Streams of mercy never ceasing! - 26-1-15

What a wonderful week,

There are so many stories that I just won't be able to tell you about until I get home, so I'll just hold them in for 7 more weeks or whatever it is! I can't believe that this coming week holds my last ever transfer call! That feels so wrong, I swear I just went into the MTC. It feels like yesterday that we were walking towards the MTC and I thought "I have one more minute with my parents and my brother for the next 18 months" and we hugged and shed some tears and I walked off to have a nametag put on my chest. That nametag feels like home now and this town feels like where I belong. I don't know what I'll do if I have to leave St George next week for the first time in my mission! I feel like I'm going to leave and spend my last six weeks elsewhere in the mission. I'm really at peace with whatever happens, it'll just be sad to leave what feels like home and feel like a greenie again in a different place. I'll miss serving in the VC because my last shift will be Sunday if I do leave. I'll find out on Friday. Time will tell!!

This week has had many, many standings up! Everyone has stood us up. Sometimes I wish I kept count haha. But it's great because we see that the Lord had different plans for us and different people prepared. I think that reflects life in a way; we have plans for ourselves and they are definitely good plans but then the Lord has something different in store, usually better, to help bring to pass His great plan. So starting on Monday night both of our appointments stood us up but we found a new investigator as a result of both of them. We were in the right place at the right time. One of them grew up in Orem and has a less active Mum, and one of them is from California and is in a sober living house. I love the YSA because they are so open to learning.

We tried our best this week to get N baptised. We told him I'm probably leaving next week and that he has very limited time left with me as a teacher. He said he'll call President and say "I can't live without Sister Nicholls" and I said if you do that I'll be emergency transferred faster than you can say emergency transfer haha. But we had a powerful lesson with him again and he just said that something about baptism scares him. I get the impression it's less of the baptism but more of the commandment keeping. I was praying and pleading with Heavenly Father to bless him to feel something when he prays about baptism but I got this impression that Heavenly Father loves him so much and knows that he will have some problems with keeping the commandments in the coming months and will prefer that he has not made the covenant of baptism because then he will be of a greater accountability when he breaks these commandments. I feel that he will be baptised, I just think it's in a while. We are praying for events to take place in his life that will prepare him to keep the commandments. I love each of these investigators so much that it feels like my chest will explode. I wonder sometimes how I can ever love anyone as much as these people.

We had a cool experience that LUKE will appreciate. These two men came into the VC and they had some kind of European accent. We asked where they were from and they told us that they were from GREECE!!!! Their English was okay, pretty rough but we could get by. I made sure I told them YASAS haha and (Luke don't disown me for the spelling of this) elferestou hahahha and their eyes all lit up and they all said it back to me hahahaha. They were very receptive. We talked to them about the Book of Mormon and showed it to them in Greek and they ASKED for one haha. We talked about the Prophet and took them to the Christus and played it in Greek for them. Then they went to get another of their friends and bring him in so then there were 3 Greek people, the third also requested a Book of Mormon and we put them all in the big theatre to watch The Restoration. I wish I knew Luke's mobile number so I could've called him and had him talk to them in Greek because our knowledge was EXTREMELY limited apart from Kebab and stuff haha. But it made me really happy. 

We also had the cutest Dutch couple come in and had a great tour! They had Mormon neighbours so they know about the Church and requested a chapel tour so we took them to the chapel across the street and had a great chat with them. The Dutch people are always the nicest people we ever get in the VC. I told them (Dad don't disown me for the spelling of this) hoo da dack HAHAHAHA I KNOW THAT IS NOWHERE NEAR RIGHT haha and they looked all happy. I wish that Dad could've spoken to them! So I felt close to my family this week seeing all the people from where you served your missions. 

E is being E again and is trying to drop us but then we hunt him down and talk to him and he feels the Spirit and can't do it. He finally told us he is on drugs as well as probation. So that will prolong his baptism for a very long time. He said when he meets with us every day he has no desire to do drugs and just goes cold turkey but then he gets scared and stops meeting with us and does drugs and then we hunt him down and the cycle starts again. He loves reading the Book of Mormon and feeling the Spirit. I just love him. But he has a way to go now. 

