Email from April 14, 2015

There has been a lot of changes this week. some big some little some interesting and others aren`t so interesting. First of all there has been a little bit of a change here in weather. It`s not too interesting but it`s something. But it did affect me and my companion! One day we were fasting and the sun was beating down on us super hardcore. We had been faithfully fasting all day and the sun depleted all our backup water supply in our bodies and food too. We had no energy. When we finally could eat once I drank some water I began to sweat and soon realized that I had no water to sweat IT WAS SO HOT. Then we were fine (for the most part) for the rest of the day. When I was with my companion there were 2 girls with the ages of 12 and 14 that came up to us out of the blue and gave us a little note to the both of us. I read the note and it says "If you trip get up! have an excelent day" Probably a message from God. And also one of the funniest things happened to my companion. We were waiting for a member at her house and an old man passes us looks at my companion and says "oonga boonga". HAHAHAHA I laughed so hard!! The people here can`t help it I guess. We got a baptismal date for some people finally and we have seen the change in them. It was really nice to see. And for the final change ME! I got changed to a different area named Constituyentes. And surprisingly enough it`s an area that was in my old zone. I`m back baby! so that will be nice. Also I was asigned to be a district leader over the only sisters in the zone and apparently the changes before president changed out the sisters because it was a little too dangerous for them. So that`s nice. My new companion is a really good guy. I can already tell we`re going to be pals. His name is Elder Marquez and he is from more north of mexico and the same place as my mom in the mission!

Pictures of my Area 

So this week I was really wondering how I could internalize the general conference and how I could be a better missionary and a better person in general! so I went and studied some of the notes I took and some scriptures. and more than anything the help Jesus gves us from despair. In the talk of Jeffery Holland he talks about the story about the climbing brothers and they get stuck and the older brother has to jup to reach the ledge. He then says a prayer and jumps with all his might. He starts slipping because all he feels is the sand under his hands. He then feels the hands of his brother and is saved. I think that we have all felt the feeling of despair in our lives when we feel that we are not ever going to be better or that we can`t ever be saved but really he can save us after all we can do.

I know this to be true!! and we can apply this in our everyday lives

LOVE YOU ALL CHURCH IS TRUE

-- ELDER NISSON

Email from April 7, 2015

This week was another tough one. I have a feeling that this is the hardest area in the whole mission. But who knows. This week I saw the coolest shirt ever. It had the word yagermaister on the front and the back. it reminded me a little bit of Jadon when we would play call of duty black ops 2 zombies. Good times those were. So here in mexico we had a great heat wave come in and I just wasn`t ready for it. the sun was so strong that when I would look at my planner I couldn`t see the words since the white reflected so much of the sun. way hard. but life goes on and everything. I am not going to lie this week was a really tough one. I am waiting for the good times but then I am reminded from stats class that that principle doesn`t really exist. But God`s all powerful so I`m not too worried.

This week I really enjoyed conference. I really liked the phrase "twas I but tis not I" there is a lot of wisdom in that sentence. First he acknowledged that he had done wrong and that what he did was not what he should have done. but the best part is that he said that tis not I. The part that I seem to struggle with. He knew that he was a new person and that he had changed for the better. That what he was changed his future and I garauntee that he will not do that same thing in the future. He changed his character accepted that he did do something bad and knew that the future was his. I really need to develop this great character and hopefully I can literally forget myself here and in the future and have the future to be mine. It won`t be easy but I know that the things worthwhile are never easily gained 

Con mucho amor

 -- ELDER NISSON

Email from March 31, 2015

This week was a little hard but in the end . . . . . It was still hard but I have grown quite a bit this week and also I have been helped out a lot and increased in knowledge and more importantly testimony. this week was a pretty fun one too. We were sitting next to the "Gorditas truck" (Gordita: a super greasy filled with pig skin, cheese, salsa and onions that is SOOOO good) and a family came by and got an order of a couple of gorditas and everything. I didn`t think anything of it and then I heard "excuse me mister" (in spanish obviously) I said "yes what is it?" this little child probably was 8 years old. "are you from a different country?" I said "yes I am! what country do you think I am from?" he sat there and thought for a little bit and finally he said "Columbia?" I felt proud of my spanish but then again he was 8 years old. I said " I from the United States!" then he said " cool! bye!" super awesome this experience. haha I laughed pretty hard and I am thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord to give me such experiences and lighten my mood when I`m down. We had interviews this week by president and everything went well. My mission president is sooooo awesome! I hope to be like him in the fact that he knows when to have fun goof off a little bit and he also knows when`s the good time to work hard. He also said my area is super hard so that boosts my self confidence (without sarcasm) This week something happened I probably won`t forget ever. So if you remember the super old lady that has nothing nice to say to us she did something that I didn`t really expect but wasn`t super surprising. So we were walking all normallike and then we saw here on the same side of the street as us and both of us thought "we`re not ready for this" but I held firm and tried to ready myself. She started to say her normal swear words and all that normalness then when we got closer she switched her hand on her umbrella (it has been raining for about a week) and my companion saw this and he ran for the hills. I was completely normal. I am not going to say that I didn`t see it because I did but I just didn`t worry about it at all. She can`t really do any damage. And when I walked by her she took a swing at me with her umbrella and I kept walking normal and with the natural swing of my hand walking I  totally blocked it without any kind of problem. I just can`t help my natural ninjaness. everyone that was around was looking at us all surprised and stuff and I was just like. Normal . . . . all of it. And this week we were walking through the tiangis here and I heard something that reminded me so much of home! I heard. . . . . some four seasons and couldn`t help but sing! whoops.

