3.20.11 Lots of Progress

so this last week we had two large leadership meetings. tuesday, all zone and district leaders were invited as well as all trainers, and some 2 or 3 extra missionaries who president invited. wednesday, was a zone leader council and we were able to talk about many things that we need to improve, learned from President Turk and the scriptures how to be succesful pastors/sheperds as leaders, and also were told how we as leaders are not immune to temptation and need to be the first in worry about leaving space for the adversary to enter. i know and see how true this is as members of Christ´s church and i look up to you mom and dad for your faith and continued strength in all the difficulties that you see and live daily. i know that it is only accountable to your love and devotion to the Lord, and i am so thankful for that example.

hermano máximo is traveling to argentina today so his progress is gonna be on hold for a while. he, being 81 years old, is taking his 19 year old daughter Maria Belen back to start up college. shes lived there her whole life and comes here for vacation. also, we have been visiting a sister who has been inactive for many years, and her oldest child manuel, can be baptized, but it is very hard to find the mom and dad and the same time. they get home between 8 and 10pm so if you can just pray for sister marianela and brother manuel her husband who is also inactive so that we can find them home together and help them return! last night we contacted some great future investigators and today we have a visit at 3pm with a taxi driver who we met the other day. then at 6pm we will be going to the Trujillo East Stake Conference adult session and tomorrow the general session. it is crazy because the 2 counselors in the mission presidency are gonna do sustainings to melchezidek priesthood via cell phone. huamachuco is now officially a branch because it is being changed in the stake conference and will now pertain to the mission and not the stake as well as the otuzco branch where is started my mission, is now gonna be part of the mission and not the stake! will see some old friends i have missed!! will send you all a little message in the afternoon. gonna head to the apartment and eat lunch.

chao, Elder Nichols

3.12.11 Changes week is over. . .

so this last week was a little crazy with the changes, some difficulties with missionaries like normal, and the struggle to help our investigators progress, while letting them use their agency and not get to visit them every day like we would like.
so this last week its been tough with Enith and Máximo, an elderly couple who we are teaching...the both who were Philosophy teachers and hermano Máximo has been studying his entire life reading ancient books, and other weird material to find out the entire truth of everything. i feel very sad because we have the fullness of the truth and we are trying to give it to him, and he also has touched the fullness now having his own Book of Mormon. it was perfect last night because he expressed to us his thoughts about although many people have great knowledge and discover many things, that doesnt suggest that they have or know the truth (odd...i know, i felt like he was describing himself). he said that the only way to receive that is by the Holy Ghost, when it guides us, so it was perfect and set up the stage for a great lesson. we feel much more secure after our lesson last night with the two of them and we helped them understand that only by and through prayer can we be taught the TRUTH by the SPIRIT, and that in order to receive the HOLY GHOST as our guide, teacher, and comforter, we need be BAPTIZED. i ask you all to continue praying for them, especially Máximo. they went to church last Sunday and we hope to see them tomorrow!
also, a little elderly man who was very ill in the hospital, had a niece i think who is a member. she called the zone leaders and asked them to come give the old man a blessing because he was going to have a surgery to remove an organ, and it was very likely that he wouldnt make it through the operation for his health and age. so they went and gave him a blessing, and the Lord helped him undergo the surgery and get home quickly strong and happy. so his daughter, Vilma, accepted a visit from us, and so we went last night to look for her, and found her house, two doors from our chapel!!!!!! we had a great little 15 minute "get-to-know-you" lesson and she was very welcoming and happy. accepted to attend church tomorrow and we hope to help her form part of the Lord´s flock.
we have been seeing a great improvement in the mission as a whole, and the majority of the troublesome missionaries, or disobedient ones, have just recently finished their missions, and the rest have shaped up. Satan is working extra hard on the missionaries here, knowing that a House of the Lord will soon be edified here, and wants to delay it as much as possible. i know that the Lord loves me and wants whats best for me. i am so thankful to Him for this opportunity He has given me to serve in His great work, see His hand, hear His voice, and feel His love everyday as i make touch-ups to my imperfect self. i love my Savior Jesus Christ and am eternally grateful for His Atoning sacrifice that allows me to repent, leave behind my mistakes, and through my faith and obedience to His gospel, become more like Him and continue to receive an abundance of blessings.

