I had a thing this week! With cake!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a great week! This week was a busy one, but a very good one!

This week was a very busy one! We were running all over the place with a couple of meetings and activities that were going on with the zone. One Tuesday, we had a blitz in the next area over with everyone in the zone. Pretty much, for the blitz, we all go to one area and just work as hard as we can to help find new investigators for that area. We saw some awesome miracles and it was great to be able to work with other missionaries and learn from their example, even if it was just for a little bit. On Thursday, we had a training for the new missionaries, and then on Saturday we had interpreters training. We had a lot of time on trains this week!

This week was Easter! We have seen the new video that the church put out about Eater, Hallelujah, and it is just fantastic! I feel the Spirit so deeply every time I watch it, and we've been trying to
sharing it with as many people as we can, both on the street and to our investigators. In Japan, Easter is not a commonly celebrated holiday, in face, most people have never heard of it. But it has been
amazing to see change that occurs in people's lives as they learn about our Lord for the very first time. The power of the atonement and the resurrection is real. I know Christ lives, and I'm glad that we can celebrate Him this Easter season!

I love you all!

Elder Nelson

The Zone

The after district meeting cake. It was my birthday!

Subject: Email I want to send.

This week has been one of the busiest weeks I've ever done so far, and let me tell you, it was one of the best weeks from my whole mission so far!

Elder Dowdle and I have had some great experiences this past week, one of them being that we were walking and talking with people in front of a train station, and we see this group of maybe 35 college kids just standing around. So, we walk up to about 5 of them and start talking. They had had just a little too much to drink that night, me thinks. While we were talking with them, more and more of the college kids joined into our circle, until there were about 17 kids all talking to us. They asked our ages, and we asked them to guess, and after guesses being around 25ish (Japanese people always think Americans look older than they really are), we told them we were 18. They just lost it. Probably one of the loudest moments I've had in my life, just all these college kids screaming in the night in the middle of a train station. So, that was pretty fun!

This week, we've ran into several people who have had pretty much the same question: Why bother with Christianity, or religion in general? They all think that Christ had some good teachings, but didn't believe anything past that. We have had the amazing privilege to stand and tell them just why Christ is important, that He is the Living Son of the Living God, and that because of Him, all mankind will live again. Because of Him all of our sorrows, all of our griefs, all of our fears, can melt away, and be replaced with a perfect peace and love. Because of Him, all will live again, and can return to live with our Father. Because of Him, all that is wrong will be made right. So many people in this world don't know this one simple truth, that through faith and obedience of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all mankind can be saved. So, go be that light that God needs you to be. Go and stand as an example, and be the instrument in God's hand in bring many unto Him. I can promise you will be aided and guided by the Holy Ghost, who will comfort and guide us on our journey through this life.

I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Elder Nelson

Zone Meeting!

BECAUSE OF HIM- video

New companion!

This week has been a good one, there has been a lot of good things that went on, and a lot of things that I got to learn from!

First big thing is, I have a new companion, and when I say new, I mean new! He is fresh from the states and is ready to get working. His name is Elder Dowdle, and he is from Montana. He's a big ball of fire and is ready to take on the world, always down to go up and talk to anyone and share the message of truth! He has something along the line of 11 brothers and sisters, and is one of the youngest in his family. He's the first one in his family to serve a mission in Japan. He is doing
really well and I look forward to working with him!

This week I learned a great lesson on just how much the Lord works on us in ways that we don't even realize. There have been weeks where I felt like I haven't even progressed an inch, or changed at all, or that I am still the same person that I was a month ago. Those times are some of the hardest,  because you feel like you want to grow, that you truly desire to become better. Having the opportunity to work with Elder Dowdle has really put my whole mission in perspective. I can see
a lot of myself in him, and I can see so much that has changed, so many things that I struggled with at the beginning of my mission have become second nature. I know that Heavenly Father puts things in our paths, He gives us our mountains to climb so that we can become stronger and progress eternally towards Him. I know that without Him, I would literally be nothing, not able to progress, change, or
improve. But, I do know that with Him, I can do all things. Trust in God's timing, and know that as you trust in Him, He will turn you into the person He knows you can become.

I love you all! Have a fantastic week! If it rains, go dance in it!

Elder Nelson

Here he is!

Transfer Calls!

I can't believe how fast time has passed this week! So much happened!

First, we got our transfer calls! I'm going to be staying in Atsugi, but my companion will be changing. I'm way excited to be here again in Atsugi, it's a great place and the people are wonderful, both the ward members and all of our investigators. What is also pretty exciting I have no idea who my new companion is going to be! He is still in America, so I'll find out who I'm going to train on Thursday. I'm very excited!

This week we did a lot of work with some investigators that have been around for a long time, like, a really long time. One thing that Elder Siquiera keeps telling me is that there is always hope for people. We worked way hard to get some of those people progressing this week in preparation for the transfer, just in case we left and these investigators kind of fell off the map. As we tried our hardest, I saw God magnifying our effort so much. It is such a testimony builder for me that there truly is always hope. Sometimes, things happen in the Lords time, in the Lord way, but rest assured that they will happen. Our Father loves all of His children. He understands you and loves you, and will always support you as you turn to Him and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

I hope that you all have a great week! Thank you all for the emails, love and support that I receive from all of you. You are all the best!

Elder Nelson

A member and an investigator.

You might be thinking, "Wow, Elder Nelson's selfie game is getting stronger." And you would be right.

Costco: Land of the Free, Home of the Biggest Pizza's in Japan