El Libro de Mormon, I Love It!

Buenas Dias FAM! :) 

Well yay..... crazy day, and miracle in the end.... M was baptized this last week! :) Saturday as we were getting everything ready for her baptism, we called her and she told us that her cousin passed away and she was going to the funeral and didn’t know if she wanted to get baptized.  We were sad, but didn’t want to her to feel we were pushing her to get baptized, if that was not what she wanted.  :( But later that day as we walked by the church to give back the keys of the chapel, M was there in front with her towel ready to be baptized.  Oh M :)  So we called up Presidente V and we filled up the pila in the other chapel (because ours didn’t have any more water that day.) and M was baptized. :) Crazy day, but I am grateful for all the prayers that I know you guys offered for her.  She is going to seminary right now with her friend K who introduced us to her.  

Another reason I know Heavenly Father answers prayers was this week, Hermana G and I went to go visit some of the new investigators we found in this part of Talanga that is a little farther out.  When we got there, after we taught with one hermana who was not too interested in the end... not one of our other investigators was there! So after going to a couple houses, we started walking back to where the buses are.  We saw one of the hermanas we taught outside with some guy.  So we walked over to talk with them and found out that the guy was her spouse and they are not married, but have one son.  He was baptized in our church when he was 16.  We taught with them a small lesson about how families can be together forever, and then started talking about the Atonement and reptentacne.  He said there were things he still needed to repent of, but I could tell he still remembered about what he had learned from the other missionaries who baptized him.  He told us that he hadn’t prayed in years, but the day before he had a feeling in his heart that he should pray, and he did.  And then the next day, we found him.  We invited them to come to church with us Sunday, and even though they didn’t come yesterday :( I know that Heavenly Father loves us all, and through his sons and daughters we can help others feel his love and know that he is aware of us. 

Let’s see, also this week we had an activity in the park, and we made these huge cut outs of cardboard with our district to contact people about the Book of Mormon and the Bible and how we believe in BOTH! It was actually really good, and we talked to a lot of people.  Unfortunately most of the contacts are for the other missionaries in their area, but we are doing it again Saturday :) 

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and understand more now of how blessed we are that Heavenly Father gave us a second testament of his Son.  This week we had interviews with Pres, and I always love talking with him!   He had us this week work on memorizing a scripture from the Book of Mormon about the Atonement.  We have taught so many people this week about the Book of Mormon, that this week I chose the scripture in 1 Nephi 25: 23, 25 where it talks about why our prophets wrote the Book of Mormon… so that our children will know where to look for the remission of their sins. (memorized it in spanish) :) 

But I have never felt closer to my Savior than I have now, reading and applying the words of the scriptures in my life.  Like Nephi I Delight in reading the words from our prophets!!! I know that our Savior lives.  I know that He came to earth to take upon Him our sins, and pains, and sorrows all because we needed a Redeemer to return to live with Heaveanly Father.  I know that They love us, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church of God on earth today. 

Love you all so much! Thank you for all your prayers for the people here.  Keep in your prayers this week B to recieve an answer to his prayer that Joseph Smith was a true ´prophet, and that the family we are teaching will have time to listen to us again this week because they are always busy right now :( (E and D) 

Love,

Hermana Nichols 

Feeling the Heat

Hey fam! 

Well this week in the mission, President wanted every companionship to strive to find 50 new investigators... whoo.... Hermana G and I worked hard to find those new investigators who are ready to be baptized :) We ended the week with 44.  Now the goal is to help and find those who can progress. 

This week K, who is the son of a less active got baptized! :)  Unfortunately, M who was also supposed to get baptized did not. :(  So keep M in your prayers to help her remember why she wanted to be baptized. 

