Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 11:22 AM
Subject: One Day Late

 

This last week was pretty fantastic. We had a mission temple trip which was just amazing. There are ~280 missionaries in the mission so we did the trip in 4 temple sessions. So ~70 missionaries in each one, which is a lot for the little temple over here. This was a "special treat" for the mission because President and Sister Keyes go home at the end of this transfer (3 weeks). We also did exchanges this week so I was with a different missionary for a day which is always a nice change. It was pretty funny because every morning when this Elder wakes up he walks up to the mirror and tells his reflection "You're beautiful. I love you. I forgive you". Exchanges also means that I didn't have to plan one night because I was in his area :) I'm still not a huge fan of planning if you couldn't tell. It's always good to plan... the problem is that a missionary's plans (almost) never happen.

 

Mom, we are going strong with our 4th week with a car. It's a pretty big miracle. And to top it off, I haven't gained any weight since we got the car. I guess sitting is better exercise than I thought. It's only in the 80's here but its getting pretty humid so it's really really really nice to have a car.

 

Funny story. Whenever mom send me a package she always manages to fit in a few packages of powdered Idahoan potatoes. I love those potatoes and I figured that mom must have known it and that was why she kept sending them to me. Anyways, I was making some today for lunch and then I just happened to see some black lettering on the package and I was thinking "hmmmmmmmmm what does that say?" Well I looked a little closer and what do I see? "Use by 3/15/2011" Now I know the real purpose behind sending me those potatoes :D And i'ts OK because they still taste just as good.

 

Lately we have been finding a lot of "Golden Contacts" in his area. We have several people that we are teaching that are progressing really really well. We figure that as long as we keep putting in the effort and work smart that we should always have a few people that will be willing to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Well, that effort and hard work is really paying off and we are super grateful for it.

 

On Sunday one of the speakers during church said something I really liked a lot which was "[Christ] died for us. But first he lived for us". As I thought about that I really started to wonder which part of Christ's life was the hardest, the suffering that he participated in in order to make it possible for us to be clean from sin -or- the perfect life that he had to live in order to have the ability to perform the Atonement for us. Just a good question to think about a bit.

 

I was studying in the BoM this morning in Alma 60 and I read a few really cool verses. This chapter is about Captain Moroni rebuking the people in the Nephite government for not sending troops and supplies to his armies. So here's what he says in verses 7,11 and 19. "Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren— Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain. Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our country and ye are surrounded by security, that ye do not cause food to be sent unto us, and also men to strengthen our armies?" It really made me think about our lives and if some of us feel so secure and set in our ways that we feel like we don't need to spend time spreading the Gospel. Our enemies, Satan and his followers are spreading spiritual death around us among our brethren. Are we really worthy to be delivered by the goodness of God if we never put forth our efforts to save our friends and neighbors from the influences of Satan? It's our duty as Christians to help those around us to better their lives and to come unto Christ and to find the joy in their lives that we have felt in ours. Anyways, I just thought that was a pretty cool set of scriptures as I was reading this morning.

 

Well that's about it for the week folks. I'm looking forward to a great week and I hope that you all are also. So have a great one. Love You!

 

 Love

  -Elder Nyholm