Week 6

Elder Nimmo has left the building...

Sunday, August 30th, 2015

Last email in the United States! Ahhhh!

I feel so many different emotions right now. Mostly anxiety because I have to pack right after this but I feel such a yearning to go and serve the people of Africa and teach them of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Estou Muito Animado!!!!! I have had such a great experience here in the MTC but I know the Lord needs me elsewhere. Our travel group was cut in half from 16 to 8 people. The other people have to wait another week and a half in the MTC. I feel blessed to be going so soon but I know that the people who are waiting are there for a purpose. Just like the Lord is preparing people for me to meet, the Lord is preparing people for them. If I have learned anything in the MTC it is that God is omniscient and good! He loves all His children and knows what everyone needs before they do. 

I quickly want to thank my wonderful family who have always been there to support me in all things in my life. I have felt your love and continue to feel it everyday. Thank you to all the leaders in the ward and the members both in the NH and in MA. I would especially like to thank my friends. My friends have always supported me and helped me to live the standards of the church and to uphold my morals. Without them I would not have had as much happiness as I have in my life. 

For all the young men in the Bedford ward, listen carefully, a mission is the best thing you will do in your life. I encourage you all and pray that you will all want to serve the Lord as you see how He has blessed your life, so that you may bless the lives of others for Him. Feed His sheep! I have felt the love of God so much in these past 6 weeks and have felt my soul and heart grow closer to Him. I pray for all of you and I hope all of you are doing swell! "If ye love me keep my commandments."- John 14:15 

My father taught me something very valuable before my mission and that is to love others as I love Christ. I love my Savior. I know He died for me and suffered for my mistakes and sins so that I might be made whole through Him. Love others. I pray you might let the light of Christ shine through you in works and deed. I have to go but I will send word of Africa soon! I love you all so much, this church is true and brings happiness and peace to everyone. I know these things to be true. 

Talk to you all soon and I hope to hear from you!

Elder Nimmo

P.S. Last photos of the Provo MTC experience, there are a lot!

Goodbye photo of Elder Nimmo's district. His Portuguese teacher asked the young men to seek out the ugliest tie they could borrow/find and wear it for the farewell photo. #success

Elder Nimmo and Irmao (meaning: brother) Nore, his Portuguese teacher.

This is where the missionaries ate three meals a day. Cole gained five pounds over the 6 weeks but not because of the MTC food but from all of the packages of Krispy Kream donuts, cookies, candy and junk food that his family and friends mailed to him.

He was able to attend the Provo temple -

six times while at the MTC.

 Elder Nimmo with his companion Elder Jimenez and Elder Mitchell with Elder Webber

Cole kept his sense of humor and  

 still found time to goof around!

These two friends were supposed to serve in Angola but at the last minute, because of visa issues, were reassigned to serve in Arizona. Many missionaries have problems with getting visas, Cole is thankful he is able to leave to serve in Mozambique right away.

Cole made some great NEW friends...

and reconnected with some OLD friends too!

The two "Coles", as people knew them in our Bedford/Manchester Wards and Concord Stake, have been friends since they were in the nursery together. 

Elder Cole Sansoucie will be serving in the Orem, Utah mission. 

This is the photo of Elder Nimmo with Elder Brown sent via text by a sweet woman at the SLC Airport. I'm so grateful that she offered up her phone for my son to call home before boarding his plane. 

After 4 flights, 9 times zones, and roughly 35 hours of travel he will arrive in Maputo, Mozambique. 

Then the REAL adventure begins! 

Week 5

MTC has been "meh-neeng-ay" but it's time to go...

Tuesday, August 25th, 2015

Oy! Tudo Bem?! Portuguese/Mozambique Word of the Week: Meningue meaning nice or cool. 

Meh-neeng-ay = Nice. Nice is just the English word nice. In Mozambique they use English words as slang, like the word of the week. Also I discovered that If I ever serve in Swaziland I will learn some of the "clicking" language. No joke. 

Oh! I got my Flight Plans!!!! I leave this Sunday, August 30th and get to Mozambique on the 1st of September the exact day my International Driver's License is valid. It's a long couple of flights. They have the 16 of us, yes 16 missionaries going to Mozambique, traveling from SLC to LAX. Then from LAX we have a 15 hour flight to London Heathrow. After a three hour layover in London we have a 12 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. Then our last flight is about 3 hours to Maputo, Mozambique. It is one killer of a trip but it is so worth it. I cannot wait to teach people about the gospel that has brought so much joy and peace in to my life. 

I feel like I haven't shown you guys what I have been learning in the MTC. So I will share my testimony, the things that I know to be true, as I know them right now. In Portuguese? Eu sei que Deus ama nos. Ele e nosso querido Pai Celestial. Ele mando seu Filho, Jesus Cristo. Eu Sei que Jesus Cristo moriu para nos e vive hoje para nos. Eu sei que A Igreja de Jesus Cristo Dos Santos Dos Ultimos Dias e verdadeiro. I know these things with all my heart and I can't wait to share these things with the people in Mozambique. I hope all of you will come closer to our Savior and learn of Him that our love for Him will grow. I wish the best for all of you and I look for your emails every week. I pray that all might know of His gospel. 

With love, 

Elder Nimmo

Peace out Provo! Movin' on to Mozambique! 

Week 4

He's in the zone, figuratively and literally

Tuesday, August 18th, 2015

Our zone, as of this past Sunday. However many of them left yesterday for the mission field.

I'm still here, in fact my district is the veterans in the zone.  