Yesterday Hermana G and I had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators E and her husband.  We have taught them before, but the husband was not interested, and only believes in the Bible and didnt want to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a true prophet and was super negative.  E however is the sister of one of the members and is super positive.  For her husband, she couldn’t come to church becuase he didn’t want her to.  But these past few weeks have been a little different :) She came to church last week with her daughters! :) We came to their house last night and even though it seemed like her husband did not want to listen again, we taught the Plan of Salvation with them.  We talked a lot about the Spirit World and how we do baptisms for the dead, and how Christ visited the spirits in Spirit Prison.  It was super interesting for them, and D her husband who knows a lot about the Bible was a little doubtful because he said that he had never heard that after we die people can have another chance to hear and accept the gospel.  But Hermana E told us about her dream she had: 

She said that she had dreamed that her brother who had died was waiting in front of a door and she was there sitting with him.  He told her that he waiting to enter, but that he stil had faith and patience that he would be able to enter.  He told her that she needed to keep doing good things so that she would not have to wait  like him.  Wow super interesting! Even though she said that her sister has already done the work for him and her family in the temple,  we told her and D that our decisions not only affect us here on earth but for generations! And that there are still famliy members waiting for them to do their work!  Well, we still are trying to work with the husband who is super hard, but keep E and D in your prayers that they will be able to feel the spirit testify of the importance of being baptized again in the true church of Jesus Christ.

Love you all! Super Hot here in Talanga.... haha Hope all is well! And super sad to her about Uncle Herb, :(  Tell everyone hi for me! 

Love,

Hermana Nichols 

Another Great Week

Buenas Dias to my favorite family! :) 

Well where to begin, this week was probably one of my favorites! 

This week we had our leader meeting conference with Presidente and the rest of the leaders of the mission.  OH man, I always love when Presidente speaks!  I forgot my notebook today :( But I will try to go over a little bit of what he shared with us as leaders.  I think this can apply to all of us in our callings  in the church. :) He talked about as leaders, sometimes it is more what we leave behind than what we actually do that is important.  At first it seemed a little odd when he said this, but as he explained... for us missionaries, he said we should always leave our areas better than when we found it.  We should leave TONS of investigators with baptismal dates when we leave the area. We should leave our companions, and sisters or elders that we served better off than when we first knew them.  How do we want people to remember us?  In every calling or position of leadership I know that this is an aweome opporotunity to leave people better off because of our example, and love for them. 

Another highlight this week was Hermana G and I got to visit our investigators who are getting baptized this next week with Hermana Fortuna! :) Oh man, I love Hermana Fortuna so much! So classy! :) She was so cute taking pictures of us with her iphone.  We took her to visit M and K.  And we felt bad because she wanted to bring us in her car, but where we were going there would be no where to leave her car in the mountains... :(  but she was great hking up all the rocky hills! And M and K loved her.   Presidente y Hermana Fortuna were here for our district conference, and Sunday in her talk she mentioned visiting K and M:) They loved it.  Well I probabaly was loving it more than they were.. their shoutout. :) haha 

But I love how Hermana Fortuna is so kind and so loving, and was so willing to walk with us in the crazy rocky mountains to go visit our investigadores in her black wedges :) 

I also loved President Fortuna's talk about how in our callings we learn to not only administer the people but minister unto them.  We learn how to SERVE them.  And that is how I kind of look at our work in the mission right now.  We get to minister to the people here in Honduares and go to where they live and SERVE them.  So sad, this week I felt so sad for the people we are working with because their life is difficult and where they live is in poor conditions.  I wished there was something more that we could do to help them, but I know that teaching them the gospel principles is how we can leave them better off for right now.  They are so humble here and so loving.  And so willing to give what they do have, and I am grateful for their example to me of how I can better give of what I have. 

Right now if you could keep in your prayers M and K, :) that they will continue to prepare for their baptism this Saturday! :) and also  that Hermano B will be able to come to church this Sunday, and also that this older couple that we found this week (A and M) will be able to come to church this Sunday.. because M has some sickness and he will need surgery in a month :( 

I miss you guys! :) But I know that time is short and just flies! 

