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
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
PICTURES!!!! 3/12/12
Family and Friends,
The mission president called me personally to tell me that I´m being sent to Villa Esfuersos to be a District Leader. I thought he was calling for my companion, who has been in the field 18 months. Then he handed ME the phone.
If there is one thing I know, it´s that I know nothing. That´s a good sign of humility right?
Enjoy the pictures.
Love,
Elder Nichols
The mission president called me personally to tell me that I´m being sent to Villa Esfuersos to be a District Leader. I thought he was calling for my companion, who has been in the field 18 months. Then he handed ME the phone.
If there is one thing I know, it´s that I know nothing. That´s a good sign of humility right?
Enjoy the pictures.
Love,
Elder Nichols
Taco Bell! 3/5/12
Dear Family and Friends,
As you can guess by the title of the email, I found a Taco Bell today in the Capital. That´s proof to me that the Lord loves me. Ok that is a joke, but it was super great to have a small, expensive, reminder of home. We did a little shopping and now we are doing the whole internet thing. fun fun.
Last Saturday we had a baptism. We got some good photos but i forgot to bring my card reader. so next monday for sure. We also have 2 more this saturday. If i did my math right that´s about 10 baptisms in 6 months in the field. I´m very grateful that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of these peoples lives. Transfers are this week, and i know i´ll miss these people if i go.
As for a spiritual thought, I want you all to know that your Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise"... In everything that Christ did, he was trying to show us what our Heavenly Father is like. His love, his mercy, his power, his teachings, were all from the Father. He wants all of us to return to him. He gives us trials, sickness, weakness, and other things so that we learn to depend on Him instead of ourselves. Pray to Him with a sincere heart, for He is there, guiding us even when we know it not. Sometimes He hides, but He wants to be found. He promises that if we seek, we shall find.
love,
Elder Nichols
As you can guess by the title of the email, I found a Taco Bell today in the Capital. That´s proof to me that the Lord loves me. Ok that is a joke, but it was super great to have a small, expensive, reminder of home. We did a little shopping and now we are doing the whole internet thing. fun fun.
Last Saturday we had a baptism. We got some good photos but i forgot to bring my card reader. so next monday for sure. We also have 2 more this saturday. If i did my math right that´s about 10 baptisms in 6 months in the field. I´m very grateful that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of these peoples lives. Transfers are this week, and i know i´ll miss these people if i go.
As for a spiritual thought, I want you all to know that your Heavenly Father loves you. Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise"... In everything that Christ did, he was trying to show us what our Heavenly Father is like. His love, his mercy, his power, his teachings, were all from the Father. He wants all of us to return to him. He gives us trials, sickness, weakness, and other things so that we learn to depend on Him instead of ourselves. Pray to Him with a sincere heart, for He is there, guiding us even when we know it not. Sometimes He hides, but He wants to be found. He promises that if we seek, we shall find.
love,
Elder Nichols
The Spirit 2/27/12
Dear friends and family,
I had an interesting experience in learning about how the spirit works with people. We had a lesson with an investigator at the church, and were testifying and inviting for a good hour almost. We have been working with her for 3 months or so, and this was like our final last push. At the end we asked her to pray specifically to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and listen for an answer. As we sat in silence for almost 5 minutes I was praying hard that Heavenly Father would help her feel something, and give her that personal witness that i know i have recieved in my life. We sat. We waited. And nothing happened. She said she didn´t feel anything.
Well we ended the lesson with that prayer and reminded her that upon her request, we were saving march 3rd specifically for her baptism and nobody else. So if anything changed, that was her day.
After the lesson I just went into another room solo and cried. I had tried so hard to listen and discern and testify. But she didn´t feel anything. I care a lot about this investigator and her whole family, and it just broke my heart that she wouldn´t accept the most important and special gift I was trying to offer.
As I sat there alone my companion came back into the room and said... Hey Jamie just said she wants to be baptized now!
Apparently she was reading the bulletin board and there was a small checklist of commandments or something. At the end it said... When will you serve me? as in serving God. She said that those words hit her hard, and it was like God was speaking directly to her, and it changed her mind.
It´s been a great learning experience for me to be reminded that this isn´t my work, it´s the Lord´s. It´s also helped us explain better to other investigators on how to recognize a personal response from God, and recieve personal revelation.
Let´s serve God, and except his will over our own. He is a lot smarter than us.
