Training Coming to a Close

Wow, hard to believe time is flying by! And I hope you all had an awesome conference weekend! Unfortunately haha I couldn't understand most of it... I was trying super hard, but it was hot, and the translator was speaking pretty fast. haha But from my companion's notes later, and when she explained her favorite parts after, wow, there were some great talks! and how cool that some of the talks were in different languages this time.  I thought my Spanish was coming along well, until conference came along. haha But it's all good, working on the language! Oh man, I was super bummed that our investigators couldnt make it to conference at all.  Because of what I could understand, it was perfect for them.  But they weren't home when we tried to get them at their houses, or when we did arrive after walking 20 minutes to their house, had excuses of why they couldn't come.  Super sad, but we did bring one of the brothers of our investigators with us to the afternoon session of conference. haha We went to get our investigators... a family we are working with, and while we were waiting for them to come to the door, the brother of the investgator family was walking up to us...the sister answered the door, and said that her sister and brother-in-law weren't home... but she was like winking at her brother who was standing next to us. haha anyways we invited them to come along to conference with us, and the brother who is about 24 ended up coming with us! haha He liked conference, and knew a lot of the members already.... but lives in the area of the other sisters in the other ward.  But hopefully they contact him soon.  Other than that, not much new... Cambios they say here, Transfers are in a week and a half.. and its almost for sure Hermana Garcia will leave and I will be here... kind of nervous for Hna Garcia to leave! But I feel like I'm beginning to learn the ropes around here.  Miss you all! Oh Kristine I got your bday cards!! thank you Ben, and Ella also! haha loved the pictures, and I took a pic with the cards, and will send it next week! Miss you all!  Super grateful to be here, and my testimony grows everyday that this gospel is of the one true church that Christ established here on earth for us through Joseph Smith.  

Also, thanks grandpa for the letter and spiritual thoughts! I loved them! 

Love you all, 

Hermana Nichols 

Updates

Hey fam! Thanks for all the updates! Glad to hear everyone is doing well! :) This week, nothing much new, we finally got E's confirmation completed... oh man, long story about that. haha  My first baptism is a good story. But this week we worked really hard in trying to share the importance of coming to church. Our investigators can't progress without making it to church and this is a big barrier right now.  The people here work on Sundays, becuase its either work on Sunday or no food for the day.  Ah man, I feel so bad, and these circumstances, I don't really know what to say or how to help, but we try to talk about the blessings of when we go to church and keep the Sabbath day holy.  I did use President Gibson's talk in the Liahona of January about the Sabbath day in our lessons... thank you Pres. Gibson!  I like the quote where he says,  "the manner in which we keep the Sabbath day holy is an outward indicator of how we keep our convenants with God" or something along those lines... I definitely felt that I can apply this teaching to my own life too.  But this week I learned that we can't change other people's agency.  Even though I want to so bad, I know that its our job here to only teach and inform our investigators of the gospel and the blessings we can recieve, and then they have to choose.  Today we had an activity with half of the sisters in the mission and Hermana Fortuna, aw she is so great! I love Pres and Sis Fortuna so much.   I can feel their love for us! They are so cute!  President Fortuna talked a little bit about the law of consecration... and what I could understand.. haha I like his quote, "The law of consecration in our lives isnt not keeping anything, but simply giving everything to the Lord." I truly feel humbled here, and know there are things that I can work on better everyday! 

Love you,

Hermana Nichols 

Fotos de Hermana Nichols

Updates...

Hey fam!!  Hope you all are doing well! I miss you guys! I feel like its getting even hotter here, and it rains normally every day.. 

