Here are some pics for you all

(Exciting for us, Zach finally sent some pictures. Here's some random pics from the MTC in Utah)

 Here's a map showing the Boise, Idaho mission area.

  A pic of the Provo, Utah temple, lit up at night.

 Zach will be in the area labeled 'Mexico City West' in this map. He will move around quite a bit within this area once he gets there.

 Snow-covered mountains in Utah.

 Missionaries pointing out their mission areas on a map at the MTC. Lucky Zach, he gets to point to two places.....

 Zach and his companions at the MTC in Provo.

Zach's companions in Boise, Idaho. The three of them will work together while Zach waits for this Mexican visa.

Hola de Boise Idaho!

So what up yall? As I said hello from Boise! What all’s going on there? Everything went fine at the airport on Monday, well . . .  almost . I think that I told you that most of my MTC district had left already, and that their were only 4 of us left to do anything at the MTC. Anyways we remnants of district 40A got travel plans Wednesday and that why I got to call again. Interesting thing was my buddies got to go to Mexico City and their planes took off at way different times than mine. One of them was supposed to leave at 5AM and the other 2 at 6AM and then I was supposed to leave at 8AM so we all did the logical thing and got up at 2:20 to shower and repack. Well I needed to repack at least and we wanted to see each other off.  Anyways apparently at 5 when I was repacking I shoved a gallon Ziploc of my shampoo, hair gel, sunscreen, and h2o2 in my carryon bag . . . . TSA didnt quite like that one! So just imagine me standing behind the tsa's checkpoint trying to get re- dressed after taking off my belt, boots emptying my pockets, todos! And this nice TSA lady comes up to me with my duffel bag in hand "elder is this yours?" "Yes 'mam" "You've got some oversized toiletries in this bag I need to check it do you mind if I do that?" Oh yeah I think I forgot to mention I didn’t remember putting them in there! Funny right?

So anyways she was really nice and we she started poppin off questions in Spanish which was cool cause I could understand her! Anyways she let me run back downstairs to the baggage claim to see if the agents there could put my Ziploc in my checked luggage. It took about, well it felt like, 20 minutes before the agents came back with one of my maletas and let me put my stuff in there, then they wheeled it back and I was able to run thru the employee line at security I felt special! [<-for some reason that doesn’t look right oh well es no me importa] Woaah I just slipped into Spanglish again! anyways once I got there I ran down one of the terminals looking for my gate so I wouldn’t be late . . . I ran down, all the way down, the wrong terminal, so yeah I had like 10 minutes b4 they started at my gate when I got there but no worries right mom?  [<-me gusta estos caras!]

So yeah that’s about all that I can think of right now. Cool thing about being in Boise I get an hour to write instead of 30 min like at the MTC. So I'm trying to think it over umm the  mission home address is 1111 S Cole road Boise, ID 83709. It’s in the LDS maps app on the LDS website um, yeah everything here’s cool and I’m loving it so far. I’ve got 2 awesome companions elder Navarrette and elder Figureoa. Yeah, I have fun trying to pronounce them. So far I’ve been a little off and on in understanding the members that we’ve taught but it hasn’t been that crazy yet. Yesterday was zone conference. Monday was p-day (preparation day) and today we had district meeting so its been awesome so far. The members have fed us each night and we’ve been able to get to know each other really well.

Elder N has been out 16 months last Monday and elder F is a native Chilean so yeah they’re helping me with my Spanish and I’ve had the opportunity to help elder F with his English. It’s awesome they are great elders who love teaching and are nuts but fun. If you could I'd appreciate you looking in my old journal  I think its the one with the smiley face on it, I was talking to elder N and turns out that his brother served in Columbia, MO a few years ago. and I can vaguely remember hanging around an elder that everyone called Nava but I’m curious if you would look in that journal and see if you could find the entries from my mini-mission. I’d appreciate it. President and Sister Cannon are awesome people and I can tell that I’m gonna love it here. Love all around

Vaya con Dios!

Elder Zach Nelson

Okay, Here Ya Go!

November 17, 2011

    Hope you all are home tonight I GET TO CALL HOME TONIGHT!!!! So yeah, I'll call you around 5:30 just like last time.

Vaya con dios!

