Semana Santa

 Hola, 

Holy week has come and passed, and it was great! 

First, I told you last week that transfer were happening, and the news is, I'm staying in San Pablo for another 6 weeks with Elder Ituarte! Hopefully we'll have another awesome transfer!

This week was holy week, or as we call it in Mexico "semana santa". The entire week is a big holiday. There are reenactments of all of the main events of Christ's final week. We got to see a few reenactment processions walking down the middle of the street. They were pretty cool, people dressed up like roman solders and everything. The other thing is Easter, or as it is called in Spanish "Pascua" , culturaly isn't the most important day so it came and went without much fanfare. 

Beyond the holiday everyday this week was pretty normal. Elder Ituare and I did have a great experience of finding some one through our mutual appreciation for the show the "The Chosen". We were able to give him a Book of Mormon and he is reading it now which is awesome!

This week I was reading 2 Nephi, and in the middle of the Isaiah chapters is chapter 9 which I think is an great chapter. In it Jacob talks a lot about the atonement, the resurrection, and final judgment. I really like how he points our the the atonement is an infinite atonement, and if it wasn't the plan of Salvation wouldn't work. Knowing that Christ atoned for all of our sins, he went below it all, and there is nothing we can't repent of, is one of the Gospel truths that brings me a lot of peace and joy. 

Hasta la próxima, 

Elder Neilson 

Lizard roadkill 

 Passover inspired dinner we made 

Whiskers/bruja in elder Basauri

The old zone + whiskers/bruja 

The old district

San Pablo Pt. 5

 Hola, 

I don't have a ton to report on so this won't be the longest of emails. 

A quick run down of the week. 

Wednesday after district council, we went to the mission offices to have our mission music council meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to record our rendition of himmo 122 "Cristo ha resucitado" for a mission Zoom we were having the next day. It went pretty well, not the best but far from the worst. 

The rest of the week, was Missionary work. We visited some inactive members and had lessons. One fun experience with a inactive was that he tried to convince us he wasn't inactive. He said how he reads his scriptures prays and dose everything, he just doesn't come to church. I'm my head I was thinking, not coming to church is exactly what makes someone inactive!

On Saturday we were going to have a baptism but, both Élder Ituarte and I felt our investigator just needed a bit more time. He wasn't 100% ready. So we postponed it the day before. It sucked but we would like to have people truly ready than bauptise them too early just to help with some numbers. 

This pday we went bowling with some other Elders in our Zone. To be honest, none of us were the best. Out of the 3 games my best score was 99. I haven't bowled in over 9 months so I'll blame it on that!

This week I have been reading a lot of Saints vol. 2, it's fantastic. The one thing that has struck me is just how much the pioneers were willing to give to get to Zion. And has had me reflect on what I'm willing to give up to follow the Lord. Also Saints vol. 3 is coming out soon, I think the end of this month!

We also get tansfer news this week, so I might be leaving San Pablo. We'll have to wait and see!

Hasta la próxima, 

Elder Neilson

Cool street art in San Pablo 

Conferencia General

 Hola,

Another week down, and this one had General Confrence! 

The first half of the week was full of travel. Wednesday, after going to La Noria for District counsel, we went to the mission offices for the first meeting of the mission's music council. Elder Ituarte and I were both chosen to be on the 5 person music counsel to help coordinate the music of the mission. It went great and we have some plans for the future. 

Then on Thursday we had interviews with President Lyman in the Chapel of La Noria. Interviews went great, I got some fantastic council form President. 

Friday we got to go visit a lot of investigator in person. We even found a investigator I have tried to visit in the past but never found, sadly he wasn't interested anymore. 

Confrence weekend was great, we got to go to the Casa de Oración (that's what buildings smaller than chapels are called here "house of prayer") in Milpa Alta to watch it. We had one investigator family show up. It was a very welcome surprise. We had invited them to watch it vitually, but they showed up to the Casa de Oración. We didn't even now that they new where it was!

One of my favorite talks this confrence was Elder Bednar's. I really liked his insight how the iron rod, can represent Christ. He is as John said "the Word" And when we take part in ordinances, and make covenants with him, it allow us to continually press forward. 

To end this letter, what we did this p-day. The District went to the trajineras of Xochimilco. A brief explanation: Xochimilco is one of the main parts of our Zone and it is known for its canals. The trajineras are the traditional boats that are used on the canals. They are really cool, and it was very reminiscent of the Jungle Cruise. 

Hasta la Próxima, 

Elder Neilson

P.S. I also hit 9 mounths this past Wednesday, crazy!

Pictures: 

There are a lot of picture I just haven't received them yet.

P.P.S. for all of you wondering about the new temple in Mexico City, it will be up at the Mexico MTC, in the north of the city. Its awesome to have a second temple here, Mexico City is the first city in Mexico with two. However sadly it will be very far from my mission :(.