Sunday walk to the Provo Temple.

View from the temple out toward the grounds and the valley.

Double rainbow over the MTC!

A cool photo taken from inside a classroom of us outside. 

Hey everyone! 

Tudo Bem?!?! (Everything well?!?!) I am loving the mission so far! Not too much to talk about in the MTC. I am so glad I am serving a mission. My Portuguese is coming along very quickly. Thank you high school Spanish. I did get sick. It happens to a lot of people here. The food is decent and I have gained 5 pounds since I've been here. I really don't have much more to write other than I'll be gone in two weeks! I hope everyone is doing well. I love this church and this gospel. Jesus is the Christ and He died for all of us. I have a testimony and a knowledge in my heart that these things which I have learned and continue to learn are true and good. 

Thanks to everyone reading these and writing me! I appreciate the support! 

With love!

Elder Nimmo

Week 3

It's a small Mormon world!

Tuesday August 11th, 2015

Look who Elder Nimmo connected with in the MTC! Elder Benjamin Carroll was in his Zone until yesterday when he left to serve in Brazil. 

These boys won Pinewood Derbies together, both worked hard to earn their Eagle Scout Award and now they're missionaries together. Elder Carroll moved away to Texas years after this photo was taken. 

Long hair was the look Cole was going for back in 2006.

    Shorter hair and a little taller for this full circle moment with an old friend from New Hampshire. 

Hey everyone! 

So update from this past week! Last Tuesday during devotional President Russell M. Nelson spoke to us and I got good enough seats to be within 100 ft of him! It was awesome! The MTC is great and I love it here. I was released as District Leader on Sunday and we lost another 5 people. Oh did I mention that Ben Carroll was in my Zone? Yeah he left yesterday for Brazil! I hope he does well. Everyone in my district feels love for each other and have a sense of brotherhood. I can feel bonds being made and I am excited for my return almost as much as I am excited to leave for Mozambique. I am loving the temple and I love that I get to go there every Tuesday and every Sunday for a Zone walk. My favorite parts of the day besides being in the class is being able to reflect at night in my journal and spend quality time with the Elders. 

My testimony has been strengthened so much in just three weeks in the MTC so I can only imagine how much it will grow over the next 23 1/2 months in the field. I want to let everyone know that I love them and appreciate all the support I have been given. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. I can not deny Him. I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us and that His plan is meant to bring us happiness, peace, and comfort. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God who restored Christ's church here on the Earth and I know it is led today by a Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. 

As I have begun to read the Book of Mormon over, I'm in the book of Mosiah and gaining a greater testimony of its teachings. I started reading the introduction pages and testimonies in the beginning of the book in the Portuguese Language. I began the book Jesus the Christ and I have never felt the spirit so strong or so constant in my whole life, nor have I worked so hard for something. I challenge everyone, my friends back home, my family and everyone who is reading this to think about what you want most in your life and what would bring you peace. I know that if you read the Book of Mormon and have a desire in your hearts, a desire to know the truth, the truth will be made manifest to you by the power of the Holy Ghost. I cannot turn away. All I can do now is work hard, and keep moving forward. 

If any of you would like to write me, I would enjoy that very much. I love you all and I know that I am where the Lord wants me to be.

Elder Nimmo

"If any of you would like to write me, I would enjoy that very much."

It sounds like Elder Nimmo would really appreciate hearing from you. I thought I would take this time to give you the address for the MTC where he will be until August 31st.

Elder Nicholas Carothers Nimmo
Mozambique, Maputo Mission box 143
Missionary Training Center
2005 N. 900 E. 
Provo, UT  84604

Email address: nicholas.nimmo@myldsmail.com

Week 2

Little laundry and a lot of friendship...

Tuesday August 4th, 2015

Hey everyone,

Week two here is over at the Missionary Training Center. I am supposed to leave August 30th for Mozambique! And before I forget, congrats Jessie Hills on your mission call to Rome, Italy! 

Thank you to everyone who has shown me support and helped me get to where I am. If I haven't talked to you directly I apologize it's hard to write everyone in only an hour worth of emailing. The language is coming along!!! haha! I taught a lesson with my companion yesterday without any materials in our hands. The gift of tongues is real, even though I know I haven't experienced the half of it. 

I started reading the Book of Mormon again from the beginning and I love it. Even started it in Portuguese. I feel the Spirit here everyday. Oh and tonight I think were going to here from an Apostle!!! This email isn't very long so I apologize. The MTC is great - I love it! I love my zone and district it's like we’re a big family! The food here isn't bad and surprisingly I haven't gained too much weight. I feel like Nephi when the frame of his body was full of weakness because of the strength of the Spirit. Every night we hit our knees to pray and then fall asleep exhausted haha! I was reading in John 13 the other day, I loved it! Often times we see Christ as our Master but it's humbling to think that He is our brother who loves us and treats us as his equal even though we are all far from perfect. I know that He loves us and He lives. I know He has a plan for us and that His plan will bring us happiness. I love you all and hope I can write a little more next time. 

With Love,

Elder Nimmo

Top left to the right is Elder Webber, Elder Mitchell, Me, Elder Thompson, Elder Stewart and Elder Bott. Next Row. Elder Podzikowski, Elder Green, Elder Kaelberer, and my companion Elder Jimenez. Sister Hunsaker who left the MTC and Sister Rosbach at the bottom.

Same people plus Elder Duque on the left and Elder Christensen who both left yesterday. 

Elder Webber and I