(Yep,another phone call. STILL no visa to Mexico. Five minutes is still tooooo short! The mission leadership continues to be inspired....Elder Nelson is to be temporarily re-assigned to the Boise, Idaho mission until his visa is prepared. He flew to Boise today (Monday, Nov. 21). He will serve there until he leaves. Zach was relieved, as after 10 weeks at the MTC, instead of the originally scheduled 8, he was ready to go. According to the flight tracker, all was well in the air today. We are now awaiting contact from him, with an address! Dad)

Hola, again

November 16, 2011

We’re still in Utah?! no se para es no me importa! (Google translate kind of let us down on this one: it is not for me no matter)

So yeah, no news yet. If I do hear anything I’ll shoot you an email.  

            Oh by the way, this keyboard is completely messed up. I think that someone played with the coding and messed with it so if I miss any apostrophes I apologize.

Thank you for the package! Especially all the packing materials! Thank you for all the kisses they are wonderful! Thank you for thinking about the Christmas box could you possibly throw my Priesthood paperwork in with whatever else you decide to send along? Dad, I tried one of the teabags in my big St Mary’s cup and I think it diluted it too much so I’m gonna try the other bag in a smaller cup and let you know how it is. Oh, and so you know that ''chocolate'' you sent me, will soon be one its way home, I think the store mis-stocked it in the wrong aisle. It should have been in the baking section!

Mama {<- that’s Spanish!} Thank  you for the cool temple story but I think one of the pages was missing, It was really cool and I liked how the different 'facets' of the temple were expounded on. Thanks, too, for the quote from pres Houseman it was awesome!

Thank you for worrying about me getting cold but I got a sweet flannel purple checked shirt that keeps me pipin’ hot. NO I did not get to see Alyssa on my trip to Idaho, however I did give a nice Hindu man a copy of the Book of Mormon on my flight from Boise to Denver. Cool to hear about Elder White. If you get the chance give him a congratulations from me please :)

So how did Charles’ dual go? Hey you didn’t rip off any heads did you? Ian I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to hear you singing your song on the phone (Little brother Ian had been practicing to sing “I’ll Have a Blue Christmas Without You” to Zach during his five minute phone call earlier).  I hope you get better mom (she’s been sick). Just try to get some rest even if you’re not allowed to! haha What was that crack you made about not being able to gain weight supposed to mean?? Huh?! I mean the staff offered to give me a wheel barrow for my ''friend'' as they put it but hey you  know life happens!

Yeah we all heard about the elders who had an hour to pack they were on my floor of the residence hall. It was crazy! Interestingly the travel office seems to enjoy confusing people’s travel plans. Our Peruvian elder that’s been here forever got plans last week to be transferred to South Carolina temporarily until he can get his visa. So we looked at his travel plans and he was shocked to learn that his flight left from Salt Lake City International at 12:45 in the morning like dark AM. And we were told that he was gonna leave the MTC at 9 tonight to get to the airport! Well at choir practice last night, so like 6:10ish he got called to the travel office so he and his two companions (he’s been in three trios since he got here and all of them left before he did). Elder Gerlach and I didn’t see them until after dinner and we were in our way back to the gym for the devotional, 6:45ish, turns out that his flight left at 1245am today so he had 2 hours to get everything packed and to wash all his laundry. Thankfully he was in a trio so they were able to get everything packed up in time.

I love you all but I gotta go, as soon as I find the phone card AND I know when I’ll be at the airport I’ll call you and let you know what’s happening!!!

I love you all and thanks for everything you do!

Vaya Con Dios

Elder Zach Nelson

Lo antigua elder en La MTC (per Google translate: the former elder in the MTC)

ATTENTION!!!!!

November 10, 2011

I've been told by the travel office that I will be temporarily reassigned.
I don't know when or how long but, I have been given permission to make a five minute call home to tell you that.

So yeah I'm gonna call around 530ish that should be around 6 for you all.

Talk to you then :)

Z

(This was our first indication that there was still a snag with Zach's paperwork, and that his visa was still not ready. We learned that 5 minute phone calls are NOT very fun, as they last only........you guessed it! five minutes. It was good to hear from him, and to know that he was still keeping a cheerful outlook despite his frustration at the process. dad)

Yo, What's Up Everyone???

November 9, 2011

So yeah, no travel plans yet BUT I did talk to the ladies in the travel office and they said that I would probably be going back to Boise this Friday to get my visa worked out, and then it will be a straight shot to Mexico from there. Well as straight as you can get with airlines anyways ;).

Okay Katie thank you for the sweet stain remover, I'd put my shirts thru the dryer b4 I realized they were stained . . . It got out most all of the stains, all except for one REALLY dark spot that'll be fine to wear, everything is gone or so faintly grey that you can’t tell its there! :)))) I didn’t get that fat in the MTC but I have gained a few pounds, I weighed myself b4 gym yesterday and I weighed a whoppin' 196!! (cool huh! :) Anyways all’s good here. So far we've all begun to pack and get everything ready to go.

