Attached are a couple of pictures of Elder Nichols with his companion and trainer in the field, Elder Sena. Your son is doing well and we are pleased to have him serving in this mission.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
Elder Eickbush
Sunday, October 2, 2011
10/2/11
From Elder Eickbush, Mission Office Secretary:
Attached are a couple of pictures of Elder Nichols with his companion and trainer in the field, Elder Sena. Your son is doing well and we are pleased to have him serving in this mission.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
Elder Eickbush
Attached are a couple of pictures of Elder Nichols with his companion and trainer in the field, Elder Sena. Your son is doing well and we are pleased to have him serving in this mission.
Thank you for your support and prayers.
Elder Eickbush
Friday, September 23, 2011
The Countdown. 9/13/11
Mi Querido Familia y Amigos,
How is everyone? I was SO excited to see emails from my parents, Uncle Vaughn, and my cousin Jeanine (sorry if i spelled that wrong), as well as glad to see updates from the missions of my friends. I'm still wondering how Elder Bredeson is doing. Also, if any of my family, or close friends from La mesa, is able to spare a few minutes it would mean the world to me to hear some good faith building stories from your individual missions. Also, I need addresses so that I can snail mail people individually. I really do love to write letters, its just that our preparation days here have been packed for us with the Temple and other things. I will have a lot more time to write letters in the field. It's okay to email me, I just have to write back on paper, however hand written letters have a nice touch :) I sent letters to my parents, Garret, Simon, Trepaniers, Morgans, and Mike Neal so far. I love you guys and hope you got them. I'm in the process of writing more.
This week was pretty intense. We got to go out on splits with the missionaries in the field. We went once last friday, and once yesterday (wednesday) for about 4 hours each time. I was paired up with my first companion from Provo, Elder Williamson, and our trainer Elder Hatch. Elder Hatch is such a great guy, and he radiates the spirit. I hope that I get to work with him in the field. The first time our appointments all fell through, and so we spent the entire time making more contacts, meeting people, setting up new appointments and such. The second time we went with the same people, and our appointments fell through again. So we decided to do more contacts. One lady rudely told us to go away and that she didn't believe in "that stuff". Our trainer was shocked. He said that was the first time that's happened, and he has been out 14 months. Nobody here is atheist, and everyone loves to talk about their beliefs. But nevertheless we valiantly continued onward (this time Elder Hatch was making us start conversations and do the contacting while he supervised, and it was little more than "hello, this is who we are") and kept knocking doors. We ended up meeting a lady named Celeste, who was interested in talking to us. She pulled some chairs out of her apartment, and we had a short discussion right there in the middle of the street, with cars and motorcycles riding right past us! It was nuts! At one point as I was trying to follow the conversation (remember that this is only our second time in the field, and we were relying heavily on our trainer. The university had lots of students who knew english so it was easier) and Elder Hatch just looks at me and says "Talk about God". After I had recovered from shell shock I was able to put a few sentences together about how God is literally the father of our spirits, and because of his love for us has restored the the same church that Christ built when he was on the Earth. I was scared to death, and afterward Celeste looked at Elder Hatch and I could tell she was complaining about my spanish, but he stood up for me and talked about how he could feel the sincerity and power of what I said. We also attracted some more people, named Eva and Miguel. They got our information and showed us where they live (literally had to walk down a long dark alley behind some shacks) and then we moved on.
This next story is where it gets awesome. We were walking down the street and saw 3 women sitting on their porch with a few kids, just enjoying the day. We stopped to talk to them and found out that one of them had visited with missionaries before and found out what she knew.
Let me just take a second to explain something. My spanish is very limited. I can understand a lot more when I read, but when people are talking faster than I'm even able to think in English, and they are dropping letters and mumbling, my tiny vocabulary is near useless. But as I looked into her eyes as she spoke, and tried my best to piece it together, the Spirit helped me. Not only did He remind me the meanings of some words I had studied, but He filled in the gaps. Even though I didn't recognize the words, He placed concepts, feelings, and ideas in my mind that helped me understand the conversation between her and Elder Hatch. It was absolutely incredible.
But with that knowledge and understanding also came the responsibility to testify. As thoughts came to my mind I had this feeling inside of me that just kept swelling and growing inside me. As it grew it pushed out all the fear I had about speaking, and motivated me to act. Soon enough the Lord provided a a pause in which I could speak.
I said ¨Hermana, no sé mucho español, pero yo siento que necesito decir algo a usted. No soy Mormón porque mis padres son Mormones. Soy Mormón porque yo tengo mi propio testimonio del Libro de Mormón. Yo sé que el es verdadero. Cuando lo leo, siempre siento sentimientos de paz y amor. He orado sobre la mensaje que el contiene y he recibido una respuesta. Por eso, yo sé que José Smith fue un profeta. Le prometo, si leerá el Libro de Mormón, y orará con intenta real, y si quiere saber verdaderamente, el Señor le contestará.¨
As I said this, everyone was dead silent. Even her friends that were Evangelicals. Even my trainer. I don't even remember hearing cars or motorcycles or pedestrians. I looked her square in the eye and testified to her of what I know to be true. I wasn't trying to convince her or force her. I testified, I invited, and I promised her a result.
