Week Twenty

Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 9:49 AM
Hey Mom!!

Sounds like a full week for you guys to me! I'm glad that you were able to have company over, that's great. I know that is something you guys have missed since we haven't had the room for awhile. That is so great about Aaron! I am so proud of him! How was DJ's game? What position is he playing? It's so crazy that he is big enough to be able to play at that level.  I remember vividly when he was born. Nuts. I'm glad Eric's thing is working out, I'm sure he's getting a little stir crazy at home, how is he adjusting to not being a missionary? Does he ever speak Portugese to you guys? I would just to confuse you  I think :)

This week was probably the busiest of my mission. We taught over 30 lessons for the first time on my mission, and we have two investigators who should be getting baptized here shortly. I cannot believe that the month is almost halfway gone, and we should know about transfers sometime at the end of the week. We had a really cool experience with a less active member of the church here in Curepe. He is 24 and reminds me so much of myself before I left. He kind of lets everything else get in the way of the Lord and His gospel and really hasn't shown much interest in it since I've been here. We've had some good lessons with him and he came to church last month, but other than that he tells us one thing and does another most of the time. We have been working with him intermittently because his cousin and brother come out teaching with us all the time, and when we talked with him this week he told us that he wanted to serve a mission. I tell you when you are serving you want everyone and their dog to serve a mission if they are able. It was so great to hear him talk about it and to have the opportunity to bear my testimony of how this experience is shaping and changing me as a person. He didn't make it to church however so we are going to get on him about that this week, but it was so great to get to hear that from him. I remember when I was first preparing to leave I would have told everyone that I was going out to keep kids from making the same mistakes that I made in my life, and this seems like that opportunity that I had been praying for and that motivated me to come out in the first place. This work shows you so much about yourself and when you are completely engrossed in the Gospel and spreading this message it really helps you to realize how your life would be lost without it.

I know that having such a strong family in the Gospel, the prayers you and dad sent to me when things weren't going well for me and the faith and hope you had that I would eventually serve are what have allowed me to come out here and to give every bit of my time and talents to the people in this mission. I know that in two years I will be so much better of a son, brother, and Servant of the Lord. I know that this is the truth. I've said that to you countless times but every week it is affirmed to me. Jesus Christ Lives and loves each and every one of us. His atonement has made it possible for us to repent and become sanctified through the power of the Holy Ghost. I was thinking about why I chose Ether 12:27 as my plaque scripture, and i know now. I was weak before I came. So many things about me needed to change and I can see them changing in me. Thank you so much mom for all the support and love that you constantly send. I look forward every week to hear about how things are going for you. Are you still doing p90x? How are you feeling, sick or anything? Let me know! I LOVE YOU!!!

LOVE

Nick

Hey Dad!!!

I have a lot more time today, we're at the office so I won't have to rush. Thats sweet about the Boys! Ogletree outta nowhere! He's super fast, and I am so glad we're off to a good start. You guys need some youth on defense and Peyton has a chip on his shoulder this year I'm sure of it. Cricket is super weird, its so much slower than baseball if you can believe it. 8 hour matches that go over like 5 days. and one dude could be batting the whole time. Pretty ridiculous but its kinda fun. Its rainy season right now, but if you ask a Trinidadian its different then even 5 years ago because the ozone layer has a hole right above us so the weather is screwy. It will rain for 3 hours and then be blazing. Still have that going on right now. There aren't really seasons, just wet and hot season pretty much. When the hurricanes come through the Caribbean it rains and then about November to July it will be dry and hot again. So they say. That's about what I expected from Cashmere, we're just not at that level yet. Who knows if we'll get there anytime soon. How did Lucas look? Ben? Aaron sounds like a beast! That's what you get when you work hard.

We busted our behinds this week and taught more lessons in a week than I have ever done on my mission, and it was because of all our work last week I'm sure of it. We have a couple of progressing investigators who should be getting baptized here pretty quick, but we'll see how it goes. We'll continue to work as hard as we can to repeat that kind of success so that this area can continue to progress and we can continue to find those who have been prepared. I told mom a sweet story about a less active member who we've been working with who decided to go on a mission, so we'll be continuing to help him out as he gets prepared. He is exactly the kind of young man I was coming out for in the first place, to try and influence him to not have the same struggles that I had before I came. Elder Anderson has been showing me a lot about myself because his attitude has helped me to continue to work as hard as I can and continue to try and be the best example and trainer I can for him. He is a smart kid and really wants to learn, and it helps me to constantly think about the decisions I make and whether the things we have planned to do are the most effective use of the Lord's time. It really helped us alot this week, and we get to study for an extra hour each day and figure out how we can best use the time we've been given. I am learning so much about how I want to do things when I get home (even though that's so far away). I used to think I worked hard, but lemme tell you I have never done anything as hard as I've worked out here. I am going to do everything that I can to translate that to the rest of my life. Thank you so much for your example of diligence and hard work, as well as how to love unconditionally no matter what dad. You are the greatest. I hope that you have a great week and enjoy your visit to New York with Eric, October is coming just now! :)

Love you so much dad

Nick