Is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of His coming? - 8-12-14

Dear Precious Family and Friends, 

This week has been great because everyone has been back on campus again! We had a great lesson with N this week. We hadn't seen him for nearly two weeks and he'd been home in California with his family so we were nervous that he would've cooled off from wanting to learn and commit but he was the opposite! He told us that his family and friends at home had been trying to tell him negative things about the Church but he had instead taught them! He said his girlfriend is now more okay with him learning because he taught her about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He said his family asked him what his favourite thing about the Church is and why he is continuing to learn from the missionaries and he said that his favourite thing is how he feels when he is around the missionaries :') SO precious!!!! We brought J with us because as a recent convert she has a strong testimony of baptism and why it is important. It's hard with N because he knows it's true and keeps all the commitments and shares the gospel himself but he just doesn't feel a need to be baptised. Before we went into the lesson with him we prayed very sincerely to know what his problem was and during the lesson J testified so boldly and said "You just need to be baptized N! When you come up out of that water you are filled with such joy and nothing else matters" and he said "You want to know my true reason for not being baptized yet?" and we said "YES!" and he said "I want my family to be there." which is the most legitimate reason ever! So at least it's not the commandments or a lack of commitment. He wants his family to see him be baptized. So we are just praying and fasting that they will be able to come or that that will stop being a concern for him. He is doing really well though. We can just see big things for him. We taught his roommate for the second time though and it went well! We are seeing them both tonight. In the complex they live in there are six apartments with 8 people living in them. 3 of the apartments got evicted for a party that happened and of course it's N's apartment! So they are leaving Wednesday and don't know where they will go. We are PRAYING and begging them to stay in our area haha because the Elders steal all of our investigators and if they move out and have to have the Elders we'll be MAD haha, jokes, but really. 

We found two new investigators this week, called B and D. Right now they are still uncommitted to anything. B brought up this whole argument about how the Bible is up in the air because God wants us to make our own decisions and I patiently listened it out until he was done then told him that the Book of Mormon doesn't try to change what the Bible teaches and that the Gospel is so simple, why would God want it to be up in the air? He is just interesting. It'll be a good journey for them. We tried SO HARD to get everyone to go to Church yesterday! It was one of those Sundays when EVERYONE slept in except N. We knocked SO HARD at everyone's doors and all week they promised us they would be there but they slept in. 

It was a week of miracles though because we set a monthly goal of 2 baptisms this month and are DETERMINED with faith that we will make it even though right now they're all up in air because there are various concerns with each of them. But we are exercising faith and not praying just for baptisms but praying that we will be led to the people who are ready for a December baptism or people who have been to Church enough times or people who we might've dropped who are ready again or people who will be staying in St George over Christmas who could be baptized. It's been great because we went and knocked on L's  (remember former investigator from Nigeria who beat boxes) door and he said he has been writing a paper about the Bible and Book of Mormon and the more he looks into it the more he thinks it's true! It was a HUGE miracle to hear those words come out of L's mouth! Then we went and knocked on J's door and he said "Wait right there! I have something to show you" and went and got a brand new triple combination Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants and Pearl of Great Price with his name engraved. His mentor is a Mormon and has told him LOTS about what we believe in since we dropped him and J agrees with it and loves it! We were so happy and he said if he gets confirmation from God he will be baptized this month! So we have been truly blessed since deciding to pray very specfically for our monthly goals. If every area makes their monthly goals, then we'll make our misison goals. So it all starts with us! As the leaders for the Sisters we are working so hard to lead by example of making goals. I've discovered the secret - just rely on Christ and He makes up the difference! 

We had Mission Leadership Council and Zone Meeting again this week. They come around so fast! I can't believe that this was my 14th Zone meeting as it happens at the start of each month! I only have three left - WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?! But anyway we did a training to the Zone on loving your investigators and loving the people. I remembered Elder Clark of the Seventy telling us that a missionary's happiest day is the day they learn to love the people more than they love themselves. We shared some scriptures and some experiences and there was a good spriit there. It went down well and we were happy that the Spirit was able to touch some hearts. I've really seen how sincere love  for the people we teach helps them to progress and to come closer to Christ because if we are to represent Him how do we do that without love? I find myself pleading for charity because that's the only thing that matters really! 