M is in the same sort of boat. He realized he needs to cut out his bad friends and asked for a few days to just pray about it and get back to us so we gave him a few days then found him again and he is doing better. We are finally in with his Mum as well, she likes us now whereas before she didn't know if we were trying to sell him drugs too! Hahaha classic Sister Missionaries trying to sell drugs to everyone. 

A is doing well. We taught him the restoration and the plan of salvation and he loves it and he explained the need for a Prophet to us and it was perfect! He has read almost the whole Book of Mormon this week and he said that there must be a reason why this is the fastest growing religion in the world! He has good things ahead and has been so well prepared. 

The Elders told us they went into a music store right by the temple and that an English girl works there and that I should go and meet her. So we went by and she said she had no idea that there were Mormons in England! Haha! Or that we had two Temples and two Visitors' Centers. We had a good chat with her, she is from Southampton. My accent always gets really strong again when I talk to people from England (disclaimer, I've spent 18 months solid talking about my accent and having to answer questions and people butting in during spiritual moments to ask where my accent is from. I am so excited to go home and never ever have to talk about my accent again. If anyone wants to tell me I've got an American accent, I might get mad) and we had a really good chat. She has never been to the VC but ASKED ME for my phone number and email address and said she will come to the VC one evening so I can teach her! We'll see what happens, I'm excited :) 

I am almost at the finish of my New Testament Gospels study. The thing I've learned the most is how Christ is lashed out at so many times and it always says "He held His peace" I love that! He never stooped low enough to fight back even though they mocked him and spat on him and said things like, if you are Christ then who is hitting you? I love where it talks about how the angel came and strengthened Him as He performed the atonement. I know I have felt angels strengthening me throughout these last 16 months! I love that Christ always invites us to follow Him, denoting that He is the leader and we are the followers, and that He has shown the example and we follow in it. He was the perfect leader and I am trying my best to lead like Him. On exchanges this week I went back into Morningside and we tried to visit all their investigators as they are having troubles helping them to progress. It was a very effective day and we accomplished a lot. We found a new investigator at a door step who seems very sincere and it was just a wonderful day. I love going on exchanges with greenies because they listen to you at doors and in lessons and are like "WOW YOU KNOW HOW TO DO EVERYTHING" when really inside we all feel like greenies and we all feel like we have LOTS AND LOTS left to learn, But I remember feeling that way about my STLs when I was on exchanges as a greenie. It's so weird to be on the flip side. Anyway I love my New Testament studies and I love seeing how Christ invites everyone to leave everything behind and follow Him. He truly asks for sacrifice but rewards it 100 fold. He asks for the one thing that is hardest for us to give up, like with the story of the rich young man who keeps all the commandments, Christ says "one thing thou lackest" and tells him to sell his goods to the poor. He goes away sorrowing because it's too hard. And the people who say that they will follow him but first need to tell their families goodbye and stuff. It's just teaching me a lot about doing what I'm supposed to do WHEN I'M ASKED and not sorrowing over the sacrifice. I love the New Testament a lot, I've really needed this study! 

Well I'm off now. Today we are going to hike the mountain that they took the sand stone from to make the temple. It's called the Glitter Pit and we will take some stones and send them home to you. It's a big group of us Sisters!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! Please pray for me this week! I want to be calm for my last ever transfer call. I don't know when p-day will be next week because  it depends if I get transferred or not. Write to me as though it is Monday and I will write back when I can!