I love being here. I am so blessed to have this oppurtunity. I am so excited to break out of this training center and spread the good news of the Gospel to those that are truly searching and willing to come unto Christ. I love you all very much, thank you for your prayers, letters, and support. Until next week, Go forward in faith.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
How is everyone? I was SO excited to see emails from my parents, Uncle Vaughn, and my cousin Jeanine (sorry if i spelled that wrong), as well as glad to see updates from the missions of my friends. I'm still wondering how Elder Bredeson is doing. Also, if any of my family, or close friends from La mesa, is able to spare a few minutes it would mean the world to me to hear some good faith building stories from your individual missions. Also, I need addresses so that I can snail mail people individually. I really do love to write letters, its just that our preparation days here have been packed for us with the Temple and other things. I will have a lot more time to write letters in the field. It's okay to email me, I just have to write back on paper, however hand written letters have a nice touch :) I sent letters to my parents, Garret, Simon, Trepaniers, Morgans, and Mike Neal so far. I love you guys and hope you got them. I'm in the process of writing more.
This week was pretty intense. We got to go out on splits with the missionaries in the field. We went once last friday, and once yesterday (wednesday) for about 4 hours each time. I was paired up with my first companion from Provo, Elder Williamson, and our trainer Elder Hatch. Elder Hatch is such a great guy, and he radiates the spirit. I hope that I get to work with him in the field. The first time our appointments all fell through, and so we spent the entire time making more contacts, meeting people, setting up new appointments and such. The second time we went with the same people, and our appointments fell through again. So we decided to do more contacts. One lady rudely told us to go away and that she didn't believe in "that stuff". Our trainer was shocked. He said that was the first time that's happened, and he has been out 14 months. Nobody here is atheist, and everyone loves to talk about their beliefs. But nevertheless we valiantly continued onward (this time Elder Hatch was making us start conversations and do the contacting while he supervised, and it was little more than "hello, this is who we are") and kept knocking doors. We ended up meeting a lady named Celeste, who was interested in talking to us. She pulled some chairs out of her apartment, and we had a short discussion right there in the middle of the street, with cars and motorcycles riding right past us! It was nuts! At one point as I was trying to follow the conversation (remember that this is only our second time in the field, and we were relying heavily on our trainer. The university had lots of students who knew english so it was easier) and Elder Hatch just looks at me and says "Talk about God". After I had recovered from shell shock I was able to put a few sentences together about how God is literally the father of our spirits, and because of his love for us has restored the the same church that Christ built when he was on the Earth. I was scared to death, and afterward Celeste looked at Elder Hatch and I could tell she was complaining about my spanish, but he stood up for me and talked about how he could feel the sincerity and power of what I said. We also attracted some more people, named Eva and Miguel. They got our information and showed us where they live (literally had to walk down a long dark alley behind some shacks) and then we moved on.
This next story is where it gets awesome. We were walking down the street and saw 3 women sitting on their porch with a few kids, just enjoying the day. We stopped to talk to them and found out that one of them had visited with missionaries before and found out what she knew.
Let me just take a second to explain something. My spanish is very limited. I can understand a lot more when I read, but when people are talking faster than I'm even able to think in English, and they are dropping letters and mumbling, my tiny vocabulary is near useless. But as I looked into her eyes as she spoke, and tried my best to piece it together, the Spirit helped me. Not only did He remind me the meanings of some words I had studied, but He filled in the gaps. Even though I didn't recognize the words, He placed concepts, feelings, and ideas in my mind that helped me understand the conversation between her and Elder Hatch. It was absolutely incredible.
But with that knowledge and understanding also came the responsibility to testify. As thoughts came to my mind I had this feeling inside of me that just kept swelling and growing inside me. As it grew it pushed out all the fear I had about speaking, and motivated me to act. Soon enough the Lord provided a a pause in which I could speak.
I said ¨Hermana, no sé mucho español, pero yo siento que necesito decir algo a usted. No soy Mormón porque mis padres son Mormones. Soy Mormón porque yo tengo mi propio testimonio del Libro de Mormón. Yo sé que el es verdadero. Cuando lo leo, siempre siento sentimientos de paz y amor. He orado sobre la mensaje que el contiene y he recibido una respuesta. Por eso, yo sé que José Smith fue un profeta. Le prometo, si leerá el Libro de Mormón, y orará con intenta real, y si quiere saber verdaderamente, el Señor le contestará.¨
As I said this, everyone was dead silent. Even her friends that were Evangelicals. Even my trainer. I don't even remember hearing cars or motorcycles or pedestrians. I looked her square in the eye and testified to her of what I know to be true. I wasn't trying to convince her or force her. I testified, I invited, and I promised her a result.
