Hey, I'm just letting you guys know I made it to the town called Barreiras. It is about 14 hours from Salvador. We took a bus there and it took us all night. We were on the bus for 14 or 15 hours.
Mom, I got one of the packages with socks, candy, and a couple shirts, and that was all. Thank you. They said to keep sending all the stuff to the mission home but I will probably only get it every five or six weeks. Whenever transfers are.
My new companion's name is Elder Bailey from Tennessee. I like him a lot! He reminds me of Josh. It is soooo hot here. All I do is sweat. There are chickens running in the streets. I wish I could get the package with the letters before December but I don't think I can.I should get them before Christmas tho. I have Pdays on Mondays so watch for my emails.
Thanks for everything that you guys do.
Love you all, I have to get off. I am just letting u know I'm ok.
Love you all very much. Talk to you guys Monday.
Elder Nickerson
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
CITY. CALLED. BARREIRAS.
Dear Sister Nickerson,
Your son is serving in a city called Barreiras. It is the area farthest west in our mission and is about a 12 hour bus ride from Salvador. It is a great place with wonderful members of the Church.
If you want to send a package it is best to send it to the Mission Office listed below. It is also a good idea to put some sort of religious picture or sticker on the package as it helps to discourage theft or hold up at customs. Thank you again for preparing such a great young man!
 |
| BARRERIRAS (FAR LEFT) |
Sister Lisonbee
Brazil Salvador Missão
Avenida Antonio Carlos Magalhaes
No 3247
Edificio Empresario Delta Sala 402
Pituba Salvador, Bahia Brasil
40275-000
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
MADE. IT. TO. SALVADOR.
Here is a picture of the group that came in with your missionary. It was the largest group we have had so far. Their Pday is on Monday so you should hear from them then.
Enjoy!
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We were so excited to receive your wonderful missionary to the Brazil, Salvador Mission today. He is a fine young man. Here he is pictured with his trainer, Elder Bailey, who is also a wonderful young man.
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All the best,
Sister Bianca Lisonbee (Wife of President David T. Lisonbee)
Enjoy!
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All the best,
Sister Bianca Lisonbee (Wife of President David T. Lisonbee)
Friday, November 7, 2014
ONLY. FOUR. MORE. DAYS. AT. CTM.
LAST PE DAY IN THE CTM!!!!!!!
Hey everybody!!
We just got back from the Campinas temple. It is further away then the Sao Paulo temple so the traffic takes us longer to get back. It has finally rained here! It rained a lot every day of the week but the last three. It was nice to have some cool days but it is back to being really hot and smoggy.
Everybody I talk to about Salvador says how hot it is and how much hotter it is then here. For devotional this week an area 70 came and talked. It was cool! I got to shake his hand after it was over. His name was Elder Antunes. The language is still really hard but is still coming along.
It's so hard to understand them. They all talk and sound way different when they pronounce things. Well, I leave the CTM on Tuesday and take a plane for Salvador so next time I email it will be in Salvador.
We go with a bus load of missionaries! A bunch of visa waiters came in this week. No mom, I don't need stamps yet. My letters have not been heavy so I haven't used some of mine. When I go to the post office they put some on for me. If I can call I will at the airport on Tuesday.
I printed some pictures last week I'm going to try and get to the post office after this. I will try to mail them off and send pictures through email next week. I sleep good at night times, miss waking up in my own bed though. I miss the snow and the chickens. I have had to sew a couple places where the buttons go in and out of on the front cause the stitch kinda pulled out.
Dad, I love you guys very much! Thanks for everything. Tell Grandpa I love him and tell him to stay healthy. I can kicked off any time now. Tanessa, I havent done the talk thing yet cause we are so busy in here, so I will when we get out. Mom, thanks for everything and the monster!! I love you guys! Tell Steph and Kallee I love and miss them.
I got the letters from Grandpa. I found that 50 cent piece I hold it when I have my suit on. It reminds me of you guys and the monster does too.
Love you all.
Love Elder Nickerson
Hey everybody!!
