February 4th, 2013

Dear Family,

Hello!

So it was stake conference for us this sunday! It was broadcast from Salt lake to like 68 stakes. Did you watch it as well? L. Tom Perry spoke to us! I t was so sick! He threw down on everyone for not doing enough missionary work! Missionries dont ask for referrals as much and members dont give referrals! It was a good talk and I was inspired! Right after that we set up an appointment with our bishop to go over some notes that i took about how we can work better with him and with the ward! He also had some ideas from the talk and we came up with some plans and goals and some names to get started on this week! Cool beans!!

This week and last week we set 6 new baptismal dates!!! It has been so awesome!! Continue praying for courtney and her husband jeremy, things are getting harder for her because she is getting closer to being baptized. The adversary is working very hard against her. We had an awesome lesson with her this week about the plan of salvation! I invited her to be baptized after and she said yeah I really would like to be baptized except my husband.... so we came to the conclusion that I need to come over and Knock some sense into him with my fist!! Just kidding. She is great though!!

One of the other dates that we have, Jesus juarez, is awesome too! We set the date with him last night actually! We went over kind of not expecting a lot to have changed from the last time we visited. (Last time we talked about them getting married and him baptized. His wife, paige is a reactivating member) I honestly didnt think based on their reaction that anything would come from our meeting and dicussion about marriage and chastity..BUT It turns out that something we said sparked their desire and they very excitedly told us that they did some praying and talking and then she showed us her ring! They are getting married sometime this month!! Of course while I listened in the back of my mind I was plotting how we would reinvite him to be baptized hehe. We taught him the Doctrine of Christ and emphasized the importance of baptism then we invited him and he accepted! March 16th!! I t was so sweet. Made my whole week!!

So the work is going really really well. We are not even close to where we need to be though. There is so much work to be done and progress to be made! I am so thankful for the atonement and that I am able to repent for the many mistakes that i make every day!! As I have done my best to be humble and turn my weaknesses to strengths I have felt the power of the atonement shape and change me, which in turm has given me a very real moral authority. As I srive to lead by example and be exactly obedient I have the authority to invite others to change and be better as well! To accept and follow jesus Christ is to accept Change. By constantly changing and growing I have felt much more qualified by the spirit to invite others to change as well. It is so important to have this authority. We cannot ask people to change if we are not changing ourselves! This is something that I have really tried to incorporate into my life as a missionary. If I am not reading the scriptures every day how can i invite and commit someone else to read every day? We have to lead by example so that we have moral authority to invite others to choose change and to become better. I hope that all made sense!

Anyways have a great week and I hope that you got my pictures that i sent you! I love you!

Elder Nelson