Week 2

HOLA



So I have been here for 2 weeks now I can`t believe it. Things are going pretty well here. The only problem is that the members don’t help us at all and it`s so hard without there help. We have a lady in the ward who is pretty old who just tells gossip about everyone and that makes people not want to come to church so it`s kinda frustrating. But anyways we are probably going to have a baptism this Sunday with this girl Denise she is 17 so that will be really great. The other night we were standing in the street contacting people and my comp was like, ok elder your going to go contact the next person all by yourself and I was so scared but I finally got the guts to do it, and it was some semi drunk guy, and I really didn’t make much sense with what I said but my comp jumped in and made it make sense. But we set up an appointment and usually 1 out of every 30 people who you set an appointment with are actually there when you show up. But we went over there and he was waiting there and had a little book we gave him in his hand. So we taught him and it was cool. In lessons I don’t say much but I say what I do know. I still can’t understand really anything people are saying it’s so hard. They talk so fast and I can never say what I want to say. But it’s pretty nuts here because our mission president wants us to commit people to baptism on the first lesson and even in contacts in the street. It seems like things are so focused on numbers here. My gets all number happy but it`s all good. We are also teaching this guy Juan who is ready for baptism but I guess he has some problem so he can't yet but it is fixable so if you could pray for him that would be great. I don’t know what it is but that’s just what our district leader told us from the interview.


So I ate something really nasty I had to eat prunes and they were huge and I also had to drink the prune juice. It was so disgusting. Also we ate some soy meat this week and we ate it twice, it was ok but twice in the same week with out eating real meat, kind of sad. But I did eat something really good called a tirasco. (Picture below)


My comp is miss Betty Crocker, he made some way good cinnamon rolls and then last night made some sugar cookies that were amazing!!! We made burgers the other day for lunch it was way good. This investigator made us some home made bread the other day and wow it was so good and so with that I fried an egg and had an egg sandwich. But that’s the updates with food.


So like a week ago my comp and I had to make a trip to where he got robbed in one of the other cities and I got to go to the prison it was great fun, kinda scary, but fun because we got to wear our p-day clothes and it wasn't Monday. I love you all so much and I will have some good stories to come I hope. One person said my Spanish has gotten better so that was good to hear, but I love everyone so much.

LOVE ELDER Nichols

I made it!!!

Well family I did have a really long letter that I had typed out but LDS mail decided to erase it while I was still in the process of typing it, so here is the summed up version.

My comp is from Richmond Virgin. I am in a town of about 1000 it´s called Dichato, it´s right on the coast. My comp is all right, he speaks Spanish really well. This is one of the poorest places in my mission most of the people here have nothing and it´s very humbling. The people here have been pretty patient with my Spanish, my grammar is not correct but I know they can understand for the most part what I am trying to say, but the problem is that I can understand what they are saying. They all speak so fast it´s crazy. Where we live it´s pretty nice for the most part. But we have a hot water heater that we have to light when we want to take a shower, and the shower floor is nasty it needs a good deep cleaning haha. But Anywho I got here on Tuesday and the flight was so long it was nuts. But when I got to the city we got right to work. We taught a guy on the beach, that was cool, also later that night we were teaching this woman and her step daughter and she had a little boy and the baby pulled her shirt down and lets just say I saw more than I probably should have. Then later that night when my comp and I were visiting an investigators family the family liked my tie and he said I had to give it to them to have because if they like it you have to give it to them. So I started to pull it off and them my comp just started laughing and said he was just messing with me. It was funny.

Also there are so many dogs here that belong to nobody and they are EVERYWHERE it´s nuts. Also Chile won the qualifying game for the world cup on sat night so it was CRAZY here. People were in their cars and yelling and waiving flags and honking and it was pretty fun. I just hope they don't get out soon.

The food here is pretty good, my first meal was way good they call it longinisa it´s a sausage thing and then it was wrapped in chicken and then had mashed potatoes in it, it was way good.
So I had to bear my testimony in church on Sunday which it´s a small branch of like 30 but there are like 200 something on the chart but only like 16 came on Sunday. I introduced myself and I told everybody that I had grandchildren when I was trying to say nieces and nephews, I couldn't remember the word for it and the branch president told me the wrong word as a joke, everybody looked kinda confused but yeah good times. As I started to bear my testimony the spirit hit me so strongly like never before and I just started to cry it was interesting and talk about my love for my Savior. Anyways I really wanna say more but I have to go. I love you all so much and hope to hear from you all. Everybody please email me if you have time.
Love Elder Nichols

Garrett with the Mission President and his wife

Dear family,

Your son has arrived safely and securely in Concepción Chile. He has met his trainer and is now working diligently in his new sector. We are excited to have him here and expect to see many miracles through his service. Attached is a letter from him, a photo with President and Hermana Chavez, and a map to help you know where your missionary is serving. Thank you for your sacrifice and support.

Elder Eric Davis

Secretario

Misión Chile Concepción

Pictures from Garrett at the MTC

Under each picture is what Garrett wrote on the back:

Missionary Impossible


Roger, Roger...do you copy? This is a language program that is supposed to help you learn Spanish but the program hates me it always shuts down.


Me in class...So Happy


Sweet light saber pic


First Sunday at the MTC


My companion and I getting ready


My District on the first week


Here is my hair parted. (Kinda creepy/cool that he looks like dad here)

Chile Here I come!

Hey everybody!!!

So I am leaving on monday at 6 in the morning I am pretty happy but really nervous at the same time. I leave Utah at 951 am and fly to LAX airport get there at 10:45 then leave for Chile at 120 pm and we will not get to Santiago until 525 am then we fly to Concepcion at 800 and get there at 905. It's gonna be pretty crazy I must say. It will be really weird to just be sitting there and not have to do anything.
So I just want to tell everyone that I have been so blessed here to have such a great district and it has been so fun. We are all so close. In the TRC on monday we taught a lady from Honduras and I think I spelt that wrong so I'm sorry, but it was so hard to understand her but even though I really didn't understand her much I was able to say what I felt she needed to hear durring the lesson. We taught another lesson to my old teacher and it was cool because she asked me a few questions and I didnt have a clue what she said, but I just started talking, and after the lessson she said that what I said back fit with what she asked and I know that was the spirit helping me. Last sunday we had testimony meeting and I went up and bore my testimony and I felt the spirit so strong it was great.

The fire side on Tuesday night was really good. The woman used to be the young womans president but she talked about some really good things. She focused on how we can do hard things and get through them. She said quote"anything worth doing wasnt easy" and it reminded me of red flag day in wrestling and how I was always so tired and gave it my all and I WANT TO GIVE IT my ALL on the mission and be dead every night from working so hard. I know that I can do hard things and I have to remember that.

So last week I was sick I had a cough it was no fun, but I'm all better now because I took some drugs haha. But this week all of a sudden it got cold no megusta tiempo. SO I am happy that I am heading off for Chile but there are some areas where I may be in the Andes mountains so it could get pretty cold:(. Anyways love you all and cant wait to hear from you.

Love Elder Nichols