So, this week I got to go to my first District Leader meeting. That was pretty cool. I felt pretty cool because it was the first time I got to go as Leadership. The president is super cool. He took us to his house for the meeting. It was like a Sunday morning fireside with Pres. Pratt. It was cool. In the van of Presidente there is only room for like 8 and there were like 20 of us so he rented a big white van bigger than our van and we went to the neighborhood of the president. We were like "Wow it’s so beautiful." There aren´t any dead dogs or trash or dirt and it´s all green. He lives in Chorcho landia (rich). We had already been there once when we first got to the mission but we were all in culture shock that we couldn’t really take it all in. We had the meeting which was really good and then the best part is that we had lunch. It was like haystacks but with nachos.

This area is really hard. I don´t know why but I feel that we haven’t really been able to get anything done. We have worked harder here than in whatever other place but it doesn’t really show. I guess we have to be patient. 

Speaking of patience, I have to have a lot of patience with my companion. He thinks that everything is super funny but I don’t get the joke. But the good news is that he gives me massages. So, all the stress he gives me he takes away so in one way or another I aguanto my companion. I deal with him or something like that. I think that´s how you say it.

This week was cool because one of my investigators is a retired solder from the Mexican Army. I was like that`s so cool because normally it`s like:

¿Dónde trabaja?

Where do you work?

En la maquila.

In the factory

oh. 

oh

¿Qué hacen en su maquila?

What do you do there?

Hago harnesas o computadoras o algo asi.

I make car parts or computers or.....

¿Qué Turno tiene?

What shift do you have? 

1o o 2o o 3o 

1st 2nd 3rd

Chido 

Cool

This time it was like:  

¿Dónde trabaja?

Where do you work?

Soy military jubilado.

I’m retired solder

What!

And it was like the most interesting job I’ve ever heard of.

Anyways so that was like the week I had. Hope to write y’all soon. If you have any questions send them this way. If not, it´s ok.

This is the family I taught back in Ascensión They were baptized right after I left.

I feel that this week went a little bit better for us than last week. It's a little bit hard for me because I still miss Ascensión: the investigators, the members, the area. I’m still getting used to my companion. It’s a little bit rough because his last companion was pretty dead (trunky) so he pretty much fried my companion. It’s also really hard because I had my other companion for so much time that I became really good friend with him. 

Yesterday I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting. I think I did a pretty good job. I spoke about obedience. I used the example of the group of Alma and the group of King Limhi. Both of them passed through the same afflictions and all, but one passed with joy and the other with pain and sorrow. All was due to the fact that one was obedient and the other wasn't. Somehow, I got snickers out of the crowd so I think that I did a pretty good job. I would have liked to have an investigator there but maybe next week. It's pretty funny because the sisters here bring about 4 or 5 little kids to church. It's like they have their own nursery. 

We had a really cool experience yesterday. We were contacting and we came across a lady who was outside of her house smoking. Usually when I contact people I feel that I’m bothering them and I have to convince them why they should listen to us and that's usually how it is. But this time we contacted the lady, well really, we just got up close to her and she asked us where do dead people go. My companion was pretty funny because he's pretty new so he was like we’re missionaries and all that, like Russell in Up when the old man opens the door. She was like I know who you are I just want to know where dead people go. It was really cool because for like the first time or second on my mission I felt that I didn't have to convince or present ourselves. She just knew it already. That was pretty cool. 

We had interviews Wednesday. It was nice I always like talking to President and his wife. This time I didn’t really have much to say or ask because we have interviews pretty often. It doesn't usually give me time to come up with questions.

So here is really different from my old area. In my old area, we were super spoiled in everything. For example, in Ascension the Branch President and the less active had pretty much the only laundromats so they always washed and dried our clothes free. Here it's also free but my hands are the washing machine and the wind is the dryer. At least I can wash whenever I want. 

Anyways that was pretty much my week. We also painted a house and found some new people but that was pretty much the biggest events of the week. I hope you guys have a great week. Always read and pray.

Love y’all lots,

Elder Nelson

 

The pictures are of the swinging bridge, the academy and temple in Col. Juarez. I walked on the swinging bridge. It was a little bit sketchy because there were a few holes in the wood and I felt that if I had eaten 1 more tortilla at lunch I would have fallen through but it was fun. There was a bunch of school locks on the bridge don't know why.

So, they threw me back in Juarez. I wasn’t too excited to be sent back. I was enjoying the calmness of a tiny town. But as I say here in Mexico Ni Modo (oh well).

So, I got to the offices and got to see my x comp and his new comp. When I first got there, I looked at all of the people and was like I have no idea who y’all are. They all thought I was new because they have never seen me before. Anyways then I went to the office office and saw all of the people from my generation and all of my old companions. I was like oh ok this is where the party’s at. I got to socialize a bit and then I took off. It’s weird because when I first got to the mission we used all taxis but now we use Uber too. We went in Uber to the area. Our house is really cool because there used to be 4 sisters here but they moved 2 to a different area so we have the house of a sister. It’s all decorated and it has everything. It has closets and water and natural gas and everything. 

The area has been really dead for a long time. My companion has killed off (sent home) two elders in the last two cycles. I got here and every one was like why is Elder Hoyos still here. We pretty much have to start all over again. 

So really cool; on the 14^th Juan got married to his wife (they have been together for 14 years and have five children. They were not legally married but considered themselves married). I was sad that I missed it by 4 hours. Then the elders in Ascension called me and told me that Juan is getting baptized this Saturday. I spent like 6 months convincing him not to get baptized on his birthday and then the week I leave-the day I leave he decides to get baptized. So, he got baptized this weekend with his wife and two daughters. When I left, the little boy gave me a big hug and I almost cried. It’s a cool family.

Anyways I got my package thank you. Border patrol opened it up so I hope they didn’t steal my candy.

It was awesome talking to y’all. I forgot my camera so no hay fotos. Perdon.

Love y’all lots .