Love you all so much! Keep the hermanas of T and C in your prayers for me too :) 

Love,

Hermana Nichols 

Conference Week

Happy late Easter fam :) 

Well conference weekend is a little bit different in the mission.  We could only go if we had investigators, so Hermana G and I invited everyone and anyone like crazy to the conference! Investigators, contacts, less actives, recent converts...  name it :) haha Hermana G and I thought we sounded like the Evangelicos inviting everyone to come to conference and hear the only true living prophet on earth today. :) But it is SO true! I have never been more excited in my life to hear the prophet and his apostles speak to us, because I have such a stronger testimony now of how they are called of God, to recieve inspiration for us!  Oh man, super sad that we were only able to go to the Saturday morningconference, a little bit of the Saturday afternoon because we got our friend who drives the mototaxis to come listen for a half hour, :) and Sunday in the morning.  But it is all good, I know we will get to read it in the Liahona later.  I hope you all had a great conference week and that if you had any questions that they were answered by our leaders! :) I definitely missed the cinamon rolls and egg caserole again this year mom :( Hermana G have 1 young women, and 1 little guy who is 10 who are getting baptized 18 of April :) so we did have to bring some cookies to help them stay interested. :)Out of all the people we invited and reminded about conference, we did have one who came to conference with us! :) B (so sad I didn't get a picture before he left conference) But as Hermana G and I were walking by his house and he was outside with his brother, we invited him to come to conference, and he said he would come.  Anyway, in the morning we reminded him about conference and as we went by his house, he was finishing getting ready to come.  He is an older man, and lives with his brother in this tiny little house, and was born with a limp, so he walks with a crutch.  Poor guy we had to walk a ways to get to the church with him, but he said he liked conference. He wasn't home Sunday, but tomorrow we are going to start teaching him.  :) So keep B in your prayers that he will feel the spirit. He is awesome.  I prayed that morning that our investigators would be able to go to conference that morning, or at least one, for all our efforts and hard work.  And I was so grateful for the help of Heavenly Father that one was able to go :) One soul's worth is great in the eyes of God. :) 

It is getting pretty hot here in Honduras,  and we are getting a nice tan. 

I loved President Eyring's scripture he shared with us in his talk.. In Matthew 25 (missionary scripture) inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me.  As he related it to fast offerings and how we have the opprotunity to help others, it is such a blessing we have!  As our love for the Savior grows, I know that our love for our fellow brothers and sisters grows, too.  I am grateful for this time right now to help our fellow brothers and sisters know more about our Savior Jesus Christ and the church He established.  I liked what President Eyring said when we offer succor for someone, it is as we succored the Savior.  I'm so grateful for Christ and for the price He paid for us.  Though Hermana G and I remembered it was Easter during the conference, I will never forget the gift Christ has given us all individually to live again, becuase he broke the bands of death! Thought of you, mom as the choir sang He is Risen.  I know Christ lives, He rose, and we will too.  I have a stronger desire to do all I can to make sure not only will we live again, but if we do our part we can live with Him again.  

Love and miss you all! Have a great week! 

Hermana Nichols 

Still in Talanga

Hey fam! 

So today I found out that I'm staying in Talanga! :) WHOO HOO! I thought I was for sure leaving, but surprise! haha I'm super excited Hermana G and I have another change together! So we will be on those long bus rides again this next change too! haha :) 

So this week Jose M got baptized and confirmed! :) He is 15 years old, and his mom got baptized last July.  Hermana G and I are strengthening the YMs group here. haha But we figured it is all good, becuase that is one of the areas this branch was lacking :) But our other converts, U, D, and A who are also in YM are all doing well :) and sometimes are the only ones along with J at the beginning of the YM activities here. haha (I know how that is) We are hoping J's dad will want to follow their example soon.  

