Hello Family and Friends!

This week Elder Lopez and I walked. And we walked. And we walked. And...oh...we walked some more. Maybe I do not have feeling in my legs and feet right now but that is okay because we are happy, healthy, and working hard here in Yautepec!

Impression(s) of Mexico!

1) My favorite thing to see and hear happens every time we go to a sketchy apartment complex in our area called La Gema. Here in La Gema you will find gangsters. Sitting in their cars. Blasting American rap music. And slowly bobbing their heads up and down. The funniest part for me is that I know that they have no idea what the rapper is saying.

My companion and I had a very special experience yesterday. We went to visit a less-active sister in the branch named Virginia. Virginia is a single-mother with three children, and, in addition to working, cares for her aging mother that is now bed-ridden. Her oldest daughter Cindy has a physical-handicap and Virginia told us plainly that Cindy had no interest in the church. Yesterday, Cindy sat in on our lesson about the Gospel of Christ. As we were talking about baptism, the impression came into my mind to invite Cindy to be baptized. Then, as it always does, immediately after the doubts came into my mind. But the Spirit kept telling me to invite her, and so we did. And she accepted! As we were telling her about the blessings that would come into her life by accepting this gospel, she began to cry. The Spirit was so strong.

I feel my faith growing. I realized a few months ago that I needed to allow my faith to grow. I needed to believe more deeply in the power that God has to save his children. So I have been letting go of what I want and putting my life in the hands of the Lord. This week during one of my prayers, I told him that I just wanted him to use me as a tool in his hands. My talents, my experiences, who I am, I just wanted to be useful in helping less-actives to return and inviting others to unite themselves to the gospel of Christ. And I have seen his hand in my life. New Investigators. New less-actives that we have begun to teach. More powerful lessons. When we exercise faith in God he answers us.

I know that my Savior Jesus Christ lives. I know that this is his gospel and his church. I know that through trials and problems, I am made stronger. We have to be refined. We have to pass through what seems to be insurmountable hurtles in order to truly become what God would have us become. But, the moment, and literally the moment that we are willing to let him in and begin to help us, we will see the changes. We will see our growth. And we will feel, see, hear, and know of the love of our Father.

I know what it means to feel loved by a Father in Heaven, that with mercy, charity, and patience, lets me know on a day by day basis that I am his, and that one day, if I am faithful, I will be with him forever.

I love you all.

Elder Nielsen