April 18, 2016--Week 36

Hey everyone,

Another week flew by in New Jersey. I love it here, but I don’t really have a whole ton of things to report because it is pretty much the same old stuff as usual. Daily miracles, working hard, being happy, speaking to a lot of people, and serving others. So instead of emailing a long message, I will just send a few pictures.

I know that this is where I need to be and that there is no where I would rather be. I know I say it all the time, it's true. I love you all! Have a great week!

-Elder Nickerl

P.S.  This is a side note from Jacob’s mom:  This past week, Jacob lost his wallet—or it was stolen—we aren’t sure.  As you can imagine, it created a lot of extra stress in his life.  The mission president allowed him to coordinate with me to cancel his debit card and order a new one.  But getting a new Utah driver’s license was going to be over a two month process (not a great idea when you are supposed to be able to drive) and it was going to be impossible to replace his dependent military ID, along with many other frustrations.  Jacob and I prayed very hard for a miracle.  Friday morning, I got a call here in Utah that someone had turned Jacob's wallet in to the police department there in a town by where Jacob lives.  When he got it back, everything was completely intact.  How often does that happen?  We know the Lord’s hand was in this and that he cares about the “inconveniences” in our lives.

This is Sister 윤정일. She is the Relief Society president.

This is Sister 송덕희. She is just an awesome member missionary. 

And this is probably my favorite restaurant here. It's really good.

April 11, 2016--Week 35

Hey everyone,

This has been a great week here in New Jersey! A lot happened this week, no new investigators really, but a lot happened anyway. 

On Tuesday, we did exchanges with the zone leaders, and I learned a lot.  I found a lot of answers to what needs to be done in this area. I learned a lot about how to work with members and to get people involved in the work even in little ways to make a big difference. On top of that, Elder Jeon and I have been speaking only Korean with each other and I finally this week feel like everything is coming together. To a degree it feels weird when we speak English with members or on the street. In no way am I more comfortable in Korean, but after only speaking it for a while, it is weird to speak in English. I finally feel like I understand what people say, I no longer translate everything in my head when I hear it and, for the most part, I have no problem speaking. To other people it sounds weird, but they get the point almost all the time. I have been able to memorize vocab like crazy which I haven't been able to do for a while. I am doing about 40 words a day and last night when we reviewed this weeks vocab I knew them all and didn't forget any. I truly feel the gift of tongues this week as it is all FINALLY coming together. I don't think anyone who hasn't learned Korean would understand, but it isn't easy, and it is like night and day difference between last week. I feel great about it. 

Then to top off this week, President Taggart came to the Korean branch to train the ward leaders in ward council and gave a great training and throw down. The members needed it and I learned a ton. I am excited to see what this will bring for the following weeks. Elder Jeon and I (and the other Korean missionaries) have a lot to do to get the members involved, but we know what we have to do and are getting started because it will take a while.

This week I am truly grateful for the power of personal revelation. I am thankful that we can have the Gift of the Holy Ghost to receive answers to questions that we have. God does not leave us alone in the dark. I am thankful for answers that we can and do receive. I know that if we have questions, sometimes it feels like they can never be answered, but they can. All we have to do is sincerely ask the God above. He loves us and he wants to help us, but if we don't go to him, he can't help us. He loves us enough that he won't force us to do anything, but he gives us the tools to find him. Those tools being prayer, scripture study, prophets, apostles, church, personal revelation, etc. I am thankful for this. I know it is true. Miracles exist and this is all because we have a Father in Heaven who loves us. We are here on Earth to become like him. This I know to be true and bare witness to all of you.

Have a great week and look to serve those around you! If you are having a hard time in your own life, turn to help others and I promise you you will be able to forget your own troubles and feel the love of God. 

I love you all!
-Elder Nickerl

April 4, 2016--Week 34

Hey everyone,

Not too much to report this week in terms of missionary work. It’s been pretty slow. We are really struggling to find anyone to teach and have been unable to for quite some time. We do a lot of contacting, but the people here don't seem to be super interested. It's a little discouraging at times, but in the end of the day, I feel comfortable going to bed knowing I have done my part and everyone has their agency to choose to accept or not. 

I am very thankful that this weekend was general conference, especially since it meant that we had a couple semi-relaxing days. I am so thankful that we have such inspired men leading and guiding this church, but more importantly I am thankful that they are all men who follow God's will. I am thankful for all that we have been taught this weekend specifically about family. I am truly grateful for the knowledge of eternal families, that one day, we will live with those that we love forever if we keep the commandments of God. I know that this is true. During conference, each time there was a message shared about family, I felt a deep reassurance from the Spirit that it was true. 