Elder Nichols
I had an interesting experience in learning about how the spirit works with people. We had a lesson with an investigator at the church, and were testifying and inviting for a good hour almost. We have been working with her for 3 months or so, and this was like our final last push. At the end we asked her to pray specifically to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and listen for an answer. As we sat in silence for almost 5 minutes I was praying hard that Heavenly Father would help her feel something, and give her that personal witness that i know i have recieved in my life. We sat. We waited. And nothing happened. She said she didn´t feel anything.
Well we ended the lesson with that prayer and reminded her that upon her request, we were saving march 3rd specifically for her baptism and nobody else. So if anything changed, that was her day.
After the lesson I just went into another room solo and cried. I had tried so hard to listen and discern and testify. But she didn´t feel anything. I care a lot about this investigator and her whole family, and it just broke my heart that she wouldn´t accept the most important and special gift I was trying to offer.
As I sat there alone my companion came back into the room and said... Hey Jamie just said she wants to be baptized now!
Apparently she was reading the bulletin board and there was a small checklist of commandments or something. At the end it said... When will you serve me? as in serving God. She said that those words hit her hard, and it was like God was speaking directly to her, and it changed her mind.
It´s been a great learning experience for me to be reminded that this isn´t my work, it´s the Lord´s. It´s also helped us explain better to other investigators on how to recognize a personal response from God, and recieve personal revelation.
Let´s serve God, and except his will over our own. He is a lot smarter than us.
Elder Nichols
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Hmmm... 2/20/12
Dear Family and Friends.
This week was super tough. Strep throat was the tip of the iceberg, and the rest I´ll tell you about when I get home. The good news is today is pday and I´m alive. We played baseball against another zone and won. after internet we´re going to eat at the supermarket. One of our investigators, yeimi, like jaimie, finally accepted a baptismal date. It wasn´t anything I did or said though. We just invited her to the church for a lesson instead of teaching her at her house across the street from a club. The hope was that she could actually hear the spirit speaking to her without all the excess noise. Spiritual thought.... be careful what you ask for. hahaha. I said in my prayers I was ready to grow, and I feel like God just let me open up Pandora´s box this transfer. Got a lot more stress and trials than I thought I would. But remember Isaiah 55:8 y 9 which says that God´s thoughts a higher than mans. Basically, God is smarter than us. Who knew right? just kidding. But sincerely, he is wiser than us, and loves us dearly. If we take a step back, we can see its better to give in to his will than fight it with our own.
Love
Elder Nichols
This week was super tough. Strep throat was the tip of the iceberg, and the rest I´ll tell you about when I get home. The good news is today is pday and I´m alive. We played baseball against another zone and won. after internet we´re going to eat at the supermarket. One of our investigators, yeimi, like jaimie, finally accepted a baptismal date. It wasn´t anything I did or said though. We just invited her to the church for a lesson instead of teaching her at her house across the street from a club. The hope was that she could actually hear the spirit speaking to her without all the excess noise. Spiritual thought.... be careful what you ask for. hahaha. I said in my prayers I was ready to grow, and I feel like God just let me open up Pandora´s box this transfer. Got a lot more stress and trials than I thought I would. But remember Isaiah 55:8 y 9 which says that God´s thoughts a higher than mans. Basically, God is smarter than us. Who knew right? just kidding. But sincerely, he is wiser than us, and loves us dearly. If we take a step back, we can see its better to give in to his will than fight it with our own.
Love
Elder Nichols
Double Whammy! 2/6/12
Dear Family and Friends,
Thanks for all the birthday wishes this week and all the love. Today was a fun pday. All the missionaries in the entire mission went to east park, where they had some sort of olypics or latin games in 2003. There was basketball and football, but I decided to try my hand at soccer. It was a little embarassing, but still fun. I really enjoyed it and would like to play and learn a lot more. The funny thing about the park is it looks like it´s post apocalyptic because nobody has taken care of it in the last 9 years, other than mowing the grass occasionally on the soccer field. It´s like a scene from jurassic park or something.
In other news, Larissa, not clarissa, is getting baptized this Saturday. we were going to baptize her little brother too, but i guess his grandmother is against it because he is rowdy or something. She wants us to spend more time with him first, which is perfectly fine. I´ve got high hopes for Yeimi and Rosana this transfer. They are both so close, and our visits with each of them are are always super intense, trying to listen to the spirit and figure out the things that they aren´t always telling.
