March 16th

Family,

It's that time of year! March Madness is underway and the weather is certainly getting better, even here in New England.

This week was another great week as far as the work was concerned. Elder Terry and I were able to extend another baptism date for an investigator whose name is J____. We were able to set a date with him for the end of May. So as of right now, we have a total of 5 baptism dates for our investigators, 1 for the end of this month, 2 for April and 2 for the month of May. M___ A____, S___ D____, J___ C____, V___ V____ and J___ G___ are the people who have baptism dates. We are also working with other investigators who are continuing to progress. The members are also very helpful. So the work that we have in our area right now is on fire! 

This past Thursday, we also had the Assistants come to our area to do exchanges with us, so I was able to spend the day with my good friend Elder Stones (him and I came out together in the MTC and now he is one of our assistants to the president). We spent the entire day on Thursday just catching up with one another about our missions. He is also another missionary from AZ and we will plan to end our missions together at the end of June.

Speaking of the end of June, I'll plan to respond to the email Karen sent out about the options that she gave me with regards to travel plans as well as schooling. 

That is awesome that Navy got her call to serve in the Philippines! She will leave the same time I left. Also that Holden was able to come home this past Wednesday. He's already dating lol, good for him. 

I also received letters from Jazz and Dad. Thank you for those! 

It sounds like everyone is doing great and that they are happy. I am also doing great and extremely blessed for the successes which I've seen and for the joys which I've seen from the success of others as well. Alma 29:13-16.  

Keep working hard this week. Les Quiero Mucho!

Elder Berthelson

BostonStrong

February 23rd

Family,

This week has been another solid week in terms of extending Baptismal Dates for our investigators! The weather here blows but the work is progressing. Elder Terry and I were able to extend 3 more baptism dates, one for V__ V____ for May 2nd and two for our new investigators R__ D____ and N____ R____ for the end of March. R____ and N____ were actually found while we were tracking the streets at 8:30 at night when it was only 10 degrees outside. It was definitely a tender mercy for us since we were able to leave a blessing on their home that night and then later they committed to attend church a couple days after. It was awesome! So right now we have planned 6 baptisms, most of them lined up to occur at least every weekend in March. It sure is a blessing to have the success that we've been having. The key to all of this is the blessings that comes through obedience, diligence to rely upon the Lord, and by working with the members:) 

Thank you for your emails. ,,,,,,,,,,and yes, I'm stoked to play the courses:) Can't wait!

As for now, I will keep doing the Lord's will during this time in his service. I'm blessed for the miracles that I've seen and the spiritual progression I'm able to witness in the lives of others and for myself as well. I know that Heavenly Father has his purposes, even during times of difficulty. This is just his way of preparing us to become his choice sons and daughters that he knows we are.

Thanks again for all that you do. Keep up the good work. Les Quiero Mucho! 

​

Elder Berthelson

BostonStrong

February 9th

Family,

Thanks for all the updates on what's been happening. That's exciting for dad how he has a new calling as a ward clerk. Perfect- Now I can make sure to pay my tithing in pennies when I get home:) lol. Glad to know that Jazzy is doing well in BA and attending the temple out there as well. 

This past week was pretty exciting! Elder Terry and I were able to set 2 baptismal dates this week. Our first one with M___ ____ and the other with M___ A____. It was amazing because M____ has been investigating the church since June of last year, and this past week she was able to self-commit herself to be baptized in March! It really was a miracle for us that she was able to do that. M_____ plans to be baptized on March 7th and M_____ for the following week on March 15th. We will be praying that everything goes well for them. Also, we were able to meet with another one of our other investigators, V____ V_____, as of yesterday. We extended a baptismal invitation for her and she simply told us she was going to pray about a date. She knows that its true, she just needs to pray for a time when she feels like she would be ready. This next month will be the month when all our baptisms will be in check, for everything that we have planned for. The goal of the mission (if I hadn't already mentioned it yet) is to bring 420 people to the waters of baptism by the end of June, or when President Packard goes home. This means that as a mission we are working our tails off doing everything we can to extend baptism and to help these people come unto Christ. It truly will be amazing when we will accomplish this goal. I know and the Lord knows that we are capable of achieving it. This has been one of the coolest concepts I've been able to learn on my mission, how to set goals and prioritize my time to accomplish them. 

