Dear San Diego
It's been another crazy week. I have 25 minutes to type so here goes. Four square is great. Volleyball is great. Cleaning toilets on service days is great. I've gained 15 lbs (honest), and there is no end in sight to the food. I switched districts (finally) and my new mtc box is 314. You dont need anything else to write me. Mike neal has sent me 3 dear elders, and andrea has sent me 1. Thanks to the stake president as well for writing me, it meant a lot. Same with Heidi Oliver. PLEASE WRITE ME :) I love you guys a lot. i want to write you guys individually by hand, but i need your addresses!!!!! I got my final hep A shot, and typhoid. The nurse gave me typhoid for free hahaha. The MTC President, yes president, called me into his office to congratulate me on my return to the MTC, and we talked about my family a little bit. It was great. Oh and I'm supposed to leave the 18th, but my visa hasn't cleared yet, so its going to be down to the wire on this one. Otherwise i'll continue to train here for another 6 weeks.
Spiritual thoughts. In my old district, I was struggling. I've read the Book of Mormon, Preach my Gospel, and had more life experiences to help me prepare. I feel ready and pumped up. But my companion was just here to joke around with the other elders, and no matter what i tried to get him interested or focused nothing worked. I set up lesson plans, wrote scripts, quizzed him, tutored him, shared spiritual thoughts, talked about his life and mine, and nothing was making any change. I was so mad. I was thinking he is wasting his time, he is wasting my time, and he is wasting the Lord's time. This isn't fair. He is holding me back. I can't do any of this stuff without a companion. But the most aggravating part for me was how even when i thought i was justified in my anger because I'm trying to be obedient and he is holding me back, all i could feel was this frustrating guilt for being angry at him. I know that the Holy Ghost was telling me to have compassion, patience, and most of all Charity for this young elder. I realized that right now, maybe he needs friends here to goof around a little bit to keep him here, and that I was being too hard on him. Sometimes the hardest people to love are the ones that need it the most. I knew then that I needed to repent. Funny how the spirit works some times.
I want you all to know that I know this Gospel is true. I'm doing everything in my power to study not just the Gospel, but myself, and figure out who the Lord wants me to be. Throughout my whole life the main objective after spending a few years in a place and moving again and again has been to just fit in. To constantly reinvent myself and my interests just to make friends and belong somewhere. This is no longer the case. This Gospel makes me confident and strong. I don't have to lower my standards or be a chameleon to fit in with other Elders. I can stand up and stand out without a problem, because I know that I am backed by the Savior and legions of angels. I have found myself in the Gospel.
We are learning to teach people and not discussions. I have a great memory, but it can only help so much. I have to learn how to tailor lessons to individual people, and help them to liken the scriptures to themselves. It's a very interesting experience, and I am so excited for it.
Brothers and Sisters, the Gospel has been restored, and its more than just a little blurb about having a prophet. The truth has been revealed about the nature of God, the purpose of the family, the role of prophets, priesthood authority and so much more. God is not some mystical being that is everywhere but nowhere he is our father. Literally our father. Families are eternal and satan is doing everything he can to destroy them. That is why we need prophets. They give us direction and help us understand the gospel and defend what is sacred to us.
Yo se que Dios es nuestro amoroso padre celestial. Yo se que nos envió a la tierra para aprender y progresar. Él tiene un cuerpo de hueso y carne, y quiere que tenemos esto tambien. Quiere que regresamos con Él. Yo se que el Libro de Mormón es veradadero, y si le leerán y orarán, el espíritu santo confirmará el verdad en sus corazones.
con mucho amor
Elder Nichols