SUPER ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I want to give a quick shoutout to my dad he`s not super old but he`s not too young either ;) all that counts is that he`s still balling it  up.

Serve up everybody`s favorite dish! (favorite dish)

happy birthday happy birthday this is your day so happy birthday to youuuuuuuuu!!!

this week was a good study week that`s for sure. I learned a lot about the light and the darkness. It says a lot in the bible that Jesus christ is the light. And that all that walk with him won`t walk in darkness. I thought that everyone should be walking with him! why not? It also refers that the celestial kingdom with have a lot of glory and I always picture in my mind. In this I thought a lot about this and I was guided to a good answer. If we were to picture everyone wearing white and everyday we stain our clothes with sins big and small. In the light we are going to see every single stain and in the dark it`s a little harder to see every stain. In this I thought that some people want to be in the dark and in a way deny their sins are there because they don`t really see them. and another point they don`t want to see how many stains they have on their clothes. I then thought that it takes a lot of humility to go into the light see all the stains that are on your clothes. And it`ll be all for the better. Because when we want to clean these clothes that we have we can identify and clean thoroughly our stains that we have. In this I invite everyone into the light even though we will see everything that we have done wrong the atonement will clean us thoroughly. "even though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow"

I love you all soooooooo much like the moon and back . . . . . twice!

church is true and the light. . . .  sometimes at the end of the tunnel

--

ELDER NISSON

Email from March 24, 2015

This week was a pretty normal one for a missionary. But that`s not to say that I didn`t have anything cool happen this week. This week I was able to put a name to the dish I absolutely love here in mexico. It`s name is called chile relleno and it is SO good! It`s basically a big pepper filled with some meat and some other stuff and a sauce that is to die for. Speaking of food there are 2 fruits that I have fell in love with here that are not available in the US and they are called jamaica (more of a water flavor but only in mexico you get it from a flower) and guayaba and that is one fruit I will miss a whole lot! this week my companion expressed to me that he really wants to get a smart car. I expressed my concern and asked why on earth would he want to have a smart car! But at that very moment passed a super jacked smart car! I didn`t think that smart cars were capable but I guess this one was super moded up! And this week I was reminded of the great named teams in the league of Grandpa when I saw a shirt that said BREW CREW on the front and it was made to be a softball shirt. I couldn`t help but think of Gpa. This week for our district meeting we began with class in english for those that didn`t know english. I was tempted to join. But during this class my companion asked how do you say "Dios tiene un cuerpo de carne y huesos" meaning God has a body of flesh and bone. But here in mexico if you ordered carne then you would get served beef. so during this the other spanish speaker that we have in our district said "oh I know this God has a body of beef and bones". super funny.

This week was a pretty tough one concidering trying to focus and as everyone (I think) knows I am really hard on myself at times. And it seems like it`s the only way for me to improve. I have been trying really hard not to be too hard on myself and at the same time try to critic myself to get better. It`s really hard to find the line there in this situation. But I am finding it I`m sure!. At times I know that we need to get ourselves moving and working but at the same time we need to realize that if we are doing the best that we are capable and having a good attitude about it. That`s the thing I think that I`m looking for is a way to enjoy my working hard and to enjoy what I`m doing. It`s really hard to find and I encourage everyone to find a way to well find it! Because it seems like everytime we practice something like an instrument or a sport we hate it so much! But why do we do it? because we want to be better! and at times it`s the way we show our passion for this thing that we`re practicing. But why do we hate practice? when we practice and we practice well we are able to enjoy the fruit that is to shine in the thing that we practice. Work is tough but we should enjoy it because without work there isn`t any blessings. 

LOVE YOU ALL AND THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

--

ELDER NISSON

Email from March 16, 2015

I had a good week this week and I am glad to say it rained and in some parts of here in mexico it snowed! It looks like I took some of the snow with me "Oh look at me I´m a missionary in mexico and I´m taking the snow with me! uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huh uh huh"

soy genial

Our water heater this week. .... . . . the gas hasn´t come in a while! But don´t worry . . . .  it´s safe ;)

This week we got really comfortable working here in plateros (still) and I am glad to say we are having quite a bit of success. All I can say is "it´s all in your mind" says my companion. Sometimes I know he´s right and other times he´s just saying that just to say that. This week the mexican people thought they would be funny and say racist stuff at me and my companion. I am not going to lie they came up with some pretty whitty stuff. But all in all I didn´t like it. One group said "cafe con leche!" meaning coffee with milk. You can guess who is who. and then you have the general whooligan screaming guero or something like that. Whoot! Also this week a member showed us a little game that scared me so badly! It´s called five nights at freddy´s and it is SUPER scary. It´s a good thing I´m a missionary. This week we got a couple of references and some people that we found to come to church this week and I was really glad that our hard work finally paid off. We will have a lot more people coming to church next week it´s just that a lot of family stuff came up for them and couldn´t come this week. This week we had a really depressing announcement. Our president told us that we can´t wear tie bars anymore. . . .  so I am sitting here with 7 really fancy and good looking tie bars and I can´t use a single one! It´s a little bit saddening but it´s all good in the end. 

