October 1, 2012--Week 31

Dear Mom,

First of all, I got three packages from you this week, and one from Aunt Sarah. Basically, all of the other elders hated me (not really, but a little bit) because I took like half of the packages that President and the assistants brought from Tuxtla.  I have the best family in the world.  Thank you so very, very, very much for the packages, it seriously felt like Christmas here.  Faves were definitely the peanut butter m&m´s, the beef jerky as always, the peanut butter (which is impossible to buy here because it costs like the equivalent of 20 bucks for a jar that size), the nuttella (same situation as the peanut butter), and the jelly.  I am looking forward to buying some normal bread today and having my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich since the MTC.  

Also, the book (Day of the Defense) is amazing.  Since getting it, I´ve taught three different people who had huge issues with modern day prophets that the Bible, instead of replacing prophets, actually preaches the need for them.  Also, the next Jehovah´s Witness who is rude to us and wants to beat us over the head with their Bible (which happens a lot, there are a ton of them down here and the arrogance of some of them is incredible), will not have one point in which they can tell us that our doctrine is wrong that I cannot answer with their own Bible (I will of course, do it very lovingly).  I´ve realized in this week that the Bible really does contain the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ along with the Book of Mormon, it just doesn´t do us the favor of saying it super clearly, which is where the Book of Mormon helps us immensely.  

This is how we travel in style in Mexico.  This is how we go to and from Tapachula every week for our district meeting.  Basically, this van is like what they call a "15 seater" in the United States.  The only differences are that 1) it´s a lot smaller and 2) here they seem to think they are called "21 seaters" (photo evidence that we broke my record this week of the fullest combi that I´ve ever been in).

To answer your question:  I´m sure the Relief Society broadcast was translated and available at the Stake Center on Saturday, but I don´t know if anyone from our branch went.  And yes, General Conference will also be broadcasted and translated in real time this weekend.  But, what I have learned in this week about it is really frustrating.  The very large majority of the members here only watch 1 out of the 4 sessions.  Most of them don´t even know that there are sessions on Saturday, and they are only allowed to attend one of the Sunday sessions because there isn´t enough room in the stake center (the only place they broadcast it).  That is a problem that should be addressed but I´m not sure how to go about doing it because it´s only the stake/area level.

I just remembered I had been sending my letters to President way back.  And we had an awesome week this week and I counted most of it to President so I´m just going to send you this.

Buenas tardes Presidente:

Estoy muy agradecido esta semana al escribir esta carta. Mi compañero y yo hemos visto en esta semana muchas bendiciones del Señor. Primeramente, seguimos el consejo que usted nos dio en las entrevistas el día miércoles en Tapachula. Cuando regresamos a Huixtla, buscamos en nuestra carpeta de área y encontramos muchas personas con quienes podemos regresar para enseñar. Con una de ellas, fijamos una fecha bautismal. También en esta semana encontramos a otra hermana mientras tocábamos puertas. En la siguiente lección con ella, nos explicó que hace un año iba a otra iglesia pero ya no quiso ir y se alejó de la iglesia. Empezó a llorar y nos contó que se siente muy triste por eso y ya quiere regresar al camino de Dios. Le enseñamos el principio de la Expiación, y que Dios en este tiempo de su vida está extendiendo su brazo de misericordia para ayudarla a regresar a Él y recibir la plenitud de Su Evangelio. Le invitamos a bautizarse, y aceptó la fecha del 20 de octubre. 

En esta semana, también tuvimos 6 investigadores en la reunión sacramental (más que han llegado en una sola semana desde que llegué hace dos meses). Entre ellos son muchas que hasta ahora no han aceptado una fecha bautismal, pero están poniendo su parte en la conversión, y muy pronto les vamos a poder ayudar a tomar esos pasos. Hemos sido grandemente bendecidos, y reconocemos la mano del Señor en nuestro trabajo aquí en esta área. Sabemos que Él quiere que por fin haya éxito en Huixtla, pero que nosotros tenemos que merecer las bendiciones que Él quiere darnos. Al esforzarnos mucho en esta semana, hemos visto esas bendiciones, y estamos muy animados para seguir adelante y esforzarnos aun más en esta obra. 