I love being here. I am so blessed to have this oppurtunity. I am so excited to break out of this training center and spread the good news of the Gospel to those that are truly searching and willing to come unto Christ. I love you all very much, thank you for your prayers, letters, and support. Until next week, Go forward in faith.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
Friday, September 16, 2011
Teaching with the Right Spirit. 9/16/11
Dear Family and Friends
They are giving us a few minutes before lunch, so this will be pretty short but sweet. I've learned a lot about the teaching process, as well as other people. There are so many different types of people in the world, and we all process information differently. Some of us focus on having the right answers, planning our moves carefully before we act. Some of us act more on our feelings and emotions. Some of us don't think at all. I was getting so frustrated with "Carlos" because i felt like I was explaining myself clearly with the scriptures to back me up, and he should be understanding it. But I realized (well... the spirit helped me... a lot...) that teaching the gospel is more than just having the right answer. The correct doctrine is necassary of course, but the crucial thing that I was missing was the WAY i taught. We were trying to force our agenda on Carlos. WE wanted him to understand and believe the apostasy. WE wanted him to pray the right way instead of using the Lord's Prayer. I realized that the more we push, the more we risk pushing them away. Our purpose as missionaries is to INVITE people to come unto Christ, and help them build their faith in him. Not force them or build it for them. When we taught him today we came in with a new attitude. We taught from our heart. I don't think we taught him anything new, but the way we presented the message was softer, more loving, and directed at showing Carlos why he is important to us, and why we want to help him. We focused on HIS needs, HIS comments, HIS desires. I definitely felt a difference. I didn't have that anger or frustration that I had before, when I was trying to convince him. It's a concept that I am struggling to describe effectively, and I hope that you guys understand what I'm getting at. It's like that picture of the Savior knocking at the door. The door has no handle on the outside, and we have to open it. It's a lot more enticing to open the door when he is standing out there patiently, full of love, instead of using a battering ram. Yes I love debating, using facts to prove my point and such, but I love helping people more. Loving, serving, and helping them through a relationship of trust gives me so much more satisfaction. I love this work. I love the things i'm learning about myself and the gospel. I love the changes that I see in myself, and I am so grateful to be here.
Our President told us that a few apostles have said that when we get to heaven we will be shocked to find out how much God has micro managed our lives, without interfering with our agency. I was reading my journal last night, thinking about the time I spent at home in the last year. I never could see it in the moment, but looking back I see a lot of instances where my path was redirected or slightly corrected in order to get me back out here. I know this is where I am supposed to be. I have had many miracles, big and small, that have allowed me to be a part of this and I am ever grateful.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
They are giving us a few minutes before lunch, so this will be pretty short but sweet. I've learned a lot about the teaching process, as well as other people. There are so many different types of people in the world, and we all process information differently. Some of us focus on having the right answers, planning our moves carefully before we act. Some of us act more on our feelings and emotions. Some of us don't think at all. I was getting so frustrated with "Carlos" because i felt like I was explaining myself clearly with the scriptures to back me up, and he should be understanding it. But I realized (well... the spirit helped me... a lot...) that teaching the gospel is more than just having the right answer. The correct doctrine is necassary of course, but the crucial thing that I was missing was the WAY i taught. We were trying to force our agenda on Carlos. WE wanted him to understand and believe the apostasy. WE wanted him to pray the right way instead of using the Lord's Prayer. I realized that the more we push, the more we risk pushing them away. Our purpose as missionaries is to INVITE people to come unto Christ, and help them build their faith in him. Not force them or build it for them. When we taught him today we came in with a new attitude. We taught from our heart. I don't think we taught him anything new, but the way we presented the message was softer, more loving, and directed at showing Carlos why he is important to us, and why we want to help him. We focused on HIS needs, HIS comments, HIS desires. I definitely felt a difference. I didn't have that anger or frustration that I had before, when I was trying to convince him. It's a concept that I am struggling to describe effectively, and I hope that you guys understand what I'm getting at. It's like that picture of the Savior knocking at the door. The door has no handle on the outside, and we have to open it. It's a lot more enticing to open the door when he is standing out there patiently, full of love, instead of using a battering ram. Yes I love debating, using facts to prove my point and such, but I love helping people more. Loving, serving, and helping them through a relationship of trust gives me so much more satisfaction. I love this work. I love the things i'm learning about myself and the gospel. I love the changes that I see in myself, and I am so grateful to be here.
Our President told us that a few apostles have said that when we get to heaven we will be shocked to find out how much God has micro managed our lives, without interfering with our agency. I was reading my journal last night, thinking about the time I spent at home in the last year. I never could see it in the moment, but looking back I see a lot of instances where my path was redirected or slightly corrected in order to get me back out here. I know this is where I am supposed to be. I have had many miracles, big and small, that have allowed me to be a part of this and I am ever grateful.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
Friday, September 9, 2011
Good Things. 9/9/11
Dear Family and Friends
Things are going great here in the Dominican Republic. I’ve been learning a lot about how to teach more effectively. We have an investigator named Carlos (it’s really just our teacher pretending) and he is really hard on us. The first time we knocked on his door he didn’t even open it up. He just stayed inside and we had to convince him through the door to let us in. Finally he let us in, and over a few different visits I could tell that he still didn’t trust us at all. He was giving us short answers to all of our questions as we were trying to get to know him and teach the first lesson, saying “Why?” all the time. “Why does God love me? What does it matter to me? Why are you here? Why do you want to teach me? Maybe you should come back when you are a little more prepared.” It’s really made me think a lot about my calling. I’m sure I will meet plenty of people like Carlos that don’t know who we are, don’t trust us, and wonder what we want from them or why we are wasting their time. After praying and pondering (I had no idea how we were going to crack this guy) I finally just told him “Carlos, we are representatives of Jesus Christ, sent here by God himself. He knows your heart and mind, He hears your prayers, and he has sent us here because of them. I don’t know why we are here, but He does. We are here to help you. So tell us what you need.”
