Phone Call, May 8 2011

Phone call with Elder Nelson

Mother's Day

We got everyone on the call, Bean, Tyler, Mom/Dad/Chad

T- I have the coolest experience.  I have been waiting to tell you!  I got a call from a couple of my converts- the best family i've ever taught.  They caught a call from the missionaries from their sector and they told us that they are going to go to the temple.  I got to go with them!!  I went this last Friday.  I was a witness.  Oh man, it was the coolest spirit I have ever felt!  

Is that the one you were telling us about towards the first of your mission?

Yeah, that was the last chance I had to go see a family sealed.  The other's were baptized too late and I'd be gone before they'd go.  Yeah, it was awesome!!  Also, while we were there, the sealer was a really cool guy.  We were there as the missionaries and some from the ward.  And, their whole family.  He just stopped, "I don't know why I feel this way.  He was looking at the M… family.  I feel like you are going to be a great leader in the church. "  It's true!!  When he got baptized he got a calling fast, now he's YM president.  

Where were you?  What area?

Indepencia.  I was there for 6 months.  

That's in Santiago?

Yeah, the second sector I went to.  I went there after being with my trainer.  I was there with 3 changes.  They got baptized then.  I went to another sector at the point I had a year in the mission.  Then I went to Santiago.  Training was the coolest experience ever.  I loved it.  I got to do it 2 times, right after one another.  I was so excited.  The second guy I trained was the coolest missionary ever.  He was put in as DL after 3 changes.  He's a great missionary.  The one I'm rooming with, he's not actually my companion.  I've lived with him in the same house for 6 months.  Elder Squire.  

You are all set up for school with him and Elder Murdock.  The three of you are in the same apartment.  Chad's here too! 

Hey!! Costo Esta? 

He had a good game and has a big football injury.  Chad- I cut my leg on the side.  

I'm pretty excited to have a brother as a football stud.  From everything I've been hearing.  

Kevin's here too..  (Spanish speaking.. lots.. I don't understand any of it). ……………………… ????

(He sounds really good!  Spanish is awesome.)  Kevin- I'll let everyone else hear in English so they can participate.  

mom- You sound like a native! 

tyler- unfortunately when I train, i speak a lot of English, so I lose it.  But, right now my comp in native, so 

Do you have a date?!?

Yeah, the 18th of July. 

Dad- WIll you leave there the 18th?  Or get here?  

I will get my last interview and put me on the plane that day.  That's a Monday.  Our changes are always Monday.  I'll get in Tuesday, 19th.  In the next few weeks, It'll come (paperwork).  It comes at the changes, so soon or in 6 weeks.  There's a lot of changes going on.  

Breanna, will you be there?  Probably not, but hopefully that weekend.  I'll be in finals.  

Tyler- I want to go to Lake Powell

HOw do you feel about Lake Roosevelt?  Chad will be in school, he won't be able to come.  So i'd feel better if we were closer to home since he's home by himself.  Also, in August we have a big reunion with all the family. 

I heard about the ATV thingy.. 

Dad- Yeah!  The Razor.  Chad and I took it up to Lake Bartlett.  We can't wait till you can come play with it. 

Yeah!  I"m so excited.  

Breanna is going to help me sign you up for classes.  Still EE right? 

Yeah, I think so.  

We'll just do generals towards that direction. 

Go ahead and do it.  No ballroom dancing!!  Maybe the guitar if I have to take anything like that.  I'm mostly excited for religion classes.  

You take a specific one for RM.  I think you get a language credit automatically.  

Tyler- Yeah you have to test out. 

Dad- Do it right away so you don't forget. 

Tyler- the problem is that I'm bad with the grammar.  I speak great, but I didn't practice with the grammar.  I haven't been able to wrap my mind around the grammar.  Reading things.. I'm fine.  I'll have to study up on the grammar.  I know you can get it up to 16 credits.  

Kevin- you'll pass with flying credit.  I got 16 credit's of A's!  It was awesome.  