Gracias,

Elder Nickerl

P.S. And, sorry to keep making requests, but I just wanted to ask in the next package you send that you could please send some shampoo and body wash?  Hygiene materials here have two big disadvantages (which is why I keep asking for all of them).  Basically, the disadvantages are these, 1) they´re super expensive and 2) they kind of suck.  

September 24, 2012--Week 30

Dear Mom,

I don´t think I´m going to be able to type a letter for the blog today, because I´m going to email Adam and Jared (and Anna and Jacob if I have time) and send some pictures. 

These are two of the three young men in our branch.  I stole Manuel´s hat briefly for the picture (and a few chips).

 Elder Esparza and I got a kick out of this.  "Timbre" is "doorbell", and we just thought it was super helpful that they helped us to identify where their doorbell was (this is what every doorbell looks like in Chiapas).

It was Elder Esparza´s birthday the 16th (which is cool because that´s Mexican Independence Day), so we ate cake.  And it was good.  It cost the equivalent of 4 bucks at the grocery store.  And it kind of tasted like it cost 4 bucks.  But it was still nice to eat a sweet looking cake.  And it did taste pretty good—more or less.

Our "Fiesta Mexicana" the 15th of September in the branch.  The guerrito behind us is the branch president and the morenito is el Hno Roberto (EQP).  They painted us up (even me) like Mexicans and gave me a banderita. 

This is Pili.  She belongs to a member of the branch.  And I was terrified in this moment because it was the first time I had tried to hold her.  And she bit me.  But then she climbed on my hand, which was kind of cool.  Parrots are awesome here.  They talk way more than they do in English.

This is when we came back two days later and I got over my fear a little bit and put her on my shoulder.  I had her stay there and we had a wonderful conversation (I really enjoy speaking with animals because it´s the only way I learn how to speak naturally using the pronoun "tú") until she started biting my ear at which point I put her down.  Because we are missionaries, it is required that we use “usted”.  Mexicans basically use "tú" with everyone all the time, so sometimes people think it´s weird for us to speak formally.  Especially when we use "usted" to address a 2-year old child.  Sometimes the little kids don´t understand being addressed in "usted", so we use "tú", which is tough for me because I´m not used to it and I almost feel like I´m saying bad words haha because it really is just strictly "usted" for us (even between companions, which people also think is really weird).

Another one of my little friends who helps me learn how to tutear (very meaning "to speak using tú", which is actually a real verb), but he doesn´t respond to me quite as well as Pili.  I thought it was very clever that I could put him in my pocket, although I do look like a lunatic in this photo (as well as the first one with Pili).  There are no animal control laws in Mexico.  There are a TON of cats and dogs.  And some super nasty dogs sometimes too.  Like really nasty.  But there are a ton of cool birds too, like these little mini parrots that also talk, but not as much (they basically just say "corre corre" but they roll their r´s a lot better than I do haha).  But the big parrots (like Pili), do talk a lot.  They don´t really carry on full conversations or anything like that, but they do say a lot more in Spanish than they do in English.  Pili once told us to come in ("pasenle", don´t try to make sense of that grammatically because it makes absolutely no sense, it´s just what people say here), and the family was like why the heck are you standing in our kitchen (they leave their doors open all the time too because of the heat and lack of AC, so we just walked right in).  It was great. 

Well Mama, I’ve got to go if I’m going to have time to type emails to the kids.  I love you.  Take care this week.  You’re awesome and I appreciate you!

