HEY!
well this week was awesome! super busy of course! and i don't have a lot of time on the computer cuz i have to get my toe nail removed in an hour....i know, again!! i am not looking forward to it, but it is ingrown again!! but i'll be fine..i'll just come home with no toes!

so we have this investigator that is an american from Florida. and he is awesome! his name is Jim, and things are starting to really get crazy in his life. but he loves when we visit him. we visited him and he was telling us what was happening with the US (he has the news, we didn't know anything..) like with the US embassies and mitt Romney and obama and stuff. and basically, we just took the opportunity to talk and testify about the book of mormon. we told him that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, and that it has prophesied these things, and he just loved everything that we talked about. told him that if a nation will serve God, they will prosper (ether chapter 2..). and he really agreed! he said, "man, everything that you have said about Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon, i totally agree with it 1000%! i feel good when you talk about it and when i read it, and it just makes sense!" man we loved hearing that, and took that opportunity to testify to him that it IS true. and he was just loving it and he Committed to come to church!! even he has some major problems in his life..(his filipino wife just left him and took some of his money with her...so its not going too well for him..) but despite all that, he was committed to come to church! so yesterday, before church, we went and picked him up at his house and walked with him to the church! and he loved church!! he is in his 50's i think and is about 6 foot 2 or so, and all the members were asking me if he was my dad...hahaha (its not very often that an american goes to a LDS church in the philippines) but we told them he was an investigator, and i think we were probably more nervous than he was cuz ...we were scared that the speakers might talk about something too deep or even false doctrine. for example, in Gospel principles class, it was on missionary work, and we just read the verse about "preach the gospel to all creatures".. and the teacher said that we needed to share the gospel with all the plants and trees and stuff like that...haha so we were kinda cringing when she said that, hoping that Jim couldn't hear what she said..haha but it was great! he really liked it and said that he'll be coming back next time. and ah, i just love visiting him, and he loves us. he thought it was so cool that our church has no paid leaders! and he loves the idea of the missionary program that we have. he is just an awesome guy, he is planning on going back to the states tho..IF mitt Romney wins..haha thats what he said. he really like Romney. so that was our awesome success story this week, JIM came to Church!!! \

This week, we have been traveling and going on exchanges with other missionaries. and lets just say the philippines has some BEAUTIFUL places!!! seriously! so beautiful!! its so green, and its like driving thru a jungle, over mountains, thru valleys, along the ocean...you name it! its been really beautiful!! so its really cool to see the mission! our schedule  was like, wake up, travel to one island, work with the missionaries there, then evaluate them, stay the night with them, and then the next morning, travel again to another area, work with them, evaluate, sleep, travel, work, eval. sleep travell......ah kapoy! its so busy! and i get to practice all 3 languages cuz i think the tower of babel was here in the Philippines!! no joke! so many different languages and dialects... but its awesome and gift of tongues is real!! its such an awesome chance to serve others! i love it! well, this seems to be all the time that i have time for! just know that i love you all! and i love it here in the mission! I know that Jesus Christ is Our Savior and that He loves us all! and i love him!
Have a great week! thank you for all your prayers and support! Love you all!
Love Elder Nelson

HEY!

so this week was Crazy! so we had transfer week, and that was so busy. we had no time for any appointments, and we were picking up missionaries from the airport, taking them to the airport, and pickup and driving around Elder Cook and his company. that Was awesome!! elder cook came out of the air port wearing a golfers hat on..it was awesome. he def. pulled it off well. President Andaya Drove Elder Cook and Elder Nielson and their wives. and me and my companion drove around with Elder Tadd r Callister of the Seventy and his wife. and that was really cool, to spend time with them. and we took them to the Leyte landing of Douglas McAurthor, from world war 2. and Elder Cook took me by the shoulder and said that President Boyd k. Packer was also in this Leyte landing during WWII. it was just really awesome to talk with an apostle, and he shook my hand, and touched my shoulder...haha it was cool. They are just normal people that do extra ordinary things.. and when we dropped him off, he complemented me and my companion, and just said that we were great missionaries and he could tell by just looking at us. so it really made us feel good to spend time with some Apostles of the Lord. so that was an awesome experience..

