Baptism

 Welcome back to my weekly email,

This week wasn't the most eventful so this will be short.

The main event of this week was the baptism of Kelaia. It was Friday the 26th. A ton of members showed up, enough that a few, including us, had to stand and watch from the hallway. Elder Vega got to do the baptism. Ward members had mentioned that for past bauptims the water had been super cold, so we made sure to fill it up with hot water earlier that day. However when the baptism came it was cold. Lucky Vega! 

Throughout this week we also visited, or at least tried to visit, a lot of inactive members. Constitución has a ton so we are going around and inviting them back to church. Covid hit pretty hard here so most have had a nice two year hiatus from church.

President also announced that we can take public transport now, all except for the metro. So getting around now should be a lot easier and cheaper! This p-day we took a Pesero, the micro busses here in Mexico City, they are crazy. The drivers are super aggressive weaving in between cars, passing on the left or right it doesn't matter. I look forward to taking more in the future. 

Almost forgot this story, but in church this week the stake announced a service activity this saturday for light the world. My favorite part was that they told everyone to bring their machetes. First time I have heard that form over the pulpit.

Elder Neilson

Picture

-Kelaia´s baptism

Living out of a Suitcase

 This title would have been more appropriate last transfer when I did live out of my suitcase for 5 weeks but I'll use it now.

This week we had exchanges and Zone conference. The exchanges started tuesday and the first one was with the other set of missionaries in our district (it's just the elders in Meyehualco and us here in Constitución). Exchanges are usually done in the area of the leader but, as the distict Leader, Elde Vega wanted to do it in thier area for a change. It was great it is always fun to get to work in another area. We spent the night at thier appartment and in the morning were were off to Presidentes for exchanges with the Zone leaders. Again a great time, we got to do some street contacting, something I haven't gotten to do a whole lot of on my mission, it was a great learning experience. As the next day was zone conference so we got to return to our house to sleep.

On to Zone confrence. It was a combined Zone Confrence of two Zones, our zone Meyehualco/Tlauhac and the Ermita Zone, in total about 50 missionaries. It was also 6 hours. But it was totaly worth it. For lunch they gave us Thanksgiving Dinner, turkey, potatos, the works. Sister Lyman shared a great message form Mark chapter 6. Where Jesus' apostles were stuggling to cross the sea of Galilee and he waited until the 4th watch to help. She shared that Christ will always help us but some times he will let us struggle before he steps in so we can learn what he wants us to. Durring the mission, and life, there are stuggles and dificultys but it is so we can grow and learn and become the person God wants us to be.

Sorry no pictures this week,

Elder Neilson

1st Sealing

 Hola,

This week can be summed up in about three words: blessings, fecha, and sealing.

Starting with the first "blessings." We gave a lot of blessings this week. I think 8 or 9, almost everyday someone asked for one! We gave ones to our investigators from Slovenia, this was the first time I did the actual blessing, I usually do the anointing, but as they are more comfortable with English so I got to do it. It was a fantastic experience. I have developed a greater love and appreciation for blessing while on my mission. It is always a great experience to get to use the Priesthood to bless God's children.

On to the second "fecha" (Date: in English). We have another baptism scheduled, this one for the end of the month. We are super excited, three baptisms in one month is fantastic. The ward members have really helped with this one and she feels super welcome at church, and is excited for her baptism. We have a few other investigators who are progressing and hopefully a few more fechas in the future!

Finally the last word "sealing." Me and Vega had the opportunity to go to the temple this Saturday for his cousin's sealing (don't worry we got president's permission). We got to the temple early to be safe. Across the street from the temple is a torta stand which sells a bunch of Book of Mormon named tortas, the owners aren't members but have picked up the name as a bunch of members eat there when they have temple trips. For lunch we got Lehis. At the visitors center we met the father of Elder Pano, one of the missionaries that got here at the same time as me. His mission president is the current Mexico city Temple president so he was visiting them. It is always funny how small the world seems with members of the church. The sealing was scheduled for 2:30 but the traffic in Mexico City was so bad the Elder Vega's cousin and his wife didn't get there until 4:30. The temple gave us the new time slot for 4:45 which worked. As this was my first time attending a sealing I was excited. It was a fantastic experience. The sealer gave a great message and I liked his thoughts on service and how it is so important In the church. Obedience and service sum up the two great commandments. 

One thing I have been doing in my free time is listening to all of President Nelson's conference talks. I'm right at the turn of the century now. It has been an enlightening experience. He has had a lot of themes he has continually talked about: Devine Law, our Divine identity, the importance of women, to name a few. I love President Nelson and know that he is the prophet of God for our day. 

Hasta Semana, Elder Neilson

Hermano Pano at the temple

 temple at night

Elder Vega and his cousin that got sealed 

- $2.50 USD watermelon 

 I broke one of our apartments windows "everyone breaks a window in their day"

Inglés, Inglés everywhere

 I hope everyone is doing well,

I will start off with a fun fact, Mexico does trick-o-treating on the 1st of November not the 31st of October. They do it on the 1st as it is "All Saints Day" the day celebrating children who have died. I learned this after last P-day so I'm telling you guys now. 

I lied in my list letter. Vega and I aren't in a trio this transfer (or not yet). When we went to drop Bowden off we waited a round for our new comp. After a few hours we asked the APs when they were arriving. This is when they told us we aren't in a trio. With that news we returned to Constitución and got back to work. 

This week we met a few English speakers. It's funny I teach the gospel in Spanish so much that I stumble with my words in English, I'm only 4 months in 20 to go! Two of the English speakers we met are Nicom and Drago from Slovenia. Their Slovenian is great, English is good, Spanish could be better. We invited them to the baptism we had and to church and they came to both. They are fantastic and we haven't even had a lesson with them. There is a bit of a language barrier but I believe we can find a way through. 

On to the aforementioned baptism. It was for Carlos and Lisandro, our investigators from Honduras. It was fantastic. It took a while for people to show up but it all turned out fine. Elder Bowden was going to return to do one of the baptisms but as he was sent to the south side of the mission he couldn't. As I was doing the other baptism I got to do both. 

This P-day we went to Cerro de la Estrella. It is a large hill with pre-Columbian ruins at the top. It was. Great hike to the top and the view was great, you can see the entire city (as much as the smog will allow).

Talk to you next time 

Elder Nelson.

baptism of Carlos and Lisandro

cleaning baptisiml font 

 pictures for Cerro de la Estrella

v

Mas Constitución

 What's up!

Transfers are happening this week but to keep you in suspense. I'll go through my week first. 

This week was great. On Tuesday we had exchanges with our district. It went fantastic! Then Wednesday, Elder Vega got his second dose of Sputnik. He had another reaction so we took it easy for a couple days but that is a small price to pay for "immortality and immunity to all diseases." The rest of the week was pretty chill. The day before Halloween our neighbors did have a party until 3 a.m. so we did not sleep very well. Halloween day itself was pretty much just a regular Sunday for us. Saturday Elder Bowden did get a watermelon to make a Jack-O-Lantern as pumpkins are expensive here. He made Post Melon. 

Sunday night we learned what is happening for transfers, Me and Elder Vega are staying, and getting another companion so I will be in a triple for another transfer. Elder Bowden is leaving and he is going to train, training out of training, it should be fun! Transfers are tomorrow, Tuesday the 2nd, so I don't know who our new companion is, we find that out at the office. 

This coming week we also have two baptisms on Saturday, so I will have quite a bit to report on next letter. 

Elder Neilson 

Pictures: 

- Picture with our bien Borracho friend Halloween night 

- Post Melon