And that did it.
I got that feeling that I always get when I teach from my heart, and I know that the spirit was helping me. He finally opened up and asked us how we can help him, and if we could answer his questions. We told him that maybe some questions would take time to answer, but we would try our best. We also told him that we would help him and teach him how to find his own answers. It was great. But it’s not easy. At all. We are currently stuck on the Apostasy. We told him (as part of the first lesson) that the priesthood authority died with the apostles. From there we were going to talk about the restoration, but he was too quick and (as a Catholic) made the connection to the Pope not having authority from God. This has been pretty tough for him. I don’t get the feeling that he doesn’t believe us, it’s just that his whole life he has been taught about the Pope. So we have had to take it pretty slow, and still haven’t been able to teach about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon. He is a challenge, but I learn a lot from him. It’s interesting to me how the more I search for answers for his questions, the closer I come to Heavenly Father as well. Oh and we have taught him how to pray twice, but he keeps using the “Lord’s Prayer” from the Bible. I thought that was pretty funny. So anyway, wish me luck with Carlos.
We had an interesting experience at the University this week. My companion and I got shot down about six or seven times as we were walking, and spent the first half of our time there just trying to find someone that was interested (We saw David again and said hello but he already had 4 missionaries teaching him). Finally we found a nice guy on some steps (everyone’s name here is so foreign, I struggle remembering them) and talked about his family and beliefs, and he asked about ours, but after five or ten minutes he had to go to class, so we left him with a Gospel pamphlet (faith, repentance, baptism Holy Ghost)and moved on. After about ten more minutes of walking we saw 2 women (probably in their 30’s and by now I’ve given up on remembering names) and thought “why not?” We asked them if we could practice our Spanish with them for a few minutes, and they were more than happy to chat.
Well eventually everyone wants to know why and how two white kids are learning Spanish so fast, and wearing a shirt and tie in the blistering heat while sweating profusely. It’s actually a pretty good conversation starter. I’ve never been so aware of the fact that I’m white, but I’m really glad that I stick out. So anyway we tell her why we are here and start talking about her beliefs. She is a med student, but has no time for church. However she was VERY interested in what we had to say. Her friend eventually left, which would have been the perfect chance for her to escape, but she stayed right there on the grass, only to be joined in a minute or two by a different lady. We gave her a restoration pamphlet, taught the entire first lesson, and gave her a copy of the book of Mormon. It was fantastic, and we both walked out of there on cloud nine.
Other interesting highlights from the week:
I’ve been pretty stressed out about a lot of things, and I was venting through prayer one night for quite awhile. I asked for his help pretty sincerely and then went to bed. I thought everyone was asleep but then my companion asked if I was okay and I said yeah. I went to the bathroom and then he asked again. Then my other room mate asked a few minutes later. Then his companion did too (who later told me he had actually been asleep and woke up suddenly). I hadn’t wanted a blessing originally, but after that I just felt like that was what our Father was trying to get to happen. So I sat down and they all participated in the blessing, which was given by my companion. It was his first one, and I definitely felt the spirit and his sincerity, and all of us talked for about an hour after that. All of us are really close now.
On the way back from the temple today it was raining really hard and a few of us decided to sprint from the temple to the CCM. Well I’m not coordinated and took too sharp of a turn while sprinting, and my feet slipped out from under me. I ate it pretty hard on the pavement, did a weird type of ninja roll, and quickly got back up. All the other Elders thought it was pretty funny. Not to mention that tripped a few days ago playing volleyball, and have taken many, many shots to the face, some of which I did to myself. Word has gotten around that I’m a klutz.
But anyway that’s it for this week. I love you all, write me.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
Things are going great here in the Dominican Republic. I’ve been learning a lot about how to teach more effectively. We have an investigator named Carlos (it’s really just our teacher pretending) and he is really hard on us. The first time we knocked on his door he didn’t even open it up. He just stayed inside and we had to convince him through the door to let us in. Finally he let us in, and over a few different visits I could tell that he still didn’t trust us at all. He was giving us short answers to all of our questions as we were trying to get to know him and teach the first lesson, saying “Why?” all the time. “Why does God love me? What does it matter to me? Why are you here? Why do you want to teach me? Maybe you should come back when you are a little more prepared.” It’s really made me think a lot about my calling. I’m sure I will meet plenty of people like Carlos that don’t know who we are, don’t trust us, and wonder what we want from them or why we are wasting their time. After praying and pondering (I had no idea how we were going to crack this guy) I finally just told him “Carlos, we are representatives of Jesus Christ, sent here by God himself. He knows your heart and mind, He hears your prayers, and he has sent us here because of them. I don’t know why we are here, but He does. We are here to help you. So tell us what you need.”
And that did it.
