New Year, New Bike.

 January 1, 2012 letter

I gave a talk in church about the importance of the Saviors birth. It went pretty well. I didn't have any time to prepare so I shared the basic missionary lesson on the atonement. And then for second hour so I had to give an hour long lesson on how the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It was kind of tricky because I didn't know how to pronounce the word for Keystone... so to introduce the lesson I just kept asking the members questions until someone said it and then I used it the rest of the lesson. I actually like being put into situations like that. Where I don't have any choice... I just have to do it. Those are the times when I grow the most. 

We've had some really sad experiences with alcohol and abusive husbands and fathers this week. It makes me depressed to think about so I'm not going to write much about it. I've learned the pain that alcohol brings to a family. I've found it includes emotional and physical pain.  The Word of Wisdom is powerful.

On a happy note, I have a lot of fun riding my new bike now. I'm super friendly to people while I'm riding along and I like to say hello and funny Cambodian phrases that nobody expects from a foreigner. Even when people look grumpy I still stop to talk to them and try to have a conversation... But, there was this one time I was having a bad day and I was riding my bike back home in silence. Then, all these people started saying hello to me and saying jokes as I was riding home. It was a really happy experience for me. I couldn't go 5 yards without someone saying hello. I love this country and the people I'm serving right now. 

Elder Nelson