LOVE. LIFE.

Hey everybody!!!

This week has been a good week. We were finally able to have another baptism and it was a really cool experience.  The first member of his family to be baptized. His name is Douglas.

This week we have done a lot of things. We took a picture by a statue of liberty here in Barrieras.  Today for pday we went to a waterfall about an hour away from here. It was really pretty there!!

Haha and on our way there we passed a bunch of farms and equipment, and it made me feel at home a little bit. The equipment, pivots, and everything are the same, just used for different variety of plants.

I think that I only have 2 more weeks here in Barrieras. It makes me sad cause we have some investigators that I have become good friends with.  I have a lot of people here that I really enjoy teaching.  I have really grown to love them and I wish I could stay here and help them get baptized. But . .  I think I will leave here in two weeks. There are just a lot of families here I love a lot. 

My Portuguese is getting a lot better!! I feel like I am able to contribute more. When I teach I can feel the spirit a lot more now cause I can some what explain what I'm trying to say. It's getting better and better as time goes on. It sure was nice to baptize Douglas. He is a awesome young man and we are helping his family progress toward baptism, so that will be cool.

But that is about it for this week!! Sorry last week I didn't write much. The internet crashed and it was the week of carnival and all the internet shops were closed. I am feeling much much better than the last few weeks.

Gordon B Hinckley said, "Don't be gloomy.  Do not dwell on unkind things.  Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight.  Even if you are not happy, put a smile on your face.  Accentuate the positive.  Look a little deeper for good.  Go forward in life with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face, with great and strong purpose in your heart.  Love life."

But I hope all you guys are doing well. Thanks for everything!!!

Love you all. Talk to you next week.

Elder Nickerson


O . . . I also got to shoot a gun this week.  :)

BRAZILIAN. CARNIVAL.

Hey Everybody!!

These past two weeks have been very busy, but all is well.  The internet has been awful today and I am only on the computer for just a minute today.  Things have been good.  We didn't have any baptisms this week, but some are getting closer and closer every day.  I am still getting along with my companion and I improve with the language every day.  Every day it is a little clearer and a little easier to speak.

I met an American today from Minnesota.  He use to farm there and now he lives here.  He didn't know much Portuguese, but it was cool to see an American.  I have sent you his email, please make sure to send him a link to the blog.

I was pretty excited I got 3 letters last week.  Two from Ray and Cheryl.  Thank you, thank you!! Please make sure they know I said thanks.  It means so much to me when I receive letters.  I also got one from mom with the little card of the kingdoms of glory.

Today we were able to hike that little hill here again.  It is always so hot here and we got soaked on the way back home.  There is a waterfall here we are hoping to be able to visit before I transfer from this area.  Here is a picture of a stick bug!!

Right now is the Brazilian Carnival.  The carnival is the biggest party of the year here.  It is usually in the city and it is a week long party.  There are celebrations and parades and it actually goes throughout the whole country.  Shops close early and everyone just celebrates.  That is why we have had a hard time finding internet today.  Everything is closed.

I am finally feeling better this week.  I was able to see a doctor, get some medicine, and I no longer have the sharp pain in my side.  The pills from the doctor fixed it.

I sure love you guys.  I may be hiking to the waterfall next pday.  I have more pictures to send next week when I have more time and better connection.  Thank you for everything you all do for me.

Here is a quick thought for the week.

Trials give us opportunities to show the Lord and ourselves that we will be faithful.  We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves and ask, "Why me?" or we can grow from our trials, increase our faith in the Lord, and ask, "How can I be faithful in the midst of this trial?"  We can let adversity break us down and make us bitter, or we can let it refine us and make us stronger.  We can allow adversity to lead us to drift away from the things that matter most, or we can use it as a stepping-stone to grow closer to things of eternal worth.

I am grateful to serve a mission.  I love the people here.

Amo todos voces.  Falo com voce na proxima semana.

Love,
Elder Nickerson

TO. GIVE. THEM. LIGHT.

Hey everybody!

It has been a busy week this week.  I had to go get tested at the doctor's office.  I have been having a sharp pain on my side.  I was able to get tested and everything came back negative, so that was good to hear.  The doctor told me to drink a lot more water. 

This past week there has been no sunshine at all.  At nights I sleep in sweats and my two blankets and I have still been getting cold. Hahahaha.  It was like 85 degrees in our house last night and that is kind of cool to me now.  It has rained so hard and for so long two days in a row, we had to stay in the house for 4 hours to wait the storms out. 

One of the elders in our apartment just had his first baptism on Sunday.  That was cool for him.  We had baptism papers filled out for our baptisms this week and the dad decided he would not let his kids get baptized.  We are still teaching and praying for them to be able to have that opportunity. 

Jesus Christ is also the light of the world because his example and his teachings illuminate the path we should walk to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.  Before Jesus was born, Zacharias prophesied that the Lord God of Israel would visit his people "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide [their] feet into the way of peace." 

Can you believe my long hair?? We are going to get it cut today. I am also going to send some stuff home in the mail to you guys this week.  My companion and I are still getting along really well.  Feeling pretty lucky to have two great companions in a row.  Portuguese still has its good and bad days, but for the most part I think it is starting to sink in.

I sure love you guys.  Know that I am feeling good and will keep up on my health. Thanks for all! Be safe with everything this week.

Talk to you soon.

Eu te amo e sinto muito grato por estar aqui. Amar a vida como missionario. 

Elder Nickerson

A. GOOD. ONE.

Hey!!

This week has been a pretty crazy week!!

First of all, my American companion, Elder Bailey, left and he is now serving in Salvador.  He is training again. He is with a Brazilian that served in the military for 5 years.  He says he feels safe in the streets.  Haha.    I also got a new companion, Elder Pardim, from a place called Espirto Santo, in the city of Victoria. He is a good one!  J He only speaks Portuguese. It is kind of hard to communicate with him still. But I have noticed the little bit he has been here my Portuguese has gotten better. I can understand Portuguese really well now and that is what everybody says happens. You understand it, and then you can speak it. I can speak, but not as well as I can understand. I can finally see that it’s all coming together though. There are three Brazilians in our apartment now.  I am the only American.  It is kind of different because it is a little hard to understand each other right now.  We also have different backgrounds, cultures, and likes.  But I think every transfer takes adjusting for all of us.

This week my companion got a bacteria in his stomach, so we had to stay in a clinic for three days until they got rid of the bacteria. He ate something bad, had a stomach ache and fever.  He is better now. They put him on medicine.  We weren’t able to go to church on Sunday because of his hospital stay. But we did have the doctors ask about the gospel.

We have some promising investigators right now that have baptismal dates set. We are praying they all follow though. I will probably only be here for this transfer, and then I will move areas. My companion only has 2 more transfers left in the field, and he will need to train another elder in this area. I think the odds are good I will leave this area after this transfer.

I have been giving away some suckers, balls, and a few things.  The kids here love that kind of stuff.  I have people that try to speak English to me sometimes.  They usually say, “Hi, my friend . . .  My name is . . .”  So that is pretty cool.  This week was actually a little cooler than normal, so that was nice.  I am ready for the hot season to be over. 

But anyways things are good! Love you guys. There are still days where I can’t stop thinking about you guys, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right where I am. Can’t wait for all our future adventures. Hope all is well.

Love Elder Nickerson