We bid thee farewell, we're going to mountains of CEDAR CITY to dwell! - 2-2-15

SO MUCH TO TELL YOU THIS WEEK! I am going to type like crazy!

So here's how I got my transfer call: 

We got a heart stopping text from President Center on Tuesday night saying: "Sisters, can you come to the mission office for a meeting Friday at midday?" and we were like OH GREAT! WHAT DID WE DO? trying to think of anything disobedient we might've done that he got called about haha. We tried to find a mature way of asking him what the meeting was about so we said: "Is there anything you would like us to prepare for or think about before the meeting?" And instead of saying back "Think about your actions" haha (WHICH WOULD MEAN NOTHING BECAUSE I PROMISE WE DID NOTHING BAD) he said "It's in preparation for the area wide Missionary Council meeting on Sunday!" So we went to the mission office Friday at midday and it was just us and three of the Zone Leaders and the Assistants and President ran through with us his proposals for the meeting and asked us for our input, we were like a little committee for President, it was really cool. (Side note, I was REALLY SICK with a cold. Idk why I get sick all the time on my mission, I think it's shaking everyone's hands and being in strangers homes haha). So I was sneezing non stop and my nose and eyes were streaming so President put me in a corner cos "I had the plague" apparently haha :) Anyway at the conclusion of the meeting the Elders left and before we could leave his office he shut the door (and we thought, oh great we'll probably get told off for something or other haha jkjkjk) and said "Sisters, can I give you your transfer calls?" and I said "YES PLEASE President!" So instead of just telling us he goes over to the transfer board and opened it and said "Find yourselves!!!" IT WAS THE BEST GAME EVERRRRRRRRRR :)))))) I found myself in the Cross Hollows Stake of Cedar City, so I am FINALLY leaving the St George Central Zone after 11 transfers!!! I think there will be a minute silence at the next Zone Meeting because it's the first time that I won't be there since October 2013 haha!!! Anyway I saw a little Greenie (new missionary) from Texas with blonde hair next to me :) So I will become a trainer again for the second time.  But it's a rich area that has been dead for about 6 months so it needs some reviving. I'm really not being allowed to finish easily, it's going to be a challenge but we'll set it alight. The hardest part was my last shift at the VC, knowing I'll never ever sit reading my scriptures looking at the Christus or the Temple ever again. 

So now for some stories from the week: 

On Tuesday we hadn't seen E for about 5 days so we were worried about him, so we did what any self respecting missionary would do and hunted him down, not just at his house, but also at his work place. We got together a group of the Ward Mission Leader, an investigator, a recent convert, and two fellowshippers, and we went to the restaurant that we knew he was working at haha!! Not stalkers.....just missionaries. Anyway we went there and asked for E and he came out and looked happy to see us! He texted us afterwards thanking us for coming and that he always feels better with us around. I LOVE E! It was such a fun lunch as well hahah!!! 

We went on a mini exchange with some Sisters who are struggling in their area, and I brought the Greenie into my area so she could see what a normal area is like haha. We went out tracting with the Ward Mission Leader and it was going unsuccessfully until just as we were leaving this girl came up on the driveway on her long board and was just returning home. We spoke to her and she was interested in what we have to say so set up a return appointment with us. It was one of the tender little miracles where you know that God puts you in the right place at the right moment. When we walked away we all marvelled :) We had a really powerful lesson with a girl named Maria that night. She had avoided us for a while but we visited her at her house and asked questions about her beliefs and what she wants out of life and ended up teaching The Restoration based upon the answers of our questions and the next questions we'd ask. It was really cool. We came out of the lesson like "Woah! What was that?" I love it when the Spirit completely directs the lesson. These are the things I will miss about being a missionary. And miracle of miracles she came to Church on Sunday! It was incredible because her only drawback was that she is Catholic and MUST go to Catholic church every week, BUT SHE CAME! And nobody even picked her up. It was cool! We went to one of the FHE's of the 2nd Ward and just as we entered the doors they were coming up the corridor to leave, and we got ABSOLUTELY mobbed. It turned out they were doing a scavenger hunt and one of the things they had to get a picture of was a photo with a missoinary haha!! So we entered the doors and they all RAN TOWARDS US shouting "SISTERS!!!!" and I nearly ran back out of the doors it was so abrupt and intimidating having a huge group of YSA running towards you! hahahaha it was hilarious though! 

