Bolivia, Cobija—Week 1

Goodbye Montero

Dearest Family and Friends,

We’ve spent a busy week visiting investigators and less-active members and cheering up those that felt alone. For the most part, this week was spent trying to get the men to understand how important their examples are to their families. We visited one family and the husband wouldn’t come out of his room. We are going to fast with his wife on Sunday. Hopefully they can make their marriage work. We visited “V” who was really sad because nobody—not even her husband—attended her graduation from beauty school. We visited another investigator to get to know her better and she told us she and her husband are having a lot of relationship problems. She knows the Church is true and would like to be baptized. We are just trying to help them all understand that the Gospel will help them in their relationships.

We received a reference from a member of another Branch. “C” is young, 17 years old, but she listens intently. We’ve taught her two lessons, but she is going to be gone for about a month, so we probably won’t be able to teach her for a while.

We received another reference to visit “M”, her daughter, and granddaughters. She is a member, but hasn’t come to Church for about 3 years because she didn’t feel like anyone paid any attention to them when they came. She still reads the scriptures and the Liahona and prays and fast when she needs help. We taught her about the importance of going to Church and renewing her covenants. She said they are all going to come to Church on Sunday.

Happy New Year! I hope it’s the best yet!

Xoxox Hermana Nelson

Happy New Year - 2015!

Journal Pages
Transfers
The Elders told us at dinner that Hermana Gomez is staying in Montero and I will be going to Cobija! My companion will be Hermana Bautista from Peru. I’m excited to go to Cobija and get to know a new area, but I’m sad that I won’t be with Hermana Gomez.

Hermana Gomez and Hermana Nelson

Happy New Year in Cobija!
On the flight to Cobija, we stopped in La Paz for about an hour. It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve been on a plane. When I stepped off the plane, I immediately got hit with a wall of heat and humidity. The airport is super small. We met up with a lot of Elders and there were some members there as well. The Familia Mendez took us home. I unpacked quickly, then we left to get to know the area and a few people.

Hello Cobija

I Love Cobija!
There are hills! There are trees! The dirt is red! The houses are made of wood! We are on the border of Brazil!

Obedience
Today went by super fast. I’ve decided to enjoy every moment, obey 100%, and not worry about anything. I know so much more than I did when I started my mission and I can speak well enough for the people to understand me, so I have to give it my all.

Service in Villa Cruz
We left for the service activity and we got super soaked on the way. We helped clean and sort glass and mirrors and we found a tarantula. Luckily, Hermana Bautista is brave and killed it. After the service, we went to lunch and got even wetter. We went home to change so we could go visit our investigator. She wasn’t home, but on our way, we found a blind lady crying in the street in the pouring rain. She was speaking Portuguese, so we could barely understand her. She said her husband was drunk and left her there and that she needed to get to the bridge that connects Brazil and Bolivia, so we walked her to the bridge. We stopped on the way to buy rain boots and an enthusiastic Evangelic preacher tried to convert us.

Tarantula at our Service Activity

Sincere Prayer
We visited the familia “G” today. The parents are less active and their 9-year old son hasn’t been baptized. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation. Their son is really shy and quiet, but he offered the closing prayer and it was really sweet. He was talking like Heavenly Father was right there in the room. Hopefully his parents can come back to Church for their son. He has a lot of potential.

Church in Cobija
The Branch is super small. I played the piano as usual and the Elders passed the Sacrament. There weren’t many there, but it’s a strong Branch and the members are great.

River that Divides us from Brazil!

Cocoa Plant at the Church