Love,

Elder Nickerl

September 17, 2012--Week 29

Dear family,

So, a lot happened this week.  It was kind of hectic.  A couple of good things that happened:  Dionila (mother with two sons whose husband passed away about 5 years ago) and her two sons both came to church this week.  We got there a little late because we went to their house to pick them up, and when we did, the branch president informed us that the assigned speaker (the high councilor was speaking too so there was only one other talk assigned) didn´t show up for the week.  So, guess who´s first in line to speak when the speaker doesn´t show up?  So, for the first time in my life I gave a talk in sacrament meeting that I prepared in about 5 minutes using just my scriptures.  And I think it lasted about 12 minutes and I felt pretty good about it, so that was fun.  I focused my talk on the Atonement and how if we understand the Atonement and the Gospel well as members of the restored church of Jesus Christ, we will understand that people cannot receive the fullness of the blessings of the Atonement without receiving the ordinance of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by one holding the Priesthood Authority of God.  So, our desires and efforts to share the Gospel are literally a direct measurement of our gratitude for the Savior and the sacrifice that He carried out on our behalf.  I hope I helped a little bit some of the members of the branch to understand why they should be motivated to share the Gospel :)

Also, cool and kind of funny side note is that the high council speaker that came this Sunday is named "el Hermano Kevin".  He´s very American and from Northern California, served his mission here 5 years ago, went home for a year, came back, got married here, now works as an English teacher (English teachers here that speak it well make BANK--like they have AC in there entire house :O), and just went back to visit his family for the first time since he moved down here.  So, that´s kind of funny.  But, it was cool talking to him (all in Spanish, by the way, he didn´t say a word in English, and his Spanish accent is killer, he seriously sounds like he was born and raised in Chiapas).  But yeah... kind of weird and funny story all at the same time. 

Some not so good things that happened this week:  Marisol, who was going to be baptized this coming Saturday, had to go to Guatemala for an undetermined amount of time.  So, her baptism is now very much postponed until she comes back :( Also, another really fun thing that happened this week.  Friday, I got sicker than I have been since my first week, and I actually threw up in the house of one of our investigators.  Eso me dio un buen de pena.  But, it happens (if you´re a gringo missionary in Mexico).  So, I called the Doctor that they have for us in the mission (thankfully they have one who speaks English and one who speaks Spanish, because I have no idea how to speak medically in Spanish), and I was kind of freaking out trying to remember how we start phone calls in English, and I was really relieved that he answered in Spanish.  But anyway, he told me to buy some pills, I bought them, I took them, we had to stay in the house Friday and Saturday, but now, I´m better!  And we´re really glad to not be in the house and sick anymore.

I’m so glad you got the package I sent.  Adam wanted to know how much all the stuff in the package cost in dollars.  I don´t remember really, but the only thing in there that was expensive was the big hammock (700 pesos, around 55 bucks), which I bought like my second week here (the little one Albertina actually sold me when I was in San José for really cheap).  Aside from the big hammock, all of the rest together would have cost me less than 25 bucks.  The expensive part was just sending it, so it´ll be awhile before I send another package. 

You asked about the hammock:  The big red one is the one I used in Tapachula.  I actually have yet another one, which I bought because it´s as big as the red and green one but it´s what they call "doble-tejida" which means "double woven", so it´s pretty sweet.  And it´s also like 10 colors and beautiful, and I am hoping to have the chance to use it again in a future area.  Oh, and I bought it because I found a place in Tapachula where they sell them super cheap right before I left San José. 

Anna asked about the spinning tops toys:  To answer the questions about the trompos, I'm ok with them.  I can do a few cool tricks and stuff (flip it onto my hand with the string then let it run down the string and such), but we don´t really have a ton of time to mess around with them.  But, toys here have seasons.  Which is kind of weird.  When I got here it was trompo season, and there were always a ton of kids in the street playing with trompos in Tapachula.  Now it´s the season of canicas (marbles), so we see more of that in the street now.  They actually use "toys" here way more than in the States, because there aren´t too many electronics around here.

Keep up the good work with you´re Spanish, Mom!!  I know it´s tough, but you´re doing great :)

Also, I just wanted to comment super fast that you´re the best mission mom ever!  All the other missionaries are going to hate me for getting 2 packages (maybe even 3 if interviews aren´t until late in this change) packages at once.  Thanks a ton :) I love you!