Mom- that'd be great for you since you don't have any college credit. 

Tyler- any questions. 

Mom- weather?  It's starting to cool down.  We are wearing a jacket in the afternoons.  There is a drought right now.  I feel like i'm in az.  In Los andes it's really hot. Here in C………. it's nice. Here you have to go through a tunnel to get where I am right now.   It's getting bigger, but it's still small.  We're pretty isolated.  

Mom. how far from Santiago? 

Tyler- It's near the coast.  North and West.  On bus through the tunnel it takes about 45 min to get to Santiago.  on the other side of the tunnel is a different mission.  It is huge!  

mom- is there a beach? 

Tyler- I'm surrounded by mountains.  I've been told from the other side you can see the beach.  But, we won't go over there. 

Dad- you proselyte in that whole area? 

tyler- yeah.. but there's a lot of areas that are expensive.. They are.  YOu pay 600 pesos, you go a certain place.  It's different from a taxi that just charges where you go.  They are fixed rate.  

mom- you are on bikes now? 

tyler- yeah.  it's not that common to be on a bike, but most of my mission i have!  

Dad- does it keep you in shape? 

Tyler- I'm able to maintain, but not down.  I've not gone up.  My pants are big.

MOm- i'm surprised you haven't needed more clothes!  How are your shoes?

Tyler.. I haven't had to buy anything.. Actually, I've gotten 2 pairs of shoes from members actually!  These shoes I got from the place, I haven't really liked them.  For chad, I would go get some good Hush Puppies. they are worth it.  They are much more comfortable.  

Mom- do they have stuff like that in Santiago. 

Tyler- I've just used the same shoes.  Even though I haven't really liked them.. They form to your feet.  The ones the members gave me are great because they don't get worn out.  They are good forever.  They just aren't that comfortable.  Go to missionary mall.  They are expensive but if they get worn out.. YOu can take a picture of them and they send you knew ones.  Just little tricks I"ve learned. 

Mom- that's good because we didn't know anything

Tyler-  Oh, another thing.  I think I'm allergic to tics or dust mites.  They are in the beds.  I've already talked to the office about it.  I don't know. That's rough.  Ic an't sleep at night. 

Mom- Can they do something?

T- they are going to send me a new mattress.  I bought Raid.  I think it might've killed them off.  I already have it all over my body.  So, I don't know if they are still biting me or if they are old.  

mom- do you go to members houses to eat then? 

t- i can eat almost anything now.  There's on thing I can't.  It was a piece of meat. It has hair on it.  I ate it in one bite.  It like scratches your throat going down.  The sister said, Do you want more?!  I feel bad.  She was cool about it.  It's a special thing from the south.  She was excited to share it.  It was horrible.  It's like pork, but they cook it different.  It still has the skin and hard hair on it.  Not a lot, just a little.  South Chile, they have a lot of traditional food.  Here in Santiago, I've been able to eat almost anything.  I really want to learn to make empanadas.  They have ones here that are filled with Olives.  Dad would love it here.  They are really strong.  It took me a long time to learn to eat them.  Meat, olives and onions.  Also cheese empanadas.  Cheese on the inside. 

Dad- you'll have to go to the Mexican market where we can't read the signs.  YOu and chad can go do that!  

Breanna's been really sick at school.  

Kev- at the end of the mission.. do you feel like you GET it??  LIke how it works?  

Tyler- I got to a point where I thought I did, but now no. I've been able to keep learning.  I've been able to keep progressing.  At the same time, I do.  I get it.  I know what to do to make someone progress to baptism.  Every day you keep learning, your testimony keep growing.  Keep learning, growing.  That's been really cool.  The mission is incredible.  People always ask me… It's a trend to die in this part of the mission. They ask if I feel "turnkey".  I really don't I feel like there's still a lot more to do.  I feel like I still have a lot more time.  I haven't felt like it's run out.  A lot of missionaries do feel like that. 

