Developing Patience! - 3/10/14

What's up Y'all! How y'all makin out? Mom sounds like it has been a rough past couple of weeks. I am sorry to hear that. That is just crazy. I am so happy Grandpa is feeling better too. Hey no more getting sick alright? haha. Dad take good care of mom like you always do alright? Keep me updated on how you are feeling and what else happens. I love you mom!  Thanks for all of the pictures again this week. I just can't believe how grown up the little ones are getting. Jacque looks like a 16 year old already... It is just crazy. We sure are going to have to fight off all of the boys when those little ones get older huh Dave! Oh mom thank you so much for this past package! The Frozen soundtrack has already probably been played 100 times! I can't wait to see it when I get back. And those healthy snacks have been a life saver! We have not been able to go to the store for about 2 weeks. We have been staying in our own area instead of staying over at the other Elders place. It has been good because we have been able to work our area more and work a lot with Brother R.  Well I am glad the family is doing so great. Jen good job on doing awesome on TV as you always do. I am glad Dan and Ryan are doing so great. Hopefully little brielle will start feeling better. Brit what's up! Dave sounds like all of the Tennis is going great. That is awesome. Keep up the good work all you little ones. Dad the letter you sent me this week thank you so much. That really helped me out. It is crazy how the mission is like a roller coaster. One day you are at the very top and then all of a sudden the next day you are at the bottom. This week sure has been a crazy up and down week. Mostly up though! :)  So first off it was Mardi Gras on Tuesday. Which was awesome because that was our P-Day because of transfer week. We went with Brother P.  and brother N.  to Rex parade in downtown. Unfortunately it was freezing. It was 38 degrees with rain the whole time. We froze!! We stayed for about 2 hours and saw about 10 floats and got some sweet beads. I ended up giving most of mine away to the Nielsens little kids. It was a lot of fun. When we come back down here after the mission we should try and go to Mardi Gras. It really is so awesome and really family oriented. All of the crazy stuff just happens on Bourbon Street so uptown is a great place to watch and catch a bunch of beads. I'll send some pictures.

 Alright so now to our great week of teaching and giving a bunch of blessings. First off we went over to Sister M.  house to walk her dogs and be with her for alittle bit and she has not been feeling good at all. She is in a lot of pain. All of her joints are starting to swell up and it hurts her to sit and walk. So us taking her dogs on a walk she was so happy to get them out of the house for a little bit. We walk them up and down the canal. So quick little side note. Brother Neil used to train dogs so he has given me a lot of advice to train and get dogs to behave. I  have been training sister M.  dogs and they are improving so much. I can't wait until I get home because I for sure am getting a dog. I have been thinking about a lab or something. Alright back to the story of sister M. We had been over there about 3 weeks ago and we asked her if she wanted a blessing to start feeling better and she said no. She didn't want one at all. Then when we were over there and after we took her dogs for a walk she asked me if I would give her a blessing... It was such an awesome experience because she really had a lot of faith that it would work. So we rode our bikes home really quick to change into our church clothes because I think it is better if we do it that way. We then asked if Brother Neil if he could come with us so we could enter in her house. He was right over to pick us up and we went over and Elder J.  annointed with the oil and I sealed the anointing and gave her a blessing. I felt the Spirit so strongly. All I remember about the blessing is I felt the Spirit so strongly. She needed to hear something from Heavenly Father and I know she did. Afterward Brother Neil helped her with her dogs even more with training them and showing her how to get them to do things. It was pretty funny because he asked if he could do something and she said sure. He all of a sudden just yelled SHHHHHHHH. to the dogs and they all started freaking out and he then did something and they all stopped barking and he was able to tell which one was the most troublesome. It was cool. It was great because she now gained another friend with brother Neil. He is going to start going over with us and we are going to help her with different things. Time heals everything and showing love changes peoples hearts. She still didn't come to church, but I know she felt the Spirit. 

