July 4th, 2018. He’s Finally Home!!!!!
Category: chronological
O Ultimo
25 de Junho 2018.
HEY FAM.
I had a great week. We worked hard, went on splits, I had my final zone conference, and got to talk with President Lacerda for a good hour in my interview. In my interview during the zone conference President Lacerda offered me the chance to stay 2 more weeks if I didn´t have any plans. I talked with him for a long time and then he came to the conclusion that he wants me to travel my entire last week doing splits to influence and help some missionaries who are struggling. I will be traveling to São Gonçalo tomorrow, Lavras on Wednesday, and Campo Belo on Thursday. We will get home Friday morning where I will pack my bags and visit some of the members that I had some good friendships with and then saturday morning I will be off to Juiz de Fora. It´s good because we will just work hard with other missionaries to help their areas.
I don´t think I will be able to write you guys next week because here in our mission the monday before going home they do a Self-Sufficiency course of about 8 hours to help missionaries find jobs and start their own little business. So I think this is officially my last letter of the my mission. Geez, thats crazy.
In this last letter all I would like to do is bear my final testimony. I will be sincere and honest.
In the beginning of the mission it was really hard. I didn´t like it at all and I felt deceived on what the mission would be. From letters that I had read of other missionaries I assumed that I would baptize 10 people every week here in brazil and that I would never find difficulties or sadness. It was an extremely unrealistic perspective, but it was what was in my head. Over time as I began to study the scriptures more and ponder, the mission became beautiful to me. I began to LOVE working and finding people to teach and to love the members and their efforts to help the church grow. As I began to learn more about my Savior Jesus Christ my love for him and the church grew. As I came to know the Prophet Joseph I felt sincerely in my heart that he was a Prophet of the living God.
I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is undeniably the only true church on the face of the earth. I know that the head of this Church is our Lord and Savior Jesus Chirst and that the church is directed here on the earth by a Prophet that is called of God. I testify that Russell M. Nelson was called by the Father and that if we listen and follow all the he teaches with exactness we will be blessed and will be able to live happy lives. I know that all the leaders of the church are called of God and recieve revelation in their respective areas. I know and testify that the Book of Mormon is true. It is the word of God and is the only book that together with the Bible holds the Fulness of the Everlasting Gospel. I know that the Plan of Salvation is real and that we will able to live with our families eternally. I know that the temple is the house of the Lord and that by going there frequently we can become molded by the spirit and we can learn from on high. I KNOW that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That through him the True Church of Christ was restored to the earth. I know that by prayer we can recieve answers to our questions and recieve guidance in every matter.
There is so much more that I have learned in these last two years. The Lord has truly polished me into a person who is more on the path to Christ. I am not perfect in any way but I know now the true and right path. These were the best two years for my life.
I am so thankful for my mission. It changed me and was the best experience of my life. The Lord has blessed me immensely in these last two years and I am eternally grateful for the chance I had to serve. The Lord GAVE so much more to me than I gave in these last two years. I want to thank my family and friends and all who supported me. I love my Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
Until next week, when I will see all your faces once again
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Nichols
Personal Revelation
June 18th 2018.
I don´t have much time. I was answering emails to individuals this week. I have an invite for you guys. I was studying the conference talk “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives” by President Nelson this week and it was amazing for me. It helped me answer so many questions and cleared my mind about somethings that I had doubts and questions regarding my life after the mission.
I invite all of you in your family home evening to read and study this talk. Personal revelation is something that we will need to survive in the days to come.
This is my last full week. Next week I will stay until friday and then I will go to Juiz de Fora to do somethings with my arrival group before leaving. Next monday is my last p day and I will write my last letter and I will leave my final testimony with you all. For now I will just try to hit all my goals to have the best last week of my mission. Thanks for all the support and love that you guys give me.
I love you all
Elder Nichols
Elder Nichols Itinerary
June 8th, 2018.
Today we received Elder Nichols’ Itinerary!!!! It is real! He is really coming home next month!!! Hoooot! Hooot!!!!!!
28 Days
4 de Junho 2018.
Hey I can´t write much today. But an 7 day Adventist we we are teaching went to church this week. It was awesome! We had investigators at sacrament meeting!
Dad – You talked about stress. Stress comes because of lack of confidence in ourselves and our Heavenly Father as well. Pray, Study the Scriptures, Keep the commandments and work and the Lord will do the rest. Fear, Stress and Doubt are feelings from the enemy. Faith is of God! You got this! You are amazing!
Mom – I loved your email. I love how loving you are and how you have changed during my mission. I have seen over the past two years you being molded by the atonement as you have fought with great effort to keep the commandments and become better. I love you mom. Thank you for the woman you are and the amazing example that you are to me.
Connor – Congrats! Graduation was a good moment. High School was awesome and you will miss it. I have missed a lot of the great moments of highschool. Congrats on winning the art award as well. You are so talented.
Bella – Congrats that you are going to EFY and that you are preaching the gospel. I love you so much.
Tiago – Congrats on making Surf soccer team! Can´t wait to watch you play this year!
Zeka – Hey! Heard you danced really good. SO proud of you
I love you all.
Somebody tell cheyenne happy birthday! It was her b day this past week
Elder Nichols
Letter from President Cordner
May 20th, 2018.
Sister Nichols
A quick note. I spoke w elder Nichols’ mission president recently. He raves about your wonderful missionary. Says he’s among his very best! Wanted to make him an Assistant but he’s too valuable in the field training other missionaries.
I told him I was not surprised!
Good job Mom!!
