Week 89

"I know this is something we can all be better at, instead of justifying our behavior, we could be more humble and recognize the gift and love that the Lord and the Savior have extended to us to be better and to love them more."

Monday, April 3rd, 2017

Elder Smith and I with two little friends.

Hey Everyone!

I had a pretty good week! We had lots of new investigators!

We have not been able to watch General Conference yet but we did find out about some great news. My mission president, Elder Joni Koch, was called on Saturday as a General Authority! He was called as a Seventy. It has been an awesome experience being a missionary under his great stewardship. He has been a wonderful spiritual leader for me during my time serving in Mozambique.

This week I found myself once again in the NT studying John. In John 2, Christ goes to the temple and sees the money changers, and gets really mad. We all know the story. 

  

14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

A scourge is a whip, but not just any whip. It's one with particular details that takes meticulous skill to craft. It is something that would take time to make. This tells me that Christ didn't just go into the temple without warning. He probably warned the money changers and told them to leave the Lord's house. And when they didn't He went and took the time to make the whip. It was only after Christ gave them a chance to change did He then go back in and rebuke them and kick them out of the Lord's presence. 

This tells us so much about Christ and his relationship with us. He will always give us the opportunity to repent, and to ask for forgiveness, it is only when we reject His atonement, his offering that we receive justice. God cannot change his laws, but Christ provides a way for us to be freed from our sin, if we take the opportunity to. 

I know this is something we can all be better at, instead of justifying our behavior, we could be more humble and recognize the gift and love that the Lord and the Savior have extended to us to be better and to love them more. 

I love you all! 

Hope you all have a great week!

-- 

Elder Nimmo

Fun Family Night!

President and Sister Koch

Week 88

"I love the mission and I will be sad when I have to leave." 

Monday, March 27th, 2017

Two brothers.

Hey Everyone,

This week was good! We had a decent amount of investigators in church this week and they should progress to baptism. I just won't be here to see it due to weddings and other preparations. I love the mission and I will be sad when I have to leave. 

This week I wanted to tell you all about the love I have developed for this people. There are some of the craziest people, other words that I only know how to say in dialect, and in spite of all of their faults I still love them for who they are. I hope that I can always do this with people in the future. 

In Mark 12:31 it reads,

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." 

I love this scripture. After commanding us to love God we are then commanded to love our neighbor. I am sure I have already talked about this scripture but I think it applies to multiple things.  

The first time I spoke of this scripture I spoke of how we need to learn to love ourselves first. Hopefully we have all mastered that aspect. Now I speak of showing others the love we have for them. It is pretty simple to understand and I don't think it needs much of an explanation. However I invite all of you to love your neighbor.

I love the gospel and living it brings me joy.

Have a great week!

Elder Nimmo

African tree.

This area is Intaka.

We travel far to teach here.

The calm...

...before the storm.

Elder Smith and I take the long bus ride back home to Magoanine.

Week 87

"This is how I want myself and my companion to work. In unison and with the authority of God, through the power of His Holy Spirit."

"I hope they call me on a mission when I have grown a foot or two." 

Cole with his first "companion" - his little sister Savannah.

Hey Everyone!

This week was good but not as good as we hoped it to be. We had to let go of some people that we had been teaching which is always hard so we can find others who are prepared to act on the message that we teach.

Also there is a lot of crazy stuff happening in the mission and I can't confirm this week what is happening but I will let you all know next week. All I know is that I might never go to Swaziland. 

I wanted to share a scripture with you all in the book of Alma. It is the story of Alma and Amulek and how they worked so well together as missionary companions.

In these verses in Alma 11 and 12 it reads. 

Alma 11:39  And Amulek said unto him: Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;

Alma 11:46  Now, when Amulek had finished these words the people began again to be astonished, and also Zeezrom began to tremble. And thus ended the words of Amulek, or this is all that I have written.

Alma 12:1  Now Alma, seeing that the words of Amulek had silenced Zeezrom, for he beheld that Amulek had caught him in his lying and deceiving to destroy him, and seeing that he began to tremble under a consciousness of his guilt, he opened his mouth and began to speak unto him, and to establish the words of Amulek, and to explain things beyond, or to unfold the scriptures beyond that which Amulek had done.

This is how I want myself and my companion to work. In unison and with the authority of God, through the power of His Holy Spirit. If we successfully do this we will have no difficulties helping those to know the truth of the Gospel.

I know that the work will progress rapidly if we all have courage like these two servants of the Lord. And I know we will be blessed for defending the truth continually, whether it be easy or difficult.

I love you all! Until next week!

Elder Nimmo

P.S. - Sorry, no photos.

Week 86

"We need to treat others not the way we want to be treated but the way Christ would treat them."

Monday, March 13th, 2017

 Selfie with Elder Griffeth. 

Hey Everyone!

This past week I have been off my foot for a while. I got my stitches taken out today and it was super quick. I hope this doesn't happen again.

It felt so good to get back out and go to work! Elder Smith is a great companion determined to get work done!