MOM . . . Mucho  Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Mucho Gusto (<- that means a lot ;) for the vacuum bags!! they work better than I could have dreamed. I've got my winter coat, most all my clothes, all of my slacks, extra socks, and I think that’s all I've got in them so far. Anyway I’ve used 2 bags and their like 4 inches high in my suitcase. My bag only weighs 31 lbs. crazy!! Either way It's pretty fun to watch . . . I might have opened them a few times just to watch them shrink when the air gets sucked out . . . . . . . . . It's really fun to watch   ( <-me gusta).

Thanks so much for the package! It was great to get and to hear some news. I loved the picture of Charle's football team , Garret looked a little constipated {C you might tell him to look a little less serious next year . . . Actually now that I look at it again you all looked a little constipated, I guess that's what winning feels like huh?  Luv you bud, good luck with wrestling. I loved it, even though I never seemed to win, keep me posted please! Dad, I’m assuming you sent me the newspaper clip about Mexico, thank you for it, it was very interesting to read.

It was awesome to here about Halloween at the home. I almost remember what that was like, it passed without any mention here (me gusta estes caras!)

Thank you for the Fart Balloons (whoopee cushions) as they are called, I love you Ian and Isaak! (one hug for each). Glad to hear that everything is going good there, and someone please wish Melena a late happy birthday for me. Thank you for the supplies! We were nearly starving, okay not really but the beef jerky was AMAZING!!! The chocolate on the other hand, I will warn you is on its way back to you, I tried it and it tasted like bakers chocolate, definitely not what I was expecting! Oh I don’t care how the duct tape looks, let the boys pick it out, but please do send it to Mexico not here, Provo. 

So did you ever figure out what happened with the roof in Charles room? Oh and yeah . . . . I heard about the tornadoes how close did they get to you all? And, Katie If your boss gives you any more trouble, I’ll just mail him a rabid . . . hmmm what could I mail him? I don’t know But I'll mail him something Mexican and rabid, since you know that anything with that combination will be intimidating and scary and worse . . . . . Mexican!

 I love you all And I’ll miss you.

 p.s. I had to get another haircut since I’m gonna be leaving soon my head feels naked :(

P.P.S  I'll send you a short email when I find out that I’m leaving!

Boise was a bust...

Okay so I got back from Boise late last night (Friday), I'll explain in a letter on pday. Bottom line: I didn't get my visa this time but I'll probably be going back to Boise this next week to get it.

All's okay here.

much love!!!

Vaya con dios

Headin' for Boise

8:46 a.m., 11/2/2011

"I'M GOING TO BOISE!!!"

So I have wanted to be able to say that a little!

Okay I don't have much time I was almost done writing my email to grandma in the laundry room when a voice from the heavens, with a thick Long Island accent, called me by name and called me to the travel office. Apparently they've been trying to get a hold of me for 2 days . . . . I am leaving the MTC at 1:30 today to fly to Boise so I can get to the Mexican consolate in Boise, odd place to have a consolate. Anyways I wanted to write more but I need to give the computer back to the sister I stole it from I'm flying up with 6 other elders and my bag I've got 2 nights in Boise then I come back on Friday.

Te amor & Vaya con Dios

Elder Zach Nelson

 

That same day, at 10:14 a.m.

Thanks for all the weather updates from Denver (David had written him several times while snowed in on a business trip there) :) It was fun to hope for a huge snow storm coming to the MTC! And really??! I love theVic, Love her to pieces but if she asked me for a new 'ring' that expensive (we made about $500 in repairs to the heater core so Zach’s sister would have heat this winter) I'd have to really think about it. I think it was a gggoooodddd IIIdddeeeaaa , I’m shivering just thinking about not having a heater in Januarys in Missouri.

WWWWWWOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH Charles good job on the gridiron bud I knew you could get through all those close calls!  Katie thank you for the letter I appreciate your wacky sense of humor and realized how much I miss tormenting/loving you, but mostly loving you!! ;) What happened at the fall choir concert it didn’t sound to good from your report. Anything by Al Green should bring in many people to your fundraiser! And to agree with your sad note about the temple: today is my pday (preparation day) and I would normally be going to the temple but as I wrote in the other letter I have to go to Boise instead. :( I did find some Mormon moments on the church  web and I think you should watch them they were about the Kyieve Ukraine, I think, temple and the Gila Valley temple being dedicated. YOU SHOULD DEFINETLEY TALK TO SOMEONE IN THE STAKE AND ASK IF THEY ARE DOING A YOUTH "PARTY”, I CANT REMEMBER THE WORD RIGHT NOW, THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO CHARLES IT WOULD BE AWESOME TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!!!!!

