Diligencia

¡Hola Familia!

This last week was awesome! My companion and I decided that this week
we would push ourselves to work more diligently. There were some hard
things the week before, we faced some rejection, and our diligence had
taken a bit of a hit. I had a really powerful personal study in the
beginning of the week. There was something that impacted me as I was
studying diligence in Preach my Gospel - something really simple. It
said something like ¨diligence means keeping on going even when you´re
tired¨. Sometimes you just get tired. Tired of rejection, tired of
walking, tired of spanish. But it is so incredible that even when we
feel we have no more to give, if we go that extra mile until the very
end the Lord pours out the blessings. And we saw a lot of that this
week!

The greatest miracle for me is what has happened with T, our
investigator who is 10 years old. We´ve been teaching him for a while
now, and a little on and off because he was living often with his dad
and his mom said he didn´t like missionaries. So a couple weeks ago we
were walking and ran into T and his dad! He was super nice and we
set up an appointment to teach them both. The first lesson it was
super clear the JR, T´s dad, was so prepared. He´s had some
rough times and it was amazing to see the way our words impacted him
so much. He accepted a baptismal date, 2 weeks after his son! This
whole last week they have been amazing. Always there and on time to
appointments (we teach them at the chapel), coming to all the
activities, and on time to church. We got there after them and T
asked me if we slept in. T is seriously the coolest - he has just
soaked up everything we´ve taught him and is so excited to be baptized
next week!

Saturday was a great day. So it was a national holiday, and there was
a parade in the center of Patagones. It was the funniest parade ever -
my companion and I were trying not to laugh because it was apparent
that the people find a lot of pride in their tradition. It was the
dream of every 4 year old little boy - basically all the motorized
vehicles of Carmen de Patagones, whether they be ambulances, bicycles
with engines built on, or random old trucks went by honking their
horns and revving their engines.

The best part though was that evening the most golden of all
eternigators (she´s been investigating for 9 months) was finally
baptized. Her name is G, and has the most incredible testimony.
She was finally able to get married on friday and was just glowing
with happiness on her baptism day. She just gets it - baptism really
is a beautiful and amazing thing!

Anyways, there were many more miracles this week, and not enough time
to write it all! I am so full of gratitude and happiness that I get to
be a missionary every day. Saturday I passed 10 months on the mission.
What!!! So crazy. The time just flies!!

love you all,
Hermana Nelson


PERSONAL NOTES

dad - congrats on the warming weather! I feel the same way about the
never-ending season except the opposite. It´s cooling a little, at
night especially, but mid day is killer. On the bright side the tan is
lookin pretty good. I love that scripture in Heleman! I also found
that one recently and learned a lot. Yielding our hearts to God
doesn´t happen in a moment, but rather over time and through
continually progressing and fasting and prayer. I love you too dad!!!
mom - I´m glad you finally got my letter! mom, I am totally taking
after you with my love for yw´s. We taught the lesson yesterday, only
2 girls were there but we introduced the program and personal
progress. I just want them to experience all that the yw program has
to offer, because they are wonderful girls and have lots of hard
things in their lives. I hope like you to spend lots of time serving
with yw! okay, WHAT THE HECK with all the people getting married??
Tell them to send me invites. I need to see pictures of the boys my
friends are marrying! That is so crazy. I guess life does go on while
I´m out here... as for the prom dress, she can for sure use it, but
its in provo...
LOVE YOU!
Matt & Angelica - ahh! No Skye pictures this week! how sad. Hope all
is well over there!
Paige & Jared - those boys are too much. Sometimes when I think about
them too much I get super trunky. As I´ve passed the halfway point of
my mission, the trunkiness has gotten a little worse, as I think of
coming home and being with my favorite people. For now though, this is
where the Lord needs me :) love you guys so much! Thanks for the email
paige!
Jacob - woohoo finally an email from my favorite little brother!!
Sounds like a good plan for when I come home Jake :) Don´t forget, we
also have to go to 5 guys! Love and miss you mi hermanito!