Also, like you heard, there was an Earthquake here friday night (our time). and i have felt 3 or 4 before this, and this was def. the strongest. at first, we thought it was just a little earth quake...and then it got stronger,...and stronger...then seconds past, and then it wasn't stopping...i'm not going to lie, it was a little freaky when it got stronger and wasn't stopping. the whole building was just shaking..and the walls looked like jello and the floor was like walking on one of those mechanical surf boards.. it was pretty intense, but also the coolest feeling.. we were in the mission office planning, and luckily it is an earth quake proof building. and then the power went out. and then we had to stay up calling all the missionaries making sure they were ok. and then Eastern Samar, we have some missionaries over there that had a tsunami warning, but luckily it never came.. the center of the Earthquake was out in the ocean by eastern samar, and it was a 7.9 magnitude in Eastern Samar, and a 6.1 here in Tacloban i thing.., but we are all good, everyone is safe. so don't worry, just a way cool/intense experience!

Also, we have one cool investigator that we are teaching, his name is Jim and he is from Florida. he is an American. and he gave us some of the updates on Mit Romney! he said that he is really doing good,and that he really like what mit Romney is doing. so it was cool to hear the updates.. but you guys would know more than i do...but anyways, we prepared to teach jim about keeping the sabbath day holy, and we shared with him Mosiah 13:16-19, and before he started reading, he already knew what we were going to teach him, he kinda felt like we were giving him a guilt trip (in a joking way) but anyways, we taught him, and it was such a good lesson. he tried really hard to get out of it by saying.."i think i can still work on sundays and still keep it holy.." and then we said, well it states very clearly that we shouldn't work on sundays.. and he was like, "I know I know, you guys are right..i should follow this". and it was just an awesome lesson, we promised him blessings, and committed him to come to church, cuz that was what was stopping him from progressing,,he was always working on sundays. so he committed, and when we left he said" see you guys tomorrow at church..." so we were so happy! it was very spiritual, and we just felt so good to finally get out and teach some one.... 

now you're probably wondering if he came to church....well, the next morning he cancelled on us..he couldn't make it! dang! so he didn't come :( it was pretty heart breaking! but we have faith that he can do it. but we did our part, and the lesson was great! i love teaching! its so fun!

And one more cool thing this week, this morning i got my Filipino License!! I Can Drive now! its so sweet! it feels so weird to be driving again! i haven't driven in so long... and its so different driving here..its like they have no traffic rules!! people just go as fast as they want, and in and out of lanes, and passing people when ever you can...on either side of the rode...you gotta see it, its crazy, so i finally got my license and can drive now, its pretty exciting.

Well, i really am loving it! we finally got time to get in a lesson or two. thats the hard part about this calling, never have time to work in our area. we just planned out our month, and every week this month we will be gone, travelling the mission and going on splits from tuesday to friday...this whole month. so it will be so busy, and time is going by so fast! but i am loving it, and it is def. Helping me become more responsible. i love being so close to President Andaya, i know he is Called of God, and he has helped me so much! i have so much respect and love for that man. and you know, he actually reminds me of Dad! i just see Dad in his face when i look at him. i feel a connection with him, its neat. so he really reminds me of Dad. I love them Both!!:) they are def. two people that have really impacted my life for good and made/making me a better person! I love my mission, and doing my best to serve with no regrets! I love our savior, and His Gospel. i know this Really is HIS church, and we are so blessed to be apart of it.

I love you all! have a great week!!

Love, Elder Nelson

ps. after the earthquake, we thought that all the catholic churches and Iglesia ni Cristo's fell to the earth....but not yet...but it was close!