Basically, that´s all that´s going on here right now, we´re working hard to find the people that the Lord has prepared for us, because right now we´ve had to leave a lot of investigators because they don´t keep their commitments and won´t progress.  I´m kind of starting to understand why everyone was kind of "aww sorry you´ve got to go to Huixtla", because there hasn´t been much success here for a long time.  But, Presidente Cárdenas has promised every area in the mission that as we stive to become "perfect missionaries", the Lord will give us baptisms every week.  We´re holding on to that promise, and we´re going to find the people who are here waiting, and "kept from the truth only because they know not where to find it".

I love and miss you all so much!  Have an awesome week :)

Con amor,

Elder Nickerl

September 10, 2012--Week 28

Dear Family,

This week was great!  We worked really hard, and I am super psyched to go home in a few minutes and sleep!  I don´t think I´ll actually have much time to sleep though, because we set an appointment today at 5 so our p-day ends earlier than usual and I still have to wash my clothes and clean the house.  Oh, and I started translating my patriarchal blessing into Spanish this morning and I want to finish that—highly recommendable, by the way, for anyone who can translate their patriarchal blessing into another language.  It´s the second time I´ve done it in the mission and it´s helped me to understand it a lot better. 

Elder Esparza is awesome.  He´s from the state of Mexico, and supposedly I´m supposed to be finishing his period of training, but he´s seriously a stud and he teaches and contacts really well and I don´t feel like I have too much that I need to train him on.  Another awesome thing about him is that he speaks a ton of English!  He speaks more English (just from classes in high school) than I spoke Spanish at the point that I left the MTC.  So that’s been fun. 

We got goose egged on our investigators in church this week. :(  That´s never fun.  But, we did set a really solid baptismal date for the 22nd, so we´re psyched about that.  The sister´s name is Marisol and she has two little kids and her husband is working right now in Texas.  The not so good news this week is with the other sister that we´re teaching, Dionila, who has her two sons and her husband who passed away a few years ago.  She's reading the Book of Mormon and praying, and she´s received answers, but she's got this huge mental block against baptism.  Also, she and her older son work at least every other Sunday, so they haven´t been able to make it to church since almost a month ago.  But, we´re going to keep working with them, and hopefully with a lot of prayer and faith, they´ll be able to keep progressing.

Our p-days (should) go like this:  (just like any other day), wake up at 6:30, be studying by 8.  We leave the house between 11 and 12, and then go to do haircuts, go to the ciber, and go to the store.  I don´t think we´ll be able to hike the Piedra de Huixtla because supposedly it takes a good bit of time and we leave to proselyte at 6 by the latest.

I love being a missionary, but I am tired all of the time.  That is the normal for me now. :) The trick is not letting it become just a routine, but always remembering how excited we were when we got our call, the whole time in the MTC, when we got to the field, when we had our first baptism, etc.  It´s easy to lose sight of how incredible the mission is sometimes, because like I told Jacob a few weeks ago, there´s no choir singing "Called to Serve" when we crawl out of bed exhausted at 6:30, when we leave our apartment, or when we get rejected an entire afternoon.  You have to be able to find the real joy that is really here, but is not the "glory" of it all.

I do have a request for a care package or for Christmas.  A few weeks ago, President asked us to turn in our MP3 players.  So now, I am without music (just my set of discs of hymns).  What a lot of elders have is a DVD with music on it (we all have little DVD players that can play music from discs).  So, what would be awesome would be to have music again.  EFY music, Joseph: A Nashville Tribute, Jenny Phillips, and all the stuff like that that I had on my MP3 player that I no longer have would be awesome.

My time is already gone, but I just want to say that I miss you guys a ton, seriously.  If I had to choose one thing about my mission that was the hardest, it would be that I have such limited communication and such little time to talk to and think about all of you.  But, President has told us that the way to avoid homesickness is diligence in the work and I'm really holding on to that promise and working as hard as I can, because I really miss you all. Please know that you´re always in my prayers and that I really love each one of you so much.  I hope that those of you that are sick can get better quickly and that things go well for you guys in this coming week. 

Con amor,

Elder Nickerl