Elder Nelson - Sept 17, 2018

Dear Family,

It has been five weeks since I last posted. I will try to do better now.

The last 5 weeks has been hectic, fun and very stressful. Things at work are hectic and crazy. Packing up a house in our spare time is hectic and crazy. Thankfully you all helped out and made the moving process much, much easier. Thank you all so very much. Thanks for spending several days with us – super fun!!! Lance said we should go on missions more often, because it is so fun spending time with his siblings.

Things have gotten better at WES. We have new orders and our customers are waking up again. Carlos is running the shop. Today in the afternoon at the MTC, I spent about 45 minutes on the phone and with emails. I hope I don’t get too distracted.

Brynn, Kate, Anna and McKay had birthdays this week.

Wednesday Lance came over for lunch and saw we were in big trouble getting everything packed. So he came over again in the evening and helped us for a couple of hours. After work Thursday we went to Lance’s house for our last meal. Then Lance’s family went to the stake center for our setting apart. President Phil Carmack set us apart and gave us comforting blessings. Mom and I felt at peace.

Then Friday we got up at 6:00 and went to work packing. We went into work at 9:30 to 11 and finally finished our packing and were in the car at 5:00. Mom worked incredibly hard! We drove to Lovelock and arrived at 11:00. We stayed in about the cheapest motel in the city ($89 + 12% tax). However, the room was clean and the showers felt great! We slept well.

Elder and Sister Nelson leaving for the MTC! 

Saturday we drove to Pocatello to see Bryon Rich in a rehab center. He looked good and was in good spirits. He is doing some physical therapy. It will take about 4 months for him to recover. The road rash on his hip is taking a long time to heal. On the first operation they took 2 gallons of fluid out of the wound. After about a half hour of visiting, he was not feeling well and we took it as a sign to leave. Bryce and Sharon looked good and it was good to visit with them for a few minutes. Even though it was a 4 hour detour for a 40 minute visit, we were glad we made the effort. Bryon seemed pleased that we came.

On the way from Pocatello to Holladay we listened to the miraculous BYU upset over Wisconsin. That made the last leg of a long trip go quickly and with smiles on our faces.

Keri and the girls and Chelsea welcomed us. Keri took me shopping at almost 11:00 PM at Kohl’s. I was looking for some black tennis shoes to replace my totally worn out old man white ones. I wanted to be cool, like my sons, and get some black shoes. But I could not find any that fit and were comfortable, so I got some more old-man white ones. I will try again in few years to make a fashion statement.

Church was very good on Sunday in Keri’s ward. They had the primary program and Sunday School and Priesthood were very well taught.

After Church we visited Julie Miller in the hospital. She was cheerful and vivacious as the last time we saw her two years ago. She has been in the hospital long enough that much of her muscle mass is gone. Although she is taking physical therapy, she is a fall risk and has to have others with her when she is walking. They are also draining fluid from her spleen. She is supposed to come home Tuesday, but I don’t see how she is going to make it. Her family and especially Aunt Joyce have been very supportive. Hopefully this will help heal some of the bad feelings that have been in the family. I surely hope so.

We stayed at Chelsea’s Sunday night. Monday we arrived at the MTC. Keri and the girls were there and we got a few pictures.

Today was a great day at the MTC. There are a lot of wonderful people here. The MTC leaders and staff are great. The other senior missionaries are salt of the earth good people. It reminded me of working the temple with all of those great folks. Here is what Mom said about the day.

We went to a meeting after lunch where we were assigned our districts. Dad was assigned as district leader for our district with three other couples in our district. It looks like Dad will be talking in church on Sunday and I’ll be leading the music.

The last meeting of the day was a meeting where we meet the MTC Mission Presidency. It was phenomenal!!! They talked about all of the blessings the Lord has promised not only for us but our families into the fourth generation. I can’t express how wonderful that meeting was. The mission president shared the story of a petite young sister from China who had been called to Korea. Five weeks into her MTC training the Brethren called the MTC president telling them that they wanted to change her call. When he told her tears rolled down her cheeks. He told her the “rest of the story.” There were Elders in Turkey but they could not teach any women. The brethren prayed about it and picked 4 sisters—one was serving in England and two other somewhere else and this young Chinese sister was the fourth. She had to join the Elders who were already 5 weeks into their language training. She said okay this will be my seventh language. After the 2nd day she told the Mission president’s wife that she picked up a paper and could read it. After a week she told the Mission president she was getting the speech down and after two weeks the Elders were worried. The mission president asked about what. She said they were she would beat them.

The mission president was just telling that assignments can get changed, but it is all right because it is the Lord’s work and He will make it work. This doesn’t do the session justice, but it has been wonderful!

Thanks for all of your help getting us here.

Later we viewed a video of an addressed given at the MTC by Elder Bednar several years ago. He talked about the attributes of Christ. Jesus always looked outward to help others and not inward to his own concerns and needs. He gave two examples. After he fasted 40 days and was tempted of the Devil, per the JST he was concerned about John the Baptist and sent angels to minister to him. When he was suffering the agony of the crucifixion, he asked the father to forgive the Roman soldiers, made sure his mother was taken care of and did missionary work with the two criminals that were also being crucified.

He challenged us to put off the natural man that looks inward and be focused on bringing others unto Christ. He also challenged us to learn of the character, attributes and perfections of Christ and seek to emulate Him. Of course, Elder Bednar was much more eloquent. The talk was excellent.

This letter is late going out. I will send this one and start working on the next one.

Love,
Dad

Painting Brynn made for us that we framed and took on our mission. She has talent!