Okay dad I got another thing for you thank you for the quote from Michael Guevara and I think I’m studying a lil bit too much here because the first thing that came into my mind was the verse in D&C: seek not to teach my gospel but first seek to understand my gospel; then shall your mouth be opened for the understanding of men. Me gusta!! I don’t have much time but I'm gonna be writing you all letters while I’m on the plane about all the funny things we have done here.

Actually I want to do it now. Our first and most fun thing is "choholo los monos" which literally means crash the monkeys more or less. But fun story we learned that verb, chocar, from our teacher who got hit by a car while she was in a crosswalk at BYU. Crazy driver anyways she told us her story in Spanish so that’s how we got the verb, after that we went to chocolos pechos, chest bump to chocolos manos, fist bump, then someone knew the word for monkey .  . . Go figure! I still can’t figure out where they found it. so know when we go to gym we gather together someone yells chocolo los monos and we all act like were holding a monkey and do a few monkey "hoots", Yeah the MTC hasn’t gotten to me at all!! I’m not crazy I promise! I can still go to Mexico~!!! I just need to work on my typing apparently. More later as Elder Gerlach (his MTC companion) is trying to pull me away from the computer

te amor & vaya con dios!

Elder Zach Nelson!!!

Boise I can’t believe it!

 

Hola

¡Hola! everyone how are you doing? I´´ll open with a letter to grandma real quick then I´´ll get to your part,

Grandma, Thank you for the package it came as such a surprise! As always the cookies were much appreciated and all of my roommates loved the cookies and treats than you for sending them! I'm trying to find something to put in the tin before I send it back to you, I don't thnik that I could take it to Mexico. Seeing that tin again reminded me so much of all the time and love I felt at your house that I didn't want to risk taking it to Mexico with me. It's so odd to realize that I have less than 20 days before I go to Mexico or to parts unknown if I have trouble with my visa, but I  have my fingers crossed either way!

I Love you grandma, See you soon

Elder Zach Nelson

 

Thank you for the package it was a good surprise and as you can see it has been a fun week to receive them! The candy was awesome and the pillow cases are awesome, thank you very much for them!, Isaak I loved the leaves they reminded me of being at home and the squirrels loved your acorns! Now I don’t believe that it could have really been Ian on that baptismal program or else that lil hambone has grown more than seems possible!

Mom I love you. Any news on the Vic, I love that old girl but she is just that, an old girl, it's sad to say. (This refers to the car that he and his sister share)

How did Charles’ last game go? I can’t seem to remember hearing how it went. It's good to hear that Elder Markarian is on his way, I wonder who he is supposed to teach in Illinois. Oh and thanks for that quote I appreciate it and I like it.

Dad thanks for the poster, it was good to I love the story about the piñata's but what’s so important about Dec. 11 & 12, and why is one of their chapels shaped like a sombrero? Okay I want a serape! I can imagine that doing a hat dance would have been more fun if you and mom had been there to dance but it would have been even better if I could have been there to applaud your dancing!!! Good to hear that that gutter finally got fixed, just in time for winter right?! Why did you have to go and mention pizza night in your letter? The closest, and by that I mean the farthest,  thing we get here is when the cooks take a day off and order like 600 pizzas from papa johns, its passable but come sadly far from the mark that you set! HeHe please forgive me for smiling over the router incident, (our wireless router went down, and David had to fix it by himself, with no Zach here to help him!) but I do miss being able to work with those kind of things.

I’m trying to think of anything else fun to write I've 3 got 7 min left . . . . This week our district decided to really get into SYL, or for us HSI, That’s really about it. We had a really good fireside on Sunday and a really good devotional last night , we sang as the choir ‘Precious Savior Dear Redeemer’ and it was amazing!!!!!! We had a crescendo to a dissonant chord that just shook the house with the overtones and I will not believe that anyone DIDNT have goose bumps, sigh, it was amazing. And then something one of the speakers said last night really got to me!

I know that I am here for the right reason, whatever it may be and I know that this is where the lord wants me to be!

Yo se que esta aqui por en el idea correcto y yo no se que eso idea es, pero yo se que el Dios quiere que esta aqui!

yo tengo muchos amor por ellos

Elder Zach Nelson

ps I’m putting the pictures in the mail today sorry to keep you on your toes for so long

pps I realized today that i have less than 20 days until i go to parts unknown!