Dear Family and Friends,
It's weird that it's p-day again already, I feel like I just had p-day like 6 days ago. Because that's just what happened. This week has been the best and the worst! The best because we made extremely high goals and we HIT THEM!!! We reached the Standards of Excellence and that's only ever happened twice in the history of the VC Sisters hitting Standards of Excellence!! So we are so excited about that. I couldn't relax until Sunday evening when we submitted our numbers just in case one of our investigators didn't come to Church or fell off date or something. But I've learned how much faith it takes to set high goals and how effectively you need to plan in order to make them. We planned so effectively every evening and spent 30 minutes with everyone instead of 1hour and shared a message with EVERYONE we met. We talked to everyone and it's just been the best week ever. We are so excited to be reaching our goals. It only gets better from here! Then it was a rough week because we had to drop C as she just cancels all our lessons and doesn't do anything like come to Church or read, and E dropped us because she's really mad at God right now, and A's parents told us that A doesn't want to learn anymore. But that's strange because A really seems like she does and it's her parents who do NOT want her to learn. But either way we have left it and will just pray that one day she'll be allowed to make her own decisions. She's almost 18. So that's four people dropped in like 9 days. But I found these two amazing scriptures that really spoke to me this week:-
Alma 31: 38 "And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith."
and also
Alma 28: 8 "And this is the account of Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and their incomprehensible joy."
and I changed it to be "This is the account of Sister Nicholls and her companion, their journeyings in the land of St George, their sufferings etc" and it was so comforting to me!
So E is really mad at God because she needs more money and keeps praying for more money but God isn't giving her any. So she has thrown away the Book of Mormon and doesn't want to be baptized or go to Church any more. Sister Garcia and I were silent for a lot of the lesson trying to listen to what the Spirit was saying to us and to her but really we just felt like she needs some time to cool down. She won't pray because she's so angry at her Heavenly Father. So we tried our best and are just giving her some space. Also we went to Eagles Landing Ward and that's where D goes to Church. He saw us when he was talking to someone but we were talking to someone too and he left and it really hurt that we were all so close and progressing so well and then he just ignores us at Church. It hurt a lot. Also J who I put on date for baptism at the Visitors' Centre hasn't been going to Church so didn't get baptized this last Saturday. Really in my mind I've had that line from the Emma Smith song stuck in my head that goes "How much can one heart take?". It's been rough but I've found solace in praying. It's so refreshing to just pour your soul out to Heavenly Father. My testimony is growing and growing every day. I had a miracle on Friday! I was feeling really sad and I just wanted to call you guys and instead I just prayed that I'd see a familiar face at the VC and then the evening went on and at about 7pm literally 8 people came in to see me. Four of my absolute favouritest people in all the world from Washington came in - The Lewis's and the Criddles! It made my heart SO HAPPY!!!!!!! It was like we'd never been apart for those 6 weeks! It made me even more happy that Sister Criddle had just done baptisms for the first time EVER and that their little girl will be baptized by Brother Criddle in a few weeks! They are taking us out for dinner on Saturday!! The Lewis's had planned to go to the Temple but had forgotten the recommend, so they came in to the VC, and the Criddles were driving away then felt like they needed to come back inside and see if I was there! It was so amazing!! He answered my prayers!
Sister Garcia and I had an interesting experience at a less active person's home this week. He is kinda old and is saying how he went to Church and fulfilled callings his whole life but he never really wanted to or had a testimony and now he can get away with not going anymore. When we were sitting there looking at him I could just see him as a Mission President. I got the distinct feeling that he was supposed to be a Mission President but he didn't reach his potential. When we left I mentioned to sister Garcia how I'd felt and she said that she had the exact same feeling, that he was supposed to be a Mission President if he had followed the path he was supposed to. It was cool but sad too!
I had a cool phone call from a woman in Newcastle!! She had a thick northern accent and said that she couldnt believe I was from Essex, I sound way too posh to be from Essex hahaha! But she had lots of interesting questions and I was able to answer them for her in a way that satisfied her and it always makes me think of Dad and all the questions I'd ask him, and its so sad that some people don't have a Dad to turn to for questions so I'm glad I can be that Dad for other people! She is investigating the Church but isn't too sure if she'll join or not. I hope I could help somewhat. It was like 3am for her when she called! But it was so nice to talk to a British person! We had a laugh and a spiritual time too!
Sister Garcia and I were spending every minute we could preaching the Gospel this week so we brought a packed lunch with us to spend 10 mins eating in our car. We picked a really romantic spot on the hill we cover and had the windows down cos it was so hot and had some motab (Mormon Tabernacle Choir) playing! We didn't have time to pack an awesome lunch, so we grabbed some tortillas and some crisps haha, and of course we put the crisps in the tortillas. We felt like such students again haha. Sitting on a hill, overlooking the beautiful view, eating crisp tortillas and listening to motab. It was the best!
M should get baptized this week on Saturday morning. We're not sure if it will go ahead or if we'll have to wait a week because we just don't feel like she's ready. I'll let you know what happens. She really is starting to trust us and like us. It's been such a long battle for that! She is so quiet and answers every question with "I don't know" and barely looks at us, but now after a few weeks she looks at us and laughs sometimes and contributes to the conversation every now and then! I love it! We're excited for her. And KC is our other investigator on date to be baptized in April! We needed him to be on date in order to achieve Standards of Excellence, and his Mum said he could be baptized if he read the whole Book of Mormon. He is only 10. So he has been reading the kids Book of Mormon stories and HE FINISHED THE WHOLE THING!!! So we put him on dateeee and were SO happy!
We had a good welcome meeting for all the new Sisters. I find it stressful still having to train the other sisters because I feel like they're all thinking "What does she know? She's only been here a few weeks!" but I'm trying my best. Sister Miller said to me this week that I'm her favourite VC Trainer ever because I'm so laid back and give everyone their agency to be obedient rather than ordering people around. I let them know what I expect of them all and allow them to choose to do it. And she said that she appreciates how friendly I am to everyone! I really needed to hear that because it is so easy to always feel like you're not doing enough.
As in keeping with all weeks we've had people come in who just needed someone to talk to. I spoke to a woman who just got out of prison hours before coming in, and I spoke to a man who had just had his van broken down and some men came and stole everything from him. It's so heartbreaking to hear some people's real lives. But I just count myself blessed and keep listening and helping in any way that I can!
One of the senior couples that work with us are so funny and we have such a laugh. There's a tally that we keep of who comes in and who speaks to them and so each of us want to be on the chart lots of times so we fight trying to greet each person. She is really sarcastic and she greeted the woman third out of all of us but put her name down next to the woman and said that it's the third person to greet them who gets to put their name down hahaha. She kept changing the rules all day so that it was her name on the list again and again and she made us laugh so much! She was completely joking, and then we put all four of our names together to make one Sister who just greets everyone! I love the Senior Couples we have here :) Sad news:- I never get to serve at Brigham Young's home anymore now I'm a VCT, I have to be in the VC every day! Oh well! In 2 more transfers!
I need your prayers and your love!
It keeps me walking and smiling! Missionary work is the best cos miracles happen every day!
Sister Nicholls
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