Sister Nicholls

God Be With You Till We Meet Again - 20-1-15

Dear Beloved Family and Friends

We have had a week filled with miracles and heartbreaks. I remember Brother Hughes saying in Sacrament Meeting one time "Life is made of meetings and partings" and this week was the epitome of that. We found miracle new investigators who I love with all my heart, but we had to say goodbye to the Watkins' who have become like my second parents. It's been so tough this week, after working with them for six hours a day every day since January last year, to never seeing them. I miss Sister Watkins' hugs and Elder Watkins' FBI stories and doctrinal chats and I just miss their love and their humour and their guidance day after day. I'm sure I'll love the new Directors soon enough, but the VC just feels different and I really really really miss the Watkins, we all do. To say goodbye to them we had a testimony meeting in the morning. We all had the opportunity to bear testimony, and it really hit me that I have like 8 weeks left as a missionary. Tears freely flowed as I thought of all the tender mercies I have been blessed to witness, and how I have been stretched and taught and changed and how I never ever want this to end. I bore testimony of the love our Saviour has for every single individual, even those who have "descended below all things" who feel the least worthy of love". I've never felt that stronger on my mission than this week. I'll write about why later. I bore testimony that our Saviour and Heavenly Father spent time with us in the pre-mortal life, training us for this. I could hardly talk for the tears. I know I was supposed to come to this VC to meet the Watkins and learn from them and be reunited with them, because we've known each other for a lot longer than just this year. I needed them, and now I will soldier on for the last few weeks without them but with the Saviour. The testimony meeting with absolutely beautiful, I love hearing missionaries bear testimony, and then we all sung God Be With You and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I think you can't explain or understand these moments unless you were there. We all gathered in one big group hug and cried and prayed. We sung Called to Serve out by the Christus and unravelled a banner we'd made saying We Love You and we wrote our names and memories of them we have on it and gave it to them. Then they got in the car and drove away :'(((( We each had a balloon which we released as they left so they could see the balloons for miles while they drove to San Diego. Oh it was heart breaking!! I miss them every day but I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough! 

Yesterday we had the best p-day ever!! We woke up in the morning and realised it was Martin Luther King day so the libraries were closed and we would have a really long p-day cos we wouldn't be able to email. And we also realised that all our student friends would be off school. We sent out a mass text to everyone asking what they were doing today and got lots of responses and a group of 11 of us went hiking in Snow Canyon park! It was SO hot haha, we all wished we were in shorts and t-shirts and needed our sunglasses! But it was hilarious because one of the girls' family has an 11 seater van so we all fitted in it and it was like school trip days haha. Except without music or fun because the missionaries were there. Haha but it was a group of all of our favourite people here in the YSA wards. And it was a hilarious day! We laughed so much and had a great time! We all got ice-cream after the hike too. It was a really good hike. I discovered how awkward I'm going to be after my mission, because I see these people every day and always know what to talk about with them while we're in teaching situations or missionary council meetings, but as soon as it was a social thing I knew absolutely nothing to say and ended up saying "...So...how did you do your area book on your mission?" hahaha and thought wow I am SUCH an awkward missionary. What am I supposed to talk about apart from missionary work? It's all I know. But it reminded me of hiking the Y and reading scriptures and running back down each week at BYU. I miss that! It was a great p-day with great memories made.

Our Ward boundaries have all changed in our Stake so now we have to memorize all the boundaries all over again and now we only cover four Wards instead of five. So it's going to be different but we'll adjust. We started off with a difficult week because all the investigators we found last week came out with their concerns about the Book of Mormon and not wanting to go to Church or just not wanting to meet with us because they want to focus on school. One day this week we found out that one of our investigators on date for baptism is on probation for a serious crime probably for the rest of his life, then the next two stood us up, then the next three told us they don't want to meet with us anymore. By 9pm I was so heartbroken and sad that I got a blessing and picked right back up and went to work again. Those days are TOUGH but character building. We just keep praying and doing what we can. We read the story in the Bible of the friends lowering their friends down from the roof and how they went the extra mile to get their friend to Jesus and we thought how we need to be those kinds of Missionaries who go the extra mile to get their friends to Jesus. So we bought little presents for them all, pictures of Christ or random things we think they'll like. It's gone down well because they see that we truly care about them enough to think about them and buy them something. N mentioned how much he loves the hymns (and we saw him singing along, it was so cute) so we bought him his own little hymn book and got his name engraved. We are giving it to him after this :) 