K- during my mission, I didn't baptized, but I baptized more in the last 2 months.  Work to the very end.  

Dad- the good thing.  You know what missionary is about.  It's a good thing to pass on to your companions. 

T- my companion now.. I have a special assignment right now with him.  It's been hard.  It's been a learning experiences.  Lots of opportunities to be more like Christ.  We have a good relationship now.  In the past, other companions have wanted to hit him.. I haven't. :)  He's been here a while, so the last 6 weeks of my mission

K- Your mission president has a lot of confidence in you to put you with him. 

T- I haven't written any body my whole mission.  I feel really bad.  I'm horrible!!  I haven't written my converts either.  I need to get better.  But, now it's the end.  I never can.  Monday's the only time and time is so short.  I'm not a fast writer.  

M- MOst people don't really expect to hear back all the time.  They know you can't always write back.  G and G Sheldon just like to write you . 

T- I feel so happy that they write me.  They are almost the only letter I ever get.  It's awesome.  I'm the same way though.  I can't expect other people to write when I don't write.  

M- Steven Lewis gets home this week.  

T- Oh wow.  They are in Flagg right?  

D- The new Bishopbric might try to get them down to speak in the ward.  

T- have you heard from anyone else? From people that went on a mission?  A lot of friends I had.. I haven't really wanted to pick up relationships where things are not good.. Not a good atmosphere.  What about Trevor?  He was in the MTC with me.  He should get home at the same time also.   Any other missionaries that left from our ward?  

M- A few are getting close.   There was a big gap where there wasn't anyone the age to go.  A lot of people ask about you.  There's a lot of new people who you won't know in the ward. 

T- That's okay!  I'm used to new things/new people. How's the weightlifting going chad? 

Chad- it's going good.  

M- what can you bench now?  

C- 230, 225.. 

Everyone- WHAT? 

Tyler- are you guys going hunting? 

Dad- we got Elk.  I didn't put in for you.  We didn't know where you'd be. 

Tyler- What?  Really?  That's okay.  I'm excited to go hunting.  

D- We could pick up archery and go deer hunting.  We have an archery by our house.  I got a bow and arrow.  

Ty- how's that working out? 

D- We haven't done much yet.. haha.  

T- The compound bows are hard!  50 pound is usually good enough.  

M- how do you know so much about it?  

T- I love archery!  Scouting.  

M- Oh, stories about you and other things make me nervous.  Car surfing?  

T- What?  I've never done it on top of the car.  Okay, one time.  I was not the perfect kid.  

D- when you get back, Lexi should be walking. 

T- Oh, i'm excited.  I tell everyone I have a niece.  I got pictures.  I love pictures. Send pictures.   Things I can give to members.  Candy from the states.  Things they can't get here.  Beef Jerky.  Things like that.  That's like heaven here.  And, PB.  I'll get it before I leave.  

Jessie- do you clap at people's door when you want them to come out?  Kevin did in Paraguay. 

T- here we yell!  We say "alo".  They are security… Or you say their name.  Or you find metal and you knock with your keys.  You can knock.  it's not weird.  you just got to make a noise so you know they are there.  Gangsters whistle.  Gangs will answer to whistles.  They'll go outside and whistle.  On the other side of the town, they'll hear a whistle answer.  That's how they communicate.  Like the gadianton robbers.  The secret combinations.  That's here.  You should hear my companion talk about El Salvador.  All the time, there's a lot of crime.  I'm actually really glad to be here in Chile.  It's pretty safe.  Not much happens.  

J- What are you doing every day? 

T- THere's a lot of inactive.  You work a lot with them.  Baptisms come from part member families.. that's the most effective way to baptize.  They have mostly all been from reactivation.  

J- Did you get to watch Conference?  Where?