It´s been a rough week. I´m technically jr companion, but the Elder I´m with doesn´t know the area. So I have to do all the planning, make most of the decisions, and listen a lot harder to the people because I know their background better and stuff like that. It´s been very interesting, and I´m stretching a lot. That´s all for this week. Hope everyone is well.
Love
Elder Nichols
Thanks for all the birthday wishes this week and all the love. Today was a fun pday. All the missionaries in the entire mission went to east park, where they had some sort of olypics or latin games in 2003. There was basketball and football, but I decided to try my hand at soccer. It was a little embarassing, but still fun. I really enjoyed it and would like to play and learn a lot more. The funny thing about the park is it looks like it´s post apocalyptic because nobody has taken care of it in the last 9 years, other than mowing the grass occasionally on the soccer field. It´s like a scene from jurassic park or something.
In other news, Larissa, not clarissa, is getting baptized this Saturday. we were going to baptize her little brother too, but i guess his grandmother is against it because he is rowdy or something. She wants us to spend more time with him first, which is perfectly fine. I´ve got high hopes for Yeimi and Rosana this transfer. They are both so close, and our visits with each of them are are always super intense, trying to listen to the spirit and figure out the things that they aren´t always telling.
It´s been a rough week. I´m technically jr companion, but the Elder I´m with doesn´t know the area. So I have to do all the planning, make most of the decisions, and listen a lot harder to the people because I know their background better and stuff like that. It´s been very interesting, and I´m stretching a lot. That´s all for this week. Hope everyone is well.
Love
Elder Nichols
Opening Up. 1/30/12
Dear Family and Friends,
Ok, so, transfer news. I´m staying here in La Caleta and getting a new senior companion, who I will have to teach about the area. I still haven´t met him yet, so I´ll let you know more about that next week. Last saturday we had a baptism, a little 11 year old named Edwin, and tonight we are having family night with him and his granny. A lot of our other investigators are warming up, which makes me happy. Yeimi went to a single adult activity, and also came to church. Rosanna has been to church 3 weeks in a row and also was vistited by the relief society.
in other news my ankle is still a little sore, but healed enough to walk normally in one day. I even played basketball today. It was great. I thought about Elder Morgan in bed with a swollen appendix and I couldn´t in good conscience justify staying home last Monday. I hobbled around the city in faith that night, and the next morning was walking normal.
First a spiritual thought. I was thinking about how to more effectively build Zion, and I realized that it starts with us. No I don´t just mean the Mormons. I mean that if we really want to build the kingdom of God on the earth we have to start with truly converting ourselves. Then we can be a light to other people. Remember that the family is ordained of God, and is the smallest unit in his kingdom. Focus on establishing the principles of the Gospel in your homes second. The little things like FHE, family prayer, and study really make a difference.
A great thing that happened to me was in a lesson with a part member family. Clarissa is 15 years old and her parents are members but she isn´t. She has learned all the lessons multiple times, but never commited. After talking a bit, we found that the root of the problem is that she had fear of condemnation. Being baptized, and then being accountable. The spirit told me to talk about repentance. I talked about God´s love for all of us. He is patient. He is merciful. As Isaiah 1:18 says, God invites us to come, and reason together with Him. He promises that our sins can be cleansed, and in other scriptures says that he will forget them entirely. I testified that Baptism is not a promise to be perfect, but a promise to follow the Savior, and to return to him when we make mistakes. I said that God knows our hearts, and that our hearts and desires are more important than just our outward obedience. There are people like the pharisees who obey the law with hearts of blackness, and there are weak people with hearts of gold, who love God with all they have and are truly trying. I´m one of those people. I´ve got a lot of things to change, but I´m making an honest effort, and God knows it. I´m no longer afraid of making mistakes because I know that I can always return to Christ, and that through Him, my weaknesses will be strong.
Clarissa then said she wanted to be baptized. Just like that. Commited to a date and everything. It was my first experience where I truly opened up and spoke from my heart. Most of my other lessons are calculated, trying to find holes in logic and prove that i´m right with the scriptures. This was very different, and made a huge difference. I´m still learning to be a better teacher, how to have charity, and other things. But I´m seeing progress. Focus on how far you´ve come, not how far you have to go, and take it one day at a time.
