Another week at 9000ft

 Hola, 

It feels like I just wrote yesterday, time is really flying up here! I even hit 10 mounths on Saturday. Two more and I'll be halfway through my mission!

This week wasn't the most exciting, we weren't attacked by dogs or anything, mostly just contacting people. Elder Ituarte and I realized that even though we have been in San Pablo for a month and a half, and have contacted tons of old investigators, there are still a ton we haven't. We set the goal for last week and this week to try to contact all of the old investigators here to see if the are still interested. 

We also had quite a bit of work for the music council, Zone Confrence are this week and a ton of stake Confrences are this mounth so we had quite a bit a stuff to do to get musical numbers set for those. We also had a few emergency calls were the music committee chair informed us that he was just told we have to get music numbers set up for for conference we weren't planning on, and for one we needed it set by the hour, great fun! We were able to get everything sorted out. 

This week I had the opportunity to read D&C section 6, a revelation recived for Oliver Cowdery. There are a lot of parts I like but I will share only two one is verse 13 which says: 

"If thou wilt do good, yea, and hold out faithful to the end, thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God; for there is no gift greater than the gift of salvation." 

Salvation is truly the greatest gift of God! It is the reason we came to earth was to have the  opportunity to return and live with him again. The for me what a blessing it is to have these two years to help others start the covenant path with ends with salvation. The other verse I liked was 23: 

"Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?" 

Oliver Cowdery had received a divine witness of the truth of Joseph Smith's testimony of the gold plates, but he was having doubts in spit of that. For me I know I sometimes do the same things, I can doubt what I know I have a testimony on. It is the the last part that I love "What greater witness can you have than from God?" When we receive a witnesses for the holy ghost we can't doubt it! It is the truest and most powerful witnesses that we can receive. I know that Christ lives and the he is our Savior and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is Christ's church on the earth. 

Hasta la próxima, 

Elder Neilson

p-day with the boys

Parroquia de San Agustín Ohtenco

It gets super clear after it rains 

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 

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