 Alright now with Brother R..... I am very frustrated.. So this week we saw him 3 different times and taught him the main stuff that can be very awkward to teach. We started off reviewing the word of wisdom with him. We asked if he has a problem with that and he said no, but he smokes whenever he can find one. He doesn't have money to buy them which is good, but he still tries to get them. We asked him when the last time he got some and  he said 3 days ago. And guess who gave them to him........ A less active member..... This less active member helped him out and took him to a food bank to go get some food and on the way back this member started smoking and Brother R.  asked if he could have one. The member ended up giving him 3 of them.. So when we went over this he said "Well why are y'all telling me I can't smoke when your members smoke." So that put a damper on things".  Then the next day we talked about the Law of Chastity.... That is an awkward lesson not going to lie! haha. He had a hard time with it and we both think he didn't really like it. He got pretty defensive so we tried to lighten it up and help him understand. He really loves the temple pictures and he wants to go there and that is going to be his huge motivation. We committed him to live both of those laws and he said yes, but he doesn't feel ready to get baptized. And he can't because he has to be 2 weeks clean without smoking. So unfortunatly we have to push the baptism back. It is really sad.  He doesn't feel ready he told us. We are trying to stay positive with him and help him and he knows that, but he has a few problems. So that was kind of a bummer this week. I know he will get it though. I am staying positive! :)  This week we had 13 lessons. Not to bad for us! Only 6 service hours so it was really slow with the service hours. We have been doing a lot of street contacting and store contacting. We have found like 10 people this week, but about 8 of them don't live in our area so we have been giving out referrals like crazy. We are looking for more people to teach. We already have seen our efforts progress. We have found 3 less active people this past week. I love it. Our area is starting to come alive! Slowly, but surely.  My district has 2 new people. One sister from Farmington. And an elder P.  from Toolee utah. Or however you spell it haha! I am now the last person in my district that was here when I first got here. I am an old dude out here in Algiers. I like it though because I have been able to grow really close to the members. I love teaching and being an example to others. Last night it was about 8 at night and we have to be in at 8:30 on Sundays and I had no clue what to do. So we came back to our apartment and noticed there were some black kids outside. So we ran in and got the football and played pass for the remainder of the night and showed those kids that we are just normal people. We had a great time playing street football in the Ghetto! haha This week has flown by and Elder J. and I have been getting along really well. I am loving it out here. I know me being out here is not only blessing me, but all of y'all back home. Mom I hope you get feeling better this week and I am very proud of you for your faith in turning to Dad and  and Daniel for a Priesthood blessing. Isn't it so awesome having worthy Priesthood holders in our family who are able to do that amazing thing. I know blessings work. They are Spirit led and it is a little revelation between you and your Heavenly Father. My Testimony has grown so much this week by the power of Priesthood blessings. I gave 4 blessings this week and each one made me feel closer to my Savior. I love the Book of Mormon and the great examples of Missionary work in them and the personal revelation you can gain from them. I know Thomas S. Monson is a living Prophet of God today and he is Leading us in the right direction. I am so greatful for Joseph Smith. If you have a testimony of Him and the Work he did under the direction of Heavenly Father and Christ then you will know this Gospel is True. Missionary work is real and it blesses families. I know Christ lives and he will come down and walk among us again one day. I love  y'all so much and I am so happy for the knowledge we have that we will be able to live together all of us again after this life.  Well y'all I love you very much and have a great week. Mom get feeling better and y'all are always in my thoughts and prayers. Keep up the great work back home. Don't worry about me out here I am doing great. I love the work and I love the Lord. I am trying my best to be the best, but that is impossible because no one is perfect and we all with come up short, but we have the Savior to make up the rest and he loves us so much! I love y'all!! Love Elder Nickalaka PS. hey have y'all heard from those people up in Park City the ones you gave the Book of Mormon to? PSS. Hey dad yes I have been in contact with Boyder. He is doing great he said! And go hit them straight for me out on the course! Love ya!

                                Having some fun moving a family in!