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 :(.

A Conference & Service

 Hola todos, 

I hope everyone is doing well, up here in San Pablo it has been pretty good. 

The week stated off with Zone Confrence on Wednesday. It was great. Elder Ituare and I took the Tren Ligero, electric public transport train, up to the mission offices. The conference was great, the theme was, "follow the spirt." One things I learn form it was how the spirt confirms our actions. We need to make choices for ourselves and the spirt will tell us it they are right or wrong. 

Thursday we did some service for an inactive family moving wood. We also went back Monday with some members of our district to help some more. This isn't wood like firewood but basically prefabricated wooden walls that people use here in Mexico to separate rooms. It was a good time, but hard work and a lot of time in the sun. I got a little burned both days. 

The only other note worthy thing was we had exchanges with our District leader. I got to go back to Milpa Alta, and work with Elder Macfarlane. It was a lot of fun. 

This P-day was volleyball and soccer at the  chapel of La Noria. The end of the day was spent at the Mexican national ID office,  as Elder Ituarte lost his ID a couple months ago. He had to do some paperwork to get a new one. 

Hasta la próxima, 

Elder Neilson

Some Cows 

 Ajusco, the tallest mountain in Mexico City 

The Zone + 2 other Elders 

Estadio Azteca

 Hola, 

This week was very chill, so I don't have much to report on. Mostly just calling and visiting people. We had a few very good lessons and I have a good felling about some of our new investigators. 

The big news is that José, who I have been teaching for the past 3 months, and the missionaries for 5 before that, had his baptismal interview this past Sunday and he passed. This Saturday we are going to have his baptism. This has been a long time in the making. The members have really been waiting, on Sunday he thanked the Sunday School teacher, she responded with "no need, but you can thank me by getting baptized." We found it pretty funny 

This letter is on a Monday, not a Tuesday that is because we changed our p-day to take a tour of Estadio Azteca, the largest stadium in Latin  America, with another set of missionaries in our Zone. It has a capacity of 95,000 people but it is limited to around 87,000. We got to go onto the pitch, (we weren't allowed to step onto field) and into the locker-room of Club America. It was epic.  

This week I studed the topic of "God is our Loving Heavenly Father" It is the first principle talked about in Preach My Gospel. I really liked what is says in the first paragraph "He loves us. He understands and feels our sorrows and rejoices in our progress." To me this truth is one of the most exquisite of the restored gospel, that we are really children of a loving Heavenly Father and that he is invested in our progress. I forget who's quote this is but I think it is apt "There is nothing more removed than creator and creation." We are more more just the creations of God, we are his children. 

Hasta la próxima, 

Elder Neilson 

 The pressroom 

 In the locker-room 

On the pitch 

The elders in our district 

 Elder Ituarte and I made burgers for lunch

 I forgot this last week, the Branches 1 year  Conference 

x

Officially San Pablo

 Buen día, 

Sorry for no email last, p-day was a little crazy.

A brief overview of the week I missed: we got transfer news, Elder Mangus is leaving and I'm staying. Also elder mangus had his birthday. It was a chill week so not to much to tell. 

Monday the 7th was transfers. We get to the office and I got jumped with the surprise news that I'm moving up to San Pablo, the 2nd area we have been covering. My new companion is Elder Ituarte, he is from Tiajuana, speaks English and spanish, and is a super solid Elder. He was the companion of my district leader last transfer so it was a little funny when the APs told us we were companions. The rest of Monday I showed the new Milpa Alta elders the area. We couldn't go directly to San Pablo as I had to pack all my stuff up. 

Tuesday the 8th: I packed up all my things showed the Milpa Alta a little more of the area, and finally Elder Ituarte and I made it up to San Pablo, and moved into the house. However for the next 4 hours we were waiting for the Uber with all of our bags to arrive. Milpa Alta has very few Ubers and that are all small sadans so we went in one and our bags got sent in another. The house in San Pablo isn't the best, and the best part was none of the windows had curtains. We have gotten that mostly sorted out now, gratefully. 

