This week has been good. We had a great miracle! We had an investigator not turn up to his appointment (at his own house, joy!), so we decided to do some casa (knocking doors) nearby. We get into one apartment block, and a man from Santo Domingo (Domenican Republic maybe?) let us in. He was well brainwashed by the Jehovah's witnesses, so we didn't set a return appointment. At this point it was eight o clock, the time we usually stop knocking doors because otherwise the Italians call the police. But we had one floor to go, so I insisted we continue, because we probably wouldn't be able to knock them another time. So we did. The first door opened to a man. We try speaking to him, but it turns out he can't speak Italian very well, so he goes and gets his wife. I find out that they are Romanian, so I use my gift of tongues and ask "Che fac?", which is basically "How are you?" She's surprised, smiles, and asks why were here. My companion says "Well, we're Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of..." And she insists that we come in! We end up teaching them a lesson and we have another return appointment for tomorrow! It was a simple miracle but one that showed me how even the little things, like learning a phrase or two in the language of the poeple that you are speaking to, is important, and can potentially mean the difference in an entire family reaching salvation or not.

Hello everyone!

So this week has been good, some new investigators! We also had some crazy last minute changes to our schedule, which meant I wasn't with my companion for half the week!

On Thursday I went on exchange in Pavia, then we went to specialised training, and immediately went on another exchange with the Anziani in Lecco! It was fun though. In specialised training we had games designed to remind us of all the rules. Guess whose team won :D It was pretty fun, until we realised what winning entailed, which was to stand up in front of everyone, and recite everything we knew on the topic in one minute. My companion and I just looked at each other, said "GREAT!" (sarcastically, obviously), and probably had one of our most rambling talks we'd ever given, as we just spurted out everything that came to mind. We did pretty good actually, we only lost two points (the others lost 4 or 5). But the conference was a big call to repentance, for me at least, and I think for everyone. While our Mission is obedient, seeing and having the lines clearly stated, made us realise just how much we needed to improve to be ready for the "hastening". Living in four makes it really difficult for us to be exactly obedient, but we're working on it. I think the Scriptures are basically a call to repentance like that conference. We see how those righteous people lived and behaved, we look at ourselves, and we think "Oh, how terrible am I???" and then we repent. That's why I love the Scriptures anyway. Always have something to teach us, and help become better Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ!

I love you all!

Anziano Nelson.

16th January 2013 

Hello everyone! Hope everyone had a great week this week? I did! We had an interesting coincidence! My trainer, Anziano Jenson, served here about 2 years ago as his second city. In that time, he was the first Missionary to start teaching a particular investigator. That investigator became "eternal". Well, last week I was interviewing a man for Baptism, and guess who it was? That same man! We had the pleasure to see him get Baptised last saturday! I didn't even know, until, to get to know him better I asked him who were the first Missionaries to teach him, and he says "Anziano Jenson"! It's interesting how the full circles come about, the different connections in life. It strengthened my testimony, in fact, that the Lord never forgets a loose end, and that He always works with purpose, and even with elegance. Weaving all these patterns into our existence. Always adding little thoughts and sidenotes to remind us that everything is in His hands, and He never loses anything!

I love you all!

Anziano Nelson.

9th January 2013 

Hello everyone!

So how is everyone? Well I hope! We had Zone Meeting on tuesday, and it was really good. We talked alot about our need to be obedient. Our Zone Vision is about making our relationship with God so strong that we can say as Nephi did "Thus has the Lord commanded, and I must obey. Amen." (2 Nephi 33:15). We talked about the difference between the obedience of Nephi, and that of Naaman. It's such an interesting comparison. How Nehi did it out of love and faith, but Naaman did it out of pride, or even just determination. It showed a whole world of difference, even if they did both obey and keep the commandments. We should seek to be like Nephi, not Naaman. Naaman is great, he was obedient, but Nephi will be going to the Celestial Kingdom. Naaman could too, but Nephi will have a much more happy and joyful journey! My invite to you is the same that was extended to our Zone. Find something that you can do over the next six weeks, that will improve your relationship with your Heavenly Father. Then do it. What's the best part? I want to hear about it. You can write to me or send me an email or something. But I want to know what you are doing to improve your relationship with our Heavenly Father, and then let me know how it's helped. I need all the advice I can get :)

I love you all,

Anziano Nelson.

2 January 2013 

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas holidays and new years? We spent most of the time inside, not working! But it was good, we all got to know each other really well, over some lovely pandoro (something I'll greatly miss in the UK). While reflecting with my companiion about our vision for the next few weeks, I really thought about obedience, and what it really means. I thought about Laman and what made him so different from Nephi, why one was so great and the other, well, not so great. After all, Laman was obedient. He did do what the Lord asked of him. He did go and try and get the plates off of Laban, and he did help build the boat etc. The difference, I found was the why. Why he was obedient. Nephi wanted to be obedient, Laman didn't. That's what  really made the difference. It's our attitude that is so important. It's what makes the difference.  That's our vision for the next few weeks. To stop obedience from being an irritant, and make it our quest, so that God will endow us with His power, according to the words of Ezra Taft Benson.