We just got back from the Campinas temple. It is further away then the Sao Paulo temple so the traffic takes us longer to get back. It has finally rained here! It rained a lot every day of the week but the last three. It was nice to have some cool days but it is back to being really hot and smoggy.
Everybody I talk to about Salvador says how hot it is and how much hotter it is then here. For devotional this week an area 70 came and talked. It was cool! I got to shake his hand after it was over. His name was Elder Antunes. The language is still really hard but is still coming along.
It's so hard to understand them. They all talk and sound way different when they pronounce things. Well, I leave the CTM on Tuesday and take a plane for Salvador so next time I email it will be in Salvador.
We go with a bus load of missionaries! A bunch of visa waiters came in this week. No mom, I don't need stamps yet. My letters have not been heavy so I haven't used some of mine. When I go to the post office they put some on for me. If I can call I will at the airport on Tuesday.
I printed some pictures last week I'm going to try and get to the post office after this. I will try to mail them off and send pictures through email next week. I sleep good at night times, miss waking up in my own bed though. I miss the snow and the chickens. I have had to sew a couple places where the buttons go in and out of on the front cause the stitch kinda pulled out.
Dad, I love you guys very much! Thanks for everything. Tell Grandpa I love him and tell him to stay healthy. I can kicked off any time now. Tanessa, I havent done the talk thing yet cause we are so busy in here, so I will when we get out. Mom, thanks for everything and the monster!! I love you guys! Tell Steph and Kallee I love and miss them.
I got the letters from Grandpa. I found that 50 cent piece I hold it when I have my suit on. It reminds me of you guys and the monster does too.
Love you all.
Love Elder Nickerson
Friday, October 31, 2014
ONE. MONTH. DOWN.
Hey Everybody!!
I have been at the CTM for a month now. It's crazy how the time has flown by. This week a district that our district was really close to left. So that was kinda sad. There were a lot of cool guys in it. I leave here on November 11th. I only have like a week and half. I'm ready to leave. Sick of my companion. He has talked to president a couple times from other people complaining about him. He won't listen to anybody.
This week we got 88 new Brazilians here at the CTM and 50 new Americans that have been waiting for their visas for over a year. All the Brazilians are really straight forward. We got to go to the federal police station and get our license so we can proselyte on the street legally.
I overheard a Brazilian saying that on average here 3 people die here a week on the motorbikes. The bikes are crazy. They fly all over honking their horns weaving in and out of traffic. We are careful on the street. We walk in a big group so nothing to worry about now. I wasn't able to mail those letters last week. The post office was closed. And no, nothing fun for Halloween. They don't trick or treat or anything here.
Today we went to the Sao Paulo temple and I got to watch the movie with my aunt and uncle in it again and it was even in English.
It's cool to see them playing in it. The langauge is coming along. I learn more and more everyday and can am starting to understand them better.
My hair is growing good, and will need cut before I leave by the barber here in town, and my finger is doing okay.
Mom and Dad, I love you guys! Thanks for all the things and letters. I will mail my pictures today!! Love you. I will keep up on my pills and quit biting my nails! Just remember, I'm on the Lord's team. He will watch out for me!! I love you guys and I know the gospel is true! Love you all!!
They are kicking me off, bye, love you guys!!
Thanks for all the support and letters and emails.
Talk to you guys later!!! Love, Elder Nickerson
I have been at the CTM for a month now. It's crazy how the time has flown by. This week a district that our district was really close to left. So that was kinda sad. There were a lot of cool guys in it. I leave here on November 11th. I only have like a week and half. I'm ready to leave. Sick of my companion. He has talked to president a couple times from other people complaining about him. He won't listen to anybody.
This week we got 88 new Brazilians here at the CTM and 50 new Americans that have been waiting for their visas for over a year. All the Brazilians are really straight forward. We got to go to the federal police station and get our license so we can proselyte on the street legally.
I overheard a Brazilian saying that on average here 3 people die here a week on the motorbikes. The bikes are crazy. They fly all over honking their horns weaving in and out of traffic. We are careful on the street. We walk in a big group so nothing to worry about now. I wasn't able to mail those letters last week. The post office was closed. And no, nothing fun for Halloween. They don't trick or treat or anything here.