 Side 1 of my sweet looking scripture case!

Side 2

This week in my studies I was reading in a lot of the parables of Jesus Christ. And I came across one that I have always liked. It was about the 10 lepers and I found something really interesting. In the scriptures (or at least the spanish ones) It says that the lepers started out far away and shouted " have mercy on us!" and Jesus said to go see a priest and they were healed. Then the one stayed and gave gratitude to God first and then gave gratitude to Jesus to help him. Then Jesus asked where were the others and then said to the leper you faith hath made thee whole. Well didn´t the others get healed too? My question was why did he say that if he knew that they were going to be healed and they didn´t give thanks. In my interpretation I think that he meant it spiritually when he said that, That he was spiritually prepared and ready and was growing in that aspect too. I know that when we read the scriptures we have to think of things spiritually and physically too. 

I LOVE YOU ALL AND THE CHURCH IS TRUE!! 

Let the love of God be with all of you :)

--

ELDER NISSON

Just getting rid of some apostasy

Email from March 9, 2015

So this week was super disappointing but I guess that means that I have something to learn or need to work a little harder. This week There was a lady that I tried to contact and before I said anything BEFORE I SAID ANYTHING she said "I don´t speak english". . . . . in english too! . . . . asi soy yo Guero. And it seemed like we got really rejected this week and to the point where my companion and I made a TV show of our worst rejections. Like when a contact says nothing but no to you. You suffer during the contact but after it seems very funny. This week we saw a heart and it had on this particular heart these words exactly "Ai lob u" We just about died. I have never seen something so funny! We taught a lot of families and partial member families too. There is a father we are teaching right now that has an open heart but the rest of the family is so closed it´s ridiculous. It just seems to get hotter and hotter here and I can barely handle it! but my companion seems to love the heat. I don´t know how he does it! all in a jacket too!

This week was a really good learning week for me and I am really grateful for that. I learned this week a lot about the atributes of Christ. At first I thought that every atribute was it´s own thing and if I worked on one I would have to work on the next and on the next and so on and so forth. But I learned that every single one of the atributes of Christ are all connected. To have more diligence it requires more faith and more knowledge and more humility. So working on something like Christ you´re going to need a lot more of everything else too! So that gave me hope that I could at least come a little bit closer to Christ and his example. I would hope that you guys too would try to develop more atributes like Christ and to come closer to him and to be a little happier. I know that following Christ is not easy at all times but I know that following him is what true happiness is and I plan on following him as best as I possibly can!

LA IGLESIA ES VERDADERO Y TODO PUEDEN SER BENDICIDOS EN ESTE IGLESIA DE FELICIDAD asi soy yo

-- ELDER NISSON

Email from March 2, 2015

I am starting to think that every week that we have a baptism we tend to have a pretty rough week! But now I´m taking it more in stride now and doing as Ammon did. The sheep are scattered and the king will kill us if we don´t bring them back so let´s go find some sheep! I love his example of when in hard times smile and prove yourself in doing something about your misfortune. So it seems I have a really good guardian angel because so far I am the only one in the mission it seems that has not had some non sickness incidents. *knocks on wood* Because this week my companion from the MTC got hit by a car. . . . he didn´t die I know that is the first thing on your mind but he is perfectly fine :). The car hit mostly his leg and he is now at the offices enjoying a good time being secretary. Lucky guy :) and something like this has happened to everyone . . . . except me. And I cannot complain one single bit. It seemed like a lot of appointments fell out on us this week! I was a little frustrated but so is life. But we did find a couple of people to bring to church and we found some good families that I know that at least one of them are fully going to get baptized. We had an appointment with a man and his family but when we went it was just him. I still am not going to complain. We had given him a restoration pamphlet and told him if he had any questions. We arrived and he had so many questions it was so great. It´s finally nice when we´re not the ones asking questions every once and a while. He felt like a member with the questions that he was asking. It felt a little weird. He´s catholic (Mexico) and he has always wondered why we have to baptize children and why do we need to confess to a priest and not God. I was happy to give answers to his questions. 

Probably my favorite baptism of all time!

my spiritual thought for the week.

I am still reading in the new testament and I am reading in the book of lucas right now and I came across the story of after Jesus had taught everyone from a boat and then told Simon to fish and Simon´s response was where. I think we have to have this attitude sometimes if we are to have a net full of fish that the net is breaking. Sorry for the abruptness but I am running out of time I hope the best for all of you and want to let you know that I love you all and the CHURCH IS TRUE

-- 

ELDER NISSON