Hello!

This week has been very busy trying to sort things out and organise my time in Lugano. But it's interesting that in this time in which we're doing so little finding work, that we're getting blessed so much in other areas, we've found more potential investigators in this period in which we're hardly getting any time to go out and work, than before when we had almost the entire time to do it! It's just proof to me that the Lord never closes a door without opening a window, that no matter what we're having to deal with in life, He is still able and willing to to give us all the blessings that we need and want in life.

I love you!

Anziano Nelson.

Hello!

So I'm being transferred again, I think I really upset President this time, so much that he can't stand the thought of me being in the same country as him, so he's sent me to Switzerland! I've heard tell that it's the most beautiful place in Europe, I guess I'll find out tomorrow! I'll be living right on a lake, with a beautiful view, according to the previous missionaries who've served there. However I spoke to one of the other Missionaries who served there, and he has a photo of a thermometer proving that it had reached 50 degrees while he was there. I really hope that it doesn't do that this year, I start suffering at 30/35!

Something I've really learnt while in Muggiò how important the members really are. Most of my work came from members, involving them in teaching, but most importantly, teaching their friends. We were full by the end, no time to do anyhting but teaching. Something that they proved to me is that when we open our mouths with our friends, the Lord will help us. The Lord will show us what to do. Then, most importantly, we mustn't be afraid to trust our friends to the Lord's servants, the Missionaries! I'm comfident that your friendships will be strengthened and that you'll have friends that will truly love you as you share the Gospel with them, just enough to whet their appetite, and then allow the Lord's Ordained servants teach them the Gospel. There's nothing that grows love faster and stronger than the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

I love you!

Anziano Nelson.

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well? I'm enjoying the sunshine, finally got out from the rain! I hope I don't have to wear my raincoat too much more! So we had Elder Allen come, who is THE head of Missionary work, to teach us about how we can help people come unto Christ. Specifically he spoke about repentance and what we can do to help our investigators truly repent before being Baptised. It's something that I feel is really important. I noticed before and during the Mission that often people accept changes made in lives as repentance, when it's not the same thing. Repentance isn't just not smoking anymore. It's not just getting married so that you are no longer cohabiting. Repentance is truly feeling sorry for what you have done and fundamentally changing your personality. Often members at home would complain that investigators hadn't repented before Baptism, but I feel that this isn't just about those entering the waters of Baptism. How often do we just stop doing what we are doing wrong, and then present it to the Lord as repentance? How often do we brush off the sufferings that He underwent in order to pay for the mistake we just made? It really made me think. I know I do it all too often, and I'm praying that the Lord will help me take it more seriously, and that I can truly repent of all my misdoings, so that I don't have to make Him suffer anymore.

I love you!

Anziano Nelson.

Hello everyone!

Did you all get to see General Conference? I hope so! I got to see all but one of the sessions, I loved it! Though to be honest I spent most of the time trying to help our investigators feel welcome and making sure that they understood what was happening. I remember one of the first times I came to Church was for General Conference, when President Monson was sustained as Prophet. I felt the Spirit so strong at that time, and gained my testimony that he was a Prophet of God as I listened to his talk. 5 years later all I can really remember of that talk was the story of him playing with a child, wiggling his ears while on the pulpit. Later I learned that there were probably a few people that thought that such behaviour was beneath the dignity of a Prophet. I've always thought, and learned again on the Mission, that the Saviour was right, that a man of God is willing to entertain and play with children. That as we are willing to do what we need to in order to make other people happy, to make them smile, that is when we come closest to God, because that is His work and His glory, to make us happy and to make us smile.

I love you!

Anziano Nelson

Hello!

So today, I was in Lecco and we decided to climb the mountain there, because there is a great view of the surrounding area, of Lake Como, Lecco and the valleys. On the way up, I was with another Anziano, who was probably more out of shape than I was, if it were possible! As we started, he already started to complain about the pace, and about how difficult it was. As we continued up, the path got steeper and more difficult. Trying to change his attitude, I started pointing out the blessings, the fresh air, the coolness, the great views we were seeing as we ascended up to the top. Very quickly there started to be a comparison to missionary work. The work is hard. the work is uncomfortable, and often not very pleasing. but we keep doing it because we know the blessings and we see the other sides to it that make it a great experience. I realised that it's no different in life. Sure, at times it's difficult. At times it's just gruelling. But if we take the time and see the blessings, see the positives, and just watch the great views, the drudgery and difficulty melts away. I looked back a few times, and felt satisfaction with having achieved the distance and height that I had at that point, even if there was a long way to go. Then I started reflecting on my own mission. as my exchange companion had commented the night before, my mission has not been an easy one. But looking back, I feel a swell of satisfaction seeing the trials that I've already overcome, the dark spots I've climbed out of, and the peaks of success. The challenges and stresses of my mission were swallowed up as I took in the moment, and looked hopefully to the future. I then realised that it was no different to my life in general. I have much satisfaction in the trials endured and overcome, I love the sights that I can see, and I know there are many great and wonderful blessings waiting for me in the future!

I love you all!

Anziano Nelson

Hello everyone!

Well this weekend was definitely a test of my patience. Our boiler broke, and so we had cold showers all weekend. Then our taperelli (a kind of blind that goes outside the window to protect it in bad weather or block out the sun if needed) broke and plunged our study room into darkness, and pretty much every single one of our appointments cancelled, destroying our work. It also rained for the entire time, I got bitten by a cat and by the end of it, I wanted to just call it a day and go to bed early. I didn't, but I wanted to. What it tuaght me though was the need to just let things go. I've been getting a lot of lessons about that recently. Just letting things go, and not letting them faze me. Too often I think we just let them bother us, when really we need to take a breath, then continue onwards. That's something I really need to work on.

I love you!

Anziano Nelson

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a great week? We had a great one! The work's picking up! We got some really great new investigators. I was on a split with a member the other night, going to visit one of the new investigator families. It was interesting, I hadn't taught a Preach My Gospel lesson by myself for about two months, so it was an interesting experience, trying to keep the lesson powerful, but under control and interesting, all at the same time, without a companion to help. I was really nervous and didn't want to do it, because the family wasn't in a good way, and I didn't feel confident enough to give the lesson they needed by myself. I prayed really hard as I walked from the car to their house, asking for the Lord to guide me and show me the way, because I wasn't able to do it by myself. It became probably one of the most powerful lessons I've taught since being in Muggiò. As I was teaching about the restoration of the Church through Joseph Smith, I heard a noise beside my side. I looked, and the member was in tears! I continued teaching the principle. The brother then bore a really powerful testimony of the restoration of everything as was in the time of Jesus and Peter, and then really powerfully linked it back into God being our loving Heavenly Father. The Spirit was so strong! 

It was a great testimony of how the Spirit can take anything, even an Anziano who didn't really know what he was doing like me, and make him a powerful tool in His hands, if we just let Him. If He is able to do it with me, He is definitely able to do it with you! If you just ask for His help with sincerity, I know that you can do anything that is good.

I love you all!

Anziano Nelson.