THERE REALLY IS NOTHING THAN BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST AND SHARE HIS LOVE AND TRUTH WITH ALL. I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON IS THE MOST CORRECT BOOK ON THIS EARTH AND IS THE KEYSTONE OF OUR RELIGION. I LOVE IT WITH ALL MY HEART AND AM SO THANKFUL TO KNOW THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONTINUES TO GUIDE US AND SHOW US HIS LOVE BY GIVING US A LIVING PROPHET AND 12 LIVING APOSTLES.

I miss and love you all. Hope all is well at home with all my brothers and sisters, their families, and all my extended family!!!!!!!

Elder Nichols

TODAY, is an awesome day - February 19, 2011

i am so happy right now! we had to head to a wedding i was in charge of and then right after i interviewed a lady who is getting baptized at 7pm and then from there my comp and i ran and put on our suits and sister turk picked us up to run all the way out to the outskirts of town to attend the baptism of Elder Terry and Elder Cardoza(two young missionaries who are tearin it up)! they had the baptismal service of an elderly couple in their 70´s, the 18 year old granddaughter who lives with them, and a little 9 year old boy whose mom is a member and dad is not. it was a beautiful service like all others watching children of God on such different age levels entering in straight and narrow! we just got back to the office for a little 30 minute break and sister turk is comin back to pick us up to take her to the baptism of Elder Jones(Bountiful) and Elder Andersen(Brigham City) who work here in the office. then the night will be over and President gets home at 9:45 from Lima where he has been in meetings all day yesterday and today! dont know if you saw it but ITS OUT! Church News announced the new mission presidents and the new mission Chiclayo!!!! the blog is up to date and has the new mission announcement ha. but im out like flash!
I love my Family, I love my Savior, I love His gospel, and I love His work!
Elder Kyle Favero Nichols

Trips & Tips March 5, 2011

Learned a lot this last week! another trip and a ridiculous amount of miracles and stories to tell. i was able to proselyte in my old area in cajamarca and literally strengthened my testimony that no effort is wasted. dont know if you remember when i was teaching at an orphanage there in cajamarca. it all started with my comp and i,
because a young man who is a member, gave us a reference of his classmate who lived in the orphanage...we tried to go and get in, but they said no, because the director was currently allowing nuns teach the youth and try and get the young women to start their preparations to become nuns as well. we kept trying, and in the end had to make a document with some signatures from local church leaders, and the secretary of the orphanage then told us that the documentation was acceptable and we were allowed in! not but a week later, the director was changed and more miracles occured.
the new director was a 60 year old woman who IS A MEMBER! it only got better from there.
the first sunday after, 13 young men/women attended church along with 2 of the "Aunts" that take care of them. 2 young women and 1 aunt were going to be baptized the saturday after i left(i left sunday, 6 days before). long story short, more than 10 of the youth are now baptized and active, and when they saw me walk in they are ran to me and gave me huge hugs yelling "mi Nicholas" ha and others were happy to tell me before anything, "¡me bauticé!" ("i got baptized"). happily, they now have a seminary teacher who is specifically assigned to the orphanage and they have their class everyday at 6pm, and wednesday when i was there, a young man Luis, 15, who i taught as well there, went with us to teach others and got baptized yesterday! i cant explain how happy i am and am now more sure than ever that every little thing we do in our lives not only has a great effect on others in this life, but also in the life to come. were going out to see "Chan-chan"(city of mud) - ENJOY THE PHOTOS! Love ya - Elder Kyle Nichols