Happy New Year!

We got to Skype with Nicole on Christmas! She's doing well and had such a

glow about her. She got a new camera for Christmas, but is still figuring it out. 

So hopefully we'll get to post some pictures next week! 

Because of a Temple trip, we heard from her on Tuesday instead of Monday. 

Check out her latest email below:

"Hey Everyone!!!! 

      

      My p-day is a day off today because I got to go to the Temple today!!! We literally just got back from it and walked across the street to the stake center...yes, I did say walk across the street! It was so awesome!!! Ahhhh...I love the Temple!!! You feel God's love for you so strongly and it just makes you so happy!!   

      This past week has been so awesome!! It started off tough, but after getting a Priesthood blessing on Tuesday, it went so much better!!! I'm soooooooooo grateful for the Priesthood!!! 

      My Christmas was so awesome!!!! I got a new camera I can start using, but I haven't figured out how to upload the photos from it because it's way different than my older one. So...no photos this week, but I'll figure it out and send some next week!!! We had a Christmas Eve dinner at a member's house, the Daines, and it was so yummy!! Christmas was just the best though!!! I got to Skype home and talk to my family at the Toth's house! They were so sweet to let us Skype there! Their son just got home from the Dallas, Texas Mission so that was way cool!! We got to Skype home and then they fed us a very yummy Christmas dinner with so much food!! It was such a good day and a great week! How blessed the Lord is to us!! 

     This week we had so many miracles! The 9 year old girl, Kristin, told her father she wanted to get baptized and is almost done with all her prerequisites!! She is so excited and can't wait to get baptized!! It's so fun to see the joy that comes from the gospel and living by it! She has such a huge desire to follow Christ, and she is such a great example for me of what it means to use the Atonement and to do what is right...and SHE'S 9!!!!! 

      Just the other day, we went to contact a potential. He wasn't home, but we met his wife, daughter, mother, and mother-in-law. They let us come in and teach the Restoration...it was the first time I got to recite the First Vision and it was oh so powerful!!!! I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!! We committed them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and they have a desire to find out if it is true because they sincerely want to do what God wants them to do!!! I can't wait to follow up with them later!!! They are so elect, and so prepared for the restored gospel and I hope they feel the promptings of the Spirit confirming its truthfulness and leading them to the waters of baptism to draw closer to our Savior! 

       Funny story...we were in Wal-Mart (a few days before Christmas) in line to pay for some photos we were getting printed. Sister Gosdis was printing Christmas cards and I was just chilling with her. This guy comes up behind us and Sister Gosdis hands me a pass a long card to give him and start conversation with. I did just that and we start some small talk. Near the end, I gave him a He is the Gift card and told him to watch it and to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the gift He has given us this Christmas season. He was so appreciative and nice...TOO nice. He went in and gave Sister Gosdis a HUGE HUG!!!! Hahaha, she goes "MISSIONARIES DON'T HUG MEN!!!" Hahaha, he replied, "Oh, well, here it goes!" and gave me a hug anyways!! Haha, it was really funny. 

     Another funny story...we were going over to President Mullen's house (the mission president) to teach his family. Well, it snowed this weekend...a lot and the roads are kinda icy in some parts...especially up on the mountain. So, we had a cute young couple drop us off. The catch is, there's a little hill you have to go up to leave President's house...it was so icy, they couldn't get back up the hill!! So Sister Gosdis and I and one of the Mullen's daughters climbed in the back, the couple sitting together in the front passenger's seat, and the girlfriend's brother in the driver's seat (they tried getting up the hill for 30 minutes while we taught the family and eventually called for extra help; we came out to help after the short lesson). Then, President Mullen and his son sat in the trunk!!! The logic of doing this was they thought the extra weight would help keep the car from sliding....we still slid....it was quite a sight!! Just imagine a car full of people with a mission PRESIDENT and his son sitting in the trunk (the trunk is wide open by the way) sliding backwards down an icy hill...it was really funny! 

      Anyways, this week was full of joy and happiness and we had so many lessons and gospel conversations with people! I just want to bear my testimony that this church is true!! Christ runs it and it brings you so much joy and happiness and peace and strength and every other good thing you could think of. It's not always easy, but it's much easier than our own personal ways could ever be! I'm so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and for all that He has done for me! I'm so excited to start a new year...our New Year Resolution is no candy or sugar....we'll see how long that lasts(: I'm so excited to see what the Lord has in store for me! I'm so grateful for all my family and friends and loved ones and all that ya'll have done for me! I feel so blessed to have gotten to know all of you in some way! I hope everyone has a great week and a very Happy New Year!! 

       I love you all!!! 

Love, 

Sister Nicole Wilson"