Week Four - Out in the Field

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 10:33 AM

Hey mom!!

Im so glad that everything got to you ok! and I'm very grateful that you took Elder Wolfgramm his wallet. That stunk that we had to do it that way but at least he has it. Thanks for updating me on the girls, none of them have told me! haha its ok though.

I am on Trinidad right now serving in an area called Curepe. We cover Curepe, El Dorado (our apt is there and its big and has A/C which most dont have) 5 Rivers, Cane Farm, and.... Tunapuna and one other place I can't remember. It sounds like a lot but its just neighborhoods. Google it you'll be able to see. My companion is Elder Watchman from SLC. We are blanking the area which means that no missionaries have been here for about 3 weeks, but we have the assistants, the travelling assistants and the office elders all in the same area, plus president Gamiette and his family go to church here in Curepe.

It is soooooo hot down here and humid but I'm starting to get used to it. We walk and take what are called maxi's (van taxi's) to get around. they drive on the left side of the road and never follow traffic rules but they drive sooooooooooo well. No joke they get like 6 inches away from you when youre walking and cars just weave in and out of traffic.

The people here are awesome! The members are great. I had a talk at church yesterday with President, he is such a great man.  He is CES director for the West Indies, so he is an amazing teacher!!! Its kinda crappy that he's only here for one transfer of my mish, but im sure Pres Mehr will be just as great. Things are good, kinda slow cuz my trainer didnt know the area at all either when we first showed up, but we're getting our bearings.

I love you so much mom and i hope things are going so well for you. Rely on the lord. Since I've been here I've realized that all the stresses and things of everyday life are relieved by the Lord if we let him!  I love you momma, I'll keep working hard. I learned how to do it from you and dad!!!!

Nick

Hey dad!

Island life is great! It is so stinking hot its ridiculous, but it rains off and on and we're about to get into rainy season. I'm on Trinidad in a place called Curepe. It's in the northwestern corner kinda by Port of Spain which is the capital. For pday today we played basketball on the blacktop and football out behind the chapel in a place called Arima about 20 minutes away from where our apartment is.

The food isn't bad, we've eaten like garbage cuz our stove has a cut in the hose that pumps the gas to it, so we can't use it for fear of blowing up the apartment. We have eaten a lot of pizza and Subway once, we're going there again today. The tt's which are the money are a 6 tt to 1 us dollar exchange rate so things are pretty cheap. They drive on the left side of the road and get about 6 inches away from everything when they drive but never hit anything. and they all speak really low and fast, and they have an accent that makes it kinda hard to understand but im getting there. One of my favorite sayings already is just now. They say it instead of like in a minute or just a sec, but it can mean literally just now or 30 minutes later. so when someone says I'll be there just now you have to kinda take it with a grain of salt. I'll probably say that forever now.

So the first few days were really hard dad. President Gamiette and I sat down at church and had an interview. He is an amazing man. I'm serving a mission dad. It's crazy. I'm in it for the long haul!!! And I'm gonna work as hard as I can from now on to be the best missionary I can be. its fun and hard work, and I' ll keep doing my best like you and mom taught me. I love you and have a great week!!!

Nick

ps the food is alot of chicken and rice. look up doubles on the internet. you'd like them they're pretty darn good. you should have mom learn how to make em! :)

Week Two

Tuesday, May 08, 2012 8:06 AM

Hi Mom!

You email early! haha

We're mostly in the classroom but we get to go to other buildings in the MTC and teach, sometimes actual investigators sometimes actors, but its really good practice.

Story time, one of the struggling elders and I did an exchange cuz the branch president thought I could help him (he told me I was the best missionary in the district, made me pretty happy) and we taught this less active girl named Kim. She grew up in the church, is a twin, dad taught seminary, played two years of college basketball, and had similar struggles to what I had. Neither of us were supposed to be in the lesson I was exchanged and she was filling in for her roommate, but I was able to relate to her in just about everything she was having problems with. The spirit was so strong, it was amazing to be able to bear testimony from that standpoint, it just confirmed to me that I am in the right place.

