This will be a short one. I've been pretty busy with companion
exchanges, district meetings, interviews with president, on top of the
normal mission life of finding and teaching.
Today we are going to let off a bit of steam by making kites. Then we
are going to have a war. It should be great!
We have a baptism on Saturday, then one more the following Saturday,
assuming she passes her interview.
Mercedes, this weeks baptism, is a great lady. Her daughter is a
member which is cool, because she has support from her. She told us
that one of the reasons she knows the church is true is because we
listen and are so patient with her and explain stuff so that she can
actually understand it, and we're not just preaching to be heard.
Another guy is Billy, he doesn't speak Spanish, so we teach him in
English, even though he lives in a different area. I can still have a
normal conversation in English, but when it comes to teaching, its
SOOO hard not to do it in Spanish.
We also decorated cookies for easter, but I forgot my camera this week.
Btw, the office secretaries told me to let you know that for
"dearelders" you should select the option that says "dominican
republic santo domingo EAST". Not sure who is trying to send me
stuff, or to what other mission hahaha but now you know. Not santiago,
not west, not mtc, but EAST.
Thanks a ton. Love you all.
Elder Nichols
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Conference 4/2/12
Dear Family and Friends,
Not really sure what to write hahaha. my brain is completed exhausted from conference, and there is really no way I could write in this one letter all the things I learned and felt. Not to mention what I am learning from my companion, the spirit, investigators, and calling as a district leader. However, I would like to share an experience I had last night.
After conference we went to visit a less active brother who told us he would go to conference after our last lesson. He recognized that he has promised us, and gave us his reasons for not going. I listened for a long time, nearly an hour, as he told me about how his wife went to conference but he didn´t, how other members of the ward had offended him, about how he hadn´t been doing anything wrong but others break lots of commandments, and much, much, much more. I did my best to listen with love and listen to the spirit and ask an inspired question. I asked about his marriage, and if his wife knows he loves her. he said yes, but then described all their arguments and other problems. I asked if he thinks Christ knows he is a Christian, and he said yes, declaring that he has never lost communication with God.I think he probably prays to God to fix everyone else, but I don´t think he is listening to what God may be trying to say to him. Personally, every time i recieve personal revelation, the spirit is telling me what i need to do to better myself or my circumstances, such as getting to work cleaning my house instead of just asking the office elders to move us to a different one.
A different problem is that his outward actions are not reflecting his supposed inner commitment. he is not allowing his knowledge of the gospel to penetrate his heart and shine forth through his countenance and behavior. it is one thing to know the gospel is true, and yet entirely different to be true to the gospel. He is a good guy that is very nice to us and loves to let us share some scriptures, but the scriptures are absolutely useless, nothing more than inkblots on scratchpaper, if we don´t apply what they contain. My friends, we must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Elder Nichols
Not really sure what to write hahaha. my brain is completed exhausted from conference, and there is really no way I could write in this one letter all the things I learned and felt. Not to mention what I am learning from my companion, the spirit, investigators, and calling as a district leader. However, I would like to share an experience I had last night.
After conference we went to visit a less active brother who told us he would go to conference after our last lesson. He recognized that he has promised us, and gave us his reasons for not going. I listened for a long time, nearly an hour, as he told me about how his wife went to conference but he didn´t, how other members of the ward had offended him, about how he hadn´t been doing anything wrong but others break lots of commandments, and much, much, much more. I did my best to listen with love and listen to the spirit and ask an inspired question. I asked about his marriage, and if his wife knows he loves her. he said yes, but then described all their arguments and other problems. I asked if he thinks Christ knows he is a Christian, and he said yes, declaring that he has never lost communication with God.I think he probably prays to God to fix everyone else, but I don´t think he is listening to what God may be trying to say to him. Personally, every time i recieve personal revelation, the spirit is telling me what i need to do to better myself or my circumstances, such as getting to work cleaning my house instead of just asking the office elders to move us to a different one.
A different problem is that his outward actions are not reflecting his supposed inner commitment. he is not allowing his knowledge of the gospel to penetrate his heart and shine forth through his countenance and behavior. it is one thing to know the gospel is true, and yet entirely different to be true to the gospel. He is a good guy that is very nice to us and loves to let us share some scriptures, but the scriptures are absolutely useless, nothing more than inkblots on scratchpaper, if we don´t apply what they contain. My friends, we must be the change we wish to see in the world.
Elder Nichols
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