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Monday, October 1, 2012

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.  

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