On a little different note, I loved Elder Holland's talk about God's love for each of us as his children. At times on my mission, I have had the wonderful experience of seeing just a fraction of the love that God has for me and his children on this Earth. Even this small fraction that I've felt has been enough to overwhelm me and on several occasions I have been brought to tears of joy knowing that God loves us. I know that it is true.  I know our Father in Heaven loves each one of us individually. He knows us, he understands us, and he wants what is best for us and all we have to do is follow his plan for us and then sit and watch in amazement as he works wonders in our lives. I'm thankful once again that God has once again called a prophet on the Earth today and that he leads and guides this church through him. Thomas S. Monson is a real prophet, just listen to him speak and I promise that if you let it, the Spirit will testify of the truth of his words.

I love you all, and hope you have a great week!

-Elder Nickerl

March 28, 2016--Week 33

Hey everyone,

This week has been pretty uneventful, but it's the start of a new transfer. 

This week we learned how to use the bus system in our area because our area now has a random city about 7 miles from our house that we have to bus to, but that area is so much better than what we normally work in. It doesn't have any Koreans, but it has a lot of English speaking people who we can work with there. This week we found a really good potential there. Her name is Tanya and we are meeting with her again tomorrow. Other than that, not too much in order. I sent a lot of pictures, I'm doing well. 

I hope all of you have wonderful weeks!

-Elder Nickerl

Photos:

This is our branch mission leader/2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency and his family. 

They are awesome.

This is the Relief Society President in the branch. She is also awesome.

This is a family in our ward--the only ones in our area.

This was the night before transfers.

This is how we proselyting now... President gave us permission to proselyte in regular clothes... It is so much more effective and so we do it a couple times a week.

We heart attacked a members door.

March 21, 2016--Week 32

Hey everyone,

This has been a super crazy busy week with too much stuff to mention in one email, so I will just keep it to the most important things. First, tomorrow is transfers, I will be staying one more transfer here in the walking area with my new companion Elder Jeon. After that, I’ll probably go English for a little bit. There is a big story behind all that, but it took a super long explanation so if you want it, ask my mom for the email.

Second, we had the best contact of my mission this week. We knocked a random door and the old Korean lady who answered told us she was not interested, but we asked if we could just say a prayer with her to which she agreed and invited us in to kneel down. After we prayed, she gave us water, then fed us a huge meal with a ton of fruit and Korean noodles. Then she gave us kimchi to take home. A LOT of kimchi. Then she gave us about $100 dollars of Korean noodles to take home and another $50 of food. We aren't super sure why, but we were stoked and she was super nice. Here is the food. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but it is a TON.

Also this week, we got permission from President Taggart for the Korean missionaries to contact people in normal clothes, not church clothes. We believe this will truly change things for our area. In all honesty, it sounds like a super bad idea, but if you were here, you would understand. Anyway, with this transfer coming to a close, I am truly grateful for all the help I have had through this transfer via prayers, fasting, and all other things that have made things easier for me. I am grateful for what the Lord is molding me into. I know there is nothing better I could be doing. With general conference coming up, I encourage all of you to go into it with a question in mind that can be answered. If you don't have one, you have two weeks to think. 

With that, I hope you all have a great week!

-Elder Nickerl

P.S.  (From Angela: Here is part of Elder Nickerl’s email that he sent to me earlier explaining what he is referencing in the first paragraph of this email): 

So a few days ago I called President to ask a few questions and we got into talking about the Korean area and what would make it effective. President and I came to the conclusion that this area needed a reformatting and so he asked me to talk with all the Korean Elders to get their opinions and ideas. The thing is about the Korean walking area, is we have no way to work with members without a car and we have no members in the walking area (for English or Korean).  We came up with a few solutions and gave them to President. Our solutions will not take place until next transfer, but President is going to pray about what is the best solution for this area. With either solution, there will only be one Korean companionship in the area. So with that it mind, President told me that because there are currently 8 Korean speaking missionaries, two things could happen, he would either pick 4 of us, and have us be Korean missionaries, or we would all stay Korean speaking missionaries, but none of us would end up learning Korean very well (which would be ineffective). He thoughts were that myself, Elder Jeon, and Elder Trask, and the new incoming missionary will be the 4 Koreans here and he will cycle us out over the next two years and that the others will just become English missionaries. 

And so with all of that, this transfer, I am still in the walking area. I am with Elder Jeon. I like him. He is a great missionary. Elder Trask is training the brand new Korean, and we are making huge changes in our apartment to make it a better place for a new missionary to come in. It will be a lot more focused all around and we are going to get on each other about the little things that are holding us back from exact obedience. It's going to be clean, no more speaking low form to each other, everyone works out every day. Things like that. 