 I got your dearelders, send more! haha i need that immunization thing here so send asap! if your going to send my ties could you do that soon too? i would love to have those. So we only get a 44 lb bag on the transfer planes down in trinidad, what should I send home? could you dearelder me today and give me some suggestions?

Glad baseball is going so well!! I miss you guys so much! the temple here is awesome! know that Im in good hands doing well!!! I love you so much!!!

Nick

Hey dad!!

I only get 30 minutes so if this is brief I'm sorry!! 

AAHHH you got naches! im so excited about that! sounds like you could've had game two also so that's a good sign! get them at districts!! if your pitchers step up youll be fine.

I'm doing well, the district leader thing is good it's a lot of responsibility and it's wearing on me a little cuz some of the missionaries are just doing their own thing and not really helping me out at all but I'm doing my best.

The MTC is cool and everything but I cannot wait to be out in the field! We leave the MTC Monday at 3 am cuz we fly out of salt lake at 6! We fly from here to Dallas-Fort Worth airport to Miami and then to Trinidad! We have like a 4 hour layover in Miami so I'm gonna call you guys from there! I believe it'll be around 1, I hope mom isn't out of town so I can wish here a Happy Mothers Day!

Are you excited to skype Eric? I bet you are. The overwhelming feeling ive been getting here is that we all need to make our faith define us. Everything we do should reflect that we are followers of Jesus Christ.  My companion is awesome, typical Utah kid haha but he's really strong in his faith.

So mom is gonna flip cuz we only get to have 44 lbs of total weight on the transfer planes instead of 50 and some of the trips have carry on weight limits! haha we'll figure it out! I have taken a ton of pictures so when I get the opportunity I'll send them to you! Love you dad! dearelder me sometime this week I get them in the mail and I'd love to hear how things go!

Nick

Week One - Arriving at MTC

Tuesday, May 01, 2012 11:06 AM

Parents!!!!

How are you guys? Crazy to think that tomorrow i will have been here for a full week! Its been way good though, just like I knew it be. Couple questions first, did you get my letter with my mtc address on it? I guess they sent me an email before I even left to this account with all my info but I never saw it. I'll probably forward it to you in case the letter I tried to send doesnt make it somehow. I always worry about that.

Also, baseball games, how did they go? I wanna know where you guys sit after today, isn't today naches or is that thursday? Either way keep me posted. I miss you guys a ton, but Im staying focused.

The second, well maybe 3rd I can't remember, I was called to be District Leader of some of the missionaries that came the same day I did, 8 of them. Its a great calling already I can feel the spirit working through me as I serve. We get to go to the temple this afternoon which I am so excited about!!! The Provo temple is so beautiful!! I took a ton of pictures that I'll try to get prints of cuz we can't upload them on here. You guys should dearelder me today cuz those come the same day and I will have more time to read them, I only get 30 minutes on the computer while at the MTC. It'll be an hour in the field I think.

So no visa problems they actually let you in just on your passport I guess which is really nice!! My companion is Elder Jamison from Riverton UT. He's coming with me to the West Indies which is pretty cool. The other Elders are: Wolfgramm (from SLC Going to play football at Arizona State, I'm working on getting him to WSU :) ) Davidson from Logan who are both serving in the Kennewick mission along with Elder Babers (from Flagstaff) so keep an eye out for them in Goldendale, I told them you'd feed them well. The other 3 are Nield from Hillsboro, Gorham from Canada (and he really does say eh all the time) and Laititi from West Valley UT. They're really great. I'm learning so so much it is so awesome.

We leave the 14th of May!!!! 2 weeks from today!! How crazy is that? Unreal to me. Sorry its so short, but know I'm working hard and doing my best to make you proud. I love you so much, this church is true!!

Love you more than I can express.

Elder Nick Dohrman