This week was also a little sad because AN, who we had taught and who was super positive and was already living like all of the commandments and laws that we live, who had already gone to church with her aunt, told us last week that she didn't want us to teach her anymore :( She told us it was because that her mom, who lives in a different city is Evengelica and wants her to go to a church here that is Evengelica.  Oh man, we tried explaining to her about how she had already prayed about Jose Smith and she had gotten an answer,  She said that she had prayed and felt good, but that her mom didn't want her to come to our chruch.  :( Maybe it is for other reasons too, because she is 24 years old.  But we talked about how our decisions not only affect us here, but after this life as well. Hermana G said she has the opportunity right now to learn about this gospel here on earth.  Super sad, we went back 2 times to make sure that this is what she wanted, but in the end, I have learned that we can't make the choices for people.  :( 

As I was reading in JSH again this week about the first vision, it's like when Joseph Smith describes his day when there were so many churches and so much confusion.  Oh man, just walking down the street there are SO many churches proclaiming Halleluyah and singing and chanting, people are SO confused.  Contacting one family on the street I invited him and his family to listen to our message and was saying how this gospel has brought so much happiness in my life and I know that this could bring happiness in his life and with his family.  He got really offended and started asking me if I didn't think he was happy now, and how our church is the Church of Satan... and yikes. But we invited them to General Conference haha in the end, and later found out that he was the pastor of some church.  So there are others who are more prepared to recieve this message :) 

I know that Faith is the first principle of our gospel for a reason.  AN didn't progress like I thought she would, becuase she didn't choose to excercise her faith and do something!  I know that having Faith in Jesus Christ or not, really can make or break a person, and that I am grateful for all the examples in the scriptures who show us that after the trial of our faith comes our testimonies and blessings. 

I know that trials are the only way to test our faith, and for this it is so sad for us to see people who decide otherwise. 

Love and miss you all!! 

Hermana Nichols 

Closing Up Changes

BUENAS Fam! :) 

 

We got back late from the activity with Hermana F and the hermanas who are in the pueblo area of our mission.  It is always so sad that we can’t do the activity with all the hermanas together because there are so many.  A lot of the hermanas I came with and Hermana M and Hermana G are all in the city :( Hermana G has been in her other area this ENTIRE time after she left La Paz.  Wow super crazy! But the activity went well I’m pretty sure! Haha I think Hermana F will be putting the pics up on the blog.  Each zone did a talent, and with our hermanas we did the hukilau dance since Hermana N is from Hawaii.  They are 3 and a half hours away from Tegu. However, they got to the activity a little late, so we practiced all together like 10 minutes before we presented our dance... haha but it actually looks pretty good in the video I have :) 

Here are some pictures.  Hermana G and I put together some games, and some sweet paper leis haha :) She is so creative, I can tell she was a bomb teacher :) I’m taking good notes from her :) I saw Hermana C too at the activity and that is always fun! She is still a sister training leader just in a different area :) Also, the sisters from La Paz were there, so I got to ask them how the area is doing, I miss everyone there! :( But M is doing well! D, they want to go on a mission, haha, and J is still going to church but is sick right now. 

 

Also last night mom; with one of the members we made saltenas! Wow... a lot longer process than we thought, so our FHE got postponed...  

But we finished up this morning with her during breakfast hour. Haha But didn’t have time to taste them.  Hermana N told us they tasted good though! And yes I wrote down the recipe, but hopefully I can remember all of what we did. :) 

 

Aw, I am sad that this change is coming to a close this week, and I’m not sure if I leave, or if I stay. I hope I get to stay another change with Hermana G, but we will see next Monday. :) J, the 14 yr old boy we have been working with that is the son of the member we made the saltenas with is getting baptized this next Saturday! :) Whoo hoo :) 

 

A lot of traveling again for intercambios en juticalpa and campamento with the sisters :) They are doing well... for the most part :) I am definitely learning a lot from them, in how I can be a better missionary, and that is why I love intercambios. 