Love
Elder Nichols
Ok, so, transfer news. I´m staying here in La Caleta and getting a new senior companion, who I will have to teach about the area. I still haven´t met him yet, so I´ll let you know more about that next week. Last saturday we had a baptism, a little 11 year old named Edwin, and tonight we are having family night with him and his granny. A lot of our other investigators are warming up, which makes me happy. Yeimi went to a single adult activity, and also came to church. Rosanna has been to church 3 weeks in a row and also was vistited by the relief society.
in other news my ankle is still a little sore, but healed enough to walk normally in one day. I even played basketball today. It was great. I thought about Elder Morgan in bed with a swollen appendix and I couldn´t in good conscience justify staying home last Monday. I hobbled around the city in faith that night, and the next morning was walking normal.
First a spiritual thought. I was thinking about how to more effectively build Zion, and I realized that it starts with us. No I don´t just mean the Mormons. I mean that if we really want to build the kingdom of God on the earth we have to start with truly converting ourselves. Then we can be a light to other people. Remember that the family is ordained of God, and is the smallest unit in his kingdom. Focus on establishing the principles of the Gospel in your homes second. The little things like FHE, family prayer, and study really make a difference.
A great thing that happened to me was in a lesson with a part member family. Clarissa is 15 years old and her parents are members but she isn´t. She has learned all the lessons multiple times, but never commited. After talking a bit, we found that the root of the problem is that she had fear of condemnation. Being baptized, and then being accountable. The spirit told me to talk about repentance. I talked about God´s love for all of us. He is patient. He is merciful. As Isaiah 1:18 says, God invites us to come, and reason together with Him. He promises that our sins can be cleansed, and in other scriptures says that he will forget them entirely. I testified that Baptism is not a promise to be perfect, but a promise to follow the Savior, and to return to him when we make mistakes. I said that God knows our hearts, and that our hearts and desires are more important than just our outward obedience. There are people like the pharisees who obey the law with hearts of blackness, and there are weak people with hearts of gold, who love God with all they have and are truly trying. I´m one of those people. I´ve got a lot of things to change, but I´m making an honest effort, and God knows it. I´m no longer afraid of making mistakes because I know that I can always return to Christ, and that through Him, my weaknesses will be strong.
Clarissa then said she wanted to be baptized. Just like that. Commited to a date and everything. It was my first experience where I truly opened up and spoke from my heart. Most of my other lessons are calculated, trying to find holes in logic and prove that i´m right with the scriptures. This was very different, and made a huge difference. I´m still learning to be a better teacher, how to have charity, and other things. But I´m seeing progress. Focus on how far you´ve come, not how far you have to go, and take it one day at a time.
Love
Elder Nichols
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Ow. 1/23/12
Dear family and friends,
As you can guess by the title of today´s email, I hurt my ankle playing basketball. That´s about all the news I got. Or maybe it´s the only thing I can think about because it hurts a lot still. Oh and thanks to Sister James/Bredeson/Solomon for the Christmas card. Ryan looks super classy holding that koala. I hope you, Shannon, Kelly and Trapper are having fun. In other news, Elder Allen and I decided that we want to make a movie about the Book of Mormon after we complete the mission. Like an epic, better than Lord of the Rings, type of movie. I´ve spent my free time this week scanning chapter headings and taking notes on the narrative, as well as making an outline. It looks like it would have to be about 7 movies. I have no idea where we will get the money, or if we have to have permission from the Church, since the Book of Mormon is copyrighted, but I believe that anything is possible. I´m not trying to get rich doing it, I just love the Book of Mormon and want to see an awesome movie based on it. There are so many cool stories, and a movie would get a lot more people interested in it.
As for the work, we will have a baptism this Saturday. A little boy named Edwín, whose grandmother works in the temple. We also had a good turn out yesterday for church. I was super happy. The best part of my week was when we did a companionship exchange. The zone leaders asked my companion, the district leader, to go on splits with the other elders in our ward to see how the work is going on their half of the city. So I got to work with elder Allen´s trainee, which meant I was senior companion for the day. I loved it. I had to put so much more work in. I had to listen harder to the people and to the spirit. I had to decide where we were going to contact and who we were going to visit. It was such an uplifting day. I´m just one of those guys who rises to the occasion. I work every day, but when there is a higher demand, something in me always pushes me to meet that demand. It was a great day, and I even was able to set a baptismal date with a lady named Rosana. She has been investigating for 6 months. We fasted for her in my first transfer, and it finally paid off. It´s a testimony to me that God really does hear our prayers and see our fasts. We just have to be patient and put it in God´s hands, and he will take care of it in his own time, in his own way, according to his wisdom.
