December 29th

Family,

It was awesome to see everyone at Christmas! It was definitely one of the highlights of the mission, being able to see my family happy and doing well. 

Dad and Karen- The picture with all the Marquardt kids with Santa was priceless:) haha. ........

Jazzy- This is it! I understand if you do not read this email. But if you are able to check one more time I just want you to know how much I love you and proud I am of you! 

We had our recent convert temple trip the other day on Saturday. ... but we were still able to go to the temple to help out with baptisms anyways. It was a great experience to go to see all the missionaries and a few other people I know gathered in one area in the House of the Lord.

I hope you guys have a great week (weeks) spending time with Jazzy. Make sure to send me a few pictures and most importantly to give her a big hug from her baby brother when you see her at the airport. I'm sure she will appreciate that.

Les quiero mucho!

Go Pats!

December 22nd

Family,

I am going to keep this letter short because we will all be able to Skype with one another this Thursday on Christmas! I not going to lie, I am thrilled to talk with you guys!!! I hope Cambria and Hunter can be able to chat on that day too. I would love to see them as well:)

This past Friday was one of the most spiritually uplifting and most powerful days on my mission. I will fill you guys in only a few of the details of what took place when I am able to talk with you all. As far as what time I can Skype, I will let Jazzy decide on that. When I find out details from her I email you a time when I can call in.   

So Jazz- Please let me know a time when I can be able to reach out to you. Cool:) Tambien, espero que todo estuviera bien con Marisol y su bautismo ayer! Muy emocionado! Estoy seguro que me permitiras a saber mas esta navidad! No puedo esperar por eso:)   

That is all, not much else happened this week. We still are unable to teach anybody, which is very frustrating... hopefully things can turn around after the holidays.

So hearing about Karen's experience from her blog (cool story by the way), it made me think about how I could reach out as well. I plan to send something to you guys in the mail that can hopefully make it out by Christmas and can also be shared to others. So be on the lookout for that:) 

Thank you for the sweatshirt and gifts! I appreciated that. 

Have a Merry Christmas! Enjoy the time being able to see Jasmine again, that is what I am looking forward to as well:)

I love you guys. 

Elder BerthelsonBostonStrong

December 30th, 2013 - Last post of 2013

I am doing well and working hard. We were able to pick up 3 new investigators since we last spoke on Christmas, which is pretty exciting for us! They're names are: R____, F____ and J_____. We taught the first discussion with R____ and extended a baptismal date to him as well. He said that he needed to wait and receive confirmation, but we believe he could be ready as early as the beginning of February. With F____ and J____ it was a little more difficult. We taught them the same first discussion but later found out that both of them didn't know how to read, at all. (It would be kind of hard to be converted to the gospel if you couldn't even receive revelation through reading the book of mormon, let alone read.) So we are planning on helping them as best we can with teaching them how to read through easy gospel principles. Hopefully everything works out for them.

 

I am almost complete with my goal. There's only 2 days left of 2013 and I have the last 3 books of the Book of Mormon to read. I might have a couple long nights ahead of me but I am determined to complete it. As long as I do my best, I know that the Lord will bless me for my efforts. My next goal by the way will be to take Aaron and Felix to the temple in the next couple weeks to do baptisms:)  

 

Besides that, not much has been happening since the last time we talked on Christmas. I was blessed to have talked with you guys and it sounds like everyone is doing great! It was nice to see you guys happy an doing well.

 

 

Karen-......

Thats great how you were able to see Tyler Mander again. And it sounds like Kennedy Coley is ready to go as well. That's great for her.  

 

Thanks for all the updates and the news. Keep doing what you do. Les quiro. 
 

Elder BerthelsonBostonStrong

Christmas Week Pics

Editor's note: I never get pictures and I complain.  This week, I only got pictures.  I'm not sure which one is worse.  An email with no words or an email with no pictures.  

 

December 16th

Family,

 

I am doing well. I am going to keep this message short because I don't have too much time. The work is kind of slow for me and my companion, but we are still working hard nonetheless. One thing cool that happened this week was that we had a Christmas Devotional for the Prov stake last night that was performed by all the missionaries. I wasn't able to be a part of the devotional, but it was great to have all of our ward members, a few less actives and one of our investigators show up. I also enjoyed it because I was able to see all my good friends from the mission that were there as well, ex. Elder Collins.