Last week we also had our Zone Meeting, which went great! We really do have great missionaries in our Zone. Everyone is way excited and is working hard. For this upcoming week, we also plan to extend baptism to a couple of our other investigators that we are working with, including J_____. We are pumped for what is yet to come.

Tomorrow is the day when we plan to have our one on one interviews with President Packard. This will possibly be my last interview that I will have with him before my departing interview in a few months... crazy how much time is going by.

Even with the weather being as miserable as it is, I am blessed to know that I can still rely upon the Lord to help me bear challenges as such. And to answer dads question, my health is good. I don't work out at a gym anymore, I just do daily exercises in the apartment. My weight is pretty much the same... I am not really gaining muscle. This is just part of the sacrifice I need to endure on my mission though. I don't think the Lord intended for me to be physically strong over the course of my mission but for me to rather gain greater mental/spiritual strength. That is the point of all of this. I will just hit it hard again at the gym when I return home.   

Thanks for the blanket by the way! I received it today. Glad to know that everyone is doing well and is working hard.

Les Quiero Mucho! 

Elder Berthelson

BostonStrong

Pic 1: The Candelario family with other missionaries

Pic 2: Elder Lee  

Pic 3: Elder Smith

Pic 4: The Blanchette family

Pic 5: Missionaries in the Springfield Zone!

(My companion, Elder Terry, is on the very left with the glasses)

 

January 12th

Family,

This will be my final time serving here in Nashua, NH... As of Saturday night, I received the news where I will be most likely serve the remaining months of my mission. The Lord has called me to serve in Ludlow, MA (Eng speaking), which is in the suburbs of Springfield! I will also continue to serve as a Zone Leader in that area. My geographic region covers all of Western Mass. with a little area of New York, so we'll see if I can make it out there (been to almost all states on my mission lol). This place reminds me a lot of the final episode in Seinfeld, where their plane crashes in a random remote area of Mass. Yep, that's where I will be haha. Its super random but I'm excited nonetheless! 

There's also a ton of work that is happening over there as well! I already know who my new companion is going to be. His name is Elder Terry. I was able to serve around him before so I know we will work well with one another. I also know a lot of the other missionaries in this new zone so it will be an absolute blast to work with them! 

Surprisingly, I was not worried at all about being transferred so fast, especially during a time where the work here in Nashua started to progress much faster since the time I came in. This week was definitely the way to end off my time serving in the Nashua area though. We ended up extending a baptismal date for our new investigator, E___ S_____. He is from Puerto Rico and is a really good friend from a less-active we were able to get in contact with. I was able to extend a date for him for next month forFebruary 8! He is so ready to be baptized, I was blessed to have been able to contact him and to have also extended that baptismal invitation for him. Although I was only able to work with him for a week, I'm excited to know that Elder Smith and his new companion will even have more success working with Eitel along with working in this area. (This is one of the most difficult areas in the mission). It was great to serve here for both times that I had. There are definitely great families that I was able to re-establish contact with and will continue to do so later on:) 

Although I never made it out to Boston to serve as a missionary, its amazing to know that its all about the people. Hence, the Lord calls all missionaries to labor in certain areas for a reason.  I know that the Lord has more plans waiting for me for my final chapter of my mission. I can't believe the time has already come to this where I already know my final area of where I will be serving. This is my "final push," giving it everything I got for these last 4 months. Cont. #BostonStrong!

Be safe on your travels. Pat, glad to know that my dad has plans to visit you guys and that you will be able to see my sister as well:) Not too long until I will have the opportunity to come out to visit too.

Les Quiero mucho!  

Elder Berthelson

BostonStrong