Today we went to the Sao Paulo temple and I got to watch the movie with my aunt and uncle in it again and it was even in English.
 |
| Sao Paulo |
It's cool to see them playing in it. The langauge is coming along. I learn more and more everyday and can am starting to understand them better.
My hair is growing good, and will need cut before I leave by the barber here in town, and my finger is doing okay.
Mom and Dad, I love you guys! Thanks for all the things and letters. I will mail my pictures today!! Love you. I will keep up on my pills and quit biting my nails! Just remember, I'm on the Lord's team. He will watch out for me!! I love you guys and I know the gospel is true! Love you all!!
They are kicking me off, bye, love you guys!!
Thanks for all the support and letters and emails.
Talk to you guys later!!! Love, Elder Nickerson
Friday, October 24, 2014
HALFWAY. MARK. AT. MTC.
Hey everybody!!
Sorry, I'm on so late! The traffic was really slow and we went to the Campinas temple. It was really cool, I finally got to see Marilee and Jon, my aunt and uncle, in the temple video. It was awesome!! It made me feel closer to home. The temple video was in Portuguese, but I had a headset for English. It was so cool to see them in the video.
This week has been a pretty good week. We got to go out and go proselyting. I helped give away 6 or 7 Book of Mormons. It was cool! One guy didn't want to talk at all and we can hardly speak any Portuguese. He looked irritated at first. But I bore my testimony in the best Portuguese I could, and at the end I said presente para voce (present for you) and gave him a Book of Mormon. And when I said thanks and shook his hand, I felt the spirit so strong. It looked like he was about to cry, it was sooooo cool!!
The language is really hard and I think I just have to be patient. It is going to take some time to get use to it. I'm noticing I understand a little more! The language is just really hard. I also gave my first blessing to my companion this week, I think that it went really good. My companion is so hard. My district tells me they feel bad for me. He has no respect for anybody and thinks he knows it all. I can't wait to see what a different companion is like. They talked to the President about him. We don't know what to do. He blames his problems on us, but oh well, the teachers and everybody are starting to see it. I don't have much longer with him anyways. It's hard to believe I have been here for 24 days or close to that. We are still at 5% water supply. There is not much rain at all. It is very hot and humid during the day and kinda chilly at night. I don't think I will ever get use to waking up not in my bed. Mornings are hard, get up by six or six-thirty, and just the thought of class and being with my companion all day is enough to drive a person crazy. But it's ok, I'm alomst out of here!
The water here is filtered so they have drinking fountains and yes, I have used some money on the street. I don't know if there is a spot to exchange my American money though. I don't know when to stop sending letters to me here because I'm not sure when I leave yet. Tell Betty and Norman and Kinslee thanks for the letters. I love hearing from people at home. We get to go to the street after this! Hopefully I have time to mail my letters. I have three more envelopes ready to mail to you guys. Tanessa, forward my long message to Cory and Chris. I love you guys! Thanks for all the letters! I want to keep them all. What should I do if I get too many that I cant keep them all? Cause I really want to keep them. Tanessa, I am getting all the pictures. I like them a lot. Have you guys gotten my letters yet? Dad, I heard the mail takes longer to get to you guys.
Tell Grandpa I love him and he better be around when I get home. I love what time of year you guys are going into. The late bull hunt is almost open!! Tell Jared I said hello and get the big one!! There is an Elder here that was in a ward Luke Pancheri served in. His name is Elder Brandon Welch. His ward was the old mill ward in the Omaha Nebraska mission. Tell Luke's parents to tell him.
Oh yeah there was a another lady here that had camped in Howe before. We were going in to teach a lesson and that's all I could talk to her about. She just said they camped in Howe.
On Wednesday we get pizza here. It's not as good as homes though. They feed us mostly Brazilian food. Rice, beans, meat, and different types of Brazilian food. It isn't bad for how much they have to make. Mom, I think I've gained five pounds. All we do is eat, sit in a classroom, and eat some more. We get 45 mins of physical activity, but that doesn't do anything. Some teachers are very very ornery here and act like we are three. It sometimes gets very annoying.
