Josh's Last Letter From the MTC

(Transcribed by Mom)

Dear Family,

Hey, so here's that name that mom and I found.  I went through the temple for him on Thursday.  It was awesome!  The temple was so great!  I see Jayden like everyday.  He's awesome.  I see Jeff at night cause he comes to my room and talks to me.  It's great.  I'm leaving Monday and by the time you get this it will probably be Tuesday because I'm mailing it Saturday night.  I leave Monday at 6:00 or 6:30am.  Everyone in my zone got these slips saying that they were taking frontrunner to the airport except for me.  If I'm not taking frontrunner, I'm leaving at 7:30 am.  I'm probably taking frontrunner through.  They probably just forgot to give me a little slip.  Even my comp got one.  My flight leaves at 11:25 and gets to Burbank at 12:27.  I'm really excited to leave.  I can't wait to get out and actually put my training to use.  I've changed so much.  It's crazy.  I'm excited just to talk to people in the airport.  It'll be a good experience.  Tomorrow for sacrament meeting the departing districts have to sing a musical number together.  We practiced today and we're doing Hymn 152, "God Be With You 'till We Meet Again."  Let's just say it will be interesting.  We taught a less-active member today and it was way cool.  His name was Neal and he was actually (in real life) a less-active member.  He told us that his neighbor was in charge of this TRC at the MTC and invited him to come.  He was a super cool guy who converted to the church in '98.  He knows it's true, but he just had a problem going to church every week.  He didn't feel like he needed to go every week.  We explained that it's a commandment to keep the Sabbath Day holy and the importance of the sacrament.  We then read D&C 59:9-10 or 11 (I don't remember).  It was awesome!  We explained that obedience yields blessings and we just talked to him for like 46 minutes.  It was really cool.  We just shared experiences with each other and he was starting to tear up.  He said he would start going to church every week and he said he wanted to email us while we were on our mission.  We gave him our email addresses.  It was a fun appointment.  Everyone has been getting sick in our zone.  One of the new elders was up all night last night puking and dry heaving.  I felt really bad.  Sister Wyer and Sister Magnusson are also sick.  We gave Magnussen a blessing but because of the sicknesses going around we can't shake hands with anyone.  I've got a little cold but it will pass.  My favorite scripture has been going around the zone, D&C 122:7-8.  I used it teaching today and so did a lot of other companionships.  Elder Smith went over to the new district's classroom and shared D&C 122:7-8 with them just because he felt like he should.  Later in the day, Elder Madsen, the kid who was puking all night, said that if Smith hadn't shared that scripture, he would have decided to go home.  Pretty cool right?!  So how was the BYU game in the rain?  Haha! We stopped class for like half an hour just to watch the storm outside.  It was crazy!  It was pouring hard for the very first part of the storm and we thought the tree outside our window was going to break because of the wind!  It was awesome!  Today was our last class with my favorite teacher brother Davies.  He got back from the Tulsa, Oklahoma Mission in May.  He is so cool, and whenever he teaches, we always have the deepest conversations.  It's so awesome, but I'm sad I can't learn more from him.  He knows so much.  I hope to be like him by the time I'm done with my mission.  Hey, well it's almost time for bed, and I've got to get up early so I'll see ya in two!  Keep this letter in a safe place! It's my journal entry for today!  Oh, and tell my friends to write me!  I haven't heard from any of them yet except Tyler, and I want to know what's going on with them!  Thanks for all the packages and letters!  I love em and I can't get enough of em! 

Love ya'll!  ELDER NELSON