I got that feeling that I always get when I teach from my heart, and I know that the spirit was helping me. He finally opened up and asked us how we can help him, and if we could answer his questions. We told him that maybe some questions would take time to answer, but we would try our best. We also told him that we would help him and teach him how to find his own answers. It was great. But it’s not easy. At all. We are currently stuck on the Apostasy. We told him (as part of the first lesson) that the priesthood authority died with the apostles. From there we were going to talk about the restoration, but he was too quick and (as a Catholic) made the connection to the Pope not having authority from God. This has been pretty tough for him. I don’t get the feeling that he doesn’t believe us, it’s just that his whole life he has been taught about the Pope. So we have had to take it pretty slow, and still haven’t been able to teach about Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon. He is a challenge, but I learn a lot from him. It’s interesting to me how the more I search for answers for his questions, the closer I come to Heavenly Father as well. Oh and we have taught him how to pray twice, but he keeps using the “Lord’s Prayer” from the Bible. I thought that was pretty funny. So anyway, wish me luck with Carlos.
We had an interesting experience at the University this week. My companion and I got shot down about six or seven times as we were walking, and spent the first half of our time there just trying to find someone that was interested (We saw David again and said hello but he already had 4 missionaries teaching him). Finally we found a nice guy on some steps (everyone’s name here is so foreign, I struggle remembering them) and talked about his family and beliefs, and he asked about ours, but after five or ten minutes he had to go to class, so we left him with a Gospel pamphlet (faith, repentance, baptism Holy Ghost)and moved on. After about ten more minutes of walking we saw 2 women (probably in their 30’s and by now I’ve given up on remembering names) and thought “why not?” We asked them if we could practice our Spanish with them for a few minutes, and they were more than happy to chat.
Well eventually everyone wants to know why and how two white kids are learning Spanish so fast, and wearing a shirt and tie in the blistering heat while sweating profusely. It’s actually a pretty good conversation starter. I’ve never been so aware of the fact that I’m white, but I’m really glad that I stick out. So anyway we tell her why we are here and start talking about her beliefs. She is a med student, but has no time for church. However she was VERY interested in what we had to say. Her friend eventually left, which would have been the perfect chance for her to escape, but she stayed right there on the grass, only to be joined in a minute or two by a different lady. We gave her a restoration pamphlet, taught the entire first lesson, and gave her a copy of the book of Mormon. It was fantastic, and we both walked out of there on cloud nine.
Other interesting highlights from the week:
I’ve been pretty stressed out about a lot of things, and I was venting through prayer one night for quite awhile. I asked for his help pretty sincerely and then went to bed. I thought everyone was asleep but then my companion asked if I was okay and I said yeah. I went to the bathroom and then he asked again. Then my other room mate asked a few minutes later. Then his companion did too (who later told me he had actually been asleep and woke up suddenly). I hadn’t wanted a blessing originally, but after that I just felt like that was what our Father was trying to get to happen. So I sat down and they all participated in the blessing, which was given by my companion. It was his first one, and I definitely felt the spirit and his sincerity, and all of us talked for about an hour after that. All of us are really close now.
On the way back from the temple today it was raining really hard and a few of us decided to sprint from the temple to the CCM. Well I’m not coordinated and took too sharp of a turn while sprinting, and my feet slipped out from under me. I ate it pretty hard on the pavement, did a weird type of ninja roll, and quickly got back up. All the other Elders thought it was pretty funny. Not to mention that tripped a few days ago playing volleyball, and have taken many, many shots to the face, some of which I did to myself. Word has gotten around that I’m a klutz.
But anyway that’s it for this week. I love you all, write me.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Week of Weeks! 9/1/11
Dear Friends and Family,
This was an amazing week in the field. Every week we all have to write a talk that we may or may not have to give in sacrament. They randomly call on an Elder or Sister to speak. As you have probably already guessed, the only reason for me to tell you this is if I myself was asked to speak. The good news is I got to go first, and we are still speaking English in meetings, so I didn’t have to sweat bullets the entire time. Our topic was on the Plan of Salvation, but they only give us three to five minutes. In an effort to practice teaching people and not lessons, I tried to look at the plan from a different perspective, and apply what I know about it to the life of a missionary. I opened with who we are (Abraham 3:22-23) and reminded everyone that we were noble and great, and that we have been saved for these days. Then I skipped ahead to where we are going, because if don’t know where we are going, we won’t end up anywhere we want to be. I quoted David O. Mckay, saying “As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become”, and then read from Romans 8: 16-17, which says that we are joint heirs with Christ. I also read from D&C 76:79, which tells us that we need to be valiant to inherit the celestial kingdom. Then I came back to our life here on Earth. If we are able to keep our end goal of exaltation in mind, then our trials here in life become a little easier to endure. If you will sit back for a moment and think about God’s love for us, you would understand that he would never ask us to do anything that would hurt us, and if we will just trust in him, he will not let us down. Any trial given to us is a signal that we are ready for more growth. Gold refiners will heat up the precious metal and scoop out the impurities (or dross) until they can see their own reflection. Likewise, the Lord turns up the heat (literally in the Dominican Republic) and gives us trials, burning out the imperfections until he can see his image in our countenance. When those trials come let us ask the Lord to help us understand which Christ like attribute he is helping us develop, and how we will use it in the Eternities. And then I closed, reminding them that we are noble, we must be valiant, and not to fear the refiners fire. I think it went pretty well.
