Kumusta kamo!?

well, today is p day, and we just got back from the temple! it was awesome! ive had such a good day today, one of the things that added was the Dakong (huge) package full of chips and stuff!! made my day!! thank you so much!! i'll definetly make sure that i eat them all. i think i've made a new comittment here...so i haven't gained any weight really..probably 3 lbs if that(all muscle of course). and so i figured since im gonna lose it all, might as well enjoy what i am eating!! haha like every sunday and wednesday they serve ice cream for dinner! those are my favorite days!! haha but anyways...how is everyone? im still waiting for that 5 page letter (front and back) from kourtnee. i know that she wrote elder maybon a big letter, and i know that she just loves me soooo much more that she'll want to write me a long one. maybe thats why its taking so long to hear from here cuz its so long...;) but anyways, i love hearing from you all! and thank you for your letters! especially from the little kids! i love the pictures that they draw! they always put a smile on my face!! and im trying to write everyone back..and i think i have so far!

well, from the last email i wrote, there has been some changes here. and the biggest one is...well the elder that i've been telling you about, elder lenox, finally made up his mind on what he was going to do..as far as stay or leave. and he chose to leave!! what a... ugh, anyways, so he made up his mind to leave. and it really effect our district. now theres only 4 elders and the 2 sisters! and we have all gotten really close to bro lenox(no longer elder), and it was really sad that he decided to leave. as i told you before, he didn't feel like this was what he was suppose to do. and he said that he has been looking for an answer, and man! he is just blind! and deaf! cuz our district has seen sooo so many answers and revelations, one after another, and he just doesn't see them. so he had an answer from an old guy in his ward who is on his death bed who sent him a letter out of the blue and just pointing out what bro lenox needed to hear..too the exact point! but i guess that wasn't enough for bro lenox. then i gave him a blessing, and said that there are ppl in the philippines that are waiting for him to bring them the gospel, and that he promised them before he came to earth that he'd bring them the gospel. and later after that, he said that he doesn't believe that that is true cuz he never heard an apostle say that we've promised ppl before we came here. and that same night, i think it was sister and Elder russel m nelson that came and spoke to us and sister nelson said something just like what i said in the blessing! and then to put the cherry on top, elder Russel m Nelson said it too! and apparetly lenox didn't hear it either. and answers like that just happened one after another. and it wasn't what he wanted to hear. he kept going to the doctor saying that he had anxiety problems, and at first they said that he didn't then he kept going and they finally said that he did....and long storry short...he chose to go home cuz he had its as "medical release". even tho we all know that he couldve done it if he wanted to. he wanted to go home from the begining! and it just made me so gratefull that i knew how to work, and that i've done hard things in my life before i came to the mtc. cuz i absolutely love it here, and he hated it here! and after a while he started to slow our district down cuz we were always convincing him to stay, and once he left, we were really sad for a day or too, but after that our district started to progress really fast. we are flying thru the language and learning more and more each day. and i know its cuz we all are out here for the right reasons and we want to be here. and we've been blessed for how obedient we've been. my companion and i are striving really hard on being obedient. and we've had problems in the past with other districts in our zone that was the OPPOSITE of obedience. so we stressed at the very beginging, the first day that the new elders are here, we get to talk to them as their zone leaders and thats one of the things we've really been stressing with our new districts. and last night, the room next to us, they are all really good at singing. so at 10:10 lastnight(5mins before quiet time) they came out singing a hymn all in parts, and it sounded so good. so i've asked them to come out and sing in the hall of our residense hall at 10:10 to help every one settle down and so they'll be quiet and ready for bed. and it did such a big difference last night! the spirit was there, and it was nice to feel that spirit before going to bed!

so last night, my companion and i were doing personal study, and i was reading my scriptures, and elder edwards was just sitting there, and while i was reading i had a strong feeling/thought that i should stop reading, and just get to know him. elder edwards, being a more reserved type of guy, i think it really helped us as a companionship cuz i took time to get to know him and we just had a good, spiritual talk. im really glad he is my companion, and that i don't ever have to get on him for being disobedient. im lucky that he wants to do what is right!

now, i've been reading in matt. 26 and Mark 14, and this is were it talks about the apostles betraying Kristo, and where Chirst suffers for our sins. and i really gained a better appreciation for the atonement and all that Christ has done for me. and i love learning about it more! and in Matt. 26:22 i think, it talking about who is gonig to betray Christ, and in 22 it says "lord, is it I"? and i was really pondering and thinking about that. and i thought, how could we apply that to our lives? i think that when we don't do what we're suppose to aand don't repent, in a way we are betraying Christ. and so we need to use his atonement it is allways there for us! and he will never leave us. and so lets just ask ourselves...Lord,Is it I?? i love this gospel! and so glad im out here serving the lord! i wouldn't have it any other way! thanks for all your prayers! I know that Christ lives!

i love you all!!

Elder Nelson