April 24, 2012

Nelson Family-

     Well it seems that the week has finally arrived, and with that, comes many preparations and lots of adventures. I am sure glad to hear about all of the excitement that accompanies it! I love it.

      This week was a great one for me over here in good ol' salem oregon. it was full of some rain and then the weekend full of sunshine. We got to go to a specialized training meeting this past week with president young and elder brinkerhoff who was just released from the seventy to be a mission president in idaho. So it was a great meeting and since elder neilsen is in corvallis area just about 40 minutes away he was at the meeting as well. so i got to say hello to him, that was good. during the meeting president young read to us from alma 5:14, specifically about "receiving his image in our countenance" and how sunflowers follow the sun from sun up to sun down and they are always bright and their name even reflects what they follow, then in a sense he proposed to us that we can be "son"flowers in our own way and through doing so we receive his image in our countenace. (sorry my spelling is awful today) It gave me a great deal to think about. a great meeting for sure. =)

      As you are all aware Nathan was baptized this past week, and it was an amazing baptism. He was so well prepared and it was really fun to watch him progress. I am often amazed and so grateful as to the miracles and blessings i have been able to see. I dont know why i am being blessed so much and it is really humbling to think about it all. but I am glad i got to be part of nathans baptism, and his confirmation. that was a special moment, as at the end of it the spirit was super powerful and you could see the weight that he had on his shoulder be relieved. He was overcome with emotions and I couldnt help but feel that just like he was beginning to know, the intense love that our father in Heaven has for all of his children and just how mindful of each of our situations he is.

      this past week there have been a few instances of rollercoaster and sadness, as liz didnt come to church this and is still working on the word of wisdom, her baptism is being postponed for a little while. She is going through a lot of things and we are trying our hardest to hlep keep her happy and help her to realize that she can overcome the things that are being thrown her way. (we all know that he likes to throw things at us just in time to try to stop our spiritual growth) just like he did with joseph smith. He knows the good that we are about to do, so he does everything he can do stop it. (have you noticed how it never seems to work out for him though...interesting) haha she will pull through though. She has great faith and is progressing. Along with liz, satan has been working on my companion a little as he gets frustrated with people or mad at himself,and likes to take it out on me haha. I have been doing my best to be patient and full of love, Again i am thankful that the Lord is helping me learn and grow too, as i am learning to love even more, and i am being the most patient i think i have ever been in my whole life haha. (hopefully this doesnt sound negative or liek i am down,cuz it is quite the opposite. I feel like i am learning an immense amount and it is kinda fun! i havent even gotten mad at him yet!!! are you impressed???) as i was pondering this yesterday i came to a scripture in my studies. Mosiah 23:21-22, Just when i think things are going how I (emphasis on I) think they should be, he helps me to learn that i really do need his help. And i Love it. I am tryng my hardest to put the savior first and make my will His. I even came up with a cool quote! "the more we recognize the lords and, the more we can be his hand" huh? huh? what do ya think? haha. it was a great week full of learning. That being said there is still so much that i have to work on, and as i reflect on things I feel and know that there is so much for me to improve with haha. ONe day at a time right?

    This email has been kinda all over the place huh? but hopefully it makes some sense? I just take my thoughts and word vomit them for yo to read haha. Anyway, i hope that you are all doing great and that this week is a great adventure for ya. I am excited and i hope you know that my thoughts and prayers will be with you all this week. Especially saturday. Mikella, congrats on the temple, and welcome to the Nelsons!!!!!!!!!! I look forward to getting to know you. Thanks for all that you guys do for me, 

Love you.

love,

Elder haydn Nelson