I love the people here so much and honestly feel like this is my second home. (First being America of course!)

In John 13:15 it reads:

For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

This is a very simple scripture but I know that it exists to help us realize the simplicity of our mission here on earth and how we are to behave. 

Christ was our perfect example and we know that we need to do everything we can to be like Him. After receiving the ordinances and making covenants, that we are prepared to realize we must do as He did, be as He is. 

We need to treat others not the way we want to be treated but the way Christ would treat them. I know as we do this we will be happier and the world will be as well.

I love you all,

Elder Nimmo

Elder Nimmo and Elder Smith: Mission companions/bowling rivals.

Victorious.

Elder Grace made me take this photo because he beat my score.

Great P-day bowling.

Even better day teaching this investigator.

Week 85

"Will you not love Him who first loved you?  Then keep His commandments. Will you not be a friend to Him who laid down His life for His friends? Then keep His commandments. Will you not abide in His love and receive all that He graciously offers you? Then keep His commandments."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson

Monday, March 6th, 2017

A Sister Koch selfie of a car full of missionaries.

Hey Everyone!

This week was low-key chill. We had an odd start to the week because of transfers. 

We had a few solid days of work however because of interviews as well as the Zone conference we didn't have ample time to work in our area. After Zone conference on Friday I had surgery on my toe for the second time. This time wasn't as bad during the surgery but afterward it got pretty crazy. Today I go to get my stitches taken out and afterwards we are going bowling! I'm not sure if I will bowl due to my toe.

We have some good people that we're teaching. One couple in particular are great, Aurelio and Michela. There is just one problem, they don't want to get married NOW. Michela doesn't believe in love that lasts forever so she doesn't see her marriage going very far. That is what we need to help her gain a testimony of, because she already has a testimony of everything else.

At Zone conference we read a talk entitled "Abide in My Love" by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. I would like to share a small part of that talk with all of you:

What a precious gift is divine love! Filled with that love, Jesus asks, “Will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?” Tenderly He reassures, “Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come… will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.”

Will you not love Him who first loved you?  Then keep His commandments. Will you not be a friend to Him who laid down His life for His friends? Then keep His commandments. Will you not abide in His love and receive all that He graciously offers you? Then keep His commandments. I pray that we will feel and fully abide in His love, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I loved this talk because it's hard not to love Jesus. He is our Savior and Redeemer. He did everything for our benefit. I suggest you read the entire talk. I like the end of it in particular because it gives such a loving invite from the Savior himself, to turn ourselves away from the natural man, repent of our sins, and keep His commandments. We do all of this because we love Him and He loves us. Just like Elder Christofferson prayed, I also pray, that we feel and fully abide in His love.

I love the mission and I hope that however my mission ends, it will end brightly.

I love you all and wish you a good week!

Elder Nimmo

Zone conference

I got my haircut short.

Meet my new companion Elder Smith from Ogden, Utah. 

Week 84

"I have a strong testimony of the work that is being done in all the world to bring God's children back to Him."

Monday, February 27th, 2017

Estadio do Zimpeto

Hey Everyone!!! 

I hope you all had a great week!

Transfers happened this week and I'm staying in Zimpeto. I said goodbye to Elder ChirChir and hello to Elder Smith. 

We had some great investigators come to church today. Our hope is that we will have at least one baptism this transfer.

I have a strong testimony of the work that is being done in all the world to bring God's children back to Him.

Sorry this is so short but it's always busy on transfer days!

Love you all,

Elder Nimmo

Zimpeto Stadium

Goodbye to Elder ChirChir...

Week 83

...it would be very easy for people to give up because of difficulties but I know that even through the tough times we are able to do that which is right, with the Savior by our side and including Him in all we do."

Monday, February 20th, 2017

"...the refiner's fire does make us stronger."

Hey Everyone!

This week the work was super good!

We have a couple that we are teaching who are preparing to be baptized on the first of April! We hope they continue progressing towards this life changing blessing. We found a lot of people again this week and we are hoping to continue finding new people to teach. Four people came to church so we were super excited that our area being so far from the church doesn't impede some of our investigators from coming!

It's hard to believe that I will be going home in July. I have enjoyed my mission so much and serving the people here in Mozambique has taught me so much. But it has not been without some adversity and trials, and they have been especially tough as of late. I say this because it would be very easy for people to give up because of difficulties but I know that even through the tough times we are able to do that which is right, with the Savior by our side and including Him in all we do. I have a testimony that the refiner's fire does make us stronger.

In 2 Nephi 31:20 it reads:

"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life

I know that each and every one of us can continue forward relying on Christ to help us. I know that we need to do our part through enduring the challenges and obstacles that face us. And if we do these things while we continually learn from our mistakes we can become better people, more like Jesus and we can receive the blessing of Eternal life. 

I love you all and I desire a great week for all of you!

Love,

Elder Nimmo

P.S. Sorry for the lack of photos - only one. This is like a yogurt made out of something called Marfura. I also had a fish eye this week!

Marfura: This tasted like creamy tree bark...mmmmmm!