We had a killer lesson with N this week. We decided that we need to increase his spirituality at Church then he might want to get baptised. So we did a lesson in the Church by the Sacrament table then in front of the baptismal font. We brought the Ward Mission Leader, and a recent convert who has a powerhouse testimony. The Spirit was so strong and I will forever remember how I felt there and all the people I love so much. N loved it and is getting closer and closer. Z the recent convert just asked him "When are you getting baptized?" and he said he doesn't know but then he was asking him all these questions and it was good because then we got a window to what his concerns are by what he was asking. It was a powerful evening that I'll never forget. 

We went to Chill Night as usual on Thursday and there was this girl wearing huge crucifix earrings. I sat by her and at the end she asked what the Book of Mormon is so we set up an appointment for two days time. She was actually there when we went and we had a powerful lesson! She said she thinks it's stupid how people don't listen to the Prophet and so we invited her to be baptized in February and she accepted and we knelt down and she prayed and she just cried and cried and said she believes it's true and knows she should be baptized. She was at Church the next day which was incredible too! There are good things ahead for her. She gave great comments which impressed everyone! We spoke in her Sacrament Meeting where three of our investigators were and I spoke about being ready to meet the Lord one day and what we need to do to prepare and Sister Lipke spoke about making covenants with God haha. 

So on Saturday night it was like two minutes to nine and we didn't want to go home early so we looked at our planner but decided that the Spirit was calling us another way. We went to contact a referral we'd been given but is never home, AND HE WAS HOME! And he opened the door!! And his cat ran out so we chased it and caught it, and then later on in the conversation his roommate opened the door and the cat got out again so we chased it again hahaa. It was an ice breaker! Then we made an appointment with him for Sunday at 12:30 just before his Sacrament Meeting, and we asked him "Do you really want to meet with us because most people make appointments and then stand us up but if you are really interested we will be there." and he said he was really interested. He is very genuine and nice. So we we were there and at 12:35 he walked in looking all flustered and sad and said "I didn't want to stand you up, but my friend in Vegas was just in a car accident and hasn't woken up and I need to go and see him but you said everyone stands you up and I didn't want to do that". He was crying and we felt so horrible for him and we wanted to give him a hug but obviously couldn't! We told him we understand and said that we could go in a room and pray with him. As is usual in Utah, Priesthood holders are everywhere and we grabbed two and they gave him a blessing!!! Afterwards we were talking with him and he said that he has studied Mormonism before and he likes it a LOT. I prayed to be guided what to say and in the hallway as we walked him to his car there were the pictures from the pamphlet The Restoration of the Priesthood so we explained what just happened, and then there was the picture of Jesus being baptised so we talked about baptism and PUT HIM ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! He willingly accepted. It was such a miracle and so perfectly orchestrated. He was ready to accept and learn. I just wonder if I'll be here for when they are baptized or if I'll be transferred in two weeks.

We discovered that E cannot be baptised without First Presidency approval so his baptism has been pushed back. But we have gotten really close with him this week and he is seeing us most days now. But on Sunday he disapppeared and hasn't contacted us which is always worrying but when he does that he usually comes back to us in a few days asking to see us so we believe he will do the same. I have never felt such a strong deep love for the people I serve with before on my mission, I absolutely love the people we meet with now and would do anything for them. It keeps me awake at night and they are all I can think about and pray about. I cry when I tell them how much I love them. I am so grateful for the love that Heavenly Father has for them because I know it's His love that I am feeling, not my own because my own love is so imperfect and His is so deep and perfect and is what every human soul is yearning for. 