I cannot wait until I come back home with you guys. Tell eveybody hello. Tell Stephanie and Kallee I love them and miss them and thanks for all the letters. I love you guys so much! They could kick us off at any minute. Remember I'm grateful for everything you guys have done and still do. I love you all so much. Be safe with everything. Mom, I will take care of myself. I think I can use debit crad most anywhere but I haven't cause I still have cash.
Thanks for everything. I love you guys. I wish I could talk longer but they dont let us. It's dumb. I wish you would get my letters, I explain stuff better. Thanks for all the support. Thanks for all the prayers and fasting.
I love you guys. 30 seconds left. Tell everybody I said hello. Bye! Talk next week, bye, love you.
Talk to you guys later, Love Elder Nickerson.
Sorry, I'm on so late! The traffic was really slow and we went to the Campinas temple. It was really cool, I finally got to see Marilee and Jon, my aunt and uncle, in the temple video. It was awesome!! It made me feel closer to home. The temple video was in Portuguese, but I had a headset for English. It was so cool to see them in the video.
This week has been a pretty good week. We got to go out and go proselyting. I helped give away 6 or 7 Book of Mormons. It was cool! One guy didn't want to talk at all and we can hardly speak any Portuguese. He looked irritated at first. But I bore my testimony in the best Portuguese I could, and at the end I said presente para voce (present for you) and gave him a Book of Mormon. And when I said thanks and shook his hand, I felt the spirit so strong. It looked like he was about to cry, it was sooooo cool!!
The language is really hard and I think I just have to be patient. It is going to take some time to get use to it. I'm noticing I understand a little more! The language is just really hard. I also gave my first blessing to my companion this week, I think that it went really good. My companion is so hard. My district tells me they feel bad for me. He has no respect for anybody and thinks he knows it all. I can't wait to see what a different companion is like. They talked to the President about him. We don't know what to do. He blames his problems on us, but oh well, the teachers and everybody are starting to see it. I don't have much longer with him anyways. It's hard to believe I have been here for 24 days or close to that. We are still at 5% water supply. There is not much rain at all. It is very hot and humid during the day and kinda chilly at night. I don't think I will ever get use to waking up not in my bed. Mornings are hard, get up by six or six-thirty, and just the thought of class and being with my companion all day is enough to drive a person crazy. But it's ok, I'm alomst out of here!
The water here is filtered so they have drinking fountains and yes, I have used some money on the street. I don't know if there is a spot to exchange my American money though. I don't know when to stop sending letters to me here because I'm not sure when I leave yet. Tell Betty and Norman and Kinslee thanks for the letters. I love hearing from people at home. We get to go to the street after this! Hopefully I have time to mail my letters. I have three more envelopes ready to mail to you guys. Tanessa, forward my long message to Cory and Chris. I love you guys! Thanks for all the letters! I want to keep them all. What should I do if I get too many that I cant keep them all? Cause I really want to keep them. Tanessa, I am getting all the pictures. I like them a lot. Have you guys gotten my letters yet? Dad, I heard the mail takes longer to get to you guys.
Tell Grandpa I love him and he better be around when I get home. I love what time of year you guys are going into. The late bull hunt is almost open!! Tell Jared I said hello and get the big one!! There is an Elder here that was in a ward Luke Pancheri served in. His name is Elder Brandon Welch. His ward was the old mill ward in the Omaha Nebraska mission. Tell Luke's parents to tell him.
Oh yeah there was a another lady here that had camped in Howe before. We were going in to teach a lesson and that's all I could talk to her about. She just said they camped in Howe.
On Wednesday we get pizza here. It's not as good as homes though. They feed us mostly Brazilian food. Rice, beans, meat, and different types of Brazilian food. It isn't bad for how much they have to make. Mom, I think I've gained five pounds. All we do is eat, sit in a classroom, and eat some more. We get 45 mins of physical activity, but that doesn't do anything. Some teachers are very very ornery here and act like we are three. It sometimes gets very annoying.