Tuesday we went to the “Mall”, which was more like a two story super walmart, the bottom floor being a grocery store. It’s really hard to tell how expensive something is in pesos, but when I did the math later I was pretty sure I got ripped off. They probably knew that this is where the … well… how about we just say tourists … go to buy stuff. My total came to 4,000 pesos, and I had to get rid of all the cookies and chips and just focus on the things I actually needed. So I kept the backpack, sunscreen, bug repellant, underwear (for gym), and one tie. I still had to borrow 500 pesos from my companion. One sister spent 8,000 pesos. In her defense it was her birthday.
Wednesday we got to go back to the University to accost (just kidding) some more unsuspecting students. This time we were a little more prepared with pamphlets, Libros de Mormón, and water bottles. My companion and I decided to start this adventure off with a prayer and afterwards we walk… and walk… neither of us feeling anything. Finally we decide on a little group in the grass. Their names were Juana, Miguel, and some name I have never heard in my entire life and couldn’t repeat. At least I’m honest right? WE TALKED TO THEM FOR 45 MINUTES!!!! Miguel helped translate a little, but we understood most of it. Jane Doe’s mother is pentacostal, and she was asking what the difference was between Mormons and other Christians. After my companion confirmed that we are Christians (honestly??? Just look at the nametag. It’s even in Spanish so you really don’t have an excuse) we talked about the nature of the Godhead and how they are 3 separate people, how God is literally the father of our spirits, the Book of Mormon, prophets, and the role of prayer and personal revelation. It was fantastic. I felt the spirit so strong when I testified to her that she is a daughter of God, that he loves her, and wants her to be happy. I said that He is just waiting to bless her. It was great. We read out of the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy, as well as a restoration pamphlet.
When we were done we went to see how some of the other Elders were doing and tell them what happened. We hadn’t been talking more than 3-5 minutes when a young man approached us and said (in Spanish) “can I ask you guys a question?” I’m sure you can imagine six young Elders with jaws dropped and eyes wide open all saying “yes!” in unison. The kids name was David, he is from Spain, and he had met missionaries on the campus 2 weeks (or months? He was speaking really fast) ago and had lots of questions. They gave him a number to call, but when he called it he got bad directions and never saw the missionaries again. So we got his information and talked to him about some of his questions for 30 minutes. It took all six of us to understand him and help each other teach, as if we were some kind of “think tank”, but it was great. He had never heard of the Book of Mormon (SERIOUSLY??? Did those last Elders even have a pulse?) and when we told him about it and gave him a copy. He told us he didn’t like reading much because it just made him ask more questions that nobody could answer. We told him the Book of Mormon has all the answers and he literally asked “well how can I know if it’s true?” So we read Moroni’s promise (duh) and told him the spirit would teach him through warm feelings of peace. Then he asked how he would know for sure it was the spirit. I asked “David, how do you feel right now as you are talking to us?” and he said “really good”. I testified that was the spirit. I promised him that if he really wanted to know, and was truly willing to act on the answers he received, that the spirit would testify of the truth, and he would find the answers he was looking for. Brothers and sisters (family, friends, enemies, whoever is reading this) I know that I was inspired/prompted to ask that question. I did not have that in my arsenal or bag of tricks to whip out just in case he asked that question.
I love this gospel. I love this work. I can’t wait to get out into the field and what I did with David every second of the day.
Remember that you were noble and great. Remember to be valiant. Don’t be afraid of the Refiner’s fire.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
This was an amazing week in the field. Every week we all have to write a talk that we may or may not have to give in sacrament. They randomly call on an Elder or Sister to speak. As you have probably already guessed, the only reason for me to tell you this is if I myself was asked to speak. The good news is I got to go first, and we are still speaking English in meetings, so I didn’t have to sweat bullets the entire time. Our topic was on the Plan of Salvation, but they only give us three to five minutes. In an effort to practice teaching people and not lessons, I tried to look at the plan from a different perspective, and apply what I know about it to the life of a missionary. I opened with who we are (Abraham 3:22-23) and reminded everyone that we were noble and great, and that we have been saved for these days. Then I skipped ahead to where we are going, because if don’t know where we are going, we won’t end up anywhere we want to be. I quoted David O. Mckay, saying “As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become”, and then read from Romans 8: 16-17, which says that we are joint heirs with Christ. I also read from D&C 76:79, which tells us that we need to be valiant to inherit the celestial kingdom. Then I came back to our life here on Earth. If we are able to keep our end goal of exaltation in mind, then our trials here in life become a little easier to endure. If you will sit back for a moment and think about God’s love for us, you would understand that he would never ask us to do anything that would hurt us, and if we will just trust in him, he will not let us down. Any trial given to us is a signal that we are ready for more growth. Gold refiners will heat up the precious metal and scoop out the impurities (or dross) until they can see their own reflection. Likewise, the Lord turns up the heat (literally in the Dominican Republic) and gives us trials, burning out the imperfections until he can see his image in our countenance. When those trials come let us ask the Lord to help us understand which Christ like attribute he is helping us develop, and how we will use it in the Eternities. And then I closed, reminding them that we are noble, we must be valiant, and not to fear the refiners fire. I think it went pretty well.