T-  We watched it in English.  At the stake center.  They put another TV in another room.  There are two channels, one english, one spanish.  I think that's normal.  You can watch it in English, it doesn't matter where you are.  But, if you are in another country, they'll have it in their language.  It's hard watching inSpanish.  There's words that I don't know that they are using.  You miss a lot of the subtle things.  Things that are important.  I didn't realize how important they are until I heard it once in Spanish.  

M- Do you get to read the Ensign. 

T- We get them every month, free.  I read them.  

M- Did you hear all the references to getting married right after a mission???

T- Yeah, oh man.  There are a lot of subliminal messages in this conference.  There's a lot of good things, but a lot of awkward things that we're not supposed to be thinking about right now.  Pres. Monson's talk was really powerful.  It seems everyone through in something like that.  Like Elder Oaks, even, I loved his talked, but he just through that in at the end.  I was really surprised.  

M- Do the guys get pressure to get married at school? 

B- Yeah, A lot.  

T- Just to let you know, I'm not getting married right after my mission.  A few years!  Okay, I can't say that.  Here in chile, there's a problem.  They'll be 35 years old and not married.  A lot of leadership have to come talk to these people because they won't get married.  I have fear now of not getting married.  I see that they don't have anything.  They just work, study, some don't complete their callings.  I've seen the negatives.  I'm not really worried.  Brigham Young said if you're 25 and not married, your a menace to society. ha.  I want to get a few years in though of study.  We'll see.  

T- How's work going?  Your health? 

D- work's busy.  Health is okay. 

T- You need to keep yourself healthy. 

D- Yeah, definitely.  

M- Yeah, something else.. we didn't really tell you…

T- I was so worried after the last one.  My Mission President had to give me a blessing because I couldn't focus.  It's better just to tell me.  I always pray about it.  

M- Well this last one.. He had to have transfusions.  He's had a lot of testing, they've all come back negative.   

C- Yeah, he has a lot of gray hair now.  

T- Hey! Happy Mother's Day!  

M- Oh, thank you. 

T- I had to speak in church today too.  I talked about Charity and the Family.  It was fun.   Do you know who your new bishop is going to be?  Dad, what's your calling? 

D- We don't know yet.  I'm the Cub Master.  

T- I knew you were released from Mission Leader, but I didn't know your new calling.  Well, I think that's all!  I just wanted to know details.  

D- When you get back are you ready to start the garage of the cabin??

T- Yeah!  I'm so ready!  That was the greatest, coolest experience ever.  I hated it at the time.  But, looking back on it, it was the best thing ever.  Chad, really you should do it.  Take advantage of it.  It's a once in a life time thing.  To build and learn skills that will serve you your whole life.  I'm going to do something like that for sure!!  I'm excited to just enjoy it.  I've built it, so I can enjoy it.  Well, I have to go.  I've already gone over the time limit.  I forgot to tell you guys.  I could've done Skype!  But, this is so much easier. I didn't want any complications with that.  So, since this is my last time.  

D- Okay!  Well, I guess we'll see you in a couple months!  

M- So, will you still get our package? 

T- Yeah, jerky is great.  Whatever.  Just through it in.  Well, Love you guys!  Thanks for calling. 

M- Love you too!  We're proud of you.  You're doing great.  

T- I'll try to send a decent email on Monday.  Yeah.. The temple experience was incredible.  That was the neatest thing.  To know I baptized and they made it to the temple.  That's the whole process!  There's only a few missionaries who get to go to the temple with their converts.  I have a way stronger testimony of eternal families.  I had never witnesses a sealing, with the kids.  It was incredible.  They came in in white.  The coolest thing, he was 10.  He had a deficiency.  When we were there I was thinking about the eternal destiny of the family and the resurrection.  I had this picture, so clear, in my mind of this kid.  I pictured him completely normal.  It was an incredible, incredible people.  He is a special son of God.  He has this deficiency, but he is so pure.  You should go to the temple.  You have the close temple right?  

m- Not yet.  Gilbert is still building. 

t-Well, I have to go.  Love you. 

All- Love you!  Bye!