I cannot wait until I come back home with you guys. Tell eveybody hello. Tell Stephanie and Kallee I love them and miss them and thanks for all the letters. I love you guys so much! They could kick us off at any minute. Remember I'm grateful for everything you guys have done and still do. I love you all so much. Be safe with everything. Mom, I will take care of myself. I think I can use debit crad most anywhere but I haven't cause I still have cash.
Thanks for everything. I love you guys. I wish I could talk longer but they dont let us. It's dumb. I wish you would get my letters, I explain stuff better. Thanks for all the support. Thanks for all the prayers and fasting.
I love you guys. 30 seconds left. Tell everybody I said hello. Bye! Talk next week, bye, love you.
Talk to you guys later, Love Elder Nickerson.
Friday, October 17, 2014
WEEK. TWO.
Hey!! So we just got back from the Campinas Brazil Temple. It is very pretty! It was cool when we went through today!
So I guess Sao Paulo is down to like 5% water supply, so they said we have to really limit our water usage. There hasn't been enough rain fall. Tanessa thanks! Thanks for Mr. Cheney's cookies. I got 24 cookies and a bag of Doritos and a box of Froot loops. It was nice to have some good American food. The food here is good, but gets old fast. Some things are nasty.
On Sundays here it's just like church. Our districts are our branches and we have a bishop and everything. We have sacrament, priesthood, doctrine class, choir, then devotional. We practice teaching fake investigators and they are our teachers. Mom, my cold is getting better! No, I haven't had any bloody noses. Sundays are still as busy as the other days. We have church and choir and devotionals and class and they call you out at random to give talks in Portuguese! I haven't been called yet, but I wouldn't be able to yet in Portuguese! I don't know enough Portuguese!
My companion is very very hard to get along with. Everybody gets in arguments with him. He thinks it's always his way and not any other way. I will have patience, but it's still hard. Yeah Tanessa I'm getting those cards. Thanks, they're cool. I have to get on another plane to fly to Salvador when I'm done with the MTC. The language is very hard and is hard for me to remember it all. I get discouraged when other people in my class do better. Some know it pretty good and almost all took Spanish before. There are three from my district going to Salvador, I'm not sure how many in the whole MTC.
I have another letter to send today. The post office is packed and they only speak Portuguese so hopefully they get sent! I love you guys. It's nice to know about home. I miss it all!! Tell everybody I said hi. I really can't wait to get out of here!! It's like prison. They say it takes two weeks for letters to get home from here. Make sure the last letters you guys send, I'm still in the MTC so I get all of them!
Laundry went good! We have to mix ours with each others and they put everything on a very tight schedule. It's hard to get anything of your own done at all. I got my clothes back. It just gets annoying that we have to do everything together. They have every step of our day planned to a T. It's hard being with other people 24/7.
Class is allllllllll day long, besides lunch and gym for 45 minutes. We wake up at 6 to shower, then personal study, breakfast, then class and teach, then lunch, then more class and teach, then dinner, class, gym, personal study, then at 9:45 head to room and lights out by ten thirty. Hardly anytime for personal time at all. It is very hard to remember any of the words at all. It is very hard for me to remember them and pronounce them. Teachers all act like we should know it by now. By the end of the day we are very frustrated!!
We met an old guy on the street last pday and he couldn't figure out why all our names were Elder and we don't know enough Portuguese to explain it to him. Our two roommates left and now we have two others. One is from Brazil and I don't remember where the other one is from. It is sooooooo hot and humid here! It's like you can't breathe at all and you can't stop sweating! You can't see any sky or stars at night times! The smog is very thick and is orange from all the lights.
I have 40 minutes on here, so email if you are around. I love and miss you guys a lot!
I got your elk poop the other day, it was really funny! Tanessa, thanks for everything, I get really excited for the day I see you guys again. I love you all, any of these emails could be my last. So if they are I love you and miss you all very very much!
Hope all is well. Forward this message to others if you want. Tell Grandpa and Charlie I miss them!