Tuesday we went to the “Mall”, which was more like a two story super walmart, the bottom floor being a grocery store. It’s really hard to tell how expensive something is in pesos, but when I did the math later I was pretty sure I got ripped off. They probably knew that this is where the … well… how about we just say tourists … go to buy stuff. My total came to 4,000 pesos, and I had to get rid of all the cookies and chips and just focus on the things I actually needed. So I kept the backpack, sunscreen, bug repellant, underwear (for gym), and one tie. I still had to borrow 500 pesos from my companion. One sister spent 8,000 pesos. In her defense it was her birthday.
Wednesday we got to go back to the University to accost (just kidding) some more unsuspecting students. This time we were a little more prepared with pamphlets, Libros de Mormón, and water bottles. My companion and I decided to start this adventure off with a prayer and afterwards we walk… and walk… neither of us feeling anything. Finally we decide on a little group in the grass. Their names were Juana, Miguel, and some name I have never heard in my entire life and couldn’t repeat. At least I’m honest right? WE TALKED TO THEM FOR 45 MINUTES!!!! Miguel helped translate a little, but we understood most of it. Jane Doe’s mother is pentacostal, and she was asking what the difference was between Mormons and other Christians. After my companion confirmed that we are Christians (honestly??? Just look at the nametag. It’s even in Spanish so you really don’t have an excuse) we talked about the nature of the Godhead and how they are 3 separate people, how God is literally the father of our spirits, the Book of Mormon, prophets, and the role of prayer and personal revelation. It was fantastic. I felt the spirit so strong when I testified to her that she is a daughter of God, that he loves her, and wants her to be happy. I said that He is just waiting to bless her. It was great. We read out of the Book of Mormon and gave her a copy, as well as a restoration pamphlet.
When we were done we went to see how some of the other Elders were doing and tell them what happened. We hadn’t been talking more than 3-5 minutes when a young man approached us and said (in Spanish) “can I ask you guys a question?” I’m sure you can imagine six young Elders with jaws dropped and eyes wide open all saying “yes!” in unison. The kids name was David, he is from Spain, and he had met missionaries on the campus 2 weeks (or months? He was speaking really fast) ago and had lots of questions. They gave him a number to call, but when he called it he got bad directions and never saw the missionaries again. So we got his information and talked to him about some of his questions for 30 minutes. It took all six of us to understand him and help each other teach, as if we were some kind of “think tank”, but it was great. He had never heard of the Book of Mormon (SERIOUSLY??? Did those last Elders even have a pulse?) and when we told him about it and gave him a copy. He told us he didn’t like reading much because it just made him ask more questions that nobody could answer. We told him the Book of Mormon has all the answers and he literally asked “well how can I know if it’s true?” So we read Moroni’s promise (duh) and told him the spirit would teach him through warm feelings of peace. Then he asked how he would know for sure it was the spirit. I asked “David, how do you feel right now as you are talking to us?” and he said “really good”. I testified that was the spirit. I promised him that if he really wanted to know, and was truly willing to act on the answers he received, that the spirit would testify of the truth, and he would find the answers he was looking for. Brothers and sisters (family, friends, enemies, whoever is reading this) I know that I was inspired/prompted to ask that question. I did not have that in my arsenal or bag of tricks to whip out just in case he asked that question.
I love this gospel. I love this work. I can’t wait to get out into the field and what I did with David every second of the day.
Remember that you were noble and great. Remember to be valiant. Don’t be afraid of the Refiner’s fire.
Con mucho amor,
Elder Nichols
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Going to Work in Santo Domingo. 8/25/11
Dear Family and Friends,
It's been a great week. Today has been our Preparation Day, so we went to the temple and also went on a tour. We saw the oldest church in this hemisphere, the home of Christopher Columbus's son, and some other things, with pictures enclosed. The highlight of my week was when they let us out of the temple grounds (the CCM is on temple grounds) and we walked to the Santo Domingo University. Then they set us loose on the poor unsuspecting students. For two hours we got to practice making contacts. The people here are so nice, and were more than happy to talk to us and let us practice our spanish with them. I was so afraid at first, but I was surprised that we could understand a large majority of what was said. They were all shocked when we told them we had only been studying spanish for 4 weeks.
The classroom is a little bit frustrating for me, because they threw all the kids together, regardless of where they were in their spanish studies. Also, we have 2 elders that are going on english speaking missions, so for 3 weeks all the meetings are in english, then we get latin missionaries and make the switch. It's pretty much up to me to create a lesson plan for my companion and I, and make sure we are learning something new each day. The teachers here don't know what we did or didn't learn in Provo, and have been starting at square one. I'm sure its helpful for others though, and it causes me to be a little more proactive, instead of waiting for the teachers. They are more of coaches I guess.