This is the last week of this transfer. I hope I get to stay here to baptize Rosana, but only the Lord knows where he will send me.
Elder Nichols
As you can guess by the title of today´s email, I hurt my ankle playing basketball. That´s about all the news I got. Or maybe it´s the only thing I can think about because it hurts a lot still. Oh and thanks to Sister James/Bredeson/Solomon for the Christmas card. Ryan looks super classy holding that koala. I hope you, Shannon, Kelly and Trapper are having fun. In other news, Elder Allen and I decided that we want to make a movie about the Book of Mormon after we complete the mission. Like an epic, better than Lord of the Rings, type of movie. I´ve spent my free time this week scanning chapter headings and taking notes on the narrative, as well as making an outline. It looks like it would have to be about 7 movies. I have no idea where we will get the money, or if we have to have permission from the Church, since the Book of Mormon is copyrighted, but I believe that anything is possible. I´m not trying to get rich doing it, I just love the Book of Mormon and want to see an awesome movie based on it. There are so many cool stories, and a movie would get a lot more people interested in it.
As for the work, we will have a baptism this Saturday. A little boy named Edwín, whose grandmother works in the temple. We also had a good turn out yesterday for church. I was super happy. The best part of my week was when we did a companionship exchange. The zone leaders asked my companion, the district leader, to go on splits with the other elders in our ward to see how the work is going on their half of the city. So I got to work with elder Allen´s trainee, which meant I was senior companion for the day. I loved it. I had to put so much more work in. I had to listen harder to the people and to the spirit. I had to decide where we were going to contact and who we were going to visit. It was such an uplifting day. I´m just one of those guys who rises to the occasion. I work every day, but when there is a higher demand, something in me always pushes me to meet that demand. It was a great day, and I even was able to set a baptismal date with a lady named Rosana. She has been investigating for 6 months. We fasted for her in my first transfer, and it finally paid off. It´s a testimony to me that God really does hear our prayers and see our fasts. We just have to be patient and put it in God´s hands, and he will take care of it in his own time, in his own way, according to his wisdom.
This is the last week of this transfer. I hope I get to stay here to baptize Rosana, but only the Lord knows where he will send me.
Elder Nichols
Yup... I'm still here. 1/16/12
Dear Family and Friends,
Another week of fun in the sun. Things are starting to heat up again. Great. Thanks to Matt Read for the dried Tecca Sauce, I’ve been using it like a dried herb on all sorts of stuff. It’s great! Thanks to Bishop and Jason for the Christmas cards. Jason, I heard that you have to live here for 6 months first if you wanna adopt, I’m assuming that’s what those business cards were trying to tell me. Let me know if there is some sort of secret code I’m missing.
This week the four of us elders gave talks in sacrament meeting. Yours truly spoke on the importance of members helping in the work. I even mentioned how San Diego is a pilot stake for this kind of thing. It was great. The other elders spoke on covenants, doing the will of God, and the importance of the priesthood. They all tied into missionary work, and it was interesting to see how our talks complimented one another.
As for the work itself, things are a little rough. Nobody wants to come to church. They all tell us yes, but then don´t come. It´s frustrating. In brighter news, we should have at least one baptism, the grandson of a member. Also, one investigator this week not only read the entire pamphlet we left her, but also took the time to fill out the additional study questions in the back. After we picked our jaws up off the floor she asked us about the Book of Mormon. So we gave her one. We don´t normally give those out until the second or third lesson because people here don´t commit to much. We test the waters with committing them to pray about the truth of the Church, Joseph Smith, and coming to church.
Hope all else is going well. I´m still here. Letters are still worth more to me than my weight in gold.
Love Elder Nichols.
P.S. Since I normally write in English, I wanted to take a little opportunity to remind you all that I am serving in a foreign language. If there is a Google translate button, hit it now.