March 14, 2016--Week 31

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a great week! It was alright here, except for all of our investigators dropped us, so now we aren't teaching anyone. And both the people who were getting baptized are not, but other than that it's been awesome. We have a clean apartment as of today and this Thursday we get to go to the temple as a zone and so that should be really awesome. I am really excited about the temple even though we don't have much going on the rest of the week, but I know that any week with the temple can be a good one. Also after a pretty hard week, for the first time, I am glad it is P-Day and I can relax and rest and just not worry about anything else. 

Yesterday at church I think the funniest thing that has happened to me on my mission happened. Well at first it was funny and then it turned cool. So the other Korean elders had a baptism this week in the English ward, and so they couldn't go to the Korean Sacrament meeting and my companion Elder Kim was giving a talk. There was a lady from the stake who needed translation. President Song asked me to translate for her into English during the talks. That's when I laughed. I'm not sure why he thought I knew enough Korean to translate even a little bit for anyone, but I had to anyway. So after having a panic attack and assuring him that I was not able to do it, he ignored my comment and said, “Thanks I knew you would do it.” So I had to anyway... and the most amazing thing happened. To start you have to understand that I do not understand more than 25% of what is said in typical Sacrament meetings and even that is when I am trying really hard. But when I translated for her, I did not understand everything, but I think I probably understood about 70% and enough to tell her the point of each talk. I thought that it was an amazing miracle and blessing that God made that possible. I know miracles are real, because that was one. And it was super cool.

I am also thankful for the Savior Jesus Christ because without him, none of anything we do would be possible. Everything Jesus Christ did, was a miracle for those people that he affected (which happens to be every one of us). I am thankful for his never-ending love which allows us through trial and error, to learn, grow, and become better people, but still allows us the opportunity to live forever with our families in Heaven. I love this Gospel and the sweet peace and joy that it brings. I love sharing it with others and I know that this is the best choice I made in my life to come and serve the people here in New Jersey.

I hope you all have a great week!

-Elder Nickerl

We helped some awesome senior missionaries move.

This is what happens when you can't communicate with your hair cutting lady. I asked for an "American style" haircut with it short on the sides and long on top...

March 7, 2016--Week 30

Hey everyone,

This has been a fantastic week mostly, but slightly discouraging. The beginning of this week I was having a really hard time. We have been working incredibly hard all transfer (the last 4ish weeks) to find and teach someone who is ready to be baptized. But we have not had any success and we have been getting hundreds of doors slammed in our face day after day. After a while it really does wear on you. Not to mention, my last district meeting went so bad that I felt like a total failure in pretty much all areas of missionary work I have been assigned to. My Korean has been suffering under increased stress and lack of time or energy to put into adequate studies. And I am in a position I can not immerse myself in the language as my companion needs to learn English too. So needless to say, this week in the beginning was very hard for me. I actually called the zone leaders and ranted about how nothing I do ever brings about any good and how I was unable to see any good from what I have been doing. Then they gave me their two cents and gave me the idea to just stop thinking about, talking about, or believing anything that wasn't all positive and to change my perspective and look only for the good. I figured I would try it and just see what happens. So Tuesday, I didn't say or think much. And Wednesday too. Then Thursday, I was about to give up, but I learned a lesson I needed. The Lord does not test us above that which we are able. As I was about to turn around and give up, I was lifted up and the Lord took my burdens away. That day, on Thursday, Elder Kim and I met with a man named Christopher and a different time we met a man named Richard and were able to have really great lessons in which they both expressed that they wanted to be baptized. 

I truly believe that this is a miracle. If anyone knew them, they would understand that this is truly no coincidence. I am convinced that the Lord gives us trials to the very extent at which we can no longer bear them in order for us to learn to trust in his will better. As my faith was tested, and as I was about to turn back, I was delivered from my trials. After that, this week we have continued to find success after success and I am truly thankful for the tender mercies of the Lord. I love this Gospel! I'm thankful for the opportunity to share it because I know that it is true and through it we can be so much happier than any other way. 

If you could pray for me and my ability to manage my time, energy, and stress better in order to be able to study Korean harder, I would be truly grateful. I am really struggling to be able to deal with my inadequacy to communicate with a people that I love, and want to share the Gospel with, but am currently not able to do so well. On Sunday, in fast and testimony meeting, I got up to bear my testimony in Korean and I can honestly say it was the most humbling experience I have had thus far with the language. I knew I needed to communicate something to the members, but I was incapable of doing so. This is very, very frustrating to me and I really need to be able to do so. I believe in the power of prayer and I would appreciate any prayers in that area. 

I love you all, I hope you have a great week!
--Elder Nickerl

Some random Russian guy who we knocked into his house let us in and gave us roses. Then kicked us out. Not to sure what inspired him to give us flowers, but it was a blessing and it made our night.

Mom, I am so glad that I learned how to cook from you before the mission... I can eat real food and that is a blessing.