 

Also, President spoke this week in our activity about one of his experiences in how he followed the subtle prompting of the spirit that I thought was really awesome.  He told us how he went to visit one of the families the Elders were teaching.  They were waiting for this family to arrive who was out buying food for their store, and President had other visits in other cities that he had to make still.  He thought that he would just go and try to visit this family another time since they hadn’t arrived, but he felt like he should wait.  Finally the family arrived, and after they entered and the husband and wife during the opening prayer started crying.  After the prayer President asked them what happened and why they were crying? They said that it was because the husband had had a dream where a trigenio (black guy) :) was in their house teaching them, and knew that this man was Presidente they had been trying to figure out who it was.  They had been asking their family and friends if there were any black pastors who had been teaching them, and they had said no.  Presidente was super grateful he had decided to wait, and knew that it was because of the still, subtle feelings we feel from the Holy Ghost.  We can help God’s children here are earth.  It is so true, I am learning more and more what a gift it is to have the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  He told us that as we strive to be obedient and are diligent, and strive to listen to those small promptings we will be able to help so many people.  I know that it is true, and this week I am striving to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost more this week.  I challenge you guys too, to recognize when the Holy Ghost prompts you this week :) Let me know about your experiences, and I hope to have some as well! 

 

Much love!

Hermana Nichols 

3/16/2015 Updates

Hey hey fam! 

Oh my goodnes I cannot believe how fast time flies! I know I keep saying this, but whoa, this week has flown! 

NINE months! whoa... can't believe it :) 

Well this week at church I felt so happy to see 4 families who have recently been baptized this year at church.  And even though they are not my converts, I have seen these families in some of their ups and downs after baptism as they continue to progress.  We helped this week 2 families of those we teach come to church! 

I know that the Lord works through people on earth.  Hermana G and I planned a sort of famliy home evening with a family who are members.  But we hadn't verified what time yet, with this recent convert family that we visit.  Well their cell phone doesn't work, and they live way up in the mountains, so Hermana G and I were just praying that there would be a way to get a hold of them.  As Hermana G and I started climbing the mountains to get to this family to bring them to this famliy home evening, we were hoping that the husband would be there as well.  Well as it turned out, right as we got there the husband and wife were in a big fight, and the wife was just in tears ready to leave for her grandma's house with the kids.  We did not know what to do, and tried not to counsel them but tried calming Hermana C (the wife down) They continued to argue about how one doesn't help the other, and other things, etc. But finally we convinced Hermana C to come with us to get some fresh air and her husband (J) would watch the kids.  She finally agreed, and we climbed the mountains back down to go to our house and give her some of the pictures from their baptism and wedding from the Hermanas that baptized them.  Also before we got there, one of the members gave us some tamales that his mom made and so we were able to give these tamales to J and the kids to eat for dinner as we left with Hermana C.  We then left and went to visit the wife of the branch president so they could talk, and we walked with them back up the mountain to their house where she could talk and help them.  Oh man, but how grateful I was that we were there, when we were there to help this recently baptized family.  I know that there are not coincidences as you said Mom, but that the Spirit helps guide us and put people in certain places at certain times to help us in our challenges.  They are doing better, and I know that if we were not there, Hermana C would have left. :( How grateful I am for the Spirit that can guide us every day! 

Also we are still teaching J2, who is supposed to get baptized March 28th.We were talking to him about how he feels for his baptism, and he told us that he still is looking for an answer to see if this chruch is true.  A dream or vision.... most people expect that.  But Hermana G whipped out Alma 32, and we talked about how we don't walk by sight essentially, but by faith, and how faith is not to have a perfect knowledge.  We know J2 knows it is true, and we have had some sweet spiritual lessons with him.  Now we just hope that he will feel and recognize in his heart that this is what he needs to do.  J2 is also only 14, (I feel like I have baptized the whole Young Mens.) haha and only his Mom is a member.  But we know what a great influence he can be for his family and especially his dad.  

Well time is flying, and I am so happy to hear that Jamison is coming HOME!!! :) whoo! I miss you all! and hope you will keep J2, this recent convert familily who is having some trouble, E family, and also the other J who we are teaching in your prayers, that they will remember the spirit that they have felt, and keep their commitments so they can progress!! :) 

Love and miss you! 

Hermana Nichols