Mis hermanos amados, yo quiero aprovechar este momento para dar mi sentamientos y testimonio de nuestro salvador, Jesucristo. El nos ama más que nosotros podemos entender, y quiere que vengamos a Él. Nuestro Padre Celestial lo mandó a la tierra para vencer la muerte y el pecado, para que todo puedan regresar y vida eterna. Jesucristo dirige esta iglesia personalmente. Sé que Él vive. Sé que José Smith fue escogido por nuestro salvador para restaurar la autoridad, y la verdad de todos cosas. Sé esto seguramente, sin duda. Alguna persona que quiere seguir Cristo verdaderamente vendrá a este conocimiento, no creencia, por medio de oración y un estudio del Libro de Mormón, lo que José Smith tradujo por el poder de Dios. Nadie puede quitar este conocimiento, porque es escrito en mi alma, y quema dentro mi corazón. Tengo seguridad para eternidad, y testificaré en qualquier momento o lugar que Jesús es el Cristo, y esta iglesia es su reino en la tierra hoy en día. En el sagrado nombre de Jesucristo, amén.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE:
My dear brothers, I want to take this moment to give my resettlement and testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves us more than we can understand, and wants us to come to Him our Heavenly Father sent to earth to conquer death and sin, so that everyone can return and eternal life. Jesus Christ leads the church personally. I know He lives. I know that Joseph Smith was chosen by our Savior to restore the authority and truth of all things. I know this certainly, certainly. Someone who wants to follow Christ truly come to this knowledge, not faith, through prayer and study of the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith translated by the power of God. No one can take this knowledge, because it's written in my soul and my heart burns within. I have eternal security, and testify at any time or place that Jesus is the Christ and the church is his kingdom on earth today. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Another week of fun in the sun. Things are starting to heat up again. Great. Thanks to Matt Read for the dried Tecca Sauce, I’ve been using it like a dried herb on all sorts of stuff. It’s great! Thanks to Bishop and Jason for the Christmas cards. Jason, I heard that you have to live here for 6 months first if you wanna adopt, I’m assuming that’s what those business cards were trying to tell me. Let me know if there is some sort of secret code I’m missing.
This week the four of us elders gave talks in sacrament meeting. Yours truly spoke on the importance of members helping in the work. I even mentioned how San Diego is a pilot stake for this kind of thing. It was great. The other elders spoke on covenants, doing the will of God, and the importance of the priesthood. They all tied into missionary work, and it was interesting to see how our talks complimented one another.
As for the work itself, things are a little rough. Nobody wants to come to church. They all tell us yes, but then don´t come. It´s frustrating. In brighter news, we should have at least one baptism, the grandson of a member. Also, one investigator this week not only read the entire pamphlet we left her, but also took the time to fill out the additional study questions in the back. After we picked our jaws up off the floor she asked us about the Book of Mormon. So we gave her one. We don´t normally give those out until the second or third lesson because people here don´t commit to much. We test the waters with committing them to pray about the truth of the Church, Joseph Smith, and coming to church.
Hope all else is going well. I´m still here. Letters are still worth more to me than my weight in gold.
Love Elder Nichols.
P.S. Since I normally write in English, I wanted to take a little opportunity to remind you all that I am serving in a foreign language. If there is a Google translate button, hit it now.
Mis hermanos amados, yo quiero aprovechar este momento para dar mi sentamientos y testimonio de nuestro salvador, Jesucristo. El nos ama más que nosotros podemos entender, y quiere que vengamos a Él. Nuestro Padre Celestial lo mandó a la tierra para vencer la muerte y el pecado, para que todo puedan regresar y vida eterna. Jesucristo dirige esta iglesia personalmente. Sé que Él vive. Sé que José Smith fue escogido por nuestro salvador para restaurar la autoridad, y la verdad de todos cosas. Sé esto seguramente, sin duda. Alguna persona que quiere seguir Cristo verdaderamente vendrá a este conocimiento, no creencia, por medio de oración y un estudio del Libro de Mormón, lo que José Smith tradujo por el poder de Dios. Nadie puede quitar este conocimiento, porque es escrito en mi alma, y quema dentro mi corazón. Tengo seguridad para eternidad, y testificaré en qualquier momento o lugar que Jesús es el Cristo, y esta iglesia es su reino en la tierra hoy en día. En el sagrado nombre de Jesucristo, amén.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE:
My dear brothers, I want to take this moment to give my resettlement and testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He loves us more than we can understand, and wants us to come to Him our Heavenly Father sent to earth to conquer death and sin, so that everyone can return and eternal life. Jesus Christ leads the church personally. I know He lives. I know that Joseph Smith was chosen by our Savior to restore the authority and truth of all things. I know this certainly, certainly. Someone who wants to follow Christ truly come to this knowledge, not faith, through prayer and study of the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith translated by the power of God. No one can take this knowledge, because it's written in my soul and my heart burns within. I have eternal security, and testify at any time or place that Jesus is the Christ and the church is his kingdom on earth today. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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