We had a breakthrough with M this week. We planned to stop by for the first time since he had been super high, two weeks ago, (I'll tell you what he did when I get home from my mission) but he contacted us - MIRACLE OF MIRACLES - asking for a lesson because it had been so long, and it was the exact time we had planned to see him. So he came and he apologised for whatever he did to us (he couldn't remember because he was high) but he remembered he felt bad and needed to say sorry, hah. We didn't tell him cos we didn't want him to feel bad. Then we told him he needed to come to Church each week if he wanted to meet with us because we can't give him the help he needs - he needs to go to 12 Step and Bishop will get him involved in that. Last night in a lesson he opened up to us about his friends and how he tries to leave them but always goes back and will do some soul searching and praying and will text us the verdict today. I just love him so much and want to help him so bad. We gave him a picture of Jesus hugging this man and he was touched.

I went on some good exchanges this week where I felt like I had been prepared by the Lord to help these Sisters because of experiences I had had in my mission. Both of them went really well and I was satisfied at the end. A got the Priesthood on Sunday and is doing well.

And Summer Allen came and we ate Chick-fil-a together on Saturday. It was a beautiful week where the Lord is teaching me charity and patience. It was filled with ups and downs but I've already forgotten the downs because the ups were so high! I will never forget the miracles I've seen this week and can never be the same person because of how much my mission has done for me. I am striving to make each day the best day of my mission!

Please pray for us! I love you so so so much! 

Sister Nicholls

Look Not Behind Thee 12-1-15

Dear Loved Ones, 

We have had a busy week as usual. It feels so good to feel exhausted again but from hard work and not being sick! Let's start with some stories: 

The Bishop gave us a name to go and contact, saying she hasn't been to church for a long time. It was night time when we went to go and contact her, and we entered the circle where the address depicted. We had a flashlight that we were shining on the homes to see the numbers. We were looking for number 570. In the middle of the circle was this house with this BIG lit up crucifix in the middle, so they were quite obviously Baptist. We joked "Ha, hope it's not that house that we have to knock on. They don't like Mormons!" and flashed our light at all the other houses walking closer and closer to the crucifix house. Our smiles got smaller and smaller as we checked house after house and didn't see a 570. Slowly, we lifted the flashlight onto the crucifix house and saw the dreaded numbers "570". We looked at each other with wide eyes and put our arms around each other as we slowly walked toward the house. I quote Joseph Smith "I go as a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer's morning. My conscience is void of offence towards God and man"  hahahah we made it as dramatic as possible and wished each other luck. We walked up the driveway and assumed they knew we were coming because they must've watered the path as it was completely frozen over like an ice rink hahahah!!! We endured the ice bravely and knocked on the door. And it was really anti-climatic. They just looked at us funny and weren't very polite before finding their lodger who is the girl we were looking for haha. So all's well that ends well! 

However, we have been sufficiently bashed this week. We had an appointment with I on Monday night and all of p-day we were nervous because he knows his stuff. Well it turns out he isn't the scary one. Whenever they say "I brought a friend along" always just assume it's their Pastor. Haha this time it was this girl from his Church who was FIESTY. She got her Bible out and she BASHED. She googled "Contradictions between the Book of Mormon and the Bible" and most of them were ridiculous. She shared lots of things with us and we were just silent, shared the Restoration message and left. Our Ward Mission Leader was there for another hour at least talking with them. We probably won't go back. It's a shame because I is great but his sister and his friend were crazy. At one point I wanted to say "Sit down mate!" because whatever we said she picked apart and we could never say anything right! 

We've had a rollercoaster week with E. Last week he texted us saying he needed time. After lots of prayer we decided to text back saying how close he is and how much he is loved. He still said he needed time so we left it a few days and then bought him a picture of Jesus from Deseret Book so we would have an excuse to text him. We asked him if we could meet up because we have a gift for him. He tried to say no but we persisted and he said "The only gift I want is another lesson" so we set up a time and he proper dropped us in the lesson. We tried everything though. We had CJ give him a blessing and we prayed and prayed but E still said he needed time. So we were satisfied that we had done everything we could and let it go. Then a miracle of miracles, he texted us randomly a few days later saying "Can I have another lesson please?" so we set up a time with him and had him read 3 Nephi 11 in preparation for it. He texted us the next day with all these awesome insights into the chapter and told us why he needs to be baptised and what he needs to do to get the Holy Ghost back. It was a missionary's dream text and he asked for another chapter to read so we gave him one! We met up with him and had a really intense lesson based upon inspired questions and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is on date for baptism 31st January! So we are putting our all into him, he is such a precious soul to Heavenly Father. My favourite people to teach are those who have had a rough past. 

