Dear family,
I got your letters! I got the journals! Still nothing from liesel though... Maybe it went to arcata? I dunno. Anyways I think the mail is still somewhat trustworthy!
We had such a good week. I will tell you what. God knows what he is doing. And I can testify that he does hear our prayers and he does answer our prayers, but in his own way and his own time. It is sure hard to be patient and trust in The Lord but as soon as revelation comes it is easy to look back and see the growth that comes from enduring in faith.
For the past few weeks I have felt somewhat stuck. In a slump I guess you could say. And I have been pleading with The Lord every day to help me know what I should do. What I can change, and how I can really make these 6 precious months really count. Not just in regards to the work but also in regards to myself and my own conversion and sanctification.For a few weeks now that has been my prayer.
Nothing came for awhile and I have struggled emotionally and in spirit to understand why and what I could do to get the answers that I need. I think it is funny that when we ask The Lord for things and don't get an answer right away we immediately begin to question our worthiness. So dumb haha. In all reality that might be a problem but I knew it wasn't mine yet still somehow that thought crept into my mind...I think that happens to a lot of people when things get hard and answers don't come. Question worthiness and testimony. Fortunately we have all the guidance we need in the scriptures. Ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith. It is one of the hardest things ever to trust in god and endure in faith Patiently, until we receive further light and knowledge from our father in heaven.
I am so thankful that Heavenly Father loves us enough to let us struggle and learn from the opposition in our lives. Sometimes the opposition is simply to wait on The Lord and patiently endure. His answers and guidance always come at the right time after we have exercised our faith and learned sufficiently.
This week we had the opportunity to spend about two days at camp liahona in the redwoods. This is my third time going there on my mission! Once for a service project, 2nd for an all mission conference, and third for missionary leader council. Or MLC. So all the zone leaders and STLs (sister trainer leaders) in our mission along with a few others were in attendance.
We spent over 12 hours in meetings. We were trained on a lot of things regarding leadership. I can pretty much tell you that I don't remember much of what was said by the people. I'd have to go over my notes. But I do remember what was taught to me by the spirit! And it was and is exactly what I needed to hear.
Basically, the first night president alba set the scene he told us straight up that we need to change and that his hope and the whole purpose of this camp was for the intent of us having a single moment of inspiration to catch the vision of high expectations. I probably didn't tell you this but elder Ballard came to Cali and taught the mission presidents that we need to have higher expectations and develop a culture of high expectation. There is a lot more detail to it than that but that is the basis. So he told is frankly that we were to leave this camp all the way in on the new expectations and goals for our mission.
What was cool is that the first night when president set the scene he taught us about what we needed to build our high expectations on. It was funny because I was super pumped to have the moment but I did not understand anything that he taught us that night I didn't understand how it was supposed to change me or the mission. So I was a little bit sad that that was what was presented. I prayed that night for understanding and for a moment to change me.
The second day was super long and we were taught a ton of stuff about leadership. It was good and I learned some good stuff about being a leader but I was still looking for that moment and understanding.
Finally in our last meeting, we were having a good discussion about our mission and having high expectations. I don't remember anything of what was said but there was a point when president alba totally received revelation and I finally had my moment. I was taught by the spirit. I literally felt the quickening of my mind as understanding entered into my mind and my heart. I can't explain what I learned very well, but i know exactly what I need to do and I have a clear vision of what I can accomplish and who I can become over the last six months of my mission.
The thoughts I received go much deeper into my heart than I can express but essentially what I was taught is that we meaning me and our zone and our mission and everyone everywhere need to build our high expectations on the promises of god. We need to bank on God!!
We have had several General authorities come to our mission, and we have been promised that if we would meet certain standards we would double and triple our baptisms. We have not yet gotten anywhere close to doing that. And it is because we have not been banking on Gods promises. God is bound to bless us by laws irrevocably decreed in heaven. And his servants have given us standards that If we meet we will have the windows of heaven opened upon us. All we have to do is exercise our faith and trust that god will fulfill his promises to us! I don't know how to say it other than that. It is a simple truth but my understanding has been deepened and I have been filled with a new desire!! I am so thankful for it. It came at the perfect time! Let us test God!! Pay your tithing and see what happens! Keep the sabbath holy and see what happens. Get 20 contacts a day and watch our baptisms double. I am so excited. I have no doubt that we will see miracles as we apply this new way of thinking into our missionary work. Tomorrow we will teach our zone what we learned. Pray it will go well! We also got new guidelines involving the iPads that will most assuredly cause some murmuring and that will cut the guilty to the center. It will be interesting. As zone leaders we have to go through the missionaries iPads on exchanges now or at random time because so many people think the iPads are their own personal tool. But really it is the lords and needs to be treated as such. Everything in our iPads must reflect who we are and who we represent. So yeah a lot of people aren't going to like that... If there is bad stuff we are authorized to call pres and take away their iPads. 5 elders lost them this last week. It is sad. O be wise! What can I say more??
Well that's it from me I am doing wonderful. The Lord is taking care of me. I'm so thankful to be a member of this church and a servant of Christ at this great time! I love each of you and am thankful for all the support and the letters and the love! You are the best!! Have a wonderful week.
Elder Nelson
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