Ok guys, I have to go! I love you guys!! Hopefully two years flies by. Mom, thanks for everything you have done for me, and Dad tell Kallee I love her very much! Talk to you guys in a week!! Hopefully you get my letters, I explain stuff better. Love you all. Remember I'm always thinking of you guys and praying for you guys. Love you guys, I have to go now. Love you, tell everybody I say hello, bye, love you, I'm doing the best I can here, love you!
Love you guys! Elder Nick Nickerson
 |
| Campinas Brazil Temple |
So I guess Sao Paulo is down to like 5% water supply, so they said we have to really limit our water usage. There hasn't been enough rain fall. Tanessa thanks! Thanks for Mr. Cheney's cookies. I got 24 cookies and a bag of Doritos and a box of Froot loops. It was nice to have some good American food. The food here is good, but gets old fast. Some things are nasty.
On Sundays here it's just like church. Our districts are our branches and we have a bishop and everything. We have sacrament, priesthood, doctrine class, choir, then devotional. We practice teaching fake investigators and they are our teachers. Mom, my cold is getting better! No, I haven't had any bloody noses. Sundays are still as busy as the other days. We have church and choir and devotionals and class and they call you out at random to give talks in Portuguese! I haven't been called yet, but I wouldn't be able to yet in Portuguese! I don't know enough Portuguese!
My companion is very very hard to get along with. Everybody gets in arguments with him. He thinks it's always his way and not any other way. I will have patience, but it's still hard. Yeah Tanessa I'm getting those cards. Thanks, they're cool. I have to get on another plane to fly to Salvador when I'm done with the MTC. The language is very hard and is hard for me to remember it all. I get discouraged when other people in my class do better. Some know it pretty good and almost all took Spanish before. There are three from my district going to Salvador, I'm not sure how many in the whole MTC.
I have another letter to send today. The post office is packed and they only speak Portuguese so hopefully they get sent! I love you guys. It's nice to know about home. I miss it all!! Tell everybody I said hi. I really can't wait to get out of here!! It's like prison. They say it takes two weeks for letters to get home from here. Make sure the last letters you guys send, I'm still in the MTC so I get all of them!
Laundry went good! We have to mix ours with each others and they put everything on a very tight schedule. It's hard to get anything of your own done at all. I got my clothes back. It just gets annoying that we have to do everything together. They have every step of our day planned to a T. It's hard being with other people 24/7.
Class is allllllllll day long, besides lunch and gym for 45 minutes. We wake up at 6 to shower, then personal study, breakfast, then class and teach, then lunch, then more class and teach, then dinner, class, gym, personal study, then at 9:45 head to room and lights out by ten thirty. Hardly anytime for personal time at all. It is very hard to remember any of the words at all. It is very hard for me to remember them and pronounce them. Teachers all act like we should know it by now. By the end of the day we are very frustrated!!
We met an old guy on the street last pday and he couldn't figure out why all our names were Elder and we don't know enough Portuguese to explain it to him. Our two roommates left and now we have two others. One is from Brazil and I don't remember where the other one is from. It is sooooooo hot and humid here! It's like you can't breathe at all and you can't stop sweating! You can't see any sky or stars at night times! The smog is very thick and is orange from all the lights.
I have 40 minutes on here, so email if you are around. I love and miss you guys a lot!
I got your elk poop the other day, it was really funny! Tanessa, thanks for everything, I get really excited for the day I see you guys again. I love you all, any of these emails could be my last. So if they are I love you and miss you all very very much!
Hope all is well. Forward this message to others if you want. Tell Grandpa and Charlie I miss them!
Ok guys, I have to go! I love you guys!! Hopefully two years flies by. Mom, thanks for everything you have done for me, and Dad tell Kallee I love her very much! Talk to you guys in a week!! Hopefully you get my letters, I explain stuff better. Love you all. Remember I'm always thinking of you guys and praying for you guys. Love you guys, I have to go now. Love you, tell everybody I say hello, bye, love you, I'm doing the best I can here, love you!
Love you guys! Elder Nick Nickerson
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