Week 54

Hey friends and family of mine!

I hope that all is well at home, I know that everything is going super good in the mission. I would like to briefly talk about what is happening in the mission right now, and what kind of miracles and blessings we are seeing and witnessing right now. I can say this without a doubt in my mind, that Elder Watson and I were meant to serve together. We are bestest of friends. I consider myself very lucky to serve with him, especially since we have had the chance to serve together now going on 9 weeks. Next weeks email will be on Tuesday since it will be transfers. I am nervous, I am pretty sure we will be split up, but I know that it will be done according the Lord's will. Well, all I can say is bring it on! We are going to find, teach, and baptize. That is what we do, and that is what I am going to continue doing:)

Monday: We went to a member's home and played some games with the other elders. We had some good fun and got to know her and her situation better. Oh ya, and we also got dogged, twice. It was so dumb, but I know that everything happens for a reason, so I guess we keep pushing on with a smile:)

Tuesday: Happy Birthday to my mother!!! I love ya to death!!!!:):) So, today we woke up and talked about our transfer, and what we have seen, and what we would still like to see. There is tons!! So, we made some changes, set some new goals, and are striving to hit them!:) We then went to a program, and we got to her building, called her on the outdoor phone, and she let us in the building. Now, get this. She lives in a giant 11 story building. So, we get in and we head to the elevator. Well, at the elevator, a man sees us and starts questioning us!!! Hahaha, "who are you guys!? Oh wait, you're the Mormons!! Who let you in! Who let you in! Why are you in the building!!" hahaha, this guy was asking so many questions. So I told him, we are visiting someone, and he did not believe us! Then, I even showed him the Palacsinta stuff(Hungarian pancake). And he was like, "oh, sorry guys." Then he started walking away, and to top it all off, Watson asks in a super loud booming voice, "You okay!?" Ha, the guy turned around and said yes. hahaha, we got in the elevator and had a super good laugh about it:) Then we went to our program and made these Hungarian pancakes. She taught us some good tricks and how to make them without making a mess. It was super cool!:) We even got a video of Elder Watson flipping a pancake in the air, and failing miserably:) It was fun:) Then we went to English Class and taught the last lesson in the 10 week program. So, now we have to start over. Ugh:) then we met with Sz, our super cool 24 year old girl investigator. She came, and we invited her to stay and watch the broadcast from Germany which is for the women. She said ok and stayed and watched the whole thing with us! It was weird to hear Bednar and Ballard in Hungarian, but it was super good!:) Then we met with her for a quick moment at the end because it was getting late:)

Wednesday: Well, you know how my bike got stolen a couple weeks ago? Ya, well they called me and told me that I need to go in and do an interrogation. It was great. ha, we got there with the other elders, and then the policeman told me only I could go with him. So, I told him I brought the others because they speak better Hungarian, and he said, " you understand me though, know how to write, and can speak back right!?" I said yes, and off we went. So, the other 3 stayed in the lobby. I ended up talking about what happened that night and stuff and signing a bunch of paperwork. Then, he started asking me questions about why am I here, why do I hold a free English class. Why are we here basically. And I told him, planted a seed, left our number and left:) It was cool. Then we went tracting for a little while. While tracting, we tracted into this nice old woman who was nice enough to share her homemade raspberry syrup with us. It was super good:) Then we also ran into some girls coming back from Handball practice. So we told them how we hold a free English class and stuff and man, there was one of them that could not stop blushing and she was like dumbfounded! hahaha, her friends had to pull her away!:) It gave us a good laugh! Then we went over to one of our member's homes, and she was skyping the MTC, because apparently that is what they do now a days. They skype with real speakers and that is how they learn the language now. Cool, so we got to skype with her and talk to the new kids coming in in a week. Then we went and played basketball with a member and a bunch of his friends. We placed some Books of Mormon there too. It was super good:) Then we came back to the branch house and met with E, an inactive member. She is young too. So, we talked about good, better, and best. And how there is a good way to do things, but there is always a best way. And we need to find those ways and apply them into our lives.

Thursday: Year mark!:) Craziness!!!! We cleaned our apartment like for an hour or so because we got a phone last night that there would be cleaning checks. So, we hurried and cleaned, which it was already pretty clean. So, no big deal. Then we went to Zone Training, and we heard from our Zone Leaders about "How to begin teaching" and "making commitments" and then President was there too and he talked about doing the work of the Lord, "the Lord's way". It was super cool. Plus, our DVD players got taken away because people have been abusing them. But, President made a very good point. That in the US and in Western Europe and South America, they have Ipads and Iphones. Well, if we want those for our work too, then we need to prove that with our tools(the brick telephones), we are responsible and ready. Hahaha, but I completely agree with him:) Then we went out and tracted some more, and then came back to get ready for English class. We were super excited coming into this English class, because we were going to do something we have never done before. We wanted to help our English students start speaking and practice way more in class!!! So, that is what we did. We played games and talked a lot!:)

Friday: I have been reading a lot from Jesus the Christ, and I am finding so many good and powerful spiritual things in it. I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying reading from it. I love looking how the world hated him and loved him, and how much the world hates us and loves us. It is not extreme like it was then, but it still exists. And since we wear Christ's name on our shirts, we literally represent Him. We will be mocked by people. The world WILL not like us, but we will be strong, and push on:) Then we went out tracting and streeting and found a guy who has a Book of Mormon and reads from it occasionally, and we set up to meet with him. Then, right after, we streeted a girl, who was interested in meeting, but it got kinda sketchy when she said she liked our accents. All well, we will see what comes from this:) Then we went to Youth Night, and NO ONE came. It was so dumb! hahaha, so I fingered(terribly) "called to serve" on the piano and Elder Watson belted it!!! Oh, and we were on the phone with a member during all of this. We also said a prayer, gave a commitment, and then left:) It was funny:)

Saturday: Well, just like I said, we met with that girl that we met yesterday. Well, she brought her sister with her!! So, like a double date. Awkward. Well, we talked and stuff and got to know them. We told them why we are here and what our purpose is and stuff and they wanted to meet and learn more! It actually turned out to be a super good meeting!:) Except at the end, where we might have blown it. We said goodbye, and then gave them high fives, and what happened, they looked at us like we were crazy. They said, " we give puszi(the Hungarian kissing greeting) in Hungary". And then we looked at each other and said, " we have never done that. " Hahaha, so then we left. Ya, I hope that did not blow it. Oh... women. hahahahahahahahahahaha. Then we went and played some ball with a kid and we invited him to church, and he also said he had been reading from the Book of Mormon! Then we went and caught a bus and headed out to meet with one of our investigators. We took their dog on a walk, played some go fish, and then left them with a lesson on praying and reading as a family. It was super good. This investigator, is super cool! She really wants to do the right thing.

Sunday: We set some good goals for what we wanted to accomplish as a companionship this possibly "last" week together. We came up with a few goals. One, "51 for the Son". 51 working hours this week. That is a lot. Then, "We are W.A.N!" W.A.N(Watson and Nichols)." Ya, we are going to rock it this week:) I pray and hope for it.

Well, I love you all. I miss you. I pray for you. I love this mission. It bears testimony to me over and over again how important the Gospel of Jesus Christ is in our lives. I am proud of who I am, and I want to share it with EVERYONE! Well, see ya later!

Nichols Elder