We went on exchanges this week with Sister Gearheart to Washington. You wrote about her last week Mum that you met her former companion from the MTC who is in the London Visitors' Centre! I went with her to Washington (my Greenie area) and we tried our best. Then I went with Sister Leota from Samoa and brought her to my Dixie area! I loved being with her. We came out of the MTC together and she has changed so much on her mission. She can speak English now so we had a laugh and it was just a good day. Exchanges are exhausting but I love them! I really do love getting to know these Sisters well. Everyone has a unique story and I appreciate the Sisters more when I understand where they've come from etc. Sister Leota and I definitely have very different stories because we are from very different parts of the world but the gospel unites us all! 

Last p-day we played West vs Central Zone kick ball!!! It was exhausting because the Elders play hard! They got way too into it and it was definietly different than Thanksgiving when we played all Sisters kick ball haha. But this is when you know you're in St George mission - the game got stopped because a nice man saw us playing and went to Dominos and ordered like 10 pizzas or something for us!! So the game abruptly ended and we all ate pizza haha. We prayed thanks for the man whoever he was. #utahmissions #treatedlikegoldeventhoughweareservants 

D and H got the Priesthood! I love seeing our recent converts progress in the gospel. K went to the Temple with her roommates to do baptisms! It just fills me with joy that I can't even describe to see them embracing the Gospel and being truly converted. When we haven't seen them for a few days we miss them and see them in the Church hallways and have a joyous reunion. I just LOVE them all so much and don't know what I will do when I can't see them every day! 

We had dinner at President Center's house with J and CJ the Ward Mission Leader who met Hillary Young last week. They are just being involved with the missionaries and offer their house for lessons so we ate dinner and taught a lesson. I was super nervous as always having to teach in front of President! But it went well and they loved J. We all do. It'll break my heart when she goes back to Brazil in a few weeks!!! :((( 

I had a realization this week that I love missionary work and feel like I've done this forever because this is what I spent my whole time doing for a really long time before I came to earth and spent 19 years not really doing it. It feels familiar to us and feels right and joyous because we've done it for so long before this life, just teaching of Christ and preparing our brothers and sisters to come to earth and to choose Him. I am reading the Doctrine & Covenants and trying to finish it before I finish my mission and I love it so much! A LOT OF it relates to missionaries! 

The other day I got a card from Auntie Mandi where she talked a lot about Grandad and his last days and I was reading it in the break room in the VC and got really sad again and might've cried for a few minutes and put the card away and then did what Grandad would've wanted me to do - to work HARD! So I went out to that VC floor and I worked harder than I have worked in MONTHS! I talked with EVERY DANG PERSON THAT WALKED PAST ME and I shared my testimony WITH EVERYONE and I asked EVERYONE for referrals. And guess what? I forgot about my own sorrows and troubles and was healed. I felt like Grandad was next to me telling me to pass out the pass along cards to everyone like he always did! And I got two golden referrals that I have since taught on the phone and both want to continue learning! That almost never happens, that both I get want to learn. I tried to do the same thing last night and between us, Sister West and I got 10 non member referrals!!!!!!!! We are going to end our missions strong! I really learned that true hard work is the best balm for the soul, more than anything else. I love the power of prayer and the power of hard work. Heavenly Father is sending people into the VC that I love from my old areas every evening that I need it! 

Well that's all folks. I love my Saviour and am striving to love Him more and to have no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually. I fail every day but He picks me up and puts me back to work. I am striving to know Him more and love him more. Keep sharing the gift with everyone this Christmas time. I cried that you are all going to Grandad's funeral without me but sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven! D&C 117:13 

Love you all, 

Sister Nicholls