Watkins

Yesterday, (Sunday), we had lunch with the Parada Family. They made a whole bunch of grilled chicken that was really good. On Monday night, the grandma, who when I first got here was kind of against us and isnt a member of the church, asked us for a health blessing and told my companion during a family home evening that he had with them during the mini mission that the only reason that she has for why she doesnt get baptized is because she cant stop smoking. In the afternoon we went to Marga Marga, where Elder Owen and Elder Pitcher are, to do a baptismal interview.
It turned out to be a really busy week and we were able to see progress in the branch. The Gonzalez Vega family is all better now and the mom and youngest daughter came to church yesterday and they signed up to give us lunch on Tuesday and then have a lesson in the evening. The mom asked us to forgive them for not being able to see us for the past month but that they were going to "ponerse las pilas" and have us come over more often now. Thank you to those of you who have had this family in your prayers. :)
Well that is about it for this week. Have a great week and talk to you all in August (next week).
Chao-- Elder Jaren E. Nelson

Winter in Chile and my last mission conference

Elders David, Diaz, Pleytéz, Saldivar, me, Owen

hey family how are things going? this week was a good week and we were able to accomplish a few more things than the week before. This weekend we did interchanges with the zone leaders, Elder Owen and Elder Pitcher. I went with Elder Owen and we stayed in Los Aromos. We had a lot of success on Saturday. We were able to find a few new people to teach. We ate lunch with our branch president, President Nuñez. On sunday, we had a special stake conference in Quilpué and Elder Nuñez, and area 70 came and spoke to us. He spoke for about 45 minutes on traditions that need to be changed in the church....and especially in the stake of Quilpué. He talked about how the Bishop is in charge firstly, of the youth. for adults, they should first go to the elders quorum pres, high priest group leader, or the relief society president. he also spoke about the importance of serving others and looking for oportunities to do so. callings in the church at some point come to an end and by releasing someone, was it for doing a great job and moving aside for someone else to learn, or was it so that someone else would do the job that was supposed to get done. He spoke on the importance of the mother and of his own mother in his life. In the evening, we had a family home evening with the Erices family. They had invited their inlaws to join us. We talked about the blessing it is to have on prophet on the earth today. This week will be full of activities. We are going to do a mini mission with some youth from the stake. We are going to be their companions for 2 days. On friday we are going to have my last mission conference. It is going to be with all of the south......22 of us will be giving our final testimonies.....The weather here is just flat out cold. It has been down to 46 degrees inside our house when i wake up in the morning. luckily i stay nice and warm at night haha.well have a great week everyone and have an awesome PIONEER DAY!!!!!! Happy birthday mom!!!!!!!! have a great one! love you all love,elder nelson

My Going Home Instructions

Elder Owen presents me with my going home instructions.

Lots of mixed feelings.

Pia Parada turns 4! Happy Birthday Pia!A bad windstorm blows

this chain onto power lines-

hey everyone howa are things going?

this was a pretty slow week but we are getting things coordinated with the branch to do more family home evenings this week. On tuesday, we had a crazy rain and wind storm that lasted about all day. one funny thing was we decided to visit an older lady in the ward that we did service for once last change. we never go by her house and felt that we should go by around 12:30 in the afternoon. as we got there she opened the door and told us to come in, getting out of the rain and wind that was steadily increasing. As we entered the house, we noticed that she had to places set at the table for us to eat. I looked at my companion with a confused look on my face and noticed that he was giving me the same look of confusion. Hermana Teresa then told us that she was expecting us for lunch that day. According to her, on sunday, she had spoken with the sister in charge of our lunch schedule and told her that she was going to give lunch to the missionaries on the 6th. we didnt know what to do because we had lunch planned with another family at 1:30. Hermana Teresa told us to sit down so we did but we told her that we were both getting over colds and could only eat smaller portions (yes, we were both getting over colds at the time). Turns out that she had stopped giving lunch to the missionaries awhile ago but decided to sign up again. Luckliy for us, while in her house, the rain and wind was so strong that we couldnt even hear Hernana Teresa talking to us. We were glad to be indoors during that part of the storm. We felt bad that the hermana had gone to all that trouble to make us a nice lunch but at the same time we were grateful that we went by her house to see how she was doing. It would have really hurt her feelings if we hadnt shown up to eat. She is 85 and her memory isnt really in top shape anymore. It was rough trying to down the second lunch an hour later but we both succeeded in doing so. We didnt want to even see or think of food afterwards though...haha it was a funny experience i should say...
tomorrow, july 13, i hit 23 months in the mission. wow. this week we had a really spiritual lesson on the sacrament with an older lady. It really strengthened my testimony about the importance of going to church every week to renew our covanant that we made with Him. I received my going home envelope that requires me to make a 5 year plan for my life. one of the categories is "la búsqueda" or the search (for that special someone) haha. there are 5 time boxes: 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years. in the search, the boxes with 3 and 5 years are crossed out haha....i also need to write a final letter to President Gillespie explaining what the most gratifying thing about serving a mission has been for me. we are visiting different organizations each week in church. last week we visited the relief society and shared a scripture with them about the importance of the mother and thanked them for all that they did for us. yesterday we sang the mission hymn in the priesthood opening. well the gonzalez family is still sick but it looks like and we are praying that we will be able to teach them this week sometime. it really is a patience tester for me but with lots of faith and prayers, we will be able to prepare the family without even teaching them. Well everyone have a great week.

chaíto-- Elder Jaren E. Nelson

Last Change #15

Ricky the Yorkie
Villa Hermosa

hey family how are things going?
this week was a bit slower than last week. there werent that many things that happened. The gonzalez family is still sick and can't leave their house. We just hope that they dont lose the desire to listen to us afterwards. We are praying for them. Other than that, we are looking for people to teach. On Friday night, we had a ward talent show. It was a fun time. for the organization of missionary work, we did a skit. others sang songs, did skits, played an instrument, and other stuff. Well this is my first week of my last change in the mission. its weird to think that i am the oldest one in the mission now...its even more weird- even scary- to think what comes "next change". I will receive my change this evening. today we are going to play soccer with other missionaries in the zone.
Well I hope eveyone had a great weekend and a happy 4th of July. people in the ward here told me happy independence day. love you all. have a great one! chao-- Elder Jaren E. Nelson