I've had quite a few interesting spiritual experiences as well. For instance, we watched a video of Elder Holland speaking to the Provo missionaries about a year ago. At the end he talked about the last chapter of John, in which the Savior has died, and the apostles (I literally just typed apóstales and had to delete) went back to the only thing they really new how to do, which was fish. The whole night they don't catch a single thing, and then the Savior comes on the shore (but they don't know its him) and tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. They catch so many fish that they can't haul in the net, and John immediately says "it's him" and Peter just jumps overboard. Eventually after they eat and what not Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves Him, and if so, then to feed His sheep. Elder Holland put it this way "I've already asked you to cast down your nets and follow me once, and now I'm doing it again. Don't make me do it a third time. If you TRULY love me then feed my sheep. You can't turn around and go back to life the way it was before"
When I heard these words I swear it felt like Elder Holland was right there in the room speaking as if it was just a Personal Priesthood Interview with him and I. Those words went straight to my heart and I was flooded with the spirit. I have been praying every night as hard and intent as I can, telling the Lord I love him right before I close. So when he said that I just knew it was meant for me.
Not to mention that my bishop had in a sense already told me to "cast down my nets" a few months ago, and I kind of gave up, a bit like Peter and the apostles. Hearing Elder Holland was a bit like a chastisement from the Lord, and reminded me of my duty. My nets are gone forever. I can't turn back.
I've also been trying really hard to teach from my heart, and listen to what the spirit wants me to say, not just what I want to say. There is no specific right answer for a specific question. And I'm trying to do it in spanish. Its so hard though. It's like I'm fine tuning one radio station with my right hand, and another with my left hand, trying to get them both to sync up and be clear. But every so often, when I get them synced up, it just flows. The words just come, the testimony is from my heart, and its such a powerful feeling. I'll admit I'm a cry baby.
That's all for this week I believe,
P.S. I'm not getting any dear elders, so if you are using that then make sure you are picking the Dominican MTC and not the Provo one.
Love you guys,
Elder Nichols
Friday, August 19, 2011
I am in the Domincan Republic. 8/19/11
Dear Family and Friends,
So I'm here in the Dominican Republic. The food is really good. There are only about fourty of us here at the MTC. Actually here its called the CCM. Centro de blah blah Misioneros hahahahaha. Had to take 3 flights to get here. Traveled about 15 hours yesterday it was great. I don't really know what to expect. It's really hot here and our teachers are natives that speak very fast. It's going to be tons of fun though. I got a new companion (again) and his name is Elder Van Tussenbrook. He is pretty cool. I don't have a whole lot else to tell you guys. We get dear elders once a week which is cool. But I don't know how you get it here. I'm sure some smart people can play around on the website and figure it out.
Love you guys.
Elder Nichols
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Truth Restored. 8/11/11
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
Thursday, August 4, 2011
"When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of your future." 8/4/11
August 4, 2011
Dear San Diego,
It's been a crazy week for me. My life has been turned completely upside down. I want you all to know, that I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Lord answers our prayers. I know that he knows my heart, and has given me a second chance to serve him. I have really been struggling here the last couple of days. I wasn't using my time very wisely before I left, and I have been wondering whether or not I'm prepared to be here. How and why did the Brethren approve me? My companion and room mates here are pretty rowdy, and its hard for me to focus. I've felt the spirit, but I've been having trouble feeling happy, and feeling that fire of missionary work. Right after I was set apart, President Morgan told me "Your past is your past", but i was still struggling over my mistakes and wondering why i'm here. But then a miracle happened. There is no other way to explain it. My teacher Brother Toone, pulled me out of class. I have only seen him two or three times now, and I am pretty quiet in class. I try to wait to be prompted by the spirit before opening my mouth, and i spend a lot of time thinking. So Brother Toone pulls me out of class and starts talking to me in spanish, asking me how my spanish is, and how I feel about being with the new elders and such. I told in some spanish some english that i had studied 2 years and school and worked in a restaurant with hispanics and such. But i was fine with teaching the other new elders, and that i just figured it was good practice for me to review, and preparation for when i would be training others out in the field. This whole time we are walking around the hall down the stairs... and I'm talking back in the little spanish I know. Eventually we end up at some desk where he says something to a lady, and she asks me to sit down, and starts asking me in spanish to tell her about my family, what i like to do, what i did yesterday etc. I answered in spanish, kinda wondering what the heck is going on. Then she tells me in english that she thinks i'm ready for an intermediate spanish group! I've been here two days! They want me to switch districts, residence halls and everything! On the way back up to class I told Brother Toone that i had been struggling to feel happy, focus, etc, and he said "I don't know why i feel like i need to tell you this, but when Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of your future." Kind of like President Morgan had said. I'll admit I broke down. I know that the spirit prompted him.
Leaving last year was the most pain I have ever felt, and has left a mark on me emotionally and spiritually. I'm grateful too for everything I learned and I know it was the right thing, but its hard now that I'm back to not be a little afraid or paranoid of it happening again. To know that the spirit prompted Brother Toone and told him that I was doing well, and ready for an intermediate group was just emotionally very powerful. I'm still not sure how its all going to happen, but my mtc box will change again hahaha. Wish me luck.
con much amor
Elder Nichols
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