So I had to tell everyone that I'm leaving and it was so sad! I'm so attached to everyone here at Dixie State University cos I've been here since they moved in to their apartments in August!! Seriously it's such a small area that I know like everyone in all the rooms at this point. Sad note, one of the boys fell off his scooter and got hit by a car and died last Tuesday. It's really sad and everyone is in mourning. It helps us to teach about the Plan of Salvation. Anyway so CJ wanted us over for dinner so in classic YSA style he (he's the Ward Mission Leader) invited his girlfriend to his apartment so we could go inside and we had pizza and root beer floats haha. I thought "I bet this will never happen in my next area haha". Then the next day E wanted to take us out to lunch to say goodbye and it was the cutest thing because we taught him at the VC about the atonement of Christ and Prophets and he just cried. It was so powerful. When I look into his eyes I just know that I've known him forever. So he has a car but we couldn't ride with just him so he walked with us all the way to get lunch and he just opened right up to us about prison life and growing up and his family and it was just such a sad story. It makes me more and more sure that when I grow up I want to be a prison counsellor and counsel prisoners to help them have the motivation to change their lives. I've met so many ex prisoners here and I just love them so much. The lunch was a huge success just to help him get to know us better and trust us more. I can't wait for you to meet him in six weeks. I told him we'll probz take him out for dinner!!! 

In the evening after the lunch with E, we went to the Bishop of the 2nd Ward's house and had all of our investigators in the Second Ward come and have dinner. It was SUCH A SUCCESS!! We had such a random group of people; the star of the DSU football team, an Asian, a boy from Burundi, a Latino boy, two orphans from California and a Nigerian girl. Then the Ward Mission Leader Colton and us! Hahahaha it was soooooo random but worked so well!!! We taught The Restoration at the end and the two orphan boys (we didn't know them but Colton brought them with him) agreed to learn more and will pray about baptism and came to Church the next day. We had more people at Church on Sunday than I have ever had my whole time at Dixie!! WE GOT 7 INVESTIGATORS AND 2 LESS ACTIVES AT CHURCH!!! 

At Church the Bishop of the 3rd Ward stood at the pulpit and announced that I was leaving because the Mission President found out that I had developed a crush on him and so I was being emergency transferred!! It was the funniest thing ever and everyone was cracking up. He is SO inappropriate but probably my best friend!!! We had this huge Area Meeting on Sunday about more effective Ward Councils and using Members and Missionaries together. It was with all the Stakes in St George and all the Ward Mission leaders and High Councillors and Missionaries. It was really long and really hot haha but it was funny because everyone else was really old, then surrounding us, the St George YSA 1st Stake, there were just these little teenage boys as Ward Mission leaders haha. You could tell where the YSA Stake was sitting haha!!! 

Last random story before signing out: The Morningside Sisters received a referral for a homeless woman who lives in a bush behind Harmons the grocery store and they asked us to go with them to contact her because they were scared. I laughed for about 5 minutes before agreeing and we went with them to find a bush behind Harmons with a woman living in it! Hahah we haven't found her yet but we wont give up until we do! We call her bush woman and one day she will be baptised. 

My heart is so heavy to be leaving St George and the VC and all my Sisters. I don't know where Cross Hollows even is, but I am excited for the challenge that lays ahead. I need to be pushed and stretched and this will do it. I looked around me at Church yesterday and had the sweet assurance that I have done my work there and there is nothing more for me to accomplish. I felt peace that I had finished my time there and that I was passing the baton to someone else. It was a good feeling. I will work tirelessly for six more weeks so I can feel that way about my whole mission. It was such a tender mercy to have all those people at Church so that I could see the lives that had changed and the people that were there at Church who were not there six weeks ago. It's sooooo hard to say goodbye to people that you love so much, but I know I"ll see them again one day. They will always have a place in my heart. I need your prayers this week to keep me strong. I know I'll be homesick for a week or two, homesick for St George and for my YSA buddies. It feels like my heart is being ripped out again. But I'll get through it!!!! My mission has taught me that if nothing else, I can do hard things with the Saviour by my side. With Him, I can do all things. This time next week I'll tell you all about Cross Hollows and my new baby girl from Texas!!!!!!! 

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! 

Sister Nicholls

PS The glitter pit last week was SO FUN!! We got lost so many times and were about to turn back then we turned the corner and found a huge glittering pile of glitter. It was fun!!! Today's p-day is trying to pack everything because I've lived in that apartment since January 2014. I haven't packed for 13 months!!!! I'll be sending a huge package home today!
LOVE YOU <3