Elder Nimmo's Adventures in Africa: June 2017

"I love the branch so much. I love the people that we are teaching even more. This will definitely be my favorite area in Swaziland and one of my favorites of my whole mission."

Monday, June 5th, 2017

Me with Sister Josephine.

Hey Everyone,

This week has been pretty wild. Elder Alvarado and I worked extremely hard this week. We even pushed Enoch and his family's baptism forward a week.

We met some terrific new people, like Nokwanda, who are searching for guidance in their lives and humbly look to the Lord for said guidance. We see a lot of success in the future weeks and months here in Sidwashini.

The Mission tour and/or Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Palmer was super good. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting one of our Area Seventy and his wife. I am so excited for the work.

There are some photos of me with some members. We should have had a baptism this week but the Branch President cancelled it. I was more than upset but the important thing is that there is always next week.

I bought a bunch of chocolate and candies for the members because the Branch President also cancelled the American BBQ that the missionaries had planned. So many people showed up and were upset to see that the activity was cancelled earlier that morning. I wanted to give them something to help them feel less disappointed.

I love the branch so much. I love the people that we are teaching even more. This will definitely be my favorite area in Swaziland and one of my favorites of my whole mission.

I love you all,

Elder Nimmo

She's such a sweet woman.

Selfie with Sister Palmer, the wife of our Area Seventy.

We discovered that we're both close friends with the Rollins Family!

Girls in the branch who are friends with our investigator Candy.

Selfie with Candy, she'll be baptized soon.

"I know He will be with each of us as we strive to be more like Him, through our service and yes even through, especially through our sufferings."

Monday, May 29th, 2017

"ANGINASITSA" or "I HAVE NO ENEMY"

Hey Everyone!

This week has been a good one. My new companion, Elder Alvarado, likes to work hard, so this week we have been doing a lot of it! He is a nice guy, 26 years old, and is one transfer behind me. We went to a museum today and came back to do the internet and now I'm writing to all of you.

In Acts 17:27 we are told by Paul that “He is not far from each one of us.” Each of us! All people can enjoy God’s presence. But there are many who don’t, and yes even in the church there are many who don’t. I think we tend to go through life sometimes as if our only strength is our own and the solutions are to come from within us. That if we could just being more obedient, or study the scriptures more, or do our own kind of spiritual workout ……sometimes we get so caught up in the things to do that it tricks us into thinking that is what saves us, that if we just hold on to all the good we do we can hold onto that, that instead of clinging to Jesus Christ.

It was in my hardest moments that I found out that Jesus is with me, it was when I struggled and had nowhere else to turn that I would get that little whisper telling me He was with me and I wasn’t alone. I found out that Jesus is real for myself. He is my Savior and my Redeemer and my friend… someone who will never leave me or forsake me even when I don’t think He’s paying any attention to me. I guess I knew this all along, but it would be so easy to get lost in all the good that I do, that I could miss the Savior all together.

I pray that all of you will use all the tools at our disposal like the scriptures and our Prophet and Apostles and our leaders at church and even the teachers and speakers to help guide us to Christ and keep Him at the front of all we do. It was when I was focused on others and forgot about myself that I truly felt that I was becoming more like Christ. In Philippians, Paul says that we should be confident that "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” I know He will be with each of us as we strive to be more like Him, through our service and yes even through, especially through our sufferings.

Love you all,

Elder Nimmo