But things are good here! Not much new this week... Our recent converts are doing well! M and D just seem so much happier, and are continuing to progress! Just need to work on getting the priesthood with them, and working more with the members here.  Its hard trying work the social part of the mission in working with our investigators and members in broken Spanish, haha but I'm learning.  Also funny story about M´s baptism last week, I forgot to mention he was "dunked" baptized 6 times.  I have learned now the importance of practicing with your investigatros the dunk approach as I call it before being baptized.  Oh man, haha M didnt get the concept of bending your knees, and would go like halfway, but wouldnt make it to the water before he stood up... By the 4th time, every man at the bapstism, bishop, our ward mission leader was demonstrating in front of the font what to do, and demonstrating how to bend your kneees.. I will never forget our ward mission leader demonstrating baptizing one of our members in front of the font.... haha Hermana G and I were dying, while everyone was yelling "M, dobla sus rodillas!" haha which means bend your knees! aww poor M, haha afterwards he said the floor was slippery and that's why he couldn't... but he's doing well! and bought his new wardrobe for chuch on his own! aww We have high hopes for M! and D found a white shirt for church too, but its too big so we are working on getting it taken in. :)  This week I have learned more about the importance of our missionary purpose¨Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance and His Atonement, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." This is the purpose for all of us, because without these 4 principles in our lives we cannot be truly forgiven of our sins and be ready to live with Heavenly Father again... for members after baptism instead of baptism and Holy Ghost again, its partaking of the sacrament each week.  This plan is laid out simply for each of us and is all demonstrated in the Book of Mormon that even a child can understand what we need to do to return to our Father in Heaven, one apostle said in Preach my Gospel. I am so grateful for His gospel, and we are working right now with our new investigators in coming to church! oh man, time is short. Hope everyone is doing well!  I miss you! but am grateful to be here! 

Love, 
Hermana Nichols 

Oh PS  I forgot to tell Elder Beck I knew Pres Gibson... :(

Quince de Septiembre

Hey fam! Keeping it short to send more photos, but today is Quince de Septiembre! whooo.. its Central America´s 4th of July pretty much.. We are lucky to find a place that is open for us to write, because besides this place everywhere else is closed... lots of parades in the streets.. i love it! went to the temple this week! Love the Tegucigalpa temple! so beautiful!!! Also had a baptism this week!! Marlon Munoz is 14 years old, and is the best investigator. He had already been going to church because he had friends in the church, but we found out he wasnt baptized, and starting teaching him a month ago. He lives with his grandma, cousins, and uncle and aunt.. pretty typical here that people live with extended family more than primary family.. and they are Anti-Mormon, and dont like it when he goes to chruch... but he is so great! Marlon has a bright future ahead of him, and i'm so happy for him!!! 

Miss you all! 

Love,

Hermana Nichols

Hola de Honduras

Hola Fam!!!  Oh man,  what week.... So we had a meeting with the President and all the new missionaries and our trainers.  I'll just say how grateful I am for my trainer! We are both 19, and both like pretty much the same things. Our only problem is the language barrier.  Oh also, I met Hermana Judd from Lancaster Stake, and also saw my friend from high school last week at zone conference Elder Hafen! It was cool to see a familiar face!  He look tanner and skinnier than last I saw him.  This gives me hope. haha except for the fact that the missionaries here like to joke, and well I think they were joking when they said Im going to go home looking like Queen Latifa. Brown and big. haha I thought it was kind of funny, but  yikes. 

This week my companion and I shed a few tears together.  We had another baptism this week! Unfortunately, when my comp and I went to go get our investigator on Sunday for his confirmation he said he didnt want to go, for various reasons I didnt understand, oh man, I was so frustrated! But I am definitely learning patience here.  After about 45 minutes trying to talk with him, we had to leave.  We have had 2 baptisms and 0 confirmations. Our other investigator wasnt at his house when we went to get him for his confirmation either... oh man, Sunday was a sad day, but I know Im only feeling just a small part of what Christ felt.  Rejected and let down.  Still, I'm grateful for this opporotunity to serve here, and know we just need to pray harder for the people here, and teach with more love and boldness.  It's all we can do.  Grateful for all your prayers! I can definitely feel them. Wish I could write more.  But my Hermana Garcia and I are doing well, except for feeling a little down, but we are good. 

We see little miracles of God each week! Im beginning to understand people better.. so Im grateful for that! miss you all! 

Love you! 

Hermana Nichols

Hermana Nichols in Honduras

Hey fam!! Im doing well! Adjusting to the new life... haha but I am really beginning to love the people here. They are all so nice! which is what I love about them all... Contacted family on the street for the first time! whooo.. and sure enough the husband spoke really good english! haha I was loving it... I was so thrown off, that I stared introducing ourselves as missionaries in english first and half way through in spanish... haha anyways we got their number and hopefully will be teaching them soon! whoo... thanks so much for all the emails! I miss you guys! Also thanks mom for making me bring the pb and the cookie mix... definitely super happy about that one! introduced my comp to the world of cookie mixes.. she loves it. haha we unfortunately dont have an oven... but we do have a microwave and a mug! yeahh yeah... haha still so yummy! love it! Theres no other place I would rather be! Here are some pictures of my district! and in front of our apartment.

love you all much!