 

Tomorrow we have our missionary christmas party, which means I will have the opportunity to go to Boston and do a session at the Temple. ...... Anyways, I love going to the temple. There's no other place that brings me such peace and comfort. I know that the temple is the most sacred and closest place we can be to our Heavenly Father here on the earth. 

 

Dad- ..... I saw the pic of you and shelby, mire flacco wey! jaja. I've also taken up your commitment. Not to lose weight, but to run. I actually enjoy running everyday. I was able to run 4 miles today, with only one break in between. Running is all I can do because our gym is really lame, there's no weights, only treadmills. It does the job though.

Enjoy the Charger game next Sunday! I can't believe they beat the broncos too. Maybe they still have a chance for the playoffs. We had so many great times in San Diego as well. I'm sure you and K will be living it up in Old Town as well. Great hangout place haha.

 

Karen-...... Thanks again for the packages. I forgot to mention the letters I received from Sis Moser and Sis Garcia. Let them know I say thanks. You're awesome! Congrats to Shelby as well. I'm sure you and dad had a blast with the Peck Family. Enjoy the trip with San Diego with dad this weekend too.

 

 

It's sad to get news of someone passing. And yeah I remember Brother Meier, good guy. I hope their family and the people in the Parkway ward are doing alright... I'll keep them in my prayers.

 

Glad to know everyone in the family and all our friends are doing great. Congrats to Devin as well. Keep up the good work. Les quiero! 

Elder Berthelson

BostonStrong

 

(Editor's note - this picture did not come directly from Elder Berto, but I love it)

 

 

 

 

 

December 2nd

Family,

I am doing really well.  We have been constantly working and progressing day in and day out. My Thanksgiving was also pretty good, I was able to have dinner with a member family of our ward, la familia H____. It was a traditional american-style turkey Thanksgiving like normal, but I was able to say all the things I was grateful for around the dinner table in spanish. It was different, but I liked it.

I also had the incredible opportunity to ordain A____ with the Aaronic priesthood last Tuesday and so he was able to bless the sacrament yesterday for the first time in sacrament meeting. Not only was he able to do that, but he was able to say it in spanish! It was such a cool experience for him. We also have a temple trip coming up in another 2 weeks or so (around Christmas), so I will also have the opportunity to go with him to do baptisms! It's just incredible to see his spiritual progression and for me to be the one to witness all of it.  

Another great experience I had, yesterday my companion, Elder Gonzalez, was able to baptize F____ H____. The spirit was so strong as F____later bore his testimony in front of everyone after the baptismal ordanance. It was great to be a part of the baptism and to be able to work with F_____, who already has such a strong testimony. 

I'm very blessed to have had the experiences that I've had this past week. I am also blessed to say that my spanish is actually improving a lot more than it has been before. I really struggled for the longest time with the language, but I figured I would try President Hinkley's promise, which was to read the entire Book of Mormon out loud in a different language (spanish- for me). I only started this a couple weeks ago and made it a goal to finish the BoM by the end of the year. I have complete faith in this promise. I know I can do it:)

President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: “Those who have read [the Book of Mormon] prayerfully, be they rich or poor, learned or unlearned, have grown under its power. …

“… Without reservation I promise you that if you will prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, regardless of how many times you previously have read it, there will come into your hearts … the Spirit of the Lord. There will come a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to his commandments, and there will come a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God” (“The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign, June 1988, 6; see also “The Book of Mormon,” Tambuli, Oct. 1988, 7).

Thank you guys for all of your messages! I'll continue to pray for those certain individuals in my personal prayers. I'm blessed to hear all is going well. Keep it up. Love you guys.

November 12

....
Elder Gifford Nielsen, the one that spoke at conference, is going to speak at our zone conference this Friday, which is pretty exciting. 
....

K- I don't need anything for christmas. But thank you.

....

 

 

 

Pic- Hermana Argueta "Abuelita" with (left to right) Elders: Gonzalez, Stones, Fabrezio,Santos (my comp), Kilgore, me and Fernando (youth)

       This was the day before "abuelita" left for Guatemala for 6 weeks. She's basically our best member misionera.