We found four new investigators this week. BUT NOT ONE OF THEM CAME TO CHURCH. NO ONE DID!!!! It's frustrating. But we keep trying. One of the new investigators is from the Cayman Islands. One of them is H's friend from Hong Kong, one of them is from Burundy and one of them is actually American! Her member roommates brought her to the VC and she is super open to learning. It was perfect. I love just testifying of Joseph Smith and seeing the light click in people's eyes. One of them we found because we knocked on the door and she was cleaning out her fridge and we offered to help. There was such gross stuff in there. Milk from before Christmas and shrivelled green things that we think used to be peppers haha. We cleaned and cleaned and turned the conversation onto Christ and taught and got a return appointment haha! It was like a real life preach my gospel story ;) 

We went on exchanges with the Morningside Sisters. Exchanges are taking SO long this transfer because the first two we went on, everyone got sick during the night so we have to redo those so it's like going on 7 exchanges or something! It's hard to schedule them when you're assigned to the VC! But it was a great exchange! Saw so many miracles. We got invited into this womans' house and as we were sitting at her table talking about the Book of Mormon she told us she is a polygamist!!! Only in the St George mission does that happen haha. She is part of this group from up in Draper who practise it but look normal and live normal lives. It's so different! We had to act all normal and we talked about how we strengthen faith in Christ. She said that she does have doubts sometimes and so that was perfect because we talked about how we help to strengthen faith and she wants to take the missionary lessons! It really went very well. I love meeting polygamists! 

We also went knocking at this apartment complex and before we got out the car I prayed fervently that the Lord would bring the elect out of their apartments to meet us and that we would have the courage to talk with everyone we see. I said that because knocking at that time of the day is sometimes ineffective but sometimes elect. So we got out of the car and knocked on the first door and as we were waiting for it to open we heard a door along the way open. I nudged her and smiled and said "He's bringing the elect out!" and this Polynesian man came out. We struck up a conversation with him and it went REALLY well! We told him what we do and he said he would love for us to come and visit his family and teach and that his door is always open for us! SO CUTE. He truly is elect. I'm excited to see how the Sisters do with that! It was so perfect. I love how Heavenly Father answers your prayers when you are specific and when you pray in faith and go out to work. 

We also saw G, remember Sister Garcia and I used to teach them. Well he said that he and L are getting married in February so that he can be baptised shortly after! I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT! He looks ready and I can't wait to see how the Lord will bless them for keeping his commandments. It's always sweet to run into old investigators and see that they are preparing for baptism. 

Well we had Mission Leadership Council and Zone Training Meeting this week. MLC was good as always. It was interesting because it's the third month in a row that we haven't made our goals as a Mission and President got mad. I've never seen him like that before. But he and the Assistants told us that the mission isn't reaching it's goals because we in that room are not doing good enough. He said to not come to him saying that we didn't make our goals because our missionaries aren't doing good enough, but it's because we haven't trained them in the way that we are supposed to. Before the Mission gets better, we need to be better. He used the analogy of how in NFL if the players don't win they sack the coaches not the players, and we are the coachers. It was intense. We all sat there. But only President Center can say all that and still sound loving haha. I didn't feel scared or chastised I felt like I wanted to do better. So I am working to make my exchanges more effective and we talked a lot about why baptisms have gone down so much and we think it's because missionaries are focused on lots of things, and not just simply focused on baptism. They are focused on reactivating, on retention, on obedience, on working with members etc. We are bringing it back to a main and complete focus on baptism. So we did a big training about it with the Zone Leaders at Zone Meeting and we will have to follow up and exchange way more effectively to get there. I loved bearing testimony of baptism and how to make it a "magnificent obsession". Things will get better in the Mission. I love being focused on baptism and using every single minute to find and teach investigators. And as always, I will do better. But both meetings were powerful and the Spirit was strong. I love nothing more than being a missionary. I love training and I love being trained. Mum and Dad I wish you could come to some of these meetings to see what they are like! 

