Friday, June 8, 2012
Navigation 4/16/12
Dear Family and Friends,
This week was good. I learned a lot about working things out with my companion and listening to him. I got to interview some people for baptism, so we did a lot of companion exchanges. In one exchange I was looking for a scripture and Elder Rodriguez just looks at me and says Matt 19, verse 29. Turns out it was exactly the scripture I wanted. I had the words, and he had the citation. He told me later than he had no idea what it was going to say, the numbers just came to his mind.
This week I want to share a spiritual thought about my dad. i know its a little early for fathers day, but i want to share it while its still in my mind. Some of the best stuff i learned was when my dad didn´t even know he was teaching.
My dad is a Navigator. Under the sea that is. My step mom will probably say that on land he is hopeless without his GPS, but under the ocean he is good. In fact, he is so good that he can drive a multi billion dollar submarine in the darkest abyss without windows. Its no wonder he loves the story of the Jaredites traveling to the promised land in the Book of Mormon. I remember watching my dad prepare navigational charts for hours on end, making corrections to old maps and plotting future courses. Then, at some classified depth, my dad opens up these charts while someone looks through the periscope. Depending on what they see above, they know where they are and can make small, frequent course corrections.
So maybe now it will mean a lot more to you all when I share that I always tell my investigators something that my Dad taught me. He says ¨If we don´t know where we are going, we won´t end up where we want to be¨
The Gospel is a lot like this. We need frequent, small course corrections throughout our life. It is much easier to make these smaller corrections than to crash and repair a damaged life. Through prayer, scripture study, and church attendance, we can look up through our ¨periscope¨ to heaven and see how we are doing and what we need to change. Remember, it is easier to prepare and prevent, than to repair and repent.
I love you all.
Elder Nichols
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Guerra de las Chichiguas! (War of the Kites) 4/9/12
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
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
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
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
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