Miss you guys
KC
The Last of Us
21 de Maio, 2018.
HEY FAM! Geez……I am now with my group the oldest missionaires in our mission. I want to cry a little because I think about leaving the mission and I feel sad and at the same time happy because I get to see you , it´s a little confusing. 6 weeks left. The only thing I can do is make the absolute most of it.
This week was hard, but filled with great moments. I had told you that it was my desire to train an American greenie. The Lord responded. I will be staying as a zone leader, BUT I will be training a new zone leader named Elder Salvatierra. He´s from Mato Grosso do Sul and I will be picking him up tomorrow from the bus station. I´m really excited to be able to serve with him. He (from what I´ve heard) is extrememly obedient and hard working and I can´t think of a greater blessing than to have him as my last companion.
Stories:
I learned a huge lesson this week about gratitude as we were working in the street going to the chapel. We heard a little kid screaming and crying and I thought “Geez this little guy is so chato, why is he crying.” I then looked to the other side of the street on the side walk and saw. A 8 year old boy and a 5 year old boy holding their moms hands trying to lead her home. She was drunk and could barely walk, she stumbled the whole way and her sons were trying to take her home so that they could sleep. It was 8 at night. We went over to try and help and the kid said “Can you guys help us. My mom can´t walk and I want to go home.” We didn´t have money for a taxi because I´d left my wallet at home and there was no one in the street. We help them to get on their way home and we prayed for them.
For everyone back home. Be grateful for your parents. Be grateful that we can look up to them as examples and that they help us get home instead of the contrary.
I had an awesome experience with personal revelation this week. I was praying the whole week and wrestling with Heavenly Father to be a trainer and no longer a zone leader, but I kept feeling the same impression. “You will stay, I need you here” I didn´t want to accept it, and so I kept praying to change his opionion hahaha. One night when I was praying it was brought to my mind a specific part of my patriarcal blessing that say I will wear out my life serving the Lord and that I will recieve callings of responsiblity. A thought then came to me that said “I am preparing you for the future. You will stay here.”
I knew the transfer before it happened and I felt a big confirmation when it was passed on to us last night.
Vanderlei and Talita a family that we baptized a few months back got intervewed this week to begin preparing for the temple. I want to come back to Brazil to see their sealing next year.
That´s all I got this week. Sorry for few letters. I still have so much zone stuff to do before my email time is over.
I traveled 10 hours to do baptismal interviews and so that was just a mess, I don´t like traveling in the mission hahah, but I got to go with Elder Santos who is one of my best friends out here and so it was fun because we talked a lot.
I love you all. I´m so grateful for all I have. My family. Our Savior. Our Heavenly Father. The Church.
Have a great week everyone!
Elder Nichols
Photos
We have not received an email from Elder Nichols lately because he has been so busy, but I have been able to find pictures of him on the mission Facebook page and in other missionaries’ blogs.
My Week
23 de Abril 2018.
Hey FAM! I cannot write a lot this week, because a member invited us to go fishing and so we are going to fish and then do a barbacue at his house.
This week I felt a deep and sincere feeling of gratitude for you all and the amazing influence that you guys have had on me. I love you all so much. I feel stupid for not having realized this before the mission, but now that I do know that I love you all and that your example is changing the lives of those around you
This week was transfer and I will be going back to Varginha and I will stay as Zone Leader. 9 transfers. I am thinking and praying a lot about asking to train in my last transfer which will be here in 4 weeks. 10 weeks to go on my mission. What do you guys think? I really want to train a new missionary, but I think maybe the Lord will still need me here.
My new companion is Elder Rios from Manaus, Amazonas. He is awesome and crazy. He loves music and so we sing the entire day and he is really humble.He is a really go with the flow, but hardworking guy. He is always happy as well. I love him and if he is my last comp it will be a great way to end the mission.
Personal Parts for each one of you
DAD (Magic Flawnson) – Dad I am so proud of you. With your work and all t are he efforts you giving to help strengthen and provide for our family. Thank you.You are my hero
MOM – You are my hero. Thanks for being the glue that hold us together and the amazing changes that you have made during my mission. By your example my testimony of the atonement has been strengthened.
Connor – ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!!!!! CONGRATS DUDE!!!!!! I love you so much. I was a little sad that you will leave one month after I get home, but it willbe a great month together and for sure we will do a ton of stuff together before you leave. I trust in the Lords timing. Start planning what you want to do already and when we get home we can make some great memories before you leave. I want give you any counsel cause I know you dont like it, but just know that i love you so much andyour choice to serve a mission. I testify that the mission is the best choice I have ever made in my life. I love the mission so much and I know that you will learn to love it as well. You will bless the people of arizona so much. You are my hero
Bella – Happy Birthday! 16 has come! Have fun and keep the commandments. Don´t ask dad or mom for tips because they never worked when I used them and I didnt have any older brothers to tell me that. Ask Connor. I love you Bella. You are amazing. You are my hero.
Tiago.- Tiago you have grown so much dude. Can´t wait to play spikeball, zombicide and Soccer with you again. You are my hero.
Zeka – I love you Zeka and I´m proud of all you do. You are my hero
Speaking in regards of Aunt Nannette. The Lord tells us numerous times in the scriptures to “Be of good cheer. and not fear.” Let us be calm as a family trusting that the Lord will bless her. For miracles to happen we need to show faith. Fasting and prayer will help her. I know that she will be alrgith. I choose to trust in the Lord.
I love you all. If you are not reading the BoM PERSONALLY start now.
Elder Nichols
Elder Chuch Nichols 