We've received lots of strong solid referrals for this week so lots of potential for the coming week. We need to work on getting these new investigators to progress and to accept baptismal dates. It's always a struggle with their bag of problems but I am exhausted at the end of each day now and know I am giving it my all. We work work work work work. I have just finished my second journal and will send it home. I love being in the VC and feeling the Spirit that's there and writing it all down in my journal. Those journals are my most precious things. I am memorising 1 Corinthians 13 and it's going good. I absolutely love that chapter and it's helped me a lot to have charity on my mind. I absolutely love my mission and absolutely love everything that the Lord has helped me to learn and to become. I now don't have a moment to take for granted and am doing everything. 

I love you all so so so so much 

Sister Nicholls

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalms 23:4 - 5-1-15

Dear Loved Ones

So Monday after p-day we went straight on exchanges and I was with my babychica Sister Garcia, and we were in my area. 

We taught a really powerful lesson in Gods Plan for His Family at the VC to our new investigator who is named E. He has been in prison since he was 17 and now he is 24 so he is wanting to reform his life. He is really sincere and great. He said he doesn't want to commit to baptism because he is so imperfect and wants his family to be here for it etc etc all the usual concerns and I feel like after 15 months of hearing these concerns I finally just said to him "E, it all just comes down to whether or not the Church is true. If it's true you need to get baptised." and he got all quiet and looked at us all sincerely and said "Sisters.....I know it's true. I feel it. I always come and walk around this Temple and come in this VC and I just feel something different. I know it's true". It was one of those BEAUTIFUL missionary moments that you'll never ever forget and that make every single door slammed in your face worth it.

Then the next day we were still on exchanges and we went to this really cute old lady's house for dinner. She was really poor and gave us everything she had. But for the rest of my life, I think I will always taste that meal in creases of my arteries. It was the worst thing I've ever had pass my lips in my life. It was a layer of cabbage, and a layer of beet root, and a layer of carrots and a layer of onions. But wait, thats not all. It was swimming in this brown juice stuff. I said "What is this brown sauce it's in?" and she said "Oh dear, that is just it's own juices. I've let it ferment for about four weeks". Ahh even writing this my stomach is turning. I politely smiled and Sister Garcia and I made eye contact and you could tell it was a "Good luck" kind of a look! On the side she had juiced us a drink of beetroot and carrots. OH MY GOSH IT WAS DISGUSTING. She had put her money together to buy us a roll each for the meal so I just had to down the roll after every bite or drink. It was so disgusting but I kept thinking "You're a missionary, just eat it!". Afterwards we share a spiritual thought and she cried and was all lonesome and her house was cold because she can't afford to heat it all. She was really cute. Anyway my stomach HURT afterwards but we kept working and went to the VC for a three hour shift.