This week has been full of contacting the investigators here in San Pablo, I knew a few but there are a ton I don't. We have also been to a ton of places I haven't been to before here in San Pablo.

Here in la cuidad de México (Mexico City) the members feed us lunch everyday, it one of had things that I'm super grateful for. But as there haven't been missionaries in San Pablo for 3 mounths the members weren't signed up to feed us. The relief society president said not to worry and feed us 5 days in a row. It was above and beyond and I'm super grateful for her. 

The last big piece of news is that Sunday was the branches, branch conference. It was a fantastic meeting. The Stake Presedent gave his goal of having the San Pablo Branch be a Ward in the next two years. I really hope it happens, and hope I can do my part to make it come to fruition. 

To end, this P-day we met up with the District to play soccer at the Deportivo in Xochimilco, it was a great time. 

That all folks, 

Elder Neilson 

Old Zone 

The view of the city form San Pablo: at night, dusk, and in the morning 

Elder Ituatre and I 

Elder Mangus's birthday 

AstraZeneca

 ¿Qué Onda?

This week started off with Interviews with President Lyman on Wednesday. It was great to get counsel from him about the work, and how to help our investigators here in Milpa Alta. 

Thursday afternoon we made it up to San Salvador for my first time. It is a pueblito that is up at 9,000 ft over in the San Pablo Branch. We had an in person lesson with an investigator scheduled, so after 2 month of being here we finally had a reason to take the hour long bus ride up all the way up there. It is really high up in the mountains and gives you a great view of the rest of the city from just its main street. The only sad part was that our investigator cancelled on us, so we had to just take a bus back. 

Friday the entire mission went to get the Covid booster shot, and Elder Mangus and I had Exchanges with the APs (Elder Perry and Elder Erickson). As we had to be at the La Noria chapel at 5:30 am, and Milpa Alta is an hour alway, the Zone leaders invited us to sleep at their house, which is only 30 minutes aways. We still had to get up at 4:00am on friday, so it wasn't like we got a full night's sleep that we otherwise would not have gotten. After meeting the rest of the Zone at La Noria we took the bus up to Coyaocán. There we met the rest of the mission along with the entire South-east mission and North-west mission. As a group of around 300 missionaries we all walked over to the Naval Academy to get the booster. They had the Navel band playing at a band stand right next to the underground parking lot where we got vaccinated which I thought was cool. President Lyman had told us that we were going to get Moderna, but in the line right before we got it it turned out they had switched it to AstraZeneca. We were a little worried but President said that that is what he got so not to worry. After that while walking out of the parking garage, the music the band was playing was a little more upbeat. To me it sounded like victory! After that we all walked back to our buses, took a mission picture, and left back to our zones. 

However as Elder Mangus and I were having Exchanges with the APs I went with Elder Perry back to the AP´s area Pedregal. The exchange was great, I had a great time working with Eler Perry, but after lunch the vaccine really started to hit us. It started out as just a little ache but it got progressively worse until my entire upper body was dead along with burning up. Elder Perry was hit but we pushed through and taught every lesson that didn't fall. WE went to bed at 9:30, but both couldn't sleep and woke up repeatedly over the next 5 hours. Finally around 2 am we took some Advil and were able to sleep until morning. Saturday morning Elder Perry and I felt much better. It was truly an unforgettable exchange! 

I returned to Milpa Alta Saturday, and Elder Mangus and I went up to San Salvador for a family home evening with some members. Their teenage granddaughter Hannia isn't baptised and has decided to start attending church again, and  wants to be baptised! Which is awesome! We had our first lesson with her Monday morning, and it went great, she is really receptive and open to learn.

That was about it week, 

Elder Neilson

Me with Parroquia de San Salvador Cuauhtenco

The smog from San Salvador 

The dream team 

The Mission at the Vaccines