Dear Family,
This week has been COOOLLLLLLDDDDDDD. We were up in Cedar City for the
zone conference with Elder Arnold on Tuesday and the leaders kept checking their
zone conference with Elder Arnold on Tuesday and the leaders kept checking their
phones and abandoned the meeting at 3pm to tell us to DRIVE HOME FAST as a
storm was a-brewing. We drove home with the other Sisters and were fine but
it was very cloudy then we woke up Wednesday morning to snow covering all
of St George! It has been about 7 degrees farenheight and due to my lack of
adequate winter clothing it has been chilly to say the least. Usually it
snows and melts like a minute later but this time everyone was shock-ed and
amaz-ed that it stayed and continues to reign with horror. Saturday it
and hair which was wet and frozen but we continued to walk. I couldnt feel
my face or my hands or feet but I kept reciting a snow version of the Standard of Truth in my
head to keep me going, the words "no unhallowed SNOW can stop the work from
progressing; blizzards may rage, snowballs may combine, snowmen may
assemble, ice may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly
and independently until it has penetrated every house in WASHINGTON!" and
somehow we kept walking. Honestly I just felt so close to Heavenly Father
and I really felt his gratitude to us for not stopping finding His precious
children despite how uncomfortable it was and how much more we'd rather be
warm inside. I felt His love really strongly. I've learned a lot this week
about how I need to align my will with His and be happy with whatever it is
that He asks me to do. Yesterday Church was cancelled because of the snow,
and Washington City asked everyone to stay inside cos it was just thick
sheet ice EVERYWHERE and so we went upstairs to be with the people we live with (an empty nester couple who are about late fifties,
their last daughter just went on her mission) and we baked cookies for our
7 Bishops. It was a GREAT day cos then we delivered all the
cookies! Saturday night when the snow was starting we walked to L and
T's house for J and P's recent convert lessons and they were
outside and it turned into a massive snowball fight. Is that even allowed?
Who knows. But the Bishop across the street got involved too. It was great:
We were all wet and frozen afterward and just sat intheir house and
talked and laughed for ages and ages because it wasn't safe to go outside
and do anything, plus it was like evening so all our appointments had
cancelled on us. But it was great, I love the relationships you form on
your mission. L and T got married in March and just found out
they're having a baby girl next year! They are going to come and visit me
in London in summer 2015 because they've always wanted to come. They are
super cute and I want to have a marriage like them! Another good point of
the week was when we went out with one of the RS Presidents to visit some
lost souls and they didnt' open the door and it was 8pm so we would've just
gone back to our apartment and she got us in the car and said LETS GO TO
DAIRY QUEEN so we went to Hurricane for Dairy Queen. It's just
been a weird week with how everything falls through but we can't replace it
because of the warnings from Pres Center to NOT DRIVE ANYWHERE. All
missionaries were told not to drive anywhere yesterday until further notice which
came today. We still have to be careful though.
Because of the snow everyone cancelled their appointments with us due to
sickness or being stuck
out of town and so in this, the coldest week St
out of town and so in this, the coldest week St
George has seen in all of the history of time, we spent most of our time
knocking doors. It was pretty successful one day, we got like three new
investigators!! Door after door after door listened to us and invited us
back, but then the next day NO ONE answered their door ALL DAY except one
person who didn't want us. And that set the tone for the whole week, nobody
answered their door. One of the days we were tracting and this little 8
year old boy saw us and biked over to us and joined us for like an hour
haha! He stood at the doors with us and came into one home with us, this
man who was already a member whose wife died and he lives all alone and its
heartbreaking! D came in with us and testified that "heaven is really
cool. Its like mine craft cos you can make your own rollercoasters"
hahahahah best member present lesson ever ;) he was so cute! biking around
us as we walked and bearing testimony when needed.
We've met quite a few heartbreakingly sad old people this week. One of them
invited us over for dinner and did another Thanksgiving dinner and it was
cos she was all alone on Thanksgiving and waited for her Thanksgiving til
we could come for dinner :(((((( soooo sad! and it was her birthday
too!!!!!! oh why do people have to get old and be alone. I wish I could
hug every old person but I cant hug every old person. (name that youtube
video). Then the other was a woman whose husband had died a month before
and she kept crying all throughout the evening until we were all crying
husband always picked who should say the opening prayer. Why must my heart
be crushed by so many old people this week?!