Hey, so as you can see the subject line, we had an earthquake last night. and President Andaya wanted us to email our families and tell you that we are ok. so yep, we are still alive...so far. we were in the office last night planning, and then our desks started moving..we thought nothing of it at first..just felt like a normal earthquake at first that we felt last January but then it got stronger, and stronger, then it wasn't stopping. it got pretty strong, and then the power went out. it lasted for like 45 seconds..which is pretty long for an earthquake (is what i am told.) compared to the last earthquake in january, that lasted for like 8 seconds..so this one was pretty big..biggest one i've felt for sure. it was awesome tho!!! God is so powerful! so yeah, we are ok, as far as i know, there are no fallen buildings... but as for us missionaries...we are ok. and Tacloban is safe against tsunami's. so no worries. all is well! I love you all!!
talk to you all on monday! :)
Love you!
Love, Elder Nelson

Hey!
so just like the subject line says, I got Emergency Transferred!! remember how i have been sharing with you all about how much i love my new area, companion, members and so forth...well last monday, after email, about an hour or so later, i got a call from President Andaya, and he said, "elder, pack your bags, you're being emergency transfered"... and man, when i heard those words i think my heart stopped! he told me to be at the mission office the next day with my bags at 7am to meet my new companion and be put in my new area...so i was so shocked! i had every possible thing going thru my head about where i am going. i seriously thought i was going to be transferred to some random, in the middle of no where, area with some missionary that needed help. thought i was stepping down from zone leader..i thought of every possibility. i was so upset that i was transfering, life was SO good! i was loving everything!
but, so i went to the mission office the next morning, and president Andaya took me into his office, and asked why i think i am being Emergency transferred, and i told him i have no idea. and then he said, well Elder Johnson (the AP) is going home on friday, so i would like to call you to be the new Assistant...so yeah, there you have it, thats why i was emergency transferred.. i am the new assistant to President Andaya! its quite humbling and exciting! i am actually really excited, at the same time, still in shock that he called me as the new AP. All the AP's since i have been here have died in the office, meaning they were AP up until they went home. so i wasn't expecting it cuz i still have a while to go. so i will either be AP for 8 months, or step down my last 1 or 2 cycles...so we'll see. and most of the AP's gain about 20-30 lbs in the office...so thats the curse for being in the office...but i hope i don't cuz..yeah, thats just big!!
but it is good tho, i am excited to be around President Andaya a lot! he seems serious all the time but he is actually quite a joker! and as soon as Manila gives me my Passport back, i get to get my Philippines Drivers license!!! i am so excited to finally drive again!! its really exciting!

And even better, tomorrow, elder Cook is coming to Tacloban for A missionary Fireside for us. and guess who picks him up from the Airport?? WE DO!!! so i get to meet elder Cook, elder Nielson of the Seventy(he was the area presidency in Idaho i think), elder Callister of the seventy, and their wives! and we get to take pictures with them. so i am excited to meet an apostle of the Lord!
But now, i am going to be super super busy! as for as missionary work...we work when we can. since i have been here this past week, we've had one lesson! thats it! but we do our best to find time to work. thats going to be weird tho, but some how i just have to realize that i will helping other missionaries as well. i read a cool quote from President Monson this week, he said something like, "we won't be asked how many positions we held, but rather, how many people did we help?" so that really hit me and comforted me. i know this calling is to help others..help missionaries bring others unto Christ. and i will do my best to help them.
as for my companion, he is Elder Ausban. he was actually my 1st Zone leader when i got here in the mission, and now we are companions.haha its kinda funny. but he is awesome! we get a long great! he is from Stockton California and goes home in 6 weeks. its weird seeing everyone going home now. i feel like i just got here! but life is good! i am loving it! even tho my appartment doesn't have air con...the office does and the cars do so i guess its ok..haha Jk. life is good, i am loving the mission.

We did have a family come to church for the first time that is not yet members. and they are awesome. we haven't taught them yet becuase of time, but they are so ready, they are golden investigators. they have two little kids, and wants them to grow up in the church, and the mom said that she was wondering which church she should go to church at, cuz there are so many. and they really liked church yesterday, so i think they will really progress. we just felt so blessed because even tho we are so busy, we still are being blessed with success in our area. so thats one of the blessings this week. so i hope you have a great week! kids starting school now?? tell everyone i say hi! can't wait to hear from you. i miss you all and love you all! hope all is well! love you!
Love, Elder Nelson