Well we exchanged back and I was with Sister Lipke again and we went to bed and I awoke at 4:30am on New Years Eve morning and the vomiting begun. And so it continued for the next 20 hours. Every five minutes. Oh. My. Goodness. I have never wanted to die so much as I have then. After an hour or so of running to the bathroom to be violently sick I had no energy left and was just laying crying on the bathroom floor. Sister Lipke woke up and called Elder Watkins and he came and gave me a blessing but I could hardly sit up for it because I had no energy. She called Sister Center as well who told her to call the doctor because I was getting dehydrated. I tell you the cold porcelain of the toilet has never felt so good before. I was hot and cold and shaky and delirious and spent a long time crying for my Mum! I've never felt so rough in my life. I remember Sister Lipke kept trying to feed me liquids but it didn't work. At 10am Abby Ekins (who we spent last New Years with from Little Valley) came and picked me up and took me to her families house. She took me to her bedroom that had a memory-foam double bed and like 8 blankets. Because it was New Years Eve I could watch the approved movies so I watched 17 Miracles and went in and out of the bathroom to throw up and sleep for a few minutes then repeat. And repeat and repeat and repeat until midnight that night. At around 7pm I wasn't sick until like every hour so I went upstairs and we watched Tangled and FInding Nemo together with Abby and her mum. I love them both so much!!! It started snowing outside and they had a BEAUTIFUL huge window overlooking Little Valley and we watched the snow fall while I sucked on ice because I still couldn't hold any liquids down. They called Sister Center and had permission for me to stay there the night cos I was too sick to be moved. They went and picked SIster Lipke up from the Zone Activity that we had planned with the Zone Leaders and the Assistants since like Thanksgiving. They played Mr and Mrs but as companionships and it was HILARIOUS apparently. Sister Lipke took a video of it so I could see some of the laughs an they all said HI SISTER NICHOLLS on the video so that was nice! The last time I threw up was at exactly midnight so when it turned 2015 I wished myself a Happy New Year. I went to sleep until 9:30am. It was so weird to wake up and see the light coming through the windows and to feel rested and to wake up alone because Sister Lipke was upstairs doing companion study by herself. But the rest of the week went by in a blur. I was too weak and couldn't hold anything down still until Sunday morning so I was off sick on Sister Center's orders until Sunday. I trie working in the VC cos I thought I was better on Friday morning but I was way too weak to stand and ended up making myself sick again so went back to bed until Sunday morning. I am eating little bits and pieces now but my stomach still hurts. I think I will get better soon! One of our faithful EQPs heard I was sick and asked what I wanted and I just said toast so he brought us this array of like five star toast with with two loaves of bread and raspberry jam and coconut oil instead of butter because it's healthier haha. So sweet! Everyone has been so kind and I can't thank Heavenly Father enough for looking after me. I read like the whole standard works and finished Preach My Gospel again and begun it again!

On the bright side I lost a lot of mission weight this week ;) hahaha. It's hard to stay in bed when you're a missionary. Anyway back to work yesterday and E texted us trying to drop us, such is YSA life. I was like OH HECK NO and texted him back saying how great he is doing and how much Heavenly Father loves him etc. We will give him a few days space them go and get him again. Then we found a new investigator called I who faithfully attends his Evangelical Church. He is a really sly Bible basher because he's really nice wit it. Haha he invited us in and gave Sister Lipke hot chocolate and when he would bash he would do so like this "So Sisters, what do you think about this verse in the Bible?" and show us a verse that contradicts something that we teach haha, He will be interesting. I believe in mriacles though! Remember my story last week about the woman who couldn't even go into the room with the Christus she was so overcome with the Spirit? Her friend who wouldn't let her talk much called and asked to speak to the British Sister so they came and got me and she said that she is the woman's counsellor and the woman is scared to leave her house so she hasn't left for a very long time and that was her first time out and she had heard horrible things about the VC from all her Christian friends and so she was terrified but she wanted to say how impressed she was with the tour and how I handled it and what a great time he friend had and how she wanted to tell the Mission President about the experience and she asked when I'm in again so she can bring her back! It was nice to understand why she was being all weird and I'm happy to get a good phone call. Usually people just call to chastise us so I'm happy!

I set my 2015 goal! It is to make Christ my main personality. I want to just lose myself in Him. My 2014 goal was to work, to love and to change, and so this goes along with that. I am determined to spend these next 2 months of missionary service being the best that I can be, rather than slowing down because I'm getting tired, I'm speeding up because it's ending soon. I'm going to put together everything I have learned and work harder and be more obedient than ever before. President has asked us to read the four gospels in the Bible and highlight what Christ says and his questions. My favourite question so far was "What shall it benefit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" and goes on to say that we will find ourselves if we lose ourselves in Him. I love that. This is going to be a great year. I am so excited for it.

I love you all so much and rely on your prayers. Thank you for your care. Please continue to pray for us, we are doing a training at Missionary Leadership Council this week and then Zone Training Meeting and many exchanges and still no students.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Sister Nicholls