Temple and Conference

So ya, this week was sooooo good!  I know I'm not supposed to speak negatively about the area where I serve, but honestly, the ward is lacking.  The work would be so much better if we could get members out to lessons and to help us with our investigators.  Other than that everything is amazing!  The work is exploding in this area.  We found 7 new investigators again this week which is crazy!  Expecially for this zone.  It's so cool with all the miracles we're seeing!  There is so much work to do in this area.  We've mostly worked only in half of our area because that's where most of our investigators are.  And we keep getting more investigators in this part of our area, because we talk to everyone on the way to and from the places we go to.  They could split our area and have another set of missionaries here.  It's crazy.  I've never taught so many different people so much on my mission.

Technically this is transfer week.  I forgot to tell y'all last week, but its ok because I'm not getting transferred and neither is my companion!  One of us probably will next transfer though.  So I don't know if I told you this, but we ran into our investigator Matthew Jalsevac on the street last Monday.  He was drunk and smoking.  It was sad to see him.  He's been telling missionaries that he's wanted to quit for the last year and a half.  He really wants to get baptized, but he is a hardcore alcoholic.  We want to get him at least 6 months to a year sober before he gets baptized.  The longest he's ever gone is 4 months.  It's so sad to see that this addiction has taken over his life.  He can't stop.  He called us later in the week and told us that he promised God that he would stop and he hasn't drunken since.  We know he's still smoking though.  Our other investigator ran into him on the street.  Her name is Elena.  She's really cool and we haven't taught her the Word of Wisdom yet, but they both smoked together and Matthew told her that he wants to be a Mormon.  She told him that she's been meeting with us and he did to.  She called us and told us all about how she met Matthew and that she took it as a sign from God.  It was sweet.  Basically we taught a whole bunch this week and one of our new investigators named James came to Priesthood session!  He's super super Catholic, but he liked priesthood!  We had a crazy miracle on Sunday.  The zone leaders found a new investigator last week.  He's technically homeless, but he lives with his friends in our area.  His name is Alvaro and he came to every single session of General Conference.  He loved it and wants to be baptized.  He's only 19, but he told us that he wants to do what we do and become an Elder!  It was so awesome!  

So I don't have much time to email this week, but everyone who reads this letter, read Elder Ballard's talk from conference and start studying Preach My Gospel!  Tell me what you learn and tell the missionaries what you learn!  There is so much in that book that we can all learn as missionaries and members.  Read the promise the First Presidency gives on the inside cover and study it.  Do you want to have more joy than you've ever felt before?  Than do missionary work and apply Preach My Gospel into your life!  I promise with the First Presidency that you will find greater joy in your life and that you will become an instrument in the Lord's hands.  It'll be awesome and I'll follow up next week!  I love you all!  Bye!

Elder J.J. Nelson

"The Great"