The highlight of the week was Zone Conference. It was exactly what I
needed! And I did see Elder Nolan :) we Brits stick together.! Elder Arnold of the 70 instructed us.
He was a bit scary because he would just pick on
He was a bit scary because he would just pick on
you and made me come up to the front and do a role play in which my knees
were literally knocking together because I was so nervous. But he was nice
over all. I learned a lot of ways in which I need to improve so that my
investigators have a better chance of feeling the Spirit and wanting to
come unto Christ. A LOT of ways haha. But his wife spoke to us and uplifted
us which was nice! She reminded me of Julie Herbertson. I love Julie and miss her so it made me
feel good to meet Sister Arnold! I told Sister Center about my dog bite
still hurting and she told me to put a warm flannel on it a few times a day
after calling the doctor to ask what she should tell me. So its all good.
Now it's snowing and I wear boots the crazy dogs can't bite my ankle anymore!
I have officially survived my first transfer as a missionary! We got
transfer calls this week and Elder the AP said is this Sister Nicholls?
And I said yes! And he said we have exciting news for you Sister Nicholls!
We are expanding the mission, we now have Provo in our mission and we are
sending you up there to work in the BYU YSA wards 1-3. How does that sound?
And I laughed and said "that sounds like a big fat lie Elder N!" haha and
D! Hahah those AP's sure are cheeky little missionaries.
Yesterday as Church was cancelled the only time we got out of the house was
to go to the First Presidency Christmas Devotional! It was good! We walked
in a few minutes late cos we were finishing dinner with a member and had to
drive slowly on the roads of certain death, and we walked in and saw none
other than J in the back row by himself!!!! He had come all alone
and sat by himself! It was so sweet! So we went and sat with him and looked
like the happiest missoinaries in the world. We loved Elder Nelson's talk.
J was engrossed with it all! President K of the Stake Presidency
asked J about himself and J said "im a new convert" haha awwwwww it
was so cute! He probz thinks just cos he agrees with it all that he's a
convert! Then we taught him and his family afterwards and he said how he
just is hungry for the Book of Mormon. He goes to work but the whole time
he's there he's thinking about it and just wants to be at home reading it! Then his biggest concern was - he doesn't knowhow to tie a tie. So we got his tie and I taught him how to do it, THANK
YOU BEAUCHAMPS HIGH SCHOOL! It was so funny and sweet. We just love them. I
need to learn Spanish so I can talk to his wife better because she only
speaks a little English. I need to learn Spanish just because everyone here
who isn't English is Spanish and it's so hard trying to talk to them. We have
Spanish Elders close by that we refer them on to but I was talking with one
from El Salvador called J about Joseph Smith and church and was trying
to tell him about the good feelings from church. I was able to say what
Sister P taught me back at home how to introduce myself in Spanish and talk about
the Book of Mormon but then I was lost for words and was able to crack out
something about the bueno feelings from the l'eglesia hahaha.
We took the S family to the Visitors' Center too and it turned into a discussion
about Priesthood authority. We always need a member present with us because
I know nothing about the Priesthood except that it is true. Haha but the
men always know what to say, like Dad does, so we try to always have one
with us.
Sister C's brother and his family now live with them and we saw them
when we went by and he isn't a member! So we taught him and he loved it! He
was excited to read the Book of Mormon and soaked it all in. He was
engrossed in the First Vision story and as usual when we get to the crucial
part about a pillar of light appearing, his kid played up and wanted candy
and I could just see Satan holding some candy enticing the kid to moan for
candy so that his Dad would be distracted. Nice one Satan but we got his
attention back. It always happens! We are so excited for him and his
family.
In conclusion, I am learning a lot and loving life. I love praying and I
love serving my Father. Every time I tell someone about Joseph Smith and
recite the first vision to someone who has never heard of him before, I
rejoice that I am helping to bring about the promise "millions shall know
brother Joseph again".
All my love,
Sister Nicholls
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