Eh!

We started off the week with interviews all day on Tuesday.  During interviews, the zone leaders and sister training leaders train the other missionaries who are waiting for their interviews with President.  The training went alright.  it wasn't the best.  Most missionaries don't take it to seriously.  We trained on roleplaying and making them effective and also keeping your area book updated and organized.  We did that from 9:00 to 6:30.  I was the first one to be interviewed by president.  It was a good interview and I got a lot of advice from him on what I can do to be better and help out the zone.  All the companionships in the zone are doing well for the most part, its just getting them to work effectivly and find new investigators.  That's something the mission is struggling hardcore with right now, our zone included.  We used to be the highest finding zone on the english side of the mission last year, and we haven't been finding anywhere near where we were last summer.  It's frustrating and a little worrisome.  the capacity for each of us to find a lot more is there, its just not happening for some reason.  We've got some ideas that we're going to work on with the zone this next week with exchanges and training oppurtunities and such.  So hopefully that will go well.  I love President and having interviews with him, they're so short, but they help me out a ton.  It's been a while since we had interviews.  

 

I got to go on exchanges thi past Wednesday with the assistants again.  I went up to their area again, but this time with Elder Shrum.  It was a good exchange and we worked a lot on working with the members in his ward.  We talked to a lot fo people too and had a good time. I always love going on exchanges with the assistants.  They always seem to help me out a lot.  We actually picked up a new investigator while I was up in the assistants area.  Her name is Claudia and we've taught her twice.  She was a referal from the spanish missionaries and they helped her move into her new apartment.  She is a hoarder and we've been doing a lot of service for her, organizing and cleaning up her apartment.  She's a little crazy, but super nice and she absolutley loves missionaries.  She was baptized, but never confirmed in 2009.  She backed out of confirmation because her friend said she was going to disown her if she was confirmed, plus she admitted that she didn't know what kind of commitment she was making.  She's accepted a baptismal date for March 22nd.  She's excited to start coming back to church, but the date for right now is tentative.

 

As for Shamal, he's been really sick this week.  he has Irritable Bowel Syndrome and he had a fever, so we couldn't teach him this week sadly.  He didn't come to church either.  No one did.  We had a lot of commitments from a lot of different investigators, but they all cancelled last minute for various reasons.  It's frustrating, but what can you do?  

 

We taught our investigators Steve and Lindsy the Restoration this past Friday.  Steve is lindsy's father and Lindsy is about 21 years old and has a prosthetic leg.  They are so cool!  We haven't been able to contact them for a while, but they have been reading the book of mormon.  They really think that it all could be true and that its a good thing.  Steve's wife is meeting with the Jehovahs Witnesses right now.  They don't have the best relationship and she isn't interested at all.  Both Steve and Lindsy are solid though.  hopefully we can get them to church next week.  We aslo taught Hugh, the Jewish born 16 year old the Plan of Salvation.  He has a real hard time with the concept of prayer, but we got him to pray this past lesson.  He seems a lot happier since we've started meeting with him and he enjoys our meetings.  He keeps saying he's not ready to commit to any religion yet, but that he still wants to learn more.  He really wants to find out if God is there and he's definatly coming closer to finding out.  He's been reading.  he just needs to start praying consistantly.  We've got a good fellowshipper to bring to our next lesson with him.  

 

I went on exchanges this week with Elder Hyde out in Encino.  it was a good exchange.   We focused on seeing the miracles and the purpose of why we do so many little things in the work.  We found a new investigator on the exchange and a lot of people who were interested.  It was a good one.

 

Well to end off the week I got to see Lindsy and Ryan at Stake Conferance which was sweet!  I sat next to them during the Sunday session.  The meeting itself was great too.  Elder Auna from hawaii was presiding.  that man is great and I got some good insights from him. 

 

Anyways things have been going good!  I love being a missionary!  Its the best thing I've ever done!

 

Elder Nelson